Spiritual Awakening

Spiritual Awakening

I have been thinking about what it means to be spiritually
awake and have not yet figured out what that means. I have been
going from one Internet site after another looking for information
that will explain exactly what spiritual awakening is all about.

The closest I came to finding an answer talked about being a
Christian and all that has to it. But, being a Christian is only a very
small part of what it means to be spiritually awake. One site talked
about the attributes of a spiritually awake person in a paper titled
“The Purpose of Life is Spiritual Growth”. I can agree with this
statement but still it is only a title to a paper. Within the paper it
gives a statement about the fact that there are two types of people
in this world. One is the materialist minded person and the other is
the spiritually minded person. The paper says that a person with a
“materialistic mind is greedy, selfish, competitive, cold hearted,
deceitful, unintelligent, close-minded, ill mannered, unfriendly,
easily addicted, overly emotional, easily angered, revengeful,
vicious, barbaric, inhumane and war like. They are destructive
through their thoughts, words and actions”. The paper goes on to
describe the “spiritually minded person as being generous, kind,
helpful, cooperative, loving, forgiving, caring, considerate,
compassionate, patient, calm, honest, intelligent, logical, open-
minded, friendly and peaceful. They are constructive through their
thoughts, words and actions”.

How many of you would describe your self as being a
materialistic person with all the characteristic of that kind of a
person? Very few of you I’m sure, but do you not display those
kinds of attributes from time to time? You could say, “I’m only
normal” and you are. We all present to the world both kinds of
mannerisms and we are both materialistic and spiritual people.
Some of us believe that we are more spiritual than the other, and
that’s OK.

Now, what can we do to become totally spiritually awake?
Well, I think that the description above of the spiritual minded
person tells all. We can be that kind, generous and loving person
we claim to be 24/7. It only takes a little mindfulness to make it
so. Keeping in mind those attribute that make us a spiritual person.

Ok, you are a spiritual person, so what do you do to prove it?
Do you work with the sick and dying? Do you go to church and
pray for all the non-Christians in this world? Maybe there are
other things you do that you believe proves that you are a
spiritually awakened person. Or, maybe you just think about all
that without doing anything… Maybe…

I want to be a totally awaken spiritual person and I want you to
awaken also. We can change this world from being totally
materialistic to be spiritually oriented world in 2012. 2012 will be
a year of change, a transitional world into the higher aspects of the
spiritual life. You and I can be apart of that. We only have to
make up our minds to be so by promoting to the world that we are
indeed a spiritually awaken person.

2012

2011 is almost over and we are all looking forward to 2012. 2012 will be a year of change for everyone. The war in Afghanistan will end and all foreign troops will leave. But, what has that war been all about and what are some of the other changes I'm referring to? The reason for Afghanistan is a question that only the governments of the world can answer. It does seem to have been a waste of time, men and money. However, all wars that the U.S.A. and England are in provide those countries with a greater opportunity to develop their war machines.

When I was working as an electronic technician in California the "cold war" and the war in Viet Nam was in full swing. The various companies I worked for would bid on government contracts that had two purposes. One was to develop weapons that could be used in the environment of South East Asia and second to provide work for people. I worked on those government contracts knowing very well what I was doing. I had to work in order to provide for my young family. However, the companies I worked for were not developing equipment that would be used to kill, but to inform. Inform the troops that the enemy was on their way. Later on when the contract was complete the company would lay off everybody while they bid on other contracts. In the mean time I was out of a job and had to look for another company that was hiring. You see, the only way the federal government could keep people working and the economy advancing was to develop their war machine. With each war a country learns more and is able to develop greater weapons of mass destruction.

At the same time that the wars were going on, NASA was developing space fight. I worked on contracts with the Jet Propulsion Labs who were developing solid propulsion engines. I never learned what the engines were being developed for but it was a great job.

I have had a long career as a technician and was able to use what I learned as a teacher. I was able to teach my students how to deal with potential employers and other technicians. This turned out to invaluable for the technicians.

You might think that since I retired in 2005 that I would stop learning. Well, being retired has provided me with an opportunity to learn and share even more with others. I share by writing articles for this Blog. Those articles then find their way into book form. I now have produced two books. Book one is as complete as I can make it while book two is printed and available, I consider it as a project in development. Copies of both books are available to those who would like to have a copy.

Returning to the original subjects of this article, the second part I have not talked about as yet. So, what kind of changes is the world in for in 2012? I believe as I have already said that the war in Afghanistan will end and the governments of the world will then be concentrating on other things, like, the environment and global warming. The developing space fight that will make all that we have seen in the past look like toys. Toys that took the world to the Moon and Mars, and space flight to the stars is what is coming. (You could have guessed this much already.) Yes, NASA has already developed space ships that have the potential to take us to the outer most planets in our planetary system. There are a number of men and women already being trained for that. It only takes money to bring it all about…

In the 1960s, NASA scientists and engineers advanced science fifty years into the future. That development has been going on ever since. The things that we are seeing in our stores today were actually developed fifty years ago. The U.S.A. Patent Office has had presented to them; inventions that are so far ahead of their time that if patents were given on them, their would be billions of people out for work each year instead of just a few million.

