9/11 - Prayer for the Heart and Soul of America

Tonight I opened Steve Bhaerman's email and reflected on his words. May the vibration contained within the words of his prayer be felt in the deepest core of your being.

May the power of love and courage be embodied in each of us as we face darkness as beacons of light. May we light the way for others with joy and laughter, the weapons the darkness fears the most. May we gather together locally with the global idea that we are each a precious cell in the body of humanity with a loving gift to bring. May this wildfire of truth burn from the grassroots up, and may it vaporize the structures that no longer serve us. May the new leaders arise -- humble yet bold -- and may the structures emerge to help us create the maximum happiness using the minimum resources. May we understand that heaven is a practice, not a destination, and may we practice heaven until heaven becomes practically real. May we also understand that we choose which game we play in life, and now we must choose the world game as the only alternative to the end of the world game. We cannot know for sure the outcome, but we can know in our heart of hearts that it's the only game worth playing.

May we commemorate the next anniversary of 9/11 as a free people with nothing to fear from our own government, and may that government be a reflection of our highest aspirations for both good and freedom. May we do this for all humanity and for all our relations, and may we celebrate a new convenient truth ... global heartwarming.

Butterfly Crop Circle

The following crop circle appeared at Hailey Wood, near Ashbury, Osfordshire, UK on July 16th immediately before the Fire the Grid planetary healing meditation of July 17th 2007.

May we all transform, heal and fly free!

One Woman's Patriotic Heart

May you feel the love of this artists heart as much as I did.

Here's the link
http://mfile.akamai.com/21772/wmv/gannett.download.akamai.com/21772/streaming/wmv/hancockportraits.asx

Another "Z" Day

This morning I ran across an article on "ZAADZ." Here is a little excerpt from the article.

"When you hear the word 'Zaadz,' what comes to mind? If it's enthusiasm and joy, self-empowerment and changing the world, you're in good company.

Actually, the word zaad (pronounced zahd) is Dutch for 'seed.' When Brian Johnson, Philosopher and CEO of Zaadz first sat down with the idea of joining his two great passions—his interest in spirituality, personal growth, and bettering the world with his passion for entrepreneurship and business—the notion of 'seed' kept coming up.

"Amazing how much potential is in a tiny seed," says Johnson. "That power reminds us of the amazing potential within each of us. We thought the idea of creating a company that inspires and empowers you to bring your 'seed' to actualization would be pretty powerful. So, we created 'Zaadz.'"

And Zaadz, now the world's fastest-growing social networking site for socially and spiritually conscious people, is living up to its name."

ZAADZ - www.zaadz.com

X-Coaster Passengers Left Hanging Upside Down

Just after I finished posting my last entry on the "X", I opened to AOL and discovered this picture as a main headline. It was the X-Coaster words that certainly caught my eye.

It looks like this group got caught in the loop of time and are left hanging upside down. This sounds like most humans! Fourth Dimension or Time will keep you stuck in the loop, until you ramp up your energy fields into a higher vibration, and travel into the 5th! The Age of Aquarius is upon us!

(HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (June 10) - A dozen riders on a roller coaster spent half an hour hanging upside down - 150 feet above the ground - after a power outage shut down the attraction.

It took about 30 minutes for the city Fire Department to rescue the riders using a ladder truck Saturday evening, said Aundrea Crary, spokeswoman for the Springs & Crystal Falls amusement park.

Spectators cheered when the riders were brought to the ground from the highest point of a loop on the X-Coaster, but one passenger threw up after reaching safety.

The X-Coaster was one of several rides brought to a halt by the outage that originated somewhere near the park.

"You could tell who got off the (X-Coaster) because their faces were red," said Angela Salter. She was riding the Gauntlet, another coaster, and said park employees worked quickly to free her.

The park resumed normal operations, although the X-Coaster remained closed.)

Freedom - Moving out of Time

"X" Marks the Spot!

This past Tuesday was a very synchronistic day. There were many pictures of the "X" appearing before me, and my friend dropped by to give me a present. It was a large round clock with the hands at 10:10. The whole day seemed to want to get my attention. That evening I stopped by to visit a friend and was relating my day, when all of a sudden this "X" started forming on my car. This has happened one other time on July 4th two years ago. The 4th of July always reminds me it is really Freedom of the Soul we long for. This time there is a bright light in the middle of the "X". I believe it is a message that when we power up our energy and center it through the HEART.......we are able to move our awareness out of time, where true Freedom is felt.

