We Are All In This Together

I recently came across someone on social media through a friend who carries an interesting energy. He claimed to be a "lightworker", yet he was so full of judgment and arrogance I could tell he carried a good deal of unacknowledged darkness. That is not to say he did not also carry light. He did. He is just not quite as evolved as he believed himself to be.

I noticed a lot of competing energies in him. On the one hand, he had some understanding of the fact that we are all One and are not separate. On the other hand, his understanding of being One was everybody needed to subscribe to his way of thinking because he was right. Every other word was a judgement. Most of what he did and said perpetuated separation.

When I pointed out the judgment and separation, I became the one he judged. I became the one whose darkness he analyzed. I chose not to respond to this personal attack. He was correct in many respects, on top of the fact that he was obviously reacting to my pointing out of his judgment. In other words, I triggered him. As I did not want to continue on in that energy, I let it go. That said, when I failed to engage him in the fight, he went on and attacked someone else. At that point, I blocked him, mostly for my own peace of mind. I do not care to be part of his attacks on others. (He triggered my fight for the underdog instincts. LOL!)

The past several years, I have been working on analyzing and releasing my own judgement. I have been able to let go of many of the judgments I was programmed with through the circumstances of my birth. I am a work in progress. I still have a long way to go before I am able to allow everything that exists without fighting it.

As humans living in this 3D reality, it is easy for us to get lost in the fight. We are taught there is a distinct "right" and "wrong" and that it is important to choose what is "right" and resist all that is "wrong". The problem with this way of doing things is the vast majority of these judgments are subjective and dependent upon the cultures that promote them. When we make the decision to join in the judgment, we choose to stay separate from anyone who does not think like we do.

We are here to play, to learn, to expand in ways that would not be possible outside of separation. This is why we choose to come to such a dark and dense place. The energy of unconditional love is what keeps us connected. It is only when we remember this love that we begin to learn and grow in the ways we intended. We are much stronger and learn much more quickly when we ignore the separation and choose to love without limits. When we make the choice to lift up our fellow BEings, we also lift up ourselves. We are all in this together.

The Journey Home

We come into this 3rd dimensional world to experience the ultimate separation. Here we are separate from our surroundings, each other and even ourselves. This enables us to understand things in their individuality, increasing our insights and knowledge about how things exist.

Quite often, this state of separation comes with problems and traumas which further increase our sense of loneliness. Our journeys in this 3D world are not for the faint of heart! It takes real courage to stand firm and not become embittered by the struggle.

The irony in all this is that we are not separate. While we experience separation and often believe this is reality, we are always connected through our hearts. Love is the energy that binds us all together and makes us One, and we can find this connection any time we choose to remember it.

The ultimate lesson in life is not about functioning in separation. We are here to remember the Oneness we came from and allow it to harmonize our individual pieces so we can function in wholeness.

The journey of life is a process of exploration in which we ultimately discover our way back home.
~CSE

Connect To Your Knowing

Have you ever just known something without understanding how you know it? I'm talking about the sort of information that spontaneously comes to mind when you are occupied at some task that has nothing at all to do with the information. The knowing is so strong you cannot deny the thought. Then later--it might be an hour or a day or a month or a year--you find that understanding has worked itself out just the way you knew it would. I believe we all experience this from time to time. This is the sort of information that comes from connecting to Oneness, and Oneness is something you have the ability to intentionally connect to if you so desire.

What is Oneness? Oneness is the place where everything exists and nothing is judged. It is the place of truth and contains all knowledge and all understanding. For me, it is the ultimate place for answers because nothing is hidden there.

In our 3-dimensional world, many things are hidden from us. It is easy to hide information from us here because we have been taught to think purely with our minds. We use our five senses to gain information. Coupled with the lessons we learn from our families and the society around us, we base our beliefs and understandings on this extremely limited information. The irony comes when we believe we have all the answers. What the mind provides to us is merely one or maybe a couple particular perspectives. It does not provide a complete picture.

Our hearts are what connect us to Oneness--connect us to our knowing. As Oneness contains all knowledge and information, a person can access anything they want to understand by connecting to the heart. Our hearts think through feeling. This is why listening to your feelings plays a crucial role in accessing the knowledge that comes from connection to all things. Feelings give you immediate feedback about direction in life. If a choice makes you feel happy and expansive, understand this is a choice that will move you toward purpose. If you feel sad, angry or fearful, it is time to back away.

