Fly High! Know You're Never Alone

Photo Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

"...our God is a God of second chances, fresh starts, and new beginnings. I love Mondays, because each Monday is a new beginning--a fresh start! God gives us Mondays, and New Year's day and birthdays, and every single one represents a new blessing and a new beginning."

-Excerpt from"Rediscover Jesus: An Invitation," a 40-day devotional, from Advent to Lent,  being distributed in Catholic churches throughout the United States. "Rediscover Jesus," was written by New York Times Best-Selling Author Matthew Kelly.

The New Year brings such feelings of Joy, Hope and Renewal.

We plan new activities and try to activate those plans we'd not quite completed, or even started, the year before.

All around us, the air is tinged with hope and promises of a new dawn... a new day. Strangers and friends alike are crisp, brimming with the brightness and freshness of new beginnings.

I'm joining wholeheartedly in these celebrations. I'm enjoying this heightened state of awareness, as we become conscious to the fact that the next 360-plus days are in our hands to mold, and fold, as we see fit. We get to create completely new beginnings!

How is it that we begin each year from such a height, then often end it with such a thud? At the end of the old year, many of us are anxious to leave it behind, grateful for an opportunity to start anew...

As we grow forward on the calendar of years, this becomes a normal state, year after year...

And exactly, what does our Soul say to this phenomenon? 

If I were to make a guess, I'd say our Soul is celebrating, too, and anxious for us "to come up higher" in years... if this means that we would then come up higher in our view of things.
Were I to make a wild guess, I believe our Soul longs for us to age...to get wiser.and to understand all of its secrets.

Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horitcultura

Our Soul is patient. It knows that wisdom takes times. So it, too, gets into a Spirit of celebration with us with each new passing year, as we grow in consciousness and can claim more experiences and the concomitant wisdom for ourselves.

You see, our Soul knows that it takes a certain amount of living...a certain amount of years...for most of us to begin to pay attention to things beyond what our eyes can see and our ears can hear. (Listen and be inspired by this 92 year old woman."Rosey Inspires Us About Aging...") 

Our Soul knows that even though all along, we're sensing "something" behind the curtain of life, we've never dared peek. So busy are we trying to conform and live up to the expectations of family, friends, neighbors, community and the world.  So busy are we trying to figure out the next right move to make to reach that million-dollar savings goal, or saving for the next fabulous car or house to buy, or the next great job that would seal our future and our fate.

Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horitcultura

Our Soul knows the process of our evolution, and it's patient.

It waits.

It knows that as time begins to move seemingly more rapidly for us, we begin to slow down and pay more attention. After we've reached and shrived and reached and shrived, we begin to feel like an empty rocking chair: lots of swinging but no real movement forward. So then we begin to crave wanting to know and uncover "the promise," and the real secret to life.

Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horitcultura

For some, the joy we feel at the start of the year comes from anticipation that somehow...in some way...this year...this very year...we'll unlock the elixir to life and have all of its sweetness flow to us.

Like the birds in the air...like the leaves on a tree... we long to be free...

We want to know the secret behind our being in a place and in space that we know is not our permanent home...We long to know: Why am I here? WHY am I here?

The urgency of finding an answer becomes more intense as we age. 

Credit: Mentors' Channel

So, then, how can we capture the Joy, Excitement, and Promise of a new year and package it into a bottle to make it last all of this year.. and the next... and the next?

                      "Really, my dears, it's so elementary..."

• Stay with your consciousness. 
• Stay with the flow of life that comes at you in each moment. 
• Don't go beyond that moment.
• Put worry aside and stick only with the moment. Give it the best of all that you have and take from it all that it offers. 
• BE GRATEFUL THROUGH IT ALL. 
• Do the next right thing...consciously.
• Always choose to do in the moment what will best serve both you and others.
• Do not be self-focused; be "us" focused, even when with strangers. (In a challenging situation, ask: What is best for us all in this moment?") 
• Become consciously aware of your thoughts and your actions.



