"Disneyland: The HAPPIEST place on earth"...

We've all heard it before right? Well, at least those of us who haven't been living under a rock our entire life. And to be fair, our first day/night was indeed pretty happy (with a few exceptions) nonetheless, if you ask me--and I'll pretend you did--it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that there's a tidbit missing to this claim (i.e.) a 'disclaimer' if you will, which, IF they were being totally honest with us, might go something like this:


"Disneyland, the HAPPIEST place on earth WHEN YOU ARE:


-RESTED


-IN A GOOD MOOD & w/o children (i.e. those young lovebirds we love to love and hate all at the same time who can be standing in an hour-long line lost in each other's eyes and arms entirely oblivious to everything and everyone around them, though we can't seem to stop watching them, even casually as we try to pretend we don't notice and aren't burning with envy....wait, what!? Did I just say all that?


-OR WITH children who are (in addition to ourselves) also well-rested, in a good mood, and ding-ding-ding WELL behaved-why!? Because they're just so dang HAPPY!


-WHEN THE PARK ISN'T jam packed with lines for every ride and amusement up the wazoo.


-WHEN just a few of the rides/amusements you planned on enjoying aren't "temporarily shut down" with no explanation. Gosh darn it! I really wanted to fly with my main man Pan!


-WHEN "THEE GREATEST fireworks show on the face of the earth" ISN'T cancelled at the VERY last minute after ten minutes of --needlessly--teasing announcements. No other explanation than "high altitude winds" (hardly windy at all) and you get some lousy two minute castle light show instead that barely scratches the edge of that ten foot pole to the real deal.


-WHEN you don't have to find out too late that the "hour early park access" with your "all-inclusive package" is the day before and the day after the 'actual' day you thought it was, as you find out only after you hustled your little ones out the hotel room just to beat the crowd to the rides, which, as it turns out after all, still don't actually open until 10 am (park time) so although you've made it through the doors an hour earlier (though we didn't) there's a good chance you'll still have to wait in line because, yeah, those other ‘early-access’ customers who were 'smarter' than you and practically camped outside the doors at 5am still beat you....


(And finally)


-WHEN you are not forced to leave half a day early due to feeling sick from the overload of sugar, fried food, artificial colors and preservatives you've just allowed yourselves and children to pump down all your throats "just because" you are at the once-in-a-lifetime, once-in-a-year...or however often you go "HAPPIEST" place on earth and it somehow just 'seems' like the "right/cool parent" thing to do.... hmmm??? Scratching our heads now at that line of thinking.


-WHICH of course then brings us full circle back to the 'NOT-so-well behaved' kids and Disneyland's NOT-so-forthright claim about it being the-uhhuh-"happiest place on earth." And there ya have it folks! A TRUE disclaimer! Then again, can you really blame Disney for all of these things? Maybe. Maybe not. Suppose that's just a matter of perspective. However, if WE are being truly honest with ourselves, we have to take at least some of the blame right?


We’ll own it. 'Parental mishaps' if you will. So yeah, daddy almost lost his lid trying to manhandle his out-of-control (almost) three year old yesterday, who was clearly not accustomed to the highs and lows of sugar crashes brought on by the slushies and (undiluted) juice boxes which (OUR BAD) we allowed her to have one too many of, on TOP of the ‘all-you-can-eat’ breakfast lounge food where she went straight for the chocolate chip muffins. So, ultimately we decided we'd either start pulling out our own hair OR just pull the plug on a 'FULL' second day altogether. We chose the latter, although by then we had had our TRUE fill of the “happiest” place anyway.


At the very least it served a valuable lesson for us as parents reinforcing exactly why we stick to organic and healthy foods, early bed times, and strongly limit the amounts of sugar, artificial food coloring, and preservatives in our home. AND needless to say, 'the next time' we find ourselves at Disneyland I think we'll be thinking twice about all that junk in our systems and ESPECIALLY theirs.  


BUT, since I'm an 'end on a high note' kinda girl, I would much rather reflect on the highs rather than the very few lows as they were (with the exception of the fireworks being cancelled) and the first day/night was just about as MAGICAL and "HAPPY" as it gets!!! The girls were in great moods! Hannah didn't stuff her face with nearly as much sugar as she had yesterday, and it is INSANE what a difference that makes in a child’s behavior.


The "all inclusive" package we got included a continually stocked fridge and fresh food, coffee, hot cocoa, movies for check out (OH YEAH we watched Peter Pan before our dinner at Goofy's Kitchen), beer, wine, and champagne/mimosas (which made for two easy going, “happy” parents) in a lounge that overlooks the entire park. And YES we ABSOLUTELY took advantage of that! This (hands down) was the best part for us about the all-inclusive. We spent much less on food than we would've and had the options of healthy snacks like fruit and veggies.


And don't even get me started about the look on Hannah's face when she saw Minnie Mouse for the first time...my heart practically exploded it was SO sweet! And by every sense of the word MAGICAL. Truly priceless! It happened as we had JUST arrived and were checking in at the hotel. We spotted her in the lobby and of course this mama made a bee line for her. Later on, only after I realized what a blessing this was (those characters can be TOUGH to catch and the lines are so long to meet them) that I was definitely thanking God for it!


Minnie Mouse was as SWEET as pie and Hannah was GLOWING in her presence. We also bumped into Goofy and Pluto, and if the pictures don't say a thousand words alone, I'll just say that for Adelynn, the meeting was a little less than magical. Haha! But who can blame her!? Those massive sized, weird looking, NON- human things. I mean really!? What baby wouldn't be spooked?


And just to be clear, we're definitely not trying to take home "parents of the year award" for this trip. What type of parents you ask? Us! Yes, we take our children (that young) on the super realistic rides like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ or the freaky ‘Sleeping Beauty's castle’ with the witches shadow howling at you toward the end (even too much for Hannah to take) and the creepy-ish Pinocchio ride where Adelynn was gripping the rail for dear life and shaking the whole time. Poor baby! Of course I held her close and made happy sounds and voices all throughout the rides so they'd both know there was nothing to really be afraid of. "It's all pretend" as we tell them. Though you can’t quite expect them to believe you on that!


Goofy's kitchen for dinner was a BLAST where Hannah got to see her favorite gal all over again and meet a few more characters. And the food/buffet REALLY surprised us. Everything was SO good--less junk food and for that we were very happy! After dinner we threw on some sweaters and pants and went back out, deciding we would've rather been in the mix for the fireworks than in the lounge, didn't realize the mistake in it until the announcement was made that the fireworks were cancelled.


