The Missing Piece/Peace

October 9, 2015Leave a comment

A Halloween catalog came in the mail. I don’t usually look at catalogs but my husband suggested I would enjoy the fun and creative visual feast. I opened it and immediately spotted this image: “Rest in Pieces.” Instantly, I had one of those moments of recognition. It was as if a story of “unity and connection” had written itself, begging for my signature. I chuckled out loud and thought, “How perfect is that!?”

The play on words from “Rest in Peace” to “Rest in Pieces,” with the spooky, graveyard zombies, took my mind on a whimsical, yet contemplative, journey.

One definition of peace is personal. Inner peace, or peace of mind, refers to a mental calm, serenity, or tranquility. This peace is considered by many to be healthy homeostasis and generally associated with bliss and happiness as opposed to stress and anxiety. Another definition of peace is relational. It means a freedom from disturbance, disorder, dispute, or war. Peace is a sign of harmony and suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships.

Piece, on the other hand, refers to a portion of an object or something “not being whole.” What happens when we view ourselves, and our world, as “not being whole?”

Humanity has been “Resting in Pieces” for centuries. We have been living out a powerful and very destructive story of separation. In developing the ego, the self-reflective mind differentiates the self and creates an illusion of separation from the earth, nature, God/Spirit/Source, other humans, the cosmos, and the whole of creation. The mind compartmentalizes everything into pieces, including our body/mind/spirit. As a result, we have become obsessed with comparing, contrasting, and competing. This perpetuates an even greater sense of separation, stress and anxiety as we experience perennial failure – never measuring up or fitting in. Feeling incomplete, we find ourselves in an epic wandering, searching outside of ourselves for the missing piece/peace.

Relationally, seeing the world from the story of separation has left us feeling threatened and vulnerable. We have created myriad social forms – political, economic, spiritual, and so on, in an attempt to create order, a sense of belonging, and protect ourselves (from “them” – the other pieces of the whole). This worldview of separation has led to unhealthy boundaries, beliefs, judgment, and injustice. We have created greater disturbance and unrest by seeing the world through separation and fear. In the pursuit of power and dominance, we are destroying each other, our planet, and ourselves.

There is no peace when we rest in our pieces.

It is time to awaken and move into action. Let’s put our pieces back together and claim our authentic power through peace and connection. The power of peace comes from an integral lens, seeing Creation as one living, interdependent system. It’s time to tell a new story of love, integration and unity. We are essential pieces of an integrated whole. We are part of one living system. We are members of an interconnected universe. We have never really been separate. Remembering our wholeness, and seeing the world and ourselves in this way, moves us into greater health, harmony and yes, peace.

Peace be with you… and may we all rest in the awareness of our complete piece/peace.

Image: grandinroad

Gone With the Wind!

October 7, 2015Leave a comment

Gone With the Wind! Six Practices to Develop Inner Guidance

I was sitting in the car near the University of Illinois at Chicago, when I saw this cute young woman looking in the grass near the car as if she had lost a diamond ring. She kept getting really close to the ground and feeling around with her hands. She moved onto an asphalt parking lot, doing the same thing on her hands and knees. So I thought she must have been looking for something very small and valuable. When she came back near the car for the second time, I rolled down the window and asked her what she was looking for. She helplessly said, “MY GLASSES!” The wind was blowing so hard in Chicago that it literally blew them right off of her head and they went flying! The poor young woman could not see well enough to find them.

The winds were something terrible that sunny October day in the Windy City. The news reported sustained winds of 40 miles per hour and the unusual weather system produced gusts of up to 81 mph, snapping trees and power lines, ripping off roofs, and taking a helpless young woman’s glasses and launching them into the concrete abyss of the city. The strange weather system mesmerized meteorologists because of its size and because it’s barometric pressure was similar to a Category 3 hurricane. It mesmerized her and I as we joined forces to look for the glasses.

We looked for nearly 20 minutes along the whole city block and they were nowhere to be found. She had to leave to go tutor a student in the speech lab and sadly knew she couldn’t drive home without her glasses. Losing your glasses can be disabling. I decided to keep looking and told her I would put them under her windshield wiper if I found them. I found an empty cigarette lighter near where she lost the glasses and dropped it shoulder height to see which direction it would go. It sailed for 1/2 a city block before it rolled to a stop. I decided to head in that direction. I walked down to the next block and took a stick to move all the piles of leaves as I came across them. Surely, the glasses would have taken the same path of the leaves and the empty lighter. Nope.

