Tracking Our Path—Part 2
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
April 25, 2010
Last week we looked at the evolution of spirituality in man,which, of course, means the evolution of religions, as humans believed it was necessary to give fellow humans civil and religious laws to live by. As I spoke about early human life, I related how the “hunters and gatherers” developed both “good” and “bad” spirits early in our history to explain things that happened in nature around them and in their lives. We have evidence of humans moving into the phase of “good” and “bad” gods that reigned over the “good” and “bad” spirits. When this stage took place, the gods lived elsewhere and humans began their first step to separating the gods from humans.
We looked at the evolution of agriculture and how, 10,000 years ago, humans began to work in fields side by side and at that time in our development, 1/3 of the cultures worshipped a male god, 1/3 worshipped a female goddess and 1/3 worshipped both male and female deities.
I talked about the development of polytheism, many gods and/or goddesses, grew throughout the ancient world and the more we evolved socially, the further away our god/goddesses moved from us.
Now, to move to monotheism, we have a brief time in Egypt when the Pharaoh Aton attempted to tear down the many temples worshipping multiple deities and install a belief in one god. Needless to say, he was a very unpopular Pharaoh! When he died, his son returned the power back to the priests and priestesses of the Egyptian temples and the gods and goddesses were put back in place.
As we know, the Hebrews were the base culture for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is important that we take a look at the development of their belief systems as we look at the evolution of spirituality in humans.
Living in the Tigris and Euphrates Valleys, ruled by Babylonian and Assyrian sovereigns, the Hebrew people held a belief in “One God,” a god that was invisible and omnipotent. Images of the Hebrew God were forbidden, they were expected to live their lives in trust and faith. There were clear laws given to the Hebrew people about what was favored in God’s eyes and what was not. The difference in the world view of the Hebrew culture and that of polytheists in their same region was that any “evil” that would reign down on the Hebrew people was seen as judgment from an angry God while the polytheists believed that misfortune was delivered by evil powers and those required a magical response of some sort.
In the areas where the Hebrews formed their culture, worship of multiple gods and goddesses was the norm. Throughout the Old Testament prophets called the Hebrews back to their One God and it was written in the Old Testament scriptures that God’s judgment caused the Hebrews’ great trials and suffering.
With every new conqueror, the Hebrews were introduced to new gods and goddesses. Most conquerors attempted to convert the Hebrews with force. A few allowed their religious practices without interruption. In this area of the world, most cultures were accustomed to assuming the newest conqueror’s deities. Many times, they changed the names of their own deities to match those of the new ruler’s. The insistence of some conquerors to force the stubborn Hebrews to worship the new deities caused great consternation to both parties.
In spite of this, the Hebrews did incorporate some worship practices of various cultures into their own religion. More often than not, when the Hebrews drifted back into worship of “pagan” gods and goddesses, another tragedy would occur and they would be brought back to Jehovah by their faithful prophets. Still, the Hebrews clung to some of the “pagan” religious practices of their region.
In the Old Testament Book of Ezekial (6th century B.C.E.), we read, “Lo, there were all sorts of loathsome forms of reptiles and beasts, together with the idols of Israel. Between the vestibule at the north gate of the temple, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. Between the vestibule and the altar were twenty-five men, with their backs to the tabernacle of the Lord and their faces to the east, worshipping the sun of the East.”
Tammuz was a god worshipped by Mesopotamians, a cult of the Persians, and the Sumerians before, when his name was Dumu-Zi, the True Son. The Hebrews adopted Tammuz into their culture where he became the anticipated Messiah who would save them from all of their trials.
Tammuz was the youthful lover of Ishtar, also known as Isis, Astarte and Aphrodite, the great mother goddess that embodied the feminine principle of creation. As Tammuz , the man-god, dies and descends into the underworld, he is sorely missed by all females who still live. Ishtar follows him into the underworld and brings him back to life for the sake of all creation. When the couple return to the surface of the Earth, daylight shines again, nature rejoices and all of life springs anew. There is a similar story in Egyptian beliefs, this one about Isis and Osiris. The Hebrew people sought spiritual support, understanding and protection from the world in which they lived from the gods and goddesses of other cultures.
By the mid sixth-century, the Hebrew people were longing for someone to help them escape the pains of this world. They began to watch for a “True Son” of their own, one who would come to save their people from dark days, just as Tammuz had done.
At the approximately the same time, the Hebrews began to long for heaven. Although Moses’ Hebrews did not believe in a heavenly existence, the Hebrews had adopted the belief in another existence, one that would come after this life. Now, they waited for deliverance from the harsh life on earth from a True Son who would save them from their lot in life. They also waited for an afterlife where they would receive their heavenly reward.
As Judaism evolved from the ancient Hebrews, Christianity evolved from Judaism and Islam was also born of the twin backgrounds. These “modern-day” religions have placed God so far out of reach for man that humans often feel utterly alone in their spiritual quests. The “literal” religions developed strict codes of behaviors and dogmas to keep their believers in line, threatening them with images of hell (Christianity and Islam). Hell, of course, came forward from the much more ancient belief systems of other Middle Eastern religions. We probably got our first real image from the stories about Hades.
The Devil, who is said to rule hell in Christianity and Islam, was born out of a fly god. We can trace the beginnings of belief in the Devil back about 10,000 years when the first of three, Zarathustras, (from the area of ancient Persia) made the fly a female demon and named her, Nasu. Flies are prolific in the Mid-East. They born in excrement or rotting food can spread disease wherever they stop, contaminating foods or transmitting illnesses to humans. Nasu, the female fly demon, embodied impurity and decay for the Zoroastrians.
Let’s move forward to the next big shift in human consciousness and we find ourselves in the sixteenth century with Sir Isaac Newton. Newton developed theories about the universe, the world and all in it, operated like machines. We are machines that work according to systems and if the machine breaks, it can be mended. This removed God from man’s reach even more.
Interestingly, the Darwin era, introduced the theory that evolution of the species meant there was no Divine intervention in our beginnings, again supporting the theory that the universe, the world and everything was just one giant machine. This was the beginning of the scientific analysis age and humans lost touch with anything they could not see, taste, feel, hear or smell—because that was all that was real. And we bought into that completely. As evolving , modern humans, it was not questioned.
Today, we still operate from the consciousness of scientific analysis even though our scientists around the world are finding new discoveries every day that support the fact that we are not machines but bodies of energy. As we learn more about quantum physics, I believe the field of quantum spirituality will continue to grow rapidly. We KNOW now that we are more than our five senses. All of the spaces in between our atomic structures are filled with energy and that energy is directed by our electrical signals that come from our belief systems. Energy, Divine presence, is the glue that holds everything together.
So what about tomorrow? Dr. Bruce Lipton predicts that we are moving into what he calls the “mammalian” era. This will be a time when we realize the corporations running the world are so big and so out of touch (like dinosaurs) that they are crumbling. Mammals will replace the dinosaurs and that era of human spiritual evolution will bring us the care, compassion and love we have wanted for so long. We are evolving into the prayers we have held in our hearts.
Ken Wilber talks about the next step as the “holonic” age. He states that as we really come to understand the power behind our energy bodies, we will be able to utilize our energy as well as Mother Earth’s in positive ways. We will be able to “beam” our bodies wherever we would like and experience the unity of life.
As we move into these new eras, we see that religions will be changing. In some cases, they already are changing. Messages are beginning to reflect the new consciousness but stated in ways that congregations, such as more fundamental Christians, can understand without being threatened. In our next stage of human spiritual evolution, we will see less crime and punishment because people will be operating from their heart, being nurturing, compassionate and collaborative.
In World Fellowship we have shared a great deal of information about the truth of our beings and know that we are spiritual beings having this physical existence. I have talked about really examining your beliefs, our beliefs and the beliefs of the world for yourself to see what you will hold onto. In the past two weeks I have shared information that may be new to you or maybe you have not had it presented in a timeline that made so much sense. It is my hope that this makes you think about what beliefs you have adopted throughout your life that you may have outgrown.
I believe that we are consciousness, moving in and having our being with Divine Consciousness. We are one with that power and we have the power ourselves to create the life we desire. Because that creation is based on beliefs, you have to know what you believe. Do you believe that there are two powerful, opposing forces in your life always trying to get the best of you? Or do you believe that there is one force in the universe, Divine energy that unfolds perfectly in any given situation?
We have come together to buck the system at World Fellowship. We have explored, contemplated, examined and discussed all kinds of information outside the comfort of the “box” much of the world lives in. We understand that the God/Goddess, Creator, Love or whatever you want to call that Energy, is in us as well as operating through us and for us. The Creator is not high in some heaven above us nor is the Creator sending evil or good forces to get you. The Creator is love and as much as we can withhold judgment about what life looks like at this very moment, that love will always be for our highest good!
Thank you!
Tracking Our Paths
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
April 18, 2010
As promised two weeks ago, I am going to start sharing our spiritual path evolution (paths currently believed to be true) as the human family upon the Earth. We will follow the path from animism to polytheism this week and then, we will talk about monotheism and the foundation of the age of scientific analysis, started by Sir Isaac Newton. As we talk about these paths, I will tie together the events in our history that have brought us to this place and time when, as a human family, we are so entrenched in the beliefs of the past 500-2000 years that our collective consciousness has been closed to other “truths” that might be out there.
For instance, I was driving home Thursday night (two weeks ago) after seeing the musical, “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Grady Gammage Auditorium in Tempe. Well, the musical is a whole other talk but I want to discuss a topic on “Coast to Coast AM” with George Noori. His guest was a man from South Africa who has been almost singly handling a dig in South Africa and doing comparative studies with other similar architecture found around the world. The bottom line is that he believes the dig to represent a civilization that is at least 300,000 years old and the inhabitants numbered in the millions in each “city” around the world.
He has a lot of interesting information (go to “Coast to Coast.com” website) about who he believes lived there and about the resonance technology that was used to generate the power. Not surprisingly, the archeologists around the world have dismissed his claims. They cannot fit his ideas or digs into their belief systems. Therefore, it must not exist.
I watched another show on the National Geographic Channel whose topic was the discovery of a “Hobbit” skeleton in the deepest jungles of Figi. There were plenty of scientists who stated throughout the show that the discoverers were fakes or that this was a singular occasion.
Cleverly, they followed both tracks of thoughts until the end when the discoverers brought in more people and started searching more hidden caves in the area and guess what? They found more of these tiny people, people who seemed to have been yet another branch of the human family. These people are in the 3 ft. range, had handmade tools that were pretty sophisticated and signs of communal living.
What is truth? That is a good question because we talk a lot about truth and yet, what is true in our world only holds as truth until we have another realization. What is true for us as humans, as a world, a country or a community is what is believed as credible for most people based on what they have been taught. What is truth?
Did you see the show on KAET TV this week about the Buddha? It was a 2-hour program that was very well done. When I was pondering the show I was thinking how interesting it is that Buddha’s story is ALWAYS consistent. His birth story, while a little mystical and fantastic, is always the same. Even though he was born six centuries before Jesus, his disciples made sure that they wrote down his words, even at his death, and they marked the special places in his life, just as he had asked them to do, so that after he was gone, pilgrims could visit and remember.
Six hundred years after Jesus’ life, Muhammed was born. His life story too, is very consistently told. His words and life too were captured for future believers to read.
Why, I ask myself, is it that Jesus’ story was captured 100+ years after his life and that his story and words are so inconsistent? Just a thought……
When we compare spiritual sayings from the world’s religions we see that there is a lot of commonality amongst them. Where did these common beliefs come from?
We have received insight from the words of philosophers of Greece, such as Socrates Born 469 BC(We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is a habit. Be of good cheer about death and know this as a truth, that no evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death) and Aristotle Born 384 BC(Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting a particular way... you become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions. The only stable state is the one in which all men are equal before the law). These are only representatives of the thought processes and wisdom from these two men.
Also, readings from Zarathustra estimated 3,000-7,000 years old (quotes read) are representatives of a high consciousness of the spirit of man. How did these develop and remain through the evolution of human consciousness throughout the eons of time and geography that divide all of these different cultures?
Let me go back to our roots, as we know them to be today. First I will say that there are people who believe that early humans were animists, worshipping spirit in all of creation—like the movie “Avatar” presented. That is not the picture I am going to share.
The life of early humans was not an easy one. They learned how to craft rudimentary weapons from the raw materials around them; rocks, tree branches, bone, and sinew. They ate whatever they could find to sustain their bodies: berries, roots, animals, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and even other humans.
In the hunter/gatherer social structures the males evolved to protect the females who would bear young and feed the tribe. The females were responsible for gathering food and supplies, remaining close to the base camp where the children and females lived. Each hunter/gatherer group is thought to have consisted of approximately forty people, all having a genetic kinship with one another. Their early existence was based on bearing children and feeding the group.
The “hunter/gatherer” humans emerged between one million and four hundred thousand years ago. According to Ken Wilber who wrote, A Brief History of Everything, the males of this time had two drives that filled their consciousness, to have sex and to kill. The high levels of testosterone in the male supplied him with the drive he needed to accomplish either of these tasks very well. The males had to be strong and courageous.
Think about how alone early humans must have felt as they fought daily for their existence! Fear and hunger were the forces that brought people together in social units, units that could help provide protection from marauding invaders and greater numbers of males to hunt for food.
Even before language was developed, early man used dancing and chanting to tune into the earth’s rhythms. Developing rudimentary drums to give the dancers a beat, like the heartbeat of the earth that provided for their existence, humans would sway and jump and gyrate to commune with the spirits of the Earth. This may have been the first act of an early religious experience for humans, an inherent calling of Spirit to its children.
Because danger lurked everywhere, man began to create supernatural beings that were both malevolent and beneficent in nature. Evil spirits roamed the dark of night, diseases and death were thought to be caused by demons, and when the earth shook or the sky trembled with thunder, early man imagined that he was ever in danger of being annihilated by angry gods.
However, the concept of good gods and spirits also developed. Early humans needed strong gods and spirits to combat the evils of the unknown natural world around them therefore, these gods would have evolved as males, the protectors of family groups. Humans were eager to seek the favor of such gods and spirits that could help the sick, protect the hunters, provide a good hunt, or calm the weather.
As humans continued to evolve, the hunter/gatherer groups gave way to establishment of horticultural cultures. The development of simple farming tools, such as sticks that could make a row in which to plant seeds, enabled both males and females to work side by side to provide food for the group. Of course, males still hunted for meat, but it was easier for both sexes to work together when humans learned to cure meat, reducing the necessity for frequent dangerous hunts.
During this period of time, 80% of the food was produced by women, and this fertility of the earth was represented by many “Mother Earth” images. According to Wilber, “virtually every known Great Mother society was horticultural.” Approximately one-third of societies worshipped the Great Mother, one-third worshipped male and female deities with the final third worshipping strictly male deities. This agriculture period occurred about 10,000 B.C. in both the East and the West.
As human societies grew more complex, they moved into the “Agrarian” period of human society. Agrarian societies began to rise about 4000-2000 B.C. Farming began to become more mechanized with the development of the plow, requiring more physical strength to push and guide the plow through the earth. This step in evolution placed men in the role of producing the food, greatly reducing their roles as hunters.
At this time, we see that more than 90% of the societies at the time, switched from honoring both god and goddess figures to worshipping male deities. In the book, Sex, Ecology, Spirituality, Wilber states, “Where females work the field with a hoe, God is a Woman; where males work the field with a plow, God is a Man.”
In agrarian societies food became more available and men were free to pursue other services that would benefit society. Men began to dominate the public arenas such as government, education, religion, and politics. Women continued to care for the private arena of family life and home. Men were free to create cultural activities and interests. Women, on the other hand, were still tied to reproduction and to the home front.
As the success of the agrarian societies continued, more food production freed men from the constraints of “having” to produce food; they needed something to do. According to Wilber, the high levels of testosterone that drove men to have sex or to kill in the hunter/gatherer societies began to motivate them to build empires. Male armies were established by powerful leaders who led them to march and conquer other societies. The result was that tribal societies were unified into somewhat more orderly social structures.
The major religions that are known to us today came into being between 5000 B.C.-1500 B.C. Formalized religion is a relative newcomer to the human race, having been around only about 5 percent of our overall experience on earth. (Diarmud O’Murchu, 2004)
Humans had developed highly complex systems for both worshipping their gods and attempting to hold the evil spirits at bay 5,000 years ago. Each society produced their own gods based upon their understanding of universe, natural events, life and death. The first prayers were offered to the spirits of the earth and of the sky, those parts of creation that they could see. Songs, poems, prayers, fires, incense, and sacrifices were meant to get the attention of the gods and spirits who seemed so distant from the homes and lives of mortals.
In his book, The History of Magic and the Occult, Kurt Seligmann writes that in ancient Akkadian texts from the period of 3000 B.C.E., it is written that “good and evil are caused by good and evil spirits that are sent from good and evil gods.” The culture of the time recognized good and evil in their dualistic society. The use of magical incantations and arts developed to protect man from the evil that dwelt side by side with good in the world.
As civilizations evolved, humans became more aware of the natural order that seemed to exist. Each day the sun rose anew. At night, the moon took the sun’s place. Seasons followed one another in an expected pattern. And even if the sun or moon became hidden during an eclipse, causing the frightened masses to believe that an evil spirit had taken the celestial orb, there were wise men watching the event who were learning how to predict such occurrences in the stars and in nature.
About 2,000 B.C. E., a caste of priests in Chaldea began to develop a belief system about a higher order in the universe. They believed in a supreme being that emerged from other deities. This god was said to have been a creative power who was obligated to honor natural laws, according to his own decree.
The Chaldean priests developed a highly refined system that helped them to predict the future using organs from animals that had been slaughtered for sacrifice, from reading smoke, clouds, stones, and plants. They could speak to animals and serpents and they interpreted dreams, their own and those of others.
Like the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, the Chaldeans’ religion centered around prognostication. It was important that mortals know what the gods wanted and that mortals give the gods and spirits frequent opportunities to communicate with them. The Chaldeans’ brought a sense of order where chaos and fear had reigned supreme. Everything in creation obeys the law and the Chaldeans believed that every observable piece of information was a “manifestation of the omnipotent coordinator, the source of unity and harmony,” (Seligmann, 1997)
From the time modern man began to appear and function in a group setting on Earth, he felt the need to call upon supernatural assistance to thwart the enormous odds he faced every day. As intelligence and social skills improved, humans developed more intricate systems of gods, goddesses, good and evil spirits, to bring a balance to the polarity they saw in nature and in their own lives. The systems of deities and methods of appealing to them were rather chaotic until the Chaldean priests introduced the concept of order into their religious system. The order of the gods was seen in the stars and in cycles on Earth. God was becoming more accessible to mere mortals.
Next week, I will share some more information about polytheism and how it morphed into monotheism. All of this gives us great insight into “what is truth” demonstrating that the world’s truth varies greatly, depending on the time and place you are standing in the world.
Thank yo u!
Rise and Rise Again!
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
April 4, 2010
It’s Easter Sunday! The day when we join the Christians and pagans all over the world to celebrate the re-birth. The re-birth of Jesus, for those of that understanding, the re-birth of the Earth, for those of that understanding. And, what are we here to celebrate? We are here to recognize the re-birth of every human, the re-birth that Jesus was speaking of, when you really understand his message and the message of many who came before and after him.
We are born into this world, as many of us believe, with our soul’s decision to join our families, place our spiritual bodies in the midst of a set of circumstances that we might grow from them and then, perhaps be-born again to a new understanding. Many, many of us have had challenging lives. We choose to come to the planet in the way we did to have those opportunities, yes, I said opportunities, for our soul’s growth. Some people come to take a life off, so to speak, to face fewer challenges and live a quiet life.
Betty Bland, U.S. President of the U.S. Theosophical Association, had a quiet, loving life until she was a young bride of 27 years. A year or so ago, she shared with us, that she became deathly ill and had a 3 day experience “on the other side”.
She had the opportunity to finish this life and stay in heaven for a time or she could come back. If she came back, she would “essentially” be “born again” coming back with a whole new soul’s destiny and that life would be challenging. But, it also had its rewards and that she would be glad she did it. She chose to come back and from there she moved up (having been raised in a Theosophical family) to the position of national leadership for that organization. “It has not been easy but it has been rewarding,” she shared with me.
I selected the title, “Rise and Rise Again,” for today’s talk because I wanted to remind us that we all rise and rise again in our lives. We are born into our families and are given the opportunity to rise above our circumstances and belief systems.
We are knocked down by life time and time again and when we don’t think we can do it anymore, Spirit fills us, the right person comes along, and we rise again to get back on our path. Rise and rise again.
I believe those of you who find us have moved beyond those common understandings to take the topic to a spiritual level. Jesus was trying to move followers to a different level when he spoke about the Kingdom of God being found in one’s heart or in the present moment. This differentiated his message from that of those of the polytheistic faiths because they were all trying to pay their way into heaven, either with good deeds or money. Jesus, being a Jew, taught that this life is what we have to experience. The Jewish faith, in general, did not believe in a heavenly existence hereafter. Some sects did hold a belief in another existence however, Jesus was teaching people to live in the present moment.
The story that has been built by the Christian faith about Jesus’ resurrection was a re-telling of the many different ancient beliefs in risen gods. Many believe it is a race consciousness about the journey each soul takes upon this planet when they incarnate, through many lives, cultures and experiences.
Dr. Bruce Lipton, to whom I was referring two weeks ago, uses fractal geometry, to describe evolution. He states that we can see the story of evolution as a re-telling of the same story, over and over, with just minor variations. He talked about how the simple bacteria became pre-cells, the pre-cells became cells that then became cellular organisms such as amoeba. Then the cells became more specialized and they began to form simple multi-celled life forms that eventually became us. But, breaking us down to our simplest elements, we are a mass of 1 trillion (give or take) cells that have their own functions and lives and just happen to have agreed to come together to make bodies for our souls to experience life in this physical dimension.
It’s a very similar theory to that of Ken Wilber who speaks and writes of the holon theory; everything is a part of the larger, there in no separation. We are cells that have life in common with all of life on this planet and our physical bodies consist of the same elements of every aspect of this planet…remember, we are stardust and that stardust also comprises Mother Earth and her waters.
Taking these ideas, let us look at our lives in the same way, whether it is from a soul’s journey through many lifetimes in many places or the journey we are walking in this lifetime, we rise and rise again. We get up and we come back to life.
Another meaning we can look at is our rising from the beliefs and concepts not only of our family and culture, but also those long held beliefs of our human consciousness, locked in today by the scientific analysis that has us believing that things are only real if we can touch, taste, see, hear or smell them. We have moved far from our ancestry when we were connected with all things, now believing that we are this physical form.
But some of us do wake up and see that there is truth beyond man’s rendition. We are asked by Jesus, in his talk about leaving mother, brother and family behind, to leave the ties to our old belief systems and arise to the new awareness that we are spirit, part of this great consciousness, this perfect Divine Mind, in which we are always immersed, we are a part of intrinsically and from which we truly manifest.
We are truly powerful beings, not the humble, ignorant, powerless victims some would have us believe to keep control over us….we are Divine! This is a new arising in us—an awakening to our truest beings and it is a journey every soul comes to walk. We come here for lessons, yes, and we come to this existence to awaken! To remember our true identities and our true powers. These are the days that more and more people are awakening to their truest natures, natures of love, compassion and peace.
When the Gnostics taught enlightenment, after Jesus’ death, their culture was already steeped in its physicality. The culture did not have the same type of technology and “science” from which they needed to de-program themselves, but they had a belief in the power and control of others over them. The Jewish people had been oppressed for thousands of years. Do you think that the realization that they were spiritual beings with personal power would have been an easy one?
We come together as spiritual beings experiencing our enlightenment, day by day, puzzle piece by puzzle piece. Some days are easier than others….Some days it becomes difficult to pull ourselves from the energy that is present in our work place or our communities or our nation or the world. But when you have practices to remind yourself of the truth, you find something to smile about, you are lifted out of the bondage of negative thoughts that are present and move into a new level of strength and realization. You are making the journey to rise and rise again!
Easter means so many different things to so many different people. I invite you today, to think about what your experience in re-birth(s) has been and give thanks for the many opportunities to rise and rise again!
Thank you!
Leaving the Old Behind
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
March 21, 2010
Last week I spoke about a gentleman I know who was laid off his job and went nine months before starting another one, a new one, in a field he would not have considered working in only nine months before. I talked about my conversation with him when he shared that he had to change to make way for the new to enter into his life. Now, two months on the job, he is happier in his job than he has been in a long time, even though it does not pay as much, allow him to travel the world or utilize his vast knowledge in a way he would have expected. His life has been downsized a bit, expectations changed and yet, he “feels” happier which, of course we know, will attract more happiness into his life.
I have been listening to a new CD set I received in the mail this week. It features Dr. Bruce Lipton and another speaker, Steve, who has shared his alter ego, Swami Beyondanda, for many years. Steve, as it turns out, was educated in political science and, actually spent his early career working in Washington, D.C. I have used some of Bruce Lipton’s material before when he and Gregg Braden had been speakers at a conference that was captured and sold on CD.
Bruce has been discussing the new evolution of Mother Earth and humanity (and all creation) on this set. I have not yet completed it but I have grasped some of the concepts that were appropriate for this talk.
Let me share a story about a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly. Taking the metamorphosis of the caterpillar to a butterfly from the cellular level, Lipton take us into the caterpillar’s body where the cells are moving and changing to accomplish the transition. Some of the cells become sluggish and angry, they don’t want to change. In fact, they won’t have to because in the big picture, they are not needed in the new body. For instance, the old digestive tract that eats leaves and grass will no longer be needed. The new digestive tract will thrive on nectar of flowers. Many of the old cells that had the specific purpose of digesting the greens will die and be moved out.
Some cells, Lipton calls these, imaginarum cells, have the knowledge that they are transforming into something new and wonderful. They are excited about the process and ignore those who are negative. They begin to capture the dream of what it will be like to be a butterfly and soar above the ground to which they were attached as a caterpillar. These cells’ DNA respond by messages sent to them by their surroundings, it is time to turn on the new orders for the cells. The cells translate the information and begin to change!
Soon, the cocoon breaks open and out comes a perfectly formed butterfly. Totally different from the caterpillar that went into the cocoon and yet, the same exact creature, transformed at its cellular level.
Lipton shares that this is happening to humanity. Each person is like a cell in the Body Human and like the metamorphosis of the caterpillar to the butterfly, some humans are fearful and angry. They don’t want to go into a future they don’t understand. Many have been given the opportunity or have volunteered for the opportunity to leave in large numbers at this time through catastrophic situations. These people will come back into the new Earth as enlightened children, children who will be like the butterfly, prepared to fly high and drink of the nectar of the new Earth.
On the CD, Lipton talks about how the percentage of humans, across the globe, have taken on the role of the imaginarum cells. These people, us and others like us, are capturing the vision of the old falling away and the new beginning to form. He shares that the numbers began to grow in the late 1980’s and have grown exponentially to this day.
Sometimes, like my friend Jim, people have to go through extreme hardships as the foundations of the world are breaking down to allow for the evolution of the next Earth and her creations. Others discover their visions without the drama of the external world affecting them, they just know.
Fear and anger are making people stupid. Look around…last week I talked about the fact that the leaders of the college are making decisions from fear and that makes me question the intelligence that is allowed to come through in the decision-making process. Fear makes people stupid.
This is actually proved scientifically. What reaction in the human body does fear provoke? Fear results in the fight or flight response. This response shuts down the reasoning part of the brain and sends blood to the arms and legs for running away or defending one’s self. Fight or flight.
What is happening now and has been happening since the days of World War II? You may or may not know this but a young man educated as a marketer had his first job working for the War Department and was given the job of “selling” the war overseas to the American Public. His last name was “Bordelaise”.
Bordelaise invented the war clips that were shown in theaters. They were filled with massive amounts of propaganda, much of which was not based in fact, to get the blood of the American Public boiling. By stirring the pot and raising the temperature to the appropriate level, it was easy to gain American support to enter the European War Theater. Bordelaise was an expert in crafting messages to keep the public engaged and angry, hating the Germans and then, the Japanese too. With many German-Americans and Japanese-Americans living in this country, can you imagine how much work went into developing the hatred, Americans came to feel for the Germans and the Japanese?
We don’t have to look any further than at the furor that has been and is being revved up to keep the American Public angry toward Middle Easterners, whether they are Moslem, Jewish or Christian. Many times, we as Americans, don’t even take the time to care to look deeper than someone’s appearance. The American Public’s hatred is currently being focused toward another target, the Latino population. Gross sweeps of commentary spew across the “news”: tv, radio and print. “They” are making us poor. “They” are endangering our way of life. “They”, “They”, “They”…..and it has happened with the Irish, the Germans, the Japanese before.
We have to be taught to hate. While that is true, the teaching is not just what is received in the home. It is what is culturally received from our state, our country, our world. It is generations upon generations of hatred that fills the landscapes across the planet. An injury that may have happened hundreds or even thousands of years ago is kept alive by wars today. Think of Palestine and Jerusalem.
I read a piece that stated that Russian politikos visiting this country in the 1980’s were surprised about the oneness in culture and attitudes the Americans seemed to have. In their country, this was maintained by torture and force. How does America keep her people in such one-mindedness?
Propaganda.
We are allowed to think we are free and we are allowed to think we are powerless. We have been living in the age of disinformation…since about WWII, when Bordelaise really refined his craft to the point that some forms of subliminal messaging (like at movie theaters to go buy treats) were outlawed because they were far too effective.
Bordelaise wrote a book simply called, “Propaganda”, in which he describes how easy it is to control the minds of large groups of people in order to have others in “leadership roles” do what they wanted to do without trouble from the masses. For one thing, keeping the alerts up to keep people in fear, keeps people from looking at things rationally and reasonably. Another, keep people distracted, now you see him, now you don’t. It is easy to get people to look a different way when they are herded through fear.
Propaganda has been used very efficiently and has usurped the American Public’s ability to be empowered and to think at the highest level of intelligence possible. Just look at the school children’s capabilities in our country. We are constantly being told that we have to get better and yet, the children of AZ (for instance) are being taught to the standards of the AIMS test. As kindergarteners they take a 3rd grade level AIMS test, to give the teachers a baseline of their performance level to make sure they teach them math and language skills to pass the AIMS test in high school. REALLY! I am not kidding. What about science, social studies, foreign languages, art, music, band etc. that makes our children and our society well-rounded? And the education continues to get worse! Whose fault is it?
The old ways are crumbling down. Old foundations are falling. Whether or not we want to, we are walking one day at a time, with Mother Earth into this new evolutionary step. We are one with her in this process and we are one with the rest of our Body Human and all of creation. The old is not working. The light of the new world is already shining forth in mathematics, as fractal geometry and discovering that all of the natural world was created in fractal geometry, not Euclidian geometry that humans use to build.
Light is shining forth in the new field of epi-genetics, the science of discovering how life creates its experience through emotions, feelings and perceptions; demonstrating to us the reasons that we no longer have to be locked into our genetics. Ninety-five percent of humans come in with a set of genes set for a healthy, long life but they get turned on by familial or cultural beliefs that bring on physical conditions we call, genetic.
Light is shining forth in the field of quantum physics that once again is joining the physical world with the vastness of the quantum field we call Spirit, the Creator, the Divine, God and or Goddess.
As science brings these new fields to people’s greater and greater awareness, it is making it easier for those of us who are operating in the imaginarum state to share what we believe to be true. Once again, I encourage you to share with others that this is not just a material world but a world impacted by heartfelt emotions. This is not just a material world but a world that is infused and swimming in a field of conscious awareness, supporting each of us in our creations.
And that this is not just a material world but a world that is made up of billions of cells, called humans, through which all of life is unfolding perfectly. Each human has their own gift and job. Each human is an important part of the Body Human. And that each of us must move beyond the stupidity that our culture and the world culture of the present time seeks to impose upon us and know, really KNOW that there is a Divine Plan in place and every one of us has their part to play.
The earthly powers know that to control people, they have to control our minds. We know that we own our own creative ability and that our minds are free to create whatever we want to experience. As we discussed last week, it is our time to watch the world, not participate in the fear of the world. We can choose peace-in our hearts, minds and lives. Then we will truly see peace in our world.
Thank you.
Are You Seeing Clearly?
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
March 14, 2010
Lately, I have been thinking about grasping more and more of the plan our soul has for us. Of course, when I set my mind on a topic, I am blessed with readings, stories from other people and inspirations to help guide me with my talk.
At the dog shows last weekend I had the opportunity to touch base with a friend in the Phoenix Arizona Beagle Club who was out of work for 9 months. This gentleman was a minister many years ago and then, left the ministry to work in the IT field. Apparently, he became so good in his field that he is one of about ten people around the world that has the knowledge of his specialty that he has. The way he explained this to me is that it’s like being a specialist on one blade of grass.
Being this specialized, when he found himself downsized out of a job, he expected to find another job quickly. He is accustomed to traveling extensively and has worked around the world. He asked himself, “How could it be that nobody needs my skills?”
The 9 month period was very difficult for his wife and him. Their children are grown but they have a large Beagle and Harrier kennel in Chandler and the bills that go with the property, home and dogs. His wife sent out requests to those of us who would be in prayer with them. I was one of those people.
This man thanked me for staying steadfast in prayer with him, saying that when he was a minister, he would always pat people on the back and tell them that everything was going to be OK. In fact, until now, he had never experienced the devastation he experienced in the past 11 months or so. He felt disconnected from his God and felt that all of creation was against him.
I patted him on the back and said, “I believe that those of us who work in the spiritual field have the opportunity to be with and pray for people who cannot feel that connection. I have been there myself. I know that loneliness. I also appreciated people in prayer with me, even if I could not feel that connection myself.”
“What have you learned?” I asked.
His reply was that he learned that he could expand his vision of what work he would do or could do. “I don’t make the same money. I won’t travel like I used to travel. And I am happier in a job than I have been in a really long time.”
I answered, “I guess you are where you are supposed to be!” And he agreed.
How many times in our lives do we work and work to have things the way we think they are supposed to be and then finally give up and allow Spirit to come in and bring us what we are supposed to have? This or something better…..
I had a realization this week. It was a huge realization. I realized that I have been focusing on the proposal for work so hard, I have been putting a lot of energy into making sure we win the bid that I have not been listening to my soul. This or something better…. Finally, after handing in the proposal for work (explain) I could quiet my mind and listen.
I read an analogy recently that I thought was valuable when considering our ability to see our lives clearly. The analogy went like this:
Imagine you are flying in an airplane. You are high up in the sky where only blue sky can be seen forever. When it comes time to begin your descent you start to encounter clouds. A time comes when you can see pieces of blue sky and then, you are totally in the clouds. Sometimes that is comfortable probably though, more people find that frightening. As the plane continues to descend, you begin to see pieces of ground below you, broken up by clouds. As you fly closer to the Earth, you begin to see more definition. You see wide spaces of land, trees, buildings. Eventually you see people and cars. Somewhere in the descent, you get a big picture view of everything, devoid of a lot of details to distract you. You know that you are getting toward the end of your journey. Once on the ground, you become immersed again in the details of life, the noise, the people, the conversations. Once again, you are distracted by the “real” world and you think about the time you spent with a relatively quiet flight in the pure, blue sky.
Did you go on that journey with me? As we take each step of our journey, we generally see the path up close and personal, we see the little picture and move on faith. Each piece of spiritual guidance we grasp onto and hold it close until the next piece is revealed to us. What if we could get out of our own way and allow Spirit to reveal a bigger picture to us? How would that happen?
What I found in the past week is that I had to get my mind clear again, freed from the “real world” so that I could hear and see the messages pouring in. I realized that I have been set on keeping my job when, in fact, I need to be open to allowing my greatest good to come in, which may not be the job I am currently working—or for as long as I think I should be working it---and allow the peace of Spirit to replace my focus on getting this proposal. I did my best and in order to let it go, I was allowed to see some other pieces of the bigger picture.
I have been watching a lot of people operating at a fear level at the college over the past couple of months. I don’t even know if they are aware that they are making decisions from fear but, like much of the world, people are afraid because this is no longer an “interesting” world, it is a “weird” world and getting weirder. People are scared. It seems that their foundations are being pulled out from under them. Indeed, it is giving people the opportunity to grow in new and important ways, as individuals, as organizations and as our world consciousness.
This or something better…..
I work in the midst of weird and scared, from all levels of the college. I strive to maintain a positive outlook and yet, some days I feel like I crawl home just to get back into the arms of unconditional love, in my home. I find that I have been exhausted mentally, emotionally and physically. My friends worried last weekend because I took several naps at the dog shows. I told them at the beginning of the weekend that I was going to rest….and that’s what I did. I felt much more focused and relaxed when I returned to work on Monday.
Going back to my January series about being willing to change, I remember that I promised my Self, my Soul and my Creator that I was ready to let go and ride the wave for change. My realization showed me that I had backed off on my end a bit while dealing with that which seems “real” but, in fact is part of the unfolding of the plan for me. It is my being in the airport and surrounded by the “reality” of the moment. I remembered that I do need to take the time to get out of my Self and see the bigger picture again. The bigger picture is that everything is connected and that the universe is rushing in to help me allow my highest good to unfold. Stay out of judgment. Stay in love. Stay in forgiveness of myself and of everyone else.
I know that each of you is experiencing the world in varying stages of weirdness. Here, we can laugh about it and that’s OK. For me, I am open to seeing what my soul is bringing to my life’s experience. I have a lot more clarity and I will share more of that next week when I complete this talk.
In the meantime, know that life is unfolding, exactly as it should and that everything is unfolding to bring you something better.
Thank you!
Present in This Moment-Contentment
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
February 28, 2010
We have been discussing the concept of being present in the moment for the past month of Sundays. Today, is the final talk of my series. Today, I am going to concentrate on the concept of contentment and how contentment can help us weather storms. I will also summarize the previous talks so that you have a month of suggestions to think about. All of this is current on my website, www.ajoyfilledlife.com (click on “About Us” and click on “Talks”)
I was listening to an author speaking on a Christian radio station about a book she had recently written. The book was, basically, about the same topic I have covered this past month. She referenced Old Testament scriptures to support her position. She was obviously a woman of deep faith and I appreciated that, from a strictly Christian viewpoint, she and I were talking about the same topic, just in different references.
I read two scriptures I found in the New Testament that talk about contentment. Contentment is not one of the qualities we find in abundance in our world today, is it? The love of money is the one of those things we are warned about over and over in the Jewish and Christian scriptures. I watched a horrifying 20/20 Friday night that had a segment on the return of the sacrifice of children in Uganda. The journalist interviewed one father who had killed his son for $2,000---giving his son’s head to a wealthy man in “town” who wanted to use it in ritual.
Uganda is a country that still has many people practicing ancient ritualistic religions and their rituals often involve the killing of birds or animals. However, the sacrificing of children seems to be a new underground movement, a movement that is horrifying law enforcement agencies in that country, that involves people who see the emerging middle and upper class and believe that the sacrifice of a child will get them the powers they need.
Expressing the sentiment in all world religions, the Haddith sayings of Islam state, “True wealth is not in vast riches, but in self-contentment.”
It is easy to lose the simplicity of life. We tend to think about what we want and need certain things, and that we have to work very hard to get them. But throughout history it has been proven that wealth, and the trappings of wealth, do not necessarily lead to contentment.
Being contented with one’s life does not mean becoming inactive or uninterested in the world. Contentment, in its fuller sense, is a state of inner awareness that enables a person to maintain inner calmness even in the midst of success or failure. To be present in the moment and maintain not only calmness but also to feel the appreciation for what you have in your life.
Read from “Oneness”
We have been talking about being present in the moment for four weeks now. The first talk I read a quote from the editor os Shambala magazine that stated,“Mindfulness is about an attitude of mind, about letting go of the project of creating ourselves and paying gentle, directed attention to whatever presents itself. One moment and then, another.”
The foundation of mindfulness or living in the present moment is the discussion, practice or instruction on just being here…right now, and allowing life to unfold just as it should. We can develop tools that will assist us with wandering minds, fear and worrying. Living in the present moment is not only about what we need to watch in our mental states, it is also about allowing life to unfold without judgment and how to embrace our lives fully. In this way our lives become our spiritual path, a path we can savor and celebrate in its fullness.
As we learn to live in the present moment we begin to become more astute witnesses to the Divine Presence in our lives and come to see the interdependence of all people and situations. Allowing the Divine Plan to unfold in our lives, moving along the path without judgments or fears, we really come to see that we ARE creating tomorrow’s reality through gratitude today.
The second talk was given on being present in our heart. Being present in the moment in your heart is an important path of the spiritual journey you are taking. Moving your awareness into your heart helps you gain greater spiritual insights and guidance. When you can move into your heart during meditation, it will become easier for you to act from your heart on an increasing basis.
What can we do to help our heart, emotions and mind move into a more compassionate, non-judgmental state? Meditation is one key. Meditation that helps you to calm your fears through something as simple as watching your breathe as your body breathes in and your body breathes out. No tricky chants or prayers. Just moving your mind into your heart and watch the process of breathing. As any habit, it takes time to incorporate into this awareness into a meditation. Start with a few minutes a day and you will begin to feel so much calmer and clear of mind that you will want to add time to your meditation sessions.
Finding ways to give your heart happy emotions to help it heal from the pain of being human, will help you to find more joy throughout other parts of your life, even if hard times come up. Do you play? Sing? Laugh? What do you do to enjoy your life? The biochemicals that are present in happy times can do enormous amounts of healing in your body. Your heart will be filled with happy juices when you take time to find laughter and love every single day.
Last week I discussed living in the present moment in your mind. We create our reality from those thoughts that fill our head and the corresponding feelings that occur in our heart and or gut. As I have said before, developing a mind that remains in the present moment is a habit, a habit that serves us well as we walk our spiritual path. We can develop ways to stay in the moment instead of wandering into hundreds of tangents or scenarios that probably will never happen, Wouldn’t you be happier if you knew you could live the life you really want to live by focusing on those words, thoughts and emotions that bring you the life you hope for?
When we stay at the conscious, physical body level of thought we are sucked into the world’s way of thinking and handling our life’s situations. Our thoughts and worries are drawn from our beliefs about our life and how life operates. From whom have we drawn our belief systems. Many of us are still operating on our belief systems passed on by our parents, relatives, teachers, friends and others throughout our lives. As your life continues to unfold, I invite you to examine your belief systems and see whether or not they (or one) are still valid.
Six+ billion people on earth and each creates their life and their experience from their own unique set of belief systems. Beliefs they got from all of those who influenced them prior to birth, perhaps from past lives too, and throughout their lives as they were touched by different people. All of us continue to live in our own world, created just for us, according to our beliefs and even more, our feelings.
Being in a mindful state, a state that has become a habit where we can corral our thoughts and transform them into heart-based appreciation, this is the key to creating and allowing what we want to have happen in our lives.
And today, I talk about contentment. Reaching a level of spiritual growth that brings us the gift of contentment. We are at peace. Last week I used the, “Be still and know that I AM God” meditation, a meditation that proves helpful to many people when they need to settle their minds and get focused in their heart.
Being in a state of contentment also means that we are not judging, not seeking an out of balance experience with our material natures and learning to come from our hearts, showing greater compassion to all in our world. “I am content.” Say that with me, “I AM content.” “I AM content”. Can you feel the I AM in you relax into your heart?
Modifying our behaviors in our life and in the world is part of our spiritual journey. Being present in the moment, experiencing mindfulness in Buddhist’s terms, is part of that journey. It is a leg on the journey where we get to transform our “Monkey Mind” (a Buddhist term) to a focused mind that can re-focus in our hearts where we are one with Spirit. Having the ability to calm our minds and find gratitude and appreciation in our hearts is a gift to our body, a gift to our mind and a gift to our soul.
I hope you have taken this invitation seriously this month. I hope you have put a few moments of silence into your day to connect with your heart and allow Divine Consciousness to be one with you. This time is precious for you and once you take a few moments, often you will want more. Wisdom will be closer at hand as will peace of mind, contentment.
Thank you for sharing this month’s series with me. Remember, your life is unfolding exactly as it should!
Blessings!
Living in the Present Moment, In Your Mind
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
February 21, 2010
I know that many of us get into different situations in our lives when most of our time is spent in imagining all kinds of worst scenarios. You might be in one of those situations right now! We are culturally accustomed to reacting in this way to “problems” that arise in our lives and those problems often times become our worst nightmare and why? Because that is where most of our energy was focused!
This month I have been discussing some techniques of being present in the moment, the Buddhists call this the practice of “mindfulness”. I can’t say whether or not this was taught before Buddha shared this teaching with his students but for over 2500 years, people following a path of Buddhist practices have included mindfulness in their lives.
Jesus talked about this too when he admonished people not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow came with its own worries. He also talked about birds and how they don’t worry about where their next meal would come from or the lilies in the field, how they would be cloaked in beauty. (from Matthew Ch. 6, vs. 19-27)
From the reading of the book, “The Mysteries of John” that I shared this morning, we heard the interpretation of Charles Fillmore of Jesus having “gone up to Jerusalem”. In this reading I shared that, to Fillmore, Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast, the feast that symbolizes a release from bondage. Fillmore goes on to say, that, “When we begin to discipline our mind we always go up in consciousness, because it is from our spiritual height that we can see things clearly and in their right relation.”
When we stay at the conscious, physical body level of thought we are sucked into the world’s way of thinking and handling our life’s situations. Our thoughts and worries are drawn from our beliefs about our life and how life operates. From whom have we drawn our belief systems. Many of us are still operating on our belief systems passed on by our parents, relatives, teachers, friends and others throughout our lives. It is probably a precious few of us that have taken the time to analyze our belief systems and have consciously explored, tested and adapted different beliefs, probably a little at a time, over their lives to this point.
That is what we want to talk about today, how do we know what is in our belief systems, in our conscious and subconscious minds and how do we get new beliefs in?
One of the easiest ways of discovering what is in our belief system is to look at our lives, honestly and openly, to see what is reflected or mirrored to us in our lives. We can learn a lot about our beliefs about love, money, work and health by seeing what shows up in our lives. Maybe that sounds unfair but the universe works perfectly to reflect our belief systems to us or even, once we are becoming conscious beings, to show us areas we might want to develop a new belief system that better supports us in getting what we want out of life.
Last week I spoke about “Living in the Present Moment in Your Heart”. I shared that, if we can get into our heart and feel joy, love and appreciation for whatever was showing up in our lives, that great stuff would show up. If we fill our energy field with worry, we will attract an experience to ourselves that will assure us there is a need to worry!
For instance, I remember years ago that I lived in fear of having someone come to my door to collect money that I knew I didn’t have. I’d look out the window and wait…trying not to have my two sons seeing me act so weird. I knew it was weird but I couldn’t get the worry out of my mind. Nobody ever came to the door but I did attract lots of situations in my life that proved that I was right to worry! Has that ever happened to you?
When images fill our dreams or experiences show up in our live repeatedly, I will tell you that you are getting a message that this is an area of your life that your soul wants you to work on! Perhaps it is a series of love partners that do not treat you like you wish to be treated. Perhaps it is a series of business failures that support some deep belief, maybe one that said you weren’t worthy for success or that there just isn’t enough business to go around. What is showing up for you?
Let’s take this a different way! I had this magical life this week. I have thought many times, “God—I am so glad to be living my life! What fun I am having! I am so thankful!”
Now, the situation at work hasn’t changed, in fact, my team and I met last Friday to pull together our research and to develop the base plan for our proposal to Yavapai College that would allow us to remain employed by the College, if chosen. Thankfully, I have been doing these two series in January and February, “Are You Willing” and “Present in the Moment”. I get to walk the path right along with you!
I have been invited into a project where I would be doing some freelance writing for the handsome rate of $500 an article. The project is very exciting. The company’s owners are from Italy and they have the same company up and running in Italy and Europe with journalists on staff traveling the world.
I finally made it to the company’s offices this week and I was so impressed! It is an international company founded on UFO research, covering the topic from many different angles, including spiritual. (Dan Fry story)
My contact in the company, who has been trying to get me in a meeting with the principles told me that if they like my writing and they like me, they might send me any place in the world to do research. I have been keeping an open mind and have let this advance in its own time and unfold in its own way. But, it was still an exciting visit!
Well, if that wasn’t exciting enough, I got a call from an animal trainer who works for Disney Studios. They have been doing a national search to find the SPECIAL Beagle to star in an upcoming feature length film (I don’t know the title). I asked how she found me and she told me she found me from the AKC website, the National Beagle website and of course, by looking at my website and seeing my Facebook page with the video on it.
After our conversation, which we closed by having her ask me to send her photos of two dogs I was proposing, I thanked her for calling and let it go. I figured that I would not hear from them again AND I was surprised by a phone call from this young woman’s manager. The long and short of it is, he is flying in on Monday to visit my kennel on Tuesday. He is so sure that he would like two of my dogs that he had me take them to the vet for health certificates and they sent me the contracts to view ahead of time. What a surprise!
Now, I worry a little sometimes that I talk a little too much about my life but that is how I teach. I hope that share how I handle situations in my life and what comes from those situations to help give you some things to think about when considering options in your life.
In my first talk on “Living Present in the Moment” I shared that I did allow myself about 2 ½ days in a private pity party and then, I realized that I had invited change into my life and now, I needed to refine my tools to move as smoothly as I could through the change. My job, if I might refer to it that way, became holding the space for miracles in my life, to not have judgment about things as they unfolded and to hold onto my belief systems by having my personal affirmative prayers placed in my home and office to help me stay on target. After my brief pity party, I have not gone back.
Going back to our thoughts and the knowing that our thoughts come from our belief systems and that if we don’t like what is showing up in our life, perhaps we are being alerted to a place we could strive to change or replace an old belief with something new. Even though this sounds easy, our conscious minds do not just adopt something we want it to. Our conscious mind needs to see the logic in it. One good way to have develop a different belief is to study someone or several people, who have the belief you wish to adopt.
Remember, Creation creates from the feelings we hold in our heart, with appreciation being the highest emotion from which we create good in our lives. When we seek to replace a belief with something new, it needs to be so convincing to our mind and fill our hearts with such joy and knowingness that the Creative Force that surrounds all of us can take it and reflect it back to you in your life.
Judgment is another issue to consider, it takes discernment to see events in your life and to know if they are unfolding for your highest good (because they were called into your life with intention for change) or if they are reflecting something to you by your soul to get your attention. It may be both.
Whatever happens is for my highest good and the highest good for all beings. I joyously accept the perfection of my life. I easily release and let go of everything that is no longer for my highest good. I am thankful for a new life. Everything in my life starts today and my needs are met fully and completely right now. I give thanks for the realization that the past is the past, the present is now and for creating tomorrow’s reality through today’s gratitude.
These are samples of my self-talk, the internal chatter that comes so naturally now because I am living it every day. I want to share a reading from Ernest Holmes book, “The Science of Mind.”