Nonetheless, the parade was SO much fun to watch from our viewpoint, and with the all- inclusive wine, beer, even the shots of tequila at the round bar on our way back in that we had thoroughly enjoyed at that point, had left us feeling SUPER relaxed and happy even in the midst of the disappointment surrounding the fireworks. Yes! The best part about staying at the actual hotel is not having to drive, and ya better believe we are those (smart) parents (kids or no kids) who we were gonna take advantage of that. Ha! The girls were nice and tuckered out in the double Bob stroller we scored off Craigslist a few days ago and we were all happy campers after a fun-filled day and full-bellies.


So, mind you even though the sleep was rough (Ad woke up quite a bit) and naps were inconsistent, that disclaimer in the beginning really only applied to a small portion of our trip (yesterday) after Toontown and a few rides, but at that point, our full day/night felt like a week already so we weren't too reluctant to head home early anyway. And yesterday’s silver lining, just before high tailing it out of there after a late lunch at the ESPN Zone, was FINALLY getting to meet Daisy--who plays a close fiddle to Minnie Mouse for our little miss Banana. In fact, we were shut down twice by Daisy's security as it was time for her to leave and Hannah had been DYING to meet and hug her ever since she met Minnie. And just before heading out, we used our free photo coupon with our package to get the Daisy picture.


Also included in our package were two black and white pics with autographs from a bunch of the characters and of course these will be framed in Hannah's room alongside Minnie and Daisy. Overall, and of course--MINUS--the mistake of too much sugar on day two, we'd do it all over again! And in fact we will....IN A YEAR! We decided that for us (personally) keeping the magic alive in it would require no more than that. And as the girls get older it will only get easier and MORE fun! Even if we had to pull the plug yesterday and didn't get to see the Anna & Elsa Singalong (like we planned) among a few other amusements, we realize that there's truly no rush. The new motto is: "THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR!"


We realized that we'd much rather take our time and really enjoy the sights and thrills and all the simple moments than to be rushing to get from point A to B and hit up every single ride/amusement. Disneyland is Disneyland and even if all we got to do was tea cups and the carousel (Hannah's two favorite things) that would've been enough for this trip. We knew it would be a gamble taking the girls this young, but we had a GREAT time and we are so fortunate…BLESSED to be able to afford and enjoy mini trips like this. We got home earlier than expected yesterday but got to really reflect and enjoy the fresh memories of it all as we scrolled through all the thousand-and-one pictures we took and sipped on Pho as we talked about how much fun we had.


Last night as we said our bedtime prayers, I asked Hannah what she was most thankful for about Disneyland and this was what I got: "I meet Minnie Mouse and she give me hugs and kisses". Of course my heart leaped all over again. That was enough for her. And that will always be in my memory as my very favorite moment of this first trip to Disneyland. The magic was and still is alive in her eyes as she remembers it.


Truly priceless....Truly Blessed.

home in the presence of soulsisters...

Can someone tell me the day...or the month we are in!? Is it Christmas yet?? I mean I did witness the first Christmas Commercial last night on TV (K Mart ‘layaway’) ...HOLY COW!!! And yes, I still call that cow 'holy' when it's warranted. Ha!

I cannot believe how the months fly by. September is pushing an end and I can hardly remember when it started. Scratch that. I CAN'T remember at all. I mean, 'Captain Obvious' would probably tell me "the first of the month" is when it started, yet that still doesn't explain how it feels like forever ago and yesterday all at the same time.

These last two weeks alone have felt like a marathon. From welcoming  "Mimi" in to town who flew in from Oregon to help out with the FABULOUS princess party celebrating the life of our (now) ONE year old second baby girl (I'm still pinching myself over that one)....TO a 'San Diego Staycation' with one clan--the sophomore year of high school & beyond clan--TO a birthday brunch for a near and dear soul sister with the next (clan)---the "barely out of high school" 'Claim Jumper Kitten Clan'. I was just 18 when I started there.

And not to forget my sister's birthday on Sunday, whom I only WISH I could've been showering with birthday kisses in Austin, TX. Yes, that big sister/eternal soulmate of mine. The woman who has--hands down--MOST influenced my childhood, preteen, teen, AND adult years...the woman I can honestly say I don't know who I'd be without. She IS every last piece of my heart and soul. At the very least we got to FaceTime after her big, kid-friendly party, trying to fight the tears ('semi' successful on MY end, not so much hers) the minute we said "hello".

And after all the shenanigans from this last weekend, especially being away from my husband and babies for the night, I had the time to unwind and reflect on Sunday evening as I held those two little peanuts VERY close, just breathing them in with all ferocity. We were all smiles and giggles to be together again. Or did they even realize I was gone in the first place?

But, let me backtrack to say just 'why' this felt as incredible as it did...I mean it was 'just' one night away right!? But that's the crazy thing about motherhood, especially at this stage. You can't help but feel like "oh my god, they NEED me!!!" (or is it really the other way around?) ....Even when your mind-brain (i.e. logic) tells you, "they are doing just fine with their daddy, it's good for you to have your friend time", when that anxiety strikes, it strikes! And it's NO fun!

Of course I also tell myself that the stream of separation anxiety attacks I had that night 'probably' had something to do with drinking alcohol all day at the pool with the girls....TRULY considering giving it up for the next TEN years, good grief! ha! Very rarely do I give myself the “Ok pass” to drink all day. And yes, it most likely played a pivotal role in the onset of that separation anxiety. "Alcohol = depressant" ...you know this Naomi.

I imagine this is but one reason why one important aspect of becoming a true (by definition) "Yogi" is becoming a renunciate of alcohol. I'll get there eventually I'm sure...possibly...maybe…maybe not, ha!

Buuuuut then I thought about it and remembered the last time I did an overnight with friends in Wine Country. I didn't drink nearly as much and had deliberately stopped drinking early enough to feel great by the time I went to sleep just so I'd be in tip-top shape to pick up my babes from Nanna's the next morning....Still, I couldn't sleep at all that night just thinking about them and had the same thing happen. My heart hurt. My breathing was shallow. I was anxious and felt the itch to get them just an hour into trying to fall asleep. And needless to say, like this past Saturday I hadn't slept but a wink and was up and out the door at the crack of dawn!

So of course, after this weekend I realize that it may just be the way I'm 'wired' as a mama. I realize how hard it truly is for me to be apart from them...especially when I don't have David with me (as I have on our mini getaways). I suppose a good test would be to drink nothing BUT water on the next overnight away from them and see if I'm still experiencing separation anxiety.

Nonetheless, and until then... I do know it's SO healthy to maintain the friendships/soul-sisterhoods that I've shared all these years with these incredible women and our "staycation" was no exception. We piled up and drove the 'whole' 30 minutes to Solamar Hotel in San Diego, just cruisin' along as we chattered-boxed it up the entire away. And here it was that I first felt the simplest of joys just being in the presence of a tribe I have had for 16 years. Long time right!?

