Guest Writers

Namaste everyone!

Today I was reading all of the great comments that have been added to blog posts.  Somehow, I missed many of them and for that, I apologize.  I was thrilled to read the many interesting thoughts and insights, and some of you even wrote about experiences you've had -- I feel humbled.  I'm finding out that I have a lot to learn on my spiritual journey!

There are many of you who are very knowledgeable about awareness and I would like to extend an invitation to share what you know here in the blog, so we can all learn.  Please, consider being a guest writer for Knowing Whispers.

I'm very flexible with the subject matter -- whatever you want to write about that interests you.   I especially love reading about your experiences. I hope to hear from you soon.  I hope your week is going well -- it's really hot here in Pennsylvania!

Namaste.
CJ

The Shiny Stone

A Short Story
by Robert Cosmar

Deep within the womb of the earth, one shiny stone rested, embraced on all sides by the soil and surrounded by other stones of similar size and shape. Unable to move, they spent their time pondering the meaning of their existence and sharing all sorts of possible explanations as to why they were in the dark and how they got there.

The other stones accepted their fate and yet always complained about the cramped conditions, but Shiny, (as he was called) surprised them all with his wild conjectures and possible explanations. He would often say that someday they would be visited by strange beings from another world. Then their true purpose and worth would be explained to them. The other stones only laughed, and even the tightly wrapped soil would chuckle at the crazy things Shiny came up with.

The other stones and the soil found a certain amount of solace in the acceptance of their fate, even though deep within they felt empty and barren. You see, they had lost all hope. Time and again they had seen their dreams fail. They never got explanations as to the reason for their condition. Long ago, they decided to find their comfort amongst themselves in their despair.

They did not enjoy this despair, but it gave them something to feed on -- a reason to be, so to speak. The thought of any other explanation was too painful to even consider. Many times, the stones would talk about their anxiety in the quiet moments when they were alone and had no one but their thoughts and each other to keep them company. Their fear of loneliness was almost unbearable. Shiny could hear them weeping, at times, but never said anything to the others because he knew they were proud and too scared to admit it. So he would smile and try to help by offering more of his explanations as to their condition and how to cope with it.

It was those moments he enjoyed the most, when the group mind was gone and an individual stone would show his pain, weakness or true feelings. Shiny knew he was like them, but he also knew that they were limited by their lack of awareness. He, too, had gone through periods of fear and loneliness in the past, but he learned that within the darkness of the heart, a light existed. The darkness was only the end of one existence and a doorway to another, one that was filled with unlimited hope and the extinction of fear.

Sometimes he tried talking about this, but usually a stone would speak out in fear and the others would join in because they found comfort in their fears. Each one said Shiny's idea's were fine, but impractical, and not based upon their particular reality. The fact was, they had tremendous pride in their own thoughts. After all, they had spent many thousands of years developing them and nothing had ever occurred to change their view. They all agreed, it was good to hope, but they only hoped in what they knew from their experience -- anything else would only be a waste of time.

Shiny smiled but could say nothing at this point. He knew they would not listen, or that they could not. The thought that their proud explanations could be limiting and restrictive was not an option in his mind. After all, where would they be if they learned they were wrong?

One day, a group of stones began a heated discussion. There was concern that something was happening deep in the earth and they feared their position here was in jeopardy. Stories existed in their lore where deep earth explosions caused their kind to be scattered far into places unknown. Shiny tried to calm them, but his lack of fear agitated the others and so their anger was directed straight at him. Some said they had heard enough and they wanted him to go.

Shiney was deeply concerned because he could feel their rage. They could not kill him, but he knew they could expel him by the use of the ancient forces within the earth. He had long known that the earth was a living force, just as they were, and it was also a conscious entity.

Suddenly, there was a huge explosion from deep within the earth's crust. Hot steam and gasses began to emerge from below them. Many of the stones cried out because they feared the end was near. This was not a usual earth event and they were terrified. Volcanic eruptions were rare, but when they occurred, they melted stone and rock and even purged the soil.

