Hello to you. How are you? My thoughts lately have been about our children. I never had any of my own but have always cared about them. I have cared about the experience Mother’s have to go through to ensure the safe arrival of our children.
In particular my thoughts have turned to those crucially important 9 months (or less) of the journey from a cell dividing with all its complexity to gradually a recognizable fetus and then newborn baby. At the beginning this miracle of creation is more shielded by the mothers body but as the baby grows, the “insulation” from the mothers world gets thinner. All those sounds! What is a baby who was created as a result of violence hearing on their journey? What does crying, gunfire, yelling, the sounds of breaking things, bombs….screaming do to that child’s body and soul? They haven’t even taken their first step or uttered their first word…..seen their mothers face. I feel in my heart more attention needs to be taken about that 9 month journey.
Often children not wanted before they are born don’t fair much better once they leave the womb. Many are neglected, abused, negative energies poured over them. All this an incredible obstacle to ask of a mother and especially a child. I think God has been sending us people to help save our future and despite what God may have planned for these people, they never get a chance even from the beginning. People trying to pass legislation on these matters must have empathy for the circumstances of a mother and the child making the journey. What kind of life is there for so many children right now? Some of the most basic things a child leaving the womb needs are defunded or outright denied in this country. What do our children have to look forward to?
Thinking about this brought to mind a science fictions baby’s journey to “get here:”
Last night I went to the Prayer and Praise service at Grace House. We sang so lovely together. We talked about this: Revelation 4:8-11 New International Version
8 Each of the four living creatures(A) had six wings(B) and was covered with eyes all around,(C) even under its wings. Day and night(D) they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’[a](E) who was, and is, and is to come.”(F)
Hello to you today. How are you? I’m kind of having an allergy kind of day but this will pass. I was out picking up plastic and bags near the canals where I live and probably stirred up some allergens. It was worth it to keep that stuff out of the water. In addition to people and plants, a lot of animals rely on these waters to help them survive the warmer seasons. I read that our plastics have reached even the most remote regions of earth considered pristine like Antarctica:
Researchers gathered samples of snow from 19 different sites in the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica and discovered plastic particles in all of them. Most of the particles were from a type of plastic called polyethylene terephthalate, which is found in clothing and water bottles.1 day ago
The following things I’m sharing with you are all connected, at least in my mind. If you look at our world, after all this time, even with incredibly advanced technology, we are still trying to figure out communication with ourselves, each other and all the various species of life we share Earth with. It makes sense that messages coming to us from objects and civilizations beyond our own would appear so complicated. We like to avoid boredom by making everything so complicated:
Hello to you, I hope this post finds you well today. Link and I are doing pretty well which I am so grateful about. So much going on every second we live. I’ve been praying for the world. Yesterday I looked at the Fortune 500 and gun manufacturer list. Found out the Ar-15 is no longer made by Colt but by a Czech company CZG-Ceska Zbrojovka Group. I’ve begun to follow the money, goods and services of the world with my thoughts and prayers.
Yesterdays walks were without Link. I finally found what was bothering his foot – a sharp seed had embedded itself in the fur of his paw. He was so pissed at me for fiddling with and pulling it out! Growling and making faces at me and he was so apologetic about it lol! Kind of like a crabby lion just needing a thorn removed from his paw.
Anyhew what I saw on the walk yesterday reminded me of my Grandma Schmidt and her amazing roses. As I saw, smelled and touched them it was like her saying hello to me…..joining me on the walk. Sometimes when I stayed with her and Grandpa we would go for walks. God and this earth are so comforting with ways like this to remember and experience those we have loved and lost:
This is something I learned about yesterday. It’s called a leaf gall. What is a leaf gall?
Galls are abnormal growths that occur on leaves, twigs, roots, or flowers of many plants. Most galls are caused by irritation and/or stimulation of plant cells due to feeding or egg-laying by insects such as aphids, midges, wasps, or mites. https://mortonarb.org › tree-plant-care Plant Galls | The Morton ArboretumThis rose really reminded me of Grandma Sacred Space by Greg Olsen
I also think often of Saint Therese Lisieux (https://www.littleflower.org/st-therese/frequently-asked-questions/) when I am experiencing the beauty of Gods creation. Learning about her taught me that life isn’t just about “big things” we do and that occur in a lifetime. There are so many little things, seemingly minute details, that if left undone the world is incomplete. We all have a part in Gods plans…..great and small. It’s important to do our part the best we can.
