As the year slips away, the dying moment of the old, lingering, yet finished,
We can follow the light into a moment that glimmers hopeful and untouched
Or we can follow the dark into the loops of our history, repeating that which we've done so many times before.

Choice, free will, it prods at our souls and begs us to open the doors
To potential and unfolding and a world so new that we can't recognize the moments.
Frightening, intoxicating, invigorating, and revealing, it calls with sirens voice
For each to take one step, and then another.

The moment is an invitation to open our eyes, to wake to Reality,
To see that Bliss itself stands before us, beaconing, begging,
Crying at the very attempt to get our focus to acknowledge its Brilliance
Among the ugly façade of a Grand Illusion.

The New Year calls, the old is gone.

It will be the crossing of an abyss for those who dare,
Never a plunge into true peril, because we have never been alone,
Never been without the capability and potential,
Never been anything less than the utter Perfection that knows our names so well.

This is the adventure of Eternity!
This is your only Truth.  Come with me.  Listen.  Your heart knows the way.

Stop the presses!  I think I misguided ya yesterday : )  Today I am further yet in "The Shack", and something came to light that negated a statement I made...

(On page 149) Jesus said "Seriously, my life was not meant to be an example to copy.  Being my follower is not trying to 'be like Jesus', it means for your independence to be killed.  I came to give you life, real life, my life.  We will come and live our (God/Jesus/Holy Spirit) life inside you, so that you begin to see with our eyes, and hear with our ears, and touch with our hands, and think like we do.  But, we will never force that union on you.  If you want to do your thing, have at it.  Time is on our side."

I said that Jesus offered us an example, and this page says exactly the opposite.  Yet my follow up was pretty true to the rest of the paragraph.  Sigh.  I'm just really not a Jesus expert... thoroughly admitted right here.  I'd definitely rather that people with more insight as well as more time with the Bible as their basis were the ones with their fingers on the keyboard : )

No matter what religious or social or other perspective you reach your spirituality through, what seems to ring true is the surrender to a relationship of submission with the Eternal Mystery.  My handy dandy Webster's says that submission is to surrender or yield to the power of another.  This is a fine argument in any church... I always love the Sunday's when they try to explain "Wives submit to your husbands".  It makes for lively congregational angst!

But I like the way the book unfolds the "living" of this word.  Submission is an act of mutual love and respect, where there is a merging of one for the other, a total lack of independence traded for a total interdependence.  Surrender.  It's really a beautiful way to picture it.

When we live our lives for the One, the All, it is not an act of compliance or power.  It is an act of mutual love, adoration, and faith.  This isn't a call to be hung on a cross or jailed by a nation (although beware, that has happened before : ).  Reaching the ultimate union with the Beyond is an act of relaxing into the unfolding of the moment, living in the present, respecting what comes before us, and listening to the inner self.  It is Love Eternal.

Did we determine what a soul is?  Do rocks have souls?  What about active volcanos?  If everything is God, does that mean everything has a soul?  Or does that mean there really is just one soul, which is All?  This definition stuff leaves me dry.  I just don't know what to think or why!

More animal stories?
I worked with a teacher who was taking classes in Seattle.  She creditted her two pound teacup dog for saving her from rape and murder.  The culprit came to her driver door and told her to move over (by knife point).  She wasn't all the way in the car yet, and the dog basket was on the seat. She picked it up and handed it to the man, which gave her time to close and lock the door.  I don't think that has anything to do with souls, but it's a good story!

Another friend has mini poodles.  She actually believes they are incarnated angels that are here to comfort and assist.  I can see that somehow, at least through others eyes.  The one day when our malamute ate chocolate and had diarrhea on a 4x8 foot section of our carpet... I think that would have been a day I disagreed, but, to each his own.

My parents have a Shih Tzu.  When it was young, they would crate it to leave the house.  The dog would literally cry puddles of tears, no kidding.  Her entire face would be soaked from her misery.  Eventually, they worked out that she was ok when left loose in the area rather than crated, and the tears stopped.  Did you know that dogs can cry?

Zapato, from story number one, was particularly fond of my mother.  When he was very, very old, one day he was crying and crying... and my mom went to check on him.  Apparently, he needed to say goodbye, because when she comforted him for a short period, he died in her arms.  Beautiful.  It was the most perfect pet ending that I've ever heard of.

So, what do you think?  Do these occurences amount to soul experiences? 

