"You see, I'm looking for the You that used to speak so clear
I'm looking for the me that had a heart to hear
And I'm looking for the passion that held me here
On the edge". Margaret Becker Find Me
In the hustle and bustle of our lives with this distraction and that distraction have we forgotten to take the time to look around?
We are all so busy with trying to learn from others we forget to learn from "life". Have you ever taken the time to sit and listen? Away from the normalcy of our life? In my quest to try understand this "Perceived Presence" that keeps hunting me I am looking around more and more. As I begin to understand that there are no coincidences, and as I begin to take them seriously, I begin to realize that there is something more. Something spiritual is operating under everything we do. As I begin to realize this I have come to believe in a new view of life. I am beginning to see life around me as one of energy, an energy that I can draw upon. An energy I can learn from.
Many many years ago I had a fledgling friendship with a person that I met by happen chance. My family and I, living in Edgewater Florida at the time, went to friends house for an afternoon party. As we were walking up to our fiends house a tall man and his son came riding up on bicycles. At that time in my life I was very much into bike riding and instantly struck up a conversation with this guy and his son. As the days and weeks went on we became mutual bike riding buddies and enjoyed each others company on many bike rides. Even going so far as entering in a bicycle ride that begins in Cocoa Beach Florida and ending north of Tampa Florida, 172 miles, in one day. But as life moves on we went our separate ways and did not speak for many many years. And as God is my witness I do not remember how, but within the past 12 months, a period of time in my life when I needed a friend the most, this man and I have gotten into contact again. In the past months, this man and I have, over the miles of distance between Pagosa Springs Colorado and Center Valley Pennsylvania, become best friends. Coincidence? Hmmmmm..... Some 20 years ago, someone, something new that I would need a friend. There was something spiritual working that afternoon as this guy pulled up on his bike. My FRIEND, Steve Potter, has become a sounding board, an encourager and a motivator. Both Steve and I have renewed our love of bike riding. At 53 years old, Steve is older than I, believe we are in better shape than we have been in many many moons. Both physically and more importantly, mentally.
I have asked Steve to write a story for "our" blog. The story follows. Read and enjoy. Go find a place you can listen to the world around. See if you can listen to what the universe is telling you.......
The days go by so rapidly as the thoughts of another winter approach... Peddling the bike toward some quicker resolve of the impending cold seems futile...There is such beauty wrapped up in the seasonal changes sometimes you have to just stop and think. How fortunate am I to live in a place God has Blessed with an abundance of proof that he exists.... I have re-awakened recently to an old world that I enjoyed for so many years and left behind with the demands of work, poor judgement and decisions that complicated life..... Thinking that all I had to do was to work harder was fine, to not step back and learn from past decisions was not conducive to placing the train back on the track.... Work is still there and is no less consuming than ever before. More successful yes true, but taking time to reacquaint myself with things that I have enjoyed years past has helped bring renewed friendships and a new perspective to life...
The bicycle is not the answer to life's mysteries. To me, it is a simple and genuine means of reacquainting myself with the goals and desires for which I have had.... There is something genuine about the relationship of the bike to the rider, and the rider to the world in which you have been placed....
Riding along a new stretch of highway often reveals sights that you may have passed by on numerous occasions, but until now have never revealed the intricate struggles that make its existence significant...
The flora on the cliffs of a mountain pass, as they cling to side of the shear stone faces persevere long hard winters, torrential rains, and long stretches of dry high desert winds.... Yet somehow, you relate to them on a more personal level. Their struggle to survive makes them strong, vibrant, and worthy of being your equal in the desire to live...
I never really understood why there is such satisfaction in the suffering that accompanies the shear desire to climb a 11,000' pass.... Nor can I rationalize the anxiety that occurs within while planning an epic ride. A ride into the rarified air that extends beyond a perceived limit of one's training.... Although, the inner peace that is born from the physical suffering, and the pushing of ones limits creates a renewed strength of the mind, body, and spirit... The suffering becomes familiar, and like an old friend you return to visit... and visit often... Suffering is something that reminds us of our frailties, our limits, it can make us weak or make us stronger.... Suffering, instills us with the desire to overcome, conquer and not to quit... Tennyson said "to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield"... Suffering becomes part of that journey.. something we relate to on a more personal level. Maybe bringing us closer to our goals, our dreams, and our God....
