New Book Focuses on Inspiration, Mystical Oneness, Celebrating Life

A new book titled The Ancient Redwoods Spoke to Me is a collection of inspirational blog posts that published in 2017-2018.

The blogs received an award from Feedspot for the top thirty inspirational blogs on the internet. It was nice to see that, however, it was also a marketing idea to encourage a paid subscription to their website.  I didn't turn it down.


from the Amazon book description :
What does it mean to live in the question?

How does an ancient redwood tree have a natural formation of the profile of a Native American face embedded in the trunk?

What is it like to have a mystical experience?

How important is inspiration in your life?

In this series of inspirational writings David Lawrence Brown combines personal experiences with themes of inspiration, oneness, mystical depth, insights, wisdom and the love of life. 

Preview the "Look inside" feature for the full text of the Ancient Redwoods Spoke to Me story, including the amazing photo taken on-site in the Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park in Northern California. 

Read about a dog named Shaman that communicated in a unique way from the other side. Take a journey in an oasis meditation that evokes a powerful mystical experience. Learn why there can be magic in owning your own story. 

These are examples of individual writings inspired by the mysteries of life lived deeply, with inspiration being a keyword for living in a world of challenges and negative vibes. 

If you want to have more inspiration, share in the wisdom of deep spiritual experiences, have a taste of the mystical in narrative prose, and experience a 'sanctuary of words', then enjoy the writings of David Lawrence Brown.

The book has a "Free Look Inside" feature that allows reading of approximately five pages to have a taste of the content and see the chapter titles that include the following titles below and then some.

The book is only published in Kindle format but can be read with the free Kindle app that can be downloaded on any device.

To view the book listing on Amazon and see the "Look Inside" feature click here > 

 

You Are Your Own Sanctuary

When we think of a sanctuary we usually think of some place away from where we are, that we need to travel to, or make a pilgrimage to. These may include churches, temples, mosques, synagogues, monasteries, retreats, and other sacred places such as an ancient Mayan site.

Sanctuaries may also be created in Nature, naturally or to protect species such as wildlife sanctuaries.

"We have a sanctuary deep within us, an oasis of the living waters of Spirit, that we can retreat to in meditation, prayer, and visualization." - 333 Keywords to Change Your Life

We may already know this, yet how much time are we spending in this sanctuary within? Our lives can be so busy, driven by the fast pace of technology, demands of work, cultural or artistic pursuits, that we may ignore or only give moments to that deep and profound inner sanctuary that is the source of our being, the spirit connected to a Divine Spirit, or higher power, and, like an iceberg, allows us to go beyond the surface of life to the depths of life.

Meditation may not be the only way to do this. However, it is a very effective way to journey into our inner sanctuary, and as a result, enrich our daily experience of life on different levels.

In a prior blog, Why Meditation is Amazing, I describe various benefits of meditation as well as different types or methods of meditation.

"Meditation is a perfect practice for everyone,
especially seniors and baby boomers, as life can

become one of reflection in middle age, and going deep might work for some folks. For others, maybe not. We each have our own choices as to what we enjoy........Why can meditation be amazing? Deep, Silent, Relaxing, Subtle, Opening, Insights, Breath, Awareness, Releasing, Joyful, Peaceful, Stillness, Being, Health benefits, Spiritual inspiration, Consciousness growth, and Creative ideas to name a few." -

In Lady Gaga's quote above, "I can be reborn as many times as I choose throughout my life" is her affirmation that she has created and continues to create her life as a sanctuary, a sacred space from which she lives, creates, and experiences life. Her reference to being reborn is is most likely not a religious reference, but rather a reference to an experience of initiation, or transcendence. Although this type of experience is described and experienced in various religions, it also occurs outside of religion. Religions do not have an exclusive on the mysteries of how a Divine Spirit or Higher Power connects with our spirit, and causes us to be reborn or renewed in spirit.

""One of the more subtle and profound initiations is not conducted by people, but by a Divine Spirit in which we can be transformed, renewed, reborn, or energized into a new level of knowledge and experience. This can happen outside of any organized religion, as a mystical experience, to anyone at any time. Dogma and authoritative belief systems are not required."
- Initiation - A Keyword for Sacred Experience

"The keyword “Sanctuary” invites us to acknowledge and reflect on the sacred or holy space that can be experienced within ourselves, as well as seeking spiritual peace and connection in churches, temples, mosques, synagogues, monasteries, retreats, and other sacred places. It also invites us to acknowledge the sanctuaries that we have created in nature for wildlife to be protected, so that these animals may enjoy their own sacred space where they will not be disturbed. We have a sanctuary deep within us, an oasis of the living waters of Spirit, that we can retreat to in meditation, prayer, and visualization. We can experience deep peace and increased spiritual awareness right where we are, even within a one-minute meditation."
- David Lawrence Brown, 333 Keywords to Change Your Life

The September Secret

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” 
― Roald Dahl 

August 11 2018

If there was one September secret that had the effect of changing your life, or transforming the way that you viewed the world and universe, or inspired you beyond your comfort zone, would you be willing to receive it ?

