Sparkly Showers of Gratitude

It has been some time since I last wrote. I think it is time to begin blogging again!

These are the Holy Days, and even though much of the hustle and bustle is waning, we are still in a magical time of our Holiest time of the year. No matter what your traditions are or religious beliefs, these are Holy Days. As we gather together with loved ones, and bring love and light to the shortest, darkest days of the year, we finish up one year and head into the next, we are setting the tone for the days and months to come. I can't think of a better way to prime the pump, than with sparkling showers of gratitude, abundance, love and joy!

This is my new vision for my gratitude prayers... I came by it honestly. Let me tell you the story of my Christmas Eve wink and nudge from Spirit!

We had the whole family over for a Christmas Eve feast!  We served champagne and sparkling cider.  Karl opened the first bottle, no problem.  He then proceeded to (against my wishes, and my sister's in law's suggestions - yes, both sister's in law) lay the opened champagne bottle on it's side in the fridge, with a replacement cork.  A few minutes later, we are about to eat, and my fridge is oddly leaking. Hmmm...no, it couldn't be...Karl wouldn't...noooooo. I asked him not to, so he would listen to me, and Val, and Linda...right?   Oh, no, he did not!  Champagne Showers all over the inside of the fridge!  Wow!  So I am trying to clean up, everyone is coming in and saying, "How did that happen? I told Karl not to do that" or "I heard so and so tell Karl not to do that".  Well...all of this did wonders for Karl's mood, as you can imagine.   He was so annoyed with himself, and with me for cleaning it all up then.  Meanwhile my brother went home, next door to get more champagne, when he gets here and opens it in the bar area, it showers all over him.  Really?!  Yes, Really!  About five minutes later, we are all getting ready to eat, everyone is at the table and I opened up a sparkling cider, sitting on the counter untouched for two days and whoosh, it showers me!!!  By now, I get the hint, and as I sit at the table and begin our blessing, I tell everyone about the three "sparkly showers" and remind everyone we are there to celebrate!  We are showered with blessings and love!  Enjoy ourselves and remember why we are all together joined together to celebrate and share The Love and joy with gratitude.  After dinner, and the dishes, we were headed out to play our Christmas gift game, and I stop at the kitchen sink to get myself a glass of water...and the faucet, which has been on about 500 times that day, decides then to shoot water, like a waterfall, all over me. Well I just had to giggle, tighten the faucet grommet and silently give thanks for all our showered blessings, and head into the living room to join everyone else. We are truly showered with joy, abundance, and love.  It was a beautiful night!

I offer you this visualization. It is one I will be using with my prayers of gratitude... a surprise shower of golden, sparkling joy, abundance and love...see it shooting up and around you as you close your eyes and revel in the gratitude for all the showers of blessings you feel falling on and around you, today and always, in all ways.

Thank you for being in my life. If you are reading this, then you too are one I am truly grateful for.

With Showers of Love and Blessings for you and yours, Kim

Return from Vision Quest

I have been out of the electronic loop for about two weeks now. There has been much going on, but first and foremost I was away doing a vision quest. It was a wonderful experience. This was my second year, I am now halfway through a four year commitment. The process is fairly simple, three days of purification lodges, 1,250 prayer ties, for everyone you know or have ever known, and then 24 hours of prayer and fasting outside in a secluded sacred place.

When you commit to do something like this, you are giving a gift to those you know and love, and often there will be "gifts" for you in return. It takes some time to assimilate all the gifts from such an experience, but at this point, there are a few reminders which have surfaced that I thought I would share.

The first one is the reminder that we are not alone. We are surrounded by loved ones who care about us, seen and unseen. There is The Great Mystery. Whatever you choose to call the Higher Power in your own way, and all those angels and guides, as well as all the dear ones we surround ourselves with, family and friends. However this presents itself in your life, I am reminded to have an attitude of gratitude for all these blessings.

The second reminder is a bit more challenging, I find myself looking at it several times a day. That is the reminder to be more gentle with ourselves, and with those around us. We judge ourselves so harshly. We expect so much of ourselves, and then find fault again and again, forever looking for the flaws, rather than noticing and celebrating our successes, in all ways. The better we are able to practice this, the more we improve the world from the inside out. The more gentle we are with ourselves, the more gentle we are with others; friends, family and strangers. The more relaxed and comfortable we are in our own skin, the more we enjoy our lives. Thus the ripple effect goes out from us, improving our outlook on life, and infecting those around us with the ease and grace we walk with.

There are more gifts which have come from my vision quest, but this is a good start.

With love and blessings... Peace and love be with you.

What's up in your corner of the world?

I don't know what all is going on right now. I am not the only one feeling this, am I? It just feels like the pressure is rising, and I feel like I am at the shore, and I have just been hit over and over again with a never-ending set of waves. I am feeling exhausted, and it feels like it is not over yet. I can't say what all is going on. I am feeling pressure, and wiped out. I can't account for why. Well, I can tell you a gazillion little things, but no giant ones. I guess it is all mounting up, and I am feeling somehow overwhelmed, but I know everything is going to be okay. I don't even know what isn't okay, actually. Everything is going fine, for the most part.

