I DO trust God...it's egos that I distrust. Quite a revelating moment to understand that God doesn't need your protection from the distrust of Him by egos! Sounds complicated, but its not really.

The reason many imperfect beings have a hard time believing in God is because other like minded egos have taught them not to. By egos, I mean other imperfect humans. 

Because we are imperfect beings we are easily swayed by other imperfect beings. Then we get disappointed because our ego's expectations are not realized. This cycle happens continuously throughout our life. Eventually we become distrustful of other egos even though we really really want to trust again! The really sad part is that we use that same distrust to drowned out our soul's whisper.  

We have a brain. We have a heart. We have an ego. We have a soul. Each play an important part on your journey to having your relationship with God. Our brain stores data. Our heart stores feelings. Our ego roars its infinite understanding. Our soul whispers its infinite understanding.

When we don't take the time to hear the soul's whisper, we won't know God's intention for us, and because of that we are forced to listen to the roar of the ego's expectation of God. The ego insists that God prove His worth time and again no matter how many times God actually shows His worth time and again. Ego says...that's not good enough, show me this now, and God will and the ego will insist on more proof. And on goes the madness.

The startling thing to realize in all of this is that your soul (you) are the observer of the ego (mind). You have the ability to override the ego's roar anytime you want and listen to the whisper instead. When you have this aha moment, the ego will rebel. It will throw everything it knows at you so that you will continue to listen to it. The agony of the ego's slow death makes us want to give up and go back to the familiar. If you don't give up, stepping into your soul will open a world to you that cannot be explained by mere words.

Here's the deal...God doesn't disappoint. Our ego disappoints. God doesn't need your assistance to protect you from yours, or anyone else's ego, He needs you to do the work on yourself to find your whispering soul. This can only be done when you realize that your soul (you) are the observer of your mind (ego). Your soul (you) can than only trust God, because your soul is God. You are God. And because God can do anything, You (soul) can accomplish anything with pure intentions. <3

I was re-reading "As A Man Thinketh" yesterday. It's not an easy read because it was written in 1903. The title itself should let you know that its going to be written "old school". Each time I read the words in the book, something always gives me deeper clarity. 

There is a lot of talk right now about "manifesting". All kinds of people giving their understanding of what it means to manifest something you want in your life. 

Not too many are actually talking about the amount of work it takes for you to bring into your life what it is that you feel you deserve. If you haven't done the work, then manifesting isn't going to happen for you. Fact.

Manifesting is a fancy word for prayer. 
Manifesting is a belief that your want comes from something you cannot see...like God maybe?
Manifesting is living with pure intentions...like what the ten commandments teach?
Manifesting is releasing ego and listening to your soul...which is what faith teaches us to do.
Manifesting is trusting that all things happen exactly as they are supposed to...because God has to keep the balance down here.
Manifesting is being honest with one's self...kind of like accepting that manifesting is God's work.

An excerpt from As A Man Thinketh: 
"The thoughtless, the ignorant, and the indolent, seeing only the apparent effects of things and not the things themselves, talk of luck, a fortune, and chance. Seeing a man grow rich they say, “How lucky he is!” Observing another become intellectual, they exclaim, “How highly favored he is!” In noting the saintly character and wide influence of another, they remark “How chance aids him at every turn!”

They do not see the trials and failures and struggles which these men have voluntarily encountered in order to gain their experience; have no knowledge of the sacrifices they have made, of the undaunted efforts they have put forth, of the faith they have exercised, that they might overcome the apparently insurmountable, and realise the Vision of their heart. They do not know the darkness and the heartaches; they only see the light and joy, and call it “luck”; do not see the long and arduous journey, but only behold the pleasant goal and call it “good fortune”; do not understand the process, but only perceive the result, and call it “chance”.

In all human affairs there are efforts and there are results and the strength of the effort is the measure of the result. Chance is not. “Gifts,” powers, material, intellectual, and spiritual possessions are the fruits of effort; they are thoughts completed, objects accomplished, visions realized.

The Vision that you glorifying in your mind, the Ideal that you enthrone in your heart - this you will build your life by, this you will become."

I've never felt that God's request of me when I was six years old was a burden in some way. I accepted the moment as truth and made every attempt as I aged to do as I was asked.

Have I been an imperfect human being? Yes.
Have I been faithful to God? Not always.
Is God okay with that? Yes.

If we were meant to be pure, we'd be born a spiritual being. Instead we are born imperfect with the purpose of seeking our spiritual self, which is our soul. It's not an easy journey to find one's soul, but when you do, life takes on a whole new meaning. 

When I think back to that conversation with God at six years old and trace forward to where I am today I see something consistent. I see myself being compassionate. Never really concerned about myself, but quite concerned about how others are doing. 

I've been told that this type of behaviour is done so that someone doesn't have to deal with their own pain. That is false. Loving others helped me to learn to love myself in the same way. Love trumps everything.