(page 141-142)
We create our reality from those thoughts that fill our head and the corresponding feelings that occur in our heart and or gut. As I have said before, developing a mind that remains in the present moment is a habit, a habit that serves us well as we walk our spiritual path. By developing ways that we can stay in the moment instead of wandering into hundreds of tangents or scenarios that probably will never happen, wouldn’t you be happier if you knew you could live the life you really want to live by focusing on those words, thoughts and emotions that bring you the life you hope for?
Last week we talked about quiet time, to move your consciousness intentionally from your mind to your heart. This is a wonderful practice and that which many would call, meditation. But we don’t need to go into fancy chants or mantras to achieve a calming of the mind. Again, Buddha taught this over 2500 years ago..just observe your breathing and when your mind wanders, gently bring it back. Be gentle with yourself. Life is not a race. And your life is unfolding exactly as it should!
Thank you!
Living in the Present Moment from Your Heart
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
February 14, 2010
Last week I started my series for February with, “Living in the Present Moment”, which is designed to help give all of us tools to help in times of change, change that we opened ourselves to in January’s series, when we are feeling a little out of control.
I shared that I had been notified that the rug had been out from under my own feet when my boss, the President of Yavapai College, told me that a national search was going to be done for the work in my department. I reported that my department and I are developing our own proposal but if we are not selected, we might be looking for new jobs.
Living in the present moment is the tool I believe in to help me get through these periods in my life. You know, those times when we are out there on faith and can’t see the earth below us. I am attempting to keep my staff from imploding from fear by giving them precise jobs that will help them feel better about their contributions to our department and more confident about a “re-tooling”of our department for the proposal.
I did get knocked off my center a couple of times but I have affirmative statements or prayers that are always easily accessible and saying those with feeling get me back into the mind set of thankfulness.
Feelings….where do we feel our feelings? Well, the bad ones seem to emanate from my gut. I don’t know about you. The happy ones fill my heart with immense joy. My heart. Dawon talked a lot about the heart when he was here. Several of us had heart challenges and he shared that when we have a heart that is calling attention to itself, it needs healing.
I was listening to a CD by Gregg Braden on Friday and remembering his talk about our bodies and heart being made to live a very long time, maybe hundreds of years, as in biblical stories. Why is it, he wonders, that we only live 70-100 years?
He proposes that we do not do a very good job with settling our emotions through healing or forgiveness and this just drains down the battery that is the heart. We can only stand the “heartache of physical life” for 70-100 years before we wear down and, heart health issues arise.
Read page 189 in Candace Pert’s book….
If feeling bad is not good for our heart which is the physical emotional and spiritual center of our physical body, what can we do to help our heart, our emotions, in the present moment, when we are scared or hurt or sad or whatever. We can help our heart by coming to our heart and from our heart,
So many teachers are telling everyone to become more heart-based. To come from our heart. To get into our heart. We have had speakers here who have admonished us to do the same thing but what does that mean, really?
When we meditate, we purposely move our attention into our heart and we visualize colors or feel emotions as part of our healing circle each week. We take time to connect with our heart, our spirit and the Divine. Is this a habit you have incorporated into your life? Do you take time to move from the mind, the busy mind where ego is constantly chattering at you, into the seat of peace in your body, the place where your soul and Spirit are one?
Last month I shared a reading that stated that a state of appreciation is the closest vibration to the Creative Spirit that we can approximate in our physical existence. Appreciation, gratitude, thankfulness, all come from the heart. Can you see why it is important to “come from your heart” as often as possible? If you come from your heart, you will be acting with compassion, peace and gratitude. It is natural.
Sometimes we need to be gentle with ourselves. During times of change we may slip into some fear or even a little depression but these are the times we need to be gentle with ourselves and consciously move ourselves into a state where we can acknowledge and embrace our experience. Without trying to fix it or make it work.
Moving ourselves from emotions that we are feeling in our gut to more of a state of peace is hard work. It takes loving yourself enough to allow some “down” time and then be willing to pick yourself up again and move back into a state of non-resistance to whatever is happening in your life. We learn through practice to embrace our life, moment to moment, without judging ourselves or judging our lives.
Susan Piver, who wrote the book, “Wisdom of a Broken Heart, An Uncommon Guide to Healing, Insight and Love”, writes in the January 2010 Shambala magazine, “Gentleness is actually an advanced form of bravery. You aren’t afraid to take on your own suffering even though you don’t know when or if it will end; still you agree to feel it. On its own timetable, your heart begins to pacify even the most raging of emotions. Gentleness is the spiritual warrior’s best weapon.”
What can we do to help our heart, emotions and mind move into a more compassionate, non-judgmental state? Meditation is one key. Meditation that helps you to calm your fears through something as simple as watching your breathe as your body breathes in and your body breathes out. No tricky chants or prayers. Just moving your mind into your heart and watch the process of breathing. As any habit, it takes time to incorporate into this awareness into a meditation. Start with a few minutes a day and you will begin to feel so much calmer and clear of mind that you will want to add time to your meditation sessions.
Being present in the moment in your heart is an important path of the spiritual journey you are taking. Moving your awareness into your heart helps you gain greater spiritual insights and guidance. When you can move into your heart during meditation, it will become easier for you to act from your heart on an increasing basis.
Finding ways to give your heart happy emotions to help it heal from the pain of being human, will help you to find more joy throughout other parts of your life, even if hard times come up. Do you play? Sing? Laugh? What do you do to enjoy your life? The biochemicals that are present in happy times can do enormous amounts of healing in your body. Your heart will be filled with happy juices when you take time to find laughter and love every single day.
For me, being quiet and moving through all of the things I am thankful for in my life helps me to allow my life to unfold. I take care of the things I must do in the present moment and I watch as new things unfold. I live in faith that I accept the perfection of my life and, even when I am hanging out there without being able to see any ground, I know that I have ALWAYS been caught. A branch appears and a new life unfolds. Whatever is happening is for my highest good and the highest good of all beings, otherwise it would not have happened.
Now, some may say that I am not being reasonable or that I am not seeing the truth. I am so glad that I know I am allowing my soul to present my reality to me which frees me from worrying about anybody else’s truth!
I consciously connect with my heart, through my breath, repeatedly, all day long. There is where I find faith. Where I find my truth. And where I find the strength to go forward!
Remember, your life is unfolding just as it should.
Blessings and Thank you.
Living in the Present Moment
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
February 7, 2010
How much time do you spend thinking about things that could happen or might happen to yourself or others in your life? When the unexpected occurs in your life, how much time do you allow your mind to play out all the different scenarios that could happen?
The past month we have spent exploring the concept of being willing to allow our soul to really speak to us and guide us to our highest good. The first talk in that series was, “Are you willing”. The bottom-line question being, “Are you willing to change or shift to allow the new energies to flow into your life? We all focused on being open and aware to receive the inspired message, knowing that Divine Consciousness was giving your soul the gift, the gift that will lead you into your next step for your highest good.
Now, I want to follow-up that series with the new series for February, “Living in the Present Moment!” As often happens, I am experiencing possibilities of huge changes in my own life, possibilities that began to open in January and continue to surprise me almost daily. I am the Hermit card in the Tarot deck, the one who is walking the path with you and sharing the light of experience along the way!
If you are asking for the next step on your spiritual journey to unfold in your life and if you know that will mean changes or shifts in your life, what do you hold onto in faith as you walk the journey? The inspired journey is not of the ego, it has been given by our Creator and the universe amasses all its forces to bring the highest good into your life. But who REALLY likes or trusts change??
Let me share with you what has unfolded in my life in the past two weeks. I hope that when we come into our time of discussion you might also have some shifts that have already begun in your life!
Last week I shared that we were suddenly given a 30 day notice on this property. That was after being told about 3 weeks prior that World Fellowship was grandfathered in with no charges, no other churches being allowed in on Sundays and that all was well. We were clear to go into our 7th year.
Big changes! And you know what, it is in response to part of my soul’s inspiration that we would have an average of 50 people a week celebrating with us. In fact, I upped that too 100 people a week! We needed a new place and Spirit knows that. We have been blessed with this location and it has been comfortable BUT if we are to grow, we need a shift in attitude and willingness to allow the new good to unfold.
When I shared this last week I told you that I am in joy about this. I don’t have any deep concerns about anything. It is in the right time and we will find the right place.
This past week, the president called me in to tell me that he has decided it is time to send out an RFP—a request for proposal—for national advertising/PR agencies to submit a proposal to the RFP, in effect, to put in a lower bid to provide the college with services we currently offer as a department.
I shared the information immediately with my staff, most of whom operate from a fear basis, who were, expectedly, taken aback. I spent that first afternoon swimming in thoughts but once I got home I centered on the perfectness of my life, amidst loving puppies and dogs, a peaceful, comfortable home, knowing that my bills are all paid and moving into my prayer life with the affirmations that have already been put in place to move me into my highest good.
The president spoke to my staff the next day and encouraged us (as I already had done) to develop our own proposal. Much of that day I directed my staff in different directions to begin the research I needed to write our proposal. These activities made each person feel better about the process I was proposing because they came to understand how much the “real” world charges and the idea of someone taking over our business more economically seemed less and less probable.
Knowing that I am open to change does not mean that I am going to do nothing. I have my staff for whom I must continue doing the best I can to preserve their jobs. And, I know that we are the best solution for Yavapai College and on that basis, I will continue to prepare a dynamite proposal!
I am spending my time in the present moment. I am listening to the direction of Spirit and I use my tools of my affirmations to remain on course.
I really develop my affirmations, as you may have noticed, more in the style of affirmative prayers. For instance, one that I have been keeping on my refrigerator since mid-December is this:
I am free of any debt from my past. All of my past has been swept clean. I easily handle my present obligations with love and prosperity. I am thankful for my new life. Everything in my life starts today and my needs are met fully and completely, right now! I give thanks for the realization that the past is past, the present in NOW and for creating tomorrow’s reality through gratitude today!
I have been setting my intention for change and appreciating the new life that is unfolding every day. With a new life unfolding I have to expect change—right?
Recently I started to subscribe to “Shambala Sun” a magazine that was billed as a spiritual magazine. In fact, it is written by and targeting Buddhists. What a wonderful publication it has turned out to be.!
I received the first magazine in January, a whole issue on “A Guide to Mindful Living—Anyone can do it and changes everything. How to experience the benefits of mindfulness in your life with practical advice from experts on mindful living in the modern world.” What is mindfulness? It is living in the present moment. What wonderful synchronicity has been set-up for me! I was led to subscribe to this magazine (offered by one of my staff member’s sons for a school fundraiser) and the first issue is all about staying in the present moment and how to do that! WOW!
In the opening paragraph of this issue, the editor writes, “Mindfulness is about an attitude of mind, about letting go of the project of creating ourselves and paying gentle, directed attention to whatever presents itself. One moment and then, another.”
The foundation of mindfulness or living in the present moment is the discussion, practice or instruction on just being here…right now, and allowing life to unfold just as it should. We can develop tools that will assist us with wandering minds, fear and worrying. Living in the present moment is not only about what we need to watch in our mental states, it is also about allowing life to unfold without judgment and how to embrace our lives fully. In this way our lives become our spiritual path, a path we can savor and celebrate in its fullness.
As we learn to live in the present moment we begin to become more astute witnesses to the Divine Presence in our lives and come to see the interdependence of all people and situations. Allowing the Divine Plan to unfold in our lives, moving along the path without judgments or fears, we really come to see that we ARE creating tomorrow’s reality through gratitude today.
Buddhists have been dedicating themselves to the practice of mindfulness for centuries. Many people are attracted to this discipline because it helps to clear the clutter of the world’s messages in their lives. But we can also develop the spiritual path that I choose to call, “Living in the Present Moment.” The ability to focus on the moment and have the faith that girds one up when changes come into our lives, that is the path I want to share with you this month. I hope to inspire you with thoughts and tools to help you, to live in the present moment, without fear or judgment, as your Spirit-inspired goals begin to unfold.
Remember, your life is unfolding exactly as it should!
Thank you.
Let’s Go!
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
February 1, 2010
For the past three talks of my January series we have been opening our minds, hearts and spirits to receive a really important message from our souls. For some of us, this might be the most important message we have ever received from our soul. In the first talk I promised you that you would know that your soul’s goal was manifesting in your life by 12/31/2010. I also promised you that we would be taking this project on as a group, with me as your coach and cheerleader but also as a team member!
In my first talk, “Are You Willing?”, I shared that we have to be willing and open to making a change or shift in our lives to allow new energy and activities in our lives. We all know that we cannot get a new answer in our life if we continue to ask the same questions. But, if we make a shift in what we are asking, we can begin to receive a new message!
I also shared four of my personal paths that I have been on over the past ten years or so. The first question I asked my soul was, “What If?” What if everything I thought was real, in truth is not real or truth. That openness took me on a journey of exploration that left me raw and open. Through books, people, TV programs, movies and other media, I began to dismiss so much of my “education” from my younger life and began to really look at reality with new eyes. A huge step was to move from the 2,000 year old truths taught by the Catholic Church and from Newtonian science into today’s understanding from Quantum Physics and Quantum Theology.
Next, I moved into a phase of “So What?” What was I to do with this information? I wanted to take it to the world and yell it from the rooftops. Were there other people who were in their “What if” stage of spiritual growth who could share their path with me? What did my soul want me to do with that?
After that I moved into my “I AM willing to release everything that no longer serves my highest good” phase. This phase continues to affect me today. My last year has been filled with releasing opportunities.
Today I AM also moving into the phase of, “I joyously accept the perfection of my life!” This year has brought me many opportunities to have judgments about events but this affirmation has reminded me to, “Just say “I Am thankful!” What wonderful gifts my soul has had and I know, will have, in my life!
In my first talk I made many important points to lay the base for the receiving of your soul’s goal, your personal goal for the greatest good Spirit has for us, in this present time and space.
In my next talk, “Are you Ready?” I discussed how you would be receiving your soul’s message. I talked about watching your life for messages from friends, strangers, TV, radio or other places. I talked about the whisperings of your soul during your quiet moments.
I also shared that once you have become inspired by your Inspired goal, the goal given to you by Spirit for your soul, you will begin to broadcast a very specific vibrational signal that is instantly understood by the universe and answered. When you catch your idea from the Mind of God, you are reflecting that Mind back into the Great Creative Consciousness. Your present and future circumstances begin to change in response to the call you are sending out.
I also talked about the necessity of keeping your soul’s goal to yourself until you can share it with someone you absolutely trust to support you without criticism or question. Once you have shared your idea, I said a magical thing will happen. People will be drawn to you who will help make the idea manifest. The idea will begin to have a life of its own. It is Spirit recognized on this plane and all of Creation rushed to support it.
I also mentioned that when you hear, “face reality!” realize that “reality” is only seen by that person who is interpreting it for himself. Remember, you, me and we are creating our own realities, moment to moment and definitely, throughout the coming year!
In “Are You Set”—I shared that I was given the meaning for the acronym “set” of: seeing things truthfully—so our title became, “Are you seeing things truthfully?”
In accepting each of my own soul paths or soul goals as being inspired and being open to life unfolding EXACTLY as it should at any given moment, even if it didn’t look like what I thought I wanted to experience, I accepted the perfection and the truth shining through as Divine Light, into every situation. Even the gooey, messy ones that were hard to get through. I asked you if life ever feels like you are caught on a treadmill of soft taffy that is being stretched in order to make it palatable? I know that feeling! I have been there, more than once in my life.
Sometimes our soul has chosen to show us the wide variety of permutations that life has to offer to assist us in learning a lesson and moving forward. In, “Are You Set?—Are you seeing everything truthfully---I am asking you to:
1. Withhold judgment
2. Allow the event to unfold with as little resistance as humanly possible
3. Think about the color of your gift, given in last week’s meditation or the color of the emotion your inspired gift brings to you. When you can feel the color, you can more easily paddle through the various streams of choices life brings to you. Your heart will know if a decision you need to make will bring you closer to your inspired goal or if it will make the trip longer and more tedious than necessary.
Are you set? Are you seeing everything truthfully? As your life begins to unfold with a totally new perception, a new vision, a new reality that you are creating for yourself, one that started to evolve with the first talk I gave, I am asking you to hold tight and know that whatever shows up in your life is supporting you in some way to assist you in creating this gift from our Creator. Each of us is committed this year to supporting one another along this path.
Here we are this week. If you have missed the previous talks you can find them on my website: www,ajoyfilledlife.com
Just be open to listening today and see what your soul tells you.
Hopefully you have caught one or more of my talks this month and have been given an inspired message that provides you a vision, a goal, that will unfold for you by December 31, 2010. Today, we want to begin our process. I have asked you to think about a phrase, a word, maybe a color that fills you with wonder as you see your soul goal manifesting in your life. A phrase, a word, color or emotion that fills you with passionate energy and life. One that you can speak into our Peace Circleat the end of our service and only you will know its meaning.
As we share this process as a group of spiritual beings, we will know your goal for you because we will respond, “Sue, we acknowledge light and we see it manifesting for you by Dec. 31, 2010.” Together we will come to love and accept one another in magical ways. We will be sharing a unique experience, the opportunity to totally support another person without judgment or criticism.
Are you set? Are you ready to see everything in your life through the eyes of truth? To know, going in, that sometimes life gets messy and sometimes it is not fun…to know, going in, that sometimes life is a splendid rainbow and time seems to stop while you wallow in joy? To know that whatever IT is, that your life is unfolding exactly as it should! Today we agree to come together and allow Spirit to manifest in us, as us and through us, in perfect Divine Order for our highest good. Blessings and thank you!
Are You Set (Seeing Everything Truthfully)?
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
January 17, 2010
The past two weeks we have been preparing ourselves for a special delivery message from our soul. We are preparing ourselves for the best year of our lives and we will know that we have received the message and have been manifesting it by December 31, 2010. We are doing this as individuals and we are doing this as a group. I am your coach and cheerleader and I am your team mate. We are one in this endeavor and our belief and enthusiasm will help to open the doors for miracles to happen in each and every one of our lives!
In order to review, the first week I started with, “Are You Willing?” and we talked about the openness we must have to a change or a shift in our perceptions and belief systems before we can truly experience the goals we set in our life. Whether it is a goal of becoming a non-smoker or a goal of going to India to learn from a guru, we have to have changes that take place in our perceptions or belief systems. We have to set up the appropriate vibration in our energy fields that will attract those people and situations that will assist us in achieving our goals.
Last week I spoke on, “Are You Ready?” In this talk I shared that we are listening for an inspiration from Spirit, an inspiration that might be so grand, so big, that we might have a hard time even imagining it for ourselves. I shared that, because this goal is whispered to your heart and soul by the Creator, all of the powers of the universe are in place to bring this goal into existence. The Creator God/Goddess manifests perfectly in us, as us and through us. Spirit will be directing your life, perhaps more powerfully than you have ever experienced!
I also talked about the need to keep the inspiration to ourselves in order to allow it to incubate, to cook until it is ready to come out into the world…kind of like a baby Kangaroo! And when we choose to bring the inspiration forth, take it to a person or persons that you absolutely trust, someone who will continue to feed your creation with support. Once the idea is out into the material world, spoken to another, a magical thing does happen! Your inspired creation will begin to grow on its own and draw to itself whatever it needs to manifest….the right people, places, situations and perfect time will unfold for you. Miracles will happen!
Today’s title is, “Are You Set?” and when I put the question to the universe, “What does this mean?” I received the meaning to the acronym “set”—“Seeing everything truthfully”. Seeing everything truthfully.
So, let’s examine that a minute and I will share the inspiration I received about this message. In the first talk I discussed four of my inspired paths of spiritual development that have occurred over the past 8-10 years. They were: “What If?---What if everything I know to be true is not?” The next, “Now What?—Now what what do I do with this information?”. Then, “I AM Open and Willing—to let go of everything in my life that no longer serves my highest good” and now “I joyously accept the perfection of my life. Whatever happens to me is a gift from my soul and I accept it gladly!”
In accepting each of these paths as being inspired and being open to life unfolding EXACTLY as it should at any given moment, even if it didn’t look like what I thought I wanted to experience, I accepted the perfection and the truth shining through as Divine Light, into every situation. Even the gooey, messy ones that were hard to get through. Does life ever feel like you are caught on a treadmill of soft taffy that is being stretched in order to make it palatable? I know that feeling! I have been there, more than once in my life.
Sometimes our soul has chosen to show us the wide variety of permutations that life has to offer to assist us in learning a lesson and moving forward. In, “Are You Set?—Are you seeing everything truthfully---I am asking you to:
1. Withhold judgment
2. Allow the event to unfold with as little resistance as humanly possible
3. Think about the color of your gift, given in last week’s meditation or the color of the emotion your inspired gift brings to you. When you can feel the color, you can more easily paddle through the various streams of choices life brings to you. Your heart will know if a decision you need to make will bring you closer to your inspired goal or if it will make the trip longer and more tedious than necessary.
Have you received your inspired goal? Have you been watching your dreams, looking for synchronicities, listening to people in your life, listening to TV or radio shows for inspiration? Remember my talk on, “Just Say You’re Thankful?”” when I tuned into the radio while driving home from church one day and in the midst of static came a strong male voice that said, “Just say you’re thankful! Remember that I could not tune into anything that sounded like a show that would have had this component to it? Just say you’re thankful—an inspired message from Spirit channeled through my car radio!
Are you set? Are you seeing everything truthfully? As your life begins to unfold with a totally new perception, a new vision, a new reality that you are creating for yourself, one that started to evolve with the first talk I gave, I am asking you to hold tight and know that whatever shows up in your life is supporting you in some way to assist you in creating this gift from our Creator. Each of us is committed this year to supporting one another along this path.
Beginning next week, we will each speak a word or short phrase into the Peace Circleat the end and we will repeat it for you. Example: “I AM open to receive.” We don’t need to know any details. We just know that you have carefully chosen the words to touch your heart, touch your mind and touch your spirit very deeply. These words will bring you the emotion you associate with them at a very deep level. Take time to feel the emotion the inspiration inspires in you. Does it bring a feeling of deep love, quiet peace of mind, of enthusiastic passion and action? What does it bring? Your phrase will be perfect for you and we don’t need to know anything about it at all, in fact, because we will be knowing it perfectly for you, we’d rather not know anything about it at all.
Once spoken into the circle we will all wait a moment and then, united, repeat your phrase back for you, “You ARE open to receive!” No criticism. No judgment. No sabotage. Perfect love. Perfect support. Perfect timing. Right here and right now. Everything you have wanted and everything you ARE is unfolding for you at this very moment. The universe is conspiring to prop you up and send you forth as its ambassador of faith and trust and demonstration. Divine Love is in you, is in us, is in the plan and the creation will be born!
This is a very special series of talks. It has been inspired from the beginning and although I have had some support from materials from the Abraham “Joy” cards, Spirit has touched me to share this information with you in ways that will touch each of you in this very special group that comes together as World Fellowship. We are called to share together.
We will have many people pass through our doors in the next year. People who are seeking and they will take from this group, whatever time they are exposed to us (be it one Sunday or a month of Sundays) they will take a new seed of possibility into the world.
At the present time my path is this:
I joyously accept the perfection of my life. Whatever happens to me is a gift from my soul and I accept it gladly! I delight in not knowing what is going to happen next and trust that whatever does happen will be for my highest good and the highest good of all beings. Otherwise, it would not have happened!
I don’t want you to use my affirmation. Mine have unfolded to direct my conscious life to accomplish that which I have inspired to accomplish. Your message will be just for you. Mine get wordy because I see life through words, through poetic rhythm that helps me to remember the path I am walking upon. I have a friend at work who is participating in another type of exercise where she is to come up with a word or phrase for a year and her’s is “IN”. I am inspired. I am intelligent. I am included etc;
Are you set? Are you ready to see everything in your life through the eyes of truth? To know, going in, that sometimes life gets messy and sometimes it is not fun…to know, going in, that sometimes life is a splendid rainbow and time seems to stop while you wallow in joy? To know that whatever IT is, that your life is unfolding exactly as it should!
Thank you!
Are You Ready? Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
January 10, 2010
Last week I started my series of talks for the month with, “Are You Willing?” and you might remember that I told you that we are going to manifest for ourselves and for one another, the greatest good Spirit has for us, in this present time and space and in healthy and balanced ways. I also spoke about the willingness each of us to change, in big ways or small, but that a shift or a change is going to be required because we cannot find our answers or our highest good by doing things the exact way we are doing them now. A shift in our perception or our thought process will probably be needed.
I asked everyone last week to be aware of their dreams, conversations with friends and with strangers. Watch for synchronicities in their life because I know that Spirit is happy to share inspirations with you that will lead you to a perfect understanding of the direction in which you are to go. And that leads us to this week’s talk, “Are You Ready?”
I passed out paper again this week to help you to capture your thoughts or a comment that I might make that catches your attention. I’d love you to keep a journal for 2010 to track what happens and truly see the magic that is happening everywhere.
It is my hope that in the next week, and for some of you it will happen during the service, you will begin to settle on the goal that you have been inspired to pursue. Inspired---to breathe in of Spirit—to be in the awareness and consciousness of your oneness with your Creator and know that the communion with your very soul gives you the path you are being called to pursue.
We are moving beyond the weight loss resolutions. This inspiration is deep from within your soul. It whispers to you a secret about your path that you might not even want to speak aloud. Your soul shares with you something that might seem so big or so out of place that you cannot even begin to imagine it taking place by December 31, 2010!
What if the world is not what it seems and anything is possible? Each week you celebrate life with a group of people who will be on the same path with you and each week, we will affirm for you and for one another, the perfect manifestation of your inspired goal.
This might be the most important year of your life! Each of us will learn how to love one another more deeply, for the perfect beings we are right now. We will know for one another the joys of the journey when we are moving forward, on paths lit by Divine Love, Divine Light, always shining even in our darkest hours.
As soon as you become aware of your personal inspired goal, you will begin to broadcast a very specific vibrational signal that is instantly understood by the universe and answered. Why do I say instantly? Because once you catch your idea from the Mind of God, you are reflecting that Mind right back into the Great Creative Consciousness. Your present and future circumstances begin to change in response to the signal, the call you are sending. The entire universe is affected by you, wholly and completely allowing Spirit to direct your life, maybe for the first time ever! Creation moves to bring God’s desires come true for you!
Once you become aware of Spirits desire for you, it will become easier for you to identify the emotional state it creates in your body, mind and heart. Become aware of the feelings you have as they relate to this inspiration! Are they peaceful? Joyful? Stir deep passions? In our meditation today, I will lead you on a journey to find those emotions. Once you can clearly identify the emotions, it will become easier for you to choose your thoughts that move you along your path in a positive way or impede your progress. If you make the feeling, be it joy, peace, passion, love or something else, your goal on a day to day basis, anything that you want to have in your life will follow.
Sometimes, when life gets tough, we have to depend on appreciation and gratitude to carry us along until things improve. I spoke last week about living in a state of non-resistance, because sometimes our soul needs to experience all of what life has to offer before we can settle on a choice for ourselves. We never get it wrong! Each of us is at the stage of spiritual growth where we can recognize this but still, at times it is hard to be fully in joy, peace, passion or love. But to be in appreciation, of yourself, of others, of the situation (without naming it good or bad)---that is the closest vibration of Source Energy we can approximate. Being in a state of appreciation, of gratitude, places us in the field of creation!
When we are ready, we have received the seed of Spirit through inspiration, through synchronistic messages in our lives, however we receive it, we need to take time to nurture it within our own Beings before sharing it with anyone. This is a sacred time, a time during which your soul feeds the idea or thought. We need to fully know this for ourselves and allow it to begin to develop its own life within our space before we share it with someone else.
And when we decide to share our inspired goal, share it carefully like doling out a precious ingredient to an expensive perfume. Give it only to those who will fully support you and give energy to your goal without any sense of question or criticism. You are rolling a gigantic rock down hill! You want to be careful who helps get the energy rolling so that the rock doesn’t actually roll over you and know you off your feet and out of the game!
Once you have begun to share your idea, a magical thing does happen! Slowly the Spirit-inspired goal begins to grow its own feet and becomes its own creation. It begins to gather to itself what it needs. Because it is Spirit recognized on this plane, all of Creation moves to support it. This is how great projects are accomplished! It is not that the first person who had the thought was so smart, or rich or wonderful—no! They fed the project, the goal, until it began to develop on its own, and like a rock rolling downhill, gathers so much steam that it lands exactly where and when and how it is supposed to be!
Sometimes our family, friends and co-workers tell us things like, “You should face reality!” We were taught about reality before we even knew we were creating reality! And most of humanity today still does not understand that very basic concept! I tell you, do not face reality UNLESS it is the reality you want to create! Any reality only exists because someone focused it into being. Any hint of what was and is true is without merit because you, me and we are creating our realities this year!
We have been told to ask and it shall be given. You are asking by giving your attention to that which has been inspired just for you! Whenever a thought comes into our mind and becomes a desire or a want, it moves into the asking stage. But many of those things we ask for are ego-driven, are they not? Are the ego-driven requests the ones we feel get denied or perhaps, those that we have to wait a full life to receive because we have so many life experiences to go through to truly make them meaningful when we receive them?
I want you to know that whatever Spirit inspires in you, once you have received the inspiration, the universe has the ability, the resources and the DESIRE to deliver it fully to you. We are all connected by this One Mind, this One Consciousness—when we all work together with the same belief and understanding, we will see great miracles in our lives!
Whatever message you receive, know that this One Mind has given it to you for you to walk your very individual path from our very individual perspective. The universe benefits from your existence and from your point of view. You exist in the here and now. You are being Divinely guided and directed on the path Spirit invites you to walk. Are you ready to receive the message?
Our lives are unfolding, exactly as they should.
Thank you!
Are You Willing?
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
January 3, 2010
I am challenging you and I am challenging myself with this series of talks. Challenging each of us to open ourselves to the greatest good that our Creator has in store for us. How much good do you want in your life? What area or areas of your life would you like to see greater good in? Are you willing to be open to whatever needs to change in your life to allow that good to flow to you?
Change is the key word here because, as we all know, we cannot keep thinking or acting the same way we are at this moment and be open to greater good in our life. Something has to change, no matter how small the change may be or how immense the change may be, something has to change in my life and in your life too for even greater good to unfold in our lives.
I am going to ask you to consider what one area in your life you would most like to see greater good come into your life in 2010. We are going to set our eyes on having that goal completely accomplished by December 31, 2010. I want to be your coach as well as being one of the team members, all working on a shift in our lives and knowing for one another that the shift is not only possible but because it has arisen from our souls, it is right that we see this change in our lives in 2010.
Over the past 6+ years of serving as a co-pastor for World Fellowship I have worked with four different areas of focus for my soul’s growth. The first was, “What if?” What if everything I believe to be true isn’t? I worked with that concept for a couple of years and it led me on a number of journeys, introductions to speakers, books, movies and television shows that were so much more meaningful because I was at a point in my life that I was ready to allow my belief systems to change as necessary to lead me into my soul’s work. First, I had to be ready and open to change at a very deep level.
The second focus became, “Then what?” Now that I was looking at the world through very different eyes, so what? How can those perceptions that had changed so dramatically for me, help other people on my life’s path? This became a period of “walk your talk”. Situations arose that forced me into being a spiritual warrior, not sitting complacently behind a desk and watching the world but actually having to dig down deep and do what was right, because it was right, even when it was extremely painful for me, as an individual. My life became a testament to: “Do what was right and allow my faith to carry me forward. Spirit holds me with love and never lets go.”
The third period was the phase of “I am willing to let go of anything that no longer serves my highest good.” That phase carried me through my heart surgery last year. After 12+ years of knowing that by-pass surgery was coming, it was finally time to have it done so that I could let go of my weak heart and my poor health. No more excuses for timelines I was giving myself (unconsciously) and planning for my early death. It was time to own myself.
I have been in the fourth phase for the past year and still work with this affirmation that I have shared with you several times. It has helped me to remain open to changes in my life and allows my life to carry me in new directions, directions never expected a year ago at this same time. The universe does have a sense of humor! This past week, on Dec. 29th, I had my year anniversary for my heart surgery AND my divorce agreement was signed by the judge! The same day I saw an eye doctor and got my first new pair of glasses in more than 2 years (giving me a new view of my world)!
The affirmation is: I joyously accept the perfection of my life. Whatever happens to me is a gift from my soul and I accept it gladly! I delight in not knowing what’s going to happen next and trust that whatever does happen is for my highest good and the highest good for all beings. Otherwise, it would not have happened.
This broad stroke of trust in my soul and all of creation has moved me forward in so many different ways in my life. I will continue to work with this focus because I know that these statements have not yet completed this phase of my journey. I know this because, when the time is right, the new focus appears. There is an old saying that says that, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” It’s kind of like that!
I see the journeys that we are on intrinsically linked. Those of us who come together regularly to share at World Fellowship are on a spiritual path where we can not only celebrate what we have gone through but can also share what we are experiencing now. We are learning, as a group, to see life simply as it is, not good or bad, events not taking on the titles of good or bad, simply that life is.
My sister gave me the Dalai Lama’s book, “The Path to Enlightenment” for Christmas. I like the concepts of being more conscious about our thoughts, our mind, that Buddhism proposes. And I find that I don’t resonate with the concept that everything happens because of our past lives. While I do believe in past and future lives, I also believe that we are given full power of creation in this life and to the extent that we understand that power and our connection to it, we create this life for the exact experiences our soul set out to accomplish.
We will be discussing a different aspect to the process of identifying your goal or path for 2010 over the next five weeks. At the end of my last talk, I will be giving you an assignment and each Sunday, we will all support one another in seeing each other’s goal manifest, at the right time and the right place for our highest good. You won’t have to share your exact goal each week, I’ll ask you for a code word, a code word that you will resonate with and feel in your heart.
Behind every desire we have, is a desire to feel good. Whether it is a material object, a physical state of being, a relationship, a condition or a circumstance, at the heart of it is the desire to feel good. Are you willing to walk through the changes in your life or shift in your perceptions that will be necessary for this greater good to come into your life?
To receive what we want, it is important not to push against the unwanted. This is an expanding universe and all things must be allowed to unfold. Sometimes for us to experience what we want, we have to understand that which we do not want in our lives. This gives us the ability to choose and focus, your options must be present and understood.
Think of someone you might know who worked really hard to get a person to fall in love with them and then, once the relationship was on its way, that someone realized that the other person was not the person of their dreams and they wanted out of the relationship. This can be true for jobs, homes, almost anything except family which we choose before we are born, generally speaking!
One of the insights I am seeing in my life right now is seeing how hard I have worked to get my two husbands to fall in love with me. That is probably pretty funny hearing but time alone allows you to think about things more clearly. I was ready to make this step in my life and to do the work of seeing who I have been and who I want to be.
Are you willing to spend time thinking about what you will do when your goal manifests? Last week my sister said, “Make sure you take some time for yourself just to relax.” I told her I will have been off work for two weeks. She said, “I know you. That is not relaxing.”
You know what? I discovered she was right. I did allow myself time each day to play with the puppies without watching the time, to make a fire, pet the Old English Sheepdog and watch the flames, and to take my time in preparing meals for myself, sit at the dining table and even enjoy a glass of wine (if I so desired). I even took a bath or two. All of these things sound a little funny perhaps, but they are all ways I consciously put relaxation and quality me time in to my vacation.
Do you wish for my spare time? What would you do with it? Really think about the activities that would fill your time. Do you see yourself reading, gardening, going to a movie once a week? How would you use that time to say thank you to your soul for allowing this part of your path to open for you? Can you trust the universe to bring you more spare time without being in fear or qualifying how that might come? For example, “I want more spare time but I don’t want to give up my job or my income or my responsibilities.”
The same goes for a relationship. Things might need to shift in your life. Your focus might need to shift. Maybe you need to make some spare time to share your life with another person. When you enjoy the time with yourself, imagine the time you can spend with another because you have made the time for yourself first!
So many people say that they have not received things they have prayed for over the years. I believe we can manifest those things we have been inspired to set for our lives when our vibrational pattern meets the vibration of that which we have set our minds on. According to the spiritual law of attraction, we draw to ourselves that which is like us in vibration. It took me over 30 years to reach the weight I hoped to achieve. We’ve already discussed the changes that had to take place for that to happen.
I am at an income level that exceeds what I had hoped and prayed for, for many years, by $30,000. I thought that the amount I had in my mind was a good amount but I had the opportunity to grow past that point and have continued growing. Is it by luck? No…I went back to college at age 40 and continued 12 years of education, accomplishing my bachelor, master and doctoral degrees. Have there been changes? Of course, changes and challenges but all worth the ride!
You hold the key to creating every desire. It is not possible to constantly feel positive emotion about something and have it turn out badly. (Even if we use that term loosely) The way you feel will tell you if you are allowing your natural voice, your soul’s voice, or not. Once you understand that the way you feel indicates your level of allowing or resisting, you will hold the key to creating what you desire.
This week, think about whether or not you are willing to invite Spirit in to move you along your path to achieving something you feel inspired to accomplish. Knowing fully that you will be asked to make a change or changes in your life to allow the new good to flow into your life, you can begin to play with ideas about what that good will be.
Don’t lock into something this week. Let your mind play. Watch your dreams, watch synchronicities in your life, listen to what other people say to you. Next week we will talk about “Getting Ready”…and we will help one another begin to identify our goal for December 31, 2010. Our lives are unfolding exactly as they should.
Thank you.
Enjoying the Riches of the Season"
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
December 6, 2009
This past Sunday I spoke without notes. Here are bullets from my talk:
· Enjoy the riches of the holiday season without spending a lot of money!
· Attend free or low cost holiday musical concerts. Check out productions by local high schools or community performers.
· The top rated homes that are decorated for the holidays usually can be found in the newspaper. Some offer free light shows and even free hot beverages. Check out the local newspapers and www.myradioplace.com for the best homes.
· Take a ride and look at the decorations in our different Verde Valley towns. A lot of work is put into decorating our communities for our enjoyment!
· A little sad because you weren’t invited to a lot of parties? Have one! Everyone loves to potluck and they will even bring their own beverages. Throw your own party and invite your friends. People remember the friendship of the evening. They are not worried about how your place looks! A candle here and there and a little garland will do the trick for decorations.
· It’s important to remember to gift yourself too! Take a break. Go to a movie, go out to lunch or dinner during your shopping. Be nice to yourself to feel appropriately gifted during the holiday season!
· I see the Salvation Army greeters as my personal holiday greeter! I ALWAYS talk to them and thank them for their service. I don’t always place money in their bucket but I do take the time to make them feel appreciated.
· It’s not just about the money spent during the holiday season. What can you give that really represents your heart? Have honest discussions with family members about what they want for the holidays. You might be surprised! Most of us don’t have any needs that aren’t filled. Perhaps a basket of cookies would be perfect.
o It was shared that gift cards, once thought to be impersonal, now are considered appropriate. For instance, if one gives a grocery card, perhaps the family was able to buy a duck instead of a turkey.
· The best gift to give others during the holidays is your smile! Others may be short tempered and gruff. You can always be a light in their day.
Are You an “Innie” or an “Outie”?
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
October 4, 2009
I did something this week that was kind of scary for me. The last time I did something similar in my life, my mother sent the cops to check out the church I was attending! I sent my brother and sister-in-law, the little booklets I been developing for World Fellowship as well as my book, “Journey of the Spirit Ones.”
I just decided that it was time for all of us to move into more openness as a family. Interestingly enough, I had a fairly lengthy topic of conversation with my brother, whose name is Ed, about the fact that I am tired of not being able to share everything that is important to me and that is going on in my life fore “fear” of causing a negative discussion amongst family members. The funny thing is, that out of my four other siblings, Ed’s family is the only one that is very Presbyterian with clear parameters of what is what is not acceptable in their belief system.
Ed was actually very surprised that I felt this way and didn’t believe that he or his wife had anything to do with my concerns. “We don’t often discuss religion of any kind in family discussions,” he said “After all”, as he pointed out, “I was the one responsible for making sure that you got all the books you wanted from our great aunts’ library of esoteric treasurers because I knew of you interests.”
I acknowledged that was true but that it goes much deeper than just being my “interests”, the information I sent to him was what I teach and what I deeply believe. He said he would read through all of it although he didn’t expect it to change his beliefs. My response? When you read through it you will see that the purpose is NOT to change your path, I honor your path, and in turn, I would like you to understand my path more thoroughly and honor me for my beliefs too. Because so much of my life’s work is wrapped up in my spirituality, I have felt sad for years that I come to family gatherings and hide the light of things that I am doing.
Actually coming out to this dear brother and his wife, who will do ANYTHING for you if they can, is very scary. Their belief in Jesus as The Savior is strong and fixed. I have no idea when they read my book and learn about God sending many Messiahs to Earth, whether or not it will alienate us in some way.
It is time for full honesty and disclosure though. It is time for that which has been hidden to come forth for healing in our lives. So many of the “ills” of humanity and of the world’s systems as well, are being exposed for the shams they are or for the depth of trouble they are in and are being exposed to the light for healing.
One of those is the mis-belief that has been promulgated since our souls came to Earth and begin to forget who they/who we truly are. When we became more and more disconnected from our Creator and from one another, Mother Earth and from all of the plants and animals on the planet, we became fearful. When this fear set in, we began seeing one another as competition, forgetting the abundance that we were all a part of in the great consciousness from which we came and to which we return.
Great tales of dark gods’ versus the light gods’ forces, placing little humans in the midst of the great battles emerged as our world religions. Our gods within great world religions sent their messengers to help lead us out of the erroneous belief system, telling us that there are better ways to view the world, to calm our fears and realize we had the power to experience great love and peace here, during our time on earth.
The Hindu God, Krishna, taught us love, in the language and the time of the Hindu culture, 10,000 years ago. Buddha came to share a newer understanding to the Hindu people of his time and he, became a great spiritual leader. China had Lao Tzu and Confucius. Jesus came to the Jewish people to speak to them of forgiveness in their language and their culture. Mohammed received messages from God in his language and for his culture.
Each of these and so many more throughout the world have come with their message of how to get through life in this world while maintaining a spiritual focus of the world as opposed to succumbing to the adversarial view of good and bad forces in the world and that we always have to “watch out” to see who is going to take away from us, in some way.
Can you see that we are clinging to these adversarial roles today? The idea of good and evil, dark and light forces is so deeply imbedded in our collective unconscious that it drives most of our human family members through constant fear.
We are afraid of losing our oil supplies so we keep the situation in the Middle East going until sometime in the future we can make the full switch over to alternative, sustainable energy for the U.S. and the world. We keep our capitalism going through the motto that competition is good for business which has bred unbridled lust and greed in our country and in other parts of the world. We buy insurance based on fear—fear that if we do get sick we would be homeless on the street because those to whom greed is more important, cannot see the need to help all of our brothers and sisters in need of medical assistance.
Let’s not kid ourselves, the world “out there” is driven by fear. Our actions are molded by fear. And yet, there are those of us in this country and this world who have created different lives in the midst of all of this fear. Their lives seem to be touched by magic. They don’t seem to have the same concerns as other people. Life seems to go along perfectly for them. They may be Catholic or Protestant or Jewish or Hindu or even World Fellowshippers! How do they seem to live within a bubble of bliss?
You might remember the reading shared this morning from Dr. Wayne Dyer. I believe he is sharing his insight about these people who may have come to help show us a different way at this time in our history, culture and in our language. I believe that many of you in this room are these people!
The title given by Spirit today made me laugh. I thought, OK, what’s that going to be about and how can I tie it all together? I believe that to live in today’s world and not allow the world to have power of you, you need to be an “Innie”! You are someone who understands the concepts that we are all ONE with the Creator and with all of life, in body, mind and form made of Divine Substance and created from stardust particles that formed and reformed billions and billions of time ion this planet. What is the illusion we ALWAYS hear about in mystical religions? It is the illusion of separation.
An “Innie” understands the Law of Attraction and that one’s belief systems create the magnetic field around them that brings into their life, their health, wealth, friends, family and everything else one gets to experience on this planet. We are here to master this understanding and to know, REALLY KNOW how powerful we are. We CAN make choices not to play in the world of FEAR—forgetting that everything is ALL right! This brings the peace everlasting that Jesus taught. “I give my peace to you,”—he gave us this peace through the understanding of his teaching, not because we believed in him but because we understood what he was teaching about love and forgiveness.
What of the “Outie”? Look in the outside world to see the “outies” all struggle every day. Getting sucked into the love (or fear of) power and missing the power of love in their lives. Moving as sheep with each smooth talker who wishes to turn their minds this way or that. Feeling as if they are out of control—which is true because they have not yet learned to take one moment at a time, staying in the present, and witnessing the power they have with every small decision they make.
We can change the world by being the people we are naturally on the planet today. We can do little things every day that help people take notice. One of the things I have been driven to start lately is cleaning up when ever I see a mess. Like in a beverage area of a fast food store. I stop and pick up trash from the counter area and leave it cleaner than I found it. I stop to pick up trash as I walk along, where ever I am. It’s just a quick stop, not a long process but it feels important to me that I demonstrate responsible living to the best of my ability.
People notice others doing things differently from the rest. People appreciate a person who is slow to anger and thoughtful in response. People notice when one calmly shares that they do not actively seek out the news because of the intentionally fear mongering that takes place in so much of it. People notice when people are living their lives differently from the rest. And that gives people like us the opportunity to share our beliefs of unity of all humanity and abundance for all with others.
I don’t know or care if my brother and sister-in-law are changed one iota by my materials. I do want to share with them that there are those of us who choose to live a different way and hold very different belief systems. But the good news is, that we also embrace and love them on their path and hopefully, that will open our family to some respectful conversations around the tables these holidays about Spirit and how we can bring even greater peace, joy and love in for the holidays, even if it is just a baby step for one family!
As You Give, You Receive
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
September 20, 2009
As you might notice, when I was “given” the title of this talk it was not “given” in the language of our Principles. The language has been given just a little differently, “What I give, I receive”. You’d think that after almost 6 years, I would learn to read a little more into the foreshadowing that so often takes place when I capture the titles of talks for a coming month. In the past two weeks, since I was last here, some pretty major changes have taken place in my life and the initial results from these changes have been extraordinarily positive.
First, I’ll share that Rosy, the Beagle I was planning to finish at the dog shows last weekend, did indeed, get her championship. I had pre-played the win so many times in my mind that life just had to mirror it for me! She needed one championship point to be a champion and she won under a world-renowned dog judge with a 3-point major. What I had been giving energy and excited focus too, as well as careful planning with Rosy’s weight regimen and even toenail cutting, emerged EVEN better than what I had hoped!
What I gave during the dog show weekend was professional grooming for the other dogs we competed against. Often I help with the grooming but one friend had almost died the week before so she was very weak and the other friend’s dogs always need a lot of help. I freely gave of my love and talents to help others and I was rewarded with the win that I needed for Miss Rosy!
Now please know that this was not a “tit for tat” with the universe. I help because that is what and who I am. I give freely, I do my own work and preparations and I see the beauty of the universe working exactly as I choose to believe it does!
I believe that I shared a few weeks ago that I had been selected by the President to Chair the Pandemic Operations for all of our Yavapai College campuses. This week, the man who is working for the College to develop the College’s overall Emergency Operations Plan, filed a formal complaint that the president and I had to answer and work through. This man believes that my appointment usurps his “power” in his position. Not knowing exactly what I was being called into the president’s office on Friday to address, I prepared all the work I had done in the past almost 3 weeks to produce the results for the president and the group that was to be assembled.
After our very formal meeting, where the president stood by his decision to have me serve in my capacity as Chair for the Pandemic Operations, we had an opportunity to meet after the others left. He assured me that he had all the confidence in me and was very happy with everything that I brought to the meeting, my ability to answer all of his questions and my ability to lead in the position assigned. He also told me that this employee was told to get on the team or get out….
The bottom line? I was so pleased to hear the president’s words of praise and confidence in my work and his backing of me in this rather contentious and possibly, litigious, situation. I have been giving the best I can to the situation and striving to meet all of the president’s requests. I received his praise and support, clearing the way even more for me to produce the results we have set before us.
Do you only think about giving and receiving in terms of money? Or do you think about giving and receiving in your day-to-day life activities? How often are we dug into our positions so firmly that we close off avenues for our good to come through? Do we get hung up on counting our goods deeds for points of light and then wait for them to appear?
As spiritual beings who are evolving consciously day to day, we are given lessons in letting go, of releasing and allowing our good to unfold for us. Letting go is the essence of spiritual life and the heart of spiritual practice. We find out that when we are no longer filled with opinions and expectations, when we are no longer afraid of loss, we begin to open to a new relationship with ourselves and more compassion for those around us. We learn that being alone does not mean being lonely but that we are filled with unlimited opportunities of the universe!
When we learn to let go and be “present”---we can finally live in the moment without fear, free of being occupied with what might happen or worrying about what did happen. In the moment, everything can be perfect. In the moment, YOU can choose how you act, you feel and you embrace your life.
This teaching may seem to be a harsh one. Often we wonder if anything will be left after we left go. The truth is, when we let go of everything that used to define who we were, life redefines us and repays us at every step. Remember, anything that is truly lost, was never our’ in the first place!
We experience letting go our whole life. We let go of our infancy, our childhood, our teen years and move into adulthood. Letting go of our fears and habits allows a more spacious wisdom to emerge. When we learn how to move through the challenges of the world, one day at a time, we learn how to travel with a spacious heart and graceful countenance. To release the old is to allow the new to be born. This is true freedom.
As we see ourselves more and more clearly, we discover that we are never actually the owners of things in our life. We don’t really own our homes or things. Even our children are given to us in trust for a short period of time. We live in relationship to them and, hopefully, guide them skillfully to face their own lessons in life and letting go.
Even our bodies don’t truly belong to us. We inhabit them as the spiritual beings that we are, and then, they go back into the radiant substance of the universe, minute particles that come together to form a new vessel for life. We learn through our bodies and we let go of our lessons as we move forward on our journeys.
The last thing I will share with you that happened over the past two or so weeks is that my husband, Victor, and I started divorce proceedings. To be correct, I started the divorce proceedings.
Now, I don’t want any concern over this because, even though he is slower about the understanding for this move, we both know that it is time for Victor to move into the world and have new experiences, in new places and with new teachers. It is time for me to have some time alone to take care of me, after more than 30 years of caring for husbands and kids in my life. And, a whole new life has been unfolding with amazing foreshadowing of fun times ahead.
I am absolutely at peace with this decision. I am letting go of some idea I had of security in my old age with Victor’s retirement funds and mine. I am letting go of limiting myself to old ways of thinking about retirement. I know in my heart and soul that I am to travel a path on my own for a while and be open to whatever comes into my life for my highest good.
People have come forward with amazing offers for support, if I need help with the dogs or anything else. Victor and I agreed to do this differently that other people most often do divorce. We are being kind and compassionate with one another. We have been working on our arrangements in a harmonious and supportive way. I believe that we can do this because we have worked out whatever we came to work out together and to stay any longer would cause both of us potential harm…..like staying on a job too long and getting to the point of sabotaging one’s self to get out!
