This is yet another extension of the original post which was submitted earlier this month. The first extension of it is here if you want to catch up with me. In order to keep growing, I like to revisit my thoughts and see if I am getting anywhere :)
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Funny coincidence that we just returned from New York. My wife and I love to travel and we even have many opportunities to travel with our work. This was a business trip that caused me to miss two days of posting :/ and, at the same time, gave me inspiration to live out my blog. I love the way things can become synchronized for us when we sincerely seek out the good in this wonderful life we get to live. Have you ever noticed the messages that are being sent to you through unusual avenues?
I have been reading lately about the 11:11 "phenomenon." I use the term a little loosely because it isn't really any kind of special or supernatural event to see the clock reading a particular time. Think about it. When you bought your last car, did you suddenly notice all of the identical models that began mysteriously appearing on the roads? How about the new outfit or the new hairstyle? I want to get you to understand that we are always going to see what we are looking for.
I have days when the clock talks to me to be sure. I am really into synchronicity. I also have come to understand that this is just a very small example of being in tune with what is going on around me. Awareness is the key. I think that when we begin to experience anything that causes us to pause and take note, what is actually happening is the fine tuning required of us in order to advance our ability to see.
Stop. Look. Listen. The Creator is always communicating with creation. I may not have the honor of seeing my son everyday but I see him in my spirit and I know that it is because we are tuned in to each other. I am communicating my love for him having never spoken a word. I am in synch with Brandon because he is my "creation" -- if you get my meaning.
Today, I am being constantly reminded of God's love for me by the things that are coming into my line of sight. I am looking for that communication because of the positive impact it has on me... especially during those times when I really need it. I know that I am not alone. I am never alone. I know it. Do you?
May you have eyes to see what you are looking for, and may what you are looking for provide you with everything you need to help others see more clearly. They are our responsibility as well. May you come to know and believe that the communicating that takes place in your private world is, by design, God talking directly to you. May you come to understand that if a clock is talking to you, you are in synch! And that means all is well. So...
Get up, get out, and get on with your life and your synchronization. Know that you are not alone and know that God is really pulling for you. So am I. Peace -- jb
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Showing posts with label Jeff Baker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeff Baker. Show all posts
8.24.2008
Power Outage
Last night as the full effects of Tropical Storm Fay literally inched closer to our home, we found ourselves facing ever increasing torrential rain and strong, gusty winds. My wife and I were just hanging at the house watching all of it when suddenly everything went black. We live outside the city and even with the electricity running in normal fashion, it is very dark at night. Last night it was as black as crude oil. So black was this kind of darkness, in fact, that it was dangerous to try and walk around in our own home for fear of tripping.
We like to think we're pretty prepared for things. We got out a flashlight, turned on the weather radio, located some candles, and provided our own light. It was adequate for seeing where we were going, but the amount of light necessary for normal function was not available to us. It seemed that no matter how many candles we lit, we were still short on the amount of light we desired. Hmmm, I smell a ramble.
As I sit here now in reflection, which is my favorite thing about Sunday mornings, I am conscious of an analogy regarding light and dark and how the two play into our daily lives. I should add that for me there is no such thing as actual darkness. It is simply the absence of light. How's that for eternal optimism? I am also fairly certain that scientists concur with that statement. :) And when I refer to light, I don't necessarily mean physical light, although we certainly depend on it to see. What I'm really talking about is the kind of light required to see what is really happening.
We like to think we're pretty prepared for things. We got out a flashlight, turned on the weather radio, located some candles, and provided our own light. It was adequate for seeing where we were going, but the amount of light necessary for normal function was not available to us. It seemed that no matter how many candles we lit, we were still short on the amount of light we desired. Hmmm, I smell a ramble.
As I sit here now in reflection, which is my favorite thing about Sunday mornings, I am conscious of an analogy regarding light and dark and how the two play into our daily lives. I should add that for me there is no such thing as actual darkness. It is simply the absence of light. How's that for eternal optimism? I am also fairly certain that scientists concur with that statement. :) And when I refer to light, I don't necessarily mean physical light, although we certainly depend on it to see. What I'm really talking about is the kind of light required to see what is really happening.
I am on the other side of a very difficult event which culminated late this week with what I felt would be a wave of relief. Instead, I have sensed a subtle difference between the feeling of relief I expected and what I am actually feeling, which seems to simply be a strong connection with appreciation. It really took until last night for all of that to sink in. Up to that point, I still struggled with some of the remnant emotions related to that event and the impact all of the uncertainty has had on me. I have been looking for things in my life for which appreciation has not been the operative word, and I am finding the process very healing. On a personal note, I am especially appreciative of our dear friends the Johnsons. They know me and they have always been here for me. They allowed me to further my processing this weekend without judgement, and it has played an important role in my getting my head out of my rear end. Thanks guys! You are both good and true; two very needed elements in today's world. These two qualities alone, when uncovered in an individual, constitute a strong foundation for the act of light bearing.
