Welcome... Now Heal....

A week ago today we passed a major milestone.  In case you didn’t notice, a week ago today was Dec. 21st, 2012.  So it is past... Now is the hard part....
I say, Welcome to the New Energy....  Say hello to the 5th World...  We crossed the threshold without the world being destroyed, by fire, or  by ice or water.... No devastating earthquake, no collision with a meteor,  no Noah’s flood... no nuclear conflagration. 
But my friend there is so much to do....Now is the hard part.  
There is so much healing to do.... Healing of the planet, the other..... Oh there is no other?  Then there is only the healing of the self....  The frightened self, the wounded self, the angry self, the shamed self, the guilty self...The separated self...
Take responsibility for your part of all that has happened on this planet, now and in the past.... Now forgive yourself, love yourself, heal...

Crossing the Midpoint...

It is happening.  Tomorrow, which is already today in Australia, we cross the midpoint.  This is the galactic alignment that marks the end point of a 26,000 year cycle.  Saturday is the beginning of the new cycle.  You most likely won’t feel anything or see any change but it is happening.   From this point on when you are met with a challenge see it as something to heal.  See it as a way to gain more compassion, to heal the old negativity in your life and in the world in general.  It is quite likely that you will bring these challenges to you to heal the anger and fear so don’t be upset about them.  Take responsibility for them, ask for help from God or the Universe, heal them. 

26 Acts of Kindness, 3 Days of love...

Some ideas and actions to improve the world:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacob-devaney/26-acts_b_2332636.html

Keep Always in Front of You...

It is a powerful time, this winter solstice of 2012.  We have already crossed the point of no return.  The tide HAS turned.  It is just that we won’t see the positive changes for awhile.  But like every creation we have to have a image of what we want to create.  The great sculptors had to see a vision of their sculpture in that grand piece of marble or stone from which the sculpture was made.  A composer hears the music in his or her head before it can be put on paper and manifested by a great orchestra.   There are enough of us that have envisioned what a world of peace would look like that the it is in the process of becoming. 
It is a time now that we have to look beyond the negativity at the vision of beauty, love and peace.  We must look at the challenges we experience now as that which we need to clear ourselves of the old energy of fear.  The energies of duality, the vibrations of negativity and fear must be balanced and cleared before that great vision can be manifest on earth.   In these next few days and months and even years, if your life is full and joyful, or dark and full of challenges... keep always in front of you a vision of a world of heaven on earth. 

And So It Came to Pass...

And so it came to pass in the weeks and days leading up to the Winter Solstice of 2012 and the great cyclical galactic alignment that the forces of duality provided the residents of planet earth plenty of chances to make the choice for love and forgiveness.  Plenty of challenges were brought forth to allow humans to feel and release their deepest fear and anger.  Choose love these challenges asked .... Choose forgiveness... Learn and choose compassion.  Let go of the old fears and angers and choose love.  But most of all choose love and forgiveness for yourself...

Your Mission Should You Accept...

Robert Schwartz's newest book, YOUR SOUL'S GIFT, The Healing Power of the Life You Planned Before You Were Born, is quite literally packed with wisdom and useful information.   It is all well done but some passages are amazingly beautiful.  
"What is a flower's mission?  It is to bloom.  This is not something it has to do; it is something it does because blooming belongs to its very nature.  The flower fulfills its mission by being itself.  In doing so it enriches the planet and it touches the hearts of humans who enjoy its beauty.  It is your mission to bloom like a flower, to take care of yourself, to heal your wounded parts, to trust your visions and dreams, and to embrace life without reserve."
Is this a mission you could accept?  Is this a mission you have already accepted?  

Do Yourself a Favor and See...

Look in a mirror and see God

Look at the sun, the moon, the stars and see God

Look at the tree, the bird, the animal, forests, hills, mountains and see God
All of it is God

Even the enemy is God
If we can see God in all things we can start healing the separation that the Earth experience provides and We can further the change
 speed the change
 be the change
So do yourself a favor and the planet
and see...

The Grid and the Web...

There is an energetic grid around the planet earth.  It is this grid that carries the vibration of all that happens and all that is on the planet.
It is said that the world wide web, our internet, is a physical manifestation of this energetic grid. 
If you have a question about your life.  If you have a question about just about anything you can find the answer on the planetary grid.  If there are things going on with your life you can find the answer on the planetary grid.   What?  You can’t access the planetary grid?   Most people can’t... or don’t know how.  But we have been provided another way to find the answers we need the most.  Like everything of the earth we would need to use discrimination.  However we can easily know what we resonate with.
What is the way to find our answers that I am speaking of?  The internet of course.
The internet is of the physical universe and that is why we need to use discrimination in what we read and what we take as truth but it is a good place to find the knowledge we need to get our answers or the way to get those answers.   Did you know, for example, that the entire Bible, in many translations is on the internet.  There are all kinds of information on the Maya, and the winter solstice of 2012.  Are you a sensitive, a clairvoyant?  Are you feeling a little bit of Karma coming down?  What does that even mean?  Google or Bing it...  And keep this in mind.  Many of the websites will tell you pray about what you are trying to access.  Or meditate on it...  Remember the admonition to Seek and you shall find....you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.  

