My Poems

She Walked

She walked into my life
With a smile and light
A light that shone in all directions
Pushing away the darkness

It was a beautiful sight that light
I’ll never forget it
It shown so bright

Its has dimmed a little
But it’s still there
Shinning in my heart forever

The Worker

He worked and worked and worked
Saw the path so clear
Took the way to life
That became a cause
Long ago he was called
To the life so true
To help the needy
And strengthen the lowly

Now his is ordained and on his way
In the right direction
Of love and faith and healing
For all who come his way

To be helped and send on their way
He is open and so dear
To make the way for others
And be all that tho can be as time goes by

Spring has come and gone
Summer is almost over and
Fall and Winter are on their way.

To No Avail

Its been a good life full of ups and downs
But with you its been nice

We met and clicked and went from there \
To new heights we sprang with out a care

Then came the woe and a look of despair
From the way we saw the fare
Out in the forest we ran for a while
To walk and talk to no avai
For the light had faded away
Leaving a dark turn in the way
What happened and where are we going
Is there still a chance for the uniting?
We walk and talk to no avail

Milestones

A milestone has been reached
We are on the right track
Tomorrow will bring anew
All that we can endure

Today is all we have
And tomorrow is just a dream
A dream that makes anew all that we have

So let get going, we are on the right path
See you in the light, but only if you like
Where is the light you say?
It’s only a smile away

Is their no end to this conflict

When we look at the world and all its problems, we are immediately drawn to the fact that men, women and children are dying at an alarming rate, through out the world.
Sickness and war has been a part of human life since man first set foot on this earth, and when they began to gather in groups and small communities, things got worst.

If seems that one group has been warring against one another since time began and for some, it has even become a way of life. Gathering in communities has contributed to the wide spread of war, disease and sickness of all kinds.
People and governments use almost any excuse to go to war. They mark out their countries borders; mark out territories for hunting and fishing. They started fighting and killing their neighbors if they intruded on their land. They make raids on their neighbors taking away their wives, children, personal belongings, stealing their tools, food, clothes and even their homes.

Because man has deemed it necessary, they have become quite possessive of what God has given them to use freely and share with each other. We think that because we have purchased a plot of ground or home that we own it. But what happens when we don’t pay our taxes?

Is their anything that can be done to stop, or at least minimize the destruction, killing, sickness and disease in this world? The 64000 dollar question! Ah.

What about sickness?

Sickness has becomes a way of life for some people and they believe that being sick will attract sympathy, a sense of being wanted, love and attention to them. While others, seem to attract sickness by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Medical doctors and their science, Shamans, Natural Paths, Spiritual Healers, Missionaries, you and me working together by praying and doing our best to avoid sickness and disease is of the utmost importance. We all do our best to help others and ourselves to be healthy.

In this world there are men and women who work constantly to personally try and stop war, famine, disease and sickness. They provide political and medical aid, food and clothing; raise money through television, radio, marathons and other means. They give all they have to established organizations that have the means to aid and distribute the goods and medicine to those in need. Are they effective? Sure, but it is never enough, it is a never-ending battle, and in most cases a monumental task.
WE are to work to provide service to others. It is our responsibility to help our fellow man. To do our best and keep working to stop wars and cures sickness and disease through out the world.


What about us?

Some of us are very sensitive to the tragedies that happen through out the world. One friend told me of having dreams about the young girl that disappeared from Three Rivers Quebec, Canada, last year, of volcanoes, earth quakes, storms and other tragedies. And what are we to think about what is happening through out the world? Is their anything that we can do?

I have tried to think of some way that I can have an affect on world events. And I have not been able to do much about it. I give of my finances, I pray. I plead, I cry, I even demand that God do something, anything about all the destruction, killing, sickness and disease in the world. But God has said – I gave you, my children and total freedom of choice. You have the freedom to make choices with out interference, do what you want, say what you want, and even believe what you want. It has been your choice to make war on each other. It has been your choice to commit crimes against each other. It has been your choice to suffer the consequences of your choices through war, sickness and disease. As your 6th principle says: “Personal responsibility, with compensation and retribution for all the good and evil deeds done here.” It is then our responsibility to correct our way of thinking and choices in life in whatever means we deem best. It is my responsibility, says God, to help you accomplish your goals. I hear your prayers, your pleading and your crying. I even hear your demands. But it is up to you to make the decisions to act. It is up to you to help each other find a cure for war, disease and sickness in the world by making good decisions.

