Greetings! So here we are, the end of April 2016 and it has been five months since I departed Sedona, set up house in the Phoenix area again, and gotten back into working for someone else. You may be wondering why I'm taking stock at this particular juncture in time... Well, lo and behold, I am now entering into yet another adventure and life change: my contract position is over and I am officially unemployed!  This is the first time in 5 months that I will actually have more than 3 consecutive days 'off' and I welcome that. I love being in my home, and working for so many years in my home office spoiled me a bit. Now I'll get to be in my new home office as I search for another position - which you probably know is a full time job! But initially I'll conduct the search mostly online from Florida - I am going to visit my dear friend Samara who I've mentioned over the past couple months. I'm sooo excited and feel blessed in numerous ways to be getting to spend some time with her, especially at this time. I am blessed to have had this past position, although no doubt there were challenges in numerous realms. Nevertheless, I'm grateful for the experience, learning, and financial stability it gave me. Now I'm excited about the next career opportunity to appear on the horizon and to lay a more solid foundation to my life in the Big City and my inner being. I have no anxiety about finding a position before my limited savings run out; I am filled with confidence, enthusiasm ("with God"), and peace. Let's see where Life has taken me by the time I write next month! Blessings,  P. S. Here's my current resume if you have any job leads or simply want to learn a bit more about my journey.
|
Inspiration and Contemplation
 |
| |
Amitabha Stupa and
Peace Park, Sedona
|
"Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through humane ways." - His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama On this last day of April, I was honored to be an invited guest at the bar mitzvah ceremony of the son of dear friends in Sedona. According to Jewish law, when Jewish boys become 13 years old, they become accountable for their actions (from a religious perspective) and become a bar mitzvah. Reaching the age of bar or bat (girl) mitzvah signifies becoming a full-fledged member of the Jewish community with the responsibilities that come with it. The aforementioned quote from the Dalai Lama was a part of the ceremony, for you see, these Caucasian folks not only practice Judaism (and dad Bernie is a rabbi), but are part of the Buddhist community as well! And, the bar mitzvah boy was born 13 years ago not through his mom Wendy's body, but through her heart, through their Buddhist community - Ashton is Asian. I knew it would be an interesting and extra special event! And it was. Hence, the words of inspiration about peace from the Buddhist perspective. Of course there was inspiration from the Jewish perspective. Below is the Jewish blessing for peace that followed the Buddhist quote in the ceremony program. Grant us peace, Your most precious gift,O Eternal Source of peace.And give us the will to proclaim its messageto all the peoples of the earth.Bless our country as a safeguard of peace,its advocate among the nations.May contentment reign within our borders,health and happiness within our homes.Strengthen the bonds of friendship and fellowshipamong all the inhabitants of our world.Plant virtue in every soul,and may the love of Your Name hallow every home and every heart.Praised are You, Adonai, who blesses Your people with peace.Ahhh, peace. A precious gift and blessing of great importance to all humanity.
|
Spiritual Literacy
"Spiritual literacy is the ability to read the signs written in the texts of our own experiences. It is recommended and practiced in all the world's religions. Whether viewed as a gift from God or a skill to be cultivated, this facility enables us to discern and decipher a world full of meaning." - Spiritual Literacy blog. This weekly blog provides food for thought and contemplation. In a recent one by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat about Donald Trump, they note how Trump and his supporters have helped us to see the cumulative fallout of events in American history we'd like to keep hidden from examination.
The positions of Trump and his followers that go against longstanding American policies and values exhibit fear and tension. In so doing, they give each and every one of us the opportunity to affirm and reflect upon the importance of the spiritual practice of shadow.
Despite the separation that he promulgates, Donald Trump has brought ALL Americans to a reckoning: to look at our shadow self and do heart work, to look at who we are and decide how we want to move ahead, to transform ourselves and our relationships - to make our country more unified, not less.
|
A Little Bit of Love Goes a Long Long Way
 When hit songwriters Wood Newton, Shantell Ogden and Marcum Stewart got together to write a song, they started talking about a story in the recent news. An email from Mt. Juliet Elementary was sent to a man in New Jersey (Thaddeus Livingston) by mistake requesting help with school supplies. Not only did he respond with the supplies, he used it as an opportunity to teach the students about random acts of kindness! Mr. Livingston challenged the students to pass kindness on, and now they are keeping track of their kind deeds on a bulletin board at school.
To capture their story and carry on the message of kindness, Wood, Shantell and Marcum wrote a song called "A Little Bit of Love."
|
 Thanks for reading and sharing the journey... would love to hear what brings you peace and where Life has taken you. Email me!
Blessings,
|
