Good Morning DearHearts,
As many know I am an amateur butterfly gardener. I say amateur because I have never heard of a professional butterfly gardener. This experience of discovery in the garden has instructed me in many spiritual truths.
A couple of months ago I was thrilled to see a Monarch butterfly emerging from a chrysalis (cocoon) during my morning garden inspection. There on the bottom of a leaf was the black and orange of a wing breaking through the wall that protected the metamorphosis of the caterpillar.
Several times that morning I went back outside to see what progress the butterfly had made. To my dismay it did not seem as though the butterfly was coming forth. I maintained hope and checked again and yet again. On my last observance I clearly heard that Voice tell me “Birth is hard, re-birth is harder”.
I immediately understood the metaphor.
When we emerge through the canal of birth, it can indeed be a difficult journey. And just as a mid-wife, doctor or nurse is there to assist with the process, the baby is the one that determines the time and place of emergence.
When we approach the time of re-birth, it is indeed another arduous journey. The difficulty of this re-birth mirrors the hatching of the butterfly. We have built strong walls around our self and they must be broken through. We believe our walls were built for our protection, just as the chrysalis was formed by the caterpillar for its.
Unlike the butterfly we are not always in tune with the exact timing of emergence. Because of this, we can delay our awareness of True Self for as long as we are comfortable with our status quo. We have no time restrictions. However, like the butterfly we will know that it is now time for the beauty of our Self to come forth and fly.
We are truly blessed with free will, which means we can start the process of unfolding and then retreat back behind the walls of protection we have built. We can venture forth for a while and then realize this is not the time. We have the power to decide. Perhaps, this was true for the butterfly in my garden. Although the metamorphosis was only to take 7 to 14 days according to those who study butterflies. This one was not yet ready to emerge into flight.
I have facilitated A Course in Miracles for 18 years, and I understand it is not for everyone. It can be difficult to understand and even harder to follow the suggestions it offers. I have seen countless beings show up to groups, ready to break down their own walls only to retreat a few months later. For them it was not yet time for rebirth.
We have all been given wings, so when we are truly ready to spread them and fly, we will soar with the angels.
“…rebirth itself is merely the dawning on your mind of what is already in it.”
If you are one who has retreated, I invite you to “choose again”.
AND Remember There IS Boundless Love Here For US Now!!!
In Love, Light and Peace
Janet Weissman
©2016
Good Morning DearHearts,
For the past several days I have felt I must write a blog about the Orlando incident. But I have also had no clue what it is I must say.
Many years ago when these outrageous happenings started to be headline news I had the thought that some Force was trying to get the attention of the collective sleeping mind. We saw teenagers being shot by other teenagers. (Columbine) We noticed momentarily, but then hit the snooze button and went back to sleep.
So, periodically the carnage would once again make its way into the media coverage. We have witnessed killings on military bases, churches, movie theatres, colleges, office parties, elementary schools and now a nightclub. It would seem we are being brought to the belief; there is NO safe place to be.
Time after time, we have examined the perpetrators under a microscope to determine their motivation for action. The media has dissected the childhood, the friends, the family and still the deepest question of “why “ has not been sufficiently answered. I say sufficiently, because the short answer is always fear, in whichever form the shooter(s) experience that emotion.
Some will experience fear as anger, others as loneliness, still others have translated their fear into depression. It really is immaterial how the fear manifests, the cause is always a lack of self love. The effect is mayhem.
What is the next step? What will stop the atrocities?
There is a “spiritual” joke I have repeated many times at ACIM groups.
Two small boys are taken into a room filled with the horse shit. One little boy screams “why did you bring me here?” and runs away. The second little boy runs into the room and starts to dig through the excrement. When asked why he is doing that, he replies “ with all of this horse shit, there must be a pony in here.”
I call this a spiritual joke, because hope is the punch line. In the case of the Orlando shootings, the punch line was, is, and forever will be “Love Wins”.
