The Call

In the words of Marianne Williamson: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Missing In Action

By Charlotte

Wow! Here it is July 28th, 2005. Where does time go? We have been missing in action since the first of the year. We didn't feel like there was anything going on in our lives worth writing about. Hmmmmm? Is that really the truth? In retrospect there was alot going on. These may have actually been some of the most important months of our lives. The truth is that we were afraid to write about our searching and struggles where others could see. Maybe we didn't want to see. We have been on a journey of discovery. Where are we going? And why? "Why" has become the question of the day. It is like peeling away the skin of an onion. Just keep asking the question "why" and tell the truth.......not the truth that sounds good but the real down and dirty, get out of your head and into your heart truth. The "whys?" lead to the first response and then once examined, it is cast away and the search goes on. What is the real motive behind the action...... the real reason for the choices we make.

The other big question is "Why Are We Here"? Day by day we keep writing down the answers and getting closer and closer to the truth. We are living a life dedicated to a deepening of the spiritual journey. The choices we make ultimately serve that purpose.

Today finds us in Ballard, Washington which is really the northern area of Seattle. Our actual mailing address says Seattle, Washington. We are loving our time in the city. The last 4 weeks have been an unexpectedly delightful and rewarding experience.

Much has happened in the last few months to write about but...... maybe the timing wasn't right. We started off the year in Port Townsend, WA and then moved over to Indianola, which is on the Kitsap Peninsula. At waters edge we looked across at Seattle. For three months we lived in a small house in the woods. Our most important discovery there was that we don't want to live in the woods. It is fine for camping and long hikes but we want to live where we have distant vistas and big sky. That is what feeds our spirit.

We left there and headed east. I made a pilgrimage back to Texas to see relatives and revisit my childhood memories. The difference on this trip is that I chose to leave the rose colored glasses at home.

Today, here we are in Ballard. When we go to the water's edge on the west side of town we now find ourselves looking across at the Indianola pier. This is a quiet neighborhood of old homes and beautiful gardens. We are very thankful to be in Seattle this summer. They have been having a heatwave in Sacramento, where we spent last summer. We definately don't miss the long hot days of summer. We are house/pet sitting for Carolyn and her young son Scotland. They are in Europe for the summer. They were at the Tour de France when Lance won last week. This is a lovely old home, complete with Snitch, the golden retriever. Snitch is 2 years old and has more energy than we do. There is a lovely lake nearby, where we walk. Greenlake has a 2.8 mile path around the lake and lots of trees and shady lawn areas. We go there several days a week.

We have found another awesome spiritual community at the Seattle Unity Church with Richard Levy. We're taking a class based on Julia Cameron's book, "Vein of Gold". Given our "Golden" history, it's quite ironic. The class is requiring us to dig into our life for the "nuggets" that we all have hidden away - another big stretch for us.