Connecting to Oneness is the place of creativity. This is where artists and musicians and scientists go for insight and understanding, even if they are not consciously aware that's what they are doing. People who have good problem-solving skills are often connected in to the heart. Again, Oneness contains all knowledge and information so this is where new knowledge comes from.

There are techniques and tricks you can use to help you tap into this infinite understanding in an intentional, conscious way. There is no right or wrong way to connect. Not every technique will work for every person. That said, what you need to understand is this: connecting to your knowing lies in the ability to connect to and think with your heart. Ask the Universe for help connecting. Answers will come when you ask.

When we are all able to connect to our knowing--connect to our hearts--our world will be a very different and wonderful place.

~CSE

 

  

The Power Of Naps!

I have a definite fondness for naps. Part of my appreciation for them stems from my time as a Pre K teacher. My home state of Georgia uses its lottery earnings to fund a free Pre K program for students all over the state. Because students are only 4-years-old, lawmakers required an hour rest time to be included as part of the school day.

Needless to say, most of the kids did not appreciate nap time even though quite a few of them still needed it. As I observed them before and after nap, I could see it often made a huge difference in how they handled the rest of their day.

The older I get, the more I enjoy naps. Not only do they rest my body, but there is a component of naps that also nurtures the soul. Naps allow you to break away from the physical world and connect to the quiet, where God and Oneness dwell.

Take the time to take a nap! You may just discover the pieces of your life all begin to fall into place!

~CSE

Just Breathe!

There are so many days I am stressed beyond belief. It seems that one day runs into the next with more things to do than hours in the day to do them. Family and work responsibilities seem to accumulate in a never ending cycle. It is on those occasions when I have no time to myself that I understand taking time for myself is the most important thing I can do! Life becomes much more clear and easier to handle when you all yourself to just breathe and bathe in the spirit of Oneness.

It's a very simple process. Sit back, relax, close your eyes, breathe deep. Picture yourself in a favorite place--the mountains, the beach, sitting next to your favorite tree, etc. Make sure it is a happy place for you. Imagine the sun in your face, the wind whipping past you, the smell of salt water or pine trees. Allow thankfulness to open you up to this energy!

When you feel yourself calm and at peace, begin to count your blessings--whatever those may be. Family, good friends, food on the table, a comfortable home, a loving pet, a stable job, or any other thing you appreciate. Understand the Universe (assisted by your personal angels) is bringing you everything you need when you need it. Everything is right in your world, just as it is intended.

Allow this simple exercise to bring you back to that state of peace where you are able to function at peak performance in your daily life. Taking a few minutes for yourself every day to just breathe will make a world of difference in how your life progresses. You will feel connected, assured there is a plan and a place for you!

~CSE

What The Heart Knows

The past few weeks have been difficult, and I can sense it in more than just me. There is a great deal of angst in the world. Tensions have been running high. People are angrier and more aggressive. It feels as though we have all been placed in a pressure cooker to stew and the pressure is steadily increasing with no end in sight.

There are forces in the world working overtime to convince us that we are separate and alone. It is especially easy to see in the US Presidential race. On social media, people get so focused on the righteousness of their candidate they can no longer see that together we are one. People are busy arguing and name-calling and "unfriending" anyone who disagrees with them. It's a craziness that, if people took the time to step back and observe, they would see how ludicrous it has all become. They just can't see the forest for the trees.

What my heart tells me is this: we are nothing without our connection to our fellow beings. When we are focused on our separateness, we are weak. Powerless even. The beings that have ruled our planet for centuries understand this and use it to their advantage. Divide and Conquer is a game they are masterful at, and as long as we continue to sleep they will take advantage of us and keep us separate in order to stay in power.

What the heart knows is this: we are only strong when we rely on our heart connections. We are at our most powerful when we are focused on love and connected in to its Source. This heart connection is where our creativity and strength reside. It is the place of solution. It is the only thing that will free us from tyranny.

It is time to forget our separateness. It is time to forget you are a Democrat or Republican or Tory or whatever your political affiliation. It is time to forget you are Christian or Muslim or Buddhist or Atheist. It is time to forget you are straight, gay, transsexual, etc. It is only by coming together as one we will be able to create a better world. It is only through love we will find our way.