We can easily get into patterns of thought, behavior, routines, habits, and the seeking of new ideas in a way that the seeking becomes just as or more important than the idea or information itself. And it's all good. 

Sometimes we may feel as if we are in a box, even if we try to "think outside of the box". Sometimes we may feel that there is no box at all. 

Yet deep inside us we also know that there are many mysteries yet to be revealed. These may be hidden, secret treasures. Secrets that are only revealed at a special time or place.

September is just around the corner. We don't know what may happen in our life unexpectedly.

Is there a possibility that in September 2018 a secret will be revealed to you?

"Don't only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets; art deserves that, for it and knowledge can raise man to the Divine." - Ludwig van Beethoven

The Magic of Owning Your Story

 "When we deny the story, it defines us. When we own the story, we can write a brave new ending." - Brene Brown

Foreword and Introduction

 Have you ever thought that your life is like a novel (or movie?) Those interesting characters, unexpected events, drama, humor, and the full range of human experience. Sometimes have you had the feeling that you may have lived many lifetimes in one? How about a Shakespeare play? A Greek myth? The comedy, tragedy, depth of emotion and insight, love and betrayal, twists of fate, depth of feeling and reflections on life? To be or not to be? 

Imagine having an insight or "aha moment" about something that happened in your past that causes you to entirely "own" or fully accept that experience on a whole new level, with love and joy. Imagine having many of these insights and moments. What does it mean to "own your story"? How does our story define us if we deny parts of it? How can we write a "brave new ending"? How can we be empowered as a result of "loving ourselves through the process" of owning our story? Not only is owning our story individually important, but collectively owning our story is also essential. 

  "I did not witness the most important parts of my life. My deepest story must be told by a blind man, a prisoner of sound. From behind a wall, from underground. From the corner of a small house on a small island that juts like a bone from the skin of the sea."

~ Fugitive Pieces : A Novel

 We know the parts of our story that we want to remember. What about those parts of our "deepest story" that we are blind to, or do not choose to see? By owning our story, is it possible to see them? And maybe have our sight restored as insights?

 If we were telling our story to ourselves or others, what would it be like if a blind man or woman told it? What would they see from what they heard? What do we need to see in order to own our story fully? What is the next new chapter in your life, or are you already living in it now? 

Chapter One and Beyond

I love the description of our life as a story since I also love novels, and of course, sometimes "truth is stranger than fiction." There is magic in owning our story. We own our story when we accept ourselves - our past, our present, our quirky personality traits, as well as our gifts and talents. 

Especially the past, where regrets can be seen as unexpected blessings in disguise, lessons learned from past failures and mistakes, karma burned, life lived deeply or on the surface, love, challenges, marriage, divorce, loss of loved ones, births, rites of passage, forgiveness, and the full range of experiencing life.

 We also accept others whose stories have been or are a part of our story. We love, miss, regret, forgive, let go, embrace memories, shed tears, laugh, or cry.

 Loving ourselves while we are in the process of owning our story is a brave thing to do. This process may be ongoing, and not become a "been there done that" mindset. It would allow room for further growth, change, and deeper experiences of life.

 "Owning our stories is standing in our truth. It's transformative in our personal and professional lives, AND it's also critical in our community lives. But we don't think about history as our collective story." 

- Brene Brown

What if that is already starting to happen now? Collectively owning the story of humanity is a powerful concept. Imagine the potential for transformation on a larger scale. As John Lennon sang in the song Imagine, "you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one".

 Yet there is much sadness, tragedy, suffering, and injustice in our collective story of humanity. How can we even begin to fully acknowledge it much less "own" it? We might have to think of the quantum physics of the process. The "butterfly effect". Where a small change can affect larger ones. (See Wikipedia definition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect ) 

 Perhaps we can all become butterflies metaphorically, and flap our wings with thoughts of owning our collective story.

 Imagine the transformation that can happen, both individually and collectively. Let's stand in our own truth, own our story, empower transformation in our personal lives, and possibly in others.  

Our new collective story can be a legacy to those stories that will be written long after we are living our new stories on the other side.

We can write a brave new ending, and also a brave new beginning then.

A Morning Stream of Consciousness

"“The Muse,” as I imagine her, is the collective identity of the nine goddesses, sisters, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory), whose charge it is to inspire artists. Other names for this mysterious force might be the Unconscious, the Self, the Quantum Soup. Whatever it is, it represents the unseen dimension of Potentiality that is either within us or beyond us. It’s where ideas come from." - Steven Pressfield, "You, as the Muse Sees You"

The morning is my favorite time of day, and I enjoy getting up early as a "morning person", doing meditation, and deciding what I am going to read, or write.

