2011: A year of change

This year has brought a lot of change in my business and outlook on life.  I have had a type of a paradigm shift in my beliefs and what I find to be important.  As I have been assimilating new information and beliefs I find a way of reconciling them with my foundational beliefs, such as God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  I have found that it is not necessary to drop the things I found important before in order to add more to the list.  Of course, the things I find important haven't changed all that much.  They have just been refined.

Often in life we are faced with new realities that make us question all we believe and hold to be true.  Why do we feel so threatened by new information.  When we are in school and we learn new things we don't stop believing everything up to that point in order to accept that new knowledge.  For example, when we learn how to do higher levels of computation we don't stop doing arithmetic do we?

In this new year I would challenge us all to try to look at the same old things with a fresh perspective.  Try seeing if there is another, perhaps deeper, view of those things we, in the past, never questioned or considered to see from a different perspective.  Perhaps we will all learn something new!

Namaste!

Feed the Soul AND the Body

I've been thinking lately a lot about my physical body and needs; primarily because I'm dealing with several herniated discs in my back and that means I'm also dealing with a lot of pain.  When our physical body hurts we tend to its needs.  When it is tired we seek rest.  When it is desiring fleshly pleasures we gladly appease it to the point of over-saturation of fleshly pleasures.

Why then, when our soul is lacking we do not pay it the same attention?  When our soul cries out we often do not recognize the cry and think it is our physical body once again needing something.  There are two problems here. 

The first problem is that we don't know how to recognize our soul's cry for food.  Recognizing that there is a problem means that we are attuned to the voice our soul has and we accept that voice as coming from deep within us.

The second problem is that we don't often know how to feed our soul.  Sure, we might placate it by giving some "spiritual food" momentarily.  We might take a few moments, hours or even days and go on a retreat.  We reach for that spiritual mountaintop experience and then get filled up for the time being.  But if our physical bodies are hungry we don't make a huge feast and think it will suffice for the coming year, do we?  Of course not!  So why do we treat our souls, spiritual beings, this way and call it good?

Take the following steps to work towards wholeness and health in your spiritual being:

1. Acknowledge that you are a spiritual being, a soul, who occupies a physical body for the time being until this life melts into our eternal life.
2. Once you acknowledge this, recognize that your soul has a voice, can communicate with you and in fact, DOES communicate through various means when we make the effort to listen.
3. Start feeding your soul daily by spending some time in nature.  It is often when we go outdoors and sit for a spell that we start settling down our physical body's antics and can even begin to listen to the soul.  I think there are many reasons why sitting in the outdoors helps to feed our souls.  Often we lead such hectic lives with noises everywhere we turn, that we have even a hard time sifting through the noises and distinguishing that small inner voice from our own greedy pleasures.  This doesn't have to be more than 5-10 minutes to start.  If you say that you don't even have that much time then you should ask yourself what you hold important.  Sure, you have a family, work, church or civic duties, lots of responsibilities.  But out of what are you feeding all those others in your life?  If a woman is on a cold, snowy mountain with only one pair of gloves and one coat to keep herself warm what would happen if she gave these up to another who had none?  She would die of the cold and the other would be extremely grateful for her sacrifice.  When you give away all that you have, sure you would be considered a very righteous and generous person, but some people might also call that move dumb.  Feed yourself well so you may extend a bountiful hand to your neighbor!  Don't live continuously on empty unless you desire to exist on fumes and barely get by!
4. While you start on your journey to spiritual well being by feeding your soul little bits and pieces work on finding those things that feed your soul like nothing else.  Since I have been working with energy I have been learning that when I am spiritually strong and my Ki, Chi, Ruach is flowing freely without many blockages in my body I find myself in a creative mountaintop experience.  It goes without saying that the Spirit that created all there is continues to create as it flows through all matter.  If everything was created by God, then creativity is the very apex of God's Spirit!  Find that creative energy and allow it to work in you  and through you in the unique and personal way that is just you!  That might mean art or music.  It might mean gardening or making crafts.  Perhaps that creative energy in you desires to write poetry or build something beautiful!  Just allow it time and the freedom to have no boundaries.  Pretend you're a child again and take away those grown up inhibitions!
5. Let this be the beginning and don't stop!  Continue feeding your soul alongside your body.  Your life will begin to prosper richly in a way that can only produce more good.  As you spend the time to heal and get healthy explore new things and pour out of your flowing over cup into somebody else's empty cup.  Anytime we receive it is important to pass it along to another.  Stay balanced with giving and receiving and you will be rewarded in ways you never imagined!

God Bless You and Keep You!  Nameste!
Cloud Sun Dancing

Everything New: Behold the Old has passed away!