After a diligent search, I went back to the car to finish writing the report I was working on. When she returned, she said she called her boyfriend for a ride since she couldn’t see to drive. With curious hope, we both decided to look again, one more time, while she was waiting for her boyfriend. We discussed how scratched up they would probably be if we did find them. I headed north, went across the street, and circled back with the leaves again. She went back to the asphalt parking lot with her limited vision and her hands reaching out to “feel” her way around. She found them! They were stuck in a chain link fence a half a block away from where they had launched. And, they were not scratched! She could see again, and could drive home with a funny true story to tell her family and friends.

I love this story. If that was me losing my glasses downtown in the big “Windy City,” I would have been in big trouble. Sometimes when the Spirit moves through our lives it can be like hurricane-force winds that leave us feeling helpless, disoriented, scared, and unable to clearly SEE our way. Yet, Spirit is always right there to guide and assist if we have faith and stay present. I had the better vision that day as we searched for the spectacles. However, she was the one led to find them with her limited vision, reaching hands, and blind faith.

A dictionary definition of blind faith is “belief without true understanding, perception, or discrimination.” Blind faith isn’t necessarily blind when we understand how to tune into our inner, spiritual guidance and intuition. I like to say intuition is like seeing with your soul. The ability to trust this different way of knowing starts with the practice of mindfulness and present moment awareness. Listen with your soul. Breathe. Relax. Stay present. Look within. Be still. Welcome the mystery and learn to live in the questions. There are as many different expressions of intuition and guidance as there are individuals. And there are as many ways to learn an effective practice. One must find what feels resonant and develop commitment and discipline. Here are six simple practices you can start with:

1. Tune into your body sensations and “gut” reactions. Some people filter their intuitive guidance through physical sensations and the body. When you get a hunch, “Go with your gut.”

2. Tune into your heart, feelings and emotions. Some filter intuitive guidance through emotions and the qualitative experience of feeling. Open expansive feelings usually mean something different from that of constrictive narrowing. When tuning into your heart, you tune out the distractions of the rational, logical mind. What do you feel? “Follow your heart.”

3. Tune into the still small voice. Some discern spiritual guidance by developing and understanding the difference between egoic self-talk and the still small voice. Egoic self-talk usually comes from the place of fear, separation, self-preservation, competition, comparison and judgement. The still small voice of spirit guides from the place of unity, love and the greater good of the whole. Start with quiet prayer, meditation and contemplative practices. Be still and know.

4. Tune into signs and symbols. Some develop a sophisticated guidance language based in signs and symbols. When you live in the question, guidance appears on your path in a variety of ways. People, conversation, words, numbers, music, images, and symbols can present literally, and/or intuitively. Pay attention.

5. Tune into your dreams and visions. Some develop dependable guidance by harnessing the language of dreams and visions. Access to the subconscious and unconscious mind can occur when the conscious mind is quiet during sleep and meditation. Again, this is another language of signs, symbols, and emotions. Sweet dreams.

6. Tune into nature and animals. Some develop guidance through communion with nature and/or animals. Many patterns and possibilities exist in the natural world. If you feel called to nature, ground your practice in connection to the earth and natural world. Tune into plants and animals. Connect with your pets and pay attention to wild birds and animals. Become one with nature.

Universal intelligence is in all living things. Connect. Listen. Trust.

We are living in a time of expanded consciousness and amazing global shifts. We are stepping into the fullness of who we are and taking responsibility for our health and quality of life, discovering the resources we have within as we connect with Creator, creation, community, and our own divine essence. This is not an abstract idea, but a calling for all who are committed to practice unification. We are divine essence in human form becoming spiritual change agents in the world. Tune in and trust. Even gale-force winds may be a source of guidance for you.

A World of Love,

Julie

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Uniting in Love

October 5, 2015Leave a comment

Uniting in Love – Three Practices to Ignite Authentic Love

“All we need is love,” instructs John Lennon’s famous lyrics. The sentiment is incredibly moving today at this pivotal time in history. Love is a unifying force that can improve the quality of life on earth, ignite planetary healing, and create global oneness.

