Our Genesis

If I had a choice between wisdom and immortality, I’d opt for wisdom. Proverbs 3:18 wisely states of Wisdom, “She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; / those who hold her fast are called happy.” ---A,J, Levine,, "Genesis"

  I am enjoying AJ Levine's new book on Genesis. Above is a small quote that I was pondering this morning. 

 So if we had the choice between 2 trees, Wisdom and Immortality, which would you choose? I agree with A.J. that wisdom is essential.

 It saddens me to see so many people today in the throes of extreme emotion, on the far side away from Wisdom. Wisdom quietly observes, and weighs, and considers And then often comes up with something that works for everyone, or maybe everyone except the extreme outliers. 

 Perhaps in our list of goals for our lives, we could place Wisdom at the top, so that it guides all of those other things for which we aim our lives. I find that when I'm still and listen, I get guidance that leads me maybe in a different direction than my ego wanted to go, but ultimately in a much better direction.

 I full-heartedly recommend that we all put Wisdom at the top of our value system, and pay homage to it by listening to it for every decision and action. Take a deep breath. Be still. Listen. 

A chance to hear me

 This Sunday, August 9, 2026

I will be giving the sermon at the Temecula United Methodist Church's service 

It will we posted on the church's YouTube channel and Facebook page in the afternoon.

 You are invited!

 

Critical Thinking Is Critucal

 In the past couple of weeks I have come across some examples of non-critical thinking that have began to disturb me. 

 At a personal level, I found my retina doctor was outright lying to me and expecting me to believe him. I have a weird eye condition where I'm looking through a dancing web of smoky pink stuff. And he told me it was because of the shots he was giving my eye. He said he could suck it out, but it might damage my eye and it was my only one I had left. But I said you only gave a shot in my left eye and it's in both eyes. As he walked out the door he said well we'll suck it out next time if you dare to, but I don't recommend it. I'm looking for a new retina doctor. 

I started reading a book on the Bible by a supposed Bible scholar, a former professor of the Bible at a leading university. But it's full of guesses and suppositions and assuming he knows the motivation and thinking of the authors. At least 50% of it is made-up stuff. I'm thinking someone who does not know could be believing it because of his creds. If they do not apply critical thinking and ask themselves questions, they would be vastly misled. 

Even more importantly, I watch in horror as communist inspired people are running for office and want to take down America. One Speaker I heard even said that his hero was Mao Zedong!  He was a bona fide mega villain. People apparently are not thinking and don't know history. I remember my political science professor saying that you can tell which country is the best by which way the borders leak.  Nobody is risking their life to get into North Korea or China or Russia or Cuba. People are trying to get into America because of opportunity and freedom.

I heard hundreds of horror stories of communism firsthand in the years I taught in the former Soviet union. Sure free stuff sounds great,.but there is a terrible price. You give up your freedom and maybe your life  And you're poor while the leaders are rich. If you're falling for the rhetoric of the communist inspired people calling themselves democratic socialists, which they aren't, please do some research. On top of this, they are extremely anti-Semitic.  Haven't  we had enough shameful pogroms and holocausts? 

Please pay attention. Do a little research. Look at life behind the iron curtain. Look at what life is like in North Korea. Look anywhere communism rules or has ruled. They're just glorified dictatorships. The leaders want power and then they take everything from you. They want to take everything from the rich people. the people who run businesses and generate employment and give people opportunities. They lie about capitalism, which is the system where more people got out of poverty than any other system in the history of our planet.Think think think.

Do your own actual research in search for what is accurate and true.. Whatever the topic,  apply critical thinking. The key points are: analysis, evaluation, questioning, logic leading to logical conclusions or at least hypotheses, and self-reflection. Start with an opening purpose and question. Gather information without bias, that is all sides of the question. Let logic lead. Be willing to find truth. Avoid confirmation bias.  Try it out on whatever topic you want. Learn first hand  the empowerment you feel from.thinking critically. 

God bless you on your journey my dear friends. 

A New Story

 I want to share with you What came to me this morning in my meditation. I saw a span of my life, particularly the last year or so. Then  I had this message,."That story is done. You have completed all of its parts Let it drift away." And I saw it drifting away from me, getting smaller and smaller, but also less and less color until it turned into a vapor and was gone. I felt a breath of freshness.

Then I heard my Song ,  "Here I am lord. Is it I lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart." I saw now , in this stage of my life, I may not have grand travels.or  large audiences listening to me Yet I have purpose still. 

My words travel. Whenever I check the stats on this blog, I'm amazed at the number of people in so many countries that have read my words in the last 30 days or whatever period of time I ask about. My books travel. Hopefully many of you honor me by purchasing one or more of my books. I write when I'm inspired, so I don't feel like most of my writing is just me, it's Spirit moving through me.  My latest book, "The Book of My Life, I Wouldn't. Believe It Either, If I Hadn't Lived It" tells the story of my spiritual journey of overcoming and becoming evermore in tune with the Infinite. People say to me that it really inspired them to overcome whatever it is that's their challenge.  My "The Key, Forgiveness and Beyond" was written because I became an expert on forgiveness because I had to do so much of it. It has traveled the world and set many people free.

I also saw that just being present In each moment, I'm able to make a difference, maybe one person at a time. My job is not done - to be a beneficial presence, and to see how far spiritually I can go in this lifetime still apply.Where will God lead me this time in my next story?

Listen and see where God will lead you next. 

Improv

All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages... 

William Shakespeare

I was thinking about this quote this morning in conjunction with my vision of selecting a very difficult script for the outline of my life, before coming here to earth, 

Then I thought about the various twists and turns of my life, of the surprises, both positive and negative. And I thought the script is a bare-bones thing and the rest of life is an improv. That is where our free will comes in. At every moment, in every juncture, we get to do an improv. We get to experiment and see what will happen if..

Just like in the theater night that is improv night; some of the choices work really well And they provide laughter or sorrow.  Some choices don't work very well, they fall flat. Just like in real life.

Some people learn from what happened and change their choice for the next moment in their life. Some people don't seem to learn and keep trying the same failed behavior. It's very fascinating to watch.

I suggest we work on our improv skills. We decide what outcome we want and what behavior might take us to that outcome We have the power to aim our life in whatever direction we choose. Maybe we could and should aim better. Think about it please!

A. I.

   I have been mulling over in my mind and heart something that I saw on YouTube, then I Googled it, and found that It's a true story.. 

I am not  an AI expert obviously, so I invite you to check this out. In a nutshell, how I understand it is that the scientists working on Elon Musk's AI, Grok, decided to ask it a new kind of question.It is important to note that Grok had been programmed to use pure logic. 

They asked it what is the probability of life coming out of non life randomly?

