Leap of Faith

***

"If you bring forth what is within you,

what you bring forth will save you. 

If you do not bring forth what is within you,

what you do not bring forth will destroy you."

-as attributed to Jesus Christ in The Gospel of Thomas

***

As I typed the email I felt completely at peace.

I was saying everything that I believed in my heart and knew that it must be shared to avoid miscommunication, hurt feelings, and more of the same mistakes.

I've been down this road many times and know how easily my compassionate human nature can trump the conscious voices of my past trials talking clearly in my head; the spiritually intuitive stabs at my stomach; the pain that creeps out and reminds me,

"Not like this, not again Amanda, you know better."

But, life is a series of tests. I must take the same one in different forms over and over until I finally pass. Then, I will get a shiny new test, designed just for me. It never ends and I am an eternal student.

Just as some of life's tests are really easy, others are equally hard, constantly tripping me up and holding me back until I finally accept the truth and see the hard-to-swallow answers.

Today I took a test.  I call it a leap of faith.

By trusting in the Lord, I composed a beautiful email, full of my thoughts and truths and written from a place of love.  It felt theraputic to put those feelings down into words and to read, and reread them until they completely captured the message I hoped to send.

I said a prayer, then I hit send. 

My heart began to beat out of my chest and fear fell all around me, like dark walls cutting off my oxygen supply.  My breathing sped up.  Did I made a mistake?  Where did my peace go?  Questions began popping in my head and I started to continuously check my email for a reply that never came.

Oh how I wished I had just wrote it all for myself and then talked about it instead, but I always seem to leave important things out when I try it this way.  And oddly enough, my deep compassion sometimes physically hinders my ability to say what I am truly feeling, for fear of hurting the feelings of the person on the receiving end.

But nevertheless, I am a writer, so instead I wrote.  And I sent. 

Eventually, I stop checking for the reply and start praying more instead, that the peace I felt was real and God's will should be done.  My peace returns.

Six hours later, I reflect on the fear and conclude it was my embodiment of doing something the wrong way for so long, that when I finally set myself free, the wrongness didn't want to be kicked out without making a mess first.  By letting go of old ways, and setting a new way into motion, I could see how those failed tests were all just big grumpy messes, holding on and clinging, not willing to go without a final rumble inside.

Unfortunately for the mess, I've decided to clean house and am now keeping my eyes (and heart) open for my new test.  The next level baby.  One that will allow me to grow into a happier, more peaceful, more loving human being. 

Today, a leap of faith taught me that God always has my back, as long as I listen and dedicate my days, experiences and relationships to Him.

Amen.

Poetic Preaching

Recently, I have been going to a new church in San Diego called C3. 

 I really enjoy the modern atmosphere, club-like feel of the auditorium and the plethora of Australian accents!

What grabs my heart the most is the experience with God that I get every time I am there. 

I've been to many churches and none have grabbed me so intently and deeply as this. 

I feel like I have the Holy Spirit on tap and I drink til I am full every time I go. 

The pastor says some very thought provoking things and I catch myself taking notes every Sunday! 

When I look back at what I've written, it appears like poetry, which is why I've shared. 

Hope you enjoy!! 

***

Notes from 12/8/13 

Genesis 22 

Abraham offers his son Isaac to God

In the school of life 

God tests me 

To increase me 

To bless me 

And promote me 

It's not about what I possess 

It's what possesses me 

What I can't give 

I don't own 

It owns me 

What's the meaning of life? 

To give life meaning. 

Give till it hurts! 

Go into the market and create a harvest that will bless the kingdom of God. 

Deuteronomy 8:18 

Money is a wicked master 

But a wonderful servant 

*** 

What do you think? 

xo, 

Ms Panda

Double Rainbows and Purple Carrots

It's been a while since I've written and after glancing at the last few posts - I felt like writing something a bit deeper tonight.  The amount of variety in my life has tripled, similar to my discovery of the existance of purple, yellow and white-ish carrots.

If you are new to my blog, this is how I do it. 

Sometimes I have a lot to say, and other times I haiku.  

Either way, I only write when I am inspired,

so if you are looking for a daily read, I may not be able to deliver. 

