GOD IS a Verb. GOD IS…I AM

EFT BORROWING BENEFITS CLASS IS THIS SATURDAY!

If you are feeling anxiety, depression, anger or illness/pain, this is the place where you can clear it out and begin anew!  In our shared world, we will be practicing positive solutions to persistent problems.  If you are sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, then come join those who are ready to step into a place of joy, prosperity, wellness, and FUN!!!  Come on…after a rough week of negative news, you will be so glad you came here to clear the way for LAUGHTER and BLISS!!!

MANIFESTING MIRACLES WITH EFT!! (Emotional Freedom Techniques)

“SECOND SATURDAY” SESSIONS   (The first session will be held THIS Saturday, October 4th!  NOTE:  All other sessions will be held on the SECOND Saturday of each month.) 

Join EFT-CC practitioner and participant in the milestone movie, Try It On Everything, Jodi McDonald, the second Saturday of every month, from 10:00 a.m.-noon, at the New Braunfels Unity Church of Practical Christianity for Borrowing Benefits sessions.  You won’t want to miss this!  All sessions are presented on a love offering basis! 

“You’ll be glad you attended,” says one participant, “because Jodi not only shows you how to let go of the problems and diseases in your life, but she also teaches from her own metaphysical background.  You’ll get much more than your money’s worth and we have a lot of fun, as well.” 

Emotional Freedom Techniques, sometimes called  “Emotional Acupuncture,” is an alternative healing method that locates the emotional cause behind the problem/disease, eradicating it by tapping on various energetic meridian points in the body, while focusing on the issue.  Over 90% of those who use this technique say it works!  What are you waiting for?  JOIN US!! 

What beliefs did you download in your youth that are still causing you problems today?  What are you attracting into your life, based on negative beliefs?  How big is the pain-body Eckhart Tolle speaks of?  What is blocking your good from coming to you? Are you ready to let it go NOW? 

You can email Jodi at jodi@godisaverb.com for more information.  See you there!!!!

WHO:  Jodi McDonald, EFT-CC Level 2 Practitioner and star of the “Try It On Everything” movie…and YOU! 

WHAT:  EFT Borrowing Benefits Group Session

WHEN:  Saturday, October 4, from 10:00 a.m. until noon

WHERE:  New Braunfels Unity Church of Practical Christianity (click here for directions)

HOW MUCH:  Love Offering–you only pay what you can afford, with a portion being returned to the Unity Church/community

    Living in the age of information is often overwhelming, isn’t it?  Today’s media has gravitated towards negativity…because such drama brings in the big money.  Hard as it is to understand, we enjoy feeling bad!  Without even realizing it, we have become addicted to bad news.  We need our daily fix so we can wallow in self-pity and victim-hood even further.  Poor me!  In a self-fulfilling spiral into the depths of hell, the media puts out even more bad news, we feel even worse, the media profits, and we get more bad news.  Ask, and it will be given unto you.  If we ever got off the merry-go-round long enough to understand what is happening, we would see we are perpetuating this downward spiral by participating in it. 

On the other hand, the age of information is also exposing us to more and more people who are thinking in new ways.  There are millions of us who are, every day, putting out inspirational and positive messages to those who have ears.  Some of us got sick and tired of being sick and tired, and we decided enough is enough.  We are refusing to buy into the negativity, and we focus only on what makes us feel good.  Those addicted to feeling bad point at us and laugh.  They call us ignorant and unrealistic.  I smile, knowing “reality” is not exactly as most people believe.  Won’t they be surprised when they discover that?  While some are caught up in gloom and doom, others are quietly understanding and revealing to others that there is much more to this life than what we once believed.  The great news is that we are starting to realize we are very powerful beings.  We have so many untapped abilities, and one by one, they are beginning to surface.

When I see and hear of people who are horribly depressed at the state of our world, I am always reminded of Michele Longo O’Donnell’s book, Of Monkeys and Dragons.  In this book, she tells of a dream she had.  In the dream, she was walking down a path, headed towards a location on the other side of some mountains.  Everything was going well, as long as she focused solely on the path before her.  However, when she took her attention off the path and looked to the sides, she was immediately attacked by ferocious monkeys which gnawed the skin of her legs and feet.  Frantically, she tried to get them off of her, but to no avail.  However, in time, she realized that all it took to freeze the monkeys in mid-air was for her to refocus on the path.  Looking ahead, she noticed fire-breathing dragons standing guard on each side of the mountains.  Again, all that she had to do to render them paralyzed was to avoid looking at them.  When she awoke from the dream, she understood the dream.  Stay focused only on the path you want to walk.  If you don’t want to be eaten alive by the demons that surround you, do not give them your attention.  You see, nothing can harm you unless you recognize and give it power over you.

