Category: Life

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Just a Happy Idiot, part 1

“I’m going to be a happy idiot and struggle for the legal tender.”
The Pretender, Jackson Browne

 

What’s wrong with this picture?

jester600Well, first of all, for all the years I’ve listened to and sung along with this song, I’ve sung it wrong according to the excerpt from the lyrics above.

It’s important to note here that I am the kind of person that intentionally makes up my own lyrics to songs, but in this case, I just heard what I wanted to hear here, apparently.

I’ve always jokingly referred to myself as “a jerk of all trades, master of none” even though I’ve managed to excel at most everything I’ve done in my life. Again, this is my own personal opinion, which may differ from someone else’s truth of me. I’ve also had a healthy skepticism of my own and others thoughts, preferring to follow my own discerning nature.

And life has been good. So, you’re saying, “What’s up with this post about these old lyrics?”

Well, the way I’ve always heard and sung this verse of The Pretender through my somewhat unique filter is “I’d rather be a happy idiot, than struggle for the legal tender.” And this blends easily with my philosophy that life shouldn’t be hard, and, if it is, I’m doing something wrong. This really equates for me, “if I do what I love, it’ll never be work.” I’ve followed that exclusively since 1978 and without exception, I have had what I would call a blessed life.

A couple of caveats to this are, I’ve also been my own boss all this time, and while I have never wanted for anything, my success has never been personally measured by my salary, money in the bank or how much my businesses were valued at, but more in the value of the services I gave and the happiness or joy people felt from what I built, sold or shared with them.

So, Yes, I’d rather be a happy idiot, than struggle for the legal tender. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I guess at this point it’s a moot point, but I’m still doing what I love and reaping the rewards of the journey this life has offered me in my soon to be 71 years.

Would I do it differently if I had it all to do over again? Not really. It’s been a great ride. The highs, the lows, the successes and the learning experiences have all shown me that there are always alternatives, new ways and directions one can go to change one’s life experience, if one finds their present path isn’t working for them or leads them to another possibility.

Life is good.

Part 2 coming soon.

revjim

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Love matters

one-heartWe all have one heart
And one heart needs another
Love, love is all that matters
Love is all that matters, it matters after all.
~ Diana Ross, Love is all that Matters

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

What if Christ is a name for the immense spaciousness of all true Love?
~ Richard Rohr, The Universal Christ

Love, what do we make of it?

I know this. Love is that all encompassing, all knowing and everywhere present presence of Love, which lives deep in the heart of each and every one of God’s creations, every one and thing in this infinite universe. This truth knows no limits, only individuals in separation, and separation is never whole or complete and is therefore ultimately subservient to Love.

As I bring this into consciousness, I know that Love always comforts the afflicted and afflicts those who are complacent and comfortable in whatever truth they tell themselves, which is not in alignment with Love.

So, I know for each of us who seeks or shares truth can expect and embrace the uncomfortable nature of the truth which Love exposes in our world and continue to speak their truth.

That truth is ever present in the teachings of all the great master teachers, but none so clear or misinterpreted as “The Great Commandment,” “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matthew 22:36-39)

In this knowing “Love thy neighbor as thyself, we can only grow as individuals, as ministers, as an organization and above all in the One Heart.

I am grateful in this truth and in Love and just continue to allow it to be in my life and know it therefore for each and all in the One Heart, One World, and One Eternal, Spiritual life.

~revjim

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Everything is a Choice and We Each Have the Freedom to Choose.

“Freedom is a condition of the Soul. As we turn to the kingdom of our inner Self, we find the reign of divine Power in the outer world. As we seek peace within, we find harmony without.”

~Joel Goldsmith, The Art of Meditation

 

freedom-insideFreedom is something we all search for. Freedom of religion, freedom to be who we’d like to be, freedom from abuse, freedom to choose certain things in our life, freedom to feel the equality we are supposed to have. But, as we all find out: in this world today, these ideals are not easily attained by all.

