Thoughts on Original Plans

John Duns Scotus said that Christ was Plan A from the very beginning, and that Christ came from God's perfect love and perfect and absolute freedom. Richard Rohr said that The Great Mystery could not be a mere mop-up exercise after folks messed up. I hope you will read Richard Rohr's daily mediation of 2 days ago on this topic:  

cac.org/category/daily-meditations/

One of the things that grabbed my attention in that mediation is this: 

Jesus did not come to change the mind of God about humanity; 

Jesus came to change the mind of humanity about God.

As I look at my life, the life of others and the history and current affairs here on earth, I definitely see the need for attitude adjustment. It occurs to me that re-reading the Gospels with this in mind, we might discover a new Gospel that speaks to us more directly. We might find a coherent study in how we can live more fully in relationship with The Presence.  

In what ways does Jesus talk to us about changing our minds about God? 

This leads me to some other questions. In what ways do we need to change our minds about God? Do we know God as a loving Presence that is with us always, speaks to us, listens to us? Do we fear God and imagine God far away and sometimes violent? Can we understand God of the cosmos, can we comprehend the Cosmic Christ, can we find an expanded idea of God in the new physics, or do we need myths to protect us? Are we willing to change our minds about God? 

Playing with Time

A couple of the most frequently questions asked of me are: "Do you sleep? How do you get so much done?"

My usual answer is: "I play with time."

I think that is an accurate reply, but it is really difficult to explain. There are elements such as: I can multi-task, I focus in this moment, I am subject to Inspiration - to aha moments - to suddenly knowing things, etc. I trust. I may begin a bleach drawing on dark Kona Cotton, for example, and I may not know exactly what the outcome will be. I just go with it. I allow Life to operate in me. It may end up to pretty, or maybe whimsical, or maybe it's perfect for the trashcan. (Below are 2 of my Clorox drawings slightly embellished with color from fabric dye pens. They came out the way they came out. I allowed them to come through me, and they came very quickly.)

I am extremely creative. I think to be creative, there is an element of holding it all lightly with lots of space, allowing, accepting - not trying to control. I see a lot of people who begin something new all tied in knots, tight, controlled, afraid of making mistakes. The creative energies that spurred the original inspiration just freezes up and seem to be gone. The person then thinks/says, "See I knew I couldn't ___________."

When we risk trying, we realize there was no risk. I mostly deal with people in the sewing, quilting, political and spiritual areas of life. Say you're a quilter and a new technique is presented to you. What is your response? Resistance, fear, pulling back, tightening up, a need to control? What I do is just try it, go for it. By missing all the time spent on the resistance gang, I'm already done when you're just working up to starting.

There is the context in which we hold our lives that plays a part in playing with time. Mostly what our decisions are about are NOT about world peace, ending world hunger, the final cure for cancer or some such monumental thing. But, many act as if trying out applique, for example, is just that important. Really? What's the worst thing that can happen? Maybe it gets donated to charity or goes in the trash. So what. The planet still is in orbit and the cure for cancer still looms in the future.

Another aspect is starting the morning with some moments in quiet, prayer, reflection, and inspirational reading. That sets up the day in a positive way, encourages a relaxed and trusting approach to what the day holds.

We can shed limitations. Know that Infinite Intelligence is with us. We are not alone. We can accomplish amazing things, and some things that do end up in the trashcan. It's all good. It all teaches. It all adds depth and texture to the tapestry of our lives.

Ultimately, do we want a life that we savor and are present for moment by moment, aware, fully alive, or do we want to live a shut down life not fully alive to the moment, holding back, not risking? Or I could ask, "Do we want a life that honors the gift of life the Divine has given us?"

The Mystic Journey

Teilhard de Chardin liked nature's landscape in some of his metaphors. I am intrigued by one he used describing the mystic journey. I will paraphrase it and add some to it from my understanding.

Imagine with me that you are a traveler on an extremely foggy mountain, and you are climbing toward the summit which is bathed in light. You were placed on this precise spot on the mountain by the current moment in history, the place of your birth, your individual vocation or mission or reason for coming to earth. This is your starting point. One of your tasks is to climb to the Light. To get there, you pass through obstacles, a series of footholds, slips, advances. Some ways you try, are dead-ends, so you go back a bit and try another assent. You must experiment with various approaches and test different barriers. At the same time, you must keep the passion for the climb strong. Without passion, there will be no assent. 

I see here on earth just a few who passionately climb that mountain, determined to reach the Light. Rather, sadly, I see many who give up and just live in whatever spot they find themselves. These are the deflated, the adherents to other people's beliefs, the people a bit slumped over with no twinkle, little light in the eye.

It is my firm belief, understanding and teaching that no matter how long one has nestled into some crag or other, the Light still calls. No matter what - we can still renew ourselves and again begin the assent to the Light at the mountaintop.

Let us climb on.What a glorious Light awaits.

I come this day ready to stand up and resume my climb. Grant me the vision and courage and passion required to not only go on, but to reach the mountaintop. Lead me again on the mystic journey. Guide my steps. Fill my heart. Lead on.

2016

It's 2016. What does that mean? I was thinking about this today. There are billions of 2016's, one or more for each person on the planet.

There are people who live in deep jungles and are not aware of any of the things we hold as common. There are people in the slums of poor countries. There are people in wartorn places. There are people who live under dictatorships and daily fear. There are people who live in mansions and have staff to care for them. There are healthy athletes, feeble elderly, bouncing toddlers, busy people and lazy people. There are creators and destroyers. Each has a different version of what this year means to them, if they even are aware that it is 2016.

