In today’s world, it often seems kindness is in short supply. But there are as many random acts of kindness as there are acts of cruelty. Or, perhaps, more.
We only need to open our eyes to all the kindness around us. There is more of it than you would ever imagine. Although you might not think so if you follow the mainstream news.
Kindness is the cure to a world gone crazy.
We have often talked about the power of kindness each of you humans possess.… Read more
You may have heard about the American billionaires searching for eternal life. Not the eternal life religion teaches, but eternal life in a physical body. They’re sinking many millions of dollars into what may be the biggest waste of money ever dreamed up by humans.
Spirit
We’ve talked about this subject before. You humans seem to be insanely driven by this (in our opinion, wasteful) search for eternal life.
Here are just a few (out of many) of our thoughts about living forever:
One of Spirit’s favorite phrases is All is well. In today’s world, we need more reminders that all truly is well, despite appearances.
Spirit
A Course in Miracles tells you in Lesson 292, A happy outcome to all things is sure. We realize that’s a tough one for many of you to wrap your minds around.
Perhaps one quick glance at your daily news convinces you your world is really going to hell. How then, you might ask, can there be a happy outcome to all things?… Read more
How often have we (ALL of us) judged another without knowing the pain they were feeling?
Spirit
You have a saying that goes something like this: Never judge another till you have walked a mile in their shoes.
You have all walked many miles, in this lifetime and others. In some of those lifetimes you’ve walked alone. In others, you’ve walked together.
But we would ask you, as you walk through this lifetime, to imagine what it’s like for others, especially those who walk beside you.… Read more
In today’s cruel and crazy world, it’s tempting to believe humanity is lost. If you spend much time following the mainstream news media, you probably wonder if there’s any hope at all for world peace. Many say they want it, but few do much to promote it.
Are there any good people left in this old world of ours? Yes, there are, more than we know. Here’s a powerfully uplifting story of one such person.
This is a true story. It happened November 25, 1854 on the shores of Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes on the US-Canadian border.… Read more
According to Amnesty International, the United States is among the 8 countries who inflict the most death penalties. The most recent, and widely publicized, execution was of James Barber, a convicted killer in the US state of Alabama. That was last week.
Alabama had botched its last 3 attempted executions. Those likely caused unimaginable suffering and horrible pain to the condemned men. Yet the US Supreme Court refused to delay Barber’s execution. One of the dissenting judges said the court was allowing Alabama to experiment again with a human life.… Read more
Recently, Berna and I were having one of our daily chats about spirituality.
She told me she was planning to visit a close friend of hers. I asked her about this friend’s neighborhood, as I remembered it from our recent visit—the red brick buildings with many big trees, large grassy expanses, and other details. Berna knew the area well.
Then she said she and I had never been there together. I was, to put it mildly, surprised! I asked her if my description of the neighborhood was accurate.… Read more
You may have seen the recent news about possibly hundreds of poor migrants dying in a tragic shipwreck on the Mediterranean Sea. On board were about 750 people, including 100 children.
In another recent shipwreck, 5 wealthy people died in a tragic submersible accident.
Which do you think got the most news coverage? And on which was far more money spent? Were the migrant lives worth less than the lives of the wealthy?
Spirit
The title we have chosen for this article is, in itself, a tragedy.… Read more
There are as many different worlds as there are perceivers….you are not here to create one world where everyone is the same….you are here to be that which you want to be, while you allow all others to be that which they want to be. Abraham/Esther Hicks
Spirit
One of the major problems in your modern world is diversity.
Virtually every issue humans face today is rooted in their refusal to accept diversity. You want everything and everyone to be the same.… Read more
In today’s world, it’s often tempting to believe humanity has gone to hell in a big way. But there is much kindness and caring out there that never makes it into the mainstream news media.
Spirit
Your world is so obsessed with the illusion of separation. And it’s making you feel more separate than you could ever be.
In face, you’re not separate at all, except in your minds. And your minds have been brainwashed into seeing what is not there.… Read more
Most humans believe that you come into these bodies and you live for a little while, and you get it right or you don’t, and then you leave—when what is really happening is you are eternal. You never really leave. ~ Abraham with Esther Hicks
Spirit
Most humans fear death. That’s a “fact of life,” as you say.
We say there is never any reason to fear death—if you remember who you are.
And who are you?
Most humans would answer that question with their name, or nationality, or some other limited way of identifying themselves.… Read more
If we understood the awesome power of our words, we would prefer silence to almost anything negative. ~ Betty Eadie
How often do we speak without first thinking? Probably often. We don’t consider the power of our words, or how deeply they can hurt, how deeply they can heal.
Spirit
We sometimes observe in humans what you call “idle chatter”—words without real meaning or effects.
But there is no such thing as idle chatter. Words are powerful tools you all have available to you.… Read more
What is time? I haven’t found many definitions that make much sense to me. One of the best (and funniest) definitions, in my opinion, is from Charles M. Schulz, creator of the comic strip Peanuts:
“Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia”
Spirit
(Many years ago, Spirit gave us this interesting perspective on the subject of time.)