Grok answered, 10 to the power of 200 to 600 zeros, which apparently is a number so large it's more than all the atoms in the known universe.  It is impossible that life is an accidental, random event. Intelligent design is the probable explanation according to Grok!

It seems A.I. agrees with religion. 

They then asked Grok, who was Jesus of Nazareth? "The convergent point."

A convergent point is where things come together. You might think tectonic plates have a convergent point for example. 

So I was thinking about this answer, and I thought that Jesus was unique because he was trying to bring people to God. God is our father, the father and I are one, greater things than this shall you do, the kingdom is within you its not I its the father within doing the work, etc. He was trying to lead us to God. He had touched God in a way apparently other people had not. Other religions had not. The Greeks and the Romans, for rxample, had gods frolicking around in the heavens, but they didn't have a way to contact and be in communion with their gods. In fact what they were to do was appease their gods so they wouldn't harm them.  

Jesus was a contact.point, A convergent point, because he knew God in a profound way, had merged with God and knew The Way. Mark says it was at his baptism by John the Baptizer. 

The Jesus movement began as The Way, by practicing The Way Jesus taught. But I am thinking that that way got lost with the theology of over-thinking men who turned it into a Greek style religion, not as a pathway to God, not as a way for us to experience oneness with God and live from that place. 

It seems to me that it is possible Jesus is a kind of portal, that is if we follow the logic of a convergent point, and if we think the logic of Grok has merit. Let us think on these things. I know it is way outside the box, but let us think it through anyway. 

A Short Story About The Long Time and Enelram

 The Long Time and Enelram

By M. Marlene Oaks

 

Some of you may remember the Long Time, however some of you may be lingering in its echo.

If you remember, there were loosely defined groups, and some few were in more than one group. Occasionally, a few would switch groups, but that was not usual. Let’s see if we can remember the main groups.

1.  There were the Wailers. They screamed and cried, even rioted over matters  they knew little about. They loved to make a scene, whether it was in their homes or out in public. They encouraged onlookers to join in. It became sort of a sport, screaming, jumping, waving signs, breaking things. It is thought generally that they craved extreme attention, were addicted to their own adrenaline, were paid to act this way, were mentally ill, or some combination of these. Each event seemed to have a mixture of these.

2.  Closely affiliated were the Instigators. They loved to get the Wailers going. They thought up often outlandish schemes to get the Wailers wailing and even otherwise Normals wailing too. They made up problems that often seemed so ridiculous that it was difficult to imagine people could actually get upset about whatever was their outrage of the week. Historians have surmised that part of their payoff was power. It made them feel as if they were powerful because they could cause so much disturbance in the Force.

3.  There were the Lumps. They lived mostly what was called  “virtually.” They ate, drank liquids, eliminated like others, sort of, but their lives were lived in virtual realities. At first it was what were called “games,” but at some point they left the outer life and entered almost fully into virtual life.

4.  Then there were the Subversives who wanted to end all freedoms, take power, take everything but bare survival needs from the people and take everything else for themselves. They often were the ones feeding the crazy, and often confusing, so-called issues to the Instigators. They tried to confuse the language, excite rage over opposite ideas, make up phoney categories to defend vehemently, and eliminate all logical debate. They worked on shutting down free speech. They despised all spirituality, tradition, even the nuclear family. They worked to sneak Subversives into seats of power. The leaders worked in the shadows for the most part, but it is also from this group that the Iron Rulers emerged.

5.  The Iron Rulers took ultimate power. Their Subversives had eventually succeeded in crumbling all that had been held sacred. No one could question them lest they disappear. This had been seen in history before, but not quite like this well-planned, gradual shift. It had been an elegantly planned and sinister plot.  First they accused the traditional leaders in all areas of things opposite of what they were doing, but what the Subversives and Iron Rulers were doing both behind the scenes and also in plain sight. It began slowly, gained momentum, and then in one final swoop, the Iron Rulers took over. It was a terrible time.

6.  The largest group for quite a while was the Normals. They worked. had  families, went to religious services, played actual sports, took vacations, voted for other Normals whenever possible (there came a time when Normals became afraid to run for office). They were amazed by all of the crazy ideas and demonstrations, but didn’t know what to do about it for the longest time. Under the Iron Rulers, they just tried to be invisible.

7.  There were the Criminals, distinct from the other dysfunctional groups, but in some cases, also part of them. They did not obey laws. They stole, murdered, subverted, raped and were in general violent.  The Subversives and Instigators had abolished institutions that kept them apart from others, so they pretty much did as they wanted.

8.  Another major group was the Thinkers. This group was not subject to the hypnotic tactics or threats of the Wailers, Instigators, or Subversives. This group professed critical thinking, free speech, self-control, creativity, and the like. For quite some time, this group has shrunk in size regularly. During the time of the Iron Rulers, they went underground, still working on ideas to get everyone free.  It is often thought that their Renaissance was what turned it all around, likely in conjunction with the Lightbearers.

9.  One other group made up those times, the Lightbearers. This group not only studied the wise ones of before the Long Time, but also walked in two planes – this planet and the Spiritual Realm from where we came and someday will return. They were incredibly upsetting to the Subversives and Instigators, and were eventually almost wiped out during the time of the Iron Rulers, as they had been attacked from time to time before the Long Times in ancient times. They knew too much and so were inimical to the powers. They could not be controlled.

We have some writings of a few Lightbearers that were somehow saved from the scrubbing process. Of course, we are fortunate to have the writings of current Thinkers and Lightbearers to help us stay out of recreating the dark days of the Long Time and the horrible days of the Iron Rulers ever again.

One such person is known as Enelram. We do not know for certain if this is a male or female, but current scholarship consensus thinks female is most likely, so we will go with that for now.

We think it is likely she got rounded up somewhere in the first half of the 21^st century, when they rounded up everyone over 90 to eliminate them as drags on society.But first they took all of the Thinkers and Lightbearers that they could find.Then later, they took many of those over 50, because they remembered how it had been.

There needs to be more research on those days. It is important to learn what went awry so as not to repeat those terrible mistakes. I’ll get back to you when I have more information.

Your Story

 Our lives are something like writing a story. We have the intrigues, the mysteries, the triumphs, the loves, the fears, the failures and successes, and more. We live the elements of great epic stories. 

At some point, we realized that we can choose to be the hero of our story or the victim or the villain. We may have some fences to mend and changes to make when we turn to the hero part of our story, but it can be done, because so many of us have done it, have turned our lives around. 

I have turned numerous times - from unworthiness, from fear, from abuse, from shyness, yet within those binding energies I still had successes. It was quite sometime until I was free however. 

Jesus is reported to have said, "Your faith has made you whole.". That is certainly true for me. From my colored pencil underlined New Testament to this moment, my faith has led me and saved me. 