Credit: Law of Attraction

• Then reach for the next
  BEST moment...and......the next and the next and the next.

And as you do so, a new life will begin to unfold for you.

I'm not suggesting that you tear up your bright and exciting plans.

What I am suggesting, though, is that you hold those plans out from you...like a vision.
Begin to see yourself IN the plans, living and doing and being, in the "plans," the way
you expect and want to be.

So, instead of the plans being "inactive," make them an active part of your life. Every time you think of the plans, see yourself actually living them.

Credit: Mentors' Channel

And....do not try to figure out how you're going to get from there to there to here. Just follow the steps you're guided to take.

Moving through moment by moment, giving to each the best that you've got, and holding out your plans as a vision: you will be free.

Credit: Mentors' Channel

  You will be free!

Along the way of living in the moments, I hope, trust and pray that you stop in and check inside...
that you begin to allow yourself peeks behind the curtain of personality...into your Soul.

Credit: Mentors' Channel

As you reach in, through meditation and/or prayer, you will find it reaches out and pulls you in more and more.

It's there with you each moment ...each and every moment...in every way in every day.

Get to know it. Give a silent "Thank You" as often as you can!

As you try to fly and be free, do so in the comfort of knowing that you are NOT alone.

Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

You are never alone.



[ABOUT THE TREES: Tule is of Mexican origin. It takes 25-30 people to cover the diameter of the trunk. The average weight of these is about 600 tons.]

Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

Uncover this secret in 2016, and you've got wisdom of the trees and the elixir for life.


Have an awesome 2016!

Namaste',

Che'      

       

Find Your Way Back Home...This Holiday Season!

“If Light Is In Your Heart, You will Find Your Way Back Home."― Rumi

Photo Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horitcultura

Many of us may have wept when we first heard the story of The Prodigal Son. What we may not know is that in some ways, we also are expressing the same behaviors as the prodigal son. It's this absence from home that makes some of us weep...

We've been absent from "home" for too long! This holiday season, I invite you to find your way back "home," where you'll find your Father anxiously awaiting your return. In fact, he has kept the lights on to help you make your way through the darkness.

Please make an attempt to  go home!

You don't need money for the journey. All you need is to make the decision that you are going to start the return journey home ...this holiday season...this month. 

It's time...it simply is time to go home!!! 

My prayer for all of you, no matter where you are as you read this message, is to heed the call. You know you hear it... just don't delay. 

You see, I know how much delaying can cost you; like you, I was a Prodigal Daughter.

I left my home of Comfort, Warmth, Love and all the security in life, and I headed off "for a far country."

I went searching for years. I walked through many peaks and valleys. I was sure that the more I traveled, the closer I was getting to my destination. I met all sorts of beautiful Souls to accompany me on the road. Their chatter and guidance kept me persevering anytime I thought I was lost.

I met people...many other people...who like me were on a journey away from their home. We huddled together for comfort. We drew close to the brightest fires that beckoned, not necessarily providing the greatest warmth. But we drew close. We wanted to believe in the brightness of the fire.

When we set out from home, there are so many, many, many roads to take on the journey. We can pick our route, the level of terrain, how steep a mountain we want to climb. 

Some people I met along the way found a certain level of comfort at some terrains, and they hunkered down there for a while. In fact, many got so comfortable at some mountain peaks that they refused to go any farther.. They'd found what they needed for comfort. Plus, they were tired. 

Photo Credit: Mentors' Channel.

I personally don't think there are "wrong roads," as I believe that all roads ultimately will lead you home, if you're diligent in your search and stay connected to your Soul. By not listening and discerning its messages, you can delay the good that the "Father" within is waiting to pour out on you.I made that error, and I kept on going. 
I kept going. 
Two years ago this holiday season, I began to think of making my journey back home. See...after all my traveling...I was getting tired. I was really tired. My hands had blisters. Despite buying new pairs of shoes more often, the soles of my shoes were all worn out. The new shoes kept wearing out no matter how sturdy the leather seemed on the outside.