Just then, a second more powerful eruption exploded from below and Shiny was caught up in the surge of energy from deep within the earth. Everywhere, things were in chaos, flying upward and outwards. Shiney hit the ground with a hard thud and rolled a long way. He did not know where he was, but he could see it was a different world. A large shining disk was way above him and it was bright and hot. It gave warmth like the earth did, but it was ever so much hotter.

He looked all around him, but his old friends were no where to be found. While he knew he was alone, he was strangely not afraid. Something within told him everything was okay and he would be just fine. Later, the shiny hot disk way above him gave way to a new and strange darkness. It was not like the darkness of the earth where he was before. This was much freer, yet it still conveyed the feeling of being alone with oneself. Shiny was left to wonder, what would happen next?

Suddenly, a creature landed right next to him. It came from somewhere up above. It was oddly shaped with a large head and a funny outer coating like he had never seen before. "Hello." Shiny said to the creature.

Startled, it cursed and yelled at Shiney, "Don't do that!"

"Do what," Shiny asked in disbelief.

"Scare me like that!" said the creature.

"I'm sorry." Shiny answered, "I was feeling alone and then I saw you here, beside me."

"Well, you will not be alone for long," the creature confided.

'Why is that?" Shiny asked, hoping.

"Some human will come by and pick you up and take you home." said the creature.

"What is a human?" Shiny asked, puzzled by this strange being.

"They are the creatures that run this planet -- or so they think." the creature told him, sarcastically.

"And what kind of creature are you?" asked Shiny.

"I am an owl, my dear fellow." said the creature. "We owls are very wise and know many things."

"I see," said Shiny, "now could you please tell me, who I am?" He asked hesitantly.

"You, my friend, are a diamond, only the most precious of stones, silly. You're one of the largest diamonds I have ever seen! Some human will find you and have you cut, polished, and placed in a ring or on a crown. That is who you are. That's where you belong, too." said the owl. "You are very valuable and should be in a place of honor."

"That's strange," said Shiny "I know you must be right, but why do I feel so uncertain?"

"It's because you still identify with the under world, the place you came from. The eruption must have tossed you out here and you are in unfamiliar surroundings. I feel certain that once you allow your "self" to accept and love the truth of your true nature, then the past will drop away and you will know who you really are." said the wise old owl as he flew back up and disappeared into the night sky.

What is Awareness?

For man, the most important thing is life, complete with an outer belief system of opinions, prejudices, educational and cultural training, and unique family backgrounds -- but all of those are only accidental factors of life. They've become necessary tools for survival and living within society -- but none of them actually define who we truly are.

When we strip away all of the easy definitions, like job, religion, sex and so on, which only narrowly define "us", who and what are we, really?  If we lose our job, will we also lose our self?  If we convert to another religion, do we, as spiritual beings, actually change?  If we have a transgender operation, do we change our self on the inside, right along with how we changed on the outside?  It may seem so, if we're overly attached to these flimsy definitions of who we are.  In spite of outside change, something always remains the same.  Since our outsides are so prone to change, then doesn't it make sense to look within—to our true self?  But what are we on the inside?  What in the world are we?

Awareness helps to answer that, although awareness is not an answer, it's  actually the biggest question of all.  See, awareness demands no belief in anything.  Instead, it insists on doubting everything we always took for granted as being true, up to now.   Awareness points out the areas of our lives where faith in our self has been silenced by the rigidity of all of our learned beliefs.  Awareness is simply paying attention to our life as it unfolds, here in this moment and in this world.  It's recognizing our true self, before the thinking, opinions, and beliefs tried to take control. By knowing our true nature, we're able to lessen, or even rid ourselves of, everything that separates us from our true experience in this lifetime as awakened souls.  As we become more intuitive (aware) within our self, with others and the world, the world and self will eventually begin to act as one, and we'll finally see there isn't a problem, except in our own thinking.

