If you want to understand what it means to have faith, this photo describes it perfectly. 

There is a core inside you that has a constant swirl of emotions surrounding it. The emotions can change from moment to moment, but the core remains steadfast. The core is your soul. 

When you accept that you have a soul, you can manage the swirls that are inevitable in one's life. You can manage the swirls because you have faith. Faith that all things happen exactly as they are suppose to...good and bad. Faith that God, the universe, Creator, higher power, or whatever you may call it, is managing everything...good and bad. Faith that when you believe without a shadow of a doubt that you have a soul then life gets easier to take...good and bad. 

No one is free from having good and bad in their life. Don't say "why me?", say instead "why not me?". It took many generations of karma for us to have the world that we see today. A balance must be kept by divinity whether or not it is accepted or understood.

We are given numerous opportunities on a daily basis to have faith and to recognize our soul. Fear of what we cannot understand deters us from seeking our soul. Faith doesn't involve fear. It involves trust. Trust in yourself. Do the work there and the rest will fall into place. This I know for sure. 

It's my mom's birthday today. 

I love this picture of my mom and me. There aren't many so I cherish the ones that I do have.

In my book "The Sun Neither Rises nor Sets" I speak about my mom and her having to leave my life when I was one and a half years old. Writing about her is not done in a disparaging way, because her reasons for leaving are understood by me as having seen why she couldn't remain. 

What I do reference in my book is that I was six years old in the year of her death (1974). I also reference the fact that I got my first bible a month after her death. Most importantly I reference my conversation with God that took place when I was six years old by the church from which I got my first bible. (I was unaware of my mom's passing until I was 13 years old).

I've been on this planet for 55 years and nothing that God has given to me to date has compared to that moment with Him. I did as He asked to always have faith in Him and I'd learn what it was all for. It wasn't an easy undertaking and only He knows my attempts to do as He asked. 

My efforts to always listen to Him even when I didn't want to, or didn't think I could do as He asked, are about to be shared with the world. The book I co-authored with Him will ensure my foundation, RJ Streetz Foundation Inc., has the funds it requires to carry out its mission. There is glory in listening to your soul. 

Although I didn't know my mom, I have enough personal stories over my lifetime of her assisting me when I really needed her to be there. I can say definitively that she is proud to be my mom without her ever having to say the words to me. She was a free spirit and I am sure would be tickled to share her birthday with International Women's Day. <3

Spring is my favorite season. That feeling of hopefulness that hangs in the air feels as good as the sun does as we gain its warmth with each passing day.

This time of year marks the end of the earth's need for rest and the beginning for it to reveal its secrets to us. We are truly blessed to have the wonderment that each season brings without fail.

The path to publishing "The Sun Neither Rises nor Sets" took many seasons...76 to be exact. It took four seasons to write the book and the rest of the time it sat on a shelf in my closet. To this day I am held in awe at its contents. I've had many conversations with God about me being worthy enough to share such profoundness. 

He reminds me of our time together at that church in 1974 when I was six years old and He told me to have faith and I'd learn what it was all for. He reminds me that I have never let a day pass without my soul trusting in Him even when my human self didn't want to. He reminds me that I have been a loyal soul who did as I was told even when I didn't feel I could manage the weight of what He was asking me to do. He reminds me that all things happen exactly as they are supposed to and that He does not make mistakes. 

Back in September 2022, FriesenPress gave me a timeline of closer to the end of summer of 2023 for the book to be launched. I feel confident that the book is going to launch on or around Easter weekend in April 2023. Seems like the perfect time for its hope and encouragement to bless our world. <3

When I was in my teen's I read the six book series "The Clan of the Cave Bear". (Jean M. Auel) Years later I was able to purchase the set for my personal library, but have yet to read the series in its entirety again. 

Ayla is a blond blue eyed girl who is adopted by a clan who looks nothing like her. She learns their ways as she matures into a woman, but its impossible for her to be anything other than who she is always meant to be. This makes her an accepted outsider by the clan. 

I feel for Ayla. As much as she wants to please her clan, she is unable to let go of her soul...of herself. The entire series reminds the reader to stay true to yourself at all costs. This resonated with me in my teens as it does now. 

I understand that I am accepted outsider. My assurity that I remain faithful to my soul above all else sets me apart, and to be honest, I am fine with that. I explain why in my book "The Sun Neither Rises nor Sets". 

For me to be anything other than loyal to my soul would bring me unnecessary strife. My purpose, all of our purpose, is to find our soul and then use that wisdom to help others find their soul. We cannot do that when we try to be anything other than we are meant to be. To thine own self be true. If that makes you an accepted outsider, so be it, there are many of us out there who are an accepted insider where it counts the most. 

