MY BRAIN – A Praise Poem

This brain is my brain
It is big and roomy.
At times it seems filled with clutter
And then I sort of snort and mutter.
Time to expand.
Make room for more.
No – not clutter, but something unknown.
What will it be today?
A trip to the moon
Or singing an old tune.

My brain is a magic brain.
It can picture anything.
Its imagination brings forth treasures
Of the most marvelous pleasures.
My brain is always making word pictures
Stories that entertain uplift or inform.

My brain has hidden cubbyholes
That hide the past of things long gone
Then when I am unaware
My brain brings them forth for me to share.
My brain is the engine
And I am its driver.
Praise be to my brain!

MANIPULATIONS OF THE MIND

What is mind? Very few people understand this question. From a layperson, I will say that our brain is like a sophisticated computer. Whatever we think, feel and accept ideas from outsides sources are put into a data bank and this becomes our mind. It is due to outside sources that the way we believe and the way we think influences us. To understand how our mind can be manipulated, we can go back to the past as recent as the past eight months.

This year has been an interesting year to observe. During the Cheney/Bush years, the Religious Right had its heyday. In researching the Religious Right, I learned that it actually began in the early nineties of the last century when Pat Robertson said at a Christian Coalition meeting, "We are not coming up against just human beings to beat them in elections. We're going to be coming up against spiritual warfare." Spiritual warfare? From my progressive education, spiritual warfare is a misnomer because if it is spiritual, there can be no warfare. In order to re-educate the mind, I would say this is bigoted warfare.

During the these years and continuing through the Cheney/Bush administration, it would appear that these co-called religious people were in a comfort zone because they were fighting abortion, yet happy that this country was at war because it was killing Muslims. This is spiritual? Somehow, I find this a contradiction. If it is wrong to have an abortion, then it should also be wrong to approve of war unless a country is attacked first. Every person has a right to defend his/herself. Could this be a way to build up an army? Meaning, that a woman's job is to bear children so they can grow up to fight and possibly be killed or maimed.

It would appear that the Religious Right infiltrated the Republican Party and it has become the Religious Right/Conservative Party. Craig Berkman, a former chairman of the Republican Party in Oregon is reported to have said this:

"They have acquired a very detailed and accurate understanding of how political parties are organized. Parties are very susceptible to being taken over by ideologues because lower party offices have no appeal to the vast majority of our citizenry. Many precincts are represented by no one. If you decide all of a sudden because it's your Christian duty to become a precinct representative, you only need a few votes to get elected."

This is important: "Many precincts are represented by no one." Few people fully understand the role of a Precinct Chairman Officer is. These people are powerful and if you want to make a difference, become a Precinct Chairman Officer in your state. Search Google for additional information.

It is my understanding that none of these so-call religious people thought that Obama would win the election. The inauguration day was an awesome turning point for this country. Nothing like this had happened before and a black man was sworn in as President of the United States of America.

I sense that these Religious Rights people were reeling from shock and now that President Obama has taken drastic measures to pull the U.S. out of a quagmire of economic woes that began during the Cheney/Bush regime and before, we are seeing the emerging of bigotry and prejudices. The most shocking ones that I have learned about are two pastors of the Baptist sect who declare for everyone to hear that they wish Obama would die. There are the religionists who are fearful of anything President Obama introduces and the real telling point is when they did not want their children to watch the video of Obama speaking to the children of this country. If one were to scratch the surface, one would find the deep-rooted prejudice that he is not a white man. That is spiritual? I asked myself how this mindset came about.

I remember as a child of age four that with my parents' permission that my sister and I were allowed to go to a Wednesday night prayer meeting with next-door neighbors. Nothing had prepared me for this 'holy roller' meeting. I know I was frightened by what the pastor said and then the people went into a frenzy of ecstasy and some fell down and began rolling on the floor. I was scared and ran outside and stayed until the meeting was over. The residue stayed with me for a few years and I was afraid to think of God, because if I did then God would strike me dead. This was a form of mind programming. Later when my family began attending a Methodist Church, I became aware of the hypocrisy I observed and I was turned off of religions.

Religions have kept women in bondage and one only has to research the Mormon sect, Catholic sect, Christian sects and the sects of Islam. An example is the Quiverfull movement, which brainwashes the women to think that their womb is meant to have children and if a woman were to die in childbirth, then that would be okay. If one were to scratch the surface, I think we would learn that whoever created the Quiverfull had a sex problem. When I was growing up, I heard often the saying, "Keep a woman barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen," meaning their place is in the home and to keep them ignorant. We can laugh at this however; there are people who actually have this ignorant mindset. This is one way to program the mind of both men and women and the program is passed on in the form of fear.

