To the Heart of the Matter...

It has been 42 years since I served the pie and ice cream and stepped beyond my religious community's male boundaries and "spoke with 'god'".  I sometimes think of what my life would be like if I had obeyed the external voices and stifled my own internal voice of excitement.

My view of the world would be very limited. My children would have a very small box for their dreams. I could have blamed "god" for my pain. I would not have to take responsibility for independent choices and actions. I could have joined the army of women in that community who use Prozac instead of questioning. I would have no way of walking through the chaos in the world today.

I would look out over the world of conflict, duality, chaos, and differences as a world full of landmines set to destroy. I would feel confused by life experiences that bring pain to those who obey "god" and with no where to go with my questions, my doubts and my fears of such a deity. I would have to take "that is the way "god" wants it", for the answer and be encouraged to remain faithful to such a dictating "god".

I would not know the extensive community of intelligent, creative, hope filled, caring beings in physical bodies who see beyond all boxes. And I certainly would have had no contact with the greater teams of expansive evolution beyond physical bodies. I would not have had the experience of deep struggles for personal answers that gave greater understanding and compassion. I would not see the "other" as a member of my greater family. I would not see that we are simply having unique experiences that we can share with one another.

I can truthfully say that nothing has been more meaningful in my 71 years of life than the night that I followed my own curiosity and served pie and ice cream to the men.... very slowly.

About 8 years after I began taking my questions to a greater Intelligent Being for answers, one of the major male leaders in my birth religion spoke to our community. He said, "It has become rather popular for some of our youth to use meditation and prayer as a way to seek answers for their lives. I am sent to tell you that you are not to go to any intelligence beyond your local leaders with your questions. There is great power in that process and the common folk are not prepared to utilize it. That right is not given to you." I could not believe my ears! I wanted to scream, "Then teach them how to use it. Teach correct principles and they will learn to govern their own lives with wisdom and grace." And, of course, I did not. I was only a woman.

And so I taught those who came to me the principles of personal guidance.

I have them begin by writing and completing these statements:

"The qualities of my Spiritual Teachers are: _____________________________________. "

"My experience with Spiritual Teachers brings me: ________________________________."

I was told that there would come a time when people would need to have connection to something greater than the world's information. A time when in order to see their way, to find places of community, of rational actions and to walk in truth, they would have to hear directions for their lives through there own inner "team".  I believe we are in that time and I encourage you to begin listening.