I am willing and open to releasing whatever no longer suits my highest good in my life. (repeat)
I absolutely KNOW that the universe works on my behalf every single day. I absolutely KNOW that I am perfectly supported by a loving Spirit who manifests my life with me and through me exactly in ways that it is for my highest good and the highest good of ALL beings….including, Victor.
Recently, I told my friend, Shelley, that I am really glad to have moved through those dark times in my life when I never know WHAT I was supposed to do. I shared that I just know in my heart and gut what I am supposed to do and when I get that clear message, I do it. Moving through fear of worrying about the past and future, I live and let go in the present moment as honestly as I can.
There are momentary surface questions about processes and procedures but the direction in my life is soundly grounded day to day by my deep and abiding trust in Spirit, knowing that Spirit and I are One.
We are placed in situations throughout our lives that call for us to release and let go. Although we may not realize it, these situations in life, growing up, raising and letting go of our children, moving through various jobs and careers—all of these prepare for the period in which we realize that we are here to become accustomed to letting go. At the end of our physical lives, if we have done our work well, we can slip out of our old and tired body like a dream, letting go of fear and embracing possibilities.
Today is a good day to die. That was a saying of Native Americans before going into war. Every day we are called to live in the present and be ready to let go of everything we think we possess to move into greater possibilities.
What do you give? And what do you receive? Are you giving freely to LIFE and enjoying the gifts of Spirit in your life? Giving, releasing and letting go are all ways of saying the same thing. We are One with the Spirit and all we are and all we do is with that very Spirit. Allow yourself to give, to release and to let go without expectations and watch to see what gifts the universe has in store for you!
Accepting All You Are!
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
September 6, 2009
I had an interesting experience this week. I think it was our friend, Bea Lange, who sent me a short email about a woman who has channeled, “The Queen of Atlantis”. I know that I have shared with you my cynical attitude about channelers, and that includes my own suspicions about material received for my book. I have “tested” my materials though against a wide variety of books, articles and websites that have had bits and pieces of very similar information though, and to my satisfaction, I am confident about the materials contained my book, “Journey of the Spirit Ones”.
Normally, I would have read as much as I could about this woman, Jonette Crowley, and tested out her materials to see if she was valuable as a source of spiritual information for me. But, after a quick link from the original website received at work this week, I ordered a CD from her organization, “Center for Creative Consciousness”. And, after I punched the appropriate buttons to debit my debit card, I felt excited about the arrival of the CD, really without having any true idea of what was on it……
Before I move further with the meat of this tale, I want to backtrack over the past seven months or so. With a very few people I have shared that I have felt “different” after my heart by-pass surgery last December. The “difference” I have said very carefully to people I trust to know me, is that I have felt like a “higher” version of my soul has taken residence in my body. With that, as I have spoke about, has come tremendous synchronicities that I often call “miracles” when I speak about them.
Now, some of this started even before the surgery when everything was put in place for me to have the surgery, with the perfect surgeon, at the perfect time, in the perfect place and expecting the perfect outcome….whatever that might be.
During the days before my surgery, I worked with our friend, Ilene Gottlieb, who lives in Florida, on long-distance energy healing work of my body and preparation for this huge change in my life. I was open to allowing an even greater plan to unfold for my life, one that would be beyond what I could envision up to that point in time. I was open and willing and receptive to my good to flow to overflowing.
Also, I have shared the affirmation that came into my life, again from Bea Lange, who loaned some books to me to read as I recuperated. I shared the affirmation again during my last talk. It is a daily affirmation that states:
“I joyously accept the perfection of my life. Whatever happens to me is a gift from my soul and I accept it gladly! I delight in not know what is going to happen next, and trust that whatever happens is for my highest good and for the highest good of all beings, otherwise it would not have happened.”
This affirmation has helped me to release my need to feel that I must set goals and control my life. I feel much more at ease in being at the right place, at the right time, with the right people to accomplish exactly what I am to accomplish!
Fast forward to the CD. Yesterday the CD arrived and I listened to it last night. The beauty of the CD is that it has a process that, Jonette calls “Soul/Body Fusion”. She has actually trademarked it. Soul/Body Fusion. Guess what? I didn’t need a CD to accomplish this! It was just time for me to have everything in place to have this experience in my life AND I have seen the results and have been able to talk about them!
Soul/Body Fusion. I was going to talk about acceptance and in preparation for that talk I read books I own, had a couple of great stories emailed to me this week about acceptance that I thought I might use. The truth is that I am to share this information with you so that you too can share it with others. Each time we do this process, it continues to work more and more in our life!
Why would we need or want to have a process that might recognize our soul in a different way from our body. Does it have a direct relationship with our physical bodies?
For hundreds of years, we have looked at our physical bodies very separately from any part of us that is spirit and goes somewhere else when we die. We have strived for enlightenment by leaving our physical bodies during prayer, meditation, sleep, drugs or whatever and when we returned, we often felt disconnected, tired, sometimes sad. What happens to the joy we are supposed to feel when we reach that state of enlightenment?
Jonette shares that many, many times our soul and our body are just not vibrating at the same rate and are not “fitting” together. Interestingly, she shared that she thinks that sometimes, people who are really heavy are trying to grow their bodies bigger (unconsciously) so that it is a bigger vessel for the soul, not really understanding that it is a vibration resonancy, not a volume or size dimension. It makes sense to me. Although I have had to build new habit patters, I have never been able to successfully and easily keep weight off in my whole life. I started dieting at age 11 years when I weighed 165 lbs. I weigh less today than I did then…..Since my body and my soul have fused more thoroughly.
When Jonette received this process spiritually, she was shocked about how easy it was! She has three different signs given to her by other people who knew nothing of the process but each one confirmed what she knew. She further talks about signs that began occurring for her….she found life getting simpler. She round that life and people and situations flowed together and that synchronicities in her life were every day. She felt magnetic, like she just started to pull her life together. She saw miracles every day. Hmmm..that sounded so familiar and was a sing for me too!
We will do this process for our meditation this morning so that you can experience it too! There are three simple parts” Intention, “I want to integrate my divinity more fully into my body. I invite my soul to move into my body and occupy it fully.” Resonance: As more and more people around the earth are awakening to their own divinity, more people will automatically be awakened too. It’s natural: We chose to be here now as the energy fields are rising and our bodies are reaching a vibratory level that the soul can more fully experience.
If you had introduced this material to me 8 months ago, I probably would NOT have embraced it as I do now. I have seen it work for me, without even understanding what had happened. I KNOW that I am not special and I know, as I have often said, that we have ALL CHOSEN to be here at this time and place. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if began to get a clearer picture of what we are doing here at this time and place?
We are part of a worldwide movement of the field of awakening. We talk about being children of God, of having that spark of the Divine within us but how many of us have actually thought about our souls actually residing in the physical with us? I can’t say that has been a big part of my thoughts on the matter. Acknowledging so many different vibratory bodies that make “us” up, I am not sure that I actually thought of the Divine within exactly as my soul. That has been changing for me. What if you could invite your soul and your body to have greater fusion and you actually honored, maybe for the first time in your life, that you are gods and goddesses in human form? What could you do in your life?
This channel, Jonette, was part of a large group of people who went to the Arctic Circle during the Summer Solstice this year to perform ceremony. The new energy of Spirit poured through the energy matrices the group envisioned around the earth. “It was if we opened the earth’s crown chakra and let this new, beautiful spirit flow into the earth as never before,” Jonette shared.
We have been conditioned to think in small terms. We have been conditioned to think of our bodies in negative ways, they get sick, they get hurt, they get old. How could these bodies hold our magnificent Divine selves?
We all know that things are changing and they have been changing very fast. I will share with you that we are being called to being open to recognizing our Divinity in greater and greater ways every day. I have been sharing the increase of animal communication and telepathy with other humans that is happening in my life. I believe that we have chosen to be here to build that critical mass of light beings who truly embrace their power that will, through resonance, spread around the globe.
What if our DNA changes with are souls coming into greater connection, fusion with our bodies? What if we gain memories of past lives so that we can use our experiences to build a new future? What if the inventions we have been building have been to make us aware of the possibilities in our beings—like holodecks showing us how we manifest life or all the communication IT tools leading us to telepathy with all of creation?
Let us let go of what we think is possible. Let us invite our souls into our bodies and be open to the greatest gifts they can bring us when we operate from a higher level of consciousness. We say that we are light workers, light bearers, light beings----what if we truly are becoming light and that happens in this life, at this time, in this body for you and you and you? What if?
Thank you…
Soul/Body Fusion Process
Get comfortable in your chairs. We are not going to meditate. I want you to be very present in your body. Do not allow your thought process to carry you into a meditation. We are going to be quiet. Remember, this is a natural state.
I have already asked your guides and mine to be present today. I know that we have angels who watch over our group and they too have been welcomed.
When I ask you to close your eyes, I want you to be aware of your physical body. Common feelings are a tingling in your hands and fingers. You may feel as though your head wants to fall back. You may feel a heaviness in your body or it may feel light. You may feel absolutely nothing at all. You may have a delay in any sensation until later today or even tomorrow. Whatever happens is NORMAL for you.
You will see that there is no magic here and you can repeat this invitation to your soul whenever you desire. You may share this with others, whenever you desire.
Now, say to yourself, I invite my soul to be in my body with my conscious awareness. I know that my soul is in charge of my life and I give it permission to come into my body even more fully.
Now sit with your palms facing upward and say to yourself once again, (above).
Sit 5 minutes…..
Share….
Repeat the process.
When we embrace the light in ourselves and bring it into even greater brilliance in our lives, we demonstrate for others how simple life can be. We become the change we are calling for and we too, can spread this awareness around the world. Blessings.
Needs and Wants
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
August 2, 2009
We discussed the topic of “Do you have enough stuff?” two weeks ago and in this discussion we talked about the need that we, as Americans, seem to have refined beyond that of any other society in the world. We have come to take our heritage as “hunters and gatherers” very seriously. Many of us spend an inordinate amount of time hunting and gathering. This proclivity for a love of shopping has spawned new industries in the past 25 years or so. Industries such as the self-storage industry, the personal organizing consultant and manufacturers of inserts for our closets and garages, so that we can get even more stuff into our stuff-laden homes!
After speaking on the topic and listening to many of you share I realized that we needed to dig still a little deeper. I spoke a little about shopping being an addiction for some, those people getting a high from either the cash or credit transaction itself or those people who find that very special item---maybe many times a month! This is really not very different from those who get high from a hit of drugs or alcohol or sex—or chocolate! I would venture to say that many of us in this room have a little “vice” that we know is a bit out of balance for our overall good!
Since my surgery, you know that I have been working on achieving better and better health especially through dietary changes. I have noticed that one of the phrases I have begun to use is, “I used to---as in, I used to eat that or I used to want to eat that.” One of my friends who continues to strive to be a non-smoker heard me talking about something and heard my phrase. She really liked it and is incorporating it into her self-talk, even as she smokes, “I used to be a smoker.” Now, that might sound a little silly, but she really likes the way her body feels when she uses the phrase. Who knows, maybe it will get into her computer and work as a NEW program for her!
In the past week or so I remembered my college psychology classes and thought I’d pull up Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to look at with you. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology, proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper A Theory of Human Motivation,[2] which he subsequently extended to include his observations of humans' innate curiosity. Maslow studied what he called exemplary people such as Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Frederick Douglass rather than mentally ill or neurotic people,
If you are not familiar with the theory it is: (from Wikipedia)
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is predetermined in order of importance.[5] It is often depicted as a pyramid consisting of five levels: the lowest level is associated with physiological needs, while the uppermost level is associated with self-actualization needs, particularly those related to identity and purpose. Deficiency needs must be met first. Once these are met, seeking to satisfy growth needs drives personal growth. The higher needs in this hierarchy only come into focus when the lower needs in the pyramid are met. Once an individual has moved upwards to the next level, needs in the lower level will no longer be prioritized. If a lower set of needs is no longer being met, the individual will temporarily re-prioritize those needs by focusing attention on the unfulfilled needs, but will not permanently regress to the lower level. For instance, a businessman at the esteem level who is diagnosed with cancer will spend a great deal of time concentrating on his health (physiological needs), but will continue to value his work performance (esteem needs) and will likely return to work during periods of remission. [6] Now, there are many mental health professionals and sociologists who do not support Maslow’s conclusions but I thought it would be interesting for us to at least consider them in this discussion. What levels of need do you think are being met with the consumerism that is so prevalent in the United States?
We also talked about how we are being set up by manufacturers and others, sabotaged, if you will, by today’s technology that makes a product almost out of date when it hits the market shelves. We are being driven harder and faster to buy, buy, buy.
But is it a need or a want?
I would venture to say that many of in this country would be just fine if they maintained their lives for the next three years without any new anything. No new clothes. No new cars. No new technology. How many of you can imagine your lives with only purchasing food and staples like toilet paper for the next three years? What would our lives be like if we could grow a large part of our own food and reduce the amount of trash going into our landfills?
Needs or wants. I know when I was raising my sons as a single mom, we would evaluate grocery store and department store purchases as, “needs?” or “wants?” Even today, my sons tell me that if times are tight between paydays, they go through that process in their mind, in the grocery store. “Needs?” or “Wants?” I am using the tool today, not only in purchases but also in food choices. Is it a need or is it a want? I used to eat that way!
I believe that this is part of taking back our lives from our society and culture today. Instead of sheep being led to the altar of buying more and more, perhaps we should take responsibility for our actions, realize that we DO have control of OUR minds and live more consciously, day by day. It is a process, being present in the moment. It is not a life that most of us are accustomed to living. Thom Stanley talked about it last week when he shared the answers he received in his life from the prayer he made to Spirit. But one has to be awake, present in the moment and conscious to see the truth being presented!
Writing this I feel a little bit like Nemo in the movie, “The Matrix.” I am calling you to consciously dis-connect from the world as we know it and be more conscious of what you really need and what you want. In the big picture, if you died tomorrow, would the purchase you are making today make a difference or an impact on your immortality? What brings you truly brings you pleasure…the kind of pleasure that connects you to Spirit?
Rev. Joel and I were speaking about this topic this past week. For him, getting out in nature really connects him to Spirit. Sometimes that means he has to travel to really lose himself in the bliss.
I really lose myself in the bliss of unconditional love with my dogs. I have floods of past life memories they share with me that reinforce m y belief systems in the unity and continuation of life. Their hearts flood into mine and my heart floods into theirs and we are united in the bliss of Spirit, ever present, unnamed, total love and support.
I know that some of you are dealing with these issues in your lives. The pain you shared with the group stayed with me. Becoming aware, as I did, of the epidemic of consumerism that is affecting Americans is just as serious as any other addiction. We are looking for outlets that will help reduce our fears, fill our loneliness and build our self esteem. That doesn’t look too much different from any other type of “ism” we can think about—does it?
Even New Thought philosophies have fed this to a degree. We practice affirmations and treasure mapping. We open ourselves to receiving and generally imagine this to be monetary in some way. What if the new consciousness that is seeping in is about more compassion, more helpfulness and more loving? Rev. Joel is going to spend the next couple of weeks sharing thoughts with you along these lines.
How can we become more at peace and more secure? What if it is about the quality of our relationships—with our family, our friends, our community, ourselves and our Creator? What if?
Thank you!
Affirmation:
The Power of God is my power.
The wisdom of God is my wisdom.
The power of God is my power.
I can call the power that created the universe into my life anytime I need it. I am one with that power. It moves in me and through me. I am grateful for the wisdom this power gives me and I know that I am empowered to make the right choices for my highest good. The power of God is my power.
Do You Have Enough Stuff? Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
July 19, 2009
I have a confession. I always thought that hoarding was a learned behavior but now I believe that it is in the genes; it is inherited. I remember visiting my grandmother’s house, mom’s mom and seeing that she collected stuff. I thought it was because she was old—you know, grandma old. But my dad’s parents’ house wasn’t filled with stuff.
As I was growing up, my mother held onto stuff. As she got older, her stuff overtook rooms. By the time she died her stuff was overflowing into boxes on the driveway in front of the house. She kept boxes of fabric just in case she might need them.
My great aunts, also part of my mom’s genetic line, died in a house in Apache Junction. When we went through the house, my brothers, sisters and I, we were appalled. There was boxes of stuff everywhere. In every corner. In every room. Every drawer was filled with stuff. The garage and work room were filled with stuff. I think both sisters died because they literally didn’t have any room left for their stuff.
Imagine my surprise when I walked into (one of my) sister’s houses and saw the same, exact sight! Stuff and dirt and dirt and stuff, everywhere. I couldn’t believe it! I called my other sister and two other brothers to see if we should call a family intervention. I wanted to call the Health Department….Nobody seemed as concerned as I, they already knew the state of this sister’s home. STUFF!
I got my father’s genes. Even with that said, he went through the Depression so my father’s need for stuff took the form of staple food items, canned food and frozen food items. He purchased racks to keep them in orderly fashion in his room. We ALWAYS had plenty of staples when I was growing up. You know, 25 lbs. of sugar, 25 lbs. of flour, etc. This need continued even after the kids grew up. He purchased bags of food and produce that he brought us just to make sure we had enough!
While I am not particularly a hoarder, I have things from when my sons were young. I have things that have been packed in boxes for at least three years. Victor, my husband, keeps his stuff in piles. He, like my father, purchases stuff in multiples, just in case. When we were dating, I remember seeing a dozen bars of soap all turned the exact same way in his bathroom cabinet. When I asked about these (and other multiple items) he replied that he liked to keep stuff in stock…just in case.
So, do you have enough stuff? Particularly, just in case?
We have become a nation of people who like to have and keep a lot of stuff. I visited the Self Storage Association website and got some very interesting data.
At the end of 1984, there was 289.7 million square feet of storage in the U.S. at the end of 2008, there was 2.35 billion feet of storage for rent. That was an increase of more than 2 billion feet of storage! That makes, 20.8 sq. ft of storage for every household in America and that means 7.4 sq. ft per every person in America!
It took the self storage industry 25 years to build up to its first billion feet of storage and only 8 years to reach the second billion feet. What does that mean? It seems to mean that, even with the trend of bigger and bigger homes before the economy took a dive, Americans still didn’t have enough room for their stuff?
Is this an American phenomenon? Apparently there are other self storage operation around the world but they are their to primarily meet the needs of the American soldier and their family. It is not a phenomenom that other countries have caught on to yet!
I believe the initial part of my reading from “Stories of the Spirit, Stories from the Heart” today really drives to the heart of the matter:
The clutter of our lives blinds us to the precious simplicity that surrounds us and is within us. Too often we become possessed and imprisoned by the chains of our own accomplishments and attainments. We live in fear of their loss, we evolve complex strategies to protect ourselves from failure and deprivation. This burden inhibits our ability to walk with lightness of heart.
Victor and I had the opportunity to learn about simplifying a few years back when we stayed in our friends’ guest house for 6 months. There was not room for very much. Yes, our belongings were in storage while we waited for our house to be completed BUT we had a very basic living arrangement where the bedroom, the kitchen, the bath and five dog crates were all in the same living space. It left very little room to have anything other than necessities. We talked a lot about what was really a necessity in that time and space. Toilet paper almost always won out!
Why is that that many sacred texts tell us about the evil of money or material goods? I believe it is because when they become the center of our existence, we cease to really live in the present. What do I mean?
If we have lots of important, precious stuff—at least to us---then we are worried about how to protect it…where to keep it……how to have it available…..how to get more of “it”. We don’t live in the moment of the joy of life and of our loved ones. We begin to be tied to our stuff and our feelings about our stuff and we are lost to the material world—in the Tarot deck…we are chained to the Devil!
In Jonathan Livingston Seagull we read that Jonathan had found a reason to be alive, to learn how to really fly in this world. And yet, his flock banned him from the flock. He didn’t fit in. In their minds, their purpose was to “scramble after fish heads” thrown from the fishing boats. But he was not dismayed, he was fed so fully by his awareness of the true glory of flying and enjoying the fist he caught on his own, without battling other gulls, that he lived a long and happy life.
Did you know that beside the self storage industry other industries are growing to help us take care of our stuff? One is the organizers’ industry, people who have a natural knack for organization that you can hire to organize your home, your car, your business or your life. There are multiple websites with free advice for those who need help organizing all the stuff! And they don’t make you feel guilty—no! they know that with all the stress and demands of life today, none of us can take care of all the stuff we have to deal with!
Here is what the professional organizers’ industry association says about their mission: “The professional organizing industry has grown steadily in recent years as Americans attempt to gain better control of their lives. Facing more and more demands with less and less free time, consumers are struggling to manage their days and conquer the clutter and chaos building in their lives. Increasingly, they turn to professional organizer for help”.
There are side industries that have sprung up that help you to get the right organizer for your closet, the garage or the kids’ playroom.
All of this costs money but, as a professional organizer on “Oprah” said, think about the money you can find in your stuff! You can find real money…you can sell stuff for money…you can stop yourself from buying duplicates because you have found the things you thought you lost! How many of you have spent money only to find out that you already had that same item?
I am not talking about greed. I am not talking about selfishness. I am talking about the need we seem to have to take advantage of the sales hype in our consumer-driven society. Products are made with a definite lifetime in mind, its called planned obsolescence. We have to buy the newer models because the old ones either don’t work because they break down or because the technology is changing so fast, as in the case of cell phones. Who still just wants to make a call with their cell phone? That’s not the way of the world! And the U.S. has been lagging behind many other countries in the world for years in terms of cell phone technology! Finland and Japan have been world leaders in uses of cell phones for their citizens for many years!
On “Oprah’s” website I found out that, “It turns out that having your closets, cupboards ad drawers so full they won’t close, is bad for your health!” How you might ask? “Every time you look around and feel anxious because the mess is getting out of hand, your body releases cortisol, on of the classic stress hormones, according to Dr. Steven Maier, a neuroscience professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder.” Really? Is all I can ask.
I first got turned onto this issue when I flipped onto “Oprah” a quick minute and watched it for about 20 minutes. She had her professional organizer on who, apparently had been sent to a wide variety of homes who either had requested help or had others request help on their behalf. I watched as people, rich, poor and middle class opened their homes filled with stuff to this wizard who had the answers to set them on the right track. I watched as one horrified couple saw their family car on the stage, secretly transported there to help people see that even that car, filled to the brim with stuff, could be cleaned in one hour. I could do that for free….bring me the trash can!
I am not the product of a singular genetic line of hoarders. No….I live in a whole society of hoarders and accumulators of stuff. Along with obesity, alcoholism, drug abuse, child abuse and all of the other excesses we suffer, we also suffer from too much stuff. And just like any of the above can take us away from our spiritual search, too much stuff can do the same thing.
Everything we invent, everything we can think of, everything in our physical world is here for our enjoyment, in harmony and balance. Whenever anything in our lives is out of balance, we lose that sense of harmony and miss out on each moment where Spirit is, urging us to laugh and play with out care. Let us each look at our lives and see where we have let our stuff predominate our lives. When we live in faith, knowing the fullness of the abundance of Spirit, we don’t have to worry about whether or not we have the “stuff” of life. We are provided for in perfect and balanced ways.
Does your stuff rule your life or do you rule your stuff? God is in every radiant aspect of everything you own. If you dare to let go, your stuff will return to you even better than you ever expected. Allow what you have or something even better to enter your life. Get your stuff in order. Make some money by selling what you don’t need.
Remember, if you have the mindset of “I might need it”—the mindset will be self-defeating. The universe always provides for you exactly what you need at exactly the time you need it. Let go. Let God. Be free!
Thank you
Reaching Across the Aisle
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco July 5, 2009
Reaching across the aisle is one of those terms we hear as it relates to our government. How well are the legislators working with one another by reaching across the aisle, bridging their differences for the good of the whole? It seems that in almost every organization, whether it be profit or non-profit, government or private, large or small, reaching across the aisle is a concept that gets buried because people feel the necessity to “protect their territory” or what little realm of power they envision themselves to have.
I am going to share a phrase today for your consideration that may help you to “reach across the aisle” in your world whether it be reaching across family differences, business relationships, differences that might occur between friends or even when you might encounter others in our community that “hit a hot button”.
The phrase is, “You might be right!” I learned this crisis from a highly paid consultant from California who was training our old management team at the college how to more effectively communicate with the public. At the time we were in the midst of huge political scandal over the building or non-building of the pool on the Prescott Yavapai College campus. He offered this phrase as a place holder that helps to disarm an argumentative person who is hitting you with “fact after fact” without allowing you to respond or not listening to your response. “You might be right” leads the other person to believe that you might just be considering their position relegating them less likely to continue to blast you with more information.
I have been thinking a lot about this topic since Spirit gave me the title at the beginning of June. I have been watching the news people at the gym I have been working out at in the mornings and noting how much they all need to sell you their ideas. And then, I have been watching people around the world, in media and not, in day to day life, and you know what? Everyone is basically trying to sell you something!!! Maybe it is their belief system. Maybe it is their perspective. Maybe they just need to hear themselves talk to feel better about being in the world, to give their lives meaning. Everyone, in almost every conversation, is trying to sell something. What an interesting perspective. Even I am trying to sell you today by sharing what I perceive is happening in the world around us.
As I have allowed my thoughts to mull over this I came to another realization and that is that because everyone believes they are right and that each person feels that they need to protect their core beliefs and their way of looking at the world, there is very little wiggle room for coming together for a greater good. Unless we are willing to reach across the aisle!
I have been researching websites, books and videos over the past few weeks allowing Spirit to manifest this talk in me. What I realized is how hard everyone is trying to sell us on their point of view and that point of view is NO MORE THAN THEIR EXPERIENCE THROUGH THEIR FILTERS!
What do I mean by that? Well, for instance, I have been reading a lot (maybe 50 different websites) of websites on both sides of the controversial 2012 & end time prophesies. And what have I concluded? They may be right! They all may be right! It is simply looking at the same information and interpreting it from the core beliefs, culture, religious training, scientific training and more that we all bring to the table.
I bought the book, “Fractal Time” that just came out in March of 2009, written by one of my favorite authors, Gregg Braden. Guess what Gregg writes? Yes, 2012 probably does mean the end of “A time—an era”. He writes about the reason we have cycles in this physical world. He writes about the science behind fractal geometry and how the repeating images from fractal geometry are the basis for everything we see in this world. And as we have repeating images that comprise our physical world, those same repeating images/geometrical equations repeat in our personal lives, our societal lives and in our global lives. Thus, in 2012 we are completing not only a 5,000 year era, we are also completing a 26,000 year cycle.
In this book, Braden writes about the remains of a highly sophisticated culture dating 10,000 years ago in India that appears to have been blown away by nuclear explosions. This would have been two 5,000 year cycles ago. Have we been at the brink of nuclear annihilation before and blew it? Literally?
He also writes about the world 5,000 years ago and describes the earth changes and political changes that were taking place at that time in Egypt and the Mid-East. It was a time that human cultures were being turned upside down and power was moving more toward the people instead of the pharaohs and other kings of the time. And yet, once again humanity gave its power back to those who took the power.
What happened 26,000 years ago? Well, scientists may have to look at things differently after the discovery of the highly developed society of 10,000 years ago. In Theosophy it is taught that we are the fifth race of people to emerge from previous cataclysmic and almost total destruction. The Hopi people here in Arizona believe that we have emerged from previous world destructions and are prepared for yet another one.
Now, so not to put you into a state of fear, I will also tell you that many believe we entered this cycle early in 1980-and will see it continue until the mid-2030’s. So, we are essentially in the middle of it right now…..Have we seen some of the catastrophic climate and geological changes predicted. Of course but those are part of all of our history. We have actually lived a pretty quiet time on earth as far as huge swings in climate and geological changes are considered.
Reading an update by Ronald Weinhard who has written books such as, “2008, God’s Final Witness” that carefully lays out everything that is going to happen, almost month by month, until the end of time in 2012, and now he is saying that some of it has not come to pass because God has changed His mind. He is allowing those who are called to him to wake up and it is taking a little longer than planned. So much for the omniscient Almighty!
What I have seen in this research is:
1. People all have something to sell. It might be a book, a website or just an opinion but everyone has something to sell to make sure they make money before the world ends.
2. People are really deep into their belief system, whatever it is and believe they must win you over for them to feel successful.
3. People are searching for signs, signs that support their particular point of view and they will find them.
a. With the amount of information available now in our world, people can find supportive data in seconds to support their beliefs.
b. People view the world from one of two basic core belief systems that they have in place by the time they are 7 years old---before they can even consciously filter them!
i. One belief system is that the world is dark and light, good and bad, and that the bad/evil energy is out to get us. You are never safe and you are never protected in this world. You are doomed so hold on to the light that will protect you in the next world.
ii. The other belief system is that the world is a loving and safe place that will sustain you and support you through every lesson that you experience. In all things you are successful and this life is a beautiful experience—even when its not.
As I have plowed through all of these different views and perspectives these past weeks, I have come to realize that I filter things too, thank God! I have a core belief system of the second type…I can look at my life and see that belief system reflected back to me. However, I will tell you that this energy of the first belief system I described can suck you into its darkness. As I looked at signs in my own life I had a couple of days of darkness that descended upon me. Until I woke up and realized what had happened.
I believe that when we have been directed to be in this world but not of this world speaks not only to us as spiritual beings having these physical lives but also, to maintain strong guard on our minds and critical thinking processes. The mass of humankind is locked into the viewpoint of good and bad, dark and light, God and Satan. We are called to see the unity in all, the oneness that unites us and allowing for the differences as the diverse colors of the rainbow from one light.
As we move through our lives, let us remember to allow each person their path without having the need to defend ours to them. “You might be right!” a solid phrase to build common ground. And who is to say? They might be right…..whatever the issue!
Thank you!
Turning Away from the Predominant Culture
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco June 14, 2009
Spiritual teachers have long taught that in order to be truly happy we need to turn away from the world and turn inward. What does that mean in our everyday life? It isn’t comfortable doing something that is not in common with the mainstream and yet, that is exactly what we are called to do as spiritual beings. As “lights of the world” we have been evolving to develop the strength to stand on the outside of the circle. Today, let’s share in the ways we do this in our own lives!
As Spirit would have it, I received some interesting help this week for the topic of my talk, a topic that changed from that which I had named some weeks ago. However, I know that when the information pours in and it is not what I thought I was speaking about, I must pay attention. The universe totally supports and supplies me with everything I need, when I pay attention!
I was talking to a women this week, a woman with whom I have become friends over the past three years. She and I were laughing because both of our husbands think we are a little crazy because we hold the beliefs we do. She and her husband had been attending a pretty fundamental church until she started to give messages from the angels. She stood up in the congregation and gave messages from the angels. The congregation thought she was a kook…..she and I laughed because we read about angels, we hope to see or hear angels but people don’t actually want those messages in the midst of Sunday church. Just who does she think she is? She and her husband no longer attend the church even though the minister told her that all of her messages were “right on!”
My husband cannot related to the depth of absolute belief I have in Spirit, in my fellow humans and in the support and supply of the universe. He loves me but he, too, often thinks I am a kook.
How can we honestly live in the world when we don’t believe what most of humankind and its cultures believe?
Believe…it is such an important word because we know that our beliefs and our feelings, together, create our world. And that the sum of all human beliefs and feelings create our greater world.
I received an article from Doug Gold this week that was the “final piece” written by Ben Stein. I don’t really know anything about his column but, apparently it was based on conversations with the rich and famous who he would visit in Morton’s Steak House in Los Angeles, Ca. The people, the “stars” who he has interviewed through many years were his heroes. The people all of us, supposedly, looked up to. I say all of us as in, the predominant culture.
In his final column though, Stein writes that these people are no longer his heroes. He has redefined his definition of hero to now related to the soldiers serving in the Mid-East, light years from their families and friends. (read some of the piece)
Stein obviously had his “aha” moment; the moment when he realized that he was not here to glorify the people whose faces and bodies fill the pages of publications at the grocery store counter. He is here to love others in his path.
I believe this article took courage to write. I read some of the comments sent to him by (self-stated) Republicans who chided him for his beliefs. To find oneself outside of the circle of comfort in our culture is very hard. To be outside of one’s culture in any environment is difficult. That is one of the reasons that we stay in the ruts we do as humans, we are afraid of being on the outside, of being ostracized, or being alone.
Years ago I remember telling my sons that it is important to be different. Leaders are people who think and act differently that the rest of the people. This is a key quality in good presidents whether they are of countries or companies. Being willing to take a risk and stand outside of the box to get things done, that is uncomfortable for most people.
If we think like other people, we are not going to come up with the solutions and directions we need to progress, neither as a people, a company nor an individual.
Following our own direction spiritually is the same thing. For more than 300 years humankind has held the same basic beliefs about the world that we were taught in school. We know, though, just in our talks here that science itself is taking enormous steps beyond its old belief systems into the whole new field of quantum physics. The problem is that the information is still in the academic and scientific levels and has not leaked out sufficiently to educate the masses. The masses, who still hold onto the 2000 year old beliefs as written by and allowed by the early Christian church. The masses who still believe in the Newtonian system of organization that states everything operates like a clock…functional, organized.
The masses, who still believe that in the spaces between atoms, nothing exists. The masses, who still believe that whatever they feel, believe and have operating in their internal being only affects them and nobody else. And yet, all of this has been disproved by today’s science thanks to quantum physics.
For centuries a few brave souls have refused to accept the predominant beliefs of their time. Some of those we have come to know because their students established religions in their honor after their demise. The “enlightened” ones, as we frequently think of them, were still bogged down by the belief systems of their days, no less challenging than the ones we have today, and yet, their soul spoke louder and louder until their perceptions and beliefs changed. They may have been isolated in distance or in relationship to others but they continued their search for understanding….and their lives changed!
So many of the initiations of long ago and even of our Native American friends were based on a realization and a passing of the old life, the old beliefs, the old ways and an embracing of the new. Even Lazarus’ story in the Bible is thought by many to be symbolic of a man rising from a three day initiation where he was in a trance state and was called back to the physical world by Jesus.
The Gnostics established their religion on the basis that one HAD to turn from the predominant culture’s beliefs and move inward to connect with Spirit and find a new way. When the Christians were being martyred for their beliefs, many in horrible ways, the Gnostics angered the Roman Catholic Church even more by refusing to move into martyrdom. It didn’t make ANY sense to the Gnostics. God wasn’t asking for anyone to do that….as many Gnostics believed that not even Jesus was killed on the cross. The Gnostics were outside the rule of the Roman Catholic Church and the refused to come into the circle in the “name of Jesus”.
Gregg Braden shares a story about visiting the cave of a Tibetan Buddhist monk who lived 800 years ago. The man lived an extremely austere life, apparently seeming to be green because he only ate nettle plants that occurred around him. He lived in an enlightened state and to prove his belief system to a student, he placed in his through a wall in this cave and left a hand mark in the solid rock that is there today! Braden visited that very spot and wondered at the depth of feeling and belief the monk must have had to have been able to join his atoms with those of the rock!
Stepping outside of our families, our mainstream church communities and our home communities can be challenging. Most of us don’t like being called a “kook”…especially by those we love or have close relationships with. But being strong in our ability to be who we are called to be and find service in that state is exactly what our souls are calling us to do.
One of my daily affirmations is, “I joyously accept the perfection of my life. Whatever happens to me is a gift from my soul and I accept it gladly! I delight in not know what’s going to happen next, and trust that whatever happens is for my highest good and the highest good for all beings, otherwise it would not have happened.”
It is easy to act on these beliefs when we are in our circle of friends or here at church. It is the “real” world of our predominant culture that can be challenging and yet, that is exactly where we are called to shine, isn’t it? We have jobs and friends outside of the world we create for ourselves. I know that the areas I am called to serve are often very diverse and filled with negativity that I do not have in the world I have created where I am always at peace and supported in my thoughts and beliefs. In service though, I hone my skills and share with people from my heart in a way that allows me to grow and to listen more closely to the predominant culture without allowing it to become a permanent fixture in who I AM!
Our kids seem to hang on every word about dysfunctional “stars”. The predominant culture is wrapped up in end time discussions, thoughts and worries. We live in a world that is connected in microseconds and relies on people to shoot instant images around the world without thought or explanation.
Here, we support you in standing apart, in sharing from your heart, from spreading love in the classes you teach, the service you give and in the lives you lead. We are all Buddha or Christ in the making! We are all learning to stand apart from the crowd and speak the truth that we too are one with God, a perfect child of the Divine. As you believe, so shall it happen for you. May your life be filled with the blessings from the beliefs you hold today!
In Honor of Our Mothers
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
Mothers' Day, May 10, 2009
A mother laughs our laughter
Sheds our tears,
Returns our love,
Fears our fears.
She lives our joys,
Cares our cares,
And all our hopes and dreams
She shares.
(poem by Julia Summers)
My mother was a bit of an eccentric. She liked to wear baseball caps or knit stocking caps to keep her head warm or cool, depending on the season. She favored worn out white tee shirts as her chosen top and rarely had new bras to hold her equipment properly in place. In the summer, she would take 20 minute breaks on the chaise lounge in our backyard soaking up the sun to ease the itching and soreness of the psoriasis that covered her body like a rude burn. She generally wore a knit tube top but was not adverse to just wearing her bra and shorts which embarrassed us kids to no end.
She was a well-known face at the grade school we all attended and was also well-integrated into the high school we subsequently attended. She was a den mother for Boy Scouts, a Brownie leader for Girl Scouts and made me happy being a leader for my year long stint as a Blue Bird in Camp Fire Girls.
Our dinner table was always open for guests as was the living room for sleepovers or playtime. She never minded a mess because having a house filled with the laughter of children was her corner of heaven. Mom’s house might always look a mess but if you went into her closets or her drawers, they were always in perfect order.
She hated talking “with the women” who she found shallow and boring and much preferred the company of men. This was never quite as obvious as it was (apparently) at military balls where my father took great displeasure in her flirty ways with the men and avoidance of the other wives. She hated the military staunchiness and although she taught us respect for the service of men and women in the military, she opted out of the regalia of formal balls when I was about 16 and I had the opportunity of accompanying my father to annual events.
My favorite memory of my mother is one that I have shared in other talks but it is the most impactful one in my life. That is the story of our train ride to Michigan. I was about 11 then and one of 4 children at the time. We were told that the train was to be delayed for over an hour before we reached Chicago which made many people, including us, late for our connection. The mood of every person in our train car changed. It went very dark. People were grumbling and unhappy.
Mother got up in front of everyone and began to sing. She sang, “Keep on the Sunny Side of Life” and got us kids to come up and join her. My father, ran the opposite direction for the dining car with the vending machines for food.
The bottom line is that most of the people in the car joined in and that hour passed by with people being in a much better mood than they had been an hour before. One person CAN make a difference!
The event that seemed to have really changed my mom’s life was one that she couldn’t even tell me until I was in my 40’s . While in Louisiana to attend nursing school at the young age of 18, she was raped by a Black man and became pregnant. She was living with one of her older sisters who was in medical school and she talked my mom into an abortion.
She never forgave herself for the abortion. I suspect that her badge of honor was the psoriasis that covered her body from head to toes her entire life, until she had a stroke and was disconnected from her body, a time for a couple of months that all marks of psoriasis disappeared. Today, doctors have discovered that psoriasis is in the family of autoimmune diseases, the body eating away at itself. Was that caused by her overwhelming guilt? Is there any wonder that it came on shortly after the abortion?
Today we are making the move away from seeing a purely paternal God figurehead and are embracing the mother/father principle of Spirit. Loving and nurturing and yet full of the creative impulse. Even though we tend to put mothers on a high pedestal, a number of mothers are not able to be the kinds of mothers portrayed on TV as “ideal”. I would venture to say that most mothers, like most of us, are just human; full of misjudgments and miscalculations. I have often said that I am sure my kids would end up in counseling no matter what I did or said so I just knew I tried to do the best I could each and every moment.
It is so interesting sometimes when we stop to think that our mothers and fathers were like kids trying to raise us. They probably weren’t too far out of their 20’s and now that we, in our 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and beyond look at ourselves at that age, we wonder how they did the jobs they did do with our raising! This alone gives us pause in terms of forgiveness of our mother’s shortcomings. It was a different world and the perspective on raising children was different than today—but we turned out OK!
I embrace the presence of that maternal part of Spirit when I feel and give love. I know that as I care for people, animals, plants and Mother Earth that I am expressing that same maternal part of our Creator Spirit. She has been known throughout the centuries by so many names, Isis, Astarte, Cybele, Hecarte, Mother Mary and so many more goddesses worshipped through time. She and I are one. I understand the lifebearing force that She is and how She is her to embrace all of us in her arms.
Today I want to say thank you to my mother, Helen Louise Fellows-Glady, and to all your mothers and to the mothers around this earth and those who have passed on. They hold the space for creation to become a physical reality and to embody that creation with love and loving opportunities. Let’s each of us share in a special meditation this morning so that we can speak to our mothers in our own way. And then we will share our special stories about our own mothers!
Meditation with Your Mother
Let’s get quiet and bring an image of your mother into your mind. She might be young or she might be older. Allow the image to percolate up because it will be the one that you most closely can relate to.
Now, in the quietness of this moment hold the image of your mother in your mind’s eye. Just imagine your hearth expanding with great love for your mother. Imagine a rose bud opening large and larger. The rose fills your senses with feelings of love and as you see this, imagine the image of your mother moving into the middle of this great rose. Imagine your mother’s image being immersed in this beautiful essence, the rose symbolizes love and your heart sends this love to your mother.
In a way that is comfortable for you, thank your mother for her part in your life. Have a conversation with her. Perhaps you have a memory or two that is very special that you want to thank her for. Maybe this is the time to forgive your mother for something. She was doing the best she could with the tools she had. Acknowledge that sometimes life is hard and you forgive her for messing up. This is a wonderful time to just say thank you for the time you shared.
God, our Divine Creator, you in whom we move and have our being, we have known you as father and we have known you as mother. Today, we thank you for your part in our lives as the nurturer, the Our Divine Mother who provides the nurturing love for creation to manifest. We thank you and honor you as you are seen in the faces of the women in our world and especially as our mothers. On this Mothers Day, we come to honor all those who have expressed your love as our mother sand we send them our blessings as they proceed along their journeys as spiritual beings.
We let it be. Amen.
Hey You! It Just Doesn't Have to be so Hard!
Dr. Susan D.Sammarco
April 4, 2009
We have been talking about the physiology of prayer and how our DNA, cells, belief systems and energy fields attract to us exactly what we have set up for ourselves to experience. As I was thinking about Easter Sunday I wanted to bring the talks back to the wisdom of Jesus. These truths have been taught throughout time by many, many spiritual teachers but in our Judeo-Christian culture we celebrate Jesus as a primary spiritual master. Through his words we can find that even though he came to teach his brothers and sisters in the Jewish faith, his words ring true today as we begin to understand the reality of them in a broader scientific context.
I included a subtitle in my email to you this week that many people caught as a little Easter joke. I missed it entirely when I sent it out. The subtitle was, “My yoke is easy, my burden light.” Yoke—yolk—Easter chicks….Anyhow, what I wanted to do was to draw some biblical verses in to support my title, “Hey you! It’s not supposed to be that hard!”
The first thing I wanted to do was to establish a meaning for “yoke”. I could not find a “metaphysical definition in my usual sources so I depended on Webster’s Dictionary. The definition read, “A wooden frame to couple draft animals together, a tie, a bond.” When we think about draft animals working together to pull a heavy load, we realize that Jesus’ words demonstrate that if one follows the path of enlightenment, of understanding with him, is bonded to him in intention then the burden, the living of our lives is light.
If we take the word, “light” we see that the definition can mean full of energy, not heavy, easy. So, if we tie ourselves, if we follow Jesus’ example, be his students as we strive to understand his teaching, we will find our life light, full of energy and easy. But what of his teachings that are still to be found in the standard Holy Bible can we grasp as tools for living?
Conducting research into this I found a number of verses in the Gospel section of the Bible that give us an understanding of what Jesus was attempting to teach the people of his time. I found some extremely interesting translations of the Bible in a version called, “The Message”. This Bible is an updated version designed to speak to us and our young people in a contemporary manner.
Listen to these verses: MATTHEW 22:37
Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.'
MATTHEW 6:8:
The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need.
JOHN 17:6
Father, everything mine is yours, and yours mine, And my life is on display in them. For I'm no longer going to be visible in the world; They'll continue in the world While I return to you. Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life that you gave as a gift to me, So they can be one heart and mind As we are one heart and mind.
Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.
MARK 11:22
Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, 'Go jump in the lake'—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it's as good as done. That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all (in the) asking
JOHN 15:11
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
MARK 6:39: Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred—they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass! He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish. They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than five thousand were at the supper. |
What common themes have I pulled out in these scriptures? For one, we hear Jesus talking about prayer. Prayer is that time when we go within and deeply connect with God. The first thing Jesus would do is to connect with heaven, bless God or thank God for that which he was manifesting. Jesus believed without faltering that what he asked would be done.
When Jesus says. “Embrace this God life, really embrace it,” what I believe is that we are to have ownership of it, hold it dearly to our hearts. The dictionary states that to embrace a thing is to hug it, hold it closely with one’s arms. If I embrace another, I pull them to my chest, to my heart. If we really understand that we are so close to God that God is part of us, we can accomplish anything. When Jesus says that we can order the mountain to jump in the lake, do you think he is saying that it just takes the faith of holding God close to us? I don’t believe so. I believe he is saying in this passage that we have to absolutely know that God’s will and our’s is one when we order the mountain to jump in the lake. No time for doubt. No time for separation. We and God are one and in that consciousness we CAN accomplish anything. Even telling a mountain in the physical world to move from its location. (Star Wars—Yoda and Luke Skywalker---Don’t try! Do!!!)
Jesus asks God in one prayer to be one heart and one mind with us, his children, as Jesus knows his relationship with the Father to be just as intimate. One heart, one mind. God moves in and through us and we are his consciousness moving through out world as 6.5 billion individuals and millions of forms of other life forms. For our prayer to be effective, we have to know that we are one in mind and heart with God.
Jesus talks about the joy he feels in living each and every day and states how important that joy is for us as God’s children as we continue to know a greater relationship with God. (Read the John verse above) again about joy. These things have I spoken to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy be fulfilled.
Jesus was not talking about a hard life full of sorrow and laborious pain. No! Jesus was teaching his disciples and those who came to hear him that life can be easy if we, as brothers and sisters of those who lived with Jesus in the first century were taught, that we have control over this physical world. If we hold a joyful mindset, a thankful mindset, a mindset that acknowledges the blessings of our Creator, we too would find our lives much easier to manifest and enjoy.
Especially in these days! We know that the energy of consciousness is moving faster and faster every day. Those who are on the train and beginning to understand these truths that Jesus taught-- are manifesting wonderful outcomes in their lives. Miracles are abundant. Other people who do not yet understand that whatever is happening in the outer world has absolutely no effect on their ability and right to manifest a wondrous life are often times manifesting the exact opposite. I know people who have managed to turn their minds from negativity and worry to living in the present and appreciation for each day and their lives have “magically” turned around!
The litter of puppies that we just had last weekend has been miraculous for me. We have 4 of the six puppies sold and that is probably all I have for sale because I am going to offer another breeder for free and we may keep one for a while to see how it develops.
Last Monday I was told that at the end of the month the radio station that carries my pet show will be closing down. This also impacts our college radio hour and another show a friend has been doing for six years. My friend was in the doldrums a couple of days and the came around to acceptance. Immediately I said that I was glad to have had the opportunity but obviously it was time to let go and move on. By Thursday I had a breakfast meeting scheduled with another radio stations sales manager. Funny enough, she wanted to tell me that he stations were expanding into local, community-interest shows and was I interested in talking about the college? I said, “Funny that you asked!” I proceeded to give her an overview of what had been carried on the NPR affiliate and that I would love to keep the college show on air. She will be meeting with the owner of her stations next week and will be presenting all three shows as opportunities for him. I put together a portfolio with samples of all three shows and bios etc. for her to share with the owner and we will see where it goes. Nothing closes but that something else doesn’t open!
What do I want to say this Easter morning? Those who come to World Fellowship come to hear a different message than people who go to other churches. We come together to share in messages of hope, love, faith and compassion. We come to learn how we can better live in this world and still not be of it. This Easter morning I wanted to remind you that what we teach, each and every week, is present in the Bible if we look. I wanted us to remember our brother Jesus in a different way than everyone else is today. I wanted up to remember his admonitions to be filled with joy, with an awareness of our blessings, and thankfulness. To know that Jesus helped us to remember to ask for things in the moment (Give us this day our daily bread, our nourishment in body, mind and soul). To be one with the things we asked for, already knowing they were done. And not to get all tied up with the way we pray to God but to stay in that state of Oneness, heart and mind, to remember that we are not asking god but acknowledging our Oneness with God and allowing creation to manifest with us and through us with our conscious recognition.
Many people are moving farther and farther away from the crucifixion story and the story of resurrection in favor of the commercialism of Easter. I am drawn back to the parts of Easter that remind me of Jesus’ mission of teaching his people on this planet. I love the Thursday night communion services and foot washing ceremonies that remind me once again of service in this world and of the uniting of the elements of wine, bread and the communion of souls during the ceremony.
Jesus himself reminded us not to get wrapped up in the rituals and the rules of churches and church leaders neither in his day nor in ours. Today is a day to rejoice for the teacher, our brother Jesus’ life and for his wisdom that continues to direct us today!
We are One in the Spirit
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
March 28, 2009
When I last presented the first part of this talk, “God Eternal Inside the Body,” some of you requested that I give the same talk over again. I am going to review a lot of that material today and expand on its meaning and application for you and me. First, did anyone pay particular notice in the last two weeks how much time they were spending operating on automatic? Did you catch yourself thinking about something and not paying attention while you were driving? One of the times I caught myself was when I was driving home from Phoenix this past Thursday and I realized I had about four different trains of thought going through my head as I drove back on I-17.
Not the least was my concern for a family I had stopped to see whose father had passed in his sleep last Sunday at the age of 48. I stopped to pick up there Beagle puppy so that she could stay with her breeder, a good friend of mine, while the family figured out what they were going to do to cope with everything they faced. The puppy is only four months old so she is sad and confused to be loving her family and she was having diarrhea in her crate as I was driving that necessitated a stop to change the crate papers. Mix that with work thoughts, weekend plans and this talk among other things and you have one pretty disconnected person. I caught myself and laughed thinking, “Oh yes! This is a good example for my talk!”
Last time I spoke about the how scientists are backing the truths found in world religions, even more those truths found outside of Christianity, truths that speak to the presence of God in and around us at all times. I talked about how the atoms of our bodies and all of creation on this planet are made of energy. Those atoms are what molecules are made of therefore molecules are energy. And that those molecules are what are cells are made of so our cells are energy. And finally, that cells are what we are made of therefore we are energy.
We then talked about how there are energy fields around each of these components that make us and everything we see in the physical seem like we are solid. I talked about the energy in the atoms being like little tornadoes and that those tornadoes create a force that is not easily penetrated. This energy then gives out outermost being a similar field. In fact, our energy fields do not stop at our body. We have known for a long time that we have layers of energy fields outside of our body and indeed, that scientists have not found and “end” to our energy fields meaning that we move and have our being in one another’s energy fields and with all of creation. We are One in the Spirit!