Think of it this way, awareness is like a great intuition with "home" -- the universe.  It's knowing, maybe without even knowing how you know -- but you do know.  You've finally become aware and you begin to remember where you came from before you came here and even before that.  Awareness is present when you swerve out of the way of a speeding car without even thinking. Awareness is there when you cry at a movie, because you feel the suffering of another person. Awareness is there in the flow of your thoughts when you are creating, and awareness is in the breathing that keeps you alive. Awareness never forgets about us -- it's we who have forgotten to be aware.  We only have to look within to find our awareness -- trying to find awareness or meaning from outside ourselves would be like, well, like pouring water into the ocean to make it wet.  We have only to wake up and stop sleepwalking through our reality.

Namaste.

A Friend's Gift

It has been my pleasure to meet someone who has a wonderful gift.  I won't use her name, because she is only beginning to reach out and share.  When she's ready, I will ask her to write something for Knowing Whispers.  Here was her communication with me today:

Hi Catherine,
I have been reading your blogs and feel like I'm not alone anymore. Is the male voice that speaks to me my spirit guide? Most people have said it's just my conscience, but I know the difference. The male voice started after I almost died. I hear the voice when I'm given a vision into the future. Strange huh? I am not afraid anymore and will help others when I'm given a sign.

The last time I heard the voice I was told not to let my friend be alone or he would die. I made my husband stay with him all night and told him not to leave him alone. He said he was fine and left at midnight. A neighbor found my friend dead at 12:15 am. I am having a hard time living with his death because I was told not to leave him alone.

I can't try to hear the voice or ask it to speak. What I do know is that my gift started after I saw the light and was instructed that it wasn't my time. Thank you so much for sharing your gift. Today I am even more of a believer because I have read your words...
Take care

*****************

Hello,
Thank you! I'm so happy you wrote and shared your story with me! Yours is a wonderful gift, and yes, that would be your spirit guide that speaks to you. We all have at least one and all we have to do is listen and hear them with our hearts. What you said is true, sometimes they are mistaken for a "conscience". We are never alone!

I'm so sorry to learn of your friend who passed on. Don't blame yourself. You are learning -- and yes, this was a dear lesson to learn -- but one that taught you, you truly do have the gift of clairvoyance, and maybe more gifts that you will become aware of in time. Embrace the hurt you feel, feel it throughout, let it go and then forgive yourself, okay?

Your guide's voice just comes to you and, as you said, you can't "try" to hear it, it just is. That's true for me, as well. At this time, I can talk to both of mine, although I can't always call them to come to me. There are times when I go weeks without having any contact at all. Talking with your guide may happen for you, too, as you become more comfortable. Everything is as it should be, as Dinahh so often says to me.

I will be posting more and more on my blog about the experiences I've had and those to come. Please keep in touch. I would like to continue our conversations. I am still learning, too, and we can help each other!

Your friend always,
Catherine

Namaste!

Turning Thoughts Into Things

I spoke to my guide, Micah, again.  This was surprising, because for nearly a year I didn't hear from him at all and now it's been twice within a couple of weeks.  Micah, The Dream/Vision

Micah asked whether I had spent any time thinking about what he showed me in the vision.  I told him I had thought about it, and I even wrote a blog about the vision.  Then I said, "Micah, the vision was very cryptic, and I have a lot of unanswered questions."  As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them.  I sensed that he, like Dinahh, would tell me to be patient because I already have all of the answers.  But that was not what he said.

Micah asked, "Catherine, what do you feel in your heart?  What did the vision say to you?"

I told him what I felt about the vision.  "Micah, the people in the vision made me feel very sad.  They seemed to be starving and needful of everything -- they had nothing at all, and I could see only a hopelessness in their faces and their sunken eyes.   They were just empty -- empty of all feeling, even empty of all hope.  When I watched them form a line in front of me, it was as if they were expecting something.  You then told me to fill their bowls from the kettle beside me.  When I did, Micah, the pot was full of words, not food."

"This is true, Catherine.  You gave them what they needed.  Go on.  What more did the vision tell you?"

