The Lightning Teaches One Young Mother A Lesson In Life

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING

A story retold:

There was a young girl who walked every day to and from school.  This one particular morning the weather was quite ominous.  Large clouds formed in the sky as she made her daily journey to school.  As she prepared to walk home, the winds began and thunder struck.  Lightning illuminated the skies.

The mother of the young girl was concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she made her journey home by the sounds and sights.  She feared even more that the electrical storm may strike her daughter as she made her way home.  Following an unusually loud roar of thunder and lightning appearing like a flaming sword cutting through the sky, the mother rushed to her car to and headed down the route of the young girls travels.  

Seeing her daughter, she slowed; as she did the mother watched as each flashing of lightning her young daughter would pause to look up to the skies and smile.  Flash after flash followed one another and each time the little girl would pause and look up to the skies smiling.  Confused, the mother finally called over to her young daughter and asked "What are you doing?"

The young girl answered, "smiling mommy, God just keeps taking pictures of me."

Winning Photo for Ipad Wallpaper

Origin of the parable unknown

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

In celebration of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday on October 2nd, I offer some words spoken by of the greatest humanitarians and social activist of all times.  Gandhi ignited the spark of imagination for an entire nation and perhaps for the entire world.  


I have heard some say that our present generation is waiting for another Gandhi to lead them - yet, Gandhi himself reminded us to be responsible for the change ourselves and not to wait for another.


"The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problem."


"If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do."


The human ability to unify still a pipe dream?  So long as the diversion in the global society to take a stance on non-violence exist, it may appear to be the reality.  Can we as a society apply Gandhi's principles in todays world?  Are they still relevant?  Gandhi spoke of a communal unity that was based upon the equality of all regardless of religious dogma.  many of the world religions share this value that a respect of all dogma would remove the rifts that exist between nations.  That spirituality leads the way to many paths of goodwill and understanding not only between nations, but also between men.  


It was this awareness of being one that lead to the harmony he spoke of.  A Society in harmony  must begin with a man in harmony with self.  He believed that when a man evolves to have a foundation of peace and harmony within, he would be able to withstand all attacks from the outside and from within.  When man had this foundation, it is then that society can build its foundation on a peace.


"As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves."


In remaking ourselves, Gandhi shared tiresly his philosophy of how to become a better human being.  


"An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching."


"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."


"Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellow-men."


One of my favorite quotes of Gandhi is one that speaks to how we should see the relatedness of all, not only a few, he spoke of the discouragement that many face in this co creation of a peaceful world.


"You must not lose faith in humanity.  Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."


Gandhi's humility and humanness was not some dark shadow, but rather, he himself placed the shadow in direct light.  In his life as one of the great visionaries of all times, he reminded each of us that we are but humans and to become in harmony with self one must be willing to see ourselves as that "dirty drop of ocean" as well.


"I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal.  I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps."


"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom.  It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err."


"I look only to the good qualities of men.  Not being faultless myself, I won't presume to probe into the faults of others."


His words on peace and non-violence are simple, yet, the share the attitude of the soul must have to become a peaceful society.  So many forget that when you take up the sword of war even in a war of words, the result is not a peaceful and harmonious freedom that is found.  His words remind us that it is not a cloak to wear in the light of day, but a tapestry of the soul for all times.


"Nonviolence is not a garment to be put on and off at will.  Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our being."


"Violent means will give violent freedom."


On the differences of religious dogma and spiritual paths becoming in harmony with one another, he was prophetic in sharing the many paths lead to the same view upon the mountain top and in imposing belief upon another will not lead to victory of any.


"Like the bee gathering honey from the different flowers, the wise person accepts the essence of the different scriptures and sees only the good in all religions."


"Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position."


And lastly, my favorite Gandhi quote of all time speaks to how to live the moments of life ....


"There is more to life than simply increasing its speed."


This weekend of celebration of one of the greatest philospher's of all time birth and the United Nations' International Day of Non-Violence, let us all remember the words attributed to Gandhi, "You must be the change you want to see in the world."  "The unity we desire will last only if we cultivate an yielding and charitable disposition towards one another. " 

A Story - The Scout, The Fisher, and The Outsider

A story . . .

There was a tribe many moons ago who lived together as one.  One day a young scout returned in a frantic state, calling all together to follow him.  The followed the path of the scout who travelled by the stars to a cavern.  In his panic he explained he had heard a voice calling for help from deep within.  The tribe people stood around listening when he finally asked, "What should we do?"

A wise old fisherman of the tribe stated, "I know what I should do, I should go fishing."  The scout stared in exasperation at the reply.

The hunter shared, "I shall go hunting."

The farmer shared, "I shall go gather the harvest."

The woodsman shared, "I shall go gather the wood."

The cook shared, "I shall go prepare a feast."

One by one each shared what they shall go do from the rope maker, to the carpenter, to the matchmaker they left.  All that remained with the scout was the healer, the teacher, and the outsider.  They looked at one another and then nodded as they turned to follow the path back to the camp.  The young scout stared in disbelief for he thought that someone would have a plan to rescue the voice from deep within the cavern, he exploded "Where are you going?  Will no one rescue this poor lost soul?"