A Fully Grounded, Human Angel...

It is absolutely amazing how the universe works.  It is even more amazing how we create the lives we live.  It is not easy to see the beauty of it all when we are deep into a life challenge.  So why are we here?  Why do we challenge ourselves so much some times?
I like the way it is stated in Robert Schwartz’s new book, YOUR SOUL’S GIFT:
“... I now realize that we are on Earth to embrace our humanness, to go through the emotions we so persistently try to avoid, and to experience the deep fulfillment of becoming a fully grounded, human angel.”

An Open Letter To Myself...

Dear me
I saw you there comtemplating that large plastic garbage can, and those plastic containers at the dollar store.   We have had this discussion before, you and I.  Think again about all of the plastic going into the landfills all over the world.  Plastic that will be there for a long time.   Wood will eventually break down, glass and most metals, but plastic?  I know you have been trying to cut down on stuff.  That's a lot of what we have these days... stuff.   And when you die someone else has to make the decision of what to do with all that ... stuff.  I also know you don't participate that much in these holiday seasons but I want you to just think about the gifts you give.  Are they wanted?  Are they recyclable?
And the gifts you receive... if you can't use them what will you do? Just leave them sit around, pile up?  How about all of the wrapping and packing and ribbons... Pretty ribbons... How will the landfill handle all of that. 
So try to find a wood or metal or even heavy cardboard substitute for that plastic container.  You will feel better.   Just a little thought will keep a lot of that permanent plastic out of the landfill.  Your mother will appreciate it...
signed
ME

The Universe Celebrates You...

Can you imagine, even just a little bit that when you came here, to the planet, in the form of an infant human, that you left a place where you were limitless.  You created instantly just by thinking.  You communicated by telepathy.  In that place of home, the place of spirit, you are in perfect health and do not age.  You know who you are and that you are one with God and a part of all that is.  And in that place you lived in an eternal vibration of love, peace and joy.  If you can imagine that, then think about this.  You came here by choice, after planning who your parents would be, who you would meet, your major challenges.   You came here to birth a new human, one of God and man.  You came here to evolve your soul and humanity.  You came here to add to the experience of the Godness of All That Is.  You are to be celebrated for this took courage.  

... How You Made Them Feel...

Today while looking through some things I came across this quote attributed to Maya Angelou.  It is called Things I Have Learned and is well worth sharing again:
"On a positive note...

I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life."
I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.
I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.
People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I've learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel."

My Soul had Placed Squarely Before Me....

Do you ever wonder if you have a purpose in life?  Have you ever, especially during the dark days, asked yourself why am I even here?  Perhaps it is something as simple as learning to handle your emotions.   It seems emotions are a very earthly type of thing. 
From this blogs oft quoted WALKING BETWEEN THE WORLDS by Gregg Braden:  “If you believe that each and every experience drawn to you, without exception, is your opportunity to demonstrate your mastery of life”... and from YOUR SOUL’S GIFT:  The Healing Power of the Life you Planned.”  by Robert Schwartz:  “In other incarnations I have been unable to achieve emotional independence, and these lives, too, played a role in my soul’s decision to choose my mother.  What is ‘emotional independence’?  When I put that question to Spirit, I was told that it means looking to oneself as the primary source of one’s well being.”  YOUR SOUL’S GIFT is Mr. Schwartz’s newest book and speaks so much to healing our lives by facing the beliefs and fears that confront us daily.   Another quote from that book:  “Again, my soul had placed squarely before me an issue in need of healing.”  Looking at the issues and the emotions in our lives, often, as in fact, our emotions are the issues, we can see what is in need of healing. 
 

Practice Makes Mastery...

What is the secret to Mastery?  Practice...
This applies to anything you want to get good at.  If you want to master a sport, you practice.  If you want to be a great artist you practice.  If you want to get good at prayer...  Yes you have to practice.  Meditation, cooking, loving, compassion... practice.  If you want to talk to God, listen to God, you have to practice.  Anything worth doing is worth taking the time to practice.  If you want change in your life you will need to practice the change you wish to make. 

Living the Life that you Want...

It’s not always an easy thing to do but we can get a lot of guidance by just listening to our hunches.   Sometimes that nudge to make this choice over that choice is our angel or our Holy Spirit trying to tell us what is best for us.  And the more we watch for this and the more we experience it the easier it is to see and follow.   Our angels know what it is we want and need, sometimes more than we do.  So that is why it is important to refine your needs and desires.  The another important step to living the life that you want is gratitude.  Be grateful for everything.  Thank your angels for helping.  Thank God for what you want as though you already have it.  In review:  1.  Listen to your hunches... your first thought.  2.  Know what you want, and constantly refine your thoughts and desires.  3.  Be grateful for what you have and what you desire.  

The Choice to Grow.....

From Walking between the Worlds by Gregg Braden.  “The choice to evolve is determined by you rather than a high panel of regulatory beings....  The primary tool of your journey, however, is your life process.  The choices you make on a daily basis are the components of this tool.... You are doing so (making choices) in this very moment.”
Evolve is often considered a dirty word.    For example human’s evolved from apes, or Teaching evolution is a bad thing.   Evolve, simply and elegantly, means grow, develop, advance, progress, mature. 
The choice to grow, develop, advance, progress, mature is determined by you....
 

