I Feel Good!

Whoa-oa-oa! I feel good, I knew that I would, now
I feel good, I knew that I would, now
So good, so good, I got you

Whoa! I feel nice, like sugar and spice
I feel nice, like sugar and spice
So nice, so nice, I got you

{ sax, two licks to bridge }

When I hold you in my arms
I know that I can’t do no wrong
and when I hold you in my arms
My love won’t do you no harm

and I feel nice, like sugar and spice
I feel nice, like sugar and spice
So nice, so nice, I got you

{ sax, two licks to bridge }

When I hold you in my arms
I know that I can’t do no wrong
and when I hold you in my arms
My love can’t do me no harm

and I feel nice, like sugar and spice
I feel nice, like sugar and spice
So nice, so nice, I got you

Whoa! I feel good, I knew that I would, now
I feel good, I knew that I would
So good, so good, I got you
So good, so good, I got you
So good, so good, I got you
HEY!!               ~Song by James Brown

Whenever I hear this song I want to get up and dance!  The sax sound and James Brown’s feet slippin’ and slidin’ get a soul movin’!  So good, so good, so get up and dance…

Dance with yourself in your kitchen at night

Dance with your love under the moonlight

Dance with your kids on your grassy lawn

Dance with your friends till the break of dawn

Feel the freedom as you move

Time to get up and groove….Hey!!

Circle of Friends

“The only way to have a friend is to be one.”  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am so blessed to have amazing friends in my life!  Some I have known a lifetime, some are more recent and some have re-entered my life.  For whatever reason, they have connected to me in a beautifully spiritual, and often serendipitous, way.  My heart fills when I think about how their love has carried me through so much in my life, as my love has surrounded them too.  A true friend is one who loves you unconditionally.  No judgment, no expectations, just pure love.  They are the ones who are always there for you, no matter what.  Friendships are give and take, and it is important to remember the giving part.  It all circles around and grows with each passage of trust.

My chain of  girlfriends began the day I was born.  A picture of my babysitter and I sits on my mantle.  I was two and she was just a teenager.  She is still a member of our family to this day, I call her mama sis.  She is so very special to all of us.  My sisters have been there for me through thick and thin, as I have been for them.  We’re sisters, a bond that never breaks and a love that never fades.  My dear childhood friend who has been so full of unconditional love since I can remember, unbelievable the heart she has.  My Round Robin girls, we’ve been through so much together.  We started our Round Robin chain letters 30 years ago and it continues today, including fun reunion trips!  My forever “roomie”,  our intuitive connection never ceases to amaze me.  We were assigned as roommates our first day of college and hit it off immediately!  We remained together all four years and we continue to build more memories.  My college swim team co-captain, who provided so much fun and support in our swimming days, and remains a wonderful friend today.  My silly friend who hikes with me and takes me up these crazy hills!  Always a laugh and I always feel renewed after our time together.  My dear friend who has the spiritual wisdom, patience, strength and kindness that truly amazes me.  A bond that was formed many years ago as Spirit brought us together.  My sweet soul sister who is full of so much love, grace and compassion it’s unfathomable the light she emits.  My latest wonderful Spirit connection who gives so much love and always reminds me of the importance of the spirit of the horse!  All my sister-in-laws who continue to be so special to me and provide lots of beautiful colors to our family.  So many friends along the way, too numerous to mention but I know I am beyond blessed to have had each of them touching my life.

Always remember your circle of friends and how their love has weaved through your life.  I don’t know where I would be today without the love of friends surrounding me.  As I carve my way, they have helped shape me into the spiritual being I have become.  Thank you, friends.  From the bottom to the top of my heart, I LOVE YOU!

Find Your Feather

Oftentimes, as I am on my walk, I come upon something of meaning to me.  It may be a butterfly fluttering between the wildflowers, crickets singing in the background, or a frog leaping into the water puddles on the side of the road.  But most significant to me are the feathers I find along my path.  They always show up when I need them most.  On a day when I’m feeling out of sorts and unsure of my direction Spirit sends me this gift.  As I’m walking along, deep in thought, I look down….and there is my feather!  It always amazes me, like the first time.  My heart flutters, I smile, pick it up and carry it with me as I stroke every strand, feeling the strength of Spirit.  It is a reminder that angels are always around me  and God is guiding me every step of the way.  I don’t have to carry the heaviness or know the answers.  I can let go.  What a relief to truly believe that!  My day always starts over with a renewed sense of gratitude and inner security.

So what is it that you find along your path that reminds you of Spirit’s guiding light?  Look around you, be aware and know that it is there.  Feel your own perfection.  You are worth being loved, you deserve to receive and you deserve to enjoy the life that you have been given.

Every time I look at my feathers in the various special places in my house and office my soul reconfirms my connection to Spirit, and  I am filled with gratitude.  Look around, find your “feather”, it is there for you too!  Namaste.

Everyday Grace

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”   ~ Marianne Williamson

Every one of us is a precious gem.  Never forget the light that shines within and you will never be without….