Today, you have a choice in how to react and act to negativity.  You can certainly decide to buy into the negativity, causing yourself anxiety and depression.  Or…you can choose to look only at the path you want to follow.  Yes, I know it is difficult to stay positive when surrounded by those who are proclaiming the end times are near.  But you know what?  It is possible.  There are people in this world living amazing lives!  They have an abundance of money and joy!  If they have it, so can you.  If you remember who you are and what tremendous authority is working through you, as you, you know there is nothing to fear.  If you are really struggling with all this, seek help from those who work in this manner.  Surround yourself with gratitude and joy, and if you feel yourself slipping, reach out and ask one of us for a helping hand.  Together, we can do this.

Take back your power and stay focused on your own path.  Don’t buy into the beliefs of others who have chosen to see nothing but negativity.  You are not alone.  There are millions of us walking beside you.  When it appears that all is lost, it is our responsibility to remind one another that all is well.

In John 14:16-17, it is written:

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.  This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”

Beloved…all you need is with you.  The Advocate of Truth is holding your hand, and it is revealing a new path on a journey of joy.  Remember to stay focused only on your own Truth.  You are not alone.  You are safe.  You are loved.  All is well.

I AM…Jodi
www.godisaverb.com/blog

   Love or fear?  Which will we choose?

I believe we are living in an amazing period of human history.  We are at a crossroad, and, as a universal community, we have the option to determine the fate of our world by following one or the other.  Choosing fear has been the pattern, and although it seems sometimes to be the only option and even the easier one, it is also the one that causes us the most pain.  Fear is the polar opposite of Love and is most resistant to acceptance.

What if we choose Love this time?  What will happen?  I believe that is, in the end, the one thing that frightens us.  We don’t know!  We hate the unknown, and opening up to a new way of thinking holds no proof or guarantee.  We have no track record or past to hold up as the promise all will be okay.  While old patterns of fear have not served us well, at least we know what to expect.

I, along with others, believe we just might make that decision anyway.  Maybe we can join hands and face the unknown as one community of humanity.  I believe there are now enough of us to tip the scales toward Love…but we might have to walk on fire to get there.  Are we strong enough–brave enough–to walk on anyway?  I believe we are.

In an atmosphere of chaos and uncertainty…we have this moment to hold onto.  This time, however, we are not holding it as individuals.  Look around and see all those who are sharing this sense of peace and perfection with us.  Reach out and take the hand of the one next to you and know we are in this together. 

When the storms rage and the winds blow, bend like the willow.  Put on your life jacket and if the ship goes down, remember the water is your refuge.  Watch, but do not resist.  Your added negative emotions do nothing to save you.  If you flail against the water, you will tire and drown.  It is suicidal to resist.  If you lay back and float, you will have the strength you need to survive and the voice to call out, “Peace.  Be still.”  You cannot be anywhere where Universal Love has not gone before you.  “Before I was, I AM.”

I wonder…if we choose Love, not fear, could a rainbow await when the clouds are parted?  What if we held that possibility as “already done?”  Those who float are placing just such an outcome in their tomorrows.

This is the ride of our lives.  I don’t know about you, but I plan to hold on to something greater, something eternal, and something infinitely intelligent.  I offer my hand to you, as well.  We can do this…together…not just with Love, but as Love.

I AM…Jodi
www.godisaverb.com/blog

    One of the 10 commandments says we are not to covet what our neighbors have, but I would guess most of us have committed that sin!  It’s hard to look at the success of someone else, and not have that tinge of jealousy.  On the outside, we pretend to be happy for them, but on the inside, we are thinking, “It should have been me.”

There is great power in observing the success of others.  But to tap into it, we need to come from a different place.  We need to come from appreciation.  When someone else has what we want in life, we have the opportunity to see a possibility actualized.  In other words, the person who has what we want is demonstrating the possibility exists!  If they have it, so can we.  We can then start to feel better…and maybe even move into gratitude for the demonstration they’ve provided.

For example, I am a huge fan of Deepak Chopra.  He represents everything I aspire to be.  I constantly read his books and his articles.  I listen to his interviews.  I buy his films.  I visit his webpage.  Seeing what he does inspires me!  I could choose to be jealous of his success, but I’m not.  Rather, I look at what he’s done and I tell myself, “I can do that, also!”  When I go to his website, and I see all the seminars he has on his schedule and all the books he has published, I don’t feel jealous.  I feel so happy!  I understand he is filling a great need, and there are many who are hungry for this knowledge.  I do not want to take his place, nor do I want to stand in his shadow.  I visualize myself, standing side by side with him, both of us sharing our journeys with millions who benefit from what we’ve learned.  As I see myself in that place, the gratitude begins to swell in my heart.  I am moved to a place of bliss, and a huge smile comes across my face.  I stay in that feeling for as long as possible, and when I move back to the moment, I take it with me.  There is no better time than that moment to also say, “Thank you, Deepak, for showing me how this is done.  Thank you for allowing me to see what it looks like. Now, I know where to focus my attention and energy.”