Blessing and Gratitude...

Here is a suggestion for building compassion and releasing judgmental and negative thoughts.   First you must learn to recognize when you react in judgement and recognize when you are having negative thoughts.  It is fairly easy to know when you are being judgmental.  Often there are certain types of people, certain behaviors that we notice that trigger these judgements.   Negative thinking in general is more difficult to recognize because we do it so often.   Self criticism is a big one.  “That was stupid”, I’m so dumb sometimes”, or things like... ‘arthritis runs in the family’, “Our family is prone to fits of depression”.?
Practice noticing when you do these things.  Practice till you can recognize when you start to say and think negative things.    Now that you realize you are doing something judgmental or coming up with a negative thought step in to stop it.  Therapists used to have suggestions for thought stopping.  They may still use these.  They would suggest you say out loud a very emphatic “stop”.   Now this might work well for when you are alone but could be a bit embarrassing if you were among a group of people.  Another that they suggested is to wear a rubber band on your wrist and when you realize you are unable to stop thoughts feeding into your mind, you stretch the rubber band and sting yourself with it.  
Try this instead.  If you happen to see someone on the street that you know triggers your judgement make a choice to switch your thought to a blessing.  Under your breath or in your thoughts simply say ‘bless you’.  Using just this you will soon find yourself doing more blessing than judging.  But now combine that blessing with gratitude.   Bless the person your see and add a thank you to the universe.  One thing to avoid in this is saying to yourself “I am grateful I am not like that person”  however you can express your gratitude that you have a home, that its a beautiful day, something on that order.  Try it.  Make a game out of it.  You will find that your attitude will begin to shift.   

A BIG THANK YOU...

Thank you to all who have been reading these posts.  I am grateful for you.  It is often said that we teach what we need to learn and I think that is very much my case.  I have learned a lot and I truly hope you have received something from this.  I found out how to delete old images so I can continue use my nature photos on these posts.   One more time... thank you, thank you, thank you...

The Crows led me to an Owl This Morning...

It appears that I have used up all of the free space on the blog for photos.  Until I can find out how to delete old images or solve this in some other way I want to refer you to the following links where my photography can be seen.
 http://www.redbubble.com/people/richimage
 http://www.facebook.com/richard.allan.79

Now to tonight's blog post.  The crows led me to an owl this morning.  They were making such a fuss that I had to go see what was bothering them and sure enough there was the barred owl I have been trying to get a good look at for some time.  Seeing this owl at this time felt like another synchronistic event so I once more reviewed the messages that the owl spirit can send us. 
Owl is master of the night.  Keen eyesight, very focused hearing, feathers designed for silence enables it to be a very efficient hunter.  Sometimes we are afraid of the night and all of the terrible things that can happen in the darkness.  Owl teaches us to let go of our fear.  It teaches us to become acquainted with the darkness that lurks within us all.  And thus by becoming aware of it we can let go of that also.  Then there is the snowy owl, an owl that hunts in the daytime.  We don’t have to be afraid in the daytime either.  We don't have to be afraid of your light, our goodness, our trying to live up to other people's expectations.  An especially good thing to think about in time of holiday pressure don't you think.  We can use the wisdom of the owl to learn about ourselves and use their power to let go of our fear and and come to terms with the darkness within ourselves.  

I Love How it Works...

Today I experienced an example of synchronicity and a great illustration of just how spiritual synchronicity works.  I had seen on facebook a webinar (a seminar offered on the internet) that sounded interesting.  It was about energy and was free.  It took me a couple of minutes to log on but finally accomplished it.  It was very personal and it turned out, at least to begin with, I was the only person on at that moment.  Others joined and apparently there had been a very successful well attended one earlier in the day.
The person teaching was Kelly Schwegel and she was very good.  I could interact with her by typing responses.  She had a webcam on and I could see her.   Not far into the webinar she used and spoke of the work of Dr. David Hawkins.   A very obvious synchronicity because of all the reading and study I have been doing with Dr. Hawkins material.  She had some very specific ideas for understanding energy and meditation techniques and used another image and explanation that was the work of Peggy Phoenix Dubro.  This was the second synchronicity for me because Peggy Dubro often appears with Lee Carroll and Kryon.  Both are ones I have studied a great deal.   The information was excellent and very useful and there is another webinar coming up that I think I might find very useful.  It is called Banish the Baggage. 
I accessed this webinar originally through the facebook page called Our Ascension.  It feels so good to see how these things come together.   

"Be Miserable, or Motivate Yourself...."

This is a quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer.  It is something we tend to forget, esp. when we are in the throes of some situation.  We do have a choice.  "Be miserable.  Or Motivate yourself.  Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice."   Wayne Dyer

Eternity... is it on Your list of needs?

"Something deep in the human make-up needs and longs for a taste of eternity--at least a momentary release from the relentless pace of time. We don't usually place eternity in our list of needs, but the soul is only half satisfied with the things of this world.”  From Thomas Moore THE SOUL OF SEX.

