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un momento por favor.. 1 moment please

Iireland x

Good morning everyone!

Some places stay with us for a very, very long time.  They stand tall, their structure and history a reminder of yesterdays long before our time.  Others age, and well, they too remind us of another time, yet they don’t show their age as well.  Just maybe, they should be put to rest.  Both tell a story.

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It took all of one second yesterday for me to “know” that I had to get away from the sounds of demolition. I changed, grabbed my purse, said goodbye and left.  My husband understood, he had the car out of the garage and ready to go by the time I was at the back door.  I’m very blessed in many ways, a loving husband who cares and has a way of understanding when he needs to just “let me go”  he does.   One’s personal space is so very important in a relationship, I confess to (in my younger days)  not being as good at recognizing the signs as I am today.

We all need a “time out” a space in time where we can clear our heads, and sort out or organize our thoughts and emotions. , Yesterday I was on auto pilot.  I trusted, I believed and I acted.  As the miles sped by i could feel the tension in my shoulders release, I hadn’t even realized they were tight till I felt the easing of the shoulder blades, and actually heard my involuntary sigh.   Ah …yes…. in that one moment, I felt the shift in my internal gears.  The car was going by all the fast food places, smile. the city would soon be well behind me.  I took a left and headed  down the highway past the farms, and the  towards the House of Lazarus in very small country village. It is a food bank and thrift shop for the villages and towns in the area.  There is always a good selection of books to peruse, and if I was lucky a good CD to keep me company on my “adventure”  I found 3 good books and shouting, and  jumping out at me was a CD that I had worn out when I had it.. Shelby Lynne’s Sunrise.

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Like these door knobs, my taste in music is varied and eclectic, changing over the years, and with my “moods”. I could tell from the cover, it would likely be on the country side, but I didn’t really remember the songs.  I couldn’t say to you, wow on this CD she sang  X Y Z.  I didn’t remember, I just knew the CD cover, I couldn’t even have told you what this Shelby Lynne sounded like.  Again I listened to my inner voice, and happily carried it to the car.  Believing in your choices, living your moments, I can’t tell you enough, just how powerful and wonderful the experiences are/ become.  Once that CD started to play, I sky rocketed not into sounds of rocking country that cooked, but into a time and place that took over every inch of my living breathing self.

Shelby Lynne’s voice, her music, her songs had me back in time where my heart was broken, lost, wanting and/or grieving, oh it was so so  heartfelt.  Instantly I felt the tears wanting to fall, they gathered and nudged at the back of my eyes, seeking escape.  One lonely tear did fall, but come on guys.. really… I wasn’t sad, why this need to feel this emotion. The Universe works in strange ways.  I’ve always accepted that, (not always graciously)  Once again, once I accepted that  hey, Shelby was going to be my friend and companion on this journey I was making, I felt good and joined her in song.  I knew almost every words.  Why not, there was no one to hear me, well ok, no one that hasn’t heard me bellow before.  I did turn the volume down when I got to the border crossing (into the States).

Echeveria feeling so sad by Alan shapiro photography on flickr

I’ve been waiting a long time to use this pictures, the photographer called or tagged this photo,  echeveria-feeling-so-sad-by-alan-shapiro-photography…..   I myself see happiness and joy when I see his photograph, so there you go… different strokes for different folks. =^_^=      Anyway, I’m using it now because my listening to the CD yesterday, made me very happy, it reminded me of loves I’ve lost, but also brought home how lucky I am now in the new loves I’ve found.  I’ve noticed over the years, that people shy away from saying I love you , I care… in country songs, often they may sing of love lost, or yearned for, but they sing of LOVE..   love is such a powerful and positive emotion   Love is life.     I can’t imagine a life without love.

Life will always have its up and down moments.  Remember that  moment you are living is just that.  A moment in time.  

Thank you for being part of my day and my world.  I do love you all.  Each and everyone of you bring something special into my life.  May the Universe grant that you will find happiness in any transition you may be facing.  if you are letting go,  may you have the help you need to embrace the new.  If you are faced with a challenge you are given undiminished zeal.  In all these ways, may the blessings of the Divine/Tao be upon you.             Oyashikiri

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photographs – top one, Ireland somewhere, all were found on Pinterest

 

Life is Art! Buen dia…

sunset,  God paints the skiesLife is Art.

