The World Needs Our Light!

Snow! Blessed BE the Snow!

The world needs our light. And so do we!

As I was lighting candles on my altar this snowy morning, a felt sense from deep within washed over me: ‘the world needs our light.’ Whose light? Was this the Muse gently nudging my morning exploration, prompting the focus of today’s post?

I’ve only recently begun to light more than one small candle each morning and to be intentional about my purpose for each. Why do I light this green candle? For the health and well-being of all beings, including the planetary being; sometimes including the healing journey of an individual who has made that request. The yellow? Protection. The white? Purity and love. And, on I went for a few brief moments until seven candles were lit. Hand over heart, I thanked the light. Grateful for the ritual that’s replaced what had become my mindless ’habit’ of lighting a single candle.

Grateful too for the inspirations and insights that come when mindless habit gives way to awareness, to ritual, to intention. Isn’t ‘this’ the light our world longs for with its often-silent tears as well as its not so silent cries? Mindfulness. Awareness. Purposefulness. In each moment. Each smile. Each word. Each movement. Each choice made with clarity, purpose, awareness. And, with love.

I imagine the Muse smiling. I’m certain they get some credit for my shift, although I know that in Muse-land there is none of the ego’s need for scorekeeping. That’s how life is in the unseen world, the other side of the veil where I’m certain the Muse resides (if indeed Muse has ‘residence’ in a ‘place’).

Just before my candle ritual (and after getting a warming fire going in the stove), I’d opened the computer to check the weather forecast since the ‘heavy’ snow of yesterday’s forecast brought only about three inches. I was curious (and hopeful!) – is there more? ‘Yes’ says our local weather tracker.

While getting to the weather site, my eyes landed on an email from a colleague/friend across the pond. Its subject line was the name of an esteemed coaching colleague. Sensing the content, I took a quick look, a look that confirmed his sudden passing earlier this week. A breath taken, I sent a short note to my friend, knowing that it was time for our voices to connect.

Complete with that, I felt a nudge to revisit a poem read several days ago. Following that nudge led me to the prolific poet’s post from yesterday, the day of a new moon. I found it a profound and beautiful reminder that the light of love is always present and that light is to be shared.

At the Dark of the Moon

As you unfold your wet wings,

dear vulnerable one,

the moon rests from our gaze;

she, also, tender,

At the dark of the moon,

the sun still shines

on the side of her we cannot see.

You, too, earthling,

receive the light of love

even when you are blind to it.

Here, take mine,

now when you have what you need.

When it’s someone else’s turn

to swim in the frightening Dark,

you can offer yours,

you can pass it on,

the invisible and real

light of love

from the other side

of the beautiful moon.

---Susa Silvermarie

 Yesterday, February 1, was also the Chinese New Year (fare-the-well Ox. Welcome year of the Tiger!) and Imbolic, the Celtic celebration of Brigid. Each in their unique ways, celebrations of light and of nature. Reminders indeed that, yes, there IS much to celebrate in life. Celebration is light!

On this auspicious day of ‘twos’ – 2-2-2022 – let us double our light wherever we go, we stay, we BE. For we, each of us, you and me, need our light. Not in denial or avoidance of darkness, but to its counterpoint and opening to transforming darkness into light. This day my light will shine with snow shovel in hand … the morning’s three inches have grown to six or more. Big, beautiful flakes continue to fall. Blessed BE the Light and Blessed BE the Snow!

Cordially, Cheerfully Yours from the Snowy Neighborhood …

Making Sense Today

Morning Clouds

Wayfarer,
Now is no time to sit still
For nothing but a great clamor of joy
And music
Can make any sense
Today! --- Hafiz (from When the Sun Conceived a Man)

I ignored my first impulse as I sat down in the quiet of the dawning morning: to pull The Gift: Poems by Hafiz, The Great Sufi Master off the nearby shelf. Instead, I was mesmerized by the mountains and the sky, the softness of clouds, ‘bellies’ pink in the sun’s first light, contrasting the hard edges of Crestone Peak.

Although I look to the mountains and the coming light each morning, this morning and the two preceding it invited me to pause and look deeply: to notice what is different and to observe what seems the same. Today, clouds brought softness to the fore, muting the hard, jagged edges of the mountain peaks.

As I opened my journal, I felt the softness and allowed it to flow in and through me as I wondered ‘what wants to be said by the muse and me today?’