Whatever your desires, goals or dreams, first seek out those who have achieved what it is you aspire to have or be.  See the possibility demonstrated.  Understand there is no need to be jealous, because there is more than enough for everyone and what one has is available to all of us.  Study and mentor those you admire, and appreciate and love whatever things you would have added unto your experience.  Claim those things for yourself and then move into the feeling of “already done.”  Know it is yours and experience the feelings of already having it.  However, don’t forget that final step!  Be sure to appreciate those who demonstrated the possibility to you…thank them for showing you how it is done.

Once you’ve identified what it is you want to experience in this lifetime, you immediately discover there are those who have already been there.  No longer do you need to be jealous or resentful of their success.  Just see it as manifested possibility, and be grateful that others have shown it is possible.  Rather than sending them your anger and jealous thoughts, send them your gratitude and blessings.  You might be amazed to even find that appreciating them opens doors for you.  As you compliment and express gratitude to them, they are more apt to extend a helping hand to you.  Soon, one thing leads to another and then another…and you find yourself being the object of envy.  When that happens…be sure to pass along the generosity that was shown to you.  The circle must be continuous or the flow stops for all.

Today, I encourage you to make a list of all the things you want manifested in your life.  After you have completed that list, name those who already have what it is you want.  Study and appreciate them.  Find bliss in seeing it is really possible for you to have what you want.  Be grateful to anyone who has already achieved success, for they are demonstrating how it is done.  Know it is also available to you.  And finally, fill your heart with gratitude for those who already have.  Be thankful and appreciative towards others, releasing all doubts and jealousy in your self.  What they have/do is also there for you.

Thank you, Deepak Chopra!  You inspire me and I am so grateful to know that kind of success is open and available to all those who want to manifest a life of service and reception.  I accept your invitation.

See you at the convention!

I AM…Jodi
www.godisaverb.com/blog

“If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?”
–John 3:12–

On this day in September of 2008, waking up in the United States means being greeted with a lot of “gloom and doom” news about the financial state of our country.  When I glanced at the headlines of the area newspapers, I knew better than to read any further.  I’ve turned off all television and radio reports, and put on some soft meditation music, instead. All this negativity is enough to rattle even the strongest positive thinkers.  Many are starting to panic.  What should I be doing?  How can I think good thoughts when all the news is so bad?  The sky is falling!  The sky is falling!

What happens in these times of challenge is that we automatically shift into survival mode.  We’re programmed to do this, and we do it without even being aware of it, for the most part.  When the mind perceives something as a threat, the body drops the ball and runs for cover.  We start to feel a sense of panic and anxiety in the body, as chemicals are released, preparing us for fight or flight.  It doesn’t feel good.  Our thoughts begin to race and the natural tendency is to save ourselves without regard for others.  Every man/woman for himself/herself!  The more caught up we get in this progression toward doom, the worse we feel.  Our feelings are now attracting more doom and gloom into our experience.  It is an vicious cycle.

Breathe.  Breathe deeply.  Stay in the present moment as much as possible.  We are safe.  Now, more than ever, we need to quiet the mind and get still.  Rather than count our dollars, we need to count our blessings. 

If you know how to use Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), there is no better time than now to use it!  If you are feeling any trepidation about the future, then clear that energy as soon as it starts to show up.  I suggest you do not let it build up, because as you do, toxins are being released into your blood stream, and they can end up causing you the added problem of disease/illness.  Go ahead…tap!  Tap away the fears, the doubts, the anxiety, and the sadness.  Locate where you feel those negative emotions in your body, and see what the intensity level is.  Tap on that feeling while concentrating on the location of it.  See if it shifts or if it increases/decreases.  Keep tapping until the intensity is no higher than a 2. 

After you have quieted the mind and body, your ability to make sound decisions is greatly increased.  From a place of calm confidence, you make wise choices about what steps to take.  You aren’t making those decisions from a fear-based sense of panic, but from an empowered awareness of clarity.  It is very important to feel safe and secure, and nothing can put you in that situation faster and easier than EFT.

If you are in a calm state, it is now I want to remind you that opposition factors show up in our lives solely for the purpose of clearing them.  When something arises that seems out of your control, remember that it isn’t.  You always have the ability to choose what to believe and how to react and act.  Don’t jump ship!  Put on that life jacket and watch with me.  When you find yourself replaying the past and projecting it into your future, just put that idea out of your mind, as best you can.  Stay focused on the path you want to walk…don’t lose focus!  You are in control…nothing “out there” can harm you unless you buy into it.  Bring yourself back to calmness and graduate into gratitude.  Design your future with confidence and let nothing deny that dream.