There are many definitions of love, but let’s discuss the universal, altruistic love that is shared by most faith-based organizations. Love is central to many religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions, as in the phrase, “God is Love.” Love is the ultimate grace and blessing where most do see eye to eye. This love is a divine link that can bind us together and potentially a redeeming force that can reconcile the hearts of humanity.

In the Bahá’í faith, love is the light that guides in the darkness, the living link that unites God with man, that force that assures the progress of every illumined soul. Bahá’í’s believe love reveals, with unfailing and limitless power, the mysteries latent in the universe.

The Dalai Lama said, “Love, compassion and tolerance are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” In Buddhism, love is unconditional and requires considerable self-acceptance. They believe this is quite different from “ordinary” love, which is usually about attachment and rarely occurs without self-interest. Instead, it refers to detachment and unselfish interest in the welfare of others.

In the Jewish tradition followers are encouraged to show mercy, love, and compassion to their brother and, as the Torah commands, love God “with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.” In the Christian faith, there are numerous references from “love your enemies” to the greatest commandment: love one another. It is said, “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

Sufism explains the essence of God as love and the Sufi path is a path of love. Love is to see what is good and beautiful in everything. The aim is to be accepted as a lover by the Beloved God. Love encompasses the Islamic view of life as universal brotherhood that applies to all who hold faith.

Love can be considered an inter-faith, universal virtue. This magnificent and beautiful imperative is swelling and pulsing within the hearts of humanity. There is a collective awakening stirring within us and contributing to a global shift in consciousness. The conclusion? We are ONE. Therefore, love ONE another.

Listen to the beautifully crafted preamble of United Religions Initiative (URI): “We, people of diverse religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions throughout the world, hereby establish the United Religions Initiative to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings.” URI has created Cooperation Circles all around the world, who are transcending religious and cultural divisions to create inclusive, on-the-ground solutions to critical issues facing their communities and regions — at the top of the list: peace-building, global advocacy, youth, women and the environment. Their preamble goes on to echo, “We unite…”

“We unite…” Join hearts uniting around the world. From, and through, this inclusive love, start with yourself. This love is a critical key to healing the planet. Self-acceptance and unconditional love for oneself is foundational. They say you cannot love God or others completely without loving yourself first. In loving yourself completely, you will activate a healing resonance greater than yourself and prepare the way for all other love. Rumi wrote, “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” Love yourself and you open the floodgates for universal, altruistic love to permeate every cell of your being and every corner of the universe. You pave the way to “Love your enemies.”

PRACTICE HEART COHERENCE: There’s a visceral yearning inside each of us to love. Take a few minutes everyday and focus on universal love with the intention of increasing your electromagnetic field of love. Breathe into your heart and allow it to expand… open… and guide you. Direct your attention to your heart and rest in the awareness of universal LOVE. Try this Quick Coherence Technique from HeartMath:

PRACTICE LOVING KINDNESS: Next, imagine sending love to your loved ones, neighbors, community, and expand this field of love to all beings on our planet. Include all races, religions, and those different from you. And, yes, include any “enemies” you may have. This powerful intention will assist you to embody universal love. And, there’s another benefit to this practice: all sacred wisdom and guidance comes from this place! You are strengthening your soul’s navigation system. Here’s a beautiful Loving Kindness Metta Meditation by Sharon Salzberg:

https://youtu.be/W3uLqt69VyI

PRACTICE EXPRESSING YOUR DIVINITY: Imagine loving with so much exuberance and heart that it spills out from within. It’s easy when we think about someone we love, a baby, a pet, or the beauty we experience in nature, art, music, etc.. Developing this kind of practice starts by aligning with our soul’s expression. Attune to your own sense of divinity. Stabilize the essential self and learn to express from this place with every thought, word, and deed. When live life as an expression of your higher self, you begin moving at the speed of guidance and co-creating in the resonance of love.

“All we need is love!” This day, right here, right now, allow your heart to embrace this world with all its amazing beauty, diversity, and need. We are called to deeply love those who are different from ourselves. It’s time to break down the walls that divide us, love one another, and BE in the heart of God. Kahlil Gibran, writes:

When you love you should not say,

“God is in my heart,” but rather, “I am in the heart of God.”

Come join in the co-creative path of love… I’ll meet you in the heart of God where we will unite and ignite loving peace on earth!