Several events and observations of the week came to mind. A thought about how ‘misinformation’ is what many have come to label that which doesn’t support whatever narrative they are promoting. I confess that I frequently find helpful information in some of the so-called ‘misinformation’. Especially information dealing with edgy topics such as my health or the existence of UFOs.

Even with my very limited exposure to ‘the news’ I feel pressure from the collective to make choices around my health and well-being that my heart informs me are not in my best interest or even in the best interest of the collective that aims to convince me ‘it’ knows better. Mother Earth is speaking. Listen.

This week I experienced a close encounter with a flash flood in our neighborhood. Thankfully, no major damage to persons or buildings, but morning’s light revealed the level that flowing water, mud and debris reached in the dark of night. A walk around the neighborhood revealed roads with deep ruts and a favorite serene spot by Cottonwood Creek torn asunder. Mother Earth is speaking. Listen.

Next week the installation of a solar array on my roof begins. It’s but one answer to my ongoing question: How do I adapt and align with nature rather than trying to overcome or subvert her?

This week marks the end of my 13th year here in the sacred Sangre de Cristo mountains and the community of Crestone/Baca Grande. I’m blessed with sharing an abundance of fresh produce from a friend’s growing dome. It’s a ‘good basil year’ and pesto making is in full swing!

The week also found me unable to honor a promise made two years ago. I aim to make promises with care and sincerity. Breaking a promise is a matter of integrity. I wonder how this will inform me in making future promises.

Synchronicities have also been present this week. Think of someone/something. Boom, the phone rings, a text or email arrives about ‘that’ from ‘them’. Such events call forth an awareness of resonance and what nourishes life.

As I look back at the week’s unfolding, I wonder: what are the common threads that weave in this week’s experiences? What does the muse wish to share? What sense can be made of the week? Of the world? I pause.

Returning from my morning walk with Zadie Byrd, Hafiz calls again. I respond, pulling the book off the shelf and opening to a ‘random’ page. His poem, When the Sun Conceived a Man, (read it here ) greets me, a reminder that joy and music can make sense Today as they did in days past and will in days to come.  Thank you, wise poet.

Sing. Dance. Make music. Make a joyful noise in all you do in the days ahead. And let go of making sense!

Mountain Edges

3D: Damsels, Dragons, and Doggies

Dragonfly takes a little rest to enjoy a fading bloom

Light always lightens the load.

Recent experiences of life in 3D on planet earth here in the woods of the Sangre de Cristo range have found me focused on Zadie Byrd, in particular calming her during stormy weather (we’re in week two of our ‘monsoon’ season – more thunder than rain, though grateful for every drop) and at night when I turn out the lights.

So, what do damsels and dragons have to do with that, you might ask? Are there really dragons and damsels in the woods out back? Well, no (at least not visible to me in this 3D body), but during this time of exploration and experimentation with Zadie Byrd I’ve been blessed with several damselfly and dragonfly visits. These amazing creatures of nature symbolize light, in particular the power of light.

And light is what I want to shed on Zadie’s reactivity. Clarity to define a path to easing her tension and reactive nature is my aim. Lightening my load in the process is my intention.

About the same time as I began to seek the advice of experts, explore options, including the possibility of finding her a new home, dragonfly and damselfly began to ‘visit’. My first sighting was a dragonfly resting in a hanging basket while I tended the flowers. I took note and welcomed it, since, after all my home is the Dragonfly House.

Then, yesterday, I observed a damsel(fly) in distress – inside the kitchen window, flying into the glass in an apparent effort to get back to its world outside that window. The rescue and relocation were simple – a nearby yogurt container and a piece of paper provided just the vehicle needed to secure and transport this amazing creature to the door. Upon release, I wished it well and the damselfly quickly flew into a nearby pine where it landed, seeming to look down and offer a nod of thanks.

Damselfly in Distress

This morning after a walk in the labyrinth, I saw a brief flash of light as I sat on a log in the nearby ‘circle of elders.’ After a few moments, I decided to investigate the end of the log where I’d seen the flash. Voila! There was a (the?) damselfly. Reminding me yet again to bring the power of light to every project, every issue, every concern.  Light always lightens the load.