For centuries, the majority of the population on this Earth has had their minds manipulated. One might ask 'How?' The major culprits of the manipulations are easy to find by observing the two major religions. What better way to control people than to teach them fear. Using the treatment of women as an example…and this is a big example. Women have been treated as second-class humans and it has only been within the past 100 years that the role of women has been changing. This has been an uphill battle and it is not over yet.

In my years of research, observing and interacting with many women, I learned that most religions use a single God 'out there' who has told the priests, popes, preacher, pastors, etc that the word of God is that women should be submissive to their husbands. Nothing could be further from the truth. These fear messages are actually man messages. An example of this is the use of the word hell. "You will go to hell," is a condemnation for not agreeing with whoever says it. I know a man who was told this and his reply was, "I've already been there and I conquered it;" meaning he had no fear.

The greatest tool to instill fear is to use Satan or the Devil such as "If you do this or that, Satan is in you." Or, "You are condemned to hell or purgatory if you do not follow the dictates of the Church." People have been burned at the stake for not being blind followers of the Catholic Church and many of these people were women who were considered witches. These women had an inner knowingness and used their abilities to heal people. It was fearful to the Church for women to have beneficial abilities that they did not have.

In our modern day, there are other avenues in addition to religions that influence and manipulate the minds such advertisements, television, movies and the medical modalities. One of the current blatant one is "The flu season is here and it is time to get a flu shot." This instills fear in the minds of many people. A side effect of this is that a large number of these people who get flu shots become ill with the flu. Most people are programmed to rely on the medical modality as being the cure-all, when according to Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health; doctors are the third leading cause of death (250,000 per year) after heart disease and cancer.

In the U.S., we have become a nation of fears and it is time for us to take back our own individual power by developing our innate power of discernment. Women are beginning to develop this and to a degree so are some men. Each of us must develop our own path in life and not depend upon religions, television, movies and advertisements to manipulate our minds.

If we do not do our own research, then we become controlled and powerless. Change your mind and you change your world.

A REVOLUTION OF BELIEFS

We are indeed living in interesting times. The years of 2000 – 2008 were years of domination and control here in the U.S. In all my years, I had never experienced the trashing of the U.S. Constitution. Now that we have a new president, there is a new freedom of expression in the news media. This can be good, and it can also bring out the worst in a segment of people.

The inauguration of President Obama was inspiring, and the responses of the public were awesome to view. It was a call for a change for the better. It was an expression of love. Obama has been in office for a little over eight months and now we are a nation at odds within our population.

Many were shocked by the radical strategies the President initiated and fear reared its ugly head. It knocked most of us out of our comfort zones. If one were to reason it as I did, there would be a realization that many of these measures undertaken were necessary to break the hold of corporate world on the people of this country.

It takes a shock to move people out of their beliefs. This happened to me when Nixon's Watergate affair was exposed. I had been a Republican up until that time and this expose cracked my beliefs egg. All of the cherished ideals I had held on to were suddenly stained. It isn't that I was truly naïve. No, I knew Lyndon B. Johnson was a scoundrel from the politics of Texas where I grew up. Nixon's fall from grace was the tip of a buried iceberg and I am thankful that I was able to examine my beliefs and make changes.

What I am observing now after the dust of the inauguration has died down, is the emergence of beliefs and the resentments of the policies of President Obama. The old anger of racism and prejudices has reared its ugly head and is fueled by possibly the Republican Party and/or Corporate World. What better way to chop at the beanstalk of freedom than to fuel the fans of racism, bigotry and prejudices?

An example is the current health care bill that Obama wants for the American people. Who stands to lose if it is passed? I call it the "Big 3" made up of the pharmaceutical companies, health care insurance companies and the American Medical Association. The larger and greedier these Big 3 have gotten, the sicker the population has become. One only has to stand back mentally and observe.

One can also trace the effects of racism in this country back to the days of slavery. It has been ingrained in the psyches of people primarily in the South by religions. Recently there was a news item on ABC News of a pastor in Phoenix, Arizona who vocally calls for the death of Obama. This pastor's website states this and then thee is a place to click on for a prayer that says: Jesus Loves You. Another pastor urges his parishioners to pray for Obama's death. Both of these pastors claim allegiance to the Baptist Church.

I was born in Texas and grew up there amidst the segregation, bigotry and prejudices. I know it well. Fortunately, I left the state when I was 23. This is when my real education began. These diehard racists use the Bible as the word of God. They bypass the teachings of Jesus as if they did not exist. By doing so, they dumb-down the minds of their parishioners.

