Prayer of Peace Happy New Year 2012 ∞ღ∞

∞ღ∞ I offer this prayer of peace ∞ღ∞

Not to the Christian God
Nor to the Buddhist God
Nor to the Islamic God
Nor to the Jewish God
But to the God of all humanity

For the peace that we wish for
Is Not a Christian peace
Nor a Buddhist peace
Nor an Islamic peace
Nor a Jewish peace
But a human peace
For all of us.

I offer this prayer of peace
To the God that lives within all of us
That fills us with happiness and joy
To make us whole
And help us understand life
As an expression of love for all human beings

For no religion can be better
Than any other religion
For no truth can be truer
Than any other truth
For no nation can be bigger
Than the earth itself.

Help us all go beyond
Our small limits
And realize that we are one
That we are all from the earth.
That we are all earth people
before we are Indians, Koreans, or Americans

God made the earth
We humans have to make it prosper
By realizing that we are of the earth
And not of any nation, race, or religion.
By knowing that we are truly one
In our spiritual heritage.

Let us now apologize
to all humanity
For the hurt that religions have caused
So that we can heal the hurt
Let us now promise to one another
To go beyond egotism and competition
To come together as one in God.

I offer this prayer of peace
To you the almighty
To help us find you within all of us
So that we may stand proudly one day before you
As one humanity.

I offer this prayer of peace
With all my fellow earth people
For a lasting peace on earth.

By Ilchi Lee
∞ღ∞
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⋯ ❤⋯
⋰ ⋮ ⋱
Peaceful Coexistence

So you can walk on water ? ~ Khalil Gibran ~

~You are no better than a twig floating on a puddle.
~You can fly through the air ?
~You are no better than this gnat buzzing around my head.
Master your own heart then maybe you can be somebody.
*
The earth on which we live silently
~remembers the catastrophes of our history;
~but if we listen to the silence of the earth
~it will remind us of the fate of those who lived before us,
~and from whose suffering we may yet learn.
*
History is dedicated to those who went before us,
~so that, upon reflection, we can learn from them,
~without repeating their mistakes,
~experiencing or inflicting their pain.
*
Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
~Life must be understood backward.
~But it must be lived forward.
*
Act mindfully.
~Accept entirely.
~Move strongly.
~Think softly.
~Speak beautifully.
~Live simply.
~Love completely.
*
Believe in a love that is being
~stored up for you like an inheritance
~and trust that in this love
~there is a strength and a blessing,
~out beyond which you do not have to step
~in order to go very far.
*
The gift is Not how much you ARE loved,
~the gift is how much you are ABLE TO love.
*
Every new beginning
~comes
~from some other beginning's end.
*
Let your Life lightly dance
~on the edges of time
~like dew on the tip of a leaf.
~*~

The Day the Earth Stood Still and all the People of the Earth Cried for America and for those from 80 other Countries who also died with our Own - has come and gone.  I breathe a silent sigh of relief that no catastrophe occurred again.  I know it is silly to be superstitious and at the same time I think it would be very unhealthy not to be cautious.   Even though the House of Saud is no longer the Ruling Authority , I do believe that there are many who wish to revenge the death of the man most hated and most sought by our Country for so many decades.  I thank God daily for our courageous and loyal dedicated servicemen who took him out of this lifetime.  I also believe in a special kind of Hell for the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Lenin, dictators, extreme regime leaders, Hussein and Bin Laden.  Serial killers et al.   I needed no excuse in my book to go after them.  Now that these last two are out of the way, much of the steam from their train may be missing and we should pull back and bring our men and women home to their families and start working on the security of our homeland. 

We really should be working on our infrastructure, rebuilding our interstates, refilling our firestations and our law enforcement ranks, bringing back fine teachers into our schools and retraining parents on How to Parent responsibly and effectively - so that the children of today do not "feel entitled" and learn that for their actions there are consequences.   My own son has learned this only too well in these last 8 years and I cry with hurt, shame and at a sense of loss so profound that I have yet to find the words to even voice my pain and disbelief at all that he has done wrong.  I raised them both the same way.  The same rules, the same principles, the same disciplines, the same schools, the same functions.  It would be so easy to blame the physical violence he endured that his sister did not.  The emotional torture in front of his peers that she did not.  To be a young lad and to be shamed and sacrificed as the son of the coach - for actions that were not of his doing, to take it for the team - what does that teach a young mind that is in the adolescent stages of growth, definition and refinement.  To be abandoned over and over, kicked to the curb worse than a dog while his sister took refuge in her bedroom or at her job.  Maybe there is rhyme or reason in this. 