This blog post is an exercise in a stream of consciousness style of writing, as once I get started, I can just write whatever flows into my mind without editing, except for typos later, and allow the creative process to possibly open up to new ideas, feelings, insights, or questions about life, the universe, people, nature and whatever comes up. Maybe a muse is inspiring me. Who knows? It may be her words coming through ...

There is a book titled The Autumn of the Patriarch by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, my favorite author, in which the writing is one long paragraph with vivid descriptions in sentences that seem to go on and on, sometimes for an entire page and more, as if all the words were spontaneous and a stream of consciousness, mirroring life itself in some ways as it just keeps streaming and does not pause in time for anything, unless it is the transcendent part of life beyond time and this dimension, yet for all purposes in our experience, in a way we live in a stream of consciousness, not knowing what thought may come streaming in next, even if we try to control it, and not knowing the mystery of what life will reveal this day and in the coming days, and weeks, and years, and yet this mystery can also be refreshing, empowering, and a challenge as we are already a part of it and are "co-creating" it in every moment, even when asleep and not conscious in that there is a part of us still active, in dreams, deep sleep, and with unconscious functions controlled by our brain which is a mystery in itself with the billions of neural connections and firings going on almost simultaneously in nanoseconds, and that is its own stream of consciousness on that level, and when we reflect, ponder, contemplate, or wonder in awe at the amazing mystery and beauty of creation and the miraculous workings of our brain, heart, soul, nature, and all the subtle dimensions of Creation beyond comprehension we cannot help but want to just celebrate life today, and then the mud, the drudge, the "reality" of the shadow, the dark energy of negative vibes, the ego of separation, and the instability of the world may creep into our consciousness, wrap us up in its stuff, and distract us from who we really are, what life is really all about, including the presence of the Divine Spirit that is always with us as a possibility, as a reality, as a mystery, and as a blessing.

So I am writing this for my own exercise, and for you if you are still reading it, and I imagine that the words that flow so well in a book by Isabel Allende do so because she may have also used this same approach in writing, then edited it after, so that it still maintained the "stream of consciousness" type of energy that can keep a reader engaged in the flowing vivid descriptions, the metaphors, the allusions, and other literary techniques that either come naturally or with some creative editing are included in the streaming of words and thoughts, and story.

I just stopped. Paused. And so this ends. Yet life keeps streaming on. Carpe Diem. Namaste. 

The Most Powerful Moments in Life

"The most powerful moments of our lives happen when we string together the small flickers of light created by courage, compassion, and connection and see them shine in the darkness of our struggles."
―Brené Brown

Is every moment of a baby's experience a powerful moment?

We all have had powerful moments in our lives, and when we think about it, they may have been few and far between, or more common, yet most likely not all that frequent. It may depend on what we consider powerful moments.

The quote from Brene Brown is powerful in its own right and if we look a bit more deeply into the quote what do we see? That powerful moments can only be experienced in contrast to the darkness of our struggles? That we need to string together "small flickers of light" created by courage, compassion, and connection? yes, and, or ...

I like approaching this quote by being in the question about it, rather than trying to formulate set answers that may be limited in the full possibilities of understanding and experience.

By being in the question can it open up the meanings of this quote and open our minds to

possibilities of reflection on our own experience of powerful moments? when they happened? why? and what we may have learned from them about ourselves and others?

Sometimes the most powerful moments in our life, in retrospect, are challenging ones in which the "darkness of our struggles" are so deep that we cannot see any light. Loss of loved ones by death or divorce is an example. Other times the most powerful moments are ones of special events like births or our own personal breakthroughs, or moments of joy, transcendence, and light.

Courage
Acts of courage are powerful moments when they happen as well as when they become known and appreciated by others. Some examples are when lives are saved by heroic acts during disasters such as those seen in the current (2018) and past year (2017) of mass shootings, hurricanes, floods, fires, and earthquakes. It also takes courage to be strong in the "darkness of our struggles", individually and collectively, and focus on positive change and love in the midst of the darkness of chaos and fear.

Compassion 
Acts of compassion can be seen or experienced as powerful moments in life when they happen in our life or others, seen in movies, or even read in news or in books. Think of compassion towards others, individually and collectively, and what that means on many levels in the spirit of the quote below.