"Micah, when I saw this, I wanted to know what the words said.  Where did the words come from?  Why was I the one to put the words in their bowls?  How did the words form sentences and how did the people understand what the words said?"

"Now I will tell you the same as Dinahh.  You must go to the silence and find your answers, Catherine.  You will find them there, if you will open your heart and listen.  You have come far, but you have far to go, and so much to learn, so much to remember.  Catherine, listen with your heart, not with your mind.  Your thoughts become things.  Be careful what you think."

And then Micah was gone again.

Namaste.

The Death of Fear

A Short Story
by Robert Cosmar

Sitting alone in its self-contained identity, Fear bemoaned its fate. Always alone, separate, and isolated, Fear seemed to be apart from everything. It was constantly analyzing its condition and trying to answer the question of why. Why did it exist? How had it become this way? What is going to happen to it? 

Feeding itself fully with these questions of self-doubt, Fear felt trapped and completely hopeless. It seemed that someday it would finally dissolve into total nothingness, which was something Fear agonized over more than anything in the world. 

Day by day, it seemed like there was a noose around Fear's neck growing ever tighter and tighter, choking out the very hope of any change. Finally, the question of its identity and very existence became too unbearable for Fear. It decided to let go of the questions, the ponderings and all of the speculations. Fear chose to be nothing and do nothing. Fear decided to face itself, just as it was and admit to itself that it was scared, alone, and completely lost. 

Unable to answer the question of why, Fear, humbled and stripped of all pride, waited in the aloneness for the nothing, for what seemed like forever. To it's amazement, it had not dissolved into nothingness. It had merely stopped thinking and analyzing. 

Then something wonderful began to happen. A whole other part of Fear began to assert itself and awaken. Not with thoughts of the usual nature, but with feelings. Fear began to see things there, down within itself. Understandings began to emerge explaining the ancient questions it had always wondered about. 

Finally fear began to see that all along, the only problem it ever really had was thinking that it was separate from everyone and everything else. It thought it was even separate from life, itself. Fear thought that it needed no one nor needed anything to either exist or survive. 

Fear had finally won the great battle and learned the great lesson: we are part of One Energy, One Life Force or One God. How we think is what we are and that is how we see life. We create our lives from our thoughts and we have the power to change our lives when we remember to feel. We are what we feel, but we only feel what we choose to be aware of. 

The Cell

A Short Story
by Robert S. Cosmar

The prison cell was dark and damp and Prince Challoff sat pondering the woeful meaning of his situation. For the past several years, he had sat in the dismal cell thinking about his father and wondering why he had not come to rescue him.


The prince ran away several years before, during his rebellious youth, and joined a group that opposed his father and his political policies. After the rebellion was surpressed, the angry prince was placed in this cell in a  line of prison cells containing the other conspirators, because he was still angry with his father.

Over time, due to the solitude and frequent letters from his father, the prince's whole attitude began to soften.   Gone was the righteous anger, the rebellious spirit, and his know-it-all attitude. Still, the prince was in prison and his spirit was slowly being crushed.

He could not understand why his father did not come and rescue him. The letters from his father, sent by messenger, were both forgiving and accepting of him.  It did not make sense to the prince that his father would forsake him like this.

One day, the son decided to put aside his pride, drop all of his pretenses and ask his father outright in a letter why he had not released him from this cell. He cried as he wrote the letter and he felt his heart open and the years of regret poured from his pen onto the paper.

After a few days, he received a letter from his father:

My dear beloved Son:
It seems there has been a terrible misunderstanding.   All this time, you have thought you were in prison, but the door has always been unlocked.  You were free to go at any time.  I thought you were aware of this. The guard outside of your cell is not there to keep you in the cell, but to constantly protect you from coming to any harm.  My son, you can leave whenever you choose to leave. 
Love always,
your father

The prince was stunned by his father's words.  The truth finally sank in that this misunderstanding and his own false perceptions were all that had ever kept him imprisoned.  He learned a valuable lesson that day -- never to accept anything at face value and to be more aware of his life and the circumstances surrounding him.

