"When someone enters your life unexpectedly, look for the gift that person has come to receive from you. I have sent you nothing but angels. Others see their possibility in the reality of you.” --Neale Donald Walsch from his book series, "Conversations With God." Have you ever been momentarily captured by the strains of a … Continue reading What I have Come To Understand
This week, I was finally able to view a film I’ve been wanting to see for some time called, “Samsara,” directed by Ron Fricke and produced by Mark Magidson, and was stunned at the richness of the diversity of locations filmed, and was both inspired and disturbed by the powerful effect of the contrasts presented … Continue reading Samsara
Time has never been my friend especially. Like many of us, what we call “time” frequently feels like there’s never enough of it—not enough for what needs to be done nor for what we want to do. Just as often, it feels as though we are racing against it, trying to squeeze as much out … Continue reading The Realm of Possibility
A few years ago, I wrote a book review of David Gelernter’s book, “The Tides of Mind,” which opened new avenues of thought, and in particular, I appreciated his use of the imagery of a “spectrum of consciousness,” with descending and ascending layers from being wide awake and alert to dreams and unconsciousness. Although interesting … Continue reading Consciousness and Dreaming
From one perspective, the month of December signals the arrival of that part of the year after the crops have been harvested, the trees and vines have yielded their ripened fruits, and the leaves have all withered and fallen to the ground. The light of day is at its shortest duration, and the longest periods … Continue reading Majesty and Misery, Miracles and Mystery
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.—Ralph Waldo Emerson Many times, when I am fully engaged in stillness and practicing my own personal version of mindfulness—giving up my normal attention to the present living moment—it’s almost like drifting back through time; with eyes … Continue reading The Universe Is Alive
“If your everyday practice is to open to all of your emotions, to all of the people you meet, to all of the situations you encounter, without closing down, trusting that you can do that—then that will take you as far as you can go. And you’ll understand the teachings that anyone has ever taught.” … Continue reading Necessary and Urgent: Where The Heart Goes
"At the turn of the last century, people's hope was in science, technology, and modern progress. As we approached this millennium, we realized the extent of that progress, and that it hasn't taken us far enough. There is a part of us that still has a spiritual hunger. We have spent the past century looking … Continue reading A Spiritual Hunger
As the ever-changing fall weather begins to manifest into cooler nights and milder days, this particular change of seasons nearly always finds me looking backwards in time. The inspiration for this rearward journey has its roots in both my personal history, and in the relentless search for understanding that has occupied me for decades. It … Continue reading Three Hundreth Blog Post; Falling Back
Watching out my window this evening as the sky slowly abandoned the light of day, fading slowly into twilight, my heart was following along as the sky darkened. In some ways, my heart knows me better than my mind. Within the realm of thoughts and emotions, thoughts have always seemed to eventually defer to my … Continue reading The Fading of the Light
John's Consciousness 