~CSE

   

Supplying The Contrast

It never ceases to amaze me how many people cling to their politics--particularly spiritual people. If you mention anything that goes against what they believe and/or is something they don't want to hear they immediately react and have to argue why you're wrong. I have to confess, there are times when I rise to the bait even though I know better. Politics consistently supply the contrast we came to discover in this world of duality.

What does supplying the contrast mean exactly? Contrast is the play and pull between two seemingly different or even opposite things. Supplying the contrast means encountering a situation that places something new or different directly in our path. We then use these encounters to learn and grow. At least, that is the ultimate goal of the contrast.

We don't always choose to learn. On many occasions the contrast is so disturbing for us that we first get angry and then we shut down. We deny there is anything new for us to learn--we know it all and there is nothing here left to see. Of course, that is far from the truth. Anything that sets us off in such an extreme way is a valuable clue we have an issue that needs to be resolved.

My personal belief is that we come to this three-dimensional world to study this contrast and learn from it. We come from a place I like to call Oneness, where we are all connected and everything works together for the good of the whole. Because duality was created by separating out individual things (darkness from light, heavens from water, plants from animals from people, etc.) we are able to look at these pieces in new and interesting ways.

We have made the contrasts about separation itself. We look at those people and things that are different from us, and we push them away. It is too scary to accept those things we do not know and understand. The irony is, when we take the time to try to understand something different from ourselves, we end up learning that, deep down, we are truly one and the same.

The next time you encounter something you vehemently feel is wrong, sit back and ask yourself why you feel this way. Explore it. Ask different questions about it. Learn why it is important to someone else. You may just gain a whole new way of thinking that will expand and grow who you are in the world.

~CSE

   

The One Thing That Will Save Us

The savior mentality. It's pervasive in the world today. People are convinced one change will be the catalyst that will start us back on an uphill path. The thought is that, if we change to this different system or ask one certain person to lead us, the problems will begin to work themselves out. Therein lies the problem. No one institution or person can fix anything. Our problems are collective and require a collective solution.

I look at the Christian community from which I came. People there are waiting for Jesus to come back and save the day. He is supposed to gather up his elect and judge and punish those who persist in their evil. The problem as I see it is twofold. First of all, as humans we are all equal parts good and bad. How will that differentiate one group from another? (And don't use the programmed answered that only God or Jesus can judge!) This thinking is separation in motion. The second part is the fact they are counting on something outside themselves to save them rather than taking personal responsibility for the world's problems.

People also believe politics and politicians can save us. To me, this is the most ludicrous idea we've ever come up with! When have politicians or their political systems ever been solutions to the world's problems? Believing that capitalism will save us or socialism will save us is problematic because the perspectives are limited and don't take all angles or facets into account. If a politician does happen to have integrity, what he/she can do is limited because no one else does. Politics is a cooperative effort if anything is to be accomplished. Finally, we are once again looking for solutions to come from somewhere outside ourselves.

I honestly do believe there is one thing that will save us. What is that one thing, you ask? The one thing that has the potential to save us all is to learn to connect to all that IS--Oneness--by connecting to our hearts.  Oneness IS the collective consciousness. Consulting Oneness is about dropping our own personal egos and allowing ourselves to function in the collective. This Oneness will then allow us to understand what we can personally do to benefit the collective. It is when we act from this place that the magic will happen.

Direction from Oneness does not necessarily "make sense" to our programmed minds. Often what seems ludicrous to our rational (programmed) minds will eventually take us to the place where our actions benefit the collective. It is a very different way of thinking and acting, and one that most of us have been afraid to try (even though we do occasionally get inspiration from Oneness and act on it).

When we are finally willing to drop our egos and connect to Oneness, we work together in harmony. Our hearts and minds sync up as we allow ourselves to become One.

~CSE

    

Trusting The Divine

In some respects, my life was much easier when I was a Christian. I believed God had a plan for my life. I just sat back and watched it all unfold and accepted that what happened was supposed to happen for my benefit. All I needed to do was acknowledge him and try to live the sort of life the Bible prescribed. The positive aspect of this life was that I was able to live in a state of flow because I always trusted God had my back.

When I began to understand that religion had been put into place to control the masses, the foundation I had built my life on tumbled to the ground. Over time, I have been able to rebuild my life, but it has been a struggle. What I have fought with most is the concept of trust. As I no longer had a working definition for what God is, I struggled to trust something that I couldn't even define.