For me, it has become inescapably true that being in the light is good for me. I am honored to be a light bearer when it is my duty to do so, but I am at the same time a willing and hungry soul longing for that kind of light to be poured into and all over me. I never want to be in the dark although it would seem that it is sometimes unavoidable. I like being able to see. I want to really see what is really happening, and I have discovered that seeing is only possible when there is sufficient light. :O
There are many among us living in a sort of darkness that restricts our ability to see. It is disturbing to watch. Sometimes we are not successful in sharing love and light in these situations. This shadow is so overwhelming for some of us that it has the the potential of reaching a point of becoming almost debilitating. We are all responsible for our neighbors, and when we encounter these specific souls, it is imperative that we do all we can to share our selves with them. Lift up your head and look around. It is a beautiful world filled with beautiful people... our extended family, and we are all connected to each other whether we choose to believe it or not. We are truly living in the light when we recognize and see our brothers and sisters as we look into the eyes of those whom we meet in our everydayness. Give yourself away today. I mean it! No hidden price tag connected with just giving yourself away as completely as you can to the one you see who needs it. There is no greater gift than to give your life away in service to another. Your love, your money, your time -- your life.
Peace for the heart of your Sunday, love for the fuel of your mind, no thoughts of self, only for "them" and begin to see your Spirit soar ;-) jb Join my blog network on Facebook
8.19.2008
Why worry?
Do you worry? Do you doubt? Do you forward think into a potential future? Do you unnecessarily cripple your happiness factor for right NOW by allowing your thoughts to trick you into believing the projection of what might be? Well, don't do it anymore :)
Sounds easy doesn't it? In fact, if you have the ability to project a future of uncertainty, one that makes you anxious or fearful, then you possess the same power to project a future that is desirable. Do that instead!
Whenever you find yourself worrying about something, it's ok to remain in the awareness of the issue, just recreate it in your mind as having the outcome you prefer. You can do this if you practice and you will find that your outer expression will reflect your inner peace. Now, I am not suggesting that we stick our heads in the sand whenever life throws us a curve ball and pretend to be ok. Never pretend. I am telling you that you can become the master of your thoughts and you can have real joy even in the midst of the storm... just by choosing it.
It can seem like a futile effort, especially when the storm is so big, but you can do it if you believe that you can. Sort of move thoughtfully into another dimension of the reality that you are experiencing and even go as far as to thank God for the positive results, even if your situation appears hopeless. We are not alone in our struggles. We are never alone.
Sounds easy doesn't it? In fact, if you have the ability to project a future of uncertainty, one that makes you anxious or fearful, then you possess the same power to project a future that is desirable. Do that instead!
Whenever you find yourself worrying about something, it's ok to remain in the awareness of the issue, just recreate it in your mind as having the outcome you prefer. You can do this if you practice and you will find that your outer expression will reflect your inner peace. Now, I am not suggesting that we stick our heads in the sand whenever life throws us a curve ball and pretend to be ok. Never pretend. I am telling you that you can become the master of your thoughts and you can have real joy even in the midst of the storm... just by choosing it.
It can seem like a futile effort, especially when the storm is so big, but you can do it if you believe that you can. Sort of move thoughtfully into another dimension of the reality that you are experiencing and even go as far as to thank God for the positive results, even if your situation appears hopeless. We are not alone in our struggles. We are never alone.
We have the entire Universe at our disposal and I firmly believe... no, I am convinced that when I sincerely want something to happen, and I believe that it is possible, AND I am willing to act as though it were already a reality, God is as willing as I am to see it come to fruition. I also can tell you from my own experience that God will move heaven and earth on our behalf when we are real about our stuff and remain hopeful and faithful in spite of the appearance of hopelessness.
God is good. Life is good. You are good. And you are worthy of the best life has to offer. Choose to believe it right now and go forward into this day with your head held high and a smile on your face. People who think you should be otherwise will take note and will ask you about your demeanor. That will be your opportunity to share your strength with them and your reward will be your own strengthening as you declare your positive attitude.
Peace is yours, love is yours, and your thoughts are your own so take charge of them and infect the planet with positive energy today. You just might save the world in the process! -- jb
8.18.2008
Was that Love's intent?
