FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY BLOG - NOTES ON ENLIGHTENMENT - INTRODUCING BOOK ONE OF THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY BOOK SERIES - THE CRYSTAL PATH - QUEST FOR A POSITIVE, PERSONAL, AND CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY

G DOT PUBLISHING VENTURES LLC

PRESENTS THE BLOG BOOK

NOTES ON ENLIGHTENMENT -

Quest For A Positive, Personal,

And Contemplative Spirituality

FEATURING THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY

BOOK ONE - THE CRYSTAL PATH

BY G. BRYANT CRONK

____________________

SOMEONE WAITING

All along there has been someone

waiting for you in the clearing

of your heart – a tender, gentle

presence created from divine will –

the essence of you – the universal

you – the perfect you just waiting

for you to finally arrive.

All along, this you has waited for

you to find your way, cut your

path through the challenges of life –

watching you live in desperate search

of love, of home, of happiness - alone –

never fully able to reach out and

pull you into oneness.

Today take a moment to reflect on the

you who waits – stop and look within –

say hello to this you – spend a

moment before you go on your way!

AT G. 3.1.2011

_________________________

INTRODUCTION TO THE FINDING

GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY

There are two ways to live:

you can live as if nothing is a miracle;

you can live as if everything is a miracle.

Albert Einstein

It was a promise I felt compelled to keep, actually more like a commitment, made at a time of awakening, in what appeared to be the closing moments of my life. There was also an open-ended aspect to it, quest-like since I did not know what “the point” was I had missed in the living of my fifty-seven hard-fought years when I suggested - if I were to survive my surgery and be able to use my paralyzed body again, I would surely find out and rectify it; not necessarily for God or humankind, but for me, in hopes of completing this journey, of living on earth, on the plus side.

Welcome to my book titled NOTES ON ENLIGHTENMENT - Quest for a Positive, Personal, and Contemplative Spirituality, BOOK ONE - THE CRYSTAL PATH – an introductory companion guide to my blog - The Finding God On The Train Story – Notes On Enlightenment located at:

http://www.FindingGodOnTheTrain.com

I do believe, if you have arrived here to read these words, this unique focus and approach to spirituality, might be of some benefit to you. If this is your first exposure to The Finding God On The Train Story blog, you may be here to discover something this book is meant to assist you with finding: even if you are not sure what it is, or why. Perhaps, you arrive here fully engaged in a spiritual quest or journey and want to see if The Finding God On The Train Story – Notes On Enlightenment message offers anything to augment your current efforts. Of course, you may be well aware of this blog and the message, just ready to enjoy the book, to explore some of the key concepts in more depth.

For some, I believe this may be a viable cure for, what I have described in the book as, “spiritual malnutrition”– a soul-based illness that has a large cross-section of humanity, at least in my opinion, desperately seeking a solution for their existential pain, depression, hopelessness, and despair. A pain I recognize, because I lived with it for so many years - only to discover there are not enough drugs, therapy, or escapes to fill this void. Perhaps, it is a personal connection with God, Source, Spirit, the Tao, The Beloved, Infinite Mind - (or whatever name you prefer to use) - that will aid you in regaining your spiritual balance. If so, consider taking a ride on this train with me for a while, to see if you recognize yourself in my story, and by doing so, might find some hope in creating your own positive, personal, and contemplative approach to spirituality.

Yes, I believe this book is “the point” I had missed, fulfilling my promise, or commitment, to rectify this situation. Let me clarify what I mean by this. Over the past twelve plus years, I have been on a quest to find this missing point, and with the blog, and now this book, I reveal and unveil the positive and personal spirituality I had unknowingly sought all my life. This has been a quest that has taken me from an angry skeptic/agnostic, who questioned the very existence of God, to a believer who for the past ten years has published over thirteen hundred divinely inspired messages, affirmative thoughts, prayers, and poetry on his blog, Twitter, and Facebook sites for followers to read and utilize if appropriate. But more than this, I have been able to find what was missing for me all those years - a fresh perspective featuring a positive, loving, and empowering God, one that I believe will assist all those, who like me, might be on a similar quest.

Let me retrace what has happened since my pre-surgery epiphany. While spending a few months recuperating from my spinal surgery, I had a great deal of time to assess my life and try to determine what the point was I had missed. Ann, my partner at the time, now my wife, and I both agreed we needed to alter our negative, stress-ridden, pessimistic, and faith questioning approach to life, working on replacing it with a more hopeful and positive attitude. This realization was the beginning of my quest to find, not only a positive lifestyle but also a positive spirituality. Ann and I committed ourselves to reconnect with God and find a church we could believe in, prosper with - one that was positive.

Given that I outline this entire experience in Chapter One, titled God’s Wake-Up Call, I will not go into intricate detail; but in brief, we found a little book with a gold cover authored by a fellow Temple University alumnus – Jeffrey Gitomer’s LITTLE GOLD BOOK of YES! Attitude - How to Find, Build, and Keep A YES! Attitude for a Lifetime of Success & Happiness. After reading Gitomer’s book, Ann and I began working on our attitudes in earnest. Encouraged, we followed this up by reading every positive thinking book we could find, and when we stumbled on Rhonda Byrne’s book, The Secret, we were instantly hooked on its positive spiritual message: proposing a friendly universe created to respond to our needs, featuring a truly loving and nurturing God.

After reading The Secret, Ann and I were even more focused on finding a church that featured a positive spiritual message, and as a result, our list of the attributes we expected to find in such a church expanded. So, we would discover a church that fit our criteria, attend for a few weeks, and then the pastor would preach against gays, or discuss why only their denomination could be saved and enter heaven, and we would again be forced to bid a hasty retreat. I started to understand what my problem had been with many of the traditional faith-based approaches I had experienced during my life – they seemed to me to be outdated, antiquated, often requiring a suspension of logic to accept the ancient dogma being espoused. If nothing else, I needed some more current and up to date dogma.

It was a strange little ad for a non-traditional church, listed in the Sunday worship section of a local neighborhood newspaper, that Ann had cut out, held onto for a few weeks, and finally handed me one Saturday night in early July of 2007, as our frustration over current alternatives had us ready to throw in the spiritual towel. Remarkably, we would later find out, this ad that caught Ann’s attention, was actually an old ad, accidentally published by the newspaper. The advertisement seemed to be written for us, featuring a church that encouraged a personalized approach to connecting with God, as well as fostering an individual spirituality; open to all religious backgrounds, faiths, and belief systems. I went to their website to investigate. Frankly, I was stunned such a church had been out there all along, and we, after months of active searching, had never heard of its existence. This non-traditional church was exactly what we had imagined - easily covering every major positive requirement on our list.

The next morning, we would attend our first “New Thought” related, positive, focused church, in a Jazzercise facility, converted to look like a church for this morning service, with less than fifty worshipers in attendance. On the makeshift altar, there was both a Bible and a Koran open; a large blue and white dove sewn onto the draped fabric covering the space directly above the altar; as we spied the exercise balls and assorted equipment along the surrounding walls. The minister – a woman – enthusiastically guided the service - personally facilitating a group meditation for over ten minutes, then delivered a beautiful sermon that was affirming, positive, and encouraging.

We were joyfully being introduced to Unity – a “New Thought” oriented church that met all of our requirements: but more importantly, would jump-start my quest for a positive spirituality. In fact, from this point on, the Unity movement, for me, became a potential framework for fostering, what I would consider, a positive spiritual experience. This church was also unique in its acceptance and inclusion of a full spectrum of the world’s spiritual wisdom traditions and practices.

Wow, we were so amazed and grateful, that a religious organization like this existed. Ann and I threw ourselves into the study of New Thought - realizing this positive spiritual approach - although it utilized the mystical and spiritual lessons and texts of all faiths - had not originated in the Middle East, India, or Asia, but was a uniquely American construct. We would end up adding the following Unity-based New Thought key principles to our paradigm for what a positive spiritual orientation would entail: (1) all religious paths lead to God and are to be respected; (2) God is a positive life-affirming entity, and as a result, each of us may have a meaningful personal connection and relationship with God; (3) in this regard, sin and shame are not supported as valid or tenable, but instead considered the by-product of our life mistakes and wrong directions, conveying our need for more positive life-affirming choices; and, lastly, (4) overall tolerance of all affirming and loving lifestyles.

For us, newcomers to non-traditional spirituality, what was most startling and noteworthy about this Unity New Thought paradigm, was the actual absence of a rigid doctrine or dogma. New Thought’s positive spirituality, which espouses that we, as spiritual seekers, may each have our own direct and personal connection with God through prayer and meditation: and, by doing so, based on this experience, encourages us to develop our own, personally tailored, and unique spiritual approach.

Added to this, we discovered the church’s positive, thought control, perspective, also known as “Mind Action,” which emphasizes that our thoughts create our life experience. Via our thoughts, we attract what we are thinking, and as a result, we are – not by fate, or accident - personally responsible for the life we are now living. Mind Action underscores the importance of maintaining a positive mental attitude, and an optimistic focus, through affirmative prayer, affirmations, and positive thinking.

Although New Thought would seem like a slam dunk in my mission to find a positive lifestyle and spirituality – what could be better than an organization covering every major requirement on my positive church list - except that it felt to me more like the vehicle rather than the destination, a vehicle that would establish the foundation of my concept of positive spirituality, so important and impactful, I have dedicated Chapter Three titled a New Thought Positive Spirituality - Yesterday And Today to share this foundation while explaining the basic theology and concepts of New Thought. For most spiritual seekers this would be enough, but although I had made incredible progress, I had still not gotten to “the point” of what needed to be handled.

MY SPIRITUAL AND LIFE JOURNEY

Part One of this book, titled My Spiritual And Life Journey, highlights my spiritual transformation and opens with two chapters on the life I lived leading up to the train. It is followed by the chapter, I just mentioned, explaining key New Thought concepts, and closes with a “how-to” chapter on the techniques and process I used to connect with God on the train, which I will expand on shortly. My purpose in exploring these details of my journey, at the start of the book, is to give you a chance to get to know me, to understand how I evolved into the person I am today. I also feel, it is an interesting and entertaining story, one with an underlying theme; that with the proper guidance, readers should surely be able to do this with a lot less difficulty and angst.

What may become obvious as you read my spiritual life story, is that what I lacked during my years of spiritual seeking, was a clear concept of a God I could support and defend. At an early age, I was at war with the concept of an angry, vengeful, and punishing God, which reminded me of the abusive father I already had at home. This God seemed to be more interested in my “sin” and my “misdeeds” than in love and hope.

Later in life, the problem for me was rarely with the founding mystic’s original perspective, but with the followers later interpretation, which in many cases transformed the mystic’s loving God to fit the doctrine espoused by the newly formed church leadership, creating concepts entirely alien to what the mystic had conveyed in the original teachings. Likewise, I questioned whether the resulting dogma, rules, and regulations, created for those who lived in ancient times, really made any sense for our modern existence.

Even, if at times, I agreed with the religious concepts I was being told, I found little usable guidance on how to pray and connect with God. And of course, at least within modern-day western churches, few accept, or would promote, meditation as a viable approach for connecting with God; even though it has been a proven, effective technique, used not only by prominent eastern religions but by numerous mystical spiritual movements over thousands of years. So I dutifully did my best to connect through prayer, but no connection occurred. As an Episcopalian, in my later life, prayers were scripted, for the most part, said silently or in unison. No real opportunity for direct communication with God, at least during Sunday services.

When I look back, most established churches I attended emphasized prayer as the keystone of their faith but offered no training on how to effectively pray, or what would result if I did. In truth, no church I have attended, before Unity, seemed to expect members to make a direct connection. I often wonder how they would react to my current situation.

When I was finally introduced to the “New Thought” perspective of God’s relationship with humankind, I found a modern framework for understanding God. In my pursuit of a friendlier God, I have spent much time studying the great mystics who have expanded our vision of God throughout the ages; and I believe every mystic has created a step, and every step has formed a stairway, enabling us to continue to ascend to the fuller truth of God. This unfolding truth is glimpsed, but never exhausted, or fully captured – but by climbing, we reach a complete perspective. I have realized that our consciousness, perhaps, is too confined or limited to conceive the more expansive consciousness of God, yet we are fully fit to grasp the intent, the eternal purpose, and the embedded mission.

CONNECTING WITH GOD ON THE TRAIN

As I began my quest for a positive spirituality and discovered New Thought, I interviewed for a job in Washington, DC, was hired, and began what would feature two-plus hour commutes, each way, from Fredericksburg, Virginia to the nation’s capital - an hour and twenty minutes of which was on an Amtrak train. As I outline in Chapter Four Connecting With God On The Train, I began to meditate in earnest during my daily train commutes, which on a good day offered me approximately one hour of free, uninterrupted time that I then used for spiritual renewal; with prayer and meditation, of course, as a central part of this time spent.

My daily meditation was quite extensive considering I had a long uninterrupted train ride, and in Chapter Four, I outline the standard practice I found most useful during my commutes. Since I was new to meditation, just beginning to learn what was entailed, it took many months before I learned to quiet my mind and enter the silence. What would happen next would change my life completely! As I often explain this magical time in my life - I had spent an entire lifetime searching for God, only to find God on the train. An Amtrak train, just like the trains we all use to travel from city to city as we move through our lives.

Let’s clarify, when I refer to finding God on the train, God was never lost, but instead, I was lost, having failed to make a connection with God during my pre-train life. Also, of course, I am not talking about seeing God in the seat next to me and saying hello. I am referring to connecting with God during my sessions of meditative prayer, where I would enter what some call “the silence” and ask God to be my guide.

My connection with God is what I call inspired, appearing through words, concepts, and brief meditative guidance that come to me in “the silence,” usually in a few words or a phrase. I routinely remember these keywords and phrases offered by God during my meditative session, and after ending my session, in what I call a stream of consciousness, I would then transcribe these inspired messages in my journal. When I say transcribe, I am defining this as taking dictation, because I do not edit or question what I am writing, but record each word as it unfolds into my consciousness.

It was 2009, when I turned to my wife, Ann, and conveyed to her that I felt called to write a book titled Notes On Enlightenment, based on the inspired thoughts I was receiving while meditating on my long train commutes into Washington, DC. It is at these moments when having a supportive partner can change your life. Ann listened, and slowly said to me; “why don’t you consider starting with a blog.” Blogs, at the time, were gaining in popularity, offering a novel way to have an interactive website. Later the same week, in a related discussion, Ann came up with a name for the blog – offering – “how about Finding God On The Train.”

Ann was suggesting that a blog would allow me to test the waters, determining the interest in such a spiritual topic. I went to the bookstore, purchasing three books that explained how to create a blog. After a slow start, and much floundering, I decided to use an emerging Blog service - Typepad – and over the years my readership has grown far beyond my original expectations. At some point since my early 2009 posts, long time followers started reading my Finding God On The Train Story blog posts, either as they were first published on Typepad or WordPress, later Facebook, and finally on Twitter.