The weather will continue to change at an alarming rate and the scientists will be scratching their heads as to what to do about. To their dismay, they will be able to do little to stop what nature has started. Even though nature makes constant changes, the changes are cyclic. When the scientist look at core samples from the ice at the north pole, and soil core samples from various places on earth, they find evidence of those changes. Weather change will increase in rate and continue for many years to come. The world Will Not end in 2012. December 21, 2012 is the end of the Mayan long count calendar, nothing more. With that being said, it is a fact that dozens of men and women, over the centuries, have predicted various "end of world" scenarios. The world was to end a thousand time in the last five thousand years. Even Jesus predicted an end. Can we believe it? That is up to you to decide. The trends have been evident for a long, long time. However, according to what spirit sees, their will never be any kind of "end to man kind" or the total destruction of planet earth. Man will exist on this planet for at least another two thousand year and provably a few thousand beyond that.

Science will continue to make discoveries and even develop, in their accelerators, "black holes". They will produce many things that will continue to prove the theories of Einstein and others. You and I are living at a time in history that is beyond belief as far as scientific development is concerned. We will see the "Dick Tracy" watch communicator ready for are use in less than two years. You will see T.V. set as large as a 10' x 10' wall in the next two years. Will we be able to purchase one? Maybe, but they maybe far too expensive for us for a number of year to come. All the things that were predicted seventy years ago and were science fiction at the time will find their way into our lives. We will find that we are able to accept these new things as though we have had them for hundreds of years.

Yes, 2012 will see more changes in one year than all the previous years; something to look forward to.

Did You Hear Me?

Did You Hear Me? How many times did your mother, or some one else, say to you "Did You Hear Me"? If you lived in a household like mine, you heard that more often than you liked especially when you were a teenager.

Now, you’re 75 years old and people are still saying to you “did you hear me”? You say to them “don’t yell at me I’m not deef. Oh yes, you are not deef nor have you ever been, you’re only doing what you have done for years. It’s called selective hearing. How many of us use selective hearing in our daily life? How many of us even realize that we use it as often as we do?

Maybe your words didn’t come out the way you intended them to be. So, when the person you directed them to just “tuned you out” and there you were, sitting with no answer and no response. You decide to try another tactic. You speak louder and then what happened? “I heard you the first time”, was the response. “Then, why didn’t you answer me?” “Because I didn’t understand what you were saying”. That’s another scenario that we seem to hear, far too often.

Intent: The true meaning of a communication. “I meant to tell you that you’re a jerk, but I didn’t say it”. Your intent was not directly expressed because to do so would mean that you would generate a big problem between you and the other person. Today, we have to be very careful of what we say and do. People, it seems, are looking for something to bring us down just to boost their own egos. Some people are always looking for ways to make other people believe that they’re important and that they are special. The reality of it all is that they are already important and special. There is no need for any kind of special action by the person to try and prove it.

Some would say that it is because of the fast pace of living and that we have so much stress during our workday that it spills over into our life outside of work. Whatever the cause, we must start being more alert to what we say and do. We are responsible for everything that comes out of our months and for sure, if we are not careful, it will jump up and bit us on the backside.

It is very important that we make our verbal intents known so that there is no misunderstanding. So that we will not have people saying to us Did, You Hear Me?

A Christmas Gift

Christmas is a time of remembrance. It is a time to remember our family members and friends and our relationship to them. On Christmas day, to remember the God who gave His son to us. To remember the many gifts that others have given us during the year. Gifts, of love and understanding when no one else would give us the time of day. To remember that there is more to us than just flesh and blood. Being able to express the fact that we are all one of God’s children. Yes, this is a time of remembrance.

A time when we search for that special gift that says “I love you”. That special gift, that shows our family and friends just how much we really appreciate them.

What is it about Christmas that brings out the best in all of us? It is a spiritual experience we express through special decorations, parties, music and song. Christmas is a time for snow, colored lights, tinsel, the Christmas tree, and the joy of falling in love all over again with that special woman or man in your life. To take a nighttime romantic slay ride through the snow in winter. Hearing the jingle of slay bells, the clip clop of a horses feet upon the snow as we sing that special song to one another. Slay bell ring, are you listening… (sing it with me)

We express our love at this special time in so many ways, and yet, we can never really show others just how much our family and friends really mean to us. We try in the best way we know how, but you know, it is the little things that make the difference. Remember, Christmas is just what the doctor ordered for you and me.

Don't Explain Yourself So Much

In Carlos Castaneda’s online book “The Active Side of Infinity” his sorcery friend gave him the following advice: "Don't explain yourself so much," don Juan said with a stern look in his eyes. "Sorcerers say that in every explanation there is a hidden apology. So, when you are explaining why you cannot do this or that, you're really apologizing for your shortcomings, hoping that whoever is listening to you will have the kindness to understand them."

When a person takes the time to think about what don Juan said, one gets the impression that he is absolutely correct. When we explain something to someone, we really do apologizing for not knowing what we are talking about. Or may be we just don’t understand the subject as well as we think we do.

How many time do you make apologizes or explain yourself in a day. Do you even realize that this is what you’re doing? I never thought about the fact that "explaining something" could be an apology. I have always believed that I was simply saying, “This is what I think something is all about.” To believe that I was apologizing never came into my mind.