I love to drive. I have some of my most creative moments while passing the time behind the steering wheel. Today, I made a trip to Tuscaloosa to deliver some things to my son who is going to school there. It has been unseasonably cool for August and when you live in Alabama, that news puts a little spring in your step. So, I spent most of my alone time on this trip thinking about how thankful I am and how I wish the "church" wasn't so divided. (strange combo, I know)
Now, thinking and thanking do go well together. I'm thankful for many things and I think about it a lot, but the church is another story. At the same time, lately I have been forced to confront my deepest feelings about the whole idea of church or a community of faith, so that issue has been on my mind as well. I guess the reason they were blending today is a result of the time spent with my closest friends last night at one of our regular Sunday night events. Some of us even hang out every Thursday night too. Thursdays have become a ritual and I look forward to every opportunity to spend my moments with my friends. I like being with these friends whom I happened to have met at church, but I don't feel as warm and fuzzy about being at the church we share in common... why is that? Thanks for your patience. Through my rambling, I am trying to get to the point of this post --
God is love so Love made us. Was it Love's intent for her creation to be divided against itself? I will do my best to talk in general terms on this subject but it is difficult. I have many thoughts but I don't have time for that kind of rambling tonight. I have to get up really early tomorrow. I just decided to throw out an idea or two to get us thinking and to see what happens.
We've got basically four major religions and a bunch of sub categories that extend ad nauseum in direct proportion to the number of splits within a given group. Speaking of divided churches, I will talk about Western Christianity since it is the religion with which I am most intimately familiar. If you live in America, have you ever noticed how many churches we have? There are so many different ways to just name a church that it seems there should be some competition for that naming and the names just seem to speak to a deeper issue; one of judgement and pride with no room for cooperation or dialogue. Someone responds to that comment by saying, "Free will says that I can have any kind of church I want"... Ok. Great argument. But wait! Was this God's idea? Are we justifying our intent to further the illusion of separation by playing the free will card? We may have been given free will but that freedom wasn't intended to be directed at another person or group of persons. Free will is based on the assumption that the one exercising that will has some ability to coexist with others. If not, we throw you in jail. Some of the things I have heard people (including myself) say about people they disagree with is quite troubling. My friends, we are not created to free will ourselves into isolation from the rest of our brothers and sisters.
If love made us then why do we hate what we don't understand? Was it love's intent for us to just assume that because a Buddhist, or a Muslim, or a Hindu doesn't follow the Christian way to God that they will burn in some big ass flaming lake of molten lava that just burns but never burns the heretic up? The imagery gives me the shivers. No, not the hell thing... There is no hell. Just the idea that someone thought all this up so that we could scare the rest of the world into submission. What kind of arrogance creates an illusion of fear so hateful and then directs it outward to every other living human on the planet that doesn't agree? It just makes me think that somewhere we lost our way to God and decided to blame everybody else instead of ourselves.
I once read a great illustration and I will do my best to repeat it here in the hope that by doing so, this post will not offend or confuse anyone. I am a peaceful person and I have no intention of offending or confusing, only challenging. So here's a picture story: If everyone on earth stood side by side, in a circle, hand in hand, and God was in the middle, we would all be able to see God. We would all be able to reach God. We would all have the ability to understand God. We would all have a clear perspective of God from where we stand. Just because you might be standing in a different place and God might look a little different to you from your perspective, does not make your perspective inferior to mine... just different. Different. Not wrong. Different. Not pagan. Just different.
Just because I see God differently from my sister does not make our Gods different. There is truly only one God and that God is Love. I think Love delights in the variety of methods we use in describing our perspectives and I also believe Love is always hoping that we will choose to see each other the same way that we see God and the same way we are seen through the eyes of God.
May we all have eyes to see each other as we are seen by God. May we choose to see each other as worthy of the love that created us. And may we choose to exercise that love in new and creative ways today. Peace -- jb
Now, thinking and thanking do go well together. I'm thankful for many things and I think about it a lot, but the church is another story. At the same time, lately I have been forced to confront my deepest feelings about the whole idea of church or a community of faith, so that issue has been on my mind as well. I guess the reason they were blending today is a result of the time spent with my closest friends last night at one of our regular Sunday night events. Some of us even hang out every Thursday night too. Thursdays have become a ritual and I look forward to every opportunity to spend my moments with my friends. I like being with these friends whom I happened to have met at church, but I don't feel as warm and fuzzy about being at the church we share in common... why is that? Thanks for your patience. Through my rambling, I am trying to get to the point of this post --
God is love so Love made us. Was it Love's intent for her creation to be divided against itself? I will do my best to talk in general terms on this subject but it is difficult. I have many thoughts but I don't have time for that kind of rambling tonight. I have to get up really early tomorrow. I just decided to throw out an idea or two to get us thinking and to see what happens.
