That Time of the Year

It is Mid-December, 2021, as I write. Yes, It is That Time of the Year! In fact, every year about this time is a time of reflection, Gratitude, Giving, and Time with your Community. In the Northern Hemisphere and the PNW, it has short, cool/cold, and damp days. The Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Years approach. I am working on my Year-End-Review to reflect upon my past year and for consideration of what might be possible for my future. For me, continuing to get outside and into nature, as weather and my temperament allow, is important for my mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. (The shorter, cooler, damper days become considerations for this time spent outside re-connecting with my natural world… Extra layers can be required.)

In reflection of not only my past year but what I can give thanks for in my life is a careful consideration for me. On this list, in no particular order, are: my friends, my family, my health, my freedom, my security (and lack there of), my world, and my Universe, which includes, especially, my connection with the Divine Spirit and all its guidance and protections. Yes, I am blessed! I can easily find the Joy of living with all the dramas of my current life. This reminds me, I spend time and energy each day Laughing, even if what I am laughing at are my own flaws and the awkward relationships I bump into. (Yes, after fear, anger, and my frustrations, I find the humor to laugh at myself and my situations. I do this because I am a imperfect Human with 3 dimensional limitations and taking myself too seriously can get in my way of enjoying the life I am living.)

So, consider gathering your thoughts and feelings to reflect on these past days, and commit to your new year and new directions. Who knows where you will actually end up? The return of the light, after the Winter Solstice, and the dawning of a new calendar year offer you a time of rebirth or renewal. “A New Start,” a “Fresh Start,” and possible new directions to get excited about and to move toward. When and where possible, share your story and your love with your community, no matter where you find it.

Do Not Forget to find Gratitude for what you have! Give thanks AND Share Your Wisdom and Love most Freely. Yes, give it away, unconditionally. The world needs more Wisdom sharing and Love! The Universe appreciates every gift you offer, unconditionally for our greater good!

With the shorter, darker and cooler days of this season, put some energy into these personal reflections. You may be surprise, as you consider your past year, how much has happened and how many lessons you have learned. Cherish these remembrances but do not get too stuck in the “what if’s.” Gather friends and family and share your stories and your love. You can never go wrong when you consider, and then act, upon your desire to serve our Universe. When you give your time and resources, give freely with no strings attached (no expectations of return…) Sorry to repeat myself but in the “Season of Giving,” checking your motivations is often important. Your heart may warm in the thoughts and actions of service…

Come to think of it, if you have read this far, consider that this series of words and thoughts which are strung together in this posting have value for consideration early in every day you are blessed to experience…

Know that YOU are Loved! In fact, You are Cherished by the Divine! You are a Miracle! Thank you for Being You!

The Light of Love

Have you ever wondered why cultures in the Northern Hemisphere have so many Holidays in the middle of Winter? If you live a bit North of the equator which rings the Earth, November through early March can be the darker, cooler/colder, and often the damper time of the year. The winds can blow cold. The frost can accompany a brisk morning (or more snow and ice than is great to work in…) Where I live, mid-December days are barely 7-8 hours long and heavier sweaters are a mainstay. Some people enjoy, or at least tolerate, the cool, gray days of the PNW better than others. We have “Snowbirds” who head for the sunnier Southern climates for relief during the November-March time frame. S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is very real the further North you go. And, we have holidays to gather family and friends together from Halloween into Thanksgiving and then the mid-Winter Holidaze of Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s.

The ancient (& current) Pagans as well as many indigenous cultures have celebrated the mid-Winter around the Winter Solstice (December 21st most years) to celebrate the shortest day of the year, in the Northern Hemisphere, and the return of the Light. The Sun will then begin to shine a bit longer each day until the Summer Solstice in June. But, many cultures also use this time of darker days for self-reflection. The New Year can bring a re-birth and a time to start fresh and to begin anew. If you like the gathering of your community, you also have time to reflect upon Gratitude and the sharing of Love. These focused reflections warm the soul in the dark days of the year. Much can surface regarding “Giving,” “Sharing,” and the offering of service.(We tend to volunteer more and donate more during this season.) In fact, we should be doing this all year long, however, the quieter times of reflection can bring this closer to the surface AND there is more need for the community to pull together to survive in the harsher climates. So, let’s look out for one another.

