Buckle Up 4 Bowman!!!

Almost one year ago, Bowman Mills, the son of a very dear friend of mine, lost his life in a tragic car accident. It was a rollover accident Bowman probably would have survived if he had made a different choice: the choice to buckle up his seat belt.

I would like to invite you to wear purple tomorrow (May 8th, 2015) in memory of Bowman and to take the time to Buckle Up 4 Bowman as you drive to and from your activities! It may just save your life!!!

Laughter Is Good For the Soul!!!

Whatever you do, do not upset a woman (even a little one)!!!

Don't forget to SMILE!!!

Letting Go And Letting God

I've spent a great deal of time lately analyzing why I want to get back to certain aspects of my Christian roots. The truth is, I had some extremely powerful experiences that made me feel connected--made me feel as though I was part of something more than just me, and I like that feeling. It is something I do not want to lose. What stops me from turning myself over to this feeling is the thought that I may no longer be in control of "me" anymore.

My problem has always been that I think too much. I spend way too much time with my thought processes--too much time in my head. I allow myself to dwell in the space where my separate self lives, when what my heart longs for is to be connected once again.

My head cries out, "Don't do it! It's a trap!!!"

My heart says, "Come back to me and live from this place of Oneness."

My Christian roots allowed me to live from this place of the heart even though I believed God was better than me--a lowly sinner. I was connected. I felt guided by purpose. I felt protected. I felt loved. When I was connected to the One, I could draw on all the resources contained therein.

I also believed I was a poor sinner who needed saving.

As I look back on these feelings and beliefs, one thing becomes crystal clear. The powerful connection I felt was not one where I saw myself as nothing. I was One with all. Because I was connected, I could literally do anything. Be anything.

I don't have to analyze the thought processes in order to live from that place. I just have to allow myself to let my mind go and live from my heart--live from the place where God exists in Oneness.

Letting go and letting God is allowing yourself to fully let go of your separateness. By doing so, you once again come back into the presence of perfect power, perfect joy, perfect peace, perfect love. You know the mind of the One because you are the mind of the One, and that is more than enough.

~CSE

Laughter Is Good For the Soul!!!

This is a clip from a Canadian comedy called "This Hour Has 22 Minutes". Nothing like some Angry Yoga to get the blood flowing (and the body laughing)!!!

Don't forget to SMILE!!!

Who Our Children Truly Are

I have a granddaughter. As a grandparent, I naturally think she is brilliant. She is also almost two and fiercely independent and stubborn. Very often she becomes frustrated by the limitations we place on her in order to keep her safe. As responsible adults, it is up to us to care for our young ones and guide them into the paths that will lead them to becoming successful adults. At least, this is our perception. Is it our job to mold and shape our children? The more I ponder the question, the more unlikely it seems.

I have always believed we were fully formed spirits before we came to this human experience. If that is true, what makes me think I have anything to offer one of these small humans? Yes, it is my responsibility to protect them to the best of my ability. I also believe it is a good thing to nurture them in such a way that their talents and abilities are enhanced. The thing is, children are not globs of clay that need to be twisted and molded into our ways of thinking and our ways of life.

Children are spirits that have come to earth to explore, to create, to experience. They are not smaller versions of ourselves, nor are they extensions of us. Children come to earth with their own life missions and life purposes. They come with jobs to do!

As parents, we often believe good parenting involves helping them learn to cope in society. The thing is, there is a fine line between teaching them the rules and forcing them to become someone they are not. Often our definition of successful parenting is helping them conform.

When I look at my granddaughter, I don't just see a little person who needs training. I see personality. I see emerging talents, skills, and interests. I see unlimited potential--unlimited giftedness. She has a job to do. My job is to not interfere.

Children are here to make their own mark on the world. The question is, will you help them or will you force them into a system that may not be in their best interests? What if part of that child's job is to help you?

Who do you see when you look at a child? The answer may have consequences that extend far past what you currently see. Understand that each soul is a fully formed spirit and work from that place.

~CSE

Laughter Is Good For the Soul!!!

I love Angry Cat!!!

Don't forget to SMILE!!!

Speaking In Tongues

I'll be the first to admit this sounds like a strange topic for this particular forum, but it has come to my attention for several days now and I feel it is worthy of discussion. This is a phenomenon I have personal experience with. Although my interpretations of the experience have now changed because of my different perspective of life, I cannot invalidate what happened (and still occasionally does).

Years ago when I was going through a very painful divorce and looking to fill the void, my Christian background was there to help put me back together. I had quite a few experiences which led me to feel the charasmatic experience of speaking in tongues was something I wanted to explore. After searching and praying for answers, I was able to get to the point where I allowed myself to speak in tongues. I say allowed myself because it had truly been me stopping me.

My small church group had been working with another church group to develop spiritual gifts. Toward the end of the last service, they began praying for us to receive the gift of tongues. First one, then another began speaking in languages unknown (and I do believe they were languages and not just gibberish). Words formed in me that my mind could not understand although my heart could. When the words left my lips, it felt as though a floodgate had opened and stuff just started pouring out. 

My first statements in this new language were pretty much me getting after God, asking him why he had let me go so long without being able to communicate with him like this. I wasn't hysterical, but almost. My friend Jody, who was also speaking in tongues, came over to me and kept saying, "Calm down. You're here now and that's what matters." My heart understood that was what she was saying. At that point, another woman from the church group who was doing the spiritual development class came over to us and spoke the interpretation (which was just what I knew Jody to be saying).

From that point on, I was speaking in tongues. Even as they closed out the service with a prayer, I was still allowing the words to pour out from my mouth (although just as a breath so as not to disrupt what was going on for others). Part of it was fear that I wouldn't be able to remember how to use the tongues again if I stopped now. The larger part, however, understood something much more power was going on. Even though I did not understand the words I was praying, I knew that I was praying for people I knew. I received pictures in my mind of everyone I was praying for while I prayed for them.

I literally felt as though I was praying for every person I had ever known in this lifetime. My prayer lasted somewhere between two and three days. (Not kidding!) I made the motions of sleep and ate minimally while I did my usual household chores and took care of the kids, but there was a constant dialogue that came out of my mouth that whole time. What intrigued me most was when I prayed for Jeff Lundgren, the leader of the cult group I had been part of when I was nineteen. Most of the prayers I prayed for people lasted only a minute or two. The prayer I prayed for Jeff lasted between two and three hours. I didn't know exactly what I was praying over him, but I did have the feeling I was praying for his soul.

Even though I no longer identify myself as a Christian (I do believe myself to be a Christ follower), I cannot invalidate this experience. I do interpret it differently now than I did when it first happened but it continues to be a powerful learning experience for me.

Do I advocate speaking in tongues? Not especially. If your heart guides you to the experience, then by all means go for it! One word of caution though. I believe the tongues that I speak are actually languages I used in former lifetimes. My heart tells me there is a form of tongues you do not want to use. In this form of tongues, it is not you speaking from your heart. It is one of the entities you carry around doing to speaking, and this can contain negative language and curses your probably don't want to see manifest.

If you are interested in the topic, I can recommend a book that is a great informational book (one I read when I was exploring the subject): They Speak With Other Tongues, by John Sherrill. While it is from a Christian perspective, the experiences that happened to the author and his wife when they explored the topic are insightful and intriguing.

As you continue to tap into the connection of your heart (and the wisdom contained therein), understand there will be new avenues to explore. Do not be afraid to follow them even if they are out of the ordinary. They just may be the key to new awareness and understandings.

~CSE