SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!

 I left Warren, Ohio at 6:15am easter time and arrived in Davenport, Iowa at 2:15 central time on Monday of this week.  I had a nine hour drive, somewhat tiring, but very uneventful and fairly easy.  My sister, Sherri, met me at the entrance to Westlake Park and together we drove through trying to decide what spot to choose for our campers.  This is a sweet little park of about 30 campsites, water and electric hookups, no on-site dumping.  For me, it's been especially nice having someone to visit with and especially to eat a meal with.  We have shared dinner the past two nights and then sat around relaxing afterwards..

My plan is to leave here on Wednesday, the 18th to head back to the Nashville area.  I will probably be there until the 1st week in August at which time I'll head back to the Memphis area and park my camper at Sardis Lake in Mississippi.

The two pictures I have posted are of two different fires which were made while I was at Fall Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee.  Look at the difference and the energy of each one, so totally different and yet so beautiful.  The one on the bottom looks like it has a crown coming out of the middle of it and the center looks like blown glass.  Remarkable!!!

So, here's something to ponder.  I was driving back to my sister's house in Warren, Ohio when I passed a church with this sign out front:  God is pro-life!  I really thought about that for quite some time and I've come to the conclusion that God is pro-choice.  If He is pro-life, that would mean we have no free will, which of course is not true, so the choice is ours to make.  What do you think?  Let me hear your thoughts on this!!! With much love!!!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

 Today is the 236th anniversary of the founding of this country.  It certainly goes without saying we would not be celebrating this holiday without the service and the courage of all the men and women who have given so much to this country to preserve our freedom. 

The picture to the left is my step-dad, Richard.  As you can see by his hat he is one of those courageous men I mentioned above.  He is also one of the sweetest men I've ever met, he has a huge heart and is a real creme puff when it comes to something that touches his heart.  I'll never forget the time when my baby sister had been taken to the hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.  The year was 2000 and my entire family were in Sheridan, Wyoming celebrating my Mom's 75th birthday.  Lisa was the only family member not present.  We had not really met Richard before this event and when we found out about Lisa, Richard offered to drive me and my sister, Sandy to the airport to fly to Georgia.  As he dropped us off, he got really teary-eyed and gave each of us a big hug.  This coming from a man who barely knew either of us. 

 A few days ago, my Mom, Richard and my brother-in-law, Larry, and I went out on Larry's pontoon boat for a day of fishing.  I'm happy to report I caught the first fish.  I can't tell you what kind it was, and it wasn't very big so I threw it back.  Here's my mom with one of the two fish she caught.  This is a blue gill and it's a beautiful fish.  Both of hers were too small to keep also, but neither of the men caught any fish, which I know was disappointing for them.  We had a really good time.  I actually got to go fishing twice so far.

Yesterday, I was able to meet up with my friend, Vivian.  She lives in a suburb of Cleveland and was very close to Chagrin Falls where we met for lunch.  I met her last October and we both really connected during that workshop.  Then when I went to the Forgiveness Workshop, she was one of the attendees, so we got to reconnect.  She is a wondeful woman and we were able to spend a couple of hours filling each other in on the events of our lives.  I hope to introduce her to my sister, Jenny, who lives in Ohio, the next time I come up this way. 

For all of you, I wish you a joyous holiday.  Don't forget to give thanks for all the freedoms we are able to enjoy in this country.  Peace Out!!!

I'M IN OHIO NOW!!!

 You've heard me talk about my spiritual mentor, Edwene Gaines.  Well, here she is with me at the Forgiveness Retreat at Edwene's center called Rockridge Retreat.  She has a wonderful piece of property in Valleyhead, Alabama, just below Mentone,Alabama.  I'm sure I've already written about my experience and the awesome piece of work I got to do with Edwene.  Please note the "halo" circling my head, lest there be any doubt about me being an "angel".  (Just kidding!!!)

 As Teresa and I were driving around Mentone, we came across this tree with the most unusual look to it.  Kind of looks like a horses head, doesn't it.  This was found in front of a church on one of the smaller, less traveled roads.

