Good morning. Happy Sunday!
Ever woke up to negative news, or had a bad day, or a bad week? I think we all have.
Sometimes it is difficult to have faith that the Universe is taking care of us. When things do not go as planned, perhaps we begin to lose that faith that everything is actually unfolding as it should. This is our ego thinking. It is our ego that is hurt or angered or disappointed.
When we look at things from the bigger picture and do not get attached to outcome, life begins to take on an adventurous and unpredictable quality. This may scare some people, and when we examine that fear, we realize it is still ego that is holding us stuck in old thought patterns.
Even as we try to push ego aside and open our minds to new ways of perceiving, it seems ego is still there, hiding in the background, whispering words of discouragement. At least in my own personal experience, this is the game I seem to play with my own ego.
I am not sure we can ever banish ego entirely from our minds, but maybe we can retrain it to work to our benefit. When ego shows up, we can remind it that we are not trying to destroy it, but instead would really like it if it could work with us instead of against us. We can remind it that we will continue to have faith in All That Is and know that even if it appears that events are not unfolding as we would like, it is all in perfect balance and we trust that the Universe will indeed take us where we need to be in life.
Maybe we could invite ego to help us in learning our lessons and allow our intuition to guide us as ego gives us an opportunity to test ourselves, again and again.
Ask yourself, is the little voice in my head ego nonsense, or is it something I should pay attention to? Most likely the fact that the voice is there at all means it is ego trying to exert its influence. In my experience most messages from our higher selves simply show up as a knowing, or a deeper feeling that will not go away. And, it usually comes without much thought. When we begin to think, we allow ego into the conversation. Not that it is bad to think things through, but it is important to determine if it is ego that is making the decisions, or if we are allowing the deeper, higher self to bring its "knowing" to the table. That's intuition.
When we trust our connection to Source and learn to listen to our intuition (voice of higher self), we come to understand that ego will most likely show up and add its own voice of doubt and self importance to the equation. As we recognize ego for what it is, it becomes easier to do so in the future as long as we remain aware that ego is present. Eventually it would be ideal to reach a space within where ego just has nothing left to say, or at the very least has become another tool on our spiritual journey.
Remember ego, like everything else, is just another part of ourselves, a piece of the Whole. We do not want to kill it--we simply want to tame it and bring it around to our new ways of thinking and living.
Good luck.
Love to all.
~Rev. Kerry
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Wild horses and the power of spirit (3.23.14)
Good morning! Happy Sunday.
Intention and faith are pretty powerful things. Together they can create miracles in our lives.
This past week I've had some experience with both, with a little bit of spirit magic thrown in.
Since we have come to the San Luis Valley, the wild horses have had a great deal of symbolic meaning for me. Not only are they beautiful creatures wandering out among the sage, but they represent a wildness and freedom not often found in the modern, technological world. Every time I see them I am moved by their power. Every time I see them I think of the crazy, cruel wild horse roundups our government sponsors in order to reduce the numbers and allow more grazing land for the cattle our culture is addicted to.
The past few weeks we have been looking for land. We finally concluded that it is going to be a long time, if ever that any bank is going to finance another house for us (see fracking, foreclosure in church farm blog). We thought we had found a nice piece that maybe we could just pay cash for (tax refund) but it was bank owned and the bank had decided to sell all five lots they are holding as one investor deal. So, we almost did that, wondering if the same bank would approve us for financing, because that was the only way it was going to happen. We went back and forth on this, trying to offer them cash for two of the lots, as the taxes per lot were incredibly high. No deal. We finally offered them cash for one lot, but the person handling the deal would be out of town for the week. (Funny how the Universe works. I laughed when I heard this, thinking this whole thing couldn't get much harder.)
Meanwhile, I began my course on core shamanism, which is an ideal fit for me, combining spiritual ecology with the other dimensions and spirit worlds that I feel like I have had a foot (or a toe) in since I can remember. One of the main things, of course, is to see the world from a shamanic perspective. So I do my cleansing ritual daily, and think back over the symbolic moments in my own life when the other side of reality showed itself and seemed to weave itself into the fabric of my regular world. We also made dream catchers (not related) as a home school activity. But, it turned out to be more related than I thought, as my son and Richard had bad dreams, exactly the opposite result of what the dream catcher is supposed to do.
