Seasons of the Soul

Twenty Things To Remember

1. Faith is the ability to not panic.

2. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you prayed, don't worry.

3. As a child of God, prayer is kinda like calling home every
day.

4. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of
shape.

5. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants
us to be still so He can untangle the knot.

6. Do the math. Count your blessings.

7. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

8. Dear God: I have a problem. It's me.

9. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.

10. Laugh every day - it's like inner jogging.

11. The most important things in your home are the people.

12. Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.
(Preach it!)

13. There is no key to h appiness. The door is always open.
Come on in.

14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

16. We do not remember days but moments. Life moves too fast so
enjoy your precious moments.

17. Nothing is real to you until you experience it; otherwise it's just hearsay.

18. It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.

19. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation.
Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. No matter the storm,  when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.
Leave gentle fingerprints on the soul of another for the angels to read.

We should not want to get to the end of our lives and find that we have lived just the length of it. We should also want to have lived the width of it as well.s

~Author unknown

Signs of Hope

 

We’ve been bombarded by news of disaster, disease, war, and all the other ills that beset human beings. However, quietly and behind the scenes, there is something else occurring that receives little coverage. It is a movement that is taking place around the world to come to terms with our excesses and foibles. There are movements now that are seeking to address some of the questions that have been placed on the back burner for years.

 

Recently a group of scientists and Evangelical ministers traveled  to Alaska to see the results of global warming firsthand. There has been a real rift in the Evangelical movement because there are those who believe that human beings have nothing to do with global warming—and that it is just part of a natural phenomenon that must occur in the “End Times”. Yet, within the Christian community, there is also a position that we must be good stewards of our Earth. So, a group of vocal and influential Evangelical ministers joined a group of scientists to see for themselves if the rumors are hype or fact. The result was a resounding acknowledgement that we are indeed contributing to the massive earth changes that are now taking place. And the one million Evangelicals are a powerful group, whose voice is heard in Washington and beyond, so the willingness to dialogue with scientists and go to places that show how fragile our ecosystem is are all signals that something is beginning to shift.

 

On a recent edition of Extreme Makeover, Home Edition, the entire program was dedicated to ecologically friendly building. This is the first time that a show of that stature has dedicated itself to Green technology, and the fact that they have is an indication that we are going to see a movement in the mass market that shifts from denial to recognition that we can and must make a difference. To that end, we will be seeing new companies and new technologies emerge that will focus on the healing of our earth. As Americans, we have seen in the past how when we put our attention and focus in an arena, we are capable of unbelievable advances. This new focus has had a hard start, but we are now going to  see just what we are capable of doing as a result.

 

In the field of health, there are emerging systems that look at the whole body. What used to be thought of as science fiction is now suddenly coming into focus as reality. Vibrational medicine, Sound and color healing, considered “weird” before, are beginning to gain acceptance in mainstream. More and more physicians are becoming disillusioned with the drug culture pushed on them by the Pharmaceuticals—especially when they are presented with the casualties occurring as a result of drug interactions and poor drug testing. Medical schools have put limits on what drug companies can claim in their attempt to sway young doctors to use their drugs with patients.  So keep a lookout for more health care that promotes other modalities of healing as well as an upsurge in recognition of the role nutrition plays.

 

In this issue, I have brought a point of view from The Dalai Lama, and one from a remarkable woman in Russia named Anastasia that point us in a direction of taking responsibility for our inner and outer peace. To that end, Stanley Peele and Tom Brown remind us how we can make a difference, as does Maureen Moss of World Puja Network. Hers is a more metaphysical look at what is ahead—but all hold valuable clues to where we are going and the opportunities they present.

 

I hope you will enjoy this edition of Seasons of the Soul, and welcome your input as to areas where you are seeing a shift taking place in your own lives or through articles you find about hopeful changes beginning to happen on our planet.

May you have a splendid Autumn and many things for which to be thankful.  

 

 

From Seasons of the Soul print edition 2007. Articles mentioned will be appearing throughout this month.

Quotable Quotes

"When I despair, I remember that all through history, the ways of
truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and
murderers and, for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end
they always fall. Think of it...always."
-Mahatma Ghandi

 

 

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
~Steve Jobs, CEO Apple Computer

 

Replacing the God of War With the God of Peace

   Crime and Punishment in America is based on the God of War concept – and it leads to the same recidivism over and over again, just as the middle east is engaged in the same eye for the eye engagement because they are wedded to the God of War.

   What does this mean, the God of War? It is the old testament judgmental deity who elevates one group over another and inflames them to war against all that defile its identity or grip of power. This is a relentless “god” who never rests until vengeance is extracted. And the problem is that this God is viewed from several different perspectives- each claiming to be the only true inheritor of its divine stamp of approval. Yet there is no pleasing this god. Its lust for revenge is legendary. All one need do is read the bible or other religious texts. A never ending fear based loyalty is demanded and extracted. The penalty for disloyalty is death – often through torture.

   When one strips away the indoctrinated level of fear, one has to ask – “how could this god have created the universe?” And the answer is…it did not. This is a subservient god to the Ego based identity of the tribal hierarchy. There can only be one king, one dominant figure, and the rest is subservient to that figure who rules by force and innuendo. Instilling fear and holding ruthless justice over one’s head can hold a tribe together – but it leads to resentment, bitterness, disregard for life, and it stifles the true potential inherent in all humans – the divine gift of creativity, love, and compassion.

