My Gratitude prayer

Wakan Tanka- Creator of all there is-
Thank you for believing in me and giving me the strength and courage to believe in myself.

I am but a  human woman. I am flawed,  but trying hard to embrace the way of Spirit- to rise above the human weaknesses that separate me- Ego, Fear, Blame, judgment, Hate

I know now that I am not separate from You- Your love is obvious when I choose to let go and get out of the way. When I allow you to give me what I need.
Removing my expectations has given me Peace that I have never known.

 I am grateful to the Guides and Ancestors on the Blue Road, who bridge the gap between this world and the next. Without their loving patience and guidance I would not have had the courage and knowing to lead in my life.

I am grateful to my human family. So many Teachers; loving, caring, compassionate people who I  am blessed to have join me on this journey. Those who are looking for  peace, love, acceptance and a better way to live- in spite of the world as it is.

I have hope for a better future as I awaken to the need for change in our world.
It begins with me- and I can see the ripple that is being created as I watch your teachings through the Smoking Mirror.

We are all connected.

I am also grateful for all my brothers and sisters in the animal tribe; The unconditional sacrifices they make because of our human ignorance as they try to protect our mother the Earth, in spite of us.
Still giving us messages of change and hope as they try to coexist in their shrinking world with us.

I am grateful to all of the other tribes- the standing people, the things that creep and swim, and our medicine people the plants who bring me many different perceptions and healing.

I seek to change no one but myself.
In my humanness ,separateness and ignorance I have harmed many. I cannot make amends to them all, but seek to Walk in Beauty the rest of my days.

I will clear my path of all the blocks to the Journey you ave prepared for me, so I may see you, in all of your forms,  walking beside me as I go forward on the Good Red Road.
Aho.

Marianne Goldweber

Spring Cleaning- Making room for NEW

We want more...right? Picture being a prayer answerer on the other side and wanting to give us more, but they see that our hearts, minds and homes and schedules are full- so full that there is no room for all the things we are asking for...what is a spirit to do?
They answered our prayer last week and we did not even say thank you.

Shift your perception.

Let's ask ourselves- if I was to answer my prayer for more, whether that is new experiences, peace, love  or financial abundance- how am I managing what I've already been given- and- is there room for that which I ask?
Chances are the answer is we have not.

Are we honoring what we have?
Are we grateful?
Are we seeing the abundance we have been given that we are treating with disrespect?
Why do we deserve more?
In our search for what we don't have- how do we treat the things and people we do have?

In doing this inventory- we may find that we have had it all along.



Spring is a time of creation- of creating what we want to bloom and grow...but first we must clear away the debris of the fall, and cultivte the soil in order to prepare the fertile ground for the seed....
In the garden of our lives- are we ready for the time of planting?

Thought for the day;

I am grateful for what I am and have.

My thanksgiving is perpetual...
O how I laugh when I think of my vague indefinite riches.
No run on my bank can drain it
for my wealth is not possession but enjoyment.

Henry David Thoreau

Peace

Peace
I looked around for this thing called peace
I looked and looked everywhere for it.
and all I found was chaos.

I became angry that no one would tell me where I could find it.
until an amazing thing happened.
I heard the Voice..
it said 'sit down'

I did what I was told.
I sat down..
it felt strange to be still.
I observed that nothing around me stopped moving

I watched as everyone and everything swirled and twirled in the chaos.

I then became aware of my separateness..I was alone......
which was uncomfortable yet nice at the same time...
no one seemed to notice me just sitting.

I began to examine my surroundings.
taking a inventory of where I was and what I thought
something I never had the time to do before I sat.

I began to hear the Voice clearer as it answered my questions and gave me insight...
I came to trust the Voice because it  was kind, patient and loving.
I was liking this new feeling
and realized that I found what I was looking for,
the surprise was; it was here all along.

And as I sat,  people would notice.
They would come over and ask me 'Do you know where I can find Peace?'
I said 'Come and sit down with me awhile.......'

Potential

When I was a child my parents would go to parent teacher conferences. They would come home and say- the teacher loves you but  you aren't working uo to your potential... 

I used to hate that.

My potential?- What did that mean?

I was not an over achiever by any stretch of the imagination- and frankly no one really  put any pressure on me to do better. I was never really challenged.
As an adult  I felt that I was working hard, but when my mediocre efforts were not rewarded in the way I thought they should be,  I could not understand why.
I had a huge sense of entitlement and was disappointed  a lot. 

At times I was even rather indignant.

 My spiritual awakening and personal accountability dealt me many very difficult observations about myself that were painful to acknowledge.

Our society has created a generation of entitlement, where there is  little effort. It takes work  and accountability to create the success that most of us want. 

I passed up, and was overlooked for many opportunities because of the illusion of  my self importance. Seeing that  much success or failures have been in direct result with the effort and consistency to which I applied myself was a changing day. 

You get what you give.

So, the phrase 'not working up to my potential' translates into what the Universe knows I am capable of , physically, spiritually and emotionally; if I should choose to accept the opportunities presented to me and exert effort.  

I didn't understand that if I took a step forward in the right direction, the Universe takes two and I get propelled forward much faster. That my forward movement is matched with that from my 'helpers' on the other side. That I'm not doing it alone.

Dare to live up to your potential- I know you can do it, the question is do you?.

Marianne Goldweber

Thought for the day;

To awaken each morning with a smile brightening my face; 

to greet the day with reverence for the opportunities it contains; 

to approach my work with a clean mind; 

to hold ever before me, even in the doing of little things, the ultimate purpose toward which I am working; 

to meet men and women with laughter on my lips and love in my heart; 

to be gentle, kind, and courteous through all the hours; 

to approach the night with weariness that ever woos sleep and the joy that comes from work well done - 

this is how I desire to waste wisely my days.

Thomas Dekker

Discovering our purpose- The Shaman's Death

Many cultures have rituals that are part of an initiation into the work of a Medicine person. These ritual teachings not only involve spiritual learning but a physical surrender with a  brush with death as well.. These rituals are necessary in order for the Medicine person to work with people who are in neeed of healing- whether that healing is physical  emotional or spiritual. the Medicine person is called to face  the darkness that is keeping them in suffering.

We are all called, at some point in our life, to have a ritualistic death- but many of us are afraid to let go of what is familiar  and truly have the Faith required to let go and surrender  in order to uncover our purpose.

We cannot be free to 'become' if we don't allow  the human conditioning, ego and human truths to 'die' and define our Faith- what we believe guides us in this journey- and then trust in it.

It is an ultimate act of Faith; when we are willing to surrender ourselves.it is in that moment of 'death' that we put our life in the hands of the Divine force that goes by many names; Great Mystery- the Source - God- Creator.

In order to emerge- one must surrender completely to the darkness and do battle with the dark forces-such as in the 'Shaman's Death'.

In order to help others battle the darkness- it takes one who has been there to do battle with that which he himself  has come face to face with.

How can we have the courage to face another's demons objectively without facing our own?

Those who emerge  from  this ritual,  walk both the red road and the blue road of spirit.

Surrendering  and facing the darkness - especially the darkness within us is the ultimate act of Faith but necessary if we are to do the work we are being called to do to heal our world and her people.