This morning I opened a book entitled, "The Eye of the I" to a page and read, "In the Presence, all sense of time disappears, which is a crucial aspect of peace. Once the pressure of time ceases, it is recognized to have been perhaps one of the primary sources of distress that accompanies the human condition. Until the sensation of time stops, one does not have any possibility of knowing what real freedom or peace feels like."

A Roadmap to Inner Peace

A Roadmap to Inner Peace

(May these symptoms be contagious and feel free to pass it on to others.)

Symptoms of Inner Peace

by Saskia Davis

Nothing like a little humor to add insight into the traits we seek to emulate...
Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many have already been expose to inner peace and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of inner peace:

· A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.

· An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

· A loss of interest in judging other people.

· A loss of interest in judging self.

· A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

· A loss of interest in conflict.

· A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)

· Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

· Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.

. Frequent attacks of smiling.

· An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than (try to) make them happen.

· An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

WARNING:
If you have some or all of the above symptoms, please be advised that your condition of inner peace may be so far advanced as to not be curable. If you are exposed to anyone exhibiting any of these symptoms, remain exposed only at your own risk.

Mother's Day Proclamation

Mother's Day began with a woman named Julia Ward Howe, who nursed the wounded during the American Civil War. In 1870 she started a crusade to institute a Mother's Day as a Day for Peace. She said: "Arise all women who have hearts, say firmly: Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. "We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. Disarm! Disarm! "In the name of womanhood and of humanity; take counsel with each other as the means whereby the great human family can live in peace; promote the alliance of the different nationalities, amicable settlement of international questions, and great and general interests of peace."

Julia Ward Howe Boston 1870

May this original intention for Mother's Day, be brought back into full implementation and the Divine Feminine arise in every man, woman and child on this earth.

Behind Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man Stands A Woman

Sandpoint, ID—Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous drawing of “The Vitruvian Man” has a woman standing behind him in the circle.

A new analysis of this icon for natural living and holistic healing explains why both sexes are represented. Close inspection shows the woman stepped out of the box of earthly limitation into the cosmic circle depicting Divine unification.

The author of this research is a well known Harvard-trained scientist, Sir Leonard George Horowitz, honored last year by the World Organization for Natural Medicine as a “World Leading Intellectual.” His sixteenth book, LOVE the Real Da Vinci CODE, claims Da Vinci clearly honored women by drawing one behind Vitruvius. Her hands and feet touch the cosmic circle, whereas his remain confined to the earthy square.

This new explanation of Da Vinci’s art features sacred geometry—the circle is divided by nine appendages. A new math-based musical theory important for civilization’s salvation and spiritual evolution is advanced, according to Dr. Horowitz.

The circle represents what Horowitz calls the Perfect Circle of Sound™. This mathematical–musical–matrix was fundamental to Da Vinci’s creative genius. Da Vinci’s mentors, Plato, Pythagoras and Vitruvius linked this design to a musical instrument called the “monochord.” The instrument’s single string was strung in a circle. It played nine sacred notes with a movable bridge.

“That’s why Da Vinci drew nine human projections juxtaposed with the circle,” Dr. Horowitz explains. “This Perfect Circle of Sound™ creates everything in the universe according to advancing physics, mathematics, and music theory. Everything is built on sacred spiraling geometric forms like the galaxies that spin to obey laws of physics and mathematics. This art offers direction for understanding the universe and people’s place in it. Playing this music cultivates Divine-human communion. Research shows the tones are alsofundamental to natural healing.”

Upon close examination Vitruvius appears to be angry, probably because he’s “stuck in the box.” His genitals are fixed at the center of the square that analysts equate to the earth. At the center of the circle is the female reproductive organ—the umbilicus.

“Da Vinci mastered mathematics and music theory,” Dr. Horowitz concludes. “He drew his observations from water investigations. We have proof that nature crystallizes from sound on water using spiraling sacred geometry.”