There's an energy in this group like none other and I love it. We are 31 years old and when we get together, we may as well be 15 again--totally sober or 'tipsy' on wine, Bloody Mary(s) or champagne--it really makes no difference. It's an energy and connection that we all feel deeply. Not to mention the personalities in the group are so big and full of life, that every event tends to be over-the-top, pure, blissful FUN together.

From the 'occasional' (we'll just say) "less than wholesome" jokes to the cannon balls and large floating rafts in an itsy bitsy pool, which was probably the one and only bummer about that hotel, to piling up in a 'laugh-out-loud-bubble bath' afterwords....it's like we turn into children every time we are together again and it just feels so good....like a piece of home. Yes, home with my soul-sisters. We are that comfortable with each other. We are history for each other and we always have each other's best interest at heart when giving advice. All of them are home to me. Including the other clan and those singled out soul sisters (oh, just a 'few' more as well) who are as much a part of some other invisible soulful tribe of mine as the rest.

I recently read a great friend's blog about friendships v. acquaintance(ships) and can say that I agreed with all but a portion of it...it is possible to have more than a handful of true close friends. It may get really busy keeping up with everyone....nonetheless, it's possible. I would know, ha!

And I truly count it a blessing to be surrounded by so many INCREDIBLE women in my life for all these years. Especially lately as I have been increasingly finding the courage to speak up to my family and social media in "coming out of the closet" so to speak, with things I do and don't believe in my Spirituality.

As one of these dear, sweet friends had texted to me on Monday with regard to our conversation on the way up to the hotel that weekend, that she admired the courage, even seeing how it has welcomed criticism in my life. Which I admit I have fully felt at times in addition to the genuine concern of family members. Obviously I know that if I put myself out there and share these things, I have to expect it, so I can't be too upset about it. This, of course, is another story. But it does breaks my heart to know that some have thought I’ve been too open and others have even cried over some of the things I have shared, be it in a FB post or a personal blog post.

"Why"? I ask myself.

I mean, I do understand that it is extremely difficult for some individuals to understand how another person, deeply grounded in a particular religion/doctrinal belief their entire life could "walk away from the truth" (that is from their own perspective) and for that I can fully and sincerely sympathize....

Nonetheless, I can only wish those tears were reserved for those people in this world who have never been told that they are a child of God; that God loves them wholeheartedly and unconditionally.

These are all things I know to the core of my Soul and Being, so why shed tears for me? And even if I understand Jesus's teachings in 'somewhat' of a different light now, I have not stopped praying TO Him and in the power OF his Name. Why would I? I LOVE Him with all that I am and I teach my girls the same. My heart melts every time to hear Hannah say (with her eyes closed and hands clasped tight) "In ‘Geesh-us’ name, AaaaaaaaaaaaMEN"

We are a Jesus-loving family, period.

I am thankful for his teachings. I am (in my own right) what I would call "a disciple of Jesus Christ" just as anyone else who believes in him might be, but I am not a disciple of 'dogma' namely those tenets of doctrine like 'eternal torment in hell' that comprise a very small (nonetheless crucial) portion of the Bible as "THEE Inherent Word of God".

No, 'that' I am not a disciple of. Nor am I accusing anyone else of being that, I just feel that as long as we believe that we may suffer eternally in hell for not believing something as the "Absolute Truth" then (seems to me) it may be difficult to experience the PERFECT Love of God, where it: "casts out fear as fear has to do with punishment" 1 John 4:18. Now the passage goes on to say that "we love him because he first loved us" and this is true. But how often has promise or even 'subtle' warning/threat of eternal separation from God been at the foundation of the message? I personally see, not only Christianity but ANY religion that promises people eternal separation from their own Creator if they don't do "x,y,z" or "accept/believe" "this" or "that" as being part of the division I am talking of.

I don't believe this portion of Scripture is remotely authentic to the true original message in the Bible or any other religious manifesto. Power and politics in the merging of church and state, I believe, wholeheartedly and intuitively via conviction and logic, has had more to do with the muddling of Jesus' teachings than anything else.

If I serve a God who would cast me into eternal darkness and torment me on some contingency of my faith, then how am I free and perfected in Love for that same 'Un-conditionally Loving' Creator? Yet, the Bible also says that every Spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, be of the Spirit and those that deny his existence are not. So, I ask those who have expressed concern for me, have you heard me even once deny the power and existence of Jesus Christ?

Yes, I will always believe he was a real person. IS real! IS ALIVE today. Fully God, then fully human AND God and then fully God once more (as this aspect of my beliefs have never changed) But Jesus did not claim himself to be the 'only' son of God/Savior of the world when being accused of blasphemy:

John 10:33

"We are not stoning you for any good work," they replied, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

John 10:34

"Jesus answered them: "is it not written in your Law, I have said you are gods?"

Psalm 82:6

"I said you are Gods. You are all sons of the Most High" (emphasis added)

Very well then, if we are ALL sons and daughters of God among all the various religions in the world and non-'religious' (per se) individuals who have nothing but LOVE for God and their neighbor as the Bible lays out with regard to "doing the will of God" (love being the requirement), then how might I be expected to actually believe that something wasn't 'missed' in translation (if not directly put there) of this pivotal distinction in the message of the Christian Faith--pertaining to eternal hell for the 'unbeliever'.

I can only (again) reiterate to anyone who has truly worried about me and my beliefs regarding what changed my mind about the Bible (as it stands) being "without flaw" and the "absolute" Truth and "Inherent Word of God", well, that's the short answer. And, I would direct you to this history paper I shared a while back (on a different blog) specifically on this tenet of the Christian faith and when 'eternal torment' was first highlighted by the church and appeared in writing.

Simply put, I agree with the writer of this paper. I believe that the majority of Biblical Scripture falls in line with Universal Reconciliation (among the various Christian theologies) as in--ALL are "saved" in the end, also established by the widely regarded 'Jesus Seminar'; a group of Scholars from all walks of life around the world who come together and study the Scriptures. If you ‘really’ want to know where it all first started for me, then I encourage you to read this paper from such a historical perspective.

Perhaps then you may sympathize with me as to the 'how' and 'why' (even before the several years of venturing into study when I first discovered this paper) that I had felt the conviction that there was something FATALLY flawed with what had been handed down to me as the "Absolute" Word of God in its (key word) "entirety" ...