Things are never as bad as they seem.

The Tear

Mother's Day was just here and I can't quit thinking about Mama. Maybe it's because I was in the car with Robert both to and from Ohio, 4-1/2 hours each way, and sharing stories about Mama with him during the travel time. He suggested that I share one of the stories with you, so I will.

The Tear
A Memoir of Mama
by CJ Heck

One of the most difficult things I've ever had to deal with was being in an unhappy marriage and living far enough away from family that I had to take my daughters out of school so I could drive the distance from New England to Ohio to be with family for a few days. Of course, that was balanced by occasional visits from them to us, as well. It was hard for everyone, but I have a close family and we needed to be together, especially since Mama had been fighting cancer for many years.

[Mama as a Young Woman] 

Mama was a tiny little package -- maybe 100 pounds, fully dressed and soaking wet. She was a multi-faceted lady, having raised six children and an occasional foster child or two. She sewed beautiful clothes, could decorate like Better Homes and Gardens, loved to garden, cooked like a chef, was the original Suzie Housekeeper, and even worked as a secretary for the superintendent of schools. Her best qualities, though -- she was a caring and loving wife and mother who taught us best by her example. Oh, and you didn't want to cross her, because she was also a formidable disciplinarian -- I had my fanny warmed more than a few times!

In 1992, I had been going through a terrible two-year divorce. He had been fighting me tooth and nail and wanted me to, "Stop this nonsense and come home where you belong." I knew after twenty years that we were oil and water and it would only get worse, but he was insistent. "I'll see you on Welfare if you divorce me." That didn't happen, of course, but it wasn't for a lack of trying.

[Mama and Daddy on their Wedding Day]

Mama was my confidante, my best friend, and my sounding board. Mama also had the same gift I had and from the time I was a child, encouraged me to listen to my whispers, not to be afraid of them and, even more important, to always follow through with them ... and Mama had been fighting the cancer because all of us asked her to, even though she had been pronounced terminal.

Several years before, Mama had undergone a radical mastectomy but the cancer had spread and was in one kidney, which was eventually removed. Over the years, she had been through every kind of chemo available and had just finished the latest (and last available) cancer trial drug. With only one kidney, the drug had taken its toll and she had lapsed into a coma. The whole family was called. Everyone was there by her bedside, including relatives from as far away as Florida, Kentucky, Wyoming , and I was from New Hampshire.

The very best medical minds in the country pulled the family into a conference room. They sadly told us that her little body was shutting down. Her remaining kidney had stopped producing urine, she was in a coma and on life-support. They told us she had fought a valiant battle, but the cancer had won. They felt we should seriously talk among us about unplugging her life-support, since that is what her wishes were.

[Four Generations: Mama, Me, Carrie, Grandma]

That was a terrible moment. Daddy was still convinced he was going to bring her home. I'll never forget the look on his face as the message from the doctors sank in. He was a broken man and we all hugged him together in that claustrophobic room. We talked. It was decided, since those were her last wishes, we would have to abide by them. We would each say our good-byes to Mama alone and then after the last one came out of her room, we would all surround Mama's bed and hold hands. We would play her favorite music on a CD player, and say the Lord's Prayer while the staff unplugged the machines.

When I went in Mama's room and saw her in the bed, it felt so unreal to see what used to be such a vibrant, alive woman lying there completely helpless and comatose. I started to cry and I put my head down close to Mama's and sobbed into her pillow. After a while, I put my arm around her and whispered in her ear that I loved her with all my heart. Through my tears, I told her that it was alright for her to go. She had fought a brave fight, but I knew it was for us and I knew she was tired of fighting, and I thanked her. I said again that it was okay for her to go. I promised her, the girls and I would be fine. Then I thanked her for being my Mama, and my best friend.

Then I saw one tear. Just one single tear, and it spilled from her closed eye, ran down her cheek and melted into the soft white pillow. Mama had heard me ...

