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Archive for the category “Burnign Bridges”

15 Jul 2016

how far will you go?

Better to live your life open rather than exist on borrowed time, waiting for the great unmasking.

– Kate Jacobs

love is the flame
all people yearn for the flame

some people never discover there actually is a flame

some people ignore the flame

some people avoid the flame

some people examine the flame

some people research the flame

some people control the flame

some people fear the flame

some people are fooled by fake flame

some people admire the flame

some people use the flame

some people walk on the flame

some people dance with the flame

some people dance in the flame

some people become the flame

some people are consumed by the flame
your choice…

how will you burn?

🔥

Those who are drawn to the root of love are mystics. Mystics are not satisfied with the surface patterns of love, with the emotional tangles and insecurities of human loving. They seek a purer wine, a more potent passion. They need the essence of love, its divine substance.

~ Irina Tweedie

On the day I died

water ran through pipes,

footsteps identified people in the house and

the dogs nails clicked quickly on the wood floors above my head,

insisting it was time to go out for relief.

I still needed coffee,

light with cream,

2 sugars.

The sun was bright

and I remember the sky was that deep blue,

romantically named, azurite.

There was cockscomb,

half alive in pots near the wooden footbridge I walked over.

I used to love them when I was alive.

I touched their red, velvety, blooms seeking to feel something.

I mistook fluttering angel wings for birds,

battles fought,

just beyond where I lay

on the words of Wendell Berry –

the only thread

keeping me tethered to this world.

I sat on benches beside ghosts

of those who had gone before me.

I could still only feel them beside me,

I was in the world between worlds.

There was darkness, a fire swamp, screaming, clashes of swords,

I could not save myself.

God was everywhere.

I found myself in a boat,

where I stayed for 2 years, until,

in recent weeks,

the call came to step out,

to start walking on water.

Late in the day,

I stood in the bathroom,

accepting the most insulting job offer I have ever received,

then sat on a stool,

trying to act as if I was alive,

pretending to look for puzzle pieces,

slightly aware of the colors and shapes,

singing echoes of songs I used to love,

with my beautiful Robin,

who seemed very much alive.

🔥

In Memoriam of my death, consumed by the flame,

December 3, 2012 –

may I be remembered as

Daniel J O’Connell having the:

Spirit of a warrior

Soul of a poet

Irradiat your mind with the light from within, allow your existence to move along within the unbroken continuity of nature. The ideal of authenticity lies deep in the heart of one’s union to the world not the possession of it. The grandeur of unity holds a definitive place in the infinite. When you calibrate your spirit with that of the world you are left open to respond to your life harmoniously with the universe. Unmask your illusions from those artificial ideas you have build your lives upon with walls and boundaries solidifying your thoughts about a tragic disassociation to nature. It’s up to you to be open now or wait for the great unmasking…the choice is yours but unmasking now allows you to reconcile your existence while you still have the chance to live it.

– Lissette T. Hesmadt

We have known and have believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who remain in love remain in God and God remains in them. 1 John ‪4:16‬

No matter the results and outcomes,
the thousand possibilities,

you are here now.
Why even try to trace

what the beggar will do with your money?

Let your giving be the whole horizon.
Be lovingly present

and wars and stars and grief and cats alike

will be unable to trouble you.
At the center of the world and in each breath

this is the holy temple, the birthing moment:

giving and receiving love. That is all.
This is the sacred point,

the love in you

meeting the love in the world.
However broken or weary you are,

bring yourself here, in love,

now.
__________________

Steve Garnaas-Holmes

Unfolding Light

http://www.unfoldinglight.net

photo sources at http://www.pinterest.com

Posted in attitude, awareness, Becoming Yourself, beloved, Burnign Bridges, Change, Choice, courage, dark, Death, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Glory, Gospel, grace, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, healing, home, Letting Go, Life, Love, mystery, Passion, Poetry, power, Purpose | Leave a comment

07 Jul 2016

where do you go from here?

Nothing happens by chance, no one goes on a quest without a reason, without the pull of the magnet there is no action.