I don't mean for this blog to be a self indulgent place for me to whine. I am hoping it is a good place for others to share whatever is going on in their neck of the woods. I am reporting what it feels like here and now. To me it feels like the pressure build up before a storm.

How are you dealing with this? Are you even feeling any of this? I am laying pretty low, doing what I am called to do. Not much else. I am being pretty quiet here, and waiting to see what is next. I look forward to hearing from any of you to know what is going on for you.

Is this the quiet before the storm? I feel like I have been through the storm already! Okay, so I am going to pick myself up, dust myself off, and do what is immediate and situational. Whatever is happening right now, this too shall pass, and in the meantime I am responsible for how I weather the storm.

I would so love to hear what you all are experiencing and how you are moving through it. I think we all benefit from sharing with one another!

Okay so hang in there, and I will do the same! Sending each one of you love, from my corner of the world to yours!

All is right with the world

So we are slowly getting back into the rhythm of things here. We took our son back to college over the weekend and got him all settled in. He is doing well. I did very well I am happy to report. No wailing in the shower grieving his absence (yes, that happened last year). This year, I was fine, we got all the way home and I didn't even feel the need to well up. It somehow feels right to see Ry get settled into his apartment with his three roommates. He is moving on into the next phase of his life. As we pulled up to Ry's apartment complex to say goodbye before we hit the road Sunday morning, the skies opened up and it poured. It felt like a blessing from above. He is being watched over, he is in good hands.

That night, after our drive home, our daughter had a date. Karl and the dogs and I had the house to ourselves. At some point in the evening I couldn't find Sophie, our border collie. I went looking for her, and she was all by herself curled up on Ryan's bed. That was when it hit me. I sat down, and pet Sophie and we had a little moment. Not a balling fest, just a little moment.

Our niece left on Saturday morning. She headed back home and she will be missed as well. I spent the day today puttering around, getting something done I am sure, though I can't account for what exactly. Some days are like that.

I sit here at the kitchen table writing while Krista, our daughter, is doing homework across from me and Karl is outside solving most all the world's problems from my cell phone. He is Doodle Jumping his way to peace on earth and good will towards all men. The birds are chirping and tweeting, squawking and rustling in the trees, getting settled in for the night. I can hear a cricket serenading us. The dogs are laying on the grass looking out over the world as they see it. Night is falling. A lone coyote calling out, the dogs jump up to investigate. This day is done. All is right with the world.

Enough

This week was a challenging one. I was getting sadder and sadder each day and couldn't figure out why. My husband has been working monster hours lately. My daughter went back to school this week, and it is her senior year of high school. Hmmm... We are taking our son back to school for his sophomore year of college in less than a week. Hmmmm again. We might be getting close.

My husband and I had a date night last night. We went out to eat, and enjoyed our time alone. It was a nice respite from all the activity at our house these days. The days seem to be moving so swiftly, I have been reluctant to take time away from everyone for us to have a date night. Why is it so hard to remember to take care of ourselves first when we are on the downward part of a spiral? Yes, even when your good friend tries to remind you the week before that you might need to do just that?!! (Thank you anyway!) It is just part of the process, I guess.

My husband was aware I was not quite my normal self (that is pretty amazing in and of itself given his stress/distraction level!) and asked what was bothering me. As I looked at him and tried to answer his question I realized part of the problem was that I couldn't determine just what the sadness was about. It seems like there could be a zillion reasons, and yet, none seemed to fit exactly. As we talked more, he mentioned how much he has been enjoying having dinner at home with everyone around the dinner table talking and sharing. He was saying, it is not quite the same as when we eat out, (I know, Mom, you were right) and that he appreciated how much extra work it has been for me, cooking for extra people so many nights. Extra people you ask? What extra people? Well, our 23 year old (Happy Birthday Sweetie!) niece has been staying with us this summer, and her boyfriend has been with us the past three weeks as well. Add to that the constant traffic of the pack of young adult men my son travels in, and their late night fridge raids, and you can begin to understand why we've concluded that we can just about pay for our son's college education by the savings in our food bill when he goes back to school. Amusing or not, it is the state of affairs at our house, at least for another week or so.

This lovely compliment from my wonderful husband was making me more aware of feeling sad. Why? I sat at the table, reflecting upon my emotions, and wondering how in the world such a loving comment was making me feel sad. We got in the car and began our ride home, I invited in the sadness. Normaly I would wait until I had some time alone, with a warm salt bath, or at least an hour I could count on as my own to do something this deep. I didn't know if I would have the time to allow it completely. I was asking myself: What is at the core of this sadness? What is the thought that is bringing on this emotion? As I sat in silence, driving home in the late afternoon light, with my husband listening to music on the radio, the sadness flooded into my Being. I waited to see what it would tell me. Very quickly I realized I am dealing with our children growing up, and moving on. As my loving husband was complimenting me, some part of me was wondering, oh, but was it enough? Did we do enough meals at the kitchen table? Which lead to, was I a good enough Mother? Did I give my children enough? Enough what? Enough everything. What is enough? How could I ever know? How can a doubt like that run circles in my head? Where does it lead? Nowheresville, fast!! So as soon as I invited in the sadness, knowing it can not overwhelm me, then I could hear the dialogue which was running around with it, inside me, hidden from my awareness. Then I was able to acknowledge it and release it. How did I let it go? The truth, with love and gratitude. What is the truth in this case? I can never be or do enough. And yet, that is all I can ever be or do. Enough. How can I be or do more than enough? Who says what is enough? I do. Now I can thank the sadness for reminding me where my heart is tied. To the ones I love. Which leads me to: To my husband, I love you Enough and To my children, I love you Enough. I so appreciate you all in my life, and I love every little moment. Enough. Enough is a wonderful thing.

