Gratitude Month - Day 26 - Rainbows, Swamps, and Palm Trees

This afternoon I had the opportunity to do one of my favorite activities.  I spent time in my gardens working.  The "babies" in the nursery had to be repotted before it got too cold and some of the others were ready to go into the five gallon and up pots.  I had this rush of gratitude for all things in nature as I sat there in the 'dirt'.

The seeds were gathered a few years back when I was working on my Ph.D. dissertation.  In case you have not followed along since 2008, my dissertation was on the effects of crystal bowl therapy on Pindo palm tree seed germination.  At the end of the year long study, I was left with about 1200 baby Pindo palm trees.  Currently, there are about 600 left that we are still growing.  Some of the earliest germinated seeds are nearly four feet tall.  

The seeds were "rescued" from a mature Pindo palm tree where normally the seed pods were thrown away.  The 'dirt' they are planted in is from our compost project which is all organic in nature.  The containers they are planted in are recycled from a nursery that was going to throw them away.  The water they are nourished with is from our rainwater collection system.  

As I sat there and played in the 'dirt' with the warm Florida sunshine and a soft zephyr breeze, my thoughts wandered to some of the other plantings on the property.  Other than the Pindo palm trees which we water due to them being in a pot, everything is reclaimed from other people's plantings that were going to be tossed aside. Nothing requires my attention other than enjoyment and occasional weeding.  Some I do not weed and allow to grow wild (see a previous blog post on my conversation with stink weed); all of them are natural growers that provide blooms year round.  

Butterflies and dragon flies are constant companions; as are snakes and hummingbirds.  Squirrels are bountiful since collecting seed pods that can not be germinated are left for their enjoyment (and to hopefully keep them from eating my seed pods in the nursery) and can often be seen playing.  

It is quite amazing how everything that the plantings need is provided for by nature.  We were told that the plants would not grow on the property due to the cypress swamp that in also on the property. 

 

However, nature seems to take care of herself when we let her.  The cypress swamp provides for a large array of birds to visit including herons and osprey. Though we did build a 'moat' down the length of the property to keep my fire pit area dry.

Late in the afternoon a rainbow was apparent in the sky.  To me, a sign from my Dad.  (A story for another day.)

The longer I played in the dirt and contemplating nature herself, the more I came to know fully that if nature provides all that it needs, if the Great Spirit sees to it that they are taken care of, why would I ever doubt that the Great Spirit would not love enough to take care of my needs?  

The Elders Share Message of Social Sustainability

 I had the opportunity to read of "The Elders" bi-annual gathering that occurred in Tunisia.  The recap was by Elder Ela Bhatt.  Some of the statements that were made resonated so deeply I wished to pass them along.

Ela Bhatt shared a vision.  A vision of change.  A vision that each voice can make truth in their own communities.  She shared the "poverty is violence that is happening with society's consent."  That the young people, voices often not heard, "insisted that this growth" in society to shift the poverty, "must be sustainable - not only in terms of environmental impact of development, but also its social impact."  Can you see the picture?  A picture where sustainability was not exclusive but rather inclusive.  How to make this a reality?
"Leaders must listen to their people - I believe that amplifying the voices of those who are not often heard" must be one of the most important shifts to occur.  "We need to bridge this gap between the haves and the have-nots.  We must recognise that our actions directly impact others, and take personal responsibility for the inequality we see."

"In the spirit of Ubuntu – the philosophy of interconnectedness we will continue to strive to make this vision a reality." ( Ela Bhatt)

I had a discussion recently in a small group of soul friends where the idea of interconnectedness was examined.  The idea of labeling persons or even Nations.  The idea that every voice heard was based upon individual experience; yet, when the voices became one, the language of collective consciousness emerged.  The idea that within a collective consciousness there was no one excluded - all voices, all experiences, and all beliefs were equal in value.  It was an idea of the same vision of change.

So many speaking and sharing the same message in different languages, different translations.  Bridges are emerging to cross the many gaps that exist.  But this is not a job for "The Elders" alone.  This is not the responsibility of others.  It is your responsibility.  It is my responsibility.  It is our interconnectedness with All that will be the blue prints for the bridges.  We can not sit back and read the blue prints least the bridge is never built.  It is time for many to rise up and do the work of building the bridges.  It begins in your own homes, your own families, your own communities.  It is there that it begins.