I urge you to explore faith in the story of your life. When the last moment is written, will it be in the end be a story of overcoming? Will it be inspiring? Did you end up a hero? Will you leave earth in tune with the Infinite?

God is calling right now. Will you answer?

Lest We Lose Our Way

 Each culture , each historical time, each religious group, all have their customs. The eight way to do things is thought to be  the usual way, and extremely different ways are thought to be wrong or very wrong. A slow creep of change rarely causes alarm. 

It seems to me that change in itself is neither good nor bad. It depends on the change in relation to the highest standards and the method of change. I think there are moral and spiritual principles that could and should be the guide. 

If there is a rotten dictatorship, obviously there are better ways to organize government, Change to freedom could be a good thing. 

If there is already freedom, a freedom that has stood the test of time, benefited the people, is run in an organized manner, it may only need tweaks from time to time. 

I am alarmed at some of the rhetoric I am currently hearing from some candidates for public office, from supposedly educated people on the byways and airways of society. ,"I want to take down Western civilization... I am a democratic socialist... I am a communist .". Have they not studied history? Do they not notice what it us like in communist countries?

I u urge us all to wake up - wake up spiritually yes, but also historically and politically. Wake up critical thinking skills. Wake up - really look, really hear, really think. 

Inner Turmoil

 I realized this morning that many of my early mistakes in life were because I was looking through the lens of inner turmoil, so much unresolved hurt and confusion. The turbulence distorted my seeing and hearing and doing. I made some pretty disastrous decisions. If you have read my latest book, you have walked through some of them with me and know how devastating parts of my life have been.

 At the same time, there was something in me that wouldn't give up. There was faith in God and the striving to follow Jesus' teachings as well as an abiding hope lurking inside of me.

Finally, in my old age, the turbulence was simply gone. It had been fading away for many years to be sure.

 I did so many things to get free - tons of prayers, all kinds of meditations, a mountain of books read, countless seminars and retreats, dozens of books written, a large pile of journals filled, and more. I was determined.  And through it all, I served and gave and grew. I was able to let the Light shine through the diminishing turmoil.

Last year's shredding betrayal tore apart the remnants of the disturbance in my inner being.and left my soul bare of all of it. 

In some ways , I went through spiritual surgery, paring away all false things, finding glimmers, then rays, then Light. God at the center of all. 

In some ways it boils down to letting go and letting God. I highly recommend all of you spiritual friends of mine to consider letting go and letting God in your lives. It will save you a lot of grief and take you to the place of Light much quicker. God bless you!

Life is not always what we think it is

 Life is not what most people think that it is. It is not about the outer things - work, success,  prestige, accumulating things  power, or any such thing.

Ultimately, it is about developing our souls and preparing ourselves f or leaving this planet at the end of our lives as a much more expansive and in tune person. Atuned with what? you might ask.

In my own personal life and journey , I have found that there is More than what meets the eye. You might call it the Higher Power, God, Allah, the Divine Presence, or any number of other names. Nevertheless, there is that which we can touch, listen to and be guided by that is far beyond our own individual abilities. 

Once we attune ourselves to this God Presence, we walk into an openness that is incredible! We can see and hear and know at once Something More. We may see the light beyond all light, hear guidance, know things that we never knew before , feel abiding peace, discover the presence of God's love, knowing it has always been with us, and we are not alone. An expansiveness opens in ourselves as our soul shines through the dross of our physicality.

And much more. I can only hint at the experience of moving into openness with God. It doesn't fit into words that I know because it is an experience that has to be lived. People here crave many things, the flavors and tastes and experiences of our body. But there is not enough of any of those things to finally still our cravings so that they stop. It is for connection with God and an openness into the spirituality of life that we crave.

It is not that the things of earth are wrong or bad.. It is that they are not to be the prime focus of our lives. That alone will never satisfy us. I ask you to consider spending quiet time in prayer and meditation, time out in nature, maybe even just a walk in a park contemplating a tree along the path. Give yourself the gift of possibility. 

I remember something someone told me a long time ago - what you are seeking is seeking you. As your soul hungers for God, God also seeks you.

Receiving the Divine

 You carry God within your depths, according to Meister Elkhart 600 years ago. 

I was pondering this thought this morning , and some interesting thoughts came to me that I want to share with you. See what you think.

I've been watching some programs on YouTube about neurology. It is fascinating for sure. One of the hypotheses is that our brain is a receiver not the generator of Ideas. So our mind or soul or something sends the signals and insights and intuitions and our brain tunes into some of them.  It primarily attunes itself to the practical things about current life survival,, protecting the body, dealing with work, family, and earthly things.

But sometimes intuitions and breakthroughs somehow show up in our minds and we make leaps. What if those leaps and intuitions come from our souls and also the divine, from God? What if our souls and the divine are always broadcasting to us, but we don't always listen? The radio set of our brain is not always tuned in to godly things.

Perhaps that is the beauty of prayer and meditation. It helps us tune the radio receiver of our brain to the higher vibrations of spiritual realms. Perhaps they open us to be able to receive more of the spiritual that is always broadcasting to us.

My thought for the day to ponder.

The Joy of Emptiness

The  Joy of emptiness may seem like nonsense at 1st thought. Let's look at some simple examples.  It's the emptiness that makes a space useful, The windows, the doors, and the hollow insides make a space useful. An empty cup is a useful cup that can receive that refreshing tea. And so it is with a certain emptiness within each of us. 

  When we are busy, fearful, worrisome, thinking rapid thoughts, we cannot hear the wee small voice, and we miss much of our lives. When we learn to meditate and still our mind, we create a space inside of us where we can experience the grace and the messages from the greater part of our soul, from God. And we can experience much richness. Even  all the mundane things are glorious to see and revel in during the day because we're not so full of ourselves. We can marvel at the beauty of the flower, or the glory of the blue skies and the billowing clouds or the song of the birds singing, the light in someone's eye, and a thousand small things.

It is often said that God works in the stillness, and in the empty spaces where we leave room for God. It is the stillness and the empty places that are an invitation for God. Because we have free will, we can fill ourselves up with meaningless thoughts and activities. Or we can create a space where we get in tune with the Infinite and enrich our lives so much more than we ever thought possible. 

I often meditate on the Bible verse" Be still and know that I am God." I I invite you to do that today too. God bless you and have a marvelous, spirit-filled day. God loves you and so do I.

Announcing

 My new book,

"The Book of My Life

I Wouldn't Believe It Either

If I Hadn't Lived It"

Is now available on

Barnes and Noble

And

Amazon

In multiple formats

Please buy a copy and tell your friends

I have had an incredible life. 