They do not realize that at the time of Jesus the skin colors were dark. The people interacted with Egypt and at that time, many of the Egyptians were black skinned. One only has to research history. Apparently, what most religions want is to have power over the minds of the people. They emphasize the crucifixion and bypass what the teachings are. They allege that Jesus died on the cross to remove their sins. These beliefs turn people into blatant hypocrites. I understand that Jesus said "woe be unto you hypocrites."

Where is the practice of "It is done unto you as you believe." "Love your neighbor as yourself." "Judge not, lest you be judged seventy times seven?"
Another biblical saying is "As a man/woman thinketh so it is." Somewhere down the line of centuries, most religions have replaced God and Jesus with the Devil or Satan. This instills fear in the minds of those who follow the dictates of a preacher, priest, pope, pastor or minister. When we strip away the bigoted beliefs, we have only fear. Fear spawns hatred. Fear spawns wars. Fear spawns lack. Fear spawns poverty. Fear spawns ignorance.

There must be a change of consciousness in this world for humans to survive. The Earth will survive, as Mother Nature will see to this. We are on the cutting edge and to survive turbulent times we must rise above the issues of war and enslavement. Let this change begin with the women and those men who are open-minded. Change will come with a change of attitudes along with a revision of beliefs. This is the true revolution.

MY NEW SHOES ~ A Praise Poem – Part 6
In Praise of Praise

Who says God is dead?
How can that be?
God is Life for all to see
Yeah, God is Life in all people,
All creatures – all things.
God is Life!

Not a judging being out there or up there.
I touch my chest and feel my heart beating
I give thanks and praise my Life
I praise my parents from whom I sprang
I praise my parents for providing me with necessary things.
God is Life!

I give thanks and praise my Life
For all my ups and downs.
I praise my adversities and all the
Pearls of wisdom I have gained.
I praise my God for giving me Life.
God is Life!

I praise the sadness I have felt
For how else could I know the meaning of joy?
I praise the disappointments I have had,
They really weren't so bad
For how else could I understand the accomplishments I have done?
God is Life!

I praise my eyes that I see the blue of the sky,
the sun shining down on me.
I praise the rain
I praise the night
Filled with stars, planets and UFO's
God is Life!

I praise my body – fat or thin.
When I praise all pains dissipate
Into a blessed peace.
I praise my laughter and that of others
It lightens my spirit and dissolves my load of cares.
God is Life!

I laugh with glee when the essence in me
Kicks my butt
To move me out of my rut
Telling me Change, Change, Change!
Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!

Each morn when I awaken
I praise the God I Am
I give thanks for this beautiful day
I give thanks for my Life.
Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives." Henry David Thoreau

WALKING IN MY NEW PAIR OF SHOES - Part 5
An Odyssey of Changing My Mind

In the four previous posts, I have written about attitudes, beliefs, health, wealth and now I am moving into a new aspect of changing life so that I am not stressed out. Yes, we are living in stressful times for those who invite stress into their lives. I have learned through many trials and tribulations that when I use the tools I am sharing in these 5-article blog posts that knowledge is power. Knowledge and application of tools can turn the tide in any circumstance. I am not a teacher. I am only one who has used these tools and am willing to share. If you can find a better way, then I honor you.

One of my greatest challenges has been judgment. It is a daily practice. There is an old biblical quote: Do not judge another lest you be judged. I recently read a blog regarding judging another. The author of this blog article wrote that he use to have a judgment against people who have eating disorders. He writes that he now has cancer of the esophagus. One could call this a boomerang effect.

Now, I view situations and people as an observer – although once-in-awhile judgment inches in. I am learning to have compassion for others and my definition of compassion is: to have awareness of another and not judge it to be either good or bad. In this lifetime, it is part of their journey. I am also viewing others with empathy, which is the capacity of understanding another's situation, feelings and motives. As I have written previously, I have been a student of a great teacher named Ramtha for over 20 years and I have been taught how the brain works, frequencies, quantum physics, the biology of emotions and much, much more.

The above does not mean that I do not help others. I use discernment and know when to help and when not to help. I have learned the hard way that to help some people cripples them and they do not learn the lesson presented to them. I have learned to offer help only when it resonates within me. I mentally stand back and assess the situation. Help and kindness are two different actions.