Yesterday’s rescue and this morning’s encounter remind me of a woodpecker that I saw tangled in a mess of fishing line in a bush many years ago. After calming the bird and painstakingly disentangling it, it flew to the top of the bush and landed. We looked at one another for a bit, me amazed that the being could still fly and the woodpecker seeming grateful for its freedom. I saw that woodpecker frequently in the days that followed.

The muse carries me to these tales (tails?) giving pause (paws?) for reflection and to remember that amidst change, especially change from the inside out, letting go of that which no longer (indeed may have never) serves us we sometimes take several steps forward, then falter or even take a step back. This part of the process offers the opportunity to take stock of where we are, where we’re headed, and make adjustments.  It can also be a pause for gratitude for whatever gifts the event is bringing us and a reminder that while nature is in service to us, we are best served when we honor and serve the nature on which we depend.

Although Zadie Byrd can’t speak human words to tell me what’s going on, like all canine companions she speaks through her actions, her eyes, and her body language. She takes me to that place of listening with my eyes and registering with my heart, a pause (paws) that refreshes.

Source of Light - Damselfly at Rest on a Log

Adios 2020!

Even Cottonwood Creek is smiling as the promise of a new year edges closer.

As I begin to update what has become my annual ‘Auld Lang Syne’ final post of the year, the online countdown clock indicated that it’s 1 day, 10 hours, 14 minutes, 37 seconds until the new year is rung in here in the Colorado Rockies. But, hey, who’s counting?

Almost everyone is waiting with bated breath to bid adieu to the tumultuous year 2020 will be remembered for around the globe. We want to turn the page. We long to dive deeply into the fresh start that began with the Solstice promise of our personal newness and culminates as we replace our 2020 calendars with new pages of promise and possibility that the coming year has the potential to bring forth.

It is, as always, up to us – individually and collectively – to bring potential to fruition. As sure as the light is returning day by day, we will have opportunities to do just that in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

While the first year of this second decade of the 21st century held much tragedy and darkness, it also shined lights of love and in dark corners needing our attention and care.  May we each be a part of shining the light of love in all the days ahead.

As I reflect on saying ‘Goodbye’ and refrain from saying ‘good riddance’, my year end reflections first written at the end of 2016 seem as apropos today as they did four years ago.

 “Give up the last year. Get rid of all those things of the mundane world. Make room for the awareness of a whole new spiritual understanding that will carry you throughout the next year.” Gregge Tiffen (The Winter Solstice: Giving To Yourself, December 2007)

“… and when you have the willingness to accept who you are, you become aware of an internal flame that burns with a fire that is unquenchable. It’s your acceptance that dispels fears and inadequacies.”  Gregge Tiffen (Open Secrets: Sacred Passageways, December 2011)

As the calendar year winds to a close, we tend to look back on its joys, its sorrows, what we accomplished, where we may have fallen short. Hopefully our review list includes acknowledging all that we discovered about ourselves and learned from the opportunities and events that life presented.

As 2020 ends, many will breathe a sigh of relief that it is finally over along with a breath of hope for better days in the year ahead.  The world we live in is chaotic and uncertain. It is. Those who put attention on the world forgetting that it is the world we live IN, NOT the world we are OF may look ahead with dread.

That need not be. Within each of us is a seed of understanding who we truly are. Nurturing that seed grows our faith in our capacity to be resilient in the face of the world’s chaos.

This seed of faith is within us all. It is not faith in anything outside of us. Rather it is faith in who we are, each as an individual, integral part of an intelligent Universe. It is a reminder that life is so much more than we experience and observe in our daily routines.

As you ring in 2021,  I invite you to join me in nourishing your seed of faith in each of the 365  days ahead and to remember how important your presence is at this moment on the planet.

Perhaps this prayer, one of my favorites of Gregge Tiffen’s writing, will support you to deepen your faith in you and in understanding just how important you are in the Universal scheme of things. 

Let me never forget how important I am to the Universal Picture. Without me there would be a blank space where there should be color.

 Let me understand that the challenges of life are just that and not battles. I am not out there to win or to loose, only to develop my skills as an on-going student in an omnipotent school.

Let me understand that the difference between people is one of the wondrous realities of an infinite Universe. Giving those differences space to be is far more important than comparing them to my set of beliefs.

Let me be proud of what I do. To whatever my hand touches, let me remind myself that it was my effort that added to the result. Perfection is not my goal. Creativity is.