What was going on? As I began to see the spiritual side of it and trust my intuition, I knew I must have dishonored the spirits somehow with our crafting of the spiritual tools for our own amusement. This is not how it should be, at least not now. So, I gathered the kids, the dream catchers, the sage and my energy and held a small ceremony asking for forgiveness. We also thanked the spirits for their gifts and asked for their guidance in keeping our dreams where they were supposed to be. I had faith that this was the right thing to do.
It seemed to work. No more bad dreams, and I felt better inside. I had quickly learned that this new path I walk on is a powerful road down unpredictable avenues where reality is not quite what it seems or is expected. But that's all part of the shamanic journey, isn't it?
We must be careful to honor the spirits in everything we do if we expect their compassion and guidance.
The next day I found another piece of land that we could afford with our cash in the same area as the other parcels that the bank held. The Realtor in communication with the bank on the five lots had just e-mailed us to tell us someone else was interested in all five lots. Hmmm..... The new piece of land was a better deal, and had much lower taxes because it was not part of that other development. In fact, we had the opportunity to buy the piece for back taxes, but as the owner had it listed with a real estate firm, we decided to make a cash offer instead, allowing him to pay back the taxes, the Realtor to make a few dollars and the owner to keep what was left. More people could benefit that way.
The owner countered, of course, but it was still within our range, so we accepted and we are now a few days away form owning 40 acres just fifteen minutes outside of Alamosa.
The best part of this whole story? The acreage is in a place that used to be known as the Wild Horse Ranch. The land was divided into the Mustang development. When I noticed this small (or huge) detail, I knew this land would be ours, that the spirit of the wild horse was showing itself to me once again and the symbology of this totem animal is very much still with me, creating miracles as I open myself to a whole other reality where magic happens.
Intention and faith. A very powerful combination.
Open yourself up to the possibilities and the miracles will appear. Life becomes an adventure that is a joy to live as we give ourselves to the power of our Spirits and trust in Source/the Universe.
Love to all.
~Rev. Kerry
Intention and faith are pretty powerful things. Together they can create miracles in our lives.
This past week I've had some experience with both, with a little bit of spirit magic thrown in.
Since we have come to the San Luis Valley, the wild horses have had a great deal of symbolic meaning for me. Not only are they beautiful creatures wandering out among the sage, but they represent a wildness and freedom not often found in the modern, technological world. Every time I see them I am moved by their power. Every time I see them I think of the crazy, cruel wild horse roundups our government sponsors in order to reduce the numbers and allow more grazing land for the cattle our culture is addicted to.
The past few weeks we have been looking for land. We finally concluded that it is going to be a long time, if ever that any bank is going to finance another house for us (see fracking, foreclosure in church farm blog). We thought we had found a nice piece that maybe we could just pay cash for (tax refund) but it was bank owned and the bank had decided to sell all five lots they are holding as one investor deal. So, we almost did that, wondering if the same bank would approve us for financing, because that was the only way it was going to happen. We went back and forth on this, trying to offer them cash for two of the lots, as the taxes per lot were incredibly high. No deal. We finally offered them cash for one lot, but the person handling the deal would be out of town for the week. (Funny how the Universe works. I laughed when I heard this, thinking this whole thing couldn't get much harder.)
Meanwhile, I began my course on core shamanism, which is an ideal fit for me, combining spiritual ecology with the other dimensions and spirit worlds that I feel like I have had a foot (or a toe) in since I can remember. One of the main things, of course, is to see the world from a shamanic perspective. So I do my cleansing ritual daily, and think back over the symbolic moments in my own life when the other side of reality showed itself and seemed to weave itself into the fabric of my regular world. We also made dream catchers (not related) as a home school activity. But, it turned out to be more related than I thought, as my son and Richard had bad dreams, exactly the opposite result of what the dream catcher is supposed to do.
What was going on? As I began to see the spiritual side of it and trust my intuition, I knew I must have dishonored the spirits somehow with our crafting of the spiritual tools for our own amusement. This is not how it should be, at least not now. So, I gathered the kids, the dream catchers, the sage and my energy and held a small ceremony asking for forgiveness. We also thanked the spirits for their gifts and asked for their guidance in keeping our dreams where they were supposed to be. I had faith that this was the right thing to do.
It seemed to work. No more bad dreams, and I felt better inside. I had quickly learned that this new path I walk on is a powerful road down unpredictable avenues where reality is not quite what it seems or is expected. But that's all part of the shamanic journey, isn't it?