There is only one you, an individual, unique and special, You are the artist in your life,  the environment and the things that happen around you , are the materials used for your self expression. Express yourself honestly, and with integrity in all you do.  Have courage for the great sorrows in your life, and patience for the smaller ones.  Happiness is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to deal with it. If your troubles are deep-seated or long-standing, try praying.  It works.  When you are happy, share your joy.

sun 5ba5f50f7b0b1c81fd144b5aae721129Focus on your true feelings, do your best to express your self honestly, practice Makoto (utmost sincerity) in everything you do.  Kamuwaza (God’s will) is part of our everyday life, like the weather, it has a purpose, When you live believing in your Oneness with the Universe, not loosing sight of your God given individuality, you will experience the true joy of living.  The joy of self expression.  We are truly leading our lives when we live expressing ourselves to the fullest…. and this… is what makes us truly happy.

Blessings dear friends are heaped on you today, that your day will be filled with the joy and happiness of  a happy heart.        Today, Tomorrow and Always ……. Oyashikiri

 

Ciao .. come sta? Hello!

Israel,Jerusalem, Olive tree

My day began at the foot of this ancient olive tree in Jerusalem.  I began my meditations there because I had been reading about symbols surrounding eating, and how they often reflect the sanctity associated with the basic human experience of eating.  One thing led to another and I found myself gazing on this amazing photograph of a tree so old it must have been around since the days when  early prophets walked the earth.  The mother trunk reminded me of my visit to Japan and the PL Peace Tower.

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Inside the Peace Tower there is an elevator that takes us up to one of the higher floors where we can look down and view the land around, PL headquarters, the town,valley, farm lands. and far beyond.  It is  a spectacular sight, one orchestrated by man.  There are no modern features to the Olive Tree it stands there in all its natural glory and is a living monument to time and Mother Nature’s constant presence. The Olive Tree carries the same symbolic significance in many oriental and European countries. It is the symbol of Peace.

The 1st day of each month, in Perfect Liberty we celebrate  – Day of Peace –  Through a ceremony, we pray for World Peace and dediiate ourselves to live as peaceful human beings in our own worlds which includes our home, school, work and community.  Join with us today in spreading love beyond  our borders and out into the entire world.  Pray for happiness and peace – everywhere, for everyone.

floral, Tibetan blue popppy

Tibetan Blue Poppy

The Answer > by Lowell Fillmore ..

When for a purpose I had prayed and prayed and prayed………Until my words seemed worn and bare with arduous use,

And I knocked and asked and knocked and asked again,   And all my fervor and persistence brought no hope,

I paused to give my weary brain a rest……….. And ceased my anxious human cry.

In that still moment,  After self had tried and failed ……. There came a glorious vision of God’s power.

And, lo, my prayer was answered in that hour.                                                                         Oyashikiri

photographs – 1,3 Pinterest      2 PL member from Spain



 

Last day of March!

mirror,quiet lake viewThis is where I want to be………………………..I want to hear the quiet…………………….not the garbage truck doing its pick up outside my office window …………………….ahhhhh………………..I slept in, just got out of bed! …………………….here let me readjust my  head !

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I do see bright sunlight out there….won’t be long now, all the snow will melt……. the water will flow freely again…… the grass will turn green………….flowers will bloom ……………..yes, yes.. I’m hearing a happy tune ……………………YA Y the hesitant moment is gone………I’m happy again…………………  I  closed my eyes and sincerely prayed…. Shikiri……. Shikiri.Mioyaookami (God, the source, power,TAO)         Oyashikiri……………… Oyashikiri …………… (special prayer to receive Oshieoya-sama’s (senior reverend minister ) blessing),   remember it is not the length of the “hook up” ……. it is the quality of the connection.

lotus blossom, by samlim

morning lotus flower by samlin

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Pictures from Pinterest

Good Morning Everyone!

abandoned thatre in the desert of Sinai

An abandoned theatre in the Sinai desert.  I’ve been here, not physically, but I sure do know this feeling. Standing on stage, looking out at a sea of empty seats, or in some cases an auditorium full of faces looking back at me, with a feeling of ” OK, now what”  I remember once I was talking to a huge gathering about the subject on the importance of managing stress in the workplace.  Part of the “talk” was going to be a demonstration on proper ergonomics  in a work setting, this was in the early days of computers, when hospitals and government offices were changing over to the use of a computer. Today we of course take this technology in stride. Some of you will not remember when a cell phone was unheard of, and when the first ones did come along for more general use, they were the size of a man’s shoe.  LOL remember Get Smart… if you don’t, its OK, if you do, you’ll have a chuckle.  Anyway I digress, back to auditoriums, lecture halls and the like.