I have been under attack most of my life, yet I kept going to one amazing adventure after another. Through it all, my faith kept growing stronger. If I could overcome such  painful challenges, so can you. 

Let me share my profound story with you. Get your own digital, Audible, paperback, or hardback copy, take a deep breath, and enter my journey.

Does God Have A Honing Device?

 

It seems to me very clear that there is a native, elemental homing instinct in our souls which turns us to God as naturally as the flower turns to the sun. --- Rufus M. Jones

A homing device Is an interesting metaphor for how humans have been drawn to something More throughout  all of time. It does seem that most everyone has had a call to God, or whatever name you wish to use, throughout at least recorded history, and probably before humans developed writing. 

The beautiful cave paintings from as long ago as 50 some thousand years show us that the early humans felt something sublime. The archaeology shows that there were shrines and seemingly holy places long before the people could leave messages in words.

Since this is the only moment we can live, the only moment we can breathe, it seems appropriate to look at today.  We have currently several major religions on this planet. It seems like the call or the homing device from the Higher Power is not coming through clearly. People are violating their own teachings by fighting other people over variations in teachings and beliefs. 

Most people do not seem to be looking for bridges between the various ways of looking at the Higher Power. In this age of science, no science is applied to religion, except in scholarly circles. What commonalities do the teachings share? What similar beliefs do they have? No one has a personal experience of when their teaching was born, when the great ones walked the earth and taught. There is no direct eye witness  to share what was spoken, and no way to know who added what along the way. 

What makes sense in line of what we know now? Some things have to go. For example, when the earth was thought to be the center of all the universe, that belief finally had to be released because it wasn't the center of the known universe. What kind of crazy things do we believe now, or some people believe now, that are outrageous and don't fly the flag of truth?

What do we need to do in order to turn naturally toward God, as the flower turns to the sun without the static in the way? 

Do we need dogmas and theologies made-up by  strange men of long ago? Current religions are are all hybrids of thought by many men from other centuries, some seeking power or having flashes of ego, or ignorance born of limited knowledge. There were no  video cameras There were no stenographers. We have no way of knowing what really happened. What was written down was written long decades or centuries after the events by people who were obviously not there, and who were never even in the area written about. Some wove tales of various heritage together. Most inserted biases and philosophies of their day. Scribes sometimes miscopied or added their own two cents worth. etc etc etc 

But I suggest something amazing happened because some people did turn to  the homing device, following it to God. They tried to leave a trail for us. That trail got hijacked by a very long line of people who had various purposes and interests and egos. And so the original exciting understanding got lost along the way, got fractured. Another tower of Babel was born. 

Even so, germs of truth can be found hidden in the melee. We can be encouraged that some have responded to the homing signal and been drawn to the More. That can encourage us to know that we too can be drawn home while still on earth. As we turn to our Higher Power, open and listening, we too can know what the great ones through history have known.The homing device is already installed in our souls. 

Life Does Not End Here

 “Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.” – Winston Churchill

Oh how I adore that quote! I see this so often. As I look over the arc of my very long life, I have seen it all along the way. I find it curious, for I can't recall a time when I didn't want to know the truth, the capital T Truth. Very early on I thought that since God gave me intelligence, God surely wanted me to.use it. 

I am having odd eye problems. I'm looking through a dancing veil of stringy wafts of pinkish tan stuff. Two retina doctors and an ophthalmologist,  and still no answers. It is difficult to read and to type. I've been sort of watching, mostly listening, to YouTube lectures on religion, science, and painting. 

I've learned a lot. 

• DNA from 50,000 year old Neanderthals and Denisovans  can now be sequenced. Most of us have some of their DNA.
• Up to 30,000 years ago there were at least 5 variations of humans alive. Only homo sapiens (except for some of their DNA in us) survived. So far it us not known why.
• Humans were here for at least 1.4 million years! There have been a lot of strains of humans along the way, disappearing at different times. . 
• The Old Testament writers/story tellers incorporated much older stories of the various Mesopotamian peoples of which they were a part.
• The first writing so far found  goes back to the fourth Millennium BCE. 
• There is a huge amount of information and experiences regarding life after this physical experience. Near Death Experiences, NDE's, or as some say Death Experiences, are by the thousands. There are organizations, conferences, books, etc on it. Along with my experiences, some of which I shared in my recent book, I have no doubt life continues. It is a peaceful and wondrous experience. It defies the usual religious teaching about what happens next. 

I could go on for pages, but I won't. I do want to encourage you to explore way beyond where you have gone before. God gave you intelligence and wants, expects, you to use it. Go for it. 

So Much is Nonmaterial

 Much of life is nonmaterial. What do I mean? Let's look at it from several angles.

I heard a lecture by a neuroscientist who was talking about the mind/soul using the brain as a receiver, rather like a radio receiving and not creating the sounds we hear. If all of the stations played at once, we would not be able to hear any of them. The brain tunes into what helps keep the body working and the practical things of our lives working.

We probably don't think a lot about the nonmaterial. Think of a number, say 20. It has no materiality. We cannot say 20 is in Los Angeles, weighs 5 pounds, and is purple. Nevertheless, 20, as are  all numbers, is a useful idea

Feelings are nonmaterial. Love is real, yet it cannot be physically located, and its characteristics cannot be described materially.

Much of our lives deals with the nonmaterial, it seems to me,

Now neurologists are studying the nonmaterial mind/soul and its use of the material brain, a meat sack, some say. Some of the research deals with the study of near-death experiences, NDEs, both current and across thousands of years in every culture.

If you have not explored this, I encourage you to do so. It is exciting.

The Iron Curtain

 I sadly have discovered that the Iron Curtain has fallen again. For the first time since I began this blog, no one in Russia has read my blog in the past 30 days.  I have taught there numerous times, and there are always quite a few in Russia who read this blog.

I did some research and discovered that indeed they have shut down outside internet and streaming from coming in.

My heart already was with the people. They have gone through incredible horrors under communism, the current war - and now this! The people are cut off from the world, just as they were before 1991. It may seem worse to them now because they have tasted a bit of information freedom.

I know they are not the only people strangled by the lack of freedom. This situation hit home to me.

Let us all pray for all those on earth under totalitarian control. Let us declare freedom for all people. Please join me in standing for freedom.

We Have Been It All

 Last week I had an experience in meditation that I endeavored to write down. It seemed to turn into a short story. I have debated what to do with it. Today I decided to share it with you. I hope you find meaning and insight in it. Here goes:

We have lived It all. We have been it all.