Love will win because IT is stronger, more resilient, bigger, bolder and more courageous than fear. When we allow Love to be the only emotion we embrace we become invincible and capable of action that can stop the onslaught of fear in any form. When we decide to stop hitting “snooze” and wake up to our own true Self we will find that pony.
“Tolerance for pain may be high, but it is not without limit. Eventually everyone begins to recognize, however dimly, that there MUST be a better way.” (ACIM, Text: Chap. 2:III)
One more thing, this latest attack was not on a singular community or area of our country. This offense was against the LGBT community that stretches across the country and world. This “Q” munnity has for the past 46 years stood up for human rights that are beneficial for everyone. I can not think of a better, more organized, or tenacious group of people to assist in finding our “pony”.
And Let’s Remember, THERE IS Boundless Love Here for US Now, and
LOVE WINS.
In Love, Light and Peace,
Janet Weissman
© 2016 All Rights Reserved.
Good Morning DearHearts,
There are many movies that come to mind when we speak about spiritual cinema. Field of Dreams, The Truman Show, and Powder immediately can be identified as having a storyline that is about enlightenment and recognition.
I live in the belief that EVERYTHING is spiritual. Even when I find it challenging to see the spirituality in “it”, I am sure it exists. It may take some time for me to shift my perception but given the idea that time is only what I make of it, I can be certain I will attain some clarity—eventually.
One movie that may not be on the top ten list of spiritual film is “A Few Good Men”. Admittedly there is one line that stands out in this assessment. That famous line is screamed out by Jack Nicholson in a tense courtroom scene; “You can’t handle the truth!”
That utterance is both a climatic moment in the movie and a last ditch effort by the ego to dissuade any further investigation into discovering what is real.
Lifting veils and uncovering the Light may not be an activity for the faint of heart. “Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.” Because you will be going through what is often called the dark night of the soul. The re-discovery of your soul, spirit, essence or whatever term feels most comfortable for you, is the journey that must be made to heal the denial of what is True.
Denial is a major weapon in the armory of the ego. It is a defense that can be applied to so many situations that are contrived by the force that promotes darkness and forgetfulness. The most significant thing that we deny is our Identity. When we are in a place of distress because of out of control circumstances, we can turn to Spirit or the ego. If we choose the ego the answer we receive is either “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” or “Well here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into.” The ego never takes responsibility for any of its actions.
When we turn to Spirit for guidance we will most likely receive a message that is more like “Remember, The Force will be with you Always.”
The only way to connect with “the Force” is to invest as much time in the present moment as possible. It is in the Now “ the closest approximation of eternity that this world offers” that we allow our Identity to be known. This allowance will truly bring forth more riches than can be found in any castle or bank vault. This magnificent treasure is the Truth- and you will be able to handle it.
The next question to ask yourself is why procrastinate and put off your Joy to tomorrow when we actually are always in today?
“What if there is no tomorrow? There wasn’t one today.”
Right Here
Right NOW
There is Boundless Love For Us!!!!
In Light, Love and Peace
Janet Weissman
©2016 All Rights Reserved
Good Morning DearHearts,
In a very memorable duet Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond sang “You don’t bring me flowers anymore.” If I am remembering correctly it is a song about the seeming end of a special relationship.
Years ago I heard a wonderful piece of advice from Dr. Andrew Weil – buy yourself flowers once a week.
Many wait for a significant occasion or person to bring them flowers. Who is actually more significant in your life than you? Who knows exactly what kind of flower you want better than you?
For many years each Friday when I stopped by the store after work I bought myself flowers. I placed them in the family room on the corner of the wall unit. I had to pass that way each time I walked down the hall to the bedroom or on my way back to the kitchen. The flowers were very significant as a reminder of being loved. I was loved by the Creator of the flowers. I was loved by the purchaser of the flowers. I still am.
I recently co-facilitated a seminar on the most important relationship any of us will ever have – the one with self.
The relationship we nurture within our own being is the one that will reflect on every other one we have. If we do not honor, respect and love our own self, then the only connections we have will be ones where we are trying to fill a seemingly empty space within. This is codependent and it is not in our own best interest.