How?

It is a service that we give each other. Without a means of service to others there would be nothing for us to do but sit around and contemplate our navel. We need some thing to keep them busy and in service to others. In the world of spirit, all of the people there are in service to each other and to their brothers and sisters on the earth plain. This is the way in which humanity grows spiritually. Service to others! Service to others produces happiness, joy, a sense of well being and a knowing that each one of us is making a difference in the life of others and the world.

Again, Infinite Intelligence, God, has said, I will help you in all of your endeavors, but you must take responsibility for your actions and do something yourself to be of service to others. Again, I will help you according to your efforts to making good choices and to try and minimize your errors that you call sins through your choices.

This then is an answer. Maybe not the answer you were looking for about how to end the never ending conflict, but an answer. We are all ultimately responsible for our actions. We must take the first step to correct our own errors and make choices for our highest good and then we can do something to help others. Again, we must start with ourselves so that we can then help others. And in doing so, war, disease and sickness will cease to exist.

Commitment To Self Healing & The Path Of The Spiritual Warrior

by Kaz Hanford (a universal Life Church minister)

The decision to embark on a path of self discovery and self healing is one which requires great courage, perseverance and single minded determination. It is not a decision that should be made on the spur of a whim or without an honest desire to search into our most hidden, darkest, secret corners.

Indeed, that is where the truth always lies - in places we have done our best to hide and forget about... places which hold our most frightening secrets...our largest most terrifying demons...

Places which many of us have become proficient at creating and then burying with the intent that they never be uncovered again because we didn't want to deal with them in the first place. The mark of a great warrior or master is that they are willing time and again to face their own darkness, their own demons, to have the courage to face their inner selves. This requires the stripping of layers that we have built up on false foundations with which we covered our true selves...our souls.

These layers warp our lives and distort our true potential. They send us off on wrong pathways, purposeless tangents and create disharmony. The process of stripping away that which does not serve us in a positive manner requires great courage and the knowledge that to be whole we have to live in truth not distortion. It is a process which takes as long as it takes and may require us to be naked and vulnerable for a long period of time. Only a true warrior is able to endure this and realize that this may take a lifetime/s of seeking the inner soul essence...the mark of a warrior is that they will return time and again often weary and a little battered to strip away yet another layer in order to come closer to their own truth.

The warrior knows that truth brings you closer to the source...the source which feeds us and makes us whole. The warrior knows that to live a lie dishonors both themselves and the source from which they came. To knowingly live a lie is like permanent death for only by living in truth can we truly exist and grow. There are many souls, including those who pretend to be warriors or masters, who are not prepared to do this. They build up the layers around them which stifle and suffocate their soul essence until nothing can be seen of their inner self - indeed even they themselves do not know who they truly are. They are like blind souls stumbling in the darkness of fear and untruth. The dead wood that surrounds them holds no life and only the sharpest tomahawk of truth can cut through these dead layers to reveal the tiny, inner soul huddled miserably in the core...unfed and dying slowly from neglect and a lack of love.

My heart cries out for these souls for it only needs the tiniest spark of love for self to begin the process of self healing...only a tiny mouthful will feed the tiny soul inside and sustain it till it can bathe in the light of self discovery, truth and healing. Many souls do not understand this and thus know no better. However, a professed spiritual warrior brings dishonor on themselves when they live in lies and untruths. They have no business shining a light for others when they live in darkness - for how can you radiate light when you have none to give? Self denial becomes the disease.

Whoever takes on the spiritual pathway and the road to self healing must be warned that this will bring inevitable change on all levels and scales. It may mean the coming of the tower which rips apart your life - but only because it is built on falsity and lies and needs to be torn down so that truth may rebuild a structure which will never fall no matter how big and wide it grows. It may be gentle and slow bringing gentle, slow changes. It may be a tidal wave after which rebuilding on a massive scale occurs - and we all know someone who has had to do this with their lives...someone who has made drastic changes but are more peaceful and balanced within themselves because of it.