We also talked about how are belief systems create a resonance in our energy field that attracts experiences in our life. From our belief systems we have an innate fight or flight reaction to those circumstances in our life which creates a body chemistry that can actually change the DNA in our body. These changes can create conditions in our body that we may not consciously invite but that we create with our belief systems. For instance, we are told that we have great stress in our lives today and that stress causes high blood pressure, fat in the stomach area, heart disease, hardening of our arteries and a myriad of other problems…right?
Is it necessary for these things to occur? Many scientists believe that what keeps people alive for 120-130 years is their belief systems, an absence of awareness or concern for their chronological age and a positive attitude. What we are being told is that our bodies are capable of living 120-130 or even more years. However, by the time we reach 70 years of age, our bodies are worn out from all of the pain and grief they hold. It seems as if 70 years is the average time people can “put” up with living here on earth.
I don’t know about you but when I look back over history I haven’t found too many time periods when there wasn’t stress. Some time periods were filled with dodging wild animals as we hunted for food…a little stressful perhaps? Other periods were filled with disease and a lack of respect for people in general. If we weren’t barraged with ads from the drug companies telling us about the great drugs they have to help us cope with our modern world, drugs for mood elevating, to treat the feelings of separation or to overcome anxiety about being bombed by another country, would we be able to program our beliefs more effectively to cope with the modern world?
Our belief systems come to us partly through an inherent genetic connection to our ancestors such as the ability to swim immediately after birth and the ability to digest breakfast without thinking about it. Our fight or flight abilities and responses comes to us through our inherent genetic connection as well.
Our subconscious starts its programming before birth as our bodies process our mother’s reactions to things as her fight or flight hormones pulse through her body and into ours. Once we are born we begin our conditioning as children. Up to the age of 6 we are basically in a hypnotic state. We ask lots of questions, we watch our parents, siblings, friends and neighbors and download all of their belief systems into our brain. It is not until the age of 12 that we start to process the information we have in our brain by beginning to critical analyze whether or not we want to accept a belief system as our own. Is it any reason that so many people go through life repeating the same lives their parents had?
How many people go through their lives in an unconscious, truly unquestioning state? I believe those people are the “dead” we read about in the Nag Hammadi Library. The “dead” are people who are not awake…people who do not realize that they have bought into the belief systems of the time (whatever time they live in) and have not questioned or looked for a different perspective. For one thing, as we all know, it is a scary and dangerous place to be. To see life from a totally different perspective is to risk being ostracized by the mainstream majority.
So where does all of this bring us today? First, I want to acknowledge that the diversity in our world has served us well to keep us out of disaster. If we all had a “hive mind” as the Borg do on Star Trek, we would not question anything that came into the consciousness, we would just do it. Knowing what we are coming to realize at this period of our development, if all of us had a conscious thought at the same moment that world war and total annihilation of our species was the only way to cleanse the planet, what do you think would happen? It serves us well that there are always people holding the consciousness for world peace to maintain a balance for those whose consciousness leads them to aggressive, warring behaviors.
If that is true, then what chance do we have for world peace, you might ask. Peace and harmony on this planet is the natural state we are striving to attend. It is this consciousness that is spreading even more rapidly with the changing of world’s consciousness, or the raising of the world’s consciousness---it is the energy of New Creation that has been filling our earth and moving within our minds and bodies. That is the truth. I believe that, in spite of what we think we know, we will reach a tripping point where the majority of earth’s people will NO longer support war and devastation but will create new ways to cooperate on this planet.
How can we help? Praying for peace is not enough. As we discussed last time, we have to get into a state where we can feel what we want in our bodies and THAT becomes the prayer. I AM the peace of this planet. I AM the love of this planet. I AM peace. I AM love. There is no magic in the words….it is the knowingness from which we come that is the shift in the consciousness that will make a difference in the world. The Law of Attraction then will be in effect and that law states that which you resonate with will automatically come to you. Resonate with…are in harmony with…in alignment with. Your belief system must support that request for it to truly be in resonance with your spirit, your soul for love, peace, and anything else to truly be yours.
One of the interesting analogies Dr. Bruce Lipton speaks about is the analogy of development between earth’s creation and human evolution. He talks about the evolution of fish that came out of water as they evolved into amphibians. If you recall from science classes, amphibians needed water to procreate and to capture food. Humans, too, in their beginnings, had to be close to fresh water in order to survive. It was in this mode that agriculture developed and humans worshipped Spirit in all forms.
As the amphibians developed into reptiles, the reptiles were small, mobile, and go move farther from water, not needing water to procreate or eat anymore. They operated their tails quickly and easily with ten muscles. They met their needs for food on the run.
Humans too evolved to become more mobile, to carry water or to access water from distances via canal systems. Humans hunted animals and developed agriculture to provide food. They were still closely linked to the earth.
As reptiles developed into dinosaurs, they became large and cumbersome. They still had small brains and it took 10,000 muscles to move the tails. They could not move quickly and they died out.
Humans, according to Lipton, are currently in the dinosaur stage. Our organizational structures are huge and cumbersome. Think of our government, our health care systems, our corporations. All around the developed world we have huge organizations that cannot respond in a timely fashion to changes, that do not pay attention to the individual, that are being operated by a small group of people that equates to a small brain with 10,000 workers/muscles doing the work of moving the tail end of business.
Finally, the mammals take over after the crash of the dinosaurs. The mammals care for one another and for their young. They feed and nourish their young in ways the dinosaurs, reptiles or amphibians could not. Are we moving into our mammalian phase of evolution on this planet? Are we becoming more sensitive to the needs of others and to the full nourishment of our young and of other people?
If we believe scientists, the earth has had 5 other mass extinctions occur over the past thousands of years they can examine. Are we humans part of the sixth mass extinction? Is Mother Earth going to rid herself of us as parasites or might some other catastrophe do us in?
The point of this talk today is that we have it within our power to change the direction of everything that is happening right now. We are one with every part of creation. Our energy fields are mingled in every way with all of the rest of creation. The Creative Spirit moves in us as God Eternal in the Body and we have our being-ness in the sea of consciousness that is the same Creative Spirit.
We have placed ourselves in this place and time to be that consciousness for the next step of evolution. We are relearning that it is not the words we pray but the feelings we feel that make the prayer, the request, to the Creative Spirit.
I invite you to listen to your words and prayers. Give yourself time for quiet contemplation so that you might allow yourself the space to “feel” the words you state. And make your statements, as taught by Ernest Holmes and others, in positive, “I AM” statements that make the action complete in the here and now. You are working on the consciousness of peace and harmony simply by being in the world at this time. Let’s support one another in making the most of the time we have.
God Eternal in the Body
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
March 15, 2009
Several months ago I gave a talk entitled, “The Walls are Tumbling Down.” The topic today could have been a part of that talk. Today I am going to share ways in which science and spiritual beliefs are coming into total harmony with one another. Today I am going to share information that scientists are beginning to unravel the code of the protein layers around our DNA and the DNA of all creation here on our planet. What does that mean to us? I think that by the end of my talk today, you will have a better understanding of how we work as creators of our lives and co-creators of our world.
I have shared information from Gregg Braden’s work before. I enjoy his work because he comes from a scientific and engineering background and that is the viewpoint from which he comes to investigate our spirituality and our consciousness. He is very careful to distance himself from the “woo,woo” as he calls it. His work is with scientists, Tibetan monks and doctors such as, Dr. Bruce Lipton.
What I am going to attempt to describe today is the work he is doing with understanding our power as creators. Working with scientists, Braden has discovered that the outer protein shells of our DNA contains messages. He describes these layers as a library of information. Each shell is a book of the library and what they have translated is the introduction of the first book. He expects that now the code is broken, the scientists will unravel the mystery of who we are.
Using the Table of Elements, gematria, and ancient Hebrew and Arabic languages, the first code to be translated is the phrase, “God eternal in the body.” God, the eternal, ever present consciousness is not only something that we acknowledge outside of our selves, but moves and has its being within us as well.
There are many of us that already believe that but can you imagine the shift this is going to make in traditional exoteric religions that worship God outside of our worldly realms? How are brothers and sisters in to the subconscious is printing the knowledge on our tapes!develop a concept of one God who is separate from his creation. Today, we have come so far away from seeing Spirit in everything that most of mankind only trusts the things he/she can touch and feel. That has led us of course, into believing that money, the government and our jobs are the reality in our world. And yet, there are pockets of believers such as us, who acknowledge that the Creator, Divine Consciousness is indeed, in us, as us, through us, and around us.
When we are born, I believe we bring with us some memories of past lives. We also bring some inherent talents such as swimming as soon as we are born and the knowledge of how to nurse upon birth. The first six years of our lives, scientists now are beginning to see that we are in a hypnotic state when we are filling our subconscious with tons of information. We are downloading beliefs and more traditional religion,s being faced with a scientific reality, a perspective that the “real” world gives credence to, come to change their beliefs to become more encompassing of all people?
“God eternal inside the body.” What is inside an atom? For a long time the atom was the smallest particle known to man because we could not see anything else. Now we know that there are quantum particles too. But let’s think about the atom for a moment. What is inside an atom? Energy….the protons and neutrons we learned about in school are energy.
Now, what are molecules made of? Atoms…energy. What are cells made of? Molecules that are made of atoms that are made of energy. What are we made of? Cells that are made of molecules that are made of atoms that are energy. So, what are we made of? Energy! What is every part of creation made of? You are right! Energy.
But, you might say, I can’t see energy. I feel solid...the table feels solid…how can it all be energy?
Think of a tornado. It is energy spinning wildly. If you drove a car into the tornado at 60 miles an hour what would happen? It would hit a wall that could not be crossed. The tornado has an energy field that would prevent that. Your atoms are made up of spinning tornados that create a field….an energy field, if you will. All of those energy fields in all of those molecules, and al of those 50 trillion cells or so in your body give you your own energy field. It organizes your energy in such a way that it is you. The table’s molecules have their own energy field that makes it a table.
Because of our belief system and the way this world has been set up for us as inhabitants, all of us, the birds, the animals, the whales and dolphins, the plants, the water….all of us hold the consciousness of experiencing our home as a physical reality. Is that the truth? Well, yes and no.
As individuals and as a group, we have come to hold certain belief systems. We can go back and analyze how are beliefs have changed through the centuries from those of seeing spirit in everything in our world, to developing many gods and goddesses that came to represent spirit in everything in our world, to developing many gods and goddesses who lived separate from humans,understanding along with knowledge even before we are born! Those first six years are a time when are brain waves operate in the hypnotic level, a level where the conscious brain is by-passed and
As humans, we have the flight or fight mechanism in our bodies and with each of the memories and belief systems that we download we attach to it a measure of fight or flight. For instance, let’s say you were out in the garden when you were three and your mom suddenly got up screaming because a bee was flying around her. When she grabbed your arm and ran into the house with you, you learned that bees equal danger and you should run! However, if your mom was in the same garden with you at three and you saw her allow bees to land on her, wishing them no harm and explaining the good that bees do for the garden, you would come to believe that bees were not a threat.
If we move thirty years down the road and two men were walking down a lovely lane when a bee approached them, one man’s threat level would rise measurably because of his mother’s belief system that was placed in his subconscious tape player and the other man would more than likely start to talk about how beneficial bees are, with no threat alarm going off. So many of our beliefs were downloaded into our subconscious when we were young and “unconscious” or while we were not paying attention.
If we think about basically operating on our subconscious tape players 95% of the time during our lives, which is what scientists tell us we do, what kinds of actions do you think you are acting out or attract into your life? What I want us to do is to think about this as a group and make a decision to be much more aware of what thoughts pop-up from our subconscious or actions we take that may not actually be representative of who we really want to be!
Gregg Braden talks about seeing what is in your belief system by seeing what is being mirrored in your world. What beliefs are you creating your life from? To what degree are you running your programs and to what degree are you running your show—in a conscious, present, alert state?
As we have talked about so many times, Braden discusses our personal power, relating that NO ONE IS A VICTIM! NO ONE! We are always co-creative in some complicit way with anything that appears in our lives. Our world mirrors what is in our computer, in our program.
Without getting into a lot of boring scientific methodology, would you accept that our cells have receptors that transfer information to our DNA which actually, according to the new science of epi-genetics, genetics below the surface, changes throughout our lives. What is being seen is that, except in rare exceptions, our DNA comes in perfect. We come in as perfect beings. It is our belief systems that we download into our computer, with our without our conscious knowledge, that change our DNA through the cells receptors.
From where do the cells’ receptors receive the information? From the brain and the brain receives the input from the receptors we have that interact with our outside world; our skin, our eyes, our ears, our moth, and our nose. Braden discussed the fact that as we develop as embryos, our initial “skin” folds into itself and becomes our brain! Our brain is a giant receptor that translates the information, according to our belief systems, and relays the information to the cells that then transmit the information to the DNA that will make the changes in the body necessary to meet the information.
Let me try to tie all of this up today for this talk so that you have something to work with this week!
We are made of energy that is organized into our own field around us. That Creative Energy, whatever you want to call it, is present in everything and is present all around us at all times. It is a responsive energy. It works with us through our subconscious and our conscious mind. Through the action of the Creative Energy working with our energy field through the transferring of information from our belief systems, we are able to manifest in our bodies and lives exactly what resonates with our belief system.
Our Creator is generous and part of our mind is directly connected to that same Creator through our spirit and that same spirit helps us to navigate our path through our lives, with or without our conscious awareness. That, I believe, is the soul’s influence in our lives, allowing us to learn without judgment of our trials and errors being good or bad but also keeping us from moving too far from the track we established prior to coming into this life.
When you changer your mind, you change your life. This is a basic Science of Mind tenet. When you are in a conscious state of mind, you can catch yourself from operating in the subconscious mode, and operate instead in an alert, present in the moment, conscious mode. The MORE you do that, the better your life becomes because you program your cells to translate messages to your DNA to change your body, change your energy field, which will begin to attract new experiences to your life, experiences that you are actually co-creating.
What is the place of prayer in this? What scientists are discovering in studying healers, is that it is not the words we say, it is the feeling we give them. Whatever we pray for with our whole hearts, our whole emotional being, that is the trigger for our cells. When we pray or make affirmations we must get into the state of gratitude, assuming the emotion that what we are praying for or affirming has already taken place in our lives. That being said, we have to know what our belief systems are, about that for which we pray. We have to become consciously prepared to be in resonance for that which we want.
We attract into our energy field those people, places, and situations that we energetically connect with. We cannot attract those people, places, or situations that we do not resonate with. If you always wear a blue shirt, how do you feel putting on an orange shirt? It probably did not “feel” right because it did not resonate with your energy field. This is the same for the way we furnish our house. I love lots of hominess, decorations and warmth in my environment. If my husband had his choice, our home would be stark white, white furnishings, and little or nothing in the way of décor.
When we connect with others through prayer with love and emotion, they receive the information directly as it moves into their energy field without their conscious awareness. Prayer connects us through time, space, and distance. We are one in consciousness and one in Spirit!
Next time I will talk about the necessity of non-judgment, of ourselves, of others, and of situations occurring in our world as well as continuing this discussion on how science and spirituality are coming together which may be the salvation of mankind today.
Watch yourselves in the next couple of weeks. See how much time you spend in a conscious state and how much time you are on automatic. We can have up to 40 thoughts running through our conscious mind at any given time. We have 40,000 thoughts and observations moving through our subconscious at the same time. What programs are you running on?
Thank you.
Are You Letting Your Big “But “ Get in Your Way?
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
March 1, 2009 I had this title for my next talk before I knew that I was going to have surgery and before everything that has taken place since. I guess it was kind of a wake-up call for me…there were lots of opportunities for my big “but” to get in the way once we started down the path of the possibility of surgery. However, this was a life and death matter, a non-negotiable situation. Bartering with Spirit on this was not an option. Have you had situations in your life when challenges or opportunities have come your way and you let your big “but” get in the way?
“But Rev. Sue, what do you mean my “big but”?” you may ask. I am talking about those times when we are facing situations in our lives that might be challenges or opportunities that we stop the energy by stating a single word, “but”. But I don’t have the time. But I am too old. But I am not educated enough. But I am not experienced enough. But…but…but.
I have shared with some of you that I have been monitoring my heart blockages for more than 12 years. I have a rather unusual genetic condition where my liver pumps out huge amounts of cholesterol and triglycerides into my bloodstream. My highs have been 1300+ for my cholesterol and 2100+ for my triglycerides. One doctor told me when I was 35 that I would not live to be 40, at the pace my liver was working. He even suggested removing half my liver!
So, over the years I have been on a variety of medication cocktails, exercise regimes, vegan diets, vegetarian diets, no fat, low fat,--well you know. It could seem like a losing battle and I COULD be really negative about it. My husband has certainly had a hard time dealing with the fact that I could keel over any minute with a massive heart attack. I tend to be much more philosophical..I mean, none of us gets out of here alive…right? It has helped me to live life fully each day and to be very aware of what I put out into the world. Perhaps that alone is a good reason that I chose my body and my family heritage. I have had an opportunity to make sure I build bridges instead of walls in my life!
As I said, we have been monitoring my heart condition for many years. I have had five heart angiograms. The stuff in my arteries is like cement so I was never a candidate for stents. The last “stress” test that led to a call for an almost immediate angiogram let me know that my time had probably run out. I knew I was probably facing heart surgery. The plus? I didn’t have a massive heart attack to recover from. I was proactive about seeking help when I sensed that something had shifted in my heart health.
After the angiogram, my cardiologist introduced Victor and I to the cardiac surgeon. Both men told my husband and I that I needed by-pass surgery. “Could I stay and have it done then,” they wanted to know. Alright, this was one time that I did let my “big but” in, I wanted to have Christmas with my family. I wanted the week to settle any affairs that I needed to settle, to talk to you, the members of the church, and to prepare my employees and co-workers. I was given a week but, they said, they could not guarantee that I would not be in before the week was up, they were very concerned about how unstable my condition was.
Some of you have shared that you thought I was more positive than you would have imagined when I spoke to you that Sunday before the surgery. Now, perhaps you can understand that I have had years to come to grips with the necessity of by-pass surgery, somewhere down the road. The preparation has allowed me to develop an approach to life that does not allow for hard feelings to exist between myself and anyone else, be it family or friend. I was at peace with the necessity and with my world.
As I said yes to the date after Christmas I began to realize how many things were set in perfect alignment for me. My cardiologist, who I had been referred to by my primary care physician, was just named the outstanding doctor for Yavapai County. He saw me in less than a week from my first call (that is a miracle in itself!). He is a good old country doctor who believes in teaching his patients and he is very kind.
The next miracle was that the cardiac surgeon had only recently been wooed from Good Samaritan in Phoenix. He has been setting up surgical centers for cardiac patients all over AZ and had settled in Prescott. He still had not completely established his staff at the hospital but the cardiac surgical unit was his and was up and running. He is acknowledged as the premier cardiac surgeon in the state. He trains all of the hospital staff in his procedures and expects them to follow his lead exactly. Everyone was kind, informative, and upbeat.
Our friend, Ilene Gottlieb, was a godsend that week prior to the surgery. She spent time with me in guided meditations, speaking to my mind, my emotions, and my body. She took time to work on me energetically both before and after the surgery. She told Victor what to expect so that he would be more prepared. It is a miracle that Ilene, who lives in Florida, and I are friends, courtesy of Rev. Joel.
Rev. Joel was also my positive support and was present the day of surgery to work with my body, mind, and spirit and to support Victor. It is a miracle that Rev. Joel have found one another in this life. He is a constant source of comfort, coaching, and laughter for me.
Fully expecting to be in the hospital a week, it was a miracle that I was sent home in 5 days. I was up and walking the night of the surgery and walked three times a day with the physical therapists. I worked with the respiratory therapists to get me breathing as close to normal as possible. When I saw the surgeon two weeks after surgery, he said he was not surprised I was doing so well….everyone was amazed in the hospital how quickly I was recovering.
Along with the miracle of the rapid recovery, we have been thankful for the miracle of our insurance. We have been so fortunate to see less than $1,000 in bills for a $100,000 surgery. A huge miracle in our minds!
Could I have stopped the flow along the way with a “big but”? At any time I could have stopped the plans for surgery or the recovery process but the bottom line was that once I opened my eyes from the anesthesia, I knew I had work to do and it was time to get back in shape to get on with it! No dallying..no excuses…I have been blessed with many miracles and it is my responsibility to move along my path and get back to my work.
I have shared with some of you that I am probably not far enough down the road yet to tell you what all I have learned. Let me share these thoughts though:
· When you cannot do for yourself, it is an opportunity for you to learn to let others help. WOW! This was hard for me, as you might guess! But, Victor came through in a way I would never have expected. He was my only and total caregiver for a week and he did everything. This gave him the opportunity to find that capability within his own being and also demonstrated to me that he can be trusted to come through when I was really in need. This has been a great boost to our marriage!
It was also hard to have our friend,Sarena come to help at first. I remember telling her over and over, “I haven’t cleaned house in two weeks and the dogs’ pens are dirty, and I look awful….and, and, and. There weren’t any buts in there but my comfort level in not having everything in perfect shape was very hard for me to let go of.
· Going through great hardship makes you live in the moment. I really couldn’t do much more than get through each minute, each hour, each day as it came. I could not think about how long I was going to feel all the things I was feeling the first 3-4 weeks or so. I have had great physical pain before, some of you might remember, that was even harder because nobody could determine the cause and therefore, there was no end in sight. This time, I had kind of an idea of how long they expected me to need pain pills and how long it might be until I began to resume some normal activities.
· I had to learn that it was OK to be selfish, in fact, I needed to be selfish to have enough energy to heal myself. It was new for me, not worrying (too much) about work, about my radio shows, about my organizational activities—it was something I had to release myself into. It is not my normal state of mind, thinking about myself only. It is not a place I wanted to stay but it was an interesting perspective for me to live in for a time.
· I experienced the necessity of not judging my emotions as good or bad but as necessary. One day I spent a good part of the day sobbing. After about an hour of sobbing, Victor came in to find me sopping wet with tears and slobber. He just held me and told me that he was told to expect this emotional reaction. “Actually,” he said, “You hit it later than I expected.” I spoke with Rev. Joel later in the day and he too was very assuring about the necessity of letting the emotions out. Why was I crying? My whole body and soul just released all the pain and sadness that had been caused by the surgery. I cried for all my cells and organs. Everything in my soul and my body let loose. It was actually quite healing once it was done. The experience reminded me of the necessity of really feeling our emotions and making time and channels for their release.
· Everything looks better after the storm. That may seem simple but I can tell you that when the day came, about 4 ½ weeks after the surgery, I woke up, sat up in bed, and thought, I am ready to get back to my life! I gave thanks for that renewing of life within my body, mind, and soul. I have been giving thanks all day, every day since. And the miracles keep coming. Two weeks ago I had an inquiry from the Netherlands about purchasing a dog from me and I will be shipping a 6 month old puppy in March. People breed for years and never have an opportunity to sell to someone in another country. A miracle.
I believe I am in a perfect Divine flow. I joyously accept the perfection of my life. I believe that whatever happens to me is a gift from my soul and I accept it gladly. I don’t know what is going to happen next but I trust that whatever happens is for my highest good and for the highest good of all beings, otherwise it would not have happened.
I could have stopped any of the miracles from happening in my life with a “big but” anywhere along the way. The truth is, I have been preparing for these miracles for many, many years. When we don’t judge something as good or bad, we allow our path to unfold perfectly. We can meet those miracles that our Creator has placed before us. We can move with the energy of our life and greet each challenge or opportunity as a gift from our soul, for our highest good and for the highest good of all beings.
What is happening in your life that you might be backing away from with a ‘big but”? Perhaps that is your greatest miracle waiting to happen! Let go of your “big buts” and see what life truly has to offer!
Thank you!
Affirmations for the “Big But” - I accept the perfection in my life.
- I am excited about my life!
- I trust the creator and the universe to place me in the right time and place for my highest good.
- Whatever happens to me is for my highest good, otherwise it would not have happened.
- I am open and receptive to the experiences that come my way. I say YES! to life at all times.
Meditation for the “Big But” Rest and relax……go to your happy place, find that place that you like to visit when you are resting in your mind or visualizing a location while you meditate….It may be an ocean scene or a forest of trees and a brook. You may feel comfortable right here where you are and that is just fine…….
I would like you to hold a thought in front of you like watching a TV. Think of a time recently where you found yourself in a position of being offered an opportunity to serve, or to work, or to do som ething out of the ordinary and you declined to participate. Capture that moment in your mind and really look at it. What was the reason you declined? What was your big but?
Now, when you have the answer to what your big but was, ask yourself if it was really the truth. Perhaps you thought you couldn’t afford it. Perhaps you didn’t feel you had enough energy or enough time. Perhaps, when you are honest with yourself, you did not feel that you had enough experience to pull it off. What was your reason?
Now, imagine that you did participate in the opportunity. See yourself really enjoying the experience. Imagine the opportunities that could have come from the opportunity if you had said YES! Who could you have met? What kind of financial opportunities might have come to you?
How did you feel when you said YES! and you actually participated in that experience? Feel those emotions in your heart. Let goosebumps come onto your skin! Feel the joy, the satisfaction, the pleasure you are receiving. Your mind does not know the difference from that which you do and that which you imagine. You are benefitting from that opportunity even if you only imagined this. You are letting your soul know that you are willing to move past your personal barriers to participate more fully in life. In response, your soul will bring you even more opportunities, working with your conscious awareness as you embrace life even more fully!
Say YES! Say YES! Say Yes!
We let it be so ---please come back slowly.
Becoming More “Whole-y” at Christmas
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
Dember 21, 2009
The Christmas story is but a part of our human journey that is reflected through millennia of mythologies. The Easter story is another part of the story that speaks to our human journey as we move through triumphs and tribulations along our path. Today, I wanted to celebrate our birth onto this plane of existence as we see it through the Christmas Story.
I was thinking about the word “holy” and how we use it in so many different ways. Rev. Joel uses “holy” when he speaks about the “holy-days” or “holidays.” We use the term “holistic” when we are speaking about a “whole” approach to something, considering all parts, for instance, “holistic” healing that honors and addresses all parts of our being, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. If we see these “holy” days as something we set aside as being different, how do we see them from a more “wholistic” view? How can we come to them as more “whole-y” in our own being-ness?
We all come into this world pretty much the same way. We enter the world with the nuggets of destiny that we have laid out before ourselves. We come in with small bits of past life experiences that we are allowed to remember that will help us along our paths and we come to families that will provide us with the environment we need to learn what we came in to learn and to experience. Sometimes we come in with a much greater awareness of our destiny and/or a much greater recall of previous lives and lessons. Sometimes when we come to the earth plane with that enhanced awareness of our connection with Spirit, we come in as “Enlightened Masters.”
In ancient times, the births of enlightened masters were expected due to the spiritual work of groups of people who provided channels through which masters could be born, people who believed in miracles and understood the astrological foretelling of such births. In those times, people had a common story that heralded the birth of enlightened masters, a story about virgin birth, a lowly birth place, a high star announcing the birth, shepherds and kings coming to visit the young child with gifts, and the proclamation of the child as being, “The Son of God.” Such was the birth of Jesus.
Most of us, however, are born to this world with much less fanfare but we still have elements of the same birth as those of the “enlightened masters.” Even some of these masters walked much the same path as we do each day. Buddha’s mother is said to have been visited by a celestial light in a private garden where she became pregnant. She also gave birth alone in a garden, without pain of labor.
Buddha’s mother died though and he was raised by his father, the King of his land. A hermit told the King that Buddha would never be a prince but would leave the kingdom and live as a pauper.
Buddha’s father kept Buddha, whose princely name was Siddhartha, locked behind walls so that he never saw the ugliness outside of the wall. But at age 19, Siddhartha went outside the walls and saw the despair and sadness of the king’s people and his awareness was opened. From then on, he had to know the meaning of life and suffering. He left his young bride and set off, outside the walls of the kingdom, to become enlightened.
We don’t know much about Jesus’ younger days but it is said that he too, traveled and learned much about spirituality, many believing that he learned from Hinduism and other ancient esoteric teaching. In the Bible we learn that he was “enlightened” at the time of his baptism by John the Baptist, when the Dove of God landed upon him.
As humans, each life we come into this world with specific goals in our spiritual mind that have been set to assist us in accomplishing something to expand our awareness of our spiritual nature. We start our live in the families we have selected, learning from the culture in which we find ourselves, we learn the language, the acceptable activities and we learn to find our individuality within the context of the larger world.
As time has sped up and we are all learning our lessons more and more quickly, have you noticed that the “karma” that may have taken centuries to return is coming to the surface much more quickly? Every day in the news, some new story is erupting about another person who have been involved in hidden scandals. What was acceptable within our society is becoming less and less so.
We are all walking on the path of enlightenment, as a group. Not only the United States but also other countries around the world. It’s like we are all being funneled into a narrow path that we HAVE to walk through. I have this image in my mind that I’ll try to draw….it is a huge funnel…when we go thorugh the funnel we are filled with Divine Light that radiates ALL of our cells and ALL of our bodies—we are made “Whole-y, Holy” beings! Then, we are dumped onto an escalator that drops us onto the next floor, the next dimension, a light-filled dimension where we are all seen for the beautiful beings that we truly are, angelic beings.
We are the Christ child born anew! We are Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus plus all the honored masters and teachers who have come before us! We are here on this planet at this time to allow the highest consciousness of Spirit to come into this plane of existence and remove the duality of right and wrong, good and evil, for all times. We are evolving to a place where we know in our hearts what we should and should not do….we no longer need millions of rules for unruly humans. We are becoming more holy beings, filled with the Light Divine and filled with the same Divine understanding and tolerance that filled Jesus, whose stories fill our culture, and all of the spiritual masters who lead our other earthly cultures.
I look at my own path and I see the layers of the onion coming off. I can see my personhood who came in as Susan Diane Glady and I can see the lessons I have gone through in my life to learn what I set out to learn. I can see my humanity and my struggling. And, I can see my whole-y-ness as it began to shine through at a young age. But I can see that “whole-y-ness” shining through more and more as I struggled to make those choices in my life that would lead to spiritual growth. Now I truly see my “whole-ness’ and I acknowledge my “holiness” as I move into the adulthood phase of my life. I think of this as my adulthood because 95% of the time I believe I am making choices that support who I CHOOSE to be as a spiritual person in my life. Is it a 100% of the time—no, not yet, and that is OK. I am still working on it.
You have layers that are peeling off your being-ness too. Our spiritual master teachers have come to this plane to provide for us patterns that we can choose to emulate. I love Religious Science’s comments that Jesus was the great example. I believe that. He showed us how to choose love. That is a lesson our country and our world are still working on. As individuals though, I believe our light clusters around the planet are leading the way and you and I are the light holders who are spreading the Divine Light around our planet. We are bringing the Light to others with Love. We are that Christ Consciousness today in this world at this time.
Be the Spirit of Christmas, wherever you are and know, that you are holding the Light of Love for the world right now.
Thank you!
Need a Little Christmas
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
December 7, 2008
I thought about starting my talk off this morning with the song, “We Need a Little Christmas” (right this very minute!) because Christmas and all of the holidays around the world that have evolved over time at the time of Winter Solstice bring people into a lighter state of being than they may have been during the year. We all know that people seem a little nicer to one another this time of year, war zones often make time for truces during the Christmas holidays.
Over the past five years or so, we have examined the celebration of Christmas in other countries. We have explored the variations on the theme of Jesus’ birth and talked about the validity of the claims that Jesus was born during this time period. I thought that this season we could talk about the season itself and what meaning it can bring to each of us.
I love Christmas music. I started playing it on the radio on Thanksgiving Day. While I set up Christmas decorations and the tree in our home I had Christmas music playing. We all know that music can set a tone for our spirit. Pleasant music that inspires us or tickles us with happy memories can raise our vibrations, making it easier for people to share pleasantries with one another. I believe that once the music starts to play, the season really begins.
We all know that the commercialism of Christmas is not so pleasant. Probably even more so this year with many of our friends and perhaps family, are dealing with personal finance issues that makes this a challenging time. A woman who I respect at work shared with me that she believes this period of time is something we all had coming, kind of a “come to Jesus” meeting. She shared that the believes we have all been greedy, including herself, needing new cars regularly, needing expensive clothing, needing more than she could ever use.
I thought that was rather interesting because these times are causing people to think about the ramifications of our actions as a people in many different ways. Economically, environmentally, emotionally.
As many of you know, Christmas was an incorporation by the Christian faith of a long-held tradition of celebrations held during the Winter Solstice, the longest day of the year, to remember that the gods and goddesses were sleeping during the long night and would return to bring life again in the Spring. In some traditions, the gods or goddesses of light were kidnapped and taken underground at this time of year. The light was gone, the cold winter ruled, and the earth looked dead.
The gift giving at this time of year arose from sharing with one another in joyous celebrations knowing that the earth and all her protective gods and goddesses would come back again, being born anew and bestow upon the people great blessings.
These elements had already been around the religious traditions of ancient peoples for thousands of years and were incorporated into the story of Jesus to make him more easily acceptable to people in the Third Century C.E. Similar stories and traditions were also present at the time of the growing Christian sect’s popularity around the god, Mithras, who vied with Jesus for popularity with the people.
Celebrating the goodness of God at this time of year is inculcated in our human psyche. We have celebrated that goodness through song, dance, merry-making, and gift giving for thousands of years. It is not the question of should we or shouldn’t we? It is the response of our spirits to the energy at this time of year.
During the longer days when activity is lessened, it is easier to slow down and make time for others. It is time to share in gatherings with other people, prepare feasts, and re-connect. During the spring when the seeds need to be planted in our lives and the summer when we are busy tending our crops, doing our work, and then in fall when we harvest the work we have done….all of these seasons are times of great busy work. But during winter, the natural energy is to slow down, rejuvenate, celebrate the goodness in our lives. We need a little Christmas!
This time of year also encourages us to be more reflective. As I looked at our tree the other night, I noticed how many angels (and animals) I have on the tree and thought about how the decorations have changed through the years. I gave my sons most of their personal ornaments that I collected while they were young. I think our trees are symbols of who we are and what is important to us in our lives. They have bits and pieces of our lives on them.
As I looked at the angel decorations I thought about how much more open we are to seeing angelic spirits and listening to their songs during this time of year. The message of love is so much more present because our hearts are open through song and merriment, a lightness of spirit exists in each of us.
As we move into the month of December and begin to feel a little stressed out by the obligations we may take on, take a breath and remember that this is the time of year for rest, reflection, and re-connection with those things that are really important to you. Talk to your kids. Connect with old friends through cards or phone calls.
It is ever more important to forgive and come to peace with people in your life. This is the time we are called to be peace. Let the layers of your life show you where you still need to let someone know that you love them and forgive them so that your soul can move down the road!
We all need a little Christmas. We need some time to turn from the world out there to the world inside and connect again with the joy, the love, and the peace that this season’s energy shares with us. Have fun with the carols! It is time to sing with our hearts and allow them to fill with the joy of Christmas!
Thank you!
It Doesn't Need to be So Hard
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
November 21, 2008
When everything changes, change everything! When everything changes,
change everything! (Neal Donald Walsh, "Conversations with God"
online message November 21, 2008)
For the past month Rev. Joel and I have been talking about the changes taking place at this time in our history. Have you noticed that it is touching absolutely every part of our established power structures in the world? I cannot think of one area of life where the new energy of illumination is not shining, breaking up old realities, and allowing new realities to be born!
And it is not about light shining “down” from heaven—no! It is a light that is shining within that is illuminating the world. Think about it, the power structures are toppling because of the darkness from within and the light that is exposing them is coming from within too….Except maybe in the case of the automakers in Detroit who have chosen to produce the same old types of cars and vehicles with little true innovation and now they may be a death grip caused by something known as disruptive technology…kind of the same thing that killed typewriters and typewriter manufacturers!
Even ever positive Neal Donald Walsh had to address this in his talk on Friday—
“My dear friend,
Are things changing in your life right now -- important things? Or do you know of someone who is struggling to cope right now with shifting realities in their personal life?
I don’t know about you, but I am observing people everywhere going through great changes – changes in their work life, changes in their financial life, changes in their relationship and romantic life, changes in their family life, changes in their social life, and changes in their spiritual life.
If any of these changes are affecting you right now, and you have sent a call out to the universe for some help, for some answers, for some comfort and clarity, you’ll be glad that you read this…
The Pace of Change has increased dramatically all over our planet. I know of very few people who have not been affected by this in some way. Every day I am getting emails and calls from people asking about how to apply the messages of Conversations with God in this situation.
There’s no reason to hang out in uncertainty or apprehension or fear about the future. Use change as the greatest thing that has ever happened to you, and embrace loss as not loss at all, but gain.”
So, anybody relate to this? I was at the reception this week for Governor Napolitano at the college’s Sedona Campus. There were about 150 people there, many movers and shakers of the Verde Valley including the mayors, Chip Davis, the county supervisor and others. What was funny to me as I moved in and around the different circles was how often I heard the phrase, “The rules have all changed. Nobody knows the rules anymore!”
That came through loud and clear in a number of different conversations about very diverse topics. “The rules have all changed. Nobody knows the rules anymore!” I thought, “Great! That means we get to start from scratch again and get it right this time!”
I drove down to Phoenix on Thursday to celebrate a promotion with an old friend of mine who still works for the Art Institute of Phoenix, where I invited her to come and work over ten years ago. As I drove down I listened to several different AM stations because I was curious about the discussions on the automobile industry. Well, I can tell you that even on the “progressive” liberal station, 1080 AM, I heard such negative trash. All of the talk stations were filled with negative prognostications about the trouble the country is in and that we are just going down the toilet! And people really enjoyed having the conversations—they are really putting lots of energy into the discussions!
Of course, I tuned into a couple of religious stations for good measure too, just to see what they might be saying. This is part of the homework I try to address to see what the rest of the world is doing. I can only manage it about once every three months or so!
I would probably be very worried except I know a secret. Well, maybe its not a secret but the average person is not aware of it. We are and that is great because we are part of the solution.
When we were visiting with John Springer this week during the radio show on Wed. we were discussing the fact that they have about 250 centers of study worldwide. As he was talking I was imagining an image of the globe—Mother Earth—with all these light stations positioned around her lands and the light connecting from person to person, station to station, and that light is spreading around the world. It is the Christ Light, the Buddha enlightenment, the active awareness that we are all connected. The Internet is the tool that links us together. There is said to be an energy grid around the earth that connects us together spiritually.
Why did I name this talk, “It Does Not Need to be So Hard!” ? Because this is the time when EVERYTHING is changing, the energy is causing, promoting, supporting, and helping us to complete changes in our lives. When everything changes, change everything! This is the time that we are to open ourselves to inspirations about changes and trust that our hearts are leading us in the direction of Spirit-led changes.
This is the time that YOU can be very successful in changes habits you want to change. I know of four different people who have successfully become non-smokers over the past three months. For whatever reason in their lives, it was just time to change.
I know of many people who have decided, in spite of the economy, to leave jobs, start new ventures, start new jobs. For whatever reason in their lives, it was just time to change.
The universe is absolutely encouraging us and supporting us in whatever we want to change. Our cellular memories are being erased with new spiritual energy. We CAN’T go back anymore because we have forgotten HOW to be the person we used to be. For whatever reason in our lives, it is just time to change.
We have been talking about earth changes, climate changes, societal changes this month. Everything has to change and it is these changes that frighten people so much. They cannot see where we are going. People can’t utilize the old systems, the old rules. People don’t know what the new rules are! People, all of us are being encouraged by Spirit, by the evolution of consciousness, to make new decisions about their lives, their belief systems, and develop new rules.
We don’t have to include pain in formerly painful situations any more. I know of several couples who are going through breakups of their longtime marriages or relationships that are doing it with a minimal amount of the old pain infliction scenarios. My son and his wife are one of those couples. It is amazing to watch these two, who are not particularly spiritual people, take the higher road and simply agree not to cause pain to one another. A new paradigm is taking place.
People would say that I am a Polyanna and looking at life through very rosy glasses. I don’t believe so. I see this happening in all parts of life, in all cultures, and in all social stratas. We may not think that this will happen overnight but look! Look at how fast the energy of this country switched when Obama won the election….we can feel the difference in the U.S. and in other parts of the world. We are operating under a new paradigm.
Thom Stanley shared this story with me this week and I’d like to close with it: (Read)
Are you waiting for a brick to hit you? What do you need to change in your life so that you can move ahead with in-lighting of our planet? Where are you called to serve? We can all serve the higher good of creation, wherever we are, whoever we are, and whatever we are doing. Each of us has a mission to be not only lightbearers but also, I believe, lightholders….right where we are, right now.
Embrace this time…it is unlike any time EVER on our planet. And we have come together to share it with LOVE.
Thank you!
“The Walls Are Tumbling Down
Or…The Saga of the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
November 9, 2008
This week we did what would have been thought impossible just 40 short years ago, we elected a Black American president. The walls came tumbling down this week! As I thought about it, I thought how many incredible things have happened during my fairly short lifetime.
My father spent time in the early 1960’s in Germany as the Berlin Crisis took place. Today the Berlin Wall has come down. The walls literally have come tumbling down!
The age-old conflict in Ireland has died down and peace seems to be more the norm as opposed to daily news stories about bombings in Northern Ireland. The walls came tumbling down!
This week I learned about the meeting of Islamic scholars with top Catholic scholars who met at the Vatican to discuss areas where both faiths believe in peace and peaceful actions. The plan is to gather these people together each year to expand their approaches to bringing people of both faiths to a greater understanding of one another and develop hopeful directions for their followers to embrace. The walls are tumbling down!
Last time we spoke at great length about peace in the world and how, to have peace, WE must be at peace in our own lives, our own families, our own communities. This week we are going to talk about one of the paths that has been shared with me by Spirit.
First, I want to remind you of a scene in the popular movie from 20 years ago or so, “Ghostbusters”. Has everyone seen that movie at least once?
Think back to the scene on top of the tallest building in New York where Zull had decided to bring in the destruction of mankind. Now Zull had developed this pretty cool throne in the entryway of a door that led up to the top of the building. The four intrepid ghostbusters had walked all the way up to the top of the building because the elevators were not working. At the top they were talking with Zull, attempting to find a common ground.
Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) was the speaker. After asking what could be done to avoid this, Zull answered that they were to choose the form of the destroyer. Peter thinks a moment and then says to his team, “I know what he’s doing! Empty your mind!”
Suddenly a large, clodding sound is heard. “Oh, no!” says Ray (Dan Akroyd’s character).
“Ray, what did you do?” asks Peter.
“Ray answers, “I thought of the nicest, thing I could from my childhood. Someone who brings joy and laughter. I thought of the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man!”
Zull picked the thought from Ray’s mind and manifested the instrument of their demise and that of the whole world, the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man. Of course they all worked together to blow the situation up and rid the world forever of Zull and his minions.
Where am I going with this? Well, during a meditation I was led back to my computer and captured an explanation of what we, as the group consciousness of humanity, have chosen as our instrument of destruction. It is the gift of “global warming”.
I made copies of the information that will be on the back table and on the website. I do want to share some of this information during this talk though because it does dove tail into our discussion today.
Before I share this, I do want to talk about how we have been “trying” on different ideas about the “end” of times through our vehicles of “entertainment”. How many movies have been made about an asteroid hitting the planet and causing worldwide destruction? How about viruses or bacteria running wild? Aliens coming into our world and killing us all off? We have been entertaining ideas about our destruction for a very long time. Twilight Zone and Outer Limits made many shows about this topic.
So why would it seem strange that we would think about our having chosen, as the group consciousness that is part of the Creator, who is experiencing our experiences as us and through us, to grant us our wish to be given the opportunity to work together as Children of Spirit to solve this situation?
As the message I was given states, it does not matter if this is a geological occurrence that is natural in its time or if this is manmade. What we need to do, as a human family, is to agree that it is here, it is growing worse, and that we all have to work together to plan for food, water, and shelter for all humans on the earth.
I was watching a show on the Discover channel about oil. I did not think I’d enjoy it but it gave me some tidbits for this talk. There is something really ironical going on with this “greenhouse” effect.
During the Pleistocene era there was a tremendous increase in the volcanic action of the earth. During this time soot and ash filled the air and lava flowed over the earth. Many, many animals of the time and plants died and it is their remains that were covered and pressed with new land mass, that now provide the oil beds for today. So, we drill the oil and use it in a myriad of ways in our “modern” society and it may have a part in presenting us with the challenges that could annihilate life on earth as we know it today. Rather ironical, huh?
Did anyone see the special on global warning two weeks ago that was also on the Discover channel? It presented some very interesting information about the heating of the planet and the subsequent changes of the earth and her plants and animals as the temperature rose in 1 degree increments. We are already 1.8 degrees above “normal” according to this show.
In 1992, Europe experienced an extensive heat wave that killed over 30,000 people. In Paris alone, more than 14,000 people died. Most of those were elderly people who could not leave the city. Fourteen thousand! In part, the problem in Paris relates to the change in climate there. At one time winters were very cold. The city built structures of wood, paneled on the outside with corrugated aluminum. The roofs were also wood and aluminum. The winters are now more temperate but the summers are warmer than in the past. In 1992, these buildings became ovens and the people inside overheated and died.
Also in 1992, scientists discovered something quite disturbing. When plants got too hot in their environment, they ceased their photosynthesis, which takes carbon dioxide from the air and replaces it with oxygen, and actually spit more carbon dioxide into our air.
This was seen around the world but no place more obvious than the Amazon Rain Forest. As the climate heated up, the plants that once provided 80% of the oxygen in our atmosphere, kicked back carbon dioxide into the atmosphere instead of oxygen, creating even more heat in the Amazon River basin. Confound that with loss of vegetation in favor of grazing, homes, and other agriculture and fires in the area that burn up the plants that are dry and unhealthy, and we have a catastrophe brewing just in that part of the world alone.
I am not here to talk about doomsday but I am here to talk about global changes. Prophesies. Fears that people have.
Why does it seem that so many of the prophesies that seem to speak of these times do so in a finality that is frightening? I believe a number of things are at play here:
1. I believe that the prophesies around the world have been written by humans who had a sense of an end of an age but did not know how to give that a voice. If we look at Ken Wilber’s work in, “A Brief History of Everything”, we will find that he gives categories of ages we have gone through in our worldviews. Archaic, animistic/magical, power gods, mythic order, pluralistic, integral, and holonic. Remembering the Bell Curve that I have drawn before, we know that there are people on all ends of this Bell Curve. A few are still archaic in their worldviews while a few people do understand themselves in the holonic, light being sense.
As human societies, Wilber believes we are moving into the holonic as our next big step in evolution. What does that mean, he states that in our social systems we have evolved from: survival clans, ethnic tribes, feudal empires, early nations, corporate states, value communities, integrated commons, holistic meshworks.
Again, we have a Bell Curve that recognizes the whole of society moving as we evolve. Most of our modern world is in the corporate state stage with some value communities (Non-Profits). We are moving into integrated commons and holistic meshworks. We don’t even really know what those look like yet. The key? The key is that these are societal structures of a world that no longer recognizes itself as separate but as one body working together for the common good.
2. Some of the prophesies are coming to us from people with a particular worldview and thus, a particular filter. One population is the fundamental Christian group who claim to interpret the Bible correctly and yet, it is through their filter. They know something is changing and they have scanned the Bible to pull a phrase here and a phrase there to put together their story. The challenge is that they don’t understand the picture because they are caught up in the mythic order worldview that has not allowed them to see the world beyond. Some are even referring to Nostradamus’ work for inspiration which I find rather funny!
3. Even though I believe that prophesy is not limited by time sight, I do believe that it was not yet written how this time period would come about. I believe that is because we chose these events to occur in our lifetime. We made the decision that it was time to pull together and that the climate changes was a good vehicle for that to occur.
4. It is occurring at the same time that it has been Divinely decreed that the radiant light of love would bring a greater evolution to all of the planet, to her creations and creatures and to us. We are literally living in the time that has been promised when all people are called to live in peace. I believe that even with the climate changes and the opportunities given to all of us to strive to bring the people of the world together to work on solutions for survival, not to change the climate but create solutions for survival—a big difference!, this is the time of the arrival of a greater spiritual consciousness for all of us, the re-membering of all us as one family of the Creator.
The walls are tumbling down!
This IS the time that we have been waiting for. This is the time in which all those who choose to stay on this earth plane are opening to change. Who would expect to see the Moslems and the Catholics sitting together to discuss what is peace and how does each faith support peace in their faithful? Who would expect that a man of mixed descent, running in everyone’s mind as a Black American, would, after only four years in the Senate, be the president of the United States? Who would have expected to see dancing in the streets, tears streaming on people’s faces as hope sweeps not only over our country but over the entire world as Barack Obama is announced as the 44th president of the United States? The walls are tumbling down!
My message today is not of gloom and doom. No! My message is one of hope and recognition that the world we have known is ALREADY passing away! We are in transition preparing for the birth of a whole new world. We are given the tools of rising consciousness throughout the earth. We are those we have been waiting for and we, spiritual beings in a physical body, are coming to understand the power of our voice.
When people step out in a negative voice around you tell them that the walls are tumbling down! Tell them that a new world is already on its way. Excuse those that see the world through a worldview that has not progressed from the mythic order stage.
Be at peace to invite peace into our world as we seek to encourage our world leaders to work together in the times to come.
Thank you!
(Transmitted information during a meditation on 10/22/08 as referenced above)
October 22, 2008
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
Today I had a complete transmission of information during my morning meditation that placed before me the path that humans were placing into the great consciousness to manifest in order to accomplish the evolution of humanity from the greedy—thinking only for the individual, the community, the corporation, the country or the lines of political affiliation. That is the gift of global warming. It is here to allow Mother Earth to come into a new balance with the energy that is arising both from within her and from the dimensions that surround the Earth and the life forms that have their physical existence here.
As in the movie, “Independence Day” where all of humanity came together to vanquish a common enemy in order to survive, we too have our unifying threat to all of life on Earth…global warming. Whether or not global warming is indeed a natural occurrence that has shifted life on earth in previous times or it is a natural occurrence made worse by human intervention with technology, or if it is just the result of humans living upon the face of the earth and developing harmful technologies, it does not matter. The reality is that it is here and that is the first page we all need to land upon.
As the Earth changes occur we will see drastic changing of sea levels, erratic temperature and weather patterns, we will see lands disappear and lands appear (re-appear!) and we will see land that once grew food either disappear or no longer sustain the growth food and we will see new lands become ripe for agriculture.
We are being given the opportunity to come together, without thought of color, race, or creed, to work on the problems that are unfolding before us. The old archetypes are falling away and the new structures are beginning to emerge throughout small communities. We are shifting from the love of power to the power of love and this shift sees the falling away of the old power structures that have come to signify security to so many in the world.