The Next Phase

The sun is low in the sky. It is 'The Golden Hour' where late afternoon sun drenches your surroundings in gold. I love this time of day. Everything seems to be quieting down, dinner is over, the dishes are done, all is calm, all is well.

Today we learned about the arrival of the latest member of our family. Our niece made her way into the world after one o'clock this morning. We are all filled with joy over the arrival of this newest addition. A new baby. Wow. The miracle of a new human on the planet. I know it happens so many times each day, most of us go about our days not contemplating new life, unless and until it is placed in our hearts, so fresh, so new to the world. I began to realize I am closer to being a grandmother than being a mother of a newborn. My oldest is 20 this month, and my 'baby' is a senior in high school. Wow. I will be a grandmother, most likely in less than 18 years, which is how I see myself closer to being a grandmother than a new mother. It worked on me. I know I am the mother of adult children. I get that. I love that. I have lived every moment of their lives, and laughed and cried and earned my way right up to now. I own this place in my life, be here now, and all that. The preciousness is somehow turned up. I guess that is the sweetness of life.

So, my daughter and I were both crying in Barnes and Noble today, we went out to get some books for the new baby. If you saw us crying in the children's book department, now you know why. We read some of the sweet books from when my children were younger, and found some new ones which touched our hearts as well. We were both caught up in the whirlwind of the passage of time. My daughter becoming a woman, just about to launch into her adult life. Me seeing her as a baby, and then toddler and now flash forward? No! Actually, be here now, we are at the bookstore purchasing books for a new baby. Next to me is my sweet daughter, my dear friend, a beautiful young woman. At home (for a few more days anyway) is my son, our firstborn, the handsome young man who keeps me laughing with his quirky sense of humor. I marvel at their loving natures, their intelligence and the way they carry themselves in the world. They are my blessings and my reminder that I have done something worthwhile in this lifetime. My husband and I have raised two amazing children to adulthood. They are stellar human beings, which is what every parent should believe, and I do, we do. My love for them wells up from deep in my heart flooding my entire body. Our children are about to make their way in the world. We are moving into the next phase in our lives, my husband and I. It's all good. It's all precious.

The sun has set now. It is the next phase of this day, the ending of our niece's first day on this planet. May she have a rich life-time of miraculous, beautiful, precious, amazing, even overwhelming days. They are embarking upon the next phase of their lives as a new family together. All is well.

A Piece of Peace Today

As I sit here, at the kitchen table, the house is quiet. The kids are asleep, these are the last few days before our daughter goes back to school, her last year in high school, and then she will go off into the world. Our son is relishing his last few days at home before going back to college in about two weeks for his second year away in Flagstaff. I look out the window and the sky is a brilliant blue filling out around the various shades of green and browns in the leaves of the trees and bushes. I hear a bird chirping, I hear one of the dogs shift her position, and then fall back into a deeper sleep. It is a beautiful day. I have love and peace in my heart. The refrigerator is full and humming. We have food and electricity. I can hear the sprinklers going off somewhere in the backyard. We have running water. My family is all under one roof for a few more days. We have a home. It somehow feels safe and fleeting all at the same time. It is temporal. So I enjoy it now. Gratitude and Peace.

I had a beautiful walk today with my Dad. He has been ill, and is beginning to come back from a bout with the autoimmune illness that lies mostly dormant in his body. It flares up and causes excruciating pain every few years, as it has been doing these past few weeks. We walked to the top of the street and back home. We walked slowly, and talked, catching up, since we haven’t been alone together for the past two or three weeks. We walk arm in arm together for part of the walk, something he couldn't do a few days ago, it hurt so much to lift his arms. We exchange I love you's. This is precious. These days are precious. Each one. Don't forget to stop and take it all in. It is here now. That is what matters.

We walk past the park, we are almost home. The crows are there, walking around, looking for all the world like men dressed up and pacing with their arms behind their back, their heads to the ground, pondering important, absorbing thoughts. They are our audience. They remain quiet.

This is my piece of peace today. May you find yours as well.

