Knitting the Mystery

I so like this comment from Betsy ( www.betsybaumgardner.com ) that I’m reposting it below. Check out her website for some nice classical music/chorale clips: she sings and plays the Organ, graduated from Juilliard and teaches music etc.

“Hello -- I found your website through a mention on a newsletter I receive from Ann Albers every week. I have enjoyed reading your site and looking at the photos! Amazing photography. I love the way you capture the spiritual essence and beauty of your "client" be it animal, human or nature. Your comments on wanting to help the suffering, but not being able to for various reasons or situations does strike a chord in my heart too. Being an ex-New Yorker I found myself constantly immersed in the extremes of human existence. Its one of the reasons I left NYC -- my heart was becoming calloused and hard -- something I did not want. I also smiled at your comments regarding "The Secret"!. Yes, the truths presented are ancient -- but the focus on just simply getting a better material life leaves out a lot of depth. There is nothing wrong with having a comfortable living and roof over one's head etc. There is nothing wrong with abundance either. But in my opinion the real goal is to get to the point where you can see the Divine Presence in everything. And this "seeing" blesses one and all. I remember walking past a woman on the street who had been injured (NYC) there were folks around assisting her, so she didn't need my human assistance. But I felt this call "for help", and I didn't know what to do. Pray - was what came to me. A passage by Mary Baker Eddy came to thought: "there is no lapse from, nor return to, harmony..." Science & Health... I just prayed with that thought until I felt a sense of peace. I don't know if it blessed the woman on the street, because I kept on my journey as I prayed. But it certainly has blessed me many times over the years, just recalling that "prayer work". So oftentimes we think that we are not "doing something" for someone and well, maybe we really are!” (Betsy Baumgardner)

Betsy mentions Anne Albers-- a really sweet lady whom Sheryl and I got in touch with online after seeing her one and only video post on You Tube. Here’s how we happened across her: On Valentines day a friend sent us a link to the “Free Hugs” campaign video. I watched it and then visited the website. There were a dozen or so video clips there-- I only clicked on one and it was this charming woman who starts out saying “I have an unusual Job, I talk to Angels.” Of course! So I went and found her website http://www.visionsofheaven.com/

There I discovered a really extensive web page and noticed that Anne is so busy doing Angel communicating that she has a waiting list at least six months long for an appointment. Holy crap! So we sent her an email and asked her how she got so successful. She wrote back immediately with some helpful tips, mostly having to do with gratitude and praying that the people you can help the most find you. She’s right too. We had been asking to see some examples of other spiritual practitioners who were professional, successful yet sincere and accessible (that’s what we strive to be). Our prayers got answered. That’s happening a lot these days.

Thanks for the compliments about my photos, Betsy. I’m glad that the way I feel about my subjects shows in the work.

On the issue of helping those in need, I totally agree with you-- you do what you can and what you feel called to do. It varies a great deal depending on the circumstance. I won’t say that I was “in need” exactly, but I did just say to Sheryl how nice it would be to get a comment or two on our Blogs, and kazaam, here’s Betsy, same day.

“The Secret” video keeps coming up in our lives, people mention it to us. We just heard that Oprah featured it on her show, and she’s got a huge viewing audience. I’m really glad that it’s introducing people to the reality of the “Law of attraction” (it’s no “secret,” just Google it) but I concur with Betsy that there’s more to it than the simple, often materialistic examples given in the video. We’re hearing however, that this film is convincing people to turn their lives around for the better though, so Sheryl and I aren’t knocking it.
Craig Ferguson on the Late Late show had a pretty funny take about the kid in the Vid who “manifests” himself a new bike, apparently by staring at a picture of it until it magically appears. Yeah, well, mom and dad bought it didn’t they? Little Jimmy had them all creeped out, wouldn’t stop staring at that picture.

Sometimes what you need to manifest is to know what to manifest. Sheryl and I have a favorite manifesting prayer, “For the highest benefit of all concerned.” We pretty much stick to that one every day. Sheryl introduced me to that particular wording of the intention because that’s what she uses in every session. It’s helpful because it acknowledges possibilities beyond what our conscious minds can envision in the moment. Why not open the door to some truly astounding miracles? A new bike is chump change. Transform yourself.