So primarily, the meditation guidance and the accompanying affirmative thoughts, poems, prayers, and affirmations, featured on the blog and in this book, are unedited and untouched except for correcting my spelling and minor punctuation issues. My goal has been to record the message and not worry if the message makes specific sense or is logical. This method has helped me record all of the notes, which will be included in this book, as well as those that have been used for over, 1300 daily blog posts. A complete compendium of The Finding God On The Train Story guidance to date is being compiled and will be published as a follow-up to this first book in this series. Although the affirmative thoughts, poems, and affirmations usually do not result directly through meditation, I feel they are inspired; having come to me through spirit. A second offering, featuring what I consider to be the spiritual poetry posted on the blog, titled STEEPLES – THE SPIRITUAL POETRY OF THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY BLOG is in the works. Again, I outline this process and the technique I use, in-depth, in Chapter Four.

Although I was in pursuit of this connection with God for many years, when I look back, I never stopped talking enough or believed enough to listen earnestly for a response. God was not communicating because I had drowned out the “whispered message” with my noisy, complicated world. On the train, with the proper time and techniques, I learned to listen, and God provided the guidance. Most of the meditative guidance was delivered to assist me in moving forward with my spiritual journey: to learn to live a more abundant, genuine, and authentic life.

THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN MESSAGE

As you can imagine, when I began my spiritual reconnection with God, I had no plans, in my wildest imagination, of publishing a blog or a book about finding God. But as I became more connected with God through meditation and prayer, I received a message to write a book titled, Notes On Enlightenment, as I mentioned earlier. I would define my initial reaction as being incredulous, quickly reminding God that I was light-years away from enlightenment; did not know what the term truly meant; was not a professional writer; had a full-time job which I needed to pay my bills, and frankly was not spiritually prepared or qualified. Besides, everyone I knew would think I had finally gone completely crazy.

All of these considerations, I felt were excellent arguments against picking me for this particular assignment. But, I also knew this might just be “the point” that I had missed in living my life, and had, earlier, committed to rectifying. Quite frankly, I also knew that saying no to God, crazy or not, was saying no to divine guidance, which I could use. So I put the book idea on the back burner, as I kept recording my meditations, sure that it was a mistake and God would reconsider or forget. Since you are reading these words, which I have written, and am now publishing on my blog, and in book form, it is safe to say that I rethought this approach.

It is at this point; I had planned to tell you my connection with God is not unique. The truth is, I do not have any real way of knowing whether it is or not. Frankly, I believe that God is constantly transmitting a message to those who are ready and willing to listen, a message similar to what I present in Part Two - The Message - is being communicated through thousands who are currently awakening, listening to God, being inspired, and sharing a similar message with all who are interested.

What makes the message of The Finding God On The Train Story so fascinating, to me at least, is the sheer scope and depth of what has been communicated, providing a foundation for a positive spirituality that is so comprehensive, it is indeed worth the investment of time to at least investigate and consider thoroughly. My task in this has been to put it in some understandable order, connect it with what has been previously said by the great wisdom traditions, and when plausible, connect it with the supportive science and metaphysics of our day.

Now that we have discussed what to expect in Part One – My Spiritual And Life Journey, let’s take a look at what we will cover in the remainder of Book One Of The Finding God on the Train Story Series. The next stop is Part Two – The Message, which opens with Chapter Five, featuring a presentation of the vital foundation principles conveyed to me on the train: such as; the Crystal Path, the Heartlight, the Divine Self, and God Consciousness. Chapter Six elaborates on the importance of the Crystal Path, with an in-depth review of each of the Seven Facets of Consciousness as outlined by the guidance. Chapters Seven and Eight go on to incorporate these foundation themes in the finding of joy, peace, love, and happiness - what the guidance explains as the key ingredients for living a positive, personal approach to spirituality – described as the attainment of heaven on earth - often referred to as enlightenment.

I have chosen to end this introductory book at this point, feeling that the foundation of The Finding God On The Train Story – Notes On Enlightenment, including the details of my quest for a positive, personal, and contemplative spirituality, have been conveyed. Those who have faithfully followed the unfolding of the book, as I wrote each chapter and published it on the blog, will quickly realize that I have left out what was intended to be the final section of the original book - Part Three – The Control Of Consciousness, which provided a more advanced and in-depth focus on actual mind control, mindfulness, and control of consciousness techniques and approaches, along with guidance on incorporating the seven facets of consciousness into the reader’s personal, positive approach to spirituality.

Well, I wrote Part Three, roughly 200 plus pages, and was well on my way to creating a robust closing Part Four, focusing on the understanding of God Consciousness, along with an exploration of the concept of our own internal divinity, when I realized I had actually written three books, and rather than publish one massive 800-page book, a sensible approach would be to publish the material in three offerings with this as the introductory book, followed by Book Two – Mind Control - Control Of Consciousness, and later, Book Three – God Consciousness and The Divinity Within.

A BLOG BOOK?

Since NOTES ON ENLIGHTENMENT – Quest for a Positive, Personal, and Contemplative Spirituality, BOOK ONE - THE CRYSTAL PATH, Featuring The Finding God On The Train Story is actually, what I would call a blog book - a book written and originally published on a blog. As each chapter has been completed, often in installments - because of the practical limitations of blog posts, this book originally appeared on my blog located at

www.FindingGodOnTheTrain.com

under the Book Chapters tab, and often reposted on my Facebook and Twitter sites. At first, when I began this project, I worked to mimic what a print book was capable of accomplishing but began to understand that I was limiting the multi-media platform that I had on my hands. It first started with the capability to incorporate music, since I often use popular song lyrics to augment my concept or storylines. It did not take me long to realize that I could also add photographs, and videos – others and my own - and if I wanted to, I could also add in video intros and cliff note like summaries, which are still in the works for upcoming versions.

A FEW MORE THOUGHTS

What I have learned on the train, and firmly believe, is that God is working daily with each one of us, and if we are willing to receive, God is ready to assist us with cocreating the most wonderful life possible. The God I have met on the train is a loving, kind spirit who wants everything for us. What you will find in reading this book, if I am effective, is a guide for connecting with God and making God a partner in your life.

I began this introduction in search of “the point” that I had missed over thirteen years ago, and as I have written this book and the two related books to follow, I have had to repeatedly clarify and expand on my purpose for taking on this project and sharing its message. This book, as well as the blog, offers a fresh perspective aimed primarily at those who may be seeking this message and want to change their lives. I also want to reduce, or eliminate, the time we all as human beings spend paralyzed by fear, doubt, and worry - replacing it instead with a new sense of optimism and positivism. Further, I want to assist similarly motivated readers with exploring and defining their genuine, authentic purpose, or calling, and help them reconnect with their essential spiritual nature.

I want all potential readers to understand what I believe God has always intended for us, so I am going to deliver this message now, rather than wait until the end of the book:

God wants us all to thrive, to flourish, to excel,

to live perfectly genuine/authentic and purposeful

lives, and by doing so, reach a state of enlightenment

where we know joy, love, peace, and happiness on

a daily basis – and where we experience heaven

on earth – the full life.

I now realize that this is “the point,” or at least my point, and it is why I have agreed to share this message, and it is the essence of what I believe I am meant to communicate through this work. The rest is up to you, the reader.

And lastly, the positive spirituality of New Thought is a religious approach incorporating the teachings of diverse spiritual orientations. New Thought approaches have no fixed dogma, thus providing an open framework, as it does for me, to personalize my religious practice. I feel this open framework is an essential aspect of what a positive, personal, and contemplative spirituality must entail being effective. There are few set rules and regulations, except for you to do your best to connect with God by whatever means works for you.

In this regard, I am often asked what religion I am, and although I admit to my New Thought perspective, and both my Christian and Jewish history, I feel I am better described as a religious independent with no established religious affiliation. At this point, I have been able to create my own approach to spirituality, one that reflects my lifestyle, my beliefs, and me. I find the Sufi poet Hafiz sums up my answer succinctly in his poem, I Have Learned So Much:

Have

Learned

So much from God

That I can no longer

Call Myself

A Christian, A Hindu, a Muslim.

A Buddhist, A Jew.

This said I feel that I could also confidently be at home with any or all of these orientations since I believe each offers a viable path to God. I believe a spiritual quest can be successfully taken within the confines of an established religious practice – many Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, and Jewish mystics have taken this spiritual quest, charted the course, and have documented their progress for us to use as guidance in our undertaking, as we shall see outlined later in this book. All are welcome on this journey.

I want to end this introduction with our first song, by the spiritually inspiring husband and wife team of Jan Garrett & JD Martin, titled Listen from their CD No Complaints Whatsoever. Hit songwriter, JD Martin, and his wife, internationally renowned jazz singer, Jan Garret, perform a song written by JD Martin and Tom Kimmel that expresses the heart of the message of The Finding God On The Train Story – Listen.

Listen is Available For Purchase and Download At Garrett-Martin.com Music Store.

Listen To The Video Featured On The Jan Garrett & JD Martin YouTube Channel.

LISTEN

The world runs fast, the spirit slow

To where you think we need to go

When we move into passing gear

The Song of Love is hard to hear

Till everything’s so loud that we’re

Alone with what we’re missing

Listen….Listen

Somewhere beneath the sea of noise

We hear the angel’s whispered voice

The song is there, the words are clear

And all we need is still right here

Listen…..Listen

The harmony of wings in flight

The rising of the wind at night

The breaking of the ocean waves

Will call the heart that’s half-awake

The sound of every breath we take

Can free the soul from prison

Listen…..Listen

Listen….for all we’re worth

The door to heaven is here on earth

The shout for joy, the softest prayer

The sound of love is in the air

JD Martin And Tom Kimmel

I hope you will take the time to travel on the train with me and find God for yourself. If you are already connected, I salute the divinity within you and invite you to come along to see what may be a different approach, possibly providing you with additional insight. The Finding God On The Train Story has given me glimpses of heaven here on earth. So let’s get on the train. All Aboard!

CLOSING NOTE ON ENLIGHTENMENT

I like to refer to the guidance or messages I receive during meditation as “notes on enlightenment,” and will end each chapter in the book with one note I have transcribed over the years on the train. I would like to start with the meditative guidance below, which directly refers to enlightenment, and for me underscores the process and progressive evolution of enlightenment. As many have said, enlightenment is a journey, not a destination.

ENLIGHTENMENT

Enlightenment is the destiny of the soul – it is the full

connection with the spirit of the infinite God that

surrounds us, is in us, and moves through us.

Enlightenment is not a destination; it is a journey,

a process of illumination where we light up existence

by shining brighter with each step.

Enlightenment is a progression, a stairway to all

truth, understanding, and good; an internal

movement to inner peace and self-acceptance.

Enlightenment is the profound connection with all

existence and a deepening ability to love universally.

Enlightenment is a supreme state of God love –

infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent. As we grow,

the illumination of our spirit burns brighter,

and we move towards the realization of our true

identity – the full illumination of God in each of us.

NOE G. 11.11.2008 9:30 AM

CLOSING AFFIRMATION

Affirmations are positive statements announcing to God – Universal Mind – and to our subconscious mind, how we view the world, and what we expect to occur during the day, or in our life. It is a powerful way to use the Law of Attraction to frame our reality and set positive expectations.

Here is one of my favorite affirmations that came to me while meditating on a Friday morning train commute to DC, which I now recite daily to frame the day. If we genuinely lived each element below, we would approach and embody the “I AM” within.

TODAY I AM

Today I AM the living spirit of God.

Today I AM powerful.

Today I AM successful.

Today I AM loving, kind, and at peace.

Today I can accomplish anything,

be anything, create anything.

Today I AM the anointed child of God.

Today I AM confident, bold, and sincere.

Today I AM connected to source,

one with source, guided by source.

Today I AM knowledgeable, valuable, purposeful.

Today I see the vision of my purpose.

Today that purpose comes to life.

Today I AM connected to my spirit guides.

Today I AM the best spiritual seeker possible.

Today I AM all I wish to be.

Today I create a world of joy.

Today I AM happy.

Today I AM joyful.

Today I AM blessed.

Today I AM all these things and more.

NOE G. 2.8.2008 7:45 AM

IMAGINE

It's Friday morning and you are commuting on an Amtrak train to your job in Washington, DC and seated next to you is a bald guy with glasses, around sixty, dressed in a blue business blazer and pin-stripe shirt open at the collar, who seems to be meditating, and you have a flash of panic because you don’t commute by train, and you don’t have a job in Washington, DC, but you smile realizing this must be a dream, as you turn your attention to the scenic vistas outside the window, hoping the guy does not come to and start talking.

The guy makes some gestures with his hands like he is praying, opens his eyes, smiles at you, and begins writing in a journal. The journal is filled with pages written in ink; it has a black cover with lined paper, you think, ah, it is a Moleskine. Quickly he writes using a pen without pausing or taking time to think, as if he was taking dictation, not stopping until the whole page is full, he closes the journal, securing its elastic band carefully, then puts the journal into his computer case. He looks into your eyes and smiles, says hello, introducing himself as he reaches out his hand – “Hi, I’m G.”

You think it’s weird, who uses their initial as a name? You shake his hand, and for some reason, you ask him if he was meditating, and he smiles again, nods yes, and for some reason, you start talking about God, which by the way, is who the guy is connecting with during meditation. You know you should be looking for a new seat, but since it is a dream, what do you have to lose. You tell him that although you believe in God, you are not religious, he nods his head and says - “the same with me.“

The guy talks about his blog and his recently published book. You talk for the entire hour and fifteen-minute ride, and as you pull into Union Station in DC, he pulls out a copy of his book, writes a note on the cover page and signs it, handing the book to you and saying “enjoyed talking with you, here is a copy of my book featuring The Finding God On The Train Story, maybe it will be of some use to your with your spiritual journey.” You thank him, reminding yourself it is a dream, and shove it into your bag.

When you get to the office, you feel compelled to open the book and read the note. As you read it, tears come to your eyes; it says simply – "You are not alone!"

WITH LOVE, G.

_________________________

PART ONE MY SPIRITUAL AND LIFE JOURNEY

CHAPTER ONE - GOD’S WAKE-UP CALL

When a trumpet is blown, listen! – Isaiah 18:3

WAKE NOW

Wake now for God awaits with the power of all creation,

fueled by love and infinite kindness.

Wake now for God awaits with a fullness of experience

surpassing all comprehension.

Wake now for God awaits knowing only you have

the ability to thrive in the vision – only you move

freely in this creation.

Wake now for God awaits and the hosts of divine love

have watched over you in the dark night –

ensuring your safety and protection –

waiting for the light of dawn.

Wake now and bring purpose to this universe,

finding the essence and center of all that awaits.

Wake now for you too are the God of a new day –

the transformation – the salvation.

Wake now and be reborn.

MARCH MORNING

“I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together,” and so goes the lyrics of the Beatles tune I AM A Walrus, which to me communicates, in a few words, our essential oneness and connection. I begin this opening chapter of my book hopefully setting the tone that I am like you and you are like me and, except for some of our genetic characteristics, we share very similar experiences in life. One of which, in our modern world, is the daily commute, often long, hard, tiring, and unproductive. I do mine on a train, and it has changed my life.