Everything is coming together.  I've completely changed my website with prices listed and services available.  The new image of FCI is all over the place.  My private practice treatment room is all ready for customers and I've got car magnets and new business cards are being made with appointment reminders on the backside.  I'm on my last 2 lessons in Reiki Level 2.  Now 2 other things are left to do: bring in clients and get connected to the local community where my gifts are recognized and I can build relationships with other practitioners.  If you are reading this and live in the Puget Sound Area please connect with me.

A whole new me!

God's timing is always impeccable even though I challenge it on a fairly regular basis.  This is my first post in two months with so much to share with the world!  First, that gift, namely the dog I got to be my service dog, is adjusting to our family nicely but still very young.  It was decided to continue with service dog training and my partnership with him.  Second, May 25th marks a changing point in my spiritual walk.  I have adopted an Indian name of Cloud Sun Dancing.  The name fully describes me and my life in more ways than one.  I also became an ordained minister through the Universal Life Church on that date.  Very shortly afterward I embarked on my journey with Reiki and have been attuned to the Universal Life Force in order to practice Reiki.  My whole orientation and spiritual outlook is different. 

I no longer consider myself a Christian, outside of my faith in Jesus Christ, because the Church does not represent my deepest yearnings anymore.  Actually, I'm not sure what to call myself.  I am a member of the universe and share in the ebb and flow of its energy as it passes through my life by way of nature, people, animals and God.  I'm sure that most my Christian friends would not understand so I'm not going out of my way to tell them about my new found faith.  I have never felt more connected to everything around me and in me!  It is the way we were meant to live; to be fully aware of our bodies and those around us!  I feel connected to every living thing, every plant and grain of dirt! 


Thank you God!

A Sacrifice...A Deep Pain...A New LIfe:

I have been having a really hard time in recent months with my Bi-Polar and feeling very lonely a lot of the time.  I have been fighting with deep rooted spirits who linger long after they have become yesterday's news.
I have been struggling to stay alive in the game of life and all its wonders but keep drowning in my own sorrows.
I have been given a gift that I have waited for for many years and it brings pure joy (well, also stress) to our home and all who encounter this gift.  It is also the best thing to have come into our marriage, and more specifically to my husband, in many years.  When my husband interacts with this gift he lights up and the joys he had as a child come back.  You have no idea how much joy that brings to me and how I have longed for this...but...this gift was supposed to be for me!  This gift is something I have worked hard for and longed for.  I have cried for this gift, longing for it to enter my life, longing to hold it when nobody else is around, longing for the companionship, and longing for the priceless service this gift can offer me. 

I am struggling with an ultimate sacrifice as a gift to my marriage.  I am thinking about laying down my needs for his joy so that in the end...we all win but I am just a different person.  Perhaps better, perhaps not, but I believe that there will be new life in coming days and weeks and the sacrifice I offer will actually free me from some kind of bondage.  At least I hope so.  I'll let you know!

In waiting...for a new Spring!

Journeys aren't called journeys for nothing

Well, it's been a few weeks since my last post and I find myself once again acknowledging that there are no shortcuts and nothing will move me forward without me putting in the energy and time.  I can't blame anyone else.  I can't blame it on lack of resources, although I really need studio space & money.  I can't blame it on God for not helping me more (certainly can never blame anything on Him except good things He gets the credit).  He gave me a real passionate vision of what I would love to see come to fruition a few weeks ago.

On February 19th I drove to Ocean Shores, WA (Pacific Coast) with Sophie, my retired service dog, to celebrate her 9th birthday.  There are two things Sophie loves to do more than anything (except eat of course) and they are; play in the snow and run on the beach chasing the birds.  On my trip down and back I was listening to a worship CD and worshiping along with it when I started seeing an incredible vision of people worshiping God through dance, song and music.  I saw people with pains and hurts being freed and hearts healing as they are touched by God.  I saw a ministry team made up of myself and others with disabilities touching the lives of people all over the Globe! 

Then I came home...and slowly since that day my passion and vision got cloudier and cloudier until I started getting caught up in my own stuff and the world's opinions and what everyone else says I should do.  The enemy wants you to lose and the world wants you to conform to their way of doing things.  It's so easy to do that but you have to fight every step of the way and be like the beautiful and strong salmon that fight against all rational and swim opposite the tide.  They are not only fighting for themselves but a future that they see b/c they have to swim upstream to spawn and create their next generation.  As Christians and people who have vision that doesn't fit this world's boxes, we need to be like salmon and stick together encouraging each other upstream to a greater future! 

The journey is not an easy one but we must fight the temptation to turnaround and go with the flow.  If you have a passion and vision that's different from the world stick to it and continue upstream because you are not alone and God will move Heaven and Earth to help you upstream!!!  Keep swimming!!!!