We must be careful to honor the spirits in everything we do if we expect their compassion and guidance.
The next day I found another piece of land that we could afford with our cash in the same area as the other parcels that the bank held. The Realtor in communication with the bank on the five lots had just e-mailed us to tell us someone else was interested in all five lots. Hmmm..... The new piece of land was a better deal, and had much lower taxes because it was not part of that other development. In fact, we had the opportunity to buy the piece for back taxes, but as the owner had it listed with a real estate firm, we decided to make a cash offer instead, allowing him to pay back the taxes, the Realtor to make a few dollars and the owner to keep what was left. More people could benefit that way.
The owner countered, of course, but it was still within our range, so we accepted and we are now a few days away form owning 40 acres just fifteen minutes outside of Alamosa.
The best part of this whole story? The acreage is in a place that used to be known as the Wild Horse Ranch. The land was divided into the Mustang development. When I noticed this small (or huge) detail, I knew this land would be ours, that the spirit of the wild horse was showing itself to me once again and the symbology of this totem animal is very much still with me, creating miracles as I open myself to a whole other reality where magic happens.
Intention and faith. A very powerful combination.
Open yourself up to the possibilities and the miracles will appear. Life becomes an adventure that is a joy to live as we give ourselves to the power of our Spirits and trust in Source/the Universe.
Love to all.
~Rev. Kerry
Sunday, March 16, 2014
God power (3.16.14)
Good morning! Happy Sunday.
Here in southern Colorado, it sure feels like spring is upon us. We have rain, we have snow, we have warm days and cold nights. The days are getting longer and the sun is shining brighter into my windows, or so it seems. I feel my inner self reaching out to the new season, ready to grow and expand in new directions.
As the warm weather arrives, I'd like to allow myself to reach my fullest potential. I am interested in taking a rather rigorous spiritual training course that will test my mind, my body and my spirit, and I'd like to be at my best before I proceed.
After meditating upon this subject for a while, I have decided to conquer my sugar addiction once and for all. I feel that this is one of the major roadblocks on my own path toward self-fulfillment.
Each week, I try to give one day to my body by doing a water fast. This allows my inner healing abilities to be in control. I'd like to view my addiction as a challenge that I can gather the strength and power to conquer. I believe this is true of any addiction, although some might disagree. I have mastered the art of not smoking in this manner, for it is an art, in my opinion, to be able to have control over mind and body enough to push ego aside and give up bad habits and addictions. It is a true test of the higher self and will. If one can access Spirit then there is no question about what needs to be done, for Spirit knows what is best for our hearts, bodies and souls.
So this week, I am on a quest to listen to Spirit and ground myself in the power of Source so that I might once and for all overcome my own reliance upon sweet foods to satisfy my emotional issues. All of my issues can be handled by allowing the emotions to happen and by observing myself as I go through the sugar cravings. Certainly, sugar is one of the worst addictions, or so I hear, to overcome, but I am going to give it a go.
It is always powerful to choose a new and more positive direction to travel on the spiritual journey, and all of our potential "problems" are really just tests of Spirit or opportunities to overcome ego, in all of its many disguises.
This week, go within and examine yourself. Ask yourself if there is anything standing in your way to becoming your highest and best self. Then, seek ways to overcome. Meditate and the answers will come, for Spirit always speaks to us, if we listen and Spirit always has our best interests at heart.
Join me, if you wish, on a water fast every Sunday. It is an opportunity to cleanse the physical self and rein in the self-serving and impulsive ego. I welcome other travelers on this spiritual journey.
Ultimately our life journey leads us down paths that will test our will, our endurance, our faith and our abilities. If we tune into our higher selves, this journey will be that much more rewarding as we join Source and feel the Universal love that surrounds us at all times. Every step we take away from ego control allows us to step closer to our true selves, our higher selves, our God selves.
Go within and find your God power.
Love to all.
~Rev. Kerry
Here in southern Colorado, it sure feels like spring is upon us. We have rain, we have snow, we have warm days and cold nights. The days are getting longer and the sun is shining brighter into my windows, or so it seems. I feel my inner self reaching out to the new season, ready to grow and expand in new directions.