It seems strange that in this darker time of the year, in the Northern hemisphere, there appears to be more Light. The light of generous giving of time, energy, and resources. This light shines on the people bestowing the gifts as well as those receiving these gifts. Does it “Brighten” your life to give to someone? Does your heart warm? (If not, you are giving for the wrong reasons or there are strings attached…)

With the “ReBirth” around the Winter Solstice Season, you can use this as a time to do a year end review and to set new goals for the fresh new year. It is easier to head down your life path if there is a plan and positive desire to use as the “carrot on the stick” for your soul to guide you. Consider how you can share your wisdom and how best to be of service to our Universe. Come in from the cold and brighten the lives of the people you connect with on your path through life. This is great to remember to do year round, and this is an especially great time of year to reflect upon how you want to get this done.

You are an essential Miracle! Thank you for being you! Be the Love! Feel the Joy and the Love!

Woke Up This Morning

I got up and readied myself for the day. Today is a special day. It is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, June 20th, 2021. The beginning of Summer. The Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (the beginning of the waning of the Light) and the Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere (the return of the Light.) In celebration of this special day, I headed down to the Bay, Bellingham Bay. A good sunrise service was considered but I missed sunrise by nearly 2 hours. Did I mention that this is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the sun comes up quite early in my day? So, I missed a good sunrise celebration of this amazing, in fact, miraculous day. But this did not stop me. So I prayed for our world, our planet, our amazing third rock from our sun. And, Guidance said, “there is no need to pray for the world, for it is perfect.” I prayed for humanity and for peace and for consciousness. And, Guidance said, “there is no need to pray for humanity for humanity is perfect. Consciousness takes care of itself. And, peace is so overrated.” I was beginning to get an idea that Guidance was messing with me. But, Guidance said, “live in Allowance. Find Acceptance. Know Equanimity. Be most fully Present. Be the Light of Unconditional Love. Everything is Perfect just the way it is.” I argued that our world and our humanity could be so much better. Guidance called that a Judgement. Guidance said the Wisdom and growth in Consciousness comes from human struggles and we would get too fat and lazy if the the World was too easy, safe, peaceful, and filled with Divine Wisdom manifesting in every human scenario. I did not argue. I did not fight with the reality of the never ending struggle of humanity to find true humanity. After all, we are only human and as humans, we are trapped in our three dimensional limitations.

So, Just Say Thank You! Thank you to the Blessing which is our lives and our struggles which are all, clearly, perfect and the way they are for a reason…???!!! Divine Reason!!!??? We are all here to learn from our human experience and to test the Divine Wisdom we are learning or the Wisdom we are remembering. We signed up for the “adventure travel” to this primitive human consciousness experience. In some ways, your human incarnation is like going back to a simpler more primitive time to re-discover your roots. To attempt “survival living” as a way to know the beauty and elegance, the refined Grace, of the higher realms. Like going away to Summer camp and hanging out with the dirt, and the campfires, and the mosquitos, and crappy camp food just so we could appreciate our families and “civilization” when our Summer camp ended and we got to go “back home….” We will remember the adventures through life and gain perspective from everything we stumble across along the way. We could just sit at home, in the dark, and choose not to participate but life would still come knocking even if we were lazy at our Summer Camp called human life.
AND
Yes, we all get to go back home with a human adventure to offer us perspective.

AND, if you do not like the way your human life is going, and think you could be more, You have a choice. Yes, You can be responsible for your life’s direction AND You can change it! You still have the Love of the Divine Spirit and all the lessons you came into this life to experience… so, love and appreciate the Miracle of Life. (It is perfect in its imperfections…)

BTW, I shared a draft of this blog with my friend and mentor, Paula Forget, author of the amazing book, “Guided to the Higher Realms: A Personal Journey of Ascension through Meditation.”
Her response was: “Loved it!

Charles (her mentor and meditation teacher) used to say that we are not here to save the world. We are here to have a relationship with God.

And I (Paula) add… ‘to have fun.’ That is the first thing they will ask you when you get to heaven, ‘Did you have fun’, in the words of Mickey (Michael) Singer (author of “The Untethered Soul” and “The Surrender Experiment”, business man, and amazing meditator.)”