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Thursday, May 26, 2016

Freedom

I cherish the freedoms that nurtured, encouraged, stretched and led me to this point in my life. God bless America. God bless free speech. God bless the freedom to study and work and rise up the ladder. God bless free discourse. God bless libraries and all institutions that have saved great thoughts for us. God bless our Constitution.

Freedom has to be lived by people who know the responsibility free people have. We must honor all people and act morally. We are free to do and be unless others are hurt. Freedom is not license to do any and every destructive thing.

Today I watch in astonishment as these precious freedoms are under attack. I speak not only by the extreme savages who wantonly slaughter those who do not 110% agree with them. They, of course, are a scourge and an embarrassment to what it means to be human.

There are scenes daily now of students who are hypersensitive to the max and are thrown into therapy by some other point of view than the ones they have been propagandized to believe in a "True Believer" kind of way. There are riots by people who don't want the truth, but want their perspective taken without examination. There are socialists and communists who want to destroy our freedoms so we can be "taken care of." If we look around, we can see the failure of this nanny state idea in countless examples - today it's Venezuela, tomorrow not us please.

We know if we don't use our bodies, they grow flabby and weak. If we don't stretch our minds and strive and work, we become mentally flabby and mentally weak.

Out of some dark corner, these self-defeating ideas/movements arise. Without the ability to critically think, weight, debate, etc we are taken over by nonsense with hardly a whimper.

Stand up and be all you can be. Grow strong mentally. Protect and live our freedoms. Please. Have courage. Please. Our wonderful way of life is under attack. Steel your mind against faulty ideas and be strong.

I believe our founding fathers and mothers were divinely inspired to commence a new way to be a people. We are birthed as a people who are free, who are spiritual, who are a melting pot. It is a wonderful Divine Idea, and we have received it. Let us pass it on to our descendants.



Sunday, May 22, 2016

God Is Present

As Meister Eckhart said - 
I have maintained ere this and I still maintain that I already possess all that is granted to me in eternity. For God in the fullness of his Godhead dwells eternally in his image --- the soul.
Jesus told us the kingdom is within. We can believe otherwise, but that does not make it so. The Divine Holy Presence indwells us. We are not lost, not alone, not bereft of God.

Yesterday I had one of THOSE experiences, one that dissolved the veil so that The Presence filled all of me, the room, the air. I was shown the many crossroads of my life and told, I was with you. You were safe. Even tho it looked dire at times, all was well. See, I have never failed you. I saved you at every crossroad. You are safe now too. And I saw a turn in my path just before me, and it s good.

They were wondrous, precious and wonderful moments when time stood still and The Presence was fully present.

Thank You, GOD. Help me stay awake in You. Lead me to live as You would have me live, in all ways mindful of You

Friday, May 13, 2016

PS re Doing Good, See Previous Entry Today

Richard Rohr shared this modern version of Paul's words, author unknown. I think it deserves our contemplation (he sends out great daily meditations and food for thought, check it out at  cac.org )
If I live my life to perfection, doing what is right and good on behalf of others, but act with compulsion and without love, then I am nothing at all.
If I take care of the needs of everybody in the world, especially the poor, because of my own need to help, but am without love even for myself, then I am nothing at all. 
If I am efficient and successful in all that I do for the sake of justice, but act out of drivenness and without love, then I am nothing at all. 
If I am cultured and refined, and in touch with the pain of existence, but am absent from the pain of persons in the present moment who need my empathy; and if I act without love and compassion, then I am nothing at all. 
If I have the gifts of wisdom, insight, and understanding, but am not engaged with those around me in the present moment and am without a spirit of compassion and love, then I am nothing at all. 
If I am faithful, loyal, and obedient, and never deviate from the law, but am judgmental and blaming, and am without love, then I am nothing at all.
If I live in a pain-free world of dreams and plans, enjoying optimism and pleasurable options, but am not addressing present problems and am avoiding people in actual distress and am without love, then I am nothing at all. 
If I am strong and powerful, but lose my best self in a spirit of resentment, retaliation, and vindictiveness, and know nothing of the vulnerability of love, then I am nothing at all. 
If I am settled and accommodating, holding onto a sense of distance and calm, but am not journeying inward to know and appreciate my weaknesses and gifts, and am neglecting my own legitimate calling to love myself, then I am nothing at all. 
Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offense, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love never fails, never ceases.       --1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Doing Good

One of the things that keeps me going when walking through a valley, when high on a mountaintop, wherever I am on my journey, is to be in service of others, to do good. John Wesley and countless others have suggested - do as much good as you can for as long as you can.

From my childhood onward, I have aimed for this and participated in many ways in life, from rolling bandages for lepers in our youth group, to making quilts to give away, to go half way around the world to teach and share freely without the thought of compensation. I used to be able to say I never made a ruble in Russia until one year the group in Tver gave me 200 rubles (at the time about $6).

