I've done it again!

I'm no more than one day behind...but an intention, is an intention, is an intention....to daily post my thoughts on Gratitude.  As much as I am grateful for the amazing opportunity to own and use a computer, the computer and I are not always the best of friends.  When it wants to have a tantrum...I just sit back and let it...even it means unanswered emails and delayed postings...there is always later.  And now, later has arrived.

The message for Day 16 - relates to Syntropic Gratitude.

Syntropy, a term coined by Luigi Fantappie' in 1942, is defined as, "A tendency toward order and symmetrical combinations; designs of ever more advantageous and orderly patterns.  Evolutionary and cooperation."

Another way of describing this is to incorporate the model of a spiral to describe the energy of Gratitude that can be felt within a community:

"We are the "see'd" at the heart of gratitude, the community is the spiral - expanding, exploring and expressing Love as Life.

As each one of us moves through the geometric spin, it creates fractals, waves of creation, a (k)new world evolving through syntropy in order to Divinely BE.  What a sight to see!" 

                                                                                                   ~~~ Stacey Robyn ~~~

Day 17 - describes Fortitude...My theme, as mentioned at the top of this blog.  

The definition of fortitude, as defined by the World Wave of Gratitude is as follows:  "Constancy under difficulty.  This is what keeps us true to ourselves, following divine virtues while serving both Self and Community."

I am grateful for each and every event that occurred in my life today and yesterday and for those events that await me tomorrow.   The good, the bad, and everything in between.  Every event, every smile, every frown,every moment of impatience, doubt and joy were needed to  bring me where I am today...sitting here, expressing gratitude for all of it and eagerly anticipating what all I will be grateful for tomorrow.

This is indeed an amazing time to be alive! 

BTW:  The 'puter had a tantrum THREE times while trying to post this...but I was armed with Fortitude..I persevered... and the post  IS  done!

For giving Gratitude, or for giving anything, implies the giver has such an abundance that the process of giving becomes one of honor and not sacrifice.

I have learned, and am still learning, the lesson of Forgiving...a necessary lesson to learn if  I am to look upon each of my brothers and sisters as I would myself.  And so doing, recognize that it is gratitude that opens the way to forgiveness.

Questions for today:

   Are there any grievances I have yet to resolve?

   Am I yet to forgive another person, or myself?

"Forgiveness through the Holy Spirit lies simply in looking beyond error from the beginning, and thus keeping it real for you.  Do not let any belief in it's realness enter your mind, or you will also believe that you must undo what you have made in order to be forgiven.

What has no effect does not exist, and to the Holy Spirit the effects of error are nonexistent.  By steadily and consistently cancelling out all its effects, everywhere and in all respects, He teaches that the ego does not exist and proves it.

                                               ACIM - T.9.IV.5.3-6   

Today was a lesson in patience and persistence...yet I'm so grateful that I was able to successfully learn those lessons.

In my line of work, each day begins with the expectation to expect the unexpected.  My primary patient caseload consists of the elderly with Alzheimer's.  One day a person may be responsive, the next, be unwilling to even get out of bed.  Their memory is POOR to NON- EXISTENT = unable to process and learn new information.  Today I met a gentleman who had been able to live alone until one month ago when he fell, resulting in a hip fracture.   As is typical for anyone over the age of 25, the effects of anesthesia vary, but in the elderly, it often causes irreversible cognitive deficits.  These people are no longer able to tell you the day of the week, what town they live in, nor what they ate for breakfast.  Long term memory may remain intact and they often 'think' they ARE in the past.  This is what happened to this little guy....we think.

 Back to the story...this gentleman, as confused as he was to place, time and situation was quite spunky.  I had not encountered behavior like this since way back in the day working in pediatrics!  

I approached him in my usual cheerful manner, introducing myself and extending my hand.  He closed his eyes and looked downward.  He was my last patient of the day and was the most challenging of the year!  I told him his doctor had asked to come talk to him so he could tell me what we needed to do to get him strong enough to go back home. (Usually, bringing their doctor into the picture results in cooperation when all else fails!)  His response, 'Oh yeah?  What if I don't want to go home?'  I told him that would be fine with me, but I was not leaving until he opened his eyes and looked at me.  L-o-n-g pause....then , finally, I asked him I'd like to see the color of his eyes.  His response:  he FINALLY opened his eyes, looked directly at me and said, "Now, there, what good is this supposed to do me.'