Namaste.

Micah: The Dream/Vision

I had an interesting dream last night -- or maybe it was a vision, I'm not really sure what it was. My other guide, Micah, appeared to me again, after nearly a year since his first appearance. He told me he had something he wanted me to do.

He spread his hand out in front of him and suddenly I could see hundreds of people standing and looking up at us: men, women, and children. They seemed to be very poor and they were dressed shabbily, almost like refugees. Their eyes looked sunken and empty of feeling, their faces were gaunt and they all looked hungry.

Micah then pointed to a huge kettle boiling over a fire to the right of me. He said I was to use the ladle and pour a heaping portion into each person's bowl as they came up to me in the line. When I looked up, a line had formed in front of me and it stretched out as far as I could see.

I dipped the ladle into the boiling kettle and poured a full helping into the bowl of the first man in line. I was stunned. What I had poured into the bowl wasn't a stew or soup at all, but words. Then the man nodded his thanks and walked over to a long row of tables and sat down in one of the chairs. I watched him in awe. He ate from the bowl like he was starving. It was this way with each bowl I filled and for for each person.

I glanced over at Micah and he was nodding -- and then Micah and the dream were gone. I wish he had told me more.

Namaste!

Things I Know: John Roof

The post today comes from a very good friend, John Roof. John, Robert and I have all been friends since we were children together in Coshocton, Ohio. John is an accomplished artist, poet, and writer, who lives with his wife, Betsy, in Texas.

Things I Know
by John A. Roof

I saw a turtle the other day -- it had been clipped by a car. His front right leg and shell had been badly broken and smashed, and yet he continued to cross the road. He was trying with all his might to reach the safety of the tall grass at the side of the road and looking for peace. My guess was that this would be his final resting place. I could feel his pain and his lonely death, and yet there were no tears.

I watch my tree in the evenings, as the fading sun softly strokes it with its final gift of life for this day. The evening brings to life many new voices coming together in a song of life often ignored by those in a hurry. I listen to the songs of the locusts, trying to define the words, and knowing my inability to understand them. I know they say it's a call for a mate, but then you think about this seventeen year "Brigadoon" life the locust lives -- only twenty-four hours of life once every seventeen years.

I believe this is the cry of a new born baby: it wonders what lies ahead and what sadnesses of life are in store for him. Whatever life brings its song, it is a sweet sorrow to one's soul. All the while, even the cricket is calling to you to say good night to the final light of the day.

I look forward to the new light and the new hopes of the next day. The gentle breath of wind stroking each leaf with a final caress as it continues on to another tree, then another, always looking for the perfect resting place. If this wind could be followed, will it someday return to this place, as I hope my soul will, too, someday return to its place of peace?

I watch the flight of the dragonfly in disbelief, as it turns and drops, and then climbs to new heights of unknown destinations we will never know. Its grace in the air is an invitation that beckons us to join in its endless flight. Only a free spirit can join its pursuit in search of a life known only to angels ...

Know and Remember

As some of you already know, yesterday I went to the hospital for some minor surgery. Nothing bad, really, and it went very well. I'm sore today and resting, mostly, but what I want to write about is the night before my surgery.

Like most people, I tossed and turned a lot. All I could think about was having to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. and what I had to be there for. I'm certainly no pain pansy -- I've had three C-sections and my lower jaw realigned to correct TMJ -- but no one wants to go somewhere and then say, "Okay, I'm here. Go ahead, hurt me." Well, maybe a professional UFC MMA fighter does, but NOT me.  Yes, I was apprehensive ... I don't know how many times I looked at the alarm clock and told myself, "Hey, GO TO SLEEP, Dummy!"   The alarm was set for 4:30 and it was already 1:32.

Then suddenly I saw the familiar light blue fog behind my closed eyelids. As it usually is, it was calming and peaceful and I watched it slowly fill my field of vision completely. The way it gently swirls, I always have a sense of floating. And then I heard Dinahh speaking to me from inside the fog, "Catherine, come with me. I have something to show you."