We've got basically four major religions and a bunch of sub categories that extend ad nauseum in direct proportion to the number of splits within a given group. Speaking of divided churches, I will talk about Western Christianity since it is the religion with which I am most intimately familiar. If you live in America, have you ever noticed how many churches we have? There are so many different ways to just name a church that it seems there should be some competition for that naming and the names just seem to speak to a deeper issue; one of judgement and pride with no room for cooperation or dialogue. Someone responds to that comment by saying, "Free will says that I can have any kind of church I want"... Ok. Great argument. But wait! Was this God's idea? Are we justifying our intent to further the illusion of separation by playing the free will card? We may have been given free will but that freedom wasn't intended to be directed at another person or group of persons. Free will is based on the assumption that the one exercising that will has some ability to coexist with others. If not, we throw you in jail. Some of the things I have heard people (including myself) say about people they disagree with is quite troubling. My friends, we are not created to free will ourselves into isolation from the rest of our brothers and sisters.
If love made us then why do we hate what we don't understand? Was it love's intent for us to just assume that because a Buddhist, or a Muslim, or a Hindu doesn't follow the Christian way to God that they will burn in some big ass flaming lake of molten lava that just burns but never burns the heretic up? The imagery gives me the shivers. No, not the hell thing... There is no hell. Just the idea that someone thought all this up so that we could scare the rest of the world into submission. What kind of arrogance creates an illusion of fear so hateful and then directs it outward to every other living human on the planet that doesn't agree? It just makes me think that somewhere we lost our way to God and decided to blame everybody else instead of ourselves.
I once read a great illustration and I will do my best to repeat it here in the hope that by doing so, this post will not offend or confuse anyone. I am a peaceful person and I have no intention of offending or confusing, only challenging. So here's a picture story: If everyone on earth stood side by side, in a circle, hand in hand, and God was in the middle, we would all be able to see God. We would all be able to reach God. We would all have the ability to understand God. We would all have a clear perspective of God from where we stand. Just because you might be standing in a different place and God might look a little different to you from your perspective, does not make your perspective inferior to mine... just different. Different. Not wrong. Different. Not pagan. Just different.
Just because I see God differently from my sister does not make our Gods different. There is truly only one God and that God is Love. I think Love delights in the variety of methods we use in describing our perspectives and I also believe Love is always hoping that we will choose to see each other the same way that we see God and the same way we are seen through the eyes of God.
May we all have eyes to see each other as we are seen by God. May we choose to see each other as worthy of the love that created us. And may we choose to exercise that love in new and creative ways today. Peace -- jb
8.16.2008
Self aggrandizement... for sure.
But please indulge me. I am trying to gain exposure for my blog and I have taken the liberty of asking for your help in that intention... All I am asking is this: If you get anything from reading these journals, will you recommend them to someone? Here is a copy of the content of my home page at http://www.jeffbakertalks.com/. It is unfinished except for a few pages and including it here simply provides some insight into my mind. I blog for interaction, not to see my own thoughts on a monitor. I like reading commentary after posting my ramblings so we can get to know one another's thoughts. You and I are not alone in our search for answers. I am always looking for truth, so make comments. You may prove to be the one holding the key to an answer for me. :)
From my home page:
If you are reading these words, you are searching for answers. If you are searching for answers, you are not alone.
You are not alone.
If you're like me, questions come naturally. Answers... well, that may be a different story. I search. I really and truly do. It's not that I am skeptical. I'm sure you're not either. :) -- it's more like we have a certain sensitivity. There are definite paths to gaining understanding, and I believe life offers us many lessons. I have found that I can only truly teach when I am open to learning. For me, experience has proven to be my greatest teacher. I have come to recognize the events in my life as products of the thoughts I have been thinking. Maybe I think too much. With this in mind, it is my desire to share my story.
We all have one you know -- a story.
It is our story that helps define us. It is our story that helps others understand how we came to be who we are.... the way we are. It's not that we are our bodies or our experiences. We are definitely not those things or any other thing. But each of us has specific memories burned into our psyches. We all see through the lens of our past experiences. There is no need to regret any of it. We can use all of the building blocks of the past to make today better. We are not our past. The past is gone, the future has yet to arrive. All we have is now... and it is to be recognized as a most-cherished gift. That is why NOW is called the Present.
Keep this thought in mind: "I Am who I Am and I have a story to tell." Believe it! And when you begin to think about it and put together your story in order to tell it, you actually learn more about your true self. That is the purpose of Jeff Baker Talks.com, and I hope you will benefit from the insights explored here. In sharing our ideas and our stories, we can grow together.
It is my desire to discuss topics that affect us all. I believe there are alternative approaches to finding answers to the questions that burn in us. All that is required is an open mind, an appetite for more, and a genuine desire to attain that which you seek.
From my home page:
If you are reading these words, you are searching for answers. If you are searching for answers, you are not alone.
You are not alone.
