Remembering September 11th

It's been eight years since we first heard about the 9/11 tragedy. My reaction to the event this year is quite different than even the anniversary last year. I am not as devastated by remembering what happened. I have reason to feel devastated since I lost one of my life-long friends. I am moving forward after lots and lots of healing.
Since I am a minister, I celebrate the anniversary in a way that promotes peace...what my friend who died ultimately desired for the planet. I celebrate our community's annual memorial communion service. For, celebrating the life (and death) of Jesus is profoundly healing on many levels. Sharing in the body of Christ and remembering loved ones is the way the I remember September 11th.
The body of Christ is not just the physical body of the person who lived two thousand years ago. The body of Christ is all of us on the planet no matter what our faith tradition preaches or teaches. It is God who lives within us that connects us in ways we can only begin to understand. When people leave this planet...they are leaving a body of Christ...which is why we mourn. When so many people left the planet on 9/11 it's no wonder its effects were felt the world over. It is important to remember the life of the people who are no longer present with us here on the planet. It is important to celebrate them in ways that will help heal the planet and the large gap in our connections.
The Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund at Urbana University is one way to help heal the planet. During the memorial communion service, we take a collection and the donations are dedicated to this peace fund.
I remember the times I was lucky enough to spend with Alicia (Lish) and am truly blessed for knowing her. She was one of the many angels who helped me become the person I am today. I am sorry that she is no longer with us, but yet...her legacy of desiring peace is something that lives on.

Talking to Myself...with Purpose!

My days lately have become adventures. I ask myself questions like, "What kind of people will I meet today?" "How can I improve myself?" "How can I be of service?" It used to be that not long ago I would resist asking myself such questions...they seemed too hard to ask and even more difficult to answer. Today, these questions roll off my back and I see how God is speaking to me through the people around me. The voices in my head are no longer all that scary. There are still some issues that I definitely need to heal...but I'm not terrified to pick up the rock and see the bugs run out any more--so to speak.

I did some major healing last week regarding how I decided to come to the planet. You know, we decide "on the other side" how we're going to "come in", right? We didn't just accidently arrive in the hospital by random chance. There is purpose to how we decide to be born and to whom.

I realized that I was resisting how I wanted to be born and all sorts of things. I did some healing and it's really cool how my life has become such a wonderful, fun-filled adventure. It's not like my life wasn't wonderful or fun-filled...but now I recognize when it's happening and I don't feel guilty for it. I am participating!

The Great Adventure and the Tomato

Did you know that YOU have to be the one to decide whether or not you will participate in your life? Yeah, that information would've been useful to me say...30 years ago!!! I have to be the one in charge of my life, decisions, and how I show up in the world.


Now that I'm older...kind of wiser...and more informed: I'm ready for life! It only took how long? I am excited for all that I'm learning now about spirituality, healing and how to participate in the world.


I volunteer at a local farmers market on Thursday afternoons. I would like to say that I work there to make money...but I don't have a vegetable garden right now!! I enjoy participating at the market because of all the connections I make. I would have to go knocking door-to-door for at least a year to make the connections that I've made in one month. This opportunity fell in my lap and I am grateful for my friend Heather who introduced me to the people in charge of the market. This whole idea of networking is new to me. It was somewhat overwhelming to think about how I was going to call complete strangers to see if "they wanted to play" so to speak. With this opportunity...I've already made friends with the people who run the town where I live, learned about a local clergy group, made a connection with a presidential campaigner, and I help support the local food growers in my community. How great is that?

The tomato is the image used for advertising for the Dimondale Farmers Market. I was inspired to research the correspondence to my church's theology. As John Worcester says, "[tomatoes]
represent some external, natural wisdom; and their bright red color, as well as their family, indicates that it is wisdom of
domestic affection. It is neither comprehensive nor spiritual in quality; but simply the bright sociability of natural affection, which helps to make home cheerful and harmonious."

So we can look to the tomato for inspiration to make our homes happy and our social relations that much more substantial. Funny how life can come full circle.

More later,

Jenn

Hancock: The Movie

I saw the movie "Hancock" over the weekend and was blown away. This is an amazing movie and I really love the spirituality present within the film. It's difficult to talk about the spirituality without giving away the ending...so if you haven't seen the movie...come back later!!





I love that there is a twist in the movie to reveal that not only does Will Smith's character, Hancock, have supernatural gifts, but that Charlize Theron's character does, too!! It is a great example of the yin and yang energy. They cannot exist without the other. However, in the movie's example...they also cannot exist too close to each other either. The two were created together. They are angels that are part of a population that was created in pairs.

This is also Swedenborgian, known as the Conjugial Love principle. Conjugial Love is also known as Marriage Love. A couple strives to be in this marriage love on earth and then in heaven the two (if meant to be together) are united and grow together in heaven. When Emanual Swedenborg travelled through heaven he saw such angels that appeared to be one angel. As he got closer to the angel, he would see the two individual souls. They were united by sharing their aspects of love and wisdom with each other. The Swedenborgian understanding of God is that God is "Distinguishably One" with Love and Wisdom as its construct. God is also known as Divine Love and Wisdom. We, humans, also have this love and wisdom dwelling within us.

This movie showed me a modern example of how these angels would appear--with super-human ability. The main difference is that the angels in the movie could not exist together...they began to become mortal...and that meant they had to live apart from each other. They used to be able to live together, but that was many centuries ago. This is not the Marriage Love idea and so this is where the movie differs, but I was still interested in where the characters were headed.

I also was intrigued by the "bad guys." The ending was interesting to me because it was when the bad guy showed up that wanted to take Hancock down for having him put in jail. The two angels were becoming mortal because they were too close to each other. This is when the main bad guy really wanted to bring them down. As they were becoming mortal, they also realized the love they once shared. In Swedenborgian theology, the more heaven becomes revealed in a person's life...the more the hells try to take them down. I was really captivated by this part of the movie to see when evil would really try and win. There was love and connections being made and that is when the bad guy thought he would win.