20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come,(X) Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’(Y) because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”[c]
22 Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man,(Z) but you will not see it.(AA)23 People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them.(AB)24 For the Son of Man in his day[d] will be like the lightning,(AC) which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. 25 But first he must suffer many things(AD) and be rejected(AE)by this generation.(AF)
26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah,(AG) so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
28 “It was the same in the days of Lot.(AH)People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.(AI)31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.(AJ)32 Remember Lot’s wife!(AK)33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.(AL)34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”(AM)[36] [e]
37 “Where, Lord?” they asked.
He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”(AN)
For some reason recently I was lead in thoughts from Morse Code, the Enigma machine to the Navajo code talkers that saved our behinds at Iwo Jima. All of our communication is some sort of pattern, tone, pitch, code….sound….energy wave. Chester’s message here to fellow Marines resonates on many levels….”come home safe….come home in one piece.”
Equisetum hyemale (commonly known as rough horsetail,[1] scouring rush, scouringrush horsetail
Hello to you. How are you doing in your today? There is so much going on in the big world and out individual worlds! I hope your making time for yourself and making time to have a relationship with God. All those things you might think are so important don’t have much meaning if you are exhausted and your spirit is depleted!
This morning my thoughts were about what I have been observing about our shared existence and change. Each of us like a little earth and we are it’s President. We have our own ideas, morals, values…..rules and code for how our personal earth operates. Each of us have different and unique biology with in addition to life experiences shape our individual perception of how our personal earth should function. We don’t all like the exact same of most anything that has been conceived of. It’s hard to get agreement in ourselves at times! So much input creating so much inner conflict. There are things we agree on but even in those agreements are the personal perceptions…..expectations of how and how much we agree. Our personal beliefs and perspectives when it comes to issues that come before us as a whole to decide on can become walls too high to climb. Too thick to even yell and be heard through. We get set in our ways. We get comfortable. We think we are right. We are often driven by emotions and one of the most powerful is the energy of fear. Least that’s what I have been seeing for quite some time now.
When it comes to making hard decisions like those facing us now, I think it’s important to remember each mini-earth aka life form is biologically incapable of perceiving existence exactly the same. No two life forms are going to witness an experience exactly the same. They have a unique body with unique biological operations. We don’t interact with ourselves, others or anything external exactly the same. For example just because you were raised responsibly doesn’t mean that’s the case for most anyone around you. You might have everything you need to function well and many around you do not. Something as simple as temperature – some like it hot and some cold. Is either one “wrong” no…just different. These disparities shape lives and perceptions…make each of us uniquely us. It is important in the process of trying to attain agreement to recognize that different doesn’t always have to mean wrong.
Sometimes instead of building bridges we build higher walls.
Instead of being open minded and open to the possibilities that we may not be entirely right about something….even afraid about things can cause obstacles to appear……obstructions to making a path forward to changes we desperately need. What are the facts before us? Can we trust the evidence? Where and what is the common ground? What old perceptions, emotions and beliefs are stalling our progress? I truly believe in order for meaningful progress there are mostly intangible obstacles we must recognize and remove on each of our own little planets!
How much longer do we let fear and scarcity rule the day? When we succumb to fear we are living a life without God. Each day I am praying for all leaders that God would give them empathy, wisdom and courage. I pray that God will help them respect differences, recognize their own perceptions and how those perceptions are controlling their thought and decision making processes.
We must honor, acknowledge and respect that we are biologically incapable of perceiving existence exactly the same. This doesn’t make “wrong” it makes “different.”
Matthew 22:36-40″Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ‘ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.
This is for young people we have tragically lost like Eliahna “ellie” amyah Garcia who was 9 years old and was going to read this message out loud but never got the chance. A young man fueled by anger and bad choices played God and took her chance away. Now the world doesn’t have all the things Eliahna was truly here to do. The same can be said for Salvador Ramos.
Deuteronomy 6:5New International Version
5 Love(A) the Lord your God with all your heart(B)and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Anybody can do nothing,” said Colvin. “Why would you want to do nothing? You are special, and you are uniquely made, and nobody can do what you are meant to do in this world. Nobody. And if you don’t do it, we won’t have it. If you continue to go the way you’re going, that will be 17 more gifts that we’re missing as a society.”
“Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time.” – Jean-Michel Basquiat(December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988). – my therapist shared this with me today and I just love it! I am a time traveler in my own head when it comes to the multi-sensory experience that music can be. Hearing certain songs takes me to different destinations. Sometimes it’s long ago and sometimes it’s “right now.”
I found a star rose! As is above so it is below!