I honestly have a hard time with separation right now... so the cat, the dog, the rock, the basket, the volcano... to me we are all One, independent facets of a glorious God.  I guess I just don't know what a soul is in my own definition.  I'm hoping someone can come up with something to fill that gap in my thinking.  You can't be wrong, 'cause I literally have no clue : )

Or what is a soul.

A soul is the energy of life, and as such all life has a soul. Plants, Amoebas, Trees, even Cockroaches. A soul comes from the "big pool" (Michele's "oneness") it is a huge "ocean" of energy made of untold billions of "molecules" of soul energy. Each and every living thing needs this energy to be alive but each molecule is too small to leave the "ocean" alone so they form "drops" made of millions of "molecules" of soul energy. Each "drop" is unique, a perfect strange mix of "molecules" never to be repeated again. Many of the "molecules" have been a "drop" together before but there are always some new ones replacing the ones that have moved on, either to a new drop or a new form of energy. Many move away because it is time and many just get lost in the stirring currents of the "ocean" of soul energy. They are all on a journey to a new form, sort of like uranium loses electrons and becomes something else. The only way for them to move on is to become a life and live it. In the living they change, grow...? Maybe shrink, giving something of themselves to this life.

Souls have a collective memory as well as an individual one. Much like "star trek's" Borg they are more powerful when they work together. Some souls are broken and can never work as one. But most work well together. They remember past lives so when two people meet in life and they have a lot of the same "molecules" as a prior "drop" they are attracted some are "soul mates" some great friends and rarely some are mentally connected twins. These twins are closely tied almost half and half "drops".

Some souls were always people and know nothing but short life spans, while others were 200-1000 year old trees, 500 year old turtles. These longer living "molecules" of a "drop" if in human life are long thinkers, and very different from the short thinkers. "Live in the moment" could very well be something a person who had a lot of "molecules" that were a fruit fly last time round would say. While "we only borrow the land" might be a quote from someone who has a lot of "molecules" that were a tree last time. The funny thing is both quotes are "good" as we see them today. This explains the need to be many different lives before moving on to the next state of energy. It also explains why we can't know what we need to do in order to move on. Some of our "molecules" might move on if they experience being a monk, while others might need to be an axe murder. Both paths could be taken in the same life and everyone would say "what a strange thing to do for a monk." But it may be what gets the most "molecules" to move on.

New soul energy comes from some other existence. This happens rarely just like old soul energy moving on. If in your life just one of your "molecules" moves on you should be amazed, elated. Most of us will just go back to the pool drift around a bit, mingle and start again.

Eric

I'm still working my way through The Shack, which makes it sound like it isn't pleasant.  And although there are many tear filled moments, I adamantly recommend this book for the philosophical questions and the skillful prose : )

Something that came to the forefront for me was that in the peril of the theme situation, everyone was praying for an outcome.  What quickly rose to the surface (for me) was that they were praying to an uncaring God.  Cold, huh?  That's not really my forte, Ice Queen... but I can try it on for a bit. Begging, pleading, bargaining... it's been done before.  When my mother was originally diagnosed with cancer, there was chaos beyond chaos in the world.  Hundreds of people were far from done with this fifty year old soul.  She was still needed.  And so did the force of all of that prayer, all of those people begging actually change the mind of God.  No.  No.  No.   Not at all, no way, no how, impossible.  (I figure it will be more fun if I take a rock solid stand here.)

Where's your logic?  Do you theories cross paths or travel together? 

There is no time... all is happening, all has happened, there is nothing to alter... and it all plays out to perfection.  Isn't that God?  How might we express individuality or free will?  Well, we don't exactly.  But if having a concrete possibility seems important to you today... how about "manifesting", using your God given capabilities to unfold as you are designed?  You will, you won't, you already have or have not. 

I think this is what makes spirituality such a dance in the Tetra Lemma.  The only thing to do is analyze what you do.  So when we get to the point of judging God for God's decision, once we are in judgment, we've already lost perception of our Impersonal relationship with all that is.  Once we separate God from self, we can no longer perceive Truth at all.  Ya ya ya, I know, I'm talking in circles, right?

My mother lived, actually lived an extra twelve or thirteen years after a diagnosis that is a death sentence for more than ninety nine percent within the year.  I could say we have a kind and gracious God.  I could say we have a hateful, vengeful God for taking her anyway.  I won't say either.  Individuals in the course of the plan may have manifested expertly to keep Mom around, yet, that is how it is, regardless.

