Birds Gotta Sing, Fish Gotta Swim
way, mind you. Life was a fascinating and marvelous thing. I remember feeling filled with Light and all my senses tingled with delight at each new thing I saw or heard. It was hard for me to sit still. There was too much to see, too much to feel! How could I 'sit still' - why, I might miss something!!! The sky was brilliant blue, the tiny snail was leaving it's crystal trail across the sidewalk, the trees changed color with the passing of the seasons - Life, in all its' many forms, was mine for the taking!! As a girl, I was Powerful - filled with Spirit and Love.
In one moment, one moment in Time, all that changed for me. A tragedy took my Voice, my Power, and my zest for living. One moment, and the World became dull, and sad. I could not, try as I might, conjure up that Inner Light, that Love of Living.
And I stayed in that dark, sorrowful place for a very long time. The tragedy became "The Tragedy" and all that I was emanated from that one, fateful day. I became The Tragedy, and everything that happened, everything I felt and saw and did, was filtered through it. This created a World of darkness around me. Relationships emanated from that place. All my thoughts had their origins in "that place". Looking back, it was as if my vision was obscured by a gray shroud of sorrow and self-pity. With that self-pity came self-loathing. One can imagine how I allowed my Self to be treated in those times.
At some point, however, I recalled the time in my life where I loved and enjoyed and thrived on the Pure Love that was me. I remembered her, that little precocious and happy child. And I decided to return to her. To find her inside. She was there, small as a mustard seed. I had to go get her. It was a painful, yet exciting journey. I had to go and confront the dark places in me, the places where my "sin" lived. "Sin" means "to err". We most often "err" against our Selves. Does this sound like Someone you know?
There was no Magic Moment when it all fell into place. No noticeable epiphany. Finding her, and bringing her back was (and still is) a journey, There was a day, not too long ago, where I realized that I have lifted the shroud. "The Tragedy" is no longer the filter that I used to process every emotion, experience and feeling through. It is merely a point of reference that can be useful for the times when I want to retreat into that Old Self, when I want to pull the shroud around me.
Dear Reader, too many of us have pulled a Shroud of Sorrow across our Vision. We have lost the delight in Life, the Joy of seeing the World with our Spirit Eyes!
Do not be afraid to look at your Self. Find that place that changed you, that "Tragedy" that stole you away to the dark places where Joy was lost. Look boldly at it - ask your Self where you have pulled the Shroud across your vision - give Voice to that within you that craves Life and Love. Go within to shine without!
"I know not how I seem to others, but to
myself I am but a small child wandering
upon the vast shores of knowledge, every
now and then finding a small bright
pebble to content myself with."- Plato
Jesus said " let the children come to me, do not hinder them, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these" - this is a powerful statement. Do we not hinder our Inner Child? By not allowing him to express his Magnificence, by telling our Selves that we are not worthy, by deeming it "not appropriate" to be like we were as Children, we are denying God. And with that comes an inability to enjoy Life, to long for that which we perceive as "not there" , to continue to believe that the grass is greener "over there". There will be no contentment with where we are today when we deny this.( I used to long to be "over there" - my "over there" was a home on a mountain in Colorado, or a return to my hometown of Sacramento. A Wise Woman that I know told me to stop Longing - it was draining me of vital energy to enjoy my Now.) (Thanks, Mom!!) - Whoever or whatever told you that it was not Good or Safe to have Your Voice was LYING to you!! Turn away from the lie. Love, REAL love, does not lie. If someone lied to you in the name of Love, then it was NOT love.
Be as a child, before the veil was pulled down, before someone restrained your Spirit. Seek that person who reflects Love and Joy, ask them how they do it. I have a couple of people that I trust to talk to me, encourage me, and re-mind me when I am not being as good to my Self as I should. Find that person that you can talk to - whose Life emulates the one you want for your Self, and talk to them. Seek their Wisdom, if they are Conscious, they will want to share with you! Seek Joy - which means taking your eyes off your "Tragedy" and looking out around you for places of Joy.
myself I am but a small child wandering
upon the vast shores of knowledge, every
now and then finding a small bright
pebble to content myself with."- Plato
Jesus said " let the children come to me, do not hinder them, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these" - this is a powerful statement. Do we not hinder our Inner Child? By not allowing him to express his Magnificence, by telling our Selves that we are not worthy, by deeming it "not appropriate" to be like we were as Children, we are denying God. And with that comes an inability to enjoy Life, to long for that which we perceive as "not there" , to continue to believe that the grass is greener "over there". There will be no contentment with where we are today when we deny this.( I used to long to be "over there" - my "over there" was a home on a mountain in Colorado, or a return to my hometown of Sacramento. A Wise Woman that I know told me to stop Longing - it was draining me of vital energy to enjoy my Now.) (Thanks, Mom!!) - Whoever or whatever told you that it was not Good or Safe to have Your Voice was LYING to you!! Turn away from the lie. Love, REAL love, does not lie. If someone lied to you in the name of Love, then it was NOT love.