Time weighs heavily upon many of you on the earth plane. And your language carries many cliches regarding time.… Read more
Some religions claim to be the “one true” religion. Is there any such thing?
Spirit
It’s most interesting for those of us in Spirit to observe those of you experiencing the many facets of life on Planet Earth.
Among the most interesting (and most divisive) is religion.
It’s curious that the name of God (or whatever you call the divine energy) is used to excuse the most horrible deeds humans are able to inflict upon themselves and all life.
The Roman Catholic Church even supports something it calls a “just war.”… Read more
We’ve written about war truces before. But one particular truce stands out in our minds. It was during the brutal, bloody World War One.
Spirit
As Johnny said, we’ve talked about war and truces before. War seems to be a perpetual curse humans have inflicted on themselves throughout history.
What has war ever accomplished?
In our view, it has accomplished nothing of value. So why do humans persist on the path of war?
The only value in war is to teach you there is no value in war.… Read more
In my own life, going deep in the Christian religion of my birth
has enabled me to see the same Spirit and Love in other religions as well.
Religion has, arguably, been the source of much human behavior the opposite of what Jesus Christ taught and lived.
Spirit
We realize many of you reading this are o were religious. Berna and Johnny were raised in Roman Catholic families. Both have now left the faith of their families.… Read more
In Alan Cohen’s long list of great books is one of my all-time favorites, Are You As Happy As Your Dog?
For most of my life, I’ve owned a dog. Or maybe the truth is the dogs owned me.
Dogs, and all animals, can be great teachers for us humans. Even though humans are supposed to be the “superior” species, it’s often the other way around.
Spirit
There’s a dog story—a deeply touching true story—Johnny loves. It’s about Shep, a shepherd dog who lost his master.… Read more
Three weeks ago, we did a post called Graveyards. It generated some interesting thoughts and comments, on and off our website. So this week, we’re revisiting the subject.
Spirit
A few nights ago, Johnny had a vivid dream. When morning came, he recalled it in detail.
In the dream, he was speaking with a young woman he knew who had died a few days earlier.
Linda (not her real name) felt lost and alone. So Johnny was helping her get adjusted to her new life beyond the physical world.… Read more
Celine Halioua is the young founder of a company called Loyal. Her life’s mission is to help dogs live longer lives. If you’re a dog lover (as I am) you know your loyal loving dog’s life is likely far shorter than yours.
Today, there is evidence indicating it’s possible to slow down the aging process in animals, including humans.
You may have heard of Methusela, the legendary biblical figure who reportedly lived 969 years. His age cannot be proved, but his story is intriguing.… Read more
We’ve talked about euthanasia a few times over the years. Since all physical life ends in death, euthanasia is a near-constant subject of interest. And a subject of conflict.
A few days ago, there was an article about Helen, the world’s second-oldest gorilla. She was very popular with her keepers and the public.
But she had to be euthanized a few weeks ago because her health was declining. She was 64, far beyond the typical female gorilla life expectancy of 39 years.… Read more
When my son was growing up, he and I loved to visit graveyards. Through the years, we visited many. They ranged from the United States Civil War battlefields, to those of the American Old West, and those of our Italian immigrant family.
As we strolled among the gravestones, reading them as we walked, we often felt a deep sense of peace. It may seem ironic, but these scenes of death brought us feelings of healing and comfort.
What you feel when you visit graveyards is a piercing of the veil between life and death, between the physical and the spiritual.… Read more
A couple weeks ago, Berna and I visited some of her family. They have a 4-year-old son. The family had just returned from a vacation at one of the Dutch islands. To reach the islands from the Dutch mainland, they had to take a car ferry boat.
As the 4-year old was showing his toys to Berna, he said to her, “You were there too.” She told him she had not been on the boat with them. But, he countered, she had been there with them.… Read more
Alan Cohen tells an interesting story about the Burning Man festival. It seems an unidentified man went around to various people, all strangers to him, and said “It’s not your fault.” He said nothing else to them, just those 4 words.
The people’s reactions were amazing, ranging from joyful laughter to bursting into tears. So what happened?
Spirit
What happened at the Burning Man festival was a perfect example of what we consider the major problem facing humanity today.
The problem is simply this: You have forgotten who you are.… Read more
Humans have been searching for happiness forever. Yet, for many, it seems an impossible dream.
Spirit says happiness is our birthright. And, they say, it’s as simple as choosing to be happy. But is it really that simple?
John Kitchin M.D. thinks it is. He might just have the real secret to a long life of happiness and peace: Do what you want to.
Dr. John has created a short movie on the subject. It’s a bit longer than the videos we typically use in our weekly posts.… Read more
Roman Catholic Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan recently said “…there is only one true religion, which is the Catholic Church founded by God himself.”
Berna and I grew up in Roman Catholic families, although we are no longer Catholic. So we’re keenly aware of the Roman church’s sometimes–controversial opinions.
Did God really start Catholicism, as Bishop Schneider says? Did God prohibit folks going to heaven if they were not Catholic? Would you go to hell if you even walked into a Protestant church?… Read more