The sky is faling! The sky is falling!

Today, as I read the news, I read about more bank failures, gas shortages in Atlanta, more foreclosures, gas prices are outrageous, the Dow Jones plummets 777 -- the biggest drop ever, stocks are down, a terrorist sprays gas into a church, the government refuses a bail out (that is bad news how?), and the list goes on and on and on ad-nauseaum. And the talking heads only tell us how bad it is and how worse it is going to get.

Don't you just get sick and tired of it all? Don't you just wish the "talking heads" would just stop with all the bad news, for just one day, and give us some good news? Well, I do. I'm tire of it. Someone told me that one person can make a difference. So I went looking for good news...

In my hometown:
Good news #1: Gas prices in my area are down to $3.53 a gallon, from a high of $4.49 last week, that is a 96 cent decrease in a week! That is mighty good news! I can fill my tank and buy oil for the engine for less than $50 today. Woo-Hoo!

Washington D.C.
Good news #2: The Congress listened to the people, for once, and voted against a bailout of the private banking buccaneers (A ruthless speculator.). I have a bail-out plan -- make the CEO and other officers of those banks pay back the billions they collected in bonuses while engaging in their ruthless speculation. Then allow the banks to go out of business -- one less leech in the pond. Now, declare Jubilee, allow every home loan owned by those defunct banks to be "paid in full" and send the deed to the homeowner. And if the investors don't like it, let them take on the debt of the bank, and pay off the loans for the beleaguered homeowners. As part of the deal, make it so that there can be no other loan on that home as long as the "deeded owner" owns it, other than for emergency repairs to the home, and then only at 3% interest.

Personally, I can't think of anything that would put more money into the economy than to have people know that they are not going to end up homeless. If I didn't have to pay for housing, I would buy a new car, new furniture, new clothes, take a cruise, save for college, hire a tutor, etc. Many of my friends and acquaintances tell me they would do the same.

Transportation
Good News #3: The next piece of good news that I found was this one from The Good News Network:

Boeing last week joined Virgin Atlantic and eight other major air carriers, along with Honeywell's energy arm, in an organized effort to develop new sustainable aviation fuels that will lower carbon emissions and free the airlines from the grip of high oil prices.

WOOO-HOO. Lets hope that project goes forward quickly. To my mind, we can't lower carbon emissions quick enough.

Hero
Good News #5:

Eighteenth century viola that was left in a cab has been returned by the driver to the owner. Woo-Hoo! I hope he was justly rewarded!

Globally - Goodwill
Good News #6:

The Hamas rulers of Gaza said on Sunday they released five leaders of the rival Fatah faction as well as 30 other prisoners ahead of celebrations marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

"We are releasing these men as we hope the leaders in the West Bank will do the same for the Hamas prisoners," a spokesman for the Islamist movement told AFP.

I send prayers of peace and love to both groups that this release will also open talks of peaceful co-existence between the two groups.

OK. I think that is just about all the good news we Americans can handle at one sitting. Don't want to get too sappy here. Go out and find your own good news and report it here in comments.

Until next time,
Sybil
The Cosmic Catalyst

The Great Invocation

From the point of Light
within the Mind of God,
Let light stream forth
into the minds of men.

Let Light descend on Earth,
From the point of Love
within the Heart of God,
Let Love stream forth
into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.

From the center
where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide
the little wills of men --
The purpose which
the Masters know and serve.

From the center
which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.

Let Light and Love and Power
restore the Plan on Earth.

Ah-men!

Politics

A quote that although taken out of context, stands on its own - but apparently obvious to most people.
"It's usually the out-of-power party that runs against the establishment," said Leroy Dorsey, a professor of communications at Texas A&M University. "It's sort of odd this year, given that the Republican Party is sort of running against itself."

Mind Control Alive and Well

Barry and Heather, the folks over at Life Without Limits, recently posted a blog which they titled The Eckhart Effect. Although in it they are talking about a current spiritual guru who has set himself up as fully enlightened and who says that anyone who can't follow his way and do his way are asleep and unenlightened.

Although in this article Barry and Heather were specifically talking about one guy, I believe this applies to any of the so-called enlightened leaders who would have you blindly follow them and tell you that discussion and questioning show your lack of enlightenment.

As far as I can tell, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Krishna -- the great teachers of the ages of this current earth cycle, all encouraged us to question, test, discuss, search out the Truth for yourself. No one can force feed it to you. You have to find it for yourself. This is the only way to true spiritual awakening.

Historically, when leaders insist that people turn off their questioning and blindly follow the teachings and instructions of the leaders we end up with untenable situations where the rights and personal power of the individual is completely disregarded. When people turn off their discernment and blindly follow leaders we get Ho Chi Men, Hitler, Heaven's Gate, Jim Jones.

