Faith and Fear

I believe we are here as a soul to have an experience.

Every event in our life- everyone we meet -have been strategically placed in our path in a Divine way to afford us an experience.

When it is a positive experience we can apply Faith that it is Divine.
But- when the experience is senseless and tragic- we have learned to apply Fear and cannot believe that there is anything Divine at work.

Fear is the absence of Faith.

Fear makes us a victim to tragedy- Faith offers us a freedom that it is purposeful in the Divine plan in our life- or the experience of another.

I have experienced many tragedies in my life. In the moment- it is very difficult to think that there is a Divine purpose- it makes me angry- it makes me helpless and it makes me want to control the uncontrollable.

Faith allows me to release my need to know- to control the outcome and be present to the event.

There are many things at work that I cannot understand from my limited perception as a human being. This is where I know- through Faith- that as senseless as it seems- there is Purpose.

In retrospect- I have seen these events inspire significant changes- without them happening, these changes would never have occurred.
Out of the rubble of despair- great things have been born.

Here is the thought for the day-

“There is nothing that wastes the body like worry,
and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry
about anything whatsoever”

Mahatma Gandhi

A Comitted Life- The road to true wealth

The situation with our economy is a ‘wake-up call’ for our society and the way we’ve chosen to live.

We’ve skewed the priorities; where material wealth and 'things' have us working 2 jobs- putting our kids in the care of strangers. We pass our partner like a ship in the night, and generally having been financing our happiness.

We are spending our free time addicted to reality programming.
It's more amusing to watch the pain and drama in other people's lives than tuning in to your own reality show.
No one is tuning in to your life and it's chaos and drama- including you.

So how do you define a successful life?

I believe that true happiness asks us to re-evaluate our priorities
and accept our part in our unhappiness.

We need to stop blaming and get accountable.

We need to embrace gratitude.

We are being called to become truly powerful in our lives.

Purely accountable to what is really important for each individual.

Getting re-invested in our happiness by removing the things, thoughts and actions that are not Peaceful Loving and Joyful.

Not and easy task! But worth the effort.

Our disposable society has us devaluing things, people and relationships.
We are demanding more and more- but giving little.
And yet, we are dissatisfied.

So... you think your boss is a jerk and you can't get promoted? Maybe you have a bad attitude. Maybe you are not clear in communicating what you want. Are you a team player?.... It’s not so easy to just quit your job, because jobs are scarce- how can we better communicate, set a boundaries and find a common thread that brings us together?

You hate your neighbors or the neighborhood- and can’t move because you house won’t sell- but when was the last time you went out and helped your neighbors- or sat on the porch- played with the neighborhood kids (or your own for that matter)or started a watch group or had a block party?.

No one is responsible for your happiness but you.
It's not the money- or the job- or the house- or your boss- or your kids- or your partner.

It's YOU- you are part of the equation.

There is a personal investment and responsibility in commitment.

This change is forcing us to get INVESTED in our happiness;to be accountable to our job, our family, our home, and our neighbors.
People have been in a form of denial..

It's like waking up to a blaring horn and realizing you've been sleeping in the middle of the street; then wondering how you got there.

But the good news is there's hope!
By becoming accountable, instead of blaming;
we can own it, fix it and change it.

Human's only learn through pain and don’t really value what we haven’t worked for-
so put on your overalls- roll up you sleeves and dig in!

We can then lay a blueprint for our future- for our children's future.
Where a world of suffering, chaos hate and blame are something we read about in a history book.

Marianne is available for personal and spiritual development classes- seminars and one on one coaching sessions.

The embodiment of Empowerment- A Parable

The embodiment of Empowerment

The embodiment of Empowerment-Marianne Goldweber

Empowerment is an interesting word. It’s not about giving someone power- it is encouraging, supporting and nurturing the power that is within everyone.
We tend that seed of our purpose- our greatness- that lies within us all….

I will share with you a gardening parable…..
Life is like a garden.