Addressing a large gathering and actually reaching all your audience is next to impossible, but if you can reach a good portion of them,  you’ve had a successful meeting.  When there is a crowd, it is not always easy to listen to what is being said, we are often distracted by our own busy minds or the chatter of others.  In a room full of other people, it is easy to be distracted, but on a one and one, are you a good listener?  Back in the day when this theatre pictured here was being used, what was it that drew such a large audience, was it a big screen that is out of sight, or is this where people gathered to hear or listen to special events.  Guess, for now we won’t know, BUT, when you are in a situation where you are the listener, in the now and today world, it is really important to clear your mind so you are hearing what is being said, so you can know a person’s true intentions

One of my realities,  that I learned early on in my career was, people came to my talks, often I faced a room full of people, not because I was such a hot speaker, or the topic I was talking about, was important to their work habits and helpful in managing stress in their lives, but because it offered them a break in their routine.  It gave them an opportunity to get away from the office, and be in a place that was full of people in a more laid back setting, and …… often there was free coffee/tea and sandwiches and treats. =^_^= The ones who came to listen, and did take in what was being presented to them, were the ones that walked away with new information and helpful guidelines to make their time at work or at home, a more productive and healthy place to be.  The others, well they came away happy too, they had just had a nice morning or afternoon break from their everyday, ho-hum workdays”jobs”.

Teachers, Librarians, Health Care Professionals, are all learning to adapt to a world that is full of technology. Technology has many benefits, but human interactions, can not be allowed to become a thing of the past. Communication, social and otherwise, needs to be maintained. Today – I hear about internet learning, schools and programs where students no longer need to go physically to the University or where the employee can work from home, nice, and certainly there are positives,  but care has to be taken that we don’t allow our world to become empty and void of “real contact” with others.

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Trem da Esperanca (Jorge da Paixao and Tereza Onaga) – Viajje comigo, No trem da esperanca, Sente-se ao meu lado Na Poitrona do amor.  Let’s travel together on the t rain of high hope.  Sit here beside me on the seat of love.  Deslize comigo nos trilhos da vida levando mesagens de paz e amor.  Please join with me on the journey of life, we’ll carry messages  of peace and of love.  Na paz mundial nos vamos chegar O seu maquinista.  We’ll finally arrive at the place of world peace.     (excerpts from PL song, Brazilian Portuguese  to English)

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Power lies in prayer –          may the happiness of life fill your world today!       Oyashikiri…

Buongiorno -Good day everyone!

Italy,Amalfi Coast

Italy’s Amalfi coastal area, would I have loved to have been with the photographer who took this picture at that given moment. Italy for me is a far off country that I know very little of.  A client went there on a biking tour came back with wonderful stories of the charm and many delights she encountered while touring there. At the time her pictures and recounting of the many little adventures they had enjoyed caught my fancy and I thought of ways my husband and I could get over there to hike or walk the hills and valleys.  Hmmm nice dream.  With time that thought and desire faded, and in its place some other “idea” took my fancy.

Italy,VeniceVenice, Italy, how weathered and worn these steps are how many people have taken these steps to go about their daily lives, if you live in this area, do you still hear the water lapping  up on the steps, are has it just become white noise.  For me, my imagination has me wondering what it must be like to walk down the stairs, sunshine and clear skies beckoning, to  get on a water vehicle of sorts then  glide off around the corner of the wall to explore and take in a world that will be brand new to me.  LOL that is  of course on a larger scale, the reality is I do this everyday, when I wake the world around me has kept on evolving, so each and every day, without fail, is a brand new day.  Each and every day without fail, I can walk outside, get in my car, or walk, bike, to discover brand new delights, make new friends, the possibilities are endless.

