I have just traveled over 5,500 miles to visit my mother on Long Island. I prayed in Hawaii, LA, over the Pacific Ocean, the continental United States, and the Long Island Expressway. It is comforting to know that God, Source, Beloved is everywhere. I used to teach my Sunday School children that "There is not a spot where God is not." I wanted them to feel safe and protected everywhere, and I'll be really appreciating it as she has surgery tomorrow. 

This evening I fly from Kaua'i to NYC to spend 10 days with my mother who will be having surgery. I will be taking a laptop, but she uses Juno, which doesn't support my webhost. I don't want to leave her alone, so I probably won't be able to write my blog. Several of my friends have offered to pray for us, and I am grateful and appreciative. Visualize us feeling joy and peace. After all, isn't that our real goal? When we want "things" or "relationships" or "power" or "money" we hope they will bring us joy and peace. It's better to just go for the joy and peace. The ego changes what it thinks will bring us peace and joy as soon as we attain the last ego goal.

I'll cherish this time caring for my little mom. At age eleven I became taller than she. At age sixteen I nicknamed her "Mamacita" because in Spanish I learned it was a term of endearment and also meant "little mother". She called me Watoose, short for Watoosi (Spelling?) a tribe of very tall Africans in the Belgian Congo.

I'm handy to have around when people feel bad. I've learned how to make super nutritious, easily digestible foods that actually taste good. I don't need to be entertained. I have my ego which is quite amusing, and the Holy Spirit for help. I love to read and write. But perhaps the best way I can help others heal is that I don't see them as ill, or sick. I see them as the Holy Child of the Beloved, full of Love and Light and Joy and Peace. Oh yes, my senses may tell me differently. My ego might even throw me some scary scenarios to look at, but "The Truth stands!" as Sir George Trevelyan stated frequently. I'll return to right thinking as soon as I remember to, and tap in to the Knowing, and Being, and Peace and Joy. You can join me in that any time. The truth is that we can't be apart, ever.

So Heellllllllooooooo Nnnnnnneeeeeewwwww YYYYYoooooorrrrrrrrkkk!!!!

I just read a passage in Dialogue on Awakening by Tom and Linda Carpenter, that gives an exercise we can use to help envision what emptying the mind and opening to spirit would look like. It begins on page, and follows a section that acknowledges how difficult it is to break old [thinking] patterns and suggests that we don't get too attached to any new patterns. The goal is to be in the present. I hope you will enjoy it. The exercise:

"Envision an hour glass, sand in the upper half, floating in a  clear, cool pond which is nestled in a beautiful meadow lush with wild flowers. The rim of the glass and sand is just level with the surface of the pond. The hourglass is a metaphor for your mind, completely filled as the sand symbolically illustrates. It is so full that the water of the pool representing the Christ consciousness, the stream of your fully conscious Self, can only ripple across the top.

As you watch the sand slowly drain away, allow your mind to open up space as you see the sand slowly going down and more space being created until the sand is all gone. As the sand has been draining away, the water from the pool of consciousness just naturally fills the space. Its flow has a very gentle, peaceful and loving feeling. It is this feeling that reassures you that simply because the sand thoughts have drained out doesn't mean there is nothing left except a void. But more appropriately, the space is filled with this flow of feeling that is totally cohesive and not fragmented, and into which you can just allow yourself to become safely immersed. As you have this vision and see yourself becoming totally immersed in it, you know that what is happening is that your are allowing your divine Mind to embrace you.

Allow the feeling that being in this fluid is like being in the womb of your divine Mind. This feeling, if you hold it and allow it to give you a sense of nurturing, will encourage you to see yourself as being born into the divinity of your natural Self. While you are engaged in this process, you won't be receiving answers to any specific questions, or trying to solve any pressing problems. The very act of your experiencing yourself being in this womb of divinity will begin to open you consciously to all of the feelings that will allow you to recognize those problems which you have been working on for what they really are, and to keep them in a perspective that will no longer make them seem fearful to you."  [page 31-2]

The safest prayer to ever say is "Thy will be done." God's will for us is happiness. Since God, Allah, Source, Beloved sees with eyes of Spirit, not flesh or misperception, He knows that in our true [spiritual] state, we are safe, always. We were created that way. But in the 3-D world, the bodies that we use are vulnerable to our wrong thinking and we can get sick or have accidents or drive people that we love away from us...or lose cell phones. I lost my cell phone two days ago, and since I'm flying to New York on Saturday, I need one. Now I wouldn't ask God to help me find my cell phone. That is far beneath the Creator's job description, but the Holy Spirit is aware of our longings. In the past two years I've noticed that the things I've misplaced find me, sometimes in miraculous ways.