<He: doing this with his eyes opened wide and sticking his tongue out and to the side of his mouth>  <I'm trying not laugh>

I do love a challenge! 

Keeping my eyes on his, I quickly asked him if he wanted something to drink.  His response, "Well, yes I do. How did you know?"  I gave him my speech about how I carry a bottle of water and drink from it all day long and since I can't go very long without drinking water, I naturally assume NO ONE can.  I automatically offer water to everyone, everyday.  It's what I do. Handed him the drink and tried to continue with conversation. 

A few more minutes of incoherent conversation ensued before I had the idea to move him to see out of the large picture window.  He then began asking if the sun would be setting outside this window, I helped him orient west from east, and from that point on, he turned toward me, telling some amazing (and sometimes funny), stories about his father, who lived to be 102! Then he said, "Now they tell me tomorrow is the 4th of July, is that right?"  I told him yes.  Then he said, "Well now, whether I need it or not,  the 4th of July is the only day I take a bath!"

It took almost an hour, but his affect and demeanor did about  a 150 (I'd like to say a 180), but that would not be believe-able - even if it had actually occurred! 

Oh things one can learn when one takes the time to gaze into another's eyes! 

First of all, I have to mention what honor it was to receive a personal email and friend invitation from the one and only Stacey Robyn.

For those of you who read my daily blogs on Gratitude... THIS is the lady who started it all with her first Wave of Gratitude several months ago.

I realize I sound like a broken record, but if I had had the concept of Gratitude repeated to me many years ago, I feel I would be much farther down my path to...wherever it is I'm going...peace, love, joy, happiness, all of the above!

To be 'Rooted in Gratitude',  is to be so firmly aligned with gratitude that, like a tree, one is able to give (as the branches extend outward to offer shade and protection) and receive (as the roots absorb water and other nutrients)...and to maintain, with gratitude,  this constant exchange of giving and receiving.

Take a cross section of a tree and you will notice how the rings subtly form the spiral shape which mirrors the symbol of Gratitude.

The Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, then expressed Gratitude for its' shelter and assistance in his emancipation.

Perhaps it's time to sit a bit and listen, then listen deeply, to the tree next to thee. 

Home is our sacred place of rest, relaxation and peaceful-ness.

By expressing our Gratitude (OM), we create peace at home - near and far, within and without - for all to live and love as One.

Listen closely...

The universal sound of attraction is Ah (as in God, Allah, Jehovah).  

The universal sound of gratitude is Om.

These sounds are sung on one note also called toning.

Ah sung for 20 minutes in the morning, and Om sung for 20 minutes in the evening..(the most powerful times being sunrise and sunset.

Attraction and Gratitude....will always be at home in my heart. 

These two days of gratitude relate to the use of intention and abundance.

Specifically, "Abundance As Current-See".

Giving thanks for that which you 'currently see' sets a pattern, allowing the Law of Attraction to create a way for you to receive all you believe possible.

Currency, also known as money, is one measurement of abundance.  Think of the movement of water...a water current.  The faster is moves, the more energy it generates.  The movement of money,  or  currency,  creates energy in our financial system.  As money, or love, or friends flow toward you...the more abundant you begin to feel.

  For this abundance you are grateful,  and it is this gratitude  which attracts more abundance...see a pattern here?

                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Although my day today was a bit less than ideal, I am grateful for having the awareness to realize that whatever did or did not happen was the direct result of my actions.  

I am grateful for having this perspective on life and life's events.  

Just as I am the one responsible for the good things that occur, I, and only I am responsible for the things not so good.

Thoughts become things...I am grateful for having the free will to choose the good ones! 

                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

 Hell freezes over is a true story.  A thermodynamics professor had written a take-home exam for his graduate students.   It had one question:  "Is hell exothermic or endothermic?  Support your answer with a 'proof'.  Most of  the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law, or some variant.  One student, however, wrote the following: 

'First,  we postulate that if souls exist, they must have some mass.  If they do, then a mole of souls can also have a mass.  So, at what rate are souls moving into hell and at what rate are souls leaving?  I think we can safely assume that once a soul gets to hell, it will not leave.

Therefore, no souls are leaving.  As for souls entering hell, lets look at the different religions that exist in the world today.  Some of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to hell.  Since there are more than one of these religions and people do not belong to more than one  religion, we can project that all people and all souls go to hell.  With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in hell to increase exponentially.  Now, we look at the rate of change in the volume in hell.  Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in hell to stay the same, the ratio of the mass of souls and volume needs to stay constant.