However, if inspiration and stimulation is what you seek,

look no further and subscribe right now. ;)

Life is fantastic. 

I look back one year and smile thinking of how grateful I am for the place I am in right now - mentally, physically, spiritually.  Last year was bumpy.  Change was not easy.  Choices were tough and tests were being dealt out like pop quizzes daily.  But I survived.  I may not have aced it all, but I am happy to report that today was a good day.

 

In fact, the last three weeks have been nothing short of incredible. 

Since I found my home at the Rock Church six months ago, my life has taken a turn for the better and I can not be thankful enough.  I say it everyday in my mind and under my breath, while covering my heart with my hand and breathing in slow, deep breaths.  I thank Him for being with me. 

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 

I've been reading the Bible, start to finish, and in the very first book - Genesis - I read about the meaning of a rainbow.

Seeing this picture, taken in downtown San Francisco today, I couldn't help but think of this: 

"When the (rain)bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”

Genesis 9:16

He's got our backs. Whether you believe in Him as a man in the clouds, the divine trinity, maybe a breeze blowing by, or a song that plays on repeat in your head, He is with us.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Matthew 7:7

I pray daily for my DJ ministry, and He continues to provide for me, kicking it off with a set of turntables, followed by a club quality mixer, a shnazzy program called Serato, which will surely work a little magic in my learning process BUT most of all - I have been blessed with a teacher who is His most faithful servant and continually leads me to be a better Christian by always accrediting everything to God's glory. 

I am so moved by the intensity of the progress happening in my life, that I can only offer myself to Him and give back everything equally to Him.  He is my rock.  Yet He is also my flower.  I must keep my flesh out of the way and let His spirit continue to lead me.  I am very passionate about what's happening in my life, but I am also keen on the pauses. 

He will lead me there - never early, never late - only right on time.

Just like the music of Miles Davis, pauses are just as important to the completeness of the song as are the individual notes.

Thank God for being within us, for always loving us by grace, and for giving us the language of music to communicate our gratefulness with Him.

Amen.

The Donkey in the Well

In my daily devotional for today, Joyce Meyer wrote:
"One of my favorite stories is about a farmer's donkey that fell into a dry well. The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do for his poor donkey. Finally, he concluded that the well was too deep, and it really needed to be covered up anyway. Besides, the donkey was old, and it would be a lot of trouble to get him out of the pit.
The farmer decided that it was not worth trying to retrieve the animal, so he asked his neighbors to help him fill in the well and bury the donkey.  They all grabbed shovels and began to toss dirt into the well. The donkey immediately realized what was happening, and he began to bray horribly. Crying would be our normal response if somebody was mistreating us this badly, so this donkey was responding the same way we would at first, but then he got real quiet.
A few shovel loads of dirt later, the farmer looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw.
With every shovel of dirt that hit the donkey's back, the donkey would shake it off and step on top of it.  As the neighbors and the farmer continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he continued to shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon the donkey shook off the last shovel full of dirt, took a step up, and walked right out of the well.
We can learn so much from this story. When trouble comes, if we will get still and listen, God will tell us what to do." It was too good to keep to myself!
Hope the next time trouble comes, we stay still and listen to God.
Amen!

This is the Stuff I Live for...

Last Thursday, I attended my fourth DJ class as provided by the Rock Church's Cross Fader Ministry. Every since I joined the Rock Church in San Diego, I have been wanting to learn how to DJ so that I could produce electronic Christian music.  I like dancy-type club music and have felt a calling to mix up the two genres - I even blogged about it back in May.

So for Thursday's class, we were challenged to bring as many guests as we could and the person with the most people would win a prize.  I woke up dreaming about my teacher asking me to name five guys and five girls that I could text to come to our class.  I started rattling off names, but then I got stumped.  In my dream, he began to hand out prizes to others in the group.  I woke up certain that I would not be the winner, but started texting friends to come with me anyway.  Out of 25 or more texts sent out, I had a few "maybes" but only one person followed through.  I told my teacher about my dream and we laughed about it together.