Since it hasn't  found me, and I know I'm loved, I trust that having it back wouldn't be in my best interest. And as a matter of fact, this morning's newspaper reported that the City Council in Honolulu just passed a law against handheld cell phone use yesterday. It's only a matter of time before Kaua'i passes the same law, and my dear old phone was too old to connect to a Blue Tooth.

This manini (small) example is magnified in our lives. We think we know what is best for us, but with our limited perceptions, we don't always. Holy Spirit does, and would never support a prayer that would harm us.

While we're stuck in matter, we pray for things of matter, but in the long run, they really don't matter. It is better to pray for peace and joy. These are states of consciousness, and transcend matter, and are in fact, what we really do want.

Earth Day was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson on April 22,1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. He was extremely concerned about the state of our home, the earth. Toxic wastes were spewn into sky, sea, land and river. Car exhaust was choking cities and garbage was piling up everywhere. He felt there weren't enough controls. 

On April 22, 1970 Congress was not in it usual session, but was taught about the environment, and how pollution was affecting the Earth. Several cities, institutions and individuals also sponsored programs designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the  environment. Many people got the message and changed their ways. Anti-pollution laws were created, people became involved, and the Earth began healing herself.... for awhile. Some returned to the old ways, or were unaware of the problems again. Countries around the world were becoming aware of how one country's pollution can affect all others. The first Global Earth Day occurred on April 22, 1990.

Earth Day has been celebrated for 39 years. How can we love our mother today...and always? She never stops supporting us, but our selfish ways could cause her to purge in ways that could affect us. If you Google "earth day" you can find many websites with ideas of how you can leave a small footprint (not affect the Earth adversely). At Island School on Kaua'i, they began recycling, giving food wastes to a pig farm, composting some, shredding paper, maintaining an earth worm farm, using "cornware" instead of plastic ware, and educating staff and children. Their trash is now 20% of what it used to be. Even the pre-schoolers recycle. A high school science class has built an aquaponics system, growing fish and using their waste to fertilize vegetables. Love your mother. It's good for you!

Rev. Paul Solomon could see the energetic aura around people. He knew when a peoples' batteries were low, if they were full of energy, if they were ill, or even pregnant! He read my aura when he was giving a lecture on the Essenes. Paul taught that Mary, Jesus and Joseph were Essenes.They were a group of Hebrews who were preparing themselves for the promised Messiah to come. They were very devout, and strict. Because of their labors, they were called "The pregnant ones." When Paul stated that in his lecture, he just grinned widely at my husband and myself. I had suspected that perhaps I was pregnant, but at that point I knew. I was only 2 weeks along.

Paul also could observe energy occur during healing sessions. Once a chiropractor asked Paul to tell him what he saw when various manipulations and treatments were given. What Paul observed surprised them both. Sometimes the patient's energy field would return to its brightness before a treatment was even given. Paul could see the doctor's caring energy reach out to the patients. In these cases somehow the energy was received, and Paul believed the healing occurred then. This is a key in healing. The person has to truly want it, and be able to receive it.  Some folks don't think that they want our love, and may need an illness for awhile to learn an important life lesson.

Dolores Kruger was a hospital nurse. The hospital officials discovered that her patients had a higher percentage of success than other nurses, and wanted to know what she did. Basically she told them that she loved them, and really wanted them to get well.  She became the founder of "Healing Touch", which is practiced all over the world, and doesn't require that the patient be touched, just loved. Isn't it great? We heal and strengthen others when we love them. We also happen to strengthen ourselves.

Many people are seeking a connection with the Infinite, the Source of All, Beloved Creator, God. Sadly, it's become big business. But the connection is always offered, any place or any time, because we are already part of what we want to be connected to. We do long to experience it, however, but our minds are usually occupied with 3-D issues.

The key is to open the heart to give and receive love and joy.  We don't have to die to be released from the body. We don't have to believe that a certain teacher is the only one we can follow to get there. We don't need to find a guru, or a master who will give it to us. Ultimately we are responsible for finding it within ourselves. A master teacher could be helpful to point out how we are being distracted, but the process of connection is done through one's own heart. Love and joy are the vibrations we feel that are the closest to experiencing Beloved.

The ego will do its best to foil this attempt, and to keep us distracted so that we stay in 3-D. Heaven forbid we make a mistake, because the ego will harp on it over and over until we finally say, "Enough already! It was a mistake. Now I've learned from it, so Holy Spirit, show me what to do now!" As we get busy with the new expression, the other falls away.  We feel that we are on the right track. We begin to experience more love and joy, so we share that with others, and that returns to us, and we feel more love and joy, etc. until we make another mistake, or get sick, or falsely accused, or lose a loved one or our savings. The ego has come back to feed!