If you're like me, questions come naturally. Answers... well, that may be a different story. I search. I really and truly do. It's not that I am skeptical. I'm sure you're not either. :) -- it's more like we have a certain sensitivity. There are definite paths to gaining understanding, and I believe life offers us many lessons. I have found that I can only truly teach when I am open to learning. For me, experience has proven to be my greatest teacher. I have come to recognize the events in my life as products of the thoughts I have been thinking. Maybe I think too much. With this in mind, it is my desire to share my story.
We all have one you know -- a story.
It is our story that helps define us. It is our story that helps others understand how we came to be who we are.... the way we are. It's not that we are our bodies or our experiences. We are definitely not those things or any other thing. But each of us has specific memories burned into our psyches. We all see through the lens of our past experiences. There is no need to regret any of it. We can use all of the building blocks of the past to make today better. We are not our past. The past is gone, the future has yet to arrive. All we have is now... and it is to be recognized as a most-cherished gift. That is why NOW is called the Present.
Keep this thought in mind: "I Am who I Am and I have a story to tell." Believe it! And when you begin to think about it and put together your story in order to tell it, you actually learn more about your true self. That is the purpose of Jeff Baker Talks.com, and I hope you will benefit from the insights explored here. In sharing our ideas and our stories, we can grow together.
It is my desire to discuss topics that affect us all. I believe there are alternative approaches to finding answers to the questions that burn in us. All that is required is an open mind, an appetite for more, and a genuine desire to attain that which you seek.
Can you relate to this?
I am what I think I am!
I am what I think I am...
the rich get richer
the poor get poorer
i'm not lucky
they think they're special
cancer runs in my family
i don't fit in
i am what i think i am
looks like rain today
no one understands me
i never get what i want
she doesn't know i exist
i am what i think i am
i'm not good at that
he won't really call me... will he?
what did i do wrong?
i am what i think i am
i can't do it
i can't
i am what i think i am
i can't
i am what i think i am
i can't do it
i am what i think i am
i..
i think i can...
i am what i think i am
i think i can
i think i can
i am what i think i am
i think i can
i really think i can
i am what i think i am
i think i can, i think i can!
And, so it is....
I am what I think I am...
the rich get richer
the poor get poorer
i'm not lucky
they think they're special
cancer runs in my family
i don't fit in
i am what i think i am
looks like rain today
no one understands me
i never get what i want
she doesn't know i exist
i am what i think i am
i'm not good at that
he won't really call me... will he?
what did i do wrong?
i am what i think i am
i can't do it
i can't
i am what i think i am
i can't
i am what i think i am
i can't do it
i am what i think i am
i..
i think i can...
i am what i think i am
i think i can
i think i can
i am what i think i am
i think i can
i really think i can
i am what i think i am
i think i can, i think i can!
And, so it is....
8.15.2008
Who is my neighbor?
Happy Friday! If you've been following this blog from the outset, then you know that I have a big issue with exclusion. Oh yeah, I have been excluded but that's ok, my skin is a little thick. I blog some about the term "them" and how we are all touched by this powerfully descriptive word. Today I'm talking about the verb "exclude" and how we all participate in its energy. There may be times when we are aware of it, but at other times it seems to be some sort of auto-load program that just kicks in as a result of some long-held belief. It could simply be our upbringing. Whatever it is, and in spite of our effort to ascend and grow in love, we unknowingly fall into an automatic response mode when confronted with anyone that does not meet, even an unspoken, criterion or condition that we have already set in our minds. When we take place in the experience of judging someone for some reason, the act of exclusion takes place. The really sad thing is that it takes place in our hearts because suddenly we get a case of amnesia in the head. We forget how it feels to be left out and so we do it to someone. How I wish it were not so.
Now, I am not Jeff Baker Psychic. I am Jeff Baker Talks, so I am only speaking/talking from my observations. If you have never excluded, left out, ignored, or snubbed anyone, then I am humbled that you are reading this blog and I insist that you immediately inform me of the source of your secret power -- just kidding -- sort of. I'm certain I don't personally know of anyone that has never done it... but I am nearly equally as certain that most of us have been on the receiving end of it and we know it sucks!
Now, I am not Jeff Baker Psychic. I am Jeff Baker Talks, so I am only speaking/talking from my observations. If you have never excluded, left out, ignored, or snubbed anyone, then I am humbled that you are reading this blog and I insist that you immediately inform me of the source of your secret power -- just kidding -- sort of. I'm certain I don't personally know of anyone that has never done it... but I am nearly equally as certain that most of us have been on the receiving end of it and we know it sucks!