💞

– Rumi

When all the world is young, lad,

And all the trees are green;

And every goose a swan, lad,

And every lass a queen;

Then hey for boot and horse, lad,

And round the world away;

Young blood must have its course, lad,

And every dog his day.

When all the world is old, lad,

And all the trees are brown;

And all the sport is stale, lad,

And all the wheels run down;

Creep home, and take your place there,

The spent and maimed among:

God grant you find one face there,

You loved when all was young.

🌳

Young and Old by Charles Kingsley

I lay and watched your final breath

Lay in a pool of steel, blood and nashing teeth

All knew your smile and humor

I saw the life you were to live

So much love you left behind

So much more you had left to give.

Every breath I took was fire

Not desire, No silent repose

That life I was given back was given to chasing ghosts

No action, no deed, nothing ever was my own

From reverie to taps, a life spent chasing ghosts.

In times such as this,

What is born of such circumstance?

Death gives birth to so much mourning

That spawns life and living.

Your death gave birth to me

Achievements you will never see

Tears, monuments, poetry and prose

You gave your life,

I gave you those.

Just another life spent chasing ghosts.

👻

Chasing Ghosts by Charles Cooper

And then there comes a moment

when all you have suffered,

all you have learned,

all you have lost and found,

rise up and become.

and suddenly you are

here,

you are

who you dreamed of being,

so many years ago.

suddenly you have arrived

at what you caught glimpses of

for so many years,

and the search,

the free fall of broken dreams,

broken hearts,

broken everything,

tumbling down rabbit holes,

stumbling over the feet

of your own lack of knowledge,

is over.

you find yourself on solid ground.

stable.

steady.

raising your Ebenezer,

those tributes to God,

for all the mighty stones of help,

building this foundation,

on the solid rocks of your soul

you know so well.

and though the pilgrimage may continue,

though the journey is definitely not over,

though life is fragile,

and security an illusion.

there is a new sureness to your step,

a trusting unshakable,

a calm in it all,

a new assurance of provision,

a new traveling song to be sung as you walk forward,

always forward.

always pilgrim ready for new adventures.

forgetting the names of what lay behind,

you press on to your calling,

the prize set before,

reveling in the mercies, ever new,

for each new day.

there is no stopping now.

you have found something

which cannot ever be taken.

you have arrived here by your own determination,

reached a place,

both spiritual and physical,

a place of such magnitude

the light shines from every angle,

it has sealed up the oldest sores,

bound up the deepest wounds,

satisfied the deepest longings,

changed everything,

settled old scores with finality.

no longer will you settle for less than you deserve.

no more will you tolerate anything less than your own best and highest offerings.

you must be all you can be.

that is all.

gratitude fills you for this place,

a place so lovely,

it can bear up

even under the weight

of your hearts wildest desires,

with just this simple name

it resounds inside our souls like a bell –

home

yes, beloved,

you are home.

right where you belong.

🏡

This road is not for the timid or the faint of heart. not at all. But there is no other road. No one will simply wave a magical wand over you. It is a road of destruction and the question is, “How much are you willing to give up? How much can you endure?

Greg Calise read full article:

https://www.scienceandnonduality.com/you-must-die-to-live

Posted in action, Adventure, Alone, attitude, awareness, be, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Burnign Bridges, Change, Choice, courage, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Freedom, Gratitude, Growth, healing, home, Hope, inspiration, Letting Go, Life, Love, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, risk, soul and spirit, strength, transformation, Trust, truth, words | Leave a comment

25 Jun 2016

Where you belong should always be worthy of your dignity. – John O’Donohue

everything here 

seems to need us 

-Rainer Maria Rilke

😶🙃🙂

I can hardly imagine it

as I walk to the lighthouse,

feeling the ancient

prayer of my arms swinging

in counterpoint to my feet.

Here I am, suspended

between the sidewalk and twilight,

the sky dimming so fast it seems alive.

What if you felt the invisible

tug between you and everything?

A boy on a bicycle rides by,

his white shirt open, flaring

behind him like wings.

It’s a hard time to be human.

We know too much

and too little.

Does the breeze need us?

