Made of the stars we study at night
Carried by thoughts that soften the fight
Loved by the hands that spin this earth
How for one minute could I (ever) question my worth?
Where I Stand
Where I stand I feel mighty, like the warrior of woodpeckers, the communicator of common fulfilment. I am a cell, coasting playfully inside violet veins. Our great mother teaches us well, her lungs spread to frame the sunlight from my eyes.
Where I stand, there is no place I cannot be. Joy, strapped upon the wings of migrating birds, gliding so closely to my understandings. I am all that I see and all that I see is all I hope to know one day.
Where I stand I see unity drawn in messy portraits. Collections on mass create landscapes I’ve come to call home. Who I wonder shall inherit these?
That house upon the hill, do you see it? Look further afield, in the distance. Behind the rattling windows and red bricks live little witches who watch over the trees and paint faces on the moon. Owls live in the wall and I hear them call forward the sunset.
Do you hear them too?
Where I stand I raise my chin towards the sun, my vision is guided by angel trails decorating the turquoise blanket above me. They are careful, like moths, to not get caught within the flames of hazel sight. I blink, once, twice, thrice. Such action is my hope to catch a shadow but they are too quick, too rapid for human consumption.
Where I stand I listen, hearing playground chatter behind my stare. Boisterous fists play notes I remember. Yet I am still, travelling without trampling the grass and beheading snowdrops I fail to see beneath my thoughts.
Only God hears me now.
Only God hears the poetry I read silently from post-it notes stuck on my bedroom wall. Where did she go, that girl ironing raw and honest words? Words written by busy fingers scrambling to decipher unknown certainties. Words I have come to live by and this I regret, like the slurring of existence during alcohol stained nights.
Where I stand, in that tiny second I see the enormity of effect. In that second a whole life is resurrected to only be forgotten as I’m distracted. The present moment beckons and I salute.
The bark of a dog calls me to walk on.
And now I am gone someplace new.
#40 Grateful for Dangerous Questions
Yesterday in church the most incredible thing happened.
I just want to add here that it’s the second time I’ve been to church in over 10 years. Also, I know no-one at this church, I just followed this faint voice inside, I listened if you like to a whisper that guided me there and boy, did yesterday prove that whisper was right (whispers from God are becoming louder and louder each day).
I didn’t plan to sit near the front, it just happened that way. I went with my mum and we were discussing the view (like we were at the cinema) and jumped seat to seat until we found ourselves a few seats from the front.
“This will do” she said. I was thinking, ‘holy wow this is way too close to the front! I don’t know if I’m comfortable here’. We stayed anyway.
As we stood to sing this incredible, unfathomable force reached someplace deep – if I had the words to describe I would but some experiences are beyond explanation. I had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be an ‘easy’ service for me, the music was loud and beautiful and stirred up a bowl of uncomfortable emotions. All I can say is, holy spirit held my entire being and left me no place to escape. I panicked. I don’t like to feel confined, it’s the biggest trigger for my anxieties, the music was loud and LOTS of people surrounded me. Being so close to the front meant I couldn’t just slip away and having so many people behind me meant I couldn’t watch what people were doing. I guess this has been a control thing, watching people, thinking I know what they’re thinking by how they are behaving. I have felt like this has put me in the drivers seat, always thinking I’m one step ahead of everyone else. I am NEVER one step ahead, I know this now.
After the music stopped, we were asked to shake a persons hand we had never met before, this was easy for me as I’m new and know NO-ONE. The lady next to me turned and introduced herself. She’d been a member of the church community for 30 years and the first thing we spoke about was the music and how powerful it was. Then God gave me the permission I needed, she told me that spirit moves her most when she’s singing and is often moved to tears. The whole way through our short exchange of empowering words I could feel anxiety rise in me. Then as we listened to the readings, I truly believed I was about to pass out. I turned to my mum and said, “I’m going to faint”. She said we’d leave after the reading but as she said those words, something happened.
I heard God . He said, “No, you are here to heal, this is where it starts”.