Molecules and body chemicals, for example, operate according to mathematical-musical laws, akin to following the path of least resistance in an energy grid or Divine plan. That plan, or law, is this reverberating Perfect Circle of Sound™ impacting water and precipitating everything in a quantum field.

A feature length documentary called The LOVE CODE (www.thelovecodemovie.com) is being released this week along with Dr. Horowitz's new book. (Tetrahedron Publishing Group;888-508-4787) Six musical albums featuring these sounds will be available to music stores by mid-March. For more information go to www.lovetherealdavincicode.com or call 1-888-508-4787.

Is the Force Real?

Is the Force Real?

Find out with Psi Wars, an animated movie starring Oh Be One Kenobi, a scientific Jedi who shares intriguing new research on psychic abilities with aspiring Paduwans. Is it true that events such as 9-11 or the O. J. Simpson trial result in detectable changes in global consciousness? Can we communicate at a distance? Are our minds entangled? Join Lukie Psiwalker and a young Yoda on a Jedi's path towards a more enlightened paradigm that can triumph over the Dark Side of fixed ways and beliefs.


Brought to you by the Institute of Noetic Sciences

THE HOLY GRAIL

THE HOLY GRAIL

The search for a Holy Grail has kept men busy for centuries.
They search for the secret of Life.
The beginnings of the Universe,
Eternal Life,
Salvation.

But the search for a Holy Grail has missed the mark entirely.
The idea of a search is meant to guide us to the true Grail...Life.
One cannot search for Life,
Nor find a source for Life,
Within the confines of the physical universe.

Life is that infinite quality whose mere absence,
Would rob all things of their relevance and their meaning.
It is the invisible Creator,
On which all things rest,
And have their Being.

There is no location for Life,
There is no Explanation for Life,
There is no substitute for Life,
It cannot be dissected nor duplicated,
Nor can it be contained within any thing,
Life is infinite...aware.

It is omnipresent and multi-dimensional,
Life IS...

Author: Tommy Mitchell

One Prayer Music Video

This U tube music video by Karl Anthony speaks to the heart. May it capture yours as it did mine.

The Art of Not Being Offended

What other people think about me is none of my business! I had heard this statement a long time ago and always chuckle when I repeat it, as it contains some very wise advice. This sentence reflects the same sentiment of the article I read this morning written by Dr. Jodi Prinzivalli on, "The Art of Not Being Offended."

There is an ancient and well-kept secret to happiness which the Great Ones have known for centuries. They rarely talk about it, but they use it all the time, and it is fundamental to good mental health. This secret is called The Fine Art of Not Being Offended. In order to truly be a master of this art, one must be able to see that every statement, action and reaction of another human being is the sum result of their total life experience to date. In other words, the majority of people in our world say and do what they do from their own set of fears, conclusions, defenses and attempts to survive. Most of it, even when aimed directly at us, has nothing to do with us. Usually, it has more to do with all the other times, and in particular the first few times, that this person experienced a similar situation, usually when they were young.

Yes, this is psychodynamic. But let's face it, we live in a world where psychodynamics are what make the world go around. An individual who wishes to live successfully in the world as a spiritual person really needs to understand that psychology is as spiritual as prayer. In fact, the word psychology literally means the study of the soul.

All of that said, almost nothing is personal. Even with our closest loved ones, our beloved partners, our children and our friends. We are all swimming in the projections and filters of each other's life experiences and often we are just the stand-ins, the chess pieces of life to which our loved ones have their own built-in reactions. This is not to dehumanize life or take away the intimacy from our relationships, but mainly for us to know that almost every time we get offended, we are actually just in a misunderstanding. A true embodiment of this idea actually allows for more intimacy and less suffering throughout all of our relationships. When we know that we are just the one who happens to be standing in the right place at the right psychodynamic time for someone to say or do what they are doing-we don't have to take life personally. If it weren't us, it would likely be someone else.

This frees us to be a little more detached from the reactions of people around us. How often do we react to a statement of another by being offended rather than seeing that the other might actually be hurting? In fact, every time we get offended, it is actually an opportunity to extend kindness to one who may be suffering-even if they themselves do not appear that way on the surface. All anger, all acting out, all harshness, all criticism, is in truth a form of suffering. When we provide no Velcro for it to stick, something changes in the world. We do not even have to say a thing. In fact, it is usually better not to say a thing. People who are suffering on the inside, but not showing it on the outside, are usually not keen on someone pointing out to them that they are suffering. We do not have to be our loved one's therapist. We need only understand the situation and move on. In the least, we ourselves experience less suffering and at best, we have a chance to make the world a better place.