So, I literally started the journey, headed back home. At the time, I didn't know that  this was what I was doing. All I knew was that I was tired of walking and walking, and even though I had seen some really exciting places, and met some awesome folks along the many roads I'd traveled, I desparately wanted to get back home!

The preparations began for my return trip actually because I'd encountered a huge  boulder blocking my way. There was no way around it. I had lost so much strength traveling for so long on distant roads that I knew I didn't have strength to climb over this boulder that was blocking me on the East, West, North and South.  So, like any sensible adult who gets lost: I decided to retrace my steps.

By retracing my steps, I began to see patterns I'd left on my outward journey, and I followed some of those old trails. 

Step by step by step: I was retracing my way...and making my way back home.

Photo Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

I wasn't excited...yet. As I didn't know the reception of the "family" from whom I was so long separated. Tentatively, I kept on retracing my steps...finding my way ...back home.

To get back, I also began to look around at each landmark I'd passed before...but hadn't paid attention to... as I quickly hurried by heading to my unknown destination. On the return trip, though, I studied all the landmarks and milestones I'd etched my name on ...possibly intuitively knowing that I'd need them sometime and in someway.

I looked and saw how many good landmarks and milestones I'd pushed away, discarded, without appreciation or respect, and I wondered how I had even made it to go forward. You see, at that time, I was going forward, but not growing forward. There's a huge difference.

As I picked my weary, tired body through familiar, yet unfamiliar terrain, a new thing began to happen. I realized that all the baggage I thought I needed became useless the greater the distance I traveled returning home.

I kept looking at different pieces and asking: "Do I really need this?" "Is it not hindering my progress to make it back home?" "Why do I even need to carry a radio or television, isn't the silence just as comforting? The radio and TV are just noise and extra baggage. Even so, if you need to hear something, or you really miss them, stop in at an inn along the way and just listen for a day or two to what's going on. You'll see you aren't missing that much. The world is still going on, and it's still making noise and trying to tell you to go East, instead of West."

The more baggage I dumped, the lighter my load and the easier it was to travel, especially on the roads that were brightly lit with a light that perhaps only I could see. 

In places where the road got narrow. I'd found ways to turn my body around to fit with the passageway. I'd learned by then how not to get stuck in a narrow roadway.

It was after I'd pushed myself through a very, very dry and long roadway, that a curious thing happened.

Photo Credit: My Story

The light became brighter and brighter. As I felt myself becoming intoxicated with the beauty of the light, it suddenly faded into becoming part of my horizon. As I took a step to settle myself in the dirt that had made a comforting cradle to hold me for the night: I saw in the distance an old familiar building.

"Yes. In the morning, I will be home."

The question I now ask: Was it worth it to leave home? Would it not have been better to stay in the comfort of my Father's home all the years I had been wandering? 

My answer? A resounding NO! 

I met a lot of people. I gained so much insight. I learned how to to navigate the tricky terrain. I learned what is good and bad for the journey... at least my journey. I learned about the narrow passageways that can keep people trapped and locked in for life. 

I learned how to say "Thank you" for the smallest gifts (and also for all experiences, i.e. the good and seemingly bad.)  I learned how to identify where I was strong, weak, or can be led astray. I learned about the other Souls traveling and which to avoid.

Regrets?

None.

Photo Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

But I am so grateful to be back home!

If you choose to embark on your journey this holiday season, I urge you to: Never stray too far from the center lane, no matter how inviting the peripheries may seem. Most of all, I invite you to discard ANY THING (including people) that would destroy your self confidence ...as this sits in Your Father's House. This is the LIGHT, the only Light you will need to navigate your way through the "journeys" you may undertake in life.

Stay connected to your confidence ...it is the connection to your Soul.

Welcome home!

Happy Holidays!