To my mum I replied “I’m ok, we’ll stay”. Even though I wanted to run the hell outta there, I felt something greater holding my hand.
The pastor began to talk about the dangerous questions we often avoid asking ourselves, about our fears and how this limits the love of Jesus. I could feel every cell in my body resonate with these words. I have avoided searching deeply within, questioning the restrictions I bring about myself to prevent growth, to block from me the love of God – I have blocked out love and trust for such a long time. Always wanting to feel in control.
I wanted to faint, it was getting that difficult to process what I was feeling. I knew I had run from my faith for too long and now was the time to show up. I literally felt his presence behind me, ready to catch me should I fall.
Then I cried. The live band took to the stage, the music began and I cried like I’ve never cried in public before. My whole body trembled and tears streamed down my cheek. I felt His hand over my head, comforting and reassuring me this was exactly right, that I have all the permission in the world to feel, to feel the sorrowful pains I’ve felt as I’ve had my back turned for such a long time.
I cannot explain the release. The lady I had been speaking to handed me a tissue. No questions were asked as I could see others crying too. I could see that everyone in that church knew exactly what I was feeling as they’d been to that place too. I felt loved, I felt forgiven, I felt a lightness, like my heart was held in space beside the stars and the magic of creation. My heart was in the hands of God.
So, dangerous questions are not dangerous at all as they reveal so much about what we still hold onto to prevent unconditional love filling our hearts. Our anxieties and fears are revealed to us by God to show us where we’re holding back, where we’re not letting Him in. Where we don’t trust in his love. I have not trusted for such a long time and if I’m honest I’m scared shitless about happened. Surrendering to Jesus and God’s love is not something I had even contemplated before a few weeks ago. I now see that is the miracle, once we say “yes”, love flows more powerfully than ever experienced before and although my ego wants to question everything, my soul feels more alive and at home than ever before.
SURRENDER! (not so easy)
Ok, so I am held in the middle of confusion but I also know that I never want to turn my back on God again. I trust that all will be revealed, that God has always got my back.
Thank you for dangerous questions and the strength and courage to answer them as truthfully as I can. I am always learning and I trust the path will unravel, all I have to do is show up in love.
#39 Grateful for 40 Days of Reflection
So, seeing as I’ve not even thought about lent for the past loads and loadsa years, I want to use the next 40 days to fast from something that really makes me think and pray and requires loving commitment – to break an old pattern that no longer serves me, God or anyone else.
I don’t eat sugar, I don’t drink coffee or alcohol and I’m rarely on social media these days (I can turn my phone off all day and not really notice). As a child, for lent I would give up chocolate but this felt like an empty act, I was doing it because… well just because and I rarely reflected on the meaning behind why. This year it’s different. I want to go deeper than material restrictions.
I’ve decided to fast from complaining – venting petty, disempowering words to others and to myself, about myself. No words of belittlement, no moaning, no ‘sorrowful’ words to dwell in ‘woe is me’. I do have a tendency to turn my thoughts to dissatisfaction, especially when things are not going as I planned – my separated-self wanting to take the wheel. This is going to take lots of surrender and prayer but I feel excited about the prospect of watching my words, noticing when these feelings of smallness and worry take over. I feel like I am only beginning this close relationship with God (even though I know he has been with me always) and although I feel stages are early, I know for a fact that God wants us to shine and words can be healing treasures or weapons to knock us down. I choose healing treasures! 🙂
With God in my heart, I have no need to complain. I have all I need, I am rich. When I remember this, life feels clear, there is clarity in my thoughts and I reach out to others. However, when words of discontent and lack fill my heart (often feeling before thoughts register that such words are not welcome), I shut down.
I Edge.God.Out.
This year I am letting God back in.
#38 Grateful for my Christian Roots (Home)
Me, a Christian?
Me? No way
Me? Nope
Me? Not me
Going backwards and forwards and backwards and forwards and sideways and backwards, I’ve been having the above conversation with myself… a battle if you like for the past… wait for it… 20 years!