I was reading the story of Lazarus (John 11:1-44), this morning, and I thought about how Christ Jesus had to do exactly what I described above.  People were telling him it was too late.  They were buying into the belief of death.  By the time Jesus got to his home, Lazarus had been dead for 4 days.  Many started playing the “if only” game with Jesus, projecting their guilt and blame onto him.  At one point, Mary’s tears impacted Jesus so deeply, that he, too, wept.  He is described as ”greatly disturbed.”  Nonetheless, Christ understood this was nothing but sorrow creeping back in to be addressed (an opposition factor).  He moved past it and held tight to his truth.  Immediately, he refocused back on the task.  He ordered the stone removed from the cave opening where Lazarus’ body lay. Martha protested, but Jesus answered, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”  In advance of knowing whether his prayers had been answered, he thanked God for having heard.  (Did you get that…in advance…as in “already done?”)  As we all know, Lazarus then came out of the tomb, and showed himself to be alive.

So there we have it.  This is how we are to handle each and every challenge of our lives.  In spite of outward appearances, we are called upon to hold tight to the truth of God’s ever-present good.  Our beliefs will be the architect of our lives, so it is most important that we understand who we are and what amazing abilities we have as conduits for God expression.  Do not falter when challenged!  That is the time to tighten your grip.  If we want to see the kingdom of heaven on earth, we must believe that ALL things are possible to God…as us.

Lazarus returned from the dead.  What possible challenge can you not overcome when it was said we can do even greater things than this?

I AM…Jodi
www.godisaverb.com/blog

But he answered his father, “Listen!  For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!”
–Luke 15:29-30–

That quote is from one of the most famous stories in The Bible known as “The Prodigal Son.”  It’s always been one of my favorites.  The majority of those who know this story consider it an example of how a parent always forgives a child.  While that is a piece of the story, it is only one layer in the parable.

When I first read that story, in Sunday school, I could immediately relate…not to the son who was so lovingly accepted back by his father, but to the elder son who was so angry and hurt by his father’s actions.  I was always a “good girl,” doing everything I could to please my own parents, and I, too, witnessed my father’s attention and forgiveness lavished on the child who did anything possible to be everything he didn’t want.  I had been the one to look after him and I had done my best to please him, but the instant my sister came home, I was invisible and unappreciated.  It seemed so unjust, and many were the nights I cried myself to sleep over it.  Like the elder son in the story, I was deeply hurt by my father’s actions.

In the story, the father responds to the elder son, saying:

“Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.  But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”

That wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear.  When I read the father’s reply to the elder son, I was even more furious!  What?  You feel we should reward the son who betrayed you and celebrate his return.  But what about me?  I’m the one who’s always been here for you!  Don’t I deserve more than he does?  Shouldn’t you love me the most?

As I grew up, I started to find new meaning in the parable.  I understood that “the father” was more than a human being.  It was God.  God was demonstrating unconditional love and forgiveness.  I now realized Divine Love isn’t exclusive.  It doesn’t have favorites.  For the first time, I recognized The Parent in the story, and being a parent myself, I could understand how joyful it is to see a lost child return.  Loving one does not mean the other is loved any less.  The younger son chose to accept the love sporadically, but the elder son was bathed in consistent love.  The love being offered by The Father was continuous and equal…it was the children who were the variables.  One son lived in acceptance, while the other sometimes denied it.  As parents, we tend to love different aspects in each of our children–but the love is the same for all of them.  As children, we want our parents to especially notice our uniqueness.  We long to be the favorite and we crave our parents’ undivided attention. 

It was the ego–the pain-body–whose jealous nature cried out in protest in both the elder son and in myself.  Insecure in feeling loved, the inner child begs for more attention.  “Look at me!” it cries.  Because that child took on the idea that he/she had to compete for love, it became necessary for one to be less than the other.  Superiority feeds the ego…insures its survival.  The ego loves to compete with others, because that sense of separation keeps it alive and well.  But, wait a minute, perhaps I should be happy The Father welcomed home the one who betrayed him!

Asking “The Father” to love one child more than the other is asking in vain, because there are not two children.  It isn’t possible, because God is not in one or the other…God is in one and the other.  The prodigal son and the elder son are coming from the same identity.  They are nothing more than opposing aspects of Self.  We are both of them.  Sometimes we abide by the rules and serve The Father with respect, but other times we go astray, casting our pearls before swine, while denying our holy nature.  The Father, however, welcomes us unconditionally…never wavers from offering us all good.  Love resides in the field of All That Is, and is available to every one in every moment.  We decide to accept it or to resist it.  Sometimes we are open to Love, and during those times, we are full and overflowing.  We have nothing to add to who we are, because we are All That Is.  Sometimes we forget and we falter.  However, when one who has been resisting comes back into oneness, we have to celebrate and rejoice that awakening.  That return to oneness is a gift to us, because it empowers the whole.  What happens to the least of us happens to all of us.  We are One.  It is not the younger brother returning to the Father, it is the part of myself I’ve denied being recognized with new eyes.  Once I see it for what it is, I can forgive….not others, only myself.