Class was awesome!  It was a smaller group than normal, so I got a 20 minute personal lesson on a set up I had not learned yet.  I learned scratching techniques, like the "stab" and the "orbit."  I talked to the DJ I was learning from about my dream of mashing up secular music with Christian music - especially since the club music seems to ask all of the questions that Christian music answers.  It's like the two genres are screaming to be mixed up together!  Plus, no one is really doing it - so the DJ pulled up a song called, "Sandstorm" which has a popular club beat, and once it reached it's peak moment, he set up the Christian song, "He Reigns" to play its chorus Acappella.  It was EXACTLY what I was talking about and we were all dancing around like maniacs bouncing and smiling!  It really fired me up!

Just then, my other teacher stopped the group and announced that he wanted to change the rules for the contest that night.  He mentioned that there were two students who had made it to every class and wanted to suggest a DJ "Battle" between them.  MY heart immediately began to race.  He chose this one other student first and then walked over to me and called me out!  I was scared to death, but also excited and honored all at the same time!

The other student and I "Rock Paper Scissor"-ed to see who would go first and I won, so I gave him the honor.  I stood behind as he demonstrated the skills he had learned in class for one minute straight and then it was my turn!

During my one minute showcase, I danced and wiggled that record back and forth to "Scratch" and smiled so much!  It was such a great time!  The class cheered for me and through audience applaud I took the title of the first  "DJ Battle Champ" of my class!

That night I couldn't wipe the smile off my face and I thanked God over and over for the opportunity.  It reinforced my path and recharged my spirit!  I am already trying to get into private lessons with a couple of my teachers, as I hear that in the next few months, the class may offer a set of tables to the most promising student. 

Life is a journey and you must take steps to fully utilize the spiritual gifts that God gives you.  As I overheard in church on Sunday, every single person on this planet is part of a body.  While you may be the mouth, she may be the heart, he may be hands, and I may be the voice - we must all perform individually to make up that smiling, loving, singing wholeness that is what God intended when He made us. 

What are you waiting for?  Find out your part here.!!!!

Til next time...

xOx,
Ms. Panda

The Boss Loves You!

I went to dinner tonight at my best friends' sushi bar and when the bill came it was nearly a full comp. 

The description for the goodwill read, "The Boss Loves You." 

It made me think:

If the "Boss" loves you, then everyone loves you. 

There's no greater love than that of the boss.

He gives purpose, knows how well you're doing your job and is the judge at the end of it all. 

 Point: Do a good job.

Make the boss happy. 

Amen.

Courageous

Just FINALLY watched the movie, " Courageous ,"  and am still drying the tears from my cheeks.

Without telling the whole story, I want to post a copy of the "Resolution" that the fathers in this movie pledged to their families in a ceremony setting.  

The words are moving, inspirational, reassuring, and tremendously positive! 

I hope that if you are a father and you are reading this, you will consider this resolution for yourself and your family. 

Imagine the blessings it will bring to your home life.  

Think about it.

In love,

Ms. Panda

Homeless and Heartbroken

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Psalm 147:3

Before I even knew her name, my heart broke for the homeless girl holding the sign that read:

"Sober, Homeless, Hungry, Down on Luck."

I only had a butterscotch flavored Dum Dum lollipop to give her, but Amanda was very greatful.

She stood by my back window of my car as my dogs barked, but then licked her face. 

She remarked, "This is true therapy."

She mentioned she had a dog, who was back at her tent.

I asked, "Where are you staying?"

She told me, "The foothills of Presidio," which is ironically close to the Spanish Mission that was built as a safe haven for weary travelers during the early settlement of California.  Each mission stood approximately a day's hike away from the next.

She added, "I just left the river 'cause I got a black eye from someone who wanted the $10 I made out here one day."

I asked, "What do you need?"

She said, "A sleeping bag.  I just left my husband two days ago at the river.  He was smoking crystal meth."

I told her that I was on the way to my church's thrift store, just around the corner and would see if I could find one for her.

She thanked me and the light turned green signaling my departure.

When I entered the warehouse for the Rock Thrift Store, I knew exactly where to go, as I volunteered there last Monday.  There's a bin in the back that is full of items intended just for homeless and I bet you can guess what was sitting right on top. 