I’ve researched many religions, many philosophies over the space of 5 years. I’ve searched and I’ve read many texts, valuing greatly the time and opportunity to do so. I enjoy learning about different cultures and belief systems – how societies all over the world have varying beliefs in something greater than themselves. I guess during this process I was rediscovering my relationship with myself and my faith. It seems that the more I research the more I am led to where I came from, back to the unquestionable faith I had as a child, my Christian roots. As I turned my back on God and my faith, I turned my back on myself.
The previous week has been one of enlightenment if you like, a week of letting go to receive Gods love, listening without any restrictions or requests. I have opened myself fully and in doing so, I have come to feel empowered, discovering that when I invite God back into my life, I feel like I am home again (which is the most incredibly calming and settling sensation ever!)
Home is the best way to describe how I am feeling. The last time I felt like I was home was when I visited Texas in 2014. I am a London girl, born and bred. I’d never been to the US before yet when I stepped off the plane in Austin, Tx I felt a softness, like my soul had elevated to a place unknown to me – I felt like I was home. This has baffled me for some time, why there and not in the place I have known my whole life? Yet, opening my heart to God has given me the answer in a very fast and simplistic way. When I went to Texas I let go. I let my guard down as even the miracle of getting on the plane to America was an inspired action of courage, one I never thought I’d be able to carry out. I didn’t think too heavily about this at the time but I allowed myself to surrender all egotistical control. I felt like I was home because I believed. I believed in myself and as a consequence I shone brighter than I remembered I could. The whole holiday was full of miracles, I cannot even begin to explain how magic rippled through each moment. I offered no resistance to the unlimited power of spirit and I know for a fact I met angels, yes beautiful, soul-enriching Angels. Now I see that angels come into my life everyday, especially when invited 🙂 I can’t say the holiday went according to plan but that just accelerated surrender.
I’ve turned my back on light and Love for too long. I’ve dampened my own spirit and I’ve shut my heart to God. I am so grateful to be able to acknowledge this, I feel so blessed that Love has become my primary goal each and every day.
I am so grateful to feel like I’m home no matter where I am as God’s love is everywhere… LOVE is present, always. God Loves, God Loves more than our human minds could ever imagine possible and what greatness this inspires! Greatness beyond expectations.
#37 Grateful for the Holy Spirit
I never thought I’d begin a blog post using the words ‘Holy Spirit’. I have associated the word ‘Holy’ with the traditional teachings of Catholicism, as this was the religion I was most familiar with growing up. I went to a Catholic school and to be honest, I was not happy. This was not because the schools foundations were built on Catholic teachings necessarily. I was often sent to see our school nun as I struggled with my mental health during GCSE years. She was kind but of no healing help as I could not resonate with the place she was preaching from. Saying Hail Mary over and over again and going to confession was not what I needed at this time, however I cannot fault her compassion and good intentions. Mental health in school is a difficult thing to address, no matter the schools principles.
Point is, in my early teenage years I completely severed my relationship with God, for various reasons – I have come to realise that the relationship we have with God is incredibly personal and layered.
I have resisted faith. I cannot find definite reasons why. Our experiences in life are so often beyond explanation. Maybe that’s the point. I have spent so long trying to intellectualise life. I’ve wanted meaning and understanding. I followed a path of further education to broaden my knowledge. This has not been a fruitless path, I believe we walk the road we are supposed to and I have certainly found expansion through shared ideas and expressions, I regret nothing. I value education immensely and feel blessed that I had the choice yet through all those years of learning, I was yearning – always striving forward, heading to the next, needing more and more but never feeling any peace.
It has only been in the past year, a year I have spent learning more about myself, getting to know me more intimately that faith has ignited again. I have meditated and prayed and found a beautiful bond between my mind, body and spirit. It seemed the deeper I swam into the depths of me, my faith in something greater than my individual self grew stronger. Faith was beginning to return, but on a level I have never experienced before.
My relationship with God begins again.