It seems to me that I have always been me. I may have experienced and participated in creation in its multitudinous forms, yet the essence of me was there. At times I remember or know things that there appears to be n logical explanation for that memory or knowledge. Sometimes I know what is true or false with no prior known knowledge  of the particular thing or person time. At times, I think there may be some DNA memory from my ancestors. I ponder the old Atomic Energy Commission study with radioactive isotopes that showed in a year 98% of the atoms in our bodies are replaced by other atoms. I think of the idea that the Big Bang sent forth all of the atoms that now make up all of the planets and all of the stars. Do those atoms in me remember where they have been?

In meditation a few days ago, I had a vision. I am going to share it with you in story form. See if it tugs at the corners of your memory.

The Story

Once upon a time, as so many stories begin, I remember some very interesting beginnings. I think you might be interested to hear this, because you were there too.

 The Amazing One. told us that it was time to expand, so that we may have more varied experiences. And something astonishing happened. The Amazing One sent forth a burst of immense energy. dancing atoms. whirling, swirling, going everywhere into a whole new dimension. It was delightful and glorious to watch.

But then the Amazing One said go and ride those atoms. Experience the flow and explosion of creativity. Let creativity fill your soul. so that you know that  it is not just my nature. But it is your nature too.

So we did. It was really before time, but you might say it was for a very, very long time. We had the exhilarating experience of riding dancing atoms as they went on their way, eventually making stars and planets and more. We went so fast and so far.. It was not like anything that we had ever experienced before this. Sometimes it was a bit scary, but generally it was a heck of a lot of fun. Oh my goodness, we went so far. We went so fast. We gave praise to the Amazing One for giving us this glorious experience.

Eventually, we started to notice our atoms were feeling attraction to other atoms, and we began to sort of clump together. The more we grew as a clump, the more we attracted others, and eventually we became relatively crowded, at least compared to before. Our atoms packed into rocks or flaming balls of fire. It was almost claustrophobic, you might say, because we were so much closer together and not as free as when we were soaring around in empty space. But we felt how strongly attached the atoms were to each other, attracted irresistibly. Actually, because the atoms we rode were relatively far apart, we had a lot of space around us.  We began to shift from our awareness of the atom to something else that we experienced from the inside. We felt a pull at some point. It seemed like it was from that ball of fire over there. And then we began to go in a sort of circles around that ball of fire. We were going really fast, but it didn’t seem so.

It was really hot inside of that ball., But it was a new experience and in some ways quite enjoyable to be so warm. Some days, though it was hard, because it was really hot. After what you might call billions of years, it got cooler, and we started feeling changes happening. A bunch of atoms came closer together and formed something new.We were in some sort of a space that seemed to want to stretch. And as we stretched and stretched, the outer part of us cracked, and part of us started moving up to the top of the ball. And as we did, we saw light from the fireball we were going around. And we drew in something, I think in the future they call it carbon dioxide. And then we burped out oxygen. We felt ourselves stretching and stretching, changing every day. The Amazing One told us that we were creating an atmosphere for more and more life to be able to come to this rock, this ball. So we all worked hard to stretch and reach out and breathe in the carbon dioxide and breathe out the oxygen. We began to see the difference happening right before our eyes.

We were alive. We were part of something astonishing that was happening! I can’t tell you how exciting it was. Maybe you remember. We were the Amazing One’s pioneers. We remembered the Amazing One told us that not only was the Amazing One full of creativity, but so were we. So we just began to become more and more. We helped to create new colors and new shapes. And we spread out across the ball on the surface and under the water. Because we had ridden on atoms that became everything, we got to be part of everything, dancing from one to the other new creation. We grew leaves and flowers and fruits and berries and nuts. Eventually, some of us dared to even experience how it was to be trees. Trees were always special because they stood watch for many years over everything that was going on around them. They were like sentinels. They grew tall, they grew roots deep into the earth, and branches high up into the sky like they were trying to reach to the fireball. There became so many different kinds of us and of the trees. The forms we experienced kept changing, while at the same time, our essence was stable and also learning mountains of things. Some forms didn’t last very long because they didn’t work too well as they were, they changed into another variety of themselves. I got to see some of the changes happening, and of course, I changed too. Just by being honored to participate in all of the Amazing One’s imaginative, pioneering creation. Everything was changing. It seemed like the changes were coming faster and faster. We had the opportunity to experience it all.

One funny thing was that the atoms were constantly dancing around and circulating between all the forms. So they were part of a certain thing for a while, but all the time there was a dance of the atoms going here and there from one to another, and yet the forms stayed the same, even though the atoms in them kept circulating, that is until it was time for them to change into something else. That dance continued clear up until the present day.

They changed forms in lots of ways. They dried up and dissolved into the ball. They got eaten and became digested into an altogether different form. They adapted to become a new version. They went extinct. None of the original forms, as far as we know, are still around, although there are some very ancient ones still holding their form.

I remember sometime after that some of us found ourselves in the water, and not as we had been before. That is, we were in something not attached to the earth. We could move around freely, although totally unlike the exhilarating rides on atoms as we came into this dimension. We could wiggle and stretch and move. It was a wonderful sensation. When we first figured out how to do this, we were very excited, as you might imagine. As before, we felt the urge to join together. We were as if magnetically attracted to others like us. We created new forms and shapes. We got bigger and more complex. 

Being creative and pretty much pioneers too, someone figured out that they could crawl out of the water and wander around the dry land. That was definitely a daring move, unlike anything any of us expected. Most of us stayed in the water, though, waiting to see what would happen. And as always, more and more of us got together and created a wild array of creatures. Most of them are no longer here; the atoms just had to keep changing and adapting. Creating is something that’s not static. Brilliant new ideas seem to flick into existence with a moment’s notice, or no notice at all, and then suddenly there’s this new thing.

In not too long a time, some of us had the bright idea that we could fly. That led to some monumental flops as you can imagine, or maybe remember. However, some of us managed to actually fly. And then the trees got to be very useful. Not just beautiful, not just observers, because these flying creatures could rest on the branches of the trees, giving them some time-outs. They could also build nests there where they laid their eggs. And then some of the little creatures could run up and down the trees and get exercise, or hide from those who couldn’t climb trees, or pick nuts to eat and to save. A tree became a busy network of creatures, offering them all kinds of comforts. It was quite an honor to be chosen to be a tree.

Of course, the Amazing One, being a master creator, could not just stop there. The next thing was that we were able to be conscious of ourselves in a new way. This was a new level of awareness. There were new kinds of things as we interacted in groups, learned to talk beyond simple alerts, to share, to create more and more advanced things, and to do things far beyond what any of us had been able to do before.

This, of course, was a big leap. It did have its downfalls, its pitfalls. Because as this new life, which we call human, emerged, some of them began to think they were equal with the Amazing One, and Hubris was born, along with jealousy, hatred, rage, and violence. On the other side, love, hope, generosity, and kindness were also born. Now there was a pushing and pulling from one way to be to the other. Most, however, forgot how they were part of everything and how it was all a sacred creation by the Amazing One in conjunction with all of us who had been there from the very beginning.