Kindness to others, whether it be a smile or an act is an antidote for judgment. Perhaps you remember some years back when random acts of kindness became popular. Professor Chuck Wall in 1993 was wondering what assignment he could give his class at Bakersfield College in California. Wall had 18 students ranging in age from 18 to 65. As he was pondering this, his radio was on and he heard "…a random act of violence." He immediately changes the word 'violence' into 'kindness' and he knew he had the class assignment. Wall entered the classroom and told his students to take out pen and paper and he gave them an assignment to do one random act of kindness and write about it. They were to bring their paper to class and share. The results were phenomenal. Thus, Random Acts of Kindness began. It is now a non-profit organization. By the way, Chuck Wall is blind.

Perhaps if we applied Random Acts of Kindness daily, then we would have fewer judgments and find that our lives change in the most miraculous ways. A smile goes a long way along with a 'thank you.'

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives." Henry David Thoreau

GOT SOME NEW SHOES? – Part 4
…An Odyssey into Releasing the Past

Sometimes change comes when we least expect it. For some people it can be an illness, an accident, a divorce, a death of a loved one, getting fired, taking on a new job and raising children to name a few. There are people who find it hard to change because their beliefs have become hardwired in their brains. This is what is called a 'closed mind,' and to open the door to accept change it must be initiated from the closed-minded person.

We can change our minds and our programming by choosing carefully our thoughts and our attitudes. Attitudes carrying blame, shame, guilt, regret, resentment, anger, and jealousy, to name a few are similar to wearing a pair of shoes that pinch because they do not fit, or they are old and worn-out. It is time to discard them. When old attitudes are replaced by open-minded attitudes, our brain becomes like a lotus – opening petal by petal. Doors open in our mind and we now have new experiences and new realizations.

We can do this by becoming detached and observing our attitudes, our thoughts and our reactions when we become aware. Detachment does not mean not caring. Detachment of the old attitudes makes room for caring. The first test run may appear to be a failure; however, with persistence and practice, attitudes do change. We have the mind to do it.

Yes, there is risk to changing. Our family may not understand the new change and often pull at us to return to that part of us that is familiar to them. Friends may drop out of our lives and that is purposeful. There is a part of us that wants to hold on to the past and at times it can seem to be heart wrenching. I can say this because I went through it and am now living a more fulfilled life. This is why I am sharing this information.

Attitudes that attract illnesses and accidents are what I have concluded are the major ones such as blame, shame, guilt, regret, anger, resentment and jealousy, along with judgments. Blame is not taking responsibility for our own choices and actions. It is so easy to blame someone else. When I was raising my three sons, it seemed as though there was a fourth son living in the house and his name was Not Me and fortunately, my sons outgrew Not Me and he moved out of the house. The outgrowth of blame is shame.

Those who are always blaming someone else carry within them a feeling of shame because subconsciously they know they lied. Blame and shame are bedfellows with guilt. One's guilt may not be overt, however it is lurking in the subconscious and the body cells react to this. I know, because I have experienced this. Blame and shame invite another bedfellow that is guilt. Guilt is rampant in the Western world where Christianity is prevalent. The Catholic Church has seen to it that everyone needs to be loaded with guilt. One popular phrase is the sins of the fathers are visited upon their sons a thousand fold and Christianity for the most part has perpetuated this even though there are mixed messages in the Bible. What would be the purpose? To instill fear and from fear comes control. This is how the Church and Christianity have controlled people. Another creation is Satan or the Devil. It is so easy to use this on people in order to keep them in line.

We are guilty if we do and we are guilty if we do not. Is it no wonder why people hang on to guilt and take it to their graves? The four bedfellows spawned by guilt are regret, resentment and jealousy. Regret is to dwell on the past. So many people hash and re-hash the what-ifs. The body cells are aware and listening to these thoughts and conversations creating illnesses in the body. Isn't it time to let go of the past and go forward into the future? These four attitudes and beliefs go hand-in-hand with anger. All of these emotions play havoc on the cells of the body and is it any wonder why there are so many ill people? One only has to go early on a weekday morning, and observe the parking lots in medical centers and hospitals. We have become a nation of sick people.

Why not put on a new pair of shoes – meaning making peace with the past? Why not create a life where we are fulfilled, happy and able to move through hard times with ease? Those who are wise and smart will make choices to change. It may be painful in the beginning, however the prize is health, wealth and satisfaction of a life well lived.

How do we change our attitudes and beliefs? The 12-Step programs have a process called "Taking Moral Inventory." In the inventory, one sheds blame, guilt and regret. This is Step 4. It has helped a multitude of people to release the past. We do not have to use the format of Step 4. The key to changing our attitudes and beliefs is to forgive. Yes, we first forgive our self. Forgiveness is a healthy antidote against sickness. Each of us can take a moral inventory of our self. I wrote about this in Part 2 and I reiterate it here.