"Compassion involves allowing ourselves to be moved by suffering, and experiencing the motivation to help alleviate and prevent it. An act of compassion is defined by its helpfulness. Qualities of compassion are patience and wisdom; kindness and perseverance; warmth and resolve. It is often, though not inevitably, the key component in what manifests in the social context as altruism. Expression of compassion is prone to be hierarchical, paternalistic and controlling in responses.^[2] Difference between sympathy and compassion is that the former responds to suffering with sorrow and concern while the latter responds with warmth and care." - Wikipedia 

You are invited to live life on this
level, and create powerful moments within
your own life and your tribe. 

Connection 

Our connection with others and with the Divine Spirit are important as a foundation for powerful experiences and moments. It is through others that we connect with life in a deeper way, with love, sharing, compassion, communication. Mentors, gurus, and teachers can sometimes create the energy or space for us to have powerful moments.

If and when all three of the above qualities of courage, compassion, and connection happen and we "string them together", then they may truly "shine in the darkness of our troubles".

The more common powerful moments in life are births and deaths that affect us directly, rites of passage such as graduations, anniversaries, birthdays, moving to a new home, a new city, a new state, or a new country, falling in love, getting divorced, learning that you have a serious illness, being the victim of a crime, catching a large fish or the thrill of powerful moments in various sports or forms of entertainment.

For those on a spiritual path, seeking increased consciousness, awareness, mindfulness, and connection with the Divine Spirit and with others in love, peace, and gratitude are powerful moments that can occur in many obvious and subtle ways.

On the level of quantum physics, powerful moments are happening every nanosecond, including within us and around us. Let's celebrate life with this in mind and heart. Let's create, appreciate, and have gratitude for powerful moments with courage, compassion, and connection. Namaste. 

Writing for Inspiration - a Challenge ?

“We teach what we need to learn and write what we need to know.” ~ Gloria Steinem

It just isn't the right time. Who's going to read it anyway? Why spend the energy? I just don't feel inspired at the moment, ok? I'm tired. I have other things I need to do. It's just not flowing. So what? I am going to write anyway, no matter what. I will be a word warrior if need be and just start writing not caring what happens. Just to overcome the excuses, the reasons, and the feelings why I should not write in this or that moment. Then as I start to write it just starts moving the energy. It may "take on a life of its own". I write when I was not planning to. I also don't write when I planned to. At any time of day or night.  I wrote more in this paragraph after I had written five more below. I decided to add roses to this blog as a symbol of my love of writing. I recall the valuable lessons of Steven Pressfield in his book The War of Art about overcoming resistance. Sometimes there is just a stream of consciousness about writing : when, how, what, etc. Resistance can always be present as an invitation to overcome it. 

I have started novels in past years only to abandon the project and move on to something else. When I finished the book 333 Keywords to Change Your Life it was a combination of writing what I need to know and a commitment to discipline myself to write every day, even if it was one page for one keyword in the book. Since there are 333 keywords in the book the goal was easy to set. It took about a year to write it. About a  month after completing and publishing the book I started writing inspirational blogs and it's been about a year that I have written about one blog every two weeks. I usually have several that are in process or draft form, and work on them at different times. Then one seems to "stand out" and be ready to publish. I review it and have others look at it for their feedback. My main focus or underlying theme for my inspirational blogs is - can you guess? - inspiration. I have another blog titled Likes, Tweets, and SEO which is marketing oriented and has had over 100,000 views in the past six years or so that I have been writing it.

So let's revisit the question that is in the title of this blog.

Is writing for inspiration, either for yourself such as journaling, or for others, such as in Facebook sharing, or blogs, or books a challenge? The answer will vary of course between individuals, and within each person as challenges can appear any time that we want to write.

With my own writing, it varies as the challenge may take on different forms. Deciding on when to write, what to write about, what to say, letting things flow versus over thinking a bit, and letting go of the outcome are all challenges. The creative process sometimes takes on a "life of its own", right? We just can't control how Spirit wants to move through us, or when an inspiring idea comes up, or what words may stream though our mind next. This is the beauty of inspired writing for me, that inspiration seems to be the basis, and the foundation for whatever the topic is that comes up.

Sometimes just starting to write is the biggest challenge, and once you start, you have overcome that challenge, and words may start to flow. The challenge is to start even when you do not feel like starting. Like a subtle test, by starting you have passed the test, and are ready to receive whatever words start flowing into your mind and heart.
I received the idea of writing this blog about my inspirational writing a while back. It sort of simmered like a slow cooking soup, until I decided to start. I stopped after the next sentence, then started again another morning. So do I write for inspiration? Or from inspiration? To hopefully inspire others? Yet not be attached to the outcome? Whatever ways we spin it, for me writing is a joy, even with the challenges. It has enriched my life experience as I always wanted to write more than I did through the years. Now it seems to be flowing, and for that I have a ton of gratitude.

Let's explore some reasons or ideas why I think that writing for inspiration can be a rewarding process, and why it may seem to be a challenge in various ways.