Like so many other times, he appeared to me as a small orb of bright light. I happily went along with him. We ascended at a 45 degree angle, fast and yet gliding, through millions of other brilliant orbs of light. They were moving fast every which way and I had the oddest sense of knowing them -- all of them -- and they knew me, as well. I felt so free and peaceful, and I was floating -- no, not quite floating, but not flying either -- as we were flitting/floating/soaring higher and higher. This is frustrating. As I've told you before, I don't even own the words to describe most of my experiences with Dinahh, so please bear with me.

The next thing I was aware of was, we were way out in space somewhere and I could see the whole galaxy at the same time. It was awesome, totally awesome. The colors were beautiful, so vivid, and I could see the planets, the stars, the moon -- it was ... truly awesome. But what was truly amazing was how I felt. I felt a crackling, like I was charged with electricity, and I didn't need to breathe because I was the air, itself. I know that doesn't make any sense, but that's how it was. And there is always such a feeling of love and acceptance. It doesn't just touch you, you are one with it and it flows into and through you. When I'm up there, I know beyond all doubt that we are all a part of something so huge, so vast and so full of love that it really IS indescribable.

"Tell them about it, Catherine, Zora. Tell them how it is so they will know. Tell them to remember. Tell them to listen to the whispers.  Tell them to hear us with their hearts."

I went to sleep soon after my experience, but not before I peeked at the clock one last time.  This was strange and mystical -- it was still only 1:32.  Thank you, Dinahh ...
Namaste.
Zora

Awe and Wonder: Life

I don't always write every day, and I know I should -- and when I do write, I have a tendency to talk mostly about experiences I've had or lessons I've learned. I don't share enough about what I feel inside: a tremendous sense of awe and wonder about the incredible journey I'm on -- and with everything in me, I want you to feel the awe and wonder, too.

Life is so sweet, so awesome! We're surrounded by its magic every day, if we'll only sense it and allow it in. We're constantly whispered to, protected by, and helped along by our guidance. There's an incredible energy flowing through you -- sense it, welcome it in -- you can almost feel how powerful you truly are, and how far you can reach.

It's easy to lose sight of these truths, particularly living in a world that wants to insist that we're limited, aging creatures, stuck somewhere between luck and fate. But people, that just isn't so! We do have the power to change things. As long as we remember that our problems don't own us, and as soon as we realize that, the problems lose their control over us and we can move forward again.

At times, I know, life can seem hard. But we make it seem even harder than it actually is by believing everything that we've been taught, by our limited thinking, by having low expectations, and by failing to see ourselves as we really are: infinite beings of light and love, adventurers of life, navigating our way through the paths we've chosen, and just being human -- loving, living, and sharing, with eternity stretched out before us and the power of our thoughts to shape who we are and who we want to become, if we'll only listen to the whispers, our guidance, and believe in the magic around us.

Life really is like a watermelon -- just grab it and take a bite -- savor the awe and wonder!  Taste its sweetness!
Namaste.

Love and Intimacy

Today's Thoughts

The universe seems to have such ornery plans for us. It triflles with our hearts and our souls, never being specific, allowing us to choose our own path, letting us feel every decision we make is the right one, when all there really is, is love. There is no death, only infinity before and after, which is an amazing concept to try and grasp with our minds ... for only our hearts can "see".

What opens hearts to intimacy is sharing vulnerabilities. It's not as hard as you'd think -- if you really love someone. We've all seen the rare couple who has done this over a lifetime and in the process, they've grown old together. Just being near them, we sense an enormous comfort and peace, and the shared love between them radiates. It's beautiful, and very rare. Without this quality of openness and vulnerability, partners never really know each other; they are merely one being living with another being.

When love is accompanied with deep intimacy, it raises us to the highest level of human experience. It is in this space, that we can surrender our egos, become vulnerable and know levels of joy and love unique among all of life's experiences. Boundaries are blurred, with no limitations and we become one and, at the same time, both.

