Glimpses of Fire

 .

Sitting around a fire together

for hundreds of thousands of years

is a big part of what makes us human.

Author Unknown

There is something about a fire, whether in a fireplace or a stone circle out doors that embraces me like home.  I cannot help but wonder how many fires have warmed me down to my soul.  Give me a good book or a journal or just thinking time, and I can travel incredible distances accompanied by the crackling fire. 

Staring into the hot coals, I can easily eliminate not only time but space.  It is as though the flames are a mere tunnel welcoming my mind to wander where I have been on journey before.  The tunnel is a portal that opens into all that ever was. 

Transported, I find myself with brown muscular legs running barefoot through a forrest following a soaring hawk.  The hawk leads me to an opening in the might trees where people are gathered around a fire.  These people welcome me home.  They are my family and love me.  Everyone is drumming and the vibrations run up my powerful legs calling me to dance.  There is ceremony and ritual igniting my soul and creating passion.

Transported, I find myself to be a mere spark released into the air from a hot flame.  There is drunken laugher and cruel words with screams of horror and fright.  The intense flames lick their tongues against the flesh of the innocent as souls are released up into the air.

Transported, I find myself sitting around a fire, wounded in a soldier's uniform.  Men are gathered into the circle, but most are really young boys.  We are hungry, filthy, tired, and broken.  We no longer care who the enemy is and we have forgotten the reasons for war.  We long for our families and the safety of our homes that we will see never more.

Exiting the portal, escaping back through the tunnel, I sit with bone shaking emotions by the fire in this time and place.  I send love, light, and healing back from where I have been.  I remain safely seated in my chair until I feel calm and peaceful again. 

  

  

Coffee Puddles

Unknown to her the rigid rule,

the dull restraint,

the chiding frown,

the weary torture of the school,

the taming of wild nature down.

John Greenleaf Whittier

American Writer (1807-1892)

It all began with coffee puddles.  They some how threw me into a tizzy.   I had not set the automatic program correctly on my new coffee pot.  The new coffee pot pours differently from my old faithful and it dripped all over the counter ... tiny puddles everywhere.  Puddles are not all that bad, except I had just meticulously cleaned the counter from the coffee grinder episode.  Why does a grinder have to have so many choices?  I could die before I work my way through all of the levels! And why am I buying beans when it would be easier to just buy it ground!

Muttering all of the way to the bathroom, I recalled how annoying all of the charge card machines were different as well.  Some slide on the sides, while others across the top.  I often wait for permission from the clerk to swipe my card, but then she tells me she can't make the transaction until I use the card.  Why are they not all the same? 

It is no different with computers or cell phones.  If you buy a new phone, then you also have to purchase a new charger, case, car charger, etc...  They are not compatible and of course this earns the companies more money.  The same with computers. If you purchase a new computer, chances are good that the old key board or mouse won't be supported by the new system.  The only company kind enough to be interchangeable is Apple.  They have one keyboard and it fits everything!  And even at the monetary loss of providing their customers this convenience, aren't they the company who has sky rocketing stock?

By this time, I have worked myself into a frenzy and when I step out of the shower.  I am once again perplexed by how much my replaced hair dryer has altered the positions of the high/low button.   Is this a conspiracy to drive me over the edge?

The word rigidity snakes across my consciousness.  Me, rigid?  I think not!  I am expansive, not inflexible.  Am I not the one who has low tolerance for restraints like bras, headbands, and shoes?  Am I not the one who facilitated task forces for a variety of causes for change?  I loathe sameness.  I want diversity in my sheets, towels, clothes, books and dreams!

Harrumph!  I feel divided by differing parts of my self.  Is this just another vein to duality ... two sides to the coin?  I am hopelessly conflicted. 

I poured another cup of coffee and feeling disgruntled, mopped up the trail of coffee puddles as I went. 

The Perfect Way to Live



To me, wholeness is the key to aliveness.  It is more than just physical vitality, it is radiance coming from being at one with yourself and your experience.  Life then flows through you and radiates from you. 

Richard Moss

How Shall I Live

When we feel as though our body, mind and spirit are perfectly aligned, we can accomplish tasks with ease and grace.  All of our energy is blended and flowing in support of our endeavors.  It is when we become fragmented in our thoughts and actions, that our energy becomes divided flowing into random tributaries.  Our force is weakened.

