Christ in Me—The Power that Animates Me and All That I Behold

Life—So Precious

I am feeling sad today. A friend, someone I’ve known and have always respected since childhood, died this morning. Apparently, she had been sick for a little while, yet it wasn’t something commonly known to anyone save those closest to her.

I’m also feeling sad for her family—her mom, her partner, her son, and grandchildren, all of whom really loved her and appreciated her presence in their life. I remember my friend as a warm, embracing, funny woman with beautiful hair—I envied her hair—and an extremely generous heart. I also remember her as someone who truly loved her life as she regularly shared all that she appreciated about it and made an effort to live it fully. She’ll be missed.

Her death is a stark reminder to me of how precious life is and of just how important it is that we cherish every moment of our time here and invest as much of it as possible with those we love, doing what we love and what brings us joy.

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Live with passion. Laugh out loud. Love deeply and beyond words.

Children are Wonderful Teachers

Children really are wonderful teachers. As adults, we think it’s our job and responsibility to teach them, but children are precious gifts sent to teach us, or rather remind us of who we are and of what we are capable when we allow ourselves to simply imagine and BE.

Keeping in line with the theme of my musings of the past few days about the joys of rediscovering childlike wonder, I received the following feedback from the Universe today via author Pam Grout:

“When it comes to creativity, all you have to do is channel your inner four-year-old. 

Preschoolers don’t sit in front of a pail of legos thinking, “Nah! Not feeling it today.” They don’t wonder if they’re talented enough. They don’t question their ability, worry what someone will think. 

They plunge in, unhindered, free, happy.” 

I particularly enjoyed Pam sharing a story about her friend’s granddaughter. While dancing with great abandon one day, the young girl was asked if she wanted to be a dancer when she grew up, to which she replied: “I already am!”

I was once that young girl. I so imagined being a dancer, undeterred by my parents’ refusal to let me take dance lessons, I spent hours dancing in the living room and basement of our home as if I already were one.

My desire was so strong that at age of 6, I attracted into my life another 6-year old, one of my best friends until about age 18, who was studying ballet. During recess she and her older sister would “teach” me everything they were learning in ballet class, which I’d later practice at home. We even devised a plan to convince my parents to let me take lessons, but it didn't go very well.

Years later, as an adult, when I finally took my first formal dance lesson, I plunged in, albeit nervously, and it was among the best things I ever did for myself. Not only have I participated in and won awards at numerous competitions, I've also formed relationships with some pretty awesome people. Best of all, I feel my most happiest and free when dancing just like I did when I was four!

You can read Pam Grout’s full blog post here.

Life is a Curiosity to Be Explored

"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3 (NIV)


It really does take adult humans to screw up a world and make things far more complicated than they were intended to or need be.

Children get it. They absolutely get it (until we train them to not get it.) Like the two toddlers, I watched playing together yesterday while attending an event at the National Mall. One black, one white. Both absolutely adorable. It was obvious both had only recently learned to walk as their little legs weren’t quite strong enough to keep them upright, yet they were all bundles of love, joy and play, eager to explore the world around them. They'd walk/run awhile, fall down, get back up again, keeping their parents running to keep up with them. They happily played together. No fear. No guile. No judgments about one being inferior or superior, good or bad, deserving or undeserving of their love or friendship because of their differing hair color, or eye color or skin color. Just all smiles and “hi!” They hug. They share (sometimes!). They kiss. They eagerly play together. They love—everyone and everything around them.

And the way they approach “prayer” is just as innocent, open and allowing. Have you noticed that when a child really wants something, they will ask and ask and keep until they wear a parent or guardian down? Children don’t take “no” for an answer. I’m convinced they honestly don’t understand, can’t relate at all to, the meaning of the word, especially as it pertains to them. Until taught otherwise, it appears children operate under the belief that everything around them is for them. I’m reminded of the story Joseph Prince tells of a 5-year old girl who before praying would say to her family: “I’m about to pray, does anyone want anything?”

Everything is possible in the mind of a child. Everything is wondrous. And the stuff they don’t find joy in? Easily forgotten as they set about finding more stuff to enjoy. Life is one big adventure to them—a curiosity waiting to be explored. As it is intended to be.