In the end though, we often find that success serves as fuel for our inner fire.....It's baffling how I can feel so much closer to God doing a bike ride.... The time spent in the saddle allows me time to reflect upon my world and to talk to God without interruption......The reason we began doing something may change... Where once the ride was something I did for my physical health has now turned into something done to feed my spirit.... Yes maybe it is an escape, but it has also has become a refuge or hiding spot that allows me to shut out the world for a moment, without closing any doors....
The mountain flora that clings to that cliff? Survives all the seasonal suffering but, produces the flower that imprints a permanent picture upon my mind as I pass by... And with the steady churning of my legs, a familiar burning begins that is embraced, as if an old friend has come to visit..... We ride together up the mountain.... Striving to reach the goal, resolving not to yield. Reaching the summit, the suffering departs, a new dream begins, and I look forward to the next time we can visit again....
Steven J. Potter
Steve and I have made a plan to travel to Cocoa Beach Florida this spring, April 1st. to be exact, the first time we will physically see each other in 20 years, and ride the Cross Florida bike ride. This ride is sponsored by the Space Coast Freewheelers. It is one day and covers 172 miles. A day that began long ago, brought about by a non coincidence. An ordered event designed by a "Perceived Presence" in both our lives.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
"Fly Like an Eagle"
"I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free"
"Words". Spoken. Written. Sung. Combined into sentences to convey a thought, feeling or an emotion. Words tell a story. Words can bring us to a deeper understanding of ourselves. They can be the beginning of change. The art of story telling is at the center of an oral tradition. Story telling has been used throughout history to remember the past, bring to life myths and traditions. Even preachers have used story telling to convey thoughts and teachings. Parables. On the surface, parables are a story of life. Deep inside these stories they deliver a meaning that can be different to many, many people. The storyteller can enhance the actual story by making an art form out of the delivery. Words formed into stories can evoke feelings that there is someone telling us to listen deeper. A "Perceived Presence". Someone speaking directly to us from deep within the words.
There was a farmer that lived on land that stretched from where you stood the ends of the earth. On this farm the farmer had crops and livestock. Out early one morning while tilling the ground the farmer noticed a baby bird laying in the shade of a great big oak tree. Seeing this helpless bird caused the farmer to pause from the task at hand. What happened? Where did it come from? Looking up the farmer did not see a nest or a mother bird around. So the farmer gathered the baby bird gently in his arms and took it home. Over the next few months the farmer nurtured this baby bird as it grew. As this bird continued to grow the farmer realized he could not keep this bird in a cage inside his house so the farmer put the bird in with the chickens in the chicken coop. This bid continued to grow and seemed very happy with is surroundings. One day a traveling salesman came by and noticed this bird in with the chickens. The salesman questioned the farmer and the farmer recounted the story of how he had found this baby chick in the field underneath the Oak tree. The salesman asked the farmer if he realized what kind of bird this was that he had living in the chicken coop. "This is not right for this eagle to be living in with the chickens". Feeling remorse after the salesman had left the farmer opened the chicken coop and brought the bird out of the fenced in area and set it on the ground. The farmer said to the bird, " fly, you are free". The eagle looked around and looked at the farmer who had taken care of it and just walked back into the chicken coop. Several days later the farmer tried again, this time bringing the eagle to a fence and setting it up on the highest post. This time the eagle did initially spread its wings as if realizing it's purpose in life. But the eagle then again looked around at it's familiar surroundings, it looked at the farmer and jumped down on the ground and walked back into the chicken coop. Several days later, the farmer tried once more. But this time he took the eagle to the top of the barn, high above the ground. The farmer thinking that once this bird sees this perspective of life it will surely want to fly. The eagle again looked around. Spreading it's massive and majestic wings. From this vantage point the eagle could see more than it had ever seen before. The bird even looked like it was ready to fly. He continued to look around. Looking at the familiar chicken coop below. The farmer even said to this bird, "spread your wings, reach for your destiny". But much to the farmers dismay, when the eagle did finally fly, he flew straight back to the coop far below. To the "comfort" of the familiar surroundings.