Writing can be rewarding to see how words will come to you in ways you did not expect. It can be rewarding to overcome challenges or obstacles or writers block. It is a joy when you get positive feedback and when the writing enhances another person's perspectives, or opens up new ideas.

Writing is rewarding when you receive feedback that someone was really moved by your words, or the words that came to you, and which you wrote and created in sentences and paragraphs. Even without receiving feedback, you may not be attached to the outcome or impact of your words, yet they are put out there into the universe, and were created through you for a purpose, the full extent of which we may never know. One year after you have written something, someone may read it, and have an insight or new realization that changes their life. It is the mystery of life, and of writing, that we do not know all the subtle effects and things that go on behind the scenes, and for me that is in itself very inspiring.

Reading others words,whether in a non-fiction format or fictional story, can be an inspiration for my writing. I have favorite authors, and am open to discovering new writers, new stories, and new ways of how words can express the many diverse and multi- experiences of life. However taking time to read is a challenge for me. I enjoy it, yet do not spend as much time as I would like to. So at this moment I have three books that I am reading that interest me enough to stay with them. 

One of the books is from the son of a family friend, and is in a genre that I do not usually seek out for reading (young adult dark fantasy). I have tremendous respect for this author, Derek Murphy, his research, his living his dream of writing and traveling the world, living in castles where he sets up writers conferences, and sharing the process of how and why he writes. Although I have not read most of his books, the most recent really grabbed my attention with his own cover design. Then I read an excerpt, and rejoined Kindle Unlimited for $10,00 a month on Amazon to read it for free in the Kindle Unlimited program. The book, Orpheum - Gods of Music and Madness, has the following description on Amazon:

" Orpheum is a young adult dark fantasy romance based on Eastern European history, the myths and literature of Orpheus and Pythagoras' theory of the music of the spheres. Readers who loved This Savage Song and Strange the Dreamer will love this hypnotic mythological thriller."

I finished this book within days, and it was well written and full of surprises and supernatural mystery that starts developing after a more "normal" beginning of the story. A good read!

Another book that I am reading is The Yoga of Money by Edward Vilga.  It has a different approach, a yoga approach to personal finances and from what I have read so far I can see some very good content developing.

A third book that I am reading is This Thing Called You by Ernest Holmes. It is a classic in the New Thought movement and speaks from the concept of oneness with the Divine Spirit.

A fourth book that really grabbed my attention is Mindfulness - an Eight Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World. The scientific research on the effects of meditation in this book are inspiring and I have seen some of the benefits described after meditating twice a day for over a year. I am starting to include their ideas in my own meditation practice.

Then there is Isabel Allende. I have started to read the free samples from her novels and am very impressed with her writing. Yet I do not care to pay $11.99 for a Kindle edition! 

For me, reading can definitely be an inspiration for writing, or getting inspired ideas to write about. 

Writing for inspiration can be a challenge, as well as writing from inspiration. When we turn it over to the creative Spirit within, maybe the Muse, maybe our heart and intuition, or all of the above and more, then we can truly celebrate how words can have an inspirational effect on us, whether we are writing or reading.

When it starts to flow it is not a challenge. The challenge seems to come from our own resistance to letting it flow, or doubts about what words will come, or whether they will be the rights ones, and many more reasons. An interesting exercise is to write about all the reasons that are coming up and that are "holding you back" from writing. Would writing about them cause them to dissipate, even disappear, giving the confidence that maybe your ability to start a creative flow is more powerful than your resistance? Overcoming the challenge of resistance is like a small battle won in the greater "War of Art" so well described in Pressfield's book.

The process of writing can be a reflection of life; your insights and experiences, wisdom and breakthroughs, as well as your dark moments, challenges, fears, and loves. For me , inspiration is the keyword that motivates me to write, enhances my life, and allows me to give my gifts of writing to the world. I welcome both the challenges as well as the rewards of writing, and in gratitude and love, acknowledge the Divine Spirit that is my source of inspiration. 

================== from the book 333 Keywords to Change Your Life ====

"The invitation of the keyword “Writing” is to acknowledge the amazing legacy of scribes and writers in all cultures and traditions. It is also to appreciate the magic of the written word in poems, stories, legends, myths, and holy books, and enjoy what has been written. We are invited to write, even if it is a private journal with our private thoughts. Writing can be therapeutic, healing, and transformational. Writing or reading what has already been written is a journey in itself that has many paths, many discoveries, much joy, and vicarious adventures in living and learning." - David Lawrence Brown. 333 KEYWORDS : Affirmations to Change Your Life (Kindle Locations 8900-8907). 

A Sublime Healing Adventure in a Loving Oasis Meditation

Let's go deep into the mystery of life, where living in the depth of Spirit is only answered by subtle experience rather than words.Yet some words, metaphors, images, and allusions can open up possibilities of vicarious experience.