Trust is important for a smooth life. When you trust, it is much easier to survive the upsets because you understand they will pass and your life will get better once again. You know that some unseen force is standing behind you, enabling you to power on. When you lack trust, you are in the ultimate state of separation. You see yourself as the only thing you can rely on. When you fail, there is nothing else left to support you. You are alone in the world.

The truth is, we are all on this journey together. There are physical realms and spiritual realms, and we can connect with them any time we wish through intention because we are all connected. We are all One.

Life is not about living a life designed by something outside ourselves. Life is created by a force that flows through us and everything else. This force is us. Because all things are connected to it, all that IS works together to support us all. We are literally supported by everything! Trusting the divine becomes a matter of acknowledging our connection to all that IS and understanding we are fully supported by it.

~CSE

   

The Separation Mindset

If there's one thing that gets me about the conspiracy theory crowd, it's their tendency to determine who the "good" guys and the "bad" guys are in the overall scheme of things. Who is helping our planet? Who is hurting our planet? Who are we going to throw our support behind? The fact of the matter is, this is the separation mindset and we cannot fix the world's problems from that place.

What if I told you that we are all here to fix the planet? How can destructive people be here to help fix the planet, you ask? People who do seemingly negative or destructive things are here to supply contrast. They are here to wreak so much havoc they wake up the most stubborn and resistant couch potatoes on the planet!

I have to confess, I am a fan of the Gospel of Judas. This uncannonized book is the story of Judas, the character the Bible blames for betraying Jesus to authorities, and it sheds a very different light on his life. Instead of being the betrayer, Judas tells the authorities who Jesus was because Jesus asked him to. This was done (supposedly) so that Jesus' life would go according to plan--the bad bringing about the good and desired outcome.

We are spiritual beings having a human experience. This human experience is not meant to be perfect. It is meant to be sticky, dirty and disagreeable. It is these "negative" experiences that supply the contrast we need to thoroughly understand each element in its individuality. This means exploring both sides of the spectrum--the bad and the good. In the grand scheme of things, there is no bad even though in our 3D existence we believe there are bad things. In Oneness, the contrast is evened out to the point where everything is joy.

As long as we focus on good, bad, and choosing sides, we are stuck in the separation mindset. This separation mindset keeps us from working together and creating the solutions we need to heal the planet. It keeps us from remembering that we are all One.

The answers lie within. Learn to drop the idea of blame and follow the direction of the heart. The separation mindset will become a thing of the past. We can retain the lesson, all the while healing ourselves and the planet.

~CSE

Identifying Judgment

We all live in judgment. I have spent the past several years trying to identify the judgment I carry around in order to let go of it. Why? Judgment is all about separation. In my quest to BE unconditional love, I do not want there to be anything that stands in my way, especially myself and my ego.

I'm going to pick on vegans to illustrate my point about judgment. Understand there are vegans out there who do not fall into this category, and I am really not trying to badmouth any vegan's goals or life choices. I honestly appreciate the fact they do not want to harm animals. There is definitely value in this point of view.

What gets me about vegans is you almost always know they are vegans. They shun all animal products--including clothing--and are usually very vocal about why. Why am I using vegans to illustrate my point about judgment? Vegans are a group that often hold the idea they are superior because of their vegan standards. This is why many vegans become activists. They want to push their judgment onto everyone else. They want you to know what an awful murderer you are because you eat their friends.

I have found most of my personal judgment revolves around my very Christian upbringing. Even with all the time and effort I have put into overcoming my judgment, I still feel twinges of judgment when I run into someone who does something my background has taught me is a "sin".

How do I know I have run into judgment? I know because I feel myself holding back from someone or something else. I do not freely exchange energy with them. I do not love them unconditionally. While this might seem like self-preservation at times, I don't believe the ultimate goal for our lives here on Earth is separation.

When we learn to identify the judgment we carry around, we can sit with it and allow it. In doing so, we are able to accept all those things considered bad or good in ourselves and others. Ultimately, it leads us back to our hearts. It leads us back to unconditional love. It leads us to Oneness. It leads us home.

~CSE

   

Why We're Here

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once wrote,

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

To me, the difference in the two statements is profound. The first statement places us firmly in an imperfect state with perfection as the goal. The second acknowledges our perfection and our desire to play and experiment in a messy world.