Were it possible (it is not only possible, it is inevitable) -- but even if it was only a remote possibility that we could all remember a truth each time we encounter another person, I believe the world would change in that instant. Now, this may sound like a ramble, and if it does, it's because this is on my mind continually. I am sick of myself and the way I have conditioned my mind to filter people. Some call this profiling. It's not important what we call it. What is important is that we become aware of it and stop it.
Here's a truth: Each person alive today is who they are because of the things they have experienced even up to the very point that their path converges with yours. You are who you are for the very same reason. Of course, you already know this about yourself, right? You do know that you have evolved into the one that others observe by encountering the things you've encountered along your life's journey. You also know that by applying what you've "learned," you now view Every Thing through that specific lens. Agreed?
So, you're walking along and someone with a gas can walks up and tells you they need some money for gas. Their car is stranded up the road. This person has a funny odor and bad teeth. They're dressed shabbily, and they definitely missed out when God was handing out the best skin color. You suspect they are lying anyway so why did God let this horrible situation occur in the first place? Whoa child of God. Remember, you just met another child of God, and they are only the way they are because. So if I'm you, my only appropriate response is to allow that person to be who they are in that moment. Of course, I give them some money. There is never a question of the other's worth, so in a time of need I am honored to help out. Who knows? I might need help one day. I am not judging. I am allowing. For clarity purposes, I am not referring to tolerance. I can tolerate someone and still look down my big nose at them.
However, if I hold in my mind that all any of us really wants is to be loved and accepted just like we are, and like I do, then I can truly allow "them" to be them and I can be me. If we look through the lens of love at each other, we can only see God. Now who would not want to help God out with a little gas money?
Think. About. It.
Peace to them, love for them, including thoughts about them. They are us. And God bless us each and every One. -- jb
8.14.2008
Who is observing?
The one I am looking for is the one who is doing the looking.
Ok. I have alluded to a future post, one in which I would be offering my thoughts on the internal theatre that takes place within each of us. You know how we have these inner observations and there is someone talking and someone listening, or someone doing something and someone watching. (If you don't do this, that could either be really great or really scary.) But assuming you do --
That someone is you, right?
Right? I don't know, but it seems that I have always had these private observations. I have always had a movie of sorts playing on the screen of my mind, and I am able to see it, modify it at will, and/or discuss what it is happening on that screen with myself. It feels just like being the director of a film. I love it! I have a vivid imagination anyway and I recently posted the transcript of a dialogue in which I was supposedly talking with God. Was I? Am I crazy? My wife loves me the way I am, so I am sworn to secrecy on that subject. :)
Before we dive in, I'd like to start with a definition of the "observer effect." This is central to the perspective I am presenting as it relates to what goes on inside of every living human being:
Observer effect --
From Wikipedia:
In experimental research, the term observer effect refers to changes that the act of observing will make on the phenomenon being observed. It has application in many fields of scientific inquiry, and may refer specifically to:
Observer effect (information technology), the impact of observing a process while it is running
Observer effect (physics), the impact of observing a physical system
Observer effect (psychology), how people change their behavior when aware of being watched
Are you still with me?
Ok. Let's consider an illustration and see if we can relate: If I am having a thought and there is a visualization of what that thought is about, who is the subject of that visualization and who is the one observing? Can it be that I am both? I mean, if I'm watching me do something in my mind, and in my mind, I'm the one I am watching, how can it be that I am both? Think about it.
Here's something else to consider: You've, no doubt, heard the famous phrase by Descartes, "I think, therefore I am." Well, I have come to believe that I am, therefore I think. We all think. I think, you think, we all think of world peace... or some children's song like that.
You're thinking, but you are only observing your thoughts. You are not your thoughts. When you are doing something and consciously thinking about what you are doing, you are only observing... you are not your body which is doing the thing.
Does that make sense?
Yet another way to frame it might be to consider that some of us picture God observing our every action in judgement. We sometimes feel watched as we do something. And we are thinking about the fact that we are being watched, and so because we are being watched, we act differently than we might otherwise? If you are following me, then you may recall times when you were thinking about that fact that YOU were watching what you were doing so you acted differently. Are you your Conscience? Are you God? Are you the hall monitor for your ever-wandering thoughts?
What happened? Did he change subjects? Yes... you caught me, I've change directions. But this is very important: God is not the only observer. God is all things, and by nature, in all things and he/she does not wait in judgement to pounce on us when we mess up. Many of us are coming to understand this. It is God and God in us that compels us to right thought and action as we evolve in Love. Love is our teacher and guide. God is love, and if we desire it, we are continually expanding in that love. We are becoming like God in the way we observe, when we observe in love... assuming we want to. We are becoming like God when we are consciously -- actively involved with our thoughts, words, and deeds.