 Let me remind myself that most of what I take seriously about myself also qualifies for a good laugh. Let me remember to be kind to myself. Loving companions are one of life’s treats, but they are not responsible for my care. Self-kindness can heal almost any hurt.

 Let me take responsibility as a gift and not a burden. Within that effort is the grandest sense of accomplishment I could achieve.

 Let me be patient with life. Nature does not produce the flower before the roots have taken hold. If I recognize that the place I am in is the right place at the right time, it will always be the right place at the right time. Gregge Tiffen (The Significance of Beginning, January 2007)

A Colorado Blue Sky Day with Snowy Peaks - How Winter is meant to be!

Blessed Solstice 2020

Sunset on the Labyrinth in the Woods Out Back

Winter Solstice is the time when you give up what you have and accept what is being born as the new power within you, the new awareness within you and the new person within you. (Gregge Tiffen, December 2019 newsletter)

All of heaven and all of earth coordinate at the Winter Solstice. Gregge Tiffen (Winter Solstice: The Christmas Story)

I’ve been feeling the energy of the Solstice for several days. Monday’s New Moon felt especially powerful here in the snowy woods, almost as if it were the Solstice day.  I was called to walk the labyrinth in the early morning cold and again as the sun began to set across the valley. I’m walking it daily and taking long slow walks with Zadie Byrd in the afternoons. Mild weather of a week ago has given way to winter weather. Eight plus inches of snow over the weekend and another inch overnight Monday. The beauty and the quiet that snow brings are tonic for the tumultuous frenzy that the world seems to be spinning in. Grateful! I am THAT!

Winter Solstice is a time of natural transformation, newness that comes forth with or without our awareness. It is the time when our receptivity is heightened in consciousness. Is it any wonder that with fewer hours of daylight, we are drawn inside into our homes and into ourselves at this time of year?

Solstice is the birthday of the Planet. It was celebrated as such with reverence and respect in ancient times by our ancestors who lived in close harmony with the Planet’s rhythms.

Solstice is the time of completion and of new beginnings. The old cycle is done. We are presented with the opportunity to declare completion and move on with awareness of the seeds of newness planted inside. A new ‘you’ with its potential to bring wondrous change in the cycle ahead is ready. Are you willing to claim it?

In keeping with my understanding of ancient traditions, once again this year I will take time at Solstice to create a personal ‘silent night’, a time to harmonize my rhythms to those of Mother Earth. With love and gratitude I let go of everything from the year behind and acknowledge the seeds of newness inside. I invite you to create quiet time amidst the tensions of the world outside of you and the hustle and bustle of the season to do the same.

A good place to start is by harmonizing with nature. If you are blessed as I am to live in nature’s beauty, take a walk. Observe and honor the rhythms of nature, whether the slow steady growth of a tree or the daily cycles of ocean tides. This year the planets will offer quite a show as Jupiter and Saturn come together and appear as one bright star in the night sky on Solstice.  

If nature is not outside your door, then sit quietly and imagine your favorite peaceful place in nature. Feel yourself in that place and allow its rhythms to bring you the quiet peace of the season.

In that atmosphere embrace an attitude of gratefulness. Let go of everything that has come to you in the cycle ending. Empty and prepare space for the new. Let go of not only what doesn’t serve or suit you, of those things you consider ‘wrong’ or ‘bad’, but of everything: every attitude, your wants and desires, your fears, your hopes, your stories about the events of the year ending, the people in your life.

Finally, when you are ready (perhaps after only a few moments, perhaps a few hours), evoke the sound of newness with the declaration “I am new”.  Speak it boldly.  Be still and feel this newness. This is the place where heaven and earth come together in you, as you. The place where ‘heaven and nature sing’. The new you is ready to meet, greet and receive the gifts of the new cycle.  On this dark and silent night, let us sing with the angels and call forth love and light and peace. Then, in all the days ahead, let us BE the love, light, and peace that is our true nature.

May the blessings of your unique newness follow you into and throughout the year ahead!

A Protective Blanket of Fresh Snow Cradles Grasses and Seedlings and Mother Earth Herself

Keep Your Faith!

And there was light!

