Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 10:05PM

The Four Noble Truths (Dharma)

Buddha was an amazing individual. Whether you believe his teachings or not, his concepts are valid in most religions' truths. I would like to share my thoughts on the four noble truths of Buddha in relationship to what I teach.

1.The Nature of Suffering: This is the noble truth of suffering: Birth is Suffering, Aging is Suffering, Illness is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair are suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; seperation from what is pleasing is suffering; Not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.

This first noble truth sounds terrible. It does so because it is focused on the negative aspect. We automatically connect with the negative words and don’t like the connotations. I find this fascinating, especially where it says,”Separation from what is pleasing is suffering.” In my beliefs this describes perfectly our separation for the source. If you ever heard or read my regression, you might remember that it says,”Everything is Love and we were given fear as our tool to experience Love fully.” Without the polar opposite we would never understand what Love is. So we have fear as our polar opposite. One of the main products of fear is suffering. People “suffer from” anxiety, depression, and physical ailment. I believe each has its root in a fear. We tend to hold on to or “cling” to our fears. Buddha says ”the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.” I believe suffering is fear.

2. Suffering’s Origin:
“This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: it is this craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there, that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination.”

The Second Noble Truth talks of a “craving which leads to renewed existence.” This seeking for the sensation of pleasure is us in the physical experience seeking the feeling of Love. We tend to constantly strive for the pleasurable sensations that we define as positive or in essence loving. The very separation we are here to experience leads us to seek the feeling of it. This is why people become addicted. It is the feeling they are addicted to. The feeling of relaxation is a positive sensation. When you ask a smoker why they smoke, most will say, ”It relaxes me.” It is the feeling they want because they are suffering with fear and choose this tool to allow themselves to relax.

3. Suffering’s Cessation:
“This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: it is the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, nonreliance on it.”

This is the step one must take to reach enlightenment. The “relinquishing” of suffering/fear until nothing remains of it and we no longer need to rely on it for contrast. We must release our fear to reach the potential of humankind. We each have control of our fear if we so choose. Many choose to feel helpless within their fear. It is the wise ones who choose to be in control of their fear long enough to release it.

4. The Path to the Cessation of Suffering:
“This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: it is the Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.”

This last noble truth tells us how to end suffering/fear. By living in a state of doing the right things you tend to then be surrounded by the right things. It is interesting, however, that several of the Noble Eightfold Path are based in our thought/belief/faith. The other two are actions upon our belief. We each know right from wrong. We each find ourselves thinking in ways (especially about ourselves) that are not congruent with the truth. When our thoughts, words, and deeds are based in fear we suffer. When they are based in Love we thrive.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 1:01PM

“Find the heart of it. Make the complex simple, and you can achieve mastery.” ~ Dan Millman

I am NOT:

1. A Christian
2. A Muslim
3. A Buddhist
4. A Hindu
5. A Jew
6. A Shaman
7. A Warlock
8. A Druid
9. Anything else that says the power is not within me.

I know this news will shock many who have read my writings or who have heard me speak. Religions are history lessons on someone else’s spiritual experiences. Spirituality is your present moment. I haven’t had a religion since I left being a Catholic twenty some years ago. This does not mean that the teachings those religions were formed around should in any way be discounted as invalid. In my personal spiritual experience, I had memories of a past life where I walked with a magnificent teacher. Do you have a favorite teacher? Mine had the most aggressively antisocial religion built up around him hundreds of years after his death. Does the fact that his students strayed negate his words? I say no.

I seek out commonalities in the teaching of all the teachers. I don’t judge them because religion was built up around their names. I just find the teachings that ring true for me. I decipher them and make them present day accessible. My beliefs are very simple. Here is my “profession of faith.”

1. We are one with our Source
2. Our experience is created by our thoughts, words, and deeds.
3. The pure essence of our Source is the state we call Love.
4. We experience our Source by experiencing the opposite of Love which is Fear.
5. We are in control of our fear.
6. The physical world is an illusion made up of formless energy.
7. The formless energy is the Source.
8. Your consciousness and the Source’s consciousness are one and the combined awareness is the higher self.