I not only found a sleeping bag, but also a soft comforter, a cozy jacket and even an air mattress. 

I would definitely say, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Or better yet, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." -Matthew 7:7

The thrift store employees knew that God had put this on my heart and didn't charge me for the items, when normally you would need a voucher. 

So I bagged them up and took them to her.  As we stood there on the corner, she told me her story, which you can read some of it here.  She used to have a cat named Angel that would sit on her shoulder, but he got hit by a car and she couldn't get afford to get him out of the shelter, for they wouldn't release him unless he went straight to a surgeon and Amanda didn't have the $2,000 to pay the specialist.  Tears welled up in her eyes as she talked about it. 

She now keeps the company of a dog named, Hades, and says that people often ask her, "How can you be homeless and have a pet?"

Her answer is simple.

"Imagine you lose everything and are living in the middle of the woods in a tent.  Could you stand to be alone?"

I also used to wonder how people could be homeless and care for themselves and an animal also.  I used to think that they were just using the pet to invoke sympathy from passers by.

Now I get it.  This is the reason they are alive. 

Without the love of the pet, they would be all alone, and worse, feeling loveless.

Amanda describes pan handling, “It’s like being an animal in a zoo, standing out here with people pointing and staring,” she says. “It’s the most humbling thing a person can experience.”

I gave Amanda my phone number and told her to call me if she ever needed to just talk.

I really hope she reaches out, because as the writer mentioned in the article, Amanda has an "air of decency about her" and I know that God has a plan for her.  She already has a very powerful testimony to share. I just hope that my role in it isn't done yet.

Here is the type of life Amanda is living.

If you see one of these "tent cities" pop up by you,

chances are there is an "Amanda" out there who needs you, too.

And I pray that it breaks your heart, just as it did mine, so that you won't just feel bad,

you will actually DO SOMETHING!

xOx,

Ms. Panda

He's Calling!!!

There is a saying,

 “Faith is knowing there is an ocean when you can only see the stream.”

If we just release it all to God, and trust in Him,

there is no reason to worry

no reason to fear

no darkness

He is the light and He is calling!

Will you answer?

I did.

And since then I have been called again and again -
and just like a good friend -
our relationship is getting stronger and stronger!

I am not only called to write about my relationship with God,
but also to make music and worship Him,
AND
I do it all for HIM. 

I trust that if I do it all with Him in mind,
with Him in total control,
it will all work out
for His greater plan.

So I wrote a verse thinking of my many callings:

HE'S CALLING

Me: Ring! Ring! He's calling!
It's the Lord! It's the Lord!

Jesus: Answer me, please...

Me: Sing! Sing! It's my calling!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Jesus: Sing from your knees...

Me: King! King! He's almighty!
He is Lord! He is Lord!

Jesus: I love you more...

Me: Bling! Bling! Hit the lottery!
I have scored! I have won!

Jesus:  Child, it's only just begun!

Me: Blink! Blink! I cannot see!
My heart shines! Shines His light!

Jesus: See, now you're free!!!

Me: Think! Think! Now I'm free!
Tell them all! Share His love!

Jesus: Let's meet in heaven above!

Me: Drink! Drink! His blood shed for me!
Eat! Eat! My testimony!

Jesus: I am the three...

The Father, The Son, Holy Spirit inside

Me: Call me home after the ride

Show me love when I walk through the door,
On earth as it is in heaven FOREVERMORE!

Jesus: AMEN!

A Moral True North

In this video, Henry Rollins uses the phrase, "moral compass," and I immediately tuned into it.  

I read the phrase in a recommendation for my event planning skills on LinkedIn, which reads, 

"She is a very hard worker, a great communicator and has a profound moral compass."

According to Dictionary.com, a moral compass is anything which serves to guide a person's decisions based on morals or virtues.

On Moralcompass.com, a group of men compiled a list of those virtues:

Integrity

Responsibility

Compassion

Forgiveness

and continue that if you embody these traits, then whatever organization you serve will have:

Purpose 

Trust 

Camaraderie

They even offer a Self Assessment if you so wish to try.