So how does that affect you/me? It may not have any affect at all because we believe that we are only saying what it is we believe. Apology? I’m not so sure. I may only be asking the person I’m talking to whether or not they agree with me. I may only be saying that I need some clarification as to whether or not I’m on the right path. Oh! I see. I really am apologizing for not being sure or needing a little advice because I really didn’t have all the information I needed.

Yes, explanations really do consist of an apology. I wish I had understood this many years ago. Maybe I would have been a better teacher, technician or – what ever.

Maybe in the future we should not do so much explaining and just say what we mean. Make it a statement of fact. Be as correct as possible and if the other person believes we have is wrong, they will correct us. That I’m sure of.

When Things Happen

When things happen, they happen when they should and at no other time. So they do indeed…

Well, then we continue on our way seeking what we would and who knows if we will find what we’re looking for. I know that I have been looking for certain things for many years and have not found them. Should I continue looking for them? Only time will tell – I’m sure.

Well then, is there something to be done that can bring about what we want faster and at the time we want it? Oh Yes. But it is not for us to think about just now. You see we have other things that are more important.

I know that you may be thinking that this is just a plot to say “I don’t really know what I’m doing”, but that isn’t so. I know more about me than me do…ho ho ho. Little joke there.

Are you thinking that time has something to do with this whole matter; if so you are correct! Time is a very important item when it comes to what we want. I know that some things that you may want are not invented as yet. In the near future you will want someone or something to do your work for you so that you can play more. Well, it will come to be, but not yet. Life requires you to do your job so that you can learn and participate in life. You are to do your work to the best of your ability and not any less. I know that it took many years for you to get where you are, but it will take many more for you to have all you want, and just when you think you have it all, someone will come up with something new. You’ll want that as well.

Oh me, is there no end to this scenario? In a way yes, but you must know that life is full of “wants,” you cannot have them until the time is right. Sit back and just wait a little, you’ll get it all in due time.

So there you are my friend full of hope and frustration all at the same time. In the future you will be OK, that you can be sure.

Lies, Lies and More Lies

Telling lies is a fantasy that all man has been engaged in for centuries. He didn’t know he was telling lies, but he was. You have known many men who have told lies I’m sure. You know that that is true. Have you noticed that the man you met just a few moments ago told you a lie? Oh yes, he did. You didn’t know it at the time I’m sure. Perhaps you should think about it. Maybe you will learn what the lie was.

Oh yes, lies are told everyday by many-many people just not men. You know of at least a dozen right now, don’t you! Oh, do you tell lies? I think you do. You told your girlfriend or boyfriend a lie not more than – oh – a minute ago. It was actually easy. Just think about it. You tell lies almost fifty times a day and you don’t even know it. How can I say that? Well you see we are only human and telling lies is something we do without thinking about it. We just do it. I know this is true because – who wants to tell someone they are a jerk and ugly or they make the biggest mistakes of anyone you know. Mistakes in their work, their way of seeing things, the way they eat… If we told them the truth we would not have any friends at all. We all want people to tell us that we are a good person and we are smart and a joy to be around. Don’t you agree?

I was watching the TV program “House”. House M.D. always tells his doctors that “everybody lies”. They lie about their medical problems. They lie about taking, narcotics, or alcohol, the type of work they do, or even their family history with certain kinds of medical problems that are really embarrassing. Who wants to reveal that they have several members of their family with mental problems? How many people want their doctors to know that they were hospitalized for over dosing? You see, everybody lies.

It all started when we were very young. In fact, when we were just babies we would hear our mother tell our father lies about what she did during the day. We would hear our brothers or sisters tell our mother and father lies about their day at school and the fact that they were sent to the Principal’s office for being un-kind to their teacher or another student – to put it mildly.

We often tell lies just to keep ourselves out of trouble. Lies are a defense mechanism. We even tell lies to our bosses at work and fellow workers. We tell them what it’s ok for them to know, but not the really “good stuff” that we hold as personal. We lie to the officer who pulled us over for running a stop sign. We tell the officer that we didn’t see the sign and didn’t know it was there. The officer knows that everybody lies and so gives us a ticket and tells us to be more observant next time. We tell him/her ok we will when we have no intention of doing anything other than what we have been doing for months – running that stop sign; after all, no one stops at that sign, so we believe.

Oh me – lies. Lies are part of life and even though we all do it and know that our friends do it, we just don’t stop it. We use it, as I wrote earlier, as a defense mechanism to keep us out of trouble – so we believe. We also know that our lying is often known to the person we are talking to, but they say nothing because they know that the lie will come back to “bite us on the back side”.

Lies are not something that ministers are supposed to be engaged in, but they also tell lies. When at a funeral, the minister tells the people gathered there that the deceased was a really good guy and contributed a great deal to the community and society. Everybody there knows that the guy was a crime boss who had people killed or had their legs broken in order teach someone that they could not deny him anything.

Lies, we all make them and we believe we have good reasons for doing so. However, it is always better to tell the truth when our life depends on it, or not to lie to a close friend or love one. We may do it just because we do, lying day in and day out just because we, secretly, believe we must.

