7.30.2008

What makes you come alive?

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs;
ask yourself what makes you come alive.
And then go and do that.
Because what the world needs
are people who have come alive."

-- Dr. Howard Thurman, Author,
Philosopher and Civil Rights Leader

Keren's note...
I am posting this wonderful quote alongside of my photo of the Infant of Prague, as a way of gratitude to this visage which assisted in my recognition of the above quote as something The Infant would say.

Peace
Keren

A Little Affirmation Goes a Long Way v2


A little affirmation is like a new pair of walking shoes....puts a new spring in my step and helps move things along.

Affirmation in a spritual sense can be as simple as confirming a connection that you have always known is there but just needed a little-teeny-itsy-bitsy-tiny-particle of attention. Like having a truth you have felt, confirmed by someone else. EVERYONE needs a little affirmation from time to time to be able to grow - not everyone admits it, but everyone needs it.

The photo is from my brother's family trip to Italy, not sure where they are but I recognise their feet

Peace and Love
Keren

7.27.2008

it's vacation time


I'm on vacation this week. Just staying home doing the things I want to do! Looking forward to completing some art projects and starting new ones and just being!

Peace / Love
Keren

7.25.2008

Our Lady of The Harbor



I have loved this song, "Suzanne," since I first heard Judy Collins sing it probably in the mid to late 70's - about the time of this broadcast. I didn't know Leonard Cohen had anything to do with it until my Him introduced me to Leonard's music sometime in the 90's.

Apparently there was some dispute over who actually wrote it; Leonard Cohen or Judy Collins. I read somewhere that they were lovers at one point, so perhaps the inspiration was given to them at the same time...then they both gave birth to it.... :o)

Side note...Leonard Cohen is probably one of the most spiritual song writer/singers ever! I love Judy too of course - she is an amazing artist in many respects - her voice, writings, paintings, etc.

Peace and Love
Keren

7.22.2008

Desire and Desire-ability


I don’t believe in evil spirits…not since Jesus at least. Jesus left HIS Spirit with all of us - the same Holy Spirit that had the power to bring him to life from the womb of Mary, and the same Holy Spirit that had the power to raise him from the horrid death on the Cross. *The same Holy Spirit who was with the Father from the beginning*.

For non-religious types, you might say the power that created the earth, sun, moon and the stars and everything inside and outside… maybe had a partner.

Why did the power create in the first place?

Albert Einstein was purported to have said “I want to know God’s thoughts, all the rest are just details” What is the intention...what is thought we have before we create something? To me it is “desire”. When I make a painting or make a gift for someone, I first have a desire to do it. It seems to me without desire I cannot create; the ability to create become stagnant.

In the same regard, without desire, nothing moves/flows/evolves. Transformation and change begin with desire.

This is why I suppose i dont like to have creative deadlines, or have to prove I can create something on demand.. I usually do it and deliver, I may even want to do it, but the lack of impetus from heart felt desire somehow blocks the overall desire-ability. IN other words, something that is forced never comes across as true and beatiful as somethng that comes straight from the heart.

Just some thoughts….

The photo is one my brother and his family sent me from Italy. St. Sofia in this case is a gondola or ferry – aka people mover. (Thanks CDW for the inspiration, Love Kembo)

Peace
Keren

*ref "My Yoke is Easy and my Burden is Light" post earlier this month or in June*

7.21.2008

Your Heart


When I listen to your heart, it tells me about distant hurts. It tells me, like mine, it has has had normal hurts, everyone has been hurt, but one time it really opened wide and trusted, only to be met with betrayal. Serious stuff, not just a little brokeness. It has been traumatized. However, your heart is also wise and knows how very special it is and how very special you are. I know it too because even when you frown, or seem down, your heart radiates light and love.


Peace
Keren

7.18.2008

Pondering the Encounter



It is all about you and me. Ultimately we will meet, alone, face to face, just the two of us. Will we happily embrace or will one of us be reproachful?