You Choose it's Free Will

Free Will. It's all a choice. It is. It may not seem that way, but it is. Whether we are living moment to moment in joy and happiness or whether we want to focus on what is out of balance, what makes us unhappy, angry or sad, it is a choice. These are challenging times. I know I have said it before, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist or a psychic to figure that out. We cannot control that. What we can control is our own response and reaction to these times. If we are overcome by frustration, anger or sadness for a few hours, a day or a few days, that is to be expected every now and again, especially when we are in the mix. Use the tools you have, the abilities you have attained to assist you to move through these difficult times, and shift you into the love, joy and gratitude field. If we remember that The Laws of Attraction bring us more of what we are focused upon then The Universe must have some big ole pots brewing of anger, resentment and fear on the front bunners because lots of folks seem to be calling up for more of those brews. What if you can't remember any of your tools right now, or you keep finding yourself coming up empty when you try to use those tools? How do you proceed then? Here are some suggestions. Ask, "What is presenting itself to be healed in me?" " What is going on right now that is making me feel out of balance, and what can I do to remedy this?" "Where do I need to shift, change and heal, to bring myself closer to healing and wholeness?" These are the questions to be asked, this is the process if you want to live in love and joy. This is the work. Sometimes it helps if we do this with a buddy, if we have assistance with this. Just this week, I had a buddy help me out. She listened to me ramble on, and on, and on, and at the end she said you really needed to release all of that. Yes I did, and I am thankful for my dear friend, she knows there is a lot on my plate right now, as there is on hers, it was just the right time and place to release, with a dear, non-judgmental, loving friend. Sometimes we need to come to someone when our plate is full, to help us to see what is getting our attention the most, and what is the next thing we need to do in order to shift this situation. So thank you dear friend.

Once you have looked at what is up, apply the four basics to the situation: love (yourself, the other person and God - whatever that means for you), forgiveness (forgive yourself, the other person - and yes even God), responsibility (what have you done? What could you do better next time? What part is not yours - perhaps the other person's and perhaps just is) and gratitude (to yourself, the other person and again God). After asking what is revealing itself to you to be healed at this time, the fastest path out of those places is not to dwell upon what is wrong, but rather to focus upon all that is right, all the blessings in your life, all the gifts you are given daily. Allow yourself to be flooded with gratitude for all those miracles. Gratitude and love, this is the elixir for living a heart centered, soul based life. You choose. The pots of love, gratitude and joy are bubbling away, and there is always more where that came from. What do you want a heaping helping of? I thought so. Why would anyone rationally choose anything else?! And you are choosing, several times every day.

Is there a time when you felt you couldn't find the love or gratitude in a situation? Do you want to talk about it? I'm here for that. Let's chat.

Sending you all Love, Gratitude, Peace and Joy wherever you are, whatever is going on, you deserve this, we all deserve this, it is our Divine Right.

Spending time with a Master

Yesterday I got to spend an hour or so with a Master. What an honor to sit in the presence of a Master who is walking his talk and is following his heart and is a living example. As I was getting ready to write today, I was reminded of how touched I was as we talked, and how honored I was that he came to me to ask for assistance. Wow, totally humbling and empowering to sit in the presence of a Master and know you are being asked to be of assistance. He quietly spoke a few words to show me what it was that I might be able to be of assistance with. Then he let me have the floor. If you know me, this is one of my strengths and one of my weaknesses. I rambled, and I stumbled, I felt around in the dark until I found a nugget that he hadn't seen yet, which we both could tell was authentic and accurate. Perhaps I found two. Who knows. The gift was getting to be be in one another's presence and being seen. You see, this Master is one of our children. No, not one of my husband's and my children, but one of Our children, of the next generation, stepping into his power as a young man, and for a moment, very gently, very graciously, he revealed his Greatness to me. From that moment on, there was no mistaking it. I was in the presence of a Master. I may have been on the planet longer than him right now, but that was irrelevant. I am great-ful for the moments we spent together.

Yesterday was an ordinary day. There was nothing unusual about it other than the fact that for a moment, we reminded one another of our Greatness. We saw one another and were able to be present in The Now. We all get the opportunity to see and be seen by the living, loving Masters around us each day. I think we forget. I think they forget too. I think we just keep going along and living our day to day lives and we just miss it Even when we are awake and paying attention, it is still so easy to miss.

So for today, and ordinary day, do this. Find a Master. See a Master, be seen by a Master. That is part of what we are here to do, to remind one another of our Greatness. I am great-full for the moments yesterday with that Master and with the others that are in and around me every day. For those I live with, for those I see periodically, and for those I come in contact with for just a moment. For the wink and a nod from the Master at Target, the grocery store, the coffee shop, the Thai restaurant. This is just a reminder. Everyday all around us are Masters walking around in disguise. Some are awake and aware and living their purpose and passion. Many have just forgotten, and being seen might be all that they need to begin walking in their Greatness. May you find one today. Oh, and check the mirror.

Blessings to you and yours, for today and all ways, Kim

This is a "we" thing

After a long and lovely conversation with a dear friend this morning, I am reminded that when we are in distress our instinct is to often isolate ourselves. What is the story we are telling ourselves? That we can do it alone? That we don't want to burden anyone else? That we think if someone else saw our scary bits, they might not love us still? None of these are rational thoughts, and yet, they are all real thoughts. No matter the reason, isolation is not the answer. Whether we isolate our emotional or physical pain, or of we insulate ourselves from the world and try to do it all on our own, we are suffering unnecessarily. There is no need to suffer alone. There is no need to suffer period. Actually, sharing our "burden" somehow makes it lighter. Somehow, just telling a friend, or loved one what is going on for us, what is happening in our heart, that can be the beginning of making sense of the situation, and the beginning of the healing. Even if the response from the friend or loved one is not a match, there is information for us there. As we put their responses through our own discernment, we are exercising our inner voice. Which helps us to further navigate though our life. We are also using a different part of our brain to talk about or write about the situation, which can assist us further in separating ourselves from the pain, and begin to move towards healing.