Namaste',

Che' 

What's Height Got To Do With It? Keep Perspective: Oneness

"If a man would have peace, let him exercise the spirit of Peace; if he would find love, let him dwell in the spirit of Love; if he would escape suffering, let him cease to inflict it; if he would do noble things for humanity, let him cease to do ignoble things for himself..."- James Allen, "The Heavenly Life: 'Divine Center.'"

Photo Credit: My Story
(Seeing this picture; can you gain a perspective on how "tiny" we are in terms of the Universe)

We are tiny creatures. We are very tiny creatures.

We may look at the ant, crawling on the ground, going busily from place to place with seemingly

no purpose, as a pitiful creature that we can crush any time we have the desire. And... we often do...crush, crunch, spray, kill...the ant without a second thought.

Some people do so with larger creatures...animals... as well.

They shoot animals, going to and fro, for no reason other than...because they can.

See this: (American Dentist Allegedly Kills Popular Lion, Cecil).

Were we to truly pause and see our own smallness in the scheme of life, we would indeed pause...halt...all our busyness going to and fro in our daily activities.

Were we to ask, if there was any real purpose to our days, we would see clearly and understand fully that our individual busyness is as seemingly meaningless in the scheme of things as that of the ant, or the dog, or the lion going about their ways. 

But we, as humans, never stop. Most of us don't pause in our days and our ways to ponder the larger questions of life and wonder about our "bigness" in the overall scheme of life?

Of course, we are here for a purpose. Our
lives do have meaning. Often, though, it's not what we think. Often, too, it's not in the ways we think we fit. I certainly don't know how it all fits together. I respectfully leave that to a higher Presence active in our world. But what I do daily is try to stay connected to that Presence and Power and stay aware of where I might, or might not fit, into the day's activities I'm called to do.

Look around you now and see if the room in which you're now sitting is smaller or bigger than you?

Do you have a perspective of your size?

Some folks spend a lot of time worried about being tall, short, fat or slim. This is so much so that during the GOP debate, held in mid-September 2015, the top Google search was the height of the 2016 candidates. (See this: People Only Care About How Tall The 2016 Candidates Are). A seven-foot or taller man or woman may seem a "giant" among us, but in terms of the Universe, it's just a different variety of life's creatures and things on Earth. [Advice: When you're feeling big, look up and around you] 

We go boldly forward in our days and our ways acting on the feeling that we are the greatest creatures on Earth. WE have a right to be here; THEY do not.

Photo Credit: My Story

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Genesis 1: 26 

Photo Credit: My Story 

 Whether you believe in Pantheism, God present in all,  or Panentheism, God above all, he created the animals as well as humans.The only thing that separates us is our intelligence. But as Science uncovers the intelligence of other species, humans may have a humbling experience about this point too. (The Science Is In: Elephants Are Smarter Than We Realize), (Dolphins, Dogs and Elephants Smarter Than Some Realize), and (Goats Are Smarter Than You Think). We may yet find that humans are not the smartest creatures on Earth.

We're increasingly discovering that animals, like humans, feel emotions...sadness, joy...as do humans.

Cane Carso was a dog featured on Facebook. He was scheduled
to be euthanized, but his tears saved him.

"Lawrence Anthony, a legend in South Africa and author of 3 books including the bestseller, The Elephant Whisperer. He bravely rescued wildlife and rehabilitated elephants all over the globe from human atrocities, including the courageous rescue of Baghdad Zoo animals during US invasion in 2003.