This day starts with my iPod alarm going off at 5:00 AM. It is Wednesday, March 18th and the day begins. I survey the bedroom, and all is well, my partner Ann is sleeping gently, Zephyr our Collie is sleeping on the floor on Ann’s side of the bed and, I, like the good male partner, sleep near the door. I have conditioned myself to start with a positive affirmation I repeat in the morning that I picked up from Ernest Holmes, “Awake in joy and live in a consciousness of good.” My mind moves immediately to the hectic day, but I force it back to my affirmation. Not entirely successful, I am on the move, with Zephyr following me out the bedroom door. Zephyr knows it is time for his walk.

After a stop in the bathroom, I put on my exercise clothes and sneakers, turn on the coffee pot, and get Zephyr’s leash and the flashlight. Zephyr is a kind and gentle male dog, fifty-five pounds, and looks like, you guessed it, Lassie. When Ann decided she wanted a dog, I overcame my dog phobia and said yes. For this measure of cooperation, I got to pick the breed. I picked the gentlest breed I could imagine – a Collie – and we found a breeder and Zephyr came home as a twelve-week-old puppy. Now, at two years old, he is the size of a small horse in my estimation, and like Lassie, a beautiful dog.

OK, the dog is walked and fed completely with his favorite bone. I notice it is 5:30 AM and realize that I must shave and shower in thirty minutes - more than enough time for most people, a race for me. From 6:00 to 6:15 AM I dress and then go to the kitchen to make Ann’s tea. At about 6:27 AM I carry the tea to the bedroom, wake Ann up lovingly, telling her how much I love her. At this moment I witness the greatest act of love any person can convey to another, Ann gets up to drive me to the train when she could easily have slept another hour by letting me drive myself. To wake and drive me in the fog, before daylight, is a sincere act of love. I am grateful that Ann wants to spend the time together since we will not see each other for another 13 hours when I arrive home on the train at 7:30 PM.

I let Ann get up, I start the car, turn on the TV for the dog (Zephyr likes to watch political commentary and is a pundit in training). Ann watches Morning Joe on MSNBC along with Zephyr while I get my stuff ready. On the show, they are involved in an open discussion on the financial bailout. We leave the dog with the TV on and drive ten minutes to the Fredericksburg train station through the fog. We talk, laugh, and comment on the news story. At the station, I kiss Ann goodbye, and she tells me to have a joyous day. I blow a kiss as I walk from the car and the commute begins. In two hours and fifteen minutes, I will be sitting in my office in Northwest Washington, DC.

THE TRAIN

The train station is historic and fits neatly into the ambiance of Fredericksburg, VA – the boyhood home of George Washington and the home to three other U.S. Presidents at some point in their lives, located equal distance between Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, DC, and a pivotal piece of real estate during the Civil War. There are two tracks at the station – Track 2 and Tack 3, leaving the location of Track 1 an on-going mystery.

On these tracks, the passenger trains run up and down the East Coast, from the Carolinas and Southern Virginia, with destinations set for Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. These are Amtrak passenger trains running alongside the CSX freight trains, and the slower Virginia Rail Express (VRE) Commuter trains, which hit every stop – eleven, to be exact, to DC. I prefer the Amtrak train to DC, which is faster than the VRE commuter train, making only five stops at Quantico, Woodbridge, and Alexandria, all in Virginia, with the final two stops, both in Washington, DC, at L’Enfant Plaza and Union Station. Although I usually take the Amtrak, I do take the VRE when I have to arrive at work for an early meeting, or the Amtrak is delayed.

I make my way on the walkway underneath the tracks, dragging my rolling briefcase up the long ramp to the train tracks - a full story above ground level. This positions the train to cross the Rappahannock River that borders the town. As I reach the upper platform, I can see all of Fredericksburg in front of me; the historic town shines below. I love this town, my home for four years. Quaint shops, stores, and restaurants unfold in front of me – brick sidewalks - street lamps – colonial colors with antique streets. The sun is coming up over the town, and I am charmed.

I roll my bag along with the platform and stand under a covered area with a group of my follow Amtrak commuters. Names are not important, and I do not remember many, but I know their stories and opinions on almost any subject appropriate to discuss in public. Today, Ron the Architect is discussing his Baltimore office, where those who work on the same floor have yet to meet their fellow workers, although they email daily. We discuss how email and Blackberries have replaced face-to-face communication, enabling all of us to avoid real personal contact. We joke that the next great business book will introduce these older methods of communication and be titled, “Face-to-Face – The New Approach to Communication.”

We are waiting for the Northbound Train #172, due to arrive in Fredericksburg at 7:00 AM, and finally arriving in Washington, DC one hour and twenty minutes later. The platforms are crowded with real travelers this morning, who are on their way up north. There are also close to a hundred high school students, from the local schools, who are taking their class trip to DC, adding to the excitement but surely slowing down the commute. The train horn sounds; we look down the track in anticipation; and finally, the large blue Amtrak diesel engine comes around the bend pulling ten passenger cars.

The commuters, who are professionals, eye each car to determine where the conductor will open the car door and allow the crowd to enter. The train slows to a stop as one of the back car doors open. The conductor comes out with a yellow step stool to help us climb up and onto the train. Luckily, the students and most of the non-commuters, board up in the front of the train so they will be close to the Cafe Car. Experienced riders head to the back of the train, including me.

I step up onto the train, wheeling my bag through each car, carefully looking for a quiet, empty seat for my commute, and if possible, one in a more isolated location. My morning commute is dedicated to my daily spiritual renewal, which will include prayer and meditation, so a location where my fellow travelers are not holding a conversation is preferred. Today, I go to the very last train car, locating a seat on the right, about two-thirds of the way back in the car. I sit in the outer seat on the right side row of seats and place my bag on the floor next to me. The goal here is quiet with no seatmates. I purposely avoid sitting near people I know.

In reality, most commuters are planning to sleep, also preferring not to be disturbed. The train pulls away from the station. I become one with the sound of the rumbling train wheels against the track, the train horn, and the power of this amazing vehicle getting up enough momentum to travel on its way. I am at peace, looking forward to this time to connect with God. This is my gift to me.

The conductor stops by to say good morning, collect my ticket, and finally places a small white stub of paper over my seat to show that I have paid. The comfortable blue seats of the train are easily adjusted so I can relax and meditate. I turn on the overhead lights and take a few minutes to look out the window, as this Amtrak train leaves Fredericksburg, crossing immediately over the Rappahannock River that flows along the edge of town.

The chorus of the Who’s rousing rock song of the sixties comes to me, as I begin this chapter, where I hope to let you know who I am, and outline the focus on my life and spiritual quest on the way to the train. In the end, life is a journey all about finding out the true “Who” of each of us. Who are you? Who Am I? Who are we collectively?

WHO ARE YOU?

Well, who are you?

Who, Who, Are You?

I really wanna know

Tell me, who are you?

Cause I really wanna know.

A Current The Who – Who Are You (Glastonbury 2015) YouTube Video - Link Below

If I ever write a book about my life, it will be titled, On The Way To The Train, because all I have experienced, prepares me for this train ride with God. I feel it is essential for you to understand who I am, how I have come to this place, and my connection with God. I have found that the story of our journeys, often, relay the real threads of enlightenment. We have all journeyed through life to reach this current now.

As I write this, I want you to be aware that I do not regret one second of my life, even the troubled waters make sense to me now, because they have defined and sculptured who I am today. I also believe success in life is not measured by what you have accomplished, but by how far you have traveled. I also think of one of my mother’s favorite sayings that still rings true for me, “son,” she would say, “God makes the back to fit the burden.” As with any life, there were burdens, but there were also joy, love, and wonder.

THE WAKE-UP CALL

I have debated with myself when in time to begin this first chapter of the Finding God On The Train Story, and after much internal discussion, I have decided to focus on my real religious conversion and epiphany at the age of 55 - that brought me to this point - typing these words and thinking these thoughts. I will then, in the next chapter, go back and provide you with the history that led to my waking up just in time. For I was fast asleep, and God, had to bring me to my knees, to get my attention.

It is 2006, Ann and I moved in together, living in Fredericksburg, and we were busy trying to sort out our new life and relationship, including our spiritual life. Still angry at the Episcopal Church over the senseless dispute regarding the ordination of a gay Bishop, that had, for me, transferred over to animosity for all established religions in general. I had returned to calling myself an agnostic, and after having had been a professed atheist at one time in my earlier life, it was easy to build a case against God. I would sit there and tell Ann, a lifelong Baptist, that I was no longer sure there was a God.

Ann did not run, but when looking back, she honestly believed she could save me, which is what she did. Ann saw me during these early days of our relationship as deeply spiritual, but very lost, full of anger and frustration. Looking back, I have to agree. But I was also starting to wear away at Ann’s belief system. Ann began to read a book on atheism, and, I was feeling guilty and responsible for undermining her faith.

One night, after a long discussion regarding this book and the existence of God, Ann went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. In the mirror was the hideous face of a hopeless, lost soul – and this reflection saved her, and probably me at the same time! Ann walked out of the bathroom – declared her belief in God and threw away the book. I admitted to her I did not want to take away her belief and replace it with nothing - which is what I now think atheism has to offer - nothing – no hope – no direction – no way.

Spiritual health seems to mirror or parallel physical health. When you are spiritually healthy, you are also more likely to be physically healthy. I was neither, and by August of 2006, I had been rushed to the hospital with vertigo after collapsing in the house we were renovating in Fredericksburg. The vertigo was easily manageable, but the MRI revealed an 11 mm tumor growing from my Pituitary Gland.

I was stunned, but I handled it as well as possible, trying not to panic. For the next six months, I spent countless hours with surgeons and specialists to determine a course of action, and assess the impact of the tumor. After calculating that I had time before it would grow large enough to impact my sight, hearing, or brain function, I was given a choice to hold off and operate later.

Let us fast forward just a bit to January 2007, and I am now, tumor and all, working as a consultant for a company providing health care to county prison systems. I am spending a great deal of time behind bars, but I am okay with it because it pays well, and I am learning a great deal of what happens on the darker and sadder side of life. As I am commuting to my assignment in Baltimore, I notice my left-hand feels strange, feels stiff, and will not operate properly. I cannot play the guitar, and eventually, my left hand will not open. It looks like a claw.

I go back to my doctors, but they are sure it is not being caused by the tumor. Around the same time, my left leg is not functioning fully, and I am starting to stumble. Honestly, this had happened a few years earlier when I lived in Maine. I ended up walking with a cane and considering surgery on my neck - opening up the spinal column. While in Maine, I had delayed the surgery, started walking again, and had been fully mobile for the past two years.

By mid-January 2007, my left hand was useless, and I was dragging my left leg with the use of a cane. I kept working because I thought I would get better – not a realistic or a healthy life choice. By the third week of January, I was buttoning my shirt first, on the bed, and then pulling it over my head – the left side of my body was numb, and my breathing was impacted. Ann was sick for a week – worn out from watching me fall apart. I knew what was happening, but refused to deal with it.

On Saturday, January 21st, I walked into the hospital emergency room in Fredericksburg. The day before, I had called the Neurosurgeon who was caring for my tumor and said I thought I needed help. That Saturday night I was transferred by ambulance to the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. When I arrived, I was greeted by a young Neurosurgery Resident from India, who did my intake exam, shaking his head over and over in disbelief, as he lamented that I had waited so long to seek medical attention.

The first thing Sunday morning I am meeting with one of the top spinal Neurosurgeons in the region. He explained that my surgeon had called him last night, feeling he had the expertise to handle this severe injury to the spine. I watched him as he spoke, impressed with his confidence and honesty. The surgeon went on and told me the discs in my neck were shattered, impacting my spinal cord, and as a result, I was paralyzed on the left side of my body. Even with immediate surgery, he said, I should not expect to use my left hand or leg again.

He was planning emergency surgery for later in the morning, bringing in his best team, and if I did not agree to the operation, I would have no more than two days before my right side, along with my entire body, would be paralyzed. I would quite possibly die soon after that. Trapped and half paralyzed, I realized that there was no choice, more on this later. The surgeon promised nothing, except to possibly hold off the paralysis, clearly letting me know this was one of the highest risk operations imaginable, since I had a narrow spinal cord, to begin with, and it was already damaged.

Ann, who had slept in a chair next to my bed Saturday night, stayed by my side until right before the operation. I told her no matter what happened, I had no regrets, loved her dearly, and enjoyed our time together. Probably not the thing to say before an operation, but I thought it needed to be said. Before she left, Ann reminded me to pray, and we joked that there were no atheists in the foxholes during the war. This was surely a foxhole.

Ann also asked if I was worried about the operation, and I said that I felt like I would come up “smelling like a rose.” This was the one positive remark my father said about me in my life, it had since become my affirmative mantra, and strangely enough, even my expectation in life. My father would say, shaking his head, that he didn’t know how I did it, but I always “went down in shit and came up smelling like a rose.” I heard this a thousand times growing up, usually after I had sidestepped some possible demise or succeeded at the impossible. Coming from my father, who rarely had anything positive to say about me, I believed it was true, and still do today. For some strange reason, I believe the world is looking out for me, and it always does, and I will come up - “smelling like a rose.”

This operation was no exception, and as I prepared for the operation, I knew I would be all right. Ann was forced to leave and begin the five-hour wait alone, but I knew she would be praying for me, both of us, and this gave me comfort. I also thought of Erik Erikson; the Freudian psychoanalyst who taught at Harvard and set up the developmental stages of life, starting with the typical Oral and Anal stages, but moving on to a final stage of life, where we assess how we lived our lives. For the final stage, Erikson defined the key issue as “Integrity versus Despair,” where we determine if we have lived fully, or we despair for having not lived up to our dreams and desires. Knowing this, I had lived much of my life for this moment and was pleased with my life assessment of my accomplishments over my fifty–five years, and although somewhat unconventional, produced no major regrets.

As I was being prepared for the operation and met the surgical team, I did feel a need to talk with God directly, not to plead my case, but to let God know that I expected the operation would be a success, and if it did not work for some reason, I wanted God to receive me. I just talked directly to God and admitted I had struggled spiritually and was lost much of the time, and I regretted not connecting more fully and becoming what it was that I was meant to become. This notion of, not becoming what I was meant to become, came as a surprise to me, and although I did not know what I was referring to exactly, I knew it to be true and felt I had in some way not completed some spiritual mission. I felt a profound sense of failure. I realized while waiting for this operation and the possible end of my life, that even with all my accomplishments, I may have missed the spiritual point of my life.

And although I had learned and studied most of the major religions on the planet, had been both a Christian and a Jew, I knew, at that moment, I had not been truly genuine: I had not done what I came to life to do. I promised and committed to God that if I survived, I would work hard to understand what I was meant to do, and I would focus my spiritual and physical life on accomplishing this mission. As the anesthesia kicked in and I was wheeled to the operating room, I hoped I would be given this second chance.

Five hours later, I regained consciousness as I was being wheeled out of the operating room. I had a Titanium plate and three fused discs in my enlarged cervical spine. The first thing I did was check my left hand, and to my amazement, it was open - fingers moving. I put my hand in front of my face, right before my eyes, watching my fingers move for the first time in a month. Next, I moved my left leg, which had been immobile – hours before - and it moved easily – tears came to my eyes, and I thanked God – for I was whole again.