Is there a time when a lie is ok? Some say yes. But when is it ok to lie? The other day I heard a mother tell her little child that he could not go to the park because a very bad man was there. The child didn’t believe his mother, but what could he do. Suppose you were very sick and the doctor told you would be getting better in a couple of days when he/she knew that you were dying. “Don’t worry, everything is ok and you’ll be up and around in not time”. Suppose you lied in order to stop a person from hitting you or damaging something you loved? Is it ok to lie then?

You see, we all have our reasons for lying and it is not always good for us. We must be very careful when we lie. We must fully understand the consequences of the lie. Did it get us out of trouble? Did it keep us or someone else safe from harm? Did it prevent that child from getting into trouble? Kind of makes you wonder…

A Time For Everything

Today is the day that was made just for me. I got up this morning feeling really good and ready for anything that comes my way, so I thought.

When we get up in the mornings, we often believe that this will be a good day filled with love, good friends and a job well done. We all expect everything to not only go well but to be a day where we are able to do all we desired to do and more. This is a reasonable desire because we have been getting up each morning with the same expectations since we were very young. It may not have been in our mind, but it was there in the back ground – it is a good day. So, with all that being said, we need to believe that everyday will be a good day. There are too many days when things didn’t go as we expected.

How many people believe that they are OK and everything they do is perfect? One, two or maybe three…is that a reasonable? Well, maybe yes, maybe no. We are always looking for more, especially from our husband, wives, our children and friends. We expect more from our fellow employees and being able to get to work on time and do a good job. There is nothing wrong with that. Some people even believe that the world owes them a living. The world owes them good health and a good life in general. The world owes them everything that comes into their minds and more. The question in why should they believe all that? Isn’t it reasonable to believe that the world owes no one anything? We get out of this life what we put into it. If we put nothing into it, then we’ll get nothing out of it, except maybe a headache.

As some of you may know, I am talking about the Law of Attraction. This law is one of the more important laws because it says, “likes attract like. If we attract love, we get love in return. If we attract good in our day, we receive good in our day. If we expect to do a good job at work, we will do good work. You get the idea, I’m sure.

Another law that is similar to the Law of Attraction is the Law of Cause and Effect. This law is another of those laws that are important for us to understand. These laws tell us that we do get out of this life what we put into it. I could now repeat what I have already said above, but there is no need for that. We all understand what is expected of us each day and each waking moment.

Let us take a look at what a man wrote many thousands of years ago. He wrote, there is a time for everything. Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted; 3:3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance, etc.. The writer goes on to describe more things that there is a time for, but it is not necessary for us to reiterate them here. We do understand that for every cause there is an effect as the Old Testament writer says.

Can we expect each day to wake up feeling good and have high expectations for the day? Yes, and it is our right to believe and expect it to be so.

Confusion

Webster’s dictionary says that confusion is “A mistake that results from taking one thing to be another”. This often holds true for all of us at times. We don’t always hear what is actually being said or we’re thinking of something else rather than listening to what is being said at the time.

I know that this happens more often than it should. Our minds often take us “on a journey” while we are at a lecture or a meeting where the subject just doesn’t pertain directly to us at the moment. We can be asked a question or someone can speak our name and it takes a moment or two for us to come back to reality. We are then confused as to what had been said to us and normally ask for the person to repeat their question or comment. This is especially true when a person’s native language is not the one in which they involved in at the present moment. These people are often translating the words of one language into their native language and miss what is being said in the next moment. They miss what the other person has just said to them or to the group their part of. I find this to be true here in Montreal where I live. French is the native language for the majority of people. When I make a joke, they often laugh but really didn’t understand the joke as they are inclined to ask another person who speaks French to explain the joke to them.

I was at a meeting the other day and this happened, unknown to me at the time. I said something to a person and they took it all wrong as if to say “you are one of those I’m talking about”. If the subject was really for them, then they should have said what? Repeat that. Or talk to me after the meeting to have me explain why I said what I did. However, that didn’t happen and it’s been several days since and the circumstance and the situation is lost to me. I talked to a person who was at the meeting and they said that I did say something to that other person that I should not have. I am sorry that it happened and I sure don’t want it to happen again. I apologized to the person but whether they accepted it or not is up to them.

One of the articles I wrote for my book was titled “Clarity Needed” in which I spelled out some things that happened to me, and a professor I had at university. We all need to be understood and to understand each other. We also need to understand that we are only human and we make mistakes. Mistakes that can make things difficult for us and even destroy a friendship.

When we talk to people we know and try to make jokes, we should be sure that they understand that we are just joking. If not… So what can we do? Should we be someone were not? Should we be “walking on egg shells” when we are around other people, where we are so careful that we are not ourselves? This is something that we will all have to come to terms with and even when we do, we will have to remember that when we are with a certain person that we must be extremely careful. After all, we don’t want to hurt anyone, verbally or otherwise.

I am still experiencing a bit of confusion as too what actually happened and I’m very sorry that the problem exists. Maybe this was a learning situation for me that I really need. I WILL be more careful in the future.

Questions With or Without Answers

Tom was the type of guy that always knew what it was that he wanted in life, so he believed. He would go to the nearest pub and drink and dance with the girls and make a lot of noise that told everyone there that he was one of the good guys. But Tom was not satisfied with his life. He wanted more, as most of us due. What is a person to do? The $64000 question!