Those attractive characteristics that we find in someone “out there” really emanate from within our self. We are actually seeking to find ourself, believing we are lost. So as we realize what we seek is only a reflection of what we are, we can end our attempts to fill a vessel that is already full.
Now, with that realization we can start to appreciate and “date” our beloved self. This is actually a pre-requisite to having a holy relationship with another of God’s Children. We must embrace our own wholeness before we enter into a relationship with anyone, or we will all too soon find that we have abandoned one of God’s Children for another.
There is a quote from ACIM (A Course in Miracles ) that says,
“You cannot enter into real relationships with any of God’s Sons unless you love them all and equally.” Text 13 X11:1
This means you must love yourself as much as you believe you love the object of your affection, not more and certainly not less. Eventually we will come to realize that everyone, no matter outward appearances or actions is worthy of our Love. At that moment, every relationship will become Holy, because no demands will be made or required.
As a postscript to my own flower buying, I stopped bringing flowers home because with three cats in the house it was becoming a recipe for broken vases. However, I am now buying flowers to keep in my office. I bring me flowers.
Please Remember Just How Much LOVE is Here For US NOW!!!
In Love, Light and Peace,
Janet Weissman
©2016
Good Morning DearHearts,
There is this small action or possibly it is a reaction that many engage in while driving. See if this sounds familiar.
As you are driving down the highway, another driver cuts you off or perhaps is driving erratically in your judgment. What do you do after you change lanes and catch up to him/her? Of course you stare at them in a perhaps condescending way. The unsaid words in your mind are “you idiot-where did you get your license?”. And with that final glance the relationship is complete.
Oh yes- that was a relationship- did I forget to mention that?
Every encounter/ meeting or thought about another is a relationship. True it may be a very short relationship and not one that provides the ability to recognize the other should there be a second encounter. But indeed it is a connection.
When the “link” ends in a negative way, it becomes an unhealed relationship, because the soul purpose of every encounter is to heal. So what is a driver to do? It is almost a certainty that there will be challenging situations on the highways and byways of this world.
Simply put, we can change our mind about and reaction to these situations.
We have condemned these offenders in our mind and thus each of those negative “links” will serve to imprison the one who thought the thought. The corrective action is very simple, instead of a hurtful thought of separation, send a blessing immediately.
There is no doubt that each of us can benefit from a blessing from another, because each blessing, blesses two. Me and You.
Lesson 39- My holiness is my salvation – in A Course in Miracles Workbook, teaches us that we need to be released from our unloving thoughts about any situation, event or being. “And it is your blessing on THEM that will save you and give you vision.”
So the next time you encounter a situation that most certainly could use some divine interference; give a blessing. Don’t wait for a sneeze.
And Do Remember: There IS Boundless LOVE For US, Here and Now.
In Love, Light and Peace
Janet Weissman
© 2016 All rights reserved.
Good Morning DearHearts,
Every Monday my coworkers ask, “What did you do Friday night?”
The answer has been the same for 17 years. Every Friday evening I have the distinct privilege of being in Boca Raton and leading A Course in Miracles group. After this many years I guess you could say I am committed to the practice. But the wonderful thing about this commitment, it’s so easy.
To be completely honest and open, there were times during the first year or two when I wondered why I had volunteered to facilitate the group. I would angst during the day about what I would say, who would attend and if I was spiritual enough to be leading the group in the first place. I would find myself at Publix getting snacks for the group and being totally annoyed about how slow the checkout line was moving. On more than one occasion I heard a voice in my head say “why is this taking so long? Don’t they know I have to be spiritual in an hour?” Somehow, it always worked out. People would attend and even followed the group as it moved multiple times during the first few years.
During this passage of years, the group has become a spiritual family. As in all families there have been joys and sorrows. There has been a wedding between two of the attendees. There has been illness and there has been at least one attendee who left his body. One of the striking things about that “leaving” was how that gentle man had changed during his tenure at the group. He came into our midst feeling lonely and afraid. Shortly before his departure, he had a party to celebrate his new life and happiness.