Let's go where mountain peaks and canyons and rivers and seas are metaphors for the journey of our soul. Where the eternal Divine Spirit dwells, even in a dark cave where there is no visible light. Where the desert can be a metaphor for a profound and deep experience. Where an oasis calls to us.

One metaphor that has been a recurring memory in my life is an oasis. Years ago, a part of my spiritual journey included being focused on one particular teaching as if it was the only path. When I was ready to leave that teaching it was like I was in a desert, and the teaching became like dry bones behind me. Then I entered into a spiritual oasis, and had a spiritual rebirth experience as if I was drinking living waters within the oasis, and my soul was filled with the Divine Spirit. It was more than a metaphor. It was an actual experience. The experience was profound and like an initiation, where I crossed a threshold into a new level of being, of consciousness, and of my relationship with the Divine Spirit in my life.

A Visualization and Guided Meditation
The following is a guided meditation that I wrote based on this experience. Join me on this healing adventure in a loving oasis meditation. You are invited to also close your eyes when and if it feels right during this journey, and visualize the metaphors and scenery and experiences described.

First we visualize a vast desert behind us which has been our life up until now.  It is a panoramic view from above. There are dry bones, piles of bones at certain spots behind us and we know that these represent the challenging times, the hurts, the pain, the limited beliefs, and the frustrations, anxieties, fears and relationships that ended and in which we learned lessons from.

Then there are verdant green areas and a number of oases which represents the joys, the spiritual awakenings, the cherished memories, the experiences of Divine Spirit, the teachings and various teachers that have inspired us and helped us on our journey. We let go of the piles of dry bones. We forgive anyone that we are still carrying a memory of that we have not forgiven in love. We forgive ourselves in love for things we said or did that did not serve our higher purpose. Even though we have been on a spiritual journey for some years, there have been times when we may have had a dark night of the soul, times where we lost our way, and times where we fell into a deep dark cave that seemed to have no bottom.

Then we cherish the memories of each oasis in our past that produced joy and inspired feelings of love, peace, happiness, and transformation. Then we turn and look ahead on this journey across the desert of our life. In the distance we see a large oasis that seems have a subtle glow under the stars. To our right in the distance there is a coastline, with waves breaking on the shore. We see the ocean as the infinite Divine Spirit and our individual and collective soul as waves breaking onto the shore of life yet still a part of the ocean. To our left in the distance we see tall mountains rising, like the snow-capped Himalayas.

There is a bright shining star at the top of one of the peaks. It seems to be shining light right into our hearts. Then we look up and see the vast display of stars across an immense sky and think of the billions of years and light years of the universe, and how amazing creation is out here and within us including the micro-universe of DNA, cells, atoms, electrons and subatomic elements. It is all connected and all part of the eternal Divine Spirit-Creator. We experience a oneness with all of creation.

We look ahead to the oasis as we sense that there is something very powerful and special there. We open our eyes in the visualization as we are still in meditation, breathing slowly and letting the visualization take on a life of its own. It is night and yet under the starlight we approach this oasis ahead. Palm trees and date palms surround it. A cool breeze is blowing and it is early morning, bringing light to the silence of the night.

The oasis is surrounded by rocks and boulders, palm trees, and plants of all varieties that thrive in the desert. It is on an elevated plateau, and as we approach and climb up the plateau, we began to see how it is sunken inside of this ring of boulders, allowing for spring waters to feed into it with waterfalls created by the heights of the boulders. 

As we step inside the edges of the oasis we see a wide variety of vibrant plants and flowers. There are colorful bees and hummingbirds flying around them. Trees of lemons, and flowers of all colors and sizes. We feel a bliss opening up inside our chest that is greater than we had ever experienced before.In the middle of the oasis there are bubbling springs and a beautiful blue-green colored pool. A subtle sound of bubbling water beckons us to come and drink. As we drink this water we are overwhelmed with more bliss and even ecstasy as this is the living water of life that is described in the ancient scrolls of wisdom.

As we sit next to this pool we close our eyes and go into a deep meditation. We feel a powerful presence in front of us and hesitate to open our eyes. Then we get a subtle nudge from deep within to open our eyes and we see masters from different traditions including Buddha, Jesus, Yogananda, and the Dalai Lama sitting next to each other in bodies of light on the other side of the pool.


They are smiling at us and we are filled with joy, bliss, and love beyond description. No words were spoken, as Spirit just guides us to step into the center of the pool and sit there as it is shallow enough and we are closer to them. They raise their hands in a namaskar or prayer in front of their hearts and we do also. They smile and we feel immense love pouring out from them into our hearts and soul and we are smiling back. We close our eyes in gratitude and awe. Then they walk into the the pool, reach out and place their hands over our head.
  