We are social creatures, and as such, we are meant to do this life thing together. The further I go the more I treasure those around me. The more aware I am of the blessings of dear friends and family. To love and be loved. That is at the core of all of our experiential wounding. We all need love. So as you go through a challenge, remember to call upon a friend, to be present to yourself as you go through your process, and you will give the gift of growing and evolving yourself, (for yourself and the planet) as well as allowing someone else to be there for you. They get the opportunity to love and support you, which is a gift indeed. If you see a loved one in distress, gently remind them that you are here for them, if they need you.

As we are present with ourselves and one another, remember to be present in love. To leave judgement at the door, and just love this other human through their very human experience of pain. Your job may be to just bear witness, or to give a hug. You may not need to say anything, but the right words will follow, if they are needed.

Lastly, pray. Remember, this is a We thing. Whenever two or more of us come together, we are in the presence of The Great Mystery. There is all kinds of help available to us, helpers, angels, ancestors, guides, all those beings that are here to assist us all for our highest and best and for the highest and best of future generations. This is part of how "we" do this...together. Now go on and love one another.

With love and blessings, and joy and gratitude!

The Look of Love

What can you do right now, today to improve the world, to help bring world peace, to help heal our earth and her inhabitants? Sounds like a tall order to me, but the answer is small, simple, sweet. I have a simple suggestion. The Look of Love. It was a song in the 1970's, I think it was Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach, I could hear it playing all over our house, by my mother again and again back then. The melody is playing gently in my head right now. I don't know all the words, I just keep hearing, "The Look of Love". That is a gift. When you look at your spouse, your pet, your children, your parents, see them with the eyes of love today. Remember that we are all just doing the very best we can be doing at any given time, warts and all, but beneath it all, the current which runs within all of us is Love. That is the greatetst gift from Source, and it is a gift we can regift! We are equipped with a never ending supply of love. When we look at those we care about with The Look of Love, we are dismissing that they left their socks on the floor, we are ignoring that they left the cupboard door open, we are looking at them with the eyes of love, we are remembering and connecting to the blessing we feel that they are in our lives. The gratitude that they are sharing this journey with you right now. That they are here now. This is not something to take for granted, and yet we do so every single day, again and again. So, make the world a better place, one look at a time today. Take a moment to look at and appreciate the ones you love. The ones who are walking beside you who are sharing this journey during these difficult times. We all need to be seen with the eyes of love, to be reminded of our greatness and to be empowered by it. It is powerful soul food. Do me a favor, do one more thing, when you look in the mirror today, look at yourself with the eyes of love. Don't look at the wrinkles, or slight imperfections, look, really look into your eyes, and love yourself. You are here now for a reason, and I for one am profoundly great-ful that you are here, and that you are aware enough that you are willing to take the next opportunity to try out The Look of Love.

If you can only remember to do this once today, you are improving the world around you.

With Peace in my Soul and Love in my Heart, may you have a blessed day.

Kim

It's Getting Hot in Here

Yes the weather is warm, in much of the United States, and indeed the world, and yes, there is global warming, but that is not what I am referring to, exactly. That is more of a metaphor for what is going on for many of us personally right now. As I look around there are many who are in the mix. Who are feeling like Bugs Bunny being invited over for dinner by the great hunter and his nemesis Elmer Fudd. Bugs thinks he is being invited as a guest, he gets in the nice big warm tub, with carrots to munch on as Elmer is chopping furiously and turning the heat up under his "tub", Bugs begins to feel uncomfortable in the heat, realizing his new friend is not having him over for dinner, but wanting to have him FOR dinner. Of course, Bugs gets away, he always does. Much the same is true of this these times. The heat is getting turned up. In any of those places where we still have shifting and growth to do (in Bugs case, he is too trusting) we are getting motivation to do move, grow evolve, to walk our talk, and to be aligned with our purpose. So keep paying attention. If you are feeling the heat getting turned up, look for the cause. What aspect of you is being brought into alignment with where the rest of your being is residing? Do whatever it is you need to do to get out of the pot, to turn off the stove and walk away from the source of the discomfort.

Just like Bugs, we'll get through this. But here's the thing. Did Bugs get down on himself? Did Bugs beat himself up for trusting Elmer, even as he realized the pickle he was in? Did Bugs begin to doubt his greatness? At any time in the process? NO! Of course not, and neither should we. That merely interferes with our greatness and our ability to get out of the pot! We are here to learn, and if the heat is getting turned up, it is an indicator that here is just one more place we have learning, stretching and growing to do. An area where we are out of alignment with our Divine Purpose. The heat is the refining fire. This is not a time to judge ourselves, this is a time to love ourselves through this. This is probably the greatest challenge as you are moving through these times, if you feel "it getting hot in here", take a deep breath and remember, "What would Bugs Bunny do?" Get the heck out of dodge, and get on with his life. Even as we watched Bugs, did we think he was being stupid? Did we judge him for being trusting? Were we mad at him for being in the pot? No! We were loving him and rooting for him. As we all can be supporting, loving and rooting for ourselves, our friends and loved ones as they move through these sometimes challenging times.