So, if hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter hell, then the temperature and pressure in hell will increase until all hell breaks loose.  Of course, if hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until hell freezes over.'

The student got an 'A' on the exam. 

          The message I received for today describes  the appearance of a cross section of an apple when Kirlian photography is used.  According to this source,  Kirlian photography captures the 'energetic signature' of an object.  The message then goes on to describe the spiritual connection between food and our physical bodies.

However,  at this point I would like to depart from the World Gratitude message to another message I received from a friend, who coincidentally, is also a gardener and a photographer.

           Here is a little sumpin' to chew on:

                           ~~~~~~  We All Know Someone Like This  ~~~~~~

       One day, when I was freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school.  His name was Kyle.  It looked like he was carrying all of his books.

       I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?  He must really be a nerd."

       I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

       As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.  They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed on the dirt.  His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.

       He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.  My heart went out to him.  So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks.  They should really get lives."  He looked at me and said,  'Hey thanks!"

       There was a big smile on his face.  It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.  I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.  As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.

       He said he had gone to a private school before now.

       I would never have hung out with a private school kid before.

       We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.  He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.  I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends.  He said yes.

       We hung out all weekend, and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

        Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.  I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!"  He just laughed and handed me half the books.

       Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.  When we were seniors, we began to think about college.  Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.  Kyle was Valedictorian of our class and I teased him all the time about being a nerd.

       He had to prepare a speech for graduation...I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.  On graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great.  He was one of those guys who 'found' himself during high school.  He had filled out and actually looked good in glasses.  He had more dates than I and all the girls loved him...sometimes I was jealous.

       Today was one of those days.  I could see he was nervous about his speech, so I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"  He looked at me with one of  those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.  "Thanks", he said.

       As he started his speech, he cleared his throat and began:

       "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through  those tough years.  Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends.  I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.  I am going to tell you a story."

       I looked at my friend in disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.

       He had planned to kill himself over that weekend.

       He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying all his stuff home. 

        He looked hard at me and gave a little smile.  "Thankfully, I was saved.  My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."   I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.   I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

       Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.   Never underestimate your actions...with one small gesture you can change a person's life.

       For better, or for worse.

       "Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."

         Today I am grateful my friend shared this sweet story with me... 

  Guidelines for Shifting into the New Consciousness:

  1)  Live in the NOW.  Past and future have no meaning.  All that matters is what you think, feel and experience NOW...this very moment...and it is these very thoughts that will determine your entire experience of life.  

   2)  Live in the Certainty that You Always Have Enough:  This is the source of abundance.  Know that the earth is abundant and that you will always be cared for.  The more we truly believe in the abundance of NOW, the more it will manifest in our lives.

  3)  Live in the Knowledge of Your Own Perfection and the Perfection of Others:  Always remain  in contact with the perfection of who you are and understand and recognize that same perfection in others.  When you treat your body with love and respect, it is easy to treat others with equal respect and love.

 Remember to practice Gratitude as you Drift off to sleep...this silent prayer of Gratitude creates an ebb and flow ~ a gentle Shifting ~ a transformation to all who receive it.

I am grateful for each and every enlightening event that ocurred today.

I'm 'winging' this blog on Gratitude...I haven't yet received my message from Stacey, as I use her writings as a guideline for mine...but I may lose power any moment as it has just begun to storm and  the electricity has flickered a few times already, so...I'm posting this 'poem' as  a continuation, of sorts, of my previous blog, as it speaks volumes  to the beliefs I  would like to carry with me as I continue my journey called life.   It is my hope to those who read these words that you too will feel as empowered and uplifted as I when I first read them.

This is one of my favorites written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann:

                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                                                                       Desiderata

     Go placidly among the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.  As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.  Speak your truth quietly and clearly: and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant, they too have their story.

      Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.  If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.  Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

     Keep interested in your own career, however humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.  Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.  But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

      Be yourself.  Especially, do not feign affection.  Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

     Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.  Nurture strength of spirit to sheild you in the face of sudden misfortune.  But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.  Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

     Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.  You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees  and the stars; you have a right to be here.  And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

      Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.

     With all it's sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.  Be careful.  Strive to be happy.

     This poem is the key that can unlock happiness in all those who practice it. 

The Gratitude message for today asks each of us to "Go to your heart and ask,  "Who are you grateful for?"