Enjoy the Ride

“The secret of  life is enjoying the passage of time”  ~James Taylor

If you ever really listen to James Taylor’s song, “Secret O’ Life”, you will feel the mystery, the miracles, the letting go.  I picture a free-falling and a trust that Spirit is going to catch me mid-air.  It is a trust that you are okay wherever you turn.  There are no mistakes, just lessons and opportunities as we ride the waves.  Sometimes, we have to struggle to our feet, scrape ourselves off and allow healing to take place…and get right back into the tumble.  Sometimes, as we flow, miracles happen that we never could have imagined possible.  A mystery.  Something completely out of our control.  So go ahead.  Experience LIFE.   Go with whatever may come your way.  Enjoy the ride.

“Try not to try too hard, it’s just a lovely ride”  ~James Taylor

Bird Songs

Listening to the sounds of spring

Robins flying by

Chirpings in the sky

Breathing in the air

Breathing out without a care

Sipping the health of greens

Revealing the glow upon this scene

This has been my day today

What a beauteous thing to remember to Play!

~CWB

Wishing you all a wondrous Spring!  Take it in and never forget to smell the scent of the flowers as you pass them by…

The Gift of Crisis

“Be thankful. You won’t be confronted with a crisis you can’t handle. The next time you’re confronted with what appears to be a crisis, just ask yourself, “What is the hidden blessing?” The deeper you look, the easier you will find it. When you do, you can say “good-bye” to its corresponding frustration, anger and depression. No tree stood strong without the wind. No person can be strong without a challenge.”  ~Dr. John Demartini

What difficulty have you experienced in your life that has brought you to your next level?  Every passage, every step you take contributes to the person you are today.  It is often the most painful times that create a strength within that pushes us to tackle that which we fear the most.  We tell ourselves, “hey, if I can make it through that the next task can’t be so hard.”  And often it isn’t.  Every crisis in our life can be turned into a gift.  It’s all how you view your potential as you move through the difficulty.  Always remind yourself that “this too shall pass”, and you will be better off for it.  I realize it’s not easy to think positively when something negative is happening around you but think in those terms and it will pass quicker than you can imagine.  It’s all a matter of perspective and we receive exactly what we perceive.

Acknowledge all gifts that the universe sends you….joyful, painful, blissful, monumental.  Express gratitude for the opportunity to build upon your spiritual core and reach your potential.  The sky is the limit!

I Shall Be Released

They say ev’rything can be replaced,
Yet ev’ry distance is not near.
So I remember ev’ry face
Of ev’ry man who put me here.
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east.
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.

They say ev’ry man needs protection,
They say ev’ry man must fall.
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Some place so high above this wall.
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east.
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.

Standing next to me in this lonely crowd,
Is a man who swears he’s not to blame.
All day long I hear him shout so loud,
Crying out that he was framed.
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east.
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.

~ Bob Dylan, 1967

No further words needed when Bob Dylan writes.

EGO

“Edging God Out”  ~Dr.Wayne Dyer

The ego.  A magnificent thing.  Or so it thinks.  The truth is, the ego does serve its purpose.  It can drive you to accomplish certain goals in life.  It can also ruin you.  You must use it sparingly if you are to survive with strength and grace.  The thing with ego is that it likes to do battle with Spirit.  One can be fooled by the enticements of the ego, promising all kinds of “fun” and power in your life, but before you know it, it has a hold on you and you’re spinning out of control.  You keep reaching for more, feeding it, but it is never satisfied.  The empty tank is consistently empty because it is only a bottomless pit waiting for more.  I’ve said this many times, and I will say it again, the ONLY thing that truly fills you is God, Spirit, Love.  THAT is the purist form of emotional and spiritual nutrition that exists.  You can run until you are on your knees, searching outward for that pot of gold.  The pot will ALWAYS turn up empty until you search inward and connect with Spirit.

Craig Hamilton, author of Broken Open, reveals his struggle with bipolar disorder and his clash with ego…”Ego can destroy.  At our most desperate point in life, our ego will not save us.  It is not a building block.  It is an intangible that cannot be sustained.  Even though I was absolutely destroyed, a tiny spark of my ego continued to burn in the dark.  After all I had been through, that granule of ego continued to resist by refusing to let me accept that I needed help.  It hung on, telling me that I could still get out of my predicament.  It is illogical, enmeshed with the survival instinct, and it doesn’t want to let go.  This was a battle that had to be fought between two opposing sides within me.  Thank God, the right side won.  My ego had been the agent which had refused to allow me to concede that something was seriously wrong.  And, to hold that position, my ego fought almost to the very death-my death.”  Craig’s courageous journey brought him from the depths of denial to the light of acceptance.  Thank God Spirit won.  Craig is here today to talk about his struggle and is helping many others through his book and his motivational speaking.  In helping others he is helping himself.

Pay attention to Spirit and the messages that come to you.  God is always guiding you, you just have to open your eyes, heart and mind.  Sit with yourself.  Listen to the sound of the universe.  Give service to others, unconditionally,with no expectations, only love.  Reach inward and you will be full.  You will find peace.

Hearts of Space

Hearts of Space, pregnant, pulsating,

with

The Love, the Silence, the wisdom.

No heart of time can do this…pulsate in

this way—

The Wholeness…

Light without shadow

Love without need

Sees not flaw nor lack

No light of the mind (i.e. you the i)

only

Heart Light, only TRUST, only the Love.

Hearts of Space beat to a different rhythm

than the time heart.

The Hearts of Space will help you

if called upon.

~The Silence

*Hearts of Space=angels, the Invisibles, the immortals,

Existence, the Force, Light, the Us

Rainbows, cosmic Love,

whatever puts a smile around your heart.