This longing for eternity as he calls it is why there is religion in the world.  This longing is essentially our search for God.  We aren’t left here in the physical without something that calls to us urging us to find out who we are and where our eternal home is.   But this longing is also the why people turn to addictive behavior whether it be alcohol, sex, drugs or even fundamentalism.  Making the best use of this longing requires choice and intent.   It means making a decision to want to know the truth.  The truth that will set you free.  Also there can be many truths depending on who you are and your level of understanding.  The soul longs for that from whence it came. 

A Blanket of Calm...

 

Tonight the middle east is again aflame.  Israel is calling up its reservists and Palestine is again bombarding Israel with missiles.  I would like to request your assistance in sending blankets of positive energy to that entire area.  Do not send the energy or prayers because you hate war or because you want one side to win this conflict, simply lay down a cover of love on the entire area.   Send a layer of support for the peacemakers that are there.   Take a moment to send a layer of calm... Prayers of love and support to the entire area.    If our prayers and energy support helps calm even a little it will be worth it.   It only need take a moment.  And while you are thinking of it, tell your friends and loved ones to joint the world wide support group for Israel and the Palestinians.   Send both sides the strength to make positive decisions.   Thank you for your thoughts and help.  

Powerlessness...

Being aware of what you are feeling is the key to transformation. "Lack of self-worth is the fundamental source of all emotional pain. A feeling of insecurity, unworthiness and lack of value is the core experience of powerlessness."~ Gary Zukav & Linda Francis - from "The Heart Of The Soul

Your Dark Night...

Have you heard of the dark night of the soul.  From Gregg Braden’s WALKING BETWEEN THE WORLDS, The Science of Compassion:  ‘Definition: Your ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ is a time, as well as an experience in life, wherein you may be drawn into a situation or circumstance representing, what appears for you, to be  your worst fear.
Corollary:  You are capable of entering a “Dark Night of the Soul” only when you have amassed all of the emotional tools necessary to see you through your experience intact and with grace.”
Remember that we have been told that God gives us only what we are capable of handling?
What if that terrible thing that is happening to you, that low time of your life, has come into your life in order for you to show that you have the ability to handle it.  Sometimes the lows in our life seem so terrible that we cannot possibly think we can handle it  or get past it. Sometimes we get so used to ‘being down’ that we fail to see it as a challenge to prove our mastery over what life gives us.  There is a sunrise to our Dark Nights.  Believe it and look for the way to move out of those lows.  Ask for help if needed.  Believe that it is possible that you have the emotional tools to take you through the dark.   

Try Blessing....

This is a suggestion that might help foster compassion and help you feel better in a lot of different ways.  Most of us are aware that certain types of people, certain actions and behaviors, and just things that happen trigger in us automatic responses that are often judgmental.  As you become aware of your automatic judging try this simple suggestion.  Try silently or even out loud to bless that person or situation.  The minute you start feeling judgmental such as at that person that cut you off, that person that was rude to you, that person looks like they represent something that you don't like, just say 'bless you'.  This will shift your thinking.   That is enough sometimes.  

Worshiping the god of Suffering...

These are the words of Dr. David R. Hawkins, in his book HEALING AND RECOVERY. 
"We have to give up worshiping the god of suffering.  Christians have to give up solely worshiping the God of the crucifixion, the Christ of the crucifixion, and move on to the Christ of the resurrection.  The message was not that of death, sin, and suffering.... Is that what Christ died for, to teach everybody that we are a physical body?  Or was his message the direct opposite?  His message was that we are not limited.  We have to substitute our confused ideas and begin to look at moving towards a lovingness and a higher state of consciousness to learn that the message was the Christ of the Resurrection.
Now we have to give up the belief that penance, guilt, sin, and suffering are somehow of enormous spiritual benefit."

It's So Easy to Hate...

It is so easy to say “I hate”.  I hate when my finger hurts.  I hate that politician.  To your child, ‘I hate when you do that’.  I suppose it would be nice if things got better when we say ‘I hate’, but unfortunately they don’t.   And in fact, to say those strong words may do more harm than good.   It is better to be aware of using negativities as these and if you want to cancel the negativity use words such as, ‘I forgive my finger for hurting, and I forgive myself for feeling the negativity of pain’.   It is so important to be aware of what we say to others, the universe and ourselves.   Wouldn’t you much prefer to have something positive, such as a blessing or a smile, making ripples out into the universe?

Be Grateful and Pray...

The year 2012 is drawing to a close.   Halloween is past.  Coming now is Thanksgiving in the USA, the winter Solstice on December 21, 2012, and, of course, Christmas on December 25.  Think about what these holidays mean to you and how you will celebrate them.   Be grateful for what you have and pray for those who have less than yourself.
There are other religious holidays during these times.  With the possible exception of the Jewish Holiday, Hanukkah, these other holidays do not get the global attention that the solstice and Christmas get.  The suggestion for these holidays is the same.  Be grateful for what you have and pray for those who have less.     

Me and Pi...

