the unnameable, the animating force

Sometimes, the feeling of gratitude is so immense
  I feel I will simply melt into the stars.

The gifts of Spirit are so rich, shared with such elegance,
  and offered without expectation of recompense.

Gifted simply because

So, I fall to my knees,
  tears glistening on my cheeks,
  the grace of God filling my heart,
  the sense of awe opening my soul
  to the ALL that is.

Thank you, Great Spirit, Creator, God
  whatever your name is or isn't
  whatever space your fill or create

thank you.

Gaia, Hear Me

'Who are you, really?' Gaia queries.
  And, why are you here?'

'I want so much to be real,' I start.
  'I have lines and curves, a face and a name.
  A faint memory whispers to me,
  I AM.'

'Yet, I chose to come here.
  And, the currents that are life
  wash around me, throw me off balance,
  turn me upside down.'

'So, when finally I face the sky and
  fill my lungs with the precious chi,
  I have forgotten who I AM.'

'Then, I struggle, and I cry, and I scream
  to the empty sky,
  Who AM I?!'

'Am I real?  Have I value?  Does my worth
  surpass all the sorrow, the disappointment,
  the anger that fills my heart?'

'Can the love from which I was birthed
  rescue me from the dark corners of my soul?!'

'The answer, my child,' smiles Gaia, 'is yes.'

'Remember, you chose to come into this form,
  the form you see in the mirror, the form you see
  reflected back to you in the eyes of another.'

'Quiet yourself, find stillness.
  Hear the whisper of the wind.
  Feel the cool waters on your feet.'

'Remember.
  Remember who you really are.
  Remember why you came here.
  Know that everything is as it should be.'

'Know that you are the glory of the Creator,
  manifest here, now.
  You are a gift.
  You are love incarnate.'

'The pain, the challenges, the questions,
  come to you as sacred offerings,
  as gifts given for your ascension,
  as the hints to help you remember,
  as the soil from which you can grow

to fulfill the promise of who you are.

Wisdom of the Moss

Watching now, the moss in the stream.
  So lithely, gracefully, it dances with the current.
  Creating art with sun and shadow and its soft green tendrils.

It hangs on, yes, hangs on for dear life.
  The currents flow around and through it,
  turning it this way and that, shaping it, forming it
  in ways it could never have imagined,
  in ways it might never have wanted,
  changing it, always.

And yet,
  creating the space and conditions
  that give it life,
  through which it can find and be
  its authentic self, know its true nature,
  live in its truth.

So, in life.
  The currents pulling, shaping, tugging,
  stretching always,
  challenging us to remember who we are,
  asking us to live authentically,
  and gifting us with the experiences and
  the people and the moments
  that offer the opportunity
  to know, to remember,
  to experiment, to be

who we really are

and to know, to remember,
  to experiment, to be

why we came here.

Grandmother Tree

'I am Grandmother.'

'I lived many moons in this tree
  and now it has fallen to its rest.'

'But, I am here still,
  breathing life into the seed
  held by mother earth,
  sparking the energy that flows
  from root to stars,
  blessing the fragile bud, and
  laughing in glee as it bursts forth
  in the song of blossom.'

'I am tender hearted and strong.
  I am here, forever, with you.'

'Walk in my path.
  Find shade beneath my branches.
  Feast on my fruit.
  Touch the sky from my limbs.'

'I come to you in grace
  as a conduit between mother earth,
  father sky and infinity beyond.'

'Breath the air from my lungs.
  Feel the cool soil beneath my bough.
  Know that you are loved, always.'

Tender Strength

A tree stood tall and proud, swaying gently with the wind.
  It had taken root in the remains of an old-growth tree.
  Hugging its mother with roots, supple and granite hard.
  Holding fast to its perch six feet off the ground.

I asked, 'Tree, how do I live in my strength?'

She replied, 'I am strong.  I do not hide my strength.
  I stand in my strength.
  To cower would not be authentic.'

'How,' I asked, 'do you honor others and be strong
  at the same time?'

'Listen to me,' she said.
  'I am quiet.
  I reach ever toward the Creator.
  And, I stay firmly planted in this earth.'