The cliffs?

The gulls?

If you’ve managed to do one good thing,

the ocean doesn’t care.

But when Newton’s apple fell toward the earth,

the earth, ever so slightly, fell

toward the apple.

🍎

The World Has Need of You by Ellen Bass

4:08 pm Seattle

june 24, 2016

the beauty of comversations

so amazing

such glory in these connections

from all over the world –

we all have need of each other.

Front porches can be found anywhere.

We share lunch tables

and stories, oh so exciting.

The four friends head to the gate,

the two locals call a friendly greeting as they return to leave for home,

they remember my name –

it rings out in the busy airport!

Wave and smiling – I live here!

I sit and rejoice.

Write it. 🙂

I am enriched

by this going

by this obedience

by this calling

I have received such confirmation of my work.

So energized,

so blessed,

so excited,

so ready.

I am smiling as the guy above my table says,

So we must be in the allergy section….

(we talk throat clearing and

the fact that I have eaten gluten,

for a few)

Hi, I’m Gary…I’m Amy….

my next divine appointment

has just arrived…

we cross paths 2 or3 times,

then just sit

talk,

share,

connect,

sleep

(well, sorta…in a plane seat??????….winging to Phily)

we leave each other with a warm hug,

after an all night flight…

I am doing my work…

and it is good

✈️

Today I wish you grand adventures, shared laughter and please, for goodness sakes, park with WILD ABANDON!! ❤️ xo

Posted in attitude, awareness, beauty, Becoming Yourself, beloved, Blog, Burnign Bridges, Change, Choice, connection, courage, determination, find art at pinterest, Happiness, healing, inspiration, Letting Go, light, Love, Passion, Reality | Leave a comment

12 May 2016

going on

You have burned your bridges.

You have passed through the gate

marked “no return”

And for you there is no going back

No going back to the security of

the known, familiar house,

To the well-worn dispensations

and the threadbare coverings.

Now you are out there in uncharted

territory

heavy with threat and shadows not

yet entered.

The risks are high, and yet you

strike out boldly,

Guided only by unwavering conviction

And the longing for the true centre

of the land.

This is what it means to do a new

thing.

So, you travel lightly.

You are abandoned, given up in all

things

To the task that lies ahead.

Therefore, you may be exactly who

you are.

You have inhabited yourself,

You are at home,

And home is where you are,

Even if it is the desert.

No one can dispossess you of your own in-dwelling.

This is what it means to be free.

We stand, one foot upon the bridge,

Wondering if we too have the courage to go over

And strike the match behind us.

🔥

The Dream of Learning our True Name by Kathy Galloway

Trees not yet leafed out,

the woods aren’t green,

just tiny flakes of green
in their childish little hands,

soft and small.

Something larger than them
from deep down stirs,

exceeds itself in them.

Among those who dare
a new thing

God grant me

such ancient courage.
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes

Unfolding Light

http://www.unfoldinglight.net

photo sources found at http://www.pinterest.com

Posted in action, Adventure, attitude, awareness, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Burnign Bridges, Change, Choice, commitment, connection, determination, find art at pinterest, forgiveness, healing, home, Letting Go, Life, Love, Miracles, moment | Leave a comment

11 May 2016

God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. –Anonymous

19 years ago today

I stood at the edge

of a great abyss

in life

a part of me,

not known until that time,

had awakened

now I had a choice to make,

to accept –

or deny –

this part of myself,

which was revealed

in such a wild,

drastic,

unexpected

and overwhelming manner

I knew this would be

what, ultimately,

saved,

destroyed,

my life.

as I stood,

still in innocence,

not really knowing –

yet, somehow,

knowing in every way –

the costs,

the benefits,

the responsibility,

the awareness.

the long dark road ahead,

the excruciating valley years to come,

the sharp, rugged climb up the mountain.

19 years ago,

on this day,

I struggled

with all of this.

I made certain vows

concerning the choices

I would make through

my time of learning:

I would only follow love.

No matter how I failed, I would remember it is not about how good I am. I would try to live the words of Jesus in The Sermon on the Mount.