What will be left? First, fear continues to fill people’s minds because they have come to depend so much on the outer world to provide, take care of their needs, to hold their money and help it to grow. They have measured themselves against the yardstick of the masses and yet, this is not the true power or achievement. As people are seeing, having faith in the outside world brings one insecurity, instability, fear, and paralysis. What to do? What to do?
This is part of the plan to bring people back into a remembrance of where their power really lies. Many will leave rather than have to face this understanding in this body or this time. They have become so concretized in the world of today and the lure it has held that they cannot reach deep within to assist with the change as it takes place. The soul knows and when they are called back they move into an assistance mode on the other side that sends even more of the conscious energy to families, friends, and loved ones on the planet.
There are those who carry important information. They remember who they are and they remember where they come from. They have the consciousness that holds the space of spiritual evolution for many.
The human family of souls has been expecting this time for eons. It might have been accomplished through a devastating war. It might have been accomplished by the invasion of a large comet or asteroid….all of these things have been a part of the human consciousness for many, many years. You have played with the concepts in entertaining films and television shows. Global warming is part of the consciousness that follows the archetypes of locations such as Easter Island and other locations around the world that have experienced devastation through the means of negligent management of resources. It has been played out many, many times over Earth’s history. It is a drama that the human family h as yet to learn from.
Will humans come together on the same page to really see what is happening in the world around them, not just in financial markets nor in sales of merchandise! What will need to happen next is catastrophic loss of life because of the need to get people’s attention at a level where the whole world realizes that arguing over monetary systems will not be pertinent if there are no people to use the money that is being argued about.
Be of good heart! Lightworkers have chosen to be here to move among those who will not undertand what is happening. You will be called as a leader, a spiritual one, and one who understands the call for the higher good of all. You are peace—you are peacefully manifesting your life on a day to day basis. You are creating peace as it moves from you to others as they come to understand what you are called to do. Life is beautiful. Remember to enjoy those things which make you smile, laugh, and even cry because these are the things that touch your heart and remind you to think little and feel a lot! From this space will heaven on earth emerge.
To Achieve Peace, We Must Be Peace!
Dr.Susan D. Sammarco
October 29, 2008
“There was never a good war nor a bad peace.” From 1001 Sayings of Peace
“The power of love can replace the love of power.” (William Glasgow, 1898)
“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we week, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.”—“Martin Luther king, Jr. said that, and he was right. And his wisdom holds true not only for peace in our world, but for peace and wisdom in ourselves as well. All of our spiritual traditions teach the same thing. To achieve peace, BE peace. Yet how does one be what one is wishing to experience? By sheer act of will. And by causing others to experience what you wish them to experience.” From Neale Donald Walsh, “God wants you to know” online daily affirmation
I recently saw Bill Maher’s movie, “Religulous”. The movie strives to awaken people to really examine their religious beliefs. In the beginning and then end of the movie, Maher stood at the site in the Middle East where Armageddon is to bring the world to an end. Maher, like Neale Donald Walsh, hypothesized that religions will be the end of mankind. Although he claims to be an agnostic, he clearly beliefs in something but not in the religions that man has created.
While watching the movie I thought about peace and watched as Bill Maher not only did not bring peace to people but, as all people who play their part in society as gadflies, getting us to examine belief systems, he got people riled up. If we are to bring peace to our planet by being peace, how can we each do that more and more each day? This talk is being written after the actual talk because it was an interactive discussion where everyone had the opportunity to participate.
What comes to mind when you think of the word “peace”?
- Love, understanding, compassion, acceptance, Oneness, harmony, connectedness, cheerfulness, at ease, gratitude, quiet mind, quiet within, serenity, relaxation, forgiveness, thoughtfulness
The next question was what brings peace to our lives?
Honor ourselves, not living beyond our needs, being responsible for ourselves Allow Peace to let things unfold (hold judgment) Connect with like-minded people Walk the labryinth with peace in my heart Give up a need to change other people Bring humor into our lives Let you light shine with humor where its needed as we are all emissaries of the divine light for all people with whom we come into contact Listening to tapes for positive input Pray for peace as if it is already present, walking as if we are already healed Be at peace within ourselves first Find a way to be at ease in our life
As we move about our lives it is important that everyday we find a place in our mind, our meditations, our prayers, and in our daily activities where peace rules supreme in our souls. From this place of peace that we hold the majority of time, this conscious awareness of peace in our own lives and inviting its presence in the lives of others continues to help sow peace in our world.
Let us speak as if peace is the reality with all of creation, mother earth, our brothers and sisters on the planet and indeed, we will all vibrate at the higher level of peace, joy, and love always!
What Do We Know of Heaven?
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
September 6, 2008
I have been thinking about heaven lately. Not that I am in any hurry to experience heaven for myself but it seems that I have had a number of books cross my path over the last year or so that have to do with life in heaven and the interesting thing is that they have very little to do with one another.
So this morning I thought I we would explore some different ideas about heaven starting with yours. What do you think heaven is all about? What would you expect to find in your heaven? Because I have come to this conclusion, whatever we expect heaven to be, it probably will be that, at first.
One of the books I read several months ago is entitled, “Anita’s Heaven.” It was written by Anita’s husband, Norman Ober. Although Norman and Anita were Jewish, they were non-practicing Jews. Norman didn’t believe in the afterlife nor in any number of paranormal activities. When Anita died ahead of Norman, he became very depressed because he did not expect to ever see his beloved wife again.
As Anita would have it though, she did contact him and through the contact Norman was able to come to peace with his wife’s passing, he developed great faith in a living God and he became a believer in heaven. He even remarried with his dead wife’s blessing!
Anita’s heaven has people of different belief systems living together in heaven so that they will feel comfortable. The Lutherans go one place, the Jewish folks another, the Baptists another and so on.
Once people become accustomed to their state of being, they assume light bodies that float kind of like balloons. One can live alone or with family members or groups if desired. People go to school, enjoy entertainment and learn trades that they take back with them in their next life. They also reincarnate as do domesticated animals although the animals don’t know when they are to be sent back.
According to Anita you can study anything you want in large volumes of books although a lot is transmitted through thoughts. One can have any belief system they want and can see their “Master” if they so desire.
Kind of an idealistic location I think for those of us who are hoping for a peaceful afterlife filled with social and learning time!
There are also stories from Ruth Montgomery, who wrote a lot of books in the 1970’s, where she talks about our souls visiting a variety of planets to work through various soul debts more quickly than on earth unless we were very bad and decide to return into a very hard life, perhaps with a deformity that impacts our life and the lives of those around us.
Ruth’s heaven also describes reincarnation and a great deal of choice on the part of the soul in heaven to determine what it actually wants to work on.
Angels and Arch Angels seem to be liberally strewn around most discussions of heaven. Angels do the work and Arch Angels seem to be the ones who are managing the others. All angels seem to answer prayer. Many writings also indicate that we don’t ask often enough and that our spirit guides, generally souls who have lived physical lives and now serve in a protector/guide capacity and angels, spirits who generally have not lived a physical life, would love to help us even more!
Throughout time a heavenly realm grew to mean more than life on earth and many, many people have seen the earthly existence as something to be tolerated until the end of life came and people could go on to heaven. Of course, getting to heaven might be pretty difficult for some people since it often involves an expectation of behavior that is above reproach or at best, a life lived in an exemplary fashion and then, having a “Savior” to call upon at the time of death who will get one into heaven. This is not only Jesus in the Christian faith, other faiths through time have also had their “Son of God” figurehead to be called upon in order to get into heaven.
Buddhists advise one to learn a set of mantras to ease the soul into heaven instead of getting caught up in the area that is similar to purgatory in Catholicism. Focusing on God at the moment of death is said to “shoot” the soul right into the correct location for a better life next time around.
When our friend Sophia Tarila died, we played her music from Russia and music from Buddhist chants in her hospital room. These were dear to her. She had written two books on death and dying traditions around the world and had not had them published. The women who were with me looked through her materials to attempt to make everything as she would have wanted it. She planned to go to Siberia around the time she passed away and I know that she visited me to tell me that she still went and had a great time seeing the sights before it was time for her to go on to the next stop.
When she visited me, she wanted me to tell her daughter that she had not been in her body since earlier that morning so please not to feel guilty about turning off the life support system. Sophia was flying free and had an agenda to accomplish before she moved into the next dimension.
I believe that heaven is just at a different vibratory level that we are here on the physical plane where things vibrate very slowly compared to other dimensions. I do believe in heaven and angels, guides and archangels. I do believe too that when Jesus said he was going to prepare a room for us in His Father’s house that had many rooms, he was referring to heaven and that there is a plan for everyone to come home, rest and enjoy ourselves.
I don’t think we should be in a great hurry to get there because I do believe we have a beautiful world in which to live and learn our lessons. But neither should we be in fear of the unknown because we have lots of hints from many, many different sources about what heaven will be like.
Today, when you take the time to be at one with the Divine Mind, ask for your own personal image of heaven and see what wonders you are given!
Thank you!
"Where ever you are,there you are!"
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
August 31, 2008
How many of you are familiar with the movie, “Buckaroo Banzai’s Adventures in the 8th Dimension?” In the movie, he and his team of super-talented men, have the task of chasing down villainous bad guys who entered the present place and time from the 8th dimension. Buckaroo is a guy who does everything. He’s a world famous scientist, surgeon, speech maker and stars in his own band. Plus, he’s usually a nice guy.
Now, I saw this movie again a couple of weeks ago and I could swear that the title of this talk was one of the lines in the movie. However, I was corrected—cheerfully so—and the actual line is, “wherever you go, there you are.” It probably doesn’t change the context of my talk too much anyhow.
I have been thinking about the concept of everything speeding up. So many people have begun to have this consciousness that we have to do EVERYTHING before December 2012. Because there is a big question mark about whether or not anything will continue after that date, perhaps the world is experiencing a quickening to get everyone as prepared as possible---for the end (loud drum roll!)
Of course, I have to say that no matter what, we know that part of us is eternal so EVEN if the doomsayers are correct and the 2012 date does herald the end of everything we know….we also know that the part of us that has moved from existence to existence will continue its soul’s exploration in another dimension.
However, I just don’t believe that the end is coming. My intuitive guidance that I receive during meditation is that we have made the turn in consciousness as the human family and that we will see the light continue to grow more and more evident in our world. I bring a message of good news!
We have shared many times a variety of stories of how our relatives who have always thought we were a little “kooky” have actually started to ask us questions, they are interested in topics that we have investigated for years.
I think that we see that although we are having a human experience with many others that are walking an earthly existence, that some of our brothers and sisters have achieved a greater state of enlightenment than we have at this time. There have been masters that have attempted to teach people the way to enlightenment (as varied as the people who have experienced them) throughout the millennia. We know of many of the renowned teachers of humanity such as the Buddha, Jesus the Christ, Zoroaster, Confucius, Plato and many others. There are many, many others that we do not often know who come to their culture and become known as saints, Hindu rishis, Tibetan chohans, Confucian jens, and others. Many people simply refer to these people as “masters”.
What is a “master”? Simply, it is someone who has mastered the wisdom of life and who are now qualified to teach others in the art of living and show us the way to wisdom. They are fellow mortals, spiritual beings living a physical existence, who are wiser and more advanced that we are but only because they have been walking the path ahead of us!
If you are familiar with a Bell Curve, you know that there is a leading edge that represents a few, then the bell that represents where most fall into and then, a few trailing at the end, traveling at their own speed. That is a good picture for the spiritual evolution of our human family.
Masters have walked the same path, the normal path of human evolution, and have taken steps to actively seek a realization about themselves, Spirit, and the created world that most people have yet to take. Where they have gone, we can follow and in fact, will follow according to Divine Plan, as expressed by the Masters. What they are, we are becoming. They are our elder brothers and sisters who have a familial concern for our spiritual well-being. They see us, not as flawed individuals, but as wondrous spiritual lights who do not see our own beauty!
I am sure that we don’t doubt the existence of Master teachers! We have been studying their wisdom throughout the years here at World Fellowship Church. The history of human cultures all over the world has recorded them and their work. Exceptional human beings have been recognized for their extraordinary work throughout time!
When I was thinking about this topic, I wondered, are Master teachers on earth to live perfect lives? What we read as stories, legends and myths even, handed down through the centuries would seem to indicate that all of the Masters have been perfect humans. I think the only Master I have read a lot of stories about who had VERY human tendencies is Krishna. Especially as a child, Krishna had some very naughty behaviors!
What I believe is that a Master teacher is having a human existence and as such, is prone to challenges and errors just like we are. All humans, even advanced souls experiencing a human life, are subject to human errors. I tend to think that the wisdom they bring with them helps them to make fewer errors and that they use better judgment in correcting themselves. After all, this is a learning ground on this plane!
Are we expected to live like a Master teacher? We can strive for that but in reality, we are like a toddler. We are going to fall down a lot and our loving Creator is happy to watch us pick ourselves back up and move forward again…..no judgment…for all judgment is self-judgment. We are always successful! The universe has been set up for us to always move forward, always experience success in everything we do! Even when we mess up, that is a success and an opportunity to make a better choice next time. It is our choice----do I do the same silly thing over and over? Or do I eventually learn that I don’t like the results and change my behavior?
I have an employee that has been a challenge for over a year. In spite of ongoing meetings and face-to-face experiences with their team mates, this person still believes that it is everyone else’s problem. “They don’t like me!” This person absolutely refuses to see that they have a serious character flaw that has become stronger and stronger over the past year that has damaged not only the ties with the team but also ties with other people in the college.
At what point does a manager simply say, “Apparently you are getting the results you want because you cannot see the need to change. So, either you need to see the need to change or you need to find a place where you can experience happiness in your job?” This person is not making good choices to help them be happy in their job. But, they are successful in sabotaging what has previously been a good record. We have choices we can make in our lives. What is the highest road to enlightenment—to understanding?
A wise teacher does not tell a student how to do something because each of us is a unique being and what works well for one person does not work well for someone else. Thus, each of us has to travel a life path discovering how we can best achieve the ends for which we are striving. A Master does not dictate, they inspire. Learning on our own is far more educational and long-lasting than following a set of guidelines for life.
Perhaps that is the reason that being scared to death of hell, fire and brimstone has not been enough to keep Jewish and Christian believers on the straight and narrow. Being given the Ten Commandments as guidelines (even though I have talked about the fact that the original meaning of the Ten Commandments are MUCH different from what we have today) has not prevented murder, incest, theft or any of the other “thou shalt nots” throughout the centuries. Simply being told not to do something and following up with punishments that might happen does not teach us anything. Thus the evolution of the punitive system but that is another talk.
This is the reason that Gnostics had a bad name with the soon to be mainstream Roman Catholic Church. The Church wanted clear rules and parameters for behavior. Gnostics believed that humans allowed the process of personal growth and enlightenment would “know” for their own spiritual growth what was and what was not acceptable. Something I believe many of us would like to return to today.
I was thinking about toddlers too when I thought about their little legs and how fast they try to run to keep up with adults who are paying little attention to the toddler’s efforts. Think about a toddler who has legs 12” long. They will trip and fall as they try to move with the adult.
Now think about the adult who has legs 3x that length, say 32”. The adult rarely falls and walks assuredly, mostly avoiding holes, ditches and other barriers that might be in their way.
That is a good analogy for a Master and the rest of us! They can see the obstacles better than we and can move out of the way more adeptly. They take longer strides and can accomplish more with their lifetime because of the experience they carry with them. We are much more like the infant, tripping and falling over ourselves as we strive to avoid the pitfalls of life. We have to learn to see them coming so that we can avoid them by making different choices.
What is the same though is the Creator’s love for us…the Creator’s energy that always makes us successful!
No matter what you are doing, where you are going or where you are, “there you are!” Look at your life with tenderness, love, forgiveness and patience. You are a Master in the making! We are all on the same path and wherever you are in the Bell Curve, there you are!
Thank you!
God’s Creatures One and All
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
Thanks to the Internet I have been able to see some wonderful stories of animal friendships recently. I thought that perhaps they were occurring with the evolution of consciousness that is happening around the planet but I found a book this week that would seem to indicate that these types of animal friendships are not so uncommon as I would have thought, The Emotional Lives of Animals
Many of you may have seen some of these stories that are circulating on the web. One story is about a friendship between a baby Pygmy Hippopotamus and an African Spur Tortoise who is over a hundred years old. The Hippo, Owen, formed a love relationship with Mzee, (Swahili for old man) after floods in Kenya left Owen on his own. Caretakers came to save Owen and took him back to a preserve. Owen and Mzee formed a close bond and are inseparable now.
Another story is of Christian, a male lion who was raised by two men in Great Britain. When he became too large for them to keep, they decided to return him to Africa and reintroduce him to the wild. After a year in the wild, the two men returned to Africa to search for Christian and see how he was doing. Everyone told them that because he was wild now, had a mate and was a member of a pride he would not remember them. The two men went to the spot where Christian was released and waited for hours. Eventually, Christian returned to the two men, slowly walked down the rocks to where they were, and they bounded up to them, jumping on their shoulders and kissing their faces. The love of the three is so evident that every time I have seen the video clip, I cry. Not only did Christian return, he also brought his mate who also accepted the two men and allowed them to pet her as well. Uncommon bonds of love.
Another story I have seen has been that of a polar bear approaching a sled dog team. As he approaches one waits for tragedy but instead, the bear and the sled dogs leap and play together. Were they raised together? I don’t know but the love and joy they express is honest and real.
For someone like me who loves and has always loved animals deeply, I see these stories as opportunities for my human family to develop the understanding that I have about animals, they do have an emotional life that is as rich as our own. Now, scientists such as the author, Mark Bekoff, is proving these facts through scientific studies. They are looking at behaviors, they are looking at scientific data received through humane testing practices, and they are changing their attitudes about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in the use of testing on animals. Just like many people once that Black people did not have the same feelings and emotions as white people, a shift in consciousness is occurring in the treatment of animals. The new field is called ethology which is the comparison of humans and animals through observation, research, and scientific testing.
Through this field, ethologists are moving forward to demonstrate that even fish, reptiles, and amphibians join birds, and mammals of all kinds experience what is called an “emotional fever” that is a rise in body temperature and increased heart rate that is associated with pleasure. Ethologists postulate that the first mental event to emerge as consciousness is the ability to experience pleasure or displeasure. As scientists are proving today, consciousness, once the concept that separated humans from the animal world, is present in all forms of animal life, including fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals.
What do scientists know about the emotional lives of animals today? First let me share that emotional responses are measured by scientists in physical terms, heart rate, breathing responses etc. “Feelings” are psychological responses measured by the scientists in readings of the brain.
Humans have six identifiable groups of emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, fear, and surprise. Does it surprise you that all of the animals I mentioned have been determined to have ALL the same emotions?
Jealousy, embarrassment, grief and pride are “higher” emotions that take place in another part of the brain. Animals have also demonstrated the ability to have these higher emotions. I will talk more about this in a moment but the author speaks about grief and burial practices among birds, foxes, elephants and other animals. He also shares stories that demonstrate the higher emotions in many different animals. Once I had to scissor down my Old English Sheepdog that I always kept in a long, show coat. He looked very nice, like a Bouvier des Flandres but he was so embarrassed that he just hung his head in abject depression for weeks whenever someone complimented him.
I think that humans have tried to deny animals thought processes and emotional lives and feelings since the beginning of time because we believed we had the right to rule over the animal kingdom and do what we wanted to them. In my book, “Journey of the Spirit Ones” I write that, early in our arrival on the planet, all of us took animal forms at different times to experience their experiences. Some chose to stay in that animal spirit form. I do believe that the animals on this planet, not just mammals but all of the animal kingdom, are our brothers and sisters in Spirit. Having spirits not unlike ours, they have a consciousness, and an emotional life and feelings that are as rich as humans. Maybe Disney had it right all these years with his inter-species friendships and animal communications!
So, if animals have spirits and consciousness, do animals go to heaven? I was raised in a church that taught that animals did not go to heaven. Animals did not have souls therefore, they did not have eternal life! Of course, I decided I didn’t want to be in that heaven!
First, I want to assure you that I totally believe that animals go to heaven. I also believe that they reincarnate but I’ll talk about that in a little bit. If we are to look at the Bible for scriptures to support my point, we don’t have to go any further than Genesis where God is said to have breathed the same “breath of life” the souls, into Adam and Eve and into the animals He created. “Nephesh” is the word that is used for soul and humans and animals were both blessed by God to have a soul and therefore, eternal life!
According to Rev. Barbara Henderson, a traditional mainstream minister, writes, “No living thing that God created was intended to die. Nothing that breathes will ever by annihilated. God does not uncreate!”
In Ecclesiastes 3:18-20, we read, “As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: as one dies, so does the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal…All go to the same place.”
Even when we read the story of Noah, we read an uplifting verse about God’s relationship with the animal kingdom, (Genesis 9: 8-10) “Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “I now establish my covenant with you and with your sons and with your descendents after you AND WUITH EVERY LIVING CREATURE THAT WAS WITH YOU, the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals. …All of you will go to the same place after life on earth.”
Our animal friends continue on! I read a story once about a woman who had a pet rat she loved for many, many years. When the rat died at the end of its life the woman was very sad. She thought of getting another rat but just couldn’t bring herself to “replace” her pet. Many years later she moved from Manhattan to Seattle and was visiting a pet shop when a baby rat caught her attention. The rat did several little somersaults and as the woman watched, the rat presented some other unusual behaviors that reminded the woman of her previous rat. She bought the baby, took her home and instantly felt that she and the rat were long-time friends. The woman, a Unity minister, absolutely believes that the rat’s spirit stayed with her until the time was right for the woman to have the rat rejoin her in a new life.
I mentioned my Old English Sheepdog earlier. I had Timothy from the time that he was 3 months old. He passed from my life at the age of 10. Timothy was a most amazing dog. He was with me through my divorce and was with me when Victor came into my life. He had a huge vocabulary that enabled he and I to communicate. I was intensely connected intuitively with him. When he got older his stomach that bothered him throughout his life got worse and worse. He felt miserable a lot of the time. One day Timothy just disappeared. I looked and looked for him. Called vets and shelters. Put up signs but he just disappeared. I felt that he needed to pass from his body and wanted to spare me the pain.
About five years later I had decided to buy the Beagle I had been waiting for. I drove to California to the breeder I worked with to pick him up. I picked up Dillon who was a cute little boy but the whole time I kept looking at another male puppy that I just felt I should be taking. I remember thinking, I am taking the wrong puppy!
Well, after about 10 weeks, Dillon testicles didn’t fully drop and I was afraid they wouldn’t. As a show dog, both need to be in place to show. So, I decided to return him to the breeder and she told me that she would trade me for another boy that she was going to keep. I cried all the way over because we were attached to Dillon but as I entered her house, I saw the puppy I had seen the first time and this time, I was leaving with him.
Now, I am not going to tell you that he was a perfect boy! NO—he would only urinate in the goldfish pond we had set up outside our sliding door. Of course, this killed the goldfish. He was and is an escape artists but this is part of what alerted me to what I realized as he and I bonded. I absolutely believe that this boy, Hobbs, is my Old English Sheepdog, Timothy, come back. In a reading by a pet psychic, one of the important pieces of information that she wanted to share was that this was indeed, true.
As Hobbs matured, we developed a good communication. He is one of the few dogs, beside Timothy, who talks to me. When I was showing him as a puppy, he would not stand. Now, most male dogs you can “set-up” by placing your hands under their chest and one under their bottom. One day Hobbs yelled at me saying “if you stop pulling on my “testicles” I will stand for you!” From then on I stacked him on the table one leg and at a time and never had another problem.
Recently I was challenged with Hobbs fighting with Scout all the time. I asked Hobbs why he was doing this and he plainly answered, “That is all I have left to really feel alive.” I said that we would take him out more and make sure that he had some excitement in his so that he didn’t have to fight with Scout. We had Hobbs neutered shortly thereafter so I don’t know if that was the reason or if, in part, it was because of our talk, but the fighting has ceased.
I believe that part of the gift of animals in our lives is that they teach us unconditional love. Seeing these uncommon friendship stories coming over the Internet help us to see that quality in our animal friends. Having a pet helps us receive God’s love because as we give in the care of the pet we receive love in return. Our pets don’t care how much money we make or what we wear, or what we do for our job….they just love us exactly where we are.
I will close with one more quick story. I once saw a wonderful television advertisement from the Humane Society in England. A big, powerful construction worker came home from work, dressed in his dirty work clothes. He had a scruffy little terrier mix dog who eagerly greeted him and then jumped on the bed as the man changed. The man did clean up and changed. He changed into a bra, a wig, and a dress. Put on lipstick, patted the dog as it jumped up to kiss his face and he left for the night.
Animals don’t care. They love us for who we are, wonderful children of God who, like they, are sharing this life. Let us remember to show compassion, not only for our human family but also for our brothers and sisters of the animal kingdom. We are coming to realize that we are more alike than you might think!
Thank you!
Easin’ on Down the Road
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
July 27, 2008
We’ve been in a series of titles for our talks this month that have to do with the weather and songs. I started with, “Keep on the Sunny Side of Life,” then Rev. Joel gave his talk, “Singing in the Rain.” Both of us talked about how to maintain a positive outlook when the world seems to be taking a dimmer view of life and its unfolding process.
Today, I take my title from the play and movie, “The Wiz.” The song, “Easin’ on Down the Road” replaced, “We’re off to See the Wizard,” I think this song entered my mind because with everything else that has gotten so complicated in our world, I believe we are being called back to our spirituality, our relationship with Spirit, in a very simple way. Life simply does not need to be as hard as we are making it!
I have had many discussions with a wide variety of people over the topic of religion. Many of these people, including my doctoral advisor, believe that religion has helped to bring humans forward in their “civilized” states. I can’t disagree more. I chuckle when Victor and I talk about the subject now because he has become a convert on the topic of religion that he finds less use for it than I do.
I do understand and believe that people are born into the culture and faith they are meant to experience but I also believe that we are here to be awakened and to move to the next step. For some the next step happens in this life, or in lives past, or in lives in the future but I do believe that people will awaken to remember to who and what they really are at some time in their earthly experiences. There are many teachers today who believe that it is critical that this awakening happen soon!
I have been listening to a six-lecture series by Gregg Braden that Carol Oveross loaned me. I have read a book by Gregg but I am ready to go back and buy all of his books. The simplicity from which he teaches is so refreshing and with his scientific understanding and research he can reach many more people who are tied to a belief system rooted in this world.
The bottom-line for Gregg Braden is that we just have to get into our hearts. The reason that affirmations alone don’t work is that we usually say them without feeling, without being in our heart. We have talked about that here. However, in his lectures, he utilizes leading edge technology that actually demonstrates the differences that occur in the field of consciousness that surrounds us when a group of people are in their heart. And, it happens immediately!
Did you know that in all the universe that 96% of the universe is empty? Only 4% , according to Gregg Braden, only 4% of the universe has visible, physical manifestations. The rest of the emptiness? The rest of the universe and beyond is the field of consciousness we refer to as the Creator, the Divine Consciousness from which all flows.
Gregg did not discuss this but I will also challenge you to think about the universe in terms of dimensions, planes of existence that are so numerous as to be infinite in our ability to fathom them. If heaven is not a place but a different vibratory dimension, imagine that there are multitudes of similar dimensions where we may exist as beings. In the Kabbalah, this dimension, this level of existence, is called Malkuth. It is the most dense of existences.
If we could tune a dimension in like we do a radio station, it would be easy to communicate with our brothers and sisters in that dimension as we might listen to a classical music station here. I believe that this is exactly the way that psychics are capable of communicating with those “beyond the veil,” they are simply tuning in. Some even use that language. I know that when I am in a clairaudient state, I speak or write what I am hearing as it is being transmitted but I am often as surprised as anyone else when I have completed a sharing. It is not that I am unconscious, it is simply that I am acting like a radio, I am transmitting the energy waves of communication as it comes through.
I think that this dimensional aspect of our existence is making communication from and with those who are on other planes of existence easier for those who are opening to inspiration. Many different teachers are speaking similar messages today in our world and I strongly suspect that we are being inspired so that all of our brothers and sisters in all faiths around the world can understand how simple, how really simple it can be to turn the world around, today!
Gregg Braden uses his understanding of the field of quantum physics to describe in scientific detail what is happening to the atoms, protons, and all the other parts of the quantum universe when they are “choosing” what reality to create. Do you remember the scene in, “What the Bleep?” when the young woman is looking at all the realities that could be chosen and she is drawn to one? Scientists have been getting better and better at understanding this more thoroughly and it does appear that we, as CREATORS of our life and of our world, are making those decisions every moment of the day. Life manifests for us AS we believe it should, could, or will.
Let me say that again! LIFE MANIFESTS FOR US AS WE BELIEVE IT SHOULD, COULD, OR WILL! As we believe. Belief is what happens when our thoughts meet with our faith, in our heart center. Our beliefs can change and our lives can manifest differently than what we see here and now. And, according to Gregg Braden and others, it can happen instantaneously. It is totally dependent upon our belief system.
What holds us back? Our belief in the physical world is stronger than our belief in ourselves. Our belief in our need to suffer, or our belief that others are in charge, or our belief that we are deserving in some way of the good we are here to experience, all of these false beliefs hold us back.
When I think of the master teachers who have spoken about this world being an illusion, I do believe that the illusion is that this world holds any power over us! We acknowledge that we live and move and have our being in this field of consciousness we call God or Creator or Great Spirit. We are one with the Creator…we are spirits, consciousness just like the field of consciousness in which we reside having physical experiences.
Think of your body. You move through your day to day experiences. You think and plan, then act by working, playing, and loving. You live your life. And, your heart lives its life within you. It does its job. It pumps the blood. It is fulfilling its duty without any thought of its connectedness to the rest of the body. Except that is not true. The scientists now know that your heart has an energy field that extends out at least 6-8 feet from your body. And, your heart has a memory. That fact has been discovered by doctors and scientists that have come to find out that in heart transplants the recipient often takes on a traits from the donor. (like a love for McDonalds fries and chocolate shakes!) So, even if your heart is not consciously connected with you in the fulfillment of its duties, it carries a memory of you and its energy field affects those around you without you even noticing it!
Now let’s consider a cell in your heart. It is formed, it grows, does it duties, fulfills its destiny, and then dies. We do not know if it has a consciousness of its own but it accomplishes what it is destined to do in the time it is here to do it.
A long time ago we talked about the theory of holons. This is the basis for these concepts. That everything in physical creation is whole and complete unto itself and is part of a larger holon that it is not aware of nor is the larger holon probably aware of it. Until we get down the minutest of particles which are responsible for determining the direction of the creation altogether, in the quantum states.
The other night I heard that they are finding that immature stem cells live abundantly in the fat tissues of humans. The story was about liposuction and a discussion that perhaps in the future stem cells from plastic surgeons’ offices could replace the stem cells that are so controversial when they are taken from developing fetuses.
Just having listened to Gregg Braden speak about stem cells this story piqued my interest. Gregg talked about accessing our stem cells for healing by being in our hearts for only three minutes a day! What if you could meditate and get into your heart for only three minutes each day. Your natural cortisol levels would drop, your DHEA levels would rise, leading to cellular healing in your body. Gregg stated that there is no scientific reason that we should not have good, healthy lives for 300 years or more. Think what you could do with your life if you could get the first hundred years or so out of the way learning what you had to learn?
But that three minutes a day is a very special time. It is not just meditating but it is not hard either. I love that Gregg is into removing all the rituals from spirituality and teaching that we just need to get into our heart.
We saw the movie, “Mama Mia,” Friday. I was in my heart for two hours and the movie and all the night afterwards. Where can you go in your mind that will put you into your heart? Is it to your children’s faces when they were young and adoring? Is it playing with a puppy or a kitten? Is it enjoying a beautiful sunset with a loved one? Is it total gratitude and appreciation for your relationship with your Divine Spirit?
You see, being in the heart is about the FEELING OF GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION. It’s being totally in the space of full gratitude. Sometimes in can help to touch your heart, or to consciously breathe in and out of your heart, like Ilene Gottlieb shared with us, envisioning the breathe moving in and out of your heart area and allowing the feelings of complete gratitude and appreciation to flow through you with your breathe.
That is the healing place. That is the healing place.
This is also the place from which we want to bring our affirmations and prayers but we come into this space with the full knowledge that what we state we fully believe has already come into manifestation. To pray for something affirms we do not have it. To pray something in is to state that we already have it, which is true because ALL possibilities are ALREADY present in our lives, we are simply stating which one we choose to experience and are in gratitude for it. It is our job then to go about and ACT AS IF it were already the truth.
I am so thankful for happy financial surprises that occur in my life all the time. I find dollars here and there, quarters on the ground, receive checks I didn’t expect. Every day in every way I am thankful and excited to see what happy financial surprises occur today!
We have been talking about conscious living this month. Choosing what you experience, choosing how you act and react in life, and choosing the possibilities for your life. Why is this important?
These messages are going out to small groups all over the planet. We are being taught and reminded that we are the CREATORS of our world. We are POWERFUL and we are CHOOSING what we manifest here. I have been awakened by Gregg’s message! We do have a responsibility to call forth the harmony and tolerance between all of our earthly brothers and sisters so that each of us experiences the peace and love I believe we came here to enjoy. I do believe we lost our way once we forgot who we were as spirit beings. I do believe we CAN choose a different reality, one that we can manifest in a heartbeat. If we choose.
Let’s express how we can ease on down the road!
Thank you!
“Keep on the Sunny Side of Life”
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
July 13, 2008
How many of you are finding it challenging to stay on the sunny side of life these days? Even those of us who see a glass half-full, are eternally optimistic, and are forever being called “Polyannas”, are having our moments of being challenged by the world. We all know the myriad of reasons for these challenges but, when we think of human history through the eons, humans have always faced major challenges under the threat of annihilation from wars, epidemics, weather anomalies, and geographical cataclysms such as volcanoes, tsunamis, deluges, earthquakes and more!
We have talked about this before but one of the differences we have in the “modern” age is the fact that we have modern media: television, radio, print, and the Internet. News about almost anything can be transmitted in a matter of seconds almost anywhere around the world. Events that were once localized took days, months, even years before the information was shared with others only a hundred miles away. Events took place in a vacuum until the 20th century.
When we think about the thousands of people who are described to have been killed in biblical accounts, or the slaughter of hundreds or thousands by the ancient armies of Greece, Persia, Egypt, and Rome, we are brought back to the reality that man’s viciousness against man is NOT a new phenomena
I am not going to bore with you with the history of the human race (as we have been taught through the ages) but I do want to remind you that even though we have had a fairly peaceful world for the past thirty years or so, we are only looking through the eyes of America. The rest of the world has been hit with a wide variety of wars, battles, tidal waves, earthquakes, droughts, floods, tornados, hurricanes, plagues and so on.
After WWII and the Korean Conflict, we enjoyed a prosperity that was open to almost everyone. Many of us “Baby Boomers” were born during this period and it has affected how we see the world. When Vietnam occurred, enough time had passed since the previous wars to have some young men eager to serve their country in war. As time passed, we all know that Americans realized that the U.S. was in a losing proposition and demanded the withdrawal from Southeast Asia.
Again, with some thirty years since our previous serious conflict in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, Americans had forgotten the realities of war, realities that many of us saw on televisions over the dinner table each night as teens. It was easy to rev up the country and get us to go to war. And yet, this is a sanitized war because no longer do we see the realities of war on Fox News or CNN. We don’t have any Walter Cronkite reporters telling the stories over the evening news. No daily reports of how many dead on our side or their side.
No, we are constantly distracted by all of the “important” news that the powers that be want to divert our attention and keep us revved up over something—gas prices that skyrocketed in such a short time---the acceptance of the reality of the climate change—the concern about erratic weather patterns—the economy.
Now that I have totally bummed you out, I want you to remember the title of this talk, “Keep on the Sunny Side of Life”. I want to share 10 ideas with you, tools for staying in a positive mode in your day to day routine. What can you do?
1. Turn it all off. We have talked about this before. I have become quite the advocate for totally cutting one’s self off from TV, news radio (including NPR), newspapers, and news magazines. Initially it is difficult. It is a bad habit to break. I allowed myself reading the USA Today on vacation and I occasionally see a little TV news once in a blue moon or catch a little snippet of news on a music radio station but I am extremely careful. If something comes on about anything that raises the red warning flag in my solar plexus, I turn it off. I promise you, if you carefully guard what goes into your consciousness through your ears, you will become much better at controlling your emotional state.
2. Replace the input with videos or dvds of your choice in your home, CDs and listen to radio stations with music you enjoy in the car or in your home. Try checking out books on CD or tape at the library or even at Yavapai College. Take an opportunity to listen to the classics! Become conscious of what you are listening to in your life and you will become much better at controlling your emotional state.
3. Become a reader! This is a great way to help stay on the sunny side of life! You don’t always have to spend money on books. You can borrow books from the library or from one another here. Read life-affirming books, good novels, biographies of people who inspire you. Reading is a wonderful tool to help you escape from the world’s messages and move into an entirely different reality. Reading allows you to consciously choose what you will allow into your brain visually and you will become much better at controlling your emotional state.
4. Sing! If you are someone like me, singing can change your mood very quickly. I have a number of feel good songs that I use to keep me in a positive state. One is: “Life is So Good”….Keep songs in your repertoire that make you feel good. Altering our state of mind through singing means that we think of the song, a conscious act, we sing the song, a conscious act, and then, we hear the song, a conscious act. All of this helps you become much better at controlling your emotional state.
5. Write! Write poems, or lists, or prose, or essays-anything that will help you capture the beauty of life and those things that bring you pleasure, consciously reminding yourself of the good that fills your life each day. The Psalms are filled with praise for God that are said to have been written by King David. What if you could take the time to keep a journal of all the good you experience every day in your life. You could refer to it when you hit a day that does not look so good. It’s your tool kit filled with important tools, your thoughts and inspirations, that you can use when the world crashes in. Writing is another conscious action that you can take to become much better at controlling your emotional state.
6. Give thanks moment to moment. Those things we focus upon grow for us. When we give thanks for everything in our lives, even when we are tempted to name them good or bad, if we just say, thank you for this occurring in my life, we allow Spirit to bring us blessings so wonderful that we could not have planned for them even if we wanted to. Remember Rev. Joel’s story last week about the farmer and his son. When the people around him were either congratulating the farmer or sympathizing for him, he would always just answer, “Maybe.” He did not name an experience as good or bad—he allowed it to unfold in its Divine Order.
We, too, are tempted to hear about something that is happening and call it good or bad. What if we could catch ourselves and re-train ourselves to think, “Maybe”—to consciously respond by saying “thank you” ---and allowing the Divine Plan to unfold? Gratitude is another conscious action that you can take to become much better at controlling your emotional state.
7. Train yourself to find something positive in any challenging situation that might come up. Look for the good. Make lemonade out of lemons. When I pump gas into my car I give thanks for my safe and reliable vehicle and for a job that supports me well so that I can afford the gas. I am glad that I can work my schedule to plan trips in ways that make sense for gas savings.
I am grateful for the rain to bring out the beautiful green around our home. I am grateful for the snow and cold in the winter because I know that it also helps the greening of our landscape in the spring.
When you make a conscious decision to find a positive in ANY situation, you are taking another action that you can help you become much better at controlling your emotional state.
8. Acknowledge that there is a Divine Plan at work in the world and whether or not you understand that Plan, there is a Power that is behind everything. Even if we do not understand the role of certain people in our country or in the world, we believe that each of us is operating on our on life plan that we agreed to accomplish prior to our birth. The world is unfolding as it should and each of us has a right to be here and to do exactly what we are doing. If you believe that this Power is in charge, then this Power is ALWAYS in charge. By consciously reminding yourself of this, in any words that are comfortable for you, you are taking another action that can help you become much better at controlling your emotional state.
9. We are all more alike than we are different. As humans we seek love, comfort, connection to others, and connection to Spirit. We also strive to fulfill a sense of destiny that lies deep within each of us. People are basically good and even when we don’t understand the actions they take, we know that at the center of our beings, we are all children of Spirit. As we call call forth the unity of humanity in our prayers and meditations, we can move past our differences and acknowledge that each person chose to live in their country, celebrate their religion, and acquire their cultural identities, all before each person was born. When you can consciously remember our true identities as Spirit-Ones who came to the planet together, you are taking another action that can help you become much better at controlling your emotional state.
10. And finally, speak up! It is easy to listen to others in the world who are part of the 99% of the world who are buying into all of this stuff!
Share with other people the methods you have found to consciously choose to control your emotional state. People need a lifeline these days. They need to have something to believe in. They need to believe that humans are NOT in control of the events taking place. Humans are only reacting to the events taking place.
The vibratory level that is incrementally becoming higher and faster is causing many people, organizations, communities, and even countries to act out in very crazy ways. I can tell you that I see people reacting in fear and acting out in ways that would never have seemed remotely appropriate even a year ago. I see organizations coming apart at the seams. I see businesses closing and owners frightened about their next step. I see people losing their jobs or experiencing serious cutbacks in their hours. I see people having to adjust to less money in their lives. I see people deciding to pass out of this life rather than experiencing the challenges of the days. I see people confused and dazed.
We know what is going on. We are witnesses to the consciousness evolution and we can remain the stable ships in the storms of our world. We have chosen to be here at this time to be lights unto the world. We owe it to our selves, our souls, and our brothers and sisters, to live each day as consciously as we possibly can.
Where you are caught up in a dysfunctional situation, be the light that calls forth truth in the darkness. If the situation is not key to your life (like a club), consider withdrawing for a time. If it is your job, be open and willing to release and let go of whatever you are asked to do. Remind yourself, everything is in perfect Divine Order.
If your friends or partners are swept up by the world, be the light. Remind of tools for being centered amidst the storm.
You are the light of the world. You are that 1% that Jesus called forth to be in the world but not of the world. You are being asked to live conscious and awake in the world today. Choose to live consciously even if you have to develop new habits. It will pay off in the long run by helping you become much better at controlling your emotional state. You too, can “Keep on the Sunny Side of Life.”
Thank you!
Love Grows
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
June 29, 2008
As you know we spent the last week with our kids and grandkids in Illinois. Now, the last time I traveled was two years ago and that was when I took a road trip with my friend, Trish, to go to the Beagle Nationals in Indiana. We didn’t stop to savor the culture much on the road trip but when we see the kids in Illinois, we get a lot of time to savor the culture. And I will tell you, the culture in Illinois is VERY different from these towns in which we live!
Of course, like Rev. Joel who also makes regular treks back to Illinois to visit his kids and grandkids, we find that the area is teeming with families living family lives. People still get married. There are often three or more generations sharing experiences together. And people are having families, I mean people actually have 3, 4, and 5 or more babies in the Midwest. It’s kind of a shock when we live in these communities of well, older folks!
So we get a lot of time to watch people and especially families interacting with one another and other people too. Our son and daughter-in-law have had their last baby. They now have a boy, Noah, who is 9 on July 3rd, a girl, Quinn, who is 5, and a new baby girl, Sawyer Jane, who is 2 months old. When a family decides that the last baby has been delivered, it signals a new set of markers for the family. This is the last “first time standing,” and this is the last “first time eating solid food.” It may seem a little silly to many of you, but these markers can be very significant for a mother, especially one who really loves going through the baby stuff.
When Jamie, our daughter-in-law, and I were talking about how hard this is for her, I shared with her who I had to acknowledge that I was truly passing the torch of motherhood when she had Noah. He was our first grandchild and even though Victor and I didn’t have children together, we both believe all three sons are “ours”. So, the rest of the family that comes with them are “ours” too.
I shared with Jamie that I felt quite emotional going home after sharing the experience of the new baby with them, not that I was jealous but that, even though our other two sons were quite grown, I had to really admit that I was passing this torch on to the next generation. Then, they moved to Illinois when Noah was less than 3 months old and I didn’t even get the opportunity to share in the experience of his growing up as I had looked forward to. Fortunately, Jamie and I are close so we have kept in touch throughout the years and she is great about photos but it is not the same as going to school plays and soccer practice.
In the past 8+ years, we have traveled back to see the kids four times. Each time has been a little different but I can honestly say that this trip was the first time that I totally felt comfortable in my skin as grandma who has a role with these grandchildren as they are growing up. Even though we are at a distance, the grandchildren know who we are and are comfortable in relating with us. Both Victor and I felt an interesting shift this time.
We went to the Brookfield Zoo one day. The kids just had to go see the Stingray Exhibit so Grandpa Victor and Grandma Sue took the two older kids in. One of the interesting things that really got my attention was the mother bear that began to come alive in me! Anybody know what that feels like? Now, the kids were pretty good at getting themselves into a good location to see the sea creatures but I found myself watching them intently for any signs of someone coming too close or pushing them out of the way.
If you have never had the mother bear experience I will tell you that it comes from somewhere so deep and instinctual that you don’t even know it is there until you are roaring insanely at someone! I didn’t do that but I was surprised that I had those feelings laying latent in my being….what a surprise!
My father became really embroiled in one of my sisters’ divorce that took years and tens of thousands of dollars to get through. He really wanted the whole family to pitch in and help but we all had our own families to take care of. The other four of us believed this sister was drawing things way out past the point of necessity but she made claims of abuse against her husband and my father just stayed in fighting with her for the long haul.
I have to say that, now that I am a grandparent, I can see where that kind of commitment to one’s grandchildren can arise. I have a much better sense understanding for the position that he really put himself and my mother into to help my sister. I believe that Victor and I would also do whatever we could for our grandchildren if called upon in need.
If you haven’t already guessed it, I strive to live each experience in my life as fully as I possibly can. I grab as much meaning as possible in order that I can go to sleep each night feeling as though I am living my life in an awake mode. With this attitude at work, every day, every interaction, every situation in your life can enlighten you a little more!
We spent one full day at Six Flags Park in the Chicago area. Now, Six Flags is basically a park built around roller coasters and other thrilling rides. We found out that Victor had never been on a roller coaster. This was his day! He, Brian, (our oldest son), and Noah went on the Superman roller coaster where one flies through the air, on the Batman roller coaster that you do standing up, and on the old American Eagle giant wooden coaster where your guts reside in your tonsils. They also went with Jamie and Quinn on the Whizzer roller coaster. I was so proud of Victor for trying the rides and really enjoying them!
I don’t like roller coasters. My body interprets the sensations as one step away from death. I did them with my kids but now I don’t have to prove anything to anyone and I don’t do them anymore. So, I babysat Sawyer. Sawyer is a two-month old magnet for people everywhere. I watched a one 5 year old girl dragged her mom across many feet of park to get to me when I was holding Sawyer.
The little girl had this amazing face painitng of flowers around her eyes and she h ad the deepest blue I have seen in a long time. She looked at me and she said, “She’s a girl.” I answered, “yes.” The little girl moved Sawyer’s covers back from her face and connected with her without a word, touching her lightly. Sawyer smiled. The little girl’s mother was embarrassed, apologizing for her daughter’s rudeness but I told her it was perfectly OK and not to worry. The little girl was dragged away by her mom as she looked back at Sawyer.
Next, a Moslem woman sat next to me with a little girl, about 2 yrs. of age. She looked at me and smiled beautifully and then, she too felt compelled to reach out to touch Sawyer. The woman pulled the little girl back but she then reached out with her toy to give it to Sawyer. Again, the nonverbal communication was so lovely to watch.
In a few moments a grandmother stepped up with four children. Grandmother spoke French but the children were American. I chuckled because the youngest, about 4 was also having a conversation with Sawyer from a distance of about 4 feet. The little girl’s eyes then were averted to the Moslem woman and little girl beside me. What was interesting to watch was that the blonde haired, blue-eyed 4 year old was transfixed by the outfit of the Moslem woman and the little girl. She stared at them, I think out of curiosity but the little Moslem child became agitated with the stare and angrily, but without a word, began to fling her monkey on a stick at the 4 yr. old girl. This went on for several long seconds—the Moslem girl, even though she was very young, reacted strongly to what she thought was rude. Eventually grandmother pulled the children away and the drama came to an end.
The Moslem girl turned to Sawyer again, all smiles, and engaged the baby once more. How strange I thought, that a child so young could see another child’s stare as threatening. Her family came out of the ride that Victor, Brian, and Noah were on. They all made over Sawyer too and then, their little girl and soon we were all on our way.
When Victor and I were discussing this, Noah said, people do that to Sawyer all the time. They stop what they are doing and come over to see her. It will be interesting to watch her develop and see what gifts she brings to the world!
Bringing this all around to watching love grow in our lives, I want to share how this wonderful force truly does expand for us in unlimited ways. When we have a child we don’t know if we could love another one as much, and then, we do. As a grandparent, I am seeing that I have those same feelings in my being that I did as a mother and that is a big surprise.
If we don’t have nuclear family ties, many times we can experience these feelings for nieces, nephews, for friends children. Of course, I am a great one for believing that we have the opportunity to love pets in our lives.
I think that it is great that there are still places in the United States where families are cherished and protected. Where mom and dad and kids and grandparents still go out to dinner and then for ice cream treats together and talk about life. I was reminded this week that we have created families to help us to learn how to love so that we can grow up, fall in love, and share love with others too. I never expected to REALLY love my daughters-in-law like daughters, but I do….what a lovely surprise that has been!
And I know that in groups like this, we can come and honestly love one another because we know that the qualities that love brings to us as humans helps our lives to be fulfilled. Living life as a loving being gives us a wonderful path to walk upon in our daily lives.
Thank you!
In Honor of Our Fathers
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
June 15, 2008
In 1988 I was traveling in Germany as part of a European business trip for Pet Ag Inc. We started in Frankfurt, Germany and then, headed north toward Nuremburg where two men from our company worked an international pet trade show with me. After a week in Nuremburg, we traveled to the southern part of Germany, in the region of the Black Forest, where we spent a night with a veterinary distributor in the small town on Salgau.
We had a traditional Germany dinner at the Salgau Inn and a quick trip around the town square before retiring. The next morning, long before anyone else rose, I took a walk in the lovely town as dawn broke. The townspeople were very excited by the fact that a stork had returned to their town which was a symbol of good luck for the town. I saw the stork as it flew around the tallest steeple in town, the clock tower steeple, and I wove around the narrow streets following wafts of delicious smells from the bakery.
As I turned down one street I stopped dead in my tracks. In front of me were three full-size bronze statues of three German men standing with pipes in mouth and fingers jabbing at one another. What caught me so unaware was the fact that I was looking at the faces of my father, his father, and my father’s brother! My father always told me that his father’s family came to America from Kassel, in northern Germany and yet, here was my family big as life! What a deep and instantaneous connection I felt to the male side of my heritage!
Most of us were raised in a home that, if religious activities were present, they were in the name of the God, the Father. The concept of recognizing the feminine face of God/Goddess/Creator has just emerged again over the past 15 or 20 years. So, if we were raised with the concept of God, the Father, who do you think we looked to as the symbol of God on Earth? By the psychological link that we make as young people, our earliest concepts of God probably had something in common with what we experienced with our fathers or even grandfathers.