In a world that we would like to work for everyone, most people never experience this ideal, because they have expectations for those who don’t have the limiting beliefs for others that they do. We, in general, are unwilling to allow people to be different from us. We don’t live up to their expectations. Most can’t, because of biases held by those who would persecute them.

Jesus, a Jewish Rabbi, seen as the founder of the Christian religion, said many things that, if actually embraced by Christianity, would go a long way to healing the the ills of the world. Jesus is/was also embraced as a teacher and prophet in Judaism and Islam, but today “jihad” which literally means striving or struggling, especially with a praiseworthy aim, has been usurped by Islamists to justify the destruction of Christian world, which has attempted to eliminate Muslims for over a thousand years.

Even Christianity from its humble, love filled beginnings, was used by the world rulers to pacify the masses and control them. Alexander the Great and the Council of Nicaea chose what books to include in the Bible and attempted to eliminate the remainder by making the Bible decreed by them to be the official text of Christianity. From there, the Roman Catholic “empire” ruled with an iron fist eliminating anyone they didn’t like during the inquisition. It was a dark time for humanity.

The point to all of this is to bring into the light how religion has created more division than love since its inception.

In spite of this, we each have the option to be personally free in any situation simply by choosing not to dictate our todays and tomorrows by our past. Freedom is a state of mind. Auschwitz survivor, Victor Frankl chose to forgive his captors, even while everyone around him was dying, saying “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Similarly, Nelson Mandela chose freedom in his own way, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

Both of these men surmounted all their fears with the courage to see beyond the appearance of hopelessness to not only achieve their freedom, but also to tell their stories to the world and in Nelson Mandela’s case to become the president of South Africa and end Apartheid.

Lest you think they are exceptions, there are thousands of people every day that we never hear of that have overcome adversity and gained freedom from oppressive relationships, addiction, poverty and much more.

So never stop believing that you too can move beyond the beliefs that others have directed toward you. Remember, self-love and forgiveness can free you from your past beliefs. As you begin to change your thoughts about yourself and others, your life will begin to take on new meaning, new direction, and greater self-empowerment.

 

“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose…”

~ performed by Janis Joplin, Songwriters: Fred L Foster / Kris Kristofferson

~revjim

© James T. Starke

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Raise Your Voice to Freedom!

“Raise a glass to freedom something they can never take away.”

~ Lin Manuel Miranda, Hamilton, the Musical

“To this day I believe we are here on earth to live, grow, and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.”

~ Rosa Parks

“It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of my people became a hunger for the freedom of all people.”

~ Nelson Mandela

 

We are so blessed today in comparison to a few centuries ago and even a few years ago, but there is still so much to be done, both spiritually and in the spirit of conscious activism, because, as far as we have come, there is still so much more to do before we live in #aWorldThatWorksForEveryone.

So, please know with me, that this finite and fragile space we choose to call reality, though it may be an illusion, and seems built on the suffering of many, is our testing ground, of perseverance and our faith that something bigger than us, bigger than all of us, guides us to an ever higher, ever more loving and inclusive existence here on this plane.

By our acknowledgment and recognition, however transitory or fleeting of a divine source or energy behind all things, we raise the energy of the planet. So, right here and right now I say, Raise a voice to freedom! Raise your thoughts to the ever higher idea and ideal of the indestructible GOOD in, through and as everything and everyone and know, as I do, that love the ultimate good, is that force which can never be diminished or destroyed.

Know that our actions in everything we do, say, feel, and think moves us on this complexly, interwoven path to nirvana, to peace, to love, to God. And, as we wind along this path, we are ever blessed by our instruction along the way.

Gratitude is my only reward for this sometime wondrously challenging journey. I would have it no other way. I am grateful for all I learn from others and from my own words and actions, both intentional and unintentional.

Equally, I am grateful for each of you in my life as I move ever forward into a better version of me.