 That is an easy one...the list for me would be far too long to type here when things are going my way, and I feel happy...

As I'm sure is the same for most of us. 

Now, I don't want to deny nor negate the importance of expressing gratitude for those wondrous events that inspire and uplift and give us the incentive to wake up and face a new day, everyday.

No, what I have chosen to focus on is the ability to express gratitude when things AREN'T necessarily going my way...when life isn't rolling merrily along like a dream.

I had not thought of this until now...I'm mainly reminiscing here about the 'Old Alexis', the one who used to feel that 'things happened TO her'...events were the result of 'OTHER OUTSIDE forces'....I now know better, or rather, I'm still in the process of learning better! 

As recent as one year ago I would never have been able to look at a disagreeable person or situation and not feel anger, resentment...toward that person or situation.  Don't get me wrong,   I do get peeved now and then, but I now realize that when I do get peeved, it was MY CHOICE to become peeved.  I could have at that same moment chosen from a hundred or so other emotions or responses.

Choosing Gratitude when you feel as though you have been wronged is TOUGH, 'bout near impossible, in reality.  It isn't until the dust has settled that I can look back on  such an event and say something like, "I'm so grateful I was passed over for a promotion!" However,  there was a time that I was NOT able to see that the dust had settled, much less have the vision to see anything to be grateful for.

  I'm amazed and grateful that I am actually learning this! 

It has been through a combination of Zen and A Course In Miracles, (in addition to all my teachers, friends, enemies - yes I have two or three, aka my greatest teachers),  that I have learned the ONLY emotions worth recognizing are Gratitude and LOVE.  This, I'm sure, sounds terribly corny, cheesy...even both. 

But, this comes primarily from the recognition that there are no bad situations.... nor are there good situations....ALL things are NEUTRAL.

Things are not good,

Things are not bad,

They just are.   ~Zen saying~

  And this applies to EVERYTHING.  WE choose what label to place on a particular person, place or thing. As I type this I an becoming aware that this train of thought is leading  to an area that demands a great deal of stretching on my part...to 'wrap my brain around' , in an effort to understand the neutrality of violence, neglect, abuse...but again, it is not the event but how we react to such an undesirable event that again, labels whether it is good or bad.  On an intellectual level, I get it, but I think only St. Francis of Assisi REALLY gets this 'things just are' concept as I cannot event describe this neutrality without using a label or two!  Notice?

But then, I'm NO SAINT...I'm allowed!  And I'm still learning!

There are no words to describe how grateful I am for the opportunity learn these many life lessons from the amazing friends and loved ones who are also my teachers.  

Got my self all caught up reading other peoples blogs, lost track of time and now it is almost midnight and I haven't posted anything yet! Yikes!  This, after making the decision to 'hit the hay' by 10:30 PM, (vs my usual 12:30 or 1:00 AM)

 One blog entry that caught my attention is from Who Am I, where he posted the following link from Cynthia's (blog or pod, at this hour I can't remember which!),  on Retroactive Prayer:

      http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full327/7429/1465?etoc

This is for anyone who doubts the power of our thoughts, or the power of our prayers...

                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

Today's message relates to the use Gratitude as a means to spark creativity, originality.  Since I'm not feeling particularly creative nor original at this particular moment (sleep deprivation does that to me!) I have elected to post portions from an excerpt from another lady, Carrie Hart, who has a way of saying things the way I wish I could...

   "Today I would speak of beauty; of the beauty of your soul and its connection to a world of love.  You are perfection itself.  You are beautiful and good, and inside beats a heart of purity and truth.  This is your essential being, and the rest is what has been added on through the years as you struggled to become what others asked you to be or what you thought you should be as you compared yourself to others."

   "But there is nothing that you need to become.  You are.  And, today, I wish for you to appreciate your beauty.  I wish for you to walk as if you are a proud animal, proud of your beautiful body, holding your head high as is if you had a set of regal antlers, full of poise, full of alertness and connection with the forest around you."

   "You shine out in beauty like a glowing candle, lighting up the space around you with your goodness and love"

Love Yourself For Simply Being You.
 

Affinity: A relation between biological groups involving resemblance in structural plan and indicating a common origin.

As we recognize the resemblance between ourselves, and the world around us, our Gratitude begins to accelerate as Intelligent change-in-motion...extending our affinity for all creation, opening opportunities for recognition of commonalities, releasing the illusion of separation while creating mass identification as One Source, One Love, One You and One Me, too...all gathered in the name of Gratitude.