I had a very interesting conversation today. I was perceived as a “bible thumper.” I find it an interesting thought. If in fact I am, then I am also a Bhagavad Gita thumper, a Tao de Ching thumper, a Torah thumper, a Buddhist sacred writings thumper, and any kind of thumper that will express your divinity in this present moment. I quote them all. I think it is rather naïve to ignore all the teachings of those who came before and start something new. There are truths everywhere. Turning a blind eye to potential texts because they have been used in a religion that the teachers themselves never would have formed, is like saying I am starting a new math system without adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing because they are not valid.  Truth is everywhere. Use it to find your true place in the universe. Take what feels right and leave the rest, like a salad bar.

“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.” ~Buddha

Our world is simple. You are the creator with the Source of all. What is the Source? Einstein would say it consists of formless energy. It has been called Allah, Universal Consciousness, Yahweh, God, Goddess, Mother, Father, and so on. It doesn’t matter what it is called. Nothing and no one should tell you to put power outside of yourself. Each of the teachers of old said that you have the power within and your thoughts words and deeds create your physical and emotional experience. 

I know that because of the past life memories I have, people expect me to have a specific belief. I don’t have that belief because of what I was taught in that life and what I have learned in this one. I Am the bare essence of me. I AM what I AM. Live now wisely educated by the teachers who came before.

“Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” ~ Jeshua (I John 4:4)

Monday, March 15, 2010 at 1:36AM

"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance"~ George Bernard Shaw

I am a true believer that we all find our various paths to the same source. Recently I was confronted with an interesting dilemma. I, over the past year, have spoken to many organizations around the country and have always been very well received. I have been blessed to meet many fantastic people of varying beliefs. In my personal belief system, there is room to love and accept anyone else’s beliefs. I also am very much in the mindset that I can respect them if they do not agree. During this past year I was with a group who had many different beliefs, but every one of these beliefs had a very esoteric base. When a new person who had a very practical side confronted them on their beliefs (in a constructive fashion), they decided that the person was no longer welcome.

“Be curious, not judgmental.” ~Walt Whitman

I find this kind of false spirituality disturbing. To be spiritual is to be accepting not excepting. When people sit on their faith as a discriminating pedestal then I have to wonder such things as would Jeshua have done the same? To proclaim a spiritual nature and to exclude someone because of a belief other than your own is to be based in fear. As I travel about the country, I speak to groups and am told that I make a difference. At these groups I meet some people whose beliefs are far from my own. Many are so far away from my own that I know I would never agree with what they say. I still would never exclude them from my meetings because anyone who tests your faith is doing you a great service. If someone grates upon your personality it is because they are showing you a side of yourself that needs work. Usually that side being exposed is a fear of being wrong and thus not loved.

“Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.” ~Bernice Johnson Reagon

The issue I see in the exclusion of such people is that you would be putting on blinders to learning more or even seeing a broader possibility. This is the same thinking that created the crusades and almost every war the planet has experienced. It is a fear based reaction. False spirituality is a failure to live lovingly. It is judgmental and uncaring. I welcome people in my life who have a brutal honesty to them because I always know where I stand and I am always reminded of my faith. I Love them for it. I welcome the lively conversations and, as I told my assistant Holly many times, I enjoy the challenges. I grow spiritually with every one.

“Judge not lest ye shall be judged,” is a great statement from Jeshua. It tells you that if you judge, people will look at you more closely as well. Think of this though: If you judge, are you not judging yourself as judgmental?  Is judgment a place of Love? To be judgmental is to be unloving. God is LOVE. I am saddened by the group’s choice, because I feel that the teaching I brought to them fell on deaf ears. No one is more important than anyone else. "Love one another": that is all Jeshua asked. I pray that this group will find their way back to a truly loving and accepting place. I hope that they will see Love for Love and find their way home again.