Once we can accept that we are not victims and that the frequency of our thoughts and words drew the event to us, we begin healing the past. My father's family lived in the past and as a child, I observed and swore to myself that I would not be like them. I took another path and have had a rich, fulfilled life.

When I become aware that I am angry, resentful or make judgments about people when I really do not know the circumstances, I take inventory and forgive myself. We can also go back to the past and change it. Some years ago, I read a book written by Neville Goddard, popular in the 30's, 40's and 50's of the last century. In his book Imagination, I remember him writing that there was something in his past that he wanted to change, so he went into a deep meditation and imagined a different outcome. It worked.

Recently a friend of mine wrote asking what to do about sleep privation she was having. I wrote back that I am not an M.D., however I suggested the following affirmations:

I always get enough sleep for my body to function healthy. (We can alter this affirmation to fit our own needs.)
I always turn any worries over to my God – my Holy Spirit for resolution.
I let go and let God.

I have learned that when my body is screaming of fatigue to sit in my comfortable chair and I close my eyes and take a very deep breath and while holding it, circulate the breath throughout my body while thinking the word Life. When I release the breath, I think the words, health or wellness. After ten minutes of this, my body is refreshed as if there had been no fatigue.

I have learned that to alleviate my stress and change my own attitudes and beliefs that I must daily be aware of what I think and speak. The frequencies of our words and thoughts do create our life experiences. Part 5 to follow.

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives." Henry David Thoreau

WEALTH OR AN OLD PAIR OF SHOES? ~ Part 3
Your word is your Magic Wand

Down through the ages, the unobvious obvious has been passed down to humankind. A few get the message and use it. Others have thought of the human magic wand as something of the Devil and people have been killed for this. The magic I am referring to is not the sleight of hand nor conjuring up some mystical thing. No. The magic I am referring to is the power of each person's word and thought.

Sages have attempted to tell people for eons about the power of words and thoughts and most people go unconscious when they hear phrases such as, As a man/woman thinketh, so it is. Another well-known phrase is It is done unto you as you believe, and another phrase from Matthew 12:37 is, For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.

In the first half of the last century, there was a stream of teachers attempting to impart to those who would listen about the power of words and thoughts. In 1928, Florence Scovel Shinn published her first book titled Your Word Is Your Wand. This is a small book packed with powerful affirmations and how they helped people. Later Catherine Ponder published The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity along with other books. These two women have passed a Magic Wand on to thousands of readers.

I had read these authors' books numerous of times and when I began studying under Ramtha at the Ramtha School of Enlightenment, his teachings resonated with me because my mind had been prepared by the books of Shinn and Ponder.

Several years ago, I was led to a website of two Russian scientists who found that the human DNA is changed by the words and thoughts we speak. This is exactly what Ramtha has taught for the past 20 years. Grazyna Fosar and Franz Bludorf wrote: Esoteric and spiritual teachers have known for ages that our body is programmable by language, words and thought. Yes, our words and thoughts do affect our DNA. How? They carry frequencies.

Mary Desauliniers has followed up on the Russian scientists and wrote in an article titled, DNA Changes and Psychic Consciousness: According to the findings of the Russian Scientists, the genetic code follows the same rules found in human languages. By modulating certain frequency sound patterns on a laser ray, they are able to influence DNA frequency and genetic information. The most interesting aspect of their discovery is that simple words and phrase can work just as well as laser beams. Man can literally reprogram his genetic blueprint through words, which explains why affirmations and hypnosis can have powerful effects on mind and body.

In my book Awakening the Genie Within, I impart the same information in my own words. This book has been well received and I do recommend it, but of course. I am delighted that this scientific information is proof that our words and thoughts not only affect our DNA and genetics, but also creates the world we experience. The following are a few of my own affirmations.
I have always been healthy.
I have always known____.
I have always had all debts paid in full.
I have always been free of debt.
I have always had a lavish increasing income.
I always speak and think words of kindness towards others.
I have always been joyful.

Affirmations are more powerful than positive thinking. The word positive has an opposite and that is the word negative, which comes back something like a seesaw. Affirmations are a statement.

Our affirmations are our seeds that we plant in the soil of our mind. We do not dig them up to see how they are coming to us. We water them with thoughts of it is. If you want your affirmation to materialize by a certain date, I suggest you declare it. I also suggest writing down affirmations or declarations 15 times. This implants it in the mind and helps to change our mind programming. We are our own Genie and our words and thoughts are our own Magic Wand or lamp.

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives." Henry David Thoreau