Our church, had its Good Friday Service, where the message hinged on, identifying with ourselves as those who all (had a part) in Jesus’ death. – Pilate, Peter, the crowd… Now, don’t get me wrong, I am now a fully recovered former believer in original-sin – that kind of …I’m-damned-before-I-do-anything-and-regardless-of-whatever-I-do,-unless-I-follow-a-specifically-prescribed-path that-sometimes-quite-unpleasant-and-unaware-people-advocate… style of belief. For me, that translates into contemplating the choice that each of us have, at every moment, to either choose to act towards with love and compassion, or fear and a refusal to acknowledge truth.

After contemplating with the taste of silence in my mouth, we exit Dwight Chapel. A quick trip to Shaws, and a DVD magically appears out of a red box. We flash down the road, to my business partner, Aaron’s house, and soon the four of us are enjoying Will Smith, in yet another complex and engaging performance.

Seven Pounds

Have you seen it? Quite an apt movie to watch on Good Friday. Smith plays Ben Thompson, a good man, who though 7 seconds of inattention, brought tragedy to himself and 7 others. With a sad, yet deeply heartfelt smile, he tests people he has the power to help, looking for sincerity, and goodness of spirit. He, like Jesus, grants sight to a blind man, and ultimately sacrifices himself for one he loves.

What is the value of sacrifice? – is there a difference between sacrifice, and needless slaughter? Ben could have chosen to redeem his mistake, many other ways – been a service to others in many other ways. but not this way. the way which he chose, was a path of action that he – and none other - could have taken. No one else could have made the sacrifice that he did. He knew that truth.

He acted in love, not in cowardice, and used his power – all he had at his disposal, to make it happen. From a karmic standpoint, perhaps Ben needed in that lifetime, to learn how to act, to transmute the pain of tragedy, to love that requires unwavering action.

The Son of Man.

Our elder brother in God – came to the world to show man the way, the truth and the light. He also came to grow himself – why else would he call himself the Son of Man? (that is the term that Jesus uses most to refer to himself in the New Testemant, fyi)

His decision point was the cross. Jesus knew that God had something better in store for him, and humanity, if he would submit himself to the will of the Father. He was the only one of us who had the level of consciousness needed do it. Last night, doing dishes at 1:00 AM, half-asleep, it came to me — Do we believe that acts of couragousness and power, done with love and humility, can help us gain further consciousness and power? The answer is yes.

That decision point for Jesus was the very thing that enabled him (thinking from an energetic and spiritual standpoint) to increase his love, power, and awareness, to the point where he was then able, as a spiritual being, to be of further service to the world. Transcending death, he was then able to then (among many other things) hear prayers from millions of people – at one time – and have the ability to respond.

Here’s a step-by-step, in relative level of difficulty:

1. Simple multitasking (most humans)

2. Mindreading, intuitive gifts, remote viewing, spiritual healing (Jesus during his life, some humans)

3. Teleportation, levitation, bi-location, walking through walls (Jesus after the resurrection, very few humans)

4. Being on a spiritual plane and hearing and responding on a spiritual level to millions of people, simutaneously (Jesus after the resurrection (and now), many saints, some/all ascended masters)

Is this not awesome? – ponder it with me for a moment…..

I am full of gratitude for this insight.

…Back down on Earth, Green in tooth and claw…

A unique addition with our spring plants that Maureen has purchased, is a carnivorous Venus Flytrap. We have bulk grains and legumes in the kitchen, and a lingering issue with grain moths. Suffice to say, the flytrap has assisted me with the problem, albeit that I am hand-feeding it moths, pre-culled.

Today, I was cleaning the lid of a not-oft-used container, which yielded a 4 course feast of moths, the last of which was a healthy young wriggling larve. Without bothering to dispatch it, I placed it in the jaws of its final resting place, in the queue for digestion, – it’s a plant-eat-insect-world, after all…

Without a second thought I returned to the suds of my husbandly duties. Several seconds passed, and I realized who I had become . . . a Pilate, unthoughtlessly caving to “the way of things”.