In this conversation that I was honored to be apart of, it was also discussed how we see the bridges as a massive structures spanning the oceans; yet, if one can not cross the river in their own backyard to get to the ocean to build the massive bridge - work will never begin.  We will meet again to discuss the same things over and over again.  It is not glorifying for the ego to get down in the dirt and begin building a bridge in our own backyards - yet it is vital.

When we reflect upon our actions, our words, and, yes, even our thoughts, we must be cognizant of the bridge we are building.  Is it strong?  Will it stand up to the test of time?  Is it built upon the peaceful intention of all humanity?   Is it sustainable for both Mother Earth and society?

"The Elders" are independent global leaders working together for peace and human rights that were brought together by Nelson Mandela to offer their collective influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity.  They hold no public office; they are independent of any government.  They are the peace makers, the peace builders, and social revolutionaries who together work in pioneering changes by leading examples in our world.   They do not represent a single spiritual journey but rather are independent voices bound only by shared interests of humanity.  They vow to listen to every voice and then to act boldly as examples to show that every individual can make a difference and create a positive change in society.

Gratitude Month - Day 25 - How do we change the world?

How do we change the world?  By building an ARK?

I had the opportunity to watch the movie "Evan Almighty" with Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman.  It is interesting when you watch a movie from a new perspective.  As I watched this movie it's powerful message struck me.  In the end, it is the message of "How do we change the world?  One Act of Random Kindness."  Through out the movie the characters were tested on their faith in "doing the pictures", questioned by society, by family, and by peers.  Yet the main character, without understanding the "picture" went ahead in building an ARK (Act of Random Kindness).  The metaphorical symbolism of building an actual ark was that at times we do not understand the whole picture or the big picture, but by the little things that we do, we can change the world.

In speaking with "God" in the movie, both the outward and the inward changed for the main character.  He got frustrated, angry, yelled, but in the end he believed.  He believed in the "picture" and so his family came to believe, then his peers, and the world was changed.  Not changed by some huge catastrophic event but rather changed in small ways which resulted in major changed when added together.

This morning I had the opportunity to experience one act of random kindness.  A small act in nature, but huge in essence.  I am soul filled that today I was aware to notice this "small" yet profound act.  It is much like the proverbial stone in the water, a small pebble can make ripples that shift consciousness.  So as I go out into the "wildness" by necessity rather than choice, I take with me this profound ripple - to share small acts of random kindness with each that I meet.

Join me in One Random Act of Kindness today?

Gratitude Month - Day 24 Thanksgiving Day

As you read this blog today, I will be sitting around a table with two of my children, my husband, my mom, Hal,   and other extended family members.  The girls will all try to help my mom in the kitchen, she will shoo us away. The boys will be in the living room harassing the females (all in good fun).  We will put out the plates and forks, and gather around to eat a feast.  Then we will pause.

We will remember those who are not with us this year.  My oldest daughter who serves in the military, my younger brother and his 'squadron' of children who live in Washington state, and Hal's girls who are up in New England.  We will remember those who are with us in spirit.  My dad, my husband's mom, Hal's wife, and others that we are close with in spirit.  Then we will all take hands and lift our souls up in gratitude for all that we have been blessed with over the year including the feast before us.  For the next hour or two, we will laugh, we may even shed a tear, while we talk of the amazing life we all live.

Then we will try to help my mom clean up and again she will shoo us away.  so we will settle with a cup of tea and talk.  Actually have conversation with one another.  We may pull out cards or dominoes and have a game. We may go for a walk around my mom's park (have to make room for dessert).  A fierce game of shuffle board may be played.

After dessert, when we part our ways for the evening, we will make some more calls to wish those who could not be with us Happy Thanksgiving and share how much we love them, watch a sunset while we have an evening fire of gratitude, and play with the puppies that missed us all day.

I am grateful that the art of conversation will not be forgotten, that games can be played without technology, and that holding hands on a long walk is still in style.  I hope you and yours have a blessed day full of gratitude and a side of conversation.

mwah

Message from the Fire on Thanksgiving

Today, as all days, is sacred and precious.  So let us remember that we live in a time where it is exciting, fragile, mysterious, and unprecedented.  Each one of us like a drop of water in the sea called humanity.   Both a calm tranquil sea and a wave crashing into the shore, still the same and we must remember that we face each challenge together as one sea.  It is time to embrace all as a collective, regardless of differences; remember, one need not agree with to embrace within the scope of collective loving energy.  