The next step when you can see the heat is getting turned off, when you are seeing your way clear to get out of the pot, is to be thankful! Filled with gratitude for this course correction, and for the gifts it is bringing into your life. To have gratitude for all the blessings which have been showered upon you and which are about to be! This gratitude acts as the grease to make the process move more quickly.

Sending you off, to find a fan, get cooled off and get out of the pot!! With Love and Blessings! Love one another and yourself! Kim

Knowing and knowing

One of the paradoxes on my spiritual path has been knowing. Our lives are our spiritual paths. We can look back and see The Hand of God or the Influence of Angels, or whatever you might call it, at various places in our life path, whether we were actively seeking or not at that time. For me, when I began seeking on my spiritual path, actively consciously trying to pay attention much of this has come in the form of knowing, and Knowing. Certain things I Know with a certainty, it is a truth for me. It may or may not be a truth for anyone else, but it is Knowing for me. For example I Know that I am not alone, and yet I also know I am utterly alone when I am on my path, which no other human being occupies and embodies in exactly the same way I do. Both are true simultaneously, thus another paradox. It is okay for me, both these ideas being true simultaneously.

The paradox I keep coming up against, is what I call knowing and Knowing. I went seeking on my spiritual path so I could know more. So I could understand more fully and therefore perhaps evolve and grow more. I have found, after some time of thinking I was getting good at putting information in and learning and therefore knowing, that the more I know, the less teachable I am. If my knowing cup is filled up, then there is nowhere for new information to come in. I put a cover over my knowing cup. For me the trick is to Know that I really know nothing. Therefore I am teachable in the moment. I don't know much of anything, really. I think of young children, how they learn so readily and naturally, like a sponge ready to soak up all kinds of new interesting information and knowledge. I put this new information through my own discernment, and keep what feels really right and true to me, for me, and then I have to remember I really don't know anything. I really Know very little. That is where the magic happens, when we are in awe and wonder at all that there is before us. When we are open to learning we are like a child, we are joyful and excited and hungry for more and we naturally evolve and grow. When we begin to know everything, we interrupt our natural evolution. So, I Know this, I don't know much!!

What do you know? I would love to hear!

Where do I go from here?

Many of us have found ourselves seeking, asking, wondering, "Where do I go from here?" "How do I get there?" "When will I be there?" The answer is easy, you just keep going forward. You keep waking up each day, taking a moment to be "great"ful for the beautiful day, even if it doesn't look like it, at first, it is always another beautiful day in paradise. You move forward into the day, doing what is in front of you, and you make choices. You make choices to be happy or not, to be content or miserable, to learn and grow or not, countless times each day. You make choices to love the people who are around you or not. It really is that simple. You make these choices on such a small insignificant level each and every day that you are not even aware that you have made the choices. You decide if you are going to be annoyed by the snoring husband in the bed beside you (or wife) or to wake up, realize what has woken you up, and be filled with gratitude that you have a spouse sleeping beside you, and that any noise they are making pretty much ensures they are still alive and well. You can reach over and gently rub their shoulder to ease them into a lighter awareness, from which they will most often change positions, and stop snoring and you can be present to the awe that filled you when you first slept beside that person. The joy you would wake up to, being lucky enough to be in their presence even as they sleep. In these ways, and in so many other subtle ways throughout the day and night, we make choices. We chose how we are going to experience life, and therefore we chose our life. If you are making consciously aware choices at each and every turn, as often as you can, you will find each day will unfold as an adventure of how the world will rise up to meet you today. The more you are paying attention, the more opportunities to shift areas which you didn't even realize were "up" for awareness change, and thus reality change. In this way, we grow a little more peace in our hearts each day. The more we grow the more it shows, the more we share and this is how "we" do this, improving the world, one heart at a time. This is truly how peace will be spread on our planet, one heart at a time.

So the answer to those questions, "Where do I go from here?", you just keep going ahead each day, making the best choices and decisions you can on any given day, in any given situation, and you will find you are moving, making progress and are on your way to where you are meant to go, and that is how you get there, just one step at a time, one heart decision at a time, one loving look at your children, friends, loved-ones at a time. And when will you get there? Well, the answer is a paradox of sorts. On one hand you are already there. You have already arrived, and yet on the other, it is about the journey we are on and not about the destination we are headed to. After all, I figure once I get to where I am really meant to be going, I will be Home, and this journey will be done, so I am not in a hurry at all to find out how it ends.

Blessings to you, it's another beautiful day in paradise!