For a moment, I saw the world through the green jaws of my unthinking captor…

I then grab our two-prong olive fork, snatch the little guy out of his plight, and quickly end his life with a wordless prayer. The ferocious fauna did not miss out.

The Difference:

Sacrifice:

(3rd definition): “the destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else.”
- Mirriam-Webster

How can we tell the difference between a worthy sacrifice, and needless slaughter?

Is there redemption? – does the one doing the sacrifice gain anything? Is it a conscious choice, or one imposed upon the sacrifice? Is the deck “stacked” with false choices? Is there undue suffering? The answers to these questions will help you in determining whether something is needless slaughter, a necessary, yet quick death, or a worthy, and worthwhile sacrifice. A worthy sacrifice will always produce and multiply more love, more justice, more peace, and more awareness.

May you, your kin, and all the people of the world be blessed this Easter.

Two universe-views.

You could also say oneness and “everything else” but I am using “duality” not necessarily in the way that others have, but to represent all views of the universe that are not that of oneness.

Oneness is a universe-view that is able to understand and embrace duality (which includes darkness).

But the universe-view of duality (and that of a darkworker), by it’s very nature, cannot fully embrace the light. “The light has come, but the darkness has not understood it.”

Being in complete oneness implies infinite choice and variety; in the physical realm and otherwise.

Being in, and following the path of oneness may appear at first to be limiting…(“All those pesky rules about not getting what you want” a darkworker might say) but will eventually lead you to limitless choice.

Duality (or the darkworker path) may have the appearance of choice, but will ultimately lead you to the place wherein you feel like you will have no choice for in your actions, as you are being impelled by force to do that which you feel you must for your very survival.

Another interesting permutation is this;
Darkworkers / negative entities who may seek to entice you; will claim things like
“you’re special” you’re chosen for [ fill in the role]” … “it’s your.. (get ready – this is my favorite) …destiny!” which is to say, someone or something else has already “chosen” your destiny for you.

If you buy into it, – if you choose their “choice”, then you will have chosen their path for you, rather creating your own path. If you do choose it though, I can tell you, it will all work out in the end – there will be reconciliation with the divine, but that will come only after a looong time (think eons) and much suffering.

An example of an individual who tried to do right, but failed, was Fritz Haber. A brilliant chemist, he invented modern fertilizers (which won him the Nobel Prize in 1918) yet in the midst of The Great War (aka WWI) was compelled by the German government to develop gas warfare. Being a patriot, to his wife’s protest (and later suicide) he did.

His interest (I believe) was in saving (German soldier’s) lives, by doing so. I was suprised myself to find out that he originally had intended for gas to merely “stun” opponents in the trenches, who then could be overwhelmed. Born Jewish, he abandoned his faith to fit into the power structure of Germany… Later in WWII, an insecticide he developed “Zyclon A” was modified into “Zyclon B” and used in the gas chambers, in service of the “Final Solution”, in part killing 4-6 million Jews, and 5 million other souls that weren’t “pure” enough.

How did this happen?

How and when did he “go wrong?” – what lessons can we garner from his life? Just as a life is made up of many decisions, so too are those decisions are taken, from the choices that are perceived to be available at the time.

“Violence is for fools and emergencies; the less of a fool you are, the fewer emergencies you will have.” – John Maude

Life is full of tough choices. Choices that sometimes are the choice between a bad and a worse option. That being said, if you follow the path of oneness, you will likely find your choices expanding over time, rather than decreasing.

One who takes a life feels like he has “no other choice” – and Haber chose from those options that were presented to him an either/or. He bought into someone else’s “choice” for him, honestly thinking that was the best course of action.

A lesser version of this is what many people “choose” every day – the experience of being disconnected from their higher selves, and distracted by everything that influences them; the media, their own anxieties and fears, etc.

How can we know that our choices can lead to a positive outcome, and not end up like Fritz Haber?

Be true to yourself. Don’t let others dictate your options for you. Whenever you feel the walls “shrinking in” take a step back, and re-access all your available options.