Simply put, I cannot fathom how an omnipotent, omniscient, all FORESEEING, all foreknowing, all LOVING and MERCIFUL God could play some sort of favoritism game in Creation, knowing that a large majority of the souls He/She created out of LOVE would be given physical life only to suffer eternity in torment....where is the logic in that kind of Love? Is 'that' true Agape Love at all? Even for Jesus who taught 'forgiveness' as the very essence of Love--If this was made the human standard, then how might it not be God's---EVEN into eternity?

I wouldn't put my children in timeout FOR-EVER because they didn't accept some tenet of my "Absolute" Truth...ESPECIALLY if their lives were 100% a reflection of Love for others and God, no matter what theology or world religion they adhered to. This is where I solemnly swear that I believe that religion in and of itself is not a bad thing at all, but indeed becomes dangerous and divisive when used as a tool to create an "us" versus the "rest of the world" mentality. I challenge every sincere Christian reading these words to say out loud:

"I believe that if an individual does not accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and the ONLY Son of God, they DESERVE to spend eternity in torment"

How does it feel to say this out loud? How might Jesus feel to hear us say this? I have a hard time believing that the people who profess this “truth” can make much sense of it either. When I say this out loud, I tend to want to laugh at myself as it sounds utterly ridiculous.

But if we are forced to accept ALL of scripture as being THEE spoken Word of God because our FIXED IN A BOX doctrinal beliefs leave no room to challenge the authenticity of specific portions Scripture...well then we are simply forced to "accept it" even IF it makes no sense.

I'm not trying to be condescending (I promise that), more than to say that if the God we are serving does not have "Wrath" that is founded and grounded ON/IN Agape Love, which does not end until its purpose is served--the question may be posed:

"What purpose would it serve God to watch any one of his created "sons" suffer eternally in hell?" ...Back to the favoritism game in the beginnings of Creation I suppose?

Doesn't it make more 'logical' sense (given the nature of Love) like the fathers of EARLY Christianity believed and taught (Origin for example) that God is ALL loving and therefore 'hell' is remedial and for the purpose of Spiritual purification and sanctification (e.g. "The Refiners Fire") NOT endless, eternal torment.

They also believed and taught the preexistence of the soul and that we are all like the prodigal Son whom--through a series of previous and future soul incarnations, will inevitably return to the wholeness of God. Yet, when 'reincarnation' became deemed "heresy" by the Church, and people were literally crucified in the same manner as Jesus and put to death for speaking of it, this aspect of early Christian teaching was also lost in the span of time.

But is it any wonder why SO many (namely CHILDREN ) over the last two decades have had remarkable experiences with past life memories. The book "Life Before Life" by Jim Tucker M.D. brought public awareness, among MANY other published books addressing the same, to the thousands of those childhood cases.

I'd go out on a limb to say that I believe even the most CONSERVATIVE Christian, by the end of this very scientifically-based book (in its collecting of data) examining reincarnation, may be forced to at least 'acknowledge' the possibility. And once we've been able to do that, what can we make of "eternal torment" then?

Back to the conversation---

I'll say that I understood God's Love even greater when becoming a parent myself. Similarly in the way an earthly parent would temporarily discipline their child for the sake of that same righteous Love and commitment to their Spiritual growth and character development, why might we not understand God's Love in a similar, yet even GREATER Light? Why are we so bent on insisting that just a 'few of us' are "chosen" while 90% of the rest of the world will have to suffer for all of eternity? If being a "true" Christian means I must believe that, then I gracefully surrender that title.

I wholly believe that we are all (regardless of 'how' we practice a relationship with our Creator or not) on a path back to full Godhead with Him. However most Bible translations became translated to read literally the way they do, with regard to eternal separation from God, I cannot settle on it in my personal conviction of the matter. God is too Loving. And obviously all Christians can't settle on it either, or we'd be unified in our theology.

I do know that the highly praised 'literal' translation by Robert Young never once translates "eternal" in such a way with regard to hell. Not to mention that the first English Bible (King James Version) was taken from the Latin Catholic Vulgate, not the original writings themselves—which makes it a translation OF a translation.

So again, I ask with sincerity to those Christians concerned about my beliefs, what kind of God are we serving if the God in our hearts has the capability, much more, the 'actual plan in the works' of casting out (eternally) such a large number of souls to suffer endless torment for all of time?

And furthermore, has this belief in and of itself NOT been the cause/ "warranting" of division in the world including those countless wars and bloodshed, ALL in the "Name of God" ALL throughout history....even still as we see today?

Some have also expressed concern over my eagerness and interest/practice of ‘yoga’ and "Self-Realization" to which I can only say that 'Yoga' literally means 'Union' with the Divine and the only difference between Self-realization and 'non' Self-Realization is consciously recognizing the 'Self' as a child of God/ the 'Divinity within'/ 'Spark' of God himself etc.--there are many ways of describing it.

A 'non' self-realized individual is no 'less' a child of The Most High than myself, but has only 'yet' to 'consciously' make the distinction in realizing it and then consciously operating as a reflection of it. To say "Namaste" to someone is comparable to the Christians version of "blessing" another in the name of Jesus. Namaste is a blessing: "I respect the Divinity within you" and it is as much a part of the Self-Realization process as anything else in understanding our connectedness and union with one another IN God/Jesus and ALL the Saintly Masters and Divine Incarnations/'Saviors' among the various world religions, as 'within' ourself (e.g "the kingdom of heaven") and the Conscious Awareness that we ARE in our truest form, Spiritual Beings.

Yoga--in and of itself--UNIFIES people regardless of their religious beliefs or creeds, in a way that few other things I have ever experienced have done. And "Christ Consciousness"/ "Christ Mind" as the Bible puts it, that we are instructed to "put on" in aligning ourselves with our Spiritual Origins/ birthright as "gods" ---that lighted portion within us AS we are here in physical bodies in the 'World' of form and created matter is what I wholeheartedly believe Jesus taught (especially in his "Secret teachings" to the Disciples).

The Christ Consciousness/ The "I AM Presence" ....That portion within us (no matter what our religious beliefs are) places each of us on that journey to FULLY recognize it and unite with (e.g. 'Yoga'-with) it....this is what we are all here doing, piece by piece 'pulling apart the darkness' in finding the Light, Love, and common ground of ALL Spiritual Beliefs.

And for those who struggle and even end up in a dark 'self-judgement' state, Jesus absolutely has all power and authority to save those souls even out of the depths of "hell". He acted on behalf of this world with his life and message and prayed "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" for goodness sakes! He knew that people were ignorant to their Spiritual Core of existence...trapped in a Created world of form, matter, and EGO above all else.

But he also told us "all these things I do, you will do and greater" and I believe him at that! I wouldn't imagine that He was trying to tell us we are totally 'void' of those same Supernatural powers or that He alone possess the ability to perform such works by the Authorship of God The Father...no, He said ALL these things you will do.