After seeing there was a movie being made of the book  LIFE OF PI, I decided to reread the book.   It had been a long time but now I’m seeing why I liked it.   The protagonist, the main character, Pi, reminds me of me...  Pi is an Indian boy (That's India not Am. Indian) who grows up in his father's zoo and is intrigued by religion.  He is so intrigued that by the time he is 16 he is a practicing Hindu, Christian and Muslim.  There is an absolutely funny but touching scene when, with his parents out on a stroll, they meet not one of the spiritual leaders of those religions but all three.  The spiritual leaders are all ranting to Pi’s parents that he has to choose that he cannot be all three. 
Pi has done all this unbeknownst to his parents even.  Finally in a pause, Pi’s mother turns to him.  Addressing the question about how he cannot be all three but must choose, 
“Hmmmm Piscine?  (his actual name, Pi is the shortened version) Mother nudged me.  “How do you feel about the question?”
“Bapu Gandhi said, ‘All religions are true.‘  I just want to love God.”  I blurted out, and looked down, red in the face." 
I’m not quite through a third of the novel, and yes it is fiction.  I will finish it before the movie comes out in the middle of November.  
Oh and something else, Pi goes on to grow up and get degrees in zoology and religious studies.  My degrees are in zoology and philosophy. 
LIFE OF PI is written by Yann Martel.  The movie trailer looks spectacular.   In the story Pi’s family eventually moves to Canada but there is a shipwreck and Pi and some of the zoo animals are the only survivors.  Pi survives on a life boat with a Bengal Tiger. 



God is Not Silent...

No matter what some tell us God is not silent.  Words of love are the way that we can tell that it is the voice of God.  You can hear the voice of God and remember it is a voice of Love.  Here is the voice of God as heard by Neale Donald Walsh which he published in his CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD.
“I will not leave you, I cannot leave you, for you are My Creation and My Product, My daughter and My son, My purpose and My ... Self.
Call on Me, therefore wherever and whenever you are separate from the peace that I am.
I will be there.
With Truth,
And Light,
And Love.

and Jesus said: "Peace Be Still"...

Of all the great teachers, probably the one that the people of the west are most acquainted with is a Jewish man known as Jesus.   And yet what do we know?  So much as been added and subtracted to his legacy long after his death and resurrection.
If we look only to the words of Matthew, his follower we can find these:
‘Judge not that you be not judged.
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing...
You shall know them by their fruits.’
and,’ Ask, and it will be given to you ; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.’   
And then there is: ‘Love you enemy, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you.’
Those are not easy things to do.  But think about them.  Do they feel like they would be the teachings of a great teacher?  From what you know of Jesus, do they sound like they would be his teachings?  Are they worth paying attention to?
And at this time when storms rage in the oceans and over land, remember the story of Jesus in the fishing boat.  He was tired from all the demands of the people who wanted his healing, his attention, just being next to him, and had gone out with his friends on the lake and laid down in the boat to sleep.  It seemed that being out on the water was the only way he could get some time to himself.  A storm came up and his friends that were on the boat with him, who knew him best, became frightened.  They woke him up.  He was a bit upset and called them men of little faith.  Then he stood up and spoke to the storm.   “peace, be still”  The storm quieted.  His followers were in awe.  Who is this man?
If we call ourselves Christians we need to ask that question... of ourselves... Who is/was this man?  Is he God, is he Man?  Does he perhaps teach us that there is god in all of us?  Peace, Be Still...

Take a minute this weekend to pray for the East coast...

If you feel so inclined, consider taking a moment this weekend to send some calming energy and/or prayers to the east coast of the USA as well as the Caribbean where Hurricane Sandy has already hit Jamaica and other areas.   Don't worry about the outcome or how you do it just sincerely send calm and love.  The Hurricane may hit the New York, New Jersey area where it will combine with another storm.   Thank you for your consideration...

Connected to the Mother.... Wow...

The harmonic frequencies of the planet earth in the nineties maintained an average of 7.83 cycles per second or 7.83 Hertz.   These frequencies have only been able to be measured in the last 100 years.  The HeartMath Institute in Northern California began to do some research and found the the Harmonic Frequencies of the planet and the frequencies of the human heart were very similar.   This prompted more research.  From Gregg Braden’s WALKING BETWEEN THE WORLDS, the science of compassion.
“The studies demonstrated that not only is the  human heart ‘tuned’ to this signal from the earth, additionally the earth appears to respond to the changes in the human heart.”  He goes on to say, “Now, an exciting view of our relationship to the earth begins to unfold.  Beyond the flesh, bones, hair and organs of a life form walking upon the world, we have direct knowledge of a resonant link, a relationship based upon our ability to tune to the patterns offered to us by our nearest signal of reference, our earth home.”
When I read this all I could say to myself was “WoW”.  If our bodies have a direct connection to the planet just think what that means and could mean.  “Wow”. 

Attitudes of Godliness...

The Five Attitudes of Godliness

1. Joyful

2. Loving

3. Accepting

4. Blessing

5. Gratitude

From Conversations With God by Neale Donald Walsh

http://www.cwg.org/index.php

This is Compassion...

'If the meeting becomes too much imagine yourself floating above and just observing.'
What a great and timely reminder.   To become the observer in any situation gives one great insight and can lead to compassion.  If you are upset by any situation try imagining yourself as a completely unbiased observer.   Also try observing yourself when something upsets you.  This is not an easy thing to do but you might find it very interesting to be yourself and observe yourself.   Once you can observe your self and others in an unbiased state as possible you can begin to understand what makes you or another do the things you do.  This is compassion.  

