The first week of January ImpulsUS Community has placed attention upon clearing, cleaning, and listening in order to receive one’s own unique theme for 2016. There is no right and wrong to theme receiving. Mine comes through a series of insights and revelations. Drops and dribbles. As a community, though, we are making our insights and revelations welcome. We can’t force them to show up, but we can woo them through our availability and attentiveness. So, we do. Part of that process for us, included a week long media/entertainment fast. For me this meant no television, internet shows (which I love to binge watch), movies, or news in any form...
The Seahawks game just started in Minnesota as the third coldest game to be played in history. With ten seconds into the game, watching the signs of cold evidenced through exhalation clouds, I am grateful. Grateful for meditation. The Seahawks meditate. There are many fabulous articles written about how Pete Carroll, the coach, has created a different culture with the team by introducing meditation, yoga, mental health services, and holistic practices. As I sit in my warm living room grateful for meditation, I think of the monks who through meditation are able to raise their body temperature. From the Harvard Gazette in 2002, “In a monastery in northern India, thinly clad...
Each year, around October, I start receiving clues about my theme for the upcoming year. I notice what is grabbing my intention and pulling at my desire strings. I start feeling a yearning to become more of myself in some area of my life. I am moved into curiosity. I invite into my dreams questions toward the forming of this theme. I am present to conversations, books, and shows where it seems like key words or phrases show up bold and underlined. I listen and watch for my body resonating with a concept. The feeling of this resonance is one of vitality mixed with giddiness. It can feel to me as though I’ve...
Where have you witnessed The Eternal, Loving, Powerful Presence we call God today? This Presence is Everywhere; have you acknowledged It? Celebrated It? Spoken of It? In the midst of all of the crazy, ugly, violent media reports, have you stopped to see that your life is filled with a Presence so generous that you can smell Its Grace and can’t help but scream out “I saw God today?” My daughter surprised me with Jimmy Buffett tickets as an I love you mom gift. The two of us followed a sea of parrot and shark skin hats on grey and balding heads toward the concert’s location … The MGM Grand...
Three weeks of bliss. Uninterrupted, pure bliss gone in one judgment. One thought that I knew how someone ought to live their life better than they are doing it … Ouch. And, I was kicked out of paradise. Yep, twenty one long and glorious days of Love is All there Is. Conditions don’t define me. Spirit rocks this house. Life is a beach on a sunny day with dear friends and a kickin’ sunset. Then driving down the road, letting my mind take a detour into the thought ghetto and I was snagged. I never spoke the thought. I didn’t take action on the thought. I didn’t gossip about...
Something unconscious happened on my way to becoming the spiritual leader of the new community ImpulsUS. I dressed my God-loving Self the “role” of minister/leader and then began to struggle with the role. In this struggle, my no’s and yes’ became garbled and I caught myself up in a web of confusion. It went something like this. I stepped into a Divine Idea that includes the forming of community. As a spiritual being; I know that I become a welcome space for that which resonates to show up; and that which doesn’t either doesn’t arise or does then falls away. It is simple. In addition, my commitment to the vision is to maintain...
Sitting at a traffic light, I couldn’t help but read the bumper stickers on a truck in front of me. One stuck out; “Noah built the ark before it rained.” Hours later I am still pondering the depth of this meaning spiritually. In the story of Noah and the Ark, God came to Noah when he was 500 years old to warn him that men he created were wicked and God was going to start over by wiping out humanity. He was making an exception for Noah, as Noah proved to be a good, faithful guy. But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark,...
Two weekends ago I was in Aravaipa Canyon on retreat with a group of Potent Souls. We came together on Sacred Land to step into the energy of Honor and allow it to teach us. We began with honoring ourselves and introducing ourselves to each other from our Soul. We assigned Native American meanings to our names after sitting in an extensive, deep meditation. My name’s meaning is: She who brings Heaven to earth and brings forth a Mighty Vision. I’ve included a picture of my painting that demonstrates to me the feeling of this meaning. The retreat would continue with honoring our ancestors, the land, each other,...
Walking through art booths at a street fair, I was drawn into a booth of paintings. This booth was different than all others for several reasons. The paintings were of clothed women (unique) engaged in life activities. Each stroked detail of these women’s bodies told their own Soul story. My daughter and I stopped and turned toward the artist, then in her thirties, a beautiful petite radiant gal, who was robust in content. We became supportive allies with our lives interweaving every four or five years. Then, she came out with a beautiful book … loaded with her beloved paintings along with information on how to identify stories you’ve lived out through your body. Entitled...
My daughter and grand babies came to visit me in December. The last day of their visit my two and half year old grand daughter fell off of my two story balcony to hit the rocky ground below to land on her head. Her father and I ran down the stairs within seconds to literally find her standing up and talking. The EMTs, her doctor, my doctor, and some friends all said she was caught by two angels. (I will write a blog on this later, I have been waiting to get beyond the “awe” to articulate). This experience changed me. It changed me because I, or any of...
The prefix “re” means to do over. I once gave a talk on the power of “re” as to me this linguistical delight carries within it the energy of a Divine Do-over. Re-member is to put back together. Re-joice is to enter into Joy once again. Re-generate is to enter once again into the field of generation. Re-treat then, is to treat yourself to YOU!! It is to take a break for your benefit. I will be leading a retreat; which is VERY RARE for me to do, just outside of Tucson Arizona Friday, May 22 through Monday, May 25th. And, the space is VERY LIMITED as our house sleeps...