Now I cannot imagine a Friday, rain or shine, that does not include travelling to Boca to greet those who choose to spend a couple of hours in communion with Source.
It is very true that if we want to learn anything, the best way is to teach it to others. The act of explaining a concept, whether it is a spiritual one or a method of rolling out pie crust, confirms the knowledge within the mind of the teacher as he/she explains it. This is only one of the reasons why ACIM acknowledges everyone as both Teacher and Student.
Each being that shows up on Friday (and now Tuesday in Wilton Manors), brings a “story” that either needs to be shared to heal or an example of how healing occurred in their life. Healing is a process that we gladly accept as a small part of The Sonship and the only way to truly heal is bring someone else along.
“Brother, we heal together as we live together and love together.”
ACIM Text 11:VII: 11:4
If you are in South Florida area, join us on Tuesday or Friday- every week.
AND
Remember There is BOUNDLESS LOVE Here For US!!!
In Love, Light and Peace,
Janet Weissman
©2015 All Rights Reserved
Good Morning DearHearts,
Several months ago I heard this phrase in my mind:
“No Blame, No Shame, No Game.”
This little ditty easily describes how I can undo the ego thoughts in my head.
The ego loves a good game that produces winners and losers. But if there is no blame projected outward and no shame being felt by the object of projection, then the game is no fun to an ego that wants to feel better by making somebody feel worse.
However, if I refuse to participate in the concept of winners and losers then there is no reason for conflict within and my perception of what is outside must mirror what is within. This is a truth that is learned through ACIM and of course other spiritual paths as well.
The games I choose to play will always be a direct result of a thought of lack. When I am convinced there is something inside of myself that is missing, I will allow my ego mind to devise a way to acquire the missing piece (or is that peace?).
So just for today I will try to have no trivial pursuits. I will pledge to not take a risk with my peace of mind by trying to un-scrabble what cannot be known. I will realize that in so many ways I still do not have a clue, and will be totally comfortable with that, it will not trouble me at all. By doing this my peace is not in jeopardy and I will finally bridge the gap between my monkey mind and holy mind. This commitment to surrender will enable me to connect for the first time with numero uno, My Source and my Self.
There is indeed another more joyful game we can and should decide to play. It is the game of salvation. According to ACIM, this is the game that happy children will play once all of the fearful games of the ego mind have been put away and seen to be what they are, useless. The game that comes from God is described as this:
“His game instructs in happiness because there is no loser. Everyone who plays must win, and in his winning is the gain to everyone ensured.”
So this game will truly be a WIN WIN for everyone.
And Remember,
There IS Boundless LOVE Available For US Now.
In Love, Light and Peace
Janet Weissman
©2015 All Rights Reserved
Good Morning DearHearts,
Many times during A Course in Miracles group, the question arises, “How do I start to truly understand this?”. My answer has always been,
“The same way we get to Carnegie Hall, practice, practice, practice”.
I know that sounds like a rather flippant answer, but it is actually true. The only way to master a new spiritual path is to practice it. This same philosophy can be applied to learning to cook, garden, play the violin or do calculus. ( But why?)
In addition to applying time to the task one wishes to learn, if it is a spiritual endeavor, adopting the “practice” of quieting the mind would be quite helpful. Many start their day with their “spiritual practices”. The list of what modalities an individual might use can be quite long and varied. Everyone must find what works for them. Many find starting the day with breath work helps to bring the mind into alignment after a night of dream wanderings. A few deep breaths in through the nose and out the mouth brings the awareness into the now.
A Course in Miracles offers us 365 ways to practice. But in truth any ONE lesson can be the source of practice and awareness. Each of the lessons is an individual truth which is part of the ONE true thought of Peace.
For instance, if I realize (see with real eyes) that my mind is preoccupied with the past (Lesson 7) and finally stop viewing the now as defined by what occurred in the past, I will be able to see the innocence that is all around. OR, if I finally “get” the concept that I am NOT a body, (Lesson 199) but so much more than that limitation, my thoughts and the world will change before me.
