Every given moment

Are you prepared for death?

I wasn’t. Very suddenly, death was right in front of me, giving me almost no time to react. In that moment, I was surprised, saddened that my life would end like this. I wasn’t prepared for that.

I was being extra careful – it was a snowy morning, our first snow of the year, my mother was in the passenger seat. We had already passed one serious accident – a rollover in the median. When we hit a clear patch of highway, I sped up a little – still under the speed limit. Around a bend, a red car appeared, drifting sprawled out across both lanes. As I gently worked the useless brakes, aiming for the far corner of the left lane, our car began to slide, the opening between the concrete bride retainer and the slowly-drifting vehicle closing.

Somehow, my sites moved to the opening gap in the right lane. Somehow, we made it through the widening gap, missing both the front end of the car and the far end of the bridge, flying through the shoulder and off into the snowy desert. Somehow, we didn’t flip. Somehow, we avoided a tree, missed every boulder, and came to rest in sudden silence.

As I flash back to that moment on the bridge, I remember first yelling to the other driver not to do this! And then, in the instant we directly faced the passenger side of the red car ahead, I  exclaimed “Oh Mom!” – clearly imagining us t-boning the the other car – surprised that this is how it would abruptly all end.

Something did end. It wasn’t me or Mom. It was my notion of  immortality in this body. Death can come unexpectedly – or it least it could have until a few days ago.

Even though I won’t expect death in any given moment, I’ll be a little more awake and living every given moment.

Published:
January 1, 2011 – 8:08 pm
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By rog
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Reaching Out

Earlier this week, Joyce and I released the latest edition of our e-newlsetter. We still think the title, “Reaching Out,” is perfectly appropriate for us. What’s cool is that many in our community reached back. We appreciate your expressions of love and holiday cheer!

Now we get to work on and deepen those relationships. Which takes time and effort on our part. The question is, how much time and effort do we want to put into which relationships? Especially in times when time and effort seem to be called for from many directions.

I’m not going to answer that question – I’m glad I don’t have to. Living as I have from a place where I turn every decision and every question over to Spirit makes this kind of dilemma a lot simpler for me. I just ask.

My point is to remind myself how thankful I am to have Spirit guiding my life. I’m so glad not to be worrying about who to respond to or what to say. I simply do what I am guided to do and release the rest.

Published:
December 22, 2010 – 10:48 am
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By rog
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Writing your awakening

Last Sunday, John Deakyne and I facilitated a mini workshop around using writing as a tool for awakening. We did a couple exercises in which we connected with a charged moment – either Now, a moment in the past, or a special place that Spirit brought to mind – and once connected fully with that moment, we wrote briefly to capture the essence of what was there. We shared about the process and read our writing – some prose, some poetry. Several people confessed that they weren’t writers, and then proceeded to produce some very touching writing.

Our idea is that, once we capture one of these charged moments, we can return to them to re-mind us, re-member the moment, to release something in that moment, and even to share them with others.

Here’s what I wrote about my Now moment:

light!

radiant light
radiating
pulsing gently
warm embrace
peaceful washing
gentle space
slowly unfolding
when I call you
this is My call
this is My way
opening you

I am calling
you into the light
come
come and be the light

Published:
August 1, 2010 – 9:48 am
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By rog
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A Sacred Day

Not that every day isn’t sacred – some just seem different. Today, Joyce and I get to serve as celebrants for a wedding – we don’t do that every day!

We both like it when this opportunity to serve arises. We are so eager to give, to fill the experience with joy, that we find ourselves diving deeply into each wedding as a new adventure.

The couple who called us forth today presents us with a new set of questions. For one thing, they’re quite young. For another, they haven’t paid a lot of attention to what they want their marriage to be. And, as we have all observed, these are challenging times.

All of which could be seen, or judged, as a problem. One friend jokingly asked me if I was sent by Spirit to talk them out of getting married.

Even though they are young, they have been together for awhile and together, they have faced some of the challenges life offers. Even though they seem to be kinda oblivious to their future, they have done some planning together around issues in their lives that need attention, and they seem very comfortably rooted in now. Even though the world around them seems strange and unpredictable, they seem not to be caught up in the drama of it all.

So I think Spirit’s assignment for us is to provide a launching for their marriage that will serve them in the coming days – whenever they need it. We’ve created a simple ceremony that speaks their truth about themselves and sets the stage for whatever may show up for them. As they move along their path, we hope they will find comfort in the words spoken today.

We’ve chosen a sacred space for the ceremony and collared two willing friends to serve as witnesses – friends who bring a loving, joyful energy and a connection to Spirit.

In a way, I am nervous about sending the kids off into the world as a married couple. But that’s just my stuff. They are not nervous – they are not crazy in love – they are the ones who seem grounded.

Our work together is about Spirit, and I know Spirit is fully engaged in this one. I can’t predict the future and I don’t even want to any more. I’m going to follow their lead, and Spirit’s guidance, and keep myself centered in love. And, I’m going to swim in the joy of this sacred day shared with my brothers and sisters in celebration of love.

Published:
April 30, 2010 – 8:03 am
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By rog
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Moving Forward

Moving forward is my favorite way of moving. I do appear to move backward sometimes – replacing joy with fear, doubt, and worry. But I only need to notice I’m falling off my path in order to once again begin moving forward.

Have you noticed the cycle of joy and fear? Have you found really great days immediately followed by equally lousy ones? Have you tried really hard to keep those great days going?

And then been frustrated to see them pass into darkness?

What are you, crazy? Why are you doing this to yourself?

I’m teasing of course. You’re not choosing pain over joy. How could you? Why would you?

Joy is your birthright – not fear. Choosing fear is the mistake – remember?

But how do we bust these cycles of duality?

I like the way A Course In Miracles says it: there is only one problem and one answer. The problem is only and always a mistaken feeling of separation from Source; the answer is only and always reconnecting with Source.

And The Course says that the problem and the solution always come together: when one shows up, the other is already there. We need only claim the answer through our reconnection with Source.

Just to be accurate, we weren’t ever not connected with Source – we just imagined that we were. So get over it my friend! Claim your joy and get back on the path!

Published:
April 21, 2010 – 10:11 am
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By rog
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2 Comments