When embarking on a course of healing either with yourself or with a healer, walk in with your eyes and heart open and there will be many (both in this life and in spirit) who will be there to help and support you. Also know that they cannot do it for you...they cannot carry you or give you all the answers. These are your layers and your lessons - they do not belong to anyone else. The warrior does not send another into battle in his place...he goes in and faces the battle himself - not behind the shield of others. However, at the same time you will never be alone. The healer and the healee need space between them in between each healing. The healee needs space to come to their own realizations for it is not the healer's job to give them answers. Part of the healing process is that the soul being healed discovers their own truth for themselves.

The healee also needs time in between sessions away from the healer because the healer brings painful issues and realizations to the surface. This can often make the healee angry and resentful, projecting these feelings and the blame on the person healing them. This is natural and a professional healer expects, knows this and is prepared for it. This is why many professional healers choose not to heal family and friends when they know deep issues are at hand. There are many too who live in their mouths and by that I mean they speak of their desire to heal but their heart is not in it. There are many who lie before a healer and will not accept the energy or who will turn it all in to a drama in order to create diversions away from the underlying issues. This way they do not have to truly look within and face what is there. A person committed to their own healing and growth will come no matter what...there will be no excuses and they will listen with their ears and their hearts and absorb all that they are given.

Often too, unless there is an exchange of energy (which in today's world means mostly a monetary exchange although it can be otherwise), the healing is not appreciated.... It is taken for granted or simply not valued. You may get someone telling you as the healer that they got nothing out of it. Many want a quick fix or a "Valium healing" and thus only take the required amount of energy. These people always get off the table smiling - these are surface dwellers or those who only wish to live on the surface of their lives for if they went deeper they would have to start scratching the surface of all they've buried and this is not what they truly want. The true intuitive healer knows all this. There are people who use their spirituality as a toy with which they play and as play does not involve heavy, nasty, soul rending things - these are not addressed or acknowledged. Play holds lots of role playing and drama queens, laying blame at the doors of others, and conditions. This just leads in circles and goes nowhere very fast. Unfortunately there are many of these 'players' and the great shame is that they claim to bring light yet are not capable of it. In this way the path of the spiritual warrior holds great responsibility for there are only a very few warriors and many, many souls who need and are asking for direction and light in their lives.

It is a commitment to help others by first helping yourself. Thus, we can see that the path of a true spiritual warrior or master is full of constant challenge and battle to allow the true essence self to grow and develop unrestricted by falsity. It requires constant attention for the path holds much that would distract us from our true purpose. Masters need to be especially aware as we have taken on the responsibility to help bring healing and light to others. This does not mean that we are or should be perfect. However, it does mean that we need to question ourselves, our lives, and our motives. We need to be ever seeking the truth both within and outside of ourselves and be mindful of helping others (who wish to be helped) to do the same.

This brings me to my next point which is that there are many who do not wish to seek and grow even though they wear the mask of good intent. These people may well seek out a master and show sincerity and interest but in reality are attracted to the energy and will seek to poach it. These people are takers and give nothing back. Those of you who are energy workers or are receptive and sensitive to energy will understand what I mean. In a healthy relationship that is devoted to growth and spiritual development there is always a give and take of energy. One which involves a "taker" quickly leaves one feeling drained and ill. Some openly take from your energy centers. Others take energy in quick attacks like an ambush. Still others wear a pleasant mask while they steal energy. As individuals we have to become aware of these kind of people - even if they are other healers and masters. Understand that we are all at our own levels of growth and spiritual development, however, if others keep failing to understand the same lesson we need to realize that they are not yet capable of that level of understanding. Often we must walk away for our own sakes - for these people will block us and drain us. There are too many souls who are ready to learn for us to spend time wasted on those who are unwilling or incapable of the next step.

So remember if you will, through courage, perseverance and love for self we make the commitment to self healing and then if we are called - to help others to do the same.