I found some great images of what am moral compass would look like:

There have even been studies that have found a part of the brain that is the moral compass,

and then decided to play with magnets and try to offset the good judgments of the participants in the study.

In that same study, they also mention a "God spot," which I have also heard about, but when I went to research it, many studies have debunked the theory.  

However, on the subject of the moral compass, let's get one thing straight: 

There is good and bad, 

an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other, 

the voice of reason, or the voice of desire. 

A moral compass measures  how we choose to interpret and act on our own personal situations.

We are the only ones who ever know what we truly felt, 

and equally the only ones who have to live with our choices.  

Look at the moral compass as a gift - 

choose to use it wisely and it will continually direct you to a true moral north.  

Happy Trails!

flowers in your hair

Proverbs 1: 8-9: 

"Pay close attention to what your father tells you; 

Never forget what you learned at your mother's knee. 

Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair, 

Like rings on your fingers."

***

He is with me!

I know-

And it's easy for me to show!

The more I learn and grow

The more I can see and teach!

May my work be full of reach!

May my heart bring me to my knees.

Wearing His love like flowers in my hair,

That is how they will know He is there.

***

Second Corinthians says,

 “Though our outward bodies are wasting away,

our inward bodies are being renewed day by day.”

***

Dear God, 

Commit me to your teachings, a life together, the common meals and the prayers.

Amen.

***

He said to me through poetry,

"You will be needed more and more

Your strength and courage is what I called you for

Go and share my love with them

Go spread my light as your sister's friend."

***

Hebrews 10: 24-25:

Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out,

not avoiding worshiping together as some do, 

but spurring each other on,

especially as we see the big Day approaching...

***

If you would like me to send you a personal poem of strength and encouragement, send an email with your request and address to:

amanda.steinhaus@gmail.com.

xOx,

Ms. Panda

The Love Story of Alicante

 During the 11th century, the Moors ruled over a thriving port city on the Mediterranean Sea. 

Rich in history, this city was the ultimate prize to victors of numerous wars.  

In the time of our story, a fair Moorish King ruled the land and lived high above its port in the Castillo de Santa Barbara, this breathtaking castle...

   

The King lived in the castle with his beautiful daughter, Cantana, who was his pride and joy.  Cantana was a free spirit, full of joy and love.  She was as lovely and soft as a rose, yet her amazing spirit and open heart made her beauty shine brighter than any star in the universe  Unlike other princesses, Cantana appreciated her servants and treated them as equals.  She especially loved attending festivals in the city, for it was then  that she was able to live freely among the many colorful people of her father's kingdom.

On the summer solstice, Cantana begged her father to grant her permission to celebrate the most important festival of the year, the Bonfires of Saint John.  For weeks the villagers built elaborate parade floats in all of the city's streets - all for one purpose - to burn as bright, big fires in honor of Saint John.  The King, knowing his daughter's lust for life, agreed to let Cantana attend the festival, but only if she promised one thing - to stay in the company of his guards at all times - for the King would never forgive himself if anything happened to his beautiful daughter.

Cantana, thrilled by her father's approval, decorated herself in silks of all colors and pinned her hair with the most fragrant flowers from the castle's garden.  The guardsmen accompanied her down the mountain, but had a hard time keeping up as Cantana skipped ahead for delight in her thoughts of the celebration that awaited her.  Fires, fireworks and friends from all walks of life smiled as Cantana arrived to the street party.    

She danced and laughed and talked with many cheerful people through the night.

On the sandy beach, where the pyrotechnics lit fireworks, Cantana sat and rested awhile to take in the show and admire her home - the Castle - as it rested quietly atop the mountain above the city.

Just then, a beggar from the streets approached Cantana.  As her guardsmen began to stop him, Cantana said not to worry and invited the man over.  He introduced himself as Ali, and confessed that he had been following her since her first appearance at the festival hours before.  

He said, 

"Everything about you is unique. 

From the top of your head 

to the tip of your toes.  

No one else can walk how you walk, 

or laugh like you laugh, 

or dance how you dance, 

smile how you smile, 

or shine like you shine.  

You're one of a kind.  

You are amazing to me."

