It is September!  Kids are going back to school, and our centers and churches, and temples are beginning new classes. It is that time of year where we quest and thirst for new learning. We take what we have learned from the past and move forward being open and receptive to new knowledge and understanding of who we are, why we are, and where we are going.  We read books, maybe even do the same papers, but eventually we realize we can be creative and not necessarily follow the crowd. We begin to add that something “extra,” a new idea, a new concept, a new way of expression.
The quote above really exemplifies the idea of choosing our own way, our own path.  We have a choice to follow the crowd or to be a trailblazer.  How do you think NEW  inventions became household words and experiences?  Someone stepped off the common way of thinking and had  a NEW IDEA or a new way of looking at an old idea.  It takes courage to step away from the crowd and pursue a calling, a desire, a purpose uniquely your own.  And yet, when you do, it is so rewarding, fulfilling and joyful!  You are Gods Unique, Creative Expression, unlike any other being on earth or elsewhere. Use it, love it, be it.
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Our theme this month of August has been “Lift Someone Up.” It reminds me of all the wonderful compassionate stories we heard throughout the Interfaith Summer Nights. One in particular comes to mind shared by an 8 year girl, who bravely spoke in front of an audience of 80 people.  She told us while she and her family were walking to a restaurant for dinner one evening,  they passed  a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk. The little girl asked her mom, “Can we share our leftover food with him after dinner?” Her mom said, “Of course.”  When their dinner was finished, they gave this man their food and he was very appreciative.  Later her mother revealed to me, not only did they share their leftovers, her little girl chose to eat only 1/2 her food that evening so she could give it to the homeless man. That story not only lifted the homeless man up, it lifted me up as well.  When we hear these beautiful considerate, SEVA actions, it ripples out into our world and beyond.  One small, kind action is worth a thousand words.
I love the lyrics from Celine Dion’s song “Because of You.”
The chorus says:

“You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn’t speak
You were my eyes when I couldn’t see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn’t reach
You gave me faith ‘cuz you believed
I’m everything I am
Because you loved me.”

Today LIFT someone up in your neighborhood, family or workplace. A small act of kindness will not only affect the recipient, it will affect you and everyone around you.
Now go spread some LOVE today!

The other day, I was headed into Vons grocery store when I noticed a woman sitting on the curb. Several people were with her. As I approached I heard she fell while walking out of the store and now couldn’t move her knee.  Times like these are what we are here to do, make decisions about which direction we choose to go in.  I chose to stop and talk with the lady.  Two men  were trying to help her into a chair. She screamed  when they tried to lift her.   I told the men to stop, let her sit and just get help. The younger man, a courtesy clerk from the store went in to get the manager. The other man stepped back and attended his outside table getting signatures for “something.”  I merely sat down on the curb beside her and said I would stay with her.  I asked how it happened and she told me she thought she was on the ramp, when she was actually on the curb and fell.  I then asked if I could say a prayer with and for her.  She said “Yes, I would love that.”   I placed my hands on her knee saying a prayer that would be acceptable to her (not knowing her faith) and continuing to treat within my own mind the power and truth of her being.  She said her knee seemed to feel better.  At that moment the manager came out of the store and again asked what happened.  I said he needed to call 911 immediately, since no one has done that.  He did.  Then he got all the information he needed.  I sat there with this lady and did not try to engage in conversation.  She needed some quiet and I continued doing my prayer work knowing God in all forms would come to help her. She then called her daughter and soon the paramedics came.  I told her to tell the paramedics it was too painful to be moved up to a chair and would probably need a splint first or some kind of  protective gear around her knee before moving her.
As they approached, I said goodbye, telling her all would be well.  She may or may not have thanked me. I don’t remember and it doesn’t matter. The man at the table called out to me, “May God Bless You.”  And I did feel blessed.
Sometimes it doesn’t matter what you say. What matters is just taking the time to STAY and SIT with a person going through a challenge.  Our paths may never cross again, and yet we were both blessed by our one time encounter.

Dear Friends,

This week in the LIFT SOMEONE UP Theme I would like to honor Maya Angelou,  a dynamic woman who loved who she was and loved her life!   Her story is featured in the Essence Magazine.   “Her Phenomenal Life & Poetic Journey” is written so profoundly and beautifully.
Maya talks about being a Black Woman. Maya says, “In the past 25 years we have witnessed, as Black women, enormous change, the greatest being an increased awareness and, in many instances, realization of our power. It is, I believe, one of our most significant achievements….”
Maya’s strength and authenticity cross all color lines. Women everywhere can look up to her and her accomplishments and follow her consistent path of integrity, following her heart, taking risks for justice and being tremendously courageous.

I believe a  noble, courageous, self assured woman is one wing on the butterfly. A brave, principled, honorable man is the other wing. When in balance the butterfly can soar and knows no limits.

I would like to share some of Maya Angelou’s  sayings and quotes from the magazine to uplift and inspire you.

“What seems to be a kind of vibrancy in me is from having called on spirit, having called on God to fill me, and the:
‘I’m enthusiastic! I’m up! I’m doing! I’m believing! I’m trying! I’m failing! I’m losing! I’m finding! It’s all all right.”

“If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me?”

“We cannot waste time bemoaning our state.”

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

“One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential.  Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous or honest.”