How can it be? Everything was going so great!  We must feed ourselves  with love and joy again. We can say a prayer, forgive ourselves and others, pet the dog, play with a baby, take flowers to a neighbor, volunteer to help someone, write a poem to someone you love, go to the beach, get a massage. We must remember that in Truth, we are love, we are loving and part of all the Love that ever can be. Feeling that again will open us up to the awareness of our connection with Beloved again.  

As a child, one of my favorite Bible stories was of David and Goliath. [Ist Samuel 17] David was the youngest of 8 sons in a family of sheep herders. He had a lot of time to kill watching sheep all day, and he used that time to think about God, and write and play song of praise, when not defending his flock. Their king, Saul, was under siege from the Phillistines who had a huge giant of a man named Goliath on their side. Goliath wore a helmet of bronze, and was armed with a bronze coat of mail, and shin guards. He carried a bronze javelin and a spear. David's three older brothers were serving in King Saul's army, and he would run food to them periodically.

One day on a food run, David heard Goliath challenge one man from Saul's army to fight him. If Goliath was defeated, the Phillistines would be Saul's servants. David couldn't believe the presumption of this uncircumcised man challenging God's own army. He also wanted to know what the victor would receive who defeated Goliath, which was plenty. This angered his brother, but David went anyway to King Saul, and volunteered. He was confident that his beloved Lord would protect him as he had done in the wilderness when he fought off lions and bears from his flock. King Saul agreed to give him a chance, and armored him up with a helmet and mail, which were actually too heavy for David.

He greeted the mighty Goliath with his staff, his sling, and 5 smooth stones. Goliath was basically insulted that a boy would try to fight him, but David replied, "You come to me with a sword and with a  spear and with a javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down, and cut off your head...that all the earth may know that there is a God is Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the batttle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hand." [45-47] And it was so. One smooth stone was slung into his forehead, and he was dead.

There are times in our lives when we are armed only with our inner conviction of the truth as we face what seems like insurmountable odds. If it is Beloved's truth, we will prevail, not necessarily in the world's time or way, but our efforts will be victorious.

A woman from Holland sent this to my friend from Kansas City who is visiting us. I thought of you when I read it:

On the surface of the world right now there is
war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly, at the same time,
something else is happening underground.
An inner revolution is taking place
and certain individuals are being called to a higher light.
It is a silent revolution. From the inside out. From the ground up.
This is a Global operation, A Spiritual Conspiracy.
There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet.
You wont see us on the T.V.
You won't read about us in the newspaper
You wont hear about us on the radio
We dont seek any glory
We dont wear any uniform
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles
Most of us work anonymously
We are quietly working behind the scenes
in every country and culture of the world
Cities big and small, mountains and valleys,
in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands
You could pass by one of us on the street
and not even notice.
We go undercover
We remain behind the scenes
It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit
But simply that the work gets done.
Occasionally we spot each other in the street
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way.
During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs
But behind the false storefront at night
is where the real work takes a place.
Some call us the Conscious Army.
We are slowly creating a new world
with the power of our minds and hearts
We follow, with passion and joy
Our orders come from from the Central Spiritual Intelligence
We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking
Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Movies ~ Kind words ~
Smiles ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Social activism ~ Websites
Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness...
We each express ourselves in our own unique ways with our own unique gifts and talents.
Be the change you choose to see in the world.
That is the motto that fills our hearts.
We know it is the only way real transformation takes place.
We know that quietly and humbly we have the
power of all the oceans combined.
Our work is slow and meticulous
Like the formation of mountains.
It is not even visible at first glance
And yet with it entire tectonic plates
shall be moved in the centuries to come.
Love is the new religion of the 21st century.
You dont have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it.
It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings.
Be the change you choose to see in the world
Nobody else can do it for you.
We are now recruiting
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have.
All are welcome
The door is open.
 
-----author unknown

I am not bound to win but I am bound to be true.
I am not bound to succeed
 but I am bound to live up to what light I have.
-Abraham Lincoln

Being a mediator and a minister I hear stories that let me know that as a human race, while some demonstrate it, others need to work on integrity. Integrity is the quality of being honest and as right as you know how to be. It’s living up to the Light that you have and know. It leads to trust, and will eventually bring peace among human beings.

Consider Bernie Madof, the man who created the Ponzi scheme that ripped off billions of dollars from thousands of people including non-profits set up to help people. He is the brunt of late night television jokes, and is used as a bad example of honor and integrity. Everyone wants everyone else to have integrity, because we want to trust each other. It's much easier than being suspicious.

I have worked with people who have acted dishonestly, and I wish that I could convey to you the depression and brokenness of spirit that a person feels when he/she wakes up to the fact that he has ripped people off, or lied, or abused others’ trust and hurt them. It is very difficult to mend a relationship in which mistrust has entered. Even if we want to believe the best of another, there is the wondering if we’re being stupid to trust again.