When we call to mind people we revere, it is easy to remember the warmth or the comfort or the wisdom we experience in their presence.  Individuals who are aligned with their inner and outer world, automatically extend a welcoming vibration.  We are drawn or attracted to the energy they vibrate.  Just by being in their presence, we tend to feel better about our selves.

By nurturing our own body, mind, and spirit, we vamp up our own energy and it becomes a force to be contended with.  The flowing energy draws opportunities and relationships into our lives.  We experience the feeling of being 'in the flow' with vitality and radiance ... the perfect way to live. 

Creating Ritual

All rituals have roots far beyond Christianity, and that is why Holy Mother is a part of all of us.  When we connect with a spiritual vessel (Holy Mother) we can once again connect with our souls.

Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Untie the Strong Woman

A ritual can be as formal as a church rite or as informal as lighting a candle by our self.  A ritual can have ancient script and format or it can be a projection of personal thought.  A sense of sacred can be experienced either in the midst of  a multitude or in the presence of one.

A few decades ago, it was stated that women were falling away from God which was not the truth at all.  Women were falling away from organized religion in search of a personal relationship with the Divine.  They sought out sacred rituals of their own involving the elements of earth, wind, fire and water.  Rituals were created in the privacy of personal sacred space or during a gathering with others.  Sacred space was defined and created by each individual ranging from one candle by a bedside to drumming, singing, dancing, and ceremony. 

Women's relationships with Divine Spirit increased.  For some, the private sacred space was used in addition to regular church services with the family or for others it replaced the Sunday experience through daily observance of the freshly designed ritual.

Creating sacred space, adding ritual and ceremony empowers our inner spirit to welcome in the Holy Spirit.  A personal relationship with God, Mother Mary, or Masters and Saints allows an undeniable connection resonating within.  It is a powerful experience to assist us in our daily lives.

At the very  least, each morning light one candle in celebration of your life with a thankful and grateful heart.  This brief gesture when repeated becomes a definitive support throughout your day.  With ritual, you are simply recognizing the presence of Divine Spirit within your self and within your day.

Navigating with Calm and Confidence

A mind at peace,

and mind centered

and not focused on harming others,

is stronger than any physical force

in the universe.

Wayne Dyer

Life challenges us which causes us to worry and stress.  When we are distracted from our relationships by emotional tumult, we do not perform as well as we are able.  I found this so frequently with families I served during my years in social services.  A family would so desperately need services, the family members would be almost frozen in place unable to make appropriate decisions.  Once we prioritized issues and matched them with available resources with assistance, decision making became more credible. 

The same holds true with children.  When children are distracted by family crisis, they easily zone out, not completing homework, not sleeping, and no longer caring about their appearance.  They frequently withdraw from the teacher and classmates or go the other direction by becoming aggressive with fighting or bullying.  When resources are put into place, the children once again can feel secure and respond in healthy behaviors, thinking before they act.

The ability to navigate through our day with calm and confidence increases the quality of our life.  With calm and confidence we will not be as easily overwhelmed by the lessons or challenges presented in our lives.  We will not be pulled off center causing us to react instead of act.  We can calmly consider what faces us and methodically create an appropriate approach that best meets the demands of the present and future.

When we remain calm and confident we feel more empowered.  We are less likely to be demeaning to others or resorting to uncharacteristic behaviors.  We won't be as likely to hurt the feelings of others or feel ashamed of careless words or actions.  When maintaining calm and confidence, we all find our selves operating from a place of security and personal power.

Navigate with calm and confidence and we will stay the course.

Puzzle Pieces

Some seem to be born with a nearly completed puzzle.

And so it goes.

Souls going this way and that

Trying to assemble the myriad parts.

But know this.  No one has within themselves

All the pieces to their puzzle.

Like before the days when they used to seal

jigsaw puzzles in cellophane.  Insuring that

all pieces were there.

Everyone carries within them at least one and probably

Many pieces to someone else's puzzle.

Sometimes they know it.

Sometimes they don't.

And when you present your piece

Which is worthless to you,

To another, whether you know it or not,

Whether they know it or not,

You are a messenger from the Most High.