Sometime during your life, maybe early on your path, maybe a little later along your path, you were able to develop a concept about God that you recognized as separate and apart from the expectations you had of your human father. Sometimes those early separations may have come from your exposure to religious figures in your life; priests, rabbis, or pastors. But even those associations become limited as we mature and see that these human representatives of God are fallible. With this realization one really begins to develop as a spiritual being and comes to know the Divine on a completely different level.
Earlier in your life though, it is easy to see that if you had a generous father who delighted in providing you what you needed for life, it was easier to accept that you life in a generous world ruled by a God that took pleasure in providing for you. If you had a much stricter father who doled out what you needed in a rather miserly way and was not affectionate or seemingly supportive, you may very well have had a more difficult time trusting that God “the Father” could be expected to be any different.
My father was not an outwardly emotional man. It was late in his life that he would cautiously say, “I love you,” in response to an “I love you” from his adult children or the grandkids. It just wasn’t part of his make-up. I remember him driving me to Albuquerque, New Mexico to go to dog grooming school after I graduated from high school. We had a great trip together and I agonized over whether or not to say, “I love you,” at the end of our trip. I was to take him to the airport to fly home and he was to leave the car with me. He drove us to the airport and when I got out he gave me the keys and said, “Learn a lot. Maybe when you are done, you can get one of those grooming vans for your own business.” I said, “That would be great and I love you.” I just kind of shot it out there because it was not an exchange we had ever had. The words just laid down on the cement. No return and yet, I thought I saw a tear as he turned away. Years later, whenever I had a trip to take for a quick bit of business, my dad always wanted to go along. I thought it was to try to recapture that special moment we had when I was 18.
Yes…my father, a career officer in the Air National Guard, was a formidable man. And yet, he served in the Boy Scouts at our church as Cub Master and then, Scout Master, during the time my brothers were growing up. He was very active in our church as an Elder, a leader in the Presbyterian Church. He rose from the ranks of Supply Officer at the Air National Guard base to Chief Personnel Officer at the end of his career. He also served as the base Public Relations Officer, something I only learned at his funeral. What a surprise!
And yet, my father shared things with me that he had not shared with my four other brothers and sisters, simply because I asked. I knew that he had a lifelong desire to be a chef. I knew that he loved the radio shows when he was young—those series that came over the air like, “The Shadow” and “Adventures of Amos and Andy.” I knew that he worked in a bank when he and my mom first came to Arizona and he hated it. I knew that he tried to work as a milk tester for dairy farms in Michigan when he got out of the Air Force but the same severe hay allergies that prevented him from farming with his father, prevented him from working around farms altogether. I also knew about his experience in the Phillipines during WWII—something that was never discussed in our family. In some ways I was able to dig beneath the shell he wore for everyone in the world and get to know him as a person.
Once I was watching a Phil Donahue show that interviewed a father and his family. The father had always worked and supported the family, as he was supposed to do, and through the years his wife and children had carried on their lives without him to the point that he was old, sick, and felt very alone. The family was still intact, and yet, this man had kept the stiff upper lip so long that he had closed himself off emotionally, mentally, and in some ways, physically from his family. During the interview he broke down and cried. This large man who did everything he was supposed to do was isolated and so sad.
Watching this show really woke me up! I was married and had two sons by then and had a different view of life than that I had a younger person. When my father visited my husband, children, and myself, he was a very different person than he was with my mother and my brothers and sisters who were still at home. He loved the rabbits at our house and bought two rabbits to love at his home. He loved the kids in ways he had not been able to love my siblings and me because he was always so busy. Now, my husband was living the same life and my father wished that he could knock some sense in both of his sons-in-law to let them know that they would regret not having made time for the kids. Dad was relaxed around us. We didn’t expect anything from him on his visits and yet, he gave us everything, he truly demonstrated an ability to give love and to receive it as well.
I watched as the scenario at home got sadder and sadder for my father as he got older. He was pushed farther and farther from the picture. He wanted to leave but how could he move into an apartment and leave everything that he had accumulated that was important to him—his tools, his hobbies, his bunnies, his fishing boat and equipment? Where was his joy to come from? He worked his whole life to be a good provider and now, his life seemed to have passed by.
He never got comfortable with “I love you’s” but he did get to the point of returning them in his life. His way of showing love continued to be helping us financially or buying things the “kids” needed, or bringing food over. He always showed love by providing for us perfectly. I know that my faith in the Creator’s goodness and for providing for my needs comes from my father’s consistent ability to provide for me as a young person.
Every dinner at my house we prayed the prayer, “God is great. God is good. And we thank Him for our food. Amen.” This simple prayer instilled in us the reverence and appreciation for the gifts we received from our Creator. And, in a way, it was a pause that appreciated my father’s work as well.
I look back at the rearing my own children got. The first few years they were raised in a household where a box of cereal at a time appeared in our cupboard. We had ramen and fish sticks or peanut butter sandwiches many meals. They also had a psychotic father who had severe mood shifts.
When they were 5 and 6, I divorced their father and moved back to Arizona. The boys were raised close to my parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We all strove to give them more security on all levels and provide the necessities of life in greater abundance. One son has great trust in the universe to provide all he needs. The younger son has more difficulty in trusting. He finds the pitfalls along the way most of the time. I have to wonder if, in part, it has to do with the early imprinting he received from his own father?
Most of us grew up in a time where our fathers did what they had to do because it was expected of them. While women in my generation seem to have the right” to ask, “When is it my turn?” after raising the children, helping put the husband through college, working full or part-time; the young men and women of the next generation seem to be putting different values on shared responsibilities, time for work and time for play, and balance. The imprinting the next generation will receive will be more balanced in terms of male/female energy working together to provide the necessities of life.
I want to especially honor our fathers who, for the most part, bore the burdens of earning the living for the family. They were the everyday heroes who got up each day and went to work. Fathers who came home and spent Saturdays doing “honey-dos” or mowing the lawn, and Sundays at church. The idea of rest and relaxation was not in their vocabulary…they were the products of the post-WWI economy when everyone was encouraged to grab their piece of the dream and not to settle for mediocre living.
I want to honor the fathers who did what they knew to do because it was passed down from their parents before and Dr. Spock was just coming into existence with books that explained how to be a dad or a mom. Fathers, many who served in the service during WWII or Korea, and had very few people to advocate for their mental or emotional trauma.
I want to honor my father. For putting his life on hold in so many ways, for doing what was expected of him throughout his career in the Air National Guard, for leading me morally, ethically, and spiritually on a path that provided me a base from which to operate.
My father wasn’t perfect but I choose to see the long term good that comes from my having chosen him as my father. I remember that as an 8 year old girl I went fishing for 8 hours on a very small boat with my dad, my grandfather, and my uncle and had to use a coffee can potty while my father made everyone turn away for my privacy, I remember my father coming to pick me up at school because I came down with the stomach flu and take me home to care for me as well as my mother and the rest of my brothers and sisters. I remember my father staying up at night when I had raging earaches and playing cards with me until the aspirin would start to take effect to ease the pain. And I remember my father, as he turned away at the Albuquerque airport with tears in his eyes.
I know that you have times that you can remember about your father too. Let’s take some time this morning to reach out in our hearts to our fathers and say thank you for living their lives and touching ours in special ways.
Meditation with Your Father
Let’s get quiet and bring an image of your father into your mind. He might be young or he might be older. Allow the image to percolate up because it will be the one that you most closely can relate to.
Now, in the quietness of this moment hold the image of your father in your mind’s eye. Just imagine your hearth expanding with great love for your father. Imagine a rose bud opening large and larger. The rose fills your senses with feelings of love and as you see this, imagine the image of your father moving into the middle of this great rose. Imagine your father’s image being immersed in this beautiful essence, the rose symbolizes love and your heart sends this love to your father.
In a way that is comfortable for you, thank you father for his part in your life. Have a conversation with him. Perhaps you have a memory or two that is very special that you want to thank him for. Maybe this is the time to forgive your father for something. He was doing the best he could with the tools he had. Acknowledge that sometimes life is hard and you forgive him for messing up. This is a wonderful time to just say thank you for the time you shared.
God, our Divine Creator, you in whom we move and have our being, we have known you as father and we have known you as mother. Today, we thank you for your part in our lives as the motivator, the Great Spirit who provides the energy for creation to manifest. We thank you and honor you as you are seen in the faces of the men in our world and especially as our fathers. On this Fathers Day, we come to honor all those who have expressed your love as our fathers and we send them our blessings as they proceed along their journeys as spiritual beings.
We let it be. Amen.
Revelations on Revelation part 2
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
May 25, 2008
The Book of Enoch
Chapter 1
1The word of the blessing of Enoch, how he blessed the elect and the righteous, who were to exist in the time of trouble; rejecting all the wicked and ungodly. Enoch, a righteous man, who was (1) with God, answered and spoke, while his eyes were open, and while he saw a holy vision in the heavens. This the angels showed me.
2From them I heard all things, and understood what I saw; that which will not take place in this generation, but in a generation which is to succeed at a distant period, on account of the elect.
3Upon their account I spoke and conversed with him, who will go forth from his habitation, the Holy and Mighty One, the God of the world:
4Who will hereafter tread upon Mount Sinai; appear with his hosts; and be manifested in the strength of his power from heaven.
5All shall be afraid, and the Watchers be terrified.
6Great fear and trembling shall seize them, even to the ends of the earth. The lofty mountains shall be troubled, and the exalted hills depressed, melting like a honeycomb in the flame. The earth shall be immerged, and all things which are in it perish; while judgment shall come upon all, even upon all the righteous:
7But to them shall he give peace: he shall preserve the elect, and towards them exercise clemency.
8Then shall all belong to God; be happy and blessed; and the splendour of the Godhead shall illuminate them.
Chapter 2
1Behold, he comes with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon them, and destroy the wicked, and reprove all the carnal for everything which the sinful and ungodly have done, and committed against him. (2)
Chapter 3
1All who are in the heavens know what is transacted there.
2They know that the heavenly luminaries change not their paths; that each rises and sets regularly, every one at its proper period, without transgressing the commands, which they have received. The behold the earth, and understand what is there transacted, from the beginning to the end of it.
3They see that every work of God is invariable in the period of its appearance. They behold summer and winter: perceiving that the whole earth is full of water; and that the cloud, the dew, and the rain refresh it.
Chapter 4
1They consider and behold every tree, how it appears to wither, and every leaf to fall off, except of fourteen trees, which are not deciduous; which wait from the old, to the appearance of the new leaf, for two or three winters.
Chapter 5
1Again they consider the days of summer, that the sun is upon it at its very beginning; while you seek for a covered and shady spot on account of the burning sun; while the earth is scorched up with fervid heat, and you become incapable of walking either upon the ground or upon the rocks in consequence of that heat.
Chapter 6
1They consider how the trees, when they put forth their green leaves, become covered, and produce fruit; understanding everything, and knowing that He who lives for ever does all these things for you:
2That the works at the beginning of every existing year, that all his works, are subservient to him, and invariable; yet as God has appointed, so are all things brought to pass.
3They see, too, how the seas and the rivers together complete their respective operations:
4But you endure not patiently, nor fulfill the commandments of the Lord; but you transgress and calumniate his greatness; and malignant are the words in your polluted mouths against his Majesty.
5You withered in heart, no peace shall be to you!
6Therefore your days shall you curse, and the years of your lives shall perish; perpetual execration shall be multiplied, and you shall not obtain mercy.
7In those days shall you resign your peace with the eternal maledictions of all the righteous, and sinners shall perpetually execrate you;
8Shall execrate you with the ungodly.
9The elect shall possess light, joy, and peace; and they shall inherit the earth.
10But you, you unholy, shall be accursed.
11Then shall wisdom be given to the elect, all of whom shall live, and not again transgress by impiety or pride; but shall humble themselves, possessing prudence, and shall not repeat transgression.
12They shall not be condemned the whole period of their lives, not die in torment and indignation; but the sum of their days shall be completed, and they shall grow old in peace; while the years of their happiness shall be multiplied with joy, and with peace, for ever, the whole duration of their existence
Last week I started my talk about “Revelations on Revelation.” I started off by talking about the fact that when we hear about the Book of Revelation in the Holy Bible, we immediately go to images of war, pestilence, and destruction in our mind. For hundreds of years people have read this book in the Bible as a prophecy, expecting it to be fulfilled at each new turn of the calendar. If we, as seekers of truth, continue to hold this cultural image of the message of this chapter of the Bible, how can we expect others to see it any differently?
We also spoke about the book, “Revelations on the Book of Revelation,” written by Winifred MacCardell Flood, in 1953. The author spent 9 years investigating the translations of Greek and Hebrew words to get a more accurate representation of what the original text meant. Through her research she believed the Book of Revelation revealed a:
“God of Love; a plan for growth and unfoldment; a picture of that through which we all go i.e. the ups and downs of life, fear and courage, hope and despair, etc. All 22 chapters of the Book of Revelation are graphic descriptions of the extreme vacillation of our human feelings-the tug of war which goes on as we reach for our Divinity and then become discouraged at not attaining it at once.”
I have been surrounded by about 20 books this week, attempting to research this very interesting concept that I took on! I told Victor on Friday that I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I promised you that I would do some research on the Book of Revelation! I know that there is definitely a book in this because I could not find any books on the specific topic of understanding the symbolism in Revelation in a new way by understanding the symbols as a Gnostic message. This is going to be a long-term project and one that I will want to continue working on and share the completed thesis with you at a later time.
Why did I start with a reading from the Book of Enoch? And, what is it? The Book of Enoch has been declared an “apocrypha” which means it is a “secret” book. A “secret” book in ancient times meant that the book was to be kept in temple libraries and under the guardianship of the Hierophants and Initiated Priests. It was not a book whose text was meant for the “common audience.” The Book of Enoch, the Book of the “Seer” was preserved for many centuries.
It has been determined that this book was been written by several writers over time, not just one, and that each writer would have been a sacred writer of ancient wisdom. The scrolls or tablets upon which they were written were said to have been buried under the Pillars of Seth which was a code word for the “Sons of the Serpent God” or “Sons of the Dragon.” (We’ll return to those symbols in a few minutes)
These same pillars were the historical prototypes of the tablets of stones given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The pillars were said to have been covered with hieroglyphics that contained secrets of the inner temples and many nations in antiquity shared their information on the pillars.
When one reads the Book of Enoch one will find stories in common with Chaldean antiquity, Jewish antiquity, and Hindu stories from the ancient Puranas thought to chronicle catastrophic geological, astronomical, and cosmic disasters from pre-historical times. It also features stories borrowed by the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John. In fact, when compared, it becomes quite obvious that the Apostle John borrows literally from the Book of Enoch for his Book of Revelation and even places a whole sentence intact from Enoch into the mouth of Jesus!
When one looks at the Book of Enoch, the Book of Revelation, or even the Apocrypha of John (the Apostle) in the Nag Hammadi Library, it is easy to see that they are filled with symbols, word that do not mean what they normally might should they appear in a different place.
Symbolism is the mystery language of the past. Ancient writer, Clemens Alexandrinus wrote, “It is required to hide a symbol in wisdom spoken (or written).
If we look at the Book of Enoch, as it was written, a book that details the past rather than future events; and we know that John wrote the Book of Revelation to update the Book of Enoch, why we would decide that John’s version is a prophecy of the future? If we look at John’s apocrypha or hidden message, as a review of earth changes from the past, from a time when people could not understand earthquakes, floods, famines, and diseases in quite the way we do today, would they not think that these things were poured upon them by the gods or God?
Perhaps, as discussed last week, the Roman Church of the time decided to change some of the verbiage in order to hold this very scary book over the heads of the people to keep them in line. Christianity built its theosophical base on the concept of a great war in heaven. A war between good and evil, light and dark, God and Satan. I think that you will be surprising though when I share with you some interesting information about the symbolism present in the Book of Revelation such as snakes, dragons, goats, and even that of Satan!
Would you believe that the Devil, as represented by the snake, the dragon, and the goat is an ancient symbol of wisdom, not evil? In fact, the serpent, the snake, was not a symbol for evil or the Devil until the Middle Ages. Some of the Gnostic Christians in the 1st – 3rd centuries were “Serpent-Worshippers” and the snake was used to represent “The Son” in the Holy Trinity. Wise men or magi, used the dragon as their symbol. In the Book of Revelation, the dragon symbolizes magic, the conscious use of universal power for one’s desire, such as the use of affirmations!
Jesus advised his disciples to be as “wise as a serpent!” as opposed to as evil as a serpent. This also demonstrates his awareness of the serpent as a symbol for arcane or mystery wisdom.
We have discussed previously that the goat was used in Jewish sacrifices as the “scapegoat” to represent man’s “fall” into earth from his spiritual existence. Many Jewish people have forgotten the meaning of the goat and most Christians are not aware of it!
In Hebrew, Satan literally meant adversary. Satan is the light-bearer angel as the tale is told in the Bible. In ancient teachings, it is not Satan as Lucifer, the light-bearer, who is the fallen angel—it is humans. We knew the light and we chose to come into this plane with full knowledge that with it would come the light and the dark. Without the dark, light could not shine. Without light, there could be no dark. We have duality here and choices to make.
In my book, “Journey of the Spirit Ones,” we are told that we came as spirit to this realm and joined with creation as it was in its earliest stages brining a consciousness to the ones with whom we joined. During the early stages we remained conscious of our true selves, as Spirit Ones, but as we continued to choose a physical existence over that of a spiritual one, we developed an amnesia that caused us to forget our spiritual natures when we are in bodies.
On the Devil card in the Tarot deck, we can see that a symbol for the Devil, the goat figure, loosely holds a man and a woman shackled to their existence. They can easily lift the chains off but they seem to choose to stay shackled and earthbound. Again, it is a choice that we have made as a family of Spirit Ones.
Satan has become the Christian symbol for the creative force that sets off the Creator’s pure light. It is the force that creates the fabric of the manifest world from the eternal energy. It is Malkuth in the Jewish Kabbala-the physical existence and it is humans and the creations we develop in the world!
War on earth is not caused by some fallen angel—an angel the Bible says God loved. War and discord occur as a result of humans living on the planet, in physical bodies, with the knowledge of polarity. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Evil ever circles the world.” We will incarnate until we are redeemed, released by enlightenment and know the truth of our beings, then returning once again to our heavenly realm.
Not one great world religion fails to discuss the tradition of “fallen spirits”. In Buddhism, “Hoan-ty” the Great Spirit, sees his sons acquire active wisdom of discernment and fall into the Valley of Pain (physical). Their leader, the “Flying Dragon,” (symbol of wisdom) drank the Forbidden Ambrosia too and fell to Earth with his associates.
In Hinduism we have gods and goddesses that are creators and we have gods and goddesses that are destroyers. The duality in the created world is accepted as normal. Nature is ever in the process of birth, growth, degeneration, and death.
In the Christian faith the Devil, Satan has come to symbolize death and destruction. God is good….God would not allow bad things happen to good people! It must be the work of the Devil.
What if we could all come to understand that life simply is…as the Buddhist teach? It is our reaction to life that causes pain. It is up to us to re-frame our experiences being open to what life has to teach us from them.
The number 7 plays a very important role in the Book of Revelation. The seven churches and seven priests represent seven principles. In the Egyptian symbolism these are the: soul of blood (form), soul of breath, soul of perception, soul of procreation, soul of intellect, and spiritual soul.
In the esoteric tradition these are the: body (form), breath/life, astral body, intelligence, animal soul, spiritual soul, pure spirit.
In the Rig Vedas, the Hindu tradition these are the: 7 races of man, 7 sons of God, 7 rivers of Earth, 7 types of mankind, the earth and 6 globes, 7 other planes, 7 continents. In the Hindu Puranas, the Egyptian tales, and the Chaldean traditions, the 7 races of man were all born simultaneously.
In the Gnostic work, “Pistis Sophia,” the 7-lettered name for God, “Jehovah,” was the true and perfect name representing wisdom/the serpent. The 7-headed dragon in Revelation represents the serpent of darkness, which meant the principle of the “inconceivable and incomprehensible”, with 7-heads for logic reflecting the one and principle of manifested light and the Divine Word.
Seven is a symbolic number for archangels speaking. The 7-stars in Jesus’ hand in Revelation represents the 7 principles that were present in him. This can also represent the 7 chakras or energy centers from which the principles emanate.
Seven also represents the 7 creations of Brahma in the Hindu Puranas and the 7 days of creation of God in the Bible.
Without even touching the Book of Revelation today, we have begun to see how the symbolic language of the book is not even a little scary when translated through the understanding we have gained today. We can see it as a book re-written to chronicle not a horrific future but a past, a past that is beyond our written history but has left deep scars on our collective human conscious.
The Gnostic texts were always written in mystical symbolism for selected audiences. They did not expect their readings to have an historical accuracy nor did they expect people to interpret them as such. They were written to transmit a message. If we look at this as a Gnostic book, we can see only parts of the message because the entire message was not conveyed but even in that, John followed the pattern and verse of the Book of Enoch, a book that was written well before Gnosticism came into being.
The “Apocrypha of John” from the Nag Hammadi Library also features a writing of the Apostle John. During this long writing, John and Jesus have a long discourse on the progression of souls who have become immersed in the divine drama of life on Earth, asking if people progress to the Pleroma to be healed. After their lives on earth, some progress to the Pleroma while others return to live and work again, seeking to overcome ignorance. Some, however, are counterfeit spirits who are perennially blind and forgetful, and they shall never know God.
Yaltabaoth decided that the creation of man was not going too well so he decided to have a great flood come upon the earth and destroy man and his creations. The great Mother-Father God told Noah of the plan which he shared with his family and friends. Noah and many others were protected in a luminous cloud during the flood.
After the flood, Yaltabaoth sent his angels and demons to the daughters of men who survived to be their mates and fill them with evil and darkness. They looked like humans but they spread great troubles across the earth. There was nobody left to lead people back to the truth, to the God. People closed their hearts and died without the knowledge that could have set them free of their blindness.
But Jesus says that he came three times to reveal the light. The first two times he could not stay due to the amount of darkness that was present for the foundations shook and those present in the worlds he visited may have been destroyed.
On the third visit, he moved into the bodies of those who were in a deep sleep, unaware of his light presence. He promises to protect the souls from the “angels of poverty and the devils of chaos and all those who ensnare you,” to raise them from the throngs of Hades.
The “Apocryphon of John,” attempts to explain the nature of God, (including the masculine and feminine aspects of the creative force) as well as the creation of the Christ spirit that evolves as the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost concept in Christianity, removing the feminine principle from the equation or at least renaming it.
The story also attempts to explain the creation of angels and demons, of good and evil and even allows for actions of free will on the part of the angel Sophia, in her decision to give birth to a creation of her own without benefit of co-conception with the Father spirit as her “consort”. As we see this act of independence turn sour, we realize this has meaning for our day to day lives for if we seek to force creations in our lives without a balance of heart, mind and soul, we too may not enjoy the results we get in our lives. From these actions, we also have many experiences that help us to learn about consequences.
So, what I would like to ask you is to give me some time to continue working on this book of the Bible to attempt to come up with a very different translation than that which we have today. I hope that I have helped you to change your mind about the doomsday messages people have drawn from this book and that, if you are attempting to read it, you will remember what I have said.
Revelations on Revelation
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
May 18, 2008
When we hear about the Book of Revelation in the Holy Bible, we immediately go to images of war, pestilence, and destruction in our mind. For hundreds of years people have read this book in the Bible as a prophecy, expecting it to be fulfilled at each new turn of the calendar. If we, as seekers of truth, continue to hold this cultural image of the message of this chapter of the Bible, how can we expect others to see it any differently?
Of course, people who study the Bible can also pull other verses from various parts of the Old and New Testament that support the dire predictions one might find in the Book of Revelation. When we study verses from either the Bible or the Nag Hammadi Library or other Gnostic texts, we understand the text to be written in a different language, with different meanings.
We know that Jesus taught the crowds in parables, simple stories that could easily be understood by the masses at a very fundamental level. However, we also know that these same parables can be understood at a totally different level when they are interpreted with an understanding of the “hidden” language of symbolism. Like a dream, the parables can be translated, symbol by symbol to bring a deeper meaning than the surface meaning. A third level of understanding comes when one prays and meditates on scripture because in the private conversations with the internal wisdom that makes its home within each of us, the message of the parable or scripture can become very personal.
With this foundation then, we will talk about the language of Revelation. First, according to “The Revealing Word”, written by Charles Fillmore, founder of Unity, the word “revelation” means an unveiling, a disclosure of Truth, making known that which is hidden. He further writes:
“Divine revelation is much more common than is understood. The Spirit of truth is revealing the hidden wisdom to thousands of people every day. Poets and writers of Truth are being inspired by the Most High. Quiet citizens in every walk of life are the recipients of the Divine word. Every person who earnestly asked for Divine guidance, or who has earnestly desired to do right in the sight of God and their brothers and sisters in flesh, is taught by the Holy Spirit.”
If we look at the language of the Bible through our understanding of Gnostic symbolism, which we have seen in the interpretation of verses from the Nag Hammadi, we will see that the words that are written rarely have the meaning that we would assign them. For instance, when we speak about the “dead,” we are not talking about people who have left their earthly body and moved into the next dimension. “Dead” people are those who are not spiritually awakened, people who continue to follow the ways of the world and have not received their own gnosis or knowledge of God.
If we recall Jesus’ teachings from the Gospel of Thomas in the Nag Hammadi Library, we will remember that Jesus spoke about the priests and the church that would form after his death, calling them empty vessels sailing in dry canals. The priests, then, would be without the Spirit that filled Jesus and his disciples, and they would be attempting to set up churches that were also devoid of Spirit, of the water of life.
Why is this important? If we as spiritual seekers understand that the Bible is written in a code that is not understood, nor was it meant to be understood, by the masses and that the Gnostic verses in the Nag Hammadi Library are also written in code, why would we believe that this book, truly a Gnostic book of coded messages, should be seen and interpreted in a literal light?
The Book of Revelation almost did not make the cut to be included in the Bible when the decisions were being made about what books to include because of the very fact that it is a Gnostic text. The Apostle John was one of the Apostles who followed the line of Gnostic Apostles after Jesus died. As a review, I will remind you that the Apostle Peter was the Founder of the Church as it moved forward in its organization.
The reason that it was included in the Bible is that it was so scary that it was seen as a tool to keep people in line. The Church, the Roman Catholic Church, kept the fires burning throughout the past 2,000 years keeping the flocks in line. Even the Protestant Churches have maintained the basic interpretation based on the premise that this might represent the end times.
In the book, “Revelations on the Book of Revelation,” that I shared with you earlier (Winifred MacCardell Flood, 1953) the author spent 9 years investigating the translations of Greek and Hebrew words to get a more accurate representation of what the original text meant. Through her research she believes the Book of Revelation reveals a:
“God of Love; a plan for growth and unfoldment; a picture of that through which we all go i.e. the ups and downs of life, fear and courage, hope and despair, etc. All 22 chapters of the Book of Revelation are graphic descriptions of the extreme vacillation of our human feelings-the tug of war which goes on as we reach for our Divinity and then become discouraged at not attaining it at once.”
Rev. Joel loaned me some books that also interpreted the Book of Revelations but these were more of the traditional interpretations that speak of doom and disaster. One, “1988” rolled out the plan for everything that was to happen in 1988 that would lead to the end of the world. I can assure that the author really needs to revisit his theories!
How many people expected the end to come in 2000? And did you hear that at the turn of the century from 1899 to 1900,
thousands of people also expected to see the end of the world?
Why does this happen? Well, for one thing, we are a fearful species. Our human family has evolved with myths and stories about terrible creatures and awful gods from our earliest days. When we could not explain something, we looked for the worst thing to happen and then, prepared for it, sometimes by hiding. If you will remember, I spoke about a book on CD that I was listening to about a year ago entitled, “Why Americans are So Afraid.” We have raised fear to a national pastime.
Victor and I were talking about a news story he heard this week that made it sound like wire coat hangers had gotten so expensive that dry cleaners weren’t going to be able to afford to buy them anymore for their business. When the story unfolded, the coat hangars had increased in price ½ a penny or $2.00 a box for 500 hangars. Hardly a story to get upset about!
That was a really slow news day—they had to really stretch to dig that story up!
And that is the truth isn’t it. We create things to worry about. We do it to ourselves. It is done to us by the news media and it is done to us by our government to keep us in line, just like the Roman Catholic Church used the fear of hell and damnation to keep people in line 1600 years ago.
Back to the Book of Revelation---we have been kept in a state of worry and fear over this Gnostic book that is written in a hidden language for so long that we cannot look beyond that which we have been taught to fear. But that is exactly what we are called to do!
Just like each of you is here because you no longer accept the standard story fed to you by organized religions, because you are on a spiritual path of your own that you share with us once a week as we all explore a brave new world, because you, as the Gnostics would say, have turned away from the world so that you might truly find God’s way within, you are here to see the Book of Revelation in a totally new way! In fact, I have to admit that I have been ignited with a fire and a desire to carefully interpret this writing for myself.
What do we know about some theories about this symbolic book? In her writing, “The Secret Doctrine,” Helena Blavatsky writes extensively about this book carrying the history of the worlds before this world on this planet. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that she wrote of three previous worlds before this, the Fifth World. HPB translates this material from her understanding of sacred, esoteric (hidden) symbols that were understood only by the initiates of the highest order of secret traditions.
For HPB, the number 7 represents the 7 worlds that will finally emerge on this planet. Each of the four worlds that have come and gone have left a memory of their existence in the humans who survived the cataclysmic destructions and from the soul memory of those of us who have returned.
When Jesus reveals himself to John, this signifies a recognizable being whom John trusts and to whom he would listen. It also signifies the level of initiation that John would have been at to have witnessed Jesus who was considered a highly developed master teacher.
The great symbolism in this book reminds one of Tarot symbolism and the Kabbalah. Other hints of the mystical, hidden side of its language. For instance, when Jesus speaks of those who are dead, who will not wake up, he is speaking of those people who choose to live in the world without acknowledging their spiritual side. Some people, he says, have not soiled their clothes. What could this mean? If we think about our skins, our flesh as our clothes, we will understand that he is speaking about people who have not indulged in earthly pleasures, rising above them to stay free of the stain that living in the physical can leave. (from Chapter 3)
Now, we have to remember that Gnostics of the time did not value their physical lives very much—they were always in a hurry to get on with this life and out of it. Some Gnostic sects believed that sex was bad and that one should eat only the flesh of fish because they did not think that fish procreated through sexual activity. Again, understanding the frame of reference will really help us to understand the Book of Revelations in a whole new way!
This is a teaser but as I continue to work through the Book of Revelations with my interpretations from my understanding of the language of Gnosticism, I promise you that we will enjoy a much different journey through this mystical book.
Are You Painting Yourself Into a Corner?
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
May 4, 2008
I have had a week where I have had a steady diet of positive love and support. I have been really, really busy with activities for our church, for the Prescott Kennel Club, the College, and my radio show, as well as taking care of time for myself. My moments of joy were the few minutes I tried to take each night where I could play ball with the Beagles and get all dirty with their kisses! But, still it has been a week of love and wondrous events!
I decided that even though I wanted to start to talk about Revelations, I just haven’t had the time I wanted to really do the research I have been gathering to pull my thoughts together. So, I have been looking for a topic all week long. I thought I had it when I saw the sign on Hwy 89 between Cottonwood and Sedona that said, “Go back. New houses.” And on the other side, it just said, “New houses.”
I tried playing with the idea to see where it led but it was a dead-end, one-way conversation. Even though I imagined that it would be kind of cute to take the sign literally like they do in television and movies, you know where God talks to the characters through road signs or other sign posts in life; but the idea of going back to get a new house, new body, or anything else new was just not part of our belief system. So, it was a dead end concept.
Well, staying awake and alert in the present, I thought I’d hear or see something else that would jump up and hit me in the face that we all needed to hear as a group. Nope….I was just too busy and too distracted to see anything.
What I did listen to was the news (only briefly on my music stations) and heard the news about rising gas, rising cost of groceries, and climate change. And I thought, are we painting ourselves into a corner with the constant messages of lack that we are receiving? Are we?
Well, we have spoken about the newspapers, TV news, radio news, magazine news stories so often that you know that I believe that the bulk of the stories are exaggerated to sell the news source. And what’s worse is that our collective conscious buys into it, feeding it more energy, and creating ever increasing challenges in the minds of the world’s populations.
What I want to talk about today is that we believe that the our mother earth and all of creation with whom we share this planet are experiencing this wondrous transformation, what Ilene shared with us yesterday as an “ascension,” and this change in the levels of vibration for all of the earth and her creatures and creations is helping to raise fear and apprehension about the future.
As I was driving home last night from Sedona, I drove past a beautiful field with absolutely glorious horses grazing lazily in the pastures. These were not ordinary horses; there was a brown and white paint horse, a palomino, a bay with white blaze and stockings, and a couple of other sorrel horses and one lovely mule (I like mules!). All of these horses were grazing without a care in the world, just enjoying the perfect weather as the sun was beginning to sink.
We know that Jesus taught that we should care no more than the birds in the sky nor the flowers in the field for our food and garments but we rarely follow that advise very well, do we? I thought about that as I drove by the pasture with the horses grazing, knowing full well that they were in the joy of the moment, not worrying about where their next meal would come from.
I know as well as you that the gas is more expensive and that the food has increased in price but are you going to stop driving or will stop eating? No—you may make moderations in your behaviors but, in today’s world, it is very hard for us to not buy gas or stop going to the grocery store.
What can we do? The most important thing we can do and can help others do is to affirm moment to moment in our days that God is our Source and that Source is abundant, bountiful, free of limitations, and always, always there for us! This is a time that we can increase our gratitude and build our faith.
Rev. Michael Beckwith, of the Agape Church in California, writes about an exercise in one of his books. This exercise recommends that every hour on the hour, we stop and thank God, our Source, for providing everything in our lives. I would add the words for our highest good and exactly at the right time but this regimen for a day (or more if it feels good to you) will help you to keep your Source uppermost in your mind and build your faith. The Holy Spirit will meet you and wrap you in trust and love as you give gratitude for the gifts you have received this day!
When the world around us seems to be dwelling on the negative we have the awesome responsibility to bring forth the love and light. You and I are divinely protected because we know the truth of our being as divine children of God. We are eternal in our true natures and we know that each of us are the hands and feet, eyes, ears, and mouth of Spirit in our physical world. God moves and through us to bring even greater good into this world. Everywhere we look, we are called to see good.
When we believe that everything and everyone is part of a higher good, we can be positive in the face of seemingly negative situations. It is merely a swing of the pendulum as we come to rest on a new vibrational level. As people play their parts and the drama on the earth unfolds, those of us who are spiritually aware beings are called to hold our brothers and our sisters in light and love. We do not deny that hurtful things happen in people’s lives, we are called to see these earthly dramas in a bigger perspective, from another level of love, so that we can call forth the highest good for all from situations we do not understand.
I invite you to keep your hearts open and share the good news that we are God’s children and that we are here in this very special time to shine the light for humankind to follow. If you are so moved, get active. If you are not so moved, share the love. Many of us around the earth are being awakened on many levels to bring forth our gifts, sometimes our newly found gifts.
Ilene was sharing yesterday that the vibratory levels in the world are moving so quickly that healing modalities are under almost constant change to adjust. What was once long and tedious in healing practices (and sometimes painful on some level) is now almost instantaneous. What had remained the same for years is now changing almost yearly. It’s almost like trying to stay current in technology. The world is moving faster and faster.
I know that sometimes we want to get sucked into complaining about gas prices or worry about rice not being available. I mean, how much rice are you eating now? Let’s keep our sense of humor. Let’s remember that when our focus is on our Source, on our Mother/Father who loves us and wants our lives to be effortless and joyful, we will always find ourselves in the RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME. We will be provided for and protected!
I absolutely believe that with all of my heart and all my soul. When we look back in history, even during the “Great Depression” people prospered. Even in periods when the economy had a downturn in other time periods, people prospered. It is a state of mind, of gratitude, and of a positive perspective that will continue to see us through.
I will always be in the right place, at the right time, to experience my highest good….repeat.
Stop every hour on the hour for a day and give thanks for everything in your life. Build on your faith. The universe supports you perfectly. That is the good news!
What If?
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
April 20, 2008
Every morning I get up and go to each of my three fish tanks, turn on the lights, and sprinkle food onto the tops of their water all the while talking to the little guys and girls, telling them I love them. Before I leave for work in the morning, I walk out and sprinkle three generous handfuls of Koi food into the Koi pond, all the while telling them I love them. Once a week or so in the summertime, and much less often in winter, I take out half of the water in each tank and in the pond, replacing it with clean water so that their environments are clean and their tanks are pretty. They depend on me fully and completely to provide for them. What if they thought I was God?
An old Twilight Zone depicted a space ship that landed on a planet different that Earth. The astronauts found a race of little people, the size of ants on our planet. Most of the men left the little people alone but one man loved the idea that he could destroy their homes at will or he could deposit food in their tiny town square. The little people built a monument to the man as their god. He reveled in the power he had over the little people and the fear he evoked in them. Until one day, a giant of a man came and stepped on the astronaut, accidentally killing him. What if the even bigger man thought he was god?
I have been studying books written by the originator of Theosophy, Helena Petrova Blavatsky over the past few months. The books were written in the late 1800’s and is the series, “The Secret Doctrine.” In it HPB, as Theosophists call her, speaks extensively of the four worlds that existed previously to this one. She describes humans as hermaphroditic spirit beings in the first world. As differentiated masculine and feminine spirit beings in the second world. As giants manifesting in the world then known as Lemuria in the third world. At this time, some giants bred with the more spirited beings from the second world while others bred with the developing animals on the earth of the third world. The fourth world was populated by humans who incarnated to live on the world as Atlantis and the fifth world, we are currently inhabiting.
Each time, as the influx of souls that had evolved for the next level of incarnations was to occur, there would be catastrophic endings to the previous physical world, killing most of the world’s inhabitants and allowing for a re-population with souls that are more highly evolved. According to HPB’s time frame, we still have another 30,000 years, give or take a couple, to complete this cycle.
What if the accounts that have been passed down about Noah and the Flood, (and by the way, similar stories exist around the world—a chosen person has foreknowledge of the disastrous flood and is able to prepare for it, saving the human race from complete annihilation—since the beginning of time), are merely memories of our former lives and destructions? What if all the stories that are present in the Old Testament and the New Testament are but re-telling of stories from other older cultures and absolutely nothing new in the history of mankind? Helena Blavatsky goes to great extremes to explain all of this in minute details in her “The Secret Doctrine” series. What if she is right?
Rev. Joel shared a story with you last week about the woman who cut off the ends of her roast before cooking it, assuming that was the secret to tender roasts. However, when she and her sisters asked her mom why this was done and their mom went back to her mom, they found out that she cut off the ends of the roast because it wouldn’t fit into her roasting pan otherwise.
I belief that so many of our belief systems come from the culture we are born into and the families in which we are raised. We LEARN not to question. We are TAUGHT to believe things in school to pass tests. We are often suppressed when we ASK questions for our own understanding. We learn that it is easier to keep our heads down and just fit into the societal norms.
I have been listening to a CD that Carol Oveross loaned me a couple of weeks ago. It is a taped service from Rev. Michael Beckwith’s Agape Church in California. During the service, Marianne Williamson gives a talk about the “new middle age”. She discusses the fact that we are living about 15 years longer than our parents and that the time is not on the end of our lives, it is now in the middle of our years. We are productive and active much longer than our parents were.
She also talks about what happened to our generation. We were the most educated, the most talented, the most idealistic generation in the history of the U.S. When we were trying to really make a difference in the world, we watched as our heroes were shot down in front of us. We watched as our peer groups were attacked in front of us. And we got the message as a generation; go home and work and produce for the country. If you continue to speak out and demonstrate, you may be killed too.
But, according to Marianne Williamson, we are being awakened again. We are right back where we were when we were teens and young adults. We are being given the opportunity to get involved and do what we couldn’t do as the youth of this country. And now, we have money, we have influence, we have numbers, and we don’t care in the same way if we die because we have lived. This is our chance, she says, to not go quietly in the night without our group soul singing its song and accomplishing the goals we came to accomplish as a group!
What if she is right?
We know that just in attending this church, we do look things in the world differently. We know that we question authority…we don’t automatically embrace what has been given to us on faith because we have the personal courage that it takes to question what has been handed down for generations. Many of us in this group actively stir up dust every once in a while to make sure that others don’t get too comfortable in their status quo. We are here to stimulate spiritual evolution with our brothers and our sisters—and often our parents too!
What if Marianne Williamson is right and we have missed our group souls’ call this time around? What if we are being given another opportunity to rally people around an unjust war. A war being fought for oil and power. A war we, the people, are losing when we look at prices at the gas pumps. A war about squeezing the life juices of oil from the people’s of the Middle East as our propaganda machines rail against the threat they bring to our way of life. And yet, we have only been successful in strengthening their belief in what is wrong with the way of life we have as gas-guzzling, power hungry, consumption-oriented Americans.
I believe we have created this great scenario in our world to once again visit our belief systems as a generation, as a people of the US, and as citizens of this world, to look at the idiocy of allowing people in charge to take so much power from us, as individuals, and use it against our brothers and sisters in the world. We learned to turn away and stay out of political life. We have grown lazy and complacent and look at what we have lost!
We pray for peace and hope for peace while our leaders play the roles they have agreed to come in and play for us. They have raised the stakes in the game. They have brought the world once again into a state where we HAVE to be involved. We HAVE to take our politics and our country back.
What if? What if?
Do I truly believe that a change in leadership will magically turn the country around? Do I believe that people will suddenly get involved in a government structure that we have been excluded from for so long, supposedly because of our ignorance, that we have forgotten how to get involved or how to really speak out against it?
Do I think that a change in presidency is going to change the lines at the airport security where we have to take every piece of metal off our bodies, take off our shoes, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the security officer before boarding the plane? (alright, the Pledge was added in for effect)
No…I do not believe that things will change overnight. But, I do think that we have to get a wedge in to the establishment that we fought so hard against in our youth. We have to find our voice again. We have to find ways to be heard. It is not just the job of the youth. It was and is “our” job too.
How many of you have watched the mini-series “John Adams”? The last show is on tonight. It is interesting to see how the American system was set-up and why. First, let us remember that technology was not present to broadcast all of the world’s news in minutes. So, the representative form of government was established to give the power to those men (at the time) who stayed in the “know.” They lived fairly close to one another and as news came from England or France, the group convened to discuss the information and make decisions.
These men were REPRESENTATIVES of the people of the U.S. They had a variety of vocational backgrounds, educational backgrounds, and religious backgrounds. They did not all agree on this course or that but they argued until they reached a consensus and then, moved forward, for better or worse.
It was stated in one quick scene though, that the masses did not have the knowledge to be able to be a part of the decisions that needed to be made. A general vote would not be a valid measurement because the elected representatives were the ones that had the most current and the fullest appreciation of the situations with which they were dealing.
I thought this was interesting because it did set up an expectation early in our history that the “average” American could not be trusted to make an educated decision.
That was before the communication channels we have today. But, the government still does not trust the “average” American to make an educated decision. We couldn’t “handle” the truth!
What if the secrets came out of the bag? What if this world was governed by those who had the big picture of dealing with climate changes in mind? What if this world was governed by those who saw the need for shifting and sharing of resources with one another across the lines of race, creeds, or colors? What if this world was governed by people like you and me who did not have a personal stake in getting rich off the pain of other people?
I believe the lines are changing. I believe that as souls are entering this plane as the next evolution of mankind, we will see the shift we are praying for. We want things to happen quickly but, as God sees the continuum, life is eternal.
I am in the right time, at the right place, doing the right thing, for my highest good and for the highest good of those around me. (repeat 2x)
What if that is all it takes?
I Am Born Again!
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
March 31, 2008
We celebrated Easter through our discussions last week and this week I wanted to follow-up with a discussion about being “born again.” This is a popular phrase that has been used by Christians to bring people into the fold of Christianity for the past 2000 plus years. But, what does being “born again” mean when we look at it from the esoteric view?
In the exoteric Christian church being “born again” is pretty simple. We choose to accept that Jesus died for our sins, that we are therefore saved by his blood, and we strive to live with Jesus and God uppermost in our mind for the rest of our lives. Many times it is marked by the sacrament of baptism.
Rebirth in the “inner” Christianity is not so simple nor straight forward. Commitment to the path of “rebirth” is a journey, not a single commitment.
It might interest you to know that many people who study Jesus’ teachings and those of the disciples, believe that Jesus was but one of many ancient teachers who passed along instruction through rites of initiation. Teaching in parables to the masses and in straight talk with his disciples, he was careful to give out truth in stories that the masses could understand. Some believe that the story of Lazarus in the Bible, is actually a story about a young man going through a sacred initiation and being “born again” into the world with new understanding and vision.
Let’s talk about Jesus’ own initiation in the wilderness after his baptism by John the Baptist.
First let’s re-examine the scripture I read earlier: Gospel of
John 3—3-8:
Jesus answered and said unto him: “Verily, verily I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus answered saying: “How can a man be born again when he is old? Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
Jesus answered: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Marvel not that I say to you, You must be born again! The wind blows where it lists but cannot tell from where it comes or where it goes. So is every one that is born of Spirit.”
In this short passage, Jesus talks about man in four parts: flesh, water, spirit, and the Kingdom of God. The flesh is probably the easiest to understand because we have that experience most commonly in front of us. The flesh is that carnal aspect of being human. Our appetite for food, for sex, for money.
The second aspect is water. Think of this in terms of how your thoughts and images flow from your mind in kind of an endless chatter. We know that there are neurological stimulations for thoughts but that they are separate from that which drives us physically. This is the flow of consciousness likened to the flow of water. Sometimes we talk about somebody adrift in their emotions or in a sea of emotions. Water is a good symbol for the flow of our thoughts, images, and emotions that make-up a part of who we are as whole beings.
The third aspect is the spirit. The spirit refers to the “I AM”, the grounding part of us that watches what we are experiencing. Whatever we experience, think, or feel does not directly affect our spirit. It is immortal, indestructible, and ultimately unaffected by what we do with our lives and in our lifetime. It is that something way down and deeply eternal that is recognized by all world religions. The spirit is submerged because of our attention on the flesh and the water in the experiencing of the physical world. It remains more or less inaccessible and most of us have probably not realized its potential. Read Matthew 13:3-8:
The seed Jesus speaks about is the spark of consciousness, the spirit living in each person. Some of the seeds, the consciousness falls by the wayside, not to be utilized. Some is eaten by the birds etc. We are not using our Divine Connection, our spiritual body, to its full potential because we are engaged so much in our focus as humans in this body and its flesh and water!
To be “born again” means that we, in this physical state, have through gnosis, through inner awareness, become liberated from our physical and psychological worlds. We have reversed the “Fall” and remembered who we truly are-Spiritual Beings having a physical existence….Kind of like when we go to see a movie at the theater. We don’t become the movie. We are real people walking into a made-up experience for two hours and then, emerging again into the “real world.” What would your life be like if you could REALLY KNOW your existence as Spirit that clearly? “Re-birth” gives us access to the Kingdom of God, the highest state we can know.
So, as we look at Christ’s three temptations we grow to understand this process more thoroughly and how he is shown to master his physical existence to the point of knowing and manifesting the Kingdom of God on earth.
Let’s come to the spot where Jesus walks into the River Jordan for his baptism by John the Baptist. I have always loved this whole story. As he is baptized, he is full of the Holy Ghost and is led by Spirit into the wilderness.
If you have ever been in a service where you were led to walk up front and give yourself over to the Lord for a dedication, think about the excitement you felt or the deep inspiration that touched your spirit.
I can tell you the story about when I was 11 or 12 and was watching “King of Kings” one night while I was babysitting and I had this experience. It was Easter-time and I was so filled with the Holy Spirit that I floated around for 2 or 3 weeks after just asking myself all the time, is this what Jesus would have done or thought? That was my experience of being “re-born” but I didn’t think of it like that. For me, I was opened up to a more personal relationship with the man called Jesus than I ever had been to that point of time in my life. It felt really nice and even now, I can go back to that time and place in my mind and feel that overwhelming feeling of love that I felt then and still feel now.
So, if you have ever had an experience of your own, just imagine Jesus, who had a great wisdom about spiritual matters, the Jewish Law, and God already, feeling this great heart opening in the River Jordan. We would want to keep that feeling as much as possible, wouldn’t we? Except that we would have to come back into the world and figure out how to bring this new spiritual awareness into our lives. This is the story of the “Three Temptations.”
The first temptation has to do with the flesh. Now 40 has many mystical meanings but let’s consider that 40 days of wandering in the wilderness brings a human to the point where they cannot physically go on without food any longer. It is time to eat or die. Forty also refers to the end of a cycle, the beginning of a new cycle.
Satan calls to Jesus to turn the stones into bread and Jesus answers, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word of God.” The first level of mastery has to do with the physical body. Paul writes in Corinthians, (! Cor. 9:27) “I keep my body and bring it under subjection.”
People generally learn to control their passions for food, sex, for sleep, etc. and to keep their animalistic drives under control. Most of us learn common courtesy through cultural teachings. Some people exhibit control because of fear from legal, religious, or other consequences. Other people live at the carnal level, living at the margins of our societies.
Someone who chooses a focus on developing their spiritual natures will choose to quell their carnal nature and refocus it in more positive ways. We talked about traffic courtesies a few Sundays ago and I’d like to re-visit that briefly with a thought. We can practice turning a carnal response into a spiritual one by refraining doing what we’d like to do and watching as the energy moves into our torso or lower body and fizzle out as the energy is recycled into our system. This may take some practice but eventually you will be able to overcome the initial desire to react and will see the situation from your “I AM”—from a larger context that will not engage your physical body! This can be used with many things that can cause an uprising of energy in your body, such as being spoken to by a discourteous clerk.
The next step Jesus faced was mastery of the water; thoughts, feelings, and images. When Satan takes Jesus into the mountains he says, “All the kingdoms of the world will bow to your power and glorify you!” Jesus answered, “Get thee behind me Satan, for it is written that Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and only serve Him.”
Animals don’t build kingdoms with their animal behavior. Building kingdoms takes planning and forethought. One has to overcome obstacles, and use patience and insight to solve challenges. These are human traits, psychological traits.
Many people dream of building kingdoms, acquiring great wealth, being immensely successful but how many humans have the degree of mental and emotional development to do what needs to be done to accomplish these things?
But, if one is on the spiritual path, is this the path that is correct? Not according to Jesus. If one has to compromise their own integrity, their knowledge of wrong from right to accomplish these things, it is not a mastery of the water, of the mind and emotions. It is a bargain with the Devil, in the physical world. The Devil is the attractiveness of the outer world, like Maya or illusion in the Hindu faith. The Devil represents our bondage to life in the physical world—the Tarot card “the Devil” illustrates this very well!
The passions of the outer world take on many forms. The classic list of the Seven Deadly Sins is: pride, gluttony, anger, lust, sloth, envy, and covetousness. They are all internal states. These are external to the “I AM” , the eternal soul that is watching what takes place. They are products of our carnal mind, that mind that is linked, anchored even, in our physical world.