A common origin, indeed!

"God is revealed in all Creation.  We humans belong to the whole interdependent community of life on earth.  Rejoice in the beauty, complexity and mystery of creation, with Gratitude to be part of it's unfolding.

Take time to learn how this community of life is organized and how it interacts.  Live according to principles of right relationship and right action within this larger whole.

Be aware of the influence humans have on the health and viability of life on earth.  Call attention to what fosters or harms earth's exquisite beauty, balances and inter-dependencies.  Guided by Spirit, work to translate this understanding into ways of living that reflect our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations."

 ~~~Orange County Friends Meeting Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)~~~ 

I'm back on track with my Gratitude postings, and hopefully will not get so off track again...unless I'm confronted with something ABSURD, this time about politics (vs. religion), i.e.  about 'Dubya' that I MUST rant about.  Thankfully, there are many others 'out there' who DO share my political views,  and have posted blogs that are much more worthwhile to read than any of mine would ever be. Here is one:  http://gulufuture.com/    These are only OPINIONS and BLOGS, some I can agree with , some I can't, but it is a DISCUSSION where ALL viewpoints are welcome...no one is right and no one is wrong....Hmmm...'they' could be onto somehting here!

For now, I'm going to breathe deeply, remain calm, regain my sense of contentedness....

Today's message centers around the Frequent See of Gratitude.

Nice play on words...as our thoughts and intentions create a frequency, an intensity of energy that resonates beyond ourselves, it the becomes easy to see how our thoughts and feelings give shape to the world we see.  

I have heard many times and for as many years that, "What you do has an effect on everything around you".  This was difficult for me to fully understand until I began to study sacred geometry and fractals...the patterns are sometimes obvious, sometimes not so obvious.  And it is quite a distance in terms of my limited ability to linguistically explain the connection between our thoughts and their material manifestations,  but from this perspective will be found  the explanation as to the global effect of our thoughts and actions.

I believe this is what is termed as 'mass consciousness'.  And serves as a reminder that we should remain ever mindful of our thoughts - this is a BIG NOTE TO SELF - highlighted and underlined!  

"Learning to self-manage our thoughts and emotions is automatically 'earth grid engineering' and is not just saving the earth; it is preserving our memory of the principle for making a collective and whole body, so that the planet Earth can take it's true place in the universe, a planet of love and light."   ~Dan Winter~

Today I am most grateful for the ability to recognize that my thoughts are directly responsible for the positive changes occurring in my life.   

I was going through my emails, separating the ones to be deleted from the ones to archived when I came across this one from Ed...puts my 'rantings' during the past two days into a better perspective and always makes me smile:

"I think the life cycle is all backwards.  You should die first, start out dead and get it out of the way.  Then you wake up in a nursing home, feeling better every day...You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, then you start work, you get your gold watch on the first day.  You work 40 years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement.  You drink alcohol, you party, you're generally promiscuous and you get ready for high school.  You go to primary school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities.  You become a baby, then you spend your last 9 months floating peacefully with luxuries like central heating, spa room service on tap, with larger quarters every day, and you finally finish off as an orgasm." 

Stacey Robyn's Go Gratitude experiment began with a vision of creating a world wide wave of Gratitude, invisibly waking at the heart of humanity...no devastation, no destruction.

Rather, a massive tidal wave of change, re-connecting our water bodies to Love, assisting with Re-membering Hue-manity as Divine.

Personally, my life has changed and evolved, and in many ways rather dramatically, since that initial 42-day wave.  A change that I had not taken the time to realize until now... Amazing how just by being grateful (for what I have and for where I am in life) that a path is cleared  that allows me to continue in the direction toward my desired destination.   I am there now.

The remainder of this blog will be taken basically verbatim from Stacey's email.  It describes the numerical value(s) of various concepts dealing with the 42 day Wave of Gratitude.  Synchronizations  such as these I find fascinating:

'Now, you might wonder why 42?  

Initially, this worked as such:  It takes 21 days to create a habit, so, doubled to 42, we moved to Mastery of Gratitude.

Evolution of Spirit, one might say.

Guess what?!?!  42 continues to be revealed as a Divinely inspired space of time.

Beyond being the angle light reflects off water to create a rainbow (42 degrees), beyond reduction to our current year (4+2=6...'06), passed the synchronicity of being the number of dots on a pair of dice (paradise)...are you ready?

It is also the numerical value of Gratitude, like this:

G  R  A  T  I  T  U  D  E

7+9+1+2+9+2+3+4+5 = 42

~~~~~~

So, perhaps evolution is Mastery -in -action, full spectrum living as the ability to view our world in a (k)new way...