I do not know.  And I cannot pinpoint when or what changed the course of his character that would lead him down the road of breaking laws and laughing at the sky.  For hating so deeply and rebelling so viciously.   We all have our own private hell, and I can only imagine what each of theirs must be like.  I know only too well what mine feels like.   I will always wonder what I could have possibly done differently.

 " Life must be understood backward, But Life must be lived forward"

To truly understand and comprehend this one statement is my goal right now.  I struggle against the tears daily for as much as I am proud of both of them and as much as I realize I am no longer the One in charge of making sure their lives turn out to be the very best that they can live it to be, I also am deeply hurt and puzzled.   Maybe the wild kingdom really does have it right and maybe we humans got it wrong somewhere along the way.  Raise them up teaching them the very basics of survival, then cut them loose and walk away.  Never look back for they are on their own.  And what happens to them is part of the Circle of Life.  It seems like a cruel and callous way to treat another human being, especially when that being lived inside one's own womb for so long and the bonds were so strong before birth.  I loved each of them as deeply as I could.  I punished their behaviour when they misbehaved.  I cuddled them when they were scared; patched them up when they were hurt; listened to their sorrows, their stories, their dreams, their hopes and their fears.  I was present in their lives by giving up my own ambitions and my own dreams, I dedicated my life to theirs as fully as I could. 

And I cannot walk on water, I Am but a twig floating on a puddle and I am no better than a gnat buzzing around their heads.  I am after all just as human as all the humans that created history before me.  At the core of my existence, there can be much pain in my  growing up years.  I could be angry or resentful about many occasions when life "did not seem fair".  The many years when my bedroom was no bigger than a closet or Was the laundry room.  When all I had were books and my brothers had at least each other.  When they got clothes from the store and I wore clothes sewn at home.  Looking back, mom did make some pretty snazzy dresses.  They looked just as good as the store bought of the other girls.  That did not mitigate all the ugliness towards me while at school.  Learning early on that intelligence did not make friends. Trying to love everyone for who they were did not keep friends.  It still does not and thankfully, it no longer matters.  For I have learned many lessons growing up as I did.   That Love really does heal many wounds.  Love comes in many disguises and rank and file.  

The practice of Unconditional Love
starts with the full acceptance of ourselveves,
just as we are

And that being able to Love someone matters More than how much you love them.  This is the Key.  The being able to.  Being open and willing to.  Accepting someones' faults as being a part of who they are and loving them anyway.  That this lesson is not always known or reciprocated is a harsh reality of this human life.  The wild kingdom got this one right.  Love them completely and fully and then out the nest they go to love somewhere else.  If there is imperfection or frailty, kill it.  We do not do this in the human world and this makes us humane.  Instead we beat it up, make fun of it, taunt and malign, tear apart and try to destroy that which either IS imperfect or makes a person Feel imperfect.  

This is where we as humans have much to learn about history.  For it is in this lesson, that we have so much need of change.   In looking in the mirror, what do we really see.  Do we really see Love or do we see what we Think the rest of the world sees.  Does it matter?  It would seem it does.  Many have not learned that it really does not matter what the world sees.  It truly Does matter what each sees in the mirror.  If we Cannot Love ourselves exactly as we are, imperfections and abundance and all ... then how can we step out into the world and Love others? 

The strength and blessings that come from loving ourselves as being created equally correct by the Divine, gives us the strength and the blessing to love others the same as we love ourselves.  I am speaking of love from the heart and soul.  Not of the body.  The love of all that is created in the likeness of the Divine in each of us.  From this love, the attribute of Forgiveness flows.  From forgiveness flowing, then we might see the changes in the history that we are creating.   Because Love and Forgiveness is not just for the weak and imperfect, it is also for the strong and the brave, the fierce and the mad.  