Lawrence Kushner

Honey from the Rock

As we primarily learn through relationships, it stands to reason that our development is somewhat dependent upon others.  Family and relatives, teachers and friends, leaders and mentors all carry pieces to our puzzle of life.  Even strangers or unrecognized angels often dance through life, shifting harmony, rhythm and verse.

Pieces to our puzzle come in all shapes, sizes and colors.  They are sometimes invisible or abstract, physical or mental, whispered or unspoken as there are many variances to our unique jigzaw puzzle. 

There are times when we come across a piece of puzzle we are not ready for yet.  We may try to force it into an open space even though it clearly is not a match.  It may fit there temporarily, but eventually the ill fitting piece will fall out and we begin again. 

It is truly important for us to feel comfortable with each piece, making certain that it is a good fit.  Contrarily, there are some pieces that grow increasingly more comfortable with time.  Our puzzles require awareness, not carelessness.

Some puzzle pieces are messengers or spiritual guides or Masters from the beyond while others are people we see every day like the person delivering our mail, flinging our newspaper, riding on our bus, sharing an elevator ... the list goes on. 

Although our inner wisdom is vital, the wisdom of others frequently links the pieces of our puzzle together.  It is through the connection with others that clarity begins to take shape. 

Through my writing, I extend thoughts to assist others in completing their puzzle.  It is through these reflections that I join others seeking the bigger picture.  I would like to think that I am a piece to your puzzle, just as you are an important piece to mine, and I thank you!

Harboring Lies

We live in a culture that is dying for the truth ~ literally.  When we keep painful secrets or tell lies, we distort our energy fields, weaken our immune systems, pickle our organs, constrict our hearts, rattle our brains, and confuse our nervous systems.  Lies turn the body into a toxic waste dump.

Deborah King

TRUTH HEALS

Little white lies, what harm can they do?  Plenty.  Lies not only distort the truth and dishonor the self,  they also give others a false impression.  Lies are like potato chips in that you can't just settle for one!  No matter what the intention, lies have a way of increasing deception and eventually set us up for a great fall.

We may think we have hidden a poor choice, but the truth has a way of erupting when least expected and if we happen to deny the situation things can rapidly take a different course.  Lies appear to be the easy way out, but only on the surface.  Telling the truth from the very start may be difficult, but once it is set straight, we are free to move forward. 

Telling the truth does not need to be abrasive nor offensive to another.  We may convince our selves that telling the truth will cause another pain, but in the long run, by lying, we will hurt them even more. 

If we harbor too many lies, the anxiety over the truth being discovered, can cause us not only mental anguish, but may begin to erode our physical being as well.  Dishonesty creates speed bumps that interrupt our natural energy flow.  Our energy becomes blocked and illness can follow when faced with prolonged dis-ease.  If left unattended, the spirit grows heavy and can be broken leading to depression of body, mind, and spirit.

Little white lies are such  easy responses, but in time complexity settles in.  Deceptions not only keep healthy relationships at bay, they also keep us distanced from our authentic selves.

Simple lies can lead to complex problems so endeavor to be a truth teller! In each and every moment we have the option to start anew or confess or forgive.   Being honest with our self is certainly a great beginning. 

Wizard, Not Magician

In the West a wizard is primarily thought to be a magician who practices alchemy, turning base metal into gold.  Alchemy also exists in India, but the word alchemy is really a code word.  It stands for turning human beings into gold, turning our base qualities of fear, ignorance, hatred, and shame into the most precious stuff there is:  love and fulfillment.  So a teacher who can teach you how to turn yourself into a free, loving person is by definition an alchemist.

Deepak Chopra

THE WAY OF THE WIZARD

Some of our best teachers in life may have appeared to be our enemies.  Think about it.  Looking at our lives, who have taught us the harshest lessons ... kind folks or those in clear opposition? 

I have been blessed with many loving teachers, but I have definitely gone up against opposition sometimes learning the hard way.  There have been times that I longed for a teacher to come into my life, but not always did one appear. 

The expectations we hold for a teacher, are they for magic or wisdom? Do we long for a magician to appear and remedy all of our problems or do we prefer a wizard who will teach us wisdom to face our own challenges?  

Many of us long for a secure place to enter and listen to wisdom. Some of us travel near and far seeking the wisdom of would be wizards.  Deepak Chopra says, "A wizard exists in all of us.  This wizard sees and knows everything."  So once again we are prompted to stop exploring outside of our selves, and begin to explore our own inner landscapes.  