If you haven't figured it out yet, this human life is not about perfection. It is complicated. It is chaotic. There are times we jump out of the frying pan directly into the fire. While there can be big rewards there can also be massive failures. It's all part of the process. It's what we signed up for!

That's right. We signed up for this! As crazy as it sounds, we signed up for this pain and nastiness! Why? We signed up because we wanted to learn what it was like to experience everything in the Oneness through the experience of individuality. This life of individuality, or duality as it is called, is the perfect vehicle to experience those things we already knew in unfamiliar and different ways.

Our 3D existence is a world of separation. I find the creation story in the Bible fascinating in regards to this concept. In the first book in the first chapter (Genesis, Chapter 1), it describes how God began pulling individual things out of what exists. He said, "Let there be light," and he separated it from the darkness. He continues to separate the heaven from the earth, the waters from the land, and then begins to pull plants and animals and even people out of the Void (or Oneness as I like to call it).

When we chose to experience this mess, we knew it would be a rough ride. We knew there was the potential to experience profound joy. We also understood that it could develop our souls in profound and unique ways. We believed the journey was worth it.

Understand that whatever good or bad you are experiencing now is all part of that process. Be thankful that you have been given such an opportunity and have made it this far! There is a beauty and richness that comes from traveling through dark places that you would never have fully understood without this experience. This is why we're here.

~CSE

Hope For The Future

Christmas has always been a happy time for me. Being raised in a Christian home, it was always a cause for celebration. Christmas carols. Holiday treats. Special programs at church to prepare for. I especially loved it when my mom unwrapped and set up the porcelain nativity set that my Grandma Shippy had made for her. I would spend hours looking at it and rearranging it every Christmas season. It reminded me of the story of Jesus birth and its message of hope. To this day, I love nativity sets and have a small collection that I bring out every year.

Even though I know the mythology of Jesus birth, I also understand that Jesus was a very powerful teacher of light. In many ways, I can relate to being born into a world that doesn't quite get me. I struggle every day, knowing people are still caught up in a system of false beliefs that keep them enslaved. I know I came to help. What is frustrating to me is knowing the only way people can be freed is when they are willing to step up and save themselves.

Fortunately, there are misfits like me all over the planet. They, too, struggle to help others understand the part they play in the bigger picture. These misfits know their own part of the plan and are working to overcome the darkness that has spent millenia overwhelming the planet. Although progress is slow, it is being made. The number of people that wake up to this new reality grows every day. Although we still have a long way to go, we continue to forge ahead. I know I am here to change the world. If you are reading this, you are also here to change the world.

There is so much hope for the future. Together, we have the power create a place we all want to live in. Together, we can build the world of our dreams.

~CSE

   

The Importance Of The Gospel of Judas

In the 1970's, a deteriorating papyrus document appeared at an antiquities shop in Egypt. Written in Coptic and dating to around AD 280 (according to radiocarbon testing), the document, known as the Gospel of Judas, told the story of Jesus and his disciple Judas from a very different perspective. As the story goes, instead of betraying Jesus for money, Judas was asked by Jesus to let leaders know of his whereabouts so his destiny of dying would be fulfilled.

The whole idea that Jesus asked Judas to betray him goes against pretty much every Christian philosophy believed in the present day. Yes, it was supposed to happen, but Jesus didn't make it happen. Judas was just a bad guy for performing such a dastardly deed and will burn in the pits of hell forever. That, of course, fits into the whole good/bad, right/wrong philosophy we are taught is the basis of our existence, otherwise known as duality. We're all supposed to be standing for good and fighting evil, right?

What if there is another way? What if the Gospel of Judas is trying to reveal something more about the divine nature of man? In my way of thinking, the Gospel of Judas imparts some extremely profound teachings about the nature of Oneness.

Going back to the cannonized Bible, there are several places where believers are instructed to give thanks in all things, which I have to believe includes the "bad" things right along with the "good". If you live your life from a right/wrong, good/bad belief system, the idea seems pretty counterintuitive.

The first time I was able to visit Oneness, one very powerful thing stood out to me. Everything I had ever known was in this place--people, plants, the Earth, cars, buildings, songs, paintings, money, emotions, etc. Many of these things were what I had always considered to be "bad", yet there they were in this place of Oneness where everything melded together in blissful perfection. In Oneness, there was no bad. In Oneness, it made perfect sense to be thankful for all things!

