ReBirth

Easter is quickly approaching us.
Easter is a time of rebirth.
It is a time of thanksgiving.
It is a time of remembrance.

The egg, that is so much a part of the Easter celebration, reminds us of
new life coming forth.
We can begin to sense the possibilities of the potentials that are upon us.
We can sense the opportunities that have never been before, now approaching us.

The egg holds a promise.
The promise is the same for each of us and it is different.
The promise is a type of unfoldment.
It is an opening 'out' of that which has been within for some time.

It wants to be anticipated.
It wants to generate within us the excitement of where this can go.
It asks us to rev up our imagination to 'see' bigger and wider and deeper.
It teases us and suggests we risk more.
It senses that this is what we have truly wanted for some time.
And now, the time is right...the time is ripe.

How fun 'becoming' is.
How natural a process that has occurred within us so very many times.
Yet, how new it is, each time it is begun again.

What a gift to be able to wonder about how it might be different, more wild, more wooly, more in sync with who we truly are as Spirit, this time.

Be Wise...

This sweet little bush is a Barbary plant.
It is currently on the endangered list.
It is indiginous to the California area but there are very few of these bushes left in the wild.
A friend who has been a real 'caretaker' of the land, planted one of these 'back' into nature.
His father had been growing smaller plants in his backyard that had been off-shoots of a larger plant that had been in the wild.
When the plants got large enough to survive on their own, he would replant them in the wild.
This little Barbary is doing quite well.
The reason is that this man regularly watches over the plant and makes sure that it gets just exactly what it needs to thrive.
There was a period of several months where he was out of commission.
He developed cancer and had to have multiple surgeries.
Several of us became concerned about the little Barbary and knew how much it meant to him that it survive and thrive.
So we decided to visit the little bush regularly and 'love it' as Phil had been.
We 'fussed' amongst ourselves as to what was the right amount of water and the right amount of pruning.
We had good intentions, but we didn't truly understand the needs of this
special bush like Phil, the caretaker, did.
Several times, we almost killed the little bush.
But, somehow it survived in spite of us.
Thank goodness, Phil recovered from his illness and has returned to tend the special bush.
Those of us who 'stood in for him' on this very important mission were reminded of the importance of wisdom.
Good intentions did go a long way.
But what would have been best is a combination of good intentions and great wisdom.
We learned that good intentions alone can destroy unknowingly.
True healing incorporates both intention and wisdom.

Hold On Lightly...

It isn't really necessary to hold on to things or people with a 'vice grip'...
But we often do.
It isn't necessary to squeeze the life out of something to enjoy it.
But we often do.
It isn't necessary to wrestle something or someone to the ground in order to have a relationship with it.
But we often do.

When we look to Mother Nature and the gentle way all things and beings interrelate, there is a true beauty in the way there is respect for each other's space.
There is an acknowledgment of the sovreignty of each and all things.
There is respect for taking only what you need and leaving the rest for others to share.
There is an abundance philosophy that pervades natural life.
There is a sense that there is a bigger picture that all created things belong to...a larger story...a grander view.
Everything is seen in its relationship to everything else.
No one thing or being is more important that the other.
Respect, honor, gratitude is the basis of being.

Mother Nature speaks to us of Heaven...
Heaven is already among us...
The Heaven that She has created is what wants to be created in our work worlds, our family worlds...in all of our relational worlds.
Mother Nature is just waiting for us to 'get it'...
Hopefully, She won't have to wait much longer.

That Was a Tough Flight...

Sometimes our take-offs are tough.
Sometimes our landings are tough.
Sometimes the flight itself is a bit turbulent.
That's the way life is.

Sometimes our wings get tattered.
The thought of trying to take-off again can be daunting.
The ground feels pretty good when you are a quart low.
But that's where the transformative power of Spirit comes in.
It's never too late to begin again....never....
There is always a way to 'dig' out of the current 'state of the union' and climb above the way things have become.

So, where to begin...?
First, grasp onto the power of intention.
Write yourself a whoppin' powerful intention that defines what you want to do or be or both.
Second, put some energy behind it.
Use the power of prayer and meditation to begin seeing and feeling this intention fully realized.
Third, listen carefully to how Spirit is guiding you to act and do your part in its realization.
Fourth, create visuals to remind you of your intention...
Fifth, check in regularly with your Spiritual Director or Coach to help you keep on track.
When you are in the process of major re-formation, a spiritual director/coach can make the difference between a nose dive and smooth sailing.
Sixth, live as though it is already realized. Hold nothing back.
Seventh, create a 12 month plan to ensure sustainability with the 'new you'.
What will you do each month to help you move closer and closer to your intention.
See your own metamorphosis happening right before your eyes.
Eighth, celebrate each movement, each risk taken, each hurdle overcome, no matter the size, or outward significance.