Freedom's Cry Within Us All

When people ask me where the name, Freedom's Cry, comes from I try to think back when I came up with it several years ago and I can't remember the exact thing that caused me to choose it.  However, I can tell you what it means and the intention behind it.  I believe strongly that God made each and every one of us a unique and special being.  We all have talents, gifts, desires, dreams unique to who we are.  When we do not fulfill these callings within us we find ourselves bound by limitations that society, family, ourselves would put upon us.  Our beings are calling out for freedom to be that which we were born to be, that which is completely and utterly unique and connected with the path of the universe and God's eternal plans for us!  FCI, the ministry I'm called to start, is about helping draw out that voice from within that might be bound by physical, emotional or intellectual limitations.  When that voice has a place to freely express itself we find ourselves at the beginning of a very exciting adventure where we  never know where we will end up but we do know that God will never leave us alone and others are brought beside us on the journey.  What do you think about your internal voice?

A really exhausting second step on this journey!

Today was another, what could be, ordinary day with nothing exciting on the schedule and no big physical requirements.  Although I must mention that the sun was breaking through here and there and for those of us in Washington you really look forward to the sun breaks in the middle of winter.  I had another late start today, mostly due to allergies because of the enormous amounts of allergens in our carpet (dog, cat, etc.) and I have a hard time breathing.  As a result, I can't sleep well or wake up unrested and exhausted just to start the day.  Straight away to the espresso machine after the animals have been taken care of. 

One thing that I find helps a lot is to get outside and breath fresh air.  So I decided I was going to take Sophie, my retiring assistance dog, to the D-O-G P-A-R-K.  After all, you can't say the word in front of her or she will know.  I had no idea where I was going to end up.  I ended up at the Nisqually Nature Reserve located in the southern Puget Sound area.  Dogs aren't allowed but since she's my service dog who is assisting me it's OK.  Let me make a point of saying that it is not o.k. to let her loose (much to her dismay).  She was right next to me as I wheeled myself down the boardwalk in much colder temperature than prepared to face (forgot my gloves).  I used my power chair and just hoped it would do the whole mile loop without running out of juice.  We saw some beautiful birds up close, including the Great Blue Heron and a little guy busy in the marshes (I am by no means a birder so my identifiers are usually very general like color & size).  We met a wonderful mix of people along our trip, including a guy from an area in England near Oxford called Fenland.  He's a birder, photographer and meteorologist.  Check out his website he has with his wife: http://fenlandbirds.com/Site/Welcome.html .

The situation I have been stressing over went like this:  I was talking with a very nice woman about her photography and the reserve, etc. while allowing her to pet Sophie.  Two women came from behind me and I heard them ask if it was o.k. to pet Sophie as well so I instructed Sophie to greet them.  She was all too much obliged to do so, just waiting for that scratch here and rub there!  The two women were very nice and we had a brief conversation about service dogs and, "will I get to keep Sophie after she retires?"  Only a couple of minutes later one woman asked me what my affliction was because I just looked 'too healthy'.  I was caught off guard and took a moment to think.  In the meantime she followed her question with the qualifier, "it's just that I work with a bunch of disabled people..."  I sheepishly said, "I'm a below the knee amputee and it's just such a far way to walk all the way around the boardwalk so I'm using my chair." 

She made me feel that I had to add a qualifier why I didn't meet her expectation of a disabled person by telling her why I needed my w/c!  How dare she ask such a personal question as my medical condition.  What gives her the right to know if I was not in a position to share it openly?  It's a completely different situation if we are developing a deep conversation and I share it on my own volition.  But that didn't occur.  Why do people have this image of all people with disabilities have to look a certain way?  How many people approached Franklin Roosevelt about his condition?  Helen Keller was a beautiful woman and yet she struggled against some of the highest odds to make an impression on this world that will never be forgotten!

What I want to know from people is: what's the difference in looking at a black guy and assuming he is violent and will do harm to you AND looking at a disabled woman and expecting her to be of low education, limited in ability to communicate and not be a creative, productive business woman who can handle a household budget better than millions of able-bodied adults in America?

Below you will see a photo of the Seattle skyline and a couple of pics from the reserve:

A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with One Small Step

This is my first blog and I'm excited about sharing my journey with those who will listen.  Today's first small step is getting this blog off the ground.  So much to say.  My mind never sleeps and so my journey can often be chaotic and full of lots of extra stuff.  It's kind of like packing for a trip.  You start with the basic necessities and before you know it you have prepared for every emergency imaginable and you can't even lift the suitcase!  That's usually my carry on item.  You never know what you might need or want to do when sitting in one spot for many hours in a row!  Well, often my process in life gets that way and I must sort through it all and eliminate the extras.  This blogging will help me do so and also invite you on my journey as an amputee, woman, wife, business owner and spiritual being.  I love feedback so please, please, please share!  Until tomorrow!