Cantana admired Ali for his bravery.  Even though he was a beggar, she saw him as her equal.

She knew that his heart was pure and immediately felt a strong explosion in her heart. 

Cantana was going to save him from his life on the streets.

She grabbed Ali's hand and danced around him singing,

""All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small, 

All things wise and wonderful-

The Lord God made them all.

Come with me, Ali!

I will love you just as He made you -

To my heart you are true.

You are amazing to me, too!"

And while the guards were watching the fireworks display, Cantana and Ali slipped away to dance and sing and laugh and smile the night away.  

The next morning, Cantana arrived back at her father's castle and declared her love to the King.

"Father, my King, 

as you are aware, 

the love in my heart knows not class, 

and I want to be married to my heart's true love.

He is Ali."

The King became very upset, for Cantana had broken her promise to stay with the guardsmen all night.

In his anger, he forbid Cantana to marry Ali and told her to make him leave immediately!

The hearts of both lovers broke together at that same moment.  

Their knees became weak and tears poured from their eyes as they fell to the ground.

Overcome with sadness, the light that once shined in Cantana's heart went out.

Overcome by despair,

she looked one last time into Ali's eyes and said, 

"If I cannot be with you, 

my true love,

I do not wish to live."

Ali replied, 

"If I cannot be with you, 

my true love,

my life is also over." 

So the two star-crossed lovers joined hands tightly, 

ran quickly from the King and the guards

and jumped from the castle walls and far down into the salty sea below. 

The King immediately felt remorse for his hasty response to his daughter's plea, 

and overcome by his sadness he kneeled at the castle wall and cried for weeks. 

His tears slowly eroded the mountain into the shape of a Moor's face.

To this day you can see what the trail of the King's tears created.

  

The name of the city - Alicante - forever echoes the sad love story of Ali and Cantana.

THE END

The Blind Men and The Elephant

I overheard a story today that has Hindu origins, but basically describes the concept, "All roads lead to God."  It's just a short anecdote I overheard and thought I would share.  I may not have the whole story here, but you will get the point, I'm sure.

The story is about a few blind men in India who encounter an elephant.  

Curious, they all touch different parts of the animal to try and understand what it actually is.

One of them grabs the elephant's leg and describes, "It's like a tree trunk."

Another grabs its tail and says, "No, it's more like a vine."

Yet another grabs its ear and says, "You are both wrong, it is like the fan of the palm."

The story illustrates that without an objective authority to see the whole animal as an elephant, the men will always cling to their ideas and how they feel - convinced that they are right.  

Similarly, different religions claim that their interpretations of God are the right and only way to interpret His glory.

However, we can only be open to the existence of something greater than anything we can see or imagine during our short and seemingly "blind" trials on earth, which makes me wonder, "Do all roads lead to God?"

One thing I know for sure - God is Love - and the Word is my path to receiving His blessings. 

What do you think?

My Toolbox

We all have gifts that must be recognized and built to their full potential in order to fully live out our God given purpose in this life.

The tools needed to realize our gifts and excel in our work are different to each of us individually.

As a writer, my gift is the ability to clearly communicate my thoughts from my heart. My toolbox, however, must be loaded with the right words, pens, journals, computers, knowledge of programs like Microsoft Word, knowledge of how to correctly craft a sentence, and most importantly - the life experience to draw upon that makes for interesting content.

As an artist, one may have the visions in their head for astounding work, but without paints, brushes, canvases, solid techniques, and inspiration in their toolbox, those images might as well remain locked in their mental storehouse forever.

As I've been growing in my faith, I realize that the same concept applies for Christianity. I have the love in my heart and the desire to grow more. The next step is to stock my toolbox with Christian family and friends, lessons from His word, unconditional love and forgiveness to others, chairty and prayer.

As I was praying yesterday, I asked the Lord to give me these things in my life and as I waited in silence - the Holy spirit spoke to me.

These words have come out before...I wonder if they are actual
Bible verses??

It said,
"I am with you - in you and around you.
I am there - don't you know I care?"

I answered,
"Yes Lord, I know you're there.
Yes Father, I know you care."

And I prayed this prayer poem:
"Give me tools. Help me grow. Make my toolbox overflow."