In reality, there is only One of us.  The younger son is part of the elder son, and vice versa.  The celebration is for both of them, because they are one in the same, and they have seen themselves in one another.  There is never any need to compete with “others,” because all are reflections of the whole.  No one is loved more…and no one is loved less.  Everything is Love and is loved.  In taking away the us versus them mentality, we flourish.

As Eckhart Tolle writes in A New Earth:

     “The stronger the ego, the stronger the sense of separateness between people.  The only actions that do not cause opposing reactions are those that are aimed at the good of all.  They are inclusive, not exclusive.  They join; they don’t separate.  They are not for ‘my’ country but for all of humanity, not for ‘my’ religion but the emergence of consciousness in all human beings, not for ‘my’ species but for all sentient beings and all of nature.”

Come.  Let us celebrate our brothers’ return!

I AM…Jodi
www.godisaverb.com/blog

It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.
–Voltaire–

On Sunday, I was spending time with my daughter, Dayna, at a church camp.  The camp was located in Southern Oklahoma, just at the edge of the magnificent Lake Texhoma.  That morning, after we completed all our events and had done our packing and cleaning, the 140 middle school children, together with their chaperones and hosts, began a long trek down a tree-lined path to have a closing ceremony at the tabernacle.  This tabernacle was not visible from the campsite, so I had no idea what to expect.

In silence, I briskly walked on the graveled trail.  Fallen leaves from towering trees rained down from overhanging branches which provided playful contrasts of light and dark.  Birds sang welcoming tunes in hidden recesses, while bees buzzed nearby.  I stopped to glance at two small turtles who were quietly resting just off the path.  A spider’s web glistened just above them.  I could hear the sounds of laughter just ahead and I squinted my eyes to see if I could catch a glimpse of who was finding so much joy in the simple things of life. I was so very much in the moment, and my heart was gentle with peace and love. I could have stayed forever.  Crunching noises of close-toed tennis shoes hastened to the service, growing more and more impatient, behind me, as we neared the final bend.  And then…I saw it.

An enormous white cross began rising in the distance, framed against the crystal blue water of a vast glass-smooth lake.  Giant trees cradled the seating area, while a baby blue sky served as the rooftop.  A magical morning mist floated just slightly above the rippling waters, rendering the distant hills almost invisible.  Tiny sailboats dotted the landscape as the hum of motor boats sung a gentle lullaby.  I quickened my steps as the tabernacle was in view.  This one, however, would not be a man-made chapel, but was sculpted into the beauty of nature, capturing the very essence of how I felt inside.  Pristine.  A large stone amphitheater-style area awaited our arrival.  Stepping down, I found a seat on the edge of an upper row.  One of the leaders was perched on the wooden railing, softly strumming his guitar.  The children were rushing to the edge to peer out across the lake with wonder and awe.  I had only two words to describe the gift of this moment…breathtakingly beautiful.

You see, it is in those moments of life that take our breath away that we finally understand what a gift true beauty is.  How appropriate it is knowing such rapture exists in the stillness of breathlessness.  We feel most alive when we cease feeding the body air, because beauty that indescribable is not witnessed through the eyes, but is felt in the heart.

As I gasped with gratitude and appreciation for the experience of witnessing such beauty, I remembered watching my father take his final breath of life.  As I stood at his bedside, holding his hand, his breathing grew shallow.  Moments between intakes grew longer and longer.  And then, with one last deep breathe in, and a long sigh out, just like that, his life ceased to be contained in the physical realm.  Witnessing this was one of the most spiritual moments of my life.  I understood how often we take this experience for granted, never knowing which breath will be our last.

I looked back to the lake and wondered what my father’s eyes see now.  Does he ever watch me or my children?  I glanced over at my beautiful daughter, and smiled to see how happy she was.  In that moment, she looked more beautiful than ever before, sitting quietly, surrounded by new friends who loved her unconditionally.  All too soon, it was time to go.  We walked away in silence, heads bent to focus on the path beneath us.  She finally looked up and softly said exactly what I had been feeling.

“I wish we didn’t have to leave.  I wish we could stay here forever.”

But moments like that are rare and fleeting.  We can imagine.  We can remember.  But we move on anyway.  I believe if we want these moments to last we have to carry them in our hearts, placing them into a realm of consciousness unfettered by the human condition.  Isn’t it true that is where they originated from anyway?  We can only borrow them for a while, but while they are in our possession, it is not just our privilege, but our duty, to give them the gift of our very breath. 