I'm now in Ohio, having arrived on Friday last.  My trip to North Carolina was most fulfilling and I have scheduled another firewalk to be held the weekend after Labor Day.  I also found the perfect retreat center, called Sacred Grove Retreat.  The owner is a woman named Ellen Whiteside and she and I hit it off immediately.

My dream of having an advanced workshop for firewalkers is finally coming to fruition.  The weekend of October 5, 6, and 7th I will be hosting a residential retreat I'm calling "In Praise of Fire".  If all goes well, my friend, Bowden, is going to help facilitate the workshop with me.  I am soooooooo excited about this opportunity to bring this work to a whole new level.

I had to put this picture in.  I may have already put this guy into one of my other blogs, but he has such a great personality.  Every time I've been to Edwene's retreat center, this guy is in one of the fields on the road leading up to her place.  If you stop your car and talk to him, he lets out this really loud bray as if he's talking to you.  My friend Shelia says this is her "boyfriend".  Look at that sweet face.  How can you not fall in love with this guy!!!

As I prepare for this amazing workshop this fall, this is what my energy looks and feels like.  I'm filled with excitement, dread, optimism, fear, you name it, I'm going through it right now.  The good news is that I'm with my family and they certainly bring me into a totally different awareness and perspective on my life.  I am so enjoying being able to sit and play cards and games with my family.

With that in mind, please remember how much fun it is to play with your family and friends.  Life is way too short not to have fun!!! So plan a get-together and start playing something!!! You'll be so glad you did!!!

Peace Out!!!!

 What an amazing weekend I had in North Carolina.  It has taken me several days to finally get access to the internet.  For the past several weeks, I have been "tech" challenged, having very little, if any, cell phone service and internet access.

Last night I stayed at Chris' house.  This is Chris on the left, with the beard.  I met him through my friend, Douglas, and he attended his first-ever  firewalk workshop, and I'm happy to report everyone pictured here walked the fire for the first time.

I called the workshop "Standing In Your Power" and focused the work on the throat chakra.  The throat is where many of us hold our emotional blockages.  For some of us, especially women, we've been told to "shut up", "who cares what you think, feel, need...etc.", and other like-minded statements designed to make us feel inadequate in some way. 

Since the throat represents "speaking our truth" this is where we take back our power and speak the truth of who we really are.  Is this an easy thing to do?  Not if you're holding in and being fearful about who you are and how others perceive you in your world.

The young man on the left is Brian.  A man of few words but a beautiful spirit.  He wants to be a "healer" and when he put his arrow together on Saturday morning, his explanation of why he wrapped it the way he did, was simply "Look, I healed it!"  That was it, plain and simple.  We all got a big laugh out of that!!!

Here's Reem, Brian's girlfriend.  She's from the Sudan, and also, a gentle spirit.  She told the group on Saturday she was Muslim, and I asked her if she'd offer up a prayer.  She asked if I wanted it to be in English or Arabic, and I said "both!"  It was the most beautiful prayer and when she spoke the prayer in Arabic I got chill bumps.  This is what this work is all about for me, bringing people together in a setting that enables each of us to recogize how alike we all are, with the same fears and the same challenges.  Reem also mentioned she'd like to do the advanced workshop in October, which excites me.

 This is Melissa.  She told us the story of really having alot of fear about coming to the firewalk until her 18 year old daughter said to her "Mom, you have to go because we look up to you to model these things for us!"  This is not the first time a child of a parent has said something so wise that the parent has then stepped through the doorway of their own fear in order to bring the experience back to their family.

Finally, here's Amie.  A gentle, lovin spirit who is, like all of us, trying to find her way.  She touched my heart, I believe, the most.  Her struggle is about finding her own home and being alone.  I remember when I moved into my own apartment on Madison, how very hard it was for me.  The first year I was there, I had no phone, and I hermited myself.  I didn't want anyone to be able to get in touch with me.  I went to work, I came home.  Finally, I started to really enjoy my surroundings and ended up staying in that space for 24 years.  I know Amie will find her strength as well and will find out just how powerful she really is.   So, to all these wonderful people I again say "thank you!!!" for having the courage and the spirit to follow your heart.  I am deeply honored!!!