When we are finally open to the wizard within, we begin to not only hear wisdom, but we begin to use it to free our creativity, love, and spiritual nature.  Embracing the knowledge within, we begin to expand our awareness and attract wisdom from all surrounding people and things.  We experience a full sense of being and a true purpose in life.  

Rumi shares with us:  "You are the unconditioned spirit trapped in conditions, like the sun in eclipse."  We can endeavor to set our selves free through self-discovery and deep appreciation for who we truly are ... Wizard, not Magician.

Sounds So Simple

Yield and overcome,

empty and be full.

Have little and gain.

Have much and be confused.

Not putting on a display, not justifying,

Not boasting, not bragging.

Be really whole and all things

will come to you.

Lao Tzu

          
The above quote was on my friend's blog:  Nan Yoga-Along the Path.  She has a way of choosing quotes that directly connect with my heart.  These words just resonate within me, (especially the "... empty and be full. Have little and gain" ) although we generally would be thinking the opposite.

At times our lives are so full, we tend to lose our focus or our intentions become diluted.  There is another saying "Less is more," (I don't remember who authored it) which seems contradictory to what our culture believes. 

So if we strive to get rid of excess and what no longer serves us, and open to simple spiritual truth, we will receive what we need.  Life surely would not be as complicated.  It would be more calm, peaceful, honorable and respectful.  Sounds so simple!

 

Shifting Perceptions

Messengers:

We have very few, if any, limitations in how we may appear.  We may be animate or inanimate, beautiful or repulsive, impressive or mundane.  We may be astronomically large or microscopic.  We could manifest as a rainbow, a scrap of trash, a sequence in a dream, a rainstorm, a digital impulse on the Internet, a blown fuse, or gust of wind.  The image we project could last a nanosecond or a billion years.

Todd Michael
THE EVOLUTION ANGEL



Recently, I have been exploring a book written by Todd Michael who served as a medical director of an emergency room and Level III trauma center.  THE EVOLUTION ANGEL is Todd Michael's documentation on a wide range of experiences he had while witnessing well over 500 deaths.  He reports communicating with spirits or angels or messengers.

The author tells us to always treat others with respect as they may be messengers who are a projection of God.  "We could manifest as a car driving too slowly in front of you, making you 'late' for an appointment.  We could be an animal crossing your path, a retarded person staring at you in a checkout line, a leaf falling into a pond that grabs your attention at just the right moment, a ragged homeless person asking you for money, or a small child smiling at you on the bus."

"For this reason, it is wise to treat everyone as if they were a messenger, a direct extension of God.  Be careful. Any stranger, any living creature you encounter may actually be a messenger.  Don't make a fool of yourself by being rude or aloof to a messenger of the divine."

To discuss whether or not Todd Michael's experiences are fact or fiction, is not my intention.  We are all entitled to our beliefs and I find his information to be most interesting.

What a different world we would live in if we shifted our perspective and remained mindful that God is in every single thing intending to support, encourage, and guide us through our life experiences.  We would never feel truly alone and the fear driven culture we live in would become more optimistic.  If we would open our eyes, truly open them, we would be aware of the magical world surrounding us. 

Two books,  ANIMALS SPEAK and NATURE SPEAKS written by Ted Andrews are wonderful books as a resources for understanding symbolism in animals and nature.  When we have an animal cross our path, and look up the symbolism of that particular animal, our life experience takes on more depth.  When a particular tree or flower keeps grabbing our attention, we can research it.  When the information is applied to our situation, we discover greater meaning and enhancement. 

Divine Spirit has surrounded us with angels, messengers, spirits, nature, and great synchronicity.  Our world "could" be a spiritual playground if we would only listen and shift our perceptions.

Extending Light

The multisensory personality sees Divinity or God or Divine Intelligence or whatever word it chooses to use for this, as Light.  It sees those through whom Divinity flows consciously, such as the Christ, the Buddha, and Krishna, as beings of Light, beings of wholeness, integration, and completeness.

Gary Zukav

THE SEAT OF THE SOUL

Light is energy and light as Divine Energy is in all things ... both living and inanimate objects.  Auras of energy or light can be seen around plants as well as human beings.  If a rock is held in our hand or if we sit on a large boulder, eventually we will begin to feel energy coming from the formation.   All elements of life have energy or light:  water, air, fire, and earth.