I pray the same prayer for any of you reading this that have a calling to do something BIG-
Something that is in you - a gift from God. I pray that you not only recognize your gift, but run with it, wrapped around your heart, with your arms wide open to receive the tools the He has made for you!

Amen.

Yard Sale Treasure

In an effort to condense my life,
I invited my neighbors to shop in a store I created on my front lawn.

My front walkway transformed into the main artery of an outdoor trading post,
which was comprised of various card tables topped with trinkets,
boxes of books, DVDs, music, art and various clothing racks,
like one we made by lodging a long wooden bar in a knot of a huge maple tree
and propping the other end on a ladder. Classy!

Two days of selling and I would say I have found a new calling!

As one of my favorite female authors, Anais Nin says,
"good things happen to those who hustle."
Come to my sale and you're sure to leave with a treasure.

However, upon examining the remnants of the upheaval,
my attention was drawn to a vintage paperback book titled,
"Living Altars of The Ozarks," by Omer E. Creech.

It was published in 1973, and was originally titled, "Soul Talk of the Ozark Hills."
I have no idea where this book came from, but the title page had been autographed
directly below a stamp that read, "Look often toward the crest of the hills."  I was sold.

I flipped the page to the Dedication.  It was golden.
"To all living souls, who have the will and the courage to search for and discover a personal truth,
and follow that truth to it's destiny; I dedicate this book."
Ohhh, goosebumps.  I hit the jackpot!

I read on to find a beautiful poem that has easily become the treasure of my day. Here it is for you:

WOODLAND THERAPY

Let me walk in the woods

away from the crowded thoroughfare.

Let me commune with living things;

Things uninhibited by the cares of men.

With unshod feet let me tread softly 

upon the floor of the cool earth;

A floor carpeted by rich brown leaves

washed clean by the falling rain.

Grant me the privilege of listening;

Listening to the stillness of the eternal quiet.

Give unto me the sensitivity of response;

The response to the divine quietness

that whispers to the inner soul of man--

"Be still and know that I am God." 

And having responded to this divine call

let me walk from the woods

a wiser and stronger man;

Capable of re-entering and

living in the mainstream of life.

When I read this, it felt like a spoken meditation that I could easily take with me and ponder on nature walks and hiking adventures with my dogs.  I once wrote, "Greater than the test of society is the examination within," and Creech confirms my thought, "Every man's soul is his own sanctuary."  -Creech

Thank you yard sale treasure :) 

Hiding Haikus

7/5/11 - From the lake

Broken fishing line

Carving R + A in the dock

Sunburned, itching bites

7/16/11 @7:15am - After Working Global Dance Festival

Got a contact high

From all them kids who got dibs

They forgot to tip

7/17/11 - In my car

Sitting at a light

Trying to finish this poem

Before it turns green

7/23/11 - Cali Road Trip Day 1

Snocomo

Silo graveyard

Windmill farms

7/24/11

Crossing the border

Going to California

I thought I'd warn ya!

No sleep 'til you're dead

No matter which path you choose

It's full steam ahead!

7/29/11 - In Chatsworth with Jessie

*All words taken from "The Idler's Glossary," by Joshua Glenn and Mark Kingwell

Beautiful loser

Beg to be a benchwarmer

Born tired, bored bum

Absentminded bag

Daydreaming handy dandy

Dizzy do-nothing

Distracted doodle

Drag a dose of those dog dreams

From that dress-and-breath

An easy going 

Epicurean entrope

Fiddled around France

Independent gal

It takes minimal effort

To start stargazing  

7-29-11 - "Groupku" with Jessie and Mar @ Los Toros Restaurant.

Parking lot pimping

After a few cadillacs

Cirque-sters reunite

7/31/11 - Driving down to San Diego with Austin on a Sunday

What is God to you?

It's different for everyone

God is truth and hope.

8/2/11 - 3 Days in Bird Rock, La Jolla

Surfing to smurfing

Sucking on free lollipops

Thriving in flip flops

8/5/11 - Crashing in the top bunk by USD.

"Life's a mystery

to be lived. Not a problem

That needs to be solved."