As with all relationships it takes commitment and love, plenty of love. I see God everywhere and when I let go of explanation, I see God in everyone. I cannot even describe the profound love I feel when I surrender to God, letting this incredible force of love into my heart. Maybe I don’t need words. Maybe all I need to do is feel and believe, not demanding proof. Signs have been streaming into my life since I was born, I see that now and I have resisted. I have resisted so much.
I am tired of resisting. I am tired of judgements. I am tired of bitterness towards those who seem so content in their relationship with God. Once upon a time I would sneer at their beliefs in something greater than them, often belittling to make myself feel more superior. It’s freaking hard work being the ‘right’ party or the holder of hurtful judgements – like a gerbil on a wheel, it gets us no-where.
No longer do I invest energy in ‘seeing is believing’. I believe and then I see. I see beauty and joy and love in so many more places. Joy and pain no longer feels so fleetingly empty, as that is what I struggled with for so many years, feeling alienated and disconnected, no matter my external circumstances. Connection to the Holy Spirit has opened my eyes to possibilities and I feel so eternally grateful to be in this position of love and acceptance. The word Holy feels so incredibly sacred now, like love pulsating consistently through my field of existence, connecting me with all.
With ALL of my heart, I cannot wait to continue this closeness with myself and God. I cannot wait to open my heart even more as I have no doubt that this is only the beginning of something truly wonderful and delicious.
#36 Grateful for New Heights of Deliciousness (LoVe)
The past few weeks have been precious. I know that everyday is precious but some days we remember more than others. Some days we feel so sad and crippled with worry and panic those moments stamp our reality, other days we feel such exhilarating heights, we’re giddy from the pure air we breath when revolving on our high vibrational discs of love.
I used to think this came about mainly when we feel love for another being. Considerations of love were always projected on how another could make me feel. I loved falling in love, I loved the idea of falling in love, I loved the energising energy I felt when I fell in love. Of course now I appreciate that all those incredible, life-enriching energies were coming from the depths of me, flowing through me because I was capable of enjoying such limitless pleasures. Meeting someone who mirrors these feelings creates magic but it is not because of another human that we light up – the light has to be there in the first place.
When I love on this level I understand the concept of unconditional as I am not waiting or requesting or hoping on external circumstances to brew such feelings. Conditions arise when we lean outside of ourselves to smooth over discomforts we feel, to smoother pain with complimentary words from another, which we hold onto for recognition. Recognising our own depths of emotion distills reliance on outside ‘realities’. We crave because we believe to be lacking. Lack does not exist within the laws of the universe and when we fully acknowledge the volts of power we have pulsating through our bodies, all day every day… well we sure don’t need anyone else to reaffirm this. We experience new heights of being alive, all on our own.
Today I am feeling new heights of love because I’m believing wholeheartedly that boundless love lives within me. I feel powerfully loving towards myself, towards life, towards others. It’s taken me a while to feel self-assured in these playful, positive emotions. I believed myself to be ‘darker’ than that. Maybe in a way I visualised myself as the struggling artist or the un-worthy human, struggling through heartbreak and bad luck. This was the narrative I’d constructed but it didn’t feel right. I felt crap and feeling crap is not why I want to be alive. I also didn’t want anyone to think I was blowing my own trumpet when love began to overtake upset. Once upon a time I would judge those expressing love, especially those revelling in the love they felt for themselves. I would snigger at those who achieved great things, those who believed in their abilities. I convinced myself that their external circumstances were more complimentary than mine in terms of achieving a state of love and happiness.
I am so grateful to be able to recognise my own connections to universal energy, to god, to pure energising love. I am so grateful that I can experience moments of clarity and unconditional love. Love is such an incredible force and it never runs away or hides, we just have tendencies to build defensive, self-deprecating beliefs preventing us from feeling… well feeling good 🙂
Maybe we are afraid of our own power as when we begin to understand the limitless love that vibrates so absolutely through the galaxy that is our physical body, suddenly all that we thought impossible begins to creep into very possible visions of our reality. “Can I really do this??”
“YES YOU CAN”