STANDING IN YOUR POWER FIREWALK

 What an amazing weekend I had in North Carolina.  It has taken me several days to finally get access to the internet.  For the past several weeks, I have been "tech" challenged, having very little, if any, cell phone service and internet access.

Last night I stayed at Chris' house.  This is Chris on the left, with the beard.  I met him through my friend, Douglas, and he attended his first-ever  firewalk workshop, and I'm happy to report everyone pictured here walked the fire for the first time.

I called the workshop "Standing In Your Power" and focused the work on the throat chakra.  The throat is where many of us hold our emotional blockages.  For some of us, especially women, we've been told to "shut up", "who cares what you think, feel, need...etc.", and other like-minded statements designed to make us feel inadequate in some way. 

Since the throat represents "speaking our truth" this is where we take back our power and speak the truth of who we really are.  Is this an easy thing to do?  Not if you're holding in and being fearful about who you are and how others perceive you in your world.

The young man on the left is Brian.  A man of few words but a beautiful spirit.  He wants to be a "healer" and when he put his arrow together on Saturday morning, his explanation of why he wrapped it the way he did, was simply "Look, I healed it!"  That was it, plain and simple.  We all got a big laugh out of that!!!

Here's Reem, Brian's girlfriend.  She's from the Sudan, and also, a gentle spirit.  She told the group on Saturday she was Muslim, and I asked her if she'd offer up a prayer.  She asked if I wanted it to be in English or Arabic, and I said "both!"  It was the most beautiful prayer and when she spoke the prayer in Arabic I got chill bumps.  This is what this work is all about for me, bringing people together in a setting that enables each of us to recogize how alike we all are, with the same fears and the same challenges.  Reem also mentioned she'd like to do the advanced workshop in October, which excites me.

 This is Melissa.  She told us the story of really having alot of fear about coming to the firewalk until her 18 year old daughter said to her "Mom, you have to go because we look up to you to model these things for us!"  This is not the first time a child of a parent has said something so wise that the parent has then stepped through the doorway of their own fear in order to bring the experience back to their family.

A NEW CAMP-SITE!!!

 Yesterday, June 12th, I left Fall Creek Falls about 8:20 in the morning, headed for North Carolina.  The journey was a little less than 300 miles, and it took me until 4:30 to finally get to the Dan Nicholas State Park.  My site is #42, it's a pull through and right on the corner.  A beautiful wooded lot, as you can tell by the picture to the left.  This is my friend, Douglas, who I originally met in St. Louis, Mo.  He now lives in Salisbury, NC, which is where the park is. 

I love this shot.  When I first looked at it, I saw a houseboat being reflected in the water.  It rained last night, so it was really soothing to sleep and to hear the rain tapping on the roof.  I'm taking it somewhat easy today.  On Friday, I'll be facilitating a firewalk here in Salisbury.  There are supposed to be about 8-10 people there and a man, who I have not met yet, is offering his place for me to do this work.  He is also hosting a Fire Puja on Saturday afternoon, so I hope to be able to attend that.  It will be facilitated by some Tibetan monks who are traveling in the USA right now.

My last post, with the pictures of the fire, only posted the very first part of my musings on the fire we had created.  Sorry about that!  It's been quite the challenge trying to get onto the internet and also to talk on the phone.  My prayer partner, Cathy have been trying for several days to accomplish a prayer session, but so far that has not happened.    For those of you who know Cathy and Ted, the owners of Heartwood Retreat Center in northeastern Alabama, and the place where I did my firewalks, they have just purchased an acre of land in Decora, Iowa.  I hope to visit that area around the middle of July to see what it feels like.                                                                                                                     

Until we meet again, stay well, stay happy and remember to be the peace you'd like to see in the world.!!!!

FOR THE LOVE OF FIRE!!!

Two nights ago, Teresa and I built a fire and sat around it for several hours.  We were still processing our feelings and the energy of the Forgiveness Workshop we had participated in just a couple of days before.

Every fire has it's own character and energy, especially when through the lens of a camera.  To the left is what appears to be a serpent curled around the fire.