In this, I find the dichotomy of being human, rather than of the wild kingdom.  For in the wild kingdom, the one who would be a dictator and act only for selfish gain, is quickly cast off to die alone in solitary existence.  In the human kingdom, doing this would be considered cruel and inhumane.  So how inhumane is it to slaughter thousands or millions because of their differences when this is not from Love and Forgiveness?  How inhumane is it to physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally destroy your very own offspring or loved ones out of a lack of Love and Forgiveness for Oneself.  How inhumane is it to keep oneself locked in an ivory tower and storing riches and foods and wealth beyond measure, when ones kingdom is ragged, poor and of illness so terrible it lays waste all the living?   How inhumane is it to be so rich, one does not see the rest of humankind so poorly destitute.

Siddhartha learned this when he scaled the walls of his father's palace.  And he gave up all of his inheritance to walk the earth and become enlightened, one of total Peace.  Gandhi and  MLK Jr. lived the concept of civil disobedience or NonViolence to bring about changes in civil rights and freedoms in the treatment of the "different ones" ( in these cases minorities and women, or those of lesser caste systems ) The point being, that history is not only filled with those that Hated, it is replete with those who Loved and Forgave.  Who in giving up everything and everyone they gave Themselves to prove that Love and Forgiveness creates Change.  For the better.   There is an ending of one way to enable the beginning of a new way.  It is very near at hand.  I hope to lightly dance on the edge of time.

Curveballs, present

Whether it's positive or negative, life "curveballs" are thrown for a reason. That's to make you aware, awaken, encourage, motivate, or shift your path into a direction that is meant for you! You may not see, or understand them at the moment they come. And, It may be tough! But reflect back on those "negative curveballs" thrown at you in the past. You'll often see that "eventually" THEY were what actually lead you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation! So relax & start the day with positive strong thoughts. Yes! You can, will, & are...going to succeed! Stay strong, have faith, & don't let curveballs affect you negatively. They can often have positive future effects. :)

Have definitely had some curveballs lately.  My former father-in-law in hospital for surgery today for 5th surgery to remove #5 and #6 cancers; 2 friends on FB ( on the husband of a former hs classmate, the other a cousin of a former hs classmate ) had grandfathers in hospital, one of whom has passed onto the other side, the other suffered congestive heart failure.  Seems curveballs in life come in three's, whereas in baseball we expect the pitcher to deliver a changeup over the plate.  Either way, we have to swing.  I think of G Brooks song "Unanswered Prayers" at times like this.  Although the lyrics baseline is not similar to the situation at hand, the fact is - all prayers get answered, not always the way we humans might expect them to.  The rhythm and cycle of life dictates that once we are born, the only guarantee we have is the opposite.  Between those moments, we are to make the best of our circumstances.  I had to meet my son in town today ... he is still waiting to hear about the Army and considering his other options ( a couple of job opps. ) - and I had to pay my water bill ( they are FINALLY offering online pay ) woo hoo !!!  I also spent time at the library sending a fax and surveying their books on "art" or , more appropriately, their lack of books on art and the how to's of it all.  Digressing again ..... the curveballs in my life since graduation in June have come at times when I thought I could sit down and get into the nuts and bolts to study for my national certification.  Yes - that again.  And I guess I could wonder "why" - and that is just not in my nature.  So I write.  First daughter's wedding in July and all the efforts before and after.  Then of course, waiting on final transcripts because I had to have those before I could register for the exam anyway, having to save and scrape to get the funds to pay for the darn thing ... and here I find that I have rescheduled this test 4 times now.  Thank you to my wonderful guardian angel for the AC replacement 2 weeks ago, as the triple digit heat wave in August caused near triple digits in the house and lethargy set in.  It is Getting OUT of the doldrums that has me pickled.  I am finally nose to the grindstone so-to-speak, and Hematology is of course kicking my butt.  So I think I will switch to Blood Banking or Microbiology first - and come back to Heme.  DK from class called today, our advisor told her not to overthink on the studies - since we did so well on his test exams, just go take the darn thing - easy for him to say !!!  I do not just want to pass by the skin of my teeth - I want TO NAIL the Passing of this exam .. I wonder if that is too much to expect.  Son tells me I have got it all up there, just relax into it and take it ... 13 rejection letters does not help with the self-esteem.  All the advice in the world I give everyone else, and right now - I seriously need to inject some into myself.  Curveballs or not , we have to keep going.  There is no time out in life.  The seconds tick away, the circadian rhythms continue their march, sunset follows sunrise and on it goes like the ebb and flow of the sea.  I am finally, in my head, accepting of son's current situation as SO not mine to have to worry about or fix.  Daughter is into the groove of teaching after the summer reprieve, hard to believe this is her third year.  And the earth did not crack wide open and swallow us whole for putting their grandpa on the prayer lists on FB this time - thank heavens for Uncle B in Colorado taking the first step this time.  So glad I wrote the message I did post Adele's songs .. I am over it, I have moved on ( lordy its been 8 lonnnng years ) and I do wish them well ... now It IS My Turn and ONLY I can make it happen.  So what the heck am I waiting for ???  Not like the heavens are going to rain down all the lab science knowledge and download it overnight into my conscious mind.  So review it is, and hopefully, still some time to write.  This seems to be more the place where I can vent in obscurity than any.  Not even sure anyone reads this stuff - so its just you and me kid ( wink ) - interesting new format, not sure if I like it, the hummingbirds are nice though.  And the young couple at my feeders are still here on 1 September - that IS amazing.   I would like to find a Blog or two to follow with intelligent centrist views on what the hell our country is getting itself into though.  There is only 1 or 2 peeps on FB who even want to have an intelligent discussion, and they are rarely on anymore - so much animosity - I think some people forget that everyone has an opinion and this country is predicated on the fact that we are all entitled to being right about our own opinion - until we are proven wrong !  Only about 1500 more questions to study ... test in a couple weeks  - then maybe I can find a job and get to back to art and ocean, and certainly more curveballs.