A World of Love,

Julie

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An Individual Moment

September 10, 2015Leave a comment

Yesterday was a Country Gospel kind of day. Maybe I needed a closer walk with Jesus? Now, after a morning filled with Simon and Garfunkel, I’ve turned to my Ed Sheeran playlist. Tonight will be some jazz and maybe a glass of wine. Tomorrow will be something different. Maybe praise music, Meghan Trainor, or uplifting chants? Maybe my “Turn It Up Loud and Sing” playlist? Top 40, or Oldies? Will it be Peruvian flute, dance music, classical, Indigenous Rhythms, or Tom Kenyon’s songs of Magdalen?

Depends on my mood. It likely may be silence.

Life is like that. Music, art, food, cultures, traditions, wisdom… there’s so much rich beauty to be discovered when we move out of our homogenized silos and venture out to explore the vast world of our magnificent inter-being. Janet Autherine wrote, “If we all counted our blessings and then shared them with our neighbors, near and far, all our lives would be richer.” Let us move into the richness with joy and celebration. Let us wander out beyond our safe boundaries and beliefs to gather in the space between us. Let us risk and become vulnerable enough to really get it. And dare we not just “share” with one another, but really commune in the fullness of our differences.

Can we sit in our moments of anxious-discomfort long enough to really hear the answer to “what really matters?” Can we temper the impulse to judge or criticize with enough tenacity to clearly understand? Can we hold the form of unity with enough resilience to see the beauty in our neighbor’s prayer or a stranger’s God? Can we remove the illusory walls that separate and open the gates of enlightened truth with the strength to receive the universal blessings? I want to believe so. I’m all in – knowing it isn’t always easy, but imperative and clearly, perceptively ordained.

This is our time. Let us come together and sample the varied spices of life. Let us hear the beautiful symphonic notes, tones and rhythms. Let us see the full spectrum of colors, shapes, patterns and textures. Let us smell the fragrance of the full bouquet as we admire each individual bloom. And may we get lost in the oneness of it all, all the while knowing exactly where we are. May we wake to life and play together in the flow of infinity expressing itself as us. May we surrender to our inter-being and get drunk with possibility and potential. And in the end, we’ll remember that we are the rich blessing of all that is, simply having an individual moment.

Yesterday was a Country Gospel kind of day…

A World of Love,

Julie

We are enjoying beautiful daily meditations, shared intention, heart attunements, resonant community, and interfaith prayers and texts over at My DAILY DOSE of SOUL CARE. All are welcome. Come join us and turn your attention to a daily practice that supports you and brings you into alignment with your highest purpose.

Love Thy Neighbor

June 12, 2015Leave a comment

“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” ~ Judaism

“A new commandment I give to you. That you love one another; even as I have loved you… By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
~ Christianity

“A man obtains a proper rule of action by looking on his neighbor as himself.” ~ Hinduism

“Full of love for all things in the world, practicing virtue in order to benefit others, this man alone is happy.” ~ Buddhism

“Seek to be in harmony with all your neighbors, live in amity with your brethren.”
~ Confucianism

“No one is a believer until he loves for his neighbor, and for his brother, what he loves for himself.” ~ Islam

Green Between Hearts

May 12, 2015Leave a comment

Green Between Hearts ~ Three Lessons on Connecting with Others

My husband and I recently enjoyed a company trip to a beautiful Cancun resort. Upon arriving, we received bright green wristbands in our welcome packet. We were told to wear the wristbands at all times, especially to meals and group events to help identify ourselves as part of the group.

Early the next morning we went down for breakfast. As we proceeded down the long corridor to our ocean-side breakfast destination, I noticed a peculiar trend. People wearing green wristbands were smiling and greeting each other with a friendly recognition and, “Good Morning!” When there was no wristband, there was no greeting. The bearers of the band would literally walk by naked wrists, turn their heads the opposite direction and not even make eye contact. I watched throughout the day as complete strangers began conversation initiated by a green-wristband-association, while others wandered around in silence and avoidance. In the busy, populated beachfront resort, community was born with a color – a rubber bracelet – labeling and defining our connection. We were a group – a community. The public tag of “association” turned previous strangers into friends. Our trademark gave us an assurance that we had something in common and invited us to strike up a conversation. Courage from the rubber bracelet gave us a power to connect, share, converse, and exchange contact information.