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” ~Jeshua

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 7:35AM 

Apocalypse ---- Origin:
1125–75; ME < LL apocalypsis < Gk apokálypsis revelation, equiv. to apokalýp(tein) to uncover, reveal (apo- apo- + kalýptein to cover, conceal) + -sis -sis

Are we headed to disaster? Are we looking at the catastrophic ending of all? Are we about to face the most fearful event that has happened to humanity? Is that what was said in Revelations? No. Let’s start with the words. As you see from above, apocalypse means revelation.  What does revelation mean?

 Revelation ---
c.1303, "disclosure of information to man by a divine or supernatural agency," from O.Fr. revelacion, from L. revelationem (nom. revelatio), from revelatus, pp. of revelare (see reveal). General meaning "disclosure of facts" is attested from c.1375; meaning "striking disclosure" is from 1862. As the name of the last book of the New Testament (Revelation of St. John), it is first attested c.1400 (see apocalypse); as simply Revelations, it is first recorded 1691.

So ‘apocalypse’ means 'revelation’ and 'revelation' means basically a revealing of information from the divine. So is the revelation of St. John a prophecy for the end of the world? There is a lot in the revelation, and it has been interpreted so many times and ways. Edgar Cayce, the most famous psychic ever known, while in trance, stated, ". . . it was a road map for enlightenment." That each of the “churches” represented a chakra center. Others have interpreted it meaning things from history that have already passed, citing Nero and Napoleon. The words are mystical and are from someone trying to decipher visions of future events with a mind that had no knowledge of future technologies. Imagine if you had a dream where you saw your body disintegrate to particles and disappear. Wouldn’t that scare you? Now imagine you live in Star Trek world. It is only the transporter, something you would use frequently. The vision of it would be scary but the reality of it is not. St. John talks of Armageddon. What does that word mean?.

Ar·ma·ged·don   (är'mə-gěd'n) ---
[Late Latin Armagedōn, from Greek, from Hebrew har məgiddô, the mountain region of Megiddo : har, mountain; see hrr in Semitic roots + məgiddô, Megiddo.]

So Armageddon means the mountain of Megiddo. So the very word implies the specific place of a cataclysm.  The mountain of Megiddo overlooks a valley. I have stood on the very mountain spoken of, and looked down in that valley. The valley is one of the most fought over pieces of land on earth. Generation after generation has fought on the battle field of Megiddo, including Napoleon himself. So If there were to be a fearful event in the world, the place of that event would be centralized on the mountain of Megiddo in Israel. There is a battle going on in that region today, as there has been for millenia.

So here is my question to you: If the Apocalypse is a Revelation and the Revelation is a revealing of information, and the information is a catastrophe at Har Megiddo, and it has already been happening for generations, and you are still here. . . What is there to be afraid of? Make your personal experience joyful.  Create a loving place, and have your own apocalypse by realizing that you are creating your experience. It is only a revelation away. Where you are is probably not Har Megiddo, so keep creating from the place within that is not focused on fearful events and prophecies that are difficult to understand because of interpretation.

In the Words of my friend ,”Love one another.”

Just a thought.

Friday, February 12, 2010 at 6:49PM

"Fundamentalism as it is called is not confined to the Muslim world. It is something that we have seen in different parts of the world. Let us hope that a dialogue between the followers of the three great monotheistic religions could help in putting an end to this." ~King Hussein I 

I was recently sent a link by someone who proclaims to have "light worker" status. Unfortunately, the link that was sent was an absolute attempt to spread the fears of militant fundamentalists. I say this because the message sent out was a message that one should fear the Muslims. I have met many Muslims in my travels abroad and found each of them to be the same as you or I. When traveling through Egypt, I went to Mt. Sinai. While there I befriended the manager of the hotel where I was staying. I showed him respect and friendship, and he returned it in kind. The following day after climbing Mt Sinai, I ran into another American. "Are you having any problems here?" he asked. "Not at all," I responded. "Your lucky, everywhere I go they all want to fight me," he continued.  As the conversation went on I began to understand; by the end, I wanted to fight him. He was putting out a fearful lack of respect for the people of Egypt, and they were returning it in kind. The night before as I began climbing Mt. Sinai, The Manager I told you about ran up the path a quarter mile from the hotel to give my traveling companion a coat because he said it would be freezing at the top.