This was a story that I had heard many years ago in the middle of the night on the radio on my way to work. It had deeply touched me then. Put into the memory banks of my mind. Always there. Just the other day, as I was riding my bicycle the story of the eagle came back to me. Now my time out in the fresh air has come to be a time I not only use for exercise but a time to clear my mind. I rode along enjoying the crisp afternoon temperature and fall colors not necessarily thinking about anything in particular. The story of the eagle brought back from the recesses of my mind for some reason. Have you ever thought about why this happens? A thought about something or someone that you have not remembered in a long long time. What starts the process of remembering? Could it be possible that our minds are just searching for answers? Our uncluttered mind scanning our memories, reading the stories of our past. Drawing on all the experiences and emotions stored in our mind. As if trying to open us up and enlighten us in some way. It is as if someone or something reaches in and pushes that memory to the front for some specific purpose. Dreams. Ever awake from a dream and say "where did that come from"? A jumbled story of events. Twisted perceptions of real life events. It's as if someone or something has put together memories and experiences in our lives into a story. A story teller using our subconscious to create a picture. A "Perceived Presence".
On my journey of spiritual awakening, there have been many, many times in which I have wanted to "spread" my wings. Only to return to familiar surroundings. The fear of not knowing where I am going has kept me from just going. The fear of not understanding. "You want me to do what"? "You're showing this to me for,,,,,?. That voice inside saying, "did you really hear that". That same voice saying, "this is all you deserve". Those times in the middle of the night where it felt like someone was directing me. Do we sometimes negate the leading of these thoughts and feelings because we are afraid? Being in a comfortable place, enjoying our surroundings. Our own lowered self esteem putting up a battle for us to spread our wings.
You see in this story of the eagle, majestic as it was, it had come to think that the chicken coop was where comfort and safety were. Listen to your heart. Listen to the whisper of that inner voice that speaks to you at odd times.
Let your wings spread.
"I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free"
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free"
"Words". Spoken. Written. Sung. Combined into sentences to convey a thought, feeling or an emotion. Words tell a story. Words can bring us to a deeper understanding of ourselves. They can be the beginning of change. The art of story telling is at the center of an oral tradition. Story telling has been used throughout history to remember the past, bring to life myths and traditions. Even preachers have used story telling to convey thoughts and teachings. Parables. On the surface, parables are a story of life. Deep inside these stories they deliver a meaning that can be different to many, many people. The storyteller can enhance the actual story by making an art form out of the delivery. Words formed into stories can evoke feelings that there is someone telling us to listen deeper. A "Perceived Presence". Someone speaking directly to us from deep within the words.
There was a farmer that lived on land that stretched from where you stood the ends of the earth. On this farm the farmer had crops and livestock. Out early one morning while tilling the ground the farmer noticed a baby bird laying in the shade of a great big oak tree. Seeing this helpless bird caused the farmer to pause from the task at hand. What happened? Where did it come from? Looking up the farmer did not see a nest or a mother bird around. So the farmer gathered the baby bird gently in his arms and took it home. Over the next few months the farmer nurtured this baby bird as it grew. As this bird continued to grow the farmer realized he could not keep this bird in a cage inside his house so the farmer put the bird in with the chickens in the chicken coop. This bid continued to grow and seemed very happy with is surroundings. One day a traveling salesman came by and noticed this bird in with the chickens. The salesman questioned the farmer and the farmer recounted the story of how he had found this baby chick in the field underneath the Oak tree. The salesman asked the farmer if he realized what kind of bird this was that he had living in the chicken coop. "This is not right for this eagle to be living in with the chickens". Feeling remorse after the salesman had left the farmer opened the chicken coop and brought the bird out of the fenced in area and set it on the ground. The farmer said to the bird, " fly, you are free". The eagle looked around and looked at the farmer who had taken care of it and just walked back into the chicken coop. Several days later the farmer tried again, this time bringing the eagle to a fence and setting it up on the highest post. This time the eagle did initially spread its wings as if realizing it's purpose in life. But the eagle then again looked around at it's familiar surroundings, it looked at the farmer and jumped down on the ground and walked back into the chicken coop. Several days later, the farmer tried once more. But this time he took the eagle to the top of the barn, high above the ground. The farmer thinking that once this bird sees this perspective of life it will surely want to fly. The eagle again looked around. Spreading it's massive and majestic wings. From this vantage point the eagle could see more than it had ever seen before. The bird even looked like it was ready to fly. He continued to look around. Looking at the familiar chicken coop below. The farmer even said to this bird, "spread your wings, reach for your destiny". But much to the farmers dismay, when the eagle did finally fly, he flew straight back to the coop far below. To the "comfort" of the familiar surroundings.
