Leo Tolstoy on God

LEO TOLSTOY ON GOD: "When you look inside yourself, you see what is called 'your own self' or your soul. You cannot touch it or see it or understand it, but you know it is there. And this part of yourself--that which you cannot understand--is what is called God. God is both around us and inside of us--in our souls.

The more you understand that you are at one with God, the more you will understand that you are at one with all His worldly manifestations."

Sunday, February 3, 2008

"Don't Die With the Music Still in YOU!"

One of my very best friend called me early yesterday morning. It wasn't quite that early here...and later in Chicago, where she lives. But for her, it was very early. If I know anything about my friend, Thenia (Parthenia), it is that she loves to sleep. Her husband and I laugh all the time because "our girl loves to sleep."

But yesterday, she must have woken up early because she had a purpose! She wanted to talk to me...to tell me that no matter what life and people in their humanity threw at me...that I should never, ever give up. I could hear the tears she tried to hold back in her voice, as she tried in her own passionate way to tell me that I had all it takes to go on believing and doing and dreaming and being...whatever! She knew I was very okay...but for some reason, her Spirit must have talked to her because she had that urgency to tell me. She'd called me on my home number, and I didn't answer. So, she called me on my cell and that woke me up, after she'd hung up!

I don't know what within her Spirit inspired her to call me with such urgency. But I listened. I thought.

My life has zigzagged all kinds of ways. But the constant has been my desire to communicate to people. I never realized fully until today when I listened to my favorite motivational speaker/preacher, Joel Osteen, on USA...that beyond being my career field, Communicating is indeed my purpose!

I did my undergraduate work in Speech Communications and my graduate work in Journalism. Did I KNOW then that "communicating" was my purpose in life? No. But my
Spirit knew! For in life, there are NO accidents!

I grew into my desire to communicate and keep communicating to people.

If you've ever been in my presence for more than an hour, you'd know how
I can't go for too long without talking...about something...about life...
about anything currently on my mind or your mind. I like to communicate in speech..

Then, if you really, really know me, then you'd know that there are those times when I don't want to talk at all! I just want to lock myself away and write...and write...and write...or just be Silent and by myself. Writing and Being Silent
are also big communications favorites for me!

Joel Osteen today said that we must ALL have a purpose in life! Every day, we must wake up with "something to do." Without a purpose, he says, we wither and die! He cited several examples of older people who lived longer by having a purpose. He also spoke of people who were more than 100 years old and still had all their mental faculties because they'd always had a purpose: doing crossword puzzles! Even a simple purpose, Osteen said, like waking up to take your walk or saying "hello" each
day to the mailman can be a purpose for the very old!

So, today, I urge all of you...even if you don't have a champion like I have in my best friend Thenia, my friend Jim, my friends Alain and Michelle...to keep on believing in your dreams! Decide TODAY that you're never going to die with your dreams unfilfilled!

To stay active and on purpose, get active...get passionate about something...politics...people...your kids ...your grandkids...

Decide that you're going to fulfill each one of your dreams! But please...don't do like so many... die with the music still in them.

Listen to your Spirit! It's calling your name to not wither and die!

Osteen today cited people who decided at age 50 that they were "old," even though "we didn't bury them until they were 80!" Thirty wasted years being "old" and lots and lots of music still in them.

My friend, Thenia, and you others: don't worry, I'll never die with music still left in ME!

I challenge you to find your Music today!

Live your purpose!

Namaste',

Che'

1 comment:

cjansnow said...

Che',
I totally feel what you are saying about not allowing the dream to die within us. I am from Alabama which is known for many things and racism is one of the reputations of the state. I have spent years trying to heal from my intense hatred or hurt because of the things which I experienced as well as stories shared with me by my family. Feelings such as these hinder our dreams from being fulfilled. I have been struggling trying to acheive what I desire and dream about, but spirit also compels me to deal with these issues. Barack Obama has been an instrument in my healing. I attended a rally a few days ago and listened to him speak. I observed a sea of people of all ages, races, orientations, gender, etc. supporting this man with faces filled with hope of change. I stood near a 75 year old white woman with my daughter who is 16 and watched the two of them comfort one another while listening to this man speak. I was touched and healed. I know that God had divine purpose for my being there because my spirit has been renewed. Some people say that Obama is a movement and not just about a Black man wanting to be president. I believe him to be such now. I trust him and I am encouraged by these people of all ethnic groups joining together for the cause of CHANGE> I know and I am assured that God is blessing me right now and fulfilling every prayer I have prayed. This is the time to awaken everything that was endowed within us by God. This is the time for purpose connected with Spirit to reign within our lives and it flow throughout the world!

Personal Authenticity: "To Thine Own Self Be True"...

"To Thine Own Self Be True and it must follow as the night, the day, Thou canst not then be false to ANY man."
William Shakespeare.