It is when I dare to step into saying a circumstance is OUTSIDE of Divine purpose, Divine course, Divine rationality... it is when I do THAT that I've lost my bearings.  Once I begin to judge, it snowballs.  One judgment is actually a billion judgments, because they don't travel alone.  They cling one to the next and the next and the next, infinitely.  In opening our eyes to the world of the Eternal, that all that is is God itself, we open the door to a whole new Reality.  Give it a shot.  I dare ya : )

A real blog?  Should I?  I thought you'd scream if I just posted a question (the blog below : )  So, here we are in the R word again... but this time I'm looking at today, at the strange circumstances that make a group of people family, or make a world a connection of facets to Oneness. 

I went with Judy to meet her Mom.  We were running her all over creation for appointments, which was peaceful and pleasant and interesting in the new moments it provided, new circumstances... yep.  And we ran smack dab into one of those "Six Degree" scenarios.  Ya know how we supposedly are connected to each person on the planet by the sixth one out from self?  I'm not going to explain it.  But suffice it to say, Judy's Mom, who lives 50 or 60 miles from here, has worked with my great aunt on service projects.  What?  How?  They know each other?  Oh, and, just by chance, we went to the Senior Center for lunch, and guess who was playing the piano?  Yep, Auntie Esther!  So there we are, Malka, Judy and I, eating to the tune of a Bicycle Built for Two, compliments of my relative...  Freaky!

Then, let's see, should I even go into what brought five of us together at DeeDee's for dinner, or eight of us together at the Grove amongst others for the lecture (men in tow too, wow).

We aren't in caves.  We are not gurus or monks.  Our purposes connect, interconnect, web intricately... And if our eyes are open, we notice that and begin to find the elements of ourselves that are not packaged neatly inside of "self".   It's darn amazing, invigorating, a grand relief and a beautiful unfolding of true love, God's love.

When we open and reach, the miracles unfold in droves.

I've kinda played the Christian gig for a while now, probably because the Shack is based from that perspective.  But today I'm facing a world of illusion.  Jesus mentioned it, definitely, but overall, Christianity doesn't ponder there.  People can argue with me... but my current interpretation is that American Christianity is a less mature religion.  I definitely believe that Jesus knew what he was talking about, but that the message is poorly conveyed by the churches of our nation.

Hinduism and Buddhism are so strongly in the world of illusion that it is sometimes tricky to relate.  One has to grasp that there isn't anything to hold onto before s/he can comprehend those spiritual paths in the first place.

I was considering Joel Goldsmith's words from "The New Horizon" (an essay; you can google it).  I've really been enjoying the facets of my personal illusion, the people, the experiences, the spiritual interpretations.  But I'm in dangerous water.  The "good" is as illusory as the "not so good".  My work is to wake up and focus on Reality!  But the game is so attractive.

Here's the way Goldsmith says it: "The first glimpse of Reality comes with the recognition and realization of the fact that all temporal conditions and experiences are products of self hypnotism."  Ouch.  Back to work.  I know this to be true, but I don't KNOW it in the sense of revelation.  Frustrating!

Step by step, the physical world drops away, and the spiritual world rises.  It is like being part of the most glorious mutual sunrise and sunset of all times.  But it's impossible to witness with my eyes shut tight.  Does anyone have a good optometrist?

This is not my FINAL word or beating a DEAD horse. 

The limo is in line, but it will not find a course.

The nails aren't in the COFFIN and it's no EPITAPH...

But I must comment neatly, now that I have been so asked.

You may wish the UNDERTAKER to BURY every word,

This is really quite the COP OUT. 