The Gospel of Judas portrays a belief system where there is no judgment. A circumstance that appears bad or negative (Jesus death) was necessary for the eventual salvation of man (the resurrection). Jesus, through Judas, made sure it happened. No duality. Just everything working together for the benefit of the whole. Oneness.

I can't say whether or not the Gospel of Judas is history or mythology. I can't even tell you for sure Jesus had a near death experience. What I can say is this: the Book of Judas allows us to see an alternative to duality. When we can appreciate the concept that all things work together for good, we will have traded duality for Oneness.

~CSE

Ascension, the Rapture, and Spirituality

There is a popular New Age principle referred to as Ascension. In one form or another, it hints at a human's potential for upward expansion. While there are many versions of what is supposed to happen in this process, the most disturbing to me is the thought that certain people have made more progress than others. In this version of ascension, those who have made it to a certain stage of development by an unspecified date will magically enter a much higher realm. After all, those who are ready to ascend have such different frequencies than those still asleep. They no longer need to deal with the problems average mortals face!

Ironically, this particular idea of Ascension reminds me heavily of the Christian concept of the Rapture. The Rapture is supposedly the time when Christ returns back to earth. He will gather his believers to him and save them from the great tribulation that will fall on those left behind. Become a good Christian and you too will be saved from a potentially terrible fate!

What bothers me about these two concepts is judgment. In Ascension, those who have learned enough to overcome the limitations of society will go on to a place free from those who cannot handle it. In the Rapture, people are judged by God and if found to be following the precepts He has laid out will be separated out and spared from potential pain. In either scenario, there are standards to be followed which will determine whether or not you make the cut. To me, both ideas scream separation and ego--not very spiritual ideas in my book.

I would offer up an alternative view of Ascension. I see Ascension as a learning process. While we may be at different stages of growth and development, it is not about making any cut or adhering to any standard. It is about learning to deal with your pain and your obstacles in ways to keep you moving forward. We all backslide at times, and that is part of the process. Beings are not singled out for punishment or accolades. Rather, each individual success is a success for the greater whole. Ascension is ever changing, progressive. It has nothing to do with ego and everything to do with Oneness.

If your principles on spirituality result in leaving people out, might I suggest you try looking at them from a different angle? Ask yourself if you would really be happy with part of your family or friends left behind? It would be as if part of yourself was left behind (and indeed it would be exactly that).

We're all on this human journey together. When we understand how to live and work together, we will be on the road to Ascension. When we are unwilling to leave anyone behind, we will have arrived in the promised land!

~CSE

The Will Of God IS Your Will

I'm going to share a little secret with you today: the will of God/Source IS your will!

In many cultures, we have been programmed to believe that God/Source is something separate from ourselves. He is also all-knowing and all-powerful. Consequently, God knows what is best for each and every one of us and it is important to defer to his infinite wisdom in all situations. Many of us are all too willing to leave the planning all up to him (and consequently to those who desire our power for their own use).

The thing is, we are not separate from God. God/Source is in us and through us as we are in him. It is illusion that keeps us thinking and believing we are separate entities unto ourselves! The thought that we are separate has been given to us so we willingly give up our own innate power and allow it to be used by others who crave power.

Religion is a funny thing. It was instituted to keep We the People separate from Source and consequently under control through focusing our attention on something "higher" than themselves. The irony is, there are times when believers are able to drop the barriers that separate them long enough to discover their true connection to God! Remembering this God connection is what makes them come back to the religion that was designed to keep them away from God!!! This was definitely not the outcome the controllers wanted!!!

Now, back to the will of God/Source being your will. Sit back for a few minutes and focus on your heart. Do you feel its strength and power radiating out to the world around you? Can you feel its energetic connections?

Ask yourself the following questions. Are you connected to the world around you? Are you connected to God/Source? What are those things you can do in this moment that bring you joy and make you happy? Are those things separate from God? Do those things draw you closer to your Source or farther away from it?

If you are in God and God is in you, your will and the will of God are ONE. Understand that by following your heart--the place where that connection lives--you are following the will of the One.

~CSE

The Lesson Of Duality

The creation story in the Bible intrigues me. The following is the first chapter of Genesis (KJV):

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Notice the use of the word divide. This is important!!!