For you conservatives that are hearing the other voice in your head, don't listen. I am not speaking in contradiction to Scripture. Christ was in God and God was fully in him, and he prayed the same for us. I'm pretty sure when he prayed about something, it got done. So, open your mind and accept the fact that you are responsible for every thought, word, and deed that you create. That makes you responsible for the world you create for yourself and those close to you. God had the same responsibility when creating us. We are created to operate in like manner, so the sooner we learn to deal with it the better. Think about it. God is ok with us thinking about those kinds of things. It's the way we are wired, so God has to relate.
My friends, we are now living in the embryonic awareness that we are really supposed to think like God. Not that we haven't, down through history, thought like God. It's just that we are now observing it as it happens. The paradigms of time and space seem to operate in subtly different ways as we move closer to our collective awakening. Things move faster and take place at a quicker pace than at any other point in recorded history. Technology is screaming at us to see how connected we all are to God AND to each other. We text, IM, e-mail, voice mail, surf, search, "Google" even -- all the while missing the fact that we are being RE-connected by the same technology that many of us hide behind.
Beloved, lift up your head! Get out in front. Get your eyes off the monitor and your ears out of the ipod and OBSERVE!
The one I am looking for is the one doing the looking. Think about it.
God, I love you!
Peace -- jb
Ok. I have alluded to a future post, one in which I would be offering my thoughts on the internal theatre that takes place within each of us. You know how we have these inner observations and there is someone talking and someone listening, or someone doing something and someone watching. (If you don't do this, that could either be really great or really scary.) But assuming you do --
That someone is you, right?
Right? I don't know, but it seems that I have always had these private observations. I have always had a movie of sorts playing on the screen of my mind, and I am able to see it, modify it at will, and/or discuss what it is happening on that screen with myself. It feels just like being the director of a film. I love it! I have a vivid imagination anyway and I recently posted the transcript of a dialogue in which I was supposedly talking with God. Was I? Am I crazy? My wife loves me the way I am, so I am sworn to secrecy on that subject. :)
Before we dive in, I'd like to start with a definition of the "observer effect." This is central to the perspective I am presenting as it relates to what goes on inside of every living human being:
Observer effect --
From Wikipedia:
In experimental research, the term observer effect refers to changes that the act of observing will make on the phenomenon being observed. It has application in many fields of scientific inquiry, and may refer specifically to:
Observer effect (information technology), the impact of observing a process while it is running
Observer effect (physics), the impact of observing a physical system
Observer effect (psychology), how people change their behavior when aware of being watched
Are you still with me?
Ok. Let's consider an illustration and see if we can relate: If I am having a thought and there is a visualization of what that thought is about, who is the subject of that visualization and who is the one observing? Can it be that I am both? I mean, if I'm watching me do something in my mind, and in my mind, I'm the one I am watching, how can it be that I am both? Think about it.
Here's something else to consider: You've, no doubt, heard the famous phrase by Descartes, "I think, therefore I am." Well, I have come to believe that I am, therefore I think. We all think. I think, you think, we all think of world peace... or some children's song like that.
You're thinking, but you are only observing your thoughts. You are not your thoughts. When you are doing something and consciously thinking about what you are doing, you are only observing... you are not your body which is doing the thing.
Does that make sense?
Yet another way to frame it might be to consider that some of us picture God observing our every action in judgement. We sometimes feel watched as we do something. And we are thinking about the fact that we are being watched, and so because we are being watched, we act differently than we might otherwise? If you are following me, then you may recall times when you were thinking about that fact that YOU were watching what you were doing so you acted differently. Are you your Conscience? Are you God? Are you the hall monitor for your ever-wandering thoughts?
What happened? Did he change subjects? Yes... you caught me, I've change directions. But this is very important: God is not the only observer. God is all things, and by nature, in all things and he/she does not wait in judgement to pounce on us when we mess up. Many of us are coming to understand this. It is God and God in us that compels us to right thought and action as we evolve in Love. Love is our teacher and guide. God is love, and if we desire it, we are continually expanding in that love. We are becoming like God in the way we observe, when we observe in love... assuming we want to. We are becoming like God when we are consciously -- actively involved with our thoughts, words, and deeds.
For you conservatives that are hearing the other voice in your head, don't listen. I am not speaking in contradiction to Scripture. Christ was in God and God was fully in him, and he prayed the same for us. I'm pretty sure when he prayed about something, it got done. So, open your mind and accept the fact that you are responsible for every thought, word, and deed that you create. That makes you responsible for the world you create for yourself and those close to you. God had the same responsibility when creating us. We are created to operate in like manner, so the sooner we learn to deal with it the better. Think about it. God is ok with us thinking about those kinds of things. It's the way we are wired, so God has to relate.