So if we can sense the presence of light or God in all things and all beings, we are called to treat everyone and every thing honorably or with respect.  If we maintain the awareness of Divine being present, our actions are called to a higher level of relating.

Violence or harsh reactions attract very abrasive energy over shadowing the light within us.  When we allow our light to stay strong, we operate on a higher frequency or more compatible vibration.

As an energy worker (Reiki Master and Karuna Reiki Master) I use light every day.  I send light or energy to those who are challenged or to those whom I love dearly.  The more I use energy, the stronger my light grows which allows me to extend light out into the world. 

Light can be thought of as Divine Energy or prayer or love as it takes on many forms.  As we open our hearts and let our light shine from within we attract more light and make our surroundings a better place to be.  Let us be more deliberate in extending our light as it not only  improves the well being of others, but our own sense of joy, as well.

Open Windows

I have opened all the windows in my house.

Eagles fly in and out, as do any words that

are spoken about me.

Anything my ears might detect, firsthand or

second . . . I might give that news a moment's

attention

and then just let it be the tiny evaporating

whiff of smoke it is, dissolving in the Infinite.

Hafiz

When we allow criticism to linger too long in our minds, words and feelings grow heavy.  The original words may not have even been meant for us, but we chose to personalize whatever was said.  There are occasions we choose to hang on to what we need to release.

Open is the key word.  We open our hearts, our minds, and our spirits allowing any negativity to come and go on a gentle breeze.  Allow open thinking to carry any darkness on a straight path outside of our selves.  Avoid emotional heaviness by not listening too closely to careless comments of others.  Our spirit will soar when we no longer retain stagnant thoughts to distract us from the beauty around us.

When we do not feed energy into the words of others, the words are no longer sustained.  When we no longer fuel what we long to dismiss, it dissipates into thin air.  We have choice as to how long we want to detain information as it passes through.   We can decide to cling to what harms us or to open our windows and let it pass right on through.   Which will we choose?



Experience Entitled Living

Our task is to believe, to trust, to create, to do whatever is at hand to do in the present moment.  And to let the future be.

Our task is to affirm our own energy, our own God-identity, to use the gifts of the heart, then hands, and the spirit within, in the best way we know at the present moment.

Then comes the flow of light into our lives, as we "let go and let God," as we turn toward God, who is always and forever turned toward us.

BettyClare Moffatt

SOULWORK

Another oxymoron has presented itself to me.  I am an "intensely disciplined/easily distracted" individual.  I can be very focused, and yet easily wander.  Understanding life offers duality, I don't necessarily see one as good and the other bad.  Both offer gifts.

When I am intensely focused on an idea, I find my self researching it and experiencing it until I am fully grounded in the idea or ready to dismiss it.  Sometimes, however, during this very pursuit, I end up wandering into other areas.  The pursuit itself can become the distraction from my focus. 

This seems to be true with our dreams, passions, intentions, and agendas.  We become inspired for whatever reason and set out to fulfill our desire.  Too often, the coals of the fire burn out as we are sidetracked by limitations our life tend to project.  We may return to the fire and stir the coals, but seldom does the passion rekindle into its original heat.

Although it is in the wandering where we often times discover a higher truth or a better understanding than the discipline would have revealed.  Everything, every movement is an aspect of learning from this experience entitled living.

Perhaps this is just part of the dance of life, being pulled from one polarity to another.  I do know that we all experience it.  So perhaps the key is doing what you can, where you are, and with what you have.  Not always, but generally.  Waiting for the really big moment or the great 'aha' can deprive us from the magic in each of life's moments.

Reflections from the Trees

                         Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and

                      sorrow come and go like the wind.  To be

happy, rest like a great tree in the midst of them all.

Buddha's Little

Instruction Book

Trees are to be admired for their endurance to stand against all weather and their ability to intricately grow limbs seeking the sun.  Their strong branches stretch upwards holding nothing,  allowing all things to pass through. 

Trees are present through all of nature's cycles.  They experience tiny new buds growing and then unfolding.  Mature leaves add to the trees gracefulness, adding sound from the breeze.  Leaves turn into majestic colors and then gently fall to the ground, as the tree releases them, still standing tall.