I know that some people in this world have a pat answer to Tom’s questions and problem, but is it the answer that Tom would go for? Not all problems in this world are answered by religion. Not all questions in life can be answered on a psychiatrist couch. Some answers must come from within the individual, and yet, answers are sometimes hard to come by no matter what a person does to try and get them.

Some would say you should meditate on it. Others would say, you should pray, while others would just look at you and say and do nothing. How can a person get the answers they need to their questions when there are no answers. Believe it or not, no answer is sometimes is the only good answer for it tells us to just stand back and let things work themselves out. In most cases, this is the best way to handle a problem.

However, we as humans cannot just sit around and wait for answers to suddenly pop into our heads, or come out of the woodwork, so to speak, and make everything OK. It just doesn’t work that way. We need to think. Think about all the facts, pros and cons of a matter and try to come up with our own answer(s) that will make sense and be just what is needed.

Tom did find an answer to his problem, but it took six months for it to happen. Now Tom is working for another company and has a position that suited him fine. What happened? Well, Tom saw that the answer to the problem was not in his education or abilities, but in his attitude. He changed his attitude and then changed jobs. The new company was progressive and always looking for people who could come up with new ideas that would produce new products that the company could produce. This was something that Tom could do and do well.

In life, we often need to evaluate our lives and study the way in which we look at things and make a determination as to whether or not we are really doing all the things we want or need to do. If not, we need to make the changes that will put us on the right track. Even if it “takes forever”, so they say.

Defensive or Passive

Are you on the defensive? Or are you totally passive? Could being on the defensive or being passive be a good thing?

I would say that for most of us we are on the defensive most of the time. Why, because we are always looking at people and situations as if they were just about to attack us in some way. You may wonder about this – well it is true. We have all been taught to be on the defensive from early in our life. We look at others wondering whether or not they are going to say or do something that will be harmful for us. We, of course don’t want anyone to do anything that is out of the ordinary, but we’re never quite sure.

When I worked in industry I was given jobs to do and then left to do them. I always believed that I would be doing them to the best of my abilities and the boss’s satisfaction. Of course, I always had the question in my mind, would I? The boss could always find fault with my work even if he had to make something up. Like you, I was always on the defensive. I never knew from one day to the next whether or not I would do something that would end in me being fired. You, I’m sure, have had bosses like that and hated the job but could not leave because you needed the paycheck. Life is full of things like that. Sometimes it is for our highest good. Being on the defensive and alert to possible dangers. This has provably saved our life more than once.

If we are passive people, it seems that nothing ever bothers us. We don’t worry whether or not we’re doing a good job. We don’t worry about anything in general that comes are way. Nothing seems to affect us. I wonder if these people are normal. Well, they are. For them, they are living a life free from stress and the negative affects of life in general. We all wish that we could be that way at times, but rarely are. In many ways, are life would be simpler and easier to take. If we mess up on the job, it’s OK. We’ll fix it and get on to the next project. In reality, we have learned from our mistakes and don’t make them again. People who are passive are people who often keep the job running smoothly and on time. If there is nothing to worry about, then things get done in the time allotted. When I’ve been a passive worker, I was free of stress and did a good job. I loved working and things were always to the boss’s satisfaction.

We can all work in a defensive of passive manor and it is up to use to make the best of any situation that comes our way. It is always better for us have a balance in our life by being both defensive and passive as necessary. By working in both ways, we get the job done right. We’re happy, the boss is happy and we have a regular paycheck for our efforts.

Many of our friends feel good just being around us because we look at the positive things in life and ignore the negative. We are always coming up with a better way of doing things because we are always looking for the things that will make the job better and easier. Sometimes, we are able to inspire others to be more positive and produce in a manor that is smooth and easy to grasp. Who said that life has to be full of the negative? Who said that always being on the defensive is the only way? We get out of life what we put into it, good or bad, being defensive or being passive, it’s up to us.

The Law of Change

The Law of Change: The readiness of a situation to alter, modify, transform or convert is caused by a continual change of inner attitude. As one continues to experience situations in life, their attitude adjusts to process the experience and change occurs.

Change is the one thing that we can be sure of. If changes didn’t happen in our lives, life would be boring. Each day is a new day for new opportunities, challenges and experiences that makes life worth living. In this universe, change is a constant.

When we look at what happens in our own backyard, we notice that in the sky there are clouds, clouds that change their patterns as they are blown by the winds. The sun and the stars are constantly moving across the sky. People are constantly moving; they just can’t sit still for a second. Movement is expressed through vibrations of the atoms within everything that exist – seen and unseen. Nothing can be said to be without movement, it’s all in a constant state of change. You may ask “what about rocks or steel, do they change”? Yes. The atoms that make up a rock or a piece of steel are in constant movement called “vibrations”.