This was a story that I had heard many years ago in the middle of the night on the radio on my way to work. It had deeply touched me then. Put into the memory banks of my mind. Always there. Just the other day, as I was riding my bicycle the story of the eagle came back to me. Now my time out in the fresh air has come to be a time I not only use for exercise but a time to clear my mind. I rode along enjoying the crisp afternoon temperature and fall colors not necessarily thinking about anything in particular. The story of the eagle brought back from the recesses of my mind for some reason. Have you ever thought about why this happens? A thought about something or someone that you have not remembered in a long long time. What starts the process of remembering? Could it be possible that our minds are just searching for answers? Our uncluttered mind scanning our memories, reading the stories of our past. Drawing on all the experiences and emotions stored in our mind. As if trying to open us up and enlighten us in some way. It is as if someone or something reaches in and pushes that memory to the front for some specific purpose. Dreams. Ever awake from a dream and say "where did that come from"? A jumbled story of events. Twisted perceptions of real life events. It's as if someone or something has put together memories and experiences in our lives into a story. A story teller using our subconscious to create a picture. A "Perceived Presence".
On my journey of spiritual awakening, there have been many, many times in which I have wanted to "spread" my wings. Only to return to familiar surroundings. The fear of not knowing where I am going has kept me from just going. The fear of not understanding. "You want me to do what"? "You're showing this to me for,,,,,?. That voice inside saying, "did you really hear that". That same voice saying, "this is all you deserve". Those times in the middle of the night where it felt like someone was directing me. Do we sometimes negate the leading of these thoughts and feelings because we are afraid? Being in a comfortable place, enjoying our surroundings. Our own lowered self esteem putting up a battle for us to spread our wings.
You see in this story of the eagle, majestic as it was, it had come to think that the chicken coop was where comfort and safety were. Listen to your heart. Listen to the whisper of that inner voice that speaks to you at odd times.
Let your wings spread.
"I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free"
Sunday, November 6, 2011
"Where will you run,,,
When there is no where left to hide,
What will you do when there is nowhere left to climb,
What will you say when all the words have gotten in the way,,,,,,,,"
"Loosing your mind, wouldn't it be better to keep it all inside". On a life journey where it involves the "spiritual" realm it can be a lonely road to travel. If you hear or see anything that no one else sees, how do you describe it? Is it to be shared? Why do you see this? Why did you feel this? God help me to understand.........
Many years ago when Danese the kids and I were living in Edgewater, Fl. I was out on a morning bicycle ride. Early morning with not too many people on the road. Fully expecting the car that was traveling in the opposite direction of me, as we approached the intersection, to continue going straight. I continued to make my way through the intersection. Just before impact I looked at the windows to see the driver, the front and side windows were fogged up. No turn signal I thought. Was there? Please God save me! I'm not quite sure of the exact events of the next few seconds but I do remember what I felt. A pair of hands. What? These hands cradle me as I took to flight. Softly setting me down in the middle of the intersection as the driver continued to drive away. My first physical emotion was to yell, "HEY!". It was the first time the driver, an elderly man probably in his late 70's, realized there was someone on the road with him that morning. He stopped, pulled over and came over to me as I sat on the road surface. As I think back I do not remember my exact state of mind but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I was fine. I also have to admit my first thought was not to "praise Jesus". I did not have this overwhelming need to sit on the road and elaborate my relationship with my savior. Was I aware that God had saved my life? YES! I knew it! A collision between a car and a bicyclist usually does not end with such an outcome. Bike front wheel shattered into many, many pieces. Body not even a scratch! WHY? Come now, "a pair of hands"?