So then, the conclusion could be drawn that whether we experience the FULL union with God in this incarnation or it takes seven more, at some point in time we might ALL be able to see the manifestation of this prophetic word in our own souls/ “I AM Presences”, which fell off his own lips over 2,000 years ago.

Perhaps with His Divine Eyes, "time" was removed as He could see each one of us in such glorious perfection in some "future", completed state. Surely will we not need to be casting out demons, raising people from the dead, healing the blind and lame while we're in 'heaven' where there are no more tears and all such suffering has passed away? I know I have yet to lay hands on anyone and "do these things" as he has, but I would like to believe that he wasn't lying when he said I WOULD do it, by that same power within Him that He had/has full authority to grant.

I see His message as also being one of "Yoga" or "Union"/Relationship with and IN the One Creator of all things and ALL life...the same message he and many others taught--ONENESS with God in order to spare ourselves from the harshest forms of SELF-judgment (darkness or "hell") all together.

If we end up in darkness on the "day of judgement" I believe it is because we needed to be there in order to forgive ourselves (as God already has) recognize, and return TO His Light; the Light of who we really are (once again)--Children of The Most High MADE TO LIVE eternally and LOVE completely in Holy Union with Him and everything else as ‘part and parcel’ OF Him.

For many souls, that 'may' require calling out to Jesus to save them, should they find themselves in such states of 'temporary' darkness in their existence either here on earth or in the afterlife. Indeed He is a Savior but, an exclusivist? No, I don’t believe so.

Yoga is a beautiful practice not only for health, physical agility, and strength but especially in Spirituality as its message is the furthest from 'exclusivity' (to reiterate) and ALL inclusive of ALL religions and all walks of life whom may benefit from the practice, if nothing else, for scientifically-proven health reasons alone. Mantras and chants can be tailored to whatever your personal vision of God looks like.

Yoga teaches our connectedness with our Spirit & LIFE in general, with God being all-permeating and all-encompassing of that existence within us and all around us in Creation…yoga teaches, much as Jesus Christ did, discovering the Perfect Peace within us that passes all understanding and leads to Joy even through the storms of life.That Perfect Peace IS The Lord of All Creation, to which everything has come, and to which everything will return.

Yoga teaches us to go slow. To pay attention to Creation and in that subtle awareness to discover the majestic, glory of God's Love. To feel that Presence within us and know that this is God's Love for us. Yoga also teaches us to be selfless. To "lay down our lives for one another" (a similar message Jesus taught as we know) and to treat everyone and everything as our 'brother' or 'sister', to Love as we have been shown Love by the Lord of All; The Most High.

For those individuals in my life who may consider this practice "evil" or "dark" or like "playing with fire" I have to beg the question whether or not they have a 'true' understanding of what Yoga is really all about. We are only as open to new Spiritual insights as we are willing to be. If we fear something, we may want to ask ourselves honestly and introspectively 'why' we fear it. And if we would rather stay in our fixed beliefs, that’s fine too, so long as they are not harming anyone.

Bringing this back full circle to my weekend with my soul-sisters and all those beautiful connections I share with these women, we tend to be very likeminded in our Spiritualties and understanding of the ultimate Nature God's Love and desires for us. And for this reason, I am SO beyond thankful. I am thankful that my big sister and even some of my closest family members also share such similar insights and understandings of eternal life. It is what makes those connections even deeper and more meaningful in many aspects.

They build me up with compassionate and encouraging, heartfelt words. They help me remember exactly why I choose to stand up and speak out on those things I do. They support me no matter 'what' I believe. They encourage me and love me unconditionally.

Obviously these are aspects of EVERY relationship in my life (i.e. mutual unconditional love) but with some over others, spiritually uplifting conversations just tend to be 'easier' and more natural all together as we all know the saying: “Like minds think alike”. And for that, I am deeply grateful to God for those specific individuals. But I also count the blessing of those in my life whose views are most opposite mine. Life and Spiritual growth, I believe, are all about this---learning how to LOVE and find unity even amongst our greatest, most deeply embedded differences in our beliefs.

Thank you to everyone; literally EVERYONE past, present, and future, who has and will be a part of this Spiritual journey of mine. I love each and every one of you unconditionally and eternally....This world is not such a bad place. Yes, there is darkness and tragedy yet to be overcome by The Light, but there is also BEAUTY beyond belief.

The more we focus on treating everything and everyone on this Earth with the Love within us, the less we will care about what others believe or don't believe. We will begin to see how equally Loved each of us are by the same God and that (I can only hope) in time will be all we are talking about...

Love, Blessings in Jesus Christ, & Namaste,
Naomi

home in the presence of soulsisters...

Can someone tell me the day...or the month we are in!? Is it Christmas yet?? I mean I did witness the first Christmas Commercial last night on TV (K Mart ‘layaway’) ...HOLY COW!!! And yes, I still call that cow 'holy' when it's warranted. Ha!

I cannot believe how the months fly by. September is pushing an end and I can hardly remember when it started. Scratch that. I CAN'T remember at all. I mean, 'Captain Obvious' would probably tell me "the first of the month" is when it started, yet that still doesn't explain how it feels like forever ago and yesterday all at the same time.

These last two weeks alone have felt like a marathon. From welcoming  "Mimi" in to town who flew in from Oregon to help out with the FABULOUS princess party celebrating the life of our (now) ONE year old second baby girl (I'm still pinching myself over that one)....TO a 'San Diego Staycation' with one clan--the sophomore year of high school & beyond clan--TO a birthday brunch for a near and dear soul sister with the next (clan)---the "barely out of high school" 'Claim Jumper Kitten Clan'. I was just 18 when I started there.

And not to forget my sister's birthday on Sunday, whom I only WISH I could've been showering with birthday kisses in Austin, TX. Yes, that big sister/eternal soulmate of mine. The woman who has--hands down--MOST influenced my childhood, preteen, teen, AND adult years...the woman I can honestly say I don't know who I'd be without. She IS every last piece of my heart and soul. At the very least we got to FaceTime after her big, kid-friendly party, trying to fight the tears ('semi' successful on MY end, not so much hers) the minute we said "hello".

And after all the shenanigans from this last weekend, especially being away from my husband and babies for the night, I had the time to unwind and reflect on Sunday evening as I held those two little peanuts VERY close, just breathing them in with all ferocity. We were all smiles and giggles to be together again. Or did they even realize I was gone in the first place?