There isn't one person on this planet who isn't able to attain personal peace. We all have the ability to do that. For that to happen you have a very simple formula to follow:

Loving your higher power unconditionally + loving yourself unconditionally + loving others unconditionally =  Being You. (Impossible, you say? Nothing is impossible unless you believe its impossible).

When you trust the formula, you will have found your soul. <3

I proposed to God that it would be nice to launch my spiritual book on a spiritual weekend. God said no. His reason for the no is that my book is deserving of its own recognition in its own time.

In my book "The Sun Neither Rises nor Sets", Chapter 35, pages 263-266, speak to being told no by God. Here is an excerpt from that section: ​
"Many variables must be put into place for your dreams to transpire, and remember that God is with you down to the wire. If you give up too soon it shows God where you are weak, and He will wait until He hears the wisdom you need to speak. Sometimes a no is for the best when you are not yet ready to receive. God can always see past what it is that we perceive." (And yes, the entire book is written in this rhyming genre!).

It is Easter weekend. For those who practice their faith using annual rituals, this is a very significant time of year. Jesus fulfills His purpose. (What is your purpose?)

As I reflect on the meaning of the next three days, I think about those that can't fathom a man such as Jesus. Rallying support. Sharing truths. Shows miracles. Dies willingly on a cross. 

Then my mind can't help but wander to the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and the Tooth Fairy. Three stories fabricated so that our children believe in something bigger than themselves. Don't those stories seem a bit silly next to the story of Jesus? The first three disappoint, but Jesus never will.

Don't take a "No" from God too personally. Trust the no. When our broken humanness tries to ram through what God warns against, things rarely turn out well. Just look around our world if you need to understand what I mean. 

Trust the process. Be patient. Don't give up. All things happen exactly as they are supposed to if you don't go messing where you shouldn't be messing. <3

Sleep is where I have some of my clearest conversations with God. Just like when I listen to Him while I'm awake, I also take to heart what is shared with me in my dreams. 

For my first book I only used part of the three inch binder that contains my handwritten rhymes from 2004. At the time I felt disappointed that all the rhymes weren't going to make their way into "The Sun Neither Rises nor Sets", but as I've learned in life, everything has a reason.

The remaining rhymes are now constructed into book #2. I have a title, but I won't reveal what it is until the book is completed and on its way to the publisher. 

"The Sun Neither Rises nor Sets" speaks to why we need to find our soul. This second book's contents will guide the readers of my first book to understand the process to finding one's soul. It's not easy. It takes work, but the rewards for doing so are phenomenal. 

Every person on this earth has the "gift". There is enough to go around. The gift is interpreted in many ways by many people. The same way God is interpreted in many ways by many people. They are not wrong. 

It's not important what you call your higher power, so long as you have one. God. Jesus. Allah. Almighty. Father in Heaven. Heavenly Father. Jehovah. King of Kings. Lord of Lords. Yahweh. Creator. Savior. The Divine. Higher Power. Universe. 

The thing that all higher powers have in common is that they respond swiftly to love. If you are clogging your connection to your higher power with impure intentions you can't receive true love. And love is what your soul desires. And when your soul can love other souls, anything is possible, because your soul is God. 

As James Allen says in his book "As A Man Thinketh": Self control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power. Peace be still. 

Finding your soul is not easy. It takes work, but the rewards for all souls doing the work will bring the peace that our imperfect humanness desires. <3

I woke up from a dream a couple weeks ago with 232 repeating in my head. In my dream I had been looking at the number trying to decipher what it meant. The number wouldn't leave my waking thoughts so I wrote it down and trusted that when the time was right I would get to understand its meaning. That time was this morning. 

A loved one sent me Psalm 23:3 as an inspirational thought. "He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of rigteousness for his name's sake."

I read Psalm 23:2 and it said: "He maketh me lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters." 

Psalm 23 is read a lot at funerals. Mostly, I think, for the line about walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Re-reading it this morning, I can see where it is actually speaking to our journey to finding our soul, not losing it!

23:1. When you trust in your higher power you will want for nothing.
23:2. We have to grow silent in our search for our soul. Nature is perfect for that.
23:3. Our soul is found when we live a life that has pure intentions.
23:4. Letting the ego die is gruelling work, but your higher power is there to cheer you on.
23:5. Not everyone will be happy that you have chosen soul over ego. 
23:6. A found soul can never be lost again when it has found its home. 

Psalm 23 - A Psalm by David
23:1. The Lord is my shepard; I shall now want.
23:2. He maketh me lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.
23:3. He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
23:4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
23:5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
23:6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The Sun Neither Rises nor Sets has the word soul in it 860 times. Our purpose in life is to find our soul and then help others to find theirs. That journey for each of us won't be easy, but it is worth it when soul replaces ego! 

P.S. Always watch for the signs! :-)  <3

Why me? I've said it, and I'm sure you've said it, when things are going bad. But do you ever say it when things are going good? Why not me? Why not you? 

Something I've learned in life is that it's not a competition to see who can have the most doom and gloom. You know what I mean. Like when someone shares something traumatic about their life and we have to one up them with a worse story about our own life. Misery does love company. We aren't meant to live in misery.