On March 7, 2012 Lawrence Anthony died.
He is remembered and missed by his wife, 2 sons, 2 grandsons, and numerous elephants.
Two days after his passing, the wild elephants showed up at his home led by two large matriarchs. Separate wild herds arrived in droves to say goodbye to their beloved 'man-friend'. A total of 31 elephants had patiently walked over 12 miles to get to his South African House.
Witnessing this spectacle, humans were obviously in awe not only
because of the supreme intelligence and precise timing that these
elephants sensed about Lawrence's passing, but also because of
the profound memory and emotion the beloved animals evoked
in such an organized way: Walking slowly, for days, making their way in a solemn one-by-one queue from their habitat to his house. Lawrence's wife, Francoise, was especially touched, knowing that the elephants had not been to his house prior to that day for well over 3 years!
But yet they knew where they were going. The elephants obviously wanted to pay their deep respects, honoring their friend who'd saved their lives - so much respect that they stayed for 2 days 2 nights without eating anything.
Then one morning, they left, making their long journey back home.
SOMETHING IN THE UNIVERSE IS GREATER AND DEEPER THAN HUMAN INTELLIGENCE."- This story was posted in 2013 by Dr. Wayne Dyer and re-posted by Reid Tracy after his death, as a "classic Wayne FB posts."

Why can't we then keep perspective and respect for other creatures?

One of the key reasons, I believe, is that day-to-day, we are so full of ourselves, our very lives and the concentrated energy within us, we don't have time to look outside at the larger world. The times we do, it's to see how the other creatures can serve us. 

Photo Credit: My Story
(Goldfinch by Feathers [Allan])
Notice the birds of the air are more protected
than animals and creature that are on the ground.. 

.  

But believe it or not, our concentrated energy is no more important to the Universe than the concentrated energy within the animals and the lowest species crawling on Earth.

Animals, like humans, know how to instinctively
care for and love their offspring.

We are all here for a purpose. Yes, even the lowest creature. Some people are aware
and are doing much to alleviate killings and suffering of some animals. See these pieces:
(Dogs Arrive After Being Rescued From South Korea Farmers) and (200 Horses Roam Free After Being Rescued From Years of Abuse)

When we gain perspective on our lives, we also see that the passing issues that destroy our joy day-to-day are unimportant in the overall scheme of things. We can begin to feel Joy and Peace and Happiness in this way. 

Look up...look around you...see how 'big' you are...and see how you fit, if viewed from above, in relationship to the sky and the wind and the sun and the moon...and all the other animals and creatures on Earth. Know, they too, are here for a purpose, and though we may not know it, they also feel what we feel. See this: (Dog Stands Guard Over Pup Until Is Rescued).

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this November, my wish for us all is that as we give Thanks for our lives, we also gain perspective on that very life and its meaning in the ever-evolving Universe. I pray that we begin to wake up to the ONENESS among us all, people and animals alike, as did this pilot who's obviously awake! (Pilot Diverts Flight So Dog Does Not Freeze To Death).

Remember the turkey you eat came here with a purpose, too. In the eyes of the Universe, it, too, is worthy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Namaste',
Che'

The Greater Part of You....

Photo credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura
We Should Think of The "Greater Part Of You" as a sleeping giant...awakening by any touch of connection. 

Challenges in life bring the greatest men to their knees. I mean this in both a literal and figurative way.

People fall on their knees and pray ...without ceasing... when obstacles block their path
to good. God then becomes their top "agenda item," until the next obstacle comes around.

I'm not going to knock these people.

What is sad? They don't realize that God always is ..the greater part of themselves.

God IS the greater part of all we are at any stage in our lives!

Photo credit: Mentors' Channel

We may have traveled far and achieved much from our early days, and through it all, God has been the force and the fuel propelling that growth forward.

When we are able to fully connect to this greater part of ourselves during times of crisis and through prayer, seeming miracles occur. Endorphins are released into our bodies...we relax, we feel peace...we become whole.

Photo credit: Sociedad Argentina 
de Horticultura

On a daily basis, though, we can reach in and connect to this infinite source of power, strength and goodness within us.

Any time of day or night, in any given moment, we can find the same peace, we can relax, we can become the wholeness we seek...were we to reach in and simply connect.

In "The Dynamic Laws of Prayer," Catherine Ponder, a master spiritual teacher, writes,

"The shocking truth about prayer is that all prayers are answered by our loving father. Whenever a prayer seems to remain unanswered, you can be sure that somewhere there is a closed door between you and the Infinite Giver." 