But, let me backtrack to say just 'why' this felt as incredible as it did...I mean it was 'just' one night away right!? But that's the crazy thing about motherhood, especially at this stage. You can't help but feel like "oh my god, they NEED me!!!" (or is it really the other way around?) ....Even when your mind-brain (i.e. logic) tells you, "they are doing just fine with their daddy, it's good for you to have your friend time", when that anxiety strikes, it strikes! And it's NO fun!

Of course I also tell myself that the stream of separation anxiety attacks I had that night 'probably' had something to do with drinking alcohol all day at the pool with the girls....TRULY considering giving it up for the next TEN years, good grief! ha! Very rarely do I give myself the “Ok pass” to drink all day. And yes, it most likely played a pivotal role in the onset of that separation anxiety. "Alcohol = depressant" ...you know this Naomi.

I imagine this is but one reason why one important aspect of becoming a true (by definition) "Yogi" is becoming a renunciate of alcohol. I'll get there eventually I'm sure...possibly...maybe…maybe not, ha!

Buuuuut then I thought about it and remembered the last time I did an overnight with friends in Wine Country. I didn't drink nearly as much and had deliberately stopped drinking early enough to feel great by the time I went to sleep just so I'd be in tip-top shape to pick up my babes from Nanna's the next morning....Still, I couldn't sleep at all that night just thinking about them and had the same thing happen. My heart hurt. My breathing was shallow. I was anxious and felt the itch to get them just an hour into trying to fall asleep. And needless to say, like this past Saturday I hadn't slept but a wink and was up and out the door at the crack of dawn!

So of course, after this weekend I realize that it may just be the way I'm 'wired' as a mama. I realize how hard it truly is for me to be apart from them...especially when I don't have David with me (as I have on our mini getaways). I suppose a good test would be to drink nothing BUT water on the next overnight away from them and see if I'm still experiencing separation anxiety.

Nonetheless, and until then... I do know it's SO healthy to maintain the friendships/soul-sisterhoods that I've shared all these years with these incredible women and our "staycation" was no exception. We piled up and drove the 'whole' 30 minutes to Solamar Hotel in San Diego, just cruisin' along as we chattered-boxed it up the entire away. And here it was that I first felt the simplest of joys just being in the presence of a tribe I have had for 16 years. Long time right!?

There's an energy in this group like none other and I love it. We are 31 years old and when we get together, we may as well be 15 again--totally sober or 'tipsy' on wine, Bloody Mary(s) or champagne--it really makes no difference. It's an energy and connection that we all feel deeply. Not to mention the personalities in the group are so big and full of life, that every event tends to be over-the-top, pure, blissful FUN together.

From the 'occasional' (we'll just say) "less than wholesome" jokes to the cannon balls and large floating rafts in an itsy bitsy pool, which was probably the one and only bummer about that hotel, to piling up in a 'laugh-out-loud-bubble bath' afterwords....it's like we turn into children every time we are together again and it just feels so good....like a piece of home. Yes, home with my soul-sisters. We are that comfortable with each other. We are history for each other and we always have each other's best interest at heart when giving advice. All of them are home to me. Including the other clan and those singled out soul sisters (oh, just a 'few' more as well) who are as much a part of some other invisible soulful tribe of mine as the rest.

I recently read a great friend's blog about friendships v. acquaintance(ships) and can say that I agreed with all but a portion of it...it is possible to have more than a handful of true close friends. It may get really busy keeping up with everyone....nonetheless, it's possible. I would know, ha!

And I truly count it a blessing to be surrounded by so many INCREDIBLE women in my life for all these years. Especially lately as I have been increasingly finding the courage to speak up to my family and social media in "coming out of the closet" so to speak, with things I do and don't believe in my Spirituality.

As one of these dear, sweet friends had texted to me on Monday with regard to our conversation on the way up to the hotel that weekend, that she admired the courage, even seeing how it has welcomed criticism in my life. Which I admit I have fully felt at times in addition to the genuine concern of family members. Obviously I know that if I put myself out there and share these things, I have to expect it, so I can't be too upset about it. This, of course, is another story. But it does breaks my heart to know that some have thought I’ve been too open and others have even cried over some of the things I have shared, be it in a FB post or a personal blog post.

"Why"? I ask myself.

I mean, I do understand that it is extremely difficult for some individuals to understand how another person, deeply grounded in a particular religion/doctrinal belief their entire life could "walk away from the truth" (that is from their own perspective) and for that I can fully and sincerely sympathize....

Nonetheless, I can only wish those tears were reserved for those people in this world who have never been told that they are a child of God; that God loves them wholeheartedly and unconditionally.

These are all things I know to the core of my Soul and Being, so why shed tears for me? And even if I understand Jesus's teachings in 'somewhat' of a different light now, I have not stopped praying TO Him and in the power OF his Name. Why would I? I LOVE Him with all that I am and I teach my girls the same. My heart melts every time to hear Hannah say (with her eyes closed and hands clasped tight) "In ‘Geesh-us’ name, AaaaaaaaaaaaMEN"

We are a Jesus-loving family, period.

I am thankful for his teachings. I am (in my own right) what I would call "a disciple of Jesus Christ" just as anyone else who believes in him might be, but I am not a disciple of 'dogma' namely those tenets of doctrine like 'eternal torment in hell' that comprise a very small (nonetheless crucial) portion of the Bible as "THEE Inherent Word of God".

No, 'that' I am not a disciple of. Nor am I accusing anyone else of being that, I just feel that as long as we believe that we may suffer eternally in hell for not believing something as the "Absolute Truth" then (seems to me) it may be difficult to experience the PERFECT Love of God, where it: "casts out fear as fear has to do with punishment" 1 John 4:18. Now the passage goes on to say that "we love him because he first loved us" and this is true. But how often has promise or even 'subtle' warning/threat of eternal separation from God been at the foundation of the message? I personally see, not only Christianity but ANY religion that promises people eternal separation from their own Creator if they don't do "x,y,z" or "accept/believe" "this" or "that" as being part of the division I am talking of.

I don't believe this portion of Scripture is remotely authentic to the true original message in the Bible or any other religious manifesto. Power and politics in the merging of church and state, I believe, wholeheartedly and intuitively via conviction and logic, has had more to do with the muddling of Jesus' teachings than anything else.

If I serve a God who would cast me into eternal darkness and torment me on some contingency of my faith, then how am I free and perfected in Love for that same 'Un-conditionally Loving' Creator? Yet, the Bible also says that every Spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, be of the Spirit and those that deny his existence are not. So, I ask those who have expressed concern for me, have you heard me even once deny the power and existence of Jesus Christ?