As the warm weather arrives, I'd like to allow myself to reach my fullest potential. I am interested in taking a rather rigorous spiritual training course that will test my mind, my body and my spirit, and I'd like to be at my best before I proceed.
After meditating upon this subject for a while, I have decided to conquer my sugar addiction once and for all. I feel that this is one of the major roadblocks on my own path toward self-fulfillment.
Each week, I try to give one day to my body by doing a water fast. This allows my inner healing abilities to be in control. I'd like to view my addiction as a challenge that I can gather the strength and power to conquer. I believe this is true of any addiction, although some might disagree. I have mastered the art of not smoking in this manner, for it is an art, in my opinion, to be able to have control over mind and body enough to push ego aside and give up bad habits and addictions. It is a true test of the higher self and will. If one can access Spirit then there is no question about what needs to be done, for Spirit knows what is best for our hearts, bodies and souls.
So this week, I am on a quest to listen to Spirit and ground myself in the power of Source so that I might once and for all overcome my own reliance upon sweet foods to satisfy my emotional issues. All of my issues can be handled by allowing the emotions to happen and by observing myself as I go through the sugar cravings. Certainly, sugar is one of the worst addictions, or so I hear, to overcome, but I am going to give it a go.
It is always powerful to choose a new and more positive direction to travel on the spiritual journey, and all of our potential "problems" are really just tests of Spirit or opportunities to overcome ego, in all of its many disguises.
This week, go within and examine yourself. Ask yourself if there is anything standing in your way to becoming your highest and best self. Then, seek ways to overcome. Meditate and the answers will come, for Spirit always speaks to us, if we listen and Spirit always has our best interests at heart.
Join me, if you wish, on a water fast every Sunday. It is an opportunity to cleanse the physical self and rein in the self-serving and impulsive ego. I welcome other travelers on this spiritual journey.
Ultimately our life journey leads us down paths that will test our will, our endurance, our faith and our abilities. If we tune into our higher selves, this journey will be that much more rewarding as we join Source and feel the Universal love that surrounds us at all times. Every step we take away from ego control allows us to step closer to our true selves, our higher selves, our God selves.
Go within and find your God power.
Love to all.
~Rev. Kerry
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Instinct and Intuition (3.9.14)
Good morning. Happy Sunday!
Yesterday we went to the Sand Hill Crane Festival in Monte Vista, Colorado. The cranes started arriving in mid February and their stop over lasts through March, before they head farther north. But, during the months of February and March, (and again in the fall) the fields and skies in and around Monte Vista and Alamosa seem to be filled with these enormous, long-legged birds. It is a sight. As they fly they make this strange rolling honk sound, and the farmers' fields become feeding grounds as the big gray birds fill their bellies before heading north. The first time I saw them, we came down to the valley (to Blanca) to buy straw bales from a farmer who raises barley. Barley seed heads are one of the cranes' main food sources here in the San Luis Valley. His field was full of the cranes that November as they made their stopover before heading south to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, where they overwinter. It was pretty amazing to see them out there in that field dancing, strutting around, and making their strange crane calls.
Nature is pretty powerful, isn't it? All of the wonderful birds that fly to the wildlife refuges in the San Luis Valley are following centuries old patterns of migration that ensures their future survival. And, they do it by instinct. We could learn a lot from the animals around us.
Keeping that in mind, our own journey this past week has been interesting as we pursue a new place to relocate. There have been some outright clear messages about where we are not able to go, and some other messages about where it might be okay to stay awhile. I have decided to trust in the Universe and allow the events to unfold as they will.
If I allow myself to trust my spirit and my own divine connection to All That Is, like the migrating cranes, I will eventually find the place I am supposed to be, whether that's for a season or for the rest of my days. And, as I release my ego and bask in my own intuition and instinct, I might just hear the call of my own spirit--the singing of one among the many that make up the Universal song that will lead us all forward into a better world.
Love to all.
~Rev. Kerry
Yesterday we went to the Sand Hill Crane Festival in Monte Vista, Colorado. The cranes started arriving in mid February and their stop over lasts through March, before they head farther north. But, during the months of February and March, (and again in the fall) the fields and skies in and around Monte Vista and Alamosa seem to be filled with these enormous, long-legged birds. It is a sight. As they fly they make this strange rolling honk sound, and the farmers' fields become feeding grounds as the big gray birds fill their bellies before heading north. The first time I saw them, we came down to the valley (to Blanca) to buy straw bales from a farmer who raises barley. Barley seed heads are one of the cranes' main food sources here in the San Luis Valley. His field was full of the cranes that November as they made their stopover before heading south to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, where they overwinter. It was pretty amazing to see them out there in that field dancing, strutting around, and making their strange crane calls.
