GOD IS a Verb. GOD IS…I AM

Beginning on Thursday, April 3, and each Thursday thereafter, I will hold an Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) ”Borrowing Benefits” group session at my home.  I am a Level 2 EFT-CC practitioner and a participant in the TRY IT ON EVERYTHING documentary on EFT.  I am also a spiritual healer and a miracles manufacturer, who uses the principles of the Law of Attraction to create an amazing life experience.  You are invited to join us for fun, food, and freedom for all!!  I promise we will have a great time, and I know we will release and remove many, many blocks!  If you are curious about this technique, this is your chance to see what it is all about.  We will meet from 6:45-8:30 p.m.  Your first session is free, and future sessions are only $20 each.  Email me at jodi@godisaverb.com if you want to join our group!

I was blessed, this weekend, to have some time to spend with my 2-year-old granddaughter, Lola, as she celebrated her birthday with family and friends.  Lola is a living miracle…another story we will get to, in time.  As I observed her experiencing life, it was evident why Christ Jesus often looked to children as the perfect example of how to live our lives.  There is no real complexity in how a child lives…they live in the moment, seeking what makes them happy, and they have no pre-conceived ideas about what is right or wrong.  I laughed as Lola’s complete disinterest in her party was evident.  She had no expectations about what a birthday party “should” be.  She just wanted to play in the sand.  Over and over, she would scoop up the sand in her tiny hand, and drop it into a pile, gleefully looking for me to say “Wheeeeeeee,” so she could squeal with delight.  Such a simple thing brought her hours of joy!  She was completely in the moment, allowing only those things which brought her happiness.

As we “grow up” (although down might suit that phrase better), we tend to forget about living in present awareness.  I can almost guarantee that most adults will live their lives, today, either thinking about the past, or trying to analyze, predict and mold the future.  We rarely allow ourselves the freedom of living in the now.  We are frantically trying to control future outcomes by relying on yesterday’s information.  Such a shame how we’ve forgotten to merely enjoy the moment of being.

A while back, my wonderful father, Claude McDonald, gave me a book to read “in my spare time.”  The book is called Testimony of Light, by Helen Greaves.  I’ve been quite caught up in doing exactly what I described adults doing in the preceding paragraph, and had not taken time to glance at the book until this morning.  I found one particular description so synchronistic, however, I wanted to share it.  She writes:

Like most of us in the body life I was in illusion; lost in glamour.  I looked for the Spirit to reveal itself to me, when all that was necessary was ‘relaxation unto God’.  The Spirit was always with me, veiled because physical sight could not view it.  The great secret of finding that Spirit was the ‘letting go’ of self.

Life isn’t to be forced.  We don’t have to push, pull, shove and struggle to be here.  We just are.  What happens is that growing up causes us to download so many ideas of what life “should” be, we find ourselves in a never-ending battle of hide and seek.  We are chasing an illusion we will never find, thinking once we have captured it, our lives will be complete.  But life is not incomplete!  It is unlimited allness, and everything we are trying to grasp will always elude us.  The word trying is evidence of that, because in trying to achieve something, we are constantly placing it just outside our reach.

I hope you take some time to go play in the sand, today.  Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

I AM…Jodi
www.godisaverb.com/blog

I will be speaking at the San Marcos, TX showing of Try It On Everything on Friday night, April 4, 2008. 

HOSTED BY:  Humanity’s Team of San Marcos (Randall Wood)  Please visit the Humanity’s Team website at www.htsanmarcos.com for more information about this amazing organization!
TIME:  7:00-9:00 p.m. 
WHERE:  San Marcos Unity Church  –  Directions: San Marcos is on Interstate 35 between Austin and San Antonio. To get to our church, take the Highway 123 exit off of I-35 in San Marcos and go east (toward Seguin) for 4.7 miles. Look for the Unity sign on the right.

Be sure to join us there!!!

If you are a Facebook or You Tube subscriber…look me up!  Put me on your “Friends” list and subscribe to my videos. I am on both and I post videos and information often.  Hope to join you there!!!

I AM…Jodi

I recently picked up Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth.”  It would not surprise any fan of his to learn it is a powerful, enlightening piece of work.  I’ve read some of his other works, and have even watched some of his videos.  He is a very interesting teacher.  I especially like watching his lectures on video, because his child-like amusement and his Zen-like peace are what make him such an interesting person.  He fully enjoys the simplicity of Being, and hearing him speak requires great patience, as he sometimes appears to live in slow motion.  Like Deepak Chopra’s writings…his books have to be absorbed in bits and pieces…as there is so much to digest in what they say. 