Evil thrives in darkness. We must let our courage and conviction shine, so that not even the smallest shadow shall find a doorway in which to hide. … No sacrifice is too great. No undertaking is too demanding. No commitment is too excessive, in order to maintain faith. Gregge Tiffen (It’s Springtime: Flow With The Power of Nature – March, 2007)

Light! Light! Light! The world needs our light, the light of our faith, the light of understanding, the light of knowing that we are here in this moment in time as a small, yet integral, part of an unfolding Universe. The darker the world seems, the more brightly our light is needed. The more we sense fear, the greater we need to love.

That is how we change the world. That is how we learn and grow.

Reversing its letters, ‘evil’ becomes ‘LIVE’. LIVE! Live is life. Life is light. In Universal terms, life is also abundance, beauty, harmony, joy, love, peace, power.

Evil is none of these. Indeed it is their absence. From ancient times to this moment, history is replete with the horrors of evil. Hence, the conviction of faith and strong beliefs along with courage are necessary for us to say ‘no’ to evil and ‘yes!’ to live life in its truest sense.

History is overflowing with examples of this choice as well: the love exuded by the man known as Jesus; the sage wisdom of the Buddha; and in more recent times the sacred, loving activism of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and elders who the peaceful ‘Water is Life’ movement at Standing Rock.

While we know these names, it is wise to remember that throughout history countless others have taken a stand for light as well. You have. I have. Each of us in our unique ways dared to shine a light to break the darkness where evil dwells. 

Daily we have innumerable opportunities to do the same. We do so when we choose kind thoughts and speak words that match them. A patient smile while standing in a slow moving line radiates light as does a sincere, quiet ‘Thank you’ when we are served.

We shine light in the darkness when we receive and return the love of our pets and of all the flora and fauna of nature. And, who among us has not experienced the shift of a good belly laugh (or, even a slight chuckle)? We shine light when we sing, whether alone in the shower or in harmony with others.

These seemingly small acts are, in fact, huge. When taken collectively, they have the power to crack open hearts and shift mass consciousness to a higher vibration from which evil gets no support.

Up close and personal, choosing light is important as well. Each of our seemingly small acts of light strengthens our personal capacity for compassion in the face of evil. Each builds our conviction and our courage to be bold in choosing light, to keep the faith. We hold the power to shine the light of life in the darkest shadows where evil dwells. May we do so moment to moment, step by step.

Need of a little inspiration to shine? click here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yUK0S_cEXY     

Morning Light Filters Through the Woods

Auld Lang Syne

The sun sets on Luke, the Labyrinth, and another year …

Another year, tumultuous for many, is (almost) behind us. My words first written at the end of 2016 seem as apropos today as they did 24 months ago.

 “Give up the last year. Get rid of all those things of the mundane world. Make room for the awareness of a whole new spiritual understanding that will carry you throughout the next year.” Gregge Tiffen (The Winter Solstice: Giving To Yourself, December 2007)

 “… and when you have the willingness to accept who you are, you become aware of an internal flame that burns with a fire that is unquenchable. It’s your acceptance that dispels fears and inadequacies.”  Gregge Tiffen (Open Secrets: Sacred Passageways, December 2011)

 As the calendar year winds to a close, we tend to look back on its joys, its sorrows, what we accomplished, where we may have fallen short. Hopefully our review list includes acknowledging all that we discovered about ourselves and learned from the opportunities and events that life presented.

 As 2018 ends, many will breathe a sigh of relief that it is finally over along with a breath of hope for better days in the year ahead.  The world we live in seems chaotic and uncertain. It is. Those who put attention on the world forgetting that it is the world we live IN, NOT the world we are OF may look ahead with dread.

 That need not be.

 Within each of us is a seed of understanding who we truly are. Nurturing that seed grows our faith in our capacity to be resilient in the face of the world’s chaos.

 This seed of faith is within us all. It is not faith in anything outside of us. Rather it is faith in who we are, each as an individual, integral part of an intelligent Universe. It is a reminder that life is so much more than we experience and observe in our daily routines.

 As you ring in 2019, I invite you to join me in nourishing your seed of faith in the 365 days that lie ahead.

 Perhaps this prayer, one of my favorites of Gregge Tiffen’s writing, will support you to deepen your faith in you and in understanding just how important you are in the Universal scheme of things.

Let me never forget how important I am to the Universal Picture. Without me there would be a blank space where there should be color.

Let me understand that the challenges of life are just that and not battles. I am not out there to win or to loose, only to develop my skills as an on-going student in an omnipotent school.