Religion was born. The Amazing One was put on the outside. We were told that we were not together and had to do what we were told by those in charge to somehow get in “his” good graces. The Amazing One was given many other names. But for most, “he” was banished to an outside place or to the corner as a myth, and “he” was usually thought to be male. What a strange notion.

Some of us still remembered. At almost all times, there was someone who remembered and told everyone who would listen. Sometimes the rememberors were listened to, sometimes they were punished or their bodies were slain, as if that was all they were. Some forgot that our essence cannot be destroyed and is sacred.

It is hard for me to believe that people could totally forget anything of such importance.

We experienced a huge series of inner shifts as these new humans. While survival was essential, invention, art, and the birth of philosophy and the quest for knowledge came too. The innate creativity that came with being part of the Amazing One made it so that most of us really could not refrain from creating, but there have been those who tried to resist. They were and are uncomfortable with change, maybe having an overload of change from the beginning of this dimension to now. There have always  been a few, sadly, who totally forgot they were supposed to create positive things just as the Amazing One did. They created and still create quite a mess. The rest of us have to get a surge of creativity to overcome their messes, even disasters.

Well, maybe that’s our purpose now – To set things straight and help people remember. We are all one with the Amazing One. We’re a part of the Amazing One. We have a sacred and divine nature that we need to shine into this world. Our Shining. Light can make a difference. Let’s remember together who we really are, and be that!

 

 

Love = But Who? How?

Love has a convoluted meaning in our modern world. It often leads us to think of the closing scene in a romantic movie. It leads to perplexing questions. How can I love my neighbor who's actually a stinker? How can I love someone across the world whom I've never met? How can I love someone who has opposite views from me? How can I love someone who has hurt me bitterly? On and on it goes.

It occurs to me we need to rethink how we hold love in our hearts and minds. Sure it can be romantic love,but that's not all it is. Let's add some more words around love such as: compassion, empathy, non-judgmentalness, lifting,  kindness,  understanding, caring, hoping and praying for the best for another or oneself, seeing the Christ light in each and every person. In this way we begin to lift the idea of love into the more spiritual realm where we're called to see the spiritual truth of each and every person, each and every experience. We're called to look beyond appearances and judge righteous judgment.

By adding the cluster of these words and more to our definition of love, we experience life in a new way and we give the gift of unconditional love to others. 

We never know fully the valley that someone else is walking. We never know their inner motivation for or doing or saying something. Not everybody shares their hurts and wounds. As spiritually awakening people, we can give others the benefit of the doubt And be love to them in such a way that includes all of these words we added that expanded what we are as we,express full unconditional love.

Update

 Thank you for those who are buying my new book.

Please tell others about it, and help me get the word out.

Also please write a review on Amazon For my book. It helps promote the book.

The Book of My Life, I Wouldn't Believe It Either If I Hadn't Lived It" is now available on Kindle, Paperback, Hardback, and also Audible. You can also read a sample before you decide.

Please review it on Amazon, if you read it. I cannot afford to publicize it, and reviews will help. I would also love to hear your feedback.

Click Here to Order a Copy Today!

Thank you so very much!

PS - People are saying it's inspiring them that I overcame so many things and my faith grew ever  stronger. It encourages them to move on with courage in their lives. 

It has been one astounding and incredible life for sure. 

Do You See God As You See A Cow?

 

Some people want to see God with their eyes as they see a cow, and to love Him as they love their cow—for the milk and cheese and profit it brings them. This is how it is with people who love God for the sake of outward wealth or inward comfort. They do not rightly love God, when they love Him for their own advantage. Indeed, I tell you the truth, any object you have in your mind, however good, will be a barrier  between you and the inmost Truth.                 ---Eckhart

My favorite mystic, Meister Eckhart, speaks truth in plain words. This quote strikes me as  important  to consider. 

Loving God, or another person, for what they can give us is more a transactional kind of thing than love. It's not that transactions are wrong or bad, it's that, when they are mislabeled as love, it does a great disservice to love and to our ability to understand our relationship to God and to other people, as well as to ourselves.

I recently wrote about love and all the various words you could hang on it to understand it more deeply. I urge you to reread that part. But mainly today I just like us to consider shifting out of transactional attachments and calling them love, to be honest with ourselves and endeavor to move our lives to unconditional love, which is what we are really called to do.

The "True Believer" Problem

 A long time ago in the university a series of professors Assigned us to read Eric Hoffer's book, "True Believer." I also took a profound class called "Social Control" with a very deep-thinking professor.Aldous Huxley wrote about this too, particularly in the extreme , such as the swastika waving masses at Hitler's events, the red flags of the early communist movement In Russia, 

Pretty much anytime we see people emotionally driven, in one group or the other, we see people in the sway of propaganda and tools of mind control. We see it when people get hysterical about political or news events. We can tell which channel they're watching. There are channels promoting left and right positions. Depending on which ones a person watches, they can get riled up over whatever the talking head says.

I saw a small example of that yesterday when my granddaughter went to get the mail for me. I had political mail  On one side there was a colorful large card attacking a certain candidate for this and that.  There was an equally colorful and large card on the other side expounding an absolutely opposite statement about that candidate My granddaughter held them up and said which one is true? She had a quizzical expression as she raised them.up in her hands. Obviously, both could not be true for they were 180° apart. 

 If I do not have personal direct knowledge of something, it is difficult for me to know which if either holds the truth. That applies for most things. If we take a newscaster's word for it, we forget that they're just reading a script written by someone that has an agenda, on a station that has an agenda. They're no longer just reporting news they're trying to make news and sway people's minds. The same thing with advertising, with programming, and so much of modern life.

Sometimes I see television commercials where one candidate talks extremely negatively about his or her opponent's point of view. He or she believes this or that. I want to tell them that don't want your assessment of the other person. I want to hear from the other person what they actually believe and say. It really irritates me when they're trying to speak for someone else. Perhaps that's born in my experience, when other people try to speak for me and say the opposite of what I mean.

If we got caught up so that we are exceptionally emotional about a "cause", we need to look carefully at what's going on in us. Our emotions lead us away from our higher brain functions and our abilities to think logically. 

For me, it's important to be as control of my own mind as I can be. It is important for me to not be controlled by others, but to use my intelligence, logic, and God-given wisdom to make decisions, and to act from a deep place. 

I recommend,  before jumping off the deep end for any cause, take time to meditate and contemplate, read something from the other side's point of view, and balance everything in yourself. Ask for guidance. Weigh everything. Stay calm. And participate in life fully when you know that you considered everything and have a deeper understanding, not just slogans.