There are so many that have been denied, dishonored, deterred, and disavowed as their truths do not align with another’s truth.  It is not about accepting; but rather embracing the soul as part of the collective so that the imbalance that exists can be recalibrated.  Compassion, community nurturing, and co-creation permeate the new energies that are coming into existence.

Each must purify themselves as they become conscious of their own shadows, their own wounds, their own vulnerabilities.  Look into one’s own life to reveal the imbalance; it is then that the global imbalance can be shifted.  Only when each soul balances, aligns and purifies itself first, can the global shift occur, the global balance regained.  The truth and depth of individual authentic beingness begins within the individual soul.

This is the moment, the breath, of the collective dream of Oneness.  May we all have patience and fearlessness to anchor that which is discovered; may we hold a vision for society that brings a conscious remembering of interdependence upon one another, upon all kingdoms.  May we all remember that it is when we give from our soul, when we share from our soul, when we help from our soul, and when we support all from our soul that the Great Spirit returns beautiful blessings to all.

So today we pray and lift our souls up to the skies that we feel the light that shines, that others see that light within our own eyes and go out to share it with others.

Guest Blog Post: Grateful for what Sucks! by Tracy Brooks

Grateful For What Sucks!

by Tracy Brooks

Soul Beckons

Over the years, I've heard about all the joys of letting go, of awakening, of dwelling in mindfulness. I've certainly been in these precious moments and feel blessed, for sure, when they arise. 

Connected.

Grateful.

Awake.

Trusting.

Yet, like some sort of twisted fairy-tale, life would thrust me into something murky and unattractive...this place is the "in between place". It's not a place that welcomes you loudly, nor a place you expect to keep winding up in after you've "found your way"!  In fact, it's not something that we even hear that much about, really. This "in between place" happens to all of us at sometime in our lives (and to many of us it happens multiple times). But after years of hating being stranded there, I've slowly come to feel grateful for it. The "in between place"  is that soul-edginess, that low grade pain you feel after you depart an unhealthy relationship, get home from your brother's funeral,or leave a job that deadens you. Oh, sure, you're relieved that you don't have to hear that partner insult you,or see your beloved brother suffer his cancer any longer, or show up to a job that has been giving you a slow-burning ulcer. Yet... without the distractions, even those that shrink your or break your heart you are left with some uncomfortable questions:

Where are you?

Who are you?

And, most importantly...

What are you going to do now?

Pema Chodron  wrote "The challenge is to let it (this in between state) soften us rather than make us more rigid and afraid. Becoming intimate with the queasy feeling of being in the middle of nowhere only makes our heart more tender." Lately I seem to run into more people who are caught in this place. Many who were so eager and dedicated to taking to taking the big leap into love and acceptance of 11-11-11 have been feeling a little bit stranded now. Some are fearful. There is almost a "collective in between place". 

Can we meet ourselves and our neighbors with compassion as we ride out these shifts?

Can we trust in the power of each individual to brave out their spot on this layover?

Patience can be a hard thing to carry when you're afraid.

Anger can be a bit of a cover up to what is greeting us in the murkiness. A few people have even said to me, "Oh, this is all phony. People proclaiming unity and compassion just two weeks ago are running back to their shelters of anger, fear and even the worst thing, hate." My perception has truly shifted from time spent in my "in between place". Because I have slowly (and often not so willingly) befriended what emits from me when I am stranded. I feel a widening sense of community and compassion emerging now. It's as if we all must spend time stranded, and when we find our way we can help guide a fellow traveler. Sometimes gratitude rises from the strangest places. One day we look back and realize the time we spent stranded healed something, and planted a little bit of something beautiful.

"In joy and sorrow, are are equal, thus be guardian of all as of yourself." -Shantideva

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Tracy Brooks has been spiritual traveler and a soul seeker her whole life. She has always felt a call to be a listener of life and to inspire others. A yogini and poet since age 9, she grew up in New York rescuing abandoned animals and holding a space for those who hurt. Born intuitively empathic,she often finds herself listening to strangers open up to her. Studying education, psychology and engaging in community service invited her to feel we all have a gift to share. Life has led her to teach, write and now home-school her young ones. Blessed to be happily married to the love of her life and living (out loud!) in Florida, she has been embracing contemporary shamanism, writing inspirational pieces, and working on her first book. You can find her Facebook page here or visit her blog here. You can also email her.