The Neurosurgery Resident, who had admitted me to the hospital on Saturday night, was so impressed that he said, repeatedly, as he prepared me to go home, “this is a miracle, a true miracle, I have never seen anything like this, you are truly blessed.” And three days after the operation, I walked out of the hospital without a cane and only a neck brace, with my surgeon and medical staff watching in triumph, wonder, and pride. I understood this was a gift of love from God and I had a promise to keep.

THE FIRST STEPS

One step begins the journey of a thousand miles, and this was the first step. I would take two months to fully recuperate – living night and day in a neck brace, going to physical therapy, and preparing to reenter life. Things began to change rapidly. Two weeks after the operation I had a job interview at a major hospital in Washington, DC. I went neck brace and all – Ann drove me, but I was able to walk and handle the interview, getting the job after a second visit. I received an offer and was able to start in early April. The only downside was the commute, which would take over two hours each way - the good news was I could take the train instead of driving.

Ann and I both realized we had lost our way in the period before the operation: we needed to work on our approach to the world, shifting away from our negative mindset, and developing a more positive attitude. On Sunday, Ann mentioned that in the Sunday Magazine of our local newspaper there was a brief review of Jeffrey Gitomer’s book, titled the Little Golden Book of Yes! Attitude that I referenced in the introduction. I was interested because Gitomer was a Temple University Alum who, as a salesman, had become a successful presenter and writer. “It’s your thoughts behind the words you speak that create your attitude,” guided Gitomer. Both Ann and I read Gitomer’s books, which introduced us to the world of positive thinking and attitude control - and in turn, introduced us to Earl Nightingale’s - ”you become what you think all day.”

Gitomer’s Yes! Attitude is a gem of positive thinking, which I still refer to often. At the time, the book propelled Ann and me forward, inspiring us to continue our positive thinking and attitude studies with the works of such greats as Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, and Russell Conwell. It also led us to rediscover one of our favorites, that we had both read and studied over twenty years prior, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, whose focus incorporated God and faith into the quest for a positive attitude.

It is late February of 2007, and we are spiritually recuperating, working on positive thinking and positive attitudes, and I am still in the neck brace. We are visiting Ann’s mom, who lives nearby, and she is watching the Larry King Show on the television. Larry is interviewing someone who has contributed to a new book about the Law of Attraction titled, The Secret, authored by a documentary filmmaker named Rhonda Byrne.

The Secret, which had been recently introduced on the Oprah Winfrey Show, was becoming a best seller. Ann’s Mom, who was always up to date on the latest trends, said she had watched the show on Oprah. It turns out, with Rhonda Byrne facing financial disaster, her daughter gave her a book titled - Science of Getting Rich - written 100 hundred years ago by a New Thought teacher and philosopher named Wallace Wattles. After reading the book, Byrne decides to produce a documentary on the Law of Attraction. The documentary becomes an Internet success, with Byrne publishing the book to attract a wider audience.

So I am watching Larry King, who is questioning his guest on how our thoughts vibrate and we can attract what we think about into our lives; like a parking space, money, a new job, or a lover. I said to Ann, it sounded kind of crazy, but it related somewhat to what we were reading. Ann said she had been given a copy of The Secret a month or so before, and she still had the copy at home. When I got home, I opened the book and was amazed - for the first time, I encountered the Law of Attraction.

Little did I know, this reference guide was a primer for New Thought, and would help to change my life forever. Ann and I each bought a copy of the book along with the CD audio version, and we began intensely listening to and reading The Secret. We were introduced to an array of New Thought oriented teachers or avatars, as they are referred to in the book, with the most well-known, in New Thought circles, being Rev. Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith, the New Thought Religious Science trained minister, and the founder of one of the largest New Thought churches in the country, the Agape International Spiritual Center.

More than introducing us just to the Law of Attraction, The Secret, exposed us to the world of New Thought with its concept of a loving and kind God, open to assist us all with obtaining an abundant life. The Secret, of course, features the most important New Thought avatar of all time – Jesus – and the first biblical presence to introduce the concept of the Law of Attraction, by teaching:

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith,

you will receive. Mathew 21:22.

So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,

believe that you have received it,

and it will be yours. Mark 11:24.

THE ZEPHYR STORY

So here we are in March of 2007, I am still recovering from my surgery, weaning from my neck brace, and Ann is talking about her desire to have a dog. Now the addition of a dog to our family was a delicate subject since I am what most would consider dog-phobic, ever since, as a boy, my older sister had a large chunk of her thigh removed by a “friendly” German Shepherd - as the owners watched on. Needless to say, although my sister recovered, I did not, spending the remainder of my childhood, and adult life, avoiding dogs. In my thirties, as a runner, my neighbors would laugh and say I altered my running course based on the dogs I observed up ahead in the neighborhood. They were right.

I realize Ann is serious and wants a dog. I also realize in a new relationship, this could be a major issue, so I agree. Ann is ecstatic, and through the tears of joy tells me I can pick the breed of dog I would feel safe with, or as OK as I could feel. As I have mentioned earlier in the chapter, growing up with Lassie on TV, I thought of a Collie first, to me at least - a gentle, kind, breed - also willing and capable of pulling me out of a river if needed. Before I could fully say the word Collie, Ann was on the computer looking for breeders.

To Ann’s dismay, and my surprise, after an extensive search there were very few Collie breeders in the country. Ann was not fazed and after some effort located a breeder in New Orleans, who specialized in breeding and showing Collies. After frequent emails and phone calls with the breeder named Mary, Ann came back with the bad news. There was a new litter of six Collie pups that would be ready shortly, but they were already all adopted, with a waiting list of twelve enthusiastic potential owners on standby for future litters.

Ann was disappointed but kept emailing Mary, who was impressed with Ann’s interest and copied her on the emails being sent to all those who would be receiving the new puppies. Ann looked at the pictures of the puppies, read the emails, and became even more focused on finding a Collie puppy as soon as possible. Ann, who was reading The Secret along with me, spent countless hours trying to manifest a Collie utilizing the book's clear how-to steps. Ann felt that if this Law of Attraction stuff were true, then she would be able to attract her dog. I was still working on parking spaces, but to give her hope, I encouraged her to keep trying. She did.

At the same time, Ann spent hours searching the Internet, rescue shelters, and calling breeders for a Collie. She even struck up a friendship with one of the women who was on Mary’s adoption list, preparing for the day when she would be next in line. Still, no luck, and Ann seemed to be getting slightly depressed and obsessed. When the dreams started, frankly, I began to worry in earnest. Each morning Ann would recount this recurring dream she would have regarding the Collie she so desperately wanted and had to have now. Ann would tell me the dream and talk about the soft, gentle breeze. Having been a Psych major, and having read Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams, I knew that dreams were considered to be fulfilled wishes, providing in dream life what we desire in our actual life. I was not surprised, since by this time in late March, finding a Collie was all that Ann talked about each day. The dreams were always the same.

It is a beautiful summer afternoon with a soft, gentle

breeze, with Ann and me sitting on what appears to be

porch overlooking a large manicured yard, that rolls

down to a river. Out walking and playing in the sunlight

is a beautiful full-grown Collie, with a distinctive white

haired neck looking at us, and Ann knows this is her dog,

while feeling a tremendous emotion of love for the dog.

Ann watches as the dog’s hair is swept back by

the soft, gentle breeze. The key to every dream is the

beautiful Collie in the sunlight, with the dog’s hair

moving in the soft, gentle breeze.

Over and over, the soft, gentle breeze story was told. Night after night the dream occurred, and then, started coming to her at work and during the day as a daydream. I was worried because no dog was available and Ann was not taking it well. I convinced Ann to stop reading Mary’s emails to the other potential owners, and let it go for a while to gain some composure and space. It was the end of March, and this was my last week before I would start my new job in Washington, DC.

On Tuesday night of this same week, Ann came home from work announcing that this was the day she was going to get her dog. Ann said, “I am going to get it, I am sure, I do not know how, but I am going to get it.” She was holding a newspaper, and she quickly looked in the classifieds for a Collie, but no dog. Still, she was convinced. I was apprehensive. I reminded her that this was driving her crazy and she needed to step back to take a breather and think of something else. We compromised and talked about having enough cash if she did find the dog. Ann wanted to check her bank account, so she went on her computer, which was now in the bedroom, and went into her email. She saw an email from Mary and thought of avoiding it, but read it anyway.

I heard a scream from the bedroom and ran to the room in a panic. Ann is standing in front of the screen crying, laughing, jumping, and screaming - “I have Zephyr.” Ann’s shaking hand pointed to the screen, and she said I should read the email to ensure she was reading it correctly. The email simply said –

Ann, Zephyr is ready for you to pick him up.

I was stunned and confused. Ann was already on the phone calling Mary jumping with excitement. It was true, Mary had decided that day to give Zephyr to Ann - the male collie that had been held back from adoption, to see if he could qualify to follow in his father’s footsteps, and become one of the top show dogs in the country. Zephyr’s potential owner was a man in New Orleans, who was told earlier in the day, he would have to wait until next time, Mary, working on a feeling that Zephyr wanted to come to Ann instead, wrote the email above.

I was amazed, Ann was ecstatic, but reality rushed in quickly. We would need to drive to New Orleans from Fredericksburg to pick up Zephyr. It was going to be a costly trip. Anyway, I had to start a new job the next week and get ready. That night in bed, we were still debating, when Ann said we should let Zephyr go to the next owner. Not sure why, but I turned to Ann and said, “you have used the Law of Attraction and have manifested this dog, and we have to follow through, or we will never receive in the future.” Ann was relieved, and I knew I had made the right decision.

We got out of bed excited by the trip, and the experience, and decided to talk about a name for our new dog. The breeder’s name was Zephyr, but we were thinking of calling the new dog Ralph Waldo Emerson, or some other New Thought icon’s name, to commemorate the Law of Attraction. I said that we should first look up what the name Zephyr means, and then if we don’t like it, we can choose another name.

So I pulled out the Webster’s New World College Dictionary, flipped through the pages to the Z’s in the very back, page 1664 to be exact, looking down the page for Zephyr, read the definition below, and my entire being shook as the goosebumps covered my body and tears came to my eyes. I said, Ann, you will not believe this, but Zephyr means “soft, gentle breeze” as I read the following definition over and over again:

zephyr (zef’er) 1. The west wind 2. Zephyrus

3. a soft, gentle breeze.

Zephyrus (zef’ e rus) Greek Myth, the west wind

personified as a god.

We were stunned and joyous at the same time, for God had shown the way, and assisted Ann with cocreating and manifesting us a dog. If there ever was a doubt about our path or Zephyr, this was our sign, and we would be off to New Orleans the next day, traveling to pick up our soft, gentle breeze. We enjoyed our trip to Mary’s, where Ann met her email friend who had adopted another dog in the litter and drove the very same red Saturn VUE that Ann and I had driven down to New Orleans. We had an authentic Crawfish dinner, and our lives were changed forever.

Two years later, on a summer afternoon, as we sat looking out over our yard watching Zephyr move gracefully through the soft, gentle breeze, Ann turns to me and says, with a look of awe in her eyes – “this is it, the dream I had over and over. This is the dream, look at Zephyr and the soft, gentle breeze.”

ON THE TRAIN

I started work the next Monday with Zephyr safely home, spending my five-hour commutes on the train reading one New Thought related writer after the other, Beckwith, Canfield, and Wayne Dyer, whose landmark book, The Power of Positive Intention, set Ann and I off to find a church that would match our newly discovered beliefs. As I explained in the introduction, this was not easy. We started with what we had known, visiting most of the Episcopal, Baptist, and Evangelical churches in the area, thinking and hoping, if we found a positive one - one that did not focus on sin, shame, and guilt - we would join.

At this time, I began fixating on the word Temple, and this led to thinking about Russell Conwell, who was mentioned by Gitomer in his book. After a visit to the Temple University website, I rediscovered that Russell Conwell was actually a New Thought oriented Baptist minister, whose popular New Thought speech titled Acres of Diamonds became a lecture sensation, based on a Sufi tale of a man who spent his life searching for an acre of diamonds, only to have the largest diamond mine in the world discovered in his own backyard - after his death.

Russell Conwell, in this speech, emphasized that God wanted us all to be prosperous and rich, and it was our individual responsibility to make the most out of our lives. Conwell, the Joel Osteen of his time, gave this speech a staggering 6,000 times across the world between 1900 and 1925, without the benefit of modern transportation, to enthusiastic audiences, who loved his message. Conwell became one of the great New Thought doers of all time, using these funds to build Temple University, my Alma Mater, Temple Hospital, and providing an avenue and opportunity for working-class students to reap the rewards of higher education.

Although I never realized Conwell’s New Thought connection until later in my life, in my mid-twenties, I was a Graduate Assistant with the Temple Career Development Center while pursuing my MBA degree at the Temple Graduate School of Business. When I received my MBA, I decided to work in Career Development, and I was later asked to become the Director of Career Services at Temple University. My office overlooked the statue of Russell Conwell in the Founders Garden, which was the final resting place of this true New Thought humanitarian. For a wonderful insight into New Thought, as it related to abundance, and the wonder of Russell Conwell, I strongly encourage you to read Acres of Diamonds - A Self Improvement Classic, which includes the entire speech.

Ann and I focused our efforts during May and June of 2007, visiting and rejecting a collection of traditional, evangelical, and very untraditional churches, one after another, realizing that what we were seeking may not have existed in real life. Each church focused on some version of original sin, guilt, punishment, and salvation. In July, after we had given up for a few weeks, Ann said she had seen a small advertisement referring to a church that talked about abundance and positive thought. We went to our first Unity Church service where the congregation meditated during the service; which discussed the feasibility of directly connecting with God, and did not accept the notion of sin and guilt. We had found a New Thought church, changed our lives, and for now, with all our New Thought thinking, we had a place of worship. More on Unity and New Thought in Chapter 3, New Thought Positive Spirituality - Yesterday and Today. To learn more about Unity, please see my link on the right-hand sidebar of my blog at www.FindingGodOnTheTrain.com

FINAL THOUGHTS

Writing and editing this chapter has provided a cathartic experience for Ann and me, as we again realized the miracle of our spiritual rebirth, and our deep gratitude to Rhonda Byrne, and all of the other New Thought pioneers who have prepared the way before us. We have also realized that although our spiritual evolution has depended on God, and the Law of Attraction, to bring us to the next spiritual step, life would have been easier if New Thought had been less of a secret. It is now our life mission, through this book and the related blog, to make the road easier and clearer for those who travel with us.

Next, Chapter Two will focus on my middle years and my exploration of world religions, my early conversion to Judaism, and my life in high-tech corporate America. I want to close off this chapter with a closing meditative note - I often refer to as a Note On Enlightenment – along with a positive affirmation, and a short affirmative thought or prayer.

I hope you are enjoying the trip!

CLOSING NOTE ON ENLIGHTENMENT

Awake From The Dream, is a meditative note that in a personal spiritual sense, as highlighted by this chapter, signifies for me the many years I was asleep while fully awake, never realizing I was slowly dying from spiritual malnutrition. When I spiritually drift off to sleep from time to time, I use this meditation guidance as a wake-up call from God. This guidance is also a reminder that we all conceive of our own individualized reality, and through our continual interpretation, we give it meaning and form.