"He who knows not Kindness has no faith." ~the Prophet Mohammed

The individuals who look at others of different faiths in fear are, in fact, amplifying the fear.  That can only lead to an explosive result. There are Muslim fundamentalists just as there are Christian fundamentalists. Our last President told the Saudi prince that,"God told him to invade Iraq." The wielding of religion and God for aggressive actions is a medieval premise that should not be tolerated in a shifting world.

The question is which way do we want to shift our world? Do we want a world based in fearful aggressive actions or of peaceful loving actions. As long as religious fundamentalists create out of fear and we do not take notice, then our world has no choice but to head into a dark valley of fear.  Let us peacefully put out our hands in love, and actively shift the world in a positive direction.  Fulfilling the actual intent in being a light worker.

"Love One Another." ~ Jeshua Ben Joseph

Many will say they do not know how to combat militants with love. I say this, read everything you can about Mahatma Gandhi. Whenever things in his country went violent, he did a nonviolent counter action.  What did he achieve - a free India. The spreading of fear by "lightworkers" should show fully where their truth is. Are they living a life of light while they spread fear? It is impossible to be a light worker if in fact the fruit you bear is darkness. Gandhi said,"Be the change you want to see in the world." If you want a world without fear then don't fear. If you want a world of fear and violence then spread the fear and violence. I find it sad that many on the "spiritual path" are using their religion or spirituality as a means of power or control.

"Be the change you want to see in the world."~ Mahatma Gandhi

Eventually the seeds of love and peace that we spread will burst forth into the representation of the tree of life. The seeds of fear can spread like a parasite, but we can prune them away easily and keep the light on our tree. Christians and Muslims can be friends.  I have seen it with my own eyes. It is all the same Source that we all come from.  When we take the Love out of God, then we turn our backs on him/her fully because "God is Love."

"Love is all you need."~ John Lennon

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 9:07AM

Mimi sent me this message on the John of Peniel guest book, and I am grateful and happy to address this issue. 

"The Bible says beware of false prophets. What signs should people look for or what advice would you give to people who follow many modern day spiritualists and their messages? There are so many putting beliefs out now and some of them are are just a little incredulous."

I get accused of being a "false prophet" all the time. Usually the accusation comes from the most fearful people. I hope this helps clarify the phrase and assist in the release of fear. Releasing the fear is finding God. What is a "false prophet?" Let's look at where that phrase comes from: the book of Matthew, Chapter Seven.  I am putting the entire chapter here and adding commentary on the verses so we can see how it builds to that statement.

Matthew 7 Judging Others --- 1:"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2: For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "

Verse 1 and 2 are particular favorites of mine as they state very clearly that you are the creator of your experience. What you put out you will, in fact receive.

3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. "

Verses 3-5 tell you clearly not to be selfless. It also implies that you must first help yourself before helping others, and that you are impeded until you do. 

6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces."

Verse 6 is a very aggressive verse with a simple meaning. If the "Kingdom of Heaven is within" and you give without regard to self, then the fears of others will fill in the spaces left vacant, and "tear you to pieces" from the inside out. The most sacred thing that each of us has is our connection to God/Source. To put your faith in someone else as your savior, which Jeshua himself said not to do so, is giving your power to someone else. 

Ask, Seek, Knock 7 --- "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

Obviously verse 7 is one that I quote all the time. This verse is the one that states very clearly again that you are the creator of your experience and that all you need do is ask. So the power is in your hands.

9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

Verse 9 speaks clearly of the loving nature of God, and to emphasize the fact that what you ask for you do get. Again you are the creator of your experience. It also states that this is the summation of the teaching of the prophets.

The Narrow and Wide Gates --- 13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. "

If the Kingdom is truly within and you are the creator of your experience as the rest of the book of Matthew states, then you must look within the smallest places of self. Few find it because they are looking for the light show, when in fact, the light show starts as subtle and builds through realization of truth until you find the pathway within, the gate to the "kingdom."

. . . and Its Fruit.