One writer has said that the Law of Vibration is “one of the seven laws of our solar system, under the three major laws. This is the basis of manifestation, starting on the first plane, the beginning of the work of the Logos. This is the atomic law of the system, in the same sense that on each of our planes, the first sub-plane is the atomic plane. Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates. This is the law of progress, of movement and of rotation. This Principle explains that the differences between manifestations of matter, energy, mind and spirit, result largely from varying rates in vibration. All that exists is in constant vibration and motion. Atoms always vibrate with such great rapidity that they seem motionless to the physical eye. At the other end of the scale are things that vibrate so slowly that they also appear to be motionless or non-existent. In between are the various vibrations of living entities, which range from consciousness all the way down to the lowly dust particle that plays an important role in the food chain. Still there are things even lower then dust. If we were to follow the scale of life all the way down to the utmost regions of the negative pole (undifferentiated matter), we again would find ourselves in the realm of spirit - the Alpha, and the Omega. All that is, begins in spirit and ends in spirit completing a single cycle of evolution that will be repeated countless numbers of times through eternity”. “All things vibrate and positive thoughts, positive actions create a positive (higher) vibration”.

The Spiritualist Minister and The Bible

One may ask if a Spiritualist Minister can preach from the Bible as a denominational ministers or priests. The answer is a definite Yes. This is so because the Spiritualist will preach from a spiritual standpoint not from a doctoral or dogmatic point of view. That is not to say that an individual minister or priest would not preach from a spiritual point of view – they do.

For example: As we take a look at a particular passage from the Bible, we see that it says in Gen. 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. When we look at this passage there is no argument about what it says. In the beginning God tells us that God has always existed, even long before the creation of this physical universe, however, not the beginning of God’s existence. Like all denominational ministers and priests, we as Spiritualist believe the same things they do about the “beginning”.

So, if the beginning is only referring to this physical universe, then what do we believe about God? Spiritualists like denominational ministers, priests and their congregations believe that God has always existed. “Spiritualists believe in the Source of all Creation, Infinite Intelligence or Infinite Being, most commonly known in Christianity as ‘God’”. “Spiritualists recognize this source in a greater scope of awareness, in that “God” cannot be limited as an anthropomorphic being (likeness of a human person) but must be all–inclu­sive, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient and manifesting through all forms of life and matter”.

[Infinite Being: The word Infinite reflects the idea of ultimate, while the word Being refers to a state of awareness, rather than a doing activity. In finite Being is infinite consciousness without a focus upon any specific activity].

We could go on to describe God as described by other religions on earth and even though the name used to representing God may be different; there is only one God, Infinite Intelligence, Source of all Creation.

We can now ask “how did God create the heavens and the earth”? There are provable a million ideas on how God did it, however, I believe that God took a small portion of Himself (essences) and made all that is in this physical universe. God spoke verbally (The Word) and the essence was transformed into the physical and spiritual universes. Whether one could consider this as the “Big Bang” is up for speculation. God being all-powerful and all knowing could do anything that He had in mind because He just knew how to do it.

Well then, what about heaven? We believe that Heaven is the dwelling place of God unseeable with human eyes, where no one knows. If heaven is the dwelling place of God, then where do we go when we physically die, if any place? The Christian denominations believe that “those who are in Lord” go to be with Him when they die. OK, where do those who are “not in the Lord” go? To Christians, “they sleep in the grave until the “Great Day of Judgment”. Spiritualists believe that when a person’s physical body dies, the person’s spirit/soul goes to a Spirit World. We also believe that there are a number of dimensions to the Spirit World, where individuals of various dispositions go. Jesus said, “In my father’s house are many mansions.” In the Spirit World there are a number of places, dimensions that have the appearance of being very dark in comparison to those that are extremely bright. The spirit dimension a person first goes to when they physically die depends on the individual’s spiritual growth while they were in the physical world. If the person had been a criminal, they would go to one of the darker dimensions until they make restitution for their wrongs, sins. Others, the average person, would go to the lowest spirit dimension of light so that individuals there can spiritually guide them as they continue to growth spiritually. However, all individuals in the Spirit World are continuously helped in their spiritual growth. The individual’s spiritual growth allows them to progress to higher and higher dimensions of light with the ultimate goal of returning to the pres­ence of God. Each of these dimensions is brighter than the previous one; and a person has to grow to the spiritual perfection that the higher dimension requires before they can advance. There have been a number of books and articles describing the Spirit World, and we believe all human beings go there when they die.

With all of that being said, it is a highly controversial subject because we only have the writings of individuals who have been there spiritually; from a near death experience, dreams or when they have physically died and told us through mediums about the Spirit World. The denominational churches can only tell us what their denominations believe and from the way in which they interpret the Bible about the heaven and who can or cannot go there.

I talked about God, heaven and now what about the earth? Well, the Bible is quite specific about that. The Bible says that God created the earth. OK, I mentioned above what I believed God used to create the universe, so, the earth is made of “God stuff.” There is nothing to say that God created the earth from self or used existing material to create it. It seems that it doesn’t really matter what or where the “stuff” came from, it just is. Scientists say that nothing can be “created or destroyed only change form”. It can only be changed from one thing into another.

Spiritualist Minister can teach a lesson from the Bible, and it only goes to show that anyone can use whatever spiritual books or writings they wish to preach on a subject. And it doesn’t matter whether the subject has been adequately covered as a denominational minister might do. The fact is anyone can preach a sermon or give a spiritual talk about any subject he/she wishes.

Law of Retribution

I have been thinking about what it meant by “retribution”. Maybe it means that we don’t get away with anything – even our thoughts or actions, good or bad. We are all under Spiritual Law, which tells us that God has made laws that govern everything in the universe – here and hereafter. Yep, it’s true.