I live minutes from Canada’s historical parliament buildings, where tourists come for world wide to enjoy every year.  Here we have the changing of the guards daily during the summer where the sound of the pipes and the marching soldiers never fail to draw a crowd.  Then there is the famous Byward market where people from all walks of life gather to be part of “the scene”.. I can walk/skate the Rideau Canal, the  bike trail along  the Rideau River is within minutes of leaving my home, this is where you’ll find the Queens swans in the summer months.   If I go in another direction I’m on the banks of the Ottawa River and a parkway that leads to more parks and to the stables of the RCMP horses (Royal Canadian Mounted Police).  I happen to live in a major city, but I know that everyone has their own wonderlands to discover right close to home.  In the city our idea of a “Sunday drive” is to drive out to the country, to capture the tranquility of a lake or parts of the rivers that are not surrounded by built up urban living.

Italy,Senigallia

Today my thoughts drifted to Italy, it was nice to journey through the various moments that were provided by the artists that use a camera for their expressions and art.  This last picture is of Senigallie, Italy.  Each photographer saw a part of Italy and captured it in frame, so that to the viewer, it gave a glimpse of where they were at that moment in time.  Too bad we can’t do that with the different hardships we live through.  Unfortunately they are usually scars in our emotional scrapbooks.  However like these pictures, our heartfelt scars that we so painfully earned from whatever experience or challenge we dealt with, are beautiful in their own way, like the mist in the above pictures.  Each one makes us unique.  When we walk with God/TAO, each lesson we learn along the way, gives us genuine inner strength to begin each day knowing we are the masters of our own destiny. Living and Life, are part of the  journey, getting there, being present for every moment of your waking hours, that is a gift.  Share your gifts, the bounty returned will be a hundredfold.

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Always be with God/Tao – Ayashikiri

pictures – Pinterest

Konnichiwa – Good day everyone!

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Optical illusion ,movement when there is none, solid materials given a feeling of  activity….the photographer’s composition was such that my first thought was not that they were stairs at all, but of the spiraling movement towards a destination.  A spine, a vertebra, a vortex.  What do you see?  each and everyone of us, will react to this presentation in a different way, that is what is so unique about being a human being. In our maturing process we have different experiences, the input from family, friends, co-workers all shape how we “see” the world how we react, and what we do about the challenges presented to us.

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After my initial..wow.. and I’d enjoyed the picture for the “art” that it is… my mind began to wonder what it must be like to walk up or down those stairs.  Let me tell you, my first thought… for me… would be instant vertigo.  It is one thing for me to admire the beauty of the captured moment, it is another for me to imagine being on those stairs.  That said, if I was looking at those steps from a different angle .. seeing them from my own perspective, it is very likely that I would race you up the stairs and laugh with joy when I reached the top claiming the prize of achievement!  Who can resist a bright cheerful red staircase that leads to a new adventure or sight that will boggle the mind.

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Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder …………………………Life is what we make it……………….Oyashikiri

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photographs >Pinterest,  Saying, author is identified in picture

Feelings of appreciation become real, when expressed.

nederlands,3Good Morning Everyone!

Today is the 21st of the month, the day that all members of Perfect Liberty celebrate, and when possible come to church, where the Minister and / or Hokyoshi  perform the  “formal” Thanksgiving ceremony.  It is a day set aside each month to remind us to show appreciation and not take for granted the world around us.  It is so easy to step off the path we are on.  And, reality is, we often find that in some way, we are no longer in alignment with our spiritual goals.  Our vibrational alignment needs a tune up.  In observing our thoughts we realize that some how we just aren’t going in the right direction.  Time for a U turn?

Expressing your true feelings, saying thank you when someone, or something brings sadness into your life, saying  thank  you when you  find  an unexpected  event has brought you to a  happy place. Both are moments of truth, both are a celebration of your perceptions, feelings and thought process. It is in interacting with  others that we grow. Love is a four letter word with a myriad of ways it is expressed, utilized and felt. When we can genuinely express a true feeling of appreciation by saying Thank You out loud, Wow… when we can show someone we care, not just say it…  its a feel good situation for everyone.  We often take for granted the ones closest to us.. Remember today to say Thank YOU…    

Nederlands 5Instead of mourning for love that is lost, remember the happiness experienced.