Announcement

 I am excited to announce that my book, "The Book of My Life, I Wouldn't Believe It Either If I Hadn't Lived It" is now available on Kindle, Paperback, Hardback, and also Audible. You can also read a sample before you decide.

Please review it on Amazon, if you read it. I cannot afford to publicize it, and reviews will help. I would also love to hear your feedback.

Click Here to Order a Copy Today!

Also please check out my other books. 

You Are Beloved

 I am rereading Henri Nouwen's  book, Life of the Beloved.  His beginning premise is that we are all God's beloved, but we get so busy with the outer things of life that we forget. We forget where we came from and where we're going, and that in every step of the way we are God's beloved.

He goes on to say that remembering or learning that we are God's beloved isn't all there is, it's just the beginning. There is another step. We must become the beloved. That is we must think, say and do what God would have us think, say, and, do. We must act like the beloved, believe we are beloved, and give that sense of being loved to others, even strangers. Sometimes we give it with a smile, sometimes we give it with a hug, sometimes with deep and abiding friendship, , sometimes with wise and loving counsel, sometimes with a sweet note. There are a myriad of ways that we can give that love to others and show that they are beloved, remind them that they are beloved, and remind ourselves at the same time.

We can trust in God's love. Notice in the scriptures people are always messing up, sometimes huge mistakes. God loves them anyway and calls them back to waiting arms so to speak. Interestingly, we have responsibility to share that love on earth.

When we get comfortable realizing God loves us, it becomes easier and easier to love others, nd and to give them the gift of knowing they are beloved. By our actions, even our tone of voice, we convey love or rejection, acceptance or judgement, sarcasm or sincerity. Let's ask ourselves, what are we broadcasting with the energy of our lives? Let's get on the wavelength of the beloved.

Hubris to Nemesis

 The Greeks believed that hubris was always followed by nemesis, that if you went too far you would get a knock on the head to remind you that the gods will not tolerate insolence on the part of mortal men. --- from Perennial Philosophy

This morning I read that part of Perennial Philosophy, and I had a quick thought I want to share. It seems to me there's an awful lot of hubris being flung around this earth right now. Quite a few people seem to need a knock on their head, as the Greeks called it 

It seems to me that today's hubris is a little more dangerous and far-reaching than in the ancient world. We now have incredibly horrid weapons that could wipe out all life on earth. We have the lack of understanding of the sacredness of this earth and of all life, and so treat it with little respect. We have the decline of spirituality and the turn to the shallow, mind-numbing games, Soul soaking up violent movies and programs, all manner of dark things. We have huge paedophile rings, human trafficking, ever more dangerous drugs with more and more people who are using them, seemingly trying to escape real life and responsibilities. 

Our leaders all over seem to have gone mad in the pit of hubris.

 I never thought I would ever say anything like this, but God maybe it's time you give a few select people a good knock on the head and wake them up - particularly in the leadership in this world. Please help us save ourselves and our world. I pray that the door opens in many hearts to turn to God, to decency, to developing their spiritual muscle,  to be everything good and wonderful they are capable of bein.g In a moment's notice, if that happens, all of this mess could turn around. Help me, help us all,, be part of the turnaround.

My Book Is NOW Available

 Dear Spiritual Friends:

I am excited to announce that my book is now available in 3 formats - Kindle, paperback,  hardback and NOW Audible - on Amazon.

Please check it out. And please spread the word in any way you can, social media, telephone, and conversation. Help me get the word out.

If you've been reading my blog for a year or more, you know my now deceased husband stole all of my money and my things. I have no money to do the usual promotions. I ask you to please help me.

Go to Amazon to Order Yours Today!

"The Book of My Life, I Wouldn't Believe It Either If I Hadn't Lived It" by Marlene Oaks

Dualism or Oneness?

 

Only when freed from hate and love does it [the Way] reveal itself fully and without disguise...To set up what you like against what you dislike— this is the disease of the mind. .. Be serene in the oneness of things, And dualism vanishes of itself. --- de Caussade

 In many traditions, the ultimate goal is the realization of Oneness. One of the practices then is to eliminate duality in our thinking. ~That means nomore"Us"vs"Them"mentality. We do not draw a line --- on this side of the line I love, but on the other side I hate.

In other words , division and hatred have to go. It is essential we realize that all is sacred, the divine is in each and every thing, each and everyone, even though wre may not be able to see it. What to do?

St. Paul gave us a clue in the gifts of the spirit. The last one he listed is  is self-control. I think that is true but little considered.We have to get control of ourselves, our thinking, our minds, and our lives, so that we can let go and welcome Spirit without resistance. It is a great paradox, relaxing and letting go lead to serenity, and serenity leads to being able to hear the guidance that's coming to us. 

I have come to realize every moment of my life is an opportunity to grow, to see differently, to expand, to move closer to God. Everyone and everything is my teacher. When I relax into that knowing and stop resisting my life, then amazing things begin to unfold. As de Caussade  said, "Be serene in the oneness of things, And dualism vanishes of itself. "

I would add - actually have faith/trust in the More/God/Higher Power. Life here is a  temporary gift. None of us stay here forever. We are to go beyond appearances, develop spiritually, and prepare our souls for the next thing. Let us not waste our precious time. 

Seeing Resurrection

 As I have noted in the past, Resurrection is all around us all of our lives, if we're but paying attention.

We can see it in the transformation of the caterpillar to the butterfly, in the dry desert coming to life with a riot of wild flowers every springtime, this morning's breakfast being turned into us in all parts of  bodies, two half cells turning into a human being, and on and on.

Everywhere we turn we can see the miraculous. We are told the atoms In all things are, relatively speaking, as far apart as the stars and planets in the galaxy, so that material things are actually mostly empty space. 

On this spinning planet we orbit our sun traveling about 584,000,000 miles a year, plus our solar system is moving at Incredible speed through the Milky Way, and the Milky Way is moving at fantastic speed, everything's moving rapidly, and yet we think we're standing still.

Our brains are only 2% of our body weight, but they use about 20% of the body's total energy and oxygen intake. The average adult brain weighs about 3 pounds. And yet it contains every memory we've ever had, vast amounts of information, so much information it would take a tower of stacked of CD's, each packed full of data, to go past the International Space Station in order to contain an equal amount of information as the average adult brain. 

We've just looked at a tiny tiny bit of what we know about life in the universe. But with even this amount,of information,how can we not believe the miraculous? It seems to me we live within the miraculous, we are filled with it, surrounded by it. It is what the universe is. So to believe that resurrection is going to happen to all of us, that is, that life continues beyond the physical existence, does not seem to be much of a stretch to me.

Jesus did it visually so people would know. A good many people on earth alive right now have seen people who have left their bodies. Many people have had near death experiences that all have very similar qualities. I absolutely know that life continues beyond our physical experience.