Every day, we have opportunities to find the moments that take our breath away.  Find them.  Hold on to them for as long as possible, for in them, we find eternal life.

There is a quote (often misquoted) that sums this up so beautifully, and although it has been attributed to many sources, my best understanding is the source is anonymous.  It says:

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by every moment that takes your breath away.”

I AM…Jodi
www.godisaverb.com/blog

   Have you ever wondered how it is we come into this world already knowing how to do certain things?  For example, why does a newborn animal or human baby know exactly how to nurse when this process has not yet been demonstrated or explained?  For that matter, how does it know when to take that first breath?  Most people explain this as innate or natural instinct, but even saying that assumes something had the ability to carry that knowing into this world, prior to being here.  In other words, who or what programmed that ability into the genetic code and what ignited the code to release that information.  It seems those who say we have “past lives” might be on to something, after all!

Dr. Bruce Lipton often refers to the moment he moved away from conventional medicine.  He was conducting experiments with cells in a laboratory environment.  He took identical cells and placed them into several different petri dishes.  He locked them in the freezer and planned to conduct his experiment the following day.  In order to do so, he first needed the cells to be as near to identical as possible.  However, as he was leaving, his professor told him that he might find the cells were different the following day.  He asked why that would be so?  The professor explained that the environment seemed to affect or activate them in unique ways.  Sure enough, when he returned the following morning, the cells were not identical.  Some had died, others appeared “sick,” while others flourished.  At that point, he knew something “out there” was in control.  He explains it is the same with DNA.  Without an intellectual “something” telling it how to unfold, it would do nothing but sit there.  Something has to activate it to become what unfolds.  Obviously, there is a precursor to being human.  There is an intelligence beyond us guiding everything that is.

There are so many stories of children (especially prodigies) who seem to come into this experience from one lived previously.  There aren’t many logical ways to explain it away, so, for the most part, these stories are dismissed as nonsense.  And yet, wouldn’t it serve us better to try to understand how it could be so?

For example, there was a girl born into a family in India in the early 70s who, from the earliest times she could communicate, began speaking of her “other family.”  Her parents tried to dismiss this, at first, but the girl seemed extremely agitated and insistent about her second set of parents.  The more she described these people with detailed and concrete memories, the more her new parents were puzzled.  In time, the two families met one another.  The parents who the child claimed were hers in an earlier time, admitted they had lost a child a few years back.  The little girl began describing her former home and family–offering up names, descriptions, and amazing knowledge, providing so much convincing evidence that none of the parents could not dismiss this story any longer.  There was far too much personal knowledge of the former lifetime to simply be blown off as “coincidence.”  This child shared with her former family all the special moments she experienced with them as their child–and even knew the details of her death.  When taken to the village where she said she lived (but had never visited nor heard of during this life time), she immediately knew exactly where to go.  She spoke their language, fluently, with no prior exposure to it.  She could point out not only her house and her own room, but homes of many others in the village.  She knew names and could precisely describe events exactly as they had happened.  This remembrance defied all explanation other than admitting she must be telling the truth about living a former life as the child of the other family.  In order to accommodate her feelings for both sets of parents, both included this child as their own daughter and both families shared the role of her parents.

I had a similar experience with my younger son, but not to such a mind-blowing degree.  When Gatlyn was just past two-years-old, he began to talk about when “we lived on the farm.”  But we had not lived on a farm!  We were strictly city people who had only lived in one neighborhood since his birth, and the closest thing we had to livestock was a cat.  Rather than dismiss what he said, I would question him about it.  I remember one particular day when he was playing in the dirt with some tiny plastic animals.  I noticed he would always choose the horses.  He looked up and grinned and started talking about our farm.  With a cute little grin he would ask, “(Re)member Mommy?”  I asked him if we had animals on the farm.  (He looked at me like I was a little brain-dead, but then answered.)  “Yes, Mommy,” he said.  “Horseys.”  I asked if I was there, also.  He again answered yes.  Maybe that explains my love for horses!  He talked about how Daddy worked on the farm, but mostly he focused on the horses.  It wasn’t that he only mentioned our farm once, but he spoke of it often, just after he turned two.  He didn’t sleep with his favorite blanket like most other children, he clung to rabbit skins while lying on lambskin rugs.  He seemed drawn to play with toys that were related to things one would find on a farm.  However, by the time he was nearly three, the memory seemed to fade, and after that, he never mentioned it again.  Today, he has no recollection of the entire event and certainly no explanation as to why he spoke about farms so often, and yet, he admits to feeling deeply connected to the great outdoors.