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Gratitude Month - Day 23 - Grateful My AC Went Out

Today begins my three days of phone calls.  Each year I take the day before Thanksgiving, the day of, and the day after to call people I have not spoken to in some time.  I have shared the reaction that I receive when i make the calls in previous posts, but this one I thought I would share with you.

As it would happen my ac went out.  I know some of my friends up north would laugh as they have already had their first snow storm, but yesterday I really could have used the ac.  The two gentlemen who cam out to look at the unit and discover its reasoning for failure I am grateful for.  I am even more grateful that after a few hours and a few false starts, my ac is back up and running.  The whatchamacallit had to be replaced and the stuff that makes it cold air refilled.

A comical sight to watch as they edged around the plants and stayed clear of the my five totem poles recently put in the garden.  I had to chuckle when they came inside to check out the vents and edged back from the "rock altars" that one must walk past to enter my home.  And I must admit I had to giggle when they walked past the "Gratitude Tree" will the bright pink names all over it.  After they left and I had cold air blowing from the vents, I picked up the phone to call the main office to say thank you for the quick response and wonderful customer service.

The woman who answered said, "umm ok, I thought XXX and XXX came out."  I said yes they did and what a pleasure to have such courteous service.  To which she replied, "you are talking about XXX and XXX?"  Why yes I am.  "Really?"  Absolutely, and can you please pass along my gratitude.  I was about to hang up when the woman replied, "I don't know as we have ever had someone call up to say thank you, was there a problem with your bill?"  No problem, it was perfect for the perfect service.  The woman truly was stunned and was so use to have people call with complaints that she did not know what to do with someone calling to say thank you.

I wished her a Happy Holiday and hung up.  Then I got to thinking, how many people call the service people that come to their homes and fix whatever is broken to say thank you?  It is not a normal reaction or tradition for me either ... that is until today.

Story Keeper Irina Serban of "The Whispering Voice" Shares "The Eagle"

The Eagle

I am honored to introduce you to a sister who hears the "whispers in wind".

Irina Serban of "The Whispering Voice" shares her story with us.

There are places in this world where perfection touches the land with its wing. Sceneries spread and mingle in a continuous dance with the skies. Mountains stand still and tall, protected by a green mantle of straight trees. A few meters away, oceans yearn to touch their stone soul. This is all you can see at a glance, but if you stop and look closely a whole world leads its life in accordance with laws that we, humans, seem to have forgotten.

There were times, when people talked with everything around them, since they knew only one language: that of their soul. There were times when everything had one voice that could be heard in silence: that of the heart. Boundaries existed only inside one’s being, and the land belonged to all creatures. Yet, people were always at war.

One day, a loner came up the mountain and sat on a rock contemplating the distances. He could not see the peak of the mountain, which was caught up in its eternal conversation with the realms above, hiding its words in the clouds. He could not see the bottom of his world, since it was all covered by the gentle mist of the chilly morning. But he could see clearly inside his heart, which bore the memories of the wars he had lived.

The cries of an eagle that soared above his head made him leave the thread of his thoughts for a moment. It was flying in circles, drawing nearer and nearer until it landed on the grass, beside him. Its wide spread wings seemed to steal the light of the rising sun. The man feared it and put his hand on the dagger.

“Don’t worry, human! My war is not against you, but for you.” thundered the Eagle.

“What war do you fight? What enemies could you possibly have, Eagle, when you embrace the heights?”

“The very height, the winds that build their palace in the vastness above, myself.”

“We have to fight our equals, to steal and kill in order to survive.” said the man feeling superior. “But I wish so much to be peace among us!” he added sadly.

“Is there any peace inside your heart, loner?”

“How can I attain it, if I constantly fear for my kinship, if we constantly are at war, and all we think about are strategies of annihilating the enemy? When there’s so much rumour, I can’t feel peace!” the man said looking into the keen eyes of the eagle.