And truly just absurd... : )

~~~

So, yesterday, a million years ago, a millineum away... there was a grand and unique idea.  And the One saw it as perfection, and created "I am".  Concurrently, the illusions aligned, and the odds of Infinite improbability swayed to bring just this small cell together with another. And they doubled and doubled again, on and on.  Less likely than a snow storm at the equator, or a million dollar win at the race track, a baby was born into the world.

And the child's eyes were open and the senses perceived as no other ever before or ever again.  And the One saw through its eyes, heard through its ears, felt through its soft and tender skin... every experience, every pain, every joy.

As years became solidity, and light was dulled to dim, the Truth became forgotten, and the challenges amassed. Yet still with every quandary, with the breaks and falls and tears, the One collected the lost potential and the long forgotten dreams... and "I am" went on.

When moments became hopeless, and desperation dark and bleak, the world was relentless, and the tragedies would not cease.  Suicide became a "must", do and die.  But who was thinking that?  How?  Why?

And so the mirror was turned, a final chance to see, and eyes wide open to the world of Truth. Was it too late? 

This collection of wonder and awe had grown vastly, widely, dimensionally.  And with just one small shift "I am" could pick up the basket of perfection, run with the potential and the dreams, never look back or again at the illusion that made death seem logical.

How does it end? 

This perfect independence, this uniqueness of I Am:  The One saw through its eyes, heard through its ears, felt through its sun soaked, weather beaten skin... every experience, every pain, every JOY.

Although this is the most obvious of all statements, I wonder if we take in the incredible weight of its meaning.  Perspective makes all the difference. 

Really, we know we don't... don't comprehend it, don't spend the time or effort on it, don't give it the kapow impact advantage!  How do I know?  Have you been sad lately, felt insulted, perceived a distance between you and your god, been the victim of your surroundings or situation, thought you've done something wrong?  I could list questions like that for days, and some of the world would shake their heads yes, and others would click to the next blog because I'm making no sense whatsoever.  That's perspective too!  Ironic.

Circumstances were meant to be seen through the fly eyesight of humanity.  We're supposed to be collecting experiences from independent minds, bodies, egos, emotions.  Otherwise we'd be like replicated robots, constantly returning to our loops because of the programming.

Luckily, in my vision, my interpretation, we aren't.  We have the chance and the honor of choosing.

Today, I am "sick"... normal people would say that.  I really don't think that's the right word for my perception.  I am overjoyed beyond words to experience this.  It's been a very long time.  I don't have the opportunity much, not since the whole Kundalini energy ordeal... I wonder if they're related (wink).

So the last time I did this... oh my gosh, amazing, amazing, amazing.  I had been the outside support for a friend as she conquered a week of detox. Soon after, I woke up with the flu.  It was a powerful, incredible experience.  My eyelids literally burned.  I was not able to keep balance if I tried to stand, my vision was blurred and incomprehensible.  I couldn't understand when people spoke to me.  I was rendered utterly useless.  And in it, I was so thankful. I understood what it was to face the first three days of the process so many people endure in a quest for health.  I had a minimized experience of what my friend had gone through.  It gave me a sense of awe.  Perspective.

And so today, that isn't the deal.  But, for whatever value, I slept for fourteen hours in a row... but not exactly.  I think it would be more common to find me sleeping four hours on a given day, so this was truly extraordinary.  It felt very powerful, very connected to the Eternal.  I was "awake" in ways that had nothing to do with dreams.  I deeply pondered so many concepts that loop and loop and loop through my understanding.  It was broken sleep with hours of meditation interspersed.  And I felt so blessed to have this day of "rest" that God designed perfectly for this goal.

So are these typed words clear in my eyesight?  Nope.  But is my perception of God in a spectacular space?  Wow... I am ever so grateful.  Always so very grateful for this life, these people, this understanding, and the evolvement of the moments : )

I was looking for the blog topic, and all I found were eye veins, gross!  I don't think that's adequate!  Sometimes, I feel like God is on vacation.  Reach into the bag of meditation and pull out, what, nothing?

So let's just take this thought through the gamut:  Can you imagine God in Speedos?  Maybe a quick jog down the beach, a dip in the surf, a sunset cruise on the party boat?  Ya, right.

In some ways, the reality is that God is always on vacation... since there is ne'er a moment when some creation somewhere isn't doin' that.  And since God is All, when we take time to relax and unwind, we actually may be bringing God closer to the forefront of perceived existence.  The trick is to dig deep and turn inside out (not that anyone should take my advice, since I have no clue what I'm talking about).  When you are pondering the umbrella drink and it merges into your hand as does the lounge chair and sunglasses, just reach a tiny bit deeper and let God rush through into Allness, and the "you" drop away into nothingness.  Now, THAT'S A VACATION!!!  Highly recommended.  You'll never return quite the same : )