I'm all for embracing. A little two-way (as opposed to only one way) communication now would probably help.

Peace and Love
Keren

7.16.2008

Late Bloomers



"Love not what you are, but what you may become."
Miguel de Cervantes

7.15.2008

Prayer for Fulfilling Life

Dear Heavenly Love,

Thank you for the people you place in our lives, and the love you place in our hearts. Please work through me, use me today, to encourage and comfort people where needed and be a positive current assisting them on their journey towards fulfillment.

Please help me to have focus, and recognize the people you place in my life to encourage and comfort me, especially the ones who you will work through to guide me through my desire to greater fulfilment. Because, as you know... I really need the help.

Amen

Peace
Keren

7.12.2008

Limited Magnificence: Judgment & Indifference


I took this photo at fireworks show on the Fourth of July. Most of them turned out nice like the one in a previous post below. This one looks more like an end of the world scenario…:o0 Accck!

My post on Thursday about “Infinite glory” sparked questions about “final judgment” Does God judge our behavior as good or bad? and What are the consequences of bad behavior?
My answer…I do not know.

I personally believe in some kind of accountability in which our Creator will sort things out – I also believe it is based more on what is in our hearts more than any other detail. No one of us is perfect all of the time. (Side note) Some faiths believe in purgatory – which is, briefly, a further purification process of our hearts before we go to the next step towards perfect union with our Lord/Creator aka 2nd chances even after we die from this place..

What I do understand, very clearly, is that we are asked (by our mutual Creator) to be compassionate towards and to each other. Love, forgive, comfort, turn the other cheek, be kind to enemies, understand that we are not able to judge each other,carry their cross, in addition to feed the poor, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned. This helps us live together in peace in a human society.

We all desire freedom of choice. We all desire peace of mind. I know I do.

To me, if we have the ability to choose our actions, our choices are important to control. Freedom/Peace are symbiotic with Control/Restraint. They feed, and are nourished, by eachother.

I say this from personal experience. Aa a perennial “free spirit”, I know that unless you have some kind of “trust fund” and I am speaking literally and figuratively, you cannot be truly free on this earthly plane.

Being a free spirit is wonderful, but believe me, it does not pay the bills, or come close to paying the mortgage.

Spirit is only part of “freedom of choice / peace of mind” Spirit alone does not make it happen. Humans (those who have the ability to make choices for their own mind and heart)…..also need an authority (law) – a framework – outside of our self to mirror inside of our self. We also need discipline – physical and spiritual – to get any job done, to move forward any project even those of hope, faith and love.

Just my thoughts…..
Any thoughts, questions, comments whether similar of differing…are wanted! I would love it if someone from a different faith, religion or part of the world would post thoughts here.

Peace and Love
Keren

7.10.2008

Infinite Glory aka Non-Judgment & Compassion


"The angels are lost in perpetual contemplation of an infinite glory." (unknown author)

No surgeon on earth can remove Infinite Glory, or change its purpose. A surgeon can remove tumors, extra limbs, change the size of a nose or other body parts, repair all sorts of parts, alter a person’s gender parts even, but the surgeon cannot touch infinite glory. Nothing can alter Infinite Glory, not even death.

Through divine purpose, every minute fiber of existence is woven with infinite glory. To deny this, in any part of existence, is to deny God.

To recognize it in everyone is to recognize God everywhere, including in yourself.

To lovingly consider/appreciate Infinite Glory inside of each creature’s weaknesses, failures, inadequacies ...as much as you would your own... is to be like Jesus.

Infinite Glory is inside all of creation. Including politicians, republicans (even democrats) corporate executives, secretaries, nurses, teachers, homosexuals, people with everything going for them, people who are suffering, rich people, poor people, nuns, priests, religious people, non-religious people, babies of all kinds, people who get nose-jobs, people who have their conjoined babies separated, people who have sex-change operations, people who wear lots of make-up, tax collectors, prostitutes, wiccans, puppies, lions, lambs, fish, rocks, etc etc etc.