“Do you think I only soar on the winds, feed myself and rest? How do you think I feel when I go hunting, when I leave my eaglets alone in the nest, when I fight for a better nesting place? That’s life! You can’t have peace without having war! You can’t be at peace without fighting against what steals it from your heart. These are the two sides of the same coin.”

“The inner peace is so hard to attain, and once attained, so frail and ephemeral. What’s the use of all this struggle?” sighed the man.

“Do you always win a war in only one battle? Balance! Without fighting to gain peace in your heart, the scale will tilt too much towards war. And also because the first war that is deigned of being waged is the one against your inner self. There is no such thing as the absence of war or absolute peace. Yet, there are fights that destroy and fights that make grow. You have the power of choice! Use it! When you’ll find the way of fighting the good war, then you’ll attain inner peace. A soul at peace cannot spread war outwards, but a soul at conflict, spreads winds that demolish.”

The man watched the eagle stretching its wings and flying like an arrow towards the blue sky, then, it started floating in the arms of the winds, and in its flight, the loner understood the importance of the balance that humans should attain. Inside himself, he finally discovered a world so vast, but still unknown. From that day on, he started gazing inside the water of his soul and with each piece he could match in the wider picture, his outward nature became calmer and felt safer.

One day, he decided to gather his friends around a fire.

“I have a story to tell you, about a wise eagle that was not afraid to feel fear, but which was wise enough to use its force in order to make his courage grow."

To read more of Irina's beautiful stories, please visit her Blog or connect with her on Facebook.

Where the whispers of the winds become stories.

© Copyright 2011 Irina Serban. All rights reserved.

Fire Keeper's Message - Week of 11/22/11

Fire Keeper's Message - Week of 11/22/11

It is vital that you find a harmonious way through this passage of time.  That way is through your heart.  Your heart allows for natural alignment with the heartbeat of Mother Earth - the unity of all peoples.  The heart is the key to the soul.  It is through the heart that the Eternal Flame of Love exists.  Every moment is unfolding - you can look at it as a test or an opportunity.  The great mystery is emerging in your garden's across the globe.  A garden that has blooms of love, of wisdom, of awareness.  Each flower within the garden a myriad of colors creating a tapestry of life that is weaved together as One.  Return to experiencing the heart, not only feeling with it and you will experience Oneness with All.

Gratitude Month - Day 22 - Sacred Pathways

There are many tribes, many cultures, and many ways that each of us can be aligned with.  I had the opportunity today to share with Kinlen of Sacred Pathways.  Her message was one that resonated so deeply.  It is a day of gratitude when you are filled with more questions than answers and a wise elder steps forward to share with you their experience.  Not giving answers - but giving experience with the questions that urge you to find your own answers.

Many times we look to elders (teachers) to give us the answer.  To provide the details of the journey so that we can just "do the pictures"; yet the truth is that we each have our own journey to travel, our own experiences to experience, and our answers to discover.  I am deeply soul filled that the elders, the teachers, that I have been blessed to cross paths with share only their experience.  While there are times that I want the quick answer as well, it is always a deeply moving experience when I emerge on the other side of the question with my own answer, my own truth.

Kinlen shared with me her experience, her answer.  Her reply to my question, seek in Spirit, listen and you will know the answer, the right time, and the right path.  Today I celebrate Kinlen and Sacred Pathways for leading the way to a Global Shift, for being trail blazers in connecting all together from all paths, and for the wise wisdom always gifted.

To find out more about Sacred Pathways please visit their website or visit them on Facebook.

Gratitude Month - Day 21 - Court Houses

I had originally started to write a blog of a different nature today, but as the Universe would have it - change happens.

I had the opportunity to visit the Court House today.  My 16 year old son got a speeding ticket and I got to pay the bill (well I wrote the check and he is "working" to pay mom back).  Did you know that Hematite and Pyrite will cause the metal detector to go off?  (It is difficult to explain why you have hematite and pyrite stuck in your bra to a court officer.)  Time after time I tried to successfully clear the metal detector.  If I had not been laughing so hard in trying to explain the rocks in my bra, I may have gotten a bit frustrated.  I counted.  There were 14 people who successfully cleared the metal detector between my first attempt and my final attempt.  All this to pay a ticket.

