Resting in God

You already are what 

you want to become.

You are a marvel. 

You are a wonder.

This quote is found in the Introduction of The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hahn. May I suggest that you sit with this and go beyond thinking about it. Let yourself feel the truth of this, especially in light of all that you have been told about yourself in your lifetime. If you have been fortunate enough to have been told these truths, then rejoice and live from a place of deep gratitude and awe. Our country and our world would not be in such turmoil, confusion, and separation if more of us were living in the light of who we truly are. As these truths become real to us, may we live with deep compassion rather than judgement for those still unaware of their place in the heart of Divine Love. May we be instruments of love, understanding, and healing in all of our relationships and encounters. May we understand that each of us matters and is needed to create and manifest...

Intention is a powerful thought form, an energy that guides my behavior. Please note that I said "guides" rather than "controls." When I was younger, others instructed me to control my thoughts and my behavior. I wanted to be a good person so I set out to control myself. Generally speaking, it did not work very well. In fact, it created an inner atmosphere of resentment because I felt judged by the voices in my head and by those around me. I desperately wanted to be free to just be me. Lack of life experience and tools to know myself made that freedom impossible. In my late twenties, a loving pastor listened as I talked and wept in frustration. As I wound down, he looked into my eyes and quietly said, "Catherine, there are some things you just can't understand until you have lived long enough to understand them. Let it be okay to just be where you are." The door to personal freedom began to open.

As I awoke this morning, a mere forty+ years later, I lay with eyes still closed and...

Many years ago while living in Las Vegas, I was working full time and feeling worn down by it all. I treated myself to a weekend retreat from so many people, business, the heat. My memories remind me of important lessons and choices:

Bella, my little furry friend, and I snuggle in the chilly mountain air, fireplace lit, and music playing. We walk, rest, read, doze. She is a sweet companion. So lovely to have a dog to bring with me. She came to me through the cocker rescue group, a foundling abandoned to the desert wind, without a history. Her story unknown makes no difference for we are not our stories. She is love wrapped in a small package and her life warms mine.

As I gain clarity regarding issues at work, people stuff, I realize this:

I live life large - large of heart and mind. To focus on the behavior of another makes my life small...and I live life large.

Again life reminds me that you cannot make a person see what they cannot see. Each of us can only live from the...

A book could be written about where this idea of being perfect originates but let's just deal with what is in this moment. I have been involved in countless conversations over the past forty years about how to be a better person, how to meet some standard that has been set, how to please God, gain God's favor, etc. I began looking into myself at a relatively young age. The Judeo-Christian standard set for me left me sad, frustrated and extremely good at judging myself. All of this self-flagellation brought little lasting change and an ongoing battle with low level depression. Ultimately, I became a bible teacher and was fortunate to receive solid training in how to study and interpret the bible. My certifications in Integrative Yoga Therapy and Primordial Sound Meditation confirmed the power of knowing and understanding historical context and the meaning of specific words. I was being set free.

For example, an Old Testament verse commands that a man must not wear women's...