The outsider turned back to the young scout, "there is food waiting for a feast, come."  

They returned to the main camp where the cook had prepared the fish, the meat, and the harvest from the gardens for all to receive their nourishment for the day.  The rope maker gave the newly weaved rope, the carpenter the newly prepared ladder, and the matchmaker a match to ignite the fires to the outsider after the feast.

Without fanfare or even a spoken word, the outsider, the healer, and the teacher returned to the deep cavern.  The outsider smiled as the healer whispered a prayer as the the descent down the deep cavern was made.  The teacher and the healer remained vigilant at the edge waiting and whispering prayers.  

There were times that one did not return from a cavern when they entered and all knew this, yet the healer and the teacher remained moon after moon.  The outsider covered in mud and dirt, after allowing the eyes to adjust to the darkness trudged onward seeking out the voice of the lost.  The stench overwhelming of the sulfer rising but it did not deter.  Finally, finding the lost one who lay trapped.  The outsider worked and worked to free the lost one.  "I will not desert you, trust me."  

Tying the newly weaved rope around the waist of the lost one so they should not become separated, the outsider lit the single match to now light their way back to the ladder.  The slow climb upward to the bright light of the sun's rays blinding both the outsider and the lost one.  The healer standing ready to heal the wounds both encountered in the long desperate journey.  The teacher standing ready to teach the lost one how to see once more, to breath once more, and to find peace once more.  They three worked together for a brief moment in time to help this lost one before returning to the camp.

A few moons passed when the young scout raced into the camp once more shouting, "Help there is another lost in a cavern, what shall we do?"

The farmer smiled and said, "I know what I shall do, I shall go fishing."

The moral of the story - be you a scout, a fisher, a cook, a teacher, or an outsider - without one, the other could not do their purpose of being.

Artwork is Nancy McGalliard's "Living Cavern"

Cosmic Threads Weaved in Global Fire Vigil

(Artist Brad Silberberg)

This weekend was one that gifted so much to life. . .

I was to attend the Awesome Women Hub Tour stop in Northampton, MA, but health related issues precluded me from attending in person.  Originally, having planned to hold my Global Vigil Fire while in New England with a special gathering of Shamanic Apprentices that I had been humbled and honored to be invited to, a new plan had to be created.  The new plan of attending the AWH tour interrupted by my spiking a fever that had me down for the count.

You may ask ... I thought you said it was full of some gifts?  Sometimes gifts can come in ways we least expect them to.

It could be a simple note that arrived in the mail that touches your soul at just the perfect moment.  (mwah L.)

It could be the journey taken through the delusion of a high fever that reveals new doorways ...

It may be a simple fire with no fanfare that creates a golden thread to weave a new vision through a new found gateway...

I heard a new word this weekend during my short time with the virtual AWH Tour.  "Soul Storming".  (mwah Tracy).  This one thought was the catalyst for the my journey.  Think about it ...  What if we began as a society to "soul storm" instead of "brain storm".  If we visioned from our own soul rather than from the brain.  How different would our reality and life here be?

Then there was the simple fire I spoke of.  In a  breath, connected with the energetic flow.  The physical body exhausted so no brain thinking to get in the way of the soul.  The Universe gifting ...

I read this somewhere, "there are no experts in the human experience" and it has remained with me since as a simple reminder.  I share this as the vision of a reality was in a balanced, wisdom sharing and creation building  tribe.  While much of the journey and vision was personal in nature, a few things strike me as important messages.

The world that we live in, our society globally, is a place that is being built without a consciousness of the soul.  It is created from the consciousness of the brain - the personality of consciousness.  In reality, it is being created by unconscious thought and by unconscious intention of the personality.  Look around.  Everything even in your home is a mirror.  Ask yourself is it a mirror of your personality or of your soul?

What would happen if the consciousness of the soul is introduced and allowed to evolve.  What would your mirror reflect in your home?  Would it not show your values, your perceptions of life, your experiences at a soul level or your spiritual beliefs?  It would allow you to use the "golden thread" to weave and fuse together the physical world with your soul world.

We create by intentional energy.  Our intentional energy takes form.  This is true whether we are conscious of it or not.  If your intentional energy is taking form - your soul wisdom, your soul nature can carry the intentional energy and shape or create a different reflection when you become conscious of it.  If we even begin the process by "soul storming", the soul will see it as a necessary intention.  The soul will call out to those who are needed to create the intention.  It will seek out energetically those in the physical arena to collaborate the creation.  The soul will then undertake the shifting of creation from the soul rather than from the brain.  It will infuse the soul energy into form and calibrate it to take shape.

If you bring the consciousness of your soul to the table (your intention process), you are aligning yourself with your soul instead of with your brain.  You create a reality that resonates and reflects your soul and not your personality.

Now bring this entire process to the global society and not just your home ...  Evolution changes ... Society changes ... The tapestry of the world changes.