Nature is pretty powerful, isn't it? All of the wonderful birds that fly to the wildlife refuges in the San Luis Valley are following centuries old patterns of migration that ensures their future survival. And, they do it by instinct. We could learn a lot from the animals around us.
Keeping that in mind, our own journey this past week has been interesting as we pursue a new place to relocate. There have been some outright clear messages about where we are not able to go, and some other messages about where it might be okay to stay awhile. I have decided to trust in the Universe and allow the events to unfold as they will.
If I allow myself to trust my spirit and my own divine connection to All That Is, like the migrating cranes, I will eventually find the place I am supposed to be, whether that's for a season or for the rest of my days. And, as I release my ego and bask in my own intuition and instinct, I might just hear the call of my own spirit--the singing of one among the many that make up the Universal song that will lead us all forward into a better world.
Love to all.
~Rev. Kerry
Sunday, March 2, 2014
All One (3.2.14)
Good morning. Happy Sunday!
This week I have been reminded again and again about thinking outside of ego. As I forward articles and messages about being One, I have to remember that the message came to me first, didn't it?
We. Are. All. One.
Until we fully comprehend, and begin to act in a way that reflects this belief, our world will not change, not personally, nor globally. We have to embody the idea that we are all one. There just is no other way.
When we look at our neighbor, the stranger driving down the road, or even members of our own family, we must try to remember that they share the same energy that we do, that ultimately we are all connected by this energy, and by the spirit that is this energy. Begin to feel the energy that pulses within and around you. Begin to feel the energy that arises from the Earth. This energy is you, it is me, it is all of us together.
As we embrace the ideas that we are all One, we begin to act in manners that reflect this paradigm. And although this concept is not a new one, we are seeing more and more people changing their minds from a self-absorbed, ego obsessed paradigm to a new belief system that celebrates all of life and all of life's interwoven aspects. We are all one.
We have to find ways to build community around us and end the isolation. We have to reach out and help one another as we all struggle to find new solutions to the old problems that plague our planet. How can we be of service to one another and help to heal our Mother Earth? It is all connected.
As we change our minds, so too will our energy vibrations rise to meet the demands of acknowledging a planet and a humanity in crisis. We can and we will solve this dilemma that faces our small home planet...but only if we acknowledge one another first and realize that every single one of us has something to contribute in the wholeness that is everything.
We have to stop hurting each other. We have to stop hurting our planet. We have to stop hurting life. We have to stop hurting ourselves.
Be One.
Love to all.
~Rev. Kerry
This week I have been reminded again and again about thinking outside of ego. As I forward articles and messages about being One, I have to remember that the message came to me first, didn't it?
We. Are. All. One.
Until we fully comprehend, and begin to act in a way that reflects this belief, our world will not change, not personally, nor globally. We have to embody the idea that we are all one. There just is no other way.
When we look at our neighbor, the stranger driving down the road, or even members of our own family, we must try to remember that they share the same energy that we do, that ultimately we are all connected by this energy, and by the spirit that is this energy. Begin to feel the energy that pulses within and around you. Begin to feel the energy that arises from the Earth. This energy is you, it is me, it is all of us together.
As we embrace the ideas that we are all One, we begin to act in manners that reflect this paradigm. And although this concept is not a new one, we are seeing more and more people changing their minds from a self-absorbed, ego obsessed paradigm to a new belief system that celebrates all of life and all of life's interwoven aspects. We are all one.
We have to find ways to build community around us and end the isolation. We have to reach out and help one another as we all struggle to find new solutions to the old problems that plague our planet. How can we be of service to one another and help to heal our Mother Earth? It is all connected.
As we change our minds, so too will our energy vibrations rise to meet the demands of acknowledging a planet and a humanity in crisis. We can and we will solve this dilemma that faces our small home planet...but only if we acknowledge one another first and realize that every single one of us has something to contribute in the wholeness that is everything.
We have to stop hurting each other. We have to stop hurting our planet. We have to stop hurting life. We have to stop hurting ourselves.
Be One.
Love to all.
~Rev. Kerry
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