My friends, we are now living in the embryonic awareness that we are really supposed to think like God. Not that we haven't, down through history, thought like God. It's just that we are now observing it as it happens. The paradigms of time and space seem to operate in subtly different ways as we move closer to our collective awakening. Things move faster and take place at a quicker pace than at any other point in recorded history. Technology is screaming at us to see how connected we all are to God AND to each other. We text, IM, e-mail, voice mail, surf, search, "Google" even -- all the while missing the fact that we are being RE-connected by the same technology that many of us hide behind.
Beloved, lift up your head! Get out in front. Get your eyes off the monitor and your ears out of the ipod and OBSERVE!
The one I am looking for is the one doing the looking. Think about it.
God, I love you!
Peace -- jb
7.30.2008
There is no "them."
Have you ever noticed "them"?
You know the ones. The other ones. Those who don't match up with our requirements for inclusion. They don't fit in. Do you know who I am talking about yet? Them. The others. The ones that look different. They talk funny; remember? They go to the wrong church on top of all that. These are just a sampling of the ways we commonly refer to others of our world as "them." I don't mean to upset the apple cart, but there is no "them."
I do mean to say that I have been looking out at the world from behind these eyes for over 45 years, and I have come to realize that we are all truly equal. It doesn't matter what our skin color is or where we live. It makes no difference how we vote or whom we worship. We are all included by design. It was never intended to be any other way. Any attempt to exclude any one for any reason by any group, establishment, church, or whatever is unacceptable and is not the way of Christ.
All it really took for me to recognize this eternal truth was to place myself in the other person's shoes and really look at how they might feel under my form of judgement. I didn't have to walk around in the other person's shoes. You certainly don't have to literally be in their shoes -- especially if you have a foot issue. Just forget the shoe thing -- Think. About. It.
Think about how the other person feels about themselves and the world. You may not be able to. That should serve as a reminder that we can't really know how anyone feels. Just imagine how the way you choose to treat them will impact them. If after doing so, you can still argue for the justification for casting judgement on them, then e-mail me and let's debate it. :O
Just think about the fact that the other person has experiences that helped form them into who they are. Do you have fears in some area? I'll bet you the other person does as well. Do you want to be accepted just as you are? I'll bet the other person does too. If we allow all whom we come into contact with to be who they are and pass no judgement on them, aren't we doing unto them as we would want them to do unto us? I don't know about you, but I don't want to be referred to as a "them." I've been there. I probably still am one of them for some... that's too bad. It feels crummy, but it doesn't have to be that way at all.
I want to be accepted and loved right here, right now, without having to change in any way. I'll bet you feel the same. What if we really wanted it so badly that we began to see all creatures as having intrinsic value? What if we just let go of the need to judge or profile anyone?
Do you think it would make a difference?
Could we change the world in the process?
Are we willing to give it a try?
You know the ones. The other ones. Those who don't match up with our requirements for inclusion. They don't fit in. Do you know who I am talking about yet? Them. The others. The ones that look different. They talk funny; remember? They go to the wrong church on top of all that. These are just a sampling of the ways we commonly refer to others of our world as "them." I don't mean to upset the apple cart, but there is no "them."
I do mean to say that I have been looking out at the world from behind these eyes for over 45 years, and I have come to realize that we are all truly equal. It doesn't matter what our skin color is or where we live. It makes no difference how we vote or whom we worship. We are all included by design. It was never intended to be any other way. Any attempt to exclude any one for any reason by any group, establishment, church, or whatever is unacceptable and is not the way of Christ.
All it really took for me to recognize this eternal truth was to place myself in the other person's shoes and really look at how they might feel under my form of judgement. I didn't have to walk around in the other person's shoes. You certainly don't have to literally be in their shoes -- especially if you have a foot issue. Just forget the shoe thing -- Think. About. It.
Think about how the other person feels about themselves and the world. You may not be able to. That should serve as a reminder that we can't really know how anyone feels. Just imagine how the way you choose to treat them will impact them. If after doing so, you can still argue for the justification for casting judgement on them, then e-mail me and let's debate it. :O
Just think about the fact that the other person has experiences that helped form them into who they are. Do you have fears in some area? I'll bet you the other person does as well. Do you want to be accepted just as you are? I'll bet the other person does too. If we allow all whom we come into contact with to be who they are and pass no judgement on them, aren't we doing unto them as we would want them to do unto us? I don't know about you, but I don't want to be referred to as a "them." I've been there. I probably still am one of them for some... that's too bad. It feels crummy, but it doesn't have to be that way at all.
I want to be accepted and loved right here, right now, without having to change in any way. I'll bet you feel the same. What if we really wanted it so badly that we began to see all creatures as having intrinsic value? What if we just let go of the need to judge or profile anyone?
Do you think it would make a difference?
Could we change the world in the process?
Are we willing to give it a try?
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