One of the 12 Steps in the Alcoholics Anonymous program is to ask for forgiveness for the wrongdoing made when a person was using. It's a hard step for them to take. It's difficult admitting you took advantage of others' trust and kindness. We want to forgive them, but we might need help.

The goodness inside us might want to say, "Yes, I'm sorry that you stole from me when you were using. It hurt me then, and I don't ever want it to happen again. But I also know that that is not who you are. By telling me this now, you are acknowledging that fact, and I agree to acknowledge it with you. I know that Who you are inside is so beautiful and full of love that if you were operating from that point, you would feel no lack, no need to use. I pray that you continue to work with this Higher Power until you truly feel it prompting your life."

 When one affirms this for another, it is empowering. A part of them seals the deal with you. And if it is hard for us to say that, we can invoke that spirit of Holiness that resides within, ask for help, and then listen to what we are directed to say. It will lead to peace in the long run.

Eight years ago I felt a strong desire to travel to France to visit some places that had held meaning for me for years. One was Chartres Cathedral with its mystery, vortex and labyrinth. One was Monet's garden and home, to pay tribute to my favorite painter. I stayed a night at Rouens, to pay tribute to Joan of Arc, and see the Rouens Cathedral for myself after seeing it through Monet's eyes. And since I had been 9 years old I had seen a picture of Mont St. Michel in a French classroom, so I had to go there.

I spent 5 days in Lourdes, and I'm not even Catholic, but ground where miracles  have occurred is sacred to me, and I was visited by Mother Mary who came in a dream and told me to feed my poorly thriving infant daughter gelatin. I was able to get her to drink it, and she gained steadily from then on. Yes, Lourdes, the place where the Catholic priests tried to convince Bernadette that she had not seen her blessed "Lady". Bernadette stood firm in her truth, and soon the world came to see that she was right. I cherish the entire Lourdes story, but the greatest lesson was very concrete, and came in the form of two candles. In Lourdes it is the custom to take a candle as an offering, and place it upon the holders, conveniently located everywhere. It was believed that one's prayer would continue as long as the candle burned.

It was a blustery day when I visited, and several candles had blown out. I took my candle and lit them again. My candle was also burning poorly in the wind, and the light was diminished. But I noticed that when I took my lowly lit candle, and put it near another lowly lit candle, both would burn brightly and strongly again. Symbolically it said to me that even if two people were feeling low, if even one of them recognized the light and love in the other, and approached that light lovingly, it would strengthen both of them. I have absolutely found that to be true.

Yesterday morning my neighbor passed away after a long illness. He went Hawaiian style, with family filling his bedroom with love, prayers and song. And he had a lot of family! His wife told me that at one point there were 42 family members in their modest three bedroom house. I was pretty sure, because there had been singing the night before into the wee small hours of the night. Then I woke up to beautiful ukulele music and three part harmony in the wee small hours of the morning. And then there was silence.

I love this custom of singng and being with a loved one in the final hours. It fulfills our need to belong for both sides. When we are in this 3-D world it is so vast, that we need to find some way to belong to it. We start with family, then maybe friends, schools, clubs, faith groups, teams, our places of work, gangs, if we don't get positive support, internet groups, etc. The need to belong is extremely strong in adolescents, which is the time when every article of clothing must pass muster from one's chosen peer group to signify that they "belong" with that group.

Conflict at a personal, community, or national level can begin when one group's wants, beliefs, or needs are different from another's. The "we-them" mentality can form in the ego mind. Only the ego would be concerned with things, power, money, sex, approval, fear or death. Spirit is unable to see it that way. There is no separation in spirit, and therefore no conflict. One is always accepted and loved as part of the whole. Many of our great social leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Desmond Tutu, and Martin Luther King Jr. had some understanding of our belonging to each other, no matter what the external appearances were.  

Perhaps Mother Teresa best sums it up, "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”  My neighbor's family made sure that their beloved patriarch knew that with his last breath.  

Enlightenment, ascension, and awakening are popular buzz words in the non-traditional spiritual movement. Teachers offer courses for fees that promise to raise one's consciousness to a new, higher, and better level. I hope that helps the people who are drawn to it, but the awakening process is one of surrendering, rather than making something happen. It is a process of letting  go of the ego's pushes, even if the push is to be enlightened. That still reinforces that one is not enlightened, and in the ego's thought system.

So what do we surrender to? Our highest selves, the Holy Spirit, Jesus as a teacher, any will work as different aspects of the One if they bring us peace. A great description of this is found in Tom and Linda Carpenter's book, Dialogue on Awakening  p. 11. In this book, questions are asked to Jesus who speaks through Tom. "How do I know when I'm getting direction from my higher Self?

'It is the feeling of relaxing into something, the lack of the need to have a determination to overcome anything, that ultimately brings you into the recognition of that which you are seeking. The reason for this is very simple. When  you determine to do something, you lower yourself to the ego level of thinking and you erect a  barrier to the flow of information that comes to you from your whole Self, the Self that goes beyond the limitation of your ego mind.'