CANCER! A dreaded word. A word that conjures up some very strong emotional reactions. Fear,,,, doubt,,,, aloneness,,,, peace,,,. Peace? Are you insane? How in the world does the word cancer bring out an emotion such a peace. A spot. A dark spot. "You need to have that looked at"! I made an appointment for you at the dermatologist. Hmmmm! A doctor making an appointment for a patient to see another doctor. Concern! Skin sample. All along never personally seeing the spot. Friday evening, going out for something to eat. Phone rings, " who saw the spot on your back"? The dermatologist says "you better take her to dinner because Danese just saved your life"! Appointment at the Pigmented Lession Group at the hospital of the University of Penn. Immediate appointment with the surgical oncologist. Six inch chunk taken out of lower left back. "Clark level 4". PEACE! Again, why God?
Do the events such as this happen for a purpose? Are they to confirm a "Perceived Presence" in our lives? Do they give hope? To whom? What if the outcome were different? Would the hope be the same?
These two events that happened in my life were there to serve a purpose. They both brought me to realize Gods presence in my life. But what about times when the vision is not so clear, clouded? Our minds are a powerful force within us. Many well learned people propose that we have only tapped a very small portion of the minds true abilities. But if that is true, was it ever fully turned on? When was it turned off? Are some of the "Perceived Presences" that we sense and feel a small part of what could be? An increased understanding of a spiritual realm in which the surface has really only been scratched. Is it fair to discount anyone's accounts of an event, a vision or a feeling as being just pure emotional mumbo jumbo? Some being attributed to God, some to the devil. When I was hit by the car on my bicycle there was a period of time in which I would only tell a few individuals. " A pair of hands, are you sure or are you just crazy?". Do more of us see or feel things and just write them off for fear if we were to tell anyone they would wonder about us?
Physical events. Spiritual events. Feelings. Dreams. Visions.
"Loosing your mind, wouldn't it be better to keep it all inside".
The songs lyrics for this post come from my nephews, Jason Riggs and Zach Sagrantz band , "Honor". Their album, "Threshold" speaks volumes to me every time I listen to it. Zach has a way with words that has touched me very deeply and the Jason's guitar work is as good as I've heard. Please find their album, it's available on iTunes, and give a listen.
When there is no where left to hide,
What will you do when there is nowhere left to climb,
What will you say when all the words have gotten in the way,,,,,,,,"
"Loosing your mind, wouldn't it be better to keep it all inside". On a life journey where it involves the "spiritual" realm it can be a lonely road to travel. If you hear or see anything that no one else sees, how do you describe it? Is it to be shared? Why do you see this? Why did you feel this? God help me to understand.........
Many years ago when Danese the kids and I were living in Edgewater, Fl. I was out on a morning bicycle ride. Early morning with not too many people on the road. Fully expecting the car that was traveling in the opposite direction of me, as we approached the intersection, to continue going straight. I continued to make my way through the intersection. Just before impact I looked at the windows to see the driver, the front and side windows were fogged up. No turn signal I thought. Was there? Please God save me! I'm not quite sure of the exact events of the next few seconds but I do remember what I felt. A pair of hands. What? These hands cradle me as I took to flight. Softly setting me down in the middle of the intersection as the driver continued to drive away. My first physical emotion was to yell, "HEY!". It was the first time the driver, an elderly man probably in his late 70's, realized there was someone on the road with him that morning. He stopped, pulled over and came over to me as I sat on the road surface. As I think back I do not remember my exact state of mind but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I was fine. I also have to admit my first thought was not to "praise Jesus". I did not have this overwhelming need to sit on the road and elaborate my relationship with my savior. Was I aware that God had saved my life? YES! I knew it! A collision between a car and a bicyclist usually does not end with such an outcome. Bike front wheel shattered into many, many pieces. Body not even a scratch! WHY? Come now, "a pair of hands"?