Much like light, meeting watery time, co-operating to create rainbows gracing our lives sublime.

And a (k)new view on evolution?  Let's read it backwards, then listen, listen again deeply.

NO IT U LOVE          NO IT U LOVE       (k)NO(w)IT U LOVE!      

I never thought to look at  evolution like that!

~~~~~~~

The number 42 stands for the TRINITY.  It is the number of the inner purity of the soul of humanity; uniting the subconscious with the conscious mind.  It represents the CREATIVITY OF HUMANITY or the forces of male and female to create this number's keyword.  Are you ready to receive it?  The word is LOVE!!!

The #42 governs our sacred contracts, harmony, marriage and meditation.  Another word for this number key is Co-Operation.

                                                                                           ~Jeanne L. Thompson~
 

Just for Today:

I will re-connect with a current intention...letting go of who, where, what, why or how this intention will become manifest.

It is through letting go of certainties that creativity is  born.

"These possibilities came not only from searching for something new, but also from unlearning or forgetting what had gone on before.  In that moment of emptiness, the mind is open to a new possibility."   ~Michael Jones~

According to A Course In Miracles, this "unlearning or forgetting"  is what is known as forgiveness.

                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quote 129 - Butler On Letting The Past Go

Letting the past

Teach you---

Past customs,

Struggles,

Leaders and thinkers.

Let

These

Help you.

Let them inspire you,

Warn you,

Give you strength.

But beware:

God is change.

Past is past.

What was

Cannot

Come again.

To survive,

Know the past.

Let it touch you.

Then let

The past

Go.

[From 'Earthseed: The Book of the Living', but Lauren Oya Olamina, a fictional poet created by Octavia E. Butler for her 1988 novel, Parable of the Talents]

I am grateful that I am learning to let go of the past and that I no longer cling to the idea that the practice of forgiveness is reserved only for the saints and saintly.  And good thing, as I am neither!  No, saints aren't the only ones able to practice forgiveness...they are just able to learn forgiveness more quickly and practice it more frequently. :-)   

Or as the German's would say, Hallo Halo!  And on the subject of halos, I'm going to devote this blog to a few interesting facts I have discovered about various forms of halos.

In Christianity:   the halo represents an aura or glow of sanctity which was most prominent around the head and was conventionally drawn as a circle.  Round halos are typically used to signify saints.  A cross within a halo is used to represent Jesus.  Triangular halos are used for representations of the Trinity.  Halos are also used to depict angels and blessed souls in heaven.

In Buddhism:  In Zen Buddhism ink brush paintings commonly use the halo depictions of saints such as Bodhidharma.  In Pure Land Buddhism the halo is used in depicting the image of Amida Buddha.  Tibetan Buddhism uses halos extensively in the Thangka paintings of Buddhist saints such as Milarepa and Padmasambhava.

These interpretations reflect the idea that the halo represents the light of divine grace suffusing the soul which is perfectly united and in harmony with the physical body.

Kirlian photography captures such energy wave fields emitted from human bodies and objects alike.

What we think, our emotional state is also reflected in the form of an energy wave, or vibe that can be detected by others in close proximity.  I have not yet learned the art of reading auras (I have one friend who is amazingly good at it!), yet I am able to detect the energy given off any individual or animal I come in contact with.  

It is because of this, I try to keep a close watch on my emotions...making sure that the signal I'm sending matches the emotion I'm feeling.  Truth and authenticity are the result, and the ONLY effective means of communicating...whether you 'wear' a halo or not! 

I've done it again!  Was WAY too tired to even try to post anything yesterday!   It's not so much that my body was tired, but my brain!  When it is 'out of gas', there is no pushing it to the top of a hill and letting it coast downhill...'if it's got no gas, it just ain't gonna go.'

I had to use a few extra brain cells again today, but I am grateful that I somehow was able to find a few extra 'marbles' lying around...that's what I'll be using for this and my next blog, so look out!

Reflections on Gratitude...To reflect on a moment in the past in which you knew without a doubt that you were aligned with God, with the Holy Spirit and KNEW that you were experiencing was what could well be called a miracle?  When all the pieces to the puzzle effortlessly fell into place?  