God IS Love...

The belief in Hell and a god that hates his creations (us) so much that he would fling us into eternal suffering is an old belief.  Its the best that people of old could do.  This idea of God came about at a time when it was almost impossible to even conceive of a God that is All.   Think about what a God of Love, that is All, Everywhere, All knowing would be like...  Think about how we have been told... God is Love... what does that mean?  Total destruction of someone or even worse, making them endure eternal punishment is more of a hating emotion don’t you think.   God is love...

Decision and Intent are So Important...

It is vitally important to realize the far reaching effects of our very actions and thoughts and emotions.  We can build upon the positive actions and thoughts and emotions of others to reach our goals from worldly success to simply improving the life we live.   In filling our world with the most positive things we can conceive and allowing the wings of those positive things of others to lift us from our own painful and sometimes suffering states we can live better and change the world.  It does, however, take intent and effort.
“The universe holds it’s breath as we choose, instant by instant, which pathway to follow; for the universe, the very essence of life itself, is highly conscious.  Every act, thought, and choice adds to a permanent mosaic;  our decisions ripple through the universe of consciousness to affect the lives of all.  Lest this idea be considered either merely mystical or fanciful, let’s remember the fundamental tenet of the new theoretical physics:  Everything in the universe is connected with everything else.”
Dr David R. Hawkins POWER vs FORCE, The Hidden determinants of Human Behavior.
Remember that not only can you effect the universe but you can make a decision to use the positive choices of others for your own enhancement.   Also we must keep in mind that we also influence and are influenced by the negatives we choose and the ones chosen by others.    This is why decision and intent are so important.    

The Essential Truths of the World's Great Religions.

This is another interesting tidbit from Dr. Hawkins.  This is from his book DISCOVERY OF THE PRESENCE  OF GOD.  It is nice to see this information all in one place.
“A brilliant distillation of the essential spiritual truths and the world’s great religions is exemplified by the following:
Christianity is the path of love and forgiveness.
Buddhism is the path of compassion.
Judaism is the path of living by sacred law.
Baha’i is the path of unity and peace.
Islam is the path of submission to the will of God.
Confucianism is the path of deliberate tradition.
Taoism is the path of ultimate reality.
Native American Practice is the path of primal spirituality.
Shintoism is the path of tribal ancestry.
Hinduism is the path of knowledge, action, and devotion.
Science of mind is the path of the Divine Principle of Love and Law.”

Dr. Hawkins also adds “The Global Heart Vision is of a world that works for everyone.”  Looking this up came up with the information that it is the vision of the organization called Science of Mind started by Ernest Holmes and has taken the form of the Churches of Spiritual Living.  

Isn't it Worth it???

What can we do in a world that appears to have gone mad?  We can make the decision to change how we feel and then watch how it changes things around us.  Often changing how we feel takes a lot of effort because we are so often immediately in the mindset of reaction.  But with a little fore thought and practice we can smile at the person that irritates us, laugh at our own folly, allow a pain or perceived slight to slide off of us.
It has been said that every little thought, emotion, feeling, action, is recorded for all time in the ethers.  If with just a little effort we can add positive vibrations to the energy of the earth instead of negative ones, isn’t it worth it?

It is Helpful...

Today I was putting a lot of thought into what to write that might be helpful to someone on a spiritual path or someone that might be having life problems.  It was then that I read this from Dr. David Hawkins book, DISCOVERY OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
“A useful decision or choice is to decide to stop mentally talking about everything and refrain from interjecting comments, opinions, preferences, and value statements.... All thinking, from a spiritual viewpoint, is merely vanity, illusion, and pomposity.  The less one thinks, the more delightful life becomes.  Thinkingness eventually becomes replaced by knowingness.  That one ‘is’ does not really need any thought at all.  It is helpful, therefore, to make a decision to stop mental conversation and useless babbling.” 

This is Personal-Retirement...

After a lifetime of social work and chronic physical conditions, a positive and supportive relationship and retirement set the stage for a move from one part of the country to another and made an intensive search a reality.   Add to the mix a synchronistic friend in the form of an angel with books and ideas, and the search for the God of Love began to clear hurdles one after another.   Ken Carey, Barbara Marciniak,  Dolores Cannon, Don Miguel Ruiz, Bruce Lipton, Robert Schwartz, Michael Newton, Kryon, Gregg Braden, and, of course, Dr. David R. Hawkins,  each one slipping in to add insights to the one before or to answer the begged question.    Dr. Hawkins writes about truth and how he came to know how it can be tested.   Ask and you will find and one step after another the truth becomes clearer and you are set free one step at a time.   We probably won’t remember it all, put all the pieces together, until we leave this difficult beautiful place, this planet of joy and sorrow but there is a lot we can know now.    One makes a choice to come here knowing it can be difficult.   There are a lot of good intentions.  And then we wake up to find ourselves in these heavy clunky bodies and soon forget who we really are and where we came from.   We have no idea why we came here and why we took this body, this family, this gender, this locality.  We can only improve our situation with intent and will. Some get so bogged down in the energy of the life they are living it takes a kind of intervention from another human or a saint or angel to help them.   The more of us that make the choice for truth and compassion the faster the higher truth will spread and the faster more people will work to pull themselves out of the patterns of pain and violence that has them bogged down.   Prayer, meditation, and intent are what it takes to start and to move us on our own search for the God of Love.  