Consciousness seems to be the slippery common factor in explaining each of these events.  And yet, we tend to look in only one location for our answers–the brain.  While the brain is an extraordinary factor in our ability to process many functions of mind, it cannot account for consciousness.  Scientists have not yet located such a function in the brain…and those who believe they have cannot agree on its location.  We can learn and gather massive amounts of data from both seen and unseen worlds, but we do not yet know who it is taking in the information. Where is the one who is conscious of what is being perceived by the body and mind?  Who is running the show?  Who and where is The Observer?

I wonder if science will ever embrace what many have been saying for years?  You won’t detect it with either physical methods or with the functions of the brain.  It is outside all that we think is real…it is not energy.  Those who have the most information on this are those who stepped into a completely different paradigm…a new dimension.  The best I can offer is to suggest you practice the presence and to meditate often.  The Observer can only be found in the gap…the nothingness…zero.  Oh yes…it is fully known there, and yet, not in a way that can be shared nor proven with those in this experience of being.  You cannot know it until it finds you, but it cannot find you until you know it.

I am quite confident that the entire consciousness of this planet will experience a radical shift in perception in the next few years.  Many people disagree, saying the larger part of civilization will reject these ideas, as they have done in the past.  Sure…there will be those who resist, but I believe the balance is moving just enough to tip the scales in favor of those willing to be open-minded and curious enough to embrace the next stage of human evolution. 

Mass consciousness is vibrating at a much higher level than ever before.  Can you feel it?  More and more, people are awakening to accepting the idea of questioning old beliefs.  I believe the time has come for us to embrace that one question we’ve so long kept bound in the silence of mind.  Some have already gone before and are beckoning others to know they will be safe as they open to it.  Will you be one of the ones to take the leap and ask…

What if?

I AM…Jodi
www.godisaverb.com/blog

On this day of your life, dear friend, I believe God wants you to know…

...that life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

You won’t find glory at the center of safety, but at its

edge. You won’t find love at a place where you are

covered, but in the space where you are naked.

You gotta take some risks. You have to not only pick

up the dice, but roll ‘em. So go ahead, take the gamble.

You have nothing to lose except the chance to win. 

Life is not long enough to spend it on the sidelines.

(Neale Donald Walsch, Happier Than God daily notes)

At a time when our nation is fueling fear about the state of the economy, this idea may seem much too risky!  But, I agree with Walsch.  When we are living in just another comfort zone, we are missing out on an important part of life on earth.  Expansion and growth.  I urge you to push past “normal”…teeter on the edge.  You might discover you can fly.

If this idea seems scary to you, it is probably due to a past bad experience.  Maybe you recall asking for a raise, and being rejected.  Maybe, as a child, you were bold enough to take the solo in your band concert, but then blew it when it came time to perform.  Perhaps you invested in the stock market back in the early 2000s, but then lost almost everything after 9/11.  Or maybe you found the courage to ask a pretty girl for a date back in high school, and then she laughed at you.  Whatever happened in the past that taught you to live from a place of caution is also keeping you from feeling the joy of mastering something new.

Change is stepping into unknown zones…places where we aren’t sure-footed.  It challenges us to push past faith into understanding.  Fear beckons us to stay where we are–where we know we are safe.  We live by mottoes like “don’t rock the boat” and “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  There is tremendous security in staying small and predictable.  And yet, nothing in this world is certain. 

While we don’t realize it, just getting out of bed each morning is a step into the unknown, and it is done solely on our belief that things are really as we believe them to be.  Actually, placing your foot on the ground is quite an act of courage!  If we understood that the objects we see as solid are really nothing more than a lot of empty space, splattered with flashes of light called photons, which are constantly moving in vibration while blinking in and out of reality, we might be much more guarded about getting out of bed.  Nonetheless, we do it, every single day, fully believing the ground beneath our feet will support us.  We have unshakeable faith that what has always been there will continue to be there.  But what if it isn’t?

There will always be moments in our lives when we face uncertainty…that is the only thing certain in this world.  How will we react during those times?  Whether we choose to go with the flow or to resist the current, the response will be our decision alone.  I can promise you this…adding a negative reaction to the experience does nothing to improve it.  It only extends and increases the misery.  This time, rather than reacting in fear, we could choose to act in faith.

Maybe this time in our history is a great opportunity for us to grow as a nation.  Perhaps this experience is a call for us to look at where we’re headed, and make a different choice, this time.  We have the opportunity to step into the unknown to see if there might be something we’ve missed.  Is it scary?  Maybe so, but that touch of fear might be the fuel that feeds needed change.  What if we choose to ride the currents to a new world, embracing the unknown destination as one of the greatest openings we’ve ever had?  What if we choose to ride the current like a child riding his favorite roller coaster–hands high above our heads, glistening glee in our eyes, and giggles of anticipation about the nose dive just ahead?  The butterflies in our stomachs are just a part of the experience as we creep towards the heights, knowing a plunge is just over the edge.  Come on…let go and trust that we will be safe.  We’re in this thing together.