Sadly, complete strangers riding the elevator, or lounging at the pool, would not be spoken to when there wasn’t the signal or invitation provided by the green wristband marking our newly formed conglomerate of familiarity. I watched as those with green bands initiated conversations in elevators but excluded those with no wristbands. The bearers of this green assembly walked past those without wristbands in the name of networking, community, and common purpose. The emerald bangle created an instant classification system garnering safety, comfort, recognition and community for those with the opportunity to adorn the trinket. But those without weren’t included. The friendly green-banded posse was an exclusive club.

The green wristbands inspired my own campaign. I decided that I would initiate conversation with those around me – green band or mostly not. The children made it easy. Talking to, smiling at, and playing with toddlers splashing at the pool was sure to lead to a new found friendship with their parents. We exchanged words, laughter, recommendations, ideas, and beautiful companionship. We talked about our lives – our homes, family, vocation, and the joys of our day. In every moment, regardless of location, skin color, nationality, language or green wristband, I made connections: the family from Mexico City on vacation with their friends and small children, the family from Brooklyn – where the relocated wife from Vietnam was missing her family back home, the family from Atlanta who shared their immigration story from Nigeria and exchanged entrepreneurial inspiration. For someone uncomfortable initiating small talk, I easily made some meaningful connections.

What were the lessons? What is the invitation? Connect with others!

Lesson 1: People want to connect. We crave connection and relationship. We want and need to belong. We are an interconnected, interdependent species that thrives in community. We tend to look for safe and familiar ways to create that connection. However, for many, that is not easy. Without the traditional markers of community association, we shy away from talking to strangers. In our fast-paced, high-tech digital world, high touch is a powerful prescription. Slow down, bring yourself into the present moment, and give it a try. Connect with those around you – in person. They likely long for personal connection as much as you do.

Lesson 2: You can always find something in common. You may look at others as strangers or simply people you just don’t know personally yet. Finding commonality is as simple as saying, “Hello.” To begin, just be who you are: reach out, shine your light, and smile. Make eye contact and speak with a simple greeting. Better yet, share an authentic expression of your experience. Look beneath the surface of things and connect with your essence. You are sure to find something you have in common. Maybe you overhear them using a beautiful name that you have an affinity for. Maybe you appreciate their conscious, gentle parenting style. Maybe you make eye contact by playing peek-a-boo with a toddler. Maybe you offer assistance, your service in opening a door, helping a stranger in need, or gifting something unique to the moment. It is likely that because you are in the same place at the same time, you will find something in common to build an association around, even if only temporary and transient in nature. And don’t stop with strangers. This is a great practice with your not-so-familiar friends and neighbors, the checker at your local grocery store, the waiter at your favorite restaurant, and the co-traveler on public transportation. Put down your excuses and artificial barriers and engage.

Lesson 3: Connection contributes to health, longevity, and a meaningful quality of life. Reaching outside of your comfort zone and entering the space of others, builds your psycho-social-spiritual muscles. It’s a practice that develops confidence, courage, compassion, and most importantly, unity. Finding the common humanity behind our differences is good for our individual and collective soul. Begin connecting with others as a routine spiritual practice. Your world will blossom with possibility, potential and greater well-being. The energy of creating new connections will attract more and life will begin flowing with ease and grace. Try it. Research shows that quality relationships and being in community increase your overall health, happiness, productivity, longevity and well-being. Its a win-win.

When I returned home from Cancun, I had a dream I started a green wristband campaign where I purchased thousands of wristbands and began giving them away to anyone who expressed an interest. I called it “Green Between Hearts.” Everyone organically began talking, making heart connections, sharing and building community. It was a beautiful dream. I’m holding that vision. Will you hold it with me? Let me know if you want a wristband, or two, or a hundred of them. I’ll get to work on it right away (smile).

A World of Love,

Julie

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My Colorful Greek Garbanzo Bean Prayer

April 18, 2015Leave a comment

I love to make up my own recipes. I was in the mood for a Greek salad with “substance.” That called for my famous Greek garbanzo bean concoction: a colorful celebration of nature’s most delicious flavors beautifully combined in a visual pallet that is sure to please the other pallet. I opened my new jar of Calamata olives and popped one into my mouth. Ugh, they were not pitted! How was I going to make my Greek salad without Calamata olives? I was not! More importantly, how was I going to pit them? Cutting them off the pit was not efficient. And then I noticed: when I smashed them, they naturally separated from the pit. Then I could squeeze the pit out one end. It was messy, but appeared to be the solution. As I stood smashing and squeezing, the juice ran freely through my fingers and onto my cutting board. The smell was heavenly Greek. When I was done, I chopped them so no one would ever know I smashed them.