This is a Personal Story...

This is a personal story of the search for the God of Love but It is being written in third person as though it was about someone else.  I am writing it this way because I want it to be less about me than the process and hopefully not ego driven.  
There was really only one choice and that was get an education that would be involved in nature.   Wildlife and forestry was chosen but somewhere in the middle something changed and it became philosophy.   The philosophy would allow the entry into Lutheran Seminary to become a Lutheran minister.   And that was what happened.  The first and only year of seminary was difficult.  It turned out that, at least in this case, theology professors did not like anyone asking them questions.  They were not questions designed to make the professors look bad they were just the questions of an inquiring mind.   One of the professors even said that the person asking these questions like was hard to love.  This from the place that was supposed to teach the God of Love.   The questioner stopped asking questions because he left seminary, disappointed, angry, but even more determined to find the God of Love.  Now without a profession when a job in social services was offered it was gratefully accepted.   That was the beginning of a lifelong service in social work.   Transcendental meditation, psychics, mysticism, book after book became part of the search sandwiched between emotionally taxing work and dealing with the rest of life’s problems.   Shamanism seemed a nice fit but an invitation to study under a Lakota holy man was turned down.  A Lakota Pipe Carrier seemed as narrow as Lutheran Minister. (Did you know that both the Lakota and the Buddhists fly prayer flags?)
More books....  Jane Roberts and Seth, A COURSE IN MIRACLES, and Neale Donald Walsh and CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD.  Neale’s CONVERSATIONS struck a chord.  Here was the God of Love that the search was all about.  The searcher had always clung to the words from the Christian Bible.  “Ask and you shall find.”  and “You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free”.  Could it be that the questioning seminarian and the pipe carrier dropout was finally finding a truth?  

Every Choice You Make.....

The same information coming from different sources lends integrity to the information.  This is from an older book by Gregg Braden called WALKING BETWEEN THE WORLDS, The Science of Compassion.  These quotes are about making choices for compassion and how it effects the world around us and moves out in ever widening ripples of influence in the world.

“Each time someone else opens up enough to recognize that they have a choice in how they respond to life, your choice of compassion assures that they have another possibility to select from...
Someone must do it first.  Someone must take the initiative to move beyond the cycle of old choices and responses and recognize the opportunity of a higher response to life’s offering.”

Every choice you make for love and compassion has influence beyond your imagination.  But even if it just made one person feel better wouldn’t that be enough?

Claiming Responsibility for Humanity...

This planet has been in war for generations.  Time after time there has been genocide often perpetrated by religious organizations.   Who thinks up these things?  Who starts and perpetuates these conflicts?  The answers to these questions are very difficult to face and understand.  Who has done all these negative things to the planet and to its inhabitants?  There is no other possible answer WE have done these things.  It has been obvious a long time that we are one... All are children of God.  We are all made of the same thing.  And once out of this human life we are all powerful infinite beings.  That we are ONE is a powerful insight but one that is very difficult for most people to accept.  “I am not at war”, we cry.  “I am not killing people and killing off their culture.”  There is no Them.  It is our participation in the collective consciousness.  It is our own attitudes that are mirrored to us as how humans can be to each other.
In the late 1980’s the collective consciousness tipped.  There are now enough individuals finding peace in their hearts and lives.  There are now enough people concerned about others.  There are now finally people showing compassion.  So why do we still have war? Genocide?  murder? homelessness?  The planet is in the process of changing.  The old ways are fighting hard for survival.   If we can take responsibility for ourselves and for the condition of the planet we can hasten the evolutionary changes.  As a seemingly separate expression of life on this planet it is difficult to claim any responsibility for all of the horrible things taking place but the more of us that can do this the faster and easier it will be for Peace to come to earth.  

Revolution or Evolution...

I’ve been watching the first few episodes of a television apocalyptic drama called Revolution.   It’s another of JJ Abrams stories.  He is the man more or less responsible for LOST and a lot of other TV and Movies.   Revolution is about a world sometime in the not so distant future that has lost power.  All the lights go out. Trains, cars, and airplanes stop running.  No computers, no television, no phones...   It is a story about the break down of society, looting, survival.   As I was watching this show I started thinking about how there are some parts of our earth society even now that are not able to experience what energy and power does for us in the United States and other modernized cultures.  In the cultures in Africa that are starving and dying of disease many have never been able to turn on the lights, take clean water out of a faucet.  In a burned out bombed out street in Libya a man sits on a chair in front of his home.  The bomb killed his wife and children, he has nothing else to lose.  Whatever bits and pieces of modern luxury he might have had mean nothing to him now.  It is time we took care of the present and not worried about the future.  Find peace within ourselves.  Support Doctors Across Borders and other agencies that do so much good work in cultures that are dying.  Pray for peace.  Send love and peaceful thoughts anytime you hear there is pain and violence.
Teach our children, and this is perhaps the biggest one, teach them what they have and what they can do with themselves.  Teach them that they have choices and those choices might be the choices that bring peace, the end of hunger, the end of homelessness, disease.
Be grateful every day for who and what you are because if you don’t like who and what you are and have, you have a much better chance of changing it than a child in Africa or the Middle East, or Haiti.  