What was the state of the world before it was created as we know it at present? The creation story talks about God having to divide, or separate, things from one another in order to create the world we know!!! It stands to reason if you create by separating, everything began as ONE thing!!!

Pretend everything that exists can be contained in a single piece of clay. The artist, some force or energy, removes a piece of the clay and shapes it into an object. The artist continues to remove pieces from the clay and mold them into various forms until the entire piece of clay has been used. Even though the clay has been separated into an endless supply of tiny pieces, each piece is still a part of that infinite piece of clay. Every piece contains exactly the same physical composition of elements, yet each one is an expression of its own unique self.

Our experiences in this dimension, timeline and place are adventures in this state of separation. Many know this state as duality. Duality is a gift we are given that allows us to experience ourselves and each other in new and profound ways.

The lessons of duality are not easy. We experience pain and suffering on a regular basis. There are times we hurt so much we long for escape. The other side of that coin is we also experience very different aspects of Oneness--things like love, joy and peace. Ironically, all these things and more have been separated out from the same piece of clay!!!

We are here to experience all aspects of Oneness in their own unique and varied forms. Most days we forget this and attempt to stay away from parts and pieces of ourselves we judge as "bad" or "evil". Many times, we don't even recognize these dark aspects of ourselves are really us.

Living in flow requires living in a state of balance. It has never been about separation but rather about understanding the uniqueness of each thing and appreciating the contrast. It is important to not let one thing dominate or control others. Extremism in any form creates unnecessary problems.

We live in a world of separation in order to experience a new way of being, a new form of expression. When we learn to balance the elements contained therein, we once again fall into a state of peaceful coexistence. We understand how to live as One. This is the lesson of duality.

~CSE

Get Grounded And Focus On The Prize!!!

I often use my own life as a barometer of sorts to gauge what is going on in the rest of the world. Strong empathy can often be internalized and manifest in the empath's own life. What I'm getting for myself (and for you) is to get grounded and focus on the prize!!!

There are so many distractions surrounding us. Entertainments to dull the mind. Fears over perceived threats of terrorism and potential government coups. Busy schedules that keep us occupied running on the hamster wheel. This combination is enough to cause overwhelm in the average person.

What do I mean by get grounded and focus on the prize? Now more than ever, it is important to get a handle on your thoughts and emotions. We do this by focusing in on the heart. We do this by taking the time to remember that infinite connection we have with God/Source, Mother Earth, and all of creation. If you have a particular meditation or activity you like to engage in, now is the time to use it!!! If you are still new to the process or need some ideas to connect, you can read over one easy process (Connecting To Heart) or connect to my blog page titled "Getting Started". Find some uplifting music to listen to. Take a walk in the woods or on the beach. Watch the sunrise or sunset. Do whatever it takes to calm your mind and listen to that still small voice of the One within!

It is important that we not get lost in the details of events taking place around us. This is how we lose ourselves to fear. This is how we lose ourselves to thoughtlessness. The stakes are high for the powers that be right now. They are pulling out all the stops in order to try to maintain their control. Understand this: They are LOSING!!! The more we are able to connect to the Oneness within our own hearts, the less likely they will be to continue to control us. We can be strong. We will not be moved.

Once you are grounded, focus on the prize!!! Hold on to that view of the world you want to see manifested!!! Envision the world as it exists free from poverty, disease, and violence. Feel the abundance and peace Mother Earth wants to provide for all of us. This world is on its way, but the more we are able to see it, feel it, even taste it, the more quickly it will appear!!!

The butterfly is indeed emerging from her prison of darkness!!! It is time for her to shake off her shackles, spread her beautiful wings and fly!!! Ground yourself and focus on the prize!!!

~CSE

Experiencing Oneness

It was a clear, crisp fall day when my family and I arrived at the site of our church retreat. We arrived late as we had a few unexpected delays after work, but we were there! I had been looking forward to getting together with this particular group of friends for quite some time. I knew them to be a people who were actively seeking relationship with the Divine, and there was great power when they got together. 

We walked in to the middle of the opening service. The group was sitting in meditative silence, listening to soft, worshipful music when we arrived. I could feel the power as soon as I walked in the door. I knew they would be sitting this way for quite some time, so I immediately sat down allowed myself to be drawn into meditation.