I have had those moments, but they are so far into the distant past, that as I reflect, I realize, I need to start practicing more of what I preach.  I have no trouble feeling gratitude for even the smallest thing.  What I DO have trouble with, however,  is in the area of letting go of the past, focusing my attention on the present, and consistently structuring my thoughts to attract what I DO WANT...RIGHT NOW!   I also realize, that the moment I DO begin to practice what I preach, I too will have a current, 'ah haaa' moment to reflect back on in gratitude.

I am also grateful that the temperature outside at this hour (10:00PM) has dropped to a cool 87F.  

I am also grateful my visit to the tort-o-dontist today was relatively pain-free!  I still can't get a definite day when these darn braces come off my teeth, but when they do!  Oh, how GRATEFUL I WILL BE!!! 

 Thoughts Become Things...Choose Only The Good Ones!

Yep, that's right, I've got it ALL figured out! 

While the number 42 may be the answer to life, the universe and everything,  I have discovered ONE thing the number 42 cannot address,  and that is THE cause for mental disorders such as dementia, schizophrenia (NOT multiple personality disorder) and Alzheimer's, to name a few.

Before I go any further, I will first apologize to anyone who may be offended by this post.  I know I'm treading in murky water here, and as a result, what I type may not be clearly understood.  I have no statistics, no double blind studies, no charts, graphs nor anything scientific to support my 'opinion' as I will call it, for now.

No, my opinion comes from my recent, up close and personal, experiences working with the elderly in long term care facilities.  A common thread among MANY, (approximately 98% of MY caseload), is this unwavering belief that their illness is due to,  'satan taking over my body' and 'being paid back for my past sins'.

So here goes, in MY OPINION, it is the fundamental, ultra-conservative, guilt-ridden, fear-based ideology of organized religion that is the cause for the break down and deterioration of mental functioning. Quite a mouthful, I know!

When my husband passed away three years ago after a lengthy and difficult course with diabetes, it was his uncle (who is an ordained Baptist minister, has lived as a missionary on the Ivory Coast of Africa for the better part of 30 years) who spoke at his funeral and SAID, "death and illness are the result of SIN"!  I about died myself when I heard that! 

I am NOT talking about a belief in God, Jesus, Allah, All That Is...no, I'm not talking about religion,  as in a belief system, but rather a system that instills un-natural and un-necessary guilt.  And unfortunately, people have been taught (badly taught) that they are incapable of correct reasoning and therefore must be scared into doing 'what is right'. Hence, all the fire fanning with the Bible waving that goes on every Sunday morning.  Sin, and you will go directly to hell.  Ask for forgiveness, but no one is taught WHAT forgiveness is.  Trials and tribulations are the price for sin.  There is no way out!  Of course this will make you loose your mind!

The more I read A Course In Miracles, the clearer it becomes, that the past and current misinterpretation of the Bible IS insanity, and only result of 'insane' teaching is....insanity.

So there.... I said it.

And I've turned my fan down to 'low speed'! 

I think I've filled my mind with too much of the world's events - the horrendous events of the Middle East in particular, but for some reason I can't get what is going on in Lebanon out of my mind.  Makes a feeling of Gratitude very difficult to come by.  So difficult, I did not have the energy to post anything yesterday.  I'm still having difficulty right now.  

I live in a cool, safe, comfortable home, have the freedom to work, shop, travel, hike in the woods without worry of a bomb exploding in front of me, no daily mourning for the loss of friends and loved ones to needless warfare...the happiest I've been in probably my entire life...all of which I am eternally grateful for, and, oh yes, I am fortunate to know and experience, every day, what it means to live in peace.

In fact, I'm rather spoiled, in that I am not aware of any other existence than peace.  Even in the past when my personal life did not appear to be a very peaceful one...I was at peace.  I chose to be at peace, as I knew becoming a neurotic (oops, there is no longer such a thing as neurotic!) basket-case would get me absolutely nowhere!  It took some practice, but I got there.

Peace is SO badly needed in the Middle East.  Yes, so easy for ME to say! 

Peace is the result of knowing your opposition and from this knowing comes the knowledge of how to overcome this opposition.  Peace dispels fear.  Fear is the basis of war and terrorism.

One problem, as I see it, is that the US is still in a state of confusion as to the true nature of Islamic terrorism.  Until we have a PROFOUND understanding of our enemy,  drafting effective foreign policy, much less restoring peace (has there ever been peace there?) will be impossible.

I look forward to posting a blog expressing gratitude that Isreal, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran...the entire Middle East region has reached a cease-fire, have drafted a peace-keeping resolution....will live happily ever after...