“You use power accordingly to how you acknowledge it inside yourself. Determine your goal of destination and know why you want to go there.”

“I believe that each of us comes from the creator trailing wisps of glory.”

Have you ever needed a lift, a kind word, a prayer, a reminder of your True Worth and Spiritual Greatness?
We all need that kind of love and support.  When we remind ourselves we are all on the earth plane together, journeying in life, we sense our connectedness with each other.  When we forget our God Essence,  isn’t it wonderful to get that phone call from a friend that just lifts our spirits  or someone in the store tells us we have such a nice smile or a letter comes in the mail from someone expressing gratitude.  It changes our life energy and direction  in that moment.
I believe we are all here to LIFT each other UP everyday in some way.  So today, make that phone call to someone who has been on your mind and LIFT them up. You will know what to say for God is always guiding you, loving you and being you in those precious moments.
Below is the beautiful song by Josh Groban.  If you have a moment, go to his YOUTube and listen to the magic of these words.  You will be Lifted and Raised Up! Now go out and Lift and Raise up another on their journey in life!

“You Raise Me Up”
Sung by Josh Groban
When I am down and, oh, my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up to more than I can be.

There is no life – no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up to more than I can be.

What a beautiful quote from Teal Scott.  Listening without judgment is truly an act of compassion. Sometimes we are so ready to hammer in our “point of view,”                 we forget to listen.
When we don’t listen, we tend to find fault, blame and walk away in a huff.  Even if we think someone has a ‘wrong’ point of view, when we listen with an open heart we begin to understand where they are coming from, and why they have a different view, idea or solution than we do.
It is OK to agree to disagree. This softens the energy around the discussion.
Jesus the Christ told us to “Agree with thine adversaries.”
He did not mean for us to ‘give in’ or be a door stop. He meant for us to truly listen and acknowledge another persons view with a kind and open heart.  When we do this, the ‘other’ person is more responsive to listening to us.  Kindness and compassion are tools for bringing down the walls of bitterness, misunderstandings, and disagreements.  Next time you are in a disagreement with someone, just …
Stop, Sit and Listen.

Affirmation:
I freely give in secret.
I freely receive in grateful quietude.
I am gently led in and towards my Magnificent Obsession!

Last week we saw a Turner Classic Movie called
“Magnificent Obsession” with Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman. We had no idea what a spiritual movie it was.  Rock Hudson was a “Playboy,” not caring about anyone or anything but himself.  Due to his reckless behavior and some sequential events he causes another man to die. In his inept way to make amends, he finds himself falling in love with the widow. In his relentless pursuit of her, he causes her to fall in front of a car resulting in her becoming blind.  At his wits end, he meets an artist who tells him the one way he can find his path, is to recognize his Magnificent Obsession. Rock does not know how to do that, so the artist says, ” To find your Magnificent Obsession:
GIVE to others. Give to those who do not have, and ask them never to tell where the help came from. Give without expecting payment or anything in return.   As Rock begins to do this he also re-discovers his passion, his love for medicine.  As the relationship with Jane goes uphill and then downhill,  he realizes the only thing left to do is to complete his doctor program and become a surgeon.
I don’t want to tell you how it ends, but Rock’s Magnificent Obsession with his two loves come together in the most beautiful way.  In the end we all realize, everything that happened that appeared “bad” was ultimately meant for good!
Does this sound familiar??? What man intends for evil, God intends for Good!
Lesson:  The more you GIVE, the more you are led to your Magnificent Obsession where you make a unique difference in the world.  Regardless of appearance, ALL is meant to bless you in your life’s journey.
This movie is based on a true story.

 The GPS on the car dashboard proves that there
is more than one route to our goals.
–Robert J. Bannon   

Dear Friends,
We were attending an interfaith community’s event this past weekend and I was talking with a gentlemen about Visioning, and Seeing the Goal. We talked about how we feel God is Divinely Orchestrating our lives and even when we get off track, we somehow, through many life experiences, seem to get back on!  This was a wonderful conversation with a person whose faith is different than mine.  He told me a story about driving his car and  when he took a wrong turn the  GPS would revise/reconstruct his route. Eventually he got there.  He said that is just like GOD. We may get off course from the Divine Plan of our lives, and yet God gently (and sometimes not so gently) revises the plan and direction so we will eventually get to the Divine Goal/Good.  I loved that illustration of God continually guiding us and still giving us our free will to make mistakes and take the wrong turns. The beauty is, we will arrive! It may take longer than we had intended, however we will arrive!

Travel with Trust!

Summer is here and many of us are planning vacations. Hence, we plan, we pack,      we travel.
In our planning and in our packing think about the words stated above.  “How LIGHT do you travel?”  And I don’t mean clothes…. Pack these LIGHT ideas into the suitcase of your heart and mind.
L – Life is an adventure. Laugh  and be Light hearted in all situations.
I – Invoke the Presence of God .from start to finish.
God goes before me and makes my way easy, effortless,
and Inspiring.
G –  Be Grateful you have this opportunity to travel. Many people do not. Be a Gracious Guest wherever you are and see the Good in all people and in all situations.
H – Help another traveler on the way. What goes around comes around.
T – You are on a Tremendous Adventure.
be Thoughtful and allow enough Time wherever you go.
Happy Travels