In that moment time ceases to exist. We are immersed in a brilliant, bluish-white light – a living light – so powerful and effulgent in love and peace. We are one with this light as it is the living light of our soul. There is no awareness or separation of thoughts – just pure Being. We know that this is the living light of God and that this is the light of life described in many traditions. We have no awareness of how long this lasts as time does not exist in this experience.

There is only eternity, beyond time, or a time so different that it could not be noticed in our normal consciousness.  It is endless, deep, and powerful. Then we also experience the peace that passes all understanding along with this love, and know why it is referred to as “passes all understanding” as it is experienced rather than described in words. Only afterword are we able to remember what happened with our thoughts and feelings. We know that we felt love so divine and so powerful that it was like we were in the heart of God and realized that this love is there all the time.Then we realize that it is still here now even though the conscious experience of it had ended in the pool.

The next thing that we remember is sitting near the pool, breathing deeply but slowly, and reflecting on the experience that we had there. The holy ones are no longer there, yet they have left their blessings with us.

Then we feel that this was a sort of anointing or baptism into the living light yet it really didn’t matter how we try to describe it. It was complete in itself, and the type of experience that cannot be described fully in words. The visualization and experience ends when we feel our breath, and our awareness shifts to come out of the deep meditation, slowly, and we are filled with joy and gratitude.

We went deep into an oasis, drank the living waters, and were anointed with the living light of the Divine Spirit. It was a sublime healing adventure in a loving oasis meditation.
Om. Shalom. Shanti. Amen. Namaste

 

Love - the Keyword for 2018?

"There is a 'love tribe with a love vibe' that is a network of conscious people from all faiths, religions, and spiritual journeys that are opening up to even more awareness, more spiritual growth, and more love at this time. There is no one centralized organization or belief system with love. It's just happening now. Can you feel it ?"
- David Lawrence Brown

The Source 
What is the source of love? If you believe or acknowledge that there is a Divine Spirit within the universe, a creator of all things, an intelligence that is also the source of love, then Divine love can be seen as infinite, powerful, and present within and around us at all times. We are one with this source. Imagine being in a meditation, and suddenly, unexpectedly you are immersed and one with a brilliant white living light, so full of Divine love that your only experience is that your soul and spirit are one with it. Imagine that this is happening all the time, and that you don't need to be in meditation to experience it or know it. 

The Journey
The keyword "Journey" is used frequently as a personal journey referring to what we may experience individually in our spiritual practice, our goals, and our life. There is also a collective journey, where we have the sense that we are on a similar journey with a smaller or larger group, or tribe, or close friends or family, or all of them simultaneously. In fact we are most likely on several overlapping journeys within ourselves and with others. Is love the journey, or a part of the journey, or empowering the journey? If love is a keyword for your journey or our collective journey in 2018, what does that mean to you?

An Invitation

The invitation of this blog post is to embrace the keyword "Love" as a collective journey that we are on individually and together, however we are connected, and to amplify it this year - 2018 - as a powerful focus to neutralize and dissolve fear and to open hearts for healing and joy. If there is one keyword that can be embraced for this year 2018, could it be love? If so, why? If not, why not?

Love Dissolves Fear
It has been said that love is one of the most powerful words and emotions in human language and experience. For what it represents on many levels, it is not hard to see why. One of the most powerful emotions on the planet is also fear. It has also been said that love dissolves fear. This is why the title of this blog is in form of a question - "Is Love the Keyword for 2018?" and why I answer and affirm that yes it is. There is so much fear out there, fear of world changes, world leaders, the future. Fear as food that is fed to millions every day, every hour by the media. You are invited to live in the question and experience your own answer to whether love is an important keyword for you this year.

Love Heals 
The healing power of love is well known and documented throughout history in stories and sacred texts. Love can heal the past through forgiveness in love. Love can heal relationships, illnesses, broken hearts, fears, and melt away resistance, addictions, violent acts and thoughts. It seems that there is nothing that cannot be transformed by love. It is that powerful. 

Is the Vibe Shifting in 2018?
Last year I chose inspiration as a theme and published a blog post about it  - Inspiration - the Keyword for 2017 - as it seemed to be needed with all of the divisiveness and negative vibes going on around politics. This year that vibe may be changing, even if only a small amount. I think many people are realizing, especially those involved in personal growth and spiritual practices that love disables fear, can heal it, and dissolve it. Much of the hysteria out there seems to be based on fear. Much of the media seems to be serving up fear on a daily platter of negative news. If love dissolves or neutralizes fear, as the most powerful keyword and emotion on the planet, then what if love were amplified dramatically this year? This year in particular may witness even more fear than the prior two years, and love is needed now more than ever before. Are you ready for the journey?