The questioner who has tried to do that doubts that he has received direction, and Jesus continues, "You are expecting to hear the angel's trumpets, but this is not the way you communicate with your Self or with me. You listen to the voice that brings you peace. However mundane and familiar or unfamiliar that voice sounds, you can rest assured that you are hearing the voice of your Self when you hear it with a sense of Peace. When  you are in conflict, which you certainly are when you are striving, you will not experience peace and you will know that you are experiencing the voice of the ego." p. 11

Surrendering takes trust. Trust comes from knowing that we are loved and in fact inseparable from our Beloved Creator, who created us as Spirit. It is impossible that harm can come to our True Selves. Trust is blocked when we don't believe we are worthy of love. Again, the key seems to be that we love ourselves to be able to perceive Divine Love, which we are receiving at all times.

Here is the scene: Jesus has shown himself to his loved ones and disciples. He has proved that love and spirit are stronger than hate and matter. Now what? For ourselves, when we come to the understanding that we are love, and that is all that matters, what do we do? We ask our minds to follow the lead of our hearts. A Course in Miracles would even go so far as to say that "Anger isn't justified in any form." Form is the key word here. There is nothing truly real that can be threatened or changed in any way. There is nothing in the world of form that has any eternal value unless its purpose is to lead us out of our mistaken ego-thinking and into the world where loving spirit guides our choices.

Two disciples teach us that mistakes might happen and we can overcome them. Peter denied three times that he even knew Jesus, and then became filled with guilt and sorrow for his error. But he chose again another time to be the love and wisdom filled disciple that Jesus saw in him. Peter healed, spoke truth, and lead Jesus' disciples in his absence. [Acts chapter 2-3 and more...]

Thomas just couldn't quite believe that Jesus had resurrected. Jesus understood the power of the ego over man. He could have healed His nail wounds with the rest of his body, but knew and had compassion for us in our limited thinking. Thomas went on to write the "Gospel of Thomas", and began teaching disciples as well. The "Gospel of Thomas" was discovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt.

Most of us will not be called to serve as they did. We can just live our lives in as loving a way as possible, fine tuning our connection with Spirit within, so that trust is developed, and we follow Its lead as much as possible. The ego will rear its head from time to time. That's O.K. Peter denied. Thomas doubted, but they both chose again, and followed the Holy Spirit, and both helped change the world. We can change  our own worlds by choosing to see with the eyes of truth and love. That's enough, and if it leads to more, we will be ready. 

All four gospels tell a slightly different tale of the resurrection, but they all agree on one thing. Jesus had risen. He resurrected and demonstrated beyond a doubt that love triumphs over hate, forgiveness trumps judgment, and spirit is victorious over the flesh.

He has risen every time we remember to love someone, rather than judge them.

He has risen every time we forgive another person.

He has risen when we forgive ourselves.

He has risen when we remember that we are spirit.

He has risen when we help another remember that he/she is spirit.

He has risen every time we allow spirit to make choices for us in this world.

For forty days Jesus was with them after the resurrection, and taught them, speaking of the kingdom of God. He asked them to stay together for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. when asked if he would restore the kingdom to Israel, he replied that, "...'You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon  you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samar'ia and to the end of the earth.' and when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight." Acts 1: 7-10

I believe that the Holy Spirit still speaks for God to men and women when there is a sincere interest to know truth. Many friends and I have experienced divine help when we needed it. I believe that Jesus pointed the way to the Beloved Creator, and was not interested in creating a new church, but was interested in reforming his own Jewish faith. He was a rabbi. He also knew that separation weakens an entity and uniting strengthens it. Our country, and then our world will learn this lesson. 

I believe that Jesus knew that most of his message would not be understood by the majority of his peers, and I believe that the time is now that it can be understood. To understand Jesus' teachings, one must understand that there are two worlds: one of flesh and one of spirit. We make choices for one or the other constantly. It may be that enough people had to live to an age where they had tried various ego trips to realize that they didn't bring lasting peace, and still live long enough to try aligning with Spirit as much as possible while in a body to experience the peace that that brings. Then they needed to be able to tell about it. Now the internet, bookstores, and even television shows and movies are pointing to Spirit. How blessed we are to be in these times when the labor pangs will lead to a new birth of men's thinking, that will allow love to lead. Blessed Life to all of you!

Jesus was hurriedly taken from the cross, as the Sabbath was nearly upon them. His uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, asked Pilate for Jesus' body. He was joined by Nicodemus, and the women of Galilee. They wrapped Jesus' body in a clean linen shroud, and took him to Joseph of Arimathea's own new tomb, where the body was anointed with myrrh, spices, and aloes. In Mark, Luke, and John nothing is reported for the day after the crucifixion, except that it was the sabbath. Matthew reports that the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember how that imposter said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise again.' Therefore order the sepulchre to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." [Matt. 27: 63-64] Pilate gives them a guard.