Let me understand that the difference between people is one of the wondrous realities of an infinite Universe. Giving those differences space to be is far more important than comparing them to my set of beliefs. 

Let me be proud of what I do. To whatever my hand touches, let me remind myself that it was my effort that added to the result. Perfection is not my goal. Creativity is. 

Let me remind myself that most of what I take seriously about myself also qualifies for a good laugh. Let me remember to be kind to myself. Loving companions are one of life’s treats, but they are not responsible for my care. Self-kindness can heal almost any hurt. 

Let me take responsibility as a gift and not a burden. Within that effort is the grandest sense of accomplishment I could achieve. 

Let me be patient with life. Nature does not produce the flower before the roots have taken hold. If I recognize that the place I am in is the right place at the right time, it will always be the right place at the right time.

Gregge Tiffen (The Significance of Beginning, January 2007)

and the moon rises faithfully in her cycle, reminding us to be the light wherever we are in the world.

I Am NEW! Solstice 2018

HAPPY SOLSTICE!

All of heaven and all of earth coordinate at the Winter Solstice. Gregge Tiffen (Winter Solstice: The Christmas Story)*

Winter Solstice is the time of natural transformation, newness that comes forth with or without our awareness. Winter Solstice is the time when our receptivity is heightened in consciousness. Is it any wonder that with fewer hours of daylight, we are drawn inside into our homes, perhaps under the covers, and definitely drawn to be inside ourselves at this time of year?

Solstice is the birthday of the Planet and was celebrated as such with reverence and respect in ancient times by our ancestors who lived in close harmony with the Planet’s rhythms.

Solstice is the time of completion and of new beginnings. The old cycle (year) is done. We are presented with the opportunity to declare completion and move on with awareness of the seed of newness that is planted inside. A new ‘you’ with its potential to bring wondrous change in the cycle ahead is ready, provided you are willing to claim it.

In keeping with my understanding of ancient traditions, I take time at Solstice to create a personal ‘silent night’, a time harmonize my rhythms to those of the Planet, to with love and gratitude let go of everything from the year behind, and to acknowledge the seed of newness inside.  And, I invite you to take a few moments or even a few hours to create your own and to acknowledge and embrace the potential of the newness in you.

Start by harmonizing with nature. If you are blessed as I am to live in nature’s beauty, take a walk. Observe and honor the rhythms of nature, whether the slow steady growth of a tree or the daily cycles of ocean tides. If nature is not outside your door, then sit quietly and imagine your favorite place in nature. Feel yourself in that place. Allow those rhythms to bring you the quiet peace of the season.

Next, create an atmosphere and attitude of gratefulness and let go of everything that has come to you in the cycle ending. Your aim is to empty and prepare a space for the new. Thus, let go of not only what doesn’t serve or suit you, of those things you consider ‘wrong’ or ‘bad’, but of everything: every attitude, your wants and desires, your fears, your hopes, your stories about the events of the year ending, the people in your life.

Finally, when you are ready (perhaps after only a few moments, perhaps a few hours), evoke the sound of newness with the declaration “I am new”.  This is the place where heaven and earth come together in you, as you. The new you is ready to meet, greet and receive the gifts of the new cycle. 

May the blessings of your unique newness follow you into and throughout the year ahead!

*My understanding and celebration of Solstice, while it is my own interpretation, comes primarily from the work of Gregge Tiffen. You can learn more about Gregge’s work at www.g-systems.com. And, you can purchase from his collected works, including his telling of Winter Solstice – The Christmas Story, on www.amazon.com

May the joys of the season light your way!

Peace, No Matter What

I think of this spot as a Portal to Peace.

Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. Albert Einstein

… cause peace by becoming peace – not just being peaceful temporarily. To become peace requires embracing a mindset that recognizes all of creation as one organism expressing in myriad forms and committing to treat all others (human, non-human, animate and inanimate) with kindness and respect, no matter what. Rev. Trish Hall, founder Way2Peace (https://way2peace.org/)

The idea of ‘peace, no matter what’ is an ideal of the highest magnitude, or so it seems in a world hell-bent on destruction. Peace seems out of reach until we bring it home, seeking to maintain our personal sense of peace and making a commitment to peace in our hearts, minds, and homes. We do this moment by moment, choice by choice, conversation by conversation. Some are easy, natural, and effortless. Others choices call forth our conviction, invite us to step into the unknown, or even to swim upstream counter to friends, neighbors, or social norms.