Are you a hummingbird person?

This morning a hummingbird came to the fuchsia plant hanging on my balcony and methodically took a drink from every flower on the plant.   Those little guys are such a joy.  I have, perhaps, adopted the totem meanings for myself but it feels good to see them and who knows, maybe they are bringing me a message of joy. 
http://www.hummingbirdworld.com/h/totem.htm  has a nice summary of the different thought on the totem meaning of hummingbirds.   This is a very small part of what the site has to say; “There is something inside the soul of all of us that wants to soar through sunbeams, then dance midair in a delicate mist, then take a simple bath on a leaf.There is something in our souls that wants to hover at beautiful moments in our lives, making them freeze in time. There is something in us that wants to fly backwards.... Some of us are just hummingbird people.”
I think that part that says 'hover at the beautiful moments in our lives, making them freeze in time' is what my photography is all about... 
Are you a hummingbird person?

Change, 2012

How do you handle change?  Often it is difficult to handle change, especially when we are faced with a lot of change suddenly.  There is a lot of talk about what will happen in December when we reach the date that some have said will be the end of the world.  It is because of the shifts going on in our planet that has brought about the changes taking place.  And if we are afraid of the end of the world we see the changes taking place as foretelling total destruction.   All that is going on in the world is just that, change.  Not the end of the world.  I like this quote from Gregg Braden in his book WALKING BETWEEN THE WORLDS; the science of Compassion.
“The laws of creation assure us that to the degree change is judged and discouraged, to that degree is change experienced in life as challenge.”
Change is happening, it has always happened.  Whether the shift in energy of the planet in this time, 2012, has anything to do with the change that is happening doesn’t matter.  Expect change, roll with it, encourage it, don’t judge it as bad or good... 

Pain and Suffering...

Sometimes we are so caught up in our own world that we fail to notice the pain and suffering that goes on around us.  And we live in the country that is probably the richest nation in the world.   Having worked as a social worker my entire life I have been exposed to pain and suffering within my world and yet I can little fathom the suffering going on in the refugee camps of Africa resulting from genocide and hunger.  I can’t imagine what the people of Haiti have gone through during and after the devastating earthquake and subsequent attempts to recover and find some semblance of normalcy.
There is a lot of pain and suffering in the world.  Siddhartha Gautama the historical figure who became the Buddha is said to have left his princely palace as a young man only to find death and suffering.
Stories abound of Jesus healing the sick, feeding the hungry.  I think it is a safe bet that he knew about pain and suffering.  Are you aware of the pain and suffering around you and in far off places?  These who suffer, who are concerned about survival needs, food, shelter, medical care, have very little chance of climbing the spiritual ladder until some of those needs are met.  What can we do?  A smile or an unspoken blessing is a good way to start.  My dear friend always took a plate of food from his holiday feast to the streetperson that slept in a doorway close.   Buying an extra can of food to go to a food bank or volunteering at a food bank or soup kitchen are ways that can be helpful. 
When you look at yourself and complain about an ache or a pain be grateful for the roof over your head.   When you are passed over for a raise at work, be grateful for a job.
Take a look around you.  Perhaps the greatest thing anyone can do is simply to be aware and realize how much suffering and pain is in the world.  

Compassion is an Awareness...

The path to Spiritual Mastery and the evolution of mankind from a violent race to a peaceful, powerful, evolved humankind must include compassion and unconditional love.  And, in fact, unconditional love and compassion go hand in hand.  The  definition of unconditional love is contained within the words themselves; loving without condition.
Compassion is a little harder to get a handle on.  Compassion is viewing, observing an individual/group without the viewer’s individual bias coloring the observation.  It is knowing that behind the appearance, action, and being of any individual is a body and mind and a lifetime of programming that has placed them where they are at that moment.  Those individuals include ourselves.  Recognizing that our programming places us where we are, giving us reasons for who and what we are as well as what we do is not easy.   We must recognize first the need for compassion and then overcome our own programming and our own biases.
Two quotes from WALKING BETWEEN THE WORLDS:  The Science of Compassion.
by Gregg Braden.
From the dedication:  “It is you who will anchor a new wisdom rooted in compassion, laying the foundation for those with the courage to follow.  It is you who are asked to remember love, compassion and trust while living in a world that has hated, judged and feared.”
and from the preface:  “Compassion is an awareness that you become, rather than something that you do on occasion.”

The First Official Days of Autumn, 2012...

The first official days of autumn, 2012, and mornings are crisp with the feel of change in the air.  Leaves are dying and some are already falling.  The ones still on the trees are taking on the beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows.  That in itself is a beautiful lesson.  The colored leaves... beautiful in death, a death which is a transition, a change.   A fog moved in yesterday and today.  The fog, the colored leaves, the trees outside my window.  An all encompassing feeling of joy washed over me.  The fog didn’t stop the chickadees and the finches from coming to the feeder.  If you need a lift, a clue that things really are alright in the world, take a look at nature.   Immerse yourself in it, even if for only a few minutes.   It will do wonders for you... It does for me.