Vibrant hues filled my glass bowl as I added bright yellow peperoncini, regal red peppers, stately green cucumbers, those deep purple olives, and finely chopped red onions to my pallid garbanzo beans. Next, the aromatic mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, basil, sea salt, and my favorite pepper blend. Oops, I almost forgot the Feta Cheese. Yum… it was calling my name! I stirred it all together with love and lifted my spoon to my lips. Disappointment! It tasted like nothing special. In fact, I would say it didn’t taste like much of anything at all. The secret ingredient of many good things is time. And, like fine wine, my gregarious Greek medley deserved a moment to merge, mingle and unite in melodious glory; time to transform – imbued with delightful new succulent flavors.

Ah, yes… a little time proved to be the answer! It was delicious. As I looked at the beautiful salad I wondered if there was a way to imbue peace, harmony and unity in a world of many colors, races, religions, beliefs, and politics. Stirred with LOVE, maybe time will tell. That is my colorful Greek garbanzo bean prayer.

She Shines Even Brighter

April 4, 2015Leave a comment

She Shines Even Brighter ~ Homage to the Blood Moon

She shines so bright in her fullest glory

Whole. Luminous. Naked. Pure.

Reflecting ancient wisdom within her light

And resting in contentment, she opens to more

Shining a remembrance of love, unity

She invites the shadow, welcomes the dark

The emerging silhouette refracts her glow

And moves her deeper into heart

Choosing to stay connected to Herself

She acknowledges the perfect imperfection

Clears the beautiful, wrongful nature

And dies another death; complete; done

A resurgence of life quickens behind the eclipsed mystery

Returning to light, she enters the portal and opens a new door

She turns to face the transition with anticipation and proclaims

“I will not love from the place of fear or separation anymore”

Creation smiles as resonance nurtures the never broken

Hearts align, weaving and attuning to the cosmic anthem

She delights and dances on frequencies of hope, joy

And the gate of interconnection swings wide open

Harmony is restored; the sleeping soul reawakens

She shines even brighter: whole, luminous, naked and pure.

And hearts across the world resound in the pulsing love

While grace celebrates, courage carries the dream forward to birth

A World of Love,

Julie Krull

Living Expression of Namaste

April 29, 2012Leave a comment

I met a Sudanese refugee this week that immigrated to the United States for work. He is an amazing man. I’ll call him “Steven.” Among the many humbling and gracious words he spoke, what shined most is his deep faith in God and enduring love for ALL people. He said he “vehemently” believes in doing things that “bring greatness” to the lives of others as well as himself. Steven is thankful to God for granting him many gifts and abilities, especially using them for “doing right things for others.” This brave and radiant young man gets up every morning with a smile on his face, knowing that God is always with him.

Three powerful themes emerged from my conversation with this migratory, luminous messenger. From his own words, first, we are not restricted by anybody or anything except our own choices. Second, a loving gracious God exists and “resides in us, with us, beside us, around us, and among us,” no matter what our race, religion, culture, gender, or life circumstances. And third, serving the one human body of God and individuals in our local communities can bring abundant JOY!

After meeting this delightful new acquaintance, I headed to our lake house, which is a few miles from a community that has a significant new population of Sudanese and Hispanic immigrants. I stopped at the local big box “Super Store” for a few grocery items. When I arrived, I felt different. As I looked around, I saw “Steven” everywhere. I walked up and down the aisles and couldn’t get the smile off my face. I was beaming with the grace-filled lessons of Steven’s love and joy. My heart was expanded and with each and every immigrant I saw, it grew even more with love, compassion, and joy. And then, something amazing happened.

As I was gathering my items and looking around, a young Sudanese child made eye contact with me, smiled, and waved. With surprise, my heart leaped out of my chest and I felt the presence of our shared divinity and joy. It felt like a deeply sacred moment. There were no words between us, just a profound, yet brief surreal connection. We needed no words. We saw each other. I walked off dazed and intoxicated with the lessons of Steven stirring in my heart.

A few minutes later, in the next aisle over a family passed by. Not paying much attention, I was looking at my list when a young Hispanic girl pulled her hand away from her mom, and shouted loudly to get my attention, “Hi!”. I made eye contact with her, returned a smile, and said, “Hi!”

