National Poetry Month

National Poetry Month is a celebration of poetry first introduced in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets as a way to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States. It is celebrated every April in the United States. Throughout this month I will be posting poetry, so come back and enjoy the wonderful poetry of local and national poets.  

Living

Oh, what a beautiful thing.
I didn’t know how blessed I was until I woke hearing the birds chirp,
Seeing the sun rising and smelling the lilies blooming.
Oh, what a beautiful thing
I didn’t know how blessed I was until I felt the warm heart beats of the
Ones I love and walked in the shoes of my neighbors and friends.
Oh, what a beautiful thing.
I didn’t know how blessed I was until I stretched my mind
To see beyond the ordinary and reach out for the unattainable.
Oh, what a beautiful thing,
I didn’t know how blessed I was until I released the shackles
That bound my mind that kept my body in bondage.
Oh, what a beautiful thing----Life

Anonymous 

When the world seems to be blowing apart
while I'm outside in a crowd, on the bus, riding in the car from one place
to another, watching the aggravation and discourtesy and plain meanness
of folks, I put the key into our front door, open it and
there is pure and simple beauty and peace. It's as if this old house, that
has been the epicenter of our lives, has warm arms that embrace with
goodness, kindness, love - and I am, at last, home!
I sit in the rocker facing the door and marvel at the comfort and pleasures
of this house and all of the pitter-patters, the laughter, the tears, happiness
and joys, the memories it holds and I am whole again.
I believe loving, growing, guiding and teaching goes on as long as we all
live. . .and beyond. It's impossible to tell you how absolutely miraculous
it is to have you to love, to grow with, to teach (as you, still, teach us) and
to guide you (you oftentimes guide us). Jackie Gleason said it succinctly,
"how sweet it is!"
We have been privileged to see, firsthand, the amazing power of the hu-
man spirit as we've watched you struggle desperately to live good lives
and to be successful in your diverse careers. What a wonder!
I want to thank you for choosing us as your parents (it, indeed, I believe,
was your choice) and know that we did our very best, enjoying the many
moments we shared together in this old house filled with Memories.


Ruth Owens
 

---

Numerology 333 --End of March Creative Madness

For the month of March, I have been doing a series of blogs called Creative Madness.  Four dates of this month--3, 12, 21, and 30-- all stand out. They total 333 when you add the month, date and year together (Please read previous blogs). Each of these dates has a special message. March 3 was about recognizing who you are---a creative child of the universe. March 12 was about perfecting your skills. For March 21, the message was embrace self-confidence. March 30 is especially powerful because the zero represents the God Force, and gives you the energy to go forward with any creative endeavor. 30 is the vibration of retrospection and being fully engaged in the present month to get rid of whatever is not working for you.  Putting all the above messages together is the key to rewarding results. Use the vibratory energy of the 3 to help you with your creativity all year long.

Excerpt from Secrets Unravled-Coming Spring 2010

Secrets Unraveled will be released in late spring of this year in trade paperback that you'll be able to purchase from online retailers and bookstores.  I'm excited to announce that you will also be able to purchase it as an eBook on Amazon.com and other retailers as well as download it on your phone as an iPhone app. Each of the books in the Johnson-Lee sage is full of religious and metaphysical drama and doctrine and is free standing. Secrets Unraveled will definitely have you thinking about your own family secrets as the main character of the book leads you on a path of intrigue and suspense. Look for my email postcard that will give you the exact date of the book release or visit my website at http://jjmichael.com

Thank you for your support.

Excerpt from Secret Unraveled: 

Prologue

Winter 1982, Washington, DC

Three years ago, I wanted to die when my father died.

My daughter, Lindy, and her satanic worshipers, killed him. There was no reason for me to live except to avenge his death. When I tried to get justice, my husband and many of the church members turned against me. They called me crazy. I became a prisoner in my own home as my husband controlled everything I did or said. The voice of God had deserted me and the voice of the devil became my ally.

Margaret’s hand quivered as she wrote in her notebook about the dreadful events that had led to the present moment. Thoughts floated in and out of consciousness, making it difficult for her to write them down. She leaned back into the rocking chair and gently rocked back and forth, letting the swaying of the chair comfort her frail nerves.

Reaching into the pocket of her beige satin robe, she pulled out a lace handkerchief and cried softly into it not wanting to awaken her husband, the great Reverend Alan Pierce, who slept across the hall in the bedroom she no longer shared with him.