I finished Chopra’s “The Third Jesus,” a few weeks ago (by way of audio book), but I continue to listen to it, daily, so as to savor every thought.  I giggle with amusement as I wonder what the typical Christian must think if they decide to read his words.  It is certainly going to be talked about among the more fundamental thinkers! Of course, they will probably put it all down as blasphemy.  I encourage Christians to give him a chance, however, because his brilliance and enlightenment, to me, far exceed most of us on Earth today.  I also worry about the Christian population who have not allowed themselves to question some of what they’ve been told to believe.  Few realize that their “truths” are beliefs passed from others.  What will happen to them if, one day, they realize that their truth is not really true?  I fear they will be devastated.  I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to continually study metaphysics, and I am always open to discovering something new.  Moving forward, rather than relying on past beliefs, reminds me that nothing is static.  Everything is changing and new.  Those who are accepting of new thoughts will find the least resistance to the Revelation that is unveiling.

What interests me is the connection so many spiritual teachers have as we are sharing our understanding.  There is a thread of unity in what so many are saying.  We all are using our words to awaken the world to oneness with all.  Both Chopra and Tolle, along with Dr. Wayne Dyer and Gregg Braden, talk about the “space between.”  Having experienced ananda (the bliss of Being) myself, I know of what they speak.  When we can quiet the thinking, and begin to merely experience Being, we find ourselves in a unique state of consciousness that is difficult to describe to someone who has not been there.  I do my best to explain this in my book, God IS I AM, but human language does it no justice.  In that awareness, there is no separation, and for many, it is the first time to recognize there are no boundaries that classify one object as a dog, another as a person, and a third as a table.  From that state of consciousness, one “sees” only oneness, and the physical forms we believe to be solid, separate objects merely vanish.  (There is a component in this experience which I have told no one, because when I cross paths with another who has been “there,” I want to see if they know of it.  It remains one of the most vivid recollections I have of Being, however.)

Every day, more and more people are opening to the realization that there is not an “out there.” Until you are blessed with an ananda of your own, you will have to choose whether or not you trust those who are telling you it is so.  We scamper around, looking for scientific evidence to prove to Westerners it’s truth, and fortunately, new science and quantum physics are revealing such proof to those who are in touch.  Gregg Braden is a leading-edge teacher of this discovery, so I encourage those who need such proof to read his book, The Divine Matrix.

While a large population of Christians are holding out for a future salvation to occur in a distant place called Heaven, more and more are waking up to realize this experience can only be revealed in the now.  Past and future are not real, and they can only be recognized in the present.  What does that mean for us?  It means we have the opportunity to walk in the kingdom today.  Struggle and suffering might get you what you want out of life.  Likely not.  Christ said it comes through prayer.  Buddha taught meditation.  It is not in the busyness of thinking, nor in the hard work of living a good life.  It is in the stillness of Being.

“Practicing The Presence” in the present is the key to enlightenment.  I’ll close with a quote from Tolle’s book:

   When you make the present moment, instead of past and future, the focal point of your life, your ability to enjoy what you do–and with it the quality of your life–increases dramatically.  Joy is the dynamic aspect of Being.

I AM…Jodi
www.godisaverb.com/blog

Since the movie “The Secret” came out, we all hear the statement “what we resist, persists” more and more often.  But what does that mean exactly?  Why would resistance to something keep it active?

I recently had a student who came to me with an interesting example.  He was telling me he had a person in his life that was causing his family all kinds of problems.  He absolutely couldn’t stand this person, and didn’t understand why he remained in his circle, even though he had been doing his best to remain positive and joyful.  Why didn’t this person simply disappear from their lives?  Why was he attracting a person he absolutely despised?