For each and everyone I. Say, Thank you Spirit, Thank you Spirit, Thank you Spirit.

I know this is so right now, and so it is. Amen.

“We must strive to be moved by a generosity of spirit that will enable us to outgrow the hatred and conflicts of the past.” – Nelson Mandela

Blessings to you all.

 

revjim  #Peace & #Love

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shared from Rev. Michelle’s Friday Morning Musing

From This Thing Called You, by Ernest Holmes pg. 60

Everything you have ever thought, said, done, seen, learned or experience, has left an imprint upon your subconscious mind. This subconscious also contains memory images of your family life, your ancestral background and the sum total of what the whole world has thought or believed.
These memories are not dead things. Quite the reverse, they are active.

From The Principles of Healing, by H.B. Jeffrey pg. 74

For healing is largely a matter of contagion. We have used that word as though its meaning were appropriate only to disease and undesirable conditions. We have linked it in our minds with pathological states. But contagion is a perfectly legitimate word in relation to good. there was a contagion of peace and joy, happiness and serenity. There is a contagion of the sense of opulence and bounty.

From me. . .

As practitioners, we are here to represent the Science of Mind teaching as a power for good and for change on our planet. We are here to be a contagion for love, healing and possibility. When random people see YOU, do they see someone walking in the light of Truth? In my mind, this is the goal. In order, to support this high calling though, we must stay aware of the influences that surround us and that preceded us into this incarnation. We each carry with us, not only who we have been in this lifetime, but we carry our ancestors. Are we at the mercy of this? – NO, not ever but we are called to be conscious about it and to treat in a focused way. Taking time to release the pain of the old, to practice forgiveness for what was.
STAYING conscious, in this case means using the only tool we use to direct our mind (or the mind of your client) to a place of freeing oneself from what was – and that means that which has been given to us through the ages. As Dr. Holmes said above: “These memories are not dead things. Quite the reverse, they are active.” I REPEAT, we are not at the mercy of what was, but we are called to do our work in consciousness.

Much love to you on this glorious day! Remain Brilliant, the world needs your brilliance.
Michelle

Guest Blogger:
Rev. Michelle Wadleigh
www.michellewadleigh.com
www.cslnj.org
revmichelle2

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Our Spiritual Nature

Behind your image, below your words, above your thoughts, the silence of another world waits. A world lives within you. No one else can bring you news of this inner world.

~ Anam Ċara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

 

spi-natOur spiritual nature is an inextricable part of us. Yet, while we do not wear it on our sleeve, it does live within us and there is evidence of it all around us. Nature is all spiritual, because it never exists in opposition to the divine. Man is the only creature on earth that tries to defy nature, creating artificial substances and devices in an attempt to “cheat death,” part of the birth-death-rebirth cycle, which is common to all life.

We are the only creatures, that think ourselves to death. Rather than living in a flow, we create blocks of resistance, which cause us to become out of sync with the world around us. We are the only creatures on the planet that don’t give back to the earth in a natural way. We use, abuse, rape and pillage its natural beauty and resources and leave behind refuse that is indigestible and non-renewable.

Yet, if we just looked to the mystical roots of all of our religions or spiritual paths, we would find that if we did the inner work, spent time looking within ourselves, we would find all the answers to living a gloriously, happy life, that isn’t about consumption and destruction. We would find that whatever we do and whoever we are is enough. We would find that we don’t have to keep up with the Joneses, because we have already surpassed them in the only way necessary. We are happy with our life as it is.

When we are in the flow of life, we find that everything we need is already provided for us. Just as all of nature, unobstructed by man, receives everything it needs, we would receive all that we needed and more. The natural ecosystem is a phenomenally complex system, which provides what is necessary for life. When the system is attacked, it makes necessary corrections to bring itself back into alignment.