I love this journey I'm on. Just thought I'd share my thoughts today. Let me hear yours ...
Namaste!
CJ

Dinahh and Robert

I know a lot of you are wondering what's new as far as Dinahh is concerned. As a guide, he's still with me, but not from a teaching standpoint right now.

About six weeks ago, Dinahh talked to me about Robert, who nearly twenty years ago, wrote three complete books, but never did anything to try and get them published. Dinahh told me that back then was not the time for them -- people were not ready for the messages they contained. He went on to say that people are ready for them now and that I was to do all I could to help Robert, editing and correcting, even fleshing them out more, and then getting them in the mail to publishers.

I told Dinahh that they were Robert's books -- who the heck was I to "flesh out" someone else's work? He told me that was only a part of our joint purpose here. Dinahh shared with me that Robert and I are of one mind and one heart. We are to work and write together, along with the universe. It's what Robert and I agreed to before coming here. When doing this work, I was to listen to Dinahh's whispers and insights as I did this. So that's what I've been doing for nearly six weeks now.

There's a lot of work that goes into preparing a manuscript! Everything has to be edited and re-edited, spell-checked, double spaced, title pages added, one with name and address and one without, a table of contents, biography, introduction, word count, cover letter, SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) WHEW ... and there are three books we have to do it with.

I'm happy to report that Dinahh was true to his word. Every step of the way, I could hear his whispers. At times, I had to say out loud, "Slow down, please, Dinahh, you're going too fast." I'm happy to say, the first manuscript was put in the mail to ten well-chosen publishers of New Age books about a week ago.

As of this date, Robert has received a couple of polite, "It's good, but it's not what we're looking for at the present time." Just today, he received a very nice personal letter/thanks but no thanks from a publisher who said he really liked the book! I wish I could say he was going to get a contract from him, but it wasn't what he needed either. But we did send a follow up letter mentioning that maybe one (or both!) of the other manuscripts might be a better fit for what he IS looking for ...

Oh, and Dinahh has also been pushing me to get my own fiction "out there". I have fifteen short stories for a short story collection -- It's almost ready to send out, too. We'll keep you posted ...

Namaste!

Whisper to a Vet

As most of you know, I have another blog which is dedicated to Vietnam Vets. I began Memoirs From Nam in the memory of my first husband, who was a combat medic and killed in action in 1969. What I hoped to accomplish is happening. Veterans are opening up and sharing their experiences.

Robert and I are learning through the many postings on the blog that there is so much buried pain. The biggest portion comes from what these men and women experienced in war, but there's also a great amount of guilt these vets feel. That also causes pain. The guilt stems from losing their friends in battle -- they ask, why them, and not me? What more could I have done?

Still more, the Vietnam Era was unlike any other time in history. Our citizens, our very country, didn't treat these veterans as they deserved to be treated when they returned. That's a lot of pain to be carrying around for such a long time.

Robert had a whisper from his guidance and he left it as a comment on one of the latest postings at Memoirs. It's good and I want to share it here.

Whisper to a Vet:
by Robert Cosmar

In your pain is a great gift of awareness that can lead you past all the pain, the personal judgement, and the criticism that the ego uses to keep us trapped in time, memories and illusions.

It can seem, at times, like we are losing our sanity when the mind realizes it's losing its grip and we're becoming more aware of ourselves. Guilt can be a powerful tool of the ego and mind. It can imprison us in the past and within time.

The goal of life is awareness and the soul uses whatever is needed to bring us back home to our real selves. There is no guilt or blame in the deep core of your nature -- of you or others who have served. Only in the mind, which is programed by religion, cultural values, and philosophies is there a form of self torture that splits you all in two and beats you up.

Beyond the mind is acceptance of yourself and all that you experienced and the one thing you are all seeking: NO BLAME. The pain does not own you. Surrender to who you are and all that you experienced. Realize that this is perfect for the growth and healing your soul is seeking.

Namaste.