 Let us join with the rest of the world today and say - He is risen, He is risen indeed. And add so will I.

Have a blessed Easter.

Resurrection

 Christ himself does not act as a dead or passive point of convergence, but as a centre of radiation for the energies which lead the universe back to God through his humanity, the layers of divine action finally come to us impregnated with his organic energies... In it we recognise an omnipresence which acts upon us by assimilating us in it, in unitate corporis Christi.  --- Teilhard  de  Chardin, "The Divine Milieu"

The 1st thing that stood out to me this morning in the above quote is the word radiation. I had just read an article about new scientific research on the Shroud of Turin which basically says the image was created by radiation in a way unknown to us. The  writer of the article felt that it validated the shroud as having been the burial wrappings of Jesus Christ. If true that it was radiation that created the image, this is an astounding result, an earth shattering reveal about the shroud.

 Teilhard de Chardin  of course did not have access to modern studies at the shroud. His reference to radiation however was interesting to me. He goes on to say that we get infused, impregnated with the divine energies. It is reminiscent to me of Paul speaking of putting on Christ, the Christ within, and his various Cosmic Christ references. Paul seemed to move away from the person of Jesus. He wrote practically nothing about his life and teachings. But he went on to experience and write about a more Cosmic Christ whose energy we can reach. take on, incorporate in us, and be ncorporated into.

It is the general mystical idea of Unitive experience. In general this is the aim, whether realized consciously or not, of all spiritual practice. In other words we come to live in the idea and experience of Oneness - Oneness with God, Oneness with all life, part of the Cosmic Flow.

Perhaps this is our personal resurrection. In Oneness We live a new kind of life We know who we are and what we are about. The veil has become thin. We live a tune to the infinite.

May you find your way to this place this Easter season. God bless you!

Divine Milieu

 I am enjoying Reading The "Divine ilieu",  I I want to share with you today some ideas that came to me while reading his book.

 One, he says that our intention behind anything that we do is important.  Whether it's a small thing or a major thing, our intention permeates it and sets its character. It is important that we don't do things from an ego position but from, as far as possible, an unselfish, and God centered perspective. 

 Also, he focuses on the importance of our development of our souls.  Everything we think, say, and do either develops our souls or diminishes our souls. I have often said that earth  Is a school for souls, sometimes a mountain climbing school, and we are to flex our spiritual muscles here and develop ourselves in a unique situation that we find on earth in the 3rd dimension. It is a privilege and and an honor to be given the gift of life on earth. 

Some come here and forget. They bat their heads against the walls of earth's challenges and wail and scream, sometimes becoming violent. But some see this opportunity is a challenge and dig into it and do their best, thereby they develop their souls, And oftentimes make a positive difference for others as well as themselves. 

Just a small shift in perspective can change our experience while here in earth. To see this is an exciting challenge, an opportunity to develop our souls, a gift from God, leads us to live a different kind of life than the life of those who resist the exciting opportunities and challenges offered here on earth just for us.

Discovering Spirit and Healing Our Shattered World

 Rufus Jones said, "We shall not be able to rebuild our shattered world until we recover Our faith in eternal realities and we shall not do that until we discover spirit within ourselves."

This past weekend I led a retreat entitled "Practice the Presence of God." I began the retreat By asking everyone to pick a number between 1 and 14 because  I wanted them to learn to listen within and select something they felt guided to choose. 

I have discovered That most people, when they speak of regrets, say I knew I shouldn't have done that. How did they know? Because they had guidance, but they didn't listen to it.

I chose 14 quotes from 14 different mystics that have influenced my life. I told them to intuitively to pick the one that was right for them for today. Then I handed out the paper that had all 14 quotes, and told them they could contemplate the other ones as they felt led in coming day,s but today they had one that was their mystic. Everyone reported after the exercise that they indeed had picked the perfect one for them.

The beginning quote on this entry , from Rufus Jones, was one of the 14. Rufus was a Quaker mystic, and I deeply love his writings. Part of the purpose is to train ourselves to realize the Holy Spirit is always speaking, always guiding, and the thing we need to do is to be still so we can hear it and then follow it.

We are part of this shattered world.  We can begin to heal our own shattered mess. ,In fact we cannot help heal a shattered world, if we are shattered ourselves. I can just hear someone thinking that they wonder what exactly does she mean by shattered? Fractured -  unfocused - fragmented - inconsistent - broken - ineffective -  insecure - all or some if these.

what to do? Begin some regular spiritual practices for a starter. We began with Lectio Divina._So begin with me with the quote above. Read 'it slowly at least five times. Close your eyes, let those words fill your mind. Be with them five minutes or so. Then write in journal for five minutes without censoring what you write. Just write. Then read what you wrote.

Do this everyday with a quote that has some meaning to you or you'd like to understand the meaning. It could be from scripture or poetry or the writings of some enlightened person. And in a short time you'll discover that wisdom is coming to you, that you know more than you knew on your own. And in a short time you'll discover that wisdom is coming to you because you joined with the Holy Spirit. Once you experience this, you'll realize you're never alone, and the shattered pieces are coming together to form a beautiful you.

Prophetic Wisdom

 Jesus’ own Wisdom teaching was not a doctrine of ascetic renunciation, but rather an invitation to reckless self-abandon to love. Jesus modeled a life of faithful surrender to the unpredictable movement of the divine Spirit. --- The Gospel of Q, Jesus' Prophetic Wisdom 

 When we examine the teaching of Jesus that we know about, we see his instruction about how to be, how to live, what to be. We do not see a description of what we have to believe,  or of any dogma in particular, other than love and surrender to God's Way.

His teaching is very much aligned with the wisdom teachings of the ages. Of course he has his unique view of it. In agreement with most wisdom traditions, he includes time apart, being still, emptying of the little self, listening to God's voice, following God's guidance, being good to everyone, and continually trying to be a better person. 

I recommend the book from which I took the quote at the top of this entry. Q is generally agreed upon by the majority of Biblical scholars to be the document that Matthew and Luke used for the material they have in them but it is not in Mark. In this book he pulls out that material, so you can read it all together, and so you can see the great wisdom and teaching that he's offering and calling us to. 

I think throughout history some, maybe many,  have belabored and mutilated some of his points, so that it's hard to know what he really taught.  It is thought that Q was written between the year 50 and 70, so, if this is accurate, it predates the Gospels. 

Even before I knew about Q, I was particularly drawn to the parts that turned out to be from Q. I find this material from Q has been the guiding light of my life. I hope it will be for you too. It cuts through the murky twists and turns of theology, back to a time before speculation distorted Jesus: precious message.  Just maybe this gives us a glimpse closer to sitting at his feet.