"Rolling in the Deep" songwriters Adele and Paul Richard Epworth, 2010

There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch and it's bring me out the dark
Finally I can see you crystal clear
Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your ship bare

See how I'll leave with every piece of you
Don't underestimate the things that I will do
There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch and it's bring me out the dark

The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking we almost had it all
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling

We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside your hand
And you played it to the beat

Baby I have no story to be told
But I've heard one of you and I'm gonna make your head burn
Think of me in the depths of your despair
Making a home down there as mine won't be shared

The scars of your love remind you of us
They keep me thinking we almost had it all
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling

We could have had it all
~~~~ Chorus ~~~~
And you played it with a beating

Throw your soul through every open door
Count your blessings to find what you look for
Turn my sorrow into treasured gold
You pay me back in kind and reap what you sow

(Now I'm gonna wish you never had met me)
~~~~ Chorus ~~~~
But you played it , played it, played it to the beat

Adele and  Daniel Dodd Wilson cowrote "Someone Like You", Adele 21

I heard that you're settled down
That you found a girl and you're married now
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you

Old friend, why are you so shy
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light

I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me, it isn't over yet

Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you, too
Don't forget me, I begged, I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead
~~~~ stanza omitted

I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited
~~~~ Chorus ~
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead

Nothing compares, no worries or cares
Regrets and mistakes, they're memories made
Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste

~~~~ Chorus ~~~~
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead
<x2>

The past 4 years have been especially cathartic in a steamroll kind of way, the Denver way - you know - when a small snowball at the top of a really long hill starts to gain momentum as it rolls down, collecting white powder, bits of debris and getting bigger and bigger until its huge and when it gets to the finale, its explosive and causes a significant unalterable rift in time and space,
Does anyone hear the explosion of this immense accumulation of stuff that breaks away down the mountain especially if noone would be there to witness ?? I think the ripples in the time and space are felt inside on some molecular level where we are all connected - sort of like how synaptic connections are made through the mind/body on a chemical level --- a trigger occurs, the reaction begins a chain of  events, then the laws of equal and opposite reactions take place in succession until eventually there is a cataclysmic ending of ???
ohhh yes ... it definitely was F E L T
As the smile spread wide and the bright exuberant eyes held only those of the One, the disembodied detached look was unmistakeable - that look so familiar and burned into an avalanche of memories no longer raw or even ragged ... healed ? ? ?  Mostly ~  the scar tissue is tender and may not ever really get tough, how could it with all the reminders and that is quite okay
~ "no worries or cares ~ Regrets and mistakes, they're memories made ~ Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste"  
~~~~ " Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead "
" You know how the time flies ~ only yesterday was the time of our lives ~ We were born and raised in a summers haze ~ Bound by the surprise of our golden days"
 For me its finally over, and I do wish nothing but the best for you. 