Something else I've learned in life is that we create our doom and gloom. The only exception to that is when we are children. Other people create our doom and gloom for us when we are a child. Asking yourself, why me, is to accept that it wasn't about you, it was about the imperfect person who got you to doubt yourself. They are doing to you what was done to them at one time. 

As an adult, you can carry on their doom and gloom or you can create something new for yourself. You can say to yourself, why not me? You can do the work to understand that it was never about you. You can use that knowledge to live the life you want to live. And when you are living the life you want to live you need to ask yourself, why me, and answer it with why not me.

Be kind to yourself. Be grateful. Be accepting that we are all imperfect beings. Just be. <3

Past generations have taught us to be a "mind your own business" kind of world. We aren't supposed to concern ourselves with hurtful things that might be going on around us. We are also supposed to take hurtful things done to us and keep those "a secret". 

​This need to allow pain and hurt goes against what a soul knows to be true. We are not meant to cause or receive hurt. The ugliness felt when causing or receiving hurt should be easily understood. It's that icky feeling that clings to us like a really bad odour. That bad odour is what hangs over our earth causing the mayhem that we see. 

The truth of the matter is that the well-being of yours and other's souls is your business. Making sure that no one gets left behind is your business. Speaking up and speaking out about how we treat one another is your business. 

1. Loyalty
2. Faithfulness
3. Respectful
4. Reflective
5. Honor
6. Protect
7. Fidelity
8. Honesty
9. Truth
10. Gratitude

Using these ten words, give some thought to how you use them to view other souls. Can you say that you live your life by these ten words? If you do, you are living by the ten commandments. If you don't, maybe it is time to consider the importance of doing so. 

When you feel that you can do these ten things, it is your business to hold others accountable to them. That is why we are here. To ensure as many souls as possible get back to from where they came. By the way, it is possible to do the ten words above everyday. The question is, how important is it for you to find your soul and do them for yourself and others?

Soul searching is not an easy task. If it was we'd all be walking around as enlightened beings manifesting what we want from life. Finding one's soul requires a willingness to let go of the ego. The ego likes to be in control. The ego likes to think its in control. 

The first and foremost thing that you must be able to do is have faith in something much bigger than yourself. It matters little to me what you call it, just have faith in it. Having faith in the unknown takes bravery. 

Trust that your higher power knows best. This is that letting go of control thing that we find very hard to do. Truthfully, in life, you can only control one thing, and that is how you react to what is happening in the now. Now is all there ever is. Accepting that takes bravery. It's a huge first step toward understanding that you are worthy of having so much more in your now.

Loving yourself takes bravery. Forget everything anyone ever told you about your exterior self. It's not true. Forcing you to focus on your exterior has taken you away from focusing on finding your soul. Loving yourself is the gateway to having the love that is needed on earth today.

Sharing that love with others takes bravery. It is impossible once you love yourself to not want to share that love with others. Loving your higher power first, yourself second, and all other beings third is our purpose. 

Fulfilling your purpose takes bravery. We are to find our soul and then help others to find theirs. That is ultimately why we are here together. Not to live in fear of one another, but to live in peace with one another. 

What we see happening in our world today is not how it was supposed to go. We were given free will by our higher power. This free will allows us to have good or bad in our life. Either or of those choices is going to accumulate into reward or mayhem (karma). The state of our world is indicative of how poorly we have been using our free will. We are doing this to ourselves. 

I call my higher power God / Universe / Creator. Whatever name you use for your higher power, I want you to realize that it has had enough of our feeble attempts at humanity. Your higher power is letting us know that the time is upon us to do some soul searching. 

Be brave. Trust your higher power. Do the work to find your soul. Help others to find their soul. Be a part of the solution to turning this thing we call humanity around. All things are possible when we believe in ourselves. Be brave. <3

1. The sun neither rises nor sets.
2. Ego vs Soul.
3. There is no past, there is no future, there is only now.

Can this be true? Yes.

1. The earth moves, not the sun. The sun does not rise. The sun does not set. 
2. Your ego craves fake acceptance. Your soul doesn't.
3. Every second that happens is gone in a puff. There is nothing past that puff. There is only the moment you have now....now....now...now.....

There is something happening on our planet that was inevitable. We can all feel it, but in very different ways. Those who recognize the truths about 1, 2, and 3 understand the shift taking place. Those who are grappling with 1, 2, and 3 need to ask themselves, if not now, when?

My role, along with other imperfect beings just like me, is to help lost souls have their aha moment. I can't save all souls. No imperfect human can. I'm just a cog in the wheel of life doing my small part to bring understanding. 

Fear of the unknown stops people from soul searching. What are you afraid of? I encourage everyone to examine their answers to that question. I'll bet your reasons lead you back to your ego's insistence for fake acceptance by others who are also afraid. 

Finding your soul brings peace. Trust me on that. If you haven't found your soul yet, may I ask, if not now, when?