AWAKE FROM THE DREAM - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Awake from the dream of life, awake from the illusion

and become enlightened.

Awake from the dream of life – refreshed and full of

wisdom and grace. The dream of life is an illusion –

we have all been fooled by its tangible nature – hard,

physical, seemingly solid - look above, around the side –

look through and see the vibrations – the pulse held

together by a limited perception.

Awake from the dream and see its transitory nature,

a brief encounter during “our” moments of reflection.

We manifest this illusion with all of its beauty – one

thought and creation at a time. This is a collective

illusion, a collective vision authored by each one

of us in harmony with God.

In this collective illusion of humanity, we set our

stage, take our roles, form and reform our parts,

and deliver the lines of our lives.

In this collective illusion, we are the screenwriter,

the producer, the director, the hero, the villain or

victim, as we choose, utilizing and partnering with

the creative power of God.

Awake from the collective illusion and develop your

own script, plotline, story, and ending – not as an

extra but as the actor – the director you were created

to be.

Awake from the dream of life, the collective illusion

and be one with the God you were born to be.

NOE G. 5.8.2009 7:50 AM

CLOSING AFFIRMATIONS

Let me close this chapter with a spiritual affirmation I wrote during this period of awakening when I was still searching for a religious home and a personal connection with God. As with most affirmations, I write as if I already possess what I am seeking. So I began reading this affirmation out loud daily, and in a few months, I had started meditating, found Unity, and began to obtain my spiritual sea legs. As with all the material in this book, and on the blog, please feel free to adapt it to meet your needs.

A PERSONAL SPIRITUAL AFFIRMATION

I am joyful and thankful for a lasting, deep, sincere, and

personal ongoing relationship with God, and for having

found a connection with God through a church and religion

that fosters abundance and self-actualization, with faith

a strong component of all that I do and think. Keeping God

informed of what I want and need to be happy. I want all

this or something better.

Affirmations are most effective when you can apply an emotional connection to your affirmative statement. In this affirmation, “joy” - truly one of the most powerful of all emotions – is elicited, and when combined with gratitude, charges this statement with a powerful emotional force. Try adding a line, such as, “I am filled with emotion and thankful for…” when drafting your affirmations, and see if it doesn’t give them more positive force. The final sentence of this affirmation above - I want all this or something better - is a line used by many who write affirmations, and it tells the universe, that although you want this to manifest in your life, you are always open to something better.

CLOSING AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

I would like to close this chapter, where I am focusing on my own spiritual journey, with what I call an Affirmative Thought. Those, who follow my blog will know that I write Ann a brief note each morning before I go to work, delivering it with her morning tea. Ann looks forward to these notes and has come to expect one every morning.

I also enjoy taking a moment to write her this morning note, connecting with spirit, and jotting down my thoughts whether spiritual or romantic. If I like the note, I make a quick copy on the printer and often use it later as a daily blog post. Never has someone gotten so much mileage on a brief note! A few days ago, I left the note on the printer, and I got a call on the train from a frustrated Ann, saying, “Where’s the note? I cannot find the note?” I directed her to the printer and all was well. This Affirmative Note reminds us of ……

THE AMAZING GIFT - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

Today let us live as if there is no tomorrow -

fully present in this moment now – realizing

the amazing gift of life is a miracle to be fully

enjoyed, held sacred, and profoundly lived.

Today let us live with complete passion and

and enthusiasm – awake and present for each

breath – for each step – empowered and ready

to enjoy.

Today let us reach out to all we love and hold

dear – touching them with our kindness and

ensuring they know how much we love them!

Today let us live.

____________________________________

PART ONE MY SPIRITUAL AND LIFE JOURNEY

CHAPTER TWO - ON THE WAY TO THE TRAIN

SUCH IS CONSCIOUSNESS

I face the magic alone standing solitary beneath

a lonely street lamp.

I see only the illuminated world and struggle

to adjust my vision to peer into the darkness.

This oasis of light protects me, secures me

like a warm blanket on a winter’s night.

I search the street signs for an indication,

a name, a marker, any visual identification,

label or framework.

Failing, I ask, "where am I?"

Here and there is a response from

the hollow darkness.

I move quickly to the voice and the light moves

with me. I run, and the light runs with me.

Like a spotlight chasing a spastic actor

who has forgotten his cues – the light follows.

Such is consciousness, a comforting light

in an unlit world.

NOE G. 1.29.2000

OPENING THOUGHTS

Here is Chapter Two, titled On The Way To The Train - making up the second chapter of Part One - My Spiritual And Life Journey, inspired by Ann’s suggestion that readers would want to know more about me after they completed Chapter One. In the process of writing this chapter, I have gotten to meet myself again, and borrowing a phrase from poet Derek Walcott’s poem, Love After Love, offered below, I have greeted myself arriving at my own door, and I have had a chance to feast on my life.

The time will come when with elation,

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror,

and each will smile at the other’s welcome,

and say sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who had loved you

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

For all the Georges I have met along the way – to the little George who withstood the firestorm of my early life, to the adolescent George who conquered fear and plowed on to become the adult George, who kept searching for the genuine - authentic George when it would have been easier to give in or give up. I commend you all for your contributions to the ever-evolving, but very happy spiritual George, who loves you all and has had the privilege to tell our story.

I often ask myself the question, what have I learned from this? Here is my response. Three lessons seem to be obvious to me. First, I was extremely lucky not only to have survived my childhood but also to have lived the life that I have lived. Second, being a character myself, I am fascinated by the characters that I have met along the way and enjoy telling their stories. And lastly, I have been in the constant search for something that has kept me evolving and growing. I believe I have found it, and this is it. So, for all who wondered what I was doing on the way to the train, here is the answer.

FLOATING BACK ON TOP

I keep on livin’, to keep from cryin’.

I keep on dreamin’, to keep from dyin’.

I keep on trying, I ain't gonna stop.

Get right down to the bottom of the barrel

and float back on top.

Bottom Of The Barrel By Amos Lee

YouTube Video Provided By Universal Music Group

https://youtu.be/ICAImToCstI

Listen On Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/track/3FLYHWXkojNtBSqB7MDslh

Preview and Purchase on iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/amos-lee/45539761

Or purchase from the Amos Lee Website

As I look back on my life, the one central theme that comes to mind can be described by the word “buoyancy,” defined by Webster as “the ability or tendency to float or the power to keep something afloat.” I would have to say I have had a “buoyant life.” Many times I have gotten right down to the bottom of the barrel, as my favorite singer-songwriter Amos Lee aptly expresses in the verse of his song, Bottom of the Barrel quoted above, and by some miracle, I have ended up floating right back on top. Overall, I have lived my life just the way that I pleased and made the decisions that seemed right at the time, so I have no one else to blame or congratulate but myself. I have lived my life, so when I face the final moments of life, I will have no regrets about having not lived.

God knows, I have not always made the right decisions, and have at times negatively impacted my family. My kids would call themselves “Shifters,” a term they made up for the many lifestyles they lived as I experimented with jobs, careers, and life. My kids’ felt that every few years, they would be in a new life created by a new career move or dream I was pursuing. I sincerely thank them for their flexibility.

This shifting also had to do with my love relationships, so I have been no stranger to divorce throughout my adult years. Spiritually, I was also shifting - moving from my early commitment to the Methodist ministry, to the atheist/agnostic focus of my youth, to my conversion to Judaism, to my lifelong interest in Zen Buddhism and Sufism, to spending ten years as an Episcopalian, and finally to my current New Thought approach.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING

As I take even a closer look, especially looking at what I have written in this chapter, I find that beneath the “buoyancy” that saved me from the “shifting” in my life, I was constantly looking for something. As I write this, the tagline from the Eurhythmics rhythmically enchanting hit song of the 1980’s - Sweet Dreams: “Everybody’s Looking For Something” is playing out in my mind. I think about my years of “looking for something.” I was never sure what I was missing.

By my late forties, when my searching still left me empty, I tried to fill that void with therapy, prescription drugs, and food that I ate until I weighed over 275 lbs. and could barely walk. One reason I wanted to share my story, is because I know others are also out there “looking for something,” and don’t understand why all the material things and success they have acquired, will not satisfy them. I believe in my heart that the something I was looking for, and many of us are looking for, is simply a loving God. This book, blog, and my life are now about helping others form their own connection with God, and hopefully, finding what they have been missing.

I also hope that this chapter answers the “Who Am I” question I originally presented in Chapter One, giving the reader a sense of my unique spiritual and life journey. To do this, I break the chapter into four main life - timing sections. I call the first section, the “Early Years,” which were life-defining as all childhoods are, and includes a cast of characters that greatly impacted my early life, for better or worse, and comprises some of my most cherished memories.

At the same time, I have felt compelled to briefly address the abusive side of my childhood, because it has, and continues to, impact my life. I have tried to handle it in a poem, marking this poem so it can be easily skipped. Next, “Navigating The Late 1960s” is the title of the second section, jumping back in time to the 1960s with me at the age of fourteen, just beginning to navigate through my teenage years and the late sixties, and then slips into the early 1970s, to cover my initial college years.

The third section focuses on me in my twenties, and is titled “Conversion, Graduate Business School, and The Young Adult Years.” And finally, the closing section, which covers my adult life up through my mid 50'’s, which I call “High Tech, Island Break, and Mid-Life.” My current life is not included, because it has been covered by the previous chapter, and will continue to be updated in the remainder of the book.

Again, I ask you to join me on the train as we go in reverse and travel back in time on a brief journey through the 1950s, the late 1960s, and beyond, where my life and career highs merged with the spiritual searching to create an intricate backdrop, and preparation for my role today. All aboard!

THE EARLY YEARS

Let’s start at the beginning. There are those in the New Thought and metaphysical movement who feel we pick our parents, and life situations, before taking human form, so we can experience a predetermined set of challenges, and by overcoming these challenges, we can progress along our spiritual path. If so, as I have joked, I was the product of a cosmic bait and switch, where my previously ordered parents, morphed quickly after birth into wholly different creatures. As you can see, I am still struggling with accepting this - you pick your parents and family members for spiritual growth - concept.

My mother, whose name was Joyce, a stunningly beautiful young woman from Denison, Texas, who may have had bad luck with men, or a penchant for exotic bad boys, was already divorced from her Native American husband, who was serving time in prison, and the father of my half-brother, Jimmy, when she met my father, Van. My father, who was serving in the Air Force, was a hefty, charming, humorous, six foot three fun-loving guy, who everyone jokingly called Tiny. My mother was from the south, my father the son of a Philadelphia engineer. My father married my mother in Texas and brought his wife and half Native American stepson back to his northern parents, and all hell broke loose.

Although my mother hated Philadelphia as much as my father’s parents hated her, she recovered from a nervous breakdown and gave birth to my brother Van, my sister Luria, my younger brother Stephen, and me, and we all lived in a row house in Philadelphia with my stepbrother Jimmy. My father, who drove a truck for a living, and although a bitter disappointment to his father, went on to read a book a week, becoming an expert on the civil war, and all wars, in fact, loved movies, loved to draw, and when not in a rage, was quite normal. My mother became a housewife, opening up a daycare business in our home so she could have her own money, and would always have people around for safety.

My mother was the resident psychologist for the neighborhood, deeply loved by all who met her, and as a result, my home was always filled to overflowing with an abundance of unique characters, many were my mother’s friends; others, stopped by to deliver and pick up their children; some were just neighbors, but all sought my mother’s loving and sensitive advice on life.

There was Johnny, the former Catholic priest, and gay bar owner, my mother’s best friend. Dale, the former Olympic swimming hopeful, with her two lovely daughters, whose Bank president husband would periodically suffer from amnesia, only to be found wandering around in distant cities after extensive searches. Others like Aunt Peggy, as we called her, was a highly paid Executive Secretary who was raising her sister’s two boys, Tony and Michael, as her sister dealt with the ravages of alcoholism. Tony and Michael lived with us all week, being picked up by Aunt Peggy for the weekend. After a few years, Tony and Michael felt like siblings. And then there was our neighbor from up the street, who grew up in Nazi Germany, married her America soldier husband after the war, came to America, but never fully gained a broader perspective on Jews or human rights, although she was more than generous and kind to my mother and our family.

I grew up standing around the kitchen table exposed to these strong women, along with a supporting cast of other characters that I loved and learned from daily, and God willing, will someday document in a book, so I never lose their deeply human stories and the flavor of the times and their lives.

Although my mother has transitioned, she is to this day the kindest, most loving, gentle soul that I have encountered in life, who lived and overcame an extremely abusive husband, and a great deal of heartache.

My mother had much to deal with in the 1950s, paramount was my half-brother Jimmy, who as a teenager was a magnet for every aspiring criminal in the neighborhood. Jimmy’s friends all wore black tee shirts and jeans with chains coming out of their pockets and listened to early rock and roll, did drugs of some sort, played bongos, planned robberies, and hung out each night in the basement of my house.

More characters for me, including the lovable Big John, who was six foot six, feared by all as the local loan shark’s collection agent and enforcer, but kind to me and the other kids, and my brother Jimmy’s best friend. Of course, a leading character was my brother’s occasional girlfriend who had epilepsy, a biker type with the “Property of the Warlocks,” a local motorcycle gang, tattooed across her rear end, which she was fond of showing all who asked, or some, like me, who did not.

One of my earliest memories is of my mother walking in the front door of our house with the morning Philadelphia Bulletin, our local newspaper in hand, groaning and bursting into tears, falling to her knees and screaming, “God why.” On the front page was a story featuring my brother Jimmy’s late-night bowling alley safe cracking caper with Big John, which had gone bad, ending in a high-speed chase where my brother jumps out of a car, for some reason, going 60 MPH.

It was later explained to me that it was the result of some high-speed miscommunication. Luckily for Jimmy, he was quite handsome and personable and was able to minimize his jail time, and upon release, headed to the West Coast for a few years. This is where I also learned an important life lesson from Jimmy, crime does not pay, and most criminals are not all that smart.

But it was Jimmy, who returned home from California years later, who was the first to expose me to the folk music of Peter, Paul, and Mary, and Phil Ochs, along with the metaphysical and spiritual world straight from California. Since my brother also returned home with an addiction to diet pills, I spent long nights with him learning about Extra Sensory Perception (ESP), the healing powers and writings of Edgar Cayce, how to successfully perform Astral Projection, Nostradamus and his predictions for the end of the world, the Freemasons, and the religious order of the Rosicrucian’s. I would listen for hours, read all the discussed books, and come back for more each night. I will always be grateful to my brother for the time he took to offer me this education into a world I would only fully reconnect with over thirty-five years later.

SURVIVING THE EARLY YEARS

All was well regarding abuse, as far as I knew, until I was five. I need to tell this story because it was a defining moment in my life, and my sister Luria’s life, and set the stage for our abusive childhood. It also underscores the fact that we are all faced with challenges in life, to live through and hopefully survive. We emerge from these challenges, as either a victim or a victor, or like me, somewhere in-between.