Here is a symbolic contrast again of spirit and flesh. Spirit, represented by the disciples, is observing the Sabbath, a day of religious observance and abstinence from work, kept by Jews from Friday evening to Saturday evening, while the ego, represented by the chief priests and Pharisees is fearfully preparing to combat something that hasn't happened yet. Fear is future directed, although we feel it in the present. When we train our minds to think "love" first, or at least to correct to love as soon as we recognize that we are off center, we won't act out of fear. We'll remember that even if the eyes are showing us something other than oneness, we will act from the vision of the higher mind that we are all One.

It takes time to focus on Spirit. Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Lao-Tzu and others all had to take time apart from the bombardment of the body's senses, and busy happenings. That may have been why one of the Ten Commandments is to "Honor the sabbath, and keep it holy." I know from experience that taking time apart to do spiritual practice has changed my life for the better. Enjoy your holy space. 

When many think of the crucifixion they feel guilt, sadness, and even anger at the pain and suffering that Jesus endured for our sins. Please don't leave Him on the cross. Would you look at the ingredients of a cake, and think that was the cake? The crucifixion was an eternal symbol of just how far the ego can go to get what it wants. Jesus was mocked, whipped, stripped, made to wear a crown of thorns, and then forced to carry the instrument of his crucifixion to Golgotha. The resurrection is the message, the teaching. See the cross empty, with the lesson that spirit trumps the ego taught perfectly.

Earlier, before the Last Supper, Jesus had told his disciples, "Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify Thee, since thou hast given him power of all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast give him." [John 17:1-3] It dawned on me some years ago, that all power over the flesh meant that he could deaden his nerves. This is not in any way meant to diminish what Jesus went through for us. I still shed tears at the love demonstrated by Jesus for us. Now they are tears of appreciation and love. It was an ordeal, and I choose to accept the lesson that a loving Spirit has power over the earth's thought forms made by people erroneously.

Jesus on the cross models for us how we are to have power over the thoughts of ego. We forgive them. In Luke 23:34 Jesus states, "Father forgive them; for they know not what they do." Jesus' use of the word forgiveness is not the self-righteous forgiveness that accepts that what another person did was real. Jesus forgave from the perspective that we are all truly perfect in spirit. On earth, the flesh shows a different world, but if we knew the truth about our brothers and sisters, we would see them as pure loving spirit, the same as ourselves.  Errors that we think with the ego, that part of us that sees us as separate from others will disappear when  we awaken.

Jesus' body cries out at one point that he feels his Father has forsaken him. Perhaps he had another picture of how the resurrection was to take place, but I believe the Holy Spirit comforted him, and in the end he peacefully stated, "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!" [Luke 23:46] "It is finished." [John 19:30]. And there was darkness all over the land; then an earthquake, and the curtain in the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom, rocks were split, and tombs opened. The centurion on duty stated that he was certain Jesus was a son of God. [Matt.:27 51-54]

There has been much controversy over the years about the breaking of the bread and drinking of the wine at the Passover dinner. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus is quoted as saying that the bread is his body, broken for us, and the wine is his blood of the covenant, spilled for us. In Luke only the bread as the broken body is mentioned, and in John it isn't mentioned at all. What is important is the lesson. Body and blood are physical. Could the lesson be that we are to use our bodies as Jesus did, as a vehicle for the Holy Spirit? Scientists have now proven that food that is blessed is energized, and the molecular structure can actually change. If we create the intention for our blessed food to create blessed bodies that bless the world with love in action, we will be following the example of Jesus.

In John 17 6-26 Jesus blesses his disciples, and their future teachings in the world. He states that he is "not praying for the world, but for those whom Thou has given me....keep them in Thy name (vibration) which Thou has given me, that they may be one, even as we are one...I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of this world, even as I am not of this world." The 3-D world is the world of the ego, a world of separation, comparison, guilt, and judgments. In oneness there is no separation. Spirit is One. Jesus might be dismayed that there are many thousands of churches in His name. If His message had been truly understood, there might have been one church of people who love everyone else, because each person has part of the oneness of Spirit within.

I believe it is possible that there will come a time when we all understand that a loving, all wise, all compassionate Spirit created one child to love, and receive love from. It has always been this way, and even though we dream of a 3-D world, it will not last. The spiritual world lasts.  This belief empowered Jesus to continue with His agreement to demonstrate that Spirit trumps flesh. Even when He asked the 3 apostles to pray with him to strengthen him for this odeal, and they fell asleep, he stated, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." It is a good phrase to remember for us when we have a high intention but succumb to the world. No blame. Intend again.