This is also not to be confused with allowing ourselves to be hurt, neglected or taken advantage of. True compassion does not allow harm to ourselves either. But when we know that nothing is personal, a magical thing happens. Many of the seeming abusers of the world start to leave our lives. Once we are conscious, so-called abuse can only happen if we believe what the other is saying. When we know nothing is personal, we also do not end up feeling abused. We can say, "Thank you for sharing," and move on. We are not hooked by what another does or says, since we know it is not about us. When we know that our inherent worth is not determined by what another says, does or believes, we can take the world a little less seriously. And if necessary, we can just walk away without creating more misery for ourselves or having to convince the other person that we are good and worthy people.

The great challenge of our world is to live a life of contentment,
regardless of what other people do, say, think or believe. The fine art of not being offended is one of the many skills for being a practical mystic. Though it may take a lifetime of practice, it is truly one of the best kept secrets for living a happy life.
____________________________________
Dr. Jodi Prinzivalli conducts workshops in the Chicago area regularly. She is the author of the recently released book How To Be A Mystic In A Traffic Jam.
You can learn about her work by visiting her website at
www.energeticpsychology.com








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Molokai Flower

Beauty abounds and this unusual flower's lifeforce is found on the island of Molokai. My daughter recently visited the island and sent this picture back.

Kinky Links...here's another!

If the link below doesn't work for Stuart Mitchell's new CD, try this one. Just in case that doesn't work either......... here it is: http://www.tjmitchell.com/stuart/rosslyn.html

This new google account - has some kinky links to it! :-) Reminds me of Laura's post today, "Gotta Love that Ripple Effect." Someday's it just best to surrender!

Rosslyn Motet CD

.J.Mitchell's Rosslyn Motet - Produced by Stuart Mitchell

20 years of research and miraculous discoveries have un-veiled a music long forgotten in the history of Scottish music. For the first time in 500 years, the music of Rosslyn Chapel can be heard explained in extra-ordinary detail, beautifully portrayed using original instruments of their time. No element has been left out, not one stone un-turned. The intended music of William St Clair hides many secret's and a new book by Thomas Mitchell (Stuart's father) tells a story of music and symbolism and how it all connects to the creation of life.

You can purchase the CD here. For more information on the composition, please see my previous post.

Stuart Mitchell - Breaking the Codes

Father and son discover the Holy Grail of music hidden away for 600 years on the columns of Rosslyn Chapel.

A father and son codebreaking team have discovered music's Holy Grail - hidden in intricate carvings at Rosslyn Chapel for almost 600 years. Music teacher Thomas Mitchell, 75, strived for 27 years before he and pianist son Stuart, 41, deciphered symbols in the chapel which featured in the Da Vinci Code book and film.

The pair will reveal the secret songs in a special concert at the Midlothian chapel next month. Thomas, of Edinburgh, said: "The music is the result of years of painstaking research, recreating secret notes hidden for almost 600 years in carvings on the arches within the chapel itself. "We believe this is the Holy Grail of music and, unlike the Da Vinci Code, it is absolutely factual."

Thomas was intrigued by the sculpted angels and hundreds of intricately carved cubes in the arches of the Lady Chapel. Using skills learned as an RAF code-breaker during the Korean War and his lifetime knowledge of classical music, he finally realised they depicted the vibrations of musical notes. He said: "It was a Eureka moment to end all Eureka moments. "Many angels were carrying musical instruments and some were even grouped as if they were a choir. "But one angel gave me the biggest problem. He was carrying something and at first I thought it was musical instrument which had been lost in the mists of time. "It was only when I realised that he was carrying a musical stave, the blueprint for all musical composition, that I knew I was looking at a secretly coded piece of music. "By recreating the patterns on each of the carved cubes, with Stuart's help, we unlocked the notes to find a haunting piece of music had been hidden in the arches for centuries. "For the choral sections, we've used the words from the hymns to St John the Baptist taken from Matthew in the Old Testament which is fitting because the chapel itself is dedicated to St Matthew."