I'm having some struggle with my own upper picture... God as separation.  It's far from where my mind can go these days.  I have no entity, no thing outside unless you count a hummm and wild, emerging heat or the visual spread of either great light or comforting darkness.  Do people call that God?  I don't exactly.  Those are the telltale signs of God perhaps.

God can't just jump ship and take a break.  Ridiculous.  Every body, every cell, every nucleus is God... so a vacation would look like what?  A black hole the size of all universes?  But isn't a black hole itself also made up of God? 

Ok, this is totally out of hand!  We are starting a new week, a new lifetime, a new era, right here, right now.  Go with God! : )

But this could be straight out of "The Shack"!  Judgment is held as the contempt that keeps us from realization of the Realities of God.  When you dissect that, it makes some sense.  I'm not sure that logic is necessary in spirituality; in fact I've seen it be entirely obliterated by the Eternal, but I can do this one... 

When we judge, we have decided that we know God's intention.  Judging comes across in so many ways, in looking in the mirror, in deciding what is the best thing to eat, in choosing friends, in religious zeal, in a myriad of typical ways...Anytime good and bad, right and wrong, evil and spiritual, anytime we face the aspects of existence and give them a label, we are deciding for God.  I remember this:  "Judge not, lest thee be judged."

It's a really broad and difficult task, don't you think?  I had a dream (or I'm told an Astral event, hmmm) where people were basically killing adults and torturing children.  Hey, I didn't judge!!!  Or did I?  At the end of the dream, I remember that my heart was comforted by the fact that a man had some of the harmed children and that he said that he would take care of them and love them, even though God had their souls already (they were no longer mentally cognizant).  Can you watch these situations, and leave the judging in the hands of the Eternal?  Can you look at the circumstances in front of you, the violence, the horror, the corruption and war, and have FAITH that God has the situation handled, and that any "judgment" on your part will distance you from the Great Mystery?

A lifelong challenge... a struggle to the death, like a bout in the WWF (or whatever it is now)!  Our job is to love, unconditionally, infinitely, wholly, to love.  Judgment falls flat.  We are to look at everything as the perfection of our Creator, and we are to fulfill our roles as the outpouring of Love Eternal.  Good luck with that!

I wonder if there's a 12 Step Program in Heaven called "Judgers Anonymous"...

My titles are beginning to bore me... I really enjoy stuff like "Man in Lace Dangles Perilously" or "Flamingo Futures Fall" or "If You Can't Dance With the Elephant, Tango With the Fox".  Now those have potential!  This title may have profound meaning, or spiritual innuendo, or might possibly change a life (my own, 'cause I'm usually the one that learns something), but it just lacks creative imagery.  The man in lace, hmmm...

I think the word judgment has come up a lot recently.  That usually means there is an insight being revealed through the steps I am taking (from God to me... but you're free to come along... I share any wacky insight that glazes through this play dough BEing with anyone).  What's really amusing is that I wrote myself notes about this title after a meditation, and I have no idea what I was talking about.  So I'll try to recreate my thinking.

Maybe you'll get it:  "Slow motion!  What is the personal lesson learned?  What is the action or inaction required by God at this moment?  It becomes innate or somewhat innate anyway"...  Are ya lost?  You may get more out of it that way than when I start to decipher it!

We spend an inordinate amount of time judging.  Watch yourself for an hour; you'll freak out at the number of times you're comparing yourself to another, or noticing right and wrong, or trying to change someone.  I almost think it's a constant for some folks.  Don't despair!  It's just the human condition.  But it is a major source of suffering.  You might want to consider curbing it a bit, or not.  Suffering IS a choice.

One way to look at yourself is to move to a space of "slow motion".  I'm not suggesting that you tackle people in your living room while moving at a quarter the speed (that's football).  But it seems that when I'm looking closely, I'm so very observant that there is nothing else that compares.  I create a space between my thoughts and my reactions, between my thoughts and the thought that follows.  Freaky, huh?

The great part about this is that the loops become obvious and breakable.  If a car cuts me off on the freeway, and each time that happens I feel anger rise... when I stop to look at it closely, I can actually make a choice as to whether I wish to judge the person as "endangering me" and begin suffering the anger and stress, or whether I want to perceive things an alternate way (I usually assume there is a pregnant woman giving birth in the back seat and that the other car NEEDS to get to the hospital quickly!).  Thinking in slow motion is a great beginning.