Laws of Nature in Action

When people takes into account personal responsibility and practice their free will in light of personal responsibility, pride is no longer a part of the equation.
The Law of Personal Responsibility is a primary natural law that can guide us on our spiritual path. Accepting the law of personal responsibility wipes out self-pity, resignation, passive endurance, smoldering resentments against the injustices of life, and the masochistic game of harping on one's case against life.

Yet this apparently hard law is the most hopeful, encouraging, liberating, and strengthening truth of all truths. It enables us to resolve whatever problem we may have. It opens up life with all its rich possibilities. It forces us to see things in their true light and, uncomfortable as this may first seem, it leaves us with a lot more self-respect, integrity, and hope than the helpless resignation to circumstances life is supposed to bring about. It makes defeat unnecessary because it also removes, among other things, our childish illusion of omnipotence, which is just as unrealistic as the illusion of being life's passive victim. Accepting our own limitations and the limitations of others increases our power to direct our life meaningfully.

Practicing personal responsibility automatically directs us to practice the Golden Rule, “Do unto other as you would have them do unto you”. The Law of Personal Responsibility changes our live in a way that will amaze us, and all who know us. We are no longer looking at the negative things in our lives that we have complained about for years. We understand that making decisions that are for our highest good are decisions that make things in our lives more positive. We are better able to cope with all kinds of problems because we no longer speak before “putting our month in gear”. Yes, we far too often speak before we do a proper thinking about exactly what it is we want to say. When we take time to think, we are taking personal responsibility for our thoughts and actions. And actions often speak louder than words.

We often think, “we got away with that.” But in reality we didn’t get away with anything for natural law tells us that no one gets away with anything. Whether it is a thought, an action or doing nothing at all – the Law of Cause and Effect, the Law of Karma and the Law of Thought tells us that everything in our life depends on our thoughts and actions.
This statement says to me that if a person says something, or does something that is taken by another person as being contentious, a problem will be generated, and the problem can mean the difference between getting along with people or being despised and rejected by them – a friendship lost. This may not have been what was intended, but it can happen.

If an apology is in order, then it must be made immediately in order to correct the problem before the friendship is totally destroyed. What does it take for a person to apologize even if they believe that they have done anything wrong? Just a few words! Just a few words that melt away the problem and sets things right. Taking personal responsibility for ones action will save a friendship and the friendship will continue.

However, some peoples pride is so strong that nothing can be done to correct the problem. They see other people’s actions as a personal attack on them and they must act – sometimes violently.

The Bible tells us not to judge others, but to always give others the benefit of the doubt – do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. Prideful people have to eventually come to terms with their thoughts and actions and change their way so that they do not suffer the consequences. Remember the Laws of Nature are always working in our life and we will suffer the consequences of our thoughts and action here or here after.

The Law of Continuity tells us that life is continuous and we take with us to the next life all our wrong thinking and actions done here in this physical life. We WILL make restitution in one way or another for our wrong thought and actions. It would be better for us to take personal responsibility for our thoughts and actions now, do what is necessary to correct our wrongs so that we do not have to take responsibility for them in the next world. In this way, we will be able to continue to advance spiritually here and here after.

SELF Love:

I have been thinking a lot about how often we seem to use the word LOVE without even
knowing what true love means. “ They said they LOVE ME” or I REALLY LOVE THEM”
or THEY PROMISED TO LOVE ME FOREVER.” The word comes so easily. We believe
someone else will give us acceptance, security and stability, but that isn’t always the case.
The most important love is SELF LOVE. Only you can give yourself this greatest gift.
When you truly love yourself, there is no room for any other negative beliefs.
Once this love is awakened, we are able to enter into relationships without expectations.
By allowing love to express itself without judgment, you are giving yourself and others
unconditional love.
God Bless.....Rev. Carol Neumann

Who am I?