Stuart, a classical composer and pianist, used computers to decipher the carvings' secret music. He has named the medieval music the Rosslyn Motet. He said: "I also used authentic mediaeval instruments to recreate the music exactly and it truly is a masterpiece. "While the Da Vinci Code was full of red herrings to make it a thrilling work of fiction, the Rosslyn Motet music is a tangible work people can listen to. For centuries, scholars have been convinced Rosslyn holds the key to many different areas of knowledge. "We think we've cracked one particularly fascinating code, although we're convinced Rosslyn holds many, many more."

Four singers will join eight musicians playing mediaeval instruments to perform the Rosslyn Motet at Rosslyn on May 18. Simon Beattie, of the Rosslyn Chapel Trust, said: "We're looking forward to the event as this is a such an exciting and intriguing piece of work. "The music is particularly haunting and we cannot help feel this is yet another of the many puzzles that make Rosslyn such an astonishing place."

Rosslyn Chapel was built by Sir William Sinclair and Sir Gilbert Haye in the 15th century. Steeped in the history of the Knights Templar and Freemasonry, Rosslyn's mysteries are famous worldwide. Among the theories surrounding Rosslyn is that it is the secret resting place of the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant and even the mummified head of Christ.

How They Did It

1. Carved angels and blocks above their head in arches of chapel baffled Thomas until he realised this one was holding a musical stave - and that the blocks signified notes.
2. Using this specially enhanced photo, Thomas and Stuart worked out that the carvings above the angel represent A, B and C.
3. Thomas and Stuart used this metal plate to recreate the ancient method of making notes. The plate is vibrated and sand poured on until it forms a particular pattern - indicating the correct pitch. The patterns match those carved into the arches of Rosslyn Chapel.
From Stuart:
Basically we have calculated the frequencies of the 3 notes that the stave angel is pointing out and it amounts to this;
At (ancient tunings)
A = 432
B = 488
C = 512
--------1,432

Also check out this link - "The Octave: Tuning at A432 or F432."

No Clinging Allowed

No Clinging Allowed...........Each path is individual and must be walked alone. This is YOUR journey, yet the creator allows for a vine and many new buds to form and grow from the same source. Our friends and family are our "buddies," yet each must grow according to their own original divine blueprint.

Why the Rose as each flower in the garden of life is beautiful and has great purpose? My Grandmother was of Irish descent and a little of her energy (DNA) remains in me. At family gatherings when I was young, I was often asked to play a little tune on the organ, and the one song that normally came to mind was, "My Wild Irish Rose."

It was in this song that I could feel an energy brewing that was alive and always moving towards a sense of freedom. It is through our senses and opening to our inner senses, that one will finally understand what it means to be truly free. One cannot cling to another, or anything, but rather remember their own individuated self and unfold their beautiful petals (essence) to discover the center of their being.

As the rambler moves quickly through thought form not clinging to it, releasing judgement and attachment to it, one may free themselves from the prison of their own mind.

Ramblin` rose, ramblin` rose
Why you ramble, no one knows
Wild and wind-blown, that`s how you`ve grown
Who can cling to a ramblin` rose?
Ramble on, ramble on
When your ramblin` days are gone
Who will love you with a love true
When your ramblin` days are through?
Ramblin` rose, ramblin` rose
Why I want you, heaven knows
Though I love you with a love true
Who can cling to a ramblin` rose?

Some Things I have Learned From Living on the Edge by Richard Birdsall

The other day a friend forwarded me an email sent to him by his friend and retired pastor - Richard Birdsall. His words touched me as I read them, and I could see how the gift of his cancer did indeed transform and contribute to his personal healing and finding the peace within that so calls to all of us. I for one am glad that he broke from tradition, and wrote these words that have so inspired many others to start thinking outside of the box.

Living on the edge may help give energy for our wings to take flight!