It’s not just music that can be a multi-sensory experience. This picture of what I’m calling a star rose for example. When I see this picture I remember how the color made me feel when I first saw it. How the roses petals felt on my fingers. How wonderful the rose smelled. So many layers of experience in just capturing the image of a being sharing this existence.
Something fun to share with you about light being able to transmit the message of sound:
I was thinking a lot about this concept yesterday. I was thinking about refraction and other “obstacles” to using a beam of light to send a message….to receiving a message. There was another experiment Mr. Wizard does with timing the speed of a sound. There are several variables to consider with how fast we receive a sound. Think about “dead stars” in space. We see them still shining long after their life cycle has ceased. It takes that long for the message of change to travel to us…. the light and sounds in waves and particles crossing such great distances. I think of what the girl did in the video I’m sharing with you. She was holding the flashlight and sending the signal of light and sound information but all it took was her putting her hand in front of the flashlight to obstruct the signal.
Allium flower – the process this flower has taken to get to this picture has seemed like something from another planet!
Allium, also called Ornamental Onion, is one of the most interesting blooms in the spring and summer garden. With a spherical shape that holds its form throughout the season, it’s one of the longest lasting blooms to be had from a bulb.
I want to take a moment to thank all those who have been praying for me with the pain I’ve been experiencing. It helps! I also wanted to share that there is power in prayer for not just people. Link has been experiencing something with his back foot and I worked through old fears about it, prayed and let God on it. The boy got some rest last night and quit messing with his foot! God seems to care for all of creation not just people.
I have been finding music like this helpful. The varying frequencies of musical energy can reach parts of us that nothing else can:
https://youtu.be/ywPriq-D4J4 – 777 hz angelic code, repairs DNA code, manifest miracles, release negative energy
Hello to you. I hope this finds you well in your today. My mind was traveling yesterday and the things that came up were pretty interesting! The travels had to do with communication, light, the fact light travels faster than sound, the movie K-pax and talking about traveling faster than light – tachyon speed, communication traveling faster than light – called superluminal communication. I was thinking about the current ways that are being used to try and intercept messages from other worlds and it all seems to be sound based. There is so much “noise” emitted from earth and in space and it’s difficult to split out what is normal and out of the ordinary. I feel certain God’s work extends well beyond us and our current capabilities to communicate. What if more advanced worlds are trying to communicate with us using light waves or something even faster? In between the light of stars, planets and galaxies I wonder if there are messages? People far smarter than me are probably already exploring such possibilities!
Light waves travel much faster than sound waves. Light waves do not need a medium in which to travel but sound waves do. Explain that unlike sound, light waves travel fastest through a vacuum and air, and slower through other materials such as glass or water.
A tachyon (/ˈtækiɒn/) or tachyonic particle is a hypothetical particle that always travels faster than light. Physicists believe that faster-than-light particles cannot exist because they are not consistent with the known laws of physics. If such particles did exist they could be used to send signals faster than light.
Superluminal communication is a hypothetical process in which information is sent at faster-than-light speeds. The current scientific consensus is that faster-than-light communication is not possible, and to date it has not been achieved in any experiment. Wikipedia
I had a pendant I bought at a garage sale that looked a lot like the nebula in the top picture. I explored the idea of creating unique music by using that pendant and the light of the sun. Doing that got me thinking about light energy and healing. How different colors have different energies. A practice called chromotherapy (considered woo woo by the establishment) does this. Different colors of light energy are used to promote healing. If you notice for yourself something this basic: different colors evoke a different response in you when you see them. Some colors please our eyes and others repulse us. We don’t all respond in the exact same way to different bands of light. Think of how the light of the sun affects us on so many varying levels.
Hello to you. How are you doing today? I’m doing better. Just getting sleep, singing and praying more has been helping me. This morning I glanced at the news on my phone and after being mortified at someone suggesting the answer to ending gun violence in American schools is to arm children, I found a message that resonated with me from Pope Francis about discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit:
“The Holy Spirit will never tell you that on your journey everything is going just fine. … No, he corrects you; he makes you weep for your sins; he pushes you to change, to fight against your lies and deceptions, even when that calls for hard work, interior struggle and sacrifice,” Pope Francis said in his homily on June 5.
“Whereas the evil spirit, on the contrary, pushes you to always do what you think and you find pleasing. He makes you think that you have the right to use your freedom any way you want. Then, once you are left feeling empty inside – it is bad, this feeling of emptiness inside, many of us have felt it – and when you are left feeling empty inside, he blames you, becomes the accuser, and throws you down, destroys you.”