“If it were between countries, we’d call it a war. If it were a disease, we would call it an epidemic. If it were an oil spill, we’d call it a disaster but it is happening to women and it is just an everyday affair. It is sexual harassment at work and sexual abuse of the young. It is the beating or the blow that millions of women suffer each and every day. It is rape at home or on a date. It is murder”.  Michael Kaufman, co-founder of the Canadian White Ribbon Campaign. 

I finally 'escaped' the strange looks upon the court officer's faces (not to mention the other citizens and lawyers) and headed across the courtyard between buildings towards my destination.  The "Take A Number" sign seemed ominous.  Still chuckling to myself from my eventful entrance, I was rather shocked when my number came up on the screen so quickly.

I was on my way out having successfully paid my son's ticket when I stopped in the outdoor courtyard between the two buildings to find my cell phone that was ringing.  I sat down to have a quick conversation.  When I went to get up a young woman was sitting next to me with a swollen and very bruised eye.  She was twisting a corner of her sweater like it was a wet wash rag.  Inhaling deeply as the pain and fear within her just emanated outward before sitting back down.  I am not going to go into details but I am grateful for the metal detector that prevents weapons from being brought into the court house.  I am grateful for the victim advocates that work at the court house.  I am grateful for the judges who sit on cases that would tear your heart apart just listening to them.  I am grateful for the court officers who are aware and empathetic to victims, keeping them protected even from glaring eyes.  I am grateful for the lawyers who work at the courthouse doing pro bono work for victims of abuse.  I am grateful that I "GOT" to have a soul to soul conversation with one particular soul.

Everything happens for a reason.  

Pay What You Can Community Highlight - Jeff Brown

There are times that you are graced and gifted in life to cross paths with someone who resonates an authentic and soul touching human souls.  When that crossing of paths leads to friendship, the gift is opened every day.

‎"Everyone stands a chance to shape their soul. As it turns out life really isn’t a dress rehearsal, it’s an un-dress rehearsal. We come down here time and time again to practice shedding our ego armour until we can step on the stage of eternity naked and exposed before God, as God. Exit cloud left. To make a triumphant exit, you have to become aligned with a little voice that knows – give it breath. Listen yourself back to life. Listen yourself back to life" (from ‘The Little Voice that Knows’ audiopod by Jeff Brown)

This week the Pay What You Can Community celebrates Jeff Brown, Soulshaper and SoulShaping University creator and founder.  In the words of Jeff, "If we keep letting money divide us, it will destroy us. We have to find ways to see past the material divide and to bridge our souls across all realities. I write this as I listen to a Christmas song on the radio. As the buzzards of materialism gather to get us buying things we don't need 6 weeks early. There has to be a way to get past this madness and to make the presumption of essence in everyone we encounter, to stop the substitute gratification train, to grant everyone an opportunity to ascend regardless of economic status. To make it all real. To rise together, hand in hand, heart in heart, connected in our shared humanness."

Whether it is through the "Open Hand Gang" (A "gang with a heartfelt intention" that are spiritual activists), through scholarships for his "Soul Shaping University" courses, or pay what you can engagements with students and clients, Jeff embodies the true principle mission of the Pay What You Can Community understanding that there is always an energy exchange and that it does not always need be monetary.

This week I celebrate Jeff Brown for his commitment to transforming the world, to the community arising, and to those just opening their hearts.  I celebrate the truly open heart, authentic loving soul, and genuine man that Jeff Brown is.

Mantra of the hearts of the Open Hand Gang:

"Closing the heart is a self-fulfilling prophecy.  When we close it, we attract more reasons to keep it closed.  Opening the heart is a soul-fulfilling prophecy.  When we open it, we attract bountiful blessings.  Finally blessings have a way in, and a way out to touch others.  Open-bless-a-me!"

To contact Jeff and find out more about the SoulShaping University, his books, the Open Hand Gang, and his mentoring services, visit www.soulshaping.com.