CANCER! A dreaded word. A word that conjures up some very strong emotional reactions. Fear,,,, doubt,,,, aloneness,,,, peace,,,. Peace? Are you insane? How in the world does the word cancer bring out an emotion such a peace. A spot. A dark spot. "You need to have that looked at"! I made an appointment for you at the dermatologist. Hmmmm! A doctor making an appointment for a patient to see another doctor. Concern! Skin sample. All along never personally seeing the spot. Friday evening, going out for something to eat. Phone rings, " who saw the spot on your back"? The dermatologist says "you better take her to dinner because Danese just saved your life"! Appointment at the Pigmented Lession Group at the hospital of the University of Penn. Immediate appointment with the surgical oncologist. Six inch chunk taken out of lower left back. "Clark level 4". PEACE! Again, why God?
Do the events such as this happen for a purpose? Are they to confirm a "Perceived Presence" in our lives? Do they give hope? To whom? What if the outcome were different? Would the hope be the same?
These two events that happened in my life were there to serve a purpose. They both brought me to realize Gods presence in my life. But what about times when the vision is not so clear, clouded? Our minds are a powerful force within us. Many well learned people propose that we have only tapped a very small portion of the minds true abilities. But if that is true, was it ever fully turned on? When was it turned off? Are some of the "Perceived Presences" that we sense and feel a small part of what could be? An increased understanding of a spiritual realm in which the surface has really only been scratched. Is it fair to discount anyone's accounts of an event, a vision or a feeling as being just pure emotional mumbo jumbo? Some being attributed to God, some to the devil. When I was hit by the car on my bicycle there was a period of time in which I would only tell a few individuals. " A pair of hands, are you sure or are you just crazy?". Do more of us see or feel things and just write them off for fear if we were to tell anyone they would wonder about us?
Physical events. Spiritual events. Feelings. Dreams. Visions.
"Loosing your mind, wouldn't it be better to keep it all inside".
The songs lyrics for this post come from my nephews, Jason Riggs and Zach Sagrantz band , "Honor". Their album, "Threshold" speaks volumes to me every time I listen to it. Zach has a way with words that has touched me very deeply and the Jason's guitar work is as good as I've heard. Please find their album, it's available on iTunes, and give a listen.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Cast me gently into morning.......
"Cast me gently, into morning, for the night has been unkind"
Sara McLachlan, Answer
Ever wake in the middle of the night with the feeling that there is someone, something there? That uneasy feeling. Is it real or still in a dream state? You open your eyes to search the room as much as possible without moving. For fear if you do move and it is really someone there. Why? In the dark, the only light is coming from either the moon or the night light plugged into the wall socket across the room. Is it just a shadow? A tree branch outside? Your pet sleeping lazily besides your bed? You don't see anything with your limited search so you raise your head and look around. Eyes straining to look into the shadows of the night. It's nothing. There is nothing there! But still you have a feeling that something or someone woke you for some reason. God? Was that you?
What was that? Are you going crazy? The minutes pass while trying to answer the question that keep you awake. Your mind races. If you finally fall asleep you wake the next morning with many questions.
As I have said I believe in God but I also believe in a spirit world beyond in which we can be contacted in many ways. I believe as we sleep our subconscious is open to much more than when we are awake. In our daily lives with all the things that go on around us we often "miss" some things that we may be meant to see or glean. In our hurried world we are often move too rapidly to just stop and listen.
My life has changed quite a bit lately in this area. This blog was an idea that one day came to me when I had woken up from sleep and the two words "Perceived Presence" were the first things that came to my mind. Now anyone that knows me quite well will tell you that for me to have two words like that come into my vocabulary and together would have to say they came from someone or something else. Since that day the words have in many ways "haunted" me. It seems as if they are ever present in my life. I have had feelings of things such as this before but now whenever they come my way I am not as quick to write them off. I read a book recently called the "Celestine Prophecy" by James Redfield. The basic premise of the book is that there were these prophecies given along time ago in an ancient manuscript to the natives of Peru. The first of these prophecies speaks that as we more forward in time we will begin more and more to recognize that there are no coincidences in life. "That these coincidences feel destined, as though our life had been guided by some unexplained force". I believe this more and more as my life progresses. These events of "Perceived Presence" are there for a reason. Stop and listen.