It was obvious, to me, in hearing him describe that person, he is holding a lot of resistance!  If you feel a negative feeling toward another person, that IS resistance!  Bad news is…they aren’t going anywhere until you confront what it is they keep bringing into your focus.  After all, it is you bringing them into your life. You see, when you are out there, brightly shining your light, your darkness is revealed to you.  We all have it, and there is no shame or guilt to be felt due to this.  What is happening is that you are offering yourself the opportunity to address an underlying behavior you, yourself, have held.  You are saying you want only joy and good feelings in your life, so that is activating all those negative things you have long held in your belief system.  This is not a bad thing…it is a wonderful opportunity to release them!  When we see things in others we don’t like, that is a clue to ask ourselves when we have behaved in a similar manner.  In other words, if you dislike someone because they are deceitful, you must ask yourself when you expressed those same qualities.  Have you ever deceived anyone?  Lied to anyone?  Kept secrets?  Try to find the qualities you most dislike in your own experiences.  They are there!  How do I know?  Because you can’t recognize in others what you have not experienced yourself.  To know what hate is, you must have hated.  To recognize distrust, you had to distrust.  So…discover where in your own life this quality was expressed.  Once you have done that, it is time to forgive yourself.  Clear that energy.  Once you have done so, you will have no resistance to that quality in others; and only then will that person walk out of your experience.

Next time you are in the company of someone you really feel uncomfortable with, see if you can figure out what qualities are in that person that disturb you so much.  Write them down and ask others if they remember a time when you expressed those same qualities. You brought that person into your experience to allow yourself the opportunity to grow, spiritually.  Accept the offer with gratitude!  It is truly a gift.  Once you remember when you treated others in that same way you are now so uncomfortable seeing in another, allow forgiveness of yourself, by yourself,  and then you will be open to a more positive experience.  Negative reactions are just stored memories from the past.  It isn’t even real…it is nothing but memory. We cannot experience positive things, however, until we have released the negative energy held in our unconscious mind.  And how amazing is it to understand that the past can only exist in the present?  If you want to let go of the past, you can only do so in the now. 

While it is true that “what you resist, persists,” it is also true “what you allow is now.”

I AM…Jodi
www.godisaverb.com/blog

Most people live their lives as if the outer world is in control.  They believe they are victims or benefactors of whatever is happening “out there.”  Events on the outside affect them on the inside.  But what if that is exactly backwards?

Even those who consider themselves highly enlightened often fall prey to this type of thinking.  And why not?  It is easy to do!  When I go about my usual day, it appears that things are happening all around me in which I have absolutely no input.  My neighbor may be telling me about his weekend activities and the news reporter is explaining all the world events.  Coworkers talk about personal problems and family members call to share things that are happening in their lives.  Maybe my doctor calls to give me test results and the dentist office calls to remind me of an upcoming appointment.  I see people at the grocery store who I don’t even know, but they might share a few thoughts with me.  I might overhear a young couple arguing or be the observer of  two children engaging in sibling rivalry. What possible input do I have in any of these experiences?

Consider this…I am the observer of all that is happening around me.  In that sense, I do have a role to play, right?  But the real question is, did I choose to be in that role?  If I hadn’t been standing outside when my neighbor came out to check his mail, I would not have had the conversation with him.  If I hadn’t turned on my television, I would not be hearing the latest world events.  If my job were different, I wouldn’t be conversing with those coworkers, and if I didn’t answer the phone, I wouldn’t know about my family’s problems.  What if I hadn’t gone to that doctor or dentist or been in that particular grocery store to witness the couple argument or the children squabbling?  Are these events occurring around me, or are they happening because of my choice to observe them?  Nothing can really happen to us without our permission.  In every single event of our lives, we have options.  There is never only one choice.  What do we choose, and more importantly, why do we choose those events?

It is very easy to hand control over to people and events around you.  It is easy to feel powerless and victimized by events “out of your control.”  But what if they aren’t?  Knowing you are an extension of your Source–not separate from it, but of it–you can start to reign in those feelings of being subject to outside events.  You can now begin to understand that you are omnipotent, because you are one with All.  What God is, you are.  In other words, you have all control.  The experiences which seem to be apart from you are actually coming through you.  Your life experience comes from the inside out.  The events of your day are always and only orchestrated by you!  You could have chosen otherwise. 

Once you realize you are the author of your play, you can rewrite the script.  What grand things do you choose to experience each day?  Imagine them, claim them and walk in the direction of what you choose.  Once you begin to live from the inside out, your whole life changes.  You get that it is YOU who determines your own experience…not “others.” It is only when you give up creating to buy into the stories of others that you let go of the steering wheel.  Who is going to write the script of your life?  If you live as if the world is the author while you are simply at the mercy of what is written, you are giving up your choice to create your own experience.