There was a time when I felt that I was the only human that understood the importance of finding one's soul. As my relationship with God has evolved I am relieved to know that many people have found their soul and are doing with it what we are all meant to do with it. Find it and then help others to find theirs. 

That leap of faith that is needed to find your soul is scary. It means that you have to let go of beliefs that have held you back from accepting your soul. The beliefs are many as to why you remain at arms length from God. I know them, I've done them. 

For me, it was the control thing. My life's happenings ultimately led to me as an adult wanting to control the outcomes of situations in my life. Giving up control of something I didn't control in the first place was not easy. Fear of the unknown is not a good place to be.

I replaced the need to control my life's trajectory with obsessive compulsive behavior to make myself feel better about controlling what I can. What I can control are inanimate objects so I make sure they are set just right in any space that I occupy. That's about as much control as any of us have on this earth that we share together. Accepting that as truth makes the leap of faith a bit easier. 

Fear is debilitating. It's had me on the ropes a few times in my life. But when I cried out to God to let me accept my soul's mission, life got easier to take. You need to keep your soul in your corner at all times. 

It's not an easy journey to find your soul when you have doubt. That is our biggest obstacle to overcome in order to have the peace that we all crave. Knowing that you can change your life simply by making a choice to embrace the unknown takes bravery. Not super hero bravery, but imperfect human bravery. You have that courage. You are braver than you think you are. 

Jump! The personal rewards for doing so will surpass anything you value today. 

An Elder told me that when you name the seven teachings and struggle to remember them that the one(s) you struggle with are things you need to work on within yourself. Always trust the wisdom of an Elder.

Love, Honesty, Truth, Wisdom, Respect, Courage, Humility.

I have immense admiration for Indigenous people. Their beliefs, their wisdom, their love of the earth, their resilience. Non Indigenous people should pause in their ways and take to heart what is taught about an understanding that is near impossible to capture in words.

My son's artwork that has an eagle on it has since become the front cover of my book. When I suggested that he draw something based on the book's title "The Sun Neither Rises nor Sets" his finished product had the eagle on it. When I saw it I didn't hesitate to say that I would be using it as the cover of my book. He then surprised me with another drawing that is now the back cover of the book.

The animal for love is the eagle in the seven teachings. The contents of the book are all centered around love. Love for your higher power. Love for self. Love for life.

Eagle - Love
Honesty - Sabe
Truth - Turtle
Wisdom - Beaver
Respect - Buffalo
Courage - Bear
Humility - Wolf

I love this photo. It is an iceberg that the sun has used its talents to make it a picture perfect moment!

What I love even more about this photo is that the photographer had to be fully in the now in order to capture this for our viewing pleasure. Had the photographer given thought to yesterday or tomorrow while they waited they may have missed this now moment. 

It is my belief that the reason for my life's successes has been because I remain in the now. I don't spend time in the past and I don't fret about the future, because neither of them exist. The only surety in life is this very moment while you read this.

When a person comes to understand that there is no past, there is no future, there is only now, will they truly begin to live life. 

What a relief to know that my past is gone, my future is none of my business, and the only thing I need to focus on moment to moment is the now, because that is all I will ever have.

Give this some thought. Allow your mind to be open to this concept. Learn to live in the now and you will find the peace that we all desire in life. 

The mountains bring me peace. My plan in the latter part of my life is be somewhere in them when my soul leaves my body. A beautiful send off for a life of service.

I speak often and assuredly about each of us having a soul. Some will agree and some will disagree with my thoughts on the matter. Receiving affirmation or denial of a soul's existence is not what my purpose on this earth is for. 

My mission is to state the obvious and then help those that want a closer relationship with their soul to have one. For anyone who is not quite ready, I understand their hesitation, but I will never give up on their soul's persistence to bring the doubter in the know.

Your soul is God. (God being whatever you have decided to call your higher power). When you have found your soul it becomes impossible to live life with impure intentions. A pure intention means that decisions you make in life involve the act of not purposely hurting someone else. If it is your intention to hurt others for any reason, you are soulless. If it is your intention to do right by others without wanting to bring them harm, you have found your soul. 

We excuse people's decision to hurt others because we have determined as a society that having some people suffer in the world is for the greater good. This is not how God intended it. Our imperfect selves have made this so. 

God gave humans free will. We haven't used it very wisely. He has given us every opportunity to accept our souls as a way to fix the errors of our ways. Find your soul and help others to find theirs. This is all of our purpose for being here.