The seed already has within it, the power to be what it is destined to be. The gardener gives it fertile soil, moisture and the loving act of nurturing; as the seed becomes a sprout. The gardener continues to tend for that fragile sprout until it’s roots take hold and it is strong enough to seek it’s own sources of nourishment.

This is where the wisdom of the gardener knows she must wean the plant, gradually exposing it to the elements, as it instinctively reaches toward the sun. This makes the plant more hardy and self sufficient.

The gardener must encourage the plant through this weaning process- to drive it’s roots deep or the plant will not have the ability to withstand the drought, storms and winds that the gardener knows will come.

Each plant is unique- and the gardener gives each what it needs. Some of the things that the plant really needs- the gardener knows she can’t provide. The plant’s needs are far below the rich topsoil, and above; through the energy of the sun.
The gardener gives the plant-in the sowing and tending- a beginning that will increase it’s chances of survival, and in spite of her tender loving care- some plants may not thrive. It’s not solely through the tending that determines if the plant will survive.

The gardener knows when to come along and pull the weeds. She waits before giving the plant water or it will become dependent on the gardener.

The gardener rests and waits for the harvest and then enjoys the fruit of her labor.
Every season must come to an end and eventually each plant will die. But the gardener is not sad, for she knows the plant will pass on that wisdom to the seed that it carries- and she will teach others to tend the garden-and those seeds will go forth to be planted in the next season, by wise and loving hands.

Within each of us lies the seed of our destiny;
and within that seed is the love of the gardener
and the wisdom of the source from which it came.

.

Road trip- Marianne takes the kids to the homelss shelter

I am the car pool Mom and take my son and four other kids home ever day.
Yesterday I had been taking donations to various agencies throughout Cleveland.

I picked up the kids and they were being kids- picking on and fighting with each other...
(I say kids but they are in junior high)

So I told them I had to make a stop to drop off one more donation- and I took them to the Men's homeless shelter in downtown Cleveland. I had a load of blankets - and knowing the temperature was going down again, I felt they would be desperately needed.

Well...Divine timing being what it is- we arrived at about 3:30- just when the men are lining up to get in to the shelter for the evening. There were at least 60+ men standing in line with their bags of possessions.
My son goes there all the time- but the others had never been there.
The car got very quiet.

I turned around and explained- In the morning- the shelter makes all the men go out to the street, it seams mean- but if they didn't, they wouldn't look for work- or see how painful this way of life is. I explained that these men have serious problems. Some are addicted to drugs and alcohol- some are mentally ill. Some got out of prison and can't find work- because they have had no education- or their criminal record makes it almost impossible to get a job. But when they come in to the shelter at night- they get food, a bed, a shower, laundry and counseling if they want it- and if they do- they help them get their lives in order. They get them medical- mental health and legal assistance- even tutors from the college come to help them get their GED.

So I told them to lock the doors while I dropped off the blankets.
I walked across the street and all the men said "Hi!!! What 's in the bags- is it food- can I have some???" They were laughing and they even held the door for me. I left the bag at the desk and went right back out. One man yelled- "Will you marry me??" "I yelled back- "You don't want me I'm a lot of work!!" which got a big laugh from the entire group... All the while- 5 pairs of very large eyeballs were watching from the van.

I got back in the car- and we all waved at the men who were waving at us....
I expressed how grateful I am for my life....
It was a pretty quiet ride home....

The Christmas angel..a parable....

The Christmas Angel

My 12 year old son wrote this for his English class...

The Christmas Angel
It was Christmas Eve, and God was looking at the Earth. He saw horrible things. He saw that the people were selfish and greedy. They were cutting down the forests, and they were killing the animals for fun. God was very disappointed with the humans and flooded the Earth before. Maybe he needed to do that again.

God called a meeting with every single angel in Heaven. He said, "I have been thinking about allowing a fire to destroy the Earth." "I have many angels down there to wake the people up, but they won't listen. They are selfish and busy with being greedy. There is no Peace or Love." said God.