We simply cannot judge others as normal or abnormal, better or worse, finer or coarser. Being compassionate and allowing compassion to be directed toward you is living in the "kingdom". Compassion allows understanding and forgivness, which is the same as love of neighor and offering kindness to enemies. Compassion is a human expression of pure Divinity.

How do we have total compassion for others - even people very different from us in ways that are not so pleasant? We have to have experienced compassion directed toward ourselves.

You've heard people say...“I feel sorry for him” tsk tsk because blahblahblah (ie.,he is different for whatever reason). Is that pity or simply judgment?

Pity can also have a bad connotation in more ways than one. My pride used to hate it when I thought someone felt sorry for me. I would say to myself…”I don’t need your pity, cant you see how perfect I am?” “Pity someone else”

I think it is because we can sometimes confuse pity with a negative judgement. No one's pride would allow itself to be judged by others.

Maybe it is the case, when your mind identifies pity with regard to a situation or person, it is probably in a prideful judgmental state.

When your heart is moved with and surges with pity for a situation or person…..what flows from that feeling in your heart will probably be compassion. Then you are the Divine Physician - healing, saving, comforting.

Conversely, letting go of pride and letting someone pity you is tantamount to letting someone love you and care for you... also known as letting someone be Christ to you. When you let someone act as Christ to you, you are recognising and responding to the holiness in them, thus, ultimately you are letting go of "self" and responding to the beatific power of your own soul.

To make a long story short...in fewer words...let people love you, then you will be better able to love them - all of them - in infinte glory.

Peace and Love
Keren

7.07.2008

It was a Blast


Hope you had a Happy Fourth of July holiday and weekend! Back to work.

Peace Love
Keren

7.03.2008

My Yoke is Easy and My Burden is Light

“Ecclesiasticus”

***All of Sophia belongs to the Lord
And She is with Him forever.
Who can count the sands of the sea,
the drops of rain, or the days of unending time?
Who can measure the height of the sky,
the breadth of the earth, or the depth of the abyss?
Sophia was the first of all created things;
intelligent purpose has been there from the beginning.
Who has unraveled the mystery of Sophia?
Who has understood her subtlety?
One alone,
the Lord most magnificent and wise.
He created Her,
He watches and delights in Her,
He infuses Her into every part of creation.
Giving Her, in some measure, to all mankind,
yet in full to those who Love Him.
Sophia raises Her sons to greatness
and cares for all those who seek Her.
To love Her is to love life;
to serve Her is to serve the Holy One,
to rise early for Her sake is to be filled with joy!
For the Lord’s blessing rests upon
every place one lets Her enter. ***

from Jonanthan Star’s book..”Two Suns Rising: A Collection of Sacred Writings”

Keren’s note: I bought this wonderful book in 1994 based on its title and cover. Once I got home and found many sections from the “Bible” and many references to “Jesus”, I put it away. Ten years later I picked it up again, and now 4 more years after that I realize what a gift this book is to spiritual ecumenism.

With regard to Jesus, I wasted a lot of time basing my impression of Him on my negative perceptions of people who turned me off. It wasn't really Jesus who turned me off - just some of his "followers"

Once I gave Jesus Himself a chance to wrap His arm around me inside of my heart...everything inside of me changed. Now I understand that the people who turned me off, just have a different way of expressing their Love for Jesus. NOt better or worse. I found my own way with the help of the Spirit and people who spoke about Jesus in a way my heart understood..not my head.

People often ask me ..where is He now?....well...We have Him with us now... as the Holy Spirit ...could also be referred to as Sophia (wisdom); Spirit of Wisdom; Spirit of Love.

***Ecclesiasticus (Greek Orthodox) is called the "Book of "Sirach" in the Old Testament (Roman Catholic)***

Peace and Love
Keren