"Live Each Day As If It Were Your Last... Tomorrow is Not Promised"

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there,
...they serve some sort of purpose, to teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are and who you want to become.
You never know who these people may be: your neighbor, child, long lost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger who, when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.  And sometimes things happen to you and at the time they seem painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential strength, will power, or heart.  Everything happens for a reason.
Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck.  Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whether they be events, illnesses or relationships, life would be like a smoothly paved straight flat road to nowhere, safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life and the successes and downfalls you experience create who you are, and even the bad experiences can be learned from.  In fact, they are probably the poignant and important ones.  If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart...
If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and opening your heart and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them.

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can,
for you may never be able to experience it again...  Talk to people you have never talked to before,
and actually listen, let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high...  Hold your head up because you have every right too. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself...
for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you either.  You can make of your life anything you wish.  Create your own life and then go out and live in it!
Author Anon

25 July 2010

I can honestly say, that this must have been the Karma I was born into -- I have lost track of all the times I have asked myself what on earth am I supposed to learn from This.  The truth is, we learn from everything, when we are open to receiving whatever the message is meant to be.  And that message is assimilated through our process of the event.   So if we experience a trauma, and our response is to be so negative, deny our responsibility, our culpability, and deny deny deny that any part of the experience is our "fault" - then we learn little to nothing, except maybe more negativity heaped on the compost pile of our emotions.


I am nowhere near perfect and do not pretend nor purport to be.  However, I have always had a "glass is full" attitude.  I remember so many times, being told I "was too nice, people would walk all over me, use me, abuse me, treat me like crap" ... well, the speaker did.   But that is not for here.  What I am getting at, is that I have always been one to give someone the benefit of the doubt.  To give someone enough leverage to see-saw their way into or out of my life as a friend, acquaintance, or someone who needs to keep on moving along.   From living my life this way, Yes, I have experienced a tremendous amount of pain.  I have also experienced a tremendous level of Joy.  Both levels of tremendous keep me believing that the Joy is far superior to the pain and that I would rather live in Joy, Love, Peace, Acceptance, Equilibrium, Sensory Immersion, Truth, Faith, Hope - all the positive adjectives I can apply to my state of mind and attitude about my life.  If I were to live any other way, I  may find myself sinking into a deep pit of darkness - one I have been in and do not want under any circumstance, to go back to.   The flip side of this, are those moments that transcend what experience we have control over.  Those split second moments when life stops.  The world stops spinning.  You cannot hear or think or see or reason.  You die.  Part of you is ripped out and can never be returned.  Then time begins again, the world returns to its orbit, and all the sense return with razor sharp clarity and what we take from THAT experience, I believe, is the true test of our Inner Strength.  Do we stay and fight for what is right, or do we flee in fear and find the first place to hide until the bleeding stops and the pain goes away.   Life being lived fully in the sunshine and the rain, in the light and in pain - means experiencing all the emotions and the lessons therefrom.  Hiding from life, even while going about your daily routines .. means never really truly experiencing that seesaw, and I think that is just existing and waiting for tomorrow.   Embrace every moment life sends today, Live and learn something from each moment of today.

You are your own Biggest Fan !

Forgive yourself for all you ever thought was “wrong” about you. We as humans are our own worst critics. You put up with and in fact, encourage ways of speaking to yourself that most would NEVER put up with if someone else spoke to you that way. Always the first to tear down your dreams, poke a hole in your bubble of happiness, ridicule yourself for just being yourself. Give yourself a break, look at yourself with the eyes of love. Never believe for an instant you are not worthy of all your heart desires. Wrap yourself in love the same way you do your children, family members, friends and pets. Give yourself a pat on the back for all you do every day. Learn to become your own biggest fan.

October 2010

This has been the hardest lesson for me to learn about myself.  Most of the first 50 years of my life were spent making sure "everyone" else was nurtured and enriched.  We really should do the same for ourselves, especially for those of us who are alone.  Alone is good, healthy and fortifying.  It is also Not the same as lonely.   We should "Never" ever tear down a person.  If there is a behaviour that is incorrect, we address the behaviour.  I need to address my lackadaisacle housekeeping - this however, does not mean I Am insufficient.  I just have priorities not in line with most !!!  Vacuuming and dusting are chores I truly and adamantly do my very best to avoid.  However, in essence, I am a quite organized person who likes a clean environ.  I just need to love my home more. 

Whatever that one "chore" or "essence" of ourselves that, once separated from us as a person, becomes The Behaviour and is no longer "Us" --- lock, stock and barrel --- give it away ! Release, realize, rebirth, re-energize, regrow.