You can also find Jeff on Facebook:

Jeff Brown at SoulShaping :  A journey of Self-Creation
SoulShaping University at SoulShaping University
Open Hand Gang at Open Hand Gang

Weekly LOVESong from Farhi Horak

Weekly LOVESong from Farhi Horak.  Music for body, mind, and spirit inspired by Agni's weekly message. .... 11/20/11




For more information on Farhi and his beautiful LoveSong's visit Farhi on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Farhi  or his website at http://www.farhisound.com

Gratitude Month - Day 20 - A gallon of Gas .. Nothing Unusual

I had to run a couple of errands and had stopped at the gas station.  Nothing unusual.  It is the nothing unusual that pass us by every day.  We miss the moments.  We miss the people.  We miss the miracles.  Life gets busy, we are in a hurry.  Except something caught my attention.  It wasn't a big sign, just a little one.  A man pacing, was he agitated or worried?  Did it really matter?  Doesn't affect me.  I can walk by without paying attention, can't I?

The story.  The man ran out of gas as he was driving back to work to get the wallet he forgot in his locker.  He had been in a rush to leave because a child was ill at home.  Now no one would pause to give him either a couple of bucks to put in his container so he could walk back to his truck or give him a ride to get his wallet so he could pay.  He didn't have a cell phone - couldn't afford one.  All he wanted was to get home to get to his sick child.

I stood in line to pay for my gas and was about to have the cashier add an extra five on my debit card so the man could get $5.00 worth of gas when a man walked up and said "been there man, let me help you."  I watched as the two men chatted for a moment and the man wanting to get home allowed a tear to fall on his cheek.  The other man gave him his cell phone to use to call home and check on his child while he put gas in the container for him.

It restored my faith in humanity.  Here is one stranger stopping to help another.  Nothing unusual?

I went to my next errand at Wally World.  First stop, ladies room.  A women was in the end stall and it was obvious she was crying.  Before I could get out of my stall and wash my hands, two other women were at the end stall asking "are you okay, what can we do?"  And the stall door opened to reveal a women who was obviously pregnant.  See she started to have spotting and didn't know what to do.  The two women got her sitting back down and called for help.  I "GOT" to do some healing and a prayer.  A small "tribe" of women taking care of another woman.  Nothing unusual?

I continued on my errands.  Stop in at a local home improvement store.  A man trying to return something getting very frustrated.  A clerk who kept smiling and reassuring the man.  His "wife" throwing a temper tantrum.  Another stranger walks up to here and smiles saying "it's not all bad - at least the sun is shining".  The woman stops in her tracks and smiles.  Nothing unusual?

Today I celebrate the man who bought some gas, the women who calmed a pregnant lady, and a stranger offering a smile.  The small miracles, the small gifts that occur every moment of every day when we pay attention.

Weekly Message from Agni - 11/20/11

Weekly Message from Agni - 11/20/11

This week:


These days are good for a farewell.


Farewell to those aspects, which do not belong to us any longer.


Farewell to old companions, who do not want to live their light.


Say farewell in peace.


Do not judge.


Have a blessed week.


Love and light, Agni


You Can Reach Agni on Facebook by visiting https://www.facebook.com/pages/Agni

Weekly Vibe From the Sky with Laurissa Heller

Weekly Vibe From the Sky with Laurissa Heller  Week of 11/20/11

Exploration through our tribe, communication, and experience will give us lessons in life this week. The size of your tribe depends on how you see yourself in the world. Perhaps it is just the members under your roof, or the people you call aunt, uncle, sister, brother, or maybe it is the place that your rest your head at night. The vision of family is expanding, along with the Universe, speeding up every moment. This energy asks us to open our compassionate hearts to see a bigger energetic tribe, so we can reach out and be there for one another. As we move into a different vibration of life, we need to be able to lean into one another, gather our strength, and keep moving forward. The power of being human is the ability to choose to do things differently. Can we take the path that opens us to a different way of working with one another, or are we going to keep holding on tightly to the old ways? The Universe says it is time and so we will change, but how we create for the future is left up to us. How are you going to use your power?


About Laurissa:

Laurissa Heller's mission is to enhance people's awareness in their own lives so they are able to live to their fullest potential.  Her philosophy is that by taking care of ourselves and recharging our own batteries we are better able to assist the people who are in our lives and extend that energy into the environment as well.  

Laurissa offers Astrology Guidance and is an Educator of Conscious Living and Yoga Meditation Teacher (500 Hour Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher) and has been practicing yoga and meditation for nearly a decade. 

To find out more information about workshops offerings and private sessions, visit her website at www.tribaltree.org or visit her facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laurissas-Night-Vision-for-Light-Workers.