I have lived this.

GOD SENT LOVE IN A BAG OF POTATOES: This potato showed up in a bag of potatoes on a day several months back when  I was having a challenging day.
Without a doubt...seeing the "love potato" stilled my fears of the moment...immediately. 

The only times my life has gotten really off track are those times when I've bought into the fears of the world and the insecurities of people surrounding me. Sometimes, it's the hands of God that reached in and grabbed me back to fullness and wholeness from the "smallness" I had cultivated around myself. 

As I proudly and gratefully celebrate yet another birthday tomorrow, I've made myself a promise: I desire and expect only the highest and best experiences in my life.

Moet & Chandon may not be everyone's best champagne, but it's certainly one of my favorites. 

"What I know and what I've learned is that when I expect and desire only the highest and best experiences in my life...(doing so without fear or doubt, but with absolute faith... and without sharing my desires with anyone else...especially those who would disparage those desires)...then only the highest and best experiences show up in my life."

We can all look back and see that our lives have been a true reflection of our thinking and our expectations. Pay attention. Look back. Trace back.. and see... when certain experiences showed up in your life.

Credit photos: 
(L: Sociedad Argentina de Horitcultura 
R: My Story ) 

Was it when you were fearful that a negative experience showed up? 

And ... 

Was it when you were holding yourself in highest regard that you began to experience the highest and best manifestations in your life, i.e. in terms of finances, job experiences, people and events? 

It's no longer a mystery to me as to why we experience life the way we do.  The simple truth: what we think about, we bring about!

Dr. Wayne Dyer, our blessed and recently departed spiritual teacher, explains this phenomenon in his book "Inspiration." "We're in a system that's directed by a Supreme Intelligence, and we're part of that system," Dyer writes. "Everything is on purpose."

Credit: My Story

"Our 'vibrational'  match-up determines what we attract and what we repel in our life. We needn't focus on what's already happened and what we've gone through; rather, we must shift our vibration upward so that it harmonizes with spirit, and then...only then... will spiritually based ideas come knocking on our door."

"There's nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come," Dyer writes.
He recommends that we try these personal affirmations to tune into things we desire and expect. "I desire it. It's on its way. there's nothing for me to worry about. '

In his book, "As A Man Thinketh [circa 1903]," from "Mind is The Master," James Allen  reflects the same thoughts. Allen writes: "A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts."

Credit; Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

"As a plant springs from, and could not be without, the seed, so every act of a man springs from the hidden seeds of thought, and could not have appeared without them. This applies equally to those acts called, 'spontaneous' and 'unpremeditated' as to those which are deliberately executed.   

"Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits; thus does a man garner in the sweet and bitter fruitage of his own husbandry."

As a progressive and evolving being, man is where he is so that he may learn and grow. Allen continues.  "And as he learns the spiritual lesson which any circumstance contains for him, it passes away and gives place to other circumstances." 



I have found that the more I have grown in wisdom and understanding, the less I want to speak. In this vein, I then choose to write no more on this subject of thoughts and life's circumstances. But I share this Allen poem with you to ponder and become wise about your own life.

"Thought in the mind hath made us. What we are

By thought was wrought and built. If a man's mind

Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura.
 (Like fine wine, we grow better with age, as the wisdom of God pours itself into us.) 

Hath evil thoughts, pain comes on him as comes the

wheel of the ox behind...                                                                                                          ...if one endures

In purity of thought, joy follows him

As his own shadow--sure."

Photo Credit; Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

As I grow one year older, my wish for me, as well as for you, is to go deeper in Spirit. I intend to sit back of my personality more and more, allowing my Soul to move further in: into my mind and body... so that this Soulful view becomes the perspective with which I gauge and respond to the world. (Check out, from the photo on left, how relaxed and easy life seems when we're aligned and living from the Soul.) 

Over the years, especially this year that just passed for me, I have learned more than anything else that this Soul...is indeed, the greater part of me.

Namaste',
Che'