We can only be ourselves, if we let others be themselves, no more , no less……Blessings … Oyashikiri

photographs – Pinterest,Nederlands

Buenos dias, bonjour, c’est jeudi matin!

Thursday and the start of the spring season.  LOL Mother Nature is still not decided in our neck of the woods.  We are going to have a mixed bag of weather.  No matter, I’m sure there will be a lot for us to enjoy and friends to greet, new places to explore.  What is on  your agenda today?

Frozen falls 4

I just heard a car drive by, it sounds wet out there, the snow must have turned to rain, just like it was predicted.  The drive to work today could be very sloppy, not to mention slippery in places.  Today’s lesson in Pl is about how we do things, how we use materials and events to express ourselves.  What value to we put on things and money. Hmmm, I confess to being someone who is not necessarily money driven, my creative side leans more towards activity and productivity. On a day like today, I would get up earlier so that I could miss the other commuters and if I was walking enjoy the walk through whatever weather was being offered up on that day, of drive through the silent streets towards my destination.  I would enjoy the pelting rain, or freezing ice for what it was, an expression of Mother Natures many forms of artistic displays.

The other day, a friend told me he’d gone snowshoeing in the woodlands behind his home.  It had been a day of clear blue skies, and fresh fallen snow.  His little adventure had sounded so peaceful.  This morning when I heard that car drive by, I was  taken back to the days I would walk several miles from my home into the office through the downtown of one city, (Hull,Quebec) in one Province over a bridge  past E.B.Eddy ( an  operating paper mill, with frozen water along one wall, which  tempted me to  do some ice climbing.(which I never followed through on).  My feet would make crunching sounds in the snow, since I was early and most others who would walk this way, had yet to make their way across into  Ottawa. Other days it was like walking over shards of ice some parts of the journey required ice cleats,  or the really wet days when you walked through  big wet puddles) =^_^=.

In this same location there is  the sound of rushing water  where the rapids churn and gurgle over the rocks.  It is a beautiful spot at any time of year.  When you got over the bridge, you were in Ontario, and in Ottawa (Canada’s capital). The trek led me across open fields where buildings that had been, were now long gone, and the buildings that were to come, were still ideas on some drafting table.   On the left there was a hidden gorge, where below the rapids provided a training ground for kayak enthusiast. If time permitted, I would stop to watch the activities.

There was/is a definite difference in the two cities, yet in their differences they merged into one giving this area a diversity that is both charming and inviting. Sophisticated,yet in many ways, so “down home”.  Those walks were peaceful for me, they  allowed me time to commune with nature and my thoughts .. by the time I walked through the now busier downtown core of the waking city, and got to the office, I was ready for my day. How do you prepare for your day?  Whatever you do, remember to practice using full Makoto (sincere effort).

ecc9d7464cfa4399c63d593fc9341e58Hey, wow, I enjoyed my walk down memory lane with you this morning, but of course, I enjoy all my time with you.  smiles at you  and offers up these pretty flowers to brighten your day.  Blessings..  today, tomorrow and always…      Oyashikiri

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Good Morning everyone! qu’est -ce qu-on va faire aujourd’hui?

black and white  found on flickr  IrargerichBy the light of the silvery moon……………..

Over the years I’ve had a strong attachment to the night, its inky black skies, with dancing twinkling stars.  Those of you who remember one phase of my life where bling on my fingers was de rigour. ( a must, never met a diamond I didn’t like ) =^_^=.  Like the moon, for me all that is bright gives my spirit a life.  Where my friends would drool over the sun and gold, I had this love affair with silver, white gold,  and platinum.  The night skies could turn my romantic young heart to butter. While the heat of the scorching sun sent me running for cover. Differences…. that is what life is all about…  The trick is balance and moderation.

China mountains,Tibet The high mountains of China – Tibet

Thank you for sharing these moments with me… Enjoy whatever you are doing today, my thoughts and prayers are with you. and remember   -SMILE –  allow your beauty within to shine through, not just with your lips but through your eyes..  Blessings  – Oyashikiri

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