And, by the way, the butterfly in the picture above, did take off and continue its work in the world, dancing on flower-tops, sharing its beauty with the world.

Sometimes We Fly...Sometimes We Walk...

There are times when it just works better if we slowly walk our Earth journey,and times when there is lots of room to fly.
Sometimes we need the Earth beneath our feet to reconnect us with who we are and what our focus should be for this moment in time.
This connection to the Earth is very powerful in the way it gives us an opportunity to reestablish and remember our foundational links.
Having the strong sense of foundation within our lives is so critical to the flying cycle.
When we sense that foundation, clearly and firmly, it creates ease when the time for flying presents.
If we don't take the time to build the foundation first, rest assured, we will be given a later opportunity (often not under the best of circumstances) to build it again.
Whether it's a house you are building, a life plan or a new career, keeping your feet on the ground and creating the 'root' structure first is essential.
This serves to support all that follows.
This creates the ability to launch when the time is right.
This helps to build stability and opportunity for later growth.
This prevents the very uncomfortable 'crash and burn' later.

So, walk when you need to, and fly when you are ready...and pay attention to the time and space in between.

The Gift of Erosion

Erosion is a powerful force of nature.
It can totally transform a mound of Earth into something that does not resemble its original self/form.
Erosion can leave an area with total destruction of what had been.
It can create havoc with the stability of the way things were.
It can shift the landscape such that there are now openings where there had previously been closings.
The changes of erosion sometime come on slowly, and sometimes the changes can occur overnight.

Erosion can also create new beauty and put a new 'face' on the way things are.
Erosion can create new pathways of opportunities for crossing into unchartered territory.
It can wipe away old obstacles that formed blocks and obstructions.
It can open secret passageways deep into the core of the Earth.

Erosion can restore balance and harmony.
It can uncover truths deep within.

Sometimes, in my experience, Erosion sneaks in and accomplishes its mission without me even noticing.
Sometimes, I need major eroding change, and the shift rocks my world.
Usually, the small changes are course corrections that Spirit created in my path.
Same with the larger eruptions...
They are no less necessary.
Often those changes that I have tried to bury or ignore over the years, build up until they demand attention.
Then the opportunity comes to choose to address this needed change.
If I choose to politely decline, I bury what wants to change deeper causing a greater need for volcanic action to 'right it' later.
If I choose to accept the opportunity to 'tackle' the challenge, erosion occurs and layers of 'stuff' begins to sluff off exposing what needs to be released and surrendered.
There is no point in 'covering up' that which wants to experience the light of day.
Surrendering it totally and fully allows the Creator to remake it into beauty, wisdom, love, grace and light.

There is nothing within us that the Creator cannot transform.

Such a gift...such a miracle...such an opportunity...

Dynamic Surrender

Surrender implies release, letting go, giving up, repose, cessation...
Within the Natural World, there are 'pictures' of surrender everywhere.
The difference between the way we surrender vs. Mother Nature seems to be in the element of Grace.

We often struggle, fight, resist, and avoid...
Mother Nature gracefully acknowledges the rightness of the time and space, and moves forward in full surrender.

We come up with countless reasons why we need this or that.
Mother Nature sees beyond what is there to what is trying to become...She surrenders current need.

We hang on so tightly to so much that doesn't serve us, fearful of LOSING something important.
Mother Nature holds all freely and loosely and is always ready to grant the freedom to whatever wants to move on and transform...She surrenders to transformation.

We declare ownership of this or that as if we truly POSSESS all things and others as well.
Mother Nature respects the sovreignty of all of life and accordingly holds no-thing back...She surrenders ownership.

We restrict movement of others by not believing in them or in ourselves.
Mother Nature knows better. She sees clearly the true life potential of every living thing...She surrenders to a greater vision.

We refuse to see with BIG EYES and a BIG HEART and therefore experience smallness in our lives.
Mother Nature constantly reinvents Herself, enlarges Herself and expands Herself in ever widening perspectives of all that can be...She surrenders to the mythic and the superhero.

We see difficult situations as events to avoid.
Mother Nature surrenders to what is and dynamically moves beyond limitation...She lives and breathes in dynamic surrender between repose and movement.

Because She lives in perfect communion with Her Creator, She knows when to surrender to stillness and when to surrender to creation.

She is in a constant state of surrender to the Power of the Creative Force that guides and directs all things...She knows