The Law of Retribution “simply means for every wrong we do, we pay a penalty, and have to do something to make up for it”. If we do wrong to a person, real or imaginary, we must do something to correct our action(s). We will suffer under the Law of Cause and Effect. This law tells us that for every cause, there is an effect. The Law of Karma tells us that we will make retribution for our wrongs in one way or another. Retribution, there is that word again. Retribution is forgiving another person for the wrong(s) we believe they did to us. To repay a debt or ask forgiveness for saying something to another person we regret saying. To go to jail for our wrongs, if that is what is necessary for the other person(s) to forgive us. The Bible says in the Lord’s Prayer: “forgive us our debts (sins) as we forgive our debtors”. The Bible also tells us “to forgive others seventy time seven if necessary.” It also means that they have to forgive us or they will suffer the consequences of their actions.

One writer has said, “Reciprocity isn’t always instantaneous, therefore persistence is vital. Even if you’ve found yourself saying, I’ve tried that and it doesn’t work, don’t give up! At the proper time we will reap a harvest. By understanding and using the power of reciprocity, you can improve your relationships and avoid mistakes that can permanently damage your relationships. In life and work, you get what you give”. Swami Sivananada says, “You suffer on account of your own wicked actions. Sow the seeds which will bring pleasant fruits and which will make you happy herein and hereafter.” Otherwise, practice the Law of Personal Responsibility. If you take re­sponsibility for everything you do or say, you are on the right track. The Law of Continuity states that, Natural Law is continuous and applies to both the earth plane and the spirit world. Life is continuous. You don’t die. Your body does. Your body is a physical thing and you are not. You are spirit (“essence”).

This law does not start and end with material existence, nor does the law apply only to spiritual life; rather, the law covers the entire spectrum of being to include both matter and spirit.

Natural Law is continuous and applies to both the earth plane and the spirit world. Life is continuous. You don’t die. Your body does. Your body is a physical thing and you are not. You are spirit (“essence”). It also states that there is no break between physical and spiritual law. This law does not start and end with material existence, nor does the law apply only to spiritual life; rather, the law covers the entire spectrum of being to include both matter and spirit.

For all of the above reasons, we must do what is right towards others by practicing personnel responsibility. When we practice personnel responsibility we have no need to make restitution for are wrong actions because we just don’t make them. However, if we do, then we must make restitution for those wrongs.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The last time Martin had gone to the mountains for his annual vacation hike something happened to him. When he came down from the mountains, he saw that a few things had changed. The colors of everything he looked at were different, and he was surprised that the people who he said hello to didn’t say hello to him. He walked around for a while trying to get someone to recognize him, it was like people could not see or hear him. What was going on here? He even found that when he tried to get into his car to drive home that he could not grasp the door handle. He tried and tried but nothing happened. In fact, the more he tried to get into his car, the more frustrated he got. Martin didn’t know that he had died.

When a person dies, they learn very quickly that they are still very much alive and nothing has changed for them, except, that things are not as they were. They find that they are able to go where they want, and say what they want to whomever they want seemingly by thought. The only thing is, no one hears them or responds to them. The person will often go to family members and try to talk to them. Again nothing happens.

It must be extremely difficult for a person who dies suddenly to try and talk to people and to have no one hear them or respond to them. What can they do? Some will realize that something has happened to them and even think that they maybe dead. When they realize this, they will sometimes cry out to a deceased friend, God or a parent or grandparent for help. When the person called for appears, the deceased is normally surprised. The person’s friend or parent will tell them that they have died and its time for them to move on.

Move on? Yes, if a person knows something about the fact that there is life beyond the physical, it is easier for them when they die. They may not realize at first that they have died, but will soon come to that conclusion when everything they learned about dying was true. A deceased person will call out to a deceased loved one for help. They may even call out to a Saint or God or Jesus. People don’t want to be alone when they die. They want people around them who can help them to understand what has happened to them and help them to ingrate into the afterlife.

Death and dying is a subject I talked about during a course in pastoral skills that I had been conducting. Ministers often have to talk to a dying person about the afterlife. Most denominational ministers know only that the dying person should be Christian. If they are, then the person will go to be with the Lord when they die, if not, sleep in the grave until the “Great Day of Judgment”. It is recognized by all denominations that there is an afterlife, but the afterlife consists, for them, of two places – heaven and hell. For Spiritualists, there is only an afterlife called the Spirit World – multiple denominations of light and darkness. It depends on what it was that the dying persons did during their physical life that determines whether or not they will go to a spiritual denomination of light, heaven, or a dark Spirit denomination that can be considered as purgatory. The darker regions of the Spirit World is where a person will have an opportunity to make restitution for their negative wrong thinking and decisions that they were deeply engaged in during their physical life. We call the negative wrong decisions “sin.” Once the person makes restitution for their wrongs, they can advance to a higher spiritual denomination.

We believe that God has given everyone freewill and it is through freewill that we are able to make decisions, good or bad. We teach that a person should practice Personal Responsibility and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” in their life. These two great Spiritual Laws are two of the most important laws known to man. If a person practices these laws, they will be assured a place in the afterlife that will allow them to continue to grow spiritually and work their way back to the presence of God. Even Christianity believes this.