When the high priest sent his men to capture Jesus, Peter defended his beloved Lord, by cutting off the high priest's slave's ear. Jesus admonished him and told him that he was serving the Father. Peter didn't understand what was really going on. He was still too much in the world's thinking.

When questioned by Pontius Pilate, Jesus stated twice, "My kingship is not of this world. [He continued]...You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice." [John 18:36-37] Do we hear spirit? That was Jesus' intention for us.

At the last supper, Jesus teaches, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." [John 34-35]

Jesus continues "'He who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

     'If you love me , you will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him , for he dwells with you, and will be in you.'" [John 14: 12-17]   Here is a reference again to "That which is flesh is flesh. That which is spirit is spirit." The world cannot receive spirit, yet the Holy Spirit dwells within our minds to guide us to the truth and right living. I believe that Jesus' disciples considered him Living Love. That was his "name". A name is a vibration. Love is not static. It is action. If I love you, I am vibrating with acceptance for you.

Just to make sure that his disciples get this important new commandment, he states it once again. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." [John 15: 12] This is the beginning of a passage again teaching of the difference between spirit and the world. Jesus knew that his disciples were still thinking somewhat with the world's perspective. He hadn't demonstrated the resurrection yet. He wanted to reassure his friends that he would indeed be allright, and that his true home was in Spirit.

Jesus was a great teacher. He knew that his teachings were deep. He summed all the commandments up into one. If we loved God we would keep the first 4 commandments. If we loved each other we wouldn't dishonor our parents, steal, kill, commit adultery, or lie. If we loved ourselves, we wouldn't covet. When we are stuck in making a decision, we can always ask, "What would Love do here? Help me Holy Spirit and guide me in the right decision." Then we have to listen, and wait until we know the next step to take. Sometimes it doesn't come right away, because our egos might not like the answer and try to block it. That is a good time to go on to another task, while continuing to wait for the answer. The answer will always come. It is promised. Keep your vibration as loving as possible. Like attracts like. It will draw love to you.

Imagine what feet were like 2,000 years ago. Sandals were the footware of the day as people walked dusty dirt roads. Natural oils, herbs and salves were available, but scissors, fungicides and antibiotics available to us today were not. Feet were funky. To wash another's feet was something that servants did.That a rabbi and honored teacher washed his students feet was quite a statement. It was a lesson in humility. He also asked them to be willing to do the same for each other. 

When Jesus tells the disciples "For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him." [John 13:15-16] He may also be giving them a reminder that they are serving Spirit, and not their own egos. One of the temptations Jesus faced in the desert was that of being a powerful ruler in the world. That was not the kingdom that Jesus served. He knew that if his disciples began to become popular, they too would have to face this temptation. It would be easy to forget Who they were truly serving. It takes much energy and commitment to focus on Spirit for direction. It is much easier to listen to the mind.

Yesterday I was talking to someone who was relating that her stocks had gone down, but that she had 3 houses, and some retirement, and that she'd probably be O.K. I told her that every morning I asked the Holy Spirit to guide me as to what to do each day, followed that guidance, used intuition and trusted that things came to me for a reason and that I'd be O.K. By her initial silence I know that she thought I was nuts. Later in the conversation she told me how Jesus died for us as a sacrifice to God. I asked her what God would ever want or need the sacrifice for, and felt that she was quite mistaken. This is an example of the conflict that heaven and earth have had for eons, and I wondered what I could l possibly do to help mediate between the two.

The truth is, Jesus already did it. He allowed his body to demonstrate a physical death, but showed that Spirit has power over death, and the world. After his triumphal entry on Palm Sunday Jesus told Andrew and Phillip, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it  bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, [By identifying with self as a body, getting caught up in the  physical world with all of its emotions and thought forms, one forgets or "loses" the True Self.] and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." [by recognizing self as spirit, a part of all Spirit, which is eternal, and therefore acts with love and forgiveness to all.] John 12: 23-25.

In John 27-29 we get a glimpse of Jesus as a man with feelings and as Spirit. Jesus says, "'Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say, 'Father save me from this hour'? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour, 'Father, glorify Thy name,' Then a voice came from heaven 'I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.'" As spirit living in bodies, the body will send fear messages. The solution? To turn right back to the Holy Spirit, for direction.

In John 12-44-47, "'He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And he who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as Light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.'" Jesus wanted us to see His Spirit within the body, sent by God. Many have confused the messenger with the message. Jesus never meant to start a new faith. He wanted to bring more awareness to his own faith. He always pointed to the father, or “the one who sent me”.  His example is what we are to follow, not the personality. There are sects that have sprung up that demand that “Jesus” is the only way to heaven, and they judge others who may be following the example but who may have found it through another teacher. But the Bible itself states that what is not of God will fall away. We are just meant to love one another.