The other night I was awoken from what I believed to be a deep sleep to feel a presence in the room with Danese and I. There was no fear associated with this presence. I just new there was something there. What became apparent to me over the next fews days was that the time in the middle of the night that this had happened was as important to me as the event itself. Over the next few nights I would wake up at the same time every single night, 3:45. I sleep like most with a clock on the night stand next to me. My clock happens to have the ability to set two separate alarm times. I have not had to use this alarm in my weeks. One Thursday night I seemed to be in deep sleep and to my surprise the alarm went off. Nor Danese or I had set the alarm to go off. But the weird thing is that the alarm went off at 3:45!
Ok God speak to me!
There are times when things like this happen. Am I fully aware of the significance of the time 3:45, no. But I know beyond a doubt it does mean something. The one thing I do know is that my next post is to be titled "Three, Four, Five". Not sure what I'll say but I will know when the time comes.
Sara McLachlan, Answer
Ever wake in the middle of the night with the feeling that there is someone, something there? That uneasy feeling. Is it real or still in a dream state? You open your eyes to search the room as much as possible without moving. For fear if you do move and it is really someone there. Why? In the dark, the only light is coming from either the moon or the night light plugged into the wall socket across the room. Is it just a shadow? A tree branch outside? Your pet sleeping lazily besides your bed? You don't see anything with your limited search so you raise your head and look around. Eyes straining to look into the shadows of the night. It's nothing. There is nothing there! But still you have a feeling that something or someone woke you for some reason. God? Was that you?
What was that? Are you going crazy? The minutes pass while trying to answer the question that keep you awake. Your mind races. If you finally fall asleep you wake the next morning with many questions.
As I have said I believe in God but I also believe in a spirit world beyond in which we can be contacted in many ways. I believe as we sleep our subconscious is open to much more than when we are awake. In our daily lives with all the things that go on around us we often "miss" some things that we may be meant to see or glean. In our hurried world we are often move too rapidly to just stop and listen.
My life has changed quite a bit lately in this area. This blog was an idea that one day came to me when I had woken up from sleep and the two words "Perceived Presence" were the first things that came to my mind. Now anyone that knows me quite well will tell you that for me to have two words like that come into my vocabulary and together would have to say they came from someone or something else. Since that day the words have in many ways "haunted" me. It seems as if they are ever present in my life. I have had feelings of things such as this before but now whenever they come my way I am not as quick to write them off. I read a book recently called the "Celestine Prophecy" by James Redfield. The basic premise of the book is that there were these prophecies given along time ago in an ancient manuscript to the natives of Peru. The first of these prophecies speaks that as we more forward in time we will begin more and more to recognize that there are no coincidences in life. "That these coincidences feel destined, as though our life had been guided by some unexplained force". I believe this more and more as my life progresses. These events of "Perceived Presence" are there for a reason. Stop and listen.
The other night I was awoken from what I believed to be a deep sleep to feel a presence in the room with Danese and I. There was no fear associated with this presence. I just new there was something there. What became apparent to me over the next fews days was that the time in the middle of the night that this had happened was as important to me as the event itself. Over the next few nights I would wake up at the same time every single night, 3:45. I sleep like most with a clock on the night stand next to me. My clock happens to have the ability to set two separate alarm times. I have not had to use this alarm in my weeks. One Thursday night I seemed to be in deep sleep and to my surprise the alarm went off. Nor Danese or I had set the alarm to go off. But the weird thing is that the alarm went off at 3:45!
Ok God speak to me!
There are times when things like this happen. Am I fully aware of the significance of the time 3:45, no. But I know beyond a doubt it does mean something. The one thing I do know is that my next post is to be titled "Three, Four, Five". Not sure what I'll say but I will know when the time comes.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
"Perceived Presence"
"Perceived"
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word perceive this way, "Perceive, to become aware of through senses"; and it list some synonyms as, feel, scent, smell, taste. But on the other hand it also lists an antonym for perceive as "miss".
