Balance

This was a peaceful day with no new revelations or challenges — very good, earned and enjoyed. I exercised, watched part of a silly but enjoyable movie, did a lot of gardening, some meditating and cooking. The first half of the day was spent in solitude. I was watching the super-hero movie and I heard my own head say "You have better things to do." so I went outside to the peace and quiet of gardening. I need to be careful to take the time needed for self if I am to continue being of service to others. Balance in all things.

Pass It On

Being aware of and in contact with the spirit realm has enriched my life immeasurably and I now wish to pass that sensation on to the spirits at Arlington Cemetery so that they may pass it on to other living beings, if they so desire. They can have a very positive impact on the energetic atmosphere around living people, altering the decision making and choices of those people. I can and will be a living example of that relationship to the spirits within the cemetery, so that they can sense it and pass it on. The specifics of those other relationships will, of course, vary in each case. As I wrote a few days ago: "The spirits at Arlington Cemetery, having experienced war,....are very committed and loyal to peace, love and freedom." I hope to give them a chance to express and develop that loyalty through affecting living people, an exciting opportunity for all of us. "A true Master is not the one with the most students, but the one who creates the most Masters.
A true leader is not the one with the most followers, but the one who creates the most leaders.
A true king is not the one with the most subjects, but the one who leads the most to royalty.
A true teacher is not the one with the most knowledge, but the one who causes the most others to have
knowledge.
And a true God is not One with the most servants, but One who serves the most, thereby making
Gods of all others.
For this is both the goal and glory of God: that his subjects shall be no more, and that all shall
know God not as the unattainable, but as the unavoidable." (Walsch)

Being of Service

I look back over my life with gratitude realizing that I have been carefully prepared and molded for the spirit and spiritual work I am doing today. I am deeply humbled. In 2006 when I had my Near-Death-Experience I was told "You can stay here or go back and be of service", so I came back. I am now beginning to realize what that choice meant. "One by one we move beyond conceptions of ourselves, just as we pass beyond metaphors, symbols, and conceptions of God on the way into unmediated, unknowing, intimate relationship with the source of our being." (Patricia Loring)

Working With Others

When working with the spirits, or anyone else for that matter, I need to be careful to make sure I am not pushing my own agenda rather than truly listening and supporting theirs. It took me three days worth of meditation and contemplation for me to feel confident about my recommending that the spirits consider using the three questions I have used. In this instance the questions will guide them to their own answers and outcomes rather than my imposing anything planned by me. They are a very diverse group and their actions will be also. I have been subjected to the agendas of other people and that usually does not end well, in spite of their good intentions.

Love Not War

War, aggression, anger and fighting is very simple and it feeds the aggressive part of ourselves, that part of human nature. Aggression feels good or, in psychological terms, it is ego syntonic. However, as history shows, aggression leads to aggression, not peace. The spirits at Arlington Cemetery, having experienced war, understand this and are very committed and loyal to peace, love and freedom. I will support them, possibly with the three questions which have helped me: "Would I do this in front of God [or whatever you call the power or force behind the Universe]?; Is my name really on it [or is it really my responsibility]?; Will this increase the integrity of the universe [or is this action motivated by love, rather than fear, acting out of love always increases the integrity of the universe]".

Processing

Today was a day of processing and integrating what took place at Arlington National Cemetery, meaning, self-care, meditation, contemplation, an active form of processing while sleeping and exercise. I still notice the great diversity of spirits of all ages, colors sexes and backgrounds. Our communication and questions were about relationships, how to maintain them at all levels, peacefully, with love, respect and support for all. It is clear that given the diversity, the specific answers would vary within a base of love, peace and God. It was clear to them, having shifted to the spirit plane, that war and killing was not the answer they thought it was. "We can cultivate an environment among us which will foster one another’s spiritual growth by directing and redirecting intention and attention to God; by discouraging what draws us away; by loving support for each other in the vicissitudes of our utterly human lives; by respecting and cherishing the uniqueness of each life." (Patricia Loring)

Ministry

What a day! Maria and I did go to be with the spirits at Arlington National Cemetery, listen and learn. They were glad of our presence and the fact that we came to listen to them. I found them to be very diverse as far as most ideas, attitudes, ages and backgrounds and unified in their strong commitment to a sense of honor, love and community, which was why they fought in the first place. They were also, for the most part, clear that killing and war was not the answer, at least long term. We all shared a lack of clarity about what the answer was. I commended them on their commitment to honor, love and community. I also shared my connection to God and suggested that it was through love, peace and God they would find their answers. I suggested they could influence the living to do the same. One thing which was clear is that we are not done, this was only a beginning. I need to continue processing the day.

Listening For Guidance

Tomorrow my wife and I will go visit Arlington National Cemetery in order for me to work with the spirits there, a big deal for me — so tonight I am twitchy and nervous. As always I will attempt to be open, listen and do what I am told. My plan is to help get rid of any negative influences, give or show them God’s Love and suggest they impact the living by producing a loving atmosphere, very simple — and then listen for more! The most important task is for me to listen for guidance. "You can be a saint, if you want to be one. It's as simple as that. Only you must remember, ALL THE TIME, that GOD makes saints, not we: we just do what we are told. But in order to do what we are told, we must hear what is said, and in order to hear we must listen, and in order to listen, we must be quiet - not only　with our tongues, but interiorly, in our minds and hearts." (Anonymous)

Differences

During my recovery meeting today I remained silent and listened to the other members of the group bring up issues that were bothering them, the main issue being their perception that they had made mistakes and I was reminded how different I am from the majority. Personally, I don’t think there are mistakes, just choices that have unintended outcomes. We always learn from those choices and we have no idea if the outcomes are desirable or not in the long run. Irene Claremont deCastillejo said it well when she wrote "Scientists discover and theologians affirm; but faced with the mystery of life and death we know almost nothing." I also kept thinking of the comment Richard Pries made several years ago, that "Nothing matters very much and very few things matter at all".

Listening

Because of my disability I speak very slowly with very poor diction and enunciation so it is a chore for people to listen to me and particularly my slowness gives me a chance to observe how most people listen. I have noticed that when I talk people instantly make up stories about what I am saying and then pay more attention to their story, than what I am saying. For example, if I am cooking and begin relating something about a dream I had a few nights ago, Maria, my wife, might make up a story about what I am cooking and have trouble realizing that what I am saying does not fit. I, of course, do the same, often tending to believe my story rather than the reality going on around me. I work on my listening skills. "Listening is a far more difficult process than most people imagine; really to listen in the way that is meant by the masters is to let go utterly of ourselves, to let go of all the information, all of the concepts, all the ideas and all the prejudices that our heads are stuffed with." (Sogyal Rinpoche)