Rev. Margaret Neville wrote an article in the Universal Life Church’s weekly sermons quoting from the Bible book of Isaiah that says in Isaiah 29:13: and I quote: “The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”

“My understanding of the above is that people who go to church and say the prayers and did so because that is what they are taught. They have faith but because they were taught the rules of mankind and never taught how to feel their belief in their hearts, they just recite the words without any true feelings. People have to learn what they believe in to truly feel the presence of God in their hearts and mind. I don’t think it is something that you can be taught like rules. I truly believe that you don’t have to be a member of any recognized church and follow any specific rules from any type of church or religious organization to believe in the God of your choice and to follow the rules that He has set forth. I believe that you can find the true meaning of the Lord by reading or listening to the Bible on your own. The most interesting thing is that when you figure out that your interpretation of the Bible is truly yours then you get the full meaning of what God is telling you. You get the gist of the rules that God wants you to live by. You understand that a belief in God is all you and Him and not what man has made for you.”

I agree 100% with what Rev. Neville has written. I have seen it a 1000 times in my 70+ years of life. There is at least one person you may know right now who is of the type described above. You may even be that person… I hope not.
When I read what Rev. Neville said I could no help thinking about the many Spiritualist I have met that are as hypocritical as any person in a Christian or other world religions. The question always comes up “Why?” It’s because of the way in which we have been raised, the community we lived/live in, the country we lived; in society in general. What I am saying is that we are taught from early childhood to defend ourselves even if it means lying, cheating, stealing or even outright robbery. And what do we think about all of this?

Most people are so used to lying and cheating and so on, that they are not even aware of the fact that they commit such wrong thinking and acting. All of us believe that we are OK and that we are the “most honest and forthright person in the world.” But are we?

How can our churches and society advance spiritually when we have so many people engaged in activities that are any thing but right?

I want you to know that you and I cannot get away with anything in this life. God has given us a set of Universal/Spiritual Laws that will always trip us up.

You have heard of the Law of Cause and Effect. And perhaps you have also heard of the Law of Karma. Both of these laws are active 24/7. They record our every thought, action. The law of Attraction is also in affect where we will draw to us people of like mind that will in their own way trip us up. Some of those people are a little smarter than we are and will do unto us what we have done to another person. This is a fact that if you take a look at your life, you will see it in many ways.

What I also want to tell you is that life doesn’t have to be this way. We CAN abide by the 10 commandments of the Bible. We can abide by the seven principles of Spiritualism. These laws and principle were given to us to help us avoid all the problems in this life and keep us on the straight and narrow path, one that leads to total enlightenment. To become the spiritual being that we pretend to be – we need to make it a fact of life that we really are spiritual beings living in a world of chaos. Tomorrow is another day and you have the opportunity now to make the right decisions and turn your life around and be all that you can be.

The Religion of Spiritualism can be No Greater than Those Who are in it

The Religion of Spiritualism can be no greater than those who are in it, and represent it. This is a very profound statement because it really gets down to the core of the beliefs and practices of individual Spiritualists. For the Spiritualists who have educated themselves in the Science, Philosophy and Religion of Spiritualism is a person who knows how to live their life. Spiritualism gives them the tools to deal with everything that comes their way from problem solving in general to solving problems at work and with family and friends. Spiritualists are happy, on the most part, and they enjoy life; with a song in there heart that is uplifting to them and all who know them. They know that when they make their transition, the life continues on and that they are going to a beautiful and happy place. For a person to know that physical death is a new beginning is something that gives them peace of mind and makes everything in their life worthwhile.

For those in Spiritualism who have not taken the time to study and learn anything about its Science, Philosophy and Religion are people who have very little idea of what it truly represents, and they fall short of knowing just what Spiritualism can do for them. Far too often, these people attend the church only for the message that the churches medium(s) may give them. People in general, it seems, only exist in a world that demands their attention, and robs them of the knowledge of how to live life to its fullest.

The question might be asked, why attend a Spiritualist church, or any church for that matter? Attending a Spiritualist church is a good choice for the fact that its ministers don’t preach to their members like many of the ministers of denominational churches do. Many denominational church ministers have for centuries instilled fear in the hearts of their members. Fear that they must abide by the teachings of the church or suffer the consequences of being judged by a hostile God. The fear of judgment has had divesting results on the psychic of people. They don’t want to be told that they will be judged, or how to live in this world; they want to be told that they are OK, and that they are doing well in this life. Spiritualist churches do that and a lot more. But not all Spiritualists remember their teachings.