Margaret stood up and tightened the belt of the satin robe around her thick body. The twenty pounds she’d gained had made its way to her waistline. She walked a few steps down the darkened hallway to the bathroom, and peeped out of the bathroom window; the street was quiet and dark.

She reached into the pocket of the robe and pulled out the medicine bottle that she kept close. Thorazine, take one a day. It was prescribed to her by Dr. Stan Higgs, Head of the Psychiatry Department of D.C. General Hospital.  He’d told her and Alan the medicine would calm her nerves and prevent delusions.

“But I am not delusional,” she’d tried telling them.

“But this voice that you hear,” Alan said to her, “you talk back to it. And, quite frankly, Margaret, half the time you’re not in your right mind. Everyone in the church is talking about your bizarre behavior. Take the medicine or you know what.” He’d given her a stern look.

Fear of what Alan might do, she took the pills and kept her therapy appointments with Dr. Higgs. Months passed and she began to feel better. The voice that had been in her life forever, which no one else could hear but her, was gone. She’d begged Dr. Higgs to take her off the medication.

“I don’t need it any more.”

“You think you don’t but you do.”

“I feel fine.”

“That’s because you’re taking the Thorazine. Your time is up for today anyway.” He turned his back to her.

Distraught by Dr. Higgs’ condescending attitude toward her, Margaret decided that day to take things into her own hands. She purposely missed taking her medication.  Then she heard the voice again. At first, it was faint; she had to strain to hear it. But, as the days passed and she continued not taking her pills, the voice became clearer.

Trust me; don’t take it. The voice spoke sweetly to her.

“But, if Alan finds out, he’s going to commit me to an insane asylum or disgrace me in front of the world.”

Listen to me; I’ll guide you.

And it had led her to where she now stood in front of the toilet bowl with her medicine in her hand.

  Coming in the Spring of 2010

Stress Management and Mindfulness Meditation

A year ago I attended a class on Stress Management by the Penn Program for Stress Management http://www.pennmedicine.org/stress/. One of the first statements the instructor made was he can’t guarantee that the program will lower blood pressure, alleviate anxiety and stress or all the other wonderful things that participants have stated happened to them. Like the instructor I can’t tell you how, but I know it works. I do mindfulness mediation every day and have noticed that along with eating right, exercising and meditation my stress level has lowered. I also attend the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW) a spiritual community teaching and practicing Vipassana mediation. Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques of mediation. It was rediscovered by Gautama Buddha more than 2500 years ago and was taught by him as a universal remedy for illnesses. 

In the Stress Management class we were told to purchase Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book Full Catastrophe Living-Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness. This is one of my favorite books. I read sections of it the other day as I was feeling anxious about the release of my new book, Secrets Unraveled. I was worried that I couldn’t handle all that I needed to do for the release and promotion of the book. In Full Catastrophe Living, Kabat-Zinn states that no matter what circumstance we may face in life, we need to believe in ourselves enough to know that we can deal with the situation, and we don’t have to judge it or ourselves.  The key is to be aware of how you feel or what’s going on in your body. At that moment, I knew everything was in divine order as the song, Don’t Stop Believing, by the group Journey blasted from my iPod.   

Zero-Point Energy Wand--The Jury is In.

It has been five days since I used the Zero Point Energy Wand to heal my sinuses, alleviate the pain in my neck and upper and lower back from hunching over a computer for several hours a day. But the wand doesn’t heal. How could I have forgotten that very important fact? It’s a wand, but it’s not magical.

The Amega Global company states very clearly as I have mentioned in previous blogs that the wand doesn’t heal. It is made up of a special combination of granulated minerals, processed using their own proprietary technology, AMized Fusion Technology, to resonate at zero-point energy. The Zero Point Energy Wand reminds the cells of the body they are perfect and healthy, creating healing.

And that’s exactly what it has done for me. It has helped me work on old attached mental stories about my body. For instance, I have a belief that every time the weather changes, I get a sinus headache or congestion. This week the weather changed from warm to windy, rainy and cool. Of course, I had problems with my sinuses. But something different happened this time to me. Instead of getting emotionally and totally stressed with the sinuses, I remained calm and visualized the perfection of the cells in body--knowing that they are intelligent and know how to heal my body. I also was acutely aware of the belief triggering the physical pain and began to release that belief and replace it with the following affirmation—my cells are perfect and by body is healthy, whole and strong. 

