Jessus Saves... Moses Invests

A few years back, when I was younger and (even more) confused about the world… and what it all means… I met some wonderful people who, like me, had ventured far a field and back, searching for some sense of spiritual identity. They… that small group of truth seekers, were actively reading and studying A Course In Miracles.

The teacher, John Christmas, saw that I was primed for some awakening, and proceeded to give it to me straight out of the book. I studied “Course thought” under John’s close guidance for a couple of years before moving from Nashville, back to N.C. But I was just getting started with the book!

I have read it several times over, and I have continued to study the working principles of the text. And, so, let me attest, here and now, to my own great sense of enlightenment… now that I have made the effort to re-think the world, in accordance with ACIM teaching.

The big clues, for me, at least, are (briefly outlined): I am not a victim of the world. This was the big one for me. I had to learn to stop blaming away my problems. Learning to take total responsibility all the time, for everything that “happens” to me, was (is) absolutely self-empowering. How refreshing it was when I realized that the world can no longer hurt me without my willing (but mistaken) participation in it. Then, there is: The forgiveness principle. This one, I am naturally good at… I never could hold a grudge. Also: You meet yourself (sort of a “takes one to know one” proposition).

It’s not that I’m so much perfected by my learning… but the deal is… now that I have been given instruction, I still make mistakes… only now, I can’t blame them away… so I tend to make less of them. I have, at least, learned to see, and admit my ego-faults… but, I digress.

I couldn’t begin to cover all the deep and beautiful ideas that are clarified in the Course… Let’s just say, it’s a good read, especially if profundity appeals to you!

Meanwhile, I have taken a few of my favorite “Course” principles and some other Unity-centric theological texts, which I have also studied, i.e. The Bible; The writings of Ernest Holmes, and a few contemporary spiritual teachers… Marianne Williamson and Dr. Deepak Chopra to name a few… and, I have established a new denomination…if you will. I call it, “The Christen Mind”… NOT a church, but, rather, a template for UNIFIED THOUGHT. Sounds scary, already, huh… and yes, to the ego, it is scary, indeed!

I have chosen to publish my “Christen Mind” Doctrinaire, first, here on this blog page. (Where I’m sure It’ll remain safe and obscure. Ha!)

I realize that many of the ideas postured herein are radical, to say the least. But, hey, some things must be said… and re-said.

And, please understand, I know how pretentious, of anyone, to suggest that they have written a few words that they imagine will hasten the salvation of the world… but, I consider, first, the absolute spiritual HIGH I got, when first these ideas were given to me… and so, this effort, at least, represents my desire to inspire a deeper thought… and perhaps, a better world. The notion strikes me both as preposterous, and sublime. You be the judge (or not).

Oh, one other thing. If you are psychologically un-prepared for these ideas, your ego will let you know, by trying to put you to sleep… literally… so that you won’t/can’t learn (about it). Otherwise … PREPARE TO AWAKEN!
See next post…

Naked Virgins and Water Cooler Talk...

This past weekend… Memorial Day Saturday, if you will… I had a unique experience that I will share with you… but let me reference the story another way:

How many people can relay this story to their co-workers back at the office?…

~So, there I was, standing in front of my yurt, in the middle of a windy, sunlit field. A friend had stopped by to visit. As we stood, dazzled by the shear loveliness of the day… from a distance, we could see the form of a naked man emerging at the edge of the woods. He ran straight in our direction and we were awe struck by his strident beauty and youthful stallion-esque physique. His golden-brown hair flowed like a mane, half way down his bronzed back. As he came closer, I became fixated on his peaceful expression and innocent smile. As he stopped and stood naked before me, all I could see were his piercing, knowing, eyes… I can’t remember, exactly, their color… I think they were dark brown. I did notice... all he was wearing was a crown of stars. He stood before me… hardly winded from his run, and held up a playing card… a black card… not a face card… and said to me, in a quite deliberate tone… “Oh, brother, I am in need of a card… Do you have any cards?” He asked… smiling. For a moment, I hesitated, trying to affix his beauty to my mind… trying to burn his image into my memory.
Suddenly, it dawned on me that I did have a card. I quickly turned and ran to the yurt and got the card and brought it out to the path where he was waiting… I gave him the card and 33 bucks… His face lit up with childlike excitement… “Oh yeah, a wild card!” He exclaimed. “ Brother,” he said, “I here-by crown you The Patron Saint of the Naked Virgins.” He then removed the crown of stars from his head and placed it around the rim of my hat. Then, in a moment he was bounding back into the woods from whence he came… his Herculean buttocks glinting in the sun… provoking a parting stare.

Briefly, he was gone…

My friend looked at me as if he were very pleased to be in the company of the newly crowned Patron Saint of the Naked Virgins… as I, too, was pleased, with myself.

Still, I hope he managed to pick up an ace or two along the way.

True story... I swear.

So... how did that brother-in-law's wedding go? (any Naked Virgins there? Har!)~

Strange Brew... Look What's Inside of You!

That Poem, “The Witch's Wind” was my way of dealing with all that bad Katrina energy. Everybody was looking for someone to blame… so I just blamed the witches/Mother Nature.
I remembered this story… a fable, if you will, about a bayou witch named “Hattie”. I don’t know if the song about her, “Swamp Witch” (Jim Stafford), inspired the story, or if the story inspired the song… whatever. All during the Katrina coverage MSNBC kept showing this incredible satellite loop image of “impending Katrina”. What caught my eye was the distinct pentagram shape that formed in the eye, just as it was peaking out at Cat. 5! So my imagination (and a little historical reference) filled in from there.
On one level it seems to make light of a great tragedy… but on another level it offers a bigger lesson, I like to think… and I’m content to let the reader find that lesson for himself… or not. I took liberties with the story, in general, but it was all there… it just came to me. I’m proud of the effort, and I think it reads well. I’ve gotten some good feedback on it. So, I decided to put it in my blog.