Clarity Needed

Law of Truth

The Law of Truth encompasses the knowledge and understanding of right thinking, acting, and living. This law encourages us to search for greater awareness; as a result, we strive to know the truth of all things. It is a law of guidance, for it helps us tell right from wrong.

Although I have attempted to express myself in my writing, clearly, it has not always been so. I have tried to express exactly what I want the reader to understand. I also tried to say what was on my mind in relationship to the subject giving as much information as I believe is needed. With that being said, it is not always possible to write without typos and misspelled words. This happens because sometimes my mind works faster than I can type and typos and spelling errors occur. I think that we all have that problem from time to time when writing.

The other day, I received an email from a friend where he made a statement that was so ambiguous, that if I didn’t already know what he was talking about, I would have had to ask him to rewrite his email for clarification. I know that we sometimes think that we don’t need to be clear when reproducing what is on our minds. However, it is important that we give as much information as we can to keep ambiguity from occurring.

When a person writes an article for publishing he is expected to give exact information based on facts, or the article will not be published. It is the same with anything written. Let me give you an example of how ambiguous information can be: A few years ago when I was married, my wife and I were invited to the wedding of her niece. We were given the address as being on a certain street in St-Martin. I knew of a Saint Martin Street so I believed we could find the church easily and arrive at the church in plenty of time for the ceremony. We left the house and arrived on Saint Martin Street looking for the church; we didn’t find it. We asked people at a service station, they didn’t know the church or where it was. We tried several other stations and finally found a woman who new the church and Saint Martin Street and that it was located in the town of Saint Martin, not the street. We were not told and didn’t even know there was a town called Saint Martin. We got to the church when everybody was leaving the wedding service. We were pulling into the parking lot arriving just in time to see them release the doves – something that is often done after a wedding. I’m glad we found the church so we could follow the others to the reception hall or we may not have found the place. You can see by this example that correct clear information is an absolute must. If we had been given something more than “it’s just over there” maybe we would have been in time for the complete wedding.

This writer is well aware of the problems that can come about by writing information that is not coherent. When I was in university I was taking a class in Technical Writing. The professor told us a story of when he was in university and during the summer worked with a railroad maintenance crew. One day they were out doing repairs on a railcar that had jumped the track and needed to be placed back on the track and some repairs done. The professor said that he was under the railcar with a part in his hands but didn’t know exactly where to place it. He was told to “move it north”. Move it north? He had never heard that expression before and didn’t know what the boss was talking about. In his frustration, he asked the boss for clarification. The boss finally told him to raise the part up, so that it could be bolted into place on the under side of the railcar. When a person has never heard an expression before, or direction so that they know exactly where to go, exact and clear instructions are necessary.

After I write an article, I read and reread it many times in order to make sure that words are spelt correctly, there are no typos and what I write is clear. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how many times I read my work, I still miss the typos and other problems. What is a person to do?

Well, have someone else read what we have written before publishing. OK, but does this always work? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no! You see, a person who reads what we write tries to understand what the subject is all about and what it is we are trying to say. Then they can make suggestions that will make the article clearer and correct any typos.

One must remember that another person’s ideas on any particular subject may be different than the writers. This is something we can all relate to – I’m sure. The question now is, “where do we go from here?” Do we keep writing until we get it right or just give up and do something else – what, I’m not sure.

What is True Spirituality?

What is it that constitutes true spirituality? Is it sitting in a church service saying nothing – just being quiet and observant? Is it praying constantly to God of your understanding 24/7? Perhaps, it is nothing more than just being me/you or, maybe working behind the scenes to bring about a better way of life for others?

All of the above questions about spirituality have their answers in a positive “yes”. True spirituality has its place in everything we do, day in and day out. We are all spiritual beings here on this earth and it is one of our goals to find God and practice his teaching in the best way we know how. We are here to search the “scriptures” to find the teachings that best express our spiritual understanding and to evolve spiritually.

Throughout the history of Man, there have been a number of men and women who have come into this world to show humanity that there is a better path. A better way to look at our life: and a better way to solve our problems so that we understand them and act accordingly.

The other day, I attended a gathering of people of like mind and we talked about John Paul II, the former Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. One man talked about how John Paul came to him in a dream and healed him of his illness. It was a very moving experience for the man because he was still emotional as he told us about his experience. How can anyone really know if a dream is real or not? I cannot answer that question because it just happens even though there are billions of people in this world who have had similar dreams. The skeptic would scoff at the idea of a dead man coming to a person in his dream and healing them. However, most people wish that something like that would happen to them.

Spirituality is practicing our belief in God, and practicing our belief in Jesus and his teachings. Spirituality is something that takes place within us and it shows in our life. We can’t help showing how our love for God, Allah, Buddha, or Jesus affects us. It is something that really cannot be explained, but must be “experienced” to comprehend. It shows in the face of a person who literally “glows” saying, I’m a believer.

Spirituality is something that is being discussed throughout the world. It is a very big part of people’s conversations. It is talked about on radio and television. It is written about in books, articles, magazines and newspapers. Spirituality is something that is a bit of a mystery for us because we don’t have anyone to show us how to be spiritual. Being spiritual is within us. No one can show us what it is. We all experience it in our own way and it shows up in our lives. I know that I have not solved the question for some of you, but the fact is spirituality is in the ways we practice our faith and belief in God.