Love and Joy Vibration

Okay, so I am thinking if you have found this blog, you are likely already in the love, joy vibration. That's great, living here has its own benefits and rewards. Not living in drama, trauma and stress being the biggies to me. That said, it is not without challenges. One which seems to be coming up for many people right now, would be seeing others we care about who are not yet living in the love, joy vibration. It is difficult to be close to someone and watch their suffering, and not be able to 'guide' them into the energy. Well, the truth of the matter is that while we cannot help anyone make the actual choice to transition into the love, joy vibration, we can assist them, in some ways. The first way is to totally love them, and release them to their own evolution. Give them a gigantic energetic hug and love them up and allow them the dignity of finding their own way. If we try to do this for/with someone on our schedule or agenda, it will not work and can actually prolong the agony for them, as they will resist your overtures into the vibration, as they know they need to do this themselves, or they will lean on you, to assist them, which will actually not benefit either of you. It will keep them more comfortable in the uncomfortable energies of drama, trauma and stress, and also sap you of your energies and keep you from doing the work you are here to do. This is where Divine Free WIll comes in. Each and every soul must chose on their own to come into the new vibration. By some estimations, only 10% of the world's population is existing in the love, joy vibration. That means that we all know quite a few people who are making their way "in the mix".

So we are not better than anyone else who may not have yet found their way into these energies. No rational person would chose to not migrate into the love, joy vibration, it is their woundedness and fears which keep them from making this transition. The second thing we can do to be of assistance to our dear friends and family who are on the fence about coming into this energy is to do our own work, to be the best "me" you can be. Pay attention, do what comes up immediate and situational, and move through whatever comes up to the best of your abilities. Asking for assistance as you go. How does this help those who are not yet in this energy? Well, it is a "we" thing after all, and the better we are at living in this place, the better we love one another and ourselves, the more attractive we are and the energy is and the more accessible we are and the energy is, prompting friends and family members to wonder and sometimes ask, "What is it you are doing differently than me?", "You seem so happy." and "Not much seems to bother you". This is the energetic equivalent to us saying, "Come on in, the water's fine."

This is all well and good, but for some of us, there will be a particular individual, friend or family member who we will find we have a difficult time releasing to their own evolution. This happens when we are especially bound with that person, and it feels as though we may have agreed to assist one another into these energies in some way, shape or form, which most of us are not conscious of, but we are conscious of the feeling of leaving someone behind, or letting them down. In these cases, it is especially important that we are able to love, love, love the person, clearly letting them know we are there for them, because they may come along any day now, and then of course, release them. Sometimes they are resisting us and our own well intended energies to assist them, which is exactly what is blocking their ability to see the forest right in front of them. In this way, we can be of the most assistance by getting out of our own way, and their way as well.

So what are the keys to the kingdom? Love, Love, Love. Wow! The Beatles had it right all those years ago! :)

I invite you to share with me any stories you have of finding your way into the love, joy vibration, and or bearing witness to other's doing the same, or of course the experience of standing on the sidelines as a dear soldier finds his or her own way through the drama, trauma and stress.

Sending you Love and Blessings, Dear Ones as you make your way through the energies!

Love yourself, love one another

One of the most important aspects of my spiritual journey is the other people in my life. They are the family and friends I surround myself with on a daily, weekly, monthly basis, those are the dear ones which enrich my life tremendously, and together we enhance the journey for one another. I cherish the times I get to spend with these special people. Equally important are the ones that I have difficulty with. Those friends and family which remind me of the areas I am still working on, the friends and family I find myself challenged by interacting with. I have found for myself, many of those relationships in the past were unbalanced, and my lack of personal boundaries allowed for people in my life who were not for my highest and best, and when I began to set clear, healthy boundaries, many relationships began to shift. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong for so many years with many of my friendships falling apart, and ending in disaster. I felt responsible and it hurt, badly. I couldn't see what I was doing wrong. I began to ask about it in prayer, and in person with others. It took some time, and a number of helpful assistants, seen and unseen to reveal that the problem was all about me, but not in the way I was thinking. Instead of being nicer, I needed to have stronger boundaries. Instead of doing more for others, I needed to be sure my friendships were in balance, and that we were both getting needs met by the time we spend together, not just one of us. In short, I knew I could do better at the friendship thing, I just didn't know how, and defining my boundaries has allowed me to do just that. For me this is friendship 101, love yourself, set healthy boundaries, to take care of yourself, thereby loving one another. Don't expect yourself to do more for someone else than you would ask for in return. If someone needs you, and the relationship is in balance, of course you are of assistance. Of course you help a friend or family member out. If someone is in need all the time, that is a different story, they may have strong needs, but it is not something our friendship can meet the needs for. In order to love them, I have to release them to their own evolution. To assist them may just be propping them up, and prolonging the agony and the inevitable journey they are due to go on for their own personal growth. We can actually hurt others, when we are "helping others"... can you say co-dependence anyone? So, defining my own boundaries has allowed me to be a more balanced person, a better partner to my husband, a better mother to my grown kids, a better daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, facilitator, whatever. All my roles and relationships were affected by the lack of boundaries on my part. Now I am able to enjoy a richness of relationship which is unparalleled in my life previously. Each relationship gets richer and deeper as time goes on. I have freed myself of time wasting relationships with people and groups, no matter how well meaning I was or they were, if they are out of balance, they are out of my immediate sphere. Oddly, they are not missed, and the rewards are great. We all have difficulities in our lives. We are here to learn and grow. I have found the more work I do, the bigger the rewards. So, love yourself, love one another, love freely and love often.