There is much we can learn from the presence of a tree.  We can sprout new growth and enjoy the unfolding, but we must be prepared to release, especially when the timing is not ours.  When storms pass through our lives, we need to bend like the limbs of the trees, to endure until we can stand straight again.  When debris blows our way, we need not hold it to us, but like the tree, let it pass on.  When we fall into the shadows, we can alter our gestures in order to grow once again towards the light.

Trees are a constant presence in our lives.  There all shapes and sizes with each variation offering us symbols of peace, quiet, stillness, and the serenity of nature.  There is much to be learned by observing and experiencing the reflections from the trees. 

 

Along the Way ...

Anger is a signal, and one worth listening to.  Our anger may be a message that we are being hurt, that our rights are being violated, that our needs or wants are not being adequately met, or simply that something is not right.

Harriet Goldhor Lerner, Ph.D.
THE DANCE OF ANGER



As children, we have opportunities to observe adults acting out in anger.  We may not yet have the depth to understand all of the components of the situation, but we very well may decide we never want to act in this manner. 

As children, we do not always realize anger is an acceptable form of our feelings.  We do not always realize it is the behavior in how we express anger that becomes a critical piece of the situation and not anger itself. 

There is nothing wrong with being angry, but abusive physical or emotional reaction to anger is clearly unacceptable.  If we did not learn appropriate means of expressing anger as a child, then we need to learn it as an adult. 

If we consider anger to be 'wrong' then we may repress it and in doing so, we may create issues with anger physically or mentally.  Repressed anger can damage the body, mind and spirit. 

We have the right to speak our truth, as we see it, even if we are incorrect.  We develop a sense of voice that does not need to be elevated or threatening to make our point.  Channeling our anger in appropriate ways can be healthy.

If we are not allowed to speak our truth for fear of being fired, or harmed, or placed at a disadvantage, we still need a means to express our feelings.  We need a safe place to express what we feel whether it is a trusted friend or a private journal. 

Along the way, we discover by expressing our anger, we can avoid major crisis or chaos in many of our relationships.  If we let our anger build up, we will have a greater tendency to say what we don't mean or do what we abhor.

While we develop our voice, we will find it advantageous to create a partnership with a good listener.  Maintain clear boundaries and honor each others confidences.  We need to keep searching until we find a person of trust.



Picked From The Tree

A LATE NIGHT SNACK

I know there are a lot of important things

going on in the world that maybe I should in

some way be attending.

But I was wondering how those pretty spiced

apples, just out of the oven - and in all of their

aromatic glory

will taste for dessert, and then a late night snack.

Hafiz

Apples are one of my favorite fruits ... must have a little of Eve in me!  Over the years I have used apples to make chunky sauce with plenty of cinnamon, bread, muffins, pie, cobbler, turnovers and just plain baked apples.  Then I can really get into trouble and melt caramels with a little milk for a dipping sauce! I will eat several apples throughout the day and be delighted as though they were a dessert. 

As the seasons change, so do our preferences, activities, and perspectives.  We are such unique beings and yet so similar in many ways.  If we compare our changing routines to those of others, we discover similarities.  It is only through communication, however, that we become aware of our own uniqueness.

We humans are like the apples.  Some are tart or sweet with a variety of textures.  Apples are apples, but they too have uniqueness.  Some are red, green or a combination of yellows and reds and some are better for baking than others.  They all have purpose!

Unlike the apples, we do have choice about our disposition.  We can be sweet or tart or vacillate between the two.  Like the apples, we have a purpose, but we must discover it before we get picked from the tree!



Once Called Home

The only thing more unthinkable than leaving was staying; the only thing more impossible than staying was leaving.  I didn't want to destroy anything or anybody.  I just wanted to slip out the back door, without causing any fuss or consequences, and then not stop running until I reached Greenland.

Elizabeth Gilbert
Eat, Pray, Love


A month ago, I sat on my daughter's back patio.  There were so many memories of this dwelling place, but now she was moving on to create a new space to call home.  New opportunities were waiting, and life always continues on.

From the lovely windows in her back den, I had watched snow fall, spring flowers bloom, wisteria stretch its arms over the picket fence, and fall leaves gently float to the outer back yard.  I watched her Golden Retriever blend into the fall background, and then come prancing when I called her name, "Hannah".  The Tuxedo cat, Trudy, was always lingering by the windows observing Hannah's every move. 