   As long as we worship at the feet of the God of War, the earth will continue to go through the ravages we see of one group against another “in the name of God, Allah, Justice” As long as we allow this patriarchal view of god to lead the way, our road is filled with slings and arrows, because that is the only way this god controls.

   As we move into a new millennium, we move into a new vibration – and the possibility is to depose this warrior deity and replace it with the force of life, light, and forgiveness. This is the creator God that Jesus spoke of…the one who asks us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies as ourselves, to forgive them - for they know not what they do.

   This God seeds life abundantly. This is the verdant green God that brings the lilies of the field and the rich forests and meadows. This is the God that clothes and feeds the earth in light and love. This is the One who holds us in the palm of hand and comforts us in times of trouble. This is a compassionate God – the only one who could forge creation into the living beauty it is. And until we claim and acclaim this Creator God, we will continue to extract an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth until the world is littered with the corpses of an insatiable war god who knows no peace.

From Seasons of the Soul print edition 2006

Attunement - The Agendaless Presence

How many times have you talked with someone and noted that they aren't paying attention? Or have you wanted so much to get your point across that you haven't really heard them? The art of conversation is a process that brings about a larger field of connection, and through this comes greater opportunity for cooperation and agreement. This article gives more insight into the process, and the host site is one that offers many good articles that uplift and inform us of ways to maximize our full potential. 

http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=3846a

The Precious Stone

 

There was once a wise woman traveling in the mountains who found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and she opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked if she might give it to him. She did so without hesitation.

The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But only a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman who had given it to him.

"I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I'm giving it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. I want you to give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone." 

 ~Author unknown

 

The Precious Stone

There was once a wise woman traveling in the mountains who found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and she opened her bag to share her food. The
hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked if she might give it to him. She did so without hesitation.

The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But only a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman who had given it to him.

"I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I'm giving it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. I want you to give me what you have within you
that enabled you to give me the stone." 

 ~Author unknown

The Leaf

By Jacquelyn Wheeler  

 

   It was late in autumn. The leaves were changing colors and falling from the trees. The air was cold and dry, and the sun began to rise later and set earlier every day.

   One crisp morning, when most of the leaves had already dropped, one leaf was clinging to its branch. It was not ready to drop. “I don’t want to fall,” it said. “I don’t know what will happen when I do.”

   The wind whistled through the empty branches. It sounded like it was whispering something. “No beginnings…no endings,” it seemed to say.

   The leaf shivered, watching the last remaining leaves fall to the ground. The air was so cold now. The leaf was dry and brittle and could barely hang on. But still it was afraid.

   It remembered the spring, when it had been a tender bud and the rain bounced off of it. It thought of summer, when it was a strong green leaf soaking up the sun and swaying in warm breezes at night. And it remembered how beautiful all the leaves had looked in early autumn when they began to change colors. But now all the leaves were gone, and the leaf felt sad. It was the last one left.

   “No beginnings…no endings,” the wind whispered again. The leaf heard it clearly this time and wondered what it meant. It looked down at the leaves below. They were scattered all over the ground, some flitting around in the wind, some lying still, beginning to decompose and become part of the soil. The leaf felt very alone.

   Finally, a strong gust of wind blew through the branches, and the leaf could hold on no longer. It let go of the tree. The wind cradled it gently as it fell slowly side to side, down to the earth, where at last it came to rest among the other leaves.

   After a few moments, the leaf looked up at the bare branches of the tree. The tree looked so empty, but the leaf did not feel sad. It felt peaceful. The tree looked like it was asleep, and it looked right without any leaves on it. The leaf felt that it was finally where it should be. It no longer felt alone or afraid. 

   In the days that followed, the leaf relaxed completely as it was gently stirred by the wind, sometimes flying up a few feet above the ground, sometimes lying still. It felt peace as it began to crumble and become part of the soil. It felt happy as it broke down into nutrients in the soil, which mixed with rainwater to become food for the tree. And as the months passed, it felt bliss as the tree slowly sucked up the nutrients and sprouted tender new buds in the spring.

   As the new buds soaked up the morning sun, they thought about the coming time when they would become leaves and stretch out away from their branches. As some of them wondered what it would feel like to be a leaf, they heard the wind whistling in the branches. It sounded like it was whispering something. “No beginnings…no endings,” it seemed to say.

Taking In the Good

Taking in the good of life is not about pretending there isn't anything wrong, it's about training the brain to look for what is helpful and uplifting rather than dwelling on the negative. Psychologist Rick Hanson shares valuable insights and steps to retrain the brain, demonstrating how moving in a direction that is positive helps us on all levels, whereas dwelling on the negative weakens our system. 

http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=3912

Falling Away

I recently divested myself of old clothes. They were friends from years of wear, and it was hard to let some of them go—not because they looked good on me anymore, but because of the memories attached to them. They hung in my closet unworn for years, but they were familiar.

I realized I have the same need in going through the house and garage – to clear the clutter of past that intrudes on the space of today and possibility of tomorrow. Everything has a life cycle, and when we hold on to things we don’t use, we create a barrier to the harmonious flow of energy. Life is meant to be vital. Our belongings are meant to be used and enjoyed, and when the time comes that we no longer need or appreciate them, it’s time to give them an opportunity for a new life with others who will find them useful. That way, we clear a space and make room for a fresh approach, a new outlook or opportunity that corresponds to who we are now.

In this season it’s time to let the old fall away so that the new can be born when spring comes again. It’s a grand time for clearing out the clutter—the dead leaves of a season now past. And from that, our load is lightened and we are ready for the renewal that is surely yet to come!

 

From Seasons of the Soul print edition 2006