Looking at my own personal journey, it has been a struggle at times. It can be very alluring to think about things like revenge and power. It can be easy to try and do and be everything of this life thinking it’s just your own power and attributes propelling you forward. Where does your life force come from? It’s not just eating, drinking, exercising, making love, socializing with family, pets and friends, going to church and praying, meditating, experiencing entertainments the world offers, having a career, doing hobbies, going to school, reading books and going to seminars – least not for me. Underneath all that I am and ever hope to be is a force greater than myself – God. Whatever label, whatever name the inner force is for you I caution you to it’s motives…..the “why.” Why comes before all the what’s!
Some lovely flowers from the walks yesterday- they smell so good!
Christianity. In Christianity, the word may have several meanings. Discernment can describe the process of determining God’s desire in a situation or for one’s life or identifying the true nature of a thing, such as discerning whether a thing is good, evil, or may even transcend the limiting notion of duality.
Walking by the canals yesterday with Link, we were treated with the sight of a wild Iris! I love surprises like this ❤️
Hello to you. How are you? I’m doing pretty good as I write to you today. This morning I had gone back to sleep and had one of those vivid dreams I’ve talked to you about before. It’s like being alive in a parallel world from your own. For a brief moment I saw a dog that looked like a pug, standing by a window much like mine. Coming through the blinds was a single point of light and the dog seemed to be reacting to it. It looked like the lights I see sometimes. It wasn’t a normal light you might expect to see and I startled awake!
Yesterday I spent most of the day singing and exploring music. Doing this helped a lot in trying to lift the depression I’ve been experiencing lately. The other thing about singing and listening to music is it helps with body pain too. Music is an amazing energy in its many forms. It can reach all parts of us and evoke energetic miracles. I think of The Music and Memory Organization saying this (https://musicandmemory.org/)
Here are are a couple sounds in addition to the Tanpura I found yesterday, kind of had angels on my mind:
https://youtu.be/wxgfnEkxkMI – Angels singing caught on tape (Jesus Norway) – it’s up to you as to what you think of this recording. It would be amazing to think angels voices can reach us!
Hello to you. How are you? This morning I’m feeling grateful for so many things – I don’t want to be sad again today! These past couple of weeks have been so heavy! When I’m feeling low it’s gratitude that is my life preserver. With thoughts of gratitude comes my love for God and music. What an amazing thing for God to inspire us to create. Even if all you can do is hum a few bars! To me expressing ourselves in music is a fantastic form of praise to God and this earth.
Music in it’s many forms has always been something I could turn to for every facet of life experience. Whether it be a happy, sad or confusing moment, there has been some sort of song. This morning I wanted to remember happier, sillier times in my life and the B-52’s came to mind. I think it’s so wonderful that after all these years they still perform together:
This psalm, 147, has a little bit of everything in it. God mending the hearts of the broken hearted and giving praise in song. I thought it was beautiful that there was music to honor the victims at Uvalde:
How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. 5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. 6 The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.7 Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp.8 He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; 11 the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.12 Extol the Lord, Jerusalem; praise your God, Zion.13 He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you. 14 He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.15 He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. 16 He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. 17 He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? 18 He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.19 He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. 20 He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws.[b]Praise the Lord.
Voices and talents shared to help console a broken hearted Texas community:
Sometimes you need a power ballad to encourage yourself to put your feet on the ground and engage with gravity! When I hear this song it just takes me to such wonderful places. Thank you Etta!
Itty bitty roses An example of cross pollination
Yesterday Link and I had an experience I hoped not to face again with another dog. We were walking in the neighborhood and a dog we pass, that is normally on a leash, wasn’t and he went after Link and I. Link and I were both screaming and trying to get away when finally the dogs owner came out. He had to get another neighbors help as his dog just took off. This experience triggered feelings from when something like this happened in Alvarado when Spot and I were attacked by two pit bulls that had gotten loose. The town ended up passing a viscous dog law because of what happened! I’m not mad at the dog in all this. Dogs that don’t get regular exercise and stimulation get pent up and bored – they “do shit!” All those times Link and I had walked past while he was secured and would lunge at us I guess was foreshadowing for what happened yesterday.
It’s important to remember that the animals we choose to share our lives with have feelings, emotions and needs. These things unmet, neglected or ignored can have scary consequences. They don’t handle what’s going on inside like we do and as was the case yesterday, can’t really be reasoned with! Thankfully all that happened was rattled nerves and in Links case, a normally curly tail gone flat and between his legs. It was hard to get over hearing him scream like he did.
Thinking of St Francis, a saint that loved animals:
Franciscan and Other Common Prayers
Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Glad to see change is being considered in light of recent events in our country. I hope it will go beyond just consideration and become action.