15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. "

Here we have it. The "false prophets" are references to people who are looking to increase their personal power by taking yours. The entire chapter talks about you being the creator of your experience and yet we get trapped in the false prophet phrase. "By their fruit you will recognize them." Knowing that the teaching is that you are the creator and the power is within, their "fruit" would be that in some form your power must come from an external source and usually one that empowers them. Jeshua also teaches that God is Love. If some self- appointed Guru is approaching you from a place of fearful things, then they are not doing beneficial works and would therefore be false. The other interesting thing in these verses is that their power is once again set on you to realize the truth of what the "false prophet" is bringing. Again this is a statement of the kingdom being within.

21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' "

"The will of my father"- wow. Would a loving God who has stated time and time again that he/she is love, force you against you personal will? I believe that instead of interpreting this as a forceful act, think of this as a resonance or alignment. If God is truly love then coming into alignment with love, without fear, would be doing the "will" of God. A loving parent would hope for such. Verse 22 and 23 are ripe with fear and are used to create and instill fear all the time. Moses told us God's name was I AM. That being the case declaring anything in the name of someone else is in fact looking outside of self and and deifying a "false prophet." The verses clearly are stating again you will find the kingdom within.  

The Wise and Foolish Builders ---  24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

 2"8 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law."

I think that it is pretty clear what this last bit is saying. If we find the power within we will create a foundation strong enough to overcome fear and withstand the ones who are peddling fear. It also said that Jeshua taught with authority. I can tell you from my regression memories that this was true. He was a passionate speaker who told the truth, and the fruit he bore was delicious and true. Your power is within. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a false prophet.

Thanks Mimi.
Thanks Jeshua.

Thank You
Thank You
Thank You

Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 12:15AM

"Pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit."  -Kahlil Gibran

The source of all that is, inspires such devotion that cultures around the globe, in efforts to understand it, have created structures we call religions. They kneel before altars, they pray to the east, they avoid certain foods all in a means of devotion to spirit.  On the surface it can seem quite silly. I think that it is beautiful.

These traditions stem back to an earlier time when mystical things were normal conversation. As science learned more about our world, the mystical nature became less real. People began whispering the words like "psychic", or "ghost", or "miracle." The traditions and ceremonies are a bow to the time before, to history. The thing that I find beautiful in  the traditions is that each culture tapped into something larger. Each found the connection and tried to explain or find the path.

The fact that all the cultures of humanity found something larger means it must be the same source. It must be one. So every culture is right in that they not only recognize it but actively seek it. I do believe, however, that we are coming to an age when the traditions will be stripped away for a direct connection to source.

As science continues to explore our world it is now coming to a new realization. The new realization is that the smaller the particles they study or the more experiments they do, they find that there are larger things at work, a source of all that is, an energy, or as I call it God. The study has exposed a miraculous intricacy of all that is and it all works simply. It is easy. We make it hard. We effect outcomes. We create with thought. We are one with it all.

“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky” - Buddha

Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 2:44PM

I believe all religious thought begins in the same source. We as humans have tried to honor the source that is greater than we through our own cultural perspectives. I have compiled a small list of quotes from different schools of thought. God is God no matter what name he/she goes by. Contemplate and notice the string of similarity within the quotes:

Jesus:
“It is your faith that heals you.”

“Even the least among you can do all that I have done, and greater things.”

“Man is created to dwell in the Garden of Delights. All else is death. Find that Garden where the Father hath placed the fountain of Love and thou shalt live forever in bliss.”

“The kingdom of heaven is within thee. Only when thou hast established the kingdom within and overcome the demons of doubt and fear wilt thou discern the key to the establishment of the Kingdom of God of the earth.”

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he and so is the world wherein he dwells. Every man creates his own world according to that which he fears and that which he loves.”

“In seeking ye shall find yourselves and then shall ye know God.”

“Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” 

Buddha:
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”

“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky”

“The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.”

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

“Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.”

Bhagavad Gita:
"The power of God is with you at all times; through the activities of mind, senses, breathing, and emotions; and is constantly doing all the work using you as a mere instrument.”

"Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.”