I had been learning a new technique to get inside my heart and expand my being so I could better experience the energies around me. As I sat in this silent state with people around me all seeking the same thing, I allowed the power of the group to assist my personal journey.

I calmed myself, focused on my breathing and my heartbeat, and pictured my spirit totally centered in my heart. I then allowed my spirit to expand itself to the confines of the room...the retreat center...the county I was in...the state of Georgia...the United States...the continent...the hemisphere...the whole earth...and then I allowed my being to expand infinitely in all directions without limit.

The place I arrived at was totally unexpected, but infinitely profound. It's a place I have since begun to call Oneness because everything was present. I found myself exploring the world in very intimate ways. Absolutely everything I had ever known about in this lifetime, and everything I never knew existed, lived in this place. I explored the Mona Lisa and the Taj Mahal. I became one tiny blade of grass, and I enjoyed the happiness it felt at its contribution to the earth. I felt the energies of people and animals and emotions. It surprised me to discover that all emotions--even the ones we consider negative like hate and sadness--were present here. The truly odd thing was that those emotions we consider negative were not negative in this place of Oneness. The overall feeling was one of happiness and joy. 

Perhaps the most profound experience for me in this place of Oneness was my experience with money. In this life, I have felt very separate from money. Consequently, I have not had very much of it. In the place of Oneness, I understood that I am one with everything, and money is part of everything. I am not separate from money! I felt the frequency of money so powerfully I could feel it communicating with me. I could feel its sadness at my perception that I was separate from it. I felt that it loved me and wanted to be part of my life but we had been kept apart because I my perception of separateness. Yes, these are rather strange thoughts to be thinking, but the rules of Oneness are vastly different from the rules we believe to exist here on planet Earth.

In the years since, I have gone back to this place as frequently as I could, although never as powerfully as I did that profound weekend. My initial experience was definitely assisted by the power of the group of people I was with, who had all come together for the single purpose of relationship. 

I believe each one of us can tap into that same power, although the more of us that come together in united purpose, the greater our ability to change the course of the planet for the better. This is exactly why I begin my monthly online radio shows with a meditation. It is my goal to not only go to this place of Oneness myself, but I also desire to help others attain this as well. There is so much information, wisdom and truth we can access from Oneness!!! For me, it is a much better and more profound way to live.

In the chaos that surrounds us, I encourage you to seek out this place of Oneness for yourself. Not only will it change your life, but the lives of all those you come into contact with will be infinitely changed is you learn to express your most beautiful, divine self!!!

~CSE

Identity

Who I am? What is my purpose? Where do I fit in? Where do I belong? These are the sorts of questions we ask ourselves when trying to figure out how to operate in our daily lives. We go through a long process of assessing our skills, talents, interests, beliefs, etc. with the idea that this will help us find our place in the world. What strikes me this morning about the process is that we are trained to identify ourselves through our separateness instead of our Oneness.

Take the concept of competition. We are taught that competition is a good thing. As a species, we have supposedly survived because of our nature to overcome the elements, the earth, other animals and even other men. This makes us better and stronger. It weeds out the weak. Very often competition becomes a way we rank ourselves so we know where in the pecking order we all stack up.

Another concept we are taught to idealize is the concept of the "self-made" man. Having the ability to create a successful life when starting out with nothing is a very desirable thing. This means you were exceptionally smart and hardworking and had the ability to overcome disadvantage. 

We are also conditioned to identify ourselves through the groups we are part of. You have your religious group (or lack thereof). You have your country, ethnicity, gender, political party, sexual preference, etc. to bond with. However, we are also encouraged to stay within the confines of these groups and oppose any and all who are different. 

While I don't believe these ideas are bad, I do believe they are used to make us focus on our own separateness. The problem lies in the fact that when we are separate we are cut off from our own power, and often this power is placed into the hands of people who have no integrity. Wonder why our world is so screwed up? Look at those who hold our power!!!

Identifying ourselves with Oneness is a very different matter. When we see ourselves as part of everything, we understand that everything we do has consequences. We begin to live with integrity because we understand that the actions we take effect the whole organism. We look for ways we can all succeed, which means cooperation. Instead of using differences to separate ourselves we use our differences to perform all the various useful and necessary functions that help the One thrive.

The outlook we use to frame our identities will ultimately destroy the world or heal it. Choose wisely. The lives we save will be our own.

~CSE