The wonderful thing about the Truth is: it’s True, and what is True does not shift and change on the whimsy of a thought or perception. The Truth comes to us from multiple sources and yet it is always the same.
How many spiritual teachers does it take to convince us that our thoughts are the ONE source of our experiences?
That is the Truth.
But what is YOUR answer? So many of those who are seeking the truth, go from one path to another, read every new book, attend lectures, seminars, and retreats, only to find that each book, teacher, lecturer have the same information.
The constant seeking and yet not accepting the answer is the pattern the ego would have us follow. The longer we stay in denial of what our Truth is, the longer we will stay under the influence of egoic thoughts.
And now back to practicing.
A Course in Miracles often states the obvious throughout the text and workbook, this is one example from Chapter 30.
“ It must be clear that it is easier to have a happy day if you prevent unhappiness from entering at all. But this takes practice in the rules that will protect you from the ravages of fear.”
If we keep up our practice we will all get to Carnegie Hall.
Until then,
Remember That There is Boundless Love Available Here and Now.
In Light, Love and Peace,
Janet Weissman
©2015 All Rights Reserved
Good Morning DearHearts,
Last year I joined the wonderful world of Facebook because of my children. They urged me to join this social media phenomenon so I could keep up with their lives and see the pictures they share.
So one Saturday afternoon I thought, “why not?” I created a profile, hit the button and before I knew it I was receiving “friend requests”. It immediately was overwhelming and addictive.
The friend requests have slowed down now, but what has occurred is I have become a part of other peoples’ lives in a most unexpected way. The sharing that’s offered on this website can range from horrible to heartfelt.
Very recently one of my cyber connections has shared quite eloquently the process of his beloved pet and her failing health. He has shared how this extraordinary pet angel came into his life and resurrected it. The story of how the animal in need of rescuing actually “rescues” its owner is one that relates to many pet parents.
Last weekend, his beloved pet was ready to exit this world and be released from the bondage of the body. One of the most difficult times for any pet parent is when that time arrives. Again, my cyber friend was eloquent as he went through the process of taking his sweet girl to the vet for one last time. As I read his posts of the process my heart was full and my tears ran. I sent him a message that she will always be in his heart and therefore with him. Love knows no boundaries.
Interestingly enough the lesson that correlated to this event was “ There is no death, the Son of God is free”.
Death is not real, but exits indeed do occur in this world.
This world is often described as a movie or play that we have scripted and now are watching to see what will happen next. The thing is; we have forgotten what was planned, so we are surprised by each twist, turn, entrance and exit.
Shakespeare informed us “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and entrances…”
It is certain that in any play, characters come and go throughout the course of the drama or comedy. In any script a character remains “on stage” for as long as his part is relevant to the action or moving forward the plot. After the storyline is resolved, one character exits to be replaced by another. Such is the way of our lives, as we know them to be.
We are influenced by those who appear and disappear. We have established some relationship with each human in our play, and also with each pet/animal/ butterfly that appears as well. Each encounter is given us so we may hasten the time when our minds awake to experience true joy and peace.
Our furry encounters are one of the gentlest ways to stir us to consciousness. They are the embodiment of unconditional love. They are ever present and never judging. If I trip over a cat in my house I am never concerned that the cat thinks I did it on purpose and holds a grievance. I know the cat accepts and moves on with her day.
To believe in “death” is to align our energy and mind with the ego. To believe that each encounter is given us to teach a lesson “…that God would have me learn” is to bless the time spent with the other and be in gratitude for the gifts that are given. It is a Holy Encounter.
“If death is real for anything, there is no life. Death denies life. But if there is reality in life, death is denied.” Manual for Teachers # 27
The big dog with his tongue out is a picture of my dog that now lives in my heart. His name is Boe.
The presence of LOVE in the relationship affirms Life.
Remember,
There IS Boundless Love Here for US Now.
In Light, Love and Peace,
Janet Weissman
©2015 All rights reserved
goodmorningdearhearts 