That is way the way of change. That is way of creating peace. Those are the individual choices that we must make collectively if peace and love are to prevail on our precious planet.

Recently just such a choice presented itself. In the midst of reflecting on somewhat disconcerting conflicts and reactions in my community – events that have resulted in some friends deciding to arm themselves and others considering doing the same – these words came to me crystal clear as if someone was in the room speaking:

Disarmament of nations will only come when individuals shed the fear that has us keep weapons for our own protection.

While I wasn’t considering arming myself with a gun, a friend currently living in my home voiced that possibility for herself. Given the events, I understand why one might consider this choice. Yet, my initial reaction was ‘no!’. And after a day of thoughtful consideration, I was clear that this choice would stand. I was also clear that new criteria for sharing my home had emerged: no guns, no weapons – no matter what.

I feel a deep sense that my personal safety, like peace, comes first from within. The cause of war and violence in any of its forms is fear. Fear is the absence of love. The path to peace collectively is to expand and deepen our individual capacity to make choices grounded in kindness and respect – love, if you will – not in fear. I have work to do to increase my own capacity for kindness and respect to myself and to others, especially those with whom I disagree.

Too often we think of peace only as the business of nations. Governments engage in war to ‘win’ peace. Do you notice how broken this model is? Fear and dominance have had their time. Their time is done (though letting go for some will not be done without fight).

The time is now to end violence and to call forth peace, the peace that is our business – yours and mine – to create. The time for simple kindness, respect, and relationship is upon us.  Let our love shine light in the dark corners of fear. Let us each become portals to peace, putting our attention on the work that needs doing to build that peace – moment by moment, choice by choice, conversation by conversation, and even social media post by social media post.

Blanca Peak, a place of peace to indigenous peoples for generations. Do you see the bear?

The Energy of Love

Morning Clouds Bring Blessed Rain!

There are billions of molecules of energy entering your aura all of the time. They are being attracted by the magnetism of your vortex. Gregge Tiffen, Deeds Are Fruit – Words Are Leaves ­– October, 2008

… at whatever point we place our mental attention at that point the firm of God and company establishes a branch which is certain to be successful. Ernest Holmes Your Invisible Power quoted in Science of Mind, October, 2018

I woke to the sound of rain gently falling on the roof, its aroma wafting through an open window. I imagined for a moment how clean the rocks and trees will look and how soft the earth will feel under my feet when Luke and I venture out for our morning walk.

Rain is a blessed event here in this mountain desert, parched in drought conditions deemed “extreme” by experts who measure such things.

I take a few moments to feel gratitude deep in my bones and I speak a quiet, heart-felt ‘Thank you!’

This is where I place my attention as I begin this day.  I don’t do so with the intention of strengthening the branch of gratitude in my tree of life, yet I know that it will have that effect.

I allow, no I invite, Gregge’s words to sink in. I remember that we are energetic beings. The quality of the energy that we attract is determined by the qualities of our thoughts. Fear (and there is plenty of it ‘out there’ in our world) begets fear. Love magnetizes love. I choose love, expressing gratitude as one of love’s highest expressions.

I think about our world and my heart suggests that our greatest challenge in these times of chaos, cruelty, hostility aimed at making us fearful is to find loving ways to respond. I wonder how I might express my strong convictions about the current nominee for the Supreme Court to my senator from a foundation of love.

For love to inspire we need to invite it in with our attention, our thoughts and our gratitude. The energetic force of love deserves – no demands – our attention in these times. We need to call love forth as never before. Not as a superficial, airy/fairy concept, but as how we live – moment to moment, day by day.

Love does not cower in a corner waiting until it is safe to come forward. Love finds ways and words to express outrage and anger with care. Love invents approaches to navigate chaotic, even dangerous, events cautiously, yet without fear. Love fuels and finds ways to express strong, solid conviction. In the midst of darkness, love brings forth light. In the midst of drama, love is calm. In the midst of confusion, love seeks and finds clarity.

The conditions in our world need our attention but most all they need for that attention to be firmly grounded in love. As we each choose the messages and forms that best express our concerns, even our outrage, let the energy of love fuel us. As we make demands on elected officials to hear and respond to our voices, let us not seek to be the loudest, but the most loving. That is how we will build a world that we want to live in. Love is the answer.

Peek-A-Boo Showering Love on You!