If you find yourself in an actual emergency, follow your gut – you won’t likely have time for a second thought anyway. Help the person that needs helping. In oneness, by choosing to help them, you’re choosing to help yourself.

Have you ever noticed the days where syncronicities abound, everything is clicking, and you are accomplishing everything effortlessly?

Chances are, for one reason or another, your energetic vibration was high that day, and by being such, you were able to invite those syncronicities into your life by being in greater alignment with the the universe, and what was in your highest good, during that day.

The universe (or God, if your prefer) gives us chances every day to step up and grab ahold of opportunities that come your way. Guess what? If you’re stressed out, distracted, or pissed off, (all lower states of vibration – of being) you’ll miss them.

By allowing spirit to move through you at the speed that it wishes, the speed at which things are accomplished decreases.

Ok, now read it again, because it’s important… Ok , now keep reading…

At the very highest level of this, we see things that normally take long amounts of time, compressed into short bits of time; that’s right folks – thems’r otherwise known as miracles; many of which can be thought of as something that can naturally occur (water into wine, or various healings) that happen not over a long period of time, but in an instant.

In the here-and-now; as our ability to manifest things in this third dimension (that of the material world) increases, we see not just our ability to accomplish bigger and better things increase, but, paradoxically, the amount of time we will need to do them (or anything) decrease.

Sound cool, right? Well, the less time you take get things done that you already have on your plate, (like calling the friend that’s been on your mind, accepting a lower % credit offer, etc.) you will build your ability to manifest things (whatever you desire) in this denser, third dimension.

You may say “yeah, but how is this different than stuff I’ve heard about being more efficient, etc. – and why it is so hard for me to do any of it?”

Andrea Hess has a great article that explains this. In short, everything that currently exists, started out in the higher realms of the mind, or the spirit. or you could say “The Mind is the Builder” – Edgar Cacye – or, “Everything that exists on earth first existed in heaven” – The Bible (paraphrased).

In the realm of the spirit, if you conceive of anything, it is already built in the spiritual / mental realm. If you pray anything – that prayer, is already sent and delivered. The choice is, for us, do we want to go ahead and make that (already completed) thing, physically (or digitally) manifest in this third dimensional reality?

It’s our choice to do that.

There is no “should.”

No pressure.

Really!

For example, as an avid Iaido practitioner, I have had on my list to purchase a hakama (pleated skirt). The funny thing is, is that I (even now) I haven’t pulled yet the trigger.

I’ve been practicing long enough that I should have my own. My Sensei kindly offers me an extra one to use until I get my own, but that isn’t the reason. The reason is because I feel energetically as if I already own it, and that, paradoxically, decreases my sense of urgency to purchase one, and I’m ok with that, for now.

- Oh – speaking of skirts; I’m selling my Utilikilt (trading one manly skirt for another) – if you’re man enough, (or if your man’s man enough w/ a 32″ waist) and interested, let me know. ; )

…

Whether or not we choose to make physically manifest the visions in our heads, it is key to realize, and remember, that the universe blesses those who are able to both create and deliver value: to physically manifest what is already in the spirit realm, to benefit all.

Though this is the case, what is actually more fulfilling than some future “blessing” is the opportunity to co-create with God, and the universe.

You look at your subject – You’ve already sketched it out on the white canvas before you. Glancing down at the brush in your hand, the paint dripping on the floor … what do you do?

This blog already is in incredible and ever-increasing alignment with my life’s purpose, which is (in part) to: Help people find connectedness, with themselves, others, and the universe, with creative works of all kinds.”

I will cover things regarding our experience of being here as physical beings (health) as well as spiritual beings (spirituality, intuition) and how we relate to
other spiritual beings (that may or may not be in human form) – and while I’m at it
I’ll be likely talking some about relating to the spiritual and physical reality around us, as well.

The precipitating moment for starting this blog, which I’ve had in the back of my mind for sometime now, is that my wife Maureen and I started a 30 day raw-food trial, and wanted to journal our journey for both our benefit, those of our friends and family, and anyone else who is interested in how raw food can contribute to their health and spiritual awareness.

Vale!

- Jeremy