Secondarily, I can use judgment as a personal lesson.  I turn back at my thinking and wonder about it.  If someone is yelling at me for something I did wrong, and I am judging that as mean or negative or hostile (which it could be, but my perception is the internal issue)... I can turn back at myself and consider why I think it's important to be loved (ooo, this is classic ME).  I could ponder why the other person seems to be in pain, or what the point of origin in their existence was that made this reaction inevitable.  Lots of options!

And I think the third thing I ponder when replacing judgment is the step that follows the thought.  What is the action or inaction that God wants in this space?  When I'm on top of my judgmental attitude, I can then work within the WWJD model, or the WWBD, or the WWGD, or...

I can remember when I was first workin' this system!  No easy task.  But little by little, the world became more about the watching than the knee jerk reaction, and miraculously stress and worry and fear started to slip away.   It won't always seem like endless work to "check the judgment at the door".  I think we have an innate talent for this too!  It's just replacing a human behavior with an Eternal one.

I've been pondering the many elements and facets of NightPheonix' blog, "Bridge to Nowhere" ( http://nightpheonix.gaia.com/blog/2009/1/a_bridge_to_nowhere ).  It's interesting how blogs branch off from veins to capillaries, each with its own pertinence, each with it's own message to convey.  One thing I noticed was the undying constant:  Words get in the way!  So often we are speaking of exactly the same thing, and believe we have something to discuss.  And then, too, we can believe ourselves similar, yet the internal definitions differ.  Puzzling human condition.

The bottom line:  We are One.  One in the same, one dependent to and glorified by the other.  That really is comforting when things turn into a maze of ideas!

A few things I said left me internally expanding upon them... "Good/bad, right/wrong, if we can classify, we know we're not with God at the moment."  This is a statement that gets some heat.  How can I condone murder?  What about Gandhi, definitely righteous?  Isn't it wrong to turn left on a red light?  Shouldn't people do the right thing and give to charity?

My quote was not about the actions of man, but of the evolution of oneself in God, of One self as God.  I'm not certain that I can explain clearly enough to get the point to be crystal for everyone that sees it.  All of this thinking, pondering, assessing... it does nothing for us unless it is directed at self.  And in that self direction, the thing we are contemplating is the personal judgment of the world... the whys, the whats, the hows of the individual self.  Something about this mirror starts to drop the judgment, remove the fear, and as those go (as ego goes), the miraculous appears.

The question becomes if it is possible to assist someone in making the steps toward non-judgment, toward becoming the outpouring of unconditional love.  I just don't think that it is in the human sense.  I hate that.  My ego hates that.

But the beauty of the Whole is that Grace sweeps through us all.  We are One.  And in the care and growth of self, we bring the Eternal Consciousness to new heights.  The others WILL follow... it's just a matter of time, God's time.

I definitely remember that quote from my childhood!  Tours of the homes and lives of millionaires... today it would be billionaires.  Even then I was not quite certain of the quest for wealth. 

We ran a Scout event for a few years that was called "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"... or "Poor and Unknown" as the case may be : )  It involved journeying from family home to family home, sharing something interesting or fun at each.

That's actually an excellent model of the truly rich and famous.  Fame and fortune are not of this world, but are found within the heart, within this connection we have to one another, in the bond of Oneness, and in the love we share.  Who knew?

We are so brainwashed to compare ourselves to the Johnson's next door that we don't even realize that their pain is our pain, their success, our glory.  Is this an American thing?  A couple of years ago, my family traveled to Los Cabos.  Lots of people think "woohoo, party on the beach" when they think of this... but my family had a complex time in the experience.

It wasn't exactly a dream journey for us.  Because my mom knew her days were numbered, this was a request.  We were there with the parents, with my brother and his son.  There are definitely memorable moments, and the inner angst has faded with time.

That area of Mexico has definitely experienced transformation.  Mom told me that when they visited only a decade ago, there were cardboard box style homes, people without access to water.  So the economic wealth of American tourism has changed the living conditions of the people.  But then, the experience of "wealth" in that location is almost repulsive.

I still debate the internal feelings.  The resorts are beautiful.  If you want to be treated like royalty, well, there you have it.  If you want to see black swans and flamingos in your courtyards, they're literally there.  People are enthusiastically serving your every whim.  I found it uncomfortable to say the least.

But, is it possible that this is really our calling?  The calling of each of every one of us?  To serve the others as if they were God incarnate?  Giving, receiving, balancing this beautiful opportunity of experiencing the beauty of one another and the world?  Champagne wishes and caviar dreams!