I would never make a choice

simply to benefit myself

or to get money.

I would learn to be truthful and fair and be the person I wanted to be.

I would be honest with myself – always – especially when I was wrong, or made a mistake.

I would stay aware and learn – so I would not make the same mistake twice.

I would make the best choice I could any given moment, and then move forward the best I could with no regret.

I would do my best and give my best.

I would look for good things every day.

That day I said ‘yes!’ to life

I jumped off the cliff

and began…

for good…

for bad…

to make my choices

from a new place of radical trust.

the rest is my history…

🍎

All of my life I searched for truth and wanted to be beautiful

All my life I kept on moving looking for my home

All my life I played the part that someone else said was beautiful

All my life I lived afraid I couldn’t play that part

now I knock upon your door hear what my heart’s been longing for

welcome home

you belong

you are here

where I love you,

I want you

welcome home

won’t you stay

in my arms

I will hold you,

I need you

I won’t ever leave you

you are home

you are never alone

welcome home

I will sing you a song

I will build you an alter

I will shout to the hills

I will rise to the sky

I will bake you some bread

I will drink to your honor

I will dance in the rain

I will celebrate always

🏡

Character. Strength. Intelligence. Style. That makes beauty.

💞

— Diane Von Furstenberg

A man looked for meaning.

For his very place in life.
He searched high and low.
He’d often hear a whisper, calling

his name from the other side

of what seemed like a door.
A door that remained hidden

from his ability to see.
Frustrated, he’d knock on

everything that resembled

a door. Turning here,

and there. Turning

just about anywhere.
Then one day,

unannounced,

it opened.
And he realised that he’d been

knocking from the inside.

And that the whisper

had been an echo.
The echo of his own soul

reminding him that

he was already home.

💞

The Whisper and the Echo by Nic Askew

Posted in action, Adventure, attitude, awareness, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, beloved, Burnign Bridges, Change, Choice, find art at pinterest, Freedom, healing, Letting Go, Life, Love, mystery, risk, soul and spirit, transformation, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment

05 Mar 2016

full investigation…

Author Kent Crockett tells this classic story about his two year old son, Scott, who was sitting on the floor crying. Kent went into the room to investigate and he noticed a plastic baseball bat on the floor and asked his four year old daughter what happened. His little girl, Hannah, said, “He hit his head.” Kent said, “On what?” She pointed to the floor and said, “The bat.” Kent said, “Where was the bat?” She said, “In my hands.”

Where there is love

Where there is people

There is pain

Disappointment

Misunderstanding

Differences

Separation

Tears

Imperfection

Where there is love

Where there is people

There is joy

Inspiration

Community

Understanding

Connection

Life is about love

Life is about people

Embracing it all

Feeling it all

❤️💔❤️💔❤️💔❤️

photo sources found at http://www.pinterest.com 

Posted in action, Adventure, attitude, awareness, beauty, Becoming Yourself, beloved, Burnign Bridges, Change, Choice, compassion, confidence, connection, courage, determination, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Freedom, friendship, Love, Reality | Leave a comment

01 Jan 2016

Happy New Year!!!

find photos at http://www.pinterest.com

Posted in action, Adventure, attitude, awareness, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Burnign Bridges, Change, Choice, courage, Encouragement, find art at pinterest, Happy Holiday!, inspiration, Letting Go, Life, Love, Reflection | Leave a comment

01 Nov 2015

hello

listen to Michael Buble sing Feeling Good

Posted in action, Adventure, Alone, attitude, awareness, Becoming Yourself, Burnign Bridges, Career, Change, Choice, confidence, connection, courage, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, Gratitude, home, inspiration, Letting Go, Life, Losing, Love, People | Leave a comment

24 May 2015

The whole world opens when we accept this moment, this very moment.— Deepak Chopra

Consider a tree for a moment. As beautiful as trees are to look at, we don’t see what goes on underground as they grow roots. Trees must develop deep roots in order to grow strong and produce their beauty. But we don’t see the roots. We just see and enjoy the beauty. In much the same way, what goes on inside of us is like the roots of a tree.