Some of us will heal instantly, others it will take time. It depends on our life stories and how deeply those stories and beliefs are entrenched in our consciousness.  The Zero Point Energy Wand does act as a reminder to the body of its perfection. Do I plan to purchase one? Yes, because I would like to work with it over a period of time to find out more about zero-point energy. This is not an endorsement for the Amega Global or their products. If you want more information about the wand go to the website http://www.eamega.com/Web/subs/lib/pdf/AMWand_usa.pdf or you may contact Reverend James Artemus at j_artemus@yahoo.com

 

The Bridge to Understanding

Has spring really sprung or is this a teaser of what is to come? I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and walk in my favorite garden that has a labyrinth. After a very harsh winter, I was really looking forward to soaking up some natural vitamin D and just being in nature.

To reach the labyrinth, I had to leave the main path and cross over a small bridge. Upon approaching the bridge, I noticed that the old one had been recently replaced. On the wooden handrail was a plaque that said, The Bridge to Understanding.

With that thought in mind, I walked the labyrinth thinking about my latest concern—aging. I’m often told that I don’t look my age, a baby boomer, at least twenty years younger. Nevertheless, my body, mind and spirit tell me something totally different with a new ache in the body or several new gray stands of hair. Where did they come from so fast? It seemed like yesterday I was the young girl riding my bike and letting the wind blow through my long thick, black hair. And now I can’t turn on the TV without noticing the increasing amount of advertisements dealing with anti-aging. Do I really want to go against the natural changes occurring in my body and consciousness?  

Halfway through the walk, my inner voice reminded me that wherever I am in life is where I am supposed to be. It’s all part of the cycle of life of change. The faster I can accept that truth, the better life will be. The answer to my question about aging---I want to age gracefully by doing what’s healthy and best for my body, mind and spirit and not get caught up in this anti-aging fad. We can be healthy and look beautiful no matter what age we are, if we take care of ourselves. I do have to confess, I have great genes. My father, who is 85yrs old, looks twenty years younger also.    

I finished my walk, and as I approached the Bridge to Understanding, I was grateful for the insight I had received.  

Zero Point Energy Wand--The Jury is Still Out on This One

I’m so excited. My friend James and his wife, Vicky are on their way to my house from Jersey to demonstrate the Zero Point Energy Wand. Since receiving it a couple of weeks ago from Amega Global that manufactures the wand and other similar products, they have been using it on friends and family members. The testimonies have all been positive.

I wrote about the Zero Point Energy Wand and what the company claims that it could do in my February 24, 2010 blog. I recommend that if you’re new to the concept of Zero point energy you read that blog. I’m not one into fads or quick solutions, so I wanted to experience the wand for myself.

Let me state that Amega Global doesn’t claim it can heal.  They state that their wand is made up of a special combination of granulated minerals, processed using their own proprietary technology, AMized Fusion Technology, to resonate at zero-point energy. The Zero Point Energy Wand reminds the cells they are perfect and healthy, creating healing.  This is the same concept of Spiritual Mind Healing except that you use mind control to remind the cells of their perfection.

James could hardly get into the house before he was handing me the wand. He knows how sensitive I’m to energy and wanted to know what I felt holding the silver pen sized wand. Nothing. However, within the hour of handling the wand, I felt a strong energy field in the room. Later I learned that the energy is very subtle and not something that jumps out at you.

I decided to test the wand on Vicky. First I checked whether her chakras or energy centers were opened using my own crystal dowsing rod. Her third chakra was closed; I also picked up that her right side was blocked. Vicky informed me that she had seizures that affected that side of her body. She had been using the wands for a couple of weeks and told me she was in less pain and felt generally better but still had some health issues.

Instead of my usual way of laying of the hands to heal, I used the wand according to the Amega Global’s instructions. Pointing the wand at the area that required healing, I moved it clockwise several times. The instructions say you can do 3 to 18 of these movements. Checking Vicky’s chakras again, not only was the third chakra opened, but her energy field had expanded.

I used the wand on my sinuses, neck and arm, upper and lower back. How do I feel? My congestion and the pain in my body are gone, and I didn’t have to take any medication for my sinuses. I also charged a few of my crystals that I used for healing. I’m not an expert on Zero Point Energy and would welcome others to let me know what they think or have experienced using the wand.

I promised James and Vicky that I would let them know how I am doing in a few days. So, check back to get the results because the jury is still out on this one.