What have been your biggest lessons in relationships? Who are you currently trying to work on a relationship with, and coming up empty? I would love to hear what you have to say about this or any other topic of interest in your life, or on your path. This is how "we" do this, together. Right now, I feel like a voice in the void. Bouncing around out there. I know some of you will find me, and together we will all be better for the insights and growth we share!

Namaste,
Kim

Here we go!

Every Blog has to start somewhere, so I am beginning here. I look forward to having this opportunity to share the events which are happening in my world, and hopefully to hear back from some of you about your path.

I am a happily married, 40 something mother of two adult children. I am blessed with a loving family and a circle of very special friends, all at varying places upon their path. After all, this is a marathon, not a sprint, and the finish line means we are done for now. So I am content to slow down and enjoy the ride of varying experiences and interesting people. I guess if you have found my blog, it is likely that we might have some things in common, and we might indeed walk side by side for a time. I believe that we are all on our spiritual path together, and those who we are close to and who we interact with on a regular basis can have a great influence upon our path. It is a "we" thing, none of us does this alone, and maybe the most successful among us do this by connecting often with others. We are all doing this together, so I am looking forward to hearing from you and getting to experience some of your stories, all the better to assist us all on our journey.

At this point in my life, our children are beginning to leave the nest, or even to be here less and less, and/or need less of my time and attention on a regular basis, which has freed me up considerably to try this blog on for size now. How will it be sharing together in this space and time? I am not sure, but I am excited to see where it will lead us all.

Much of my spiritual growth has come from observing and being obeserved. I find my children are very good at holding me accountable, to be sure that I am walking in integrity, that my actions match my words. They have been some of my best teachers. I have found that I prefer to learn gently and have nice, loving experiences (don't we all?), but I have found that life is sometimes messy and is also about learning what not to do, and how to proceed even in the face of challenges. We may all be spiritual beings having a human experience, but I am here and now human, and by choice learning and growing as I go, as I hope each of you is as well.

I work with Indigo's (if you have questions about Indigo's let me know, this might be an interesting topic for another posting) and I seem to attract people who are on their spiritual path and would like some assistance along the way. I don't know if identifying a person as an Indigo is helpful or not, although many of us have some similar attributes, and it is often helpful for us to see ourselves in one another, and thus learn more about ourselves. I am interested in being of assistance to others on their path, as well as paying attention along my own. The rewards for paying attention have been great, so far. I find more peace in my heart, and joy in my life. The further I go the less drama, trauma and stress present themselves. When they do, I find myself looking inside, rather than out, to see what is happening within me that this event or person is getting my attention so strongly. I do not always figure the situation out, but often over time there will be clarity, healing and growth. I admit, I have used a strong editing hand in my life. I would say I have learned a great deal about setting healthy boundaries, which is a must on any spiritual path. We have a limited amount of time, attention and energy in any given day, and ultimately in each of our lives. It feels important to me to focus upon those who are available (ready, willing and able) to move forward. If there are too many people in your life that are draining you of your energy, that is something which bears looking at. Does that mean that we only surround ourselves with those who give to us? Of couse not!! Otherwise, how would we ever be mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, friends? With each person in our life, there should be a give and a take, and if we are talking about our children or our parents, there will be times when the take WAAAAY out-weighs the "give", unless you realize the "give" is there in the miracle of life. In the miracle of being blessed and honored to be raised by someone, in the miracle of bearing witness to the maturation of a human by being present to parent, in the miracle of sharing life together.. So, this too is a topic for another day, I guess. I am hoping that your comments will assist me to find what is interesting to you, dear readers, so that we may better move along this path together.

It seems to me my spiritual growth happens as I am living my life, being the best I can be on any given day. I go about my day, my "chop wood, carry water", looks more like go to the grocery store and Target, make dinner, do the dishes, pick up after people, and spend time with friends and family. So, does a spiritual life really unfold in a normal, ordinary life? I believe the answer is YES! I am a living example, as are many of my friends and family.

I have tried going to church on a regular basis, when our children were younger, we spend a number of years immersed in a lovely church family. There were many gifts there, and it was a great place for us to be at that time, and it is indeed a great place for many to be. For me, now, I find I have a strong Judeo-Christian background, but I also have a strong spiritual/mystical side, which is undeniable and alive, and as such I have not found an institution which matches my Spiritual Path at this particular time. It feels to me that I am meant to forge ahead, finding my own way, getting information from many different schools of thought and Spiritual Truths. We are each our own highest authority for what is a match for us. I honor each one of you your choice, as I hope each of you will honor mine. I encourage you to bounce experiences against your own discernment, your own inner knowing, and keep what feels right, and release those things which are not a match for you. I do not pretend to know anything, other that what feels right to me at this particular time on my path. I can guarantee one thing, much of what make sense to me today will likely change. As uncomfortable as that is to me, change is a healthy part of a spiritual path, releasing my attachment to "knowing" anything. If I think I know something, it is a reminder that I have more to learn in that area. So, I will do my best to have an open mind and heart and to proceed by releasing judgment as it comes up and moving towards wholeness and healing, and sharing with you, my experiences along the way. So for now, this is my first reflection from my path, hopefully in a long line of many to follow. This is one interesting journey.