Ever walked around a neighborhood and have your taste buds start to salivate due to the odor of the backyard barbecue going on? You were no where near the grill master or the tools of their trade. The grill, the cooking utensils, the charcoal, the wood chips and the savory item that is being cooked that has caused your sense to Perceive there is something delectable being produced. All this and you didn't even have to see any of this.
Listening to a song with your headphones on, the song lyrics drive your mind to a different place, a different thought. Hearing the song allows you Perceive that you are in touch with "lost" thoughts that come springing to life from the sense of hearing.
How about being somewhere and for what ever reason the hair on the back of your neck stands up, you body produces goose bumps. You think you see a shadow, you think you hear a noise or simply Perceive that there is someone, something there with you.
"Presence"
Merriam-Webster defines the word presence as "the part of space within ones immediate vicinity", something (as a spirit) felt or believed to be present.
A Perceived Presence can come in many different forms. A God that we feel directs our path. A lost loved one that we feel is there with us at times. A friend, that even though they are no where near us, we can simply "bring" them near us with just a thought. Someone that we lean on, in times of emotional stress, just the thought of them brings a sense of peace. Or in times of joy we can share with someone that is not even there except in thought.
Most all of my life I have been a believer in a "spiritual" life. Although not being much of a follower of "God" in my early years it did not mean that I did not have a belief that there was certainly a God in some form out there. But in the same sense, I have also believed in the life after in the form of ghosts and the such.
This feeling of a presence in life can be as simple as just a thought, " I know someone is here". Catching a shadow out of the corner of your eye, the hair raising up on the back of your neck and just knowing that there is something there. Reading a line in a book and it striking a cord deep within your soul and knowing beyond a shadow of doubt that it was there for you. A touch. A smell. A sound. A feeling. There's something there. Whether for boding or reassuring, a perceived presence can be quite an experience.
There have been many "Perceived Presence's" in my life. Are there in yours? Don't "miss" them!
If you have ever had or continue to have a "Perceived Presence" touch your life. And you want to share those experiences, send me an email and I can post your words for all to read.
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word perceive this way, "Perceive, to become aware of through senses"; and it list some synonyms as, feel, scent, smell, taste. But on the other hand it also lists an antonym for perceive as "miss".
Ever walked around a neighborhood and have your taste buds start to salivate due to the odor of the backyard barbecue going on? You were no where near the grill master or the tools of their trade. The grill, the cooking utensils, the charcoal, the wood chips and the savory item that is being cooked that has caused your sense to Perceive there is something delectable being produced. All this and you didn't even have to see any of this.
Listening to a song with your headphones on, the song lyrics drive your mind to a different place, a different thought. Hearing the song allows you Perceive that you are in touch with "lost" thoughts that come springing to life from the sense of hearing.
How about being somewhere and for what ever reason the hair on the back of your neck stands up, you body produces goose bumps. You think you see a shadow, you think you hear a noise or simply Perceive that there is someone, something there with you.
"Presence"
Merriam-Webster defines the word presence as "the part of space within ones immediate vicinity", something (as a spirit) felt or believed to be present.
A Perceived Presence can come in many different forms. A God that we feel directs our path. A lost loved one that we feel is there with us at times. A friend, that even though they are no where near us, we can simply "bring" them near us with just a thought. Someone that we lean on, in times of emotional stress, just the thought of them brings a sense of peace. Or in times of joy we can share with someone that is not even there except in thought.
Most all of my life I have been a believer in a "spiritual" life. Although not being much of a follower of "God" in my early years it did not mean that I did not have a belief that there was certainly a God in some form out there. But in the same sense, I have also believed in the life after in the form of ghosts and the such.
This feeling of a presence in life can be as simple as just a thought, " I know someone is here". Catching a shadow out of the corner of your eye, the hair raising up on the back of your neck and just knowing that there is something there. Reading a line in a book and it striking a cord deep within your soul and knowing beyond a shadow of doubt that it was there for you. A touch. A smell. A sound. A feeling. There's something there. Whether for boding or reassuring, a perceived presence can be quite an experience.
There have been many "Perceived Presence's" in my life. Are there in yours? Don't "miss" them!
If you have ever had or continue to have a "Perceived Presence" touch your life. And you want to share those experiences, send me an email and I can post your words for all to read.
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