Who coined that term?  He should be shot!  In this journey of transformations, however, it does seem to be true.  "That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger."  Hmm, now I wonder if maybe that which does kill us makes us the strongest of all.  I'll have to think a while longer.

There are several distinctly difficult experiences that I've had in my life, and for each, I believe spiritual stages came to light (pun intended).  I guess a lot of people might think First Communion or Reconciliation to be the spiritual landmarks... But that's not how it occurs for me at this second.  The enormous learning experiences, the things that have brought the Eternal closer to hand, have been excruciating.  Fun news for anyone on a quest!

The Holy Grail is here at hand : )  So I recommend things like losing loved ones, giving birth, nearly dying, struggling in relationships, and burning in Kundalini energy.  Works for me. 

In reading the Gaia recommended book, Living Deeply, they comment that the trick is holding the transformations once they have touched your heart.  Guess what practice is most scientifically proven to do so.  Yep, meditation. 

Don't lose ground on your consciousness staircase... keep the bumpers up... meditate every day (or pray, ya Rich, same thing)!

Enjoy a boat load of extras that come with the Meditation Value Pack... relief of  "headaches, insomnia, psoriasis, chronic pain, heart problems, symptoms associated with cancer,  depression,  and anxiety." 

Make all of your pains into consciousness gains : )

Heck if I know : )  Ya, of course I have an opinion... but if you're looking to me for expert advice, there are people who would say that you've come to the wrong place (and those who would say that you've come to the right one, I know).  There's a real conundrum in this inquiry, because the assessment of love is usually done outside of love.

What does that mean?  It means that we're usually looking to see if we are loved from the outside in, rather than looking at what love we can pour out from the inside.  Think about it for a second.  Isn't that reality?

It's really an awesome thing that the Eternal designed the world so well, because the action of loving others actually brings love back to us.  The Law of Attraction, right?  But, beware on the playing field... the love does not necessarily return (and often does not return) from the recipient.  I have to laugh about it.  It's just one of those insane ironies of existence.

We struggle so much with this, it could actually be the entire reason for death and destruction on the planet, broken hearts, fractured childhoods, vicious pets (well, if you lived with the tarantula and the hermit crabs, you too would understand the principle of extending love to something that doesn't "give a crap": ).  So what makes love real?

Wow!  I think where I want to jump first is into the arms of the Ineffable, 'cause there's a love that is real beyond Reality.  I think about the way the sun glowed through the evergreens yesterday, how the water droplets glimmered and cascaded like raining stars, how the air was crisp and frozen, yet the warmth permeated the distance.  Ok, that's love! I think about meditation, about the space where nothing meets the heart and mind, about the freedom there, the tingle of it on the skin, the pure connection.  Hey, love again.

When we walk around day to day, facing our lives and our challenges, it is the reaching for the other that counts.  It's how we take care of ourselves, how we take care of those in our midst, and how we take care of the world that creates and extends true love.  It is definitely an outward action.  And for every action, there is an equal reaction...

I love random topics!  This has to be one of the most random ever!  At Christmas, I had the brilliant idea of giving gumballs to my Scouts.  It seemed unique, useful, bizarre.  Have you ever shopped google shopping?  Anything you can possibly think of is there in abundance (it's kinda like God, providing for us, isn't it?).

I arrived at a Gum Site, naive for sure.  I searched around a bit, and chose some that were hot pink, two separate flavors (cherry and lemonade).  Since I wanted a quart for 16 or so folks, how many would I need?  Ok, gumballs are hard to quantify.  They're sold by number, sold by weight... but what's the volume?  Wouldn't you think the volume would be pertinent to machine owners?  How many of these chewy spheres fit into a machine?  Do they know?  I wanted a quart for each kid.

I will tell you what I learned... 850 gumballs, hmm, ya, well, they take a TON of space.  The box came one day, probably a foot and a half square, HEAVY.  And I thought, hmm, omg, is this the whole order or half the order.  Guess!  The next day the other carton arrived!

Now all of you out there know that the double quantity is in the neighborhood of SIX GALLONS of gum.  How much sugar is that?  I don't even want to think about it.  I am thankful to have great friends, people who are willing to sacrifice by taking things like this off my hands.  (Shall we talk about 1000 mini glow sticks?  Another fiasco.)

There are a lot of sticky situations in life.  You can chew 'em up and spit 'em out, or you can end up with them adhered to you forever (stuck to your shoe, so to speak).   We have choices in our approach, whether to embrace adventure and end up with overwhelmingly strange outcomes, or to live unconsciously repeating our loops.  I don't know what your approach happens to be, but in my two years of Eternal unfolding, I've learned to roll with the gumballs.  : )