I wrote the following poetic depiction when I realized that I had a Pituitary Brain Tumor, and I needed to face my unresolved and unforgiven past again. I was walking around thinking I had resolved all these issues years ago with therapy and anti-depressants. I had not, and, I believe, the physical issues I now have, partially come from these unresolved childhood events. I think these unresolved issues can eventually kill us, and, if possible, we need to find a way to forgive those involved, cleanse our souls, and understand how we can perceive our victory in these events. If this is too much for you, I have italicized this section so you can skip it, if desired.

I feel this poetic depiction will give you the flavor of this childhood memory, when during a bright sunny afternoon, as a tiny boy of five, with long blond curly hair, I teamed with my eight-year-old sister, Luria, and actually saved my mother’s life. We won that day and were sort of victors, but the fight went on for many years.

RAGING LIKE A BULL

How does a person get so overtaken that they violently

rage against life

As a child, clearly pure, the monster would appear inside

my father and he became the full fury of hell on earth,

ripping at life, beating, threatening, hurting, scarring,

bashing

Moving to destroy all – life, balance, future, peace -

a monster-

who just hours before spoke peacefully – lovingly.

The hellfire and damnation exploding across the

faces of tiny children watching the tornado of

hopelessness and despair unleash a horror of pain.

In these moments all time stopped – too fearful to tick on –

between giant punches my mother’s face grew blue,

then red as the monster tore away at her life –

to extinguish her existence.

My sister and I learned to fight the monster but living

in fear –

we prepared for the next visit to madness.

POEM G.

I am a survivor of an abusive household, which has shaped my life. I made a decision early in my life that despite the terror that existed at home I would prevail and succeed. My sister Luria was not so lucky and never recovered to live a normal life. There was not enough therapy, or drugs, or God to clear away the horrors that she endured, including sexual abuse, until one day she sat facing a table of pills, and the horror was silenced forever.

The loving father, who turned into a monster on occasion, did not do much to support my concept of a judgmental, punishing God existing in heaven, and I believe it led me on a search for the loving God, which I have found so many years later.

NAVIGATING THE LATE 1960s

Simon and Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water (Live 1969)

https://youtu.be/GYKJuDxYr3I

“And like a bridge over troubled waters I will lay me down,” and I am watching and listening to Simon and Garfunkel introduce their new song at the Arena Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, my hometown, and it is December 1969, I am seventeen, my hair is long, I am high, but as I listen to these two poets of the sixties sing, Paul at the grand piano, Art at the microphone in the spotlight, they touch my heart, and I fight back my tears for fear my friends will notice. The song ends, the crowd erupts with a standing ovation to this hymn of love, hope, and compassion, and I think of God.

I have spent my life wrestling with my spiritual self, and I have spent my time in the desert; often the demons won. Since I was a toddler, my mother said I suffered from “Divine Discontent,” because I was always searching for something that was just beyond my reach. Now, when I look back, I think it was an accurate description of my spiritual condition.

By the age of fourteen, I was a Boy Scout, an extremely religious teenager with a God and Country Award (the highest scouting medal for religious service), and the president of my Methodist Youth Group. I had already delivered a twenty-minute sermon on the life of Paul to my five hundred-member church congregation and had decided to make a career commitment to the Methodist ministry. This should have been the end of the story, except that life in an abusive household started to take its toll. I think that it was the two worlds, with God on one side and the devil at home, on the other that started to wear away at my concept and belief in God.

Along with this, I would have to point to the late 1960s, with its multiple enticements stemming from a whole new consciousness and way of thinking, including the standard sex, drugs, and rock and roll. In my early years of high school, I was on the soccer, fencing, and tennis teams, the Stage Crew, and a member of my high school fraternity, Sigma Kappa Phi.

But by the time I was sixteen, I was also hanging out in Rittenhouse Square (the main hippie hangout in Philly), attending rock concerts at the Electric Factory on the weekends, and throwing myself into the radical thinking of the late sixties with the same intensity I had followed all the religious rules and practices previously. And in short order, the floodgates of late sixties opportunity opened for me and I co-founded an underground student newspaper in Philadelphia, won a prestigious national student journalism award for one of my articles, began a coffee/rock house with my friends in an old wine basement, and became a noted protester of the Vietnam war and anything else worth protesting,

I also became a vocal atheist, who after entering the local community college at seventeen, still took every religion course available. To give you some flavor of the time, one day in the morning I marched against the war with the Young Socialists, after the march, I headed over to hear Guru Bawa who had a spiritual center in Philadelphia to talk about enlightenment and ended the day working at my local food cooperative stacking the shelves and wrapping cheese. Of course, my friends said I only followed Guru Bawa because they served great Indian food, which was, I must admit, partially true. It was a great time, and I am thankful I survived.

A SIXTIES MEMORY

Ah, the sixties. To fully capture the flavor of the times, I would like to share one of my favorite musical experiences that shows how wonderful and strange it was growing up in the late sixties. I am sixteen, and my friends from high school and I have tickets close to the stage, in this rather small venue by today’s standards, to see The Doors, who would headline the concert, with the Vanilla Fudge opening the show. Wow, I was going to get to see Jim Morrison and The Doors, and I was overcome with excitement.

With the smoke of both legal and illicit substances floating like massive clouds in the dim light of the hall, Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors, brushed up against me on his way to the stage as he came out after, what at that time was his expected long delay, actually being held erect by several massive security guards, who gingerly placed him on the stage.

But for me, the real highlight of the night was the Vanilla Fudge’s rendition of Curtis Mayfield’s hit spiritual, People Get Ready, which the Vanilla Fudge had recorded on their latest album at that time. Their big Hammond organ cranked out one of the most soulful rock renditions of the song I will ever hear, with the lyrics blasting out what I now see as a sign of things to come for me, although I was some forty years from realizing it. I recommend viewing both of the YouTube video links suggested below: the first features the original recording of the song by Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions’ with some sixty style protest footage, providing a flavor of the intensity of the late sixties; and the second video is an updated Vanilla Fudge live version.

People Get Ready The Impressions https://youtu.be/l04yM7-BWbg

Vanilla Fudge People Get Ready https://youtu.be/kTemrdysHHo

People get ready, there’s a train comin’.

You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board.

All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin’.

You don’t need no ticket, you just thank the Lord.

People get ready, there’s a train to Jordan

Picking up passengers coast to coast.

Faith is the key, open the doors and board them.

There’s hope for all among those loved the most.

The late sixties evolved into the early seventies, I transferred to Temple University and I got serious about pursuing my undergraduate degree in Behavioral Psychology, with a strong focus on religious studies, especially Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, with a particular interest in the Muslim esoteric mystical Sufism, and the Christian Mystics, such as Thomas Merton. I was especially attracted to Native American and Mexican spiritual thought, such as Black Elk Speaks, The Ghost Shirt Society, and of course Carlos Castaneda’s books on the spiritual teachings of Don Juan.

My favorite religion professor at Temple University had long hair, lived alone in the mountains, and he would come down for class and explain the spiritual landscape of the time. Alan Watts was my author of choice with the Way of Zen, What is Tao, and his classic Psychotherapy East and West being my favorites. I read every book I could get my hands on, expanding my concept of God at that time, believing God was in all things, but God was surely not a human figure in the sky. I saw no need for my involvement with established religions.

EARLY LOVE AND CONVERSION, GRADUATE BUSINESS

SCHOOL, AND MY EARLY ADULT YEARS

For some divine reason, two of my major love interests during my college years, and my early twenties were lovely, intelligent, and creative Jewish women, who I loved dearly, if not altogether successfully. I was captivated by their self-confidence and sense of strength, but I also found myself fascinated with their families, the Jewish culture and community, their ethnic heritage, religious involvement, and their concept of God.

I earnestly set out to fully understand Judaism, deciding to convert before my marriage to my first wife and our traditional Jewish wedding. I was twenty-three, my future father in law thought it was unnecessary, and my family, who had little control over me, or input, just sighed. My mother was confused, but as usual, always supportive. For six months I attended conversion classes, met with Rabbis, and on several occasions expressed my feelings that I was not fully sure God existed but was told that Judaism was open to all, and that doubt was natural and acceptable. So I took my ritual Mikveh dunk in the pool (similar to baptism), had my ritual circumcision, and at the age of twenty-three found myself in front of a large conservative Jewish congregation, reading the Torah and chanting Hebrew prayers, as my mother and my future wife’s family watched in wonder.

When you convert to Judaism, you are required to select a Hebrew name. I had reviewed the long list of possible names but decided to make up my own name. I selected Johanatan Asher (pronounced Yo-han-a-tan As–sher), or Jonathan Asher in English, primarily because I thought it sounded affluent and would suit me well if I pursued a career in the arts or music. I did not have a clue of what it meant in Hebrew. When I told the Rabbi my spiritual name – he held his breath for a moment– stared at me and asked – “George, do you know what this name means?” I said no, but I thought it sounded good. He paused – looking into my eyes – and said, “in Hebrew, it means - a gift of love from God.” He laughed and said – “great name!”

Although I had an excellent spiritual name, Johanatan Asher, worshiped as a Jew, lived as a Jew, I always felt like a convert who was seriously missing the ethnic part of being a Jew, and after my divorce, I slipped away and went on searching. For what I missed, at the time, was Jesus – and since I was raised on Jesus and loved all that Jesus had become spiritually, I could not just forget Jesus as a key spiritual presence in my life. But the name Johanatan Asher is still close to my heart, and I still consider it my spiritual name, reflecting my revived commitment to God, along with a deep, and enduring connection with Judaism.

I must add a brief postscript to this section that has been revealed during the final preparation of this book. This past holiday gift-giving season Ann gives me a 23andme Health and Ancestry DNA screening kit. Besides an ancestry review, it determines your risk for various health issues. I put it aside and did not send in my sample for three months. Finally, I completed two hours of extensive health questions. I kept telling Ann, “I am Dutch and German, forgetting that I knew nothing about my Mother’s ancestry.” When I received the results, I failed to review the data for another month. I was not very engaged in the process. Then, one Sunday night I was tired of editing, and I decided to give it a look. I was stunned when I learned the following: I am 36.1 % British – Irish from the United Kingdom; 28.5% French and German – Netherlands based; only 4.9% Scandinavian – Danish; and .3% Ashkenazi Jewish – resulting from a (fourth, fifth, or sixth) great-grandparent on my father’s side who was 100% Ashkenazi Jewish born between 1680 and 1770. I am in search of the details of this welcomed grandparent and genetic addition.

MY FIRST CAREER DECISION - MUSIC OR BUSINESS?

I was also twenty–three years old and trying to decide what I would do for my life’s work. I was an Assistant Manager at a large Woolworth store in a suburban Philadelphia mall and was recently married. My passion at the time was learning to play Jazz guitar and writing songs. I loved the old standards and was studying with my teacher Nick, who knew over a thousand songs, able to play and sing all one thousand at the drop of a keyword. So I applied and was accepted to Berklee School of Music in Boston.

But reality set in, when I was accepted as a student with a local group of Bebop musicians/teachers, who taught the Bebop style of playing too many jazz artists including John Coltrane, and Roland Kirk. The best known modern Bebop jazz guitarist trained by this cohort of legendary musicians was Philadelphia’s own Pat Martino - a Bebop jazz guitar great of the ‘60s and ‘70s. It was Pat Martino, who after suffering a brain aneurysm and corrective brain surgery in the 1970s, was left with a blank slate for a mind, losing almost complete memory of his family and his ability to play guitar, having to listen to his own albums and relearn the instrument. Here is a recent YouTube video of Pat Martino below, revealing the absolute speed and talent required to master Bebop jazz.

Pat Martino Trio – Full House Published 2014

https://youtu.be/IzW8jzICbm8

My teacher, along with being an excellent jazz guitarist, was a devout Jehovah’s Witness, who quietly ended each lesson with religious handouts and divine guidance. He also expected his students to practice the guitar at least six hours a day. I realized, in short order, I did not have the chops, nor the time needed, for this type of musical focus.

So knowing this, and that I had no source of funding, and would need to eat in the future, I also applied to the MBA program at Temple University and was accepted. Since I was accepted to both Berklee and Temple at the same time, I needed to make a decision. After a few hours of debate and discussion with my new wife, I/we chose to keep music my hobby and get my MBA. It was an interesting choice since I had never taken a business course in my life. You may also want to ask why not Psychology, Journalism, or Religion, and I would have only one answer; “I had a wife and needed to get organized and get what was thought of as a “real job."

GRADUATE BUSINESS SCHOOL AND MY MID-TWENTIES

In September of 1976, I was working twenty-plus hours per week as a Graduate Assistant for the Temple University Career Development Center, while pursuing my MBA degree at the Graduate School of Business. I was offered this highly sought after Graduate Assistantship, which paid a monthly stipend and full tuition costs, including books, for working twenty hours a week at the Career Services Center, charged with preparing my fellow MBA students for their job search and eventual placement.

I was one of the many candidates for this position, and when I later asked why I had been offered the position, I was told by my then boss that it was because I wore an impressive three-piece blue suit to the interview. It was my good luck that only a month before I had a part-time job at an upper-end men’s store, and although I left after only two weeks, I had been fitted for and bought a beautifully tailored three-piece blue suit. My life would have been very different had I showed up like the other candidates, not dressed in a suit. The universe was definitely looking out for me.

While at the career center, I had access to professional counselors and a library of resource materials. After reading in the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the US Government that the Personnel field, as it was called then, would evolve into an essential function for all organizations, and would be a high demand job; so I selected Industrial Relations/Organizational Behavior as my MBA major or concentration.

During the summers in graduate school, I would work in paid HR internships, or occasionally, be able to land a short-term consulting assignment with a local Philadelphia company. At the local Osteopathic Hospital, I spent one summer interviewing incumbents and writing a job description for every job in the hospital. My favorite experience was interviewing the Mortician, who delighted in taking me from cadaver to cadaver, having me touch each so I could understand the elasticity of corpses, and then took great delight in showing me the corresponding brain that had already been removed and put in a jar.

Or my summer long, semi-consulting job, at Max The Fender Man’s, the largest indoor car parts yard on the east coast. My assignment was to work with Max’s grandson, who had an interesting idea to create a chain of Jiffy Lube type, high speed, bumper replacement centers throughout the U.S. We found a location, and I hired an artist friend of mine to create the logo for the business, which would be called “Bumper Boy.”

Yes, Max The Fender Man and Bumper Boy, the dynamic duo of auto parts and repairs. So our logo was created - a superman type superhero easily wielding two giant bumpers, which turned into lightning bolts crisscrossing Bumper Boy’s chest. The new venture was a noble effort, and who knows might have worked had it not taken so long to change a bumper in real life, and had not required a rather sizeable on-site warehouse to store the bumpers.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT - MY FIRST MANAGEMENT JOB

When I received my MBA with a concentration in Industrial Relations/Organizational Behavior, or Human Resources Management as it is presently known, I decided to stay on at the Career Center and work in career development, which blended my counseling and business education skills. I took a position running the Temple Cooperative Education Program and enjoyed working on campus. It also allowed me to continue to take graduate-level-courses in counseling, career development, and education.