The earth experience, this year, life on earth is not one thing. Sometimes people tend to think everyone is like them and knows what they know or think they know. But even in crowded highrises or slums, life is an individual experience. My life is not the same as my neighbor's, my way of interpreting this or that is not their way. We each see through eyes that come to the moment with an array of different experiences and conclusions.

And yet, we are all called to learn how to love. That's our common mission. We don't seem to be doing so well if the news reports are accurate. I guess, no matter how it is in our shoes, we need to somehow tug on our own hearts and rise up to be the love God calls us to be.

Lord, lead me to wipe the lenses of my life with Your Love so that I may see as You see. Lead me to Love so purely and completely that I fulfill Your challenge to me to learn how to Love You, my neighbor and myself. Let this year be remembered as the year Love triumphed.

Twinkling of An Eye

It fascinates me how life can turn on a dime, change in the twinkling of an eye - totally change. Down becomes Up. Sorrow becomes Joy. Lost becomes Found.

The funny thing is that it oft times seems to come on its on, outside of our personal power or skills or efforts. For weeks or months or maybe years, there were prayers and various efforts and attempts to make "it" happen, but nothing seemed to change. Then, all of a sudden, there "it" is.

What I think happens is that during the process we just went through, we were changed. We became "ripe" to receive. Prayer is not to inform Infinite Intelligence. Prayer is not to persuade Divine Presence, for we are already loved and held in Light. Prayer is to change us, to change our relationship to the Divine. Prayer makes us more whole. Prayer opens spiritual channels in us. Prayer purifies us of ego. We are changed.

I know that I feel different today than a few years ago when we entered our strange years of living "down the rabbit hole." My prayers for freedom from this bizarre experience, have actually been working inside of me, shifting, healing, lifting, revealing, bringing me closer and deeper to the Divine Presence.

Today is a new day. Today I am a new me. Thank You, God!

An Other Touch of Science

Not that I am any scientific expert, but I enjoy reading some new physics books and articles. I see ever more clearly the Infinite Divine Energy in and through all that exists, here and wherever there is to be, this dimension or others.

I read this morning that it is estimated that the number of protons in the universe is 1079.  And furthermore, they are exactly alike until they interact with other particles. Only then can they be interesting and unique.

My mind went into applying that to human mental/spiritual life and how our lives become interesting and unique when in relationship.

The first relationship that came to mind is to ourselves. Know thyself has been a truth saying from very ancient times. I think we come here from a spiritual dimension, probably for different reasons, but one common purpose is to learn how to love. What happened to us to stop our purpose in its tracks?

I had a vision of a person that had been sort of paper-mached. All over were pieces reflecting memories of experiences and words that imprison us. You're  bad, You're slow, You're in trouble now, We'd be better off without you, You're no good, etc. etc. etc.

      

In my vision I saw how the pieces kept the inner light from shining out and kept relationship with self and others and God under wrap and key, The pieces of false testimony about ourselves absolutely have to go.

We can reason through it, forgive our way out of it, and stand on Truthful Ground. Each one helps take off the plastered lies about us. Our stance can then be of complete relationship with ourselves, others and God.

Who are we? I'll say what I think, and I hope you will spend some time thinking about this too.

We are spiritual beings. Our bodies are garments our souls wear in order to function in this place. When we are done on earth, Mother Earth reclaims our garments, while our Souls move on to return to spiritual domains. We are created by a God of Love and Light, of Wisdom and Forgiveness. At the core of our being (what we can know with papermache removed) there is the seed of God. No matter what anyone has said to us or done to us, there is an inner core that is holy and nags at us trying to express and shine and trying to get our attention to take action to remove the hurts glued to us.

As in my book of that name, forgiveness is the key. The act of forgiveness takes off most of the negatives plastered upon us. Then we move to being aware what amazing teachers they were, the moments, the words, the people. All has led to this day and this moment, in this moment we can claim our full life lived in Light and Love. As in Aikido, we can say with gusto, Thank you for testing me.

I come today, ready to remove the negative thoughts and memories plastered all over me. Lord, show me how to forgive. I know I need to forgive myself for times I faltered. I know I need to forgive all others for times long gone. I hear the wee small voice calling me to come out from under this burden of carrying past negatives with me. I yearn to be free and come to life fully conscious of the Light within and to shine it wherever I am. I go into the Silence and listen for Your Guidance.

Keep On Keeping On

As some of you know, these past couple of years, up until and including today, has been a time of mega-challenge.It has been my quest to not allow it to change who I am, to make me bitter, resentful, angry, etc. I relate quite closely with Job in the Old Testament. Almost everything has been stripped away, none of it due to anything I did, but due to a strange combination of people, Acts, Agencies and secrecy.

In my case, different from Job, all still exists, it is simply frozen, not accessible to me. There seems to be an element of torture in that the word comes that all is to be released, then nothing happens. There doesn't seem to be anything I can do, say, think, or be to make the powers that be get out of my life.

Some of it is related to things I am not able to speak of. We have gotten Congressmen, Inspector Generals and other high mukymuks involved, but here we are still frozen. Any moment it is supposed to be over. We are told it has moved forward, and almost done. One last thing.

I can taste it. I know how it will feel. All of my life returned. I miss my dishes. I miss my savings account. I miss the freedom I once had. My heart does ache for "it" to be over and restoration the light of the day.

In the meantime, God and I have a lot of conversations. I keep working on creative projects. I participate as much as I can. And I eagerly await the moment when the freeze is over. So far I have been able to keep my faith, my sense of humor, my hope.

We all have challenges. We all have choices. We can become stronger and more faith-filled or become weak, victims living in fear, Daily I choose the former. I cannot lose myself. I cannot let "them" win. So, I keep on keeping on.