We can do the same thing with our lives. If we get out of alignment, we can change how we do things or think about things to bring ourselves back into alignment with life, and find ourselves happier, healthier and more energetic.

~rev jim

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The Circle of Life

treeoflifeThe risen Christ is the standing icon of humanity in its full and final destiny.
He is the pledge and guarantee of what God will do with all our crucifixions.
~from Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation 4.1.18

It is with hope that we are able to move beyond all of the desperate, fearful moments of our life. It is in these times that our faith carries us above any hurtful residues of the past that, without forgiveness, paralyze us and hold us in that story.

Just as, in the story of Jesus, he forgave all those who judged him, conspired against him and thought to bring finality to his life through forgiveness of ourselves and others, we can move out of our old ideas of living and into a new idea for ourselves, and a new paradigm of living consciously and fearlessly. In knowing and taking back our spiritual power, nothing can deter us on our path. Our spiritual path can only be changed by us, because it is not only unique to us individually, but because that path and our beliefs and faith are internal and unseen by others in its full color spectrum.

We are born to “boldly go” where no other person has ever before been. As our paths cross those of others, they have the potential of strengthening each other’s path in previously unknown ways yielding new directions, new challenges and new awakenings, until we come full circle to our beginnings once again.

This circle of life is best served allowing ourselves to move ever forward with the flow of life, instead of pushing against it, just as it is easier to paddle a canoe downstream than to paddle upstream.

~rev jim

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Staying in Pain-Stuck in the Mud

stuck-in-mudThis is something we say we don’t want ever, yet we seem to not be willing to let go of our stories easily. “He did this to me and my life is over” or “she/he cheated on me and I’ll never find another love” or “the bank turned down my loan, and now I’ll be ruined!” We create unnecessary pain for ourselves by wallowing in our stories and making the story our life, when it’s only a single incident, or moment that we can easily move beyond by letting go of that story.

When we stick our foot in the mud, we can’t remove it fast enough, even to the point of releasing our shoe to get unstuck. Why is it so hard to release our old life, if it isn’t serving us? Think about how much happier we could be, or about how much more prosperous we could be by finding new things that would serve us better. We say it’s fear of the unknown, but when the known isn’t working, why not embrace a change?

I recently picked up a couple of hitchhikers and in our conversation they shared they had been living in the woods for six years and had finally scored a camper to live in, but had no place to set it up to live in, so they continued to live in the woods, pick up odd jobs, when available, and move forward optimistically with their lives. They haven’t given up even though their location would seem to make advancing difficult. The word failure wasn’t in their vocabulary. There was no judgment in their voices, nothing holding them back, but there they are embracing the possibility that life will offer them something more than they have right now.

So, what are we afraid of? Reach out for what you want. If it’s not right for you, you can always change!

from Love, in Peace,

~revjim

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As within, so without…

as-aboveThis phrase is Biblical in nature, or so I assumed. It turns out it’s a bit of Hermetic wisdom, or at least a paraphrase of “as above, so below…” It is still a great piece of wisdom to live by.

If you believe as I do that what you believe ultimately manifests in and as your life in one way or another, this phrase reinforces that premise. Sort of like the phrase “you are what you eat.” This of course means that if you eat until you drop, you get just that. Have you ever been to an “all you can eat” buffet? No only does the menu consist of a whole bunch of carbs, but so much of the menu is usually fried, which is also not good for you in excess. Have you ever seen anyone go to these buffets and only eat one plate?

Anyway, we all need to be mindful not only of what we eat, but also what we think. Our thoughts can be harmful to us. Depression is usually caused by our own thoughts or a continuing string of thoughts that create the downward spiral which puts us into a hole we can’t get out of by ourselves, if we’re not paying attention.

How can we keep this from happening? We need to pay attention to our thoughts. Be aware of what we are thinking and not dwell upon the things that we don’t want to have in our lives, whether they are people, places or things.

Are you paying attention?

~rev jim

www.spirit-edu.com