There is a 'love tribe with a love vibe' that is a network of conscious people from all faiths, religions, and spiritual perspectives that are opening up to even more awareness, more spiritual growth, and more love at this time. There is no one centralized organization or belief system with love. It's just happening now. Can you feel it ?

Imagine Love as oneness with the Divine Spirit, our bodies and hearts like crystals, and love shining through our hearts and being amplified in ways that we cannot imagine as the quantum physics of the "love vibe"  transforms us, and transforms the world. 


The Tribe Vibe
The quote to the left has an anonymous author, yet when you read it you are also invited to participate in it, to be around others in person, on social media, or in whatever ways work for you to open up to a tribe vibe. It has subtle levels as well as obvious ones. For example, if millions of people did prayers and meditations at the same time around the world with love it would be a powerful vibe for positive change. We may see more of this happening in 2018-2020, and beyond. 


Imagine.... Compassion being amplified in your own life and collectively. Imagine the love vibe increasing the amount of compassion worldwide. Forgiveness happens. Imagine fear and anger dissolving on a large scale. The world shifts. Momentum builds. Love keeps expanding. The media starts to catch the vibe. Imagine Divine love shining more powerfully through millions of hearts worldwide. Imagine Love becoming the keyword for 2018 and beyond. Enjoy and love the journey. 





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Love is the Most Important of 333 Keywords
"The invitation of the keyword “Love” is to recognize it as one of the most important keywords in our life for fulfillment, happiness, joy, and spiritual growth. Loving ourselves is just as important as loving others. Loving our life as it is, as well as what it is becoming, can empower our days to be magnificent, amazing, and full of deeper experiences. Love is a journey in itself, and our journey can be filled with love. We can send love to strangers through our eyes or our smiles. We can also love the divine presence in our hearts, shine our love into the world with our minds and hearts, and share love with our families and significant others. Love is a deep expression and need of our soul to connect with others and with the divine."
- 333 KEYWORDS to Change Your Life

A Special Tribute to Mile Hi Church

Ministers at Mile Hi Church

This blog post is a tribute to the spiritual community at Mile Hi Church, which isn't a church at all in the traditional sense of the term, but an all-inclusive, positive spiritual community experience that welcomes all denominations, all religions and spiritual paths. Many have the experience of "Welcome Home" when they attend their first service that usually has over 1000 people attending at the 10am Sunday event.

I am so grateful for the inspiration from the Divine Spirit to have broken through the resistance to writing and to have the gift to share inspirational topics. Inspiration is the focus of the topics in this blog, and my experience with Mile Hi Church in the city of Lakewood in the Denver area has been one of the catalysts for inspiration in my life on many levels. The video below (at the end of this blog post) is from the Mile Hi Church YouTube channel, and provides an excellent overview of their mission and vision. They are the largest New Thought Community in the country, and the people there are an amazing diverse group committed to spiritual growth, healing, and prayer. The Works of Heart bookstore is a vortex of fascinating books and sacred art. I loved being a part of this community, and am still connected although not there physically. I enjoy watching the 10am service streaming live from their website.

Besides the weekly services, one source of inspiration for me was taking my first class "Beyond Limits" with Rev Barry Ebert in Oct 2016. I had originally planned to just get the book and self study it in the summer, but then thought that a group experience would be a more rewarding form of study as I had enough solitude in my life as it is. In addition to many insights and enjoying the sharing of others, I had a breakthrough in my desire to meditate twice a day. Everything else always seemed to get in the way. The breakthrough was the insight that "well who is the one letting everything else get in the way?"! It may sound simple, but it changed my life in that I have meditated twice a day ever since with a few exceptions.

Another source of inspiration for these blogs was a Mile Hi Church class entitled The Power of Your Word that I took with Reverend Shannon O'Hurley in Feb 2017. I had started this blog just before the class started, and it provided me with some powerful tools and insights that contributed to the flow of writing that has happened.

I also want to give a huge shout-out to the Mile Hi Church choir, and the amazing choir director Stacey Landes, M.M. Choral Conducting. I sang with this amazing choir in 2016 and through December of 2017. It has been such an inspiration to sing with this group of souls who are like a family, and together offering their voices as one voice to the Mile Hi Church community. Singing in the  Christmas Candlelight services in particular has been one of the special times in my life and if I do not return for another season, then it is a cherished memory that I will never forget. I miss the choir family and am glad to be still connected to many of them in Facebook. View one of the choir videos below "Read My Name"....beautiful lyrics.

Thank you Mile Hi Church, the ministers, Music Ministry and choir for the inspiration, insights, community, classes, and great people!  Even though I have moved out of the state on December 30th, I am still connected to this amazing community, through live streaming of services, friends, Facebook, and on all levels.

And so it is !