After only a year, I was offered the position of Director of Career Services at the center and found myself managing a staff of twelve, including six professional career counselors, many of whom had competed for this position. This was a major opportunity for me, and it changed my life significantly. As the Director of Career Services, I conducted, on average; ten career development based job search presentations and workshops each week: taught two career development college courses for Temple: and became a recognized local expert on career change, second careers, and job search techniques.

As I mentioned previously, my office overlooked the large bust sized statue of Russell Conwell in the Founders Garden, which was the final resting place of this New Thought genius. My parents were amazed by my rapid ascension at the center, and thought that since I was a Director, working at a major university, that I had “made it.” So I would not become complacent, I would remind myself that this was only the start of my career.

Time flew by, and I was 30 years old, divorced now from my first wife, enjoying my job, taking graduate-level courses in career development, and augmenting my income by teaching two business courses for the local community college. One day in Mitten Hall, the hall where I worked, I met a Thai international student who would become my second wife. Shortly after that, with my new wife’s expertise as a cook and pastry chef, I opened my first business, an eclectic restaurant called the Wharton Street Kitchen in the heart of South Philadelphia, while still working at Temple and keeping all of my other teaching jobs.

Spiritually, I would spend much of my thirties immersed in Asian culture, and although my wife was a Buddhist, I did not convert or join the religion. During this period, I did not attend a Jewish or Christian church, but spent a great deal of time in Buddhist Temples, working to understand eastern religion and culture. From this marriage, in my mid-thirties, I welcomed my two sons and fatherhood into my life.

THE WHARTON STREET KITCHEN

I would be leaving out a defining section of my life, if I closed out the discussion of my young adult years, without reflecting on my two years in South Philadelphia and the Wharton Street Kitchen. Some of my favorite characters and memories came from this, my first entrepreneurial experience. Let me start by saying that I have always been fascinated with entrepreneurs and their ability to create a business from only an idea, street smarts, and hard work.

Having lived in the Jewish community, I had a chance to meet many amazing entrepreneurs, including my first wife’s father, who went from a cab driver, to record distributor, to owning his own art publishing company. I admired him, and the others I met and secretly longed to do the same. One of my favorite movies at the time was The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz - a comedy-drama film based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Mordecai Richler, starring a young Richard Dreyfuss who plays Duddy, the son of a Jewish Montreal cab driver. Duddy yearns for more and decides to become an entrepreneur, and through a series of small to big business deals, ends up poised to own a resort in the Catskill Mountains. I loved the movie and wanted to emulate Duddy’s remarkable climb.

So here I am, an aspiring Duddy, with a new girlfriend who is Thai and comes from a family of entrepreneurs, and we here about a little storefront luncheonette in South Philadelphia on Wharton Street, with all the equipment needed to open up a restaurant without much work or expense. We visit the small corner restaurant, which is the first floor of a large corner South Philadelphia row home, with large glass windows, and an old-fashioned soda counter, complete with everything you need to set up a business.

Mario, the landlord, lived directly across the street with his mother, who he recently brought from Italy to live with him. Mario assured us in a still thick Italian accent that the right people could make this restaurant work, and to make the deal, he would throw in the third-floor apartment. Two nights later, after convincing my younger brother Stephen, who was managing a parking lot, to quit his job and become a partner, I was facing Mario in his home with his furniture snugly protected in plastic. I casually asked Mario what he did for a living, he quickly handed me his card, and said, surveying his living room, “as you can see, I’m an Interior Decorator.”

OK, interior decorator, and two days later with the use of my American Express card and 5,000 dollars we borrowed from my girlfriend’s sister, the three of us moved into the third-floor apartment and began renovations. A new sign; new tile floors; painting the walls yellow; drywalling the back room so we could fit more tables; a new stove, and we were opened for business. Our strategy - the Wharton Street Kitchen would be an eclectic luncheonette serving everything from the traditional hoagies and cheesesteaks to fried wontons, Quiche Lorraine, seafood omelets, and our specialty, and calling card would be upscale cakes, pies, and pastry, which we would sell both retail and wholesale. We advertised, put menus and featured items up on the glass windows, and were ready to open the doors.

Finally, it was opening day, and our first customer to walk across the threshold took two steps, grabbed his chest, fell on the floor, and had a heart attack. At first, we thought it was some joke that Mario, who was a prankster, had set up. No such luck. Thankfully, our almost first customer was rushed to the hospital and did not die. In a small Italian neighborhood, news travels fast, and for the next two weeks, everyone who walked into the restaurant had to grab his or her chest and reenact the scene.

The business sustained itself, and we became well known for pastry, pies, and cakes, but after two years we all grew tired with the work, the seven day weeks, especially me, who was working two other jobs, and we moved on. My wife, after our divorce, eventually becomes a well-regarded pastry chef and a successful entrepreneur. My brother went on to manage a car rental business, later marrying and relocating to Dover, Delaware, and I went on to corporate America and the world of high tech. At the Wharton Street Kitchen, I learned more about life than about business, but to this day, I cherish the memories of every soul that provided me with this unique life experience.

HIGH TECH, ISLAND BREAK, AND MID-LIFE

During this time, right around my 32nd birthday, my professional Human Resources career took off, and I was offered a Human Resources position with the second-largest computer mainframe company at the time, Burroughs Corporation, located in Detroit, Michigan. I was hired to cover college relations and recruiting from twelve of the top East Coast universities. My job was to meet with the faculty and student groups, so I could identify and recruit the most talented computer engineers on campus.

My first office was located in a building in Paoli, Pennsylvania, where the ENIAC - short for Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer- the first general-purpose electronic computer, was created in the 1940s. I loved the high tech computer industry, and the talented people who created the large mainframe computers that were designed and assembled in Paoli, and then shipped around the world. I would walk through the manufacturing center, watching as these mammoth machines, by today’s standards, were created.

I also participated in the largest merger in computer industry history, when Michael Blumenthal, the former Secretary of the Treasury under the Carter Administration, and then Burroughs’ CEO, created Unisys through the merger of Sperry and Burroughs. The years rolled by, and I was promoted, and began my climb up the corporate ladder being glad to be known as a “techy.” My marriage suffered and finally ended in divorce, and I became a single father who had shared custody of my two boys. I quickly realized what most working single mothers know, it is not easy to be on the fast track and take care of your children alone. Eventually, I met a woman who was single and had three children, and we planned to move in together to manage our families and our careers, but she lived in Maryland, and I lived in Pennsylvania.

At this point, I was an expert in compensation and benefits with Unisys and looked for a job that would let me move closer to my new life. I wrote a letter to the President of the local Citibank customer service center and was hired, beginning my five-year career with the number one bank in the world. Again, I had landed solidly on my feet and started to learn the credit card business, and after a year, became the Director of Human Resources for Citibank Telemarketing, and we all moved to Baltimore, Maryland. Citibank had a frantic New York pace, which they brought to everything they did. I enjoyed the pace, and the prestige of working for Citibank, and again made my way up the ladder of success.

ISLAND BREAK

And then, I was approaching my early forties, with close to ten years at Unisys and Citibank under my belt, and I was home every night playing guitar and writing songs. I concluded that I had gone the wrong way, when I made my decision to go to business school, rather than a music school. I wanted to write songs and play music and felt trapped in a life where this was not possible. So, I decided to take a year off and focus on my music.

My wife was interested in starting a restaurant or running an Inn. There was an opportunity to run an Inn on an Island off the coast of New England with the option to buy. I would have time to write and try to publish music, as we ran the Inn with a restaurant together. Sounded great except that we would have to sell our house and move our children to the Island. On the positive side, we had vacationed on the Island, and my stepdaughter currently worked at the Inn. The family all agreed, and we went to live on a beautiful Island with Ireland like cliffs, with over a third of its land protected by the Nature Conservancy.

We went in January, rented a large house on the beach, and began our new life. In the winter there were only 800 residents on the island, but in the summer close to 5,000 tourists a day inhabited the island. I wrote and practiced my music to get ready to record, as we started working and managing a historic Inn. Our friends all thought we were crazy, but we thought that we were adventurous.

We loved the island and its beauty, but the solitary nature of winter on the island was a lesson in overcoming sensory deprivation, especially if you had been working in Washington, DC. But the sheer beauty that surrounded us each day was thrilling. We worked through the summer at the Inn, while I recorded and tried to sell my music. It was a learning experience, realizing that both innkeeping and songwriting were not our strong suits, we decided to return to Virginia. I have always been proud that I took the time to explore my musical side, feeling that in the end, I had made the right choice to make music an avocation, rather than a vocation.

RETURN TO THE HIGH-TECH LIFE

While still living on the Island, my former boss from Unisys called to check on me and asked if I was interested in getting back into the high-tech world. I jumped at the chance. He had taken a senior-level manager's job with an international wireless consulting firm, owned by a husband and wife team from India. The husband, a Radio Frequency Engineering professor, foreseeing the cellular phone craze, speculated that the only way the needed wireless sites would be feasibly set up would be if there were enough Radio Frequency Engineers, or RF Engineers as they were then called, to set up the infrastructure in each city around the world. He concluded, that if he started a consulting firm and hired these engineers first, then the major communication companies, who wanted to set up coverage, would be dependent on his talent to succeed.

So he did just that, hiring the majority of RF Engineers not already tied down. As a result, any communication company who wanted to set up cellular service in a particular city needed to use his consultants. Covering human resources, my boss and I were responsible for recruiting RF Engineers worldwide, getting them H1 visas, bringing them to the U.S. for a few weeks, and then redeploying them to assignments around the world. We also needed to manage the employee relations of having employees from 72 different countries working together, teaming up, even if at home they may be mortal enemies, and actually at war. Now, wireless communications were the new high-tech industry, and again I was working at the cutting edge.

All was not perfect in my life, as I began to deal with a sense of doom and depression, finding it hard to sleep at night. Memories of my childhood appeared in my dreams, and my thoughts, and I felt I needed help. By the time I was forty-five, I was already seeing a therapist, trying to resolve the nightmare that was my childhood, and taking an assortment of medication. I had also stopped running every day, and along with the effects of the drugs, I was gaining weight quickly and having trouble sleeping. Then came the sleeping pills, followed by the sleep apnea machine, so that I could sleep each night. I started to feel lost, and every time I came up with a new problem, was issued a new drug.

WHAT ABOUT THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY?

So, where am I spiritually during this time? I was not focused on my spiritual needs and did not feel an urge to attend church. But my wife and me, at the time, agreed when we came back to Virginia, from the island, that we needed a church primarily for the children. My sons were already being exposed to Buddhism from their visits with their mother, so we felt they needed to see all the options.

The Episcopal Church, which was active in the community, looked like a good choice. I had attended an Episcopal church, briefly, when I was in college and found the Episcopalians to be liberal and socially tolerant. Since I had Amerasian children, I was very concerned about racial and ethnic tolerance and acceptance. So for most of my forties, as I raised my boys, I was an Episcopalian, and honestly, quite active in the church. I was an usher, a bible reader, and organized the adult education program.

What I liked about the Episcopal Church was that it allowed dissent, had wonderful rituals like offering communion at every service, and was controlled by the congregation. But no matter how hard I tried, I felt like I was missing the point; as if there was some secret or ritual that I had overlooked. Honestly, as with many Christian denominations, my Episcopal training did not offer any real guidance on developing an interactive relationship with God.

FLASHING SATELLITES IN THE NIGHT SKY

After about five years at the wireless consulting firm, I was facing my late forties and looking for my next career move. The boss, who recruited me into the firm, had left. I was gladly recruited by a start-up telecommunications company, which was being backed by Motorola and partnering with 35 other telecommunication companies around the globe. This consortium of companies had a vision of creating hand-held satellite phones, the size of a cell phone that would be connected by 66 low orbiting satellites. These satellites would fly around the earth, bouncing calls from satellite to satellite, and when over the country that was being called, would send the call to a gateway on the earth, then channeling the call through the standard communications system.

As long as there was the open sky, satellite phone users would be able to connect no matter where they were: on a mountain; in a jungle clearing; out at sea; or in the middle of a disaster zone. No towers are needed, except in cities with very tall buildings. I knew this was possible because COMSAT had done this with bigger stationary satellites, but their telephone was the size of a large suitcase. At that time, Iridium’s phone was the size of a small World War II walkie-talkie, but in the next four years, before the launch of the business, Motorola would trim it down significantly.

It was my dream job, and given my wireless experience, I was their dream candidate. I took over their international HR operations, Compensation, and Benefits and helped grow this company, from under 100 employees, to over 500 at the time of business launch. Every day, I would walk into the office on I Street in Washington DC, and look up at a mock-up prototype of the Low Orbiting Satellite hanging from the ceiling in the lobby. These satellites were being constructed for liftoff from launch sites around the world, and I knew I was in high-tech heaven. So this organization, of what I called - “true believers,” actually created an unimaginable network of low orbiting satellites that could handle calls from a phone on the ground, and pass it from satellite to satellite to the country of choice.

Here are a few of my Iridium Satellite memories that I would like to share.

I remember one Sunday, when I took my boys to Press Club in Washington, DC, to see a number of our satellites being rocketed into space from a space center in Russia.
Iridium satellites would have a flare, or glint, which could be seen from earth, moving across the night sky, which got more and more press as the entire set was orbited, and became the talk of my neighborhood.
One night, I took the prototype phone home to test, and stood on my front lawn in McLean, Virginia, and called my neighbor next door, knowing that this call went directly up to a low orbiting satellite, was bounced from satellite to satellite until it was over the Iridium Gateway, in Arizona, where it was received from a satellite to the gateway, then moved through landlines to be picked up by my neighbors in their home, just minutes later. Wow, it was amazing at least to me.

Iridium went public with only five of the satellites in orbit and no working phone. Since I was in charge of stock options for employees, I watched as the stock prices went from twenty dollars a share to seventy-four dollars in a few months of trading. I remember thinking, that many of us were millionaires in a stock option value, even before the service was up and running.

The launch of the Iridium service took place in 1998, after five billion dollars of investor money had been spent creating the system. Amazingly, the system worked perfectly, but the phone was thought too big by many, the cost too high. In the end, most consumers stayed with their traditional cell phone that had improved enormously during the ten years it took to build the system. Consumer demand did not meet expectations, and although the stock market was leery, we were hopeful.

In December of 1998, Iridium celebrated its holiday party in the Smithsonian Air And Space Museum in DC, with satellite connections to over thirty countries around the world being shown on large screens throughout the museum. Food from all the participating countries was available, beautifully prepared, and catered. It was an affair to be talked about and remembered by all in the satellite industry, and a peak experience of my lifetime. I was a working-class kid from Philadelphia at the center of a high tech adventure. This was a high point in my life.

The lowest point came the next August when after six months of struggle, Motorola and all the investors realized this was not a commercially feasible product and declared bankruptcy. The company was finally sold to a private investor for twenty-five million dollars, with the shareholders of worthless stock, and employees with worthless stock options, including me – stunned. This was the lowest point in my life, and I joke that I had the highest and lowest point all in one year. The company was sold, and I was one of the last to leave, as I placed many of the “true believers” in their new jobs.