I just have this comment on Eckhart Tolle's work - reading, writing, speaking -
When I look at his picture, I see an emotionless, ego-maniac staring from his eyes. Yeah, so that is possibly 'judgment' but as a human with an intact ego, I reserve the right to judge as I choose. And take responsibility for that judgment and accept any fallout.

Honestly, people talk about the coming of the Anti-Christ. I believe that if there is such a being, he would come wearing a false mantle of goodness and light and under that false mantle he would be teaching "A free thinker is the slave of Satan". He would say, "If you can't understand me, you must be still unenlightened. Let me teach you how to turn off your mind and stop thinking..." He would say discussion stimulates the mind, and he would say it such a way as to make a stimulated mind bad. I am not suggesting that this Eckhart Tolle guy is powerful enough to be the Anti-Christ that has been prophesied, I am merely suggesting that such a being would come bringing this type of message.

(this probably dates me)
When I read his books, or hear him speak in that deadpan way, red flags go up, whistles start blowing and my shields instantly become fully active. I keep looking around for the guy with the Kool-aid or the pudding.

The ease with which the masses are hypnotized got us the Hebrews in slavery to Egypt, witch hunts, the US civil war, nazis, communism at its worst, the US GOVERNMENT - we will take care of you from cradle to grave - as it is today and dare I say it -- American income taxes and the Patriot Act; and many other such situations to numerous to enumerate here. I for one, choose to the best of my ability, to disallow such control. And to lock out anyone who attempts to gain such control.

I, a fully realized spirit and light from the Creator, came here to engage fully in the human experience. From the other side, it looked like such fun! The full human experience - with the ego of the Monkey Mind and the Ego of the Spiritual Self fully in tact, in all its duality ups, downs, pains and glories. Love, joy, pleasure, emotion and judgment. I came here to experience it all. Because to fully experience everything that we can (all the parts of me that Eckhart would deny) in this physical reality that we have so generously created with our minds is how we move to higher levels of spiritual advancement, when we choose to move out of the physical reality. We are here to fully experience everything! Because our volunteering to have a physical experience is how the Divine also grows.

There are times, such as prayer and meditation, that you want to turn off the Monkey Mind that stops you from moving forward in your life. I am suggesting that you do not want to turn off your mind in such a way as you give up complete control to some self-styled guru who would have you believe that his way is the only way up the mountain.

My advice? For what it is worth: Think, discuss, disagree, agree, do whatever you have to do to stimulate that mind. Get it moving. Enjoy life to the fullest. Have fun, experience pleasure, joy, grief, pain, in other words, every emotional level that you can think of to experience it. Choose love and forgiveness. Do whatever it takes to keep that mind of yours (a terrible thing to waste) active and healthy.
In doing so, you forward the growth of all. Remember, it only takes one. If you don't believe that, then just take a look at the huge changes that Eckhart has wrought. Whether I agree or not, whether I like it or not, he has brought change to the spiritual landscape. It is up to you to decide whether or not this change is one you choose to participate in.

Until next time,
Live, Learn, Laugh

Sybil

What I write here . . .

I set this blog up several months ago, then got busy with life and did not post anything. I actually completely forgot I had it. I just kept my own written journal and did not think to post to the blog. So this is still somewhat new to me. But I read an article today that made me realize I have something to say on the subject (of the article) and putting it in my private journal is not going to make a difference in anyone's life - probably not even mine. Since I am here on this planet to be the difference, I decided to post my thoughts.

I know there are many who will disagree and many who may want to flame me for the thoughts expressed here. But before you turn on the flame thrower, I want to suggest that you stop, turn your mind back on, connect with the living, loving God of your Being and find if you are flame throwing because the thoughts expressed here may in some small way reflect thoughts you, yourself have had and for some reason judged wrong. Now, rather than have that mirror in your face, you may feel a need to flame others for those very same thoughts so as to in some small way reduce your guilt.

I assure you, from many long years of experience, throwing flame and mud at others will in no way reduce your own feelings about any issue. It just gets piled higher and deeper.

Remember -- What I write here are my thoughts, feelings, judgments, statements, creations, etc. I will not defend anything I write here. I am entitled to them, same as you are entitled to yours. And sometimes, I know that I can be pretty damned opinionated. I invite you to remain fully thinking, thoughtful, and conscious when you read anything written here. I do not want control over your mind or thoughts. I accept no responsibility for what you think, feel, judge or speak because of what you read here. I expect every human above the age of 12 to be fully responsible for their own thoughts, feelings, emotions, judgments, etc. I simply want to give you some food for thought and invite you to comment on that "food" in a peaceful way that moves the action forward. Please leave the flame thrower in the closet.