I can dream can't I? 

When my energy level is running a little low, I have discovered the power of deep breathing to be easiest and quickest ways of replenishing my energy.

Breathing is the only essential bodily function performed unconsciously, that you can control consciously.

Your body can go without food for months, without water for days, yet it cannot go without oxygen for more than a few minutes.  Think about it.

Oxygen feeds every part of the body.  Breathing deeply and slowly will relax you, while instantly sending powerful doses of oxygen to the brain and every single cell of the body. 

Since discovering the powerful effects of breathing I have come across many different methods and exercises, especially during my search for the 'perfect' meditation practice.  The one that I have been able to  use consistently is from Dr. Edward Steiner.  He instructs:

"When you are tired, stop and take 10 DEEP breaths.  Do this by placing your hand on your stomach and push your stomach out as you breathe.  This ensures that each breath you take fills your entire lung space. 

Because 2/3 of the lungs sit below the lowest rib, filling the larger portion of the lungs will literally explode your energy."

Doing this for at least 10 minutes...preferably 15, profoundly replenishes my energy level!

In addition to this, I have learned to simultaneously concentrate on the very act of breathing...visualizing the infusion of every cell in my body with air...visualizing an increased cellular movement occurring up an down my spine then extending out to my hands and feet.

Follow this with a good stretch, and a gulp or two of cold, spring water..ahhh!  

Today is recognized as day 40 of this 42 day wave of  World Gratitude, but in actuality, it is day 41, with day 42 ocurring on July 25th.

In any event, it is a day to celebrate, just the same. 

I am thankful, that in spite of all the little disappointments, set backs and mis-communications that I am able to look upon these events as opportunities for learning.   

I am most grateful for finding Zaadz and the most amazing network of friends here.  Thanks Brian for having the vision and energy to so sucessfully pull this whole thing off!  

For anyone with curiosity about who I am, just take a look at my list of friends.  Each one is a mirror, of sorts, of who I am, and I must say, what I see is quite good!

And on the subject of celebrating, I am thankful I was able to be a small part of Werner's birthday celebration today.  OTHER people's Birthdays are such fun! :-)  I wish for you many, many , many more...as I feel it will take me at least that many, many, many years to fully grasp ACIM.  Without you, though, it would take many, many, many ,many.........more.

J.K., Bill and Kira....such warm, caring, intelligent and insightful people.  My life is forever changed (for the better) from your influences.  And yes, Werner, you belong in this group as well! (And a thumbs up to your wife's photo editing - your birthday avatar was a riot!)

To Peggy, Zoe, Di and Juliana - each with your own brand of bravery and courage...I have been and continue to be so inspired by each of you!

Love and Hugs to you all! 

Today is day 42, the conclusion of this second Wave of Worldwide Gratitude.  On this day the alignment of the following THREE events occurred:

1) Day 42 of World Gratitude

2) Arrival of a New moon

3) The Day out of Time - celebrated once a year - occurs on the 25th of July. 

This morning I meditated on the 1)magic, 2)miracles and  3)synchronistic events for which I am most grateful.  All of which have brought me to where I am today.  

I am thankful that I am learning to let go of yesterday, to live for today and not worry about tomorrow.

                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

The following are a few of my favorite Gratitude quotes:

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.    ~Brian Tracy~

Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, but the parent of all the others.   ~Cicero~

And this, third one, my most favorite:

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.   ~Melodie Beattie ~

Just when I think I've absorbed all the cyber-info my little brain can hold, and have decided to log off, shut down and hit the hay, I will invariably find SOMETHING I can't resist.

Top of my list of late night findings:  http://smokingmirrors.blogspot.com/  - a metaphysical?spiritual? perspective on current world events.  Lengthy, but well worth the read.  If the link directs you to the July 27 blog, go back to July 26 and scroll down to,  'We'll all be rewarded when the shit hits the fan'.

More on politics and current events - a plethora of useful info here:

       http://www.whatreallyhappened.com (the above site is contained within this link)

Then, if you just want a nice mixture of SPOOKY  FUN and AMAZEMENT, go to:

       http://www.milaadesign.com/wizardy.html