SOME THINGS I HAVE LEARNED FROM LIVING ON THE EDGE
(Authors permission to share)

Sermon by Richard Birdsall

I Cor. 13

I know what I am about to do this morning is not very traditional, but I would like to share with you something about my experience of living with cancer and what it has taught me about life, death, love, peace and God. I want to do this because we all know people with cancer or we might even be diagnosed with it ourselves. What I am going to share with you is not unique but very individual, and yet it has some very strong universal characteristics. People living with cancer have an immediate connection when meeting. It is almost like we know each other because we share a common disease even though we may not have ever met. We have, in one way or another, walked the same road and share some common experiences.

When you receive the diagnosis of cancer, especially when there is no realistic hope of a cure, you are suddenly in a whole new world. It is both awful and yet amazing, it is terrifying and yet invigorating, it is grieving and yet you are alive like never before. You experience life at a whole other level, every feeling, every emotion, every experience, every touch, every friend, every sunrise or sunset or even a flower are suddenly appreciated at a level never before experienced. It is horrible and yet marvelous at the same time as you realize you may be dying and yet you are suddenly so much more alive than ever before and everything around you takes on more meaning than you ever thought possible. It is what I call “living on the edge” and it is difficult to experience and maintain when your health is good and you take life so much for granted. Believe it or not when I am in remission I miss living on the edge. I have difficulty maintaining it because I am not in crisis. I try hard to live with appreciation and gratitude but I have to work at it because the crisis of dying is not imminent. Once you have experienced it your whole life is changed. I wish I could have discovered this without the disease but I don’t think, at least not for me, it would have been possible.

LIVING ON THE EDGE MEANS LIVING WITH A SENSE OF GRATITUDE.

You suddenly have a new appreciation for almost everything. All of life, everything has new color. There is almost a compulsion to thank everyone around you for their love and friendship, every relationship takes on new value, you find yourself studying the features of your loved ones, the lines in their faces, the shape of their hands, the way they move and laugh; you see things in them that you simply overlooked before, you just want to grab them and hug the living daylights out of them and tell them how much you love them and thank them for giving their love to you in return. You find yourself saying over and over again to your spouse “thank you for loving me”. You feel so blessed, so grateful and you are overwhelmed with thanksgiving. Going through this I began to realize we are built for survival if we give and receive love messages. This, it seems to me, is the core of our essential humanity whose nature is peace and whose expression is thought and whose action is giving and receiving love. Thus this passage of scripture this morning, so familiar to all of us: in essence what Paul is saying here is----------if you don’t know how to give and receive love, you miss what life is all about; you miss what it means to be a human being, you can do everything right but if you have not love the only sound you make is like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Without giving and receiving love our life song is out of tune, nothing more than musical dissonance, off key with no harmony in our lives, no pure life music, only sounds that hurt the ear. That’s what one’s life is like without love. Love is basic to our humanity; it is our core. The old song is right-------- ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE----- “RA TADA TADA”.

You also marvel at the world around you, sometimes you stop and close your eyes and just listen to the sounds of life. Even a smallest insect that sometimes we just squash without even thinking about it becomes a marvel in and of itself because it contains life, a marvelous life of its’ own. You look at mountains differently, you get as close as you can to a flower and look at the detail, the intricacy of each petal, and you are so thankful to be able just to hold it in total amazement. All of life is filled with loving intensity.

LIVING ON THE EDGE HAS OPENED THE DOOR TO GAIN A GREAT DEAL OF SELF KNOWLEDGE.

You learn so much about yourself so fast that it is a roller coaster ride, new ideas, fresh thoughts, internal understanding all rush into your consciousness with such speed you can hardly take it all in. Our disease can speak to us and if we open the doors of perception I think we may be amazed at what comes in and you realize that you can use your pain for personal transformation. Somehow you understand that if you die you want to die healed and if you are going to survive you have to change in order to heal. You realize the only time you can be alive is in the moment, the Buddhists call it “living mindfully.” You stop feeling sorry for yourself because even in the midst of dying you begin to realize that this whole process is worth every minute because you have learned so much about yourself. Cancer has been a wake up call for me, I have been graced with cancer, it has been the best teacher I have ever had, I have had some great teachers who have given me ideas, but this one has taught me to experience my life. How can I not be grateful for being blessed in this way?

LIVING ON THE EDGE HAS TUGHT ME HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO FIND YOUR PEACE.