'My arms spread out in joy and gratitude,
  giving thanks...always.'

'I am vital, bursting forth with life.
  Yet, I know always that I grow strong
  because of my mother.'

'She gave me nourishment and shelter.
  She held me up to the Creator even as
  she slipped through the veil to her next beginning.'

'I am forever grateful.
  So, I stand in my strength.
  I breath in and I breath out.
  I give whisper to the wind, and
  sprinkle to the rain.'

Spiritual Poverty

It occurs to me that I can't explore material poverty
  without also contemplating spiritual poverty.

In fact, I wonder...
  Would material poverty even exist
  in a world of spiritual wealth???

For All

http://youtu.be/hlVBg7_08n0

Being Gay in Russia

I am deeply saddened to hear of the vicious attacks against gay people in Russia.

Though, I personally relate to this particular form of oppression,
  oppression of any kind is a malicious assault on life.

I grieve for those who fear for their lives and families.
  I pray for their safety and send them my love.

And, I grieve for those perpetuating this
  horrible violence against humanity.
  For they must live inside darkened hearts,
  and fear that the very hate they live toward others
  might be turned against themselves.

After all, hate is an equal opportunity scourge.
  It will happily direct is enmity to anyone, anywhere
  for any reason.

We just need request its presence
  and it springs forth in full anticipation
  of destruction and death.

I call now to all the gods and deities and spirits
  that watch over the soul of humanity.
  Please envelop us all - oppressors and oppressed alike -
  in a blanket of love and compassion.

Show us the sacredness of the one standing
  directly in front of us.
  Release us from the grip of hate and fear.
  Teach us that difference and diversity
  are essential to life.

Show us how to celebrate difference,
  how to see ourselves in another,
  how to teach our children to love.

For, it is love that is our saving grace.
  It is love that binds us all.
  It is love, only love.

Life on the Streets

There are so many 'catch-22s' when you are poor.

My friend is trying to start a business.
  This business can pull her out of poverty.
  But, she doesn't have the start up funds
  to buy the supplies to make the products.

So, we found a nonprofit that does micro loans.
  This seemed an incredible opportunity!
  Then, we learned that to qualify for the micro loan,
  you can't have any outstanding debt.

The problem is,
  A few weeks back, through a series of
  unfortunate events, she went into debt
  with her bank to the tune of $200.

Her choice now...
  Pay the bank off or eat or pay for her van.
  hmmm...

So, the bank is waiting,
  and dinner is Top Rammen - again.
  And, her van payment is made.

Because, if she doesn't pay for the van,
  they will lose their 'home-on-wheels'.

And the 'Poorest-of-Poor' can't access
  the very resources that were designed
  to assist them to find their way
  out of poverty.

The Quiet Voice Rings Clear

I suppose it's been brewing just below the surface
  of my consciousness.

And, I suppose Spirit decided it was time for me
  to know just what it is that it is asking of me.

I felt it this weekend
  a sudden knowing, like a revelation,
  a certainty...

Like Spirit finally made its request known to me.

It is about poverty, food security and water rights.
  That is the request,
  that I turn this passion into the force
  that drives my actions and decisions
  from this point forth.

Like that, I just knew...
  or rather, Spirit told me.

And then, I knew I was to write,
  to give voice to those who live in poverty,
  who live without food security
  who do not have access to clean, potable water.

I accept this request, with all my heart.
  I will show the face of poverty,
  make heard the voice of poverty.

For I believe that when poverty is given
  a face and a name and a voice, the power of love will
  break down the barrier of ignorance and allow others
  to open their hearts, to feel their compassion.
 
And that love will ignite in their spirit the understanding
  that we are all ONE,
  that what one of us suffers
  we all feel,
  and when one of us offers love to another,
  we all are blessed.

I don't know how this calling will evolve,
  nor does my understanding of the steps matter.
  All that matters is that I say 'yes' to Spirit's request
  and that I will find opportunities, however small,
  to act on this commitment.

Spirit has graced me with an answer
  in this long period of discernment.
  I am blessed.
  I am so very blessed.