"Creation is only the projection into form of that which already exists.”

“One can become whatever one wants to be [if one constantly contemplates on the object of desire with faith].”

Baha'u'llah:
"The Word is the master key for the whole world, inasmuch as through its potency the doors of the hearts of men, which in reality are the doors of heaven, are unlocked."

Native American:
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life:
"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,"Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Pawnee-

“What is past and cannot be prevented should not be grieved for."

Crow-

"You already possess everything necessary to become great."

Hopi-

"A people without faith in themselves cannot survive."

Navajo-

I have been to the end of the earth,
I have been to the end of the waters,
I have been to the end of the sky,
I have been to the end of the mountains,
I have found none that are not my friends.

Rumi:
"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against ."

Friday, May 1, 2009 at 1:14PM

As I have said on numerous occasions I believe fully that God is Love. It is written in the Book of John. That being said I also believe that Love is never wrong. I recently was speaking with a minister at a holistic center where I was speaking. He was quite offended that the center had "homosexual paraphernalia." I asked him what the problem was and he responded that it was a sin. I asked him where he got that information. "Sodom and Gomorrah" was his answer. I asked him to elaborate; he couldn't give me a straight answer especially when I expressed that the translation he was using was from the middle ages, over a thousand years after the Bible was written.

The earliest translation of the Old Testament is known as the Septuagint. When translated today the line that eventually is translated into "bring them out that we may have sex with them" is translated as, "bring them out to us that we may be with them." The minister had no argument that the book had been translated numerous times. Translations upon translations upon translations many times from the new translators perspective. Have you ever played the telephone game?

In my life I have known many homosexual men and women. I have known some really wonderful homosexuals and some really troubled ones as well. I have also known some really wonderful straight people and some really troubled ones as well. We are all the same. We all want the same things. We all want Love. The minister wanted to be right. He wanted to judge. That is where the minister gets his respect. Respect is how he receives love. He also wants love.

Is homosexuality natural or an anomaly? In all honesty I don't care as long as the people involved are loving, not doing hurtful or fearful acts upon another. Love is never wrong. As far as it being a "sin," as I have said before the word "sin," was translated from three different languages. In ancient Hebrew it translates as "guilt." In ancient Aramaic it translates as "failure" and in ancient Greek "to miss the mark." Each of these translations is a perception of fear. Each is based upon the condition that our self worth is in question. Each is the fear of not being loved.

I wonder if that minister read in the Bible "love one another" - it can't be translated any other way. I love ALL of you.

Sunday, March 15, 2009 at 10:51PM

I recently recieved an email from a woman who decided I was in danger from "The Evil One" and I was on a path "away from God, not toward him." After reading the stories posted on the website, she decided that what I was doing was dangerous, saying that I was creating a whole new set of dogmas and religion. "No one can make up a religion like making your selection in the cafeteria line" she wrote. I responded that I respected her beliefs and honored her path, thanks for the concern.

She responded saying I was trying to glorify myself and that I was "insecure and ignorant." I am always saddened by the fear people feel created by organized religions. I believe that the kingdom of God is within each of us and it is through our own doorway that we will reach the place of promise. Anyone who knows me knows that I never expect anyone to believe what I believe. I come to my beliefs through my own personal experiences and share them as a means for others to see they are not alone.

When one is raised in a fear based state, however, anything that is different from those beliefs is "dangerous." I honor the paths that each of us take to the source but when I see people judge others for their personal beliefs it reminds me that there is a lot of fear in the world. Occasionally that fear will reach out and try to pull you in. She judged that I was dangerous, ignorant, and insecure because I did not believe as she did.

I explained that in her faith, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed, Gandhi, and a myriad of others were currently burning in hell for their sins of not being Catholic. She told me that she never found it to wrong to defend her faith. I asked who she was defending against as I never contacted her. She reached out to judge my faith in fear. I hope that our conversation has allowed her to look in love and not the opposing force, fear.

As in all things I am grateful for the experience. I continue as I was, serving. I pray that she will choose to find the peace and contentment I have in my faith. I love you all.

Thank You
Thank You
Thank You