As I sat for the last time on this patio, I recalled happy times here of celebration with gathered friends; birthday party bubbles and sparklers for when my girl turned 30; hours of leisure reading and endless notes in a journal;  and worried times when the future was shifting and changing for both of us. 

While rocking in my white wicker rocker, I knew that life always continues whether we are ready or not.  Decisions that seem so resolute untangle into a free fall and the only firm grasp is faith in Spirit.

My gaze moved upwards towards the sky and I noticed the yellow finch flying near to say good-bye.  It seemed to make my farewell complete.

What Else Is In My Future?

On self-care:

If you put yourself on the back burner,

you may get burnt ... or burn out.

Karen McMillan

It is a beautiful day in my neighborhood!  The sun is out, there is a slight breeze with comfortable temperatures.  My kind of day!  There is a walk in my future.

What else is in my future?  If I took to heart all of the political mud slinging in the media, I'd run to a cave in never never land.  I do believe we all can be realistic without the gloom and doom or shall we say the 'fear factor'.  The on going conflicts, criticisms, and verbal attacks can wear me down to the point of  concern as to where all of this negative energy is spinning!

In my own little world, I wonder how we will ever attain world peace when two perspective leaders cannot even be peaceful towards each other.  I do not feel as though any of my personal actions would impact this situation.  This leaves me to ponder what it is that I can do.

I must learn to live peacefully in the midst of the chaos.  I use what is available to me to extend peace out into the world.  Through energy work, prayer, and acts of kindness, every day people can change the tone of our communities.  We can touch the lives of others offering hope that goodness will prevail.

If we sit back thinking there is nothing we can do, we only add to the negativity.  If we place our good intentions on the back burner, we may just get burnt!

Open Invitation



Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all. 

~Stanley Horowitz

Fall is my very favorite time of the year.  The season is filled with yummy fragrances, dancing colored leaves, gourds and pumpkins, and cooler weather.  Autumn in an open invitation to be outdoors immersing the 'self' in the majestic beauty of Mother Earth.

Fruit choices shift from melons to apples and my baking focus is on anything pumpkin ... bars, muffins, pie, cookies ... while cinnamon and cider spices seem to be pumped into the air.  The multiple colors in the falling leaves can never be exactly duplicated by a painters palette.  Rich bold colors with varying hues all blend perfectly together and yet contrast as well. 

It very may well heat up in the fall afternoon, but mornings and evenings are a walker's delight!  The shifting breeze scoots the fallen leaves across the earth's floor and little animals can be heard scurrying along on all four.  The birds take flight into the beautiful blue skies with style and grace.  

Scarecrows, hay rack rides, apple dunking and fall festivals crowd most any weekend.  There seems as though there are endless things to do, all requiring a person to be outside. 

Yes, to be outside in the fall, I am called to be fully alive and joined with all of nature.  It is as though every fall, I transition just a little further with the autumn I love so well.

Surrounded by Words

             Books are the quietest and most constand of friends;

they are the most accessible

and wisest of counselors,

and the most patient of teachers.

Charles W. Eliot

After waiting eight weeks, new bookshelves have arrived!  It had taken me a long time to select them and my books have been packed since last April.  Unpacking all of the boxes yesterday it was hard not to become distracted and read just a few pages from each delight. 

The unveiling of my books was like a family reunion.  Although I loved them all, some held more meaning for me than others.  Reconnecting with diverse wisdom from all generations, trying to place how old I was when I read a particular book, and realizing how much I had changed since devouring a certain chapter.  As I looked around my room, I felt surrounded by loving friends who had been present during the years of my spiritual passage.

I made groupings of my books:  Women's Issues (Sue Monk Kidd, Joan Borysenko, Judith Durek, Maria Harris and Harriet Lerner), Poetry (Hafiz, Gibran, Rumi, Oliver, Whyte, O'Donohue), Inspirational (Mark Nepo, Alan Cohen, Gary Zukav, Gregg Braden, James Redfield, Marianne Williamson, Neal Donald Walsch, Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle), Energy Work (Diane Stein, Donna Eden, Louise Hays, Jill Bolte Taylor, Elizabeth Kubler Ross, Brian Weiss), Spiritual (Hank Wessellman, Pema Chodron, Paul Ferrini, Ram Dall, Thomas Moore, Jane Roberts, Dick Sutphen, Helen Wambach, Dan Millman, Micahel Newton, Richard Bach), to name just a few.

