get real
Abandon the illusion you’re a self-contained individual.
Be a part of this wounded world,
and find yourself with Christ.
Set aside your own desires,
give yourself fully for others;
be the hands and heart of Jesus.
Renounce self-protection,
accept your brokenness,
and reach out for love.
Let go of your own plans.
Join in the healing of the world.
You will not be alone.
Follow your soul, not your ego.
Follow it right into people’s suffering.
Follow it right into the heart of God.
Pour yourself out;
let the world pour in;
then you are one with the Beloved.
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
Sometimes, if we can be very still, eyes wide open, silencing the inner commentary for just one moment, we might see somethings we’re missing.
Like the crazy beauty and unbelievable resilience of human beings,
The resurrection of the sun each morning,
How even those we oppose- those with “positions” different than our own- love their children.
Oh, I’m not hoping or wishing for endless harmony. I never really was a Kum ba ya girl.
But, I try not to protect my heart by pretending the children who are dying in the war in Syria, and schools in America, and the young indigenous man shot on a farm here in Canada are not all “our” children.
And what would we not do to protect our children?
There are times to stand up and shout, and times to be quiet and listen deeply. Of course I’ve sometimes gotten that wrong- had something to say when I needed to listen; hesitated to speak up when something needed to be said, or shouted, or sung by a solitary voice or in unison by thousands.
At night as I drift into sleep something touches me- a larger Presence, the Beloved, the God whose Love I have known since always- and I know that in some way, deep at the core of Life, everything is and will be okay.
Knowing this, I can see without fear that here and now, in this shared world, there are things that are not okay, things that sacrifice children, things that we must change.
Decades of experience has eroded my certainty that I have the solutions, but deepened my conviction that we can find a way forward together.
– Oriah
The glorification of busy will destroy us. Without space for healing, without time for reflection, without an opportunity to surrender, we risk a complete disconnect from the authentic self. We burn out on the fuels of willfulness, and eventually cannot find our way back to center. And when we lose contact with our core, we are ripe for the picking by the unconscious media and other market forces. After all, consumerism preys on the uncentered. The farther we are from our intuitive knowing, the more easily manipulated we are. The more likely we are to make decisions and affix to goals that don’t serve our healing and transformation. To combat this, we have to form the conscious intention to prioritize our inner life. To notice our breath, our bodies, our feelings. To step back from the fires of overwhelm and remember ourselves. It may feel counter-intuitive in a culture that is speed-addicted, but the slower we move, the faster we return home.
⁃ Jeff Brown
Can I tell you something?
Im finding a battlecry uncurling within my stomach
it’s been waiting to get its chance to speak for over 50 years
the pressure I’ve put on my tongue has created diamonds
the seagulls understand me
they’re not afraid of that hard pounding surf
they delight in sea-spray-spittle on they’re faces
changing winds ruffling they’re polka dot tail feathers
why are kids killing kids?
let’s stop these stupid raw arguments
the ones that deflect responsibility to someone else
let’s look for the roots of this horror
in our own reflections
in our minds eye
in our most intimate of idols
in our illusions of love
in our addiction to our personal brokenness
let’s do something different
let’s sit in silence
and chill the hell out before our next inciting Facebook post
Just stop. Hard stop.
rest for a full minute.
God is here. Now. Repent (aka: turn around).
Be the change. Yes, Let your life be continually changed by goodness. Stop glorifying busyness. Decide.
Turn off your tv. No more 24 hr news. Smile at that weird teenager with the baggy pants down the street. Say hello to your neighbors. Show everyone you meet your baseball card collection. Tell them about your dreams of flying a kite Expect miracles to fall like rain. Spend your money to help someone – even if you don’t think they deserve it. Make art. Sing at the top of your lungs. Show unconditional love to someone with no desire for anything in return. Be personal. Allow yourself to fail often. look past your own neediness and fill a real need.
Let go of your stubborn opinions
Learn something good from everyone you meet.
Keep calm and carry on.
That is all.
❤️
Amy Lloyd
life: acoustic & amplified 