How can we master these thoughts? Consist vigilance. I believe the practice of staying in the moment and being grateful for everything in our lives helps. As I said in the beginning, this is a journey upon which we walk.
The last temptation of Christ is the next level of spiritual attainment. Satan sets Jesus up on the pinnacle of a temple and tells him to throw himself down! Satan further states that it is written that God will give the angels charge over Jesus and they will protect him from even getting a bruise on his heel. Jesus answered, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God,”
When we have overcome the temptations of our body and of our psyche, we have tremendous power and we can manifest miracles. Nature itself will obey our demands and we will know that this world is much more fluid than others can see or understand. The veil between spiritual and physical become very thin.
But even at this point we must take care because we can miss the narrow door that leads us to the Kingdom of Heaven. The “I AM” becomes self-aware at this point of our development and at that point, it is said that we absolutely know that we are ONE with everything, all things, and the Creator. In the Course of Miracles it is said, “God has only one Son. If all His creations are His Sons, every one must be an integral part of the Sonship.” This is, of course, the reason for the admonition to “Love our neighbors as ourselves!”---easy language for those at every level of spiritual development to understand.
The way is a journey into consciousness. It is about being aware of truths to which we are usually oblivious (because we are involved in the carnal, mental, and emotional levels) and so, it is a process of awakening. It is also a process that involves lifetimes. The highest level of development, of enlightenment, is the expression of the Kingdom of God in this earthly life. Those people express kindness because they KNOW and understand the reason for it, within the deepest part of their being. They know clearly what others sense only dimly, that there is an underlying unity of which we are all part. It is gnosis in the fullest sense…..it is in every fiber of the person’s being.
This understanding does not come from reading a book. Those who know…know. Sometimes they are born with the knowledge. Sometimes people read, meditate, pray, and nurture their soul by being around others who are on the same path. As you open or evolve on your path you will become aware that you know things without knowing why or how you know things. Spirit, the Creator, and you are meeting at a spiritual level that naturally connects you to a greater awareness. Something wiser and more powerful is moving in and through you. You are accessing information available to your brothers and sisters should they choose to search for it.
To be “born again” is to fully commit to taking charge of your earthly drives, your mental and emotional desires and passions, and knowing that your I AM is part of the great I AM that connects you with all of life. To fully know yourself in all these areas brings you the manifestation of miracles for the highest good of all and bringing forth the Kingdom of Heaven into the earth plane.
Every day I sit in meditation and prayer, I acknowledge my oneness with creation and my Creator. Everyday, I commit to my path and I am born again.
An Esoteric Understanding of Jesus
Dr. Sue Sammarco
March 16, 2008
For the traditional Christian, Easter is probably the most important time of year. It is the celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection that brings meaning and hope to so many people’s lives. We look at the season a little differently. We strive each year to bring a deeper meaning, a meaning that we receive through gnosis, a knowing or understanding, a meaning that is different from that celebrated in the exoteric religions. Exoteric religions are those that see meaning in the rituals and celebrations of an outer ultimate Being. Each year we take the time to contemplate the meaning of the holidays from an esoteric viewpoint, one that brings our Creator deep within our heart.
We know the basic Easter story. God came down to earth. He was made man. He was born and grew up in particular time and place. He contributed to the life of his era; he made friends and enemies. Even so, the world did not know him. He suffered and died in a painful and public fashion. Yet in the end it did not matter. Nothing that was absolutely true or real about him was lost. He continues to live in a new and transformed way.
This is the story of Jesus. It is ours as well and its deep truth, not only about a particular man who lived two thousand years ago, but also about us is a great source of its appeal. As we have discussed, this story has repeated itself throughout human history. Those stories were buried to a large extent when the newly formed Christian (to become the Catholic) Church wanted to have Jesus be the one and only Son of God, giving them, the bishops and priests the power over the people.
What can we learn by looking more deeply at some of the language in the Bible that can help us understand Jesus’ message more clearly? We actually have to dig, study, and contemplate the meaning of the words in the Bible. Remember that the language of the Bible was written on different levels of meaning. We can read the Bible and understand it on a literal level, a symbolic level, and an esoteric or inner level (allowing the meaning to come to us through contemplation and meditation).
Even when we remember that the Bible was also written to sway people to a particular viewpoint, it still takes time to really understand the deeper meanings of scripture. I find that the esoteric meanings bring more meat to the content of the Bible for me.
Let us look at John 3-14-17 (read scripture) Now let us break the verbiage down so that we can gain an esoteric understanding of this reading.
The Greek word for “eternal” in verse 15 appears only in the Gospel of John. The actual word in Greek means, “the life that is proper for the age to come.” The translator thought the world was coming to an end so the word was translated as eternal or eternity.
The Greek word that was translated “only begotten” simply means “only” with the connotation of “unique”. The same word is used in Hebrews 11:17 in reference to Isaac being the “unique” or “only begotten” son of Abraham. Isaac was not his only son.
What does it mean to believe in Him? Among other things, it means that we believe that God can and does incarnate in humans. Notice the flow from vs. 14-15. They are actually one sentence: “Even so must the son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish.” This is the same paradox we find in Philippians 2:5. In this context, why is it necessary to say, “God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world?” It is the awareness that, “The consciousness of the son of God that can incarnate in a man (human) is not a consciousness of condemnation but of salvation.”
Read Philippians 2: 5-11: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even upon the cross. Wherefore God has highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things of earth, and things under the earth; and the every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
It is scripture verses such as this that often brings us in apparent opposition to our Christian brothers and sisters. Let’s try to look at this and then we’ll go back to discussing the John 3 verses a little differently.
In Philippians 2:9, the verb “highly exalted” is exactly the verb used by Jesus when He said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent so must the Son of man be lifted up.” In giving his life and being lifted up, like the fiery serpent, the God-in-man spirit is shifted from rebelliousness to obedience. This lifting up refers to the change in consciousness that must take place for us to have our sites, our focus, on spiritual things as opposed to worldly things. When we lift up our eyes, our focus, we are awakened to God’s very presence inside of us and God more than meets us halfway that we may know our divinity!
This consciousness, this spirit became the source of life for us, saving us from the rebelliousness of the world. The key is the awareness of both God incarnate in man and obedience to the Father/Mother God until death.
Let us move to the concept of being “born in the spirit.” This phrase means, “born with a mission.” Isaac was said to have been born in the spirit as did an angel prophesy to Zacharias before the birth of John the Baptist. The expression used by the angel speaking about John the Baptist was, “He will be born in the spirit and power of Elijah,” which predicted that he would be the soul of Elijah back to live again.
The expression, “born again” is never used in the Bible to refer to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When the expressions, “born of the flesh” and “born of the spirit” are used, they refer to our incarnating in flesh, as humans, on the earth plane, and “born of the spirit” refers to the mission they brought with them.
Why did Jesus liken Himself to a serpent in John 3:14? The symbolism shows that a part of his nature, his very human nature, was a type of serpent. In the Genesis story, the tempting offer of the serpent was to be like gods. It wasn’t the serpent but the shift in consciousness that was the problem. That which was to be lifted up in Jesus was the truth: God was incarnate in man! Remember, Jesus was nailed to the cross for the blasphemous crime of asserting his God-beingness, Yet, he was obedient to his soul’s mission to teach people, especially the Jewish people, that they were God-incarnate. This was a new consciousness—God-in-man. When we see the consciousness of Jesus lifted up, that very consciousness of the serpent is transformed to bring life instead of death. When they looked upon the serpent in its highest form, they were not harmed by its lower, human form. In this consciousness, knowing his own divinity, Jesus overcame the concept of death—dead in the ground—forever—of the Jews, and was resurrected to the fullness of eternal life.
Let’s look at John 3:14-17 again.
As so Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (raised the consciousness of his tribe to God as they wandered in the wilderness),
Even so the son of Man must be lifted up (Jesus consciousness was raised from the cultural viewpoint into which he was born to seeing that he was God incarnate—as were his brothers and sisters on earth).
That whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (That those who receive his teachings and understand them, will know that they too are children of God and are therefore eternal beings).
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. (God loves the physical world. He gives the world his unique son who comes with a spiritual mission. That those who receive his teachings and understand them, will know that they too are children of God and are therefore eternal beings).
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world might, through him, be saved. (God has sent Jesus to have the consciousness/the awareness that he is God-in-man to teach the world this truth. Recognizing that all people in the world are God incarnate, spiritual beings with everlasting lives, we might be saved through Jesus’ teachings.)
The esoteric backbone of John’s Gospel, and the aspect that most clearly illumines the central truth of Christianity, consists of seven pronouncements that Jesus makes: “I am the vine” John 15:5, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” John 14:6, “I am the door,” John 10:9, “ I am the bread of life,” John 6:35, “I am the light of the world,” John 9:5, “I am the good shepherd,” John 10:11, and “I am the resurrection and the life,” John 11:25. Taken at face value, we can see why the leaders of the Jewish faith might have taken offense. But, viewed from an inner level, they are powerful affirmations for the “I AM” God-self that we truly are.
For instance: “I AM the door” is not Jesus making that claim but his teaching that the ‘I AM” is the door through which we enter higher consciousness. “I AM the vine, you are the branches” is Jesus teaching that collectively we are the spiritual family of God and each us is an individual branch. “I AM the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father except by me,” is teaching us that the I AM consciousness, that higher consciousness that focuses on our one-ness with God, is the mystical connection where we meet our Divine Creator and the Divine Creator reaches out to meet us! We are reminded in each of these statements that by realizing the truth of our connectedness with the Divine, that we are also Divine Beings, we can make contact with the Creator at all times.
The story of Jesus’ life is ours too. In our Divine state, that of pure consciousness, we are the “I AM”, the true children of God. In that state we are fee and unconditioned, knowing neither time nor space. As consciousness, as Divine Mind, we are not limited by the laws of the physical world.
We have decided to move into the world of matter as humans (and I believe other beings) where consciousness lives in a body, a body with limitations, with confines of time, and is no longer aware of its connections with the collective, with the Creator, but now seems isolated in its own world. We know good and evil. We experience joy and suffering. If this were our whole story, it would be sad.
But the story tells us that Jesus rose on the third day living in a new body, a body that was a little unfamiliar to those who knew and loved him. We live on. We are eternal beings and this is the truth of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Our lives gain a larger context and the hope of new lives and new experiences. His teachings on kingdom living and life eternal help us to turn our eyes from the world at large and walk a narrower path, a path we walk upon because our hearts and our consciousness connects us with our Creator.
I invite you to read the Easter story in the scriptures again, inviting your God to open your eyes in a new way to see how Jesus’ story is your story too! We are on an inner journey. It is a journey that you have to walk for yourself. Just ask for the doors to open and God has promised that they will.
We Believe That Our Mental States are Carried Forward into Manifestation
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
February 24, 2008
Today we will be discussing our seventh and final principle from our Declaration of Principles that we share each week. Today’s principle really addresses our belief in our innate ability to create our own experiences. “We believe that our mental states are carried forward into manifestation and become our experience through prayer, meditation, and Divine Law.”
I think that we first have to come to a common understanding about what manifestation is. We talked about our definitions a little last week and it helps to remind ourselves what we are talking about when we talk about manifestation and Divine Law.
Once again I want to refer to the “Revealing Word,” written by Charles Fillmore, founder of the Unity faith. This is a wonderful metaphysical/spiritual dictionary that defines many Biblical and spiritual words and helps us to have a common understanding.
When we look up the word “manifestation,” we read:
The materialization of a Truth idea; the coming forth into visibility that which has been affirmed; the appearance of an idea.
Last week we looked up Divine Law together and it said: “The logical process by which God manifests.” If you recall we decided to add: “The Law of Cause and Effect” because we, as a group, understood that concept more clearly.
So, let’s re-phrase this principle a little to see if we can make it easier to understand.
“We believe that those things we think about, focus on, and fill our thoughts with appear in our life so that we can experience them in the physical world. When we pray or meditate on something we want to have happen or to appear in our life, we focus God’s energy on that thing and through the Law of Cause and Effect, we know that it or something better will come into our life for our experience.”
Just as I spoke about God’s creative energy moving in and through us to manifest life for us in my talk about One Mind, One Law, One Principle, and One Substance in the universe, this principle reminds us again that everything starts with Mind. We are part of the Divine Mind. As part of the Divine Mind, we create from our mental states at all times. We don’t think about having a new car in our little toe….we don’t think about having a loving relationship in our life in our left elbow. No….we think in our brain.
Why are prayer and meditation always a part of religious or spiritual path? Both have to do with connecting our mind with Divine Mind. Let’s look at some definitions again. First, let’s consider prayer.
Prayer: “Communion between God and man. This communion takes place in the innermost part of man’s being.”
Prayer is the most highly accelerated mind action known. It steps up mental action until man’s consciousness is synchronized with the higher consciousness. It is the language of spirituality; when developed it makes man the master in the realm of creative ideas. Prayer is more than supplication. It is an affirmation of Truth that externally exists, but which has not yet come into consciousness. It comes into consciousness by affirmation. When you are in need, think about the inexhaustible resources of the Infinite Mind, its presence in all its fullness, and its constant readiness to manifest itself for you when its laws are complied with. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “Seek ye first the righteousness of the Kingdom and all else will be added to you.” (Matt 6:33)
When we pray we pray in thankfulness for receiving. God, Spirit, has inspired us to embrace an idea and to ask for it. The good always exists in Divine Mind as ideas, and we bring our good into manifestation through the power of faith, affirmation, gratitude, and acknowledgement. Prayer that moves from our heart, our mind, and our mouths constantly helps us prevent doubt from entering, it helps us maintain the focus on our inner lives where miracles emerge. This is why we are told to pray unceasingly. Praying unceasingly maintains a consciousness of faith, expectation, and persistence. Praying with gratitude keeps the doors open for God’s gifts to come to us!
I want to share a reading on prayer from, “The Prophet.”
Let us read the definition of meditation: Meditation is continuous and contemplative thought that dwells on anything. Generally we think of meditation as a way to help us realize the reality of the Absolute, to know God. Meditation helps us be in a state of watchfulness in our spiritual communion with God.
When we say that our mental states are brought into our experience through prayer, meditation, and Divine Law, we are saying that we are using meditation to focus our thoughts on our relationship with God and affirm that our requests, our prayers, are being answered. What are some tools of meditative techniques? Visualizations, affirmations, imagination, day dreaming. All of these and more are ways that our mind get capture the messages from Spirit during meditation.
I want to share a reading from Ken Wilber’s book, “The Simple Feeling of Being.” Meditation, whether Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, or Moslem, was invented as a way for the soul to venture inward, there ultimately to find a supreme identity with the Godhead. The Kingdom of Heaven is within and meditation, from the beginning, has been the royal road to that Kingdom. Whatever else it does, and it does many beneficial things, meditation is first and foremost a search for God within.”
As members of the World Fellowship Church, we celebrate our freedom to worship our God however we may choose and we believe that every person on earth has that same right. We understand that our Creator exists as us, in us, through us, and that we are made of the same God substance as everything else that exists in the physical, created world called earth.
We also understand the Divine Principle that we are like a funnel, always allowing God’s good to flow out throughout all parts of our life and that, if we block the flow by not allowing good to flow out of our life, we will experience a lack in that part of our lives. We talked about God’s goodness in our lives in terms of time, treasurers, and talents, acknowledging that it is good for us to give in all of these areas of our lives in order to be open to receiving our greatest good.
We have discussed the eternal existence of our soul and acknowledge that as an eternal being we have a lot of time to learn how to accept our unity with God and with one another. We may have multitudes of lives and we have unlimited opportunities to evolve as spiritual beings.
We talked about our true being, our soul, as always being a vibrant, passionate, creative, powerful being, and that even in old age, the true part of us is strong and powerful, it never grows old and it never dies. And we discussed that prayer does cross time and space to bless others with light, love, and uplifting thoughts for the highest good for every person.
Almost every Sunday we see the principle of direct revelation of Truth manifest in our group here. Last week, Billy followed his intuition to bring the picture of the Lion and the Lamb and our musicians, Tom and Christa, sang, “The Lion and the Lamb” for their first song. Coincidence? No—I believe it is Spirit moving through our group in wonderful and mysterious ways!
And finally today, we are talking about how Divine Mind works with us and through us to bring about the life we want. We can choose. We can focus on negativity and expect only bad things to happen in our life or we can banish that dark cloud and experience a life filled with light, love, and blessings. Pray unceasingly….thank God for everything in your life and know, that when you do ask for something that the thought was an inspiration from Spirit. Have faith that it will come about in the right time and right place.
We have made life hard. These seven principles can help us to enjoy our lives more and allow Divine Mind, God, the Creator, to bring our good to us in unceasing ways!
Use these Principles as affirmations. Include them in your prayer and meditation time. If you aren’t sure how to speak with God in positive ways, use these statements in the first person. It will be a great first step to opening yourself to even greater good in your life.
“We Believe in the Healing of the Sick; Through Prayer, Meditation, and Divine Law”
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
February 10, 2008
We have been discussing our World Fellowship Church’s seven Principles upon which our collective understanding has been based. As we have progressed through these principles, we can see a tie; that tie that runs through them. We can see that they are all based on beliefs about Divine Mind, consciousness, and our belief systems. Today’s principle is based on our understanding of what the basis is for illness or “dis”ease within our bodies.
When we address dis-ease in our bodies, our minds, or our emotions, we are stating that those parts of ourselves are not “at ease,” that something has caused them to be affected either for a short term, long term, or even permanently. But let me make this clear, we are talking about the body. Even when we talk about our mental faculties or our emotions, we are speaking about aspects of our body that are not operating in harmony with other parts of our Being.
I think it is important to remember this, especially in the way we speak of ourselves when we may be in a physical state of illness or disease, because the I AM is always whole, vibrant, alive, and functioning at its highest level—always. Even when we are 102 and physically we are showing signs of wear, our I AM, the part of us that is everlasting, ever powerful, ever creating for us, is untainted by the affects that may occur in this body in which our I AM resides.
When I have given talks on the great I AM, I have shared that statements about our physical being are translated literally by our internal computer. When we make the statement that “I AM sick,” the message goes out to the body and the body responds by sending you all the signals of you being sick. I remember Wayne Dyer once asking someone how long they thought they would have a cold that was just coming on. The person stated a month…they talked about each stage that would last about a week and that it would finally be gone in month. “I AM always sick about a month”, the man said. And guess what, he was! What if he said that a cold never really got him down and it was out of his system in 3-5 days? Wouldn’t that bring an ability to rise in his body to fight the virus and move out within a shorter period of time?
What power might the mind and body share that can bring illness or disease into our lives? In the book, “Holographic Universe,” by Michael Talbot, we learn all kinds of amazing concepts that are being put forth by today’s scientists. I quote:
“The idea that the physical body is just one more level of density in the human energy field and is itself a kind of hologram that has coalesced out of the patterns of the aura may explain both the extraordinary healing powers of the mind and the enormous control it has over the body in general. Because illness can appear in the energy field weeks, and even months before it appears in the body, many believe that disease actually originates in the energy field. This suggests that the energy field is in some way more primary than the physical body and functions as a blueprint from which the body gets its structural cues. Put in another way, the energy field may be its own implicate order.”
You may remember that I have spoken before about the implicate order and the explicate order. Basically, it is a theory that states that in the implicate order we find ghosts, dreams, goals, heaven, anything that is not expressing in the physical world at this time. While the explicate order is evidenced by those things we see in the physical world. Sometimes, as in the case of things like hauntings, the Bermuda Triangle and other similar locations around the world, and other “supernatural” occurrences, these are simply times when the implicate order has crossed into the explicate order.
Let’s think about what kinds of things can bring an illness or disease into our energy fields. Diseases change over time and in different cultures. For instance, did you know that in Freud’s time, the most common cancer was that of the sexual organs? With the inhibitions or the time and the “nervous” conditions of the women, the men also were fixated on their sexuality in unhealthy ways. This guilt and anxiety brought disease to that area of the bodies of those who lived in the uptight Victorian cultures of the time.
What might we expect to happen because of our cultural beliefs today such as expecting sickle-cell anemia if we are African-American, or lung cancer if we are smokers, or heart-disease if we are overweight or diabetes or high-cholesterol. It is most likely quite unconscious for us.
Another concept of something that could represent a predisposition to disease is a miasm. Miasms are energy traces that fix themselves in our energy fields and are even thought to affect our cellular DNA which means that we could pass a predisposition to our offspring. A miasm could stay in our energy fields until something in our physical environment provided a gateway for when disruptive changes could occur in our energy field and then, in our body. Researchers believe that miasms can occur from exposure to noxious agents, bacteria, viruses, and even radiation. Some believe it is the miasm phenomena that transmits the predisposition to breast cancer in families of women; that predisposition is fed by cultural expectancy, and fear. a
There are researchers who believe that our soul comes into this life with a template, an energy pattern that our physical body “fills” into. Of course, many of us believe that we have selected our families to have certain traits and experiences, but the scientists who research reincarnation around the world have come to believe that we carry certain marks with us, life to life, that our soul and our plan can carry, “the very shape and structure of their past into their next body.” (Dr. Ian Stevenson, “The Holographic Universe” by Micahel Talbot)
Stevenson writes about Burmese children who talk about being American and English pilots shot down in WWII, having fairer hair and complexions than their siblings. Some children have had scars where their previous bodies were to have received mortal bullet wounds.
Why do I bring this in? To make the point of how important we are as whole beings, energy beings, who are affected by cultural belief systems, family belief systems, and our own individual belief systems. Our bodies respond to not only the programming we give them through the focus of our thoughts and expectations, they also respond to the pool of consciousness that we find ourselves in within this culture and our world.
I don’t want to forget that there are times that we do come into a life with the intent to experience a physical, mental, or emotional challenge for our own spiritual growth. Again, I want to stress that even in the most handicapped, most debilitated human, whether they be an infant, child, or an adult, they are still the vehicle for a perfect, strong, vibrant, powerful Child of God. Sometimes those souls come to help their families experience a lesson.
If we believe that there is a Divine Plan to everything, we also believe that there is a Divine plan to these situations that seem unfair at the physical level where we have limited understanding. It is faith that helps sustain us when we are called to support someone in these situations or if we find ourselves in the midst of them.
What I have been talking about is the consciousness that we ARE, even in our physical body. The Divine Mind is at work in us, as us, through us, around us. Even our bodies that appear to be solid, are said to be a more dense form of energy field like our aura.
As part of Divine Consciousness, of the whole of everything, we can align ourselves with the power and the vitality of the universe in prayer and meditation. When we are in a state of dis-ease, this principle reminds us to acknowledge our oneness with the Divine Plan for our life, to be strong, to enjoy a healthy mind, emotions, and body. That we experience harmony in all parts of our life. That anything that does not reflect complete health and harmony in our lives moves out of our life quickly and easily.
I am a perfect Child of God! Every cell in my body is healthy. Every cell in my body is whole. We can pray this way for ourselves and we can pray this way for others. There is no time that separates us. There is no distance that is too great. We can send our prayer for wholeness to anyone at any time and they will be positively affected by it.
Does that mean that everyone that we pray for will recover? No. Our prayers are most helpful when we leave the results up to God. That is that we pray for a person’s highest good. Recovery may not be the highest good. It may not be according to the Divine Plan for their life. Their soul may need to experience this illness for some reason beyond our understanding. The person may want to hold onto their infirmity again, for a reason they cannot verbalize. Praying for person will always benefit them on an energetic level and sometimes this is the seed that provides them a pathway for a way back to full physical health.
I want to talk a little about the despair and despondency that can come from an illness or injury. Sometimes, even a spiritual person has a hard time allowing positive prayers to help. I know when I experienced the ongoing pain and lack of sleep that turned out to have been caused by a stroke, I experienced a deepening depression over the months that the experiences continued. It came easier to pray for others than myself. Even that was hard at the end before I was finally diagnosed.
I know that the growth I have had from the experience has been amazing. I don’t know how I would have had the experiences I had in a more positive way so I am thankful that they are part of who I am. But I do know the dark night of the soul when I knew, intellectually, that God and I were one, but I did not feel any sense of the Divine in me. At times like that, the prayers that people send to help heal the energetic bodies and the physical, mental, and emotional bodies are all that the person has working for them!
That’s why Rev. Joel and I spend time with you in prayer when you are in a hard spot and can’t see God at work in your life. At times like that, it takes someone else praying in earnest for you and with you to plant the seed that will help you make a turn in your life.
We believe in the healing of the sick through prayer, meditation, and Divine Law. With prayer and meditation, either for the person who is experiencing the disease or by that person, the Divine Law allows for that person’s energy bodies to become strengthened and allow for the Law of Attraction to work to help the body, mind, and emotions to become strong once again, or to allow the highest good for that person to take place. The right person, the right medical attention, the right attitude, the right circumstances will come into that person’s life to assist them in whatever way meets the prayer for their highest good.
Divine Law is our Creator’s Promise that we are never, never left alone.
God Loves a Cheerful Giver
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
January 27, 2008
Let’s review my talk from last week before we go forward. Last week I talked about our second principle; “I believe that there is One Mind, One Principle, One Law, One Substance in the Universe and I AM One with All there Is!”
One Mind is exactly that. All of creation, here on earth and throughout the universe known and yet to be known, is part of a great consciousness. This consciousness moves and has its being through all of creation. Without our knowledge, our autonomic systems operate to keep us alive. It is the same with the universe. Without our knowledge, there is a great consciousness at work that sets events in motion, regulates life and nature, operating at sub-atomic levels and through the consciousness of plants, animals and humans to continue to move creation forward. This takes us to the second part of this principle…..One Principle.
What is One Principle? The Divine Principle is evolution, the propensity for learning, evolving, mutating, changing. This principle is part of all creation. Nature learns what works and what does not work and over centuries and centuries, makes small changes to help her move forward….to change. The Divine Principle represents the evolution of the Creator…..with total love for EVERY aspect of creation!
Which leads me to the next principle, One Law. What is the Law we are speaking of when we read this? One Law is the Law of Love. Our Creator loves every part of creation because every part of creation is our Creator. There is absolutely no separation. The sparks of Divine Consciousness that moved into the earth plane are sparks of Divine Love.
And the final principle is that of One Substance in the universe and I AM one with all there is! Every part of the physical world that we live in as spirits incarnate is made of the same Divine Substance. All of the atoms, the molecules, etc. are part of Stardust that has fallen from the skies over millions of years. We share the same composition as the animals, the plants, the rocks, the sea, the stars…..we are all One Substance. We might call that substance light or energy but we are all made of the same basic substance.
Which brings us to our principle for today. “I believe in giving without thought of compensation.” Why is this principle included with the Declaration of Principles we read each week? Our parent church, the World Congregational Fellowship Church, gave us the “Declaration of Principles” when we started our church as an affiliation with them as our parent church. As ministers, we believed that these were a good solid basis on which to build a church and this particular principle addresses the issue of tithing in a rather non-traditional way (which we liked).
To understand this concept we first have to remember that Spirit, the One Mind, Creative Principle flows forth with energy that manifests in many ways. Those include, but are not limited to, treasures (money, monetary gifts, material items etc.), talents (writing, speaking, teaching, singing etc.), and time (an abundance of time or a deficiency of time).
Spirit also supports the creation of whatever we plan, affirm, or pray for in addition to those things that we fear or hope to avoid. The energy of Spirit is the SAME whether we might think the result to be positive or negative. Spirit is the creative force in the universe. It is totally up to us how we, as a vessel, are going to form the energy as it manifests in our lives.
We know that the Law works the same for everyone. If we have more apprehension and fear than we have optimism and excitement about a project, our result might look like failure to us. God supported you perfectly by being what God, the Creative Energy is. You made the decision, either at the conscious level, the subconscious level (from previous experiences), or from the soul level how a project should or would turn out.
With this decision made, the Creator moved forward to manifest that reality for you and viola! Then you make a judgment as to whether the project was a success or a failure. Whatever your decision, whatever you name it, will lay the ground for what you will experience next time.
This brings me to the concept of giving without thought of compensation. Let me take this funnel and fill it with water. See. It flows freely into the bowl below. Imagine this is Spirit, flowing through you, unimpeded and without any kind of thoughts blocking the flow.
Now, watch what happens when a thought comes into your mind that causes you to worry about a bill or recovering money you just spent before your next payday. The flow is slowed substantially with only the thought of concern. We are one with Divine Mind, Divine Consciousness. We are perfect channels, vessels like this funnel, that are directing the flow into treasures, talents, and time.
As we give of ourselves, without thought of compensation, we are richly rewarded with larger and larger vessels to allow more Spirit to flow into our lives. If we stop to think about anything we have given, we block the flow. If our intent is free-giving without concern about how we will make-up the difference, the flow will continue to replace that which was given and give us even more!
An affirmation to open this flow might be: “The more I give, the more I have to give!”
I have had discussions with people that ask the question, “Why does it seem that those who are not spiritual have the benefit of money, fame, or other trappings of success when they don’t even seem like very nice people?”
First, very successful looking people are still the Children of God and this principle works for everyone exactly the same! What if these people have no thought as to the need to be concerned about others? They may have a flow that is unfettered by a conscience. Some people absolutely believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they deserve the wealth and success they have. If that wealth is all they have ever known, they might very well create only from that perspective. They may share in philanthropic ways that keeps their treasures flowing into their life.
On the flip side, what about all of us really nice people who don’t have the wealth we think we should have? Most people who haven’t had enormous amounts of money don’t know the first thing about really acquiring great wealth. Those who have made a millions of dollars often say that the first million was the hardest because they did not have a personal yardstick to help them see their progress. In the same way, people who have had a successful business go bad, know how to start a business and build another success because they have done that.
There are Olympic runners or high jump athletes who break records that stood for centuries, only to have other athletes come in and break their records with ease. Once the record is broken, it is easy to believe that others can do the same. This is a reason too, that people who want to be successful are encouraged to read biographies of successful people; this gives them new role models that can provide a template for the achievement desired.
We tend to limit ourselves to the achievements of others in our societal group. We have a tendency to pull one another down if we get too “high and mighty.” If you don’t believe me, think about the conversations you have at the checkout stand when looking at the “poor” celebrities on the covers of the sensationalistic newspapers.
The fourth T we often hear of in the 4T’s talk that is given in both traditional and New Thought churches is tithing. We don’t talk about tithing very much but it is an important part of the principle I am speaking about today. Tithing opens the flow of your funnel. We are instructed to tithe to the person or spiritual home that nourishes our spirit. Why? So that we can understand the tie between Spirit filling us to overflowing and our gifts to Spirit.
Tithing is not to be seen as an obligation. Tithing must be a gift, freely given, in gratitude for spiritual nourishment for the tithe to open the flow for you. A tithe is given in gratitude to Spirit for filling you to overflowing with the goodness of the Creator. When you can give freely without thought of compensation, then the rule of the tithe can work for you. The ancient law of the Hebrews was that the first tenth of the crop or of the new lambs were given to God in gratitude for the abundance provided. In return, God was to multiply the giver’s blessings ten fold.
When we look at the Law of Tithing, we realize that what we give is what we receive, increased ten fold. So…if you need more time in your life, volunteer your time in some way that feeds your soul. If you need more talents in your life, volunteer your talent in some way that feeds your soul. If you need more treasures in your life, give of your treasures to some place that feeds your soul.
Giving to the poor or to homeless children or to other charities is a very good and noble thing but it does not follow the law. To see the return from your giving, it is important to give to some place that feeds your soul.
Rev. Joel and I have discussed this. We know that some of you enjoy Rev. Joel Goldstein in the morning. Perhaps you are fed spiritually by his message and choose to tithe to his ministry. We believe that this is important for you as a Child of God. We are never going to plead to you for money.
The Law of Tithing benefits you. It is more important to us that you give where you are spiritually fed and not give out of a feeling of obligation to World Fellowship Church.
Now that is probably odd for ministers to say but we both truly know that this church is blessed with wonderful people and we strive to be in the highest integrity and deliver to you the best we can. This church as been filled to overflowing through the years and Rev. Joel and I seek to manage your gifts in wise and honest ways. You have seen the annual reports over the past four years and continue to entrust us with your gifts. We appreciate that!
Sometimes people get very hung-up on the whole tithing thing. Is it 10% before taxes or after taxes? Is it weekly or monthly?
Your gift is between you and your God. Whatever you can give joyfully and without fear or anxiety is right for you. Whatever you give will return to you.
Which brings me to the final point. We don’t always know what miracles God has for us when it comes to our good returning to us. I spoke about miracles last week that included, more time, protection of my money, and a return of money equal to that I had paid out. Setting expectations for the return of good in our lives can provide too small a box for God’s creation to fill or may re-direct God’s creative force into an area that is not for your highest good.
When we give of our time, treasures, or talents, let’s open ourselves to God filling us to overflowing in ways that support our highest good. Remember, the more I give, the more I have to give. It is a Divine Law!
One Mind, One Principle, One Law, One Substance in the Universe and
I AM One with All There Is!
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
January 20, 2008
I AM One with All there IS! That is a really powerful statement! Yet, I believe the truth of it with every fiber of my being. Do you? Do you understand the concepts that are represented in the statement so that you can believe it? That is what we will be talking about today.
I had several miracles happen in my life last weekend. Why are they miracles? Because I don’t notice them happening every day although, every day that we arise and start again on our life paths, it is a miracle! But, these truly were miracles because they were totally out of my normal ability to control ANY aspect of them!
First, I had a weekend of dog shows planned for last weekend. But, the entries to 2 of 3 shows apparently did not reach the superintendent. I watched my bank account to see if the check I wrote for $277 for entries was cashed. It was not. I watched the mail for my show schedules and entry verifications. They never came. Nothing. And, I was a little perturbed. My partner, whose entries and checks I mailed in separate envelopes, were mailed the same moment, on the same day, in the same post office, eight days prior to the deadline. Her check was cashed and she received her entry verifications! Mine never came and a call to the superintendent let me know that they never received the entries.
Now, my specialty entries, sent to Phoenix, had arrived. That meant that I was preparing to go to Buckeye with five dogs for one dog show. Kind of a lot of work for one show! Plus, we build entries for all three shows all year, planning to have big majors for the winners. Now, my chance at those majors was gone for 2 of the 3 days. Disappointed to say the least.
Let me shift gears. On Wednesday last week, I had a chance discussion with the Dean of the Verde Valley Campus. We talked about the wild idea of turning the Sedona Center Campus into a center for “New Consciousness.” He liked the idea very much and asked me to put together my coursework descriptions from the doctorate program, possible course descriptions for classes that might be offered, and a marketing plan for a meeting he wanted me to have with him on Monday. Monday? I knew I was going to be gone all weekend so how was I to have this ready by Monday? I felt really excited about the project, so I agreed.
When I returned home Wednesday night from work, I had two messages that the kennel club that was putting on the Saturday and Sunday shows had cancelled them because of mud at the show grounds. We were going to have to make a quick decision about our specialty—cancel or proceed? And if we were to proceed—where? I was on the phone for three hours Wednesday night pulling our club members together and assuring them we could and would put on our show on Friday.
One great thing for me—the $277 that was never received for my entries, was not lost, as were everyone else’s entries. The show-giving club gets to keep them! Number one miracle.
I went down to Phoenix on Thursday morning with a friend from Chino Valley who has a R.V. We finished organizing Friday’s show from Phoenix, at another member’s home. We were ready for Friday.
At the specialty, we ended up losing 17 entries that were to come in from New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, and California but folks from Texas and California did brave the trip. We still had 38 entries from three states!
I walked away with Best in Sweeps with our girl, Priscilla, whose dad won the same award last year. Our girl, Jane, won Winner’s female. Two very nice wins!
By 5:30 p.m. we were on the road coming back to Prescott. I was going to have the weekend to accomplish the writing and research I needed to do for my meeting re: Sedona Center on Monday. Miracle two.
When we arrived at my friend’s home, I offered to pay for gas for the trip, since she saved me gas and hotel money. She refused the money stating that she wanted to make the trip anyhow and appreciated the company.
When I look at the money—I paid $147 for entries for the show. We won $94 for the Sweepstakes win, I saved $50 in gas money riding with my friend, and we ate for free all Friday because we provided the food as part of hospitality. So, in terms of cash flow, I spent $3 for the specialty! Miracle number three!
Where is the One Mind in all of this? Everywhere! Do any of you think that I could have planned this? I was divinely protected from a fairly large monetary loss. I have a pretty important job to begin to prepare the Sedona Center for a “New Consciousness”, a job that the Divine made time for me to accomplish. And, I was gifted with prosperity by doing what I love to do while remaining open to be of service in any way I can!
How did this One Mind come to be? We see lots of ideas about this concept through time but let me share just one with you that will help you with the visual.
Neither angel nor man can describe the being that is God. We have chosen to use the word Creator here to describe the essence known most closely by humankind but the truest name would be the Great Unknown. Consciousness itself, evolving and knowing itself, threw sparks of consciousness separate from itself to continue creating and evolving apart from itself for the continuous evolution of its own consciousness.
We referred to the spirits who came to earth. These were the sparks of consciousness experiencing their existence, aware of one another and of the Creator from which they came however, they were also free and independent to make choices and have existences of their own. These were known to the Creator and with every decision and experience, the Creator consciousness moved forward in its own evolution.
These spirits, pure consciousness in nature, moved in and out of being-ness with the Creator. Like the great oceans of earth, consciousness of the Creator moved ever forward while the droplets of water, the sparks of consciousness, moved in and through the ocean, sometimes rising high on waves and separating even momentarily from the ocean water to experience a moment alone in the air, and then falling again into oneness with the ocean.
The air, a new and refreshing environment, so different from the moisture of the rest of the ocean, could be experienced by the droplet as a life could be experienced by the spark, the Spirit One. How enticing to experience a totally different existence than that of spirit which one had only known since their creation!
As created sparks of consciousness began to evolve in self-awareness, they began to seek paths for continued evolvement. Moving and dancing through the universe, they communicated and shared one another’s experiences and the Creator, knowing all that happened within its Being-ness, grew in awareness through the experiences the created enjoyed.
These beings, these sparks of divine delight, were filled with the same power as their Creator. They were true offspring; filled with the qualities and traits of their Creator. Given the opportunities to move in and out of the greater Consciousness, transferring experiences and growing more in understanding, the Spirit-Ones visited many dimensions and lands. Their experiences were filled with diversity as they emerged as a part of Creation itself. The Great Unknown, filled with love and life, urged the Spirit-Ones on and this is how they came to be on earth.
(From: Journey of the Spirt Ones, by Dr. Sue Sammarco)
One Mind is exactly that. All of creation, here on earth and throughout the universe known and yet to be known, is part of a great consciousness. This consciousness moves and has its being through all of creation. Without our knowledge, our automatic systems operate to keep us alive. It is the same with the universe. Without our knowledge, there is a great consciousness at work that sets events in motion, regulates life and nature, operating at sub-atomic levels and through the consciousness of plants, animals and humans to continue to move creation forward. This takes us to the second part of this principle…..One Principle.
What is One Principle? The Divine Principle is evolution, the propensity for learning, evolving, mutating, changing. This principle is part of all creation. Nature learns what works and what does not work and over centuries and centuries, makes small changes to help her move forward….to change.
Creationists and evolutionists want to argue but it is all the same; just different language. God, the Divine Principle, is ever moving forward. Does God learn? If one considers God first as consciousness, Divine Mind, and each of us a part of that mind; then our souls, that part of us that observe our ego minds push our body through its daily tasks, can learn along the journey and relay information through our spiritual selves to that Divine Consciousness. Divine Consciousness, of which we are all part, moves us forward—like evolution, each part of Mother Earth called to change, sometimes so slowly that we do not even notice it, we too progress as the family of human spirits.
If one believes in reincarnation, one would acknowledge the eternity of the soul and the timetable then for the evolution of the human family. We can come back to this planet or other existences for eon after eon. Life continues in some form or another into eternity. We have a lot of time to continue to evolve as spirits or souls. We don’t always need a body. We don’t always have to be humans. So, the Divine Principle represents the forward motion that is ALWAYS taking place, even when we cannot see the changes. The Divine Principle represents the evolution of the Creator…..with total love for EVERY aspect of His/Her/Its creation!
Which leads me to the next principle, One Law. What is the Law we are speaking of when we read this? One Law is the Law of Love. Our Creator loves every part of creation because every part of creation is our Creator. There is absolutely no separation. The sparks of Divine Consciousness that moved into the earth plane are sparks of Divine Love. These sparks fell to earth and became Mother Earth, Gaia. They united with the sea and the rocks and the trees. The animals are filled with the sparks of the Creator as are humans.
When we talk about all of us being one family, we are trained to think of this as only our human family but what if you could wrap your mind around the concept that EVERY SINGLE PART OF CREATION is your sister and your brother in the eyes of our Creator. We are all parts of the same Divine Mind, the same Divine Principle, and same Divine Law. We are all love incarnate, in a body.
When people have near death experiences, they talk about the tremendous love they feel. The return to the truth of their being and our being. We return to the ocean and arms of love that our Creator has provided for us! The Divine Law is the Law of Love.
And the final principle is that of One Substance in the universe and I AM one with all there is! We learned the truth of this in grade school. What are these chairs made of? Wood-yes, but when we break them down more we see molecules and atoms. We can get down to quantum physics terms and see that there is a glue that holds the quantum particles together that scientists don’t understand. You could say that our Creator is the glue that holds the universe together!
Every part of the physical world that we live in as spirits incarnate is made of the same Divine Substance. All of the atoms, the molecules, etc. are part of Stardust that has fallen from the skies over millions of years. We share the same composition as the animals, the plants, the rocks, the sea, the stars…..we are all One Substance.
The particles that comprise our bodies and all of life on our planet and in the heavens have been around for millions of years. They have been re-distributed millions and millions of times. You may have been part of a Saber-Toothed Tiger or part of an ancient palm tree. You have shared the parts that make up your body with creation of the past and present for millions of years.
This is the radiant substance of the universe, held together by the glue of the Creator that is part of the One Mind, moving forward as One Principle, and loved continually by One Law.
This is a story of miracles! It is amazing that we have forgotten so much of our story. It is amazing that, through today’s science, we are beginning to understand these Divine Principles. How can you not have absolute faith that Life, that God, is working on your behalf and on the behalf of the whole world? If we truly understand these principles we state each week, then we will come to realize that even if the ego minds of humans destroyed civilization tomorrow, as parts, actually living parts of our Creator, we would continue to exist and move into a new existence. We would merge with the great ocean of consciousness once again, experience total love and acceptance, and continue to our next adventure.
It is a great promise and a great journey for all of creation.
“Let’s Make Way for Our Good
in 2008!”
Rev. Susan D. Sammarco
December 30, 2007
How many of you want to have a greater amount of good in your life in 2008 than you may have experienced in 2007? Now, I want us to think about that good not only in terms of money or prosperity but also in friendships, perfect jobs, great health, peace and serenity in your lives---whatever areas of your life that you are open to accepting the good. And that is an important part—isn’t it? We need to be open to accepting the good but another important part of that acceptance is creating the space for the good to come! And that is found in the secret of release!
In Deuteronony 15 we read Moses as he shares that at the end of every seven years, the Hebrews are to “cancel debts.” Moses says, “There should be no poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you.”
Let’s look at this passage literally and metaphysically. Literally, Moses was telling the Hebrews that if they loaned their fellow Hebrews money and it was not repaid within the seven years, the loan was to be forgiven which means, given up to God!
If we look at the passage metaphysically, we know that we are told to release ourselves and others from any sense of indebtedness every seven years, a number that represents our spiritual nature. As we release ourselves and others we open the door for God, the Creative Infinite that is one with our spirit, to bring increased good into our lives, “richly blessing us” as stated by Moses. I think it is interesting that science tells us that every seven years our total bodies are replaced and created anew. And that happens without our conscious awareness!
So, in the act of releasing and letting go, we create a vacuum in our life. Some call this the void that is created—but I like the image of the word vacuum. As I create the vacuum, something new and wonderful is sucked into place!
Release is one of the most effective ways of opening your mind to receive! It frees you from tension, worry, and stress. You become an open, receptive channel through which the loving intelligence of the universe can come into your life and cleanse your life of worn-out relationship and conditions to make way for your expanded good! Release helps you to eliminate error or outmoded conditions from your lives and to make way for you to expand your good.
ELIMINATION OF SOMETHING FROM YOUR LIFE IS ALWAYS A SIGN THAT SOMETHING BETTER IS ON THE WAY! Let me say that again! ELIMINATION OF SOMETHING FROM YOUR LIFE IS ALWAYS A SIGN THAT SOMETHING BETTER IS ON THE WAY!
We should never be fearful of letting go. That which belongs to you is never lost in the act of release. Your expanded good is much freer to move into your life when it has room to come in! Even if you don’t know what should or could be released in your life, your higher consciousness is directed by God’s universal wisdom. It always knows what to release. When we release our attachment to people, places, or things that no longer serve our highest good, we are free to manifest those people, places, or things that are appropriate for our highest good in our lives now! Making room for more good in our lives is the first step to receiving the good. Remember that it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom and that Kingdom is here and now!
We have great tools that we can use with to help us release. We are going to share in one small ritual that I learned from my spiritual mentor almost forty years ago. That is the annual gifting process that we will share in at the end of this talk.
But, release is not just for the physical world is it? Release applies to our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical worlds. We can use prayer, contemplation, affirmations, and inspirational readings to assist us with the process. And we can make lists of things that come up for us that we want to release. Remember, when you receive a message that something or someone needs to be on your list: ELIMINATION OF SOMETHING FROM YOUR LIFE IS ALWAYS A SIGN THAT SOMETHING BETTER IS ON THE WAY!
I have been using the affirmation, “I release and let go of everything in my life that no longer serves my highest good,” for many years. I strive to stay in a state of release so that I can receive new good in my life on a continuous basis. Another affirmation that I have put in place is, “I am shown new ways of living and new methods of work. I am not limited to the methods of my past to generate a generous income.”
Have you thought about the idea that your past does NOT have to equal your future? We have talked about living in the moment over the past few months. Why is this an important concept? Because living in this moment, fully alert and alive, directs your creativity for the next moment, manifesting your life with the expectations you have for your life. When we see good right here and now, when we experience good right here and now, when the people in our lives are good, right here and now…..we get to experience even more of the same in the next moment!
I know that God is my source and that EVERYTHING in my life is Divine Substance—totally in-sync with Divine Order. Therefore, I know that the messages I am receiving about my life are that I am to release and let go of any past recall I have about my life and walk the path of Divine Inspiration moment to moment! What a wonderfully exciting message for 2008!
As we progress, we change in our lives. We give up something to make room for new good in our lives. This is growth and development. Some stages urge us toward physical manifestations of prosperity. Some stages urge us toward bonding relationships. There comes a time though when our external world begins to get smaller and this is the time we let go of some of our desires for physical prosperity and we begin to long for spiritual or intellectual development. Wherever you are, it is perfect for you! Elimination of the old to allow for room for your new growth is still an important step.
As I bring this to a close I want to mention what sometimes happens when we hold on to our things beyond the time that we probably should have let go! Anybody out there ever had a fire or a flood experience?
According to the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary, a flood experience is a re-balancing of energies in a person’s life, or on the earth. Of course, we are all familiar with the story of Noah. God decided that His creation hadn’t exactly turned out the way he had hoped and that it was time to let go of the old creation, keep that which was working, and cleanse the earth.
The flood story is symbolic of those periods of healing and readjustment that come to all of us when our creations have “apparently” been taken away from us. When I have had a flood experience, like a hot water heater breaking in a garage where boxes and boxes of my sister’s belongings were being kept (to keep them away from her soon-to-be ex-husband so that he couldn’t get them) and destroying the contents; it makes sense that we either release things willingly or sometimes the universe helps us to release them!
A termination from a job or a divorce that results in our moving to a smaller home, giving up things that have meant a lot to us can be a flood experience. Remember: ELIMINATION OF SOMETHING FROM YOUR LIFE IS ALWAYS A SIGN THAT SOMETHING BETTER IS ON THE WAY! Noah means “exalted place.” He was capable of seeing that a cleansing was taking place. That which is no longer for our highest good is taken away, dissolved, whether we want it or not. But greater good, greater blessings are on the way!
So, let’s be thankful that we have the freedom to ask for guidance to help us release those things that are no longer in our lives for our highest good. And know, that as we move forward in releasing and letting go, something better is on its way!
Mother, Father God who creates our world for us and through us, we are thankful for the guidance we receive today and in the days to come. Please direct us as we come to you with an openness to release and let go of those people and things that no longer serve our highest good. We know that You know what we need for our highest good and we are open to receiving our good from You. Amen.
What Do We Know About the Sons of God?
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
December 16, 2007
Who is the Son of God? Maybe the better question is, “Who are the sons (and daughters) of God? Hopefully you all thought, “I AM!” As God’s children, like our Creator in the form of spirit, somewhere deep in our beings we know that we are God’s children, spirits from a heavenly source who are having earthly experiences.
This is the time of year that I like to remind all of us that much of our understanding of our past history has been removed from our cultural consciousness, in part by Christianity to protect the identity that has been built around Jesus. But, even as we look at Jesus’ life we see that he told his followers that, as great as he was, they, and those who followed, would do even greater things thing he! If this is true, have we limited our abilities to follow in his footsteps by placing him on a pedestal as God, taking his achievements far out of our reach?
If we delve into books from the turn of the early 20th century, we will find stories about “Sons of God” who were born throughout the ancient world. Many of these had stories in common, a common mythology, let’s say, that identified the birth of a special soul. The interesting thing is that many of those who came to be revered as “Saviors” were Master teachers that tried to show people the path to God or to help people acknowledge their one-ness with God. Many of these “Saviors” were promoted as the “only begotten son of God.” Does that surprise you? We are so accustomed to the Christian “Savior” that we are not readily exposed to others who have come before Jesus with the same title.—that is unless we intentionally seek that information.
Because the birth of great spiritual leaders had, throughout time, been demonstrated through mystical births worthy of their destiny, no one of the day would have considered Jesus’ birth an unusual, miraculous one. It was only after his passing, when Church leaders needed to make his story even more unique, that the story became more ingrained in Christian literature. And, with the loss of the understanding of Divine Principles and mysticism, people adopted the belief that Jesus was the “one and only.”
At the time of Jesus’ birth, the eastern cultures embraced the concept of reincarnation in their religious and philosophical beliefs. Through the incarnations of past Masters, a commonly held belief in great Masters and Messengers of God to help with the spiritual evolution of man was present. As great souls on earth, those who had attained a higher and higher degree of mastery in their lives, were ready to incarnate as a Master, the expectation was that they would do so in an Immaculate Conception and that the life would be the last one on the earth plane.
Let’s look a little further into history to see how this story has played out. As I said, Jesus was not the first great Master to be called a “Son of God.” Although Christianity presents the birth as a singular event, it is a part of the mystery accepted in the eastern religions. In the book, Indian Antiquities, the author, Thomas Maurice, states, “In every age and in almost every religion of the Ancient world, there seems to have flourished a tradition that one god had begotten another god for all eternity.” He further states that many religions of antiquity spoke of their great spiritual leaders as “God’s Begotten Son.”