Yes, I will always believe he was a real person. IS real! IS ALIVE today. Fully God, then fully human AND God and then fully God once more (as this aspect of my beliefs have never changed) But Jesus did not claim himself to be the 'only' son of God/Savior of the world when being accused of blasphemy:

John 10:33

"We are not stoning you for any good work," they replied, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

John 10:34

"Jesus answered them: "is it not written in your Law, I have said you are gods?"

Psalm 82:6

"I said you are Gods. You are all sons of the Most High" (emphasis added)

Very well then, if we are ALL sons and daughters of God among all the various religions in the world and non-'religious' (per se) individuals who have nothing but LOVE for God and their neighbor as the Bible lays out with regard to "doing the will of God" (love being the requirement), then how might I be expected to actually believe that something wasn't 'missed' in translation (if not directly put there) of this pivotal distinction in the message of the Christian Faith--pertaining to eternal hell for the 'unbeliever'.

I can only (again) reiterate to anyone who has truly worried about me and my beliefs regarding what changed my mind about the Bible (as it stands) being "without flaw" and the "absolute" Truth and "Inherent Word of God", well, that's the short answer. And, I would direct you to this history paper I shared a while back (on a different blog) specifically on this tenet of the Christian faith and when 'eternal torment' was first highlighted by the church and appeared in writing. 

Simply put, I agree with the writer of this paper. I believe that the majority of Biblical Scripture falls in line with Universal Reconciliation (among the various Christian theologies) as in--ALL are "saved" in the end, also established by the widely regarded 'Jesus Seminar'; a group of Scholars from all walks of life around the world who come together and study the Scriptures. If you ‘really’ want to know where it all first started for me, then I encourage you to read this paper from such a historical perspective.

Perhaps then you may sympathize with me as to the 'how' and 'why' (even before the several years of venturing into study when I first discovered this paper) that I had felt the conviction that there was something FATALLY flawed with what had been handed down to me as the "Absolute" Word of God in its (key word) "entirety" ...

Simply put, I cannot fathom how an omnipotent, omniscient, all FORESEEING, all foreknowing, all LOVING and MERCIFUL God could play some sort of favoritism game in Creation, knowing that a large majority of the souls He/She created out of LOVE would be given physical life only to suffer eternity in torment....where is the logic in that kind of Love? Is 'that' true Agape Love at all? Even for Jesus who taught 'forgiveness' as the very essence of Love--If this was made the human standard, then how might it not be God's---EVEN into eternity?

I wouldn't put my children in timeout FOR-EVER because they didn't accept some tenet of my "Absolute" Truth...ESPECIALLY if their lives were 100% a reflection of Love for others and God, no matter what theology or world religion they adhered to. This is where I solemnly swear that I believe that religion in and of itself is not a bad thing at all, but indeed becomes dangerous and divisive when used as a tool to create an "us" versus the "rest of the world" mentality. I challenge every sincere Christian reading these words to say out loud:

"I believe that if an individual does not accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and the ONLY Son of God, they DESERVE to spend eternity in torment"

How does it feel to say this out loud? How might Jesus feel to hear us say this? I have a hard time believing that the people who profess this “truth” can make much sense of it either. When I say this out loud, I tend to want to laugh at myself as it sounds utterly ridiculous.

But if we are forced to accept ALL of scripture as being THEE spoken Word of God because our FIXED IN A BOX doctrinal beliefs leave no room to challenge the authenticity of specific portions Scripture...well then we are simply forced to "accept it" even IF it makes no sense.

I'm not trying to be condescending (I promise that), more than to say that if the God we are serving does not have "Wrath" that is founded and grounded ON/IN Agape Love, which does not end until its purpose is served--the question may be posed:

"What purpose would it serve God to watch any one of his created "sons" suffer eternally in hell?" ...Back to the favoritism game in the beginnings of Creation I suppose?

Doesn't it make more 'logical' sense (given the nature of Love) like the fathers of EARLY Christianity believed and taught (Origin for example) that God is ALL loving and therefore 'hell' is remedial and for the purpose of Spiritual purification and sanctification (e.g. "The Refiners Fire") NOT endless, eternal torment.

They also believed and taught the preexistence of the soul and that we are all like the prodigal Son whom--through a series of previous and future soul incarnations, will inevitably return to the wholeness of God. Yet, when 'reincarnation' became deemed "heresy" by the Church, and people were literally crucified in the same manner as Jesus and put to death for speaking of it, this aspect of early Christian teaching was also lost in the span of time.

But is it any wonder why SO many (namely CHILDREN ) over the last two decades have had remarkable experiences with past life memories. The book "Life Before Life" by Jim Tucker M.D. brought public awareness, among MANY other published books addressing the same, to the thousands of those childhood cases.

I'd go out on a limb to say that I believe even the most CONSERVATIVE Christian, by the end of this very scientifically-based book (in its collecting of data) examining reincarnation, may be forced to at least 'acknowledge' the possibility. And once we've been able to do that, what can we make of "eternal torment" then?

Back to the conversation---

I'll say that I understood God's Love even greater when becoming a parent myself. Similarly in the way an earthly parent would temporarily discipline their child for the sake of that same righteous Love and commitment to their Spiritual growth and character development, why might we not understand God's Love in a similar, yet even GREATER Light? Why are we so bent on insisting that just a 'few of us' are "chosen" while 90% of the rest of the world will have to suffer for all of eternity? If being a "true" Christian means I must believe that, then I gracefully surrender that title.

I wholly believe that we are all (regardless of 'how' we practice a relationship with our Creator or not) on a path back to full Godhead with Him. However most Bible translations became translated to read literally the way they do, with regard to eternal separation from God, I cannot settle on it in my personal conviction of the matter. God is too Loving. And obviously all Christians can't settle on it either, or we'd be unified in our theology.

I do know that the highly praised 'literal' translation by Robert Young never once translates "eternal" in such a way with regard to hell. Not to mention that the first English Bible (King James Version) was taken from the Latin Catholic Vulgate, not the original writings themselves—which makes it a translation OF a translation.

So again, I ask with sincerity to those Christians concerned about my beliefs, what kind of God are we serving if the God in our hearts has the capability, much more, the 'actual plan in the works' of casting out (eternally) such a large number of souls to suffer endless torment for all of time?

And furthermore, has this belief in and of itself NOT been the cause/ "warranting" of division in the world including those countless wars and bloodshed, ALL in the "Name of God" ALL throughout history....even still as we see today?

Some have also expressed concern over my eagerness and interest/practice of ‘yoga’ and "Self-Realization" to which I can only say that 'Yoga' literally means 'Union' with the Divine and the only difference between Self-realization and 'non' Self-Realization is consciously recognizing the 'Self' as a child of God/ the 'Divinity within'/ 'Spark' of God himself etc.--there are many ways of describing it.