One of the Angels stepped up, his name was Chamuel- he was the angel of Tolerance. He said "There are many people trying to help the Earth but are having a hard time because they don't want to listen. "I know that change is coming, if we could just give them more time." said Chamuel. Then God said, "Chamuel, if you can find 3 people that are kind ,loving and giving in 12 hours, I will help the people save the Earth. " Chamuel said ok, and God made him a homeless man, like many of the other angels he sent before, and put him on Earth.

God put Chamuel in front of a mall in Michigan. He was wearing an old brown shirt, torn jeans and tennis shoes- or at least he thought they were tennis shoes because they were held together with duct tape. He had no socks, hat, or gloves and his coat was filthy. He saw himself on the window at Sears, he looked pretty bad. He started walking around asking for money. Everyone he went up to said "No!". Some of them said "Get away freak", "Get a job", "You stink". Some ignored him. "Maybe God was right" Chamuel thought. Just then, a man came up to him and said "Here's a sandwich" and gave him the brown paper bag, and a twenty dollar bill. Chamuel thanked him as the man scurried to work. "Yes! One down, two to go and I still have nine hours left" said Chamuel. Just then the security guard grabbed him and told him to get out of there.

Chamuel walked and walked for a long time until he found a park. There were kids playing in the snow. They were sledding and having a fun time. He sat on the bench to eat the sandwich the man had given him, when he heard a crash of breaking ice and a kid yelling for help. Chamuel ran over to the pond where the kid fell in, he jumped in and pulled him to safety. Just then, the boy's mother came running over yelling at Chamuel, asking what he did to her son. He tried to tell her that he sledded into the pond, but she was screaming for help. It just so happened that a policeman was driving by, and he stopped, hearing the woman yelling. Chamuel was frozen and wet. He explained to the policeman, but he put him in the police car anyway. The officer gave him his coffee and his gloves, and a blanket from the trunk. He told Chamuel "You better go to the hospital; you might have hypothermia and frostbite." The policeman said he would drive him there. "See God, I told you there is Love here" Chamuel prayed. One to go, but he had less than an hour left.

He got to the hospital emergency room and went up to the nurse at the desk. He waited but she ignored him, then she looked up and asked him if he had money to pay. He said "No, I don't" She was rude and said "Wait over there with the others" and pointed over to a group of homeless and poor looking people who were waiting too.

He sat down, and saw a man on a stretcher off to the side in a hallway. He looked like someone he knew. Chamuel got up and went over to him. He was very old and homeless too. He knew this man! He was Ezekiel, an angel messenger sent here by God, a long time ago. Ezekiel was dying. He was getting ready to go back to Heaven. Chamuel said "Ezekiel, is that you?" Ezekiel said, "Chamuel, my old friend, I failed my mission, I could not get people to understand. Now I am old and my time here is done." Chamuel said, "You did your best," and while holding his hand, Ezekiel died. Chamuel cried, for his friend and for the people of Earth. His time too was short; he had just 15 minutes left.

As Chamuel went back to the waiting area a small boy came up to him, he had a small bunch of flowers. The little boy handed him a tissue for his still watery eyes. He asked, "Was that your friend?" Chamuel said "Yes, what is your name?" He said, "My name is Joshua, My mom has cancer. I'm waiting while she has her treatment. Sometimes I get sad too, because I'm afraid she is going to die." A nurse pushing a woman in a wheel chair came over. Joshua said "Hi Mom!" this is my friend. She shook the Angel's hand, and said "I'm Jenny, it's nice to meet you." As Chamuel shook her hand, she felt tingly all over. Her son was the third and final person,that through his kindness and Love saved the Earth.

Chamuel gave Jenny and her son Joshua an amazing gift that Christmas Eve, he healed her Cancer. Chamuel let go of her hand and said "It's my pleasure to meet both of you too. I'm sorry, but I have to go, Merry Christmas!"

Chamuel walked to the elevator.He got to the elevator and there was Ezekiel already there. "Ready to go?" said Ezekiel. "Ready to go." said Chamuel. They pushed the very top button that only the angels can see, and when the doors opened they stepped into the light of Heaven.

The End.

"Continue to love on another, with true brotherly love, don't forget to be kind to strangers for some who have done this entertained angels without realizing it." Hebrews 13:2