We have spent much of the past year talking about other world religions and learning a great deal about their principles of faith. Many of these faiths had great spiritual teachers who came to teach to a specific age and culture. Let’s review those we have studied.
India has many Divine Messengers who were incarnated through Divine Conception. Krishna was born of a chaste virgin, Devaki, who was selected to become the “Mother of God,” because of her purity. This is a very ancient story of Divine birth.
Buddha was considered and believed by all of his followers to have been born of a virgin named, Maya, and by Immaculate Conception. A Divine Power descended upon the virgin Maya and she was moved by Spirit.
In Thailand, a god and savior was born of a virgin and named Codom. His mother was surrounded by Divine sunbeams during her daily prayer and meditation and was told that she would become the mother of a great messenger of God. Codom was remarkable from a young boy and grew up to be full of spiritual wisdom and performed many miracles. When Europeans first entered Thailand, they were surprised to find the natives worshipping a Lord and Savior who had been Divinely Conceived of a Virgin.
The first Jesuit missionaries to enter China discovered another redeeming master who had been born of a virgin and Divinely Conceived. That god was Lao-Tsze who was born 3468 B.C.
In Egypt, long before Christianity, the Egyptian people had several messengers of God who were born to virgins through Divine Conception. Horus was known to have been born to the virgin, Isis, and his birth is one of the great mysteries in the ancient Egyptian religions. His birth and life were worshipped much in the same way that Jesus’ are today.
Ra, another Egyptian God, was born of a virgin. The god Thoth was said to have visited Ra’s mother, Queen Mautmes, and told her that she was to give birth to a Divine Son of God, who was to be a king and Redeemer for her people.
In Ancient Persia, Zoroaster was the first of the world redeemers acknowledged to have been born to a virgin. Ancient carvings tell the story of a great light filling the humble birthplace of Zoroaster and many worshipped him as a God in human form.
Even Plato, born in Athens in 429 B.C., was believed by some to have been a Divine Son of God, born to a pure virgin, Perictione. It has been recorded that Plato’s father, Aris, had been directed in dreams to not have relations with his new wife until the Divine Conception and birth of the child who was to come. Born in 570 B.C., Pythagoras’ mother conceived him through the intervention of a “spectre,” which appeared to her. His father was also informed that his wife would bring forth a son through Divine Conception, and that his son would contribute much to humanity.
Even on this side of the world, stories exist about virgin births among the Mayas, in Nicaragua, Peru, and Guatemala. Each of these has corresponding stories of “The only begotten son of the Supreme God.”
If the virgin birth is a common denominator in the birth and recognition of special souls throughout human history, what do we know about this time of year? Why was it selected as the birth time for Jesus?
Among ancient Egyptians, this time of year was celebrated as the birthday of several of their gods. The ancient Egyptians are said to commemorate the birth of their god, Horus, at the time of the winter solstice. Osiris was also born in the same time frame. This date was carried forward into the cult of Sol. The 25th of December was celebrated as a day associated with the birth of Sol or the Cosmic birthday of the principles of the God.
In Rome, before the time of Jesus, a festival was held in Rome called Natalis Solis Invicti (birthday of Sol the Invincible). The was a day of great rejoicing and a time of exchange of gifts with one another. In the 4th century, when Constantine ordered the Christians to find common ground with the worshippers of Sol and the Mithrites in order that there might be peace in the Roman Empire, the bishops of the newly formed Roman Catholic Church combined the birthday of Jesus with the birthday of the Sun God, Sol, to bring the “pagans” into the Christian Church. The traditions that came with the celebration of Sol’s birthday followed and were written into the Holy Bible as the Wise Men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus.
The Essenes, a religious group of Jews from whom many believe Jesus family emerged, wrote that the day and hour of the Winter Solstice was the Cosmic time for the birth of great Spiritual Masters.
The concept of the Son of God is deeply ingrained in our human consciousness. It comes forth from ancient times and other religions, through mystical Judaism and into Christianity. But what is the next step for us as spiritual beings. I believe it is time for us to know our one-ness with God so fully that we can manifest heaven on earth and God can work in and through us. It is time that we completely acknowledge that WE are children of God, sons and daughters of God, fully capable of accomplishing great deeds that defy what we think we know about the physical world.
Are you ready? We are thankful that Jesus made this journey to light our way and we are ready to step into our greatness. The Christ consciousness that brought forth enlightenment in Jesus is our’s today when we bring our focus onto the awareness of God’s presence in our lives. God speaks directly to each of us…through our hearts, our minds, and our souls. It is time for you to know that you are your own savior! You are walking your own path that will bring you into your own state of one-ness with God.
This is the time of year that we celebrate the wonder of God’s goodness in our lives. Whether or not it is really Jesus’ birthday does not matter. What matters is what we do with the energy of the season. Take the time to make your holidays—true holy days.
I believe it is time for the human race to move into the full knowledge of each person’s own greatness and godliness. Let your light shine----and you, each of you, BE a way shower for others. Let us work together to remember the truth of our beings. This is the message that the saviors of the world have come to teach.
It's in Me!
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
November 25, 2007
Everyday we go to work, so that we can own our homes, buy our cars and televisions, make sure that our clothes are in the most current styles, and enjoy nice dinners out with our friends and families. That is the life we have fashioned for ourselves in the modern world, isn’t it? Our purpose in life is to work but to work in order to achieve the ends that have come to mean that we are successful.
Work is important, don’t get me wrong. Work is part of the system WE have established for life on the planet. But, is it the purpose for which we have come to experience life on this planet?
We have been operating under the question of “What is the purpose of life on this planet?” for hundreds, even thousands of years. The new question we are asking ourselves is, “What is my life’s purpose on this planet?” Instead of looking at this from the big picture, we now need to look in each of our own hearts to find the more personal answer. I believe this answer will help each of us achieve the growth we came to achieve and in turn, give others the permission they need to find their personal purpose.
Where do we look for these answers? The first step we need to take is to change the way we see our world. Jesus instructed us to be in the world but not of the world. I have been rolling this thought over and over in my mind for a couple of weeks to get more clarity on the meaning. Of course, on the surface if seems very easy to understand. To be in the world but not of the world, is simply put, to remind ourselves that we are spiritual beings having this earthly experience.
But, in my meditations I have come to a deeper meaning of this phrase. I have come to see that we are to be operating in the physical world AS SPIRITUAL BEINGS! What is the difference? The difference is that we are to see through mythology, the stories we have told ourselves about life on Earth, through the scripts we have written and the play that we are acting out, to know the truth fully about our beings, our power, and our abilities.
We come into our existence as a baby, full of wonder and excitement about life. As we grow we are “domesticated”, as referred to by Don Miguel Ruiz, in, “The Four Agreements.” We fall into line with the script humans have been writing about the physical world for thousands of years. We grow up in whatever society we are born into and we learn the ways of our families, our communities, our nations. We forget the true nature of our spiritual beings and we become tame; not asking questions, just moving along with societal norms.
We have heard that we are here to remember who we truly are but I don’t think that it is just a remembering that we are called to. I believe we are to bring this awareness to our greater family and actually “re-member,” that is help others come to the same awareness and become members of the same spiritual body once again. As individuals coming together with this awareness, we can help shift the consciousness that will bring love and peace to our world!
How can you and I recognize our soul’s purpose in this life? What did you dream about when you were a young child? What took your heart and imagination away in times of daydreams? What connected you with a real joy, a joy that may have been buried deeply as you grew older?
Remembering, the act of reconnecting to yourself as a spiritual being, can be a joyous step in discovering your soul’s purpose. I’ve been listening to a CD set called “Passionate Living, Aging, and Dying.” One of the gentlemen on the CD was a college professor for the first half of his life and then, his little renegade self came out and, at 62 years of age, decided to go to Trapeze School, and then, opened his own school. Today, at 67, he throws or catches students four days a week and says that he is in better shape today than when he was in his 30’s. Discovering your passion gives you renewed energy because you are filling your body with creative, spiritual juices.
My mother always wanted to be a wife and mom. When she died, she was glad that she had the opportunity to do what she came to do—be a wife and a mom. Sometimes our soul’s purpose is fulfilled in ways the world might see as small but I can tell you that I appreciate the job she took on and performed to the best of her abilities.
Becoming more conscious of what our soul is sharing with us, especially as we grow older, is an opportunity for us to take hold of what we came to give the world. That might be something totally different from what we did when we followed the rules of the world. I look at Doug Gold for instance. Doug, worked for the military for his career and now is a licensed massage therapist. Those who know Doug and his touch, know that he heals from his heart and that, as a massage therapist, he brings his gift of healing energy to the world. Doug and his wife, Diane, are both involved with bringing greater health and vitality into our world, they have found their souls’ purpose.
I believe the practice of conscious awareness, conscious living helps to bring these messages more clearly to us. For us to hear the message, we must be present in the moment. Not carrying the baggage of the past or giving power to fears about the future. We must be present in the here and now.
I want to share a quote with you. The speaker from whom I heard this did not reference it so I am not sure where it originated, but it is really thought-provoking:
1. Between stimulus and response there is a space.
2. In that space lies your power and freedom to choose a response.
3. In these choices lies your happiness and growth.
4. You are not a product of your genetics, of your environment, of your horoscope, of your spouse, or boss, or other stimulae or influences….you choose your response!
We have the power to choose how we respond to our world. We do not have to live on automatic, in fact, we have been taught that it is OK to be in automatic because it takes us out of the present moment, that is the way of the WORLD. If we are on automatic we are operating on our beliefs that have emerged from past history. Thus, we go round and round in human history, participating in the same drama and expecting different results.
Last week we were speaking about ancient Rome and its parallels to today’s history….the same drama. We were speaking also about the Jewish people and parallels to what we have done with the Jews and other ethnic groups in modern times….the same drama. We can look at the Mid-East situations and wonder, “Why do we think that we will have different outcomes with the same actions?” “Why do these leaders think they will have better answers to the problems that have been present for several millennia in the Mid-East?” ….the same drama on a worldwide scale. All of our past history has not taught us anything…we as a human race continue the same drama.
We need to stop ourselves and act on a new decision to take this moment as an individual action, on its own, right now. This will help us take the first step in being in the present moment. This will allow us to start to exercise new muscles that will keep us in a conscious state.
What would this look like? I believe we would acknowledge that everyone has the right to live the way they choose to live. That everyone has love and peace as their heart’s desire and that this is the day, the very moment, that all aggression will stop and we will give our hearts, our communities, our nations over to peace for all. A worldwide conscious decision to start exercising our Peace muscle. Making this commitment would allow Spirit to rush in with a passion for peace, filling the Mid-Eastern nations with creativity to manifest peace for all people.
1. Between stimulus and response there is a space.
2. In that space lies your power and freedom to choose a response.
3. In these choices lies your happiness and growth.
4. You are not a product of your genetics, of your environment, of your horoscope, of your spinfluences….you choose your response!
If we act “as if” life is ALWAYS going to respond in the same way, it is. If we act “as if” our partner, our boss, our co-workers are ALWAYS going to respond in the same way, they will. But, if we CHOOSE to act differently, it gives others in our life the opportunity to act differently too.
So, how does this apply to our soul’s purpose? If we choose to act on a dream that we had as a kid, to write, to dance, to sing, to bring our gift to the world in whatever way we have been led, we will do so in a conscious state of mind, acknowledging that the world WILL ACT differently towards us.
Do you think that people are always pleasant to the college professor now trapeze artist? No, they are not but he says, “It’s their problem that they don’t think I should be behaving this way!” Remember the bumper sticker, “Well-behaved people don’t make history!”
To be in this world and not of this world means that we are spiritual warriors. We are not here to walk the way of this world but to find who we truly are and what we have come to share with the world. Your gift may be to be the best mother you can be and that is precious. Your gift might be to be the best friend people can have, you listen with wisdom and speak with grace and that is precious. Maybe you came to be a clown to cheer children in a hospital or a dog trainer who helps people understand their pets.
You are here to do the best in whatever you do with your life. To do it with love and with kindness. All of the answers you need are in you! And finding the answers for yourself will bring you heaven on earth because you will be living in the moment, sharing from your heart and soul. And this can be very good –for you, for the members of your human family, and for the world!
"Peace, Wonderful Peace”
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
October 28, 2007
We sing about peace and we talk about peace in our day to day lives and on a more global scale, but how often do you feel “at peace” in your day to day life? Being in the world just like you, I know that the world outside is not very conducive to peace. I drive in the same traffic as you. I deal with similar work environments as you. I stand behind the same people in the grocery line as you. I have family members who are not at peace, and friends who are not at peace in their lives. Peace..wonderful peace seems to evade us in the outside world, leaving us only temporary respites when we attend church or go to the library!
Jesus said, “Peace is mine. My peace I give you.” What did he mean by that statement? I believe that he was telling his followers that he understood the nature of peace in his life, of being on track and completely supported by his understanding of his destiny and of God’s guidance and supply for his needs at all time. It was the teaching of this truth that he was giving to those he was teaching.
In the Nag Hammadi texts, in the Gospel of Thomas, section 3, Jesus says, “The Kingdom is inside of you and you will bring it outside of you.” In section four I read: “Jesus said, “Recognize what is in your sight and that which is hidden from you will become plain to you. For there is nothing hidden that will not become manifest.”
What is in your sight? What is it that you focus your attention on? That which receives your concentration and your energy will be that which you will manifest for you in your life. When you realize what it is that you are focusing on and manifesting, you will become capable of bringing out that which may now be hidden from you, that which you may not have in your life so that may be what you manifest.
I share this as it relates to peace in your life. It can also relate to any area of your life where you are experiencing one thing and recognize that you are concentrating on it and, through that realization, you decide to change your mind, change your focus to manifest what you really want in your life.
So let’s talk about peace. I know this is probably a very subtle difference but as I prayed and meditated on peace, I realized that the state we are seeking is being “in peace” as opposed to “at peace.” At least for me, in peace seems to indicate that we are flowing in the moment. Being “at peace” seems to turn the noun, “peace”, into a verb such as to say that we should be about peace, performing an action of some kind as opposed to being in the moment.
“In peace" brings forth the image of sitting in the middle of a river, quietly flowing along, not giving us any cause for worry or concern. "in peace" describes a state where our relationships are free of conflict, our exterior lives reflect a state of mind and being that are full of peace.
But what is this peace? To me it is a statement of faith. An affirmation that we are living each moment of every hour of every day of our life in the trusting security of being supported by a loving Creator who seeks to supply us with everything we need to reach our hearts' desire in life.
Does that mean that we always experience a life that is free of conflict, stress, or unpleasant surprises. I would most readily say no! There are times when our world collides with others who do not have this understanding but, in the Buddhist way, we raise ourselves above these situations and call for a peaceful heart and mind.
With the limited human vision and perspective we are not always capable of seeing the "big picture", the reason that sometimes we are pulled into unpleasant circumstances, but life may place us in the middle because of the peace we can bring to the situation.
We have a new member of the President’s Leadership Team at the college with whom I resonate very well. She is a collaborator, preferring to ignore the “silo” effect of power structure building that has gone on so long at the college to bringing divergent work groups together to develop new approaches to old problems.
I appreciate her courage to come to the college and her slow approach to determine how to progress in her department of 120 people. Her department has been operated in a hierarchal power structure for at least the past 18 years and had lost much of the heart that it needed to be helping students. Under her skillful hand though, I look forward to positive changes that will bring increased respect and peace to our organization. She has been called to express peace which in turn will help many, many others experience peace in their jobs and as students.
I find much of life humorous anymore. The things that seem so important to others seem laughable to me. Things like the cares and concerns of celebrities, for instance. I speed read the covers of publications by the check-out stands like anyone else but I don’t thrive on the news of the moment for every poor, unfortunate celebrity who gains ten pounds after their baby and looks horrible in their bikini!
As I reach a more and more peaceful state of heart and mind, I even find the things that used to be disconcerting about my partner don’t even warrant attention anymore. In the big picture, it just doesn’t matter.
I love life so much and I am so thankful to be an active participant in it. The joy I receive from my inner life with Spirit, my church, my job, my husband, my children and grandchildren, and my dog showing friends and activities....all of these fill my life with fulfillment and peace of heart.
There are so many things going on in the world that can bring us to a state of mind that is most un-peaceful. We are reminded that the best we can do is often remember to let go and let God. It is our life, our relationships, our talents and gifts that reflect God as us, in us, through us in this world. Remembering that, helps us one day at a time, be “in peace”. In the flow.
When Stephen Taylor was here he talked a lot about being in the flow and how that awareness can bring us more calmly and peacefully into a state of faith. He will delve into that more next week and during his seminar.
Being in the flow, in the moment is a very important part of this whole concept of being “in peace” isn’t it? If we are worrying about repeating our past or worrying about what might happen in the future, takes us out of the flow, right here and right now. This moment is where we can read the guideposts along the way, listen to God’s messages through our friends or even perfect strangers. We miss Spirit’s support for us that is striving to make our lives better if we are not living right here, right now. Often we wait for the lightning bolt, don’t we? God answers prayer in much quieter ways.
Recently I had three separate bird’s acting in ways that they stuck out in my life. I talked to Rev. Joel about them which was very helpful.
One, a raven (a bird we do not often see where we live) was calling loudly from an electric pole in the distance. After about 30 minutes of getting my attention, he dive-bombed our hounds and flew to one of our trees along the back fence. He called loudly from there and then, he dive-bombed the dogs again and flew back to the more distant pole. He did this a couple of times and then, flew away.
Next, a beautiful red-throated woodpecker tried to fly into our office space, hitting the window repeatedly. I asked my assistant if she had ever seen the bird and she said no. The bird, attempted this for about 15 minutes before flying away.
Lastly, I came across a lovely Roadrunner on a rock who just sat as I drove by, stopped the car and shared the space with him, again for many long minutes. I felt the moment important and I thanked him for allowing me to share the space with him.
So, within a week’s period, I had three different but important bird messages, which Uqualla would tell us are Spirit-Ones speaking to me. The important thing was that, being in the moment, I saw that these were important and I stopped to acknowledge them, even if I don’t fully understand the messages.
We were told this past week that our youngest son and his wife are moving to California for a new job for our son. I journaled a dream about a move to California for these two several months ago. I knew the dream was important and I called them to talk to each of them about the dream. It was important that I be prepared for this so that I could support them in their decision. I journaled the dream in the moment I had it and the information I received was helpful last week when there was some debate about the correctness in the move.
We are supported my friends. We are supported in so many ways if we can remain in the moment and allow the Divine Source to work through our lives to bring us what we need. We have not been abandoned in this place without love and support. We are connected with one another and the more we can have the courage to act when we are asked to act, and listen when we are called to listen, the more we can be assured that our needs will be met and our spirits, can be in the flow of peace.
Walking the Talk, Talking the Walk
Dr.Susan D. Sammarco
September 23, 2007
I have been listening to a great book on CD this week. It’s a book about fear written by Barry Glassner and entitled, “The Culture of Fear, Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things.” I knew it was going to be interesting when Michael Moore gave the forward to the book. I respect Michael Moore’s style of book writing and movie making for its honesty and fearlessness in exposing things we suspect but would rarely find in other artists’ works.
This book is about the huge amount of fear we have in the U.S. and the question is, “why”? In what we say is the greatest country in the world at this point in time, why are Americans so fearful about absolutely everything?
I understand you had quite a discussion last week on topics that seemed to bring up fear for many people. And that list can be endless, can’t it?
According to this author, Americans are kept in a fearful frenzy all the time. Can you imagine Americans even functioning if they lived in a country like Israel or Iraq or Palestine where car bombs explode daily? Do you think we would even come out of our houses if we had the kind of violence that other people experience around the world?
We are supposed to be a faith-based society, ruled by laws that protect us, and we have large prisons that put the bad people away so that we can walk around, go to work, shop, eat out, and see movies. So why are we so fearful---all the time—as a society?
If you have ever traveled abroad, say in Europe, do you remember seeing large groups of people out strolling in parks as families, or lolling around enjoying their brews as I did in Germany? Did it seem to you that they were really relaxed? Really enjoying the moments with friends and families?
I would propose to you that we remain at high alert on purpose. We are first, manipulated by the media—not intentionally to help the government keep us on alert---but to sell newspapers, TV news, radio news, magazines, even websites now. Who had the most sensational stories today? How many times can any given network play a story over and over and over again, from every angle, from every view point ad infinitum?
We are a society driven by numbers and data and facts—aren’t we? We’ve even gotten down to wanting “just the facts” in our news stories---no fillers, no depth, no true analysis. We want to know the data---the statistics. And yet, we have lost our critical thinking abilities!
Do you know that with all the stories we hear about workplace violence, that you have a 1 in 240,000 chance to be killed in your workplace and that your chances are even less if you are in an administrative type of job. If you are a police officer or have another high risk job—your odds of being killed become greater but even as a postal worker, your odds of being killed at work are at that 1 in 240,000 person average? Guess what, your chances of being killed by a stranger or a co-worker at work are even less---The greatest threat at work is a family member or relationship gone sour.
Why is this important? What did Jesus teach us? –To be in this world not of this world. I think that if Jesus lived today, he would not own a TV, he would not subscribe to a paper, and he would not listen to the radio, choosing instead to pop in a book on CD or music of his choice. At least, that’s what I am going to tell you that we need to be doing.
Buddha talked about the peace we choose by choosing what we will allow into our thoughts and into our experiences. I just finished Deepak Chopra’s book, “The Buddha.” What a lovely book! It follows Buddha in a fictional story from his birth to his older years. Chopra has taken the Buddhist scriptures to develop the story and I found it very credible.
One of the interesting parts is at the end when Buddha returns to his father, his wife, his son, and his people. He embraces his wife once and then, does not allow her to hold him in the same way again. He is the Buddha. And she too, becomes enlightened and follows him.
What does the ending tell me? What I believed happened is that Buddha recognized his earthly being-ess but he purposely turned his attention and his energy into his spiritual life on earth. He fully knew his spiritual existence while having his physical existence at the same time. He came to the point that living in the physical and living in the spiritual were the same to him—it just didn’t matter---but for him to maintain the awareness as fully as he did, he didn’t want to “muck” it up with too much attention being paid to the physical.
How can we be spiritual beings having a physical existence if we are consumed by the physical existence—especially in the fear mode so prevalent in our country?
When I drive to work in the morning I have this very weird area where I pick up a station that I listen to on the way to work and a Navajo station at the same time. I listen to a religious speaker who preaches on Bible texts and his teachings are overlaid with the beautiful native Navajo songs and instruments. It’s like I am having an experience of various planes of existence mingling magically at that very place and time. I truly feel transported by this experience and sometimes, I just park in that spot and let the experience wave over me.
I believe life is like that too. I don’t know that I believe that heaven in up somewhere as much as I believe that heaven is simply a different wave kind of like the radio waves I am tuning into on my radio. I have been journaling some really wonderfully inspired meditations about the beginnings of humans on earth and the process for me is the same as the radio tuning. The music or the visions are downloaded like an I-Pod that I am able to tune into upon meditation. I feel Spirit and love and support all the time, all around me.
So, where am I going with this? Pastor Alistair Begg that I listen to on my drives to work is Scottish. He has a wonderful accent and a very Calvinistic approach to the Bible, very fundamental in his belief system. I listen to him, giggling myself sometimes at our differences in perspective, but I appreciate his work at moving through the Bible very methodically one chapter, one verse at a time. I marvel at this because I imagine that he has worked his way through the Bible at least 50 times in his life.
One day Pastor Begg spoke about sheep during his sermon. He talked about how many years ago, his congregation had given a lovely play about sheep. He thought that many in the congregation that day could probably remember that they had been sheep in the play. The sheep bah bahed here and bah bahed there. They were so cute and white and fluffy.
But the truth is, that sheep are not so cute. Pastor Begg had visited relatives in Scotland as a lad and watched as they dipped the sheep in vile insecticide to rid them of lice and fleas and other parasites. The sheep stunk because of excrement that stuck to their thick wool. They were stupid and mean.
Why were people referred to as sheep in the Bible and Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Pastor Begg stated that the Good Shepherd would watch over the sheep and protect them because they were totally unable to do it themselves. That people, symbolized as sheep, that congregations even, were often mean and stinky. That being a minister to the sheep was a very hard job because one was expected to love ALL the sheep, not just some, not just the babies that were still cute, all the sheep.
And sheep moved together. They do not stand alone. They do not make stands against the wolves in their midst. They depend on the Shepherd to protect them—to do the work.
I was thinking about this in reference to the fear mongering that is taking place more and more in our society. Although we are intelligent creatures, we allow information to enter our brains without critical analysis. We are allowing the media to continually use us and our fears to increase their market shares by watching or otherwise purchasing their garbage.
And what does that allow our government to do? It allows the government to continue treating us like sheep—sheep that can be herded this way and that. To move behind this initiative or that. To deliver more statistics to the eager media who is ready to pitch it to us so that once again, we behave in the manner expected by our government.
What if we just said no? What if we just turned it off-stopped buying subscriptions to newspapers, Time and Newsweek magazines and others that fill us with fearful garbage, stopped listening to even seemingly benign stations like NPR that is still insidious in getting its negative stories into our subconscious? What if we just said no?
Do you really need to know everything that the media is trying to tell you? Do you really need to know how many were killed in the wars today or who was killed in car accidents or break-ins or if a carjacking occurred somewhere in the country? How will it improve your life?
What can you do with the time you will have if you turn the junk off?
You can write a friend—read a book---listen to a great book on tape---pop in a favorite film that makes you feel good……If you had more time in your life, what would you do with it?
Walking your talk---we say that we are spiritual beings, everlasting glorious spirits that are here for an earthly experience. Make choices that help you to remember who you really are. Don’t live your life according to the rules of others.
Take you life, your path into your own hands!
Talk your walk. Think about the talk today. Talk to other people. We can make a difference. People need to think about the amount of fear they are letting into their lives that is allowing other people to determine who they, how we conduct our lives.
We have the power to make the choice. Choose to live fully!
Thank you!
I AM the Great I AM, and So are You!
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
September 2, 2007
I had a great week this week… I mean one of those really great weeks that you just think, gosh, I just love life when everything goes right! But that is not the reality for every week that we have, is it? I am thrilled to get a day or two in a week that goes as well as this whole week went.
So how do you think that week came to be for me? Before you answer, I want to remind you that I am the same as you! I am not any smarter. I am not any prettier. I am not any more courageous! But I do believe in the truth of the great I AM and I know that those two words are the most powerful words you can use as an affirmation! I may not be any smarter, prettier, or courageous than you but I claim that I am each of these qualities every day.
I discovered the power of the Great I AM many years ago. I have told you previously about the work I did with my mentor, Louis Anthony Russo and the LIST Therapy. We worked with people to establish a list of at least 50 things that they wanted to manifest in their lives, in every aspect of their lives, without judgment. Then, we would work with a them to develop a second list, their I AM list that helped them come to a balanced state of positive beliefs about themselves.
We taught people that it is often very challenging to bring the good they wanted into their lives if they believed themselves to not be worthy.
Can you imagine writing a list of 50 or more things down about yourself today? What would that list look like? It would be difficult for most people to come up with 50 traits and associations that were all positive. But, if we could work with your subconscious to come into agreement that, for instance you are an attractive person (if you couldn’t believe beautiful!),
or that you are a prosperous person (if you couldn’t believe wealthy), it would be much easier to put away the old feelings of unworthiness and open the doors to receptivity. The I AM List was the KEY for success with the Want List.
When you say I AM, you are saying that God is! As you, in you, through you, God is! The Great I AM is your God-self, the part we call Higher Consciousness or Christ Consciousness. God, as I read in today’s scripture reading, is called I AM and humans, as spiritual beings in physical bodies are therefore, I AM Beings! I AM is the Divine Mind expressing as life, love, and wisdom. All of those positive traits that we associate with a spiritual nature-that is the Great I AM expressing through us!
When the dove descended on Jesus’ head at the time of his baptism by John the Baptist, the Christ consciousness was awakened to its highest level and Jesus began to really know the fullness of his one-ness with the creative, loving force of the universe. Fully awakened to his one-ness with God, he was able to master the earth plane in a very special way. When is spoke, he spoke with the authority of God, and the spiritual substance that comprises us and all of the creation of this earth plane, responded.
Charles Fillmore, founder of Unity, wrote, “I AM is God’s name in man. The outer manifestation (our body-our life) is the offspring of the inner manifestations of man---the I AM.”
I believe that the I AM force or creative energy is the activity of God in our lives. We are only beginning to understand how the activity of God manifests in our lives, affecting our personal activities and the world’s activities in ways that we are only beginning to understand. We are toddlers struggling to grasp quantum physics!
We are creating all the time. Everything in our life is here through the miracle of creation. Co-creation occurs when a person intends a manifestation and invites Spirit to unite in the intention to bring it about.
When Spirit intends a manifestation and a person catches the intention as an inspiration, this is called coincidence. When you call upon your I AM, you acknowledge your oneness with Spirit allowing synchronicity to flow in your life, making both co-creation and coincidence a more common experience in your life.
Your I AM is your individual soul identity that makes you who your are. Our physical bodies are vehicles for our I AMs and these are comprised of divine substance that will return to the realm of matter when our souls depart. Your I Am is your soul that lives on and on, returning to another dimension to experience different manifestations on other planes of existence.
Our I AM assures that there is always a presence of spiritual power in our lives. The Old Testament talks about prophets and common people who both affirmed the presence of the Great I AM. The early Jews did not understand a concept of God within, they sought their God outside of their beings—much as the pagan religions of the time did. Their God manifested the Great I AM in burning bushes, chariots of fire, and in great clouds.
When Jesus came to the Jewish people, he introduced the concepts of God in man. And most of the common people did not understand his message. Jesus understood the I AM to be the spiritual self, the kingdom within. The physical self is governed by the conscious and subconscious minds with all of their baggage but our I AM is one with God. The physical self clouds our understandings and perceptions and often times, throws up barriers to our remembering the truth about our beings.
In the Hindu tradition, human consciousness began as a ripple that decided to leave the ocean of consciousness that was timeless, spaceless, infinite, and eternal. Awakening to the separation and to itself, the ripple forgot that it was part of the infinite ocean and felt isolated and separated.
Evolutionary fires are beginning to flicker and dance through our collective psyches as a wake-up call, the trumpet that is reminding us of our connection to the Great I AM.
Writer Terence McKenna states this as, “We are in fact, closing the distance on a most profound event—the total freeing of the life from the dark chrysalis of matter.”
The popular writer, Dr. Deepak Chopra, has written a book called, “Quantum Healing.” One chapter, “What You See, You Become,” states in the first sentence the Hindu phrase, “Aham Brahmasmi,” which he translates to mean, “I AM everything, created and uncreated. I am the universe!”
Chopra shares another story about a young man who picks a fruit from the Banyan tree, as instructed by his father. “Split the fruit,” says his father. “ And tell me what you see inside.” He does this and says, “many tiny seeds.” His father then said, “Take a seed and split it. Tell me what you find inside.” The son did so, and stated that he say nothing inside the seed. His father answered him saying, “The subtlest essence of this fruit appears as nothing to you, my son, but believe me, from nothing, this might Banyan tree has sprung.”
To get our minds around the great I AM, means that we have an ability to transcend the normal flow of time and the normal confines of space. Even Einstein had to step outside of time and expand his mind until there was “neither evolution nor destiny—only Being,” he would say. We call that getting into the zone today…and perhaps as a measure of the evolution that we are undergoing, more and more people talk about getting into the “zone” to perform musically, artistically, physically or to perform any task that is benefited by a heightened sense of oneness with the Great I AM!
Every person is an infinite being, unlimited by time and space. When we consciously reach beyond our physical bodies, we extend the influence of Divine Mind, Divine Intelligence, Divine Love. Every thought we think enters the unified field of which we are all part. Our thoughts move as waves, spreading among the millions of other beings thoughts, emotions, senses. You are a light radiating your I AM consciousness. We are bound by our limited awareness but physics is telling us today that our thoughts produce ripple effects throughout the consciousness that is present on the earth plane.
This is the time that we are being called to bring forth our I AM consciousness. I invite you to become more aware of how you are using your I AM affirmations. You can use them for great power, to unite fully and with intention with that God part of your being that is ALL POWERFUL and all good.
Or you can use the power of this affirmation to create a life that does not meet your standards for the highest good that you KNOW you deserve.
Part of my daily prayer/meditation period is spent in speaking aloud my affirmations. I am a beautiful woman. I am full of power, courage and passion. I am loving. I am prosperous. I am wise. I am aware of God’s presence moving in and through my life at all times. I AM. I AM. I AM.
What are you telling yourself about your life, your presence in the world? Call your I AM into your life every day. Gird yourself every day with the mighty presence of God. Acknowledge your Spirit and know that God moves in and through your life doing might works. And know, that every thought you have, moves into the pool of consciousness that flows on this plane of existence.
Now is the time for us to participate with thoughts of love, tolerance, kindness, and wisdom for all as we continue to take these evolutionary steps. Those of us who know this truth are to hold the light, shining the light on the path for our brothers and sisters who are striving to see the light through the night of their experiences.
We are one in the Spirit. We are one in the Lord. We are the universe.
Thank you!
Present, in the Moment
Dr. Susan D. Sammarco
July 8, 2007
As you know, I am a part of this group…traveling the journey with you. I am here sharing the experience with you and if anything, I am simply more vocal about the experience than some of you. Scott puts his journey into songs. I put mine into my talks.
So, I wanted to talk about the journey that I have been consciously following for about the past four months—the journey of being in the moment. Now, this might sound like a simple task, one that you may have already mastered, but I realized that I was spending way too much time in the future and decided to break the habit I have of not living in the moment.
First of all, what is not living in the moment mean? Well, as I saw it, I had become so proficient in goal-setting, affirmations, planning out many of the details of life, starting with the menus each day, that my life was so full of details that I didn’t have time for living. I remember Meryl Streep saying in her film, The Bridges of Madison County, “A woman’s life is made up of details.”
I also realized that I was worried a lot. Way more than I usually was. I had gotten into a bad habit again, worry.
I was about a week into my habit-breaking program when I spoke about it to Rev. Joel. “I am working on living in the moment,” I said. “Good for you,” he answered. A small silent space took place, then, he added, “What are you doing in this moment?”
I wanted to change because I know that living in the present moment is all we have. We live in the past only as memories and memories are never as clear as activities in the present moment. Have you ever talked with someone about something that happened in your common past? Did you have common memories?
And the future? We can’t live in the future either. We can try to prepare for the future, to use historical data to project the future. But we cannot live in the future. Can we affect our future? I certainly believe we can and it has nothing to do with metaphysics.
Think about it—If you are an unhappy, miserable person who does not attempt to have quality shining from their work, from their family, or from their life, what kind of a future are you creating? Do you think people will be attracted to you? To offer you jobs or opportunities? Do you think money will be attracted to you? I would venture to say that you probably repel good in your life and thus, become even more unhappy and miserable. And you know what? If won’t be your fault! It will be everyone else who just won’t give you a chance.
What if you are a happy person who always (or often) goes out of your way to say yes! to people, to help others, to give the best you can to your work, your family, your life. What kind of a future do you think you will attract? I would think that you have a much better chance of attracting good into your life that just makes you happier and more content. You will be the kind of person people love to recommend for great opportunities and life fills your cup to overflowing.
What do these two things have to do with being in the present? Part of what I have learned is about my ability to stay happy in the present. I am a pretty positive, happy person anyway—don’t get me wrong. But, I have learned that it is much easier to be content and happy in this moment than what I felt in the past in the moments I lost focus and allowed all the moments that WERE to follow to be important to me. This contentment has increased my overall happiness greatly.
One situation that has arisen is about a financial obligation I have for $1,000 to be due in December. Now, I have monthly payments in this situation but I have a lump payment of the $1,000 in December.
Victor had been asking me repeatedly, “How are you going to take care of this?” I told him don’t worry, I will have it. My husband continued to ask me about the money until I finally answered, “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll sell a puppy or have some stud services come in for the dogs, or do a bunch of weddings, or get paid for something I do for someone. I don’t know how but it will be fine.”
Still not really satisfied he said, “Look, you just don’t seem worried about it.” I responded, “You are right.”
I gave it a little time and then found him to explain that I was really working to stay in the moment and NOT worry about these kinds of things. I was meeting my responsibilities now and I was confident that this too, would be handled. I asked him not to ask me about it repeatedly because it was difficult to stay in the correct mind if I felt I had to defend my position.
Yesterday, as you know, I was working with Rev. Joel to help with some of the weddings he booked. I earned a third of the money I need for December. And it is only July! Plus I had fun earning the money!
Staying in the present moment is invaluable in relationships. Now that I have been striving to live in the moment, I notice how often I was justifying my actions or thoughts about someone based on past experiences. It might be Victor or someone I work with. What I have found is that, by living in the present, not allowing myself to think thoughts that are not true in this very moment, that the person I am in relationship with, has made a shift in their relationship with me. Wouldn’t that be a valuable trait if we could achieve it on a world level? Instead of always living in the past or being fearful about the future, that we simply look at what is true in this very moment? If we could stay in the moment, we could begin to create a new future.
And that is exactly what I believe I am doing—creating a new future for myself—and that is all we can do---do it for ourselves and then, share it in relationship with others. When the critical conscious mind wants to step in with doubts, memories, fears or anything that is not supportive in this present moment, I stop and consciously make a switch to either forgiving myself, (I forgive. You forgive. We forgive.) until I come into a sense of peace and then, I began thanking the Creator for my life. All of my life. This thankfulness drowns out my conscious mind’s critical side and fills my mind with gratitude, contentment, and happiness.
I say YES! to life—a lot! I don’t want to run a chance of missing out on something great that God has for me!
I am raising a Boston Terrier puppy with my 3 week old Beagle puppy. He was basically orphaned by his dog mom and his breeder needed help. Did I ask how much I am going to be paid? NO….Do I expect to be paid? NO…..Do I know that in the whole scheme of things I will receive a wonderful gift for saving a small part of creation…Absolutely!
We give because it is our nature to give and we give because in giving we receive. If we are blocked in the present moment in some area of our lives—it is good to look at our lives and ask “What can I give?” Or, “Where can we give to open the flow?” Will it change the present moment? Yes-if we change our perception and our attitude and move into a sense of being “so abundantly blessed” that we can give of ourselves in some way to the universe, then the universe will open a channel to give back to us, pressing our good down upon us until we are overflowing!
I think the greatest gift I am being given for being willing to look at this old habit of mine and move into a different mind set is faith. I have felt my faith increase as I live in grace day to day, knowing that I am fully provided for and that life is unfolding beautifully as it is meant to. Does that mean that every day has been great? No. I have dealt with a pretty challenging situation with our Beagle Blue’s last litter—the kind of challenge that people say they have never heard of. And, I lost a puppy after I had known her and loved her for two weeks. But still, I know that the Divine is at work in this too.
The Boston Terrier puppy had been delivered to us before the Beagle baby got sick. For one night, both baby Beagles stayed with the vet and only the Boston Terrier puppy was at home to nurse on Blue and give her something to think about besides her missing babies. And I am sure, that there will be other good in this too as I allow it to unfold.
I am learning that I have less and less to do with the unfolding of my life. If I do the best I can do each day---I know that action reaps rewards. But even more, I know that as I do what I am called to do, moment to moment, with gratitude, contentment, and happiness in my heart, my mind, and my spirit---That our Divine Creator will move through all parts of my life to bless the world through me. In the lyrics to a song we hear, “In this very moment, there is just enough love, joy, and peace to go around.” The challenge to us, is not to miss the moment!
Thank you!
Before Enlightenment, Carry Water-
After Enlightenment, Carry Water
Rev. Susan D. Sammarco
July 11, 2004
Rev. Joel has been helping us understand the meaning of “the Kingdom of God,” in his recent series. As a community of believers, we are all seeking a greater understanding of the Kingdom of God, and in that we are seeking “enlightenment.” What is it that we want from that experience of enlightenment? What do we believe will come from “enlightenment” that will change our lives and make the search worthwhile?
Jesus taught that when we seek the Kingdom of God, all else will be added unto us…..Does that mean that riches follow and our lives become simple and easy? In our humanness have we not hoped for this very outcome?
The Christian movement took the teachings of Jesus on the topic of the Kingdom of Heaven and translated them to mean that we will reap our rewards in the Kingdom of God, in Heaven, where all that we were deprived of on earth, will be given to us in our afterlife.
How many people have passed into the hereafter expecting that kind of heaven? Millions have gone before us expecting that their lives of poverty and misery would be erased and that their piety would be rewarded. Maybe that is what happened for them. I kind of think that heaven, at least at first, is experienced as whatever we expect it to be with the people we expect to see. But is it worth putting our lives on hold on the earth plane, waiting for God to reward us in the afterlife?
I love the Buddhist approach to this….Before enlightenment, carry water. After enlightenment, carry water. This viewpoint tells us that, even with the attainment of the Kingdom of God on earth, the attainment of the Christ consciousness or Buddha consciousness, or whatever we would call it, we still have our work to do, and we still have our humanness to experience. So, why do we seek “enlightenment?”
As a community of believers who have moved beyond the traditional need of being “saved” in the Christian way, we place a high value on our understanding of our “one-ness” with God. We respond to the calling of Spirit to raise our consciousness and our vibratory levels to a higher awareness of God in our lives, expressing as us and through us. We believe that this takes with practice and study…. We believe that attaining enlightenment, that inner communion that becomes a whole body experience of God, is one of our most important goals as created beings on the Earth plane. We are here to “Remember who we really are,” and then, to express our spiritual natures in their fullness with one another. Reaching out to helping one another as we travel on this path.
We also know that Buddha, born to Maya and Shuddhodana Gautama, a king and queen living in the southern foothills of the Himalayan mountains, went through a process of spiritual preparation prior to his enlightenment and the receiving of the Buddha Consciousness, which of course, corresponds to the Christ Consciousness in our culture.
Maya and her husband had not had children for twenty years when, one night she had a strange dream in which a white elephant entered her womb through the right side of her chest, and she became pregnant. Both the king and queen were very excited about the birth of their royal child.
On the eighth of April, Maya had a miraculous birth when, as she picked flower blossoms in her parents’ garden, the baby prince was born. The king and queen named the child, Siddhartha, which means, “Every wish fulfilled.”
Several days after the baby’s birth, his mother, the Queen, died. A hermit who lived in nearby mountains, noting a strange radiance around the castle, came to prophesy to the King that the boy would either grow up to be wonderful king and rule the whole known world or he would leave home to embrace a religious life and become the Savior of the World.
Of course, his father tried to steer his son toward kingly endeavors, giving him lessons in civil and military arts at the age of seven, but the boy’s interest continued to be moved to other things. After witnessing a small bird carrying off a worm that had been tilled up by a farmer’s plough, the young boy asked, “Do all living creatures kill one another?”
His spiritual awareness and questioning mind sprung forth that day. Siddhartha’s mood continued to become more serious and spiritually contemplative. His father, fearing the Hermit’s prophesy, strived to move his son in another direction. He tried to cheer the prince and finally, when he was 19, Siddhartha was betrothed to Princess Yashodhara, in an arranged marriage.
For ten years, the prince was immersed in songs and dancing in his wife’s court. But he could not move from his ponderings about the true meaning of human life. At the age of 29, Siddhartha’s only child, a son named, Rahula, was born. Shortly after that, Siddhartha left his family with one charioteer and his favorite horse. He was determined to understand the suffering man experienced in life.
For six years, Siddhartha tried various methods of spiritual training that were to lead him to enlightenment. He visited with spiritual teachers who taught him about meditation but none of the methods worked for him. He practiced asceticism, denying himself all pleasures of the flesh, including baths and food. He had five men who accompanied him and attempted to take care of his body while he tended to his spirit. After six years of earnest, faithful practice, he gave us asceticism.
He bathed in a river and accepted a cup of milk from a maiden. Believing that the acceptance of the milk degraded Siddhartha, his five attendants left him. He was then, truly alone. Determined but weak, Siddhartha committed once again to meditation for enlightenment.
He said, “Blood may become exhausted, flesh may decay, bones may fall apart, but I will never leave this place until I find my way to Enlightenment.” He was alone, filled with confusing thoughts and dark shadows. As Jesus experienced the temptations after his baptism, Siddhartha experienced similar temptations urging him to give up his path.
But one morning, the Prince awoke with a clear mind. At the age of 35, he had found the path of Enlightenment! From that point, he was recognized as “the Buddha” “the Perfectly Enlightened One” “the World Honored One.”
After he began to teach, he attracted many followers, as many as two thousand traveled with him. It is said that men responded to him as the thirsty seek water and the hungry seek food. At first his father was sad but eventually, his father the King, his wife and son and all of his wife’s clan became devoted followers.
As the “Enlightened One,” Buddha taught for 45 years before passing into the next world. Sitting between two trees, he spoke until he passed out of his body. He had completed his soul’s work.
What is recorded as his last teaching to his disciples is beautiful text. I’d like to share a little with you—(not the full text) He said to them,
“Make of yourselves a light. Rely upon yourself; do not depend on others. Make my teachings your path. Rely upon them, do not depend on the teachings of others. The teachings I have given you, I gained by following the path myself. During the last 45 years of my life, I have withheld nothing from my teachings. There is no secret teaching, no hidden meanings; everything has been taught openly and clearly. My dear disciples, this is the end. In a moment, I will pass into Nirvana. This has been my instruction.”
So, as Jesus had done, Buddha shared his knowledge with the contemporaries of his time, to help them find their way to a greater experience of their one-ness with God, the way to the Kingdom of God, which would reduce the suffering that they experienced in this human experience.
Buddha told a story about a beautiful, well-dressed woman who visited a house. The master of the house asked her who she was and she replied that she was the goddess of wealth. Of course, the master was thrilled to have her as a guest and welcomed her with open and generous arms! Soon after, another woman came to the door who was ugly and shabbily dressed. The master asked her who she was and she replied that she was the goddess of poverty and that she was the sister of the goddess of wealth.
The man was frightened and refused to let her enter his house. The goddess of poverty said to him, “The goddess of wealth is my sister and we have agreed that we would never live separately. If you chase me away, she must also leave your house!” Sure enough, as the ugly woman left, the goddess of wealth also vanished.
The moral of the story? Birth goes with death. Fortune goes with misfortune. Happiness goes with grief. Bad things and good things are inextricably linked in the human experience. The lessons are often in the experience of the extreme. Buddha believed that enlightenment means we transcend both experiences and free ouselves of attachments to worldly ties. I believe it is important for enlightened souls to call all things good for they are God action at work. I believe it is important to move beyond the duality this world presents and turn to the unity that Divine Mind brings to us.
Even Buddha said, “Water is round in a round receptacle and square in a square receptacle, but water itself has no particular shape. People forget this. Behind the desires and worldly passions which the mind entertains, there abides, clear and undefiled, the fundamental and true essence of the Mind of the Divine.”
How many of you are familiar with the “Hanged Man” of the Tarot? This card is a beautiful expression to metaphysicians that our approach to life is in obedience to Divine Laws and often a reversal of the more usual ways of thinking, speaking and acting. As I was raising my sons, I often told them that the metaphysical path was the most difficult path we could walk because we knew how life worked and we could not claim that it was not our responsibility.
We must tend our own gardens, pull our own weeds, and have tolerance for every person’s path. We understand that many people use Divine Laws to produce negative results in their lives, most often without any knowledge or understanding of how life truly works. We understand the power of ideas and we know that once our words are spoken, they move into action, and these actions become patterns for our experience. Whether our ideas are conscious or subconscious, intentional or not, they are moved into reality by Divine Law.
These concepts are becoming more and more mainstreamed—not necessarily by traditional religions but through the paths of science and psychology! We see these ideas in Hollywood movies, documentaries, and in books. Our race consciousness is being raised in spite of the limitations of traditional religions!
Every human being is completely dependent upon God, symbolized as the tree in the card, and once we realize that surrendering to God’s will for our lives is the only course that will bring true happiness, we will truly become powerful beings. Our surrender takes place first in our mind, our understanding. We know that left to our own power, we can do nothing, but in our self-surrender, we can accomplish great things. God does not leave us hanging out there! When we do our work, taking time out for our times of silence in prayer and meditation, God speaks to our minds and our hearts, giving directions for our lives.
If we believe that the truth is, “Not my will but thine be done,” we connect with something bigger than ourselves which helps our positive attitudes in spite of seeming difficulties and disappointments.
We must also remember that pain teaches us. Suffering, poverty, disease, disharmony, wars, death----all have their lessons for us and prod the human race onward for its search for greater truth. Civilization is the result of human reaction against pain. Disease teaches us the laws of the body and good health. Frictions in human relations helps us to learn tools of human harmony and the practice of Divine Love in a world built around duality.
So, each of us as individuals and as part of the race consciousness are moving to greater states of enlightenment. It is a journey and as Buddha himself found it, is was not accomplished by becoming a hermit by a river for years at a time. It is a process through which we incorporate prayer and meditation, as “seed time” for Divine ideas to be planted in our minds, and we put our deepening and expanding understanding of God into our day-to-day activities.
Seeking the Kingdom of God, an understanding of the Divine, is an on-going experience for all of us at the human level of existence. As humans have evolved, we have experienced master teachers that have addressed our spiritual needs relative to the time in which they appeared. I believe we have the opportunity to experience many, many lives in what is but a blink of the eye, and through these we come, as a people to the state of consciousness we find our race in today. We still seek God and yet, how can we truly know God with our limited perspective? How would a three-year old know Santa Claus if they had never heard the story about Christmas and presents for good girls and boys?
According to Hebrew wisdom, the “name” of God, Jehovah, spelled IHVH, is actually not a name at all but a numerical expression and a geometrical formula representing God. The word Jehovah is a noun form of the Hebrew verb meaning “to be.” Correctly translated it means, “That which was, That which is, That which shall be.” It is the symbol for the One Reality that is the foundation for all the changing forms of life expression in the past and in the eternity to come. It defies description. Therefore the symbol, IHVH means Conscious Energy that brings all things and creatures into existence.
Actually, the Quabbala, an ancient mystical system that attempts to describe the attributes and functions of God and of all life, states that there are four worlds through which God operates and that there are ten aspects to God within each of these worlds. This tradition may be thousands of years old, and yet, God’s nature is still a mystery to us.
As we move higher on the ladder of enlightenment, we will understand more about the teachings the great masters brought us and we too, will one day, be enlightened! Until then, we must do our work to allow the seeds of enlightenment to be planted in our consciousness as we water them with loving persistence on our spiritual path.
Even after enlightenment, Buddha taught for 45 years, experiencing his human path. After enlightenment, Jesus went into the wilderness and was tormented by his lower thoughts, some called these his demons, and then, moved into his ministry as a human being. So too, we must continue to express our spiritual natures on our human paths. Before enlightenment, carry water. After enlightenment, carry water.
Thank you!