Apr 19, 2007

Asheville, NC

Of all the places on the earth I have been, of all the places I have imagined visiting or living, the mountains of western NC, specifically Asheville, must be "IT". NOTE: Unsolicited Truth post. I am heading there next week with family. Interestingly enough no one out of 5 people invited previously could go. I was actually begining to look forward to a solitary road trip, full of relaxation, and zero schedules/agendas. But something said invite your family...so I did, and they're going!!! Its great. It was meant to be. I can hardly wait to get up early in the morning, get some breakfast at the local Waffle House take my time reading the newspaper and hit the road. I get to show my dad and stepmom my perception of heaven on earth. I get to take them to the places not many others may know of and show them how I would like to live. We get to go hear Loreena McKennitt play at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium and just relax.

It'll be fun, inspiring, refreshing and renewing. I need it. Asheville is an artsy, ecclectic mountain city, surrounded by the peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are coffee shops, thrift stores, restaurants pubs, numerous galleries with local crafts, art and music. Biltmore Estate is located here and I have been many times over the past few years.

There are many "spiritual" people in Asheville and a large number of different spiritual disciplines or religions are represented. There are hippies and energy healers, poets and playwrights. Its full of creativity and intriguing individuals.

Its believed by many that people are drawn here because Asheville is located on or very near a ley line, a portal if you will or vortex of unseen dimensions. I am not sure about this, but I can say from personal experience it has always felt like the place I belonged...it feels like home.

I can hardly wait to wake up to the smell of early morning dew, hear the sound of a rushing stream and feel the cool crisp mountain air.

Plan your next vacation in Asheville www.asheville.com its well worth the trip!


Whewww, it was a 14 hour day not counting the 2 hr commute (rounded up -45 minutes each way). But somehow I managed to do it again... "Think"... I was thinking about old friends, some I still communicate with, others I don't for no particular reason, about my late mother who passed away in 1998, about the relationships we have with co-workers, family, strangers, this blog. It's all about communication isn't it? Thats what really matters when it comes down to it. I mean consider how significant a death of someone you love would be if you knew all your life that when they died, you would still be able to communicate with them every day, or at least once a week. Communication is the essence of any relationship,communication is the link to a connection.. whether its through conversation, touch, even through vision or gestures. Once a week or so, I pass by the same car/person on a back road and each time we see each other we wave. Maybe once or twice a month I see a few people but we never speak, just smile. All communication, all a connection even for a moment. It makes me think of our relationships with ourselves, the constant dialogue that is played out in our brains, silently.

What happens when the communication stops? Its the equivalent of death to me. The vehicle in which we used to share ideas, hopes, dreams, fears, frustrations it all goes away. It ceases to exist and the person that the connection was linked with.

It makes me further think of God. Am I communicating with God? Is there a connection? Has there ever been? Yes.. I think so, but what about everyone else. Hmm, I wonder how it makes God feel when He/She doesn't hear from us? Doesn't communicate with us. Is God bitter because we didn't return his/her call, or passively acknowledge him/her on the street? Do we communicate with God only when we need something or when we're feeling down, and lonely?

Communication is the evidence of relationship. Granted that relationship may last only for a few minutes, like opening the door for a stranger. Or giving a hug to an old friend, and moving on. These relationships exist only when we're communicating. The inbetween time, is just a time of expectation and hope. Hope that the relationship will be validated again and again with a call, visit or just hanging out together. Or maybe not. Maybe the communication consisted of goodbye, or so long, and the relationship ends.

Who are you going to communicate with tomorrow? How, what and why? Think about it.. you have the power to build relationships with Hello and the power to end them with silence or goodbye.

Apr 16, 2007

Peanuts and Scripture

For a few years now I have questioned many of the fundamental things I have been taught to believe. Notice "taught" to believe. There is a contradiction in itself. How do we truly believe if we are taught. Shouldn't belief come from our own conclusions and thus warrant questioning, research, perception - shouldn't it be a way of life, rather than life lived a certain way?

To stay on focus, the topic is scripture and while my belief that our traditional bible as we see it today is fundamentally the truth, I do feel strongly that it has been tampered with. So on my way home today, as usual commutes would have it, I thought. I have always said that there is "truth" and there are "greater truths". Somehow I see that in the bible we have today. I also have said to myself more than to others that the truth that God purposed for us to live by is fundamentally intact. It is no mystery or secret these days that someone else decided what books were included in today's bible and what books were removed. It is also no secret that the books that were chosen have been translated and rewritten to fit a more modern society, some even using slang words not found in the earlier writings. Suffice it to say, the bible of today is much different than the original.

The analogy I often use is that of describing a car. If I was speaking of a vehicle - you could be thinking of several things - most would think of a car, but maybe I am speaking of a truck or SUV, perhaps its a hybrid, and its blue with leather interior. It's equipped with blue tooth technology and has a sunroof. If I only spoke of a vehicle with no further details it leaves much room for interpretation and therefore much more room or margin for error. However the fundamental truth remains that I am speaking of a vehicle. Surely you see the difference details make.

At first thought, this doesn't seem to be a big issue. Most would write it off and say well its all intact, its all there - in the scripture. I must agree - this is the direction many of us take and for a long time so have I. But today.....today I thought of another analogy that does make a difference. Perhaps even the difference between life and death, ultimately.

If you were visitng and being a good host I offered you something to quench your thirst, some water or soda and along with that some finger food such as pretzels and nuts - but didn't tell you what kind of nuts, would it make a difference? Perhaps you're blind and can't see for yourself....but you are deathly allergic to peanuts (like many are). As a precaution you even ask, if they are nuts that are ok for you to eat - of course I say yes, because I assume all nuts are the same the difference doesn't make a difference. But it does. Because of my assumption and because of your trust in me, not meaning any harm, you are very possibly a very few minutes away from death.

If you are seeking Truth, and every dimension of it, great or small, you know what I am saying and you "get it" - if you aren't then maby this analogy will stir your consciousness awake and you'll start asking questions.

Don't go through life settling for peanuts without asking questions and demanding more for yourself. It could be the difference between life and death. It could be difference between having life and having it more abundantly.

Apr 6, 2007

Unsolicited Truth

Here is some unsolicited information… the truth.
(Letter to a friend)