Next door to my condo complex is a Catholic church whose bells chime every hour on the hour. I have the opportunity to stop whatever I am doing throughout the day and breathe, pray, or give thanks. Today is Easter. I am aware the congregation is celebrating the highlight of the Christian/Catholic year. Today is the day that Jesus the Christ has risen from the dead. Literally, this is a fantastic story. A dead man returning to walk amongst the living. Metaphysically this is a powerful teaching. In the metaphysical story, we are all personalities or people in the Bible. We are Mary who gives birth to Jesus. We are...
“We have to talk NOW.” “Can you call me this afternoon, this can’t wait?” “We need a decision right away.” “You’ll miss this window of opportunity if you don’t act now.” “I can’t go any further without your input.” I lay in bed with pneumonia as the phone rings and each caller at the end of the phone has what they consider to be an urgent situation that then is to become my urgency. As my energetic capacity is slight, my ability to assess the true emergent is keen. Not one of the panicked “must do, must have or must act now” was REALLY urgent. I watched the callers...
Kindness comes from the English and has two predominant meanings: 1. to be of the same — like these apples are the same kind 2. to be benevolent without the motive of profit Combined; these two definitions mean what I believe the Dalai Lama refers to when he says “My religion is kindness.” Meaning this — each of us humans share the same Source, we are the same kind. This means inferior and superior are off the playing field. We share Same. We share the experience of being human and at the same time in history. And, as kind … behaving generously without searching for a gain. Let...
Scottsdale Road is a main arterial running from Tempe with the name Rural Road through Scottsdale and Paradise Valley ending in Cave Creek as Tom Darlington Drive — driving from one end to the other can take several hours. Yesterday I drove north; boutique speciality shops to my right such as Sprinkles; the Baskin and Robbins of cupcakes. To my left is a colossal shopping center with a median between my car and it. Standing perched on the median was an egret. Long skinny legs, elegant and poised in the midst of what could be almost called a freeway. I slowed my car down and the two of us locked eyes as I...
I have the Witness within me that observes and the Synthesizer within that makes sense and organizes themes from what has been witnessed. This week was an odd one for me. Sunday I spoke at Lake Havasu Center for Spiritual Living on “For God so loved the World.” I shared my inner turmoil with updating a long held cultural idea that Jesus died to save my sins and God let it happen because I was so loved. Two earlier posts speak to this false understanding unfurling (Super Bowl and a Lot More is in the Air and Love with an Adult Understanding). I came to appreciate many of...
I love to take walks; the longer the better. History pulls at my heart. And, spiritual pilgrimage? Take me now!! All three of these elements are present in Walking the Camino to Santiago Spain. And, the director of Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago, Annie O’Neil, is in town this Saturday showing her movie, clips from her new documentary Phil’s Camino and answering questions. I can hardly wait to attend! Land of Ahhs has agreed to be a gracious host for this event; 8175 E Raintree Dr, Scottsdale. RSVPs are necessary at 480 483 4666. The cost is your choice: the money raised will go to editing Phil’s...
“We are our understanding of God.” Emma Curtis Hopkins When I was in grade school, my family used to drive from Seattle, Washington to Portland, Oregon to visit my grandparents. Somewhere along the highway we’d come upon a visually boring stretch of road and sitting up straight, perching my neck in ready position, I’d prepare for my favorite billboard. As we drove by I gazed as long as I could upon it, memorizing all of its nuances; wanting to stretch out the moment of the pass-by. The paper background was bright white and to the left side was a picture of Jesus hanging on the cross, head down, blood dripping from his wounds....
Six days ago I sat on my living room couch making a list of what I intended to accomplish the next day; part of my daily routine. One breath was stable and even followed by a lubricated swallow. The next breath shifted and my throat was dry, raw, and sore; no lead up, a full-on, high speed, fever-induced flu. For just shy of a week I have been living in pajamas moving between my bed and the couch and toggling between television, computer, silence, and a book. I launch into body-vacation (aka flu) mode. 1. When my body isn’t feeling well, I notice how well I AM. Throughout the day I...
Helicopters above my condo woke me up this morning. The Super Bowl is in town changing the way the city and I both operate. Yesterday, my twenty minute drive to the hairdresser was 45 minutes long. Stopped at a light I saw thirty or forty Seahawk fans cross the street. My attention was on one Seahawk fan with this blue 12 t-shirt on signifying he is a fan; the 12th ingredient to the team’s success. Brown and grey speckled hair, slight belly pouch, surrounded by guy friends; he was carrying a blue and clear plastic purse. A man-bag. No longer metrosexual. Now, practical. I giggled. Once my body rolled from the...
Can You Become Such a King? I want that kind of grace from God that when it hits I won’t get off the floor for days. And when I finally do stagger into a semblance of poise I will still need a cane and shoulder to help me walk, and I will need great patience from any who try to decipher my slurred speech. You should forget about knowing the Friend unless you are willing to kiss the world with great abandon. Locked like a pair of dogs, openly making love in the streets, impervious to shouts and pails of water being thrown and glares from eyes that...
The Sacraments I once spoke to my friend, an old squirrel, about the Sacraments — he got so excited. and ran into a hallow in his tree and came back holding some acorns, an owl feather, and a ribbon he found. And I just smiled and said, “Yes dear, you understand: Everything imparts His grace. Poem taken from Love Poems from God; Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West Daniel Ladinsky Poem attributed to St. Francis of...