Jesus demonstrated that even facing all manner of humiliation, torture and then death, spirit overcomes. He did not die for us to appease a vengeful God. He lived for us to prove that God created us as spirit. His life was a living mediation between flesh and spirit.  

For Christians, today begins Holy Week. Holy Week begins with  Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (means city of peace!), continues celebrating his teachings and interactions with others, including condemnation and crucifixion on Good Friday and ending with the resurrection on Easter Sunday. This will be a general theme for my writing this week.

Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back on a white donkey colt, as prophesied that the Messiah would. Yet He came as the prince of Heaven, and not earth. He understood that we are spirit, and only spend a small amount of time in 3-D. Since Spirit trumps earth, he saw no need to fight those in power as God's champion, as other Hebrew kings had done. Those who couldn't understand that that which is flesh is flesh, and that which is spirit is spirit, saw him as powerless. They were frustrated that he wouldn't fight for them. Yet... he had fed the multitudes! raised the dead! cured the sick. He was a great curiosity and a hero in the minds of the masses.

Surely he was someone to celebrate, and even throw palm branches down before, much like New York has a ticker tape parade for its heroes. Perhaps Jesus would heal them, or their loved ones!...And the holy men in charge noticed this, just as our ego wants to disclaim any experiences we have that lead us to true spiritual awareness. It is important to remember all the while who triumphs. 

Last summer Joshua and I had the pleasure of walking the 11 circuit labyrinth at the Shrine of St. Teresa in Juneau, Alaska. I walked it and felt a wonderful peace and connection. I then proceeded to the shrine area and was greeted by a statue of a nailed Jesus slumped over on the cross. In that moment I told Jesus that I would do my best to get him off the cross.

Jesus taught, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." So why was the cross, the symbol of the first death of His physical body selected to represent the religion created to continue his teaching? If we leave Jesus on the cross, we miss the lesson. His teaching was about the resurrection! He showed us that we not bodies, but spirit, and that forgiveness was a key in recognizing Who we Are. It is not the forgiveness that condemns another by saying, "Well out of my spiritual righteousness I forgive you your selfish act." No, it is the forgiveness that states, "I am Spirit and you are Spirit in reality. There is no way we can cause any permanent harm to each other. I choose to see you as loving spirit even though you made this mistake, because temporarily you forgot who you are. By remembering it for you, I remember it for me. My forgiving you frees us both."

There are other symbols that might convey his teachings better. One would be the seed of life within the flower of life. There are several websites that can show you that. It is fairly easy to draw with a compass. I remember drawing them in 3rd grade. I welcome conversation about shifting our awareness of Jesus' teaching from the bloody sacrifice for us sinners, to the loving awareness that we are One in Love.

Long-time friend, artist, and fellow Fellowship of the Inner Light minister, James Yax is visiting us from the mainland. For a special treat today I took him to a puja worship service at the Kadavul Temple at the Hindu Monastery on Kaua'i. Kadavul is an ancient Tamil word for God meaning, "He who is both immanent and transcendent."I also wanted to release something. The Hindu god Siva dances in a ring of fire, which symbolizes the burning away of ego attachments, leading to a transformation of a person, into one who expresses the Divine.

The priest's chanting was melodic and strong. Seated before a 5-6 foot golden colored metal statue of Siva, He took our gifts of flowers, and blessed them, and chanted and led a beautiful ceremony followed by a closing of the doors between us and the altar to signify a time of meditation. When the time of meditation was over, the doors were opened, and the metal ring of fire was now filled with beautiful flowers. They had also been placed around Siva's head, shoulders, heart, and at his feet, including the gardenias that we brought. My mind translated the events to say, "When you dance through the fire, you will find great beauty and joy." I believe that, and it was nice to see it today. Go to www.himalayanacademy.com/ssc/hawaii/kadavul/   for more!

I was first introduced to the concept that forgiveness is a gift to oneself in 1976  by Rev. Paul Solomon of the Fellowship of the Inner Light. He said  that holding a grudge hurt the one holding the grudge more than the one who needed to be forgiven. The person needing forgiveness was out having a great time being himself or herself, maybe not even knowing that that the "victim" was still hurting. In the meantime, grudge holding sucks a lot of energy out of the holder. Being angry, sad, hurting, etc. takes a lot of juice. That juice could also be used for having fun, creating wonderful things, or for healing oneself.

Now there are studies that have proven what Paul said. We are the ones who benefit from forgiving others. That doesn't mean that we have to condone what they did. We just trust in our wholeness to be able to carry on in living the life we are meant to live. We release the other person to do the same. It's been my experience that the "hole" I perceived that was created by someone doing an unkind act, is filled once I stop putting energy into keeping the hole open, in other words, I forgive them. Be your own scientist, and see if it works for you. It is empowering to release ourselves from the thought of being victims.