Far too many people who claim to be Spiritualists don’t have a clue as to what Spiritualism is all about and really believe that the churches’ mediums are their, just for them. Even Spiritualist ministers are guilty of practicing their religion with little knowledge of how they affect the psychic of church members. The minister/medium is one who is supposed to have studied Spiritualism and is truly practicing its principles. But far too often this is just not so.

It is a shame that so many Spiritualist ministers have forgotten the basic principles taught by the church. It seems that they have become so involved in their mediumship, and the money they make from it, that they have forgotten what Spiritualism is really all about. They forget that Spiritualism teaches one to love thy neighbor as thyself and to do unto others as they would have them do unto them. The Golden Rule seems to have been forgotten with the years. A minister must have respect for their congregants and their support for the churches well being.
I have seen far too many Spiritualist ministers/mediums that have such a great prejudice towards developing mediums that they look down their noses at their attempts to learn and develop. Why? Didn’t it take years for a developed medium and minister to get where they are now? Didn’t it take years for them to be respected as a gifted medium? Then why are they doing what they are doing to developing mediums? These are questions that I would really like to know the answers to. There may be a right way and a wrong way to develop mediumship according to some Spiritualist, but if a developing medium needs a crutch such as special cards to help them develop, why not? After a while the cards are discarded as they learn that true mediumship is communication between the medium and spirit only. I have seen this for myself. I know it happens. So you may ask, why have I included these remarks about older mediums? Older mediums represent Spiritualism and its teachings and if they cannot abide by those teachings, they are not serving Spiritualism as it should be served. It takes internal fortitude and patience to learn all that Spiritualism has to offer people, and if the older Spiritualists do not remember what it took for them to get where they are, maybe spirit should remind them in a more profound way than gentle persuasion. I think that some of them have given Spiritualism a bad name, especially to those of us who are learning and developing.

Spiritualism is the only church that teaches that it is a science and religion. What does that mean? It means that a Spiritualist investigates, analyzes and classifies facts and manifestations demonstrated from the spirit side of life. The science of Spiritualism contained in the demonstrated facts of Mediumship and Healing, and the study of such phenomena. These facts and demonstrated have long been established in past years by people of the scientific community. In the late 1800s there were many renowned scientists who studied spiritual phenomena demonstrated by some of the most gifted mediums of their time. The scientists braved the sarcasm of their peers and the potential loss of their careers and reputations to study (research) the phenomena that other scientists could not bring themselves to study. These scientists found that the mediums they worked with were able to perform repeatedly the phenomena of Spiritualism thus fulfilling the scientific requirement for repeatability that is required in order for science to accept research as fact.

Spiritualism is a philosophy because it studies the Laws of Nature both on the seen and unseen side of life and bases its conclusions upon present observed facts. It accepts statements of observed facts of past ages and conclusions drawn there from, when sustained by reason and by results of observed facts of the present day.

Through out the ages, we find philosophers who have made studies of human nature, human conduct and the laws that govern them. Ages ago, these philosophers had formed various theories for the harmonization of life, which we later find still prevalent in the teachings of the worlds great religions. A philosopher always starts with a theory and tests it, makes a study of it, and writes a record of the results which have been obtained. It is in these records that we find many of the facts that harmonized with the teachings of Spiritualism. All spiritualist are recommended to make a study of these philosophers from the past and the present because of their existing harmony with the natural laws, and because many of their teachings are found in our own religious beliefs (Rev. Sharon L. Snowman, NST). Spiritualists have been writing about the philosophy of Spiritualism for years and have not been able to provide all the information that it represents. Even like the Spiritualists investigators of old, the modern day Spiritualists, the Rev. Sharon L. Snowman, a Spiritualist who has studied and written numerous books and pamphlets for the National Association of Churches on Spiritualism has not even scratched the surface in her writings of the philosophy of Spiritualism. It takes years to study a philosophy in order to be able to understand it and tell others about it. Especially for Spiritualists who want to know.

Spiritualists are people who want to know that when they make a statement, that it is correct and backed up by observable facts and that they are scientifically proven by educated people