Thinking about all of this, it came to me that there is a vast difference between doing good and being a do-gooder. At least in my lexicon, doing good is giving what is needed without thought of praise or manipulation -  a sort of human giving of grace in the manner of God's Grace. A gift simply given, no strings, perhaps anonymously, but for sure no gratitude or anything else expected or even wanted.

On the other hand, a do-gooder may foist upon someone what they think they need, and furthermore expect recognition for whatever is done or given. It may be to manipulate the other. It may be to make the other obligated. It may be to puff up a shaky ego system.

Doing good is likely inspired by the Divine. Being a do-gooder is likely inspired by ego.

It is a little like Jesus telling us to pray in private rather than to be puffed up with public display. Which would be the genuine prayer, genuine communion with God?

In our weary and seemingly angry world, it is as if from the center of the earth and from the highest heavens comes a call to do good, to bring love, to live in peace, to walk and talk and be a full part of the Way Jesus taught, Lao Tse explained, Buddha exemplified, and all mystics do their best to describe. Before the artificial construct of Christianity was created by men, there were sincere followers of The Way of Jesus, the Jesus Movement. Imitate the Christ life as fully as you can, was the goal. What if we returned to that goal?

God of the Universe, God of my soul, lead me to walk Your Path. Lead me to live The Way of Jesus. Wash from me all that is unChristlike. Bathe me in Your Light. Teach me to imitate Christ as much as is possible. I come to You open and willing to merge with the Truth and live the Truth and be the Truth. Let it be so...

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Mothers

It is Mothers Day in America. Blessings to all the courageous women who have given life. Blessings to all who have nurtured children and guided them through the winding path to adulthood.

Blessings to my mother who taught me what to do and what not to do in words and example.

At another level we all give life in various ways. We give life when we lift up others, we give life with our compassion, our joy, our delight. We give life to ideas. We give life to a home, at work, to a community. There are many ways we give the gift without ever knowing it, to casual encounters, to friends of  friends, to words written, etc. With our life force we send birthing energy in countless ways.

In this world in agony I pray more and more of us give the gift. Together we can birth a more compassionate and mature world.

I open my heart to the nudging of Spirit to send forth lifting, birthing energy, to be a positive presence wherever I am. I have a vision of a world out of the clutches of darkness. Lead me to be part of this vision. Thank You, God. It is so.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

A New Way to Look At A Commandment

We all know the Commandment - Thou shalt not kill. This morning I read a new expansive take from "One Hundred and One Zen Stories."
Ga-San instructed his adherents one day: "Those who speak against killing, and who desire to spare the lives of all conscious beings are right. It is good to protect even animals and insects. But what about those persons who kill time, what about those who destroy wealth, and those who murder the economy of their society? We should not overlook them. Again, what of the one who preaches without enlightenment? He is killing Buddhism."
His understanding is expansive. He seems to consider destroying anything as killing. He seems to think that insincerity and incongruity are to be deemed killing. The last line I have seen so truly - so many clergy think preaching is a job, because they are not called and therefore are not inspired. Even the most fiery of the preachers who the world might think are inspired - by their words and actions one sees no actual enlightenment. They kill Christianity or whatever "faith" they pretend to express.

The enlightened are humble, loving, compassionate, forgiving and kill nothing or no one. As the Zen quote tells us, kill no time, kill no love, kill no wealth, do not destroy

I think we must ask ourselves a couple of questions. Do I truly seek enlightenment? What have I killed? How can I make amends?

I come open and willing - teach me Lord - lead me to know the Spiritual Reality - lead me to enlightenment. Forgive me for all I have "killed" and guide me to "kill" no more. 

Monday, May 2, 2016

Living in the Moment

Almost all spiritual practices involve learning to be present in this very present moment. This moment comes but once and is instantly replaced by the next moment.

What's so important about that and about practicing the present? First of all, that way we don't miss our lives. So many people, in their heads, are in the past or the imagined future, thereby not here for what is here and now. I think many synchronistic events, many insights, many clues abounding are not noticed, missed and simply move on by.

On top of that, being present allows the opportunity to hear Guidance that is constantly streaming to us. At least we can catch some of the Divine speaking in us, to us.

A still mind, focused, present, a still heart, focused, present offer us the best opportunity to receive and be in communion with God.

I know it is not always easy to be at peace and still and available to God. We have many excuses for dwelling in the anguishes of the past or the projected possible wins or failures in the future. Sometimes we even wallow there. What good does it do to suffer from things long past or only maybe in our futures? It keeps us from hearing the "wee small voice" that will definitely lead us to a more spiritual future.

Even in the darkest valley, we can walk smoothly, stand tall, be present and hear the Guidance that leads us onward. I know. I've been walking quite a valley for over two years now. I know God is Guiding and the Light is dawning.

Be here, now. Be present. Let distractions go. Open to Guidance. My thoughts to you today.
God bless you.