Changing States With Ease

For several weeks, I’ve been diving deeper, and deeper still, into the teachings of Neville Goddard. Admittedly, I don’t agree entirely with his interpretation of Biblical scriptures, yet his interpretations resonate with me as being for more closer to truth than many of those offered by the vast number of Biblical scholars, ministers, philosophers, New Agers and New Thought teachers, past or present.

This evening, I happened upon this awesome nugget from Neville. In one his lectures from 1968, Live the Answer Now, he shares how he helped a woman gain relief from her stomach ailment:

One day a lady in New York City came to see me regarding her stomach problems. While she was there we talked of higher things, and after the silence she returned to her home on Staten Island. Arriving there, she went into a favorite German restaurant and ate all the food she hadn't been able to eat in years, with no ill effects. I didn't give this lady any pills. I don't even know what a stomach looks like! I simply got this lady to move from the state that had the bad stomach!

And the timing couldn’t have been more perfect as I have for about two days now been experiencing stomach discomfort that was preventing me from fully enjoying my food. Despite what one might assume based upon my slim physique, I enjoy great tasting food, even some rich and fatty foods, and believe that food should be enjoyed.

The entire lecture is pretty awesome. I highly recommend reading it. A quick Google search will yield several sites offering free versions of the lecture. Or, you can search YouTube for an audio of the lecture.

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Dream nobly. Dream better than the best you know. Neville Goddard

Disregard Appearances—Believe Only

"When it seems like nothing is happening, that is when everything is happening." - Catherine Ponder 

Believe only. That was today’s inspirational message from Joel Osteen, based upon the story of the Jairus, the man who sought out Jesus to heal his daughter who was gravely ill.

Jesus was interrupted several times on route to Jairus’ home to heal the young girl, and before reaching their destination, they received word it was too late: the girl had died.

But the story doesn't end there. “Believe only,” was all Jesus said to Jairus in one account of the story. “Believe only.” In spite of what you just heard, in spite of what you might even see later, “Believe only.”

Before Jairus himself could even say to Jesus “never mind, Lord, it’s too late,” effectively cancelling his request, he is told to “Believe only.”

“Disregard appearances, conditions, in fact all evidence of the senses that deny the fulfillment of your desire. Rest in the assumption that you are already what you want to be,” is how Neville Goddard frames it.

I will attest it is so much easier said than done. I am, as most people are, accustomed to judging my circumstances and conditions—whether they’re improving or getting worse or not at all changing—based upon what my five physical senses experience in the external world. It is challenging to accept that my physical senses do not and cannot see the whole truth of what is.

As Paul says: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Yet that is what I am determined to do—fix my eyes on what I desire to see and experience and disregard any and all things that don’t conform to that ideal. Believe only. Believe only, and even that which is dead can be restored to life.

It is By Grace

Today I learned an important lesson about grace. Yesterday was my birthday and while I was and am grateful to be celebrating another year of life on this planet we call earth, I was feeling a bit down on myself. Just a few days ago I posted about how I am choosing to be my own best friend rather than my own worst enemy and avoid judging myself harshly for faults, real or imagined. Yet yesterday and today I spent a lot of time in a state of forgetfulness of my previous choice, berating myself for not being more successful as I define success and for not having accomplished all that I had hoped to at this stage of life. In fact, a moment ago I was curled up in bed feeling little motivation to do anything in the middle of a day. I was feeling as if my typical buoyant, over-achiever self had run off for parts unknown.

Based on what I’ve been learning about achieving success and deliberately creating a life you love, this is clearly not the way to accomplish either. Neither supposedly is wallowing in negative, low-vibe emotions and thoughts and I was experiencing plenty of those yesterday and today. So, imagine my surprise when in the middle of this negative spiraling, I received the much-needed financial break through I’d been praying for.

I mean, even though I had prayed and was hoping for a miracle, I was feeling desperate and panicked (more low-vibe emotions that are said to repel your good). All kinds of doubts had set in. The voices in my head were continually whispering to me “you’re screwed,” “it’s not going to happen,” “you are not going to get what you want,” “how can you expect to create anything good in this state?” “you know you don’t deserve it.” etc., etc. Yet...

The voices were wrong!! In spite of me, in spite of my mood, in spite of my doubts, I still received the miracle I had asked for. I am truly awed.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9