Seriously? Again? It was as if both kids were reaching out to me to share a soul moment. I was filled with gratitude. There was a familiar knowing among us. Our brief eye contact felt like an eternity of deeper seeing and recognition. I began to feel a universal oneness with everyone in the super store. I looked around with gentle compassion and curiosity. What was happening?

When life couldn’t get much sweeter, a third young Caucasian child laying on her daddy’s shoulder, lifted her head just a few feet from mine, grinned from ear to ear, and with the light of recognition in her eyes, greeted me with an adorable and engaging, “Hi!” I was enchanted as I stood soaking in the mystery of this unbelievable experience.

I thank Steven. His palpable love, joy, and heart for service, created a beautiful resonant field that ignited something in me. I believe the same gracious God, and divine spark, which resides within Steven, resides within me, and within all people, including the three children I met at the super store. Maybe, the three children simply recognized it sooner than I did, and reached out in remembrance to reconnect in a beautiful living experience of Namaste.

Namaste.

[The definition of Namaste (pronounced na, ma, stay) is both a physical gesture and a spoken spiritual salutation, which is the recognition of the divine spirit (or soul) in another by the divine spirit in you. The word Namaste translates simply to “I bow to the divine in you.”]

(Image found with SCiAF, Scotland’s Aid Agency sciaf.org.uk)

Finding the Source

January 22, 2012Leave a comment

The water was disappearing more and more all the time. Our sacred backyard sanctuary had a leak. The pond needed to be filled every couple of days.

We put the pond in ourselves in 2004. We really didn’t know what we were doing. We researched for years and decided to go ahead with our limited knowledge and experience. We ordered a kit, rented a backhoe, and followed the instructions. It turned out beautifully and we enjoy it immensely. The Koi and gold fish are maturing and the water plants need little care. But that “limited knowledge and experience” piece does come back to haunt us.

There are two important steps the instructions did not cover adequately. First, how important sealing the main seam is! Second, they never mentioned that the liner needed to be fitted inside the waterfall spill-over. We paid careful and diligent attention to the main seam when we sealed it. I believe it is a waterproof seam serving us well. But the other issue with the waterfall spill-over has caused us grief.

We knew we had small amounts of water leaking around the waterfall, but feared a much bigger problem. It seemed like a daunting task to tackle the leak. Surely it would require de-construction and re-construction.

One Saturday I was working in the gardens – weeding, moving plants, and playing with the stone around the pond – when I noticed moving water where it wasn’t supposed to be. Outside of the waterfall and creek a small trickle of water was discovered. I began moving rock, pulling mint plants, and clearing out roots of a reed that sucks water from the pond. Slowly but surely I made my way up to the source of the leak. There, before my eyes, water was emerging from a place I never imagined.

I vacillated between joy and hesitation. Would this be a simple fix or a major de-construction project? And then, two simple solutions quietly emerged. First, we could carefully work with the liner and simply re-route the water back to the pond. Or second, we could fill the hole with concrete; creating a dam or plug, and hopefully the source of the leak would re-route itself down the waterfall. If you know the temperament of moving water, the second option could be risky and wasn’t likely a viable solution. So, I began working with the liner to catch and re-route the leak.

I expected the worst. Fixing the leak seemed like such a big project. But I was delightfully surprised to find a gentle little stream of water where it wasn’t supposed to be. For now, the liner has been manipulated to re-route the water and it seems to be a manageable solution.

There are times in my life when I experience energy leaks. Finding the source means two things to me. First, it is important for me to understand where my leak originates. Where and why am I loosing energy? Finding that source helps me address the issues and move back into wholeness. Second, finding my Source, my center, the spiritual essence of who I really am, is a powerful daily practice. This Source is an abundant stream of powerful energy that fuels my life. This infinite Source of love and light can heal any leak, wound, block, or congestion, and move me into right relationship with myself and the world around me. Having an intimate and infinite relationship with my Beloved Source illuminates dark shadows, ignorance, and self-doubt. This constant companion is so life-affirming!

So, when something is out of balance and I’m feeling low, all I need to do is be still, go within, and find that Source… She leads me beside the still waters. She restores my soul!

All Things Connected

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Green Between Hearts ~ Three Lessons on Connecting with Others

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