These are some of the authors who bravely wrote of their experiences which took courage and gave deeper understanding of life itself.  They were there to help me through long nights, storms, and dark days.  Their words became a presence (present) in my life that encouraged me to use my voice and my own words.  By sharing their unique experiences, my own life became more authentic and deeply spiritual. 

The energy of all of these words now surround me in my room, and I am so very eager for my writing to bring attention to these rekindled insights.  I feel refreshed and excited to once again be in the presence of such articulate and spiritual beings!

Running ... Physcial, Emotional, and Spiritual



The miracle isn't that I finished.

The miracle is that I had the courage to start.

John Bingham

NO NEED FOR SPEED: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE

TO THE JOY OF RUNNING

In a very weak moment, I agreed with my best friend to run every morning after the school bus picked up our kids.  She had a passion for running and felt more certain she would maintain a routine if she had a running buddy.  I dearly loved my friend, and wanted to support her.

Let me begin by saying, "I hate to run!"  The only good thing about running is that you get to stop!  I would walk from my home to meet her half way and the entire time I would be questioning my motivations.  We were successful in maintaining our commitment to run, and I remained amazed at the personal courage it required of me.

In another place in time, I became aware that I practiced a mental form of running.  I discovered that emotionally, I would simply run away when life became overwhelming.  I could emotionally feel myself withdrawing and at times could hear my foot steps racing down the hallways of my mind.

Physical running can be good for the body, mentally running away is not so good.  Once aware of this poor mental health coping skill, I learned to hear my foot steps and gently tell myself, "Stop!"  When that was mastered, I then learned to make myself stand still in the moment.  This took great courage, but I learned a healthier way of facing problems.

Being spiritually inclined, I monitor myself and my inward patterns quite regularly.  Through these observations, I discovered that a person can run away physically, mentally, and spiritually.  A delightful little book entitled, THE HOUND OF HEAVEN displays how God is forever with us and calling to us, but we simply keep running through life, not listening.  Opportunity after opportunity presents itself to us to enhance our spiritual calling, but life simply gets in the way.

We are all traveling our unique spiritual path.  We each have our destination with built in rest areas.  It is when we stop to rest, when we pause from running, that our soul begins to awaken to the voice within.  We learn as we travel our path to embrace Spirit in small increments.  With growing awareness, we realize we are incredibly connected one to the other and that Spirit travels with us every step of our way.

Slow down.  Heighten awareness.  Find the courage to allow a spiritual pathway to unfold into a personal union with the Divine, rather than a reckless speeding super highway.

Balancing Energy between Nature and the Self

When our consciousness changes,

our own energy field makes a corresponding shift.

Machaelle Small Wright

BEHAVING AS IF THE GOD IN ALL LIFE MATTERED



During transitions, there is so much focus on changes occurring on the inside of us, we frequently forget that we impact change in energies that surround us.  When our bodies change in size, we change the size of our clothing.  When our families grow in size, we hopefully can increase the size of our living space. 

When our awareness brings us to significant spiritual change, our vibrations change as well.  This change in our energy is not always compatible with our surroundings.  We may need to rearrange our room or replace decor that no longer makes us feel good or supported.

We experience this shift of energy with our friends as well.  Our level of energy attracts others on the same frequency, so when our energy is altered,  we might adjust relationships to family, work, or play.

As our energy changes, it is important to change our environment as well.  Clutter or collections that no longer resonate with us need to be given away or stored.  We need to cleanse the palette so to speak.  Then slowly we begin to add new things that support our new way of thinking and feeling. 

Plants or flowers, rocks or gems, and feathers or leaves, all carry there own energy.  All things are made of energy: paintings, artistic symbols, mirrors, etc.  So we need to balance ourselves and the energy surrounding us.  Discard anything that feels emotionally heavy and invite in things that stir the heart.  Allow surroundings to come alive!

Machaelle Small Wright is a wonderful author with an amazing personal history.  DANCING IN THE SHADOWS OF THE MOON is perhaps my favorite of her books.  Her emphasis is on the necessary balance and communication between nature and ourselves.  Co-creating with nature, Ms. Wright established Perelanda, a nature research center in Virginia.