You, alone, are in charge of the experience of your life!  I believe we are here to experience God’s good….joy, love, peace, abundance, gratitude, and compassion.  If you haven’t chosen those experiences, you are resisting what you have been offered.  In those moments, you experience negativity…sorrow, anger, frustration, disease, doubt, and fear.

If you want to experience the glory of living in the kingdom of Heaven…start living from the inside out!  Agreed?

Let me know what you believe.

I AM…Jodi
www.godisaverb.com/blog

Join us to watch the San Antonio, TX premiere screening of Try It On Everything!  If you want to attend, please send an email to Jayne@jaynemorgankidd.com to let her know you’ll attend.  You can pre-order the DVD for a discounted price at the event. See you there!

Saturday, March 22 from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
San Antonio Wellness Center - Learning Space
4833 Fredericksburg Rd., San Antonio , Texas , 78229

You can also join us at the New Braunfels showing of the movie!!  I’ll be serving refreshments and selling preorders for the DVDs.  Bring cash or a check for $29.95 to buy the movie. We would love to see you there.  Please email me at jodi@godisaverb.com to let me know if you plan to attend.  See you next Wednesday in New Braunfels….

Wednesday, March 26, from 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Unity Church of Practical Christianity, New Braunfels –Sanctuary
408 Gruene Road, New Braunfels, TX.  (go to www.unitynewbraunfels.org for directions)

Some of you have been hearing about this book I’ve written called “God Is I AM.”  You might be wondering exactly what that means.  My book is a narrative nonfiction book that explains a process I’ve developed to manifest miracles in the here and now.  The book is filled with countless “miracles” of healing and forgiveness.  If you are seeking any type of miracle in your life, you might want to stay tuned!

Throughout my lifetime, I have learned a great deal about metaphysics.  I’ve studied many of the most well-known authors, and I practiced these ideas for the majority of my life.  In doing this, I’ve come to understand that the “entity” I always knew as God does not exist.  I no longer view God as any type of human-like or even spiritual presence.  Why?  Because in labeling God as one or the other, I have limited All.  As was told to us in the Old Testament, the name of God cannot be spoken.  Once you give it a name, it is no longer that, because it is much more than anything we can name.  Human definitions will always fall short because it is impossible for us to grasp words like infinite or eternal.  No matter how hard we try to unbind time and space, it is simply not possible to do this.  I can give you an example.  If I told you to imagine the universe is infinite, you would probably immediately visualize the sky and the stars and planets.  You might try to imagine how it would just go on and on, but you can’t possibly do that, because imagining it would require the remainder of your life!  I’m assuming you have better things to do?

I’ve come to view God not as a noun (a thing), but rather as a state of Being (a verb).  God is the beingness in everything.  God is Being me.  God is Being you.  God is Being a rock, a tree, a house, a thought, etc.  God is experiencing being.

Oddly enough, when I ask people where God is, most all of them (if they believe in a Supreme Being) will tell me everywhere.  We’ve come to understand that God/Creator/Source is infinite, so there is no place God cannot be.   However, people coil in fear when I suggest then that must mean YOU are God!  Why does that idea frighten us so much?  It should be the source of great jubilation!  Until we understand that we are in no possible way separate from the Source from whence we came, we are missing the possibilities that lie within that understanding.  Once you know you are, indeed, All that God IS, you have access to every wonderful possibility of good that you always believed was outside of you. Nothing is outside of you, because everything is within you. 

Most people live their lives as if they need to ask God to give them things; however, there is nothing left to give you.  You received all possibilities when you arrived because you are eternally standing in the kingdom of Heaven as God.  You can’t get out of All.  You are free to experience whatever you choose, but some of those things will feel wonderful (as they resonate with the qualities of Love), while others will cause a lot of negativity in your experience (because they are pushing against the vibration of Love).  Always, however, YOU are in control of your own experience.

 So then, you might ask, how do I get something I want/need, but don’t seem to have?  I have condensed the process into 5 steps, but until you’ve mastered each one, miracles may seem to be out of reach.  Nothing is impossible, though.

The first step is the understanding of who you are and who God is.  I hope you take some time to really think about this and perhaps redefine both.  If you come to the agreement that you and God must be one in the same, and you understand that God is not a being, but rather is Being, you have mastered the first step.  Congratulations!

I AM…Jodi