A 'non' self-realized individual is no 'less' a child of The Most High than myself, but has only 'yet' to 'consciously' make the distinction in realizing it and then consciously operating as a reflection of it. To say "Namaste" to someone is comparable to the Christians version of "blessing" another in the name of Jesus. Namaste is a blessing: "I respect the Divinity within you" and it is as much a part of the Self-Realization process as anything else in understanding our connectedness and union with one another IN God/Jesus and ALL the Saintly Masters and Divine Incarnations/'Saviors' among the various world religions, as 'within' ourself (e.g "the kingdom of heaven") and the Conscious Awareness that we ARE in our truest form, Spiritual Beings.

Yoga--in and of itself--UNIFIES people regardless of their religious beliefs or creeds, in a way that few other things I have ever experienced have done. And "Christ Consciousness"/ "Christ Mind" as the Bible puts it, that we are instructed to "put on" in aligning ourselves with our Spiritual Origins/ birthright as "gods" ---that lighted portion within us AS we are here in physical bodies in the 'World' of form and created matter is what I wholeheartedly believe Jesus taught (especially in his "Secret teachings" to the Disciples).

The Christ Consciousness/ The "I AM Presence" ....That portion within us (no matter what our religious beliefs are) places each of us on that journey to FULLY recognize it and unite with (e.g. 'Yoga'-with) it....this is what we are all here doing, piece by piece 'pulling apart the darkness' in finding the Light, Love, and common ground of ALL Spiritual Beliefs.

And for those who struggle and even end up in a dark 'self-judgement' state, Jesus absolutely has all power and authority to save those souls even out of the depths of "hell". He acted on behalf of this world with his life and message and prayed "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" for goodness sakes! He knew that people were ignorant to their Spiritual Core of existence...trapped in a Created world of form, matter, and EGO above all else.

But he also told us "all these things I do, you will do and greater" and I believe him at that! I wouldn't imagine that He was trying to tell us we are totally 'void' of those same Supernatural powers or that He alone possess the ability to perform such works by the Authorship of God The Father...no, He said ALL these things you will do.

So then, the conclusion could be drawn that whether we experience the FULL union with God in this incarnation or it takes seven more, at some point in time we might ALL be able to see the manifestation of this prophetic word in our own souls/ “I AM Presences”, which fell off his own lips over 2,000 years ago.

Perhaps with His Divine Eyes, "time" was removed as He could see each one of us in such glorious perfection in some "future", completed state. Surely will we not need to be casting out demons, raising people from the dead, healing the blind and lame while we're in 'heaven' where there are no more tears and all such suffering has passed away? I know I have yet to lay hands on anyone and "do these things" as he has, but I would like to believe that he wasn't lying when he said I WOULD do it, by that same power within Him that He had/has full authority to grant.

I see His message as also being one of "Yoga" or "Union"/Relationship with and IN the One Creator of all things and ALL life...the same message he and many others taught--ONENESS with God in order to spare ourselves from the harshest forms of SELF-judgment (darkness or "hell") all together.

If we end up in darkness on the "day of judgement" I believe it is because we needed to be there in order to forgive ourselves (as God already has) recognize, and return TO His Light; the Light of who we really are (once again)--Children of The Most High MADE TO LIVE eternally and LOVE completely in Holy Union with Him and everything else as ‘part and parcel’ OF Him.

For many souls, that 'may' require calling out to Jesus to save them, should they find themselves in such states of 'temporary' darkness in their existence either here on earth or in the afterlife. Indeed He is a Savior but, an exclusivist? No, I don’t believe so.

Yoga is a beautiful practice not only for health, physical agility, and strength but especially in Spirituality as its message is the furthest from 'exclusivity' (to reiterate) and ALL inclusive of ALL religions and all walks of life whom may benefit from the practice, if nothing else, for scientifically-proven health reasons alone. Mantras and chants can be tailored to whatever your personal vision of God looks like.

Yoga teaches our connectedness with our Spirit & LIFE in general, with God being all-permeating and all-encompassing of that existence within us and all around us in Creation…yoga teaches, much as Jesus Christ did, discovering the Perfect Peace within us that passes all understanding and leads to Joy even through the storms of life.That Perfect Peace IS The Lord of All Creation, to which everything has come, and to which everything will return.

Yoga teaches us to go slow. To pay attention to Creation and in that subtle awareness to discover the majestic, glory of God's Love. To feel that Presence within us and know that this is God's Love for us. Yoga also teaches us to be selfless. To "lay down our lives for one another" (a similar message Jesus taught as we know) and to treat everyone and everything as our 'brother' or 'sister', to Love as we have been shown Love by the Lord of All; The Most High.

For those individuals in my life who may consider this practice "evil" or "dark" or like "playing with fire" I have to beg the question whether or not they have a 'true' understanding of what Yoga is really all about. We are only as open to new Spiritual insights as we are willing to be. If we fear something, we may want to ask ourselves honestly and introspectively 'why' we fear it. And if we would rather stay in our fixed beliefs, that’s fine too, so long as they are not harming anyone.

Bringing this back full circle to my weekend with my soul-sisters and all those beautiful connections I share with these women, we tend to be very likeminded in our Spiritualties and understanding of the ultimate Nature God's Love and desires for us. And for this reason, I am SO beyond thankful. I am thankful that my big sister and even some of my closest family members also share such similar insights and understandings of eternal life. It is what makes those connections even deeper and more meaningful in many aspects.

They build me up with compassionate and encouraging, heartfelt words. They help me remember exactly why I choose to stand up and speak out on those things I do. They support me no matter 'what' I believe. They encourage me and love me unconditionally.

Obviously these are aspects of EVERY relationship in my life (i.e. mutual unconditional love) but with some over others, spiritually uplifting conversations just tend to be 'easier' and more natural all together as we all know the saying: “Like minds think alike”. And for that, I am deeply grateful to God for those specific individuals. But I also count the blessing of those in my life whose views are most opposite mine. Life and Spiritual growth, I believe, are all about this---learning how to LOVE and find unity even amongst our greatest, most deeply embedded differences in our beliefs.

Thank you to everyone; literally EVERYONE past, present, and future, who has and will be a part of this Spiritual journey of mine. I love each and every one of you unconditionally and eternally....This world is not such a bad place. Yes, there is darkness and tragedy yet to be overcome by The Light, but there is also BEAUTY beyond belief.

The more we focus on treating everything and everyone on this Earth with the Love within us, the less we will care about what others believe or don't believe. We will begin to see how equally Loved each of us are by the same God and that (I can only hope) in time will be all we are talking about...

Love, Blessings in Jesus Christ, & Namaste,
Naomi