I had an appointment with my Dr. a week and a half ago, I want to go off my medication for a while just to see if we can find something else that works, he said “you and your cancer have a symbiotic relationship,” “I said that is correct, I decided a long time ago not to fight cancer but to make a deal with it and it went like this. “We can work this out, we can live together, I am not asking you to die but don’t kill me either for if you do then we both die, let’s just plan to live together.” I stopped praying for instant healing, for God told me to stop my complaining, that God had given me everything I need and to just trust it. My prayer then changed to “whatever the future holds I will receive it as a gift from your hand.” I turned it over, I practiced the discipline of relinquishing. And I began to heal, not be cured but began to heal and I found my peace. I became aware that I was able to relax with my disease as never before. Finding your peace is so important. We are all terminal, we are all going to die, none of us are going to get out of this thing alive. So it is not really, when you stop to think about it, whether we live or die but how are we going to live? How do I find my peace? I think people who survive learn how to embrace life and find their peace rather than trying to figure out how to avoid death.

LIVING ON THE EDGE HAS TAUGHT ME MORE ABOUT GOD

God is so much greater than our personal or pet theologies; God is not going to stay inside the box of our dogmatic belief systems. As I said during our last communion service, “when we come before God we do not come with all our accomplishments, all of our comforts, all of our titles, not even all our wealth or power. God is simply not interested in the kind of stuff we strive for here on this earth. We come before God stripped naked, barefoot with only our soul in our cupped hands, all of our theologies and pet belief systems are to no avail. We come with nothing and when we do that we realize the marvelous grace, healing forgiveness and the accepting love of God. We do not have to perform, we can just be. I think only when we are able to do that do we find out who we really are and become free to be nothing more than that and yet everything we were meant to be. No pretence, no wondering what other people think, no one upmanship or trying to be accepted or to impress, you are free to become the person God meant you to be. You can call it being born again, being converted or whatever, it does not matter; God in Jesus finds us and when that happens we find ourselves as well.” I keep telling my grandkids, “no one can live your life for you, your life is your gift and if you fail to live it no one else can do it for you. Find out who you are.”

Jesus was his own person and seeks us out so that we can find out who we are as well. He did not live inside the box, he broke with tradition, with orthodoxy, with the culture of the day; he loved everyone he met and in the process broke down all kinds of barriers that have a tendency to divide and separate people from their own humanity. We all bleed the same way.

Again in the words of Ellie Wiesel, “When I stand before the judgment, God will not ask me why I did not become a messiah, or why didn’t you find a cure for cancer? The only thing we are going to be asked at that precious moment is why didn’t you become you?”

When I was pastor of the church in Issaquah, once a month I used to hold services at a local care center in a division that was marked “Senile Ward”. I guess now we would call it an Alzheimer’s unit. It was a locked room, most of the people in there could not hold a conversation, they could remember the old hymns and could recite the Lord’s Prayer but that was about it. There was one lady I will never forget, she had long gray hair and when I went to shake her hand she would gently take my hand put it up to her lips, kiss my hand and say to me, “You are such a beautiful person.” Every time she did that it moved me, she touched my heart with her words. The fact that she said the same thing to everyone who greeted her made no difference. I will never forget her. I keep her alive by telling this story whenever I can. In doing so I honor her. Here was a woman supposedly mentally incompetent doing for me what few sane people have ever done, the simple act of kissing my hand and telling me how beautiful I was. That act and those words still linger in my mind; they still move me whenever I think about them. We can do that for each other, if not literally then by the way we treat each other. And God does that hundreds of times a day, ------------every day. God kisses us, warts and all, and whispers into our lives over and over until we begin to believe it, words of grace------“you are a beautiful person.”

Note: Bernie Siegel’s book “ Peace, Love and Healing” has helped me understand what I was experiencing. Other books: Norman Cousin’s “Anatomy of an Illness”, Siegel’s “Love, Medicine & Miracles, Joan Borysenko’s “Minding the Body, Mending the Mind”, Carl Simonton’s “Getting Well Again” are just a few of the many others that have been helpful to me. There are other concepts, which are also important, but how much can you get into one sermon?

John Lennon Quote

Chief Beatle John Lennon once said: "The more real we get, the more unreal everything else is."

This quote resonates deeply with me.