Be as a child, before the veil was pulled down, before someone restrained your Spirit. Seek that person who reflects Love and Joy, ask them how they do it. I have a couple of people that I trust to talk to me, encourage me, and re-mind me when I am not being as good to my Self as I should. Find that person that you can talk to - whose Life emulates the one you want for your Self, and talk to them. Seek their Wisdom, if they are Conscious, they will want to share with you! Seek Joy - which means taking your eyes off your "Tragedy" and looking out around you for places of Joy.
"If my heart can become pure and simple,
like that of a child, I think there probably
can be no greater happiness than this."- Kitaro Nishida
You will not do this to perfection. Perfection is another place where people tend to 'sin' against them Selves. We think if we can't do this right, and get immediate results, then we are "wrong". This is another lie. If we relapse, we can forgive ourselves, observe the moment, and move on. It gets easier with practice!!
This sounds easy as I re-read what I have written. It isn't always, that is the Truth. I know this: Becoming a Self-Aware and Conscious Person is a dichotomy. It is both the easiest and hardest thing that you will ever do. Finding your Voice can be scary. Most people never get there. They are too frightened to look at their ooky parts. The results, however, are amazing!!
I mean, really, have you ever SEEN such a blue sky?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, on a lighter note, let's make a Spicy Carrot-Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!
Spicy Carrot-Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat oven to 300 degrees and grease an 8x8 inch pan. Peel and slice apple thinly and layer on the bottom of the pan. Beat eggs. Add honey,brown sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in carrots, nuts and raisins.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Fold into carrot mixture and mix well, but do not beat. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Personally, I have to bake it about 10 minutes longer so you may check this after an hour by inserting a knife into the middle.
You can substitute half and half for the buttermilk - just add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
Some people just don't like carrots - you can omit them if you like.
This cake is so yummy it can stand alone, but I like Cream Cheese Frosting on it!
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 t. vanilla
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
mix together to a silky consistency, and spread on your cooled cake!
Namaste, y'all!
like that of a child, I think there probably
can be no greater happiness than this."- Kitaro Nishida
You will not do this to perfection. Perfection is another place where people tend to 'sin' against them Selves. We think if we can't do this right, and get immediate results, then we are "wrong". This is another lie. If we relapse, we can forgive ourselves, observe the moment, and move on. It gets easier with practice!!
This sounds easy as I re-read what I have written. It isn't always, that is the Truth. I know this: Becoming a Self-Aware and Conscious Person is a dichotomy. It is both the easiest and hardest thing that you will ever do. Finding your Voice can be scary. Most people never get there. They are too frightened to look at their ooky parts. The results, however, are amazing!!
I mean, really, have you ever SEEN such a blue sky?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, on a lighter note, let's make a Spicy Carrot-Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!
Spicy Carrot-Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
2 eggs
1/2 c. warmed honey or maple syrup
1/4 c. brown sugar ( dark is nicest)
1/2 c. warmed honey or maple syrup
1/4 c. brown sugar ( dark is nicest)
3/4 c. oil
1/4 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. grated carrots
1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans, almonds or walnuts)
1 c. raisins
1 1/4 c. all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. grated carrots
1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans, almonds or walnuts)
1 c. raisins
1 1/4 c. all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Preheat oven to 300 degrees and grease an 8x8 inch pan. Peel and slice apple thinly and layer on the bottom of the pan. Beat eggs. Add honey,brown sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in carrots, nuts and raisins.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Fold into carrot mixture and mix well, but do not beat. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Personally, I have to bake it about 10 minutes longer so you may check this after an hour by inserting a knife into the middle.
You can substitute half and half for the buttermilk - just add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
Some people just don't like carrots - you can omit them if you like.
This cake is so yummy it can stand alone, but I like Cream Cheese Frosting on it!
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 t. vanilla
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
mix together to a silky consistency, and spread on your cooled cake!
Namaste, y'all!
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