I totally recommend this movie, but watch out for some of the language if you're sensitive to that sort of thing. After all, it takes Hancock a while to acknowledge his potential!!

See you at the movies!

I Healed What?!!!!

So yesterday I was at the Wellness Center and realized I had a couple of imediate issues to heal. I have many issues to heal...but some rise to the surface quicker than others to heal. My colleague and I were talking about if/when I'm going to move into my new house. We had a long conversation about my husband and his feelings on the issue. Since he's one of my projections and my biggest mirror...I had to look at where I was holding myself back. What issues were in me that are keeping me from moving in?

I decided to heal issues of success and prosperity which I felt were holding me back from moving into our home. I worked on them using Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)*. I left the Wellness Center to go workout and head home.

I got home after working out and my husband and his parents and I were discussing the upcoming party on Saturday. I mentioned that I have some people interested in staying over and I want to as well. I mentioned that I wanted to get the shower up and running for people. It works, but I need to install the curtain (and turn on hot water!!) My husband mentioned that he wanted to stay there Friday night and that he's pretty sure he's going to start living there. What??!!! My jaw dropped. I'm not ready to move in this week since I'm going to my church's national conference next week and all my stuff, projects and work are still at the in-law's place. I want to move out, but holy moly!!

I arrived at the Wellness Center today and mentioned to my colleague the fact that hubby wants to move into the house. She congratulated me on a good job of healing. Oh my gosh! I didn't even connect the two things! Usually I'm eager to find out how my healing transforms my life, but this time I totally spaced it! Wow. I healed what??!!!

What are you looking to transform?

Blessings,
Jenn

Make an appointment to heal and transform:
(517) 599-3363
angelintraining73@yahoo.com

* Gary Craig is founder of EFT and you can find his videos on you tube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nRY3UtTHvo (cut and paste this link into browser)

Love Thy Neighbor

My husband and I are having a big celebration at our house on Saturday. It's a wedding reception for the people in Michigan who couldn't come to California for our wedding. Although, some family members are able to make it to both events!! We're inviting people for our backyard celebration and a chance to see the home we've been remodeling since last fall.

A lot of preparation is going toward the party. Our house is still in the remodel stage so we still aren't living there yet. There are lots of projects I would like to get done before the party, but it isn't going to happen. I am resigned to simply straighten things up and clean the house. I am sure that people understand our situation and I hope that is true!

Yesterday, we had neighbors come over to help clean up the yard. I'm told that when there's a big celebration in our neighborhood the guys get together with all their yard equipment and clean things up. Yesterday was the day--and they're coming over again this evening, too! Man oh man does the yard look awesome! We are so blessed to have such great people as neighbors. We were informed that we will fit in fine with the people in the neighborhood. Although, we live in the country so it's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that the people down the way will help us--but they did!

In my (Swedenborgian) tradition we talk a lot about the neighbor. Once a person is in relationship with God, the next step is to reach out to the neighbor--it is considered an act of charity. We believe in faith and charity are part of our spiritual growth process as opposed to the belief in faith alone saving people. Faith for us means reaching out to those around us in acts of service. In today's world, there is a certain connotation with the word charity...meaning you're less fortunate for me so I'm obligated to help you. In our understanding of charity, it means reaching out and forming community. "How can I be of service to you today?" Meaning--you don't have to go through life alone and isolated. Somedays are easier than others for me to reach out, and I know that it's important for me to make the effort. Wonderful thing usually happen when I participate in life--isn't it funny how that happens?!!

The gentlemen in my neighborhood informed me that it's really no effort at all for them to help one another. They are military friends who served together. Service is second nature for them. I can sure take a lesson from this experience. I am blessed for these neighbors.

Peace,
Jenn
Make an appointment for healing!!
(517) 599-3363
angelintraining73@yahoo.com

I Turn to the Clouds

Over the weekend I was lucky enough to be able to spend time outside enjoying the wonderful weather...since we had awful storms the week before. I enjoyed a beautiful sunset Saturday evening and my father-in-law pointed out the purple...since that's my favorite color. We watched the sky and enjoyed the show before us.

On Sunday afternoon I spent time at a church picnic. Several of us sat on the deck enjoying the scenery of the countryside. We noticed the possibility of a storm in the distance and hoped it would pass us by. I was asked to facilitate divine intervention ...I told the storm to "go away." We only had a few drops chase us inside and then the sun came back out. I ate my food with some of the children and looked to the sky again. The clouds were amazing! Sunrays broke through some of them and others were highlighted from the sun shining behind them. It was another beautiful show. I took pictures and plan to use them for various events and displays.

I had a great conversation with my dad on the phone. I was able to use my bluetooth for my cellphone as I worked in a garden at my home. During the conversation I stopped to look at the sunset and took a picture. As the sun was setting, the big puffy clouds that were a brief reminder of the storm activity from the afternoon, were highlighted in a great pink color. Another great show.

I am inspired to research what clouds mean since I spent so much time over the weekend looking at them. In my tradition clouds represent entering into a heavenly state and all that references God. It is an opportunity for enlightenment. Pretty straight forward. In dream interpretation clouds the white fluffly clouds represent inner peace and spiritual harmony. An issue may be clearing up. Storm clouds and grey clouds represent emotional turmoil and possible cloudy thinking. I enjoyed all the clouds over the weekend since so many colors were able to come through and show the wonder and possibility of God's artistic side.

What do you think about when you look at clouds?

Peace,

Jenn

Make an appointment:
(517) 599-3363

angelintraining73@yahoo.com