Is your comfort zone stretched to the point of breaking?  Wonderful!  Now…now we can start living!!

I AM…Jodi
www.godisaverb.com/blog

   Let’s talk about that noise in your head…the voice that narrates your life.  Do you hear it? 

Most of us have grown so accustomed to the constant verbiage in our minds, we don’t even realize how important it is.  It just goes on and on about all the events of our lives–sometimes simply commenting on what is happening, other times reminding us about a past event, and often foretelling exactly how our future is going to be.  For the most part, we are not consciously aware of this narration, and because it has been with us for as long as we can remember, we don’t give it the time of day.  Yes, I’m talking about the voice in your head–the one that sounds like you.  If you could, please ask it to stop rambling for a few minutes because I would like to address exactly how it plays a major role in your life.

So…has it stopped talking yet?  Hmmm…how about now?  Is it reading these words?  Is it thinking about something in the future or telling you what needs to be done next?  It is hard to get it to stop talking, isn’t it?

The reason we feel we have so little control over the voice in our head is because it has been programmed to do exactly what it is doing right now for years!  I don’t know your age, but I can tell you this, that voice has been allowed to dominate the conversation for almost all your life.  Don’t you think it is time for it to learn to listen?

Habitual repetition of any process hard-wires the brain patterns to the point of addiction.  When we unconsciously allow this voice to carry on an endless monologue without interruption, it becomes so ingrained into our being, we lose awareness of the silence between the words.  However, we are now becoming more and more educated on the importance of those thoughts.  Those who are waking up to this understanding are realizing how much freedom has been given to that inner voice.  Often, it is our worst critic, and it says things to us that we would never allow from someone outside ourselves.  It keeps shoving our past failures into the current experiences and it constantly holds us accountable for our failures and disappointments.  It argues for all the reasons why we cannot have what it is we want, and it blatantly competes with everyone around, always finding the faults in others.  Isn’t it time to turn the tables on this voice?  After all, most of what it keeps repeating, again and again and again, is just stuff we learned in early childhood.  Maybe it’s time to fire the worst coach you’ve ever had!

Paying attention to the voice, we can begin to stop the negative self-talk.  We can take charge of our beliefs and reprogram our brains with more positive input/output.  When a negative thought comes along, we can replace it with one that better serves us.  Even if you are operating on auto-pilot, and you’ve not paid any attention to what it has been saying, you can instantly know what its been telling you by becoming aware of how you are feeling in this moment.  Are you feeling happy, abundant, loving and peaceful?  Great!  Your inner voice has been kind, today.  However, if you notice you are feeling depressed, anxious, worried, fearful, angry or rejected, your inner voice has been up to its usual tricks…telling your story of woe.  Be vigilant and stand porter at the door of thought!  When you start to notice yourself feeling a negative emotion, that is your cue to become a participant in the inner voice dialogue.  Rather than allow it to endlessly go on and on about how awful things are or how terrible they are going to be, take control.  Start to find things that are good in your life and place your focus there.  As you do, your mood will improve and this will spill over into a much better day.

Sometimes, having a prepared affirmation statement works at those times when you start to notice yourself feeling upset.  Maybe you just need to listen to some great, uplifting music, or talk to someone who is cheerful and positive.  Perhaps you find joy in reading an inspirational author or in laughing at a comedy.  Maybe you have a pet that cheers you up or a child whose giggle reminds you of the joy in life.  If going for a walk or sitting in nature brings a smile to your face, then that is something you can do.  Whatever it takes to uplift your thoughts…find it!

The more you stay in positive, joyful vibration…the more your life will reflect that state of being.  It is so important to feel good….there is nothing more important you can do in any given day. 

Don’t let your inner voice keep you a prisoner of the past.  Ask it to be quiet, and hear the silence in the space between.  More and more, when you notice yourself starting to believe negative self-talk, pull yourself out of it and refuse to buy into the same old ways of thinking.  As you do this on a more consistent basis, you break the nuero-nets that lock you in addictive patterns of the past.  New pathways are formed, and it becomes automatic to feel good.

You are in charge of your thinking!  I think it is time to call a meeting of the board to see what changes need to be made.  If you have to fire the ones holding you back, there is no better time to do so than now.  You have a multitude of new employees who would love to hold that position…and they have new, exciting offers for you.

Think positive is the best advice you’ve ever been given.  If your inner voice isn’t on board with that, it is time for a change.  Don’t let outer circumstances fuel the inner argument in favor of failure.  None of the “out there” has anything to do with your own experience of life.  Your power always has been and always will be in the thoughts you are thinking, the words you are speaking, and especially in the feelings you are feeling.  You are creating your life every second of every day.  What are you thinking about?  How are you feeling?  It matters!!

It matters because it is true.  It’s all in your head.

I AM…Jodi
www.godisaverb.com/blog