NEXT STOP HEALTHCARE?

I am proud to say that the Iridium Satellite phone system is fully functioning, as Iridium phones are sold and used throughout the world by governments, news media, maritime, aviation, and disaster relief organizations. Not a consumer success, but certainly a technological success. But the satellite communications industry was not going to be revived for a long time, as one giant company after another, tried to deal with what was a major downturn.

For me, I sat at home for a few weeks, then got a call from a new start-up company that planned to offer radio via satellites and needed an HR consultant who was familiar with the satellite industry. So I began consulting with XM Satellite Radio, as they hired their talent and prepared to go public. Although the money was great, and I had the highest-earning year of my life, as I worked for XM and several other companies, I did not feel I could make a go of it as an independent consultant.

As Bob Dylan so aptly stated, it does not take a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows. When the consulting ran out, I knew I needed to find a new industry. My research was indicating that healthcare was on track to be one of the fastest-growing industries, so I turned my sights on healthcare. But for me, this meant starting over and giving up a lifestyle that could only be supported by six-figure salaries and large bonuses. It would also entail moving to a hospital that would be willing to consider my background.

So my next stop became Bangor, Maine, and an HR Director’s position for a large hospital system, seeking my high-tech background to assist with their increased competition for health care staff. I sold my house in McLean, Virginia, uprooted my high school-age kids, and I realized that my career luck might have seriously changed for the worse. We arrived in Maine in late October in a snowstorm, with the temperature fixed at twenty-five degrees below zero, staying that way for two weeks. I did not see the ground again, without snow, until late April of the next year.

Maine, which is a beautiful state, had a very brief summer and a very long dark winter. Maine also had some extra seasons, such as “mud season” in late April and early May, where there is nothing but mud as far as the eye can see, which was followed by “black fly season,” where tiny flies tear into your skin. A Maine joke claims that if you can’t take the winters, mud season, and black fly season, you shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy the two weeks of summer.

Again, I adapted, and even though working for a not-for-profit hospital was a shock with my tiny office - low budget – an even lower salary, I found myself working with some of the most dedicated people I had met in my life. Healthcare had the complexity of high-tech, along with the same competitive pressures to recruit talented staff, but at the core, there was a sense of compassion and decency. Healthcare in Maine, and all over the country, was growing rapidly and gradually becoming the number one industry. After a few months, I realized that it was not about me this time, but the patient, and I felt good about being part of the team.

In Maine, I also got involved politically for the first time and was elected to the Town Council for my little town. I joined the local Episcopal Church and stayed an active member until the issue of the ordination of a gay priest as Bishop surfaced. My church sent out a letter condemning the move, and gays in general, and I became very angry, again deciding that established religion was no longer for me. After a few years, I also decided it was time to leave Maine. I worked with a nutritionist to lose over 80 pounds from my top weight of 275 pounds. Over a number of months the weight rolled off, and I began job searching. Finally one March day a headhunter called and asked me if I wanted to work in Fredericksburg, Virginia at a major regional hospital. I said yes, my wife, said no and decided to stay in Maine, and the rest is history as outlined in Chapter One.

BUOYANCY REVISITED

First, I must thank you for staying with me and working through my life story. For many, I feel that it will help you to understand how I ended up here writing this book and the blog. For others, it just might be an interesting story of someone who was looking for something during a fascinating time in our history, and even when going to the bottom of the barrel at times, seemed to float back on top.

I often ask myself the question about whether there is a divine plan that we seem to follow, or if we are directed by of our own free will. I believe it is a little of both. I do know that each step led to the next step, which uniquely prepared me for this step. But all of life requires that we overcome our fears, and have the confidence to take the next step. I would like to end this chapter with a Closing Note On Enlightenment that sums up this notion, along with an affirmation for building confidence.

CLOSING NOTE ON ENLIGHTENMENT

To end this chapter focused on my spiritual and life journey, I would like to feature a related Meditation Guidance, titled The Magic Of Intent, from my train commute on February 2, 2008. As I read and proof this chapter, I can see the divine magic that has been alive in my life. The coincidences and chance happenings are starting to make sense and fall into place, and - no matter what the intent - it all appears magical to me.

THE MAGIC OF INTENT - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Life is magical, amazing, beyond what is hoped for or

conceived. Feel and see the magic, the uniqueness of

each person, event, thought, item. Experience the magic

in each moment – how it connects and reflects your mood –

your thoughts – your emotions.

The magic exists and comes from the orchestrated

creative force of our collective intelligence divinely

guided by spirit. See how it all fits in – a wondrous

coincidence that is without coincidence. Nothing

happens – it all flows from the magic of thought,

desires, and wants to manifest in the world.

Feel the warmth and light of the sun through the window

and wonder at the wisdom that manifested this spirit –

this ball of life-giving energy. This is the magic –

the magic is everywhere – for like a magic trick –

behind the magic is divine will directed

by collective good intentions.

Wonder at the magic. The magic is rooted in your

ability to manifest your reality – to create it brick

by brick and have this reality unfold and interact

with the reality of others – and finally, be divinely

intertwined into the manifested reality of all life.

As you attract and bring the world to you, receiving

as you believe, so too does the will of others.

Together this magic comes to create all life –

a harmony of cocreated existence.

Look deep within the magic, behind the curtain,

in the hat, and you will see purposeful reality –

no coincidence – all related – all positive,

creative force intent on evolving.

NOE G. 2.2.2008 7:45 AM

CLOSING AFFIRMATION

Moving forward with the creation of our lives takes confidence. We need to have the confidence that when we take the risk – the leap of faith - we will land on the other side. I close with an affirmation that I use every day, especially when my ego starts to work on generating my doubts and fears. This Affirmation is titled, Confidence, and will help us as we venture on with our spiritual quests, to stay on track with the co-creation of our genuine - authentic lives.

CONFIDENCE

I am extremely self-confident and self-accepting, knowing

I have the skills, abilities, talents, personality, and courage

to succeed easily at any task I attempt. I am confident;

I am the best at what I do and will attain great success in

whatever I endeavor to accomplish. I am proud of my past,

my accomplishments, and my experiences, understanding

how they have led me to this level of exceptional

achievement. I am the best getting better. I am proud.

I am self-assured. I am a winner.

NEXT STOP

The next step in understanding my spiritual and life journey is to take some time to fully understand the evolution of New Thought, and how it has impacted me directly, and all of us today. This is important, since the message I will convey in Part Two, is centered on the basic tenets of New Thought, especially the key concept that each of us can have a significant, ongoing, personal connection with God. See you on the train.

THE CEMENT ARCHES BENEATH THE ELEVATED FREDERICKSBURG, VA TRAIN STATION TRACKS, PRESENTING A FRACTAL LIKE PATTERN OF INFINITE BEAUTY ALL ITS OWN.

____________________

PART ONE MY SPIRITUAL AND LIFE JOURNEY

CHAPTER THREE - NEW THOUGHT

YESTERDAY AND TODAY

ELIXIR OF GOD

In the morning, I sit with a clear soul,

transparent and shining

like a crystal spirit,

waiting and prepared to meet

the abundant day ahead.

I walk silently, peacefully, tranquil

in “the space” of its glory.

Here is the “one,”

quietly prepared, clearly ready,

to foster and incubate

joy – clear, pure, unencumbered

joy – the elixir of god.

POEM G. 12.7.2007

OPENING NEW THOUGHTS

Finding God On The Train Story has been primarily focused on my developing a personal connection with God during my commutes to Washington DC, and how I firmly believe this connection is available to all of us who will find a quiet place and take the time to connect with God. As we have discussed, this is not a new concept but has been a spiritual tradition for centuries with mystic Hindus, Jews, Muslims, and Christians.

As the book’s subtitle conveys, I started this journey also on a quest for a positive and personal spirituality that would sustain and nourish me. In the past two hundred years the New Thought movement in America has been the centerpiece of positive spirituality, synthesizing key concepts of mind control, positive/affirmative thinking, optimism, mindfulness, and gratitude along with interest in this personal connection with God: resulting in the formation of established churches based on these concepts, including Unity, Religious Science, and Divine Science. In this chapter, I would like to take an in-depth look into the positive spirituality offered by New Thought and see how, today, behind the scenes, it has grown in popularity and is fueling a positive spiritual rebirth and reawakening.

WHY DOES NEW THOUGHT MATTER?

So besides being popular, you may ask, why does this matter when we have been focusing on promoting a personal connection with God, regardless of religious orientation, persuasion, or practice; or quite frankly, even if we have no religious focus. I would answer by saying, no traditional or mystical approach matters in this regard, except in its ability to enlighten us as to how we might individually improve both our spiritual and secular lives. I am not a Hindu, but I believe the Upanishads and other Hindu texts offer a constructive way for me to approach my spiritual life. Likewise, I am not a Buddhist, but I practice mindfulness meditation, which is the primary focus of Buddhism.

I am going to introduce, and translate into spiritual terms, a concept I have borrowed from my early college courses in Psychology – “Constructive Alternativism,” or more simply put - “Use What Works.” This is an approach, where instead of focusing on any one doctrine, theory, or practice, we understand all of the available options, picking and choosing what we need, or feel is the most useful. Using Constructive Alternativism, or “Use What Works,” I would encourage you to create your own personal, positive spiritual practice.

This said, I feel it is easy to get information on the major religions, but the religious foundation of New Thought and its contribution to the formation of a positive spirituality remains a secret, although, it is impacting much of the spiritual work being published today. As I have outlined earlier in the book, I only discovered the existence of established New Thought spiritual centers by chance. Rarely will you ever see a direct reference to New Thought or positive spirituality, so I want to offer this as an alternative, especially for those who may be seeking a positive spiritual experience to augment, or replace their current approach?

While I say New Thought is not discussed, the key New Thought concepts, centered on a positive based spirituality, have profoundly impacted the spiritual marketplace. Understanding the history and origins of New Thought will help us understand these new positive spiritual teachings originating from New Thought, providing the basis for a working approach to what a positive spirituality must include being considered viable.

I also want you to understand where my spiritual leanings are, so you can understand many of the key concepts I convey in my poems, prayers, affirmative thoughts, and meditative guidance: such as; the Law of Attraction, Law of Mind Action, cocreation, manifestation, vibrational alignment, God Consciousness, transitioning, and the many other related concepts springing from my New Thought orientation. I want you to understand that my focus impacts how God communicates with me. The New Thought movement has impacted my thinking, and in turn my concept of God, and as a result, these concepts permeate God’s messages to me in my meditations.

Let me take a moment and more fully clarify what I mean by this. In my opinion, we are all that we believe and think, and God will approach us from the perspective that fits for our existing stage in spiritual consciousness. God speaks to me in New Thought terms, such as cocreating and manifesting, so understanding key New Thought concepts and definitions, will help you understand and translate these messages into your life.

I also want you to understand that in your personal communication with God, I believe you should expect the same; if you are a Catholic, for example, God may use the Catholic religious icons, symbols, and concepts that you understand to communicate with you. So as a Catholic, you may be directed to the Virgin Mother, Saints, or Catholic rituals or practices. If you are a Muslim or Jew, the message and communication will be unique to your faith, belief, and religious culture.

What I am conveying here is that, in my opinion, God only seeks to communicate based on your level of awareness and belief. I believe that God has no vested interest in doctrine or dogma, only communication. You believe in angels; you will get angels. Need a little sin and guilt, God may use this too. In short; God will speak your religious language. This may be why some feel that God’s message only applies to those who practice their religious orientation, and all others are at best doomed.

And lastly, the positive spirituality of New Thought is a religious approach incorporating the teachings of diverse spiritual orientations. New Thought approaches have no fixed dogma, thus providing an open framework, as it does for me, to personalize my religious practice. This, I feel, is an essential aspect of what positive spirituality must entail to be effective. There are few set rules and regulations, except for you do your best to connect with God by whatever means works for you.

I feel the issue some of us have with established religions, is their focus on replicating the path of a spiritually connected individual, who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago. What worked for Martin Luther (1483-1546), may or may not work for you or me, to use one very courageous and spiritually connected leader as an example. Of course, this would also apply to Jesus. This is the time when we all have an opportunity to forge our spiritual paths based on one key understanding - all soul-based paths lead to the divine. This, I will also emphasize, must be the fundamental belief of a fully positive spiritual approach, because it is inclusive, refusing to force a religious perspective.

In brief, what I am saying is this - if you find it helpful - here is an opportunity to form your personalized spiritual approach; tailoring your faith, practice, dogma, and beliefs to fit your needs, and your personal connection with God. With this move to personalized religious practice, some us may choose to break our bonds with our current churches, while others will strengthen them, using all of this to augment their existing practice, giving it a more positive focus. In the spiritual awakening that I believe is underway, one dogma does not fit all, or quoting Larry David, on his HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm, regarding proselytizing around the world:

“I like lobster. Do I go around pushing lobster on people?

Do I say, “You must like lobster?” “Eat lobster! It’s good.

It’s good.” You know, it’s not only where you live; you go

to Africa. You travel all over the world. “Eat lobster! Have

some more lobster! It’s good, have a lobster!”

Just because one, or many of us, prefer to eat lobster, doesn’t mean we all have to eat lobster. Let’s put away the bib and the crackers and see how New Thought developed in the first place, and then move on to look at how New Thought impacts us today. Before we start, I would like to provide an overview of the essence and origin of New Thought.

A NEW THOUGHT ENVISIONING

We begin our journey into the understanding of the positive spirituality of New Thought with a simple envisioning. Imagine you are growing up in a New Thought world, you are twelve years old and attending your New Thought church. The focus of today’s Sunday school lesson is that you are directly connected with God, and this truly loving God is always with you and assisting you. God wants you to have the best life possible, to be the best you possible, and will work with you in creating this life through your thoughts, prayers, and affirmations. Your church school teacher reminds you, as Jesus taught, you need only to ask, believe, and it would be given.

But even with God’s help, the responsibility for your life depends on your attitude and approach to life: God helps you fulfill your plan; you need to have the plan. You do all of this, by connecting directly with this divinity within, through affirmative prayer and meditation. There is no need to worry if you take a misstep, for, with God, there is no concept of sin or guilt or shame, there is only positive thought and action that reflect the best life for you. When you move in a negative direction, counter to your best life, you create negative events in your life, thus creating fear, pain, frustration, and despair. The turmoil now existing in the world, is generated by people, and is not the work of God. God is always available and waiting even if, you or the world, loses direction.

When you are connected with God, you can create heaven on earth. As an example, your church schoolteacher talks about Jesus, who taught the world how to pray, heal, and connect with the divinity within, and as a result, developed the qualities and powers of God. Yes, Jesus was divine and the son of God, but as he taught, we are all divine, and the sons and daughters of God.

Along with the traditional spiritual leaders like Moses, Buddha, Mohamed; non-traditional spiritual leaders such as, Taoist founder Lao Tzu, the Sufi mystic Rumi, Meister Eckhart, the German mystic and theologian, or Emerson, may be mentioned as examples of those who experienced a similar level of spiritual connection. You are taught to love yourself, and others, understanding your God-given right to happiness, love, and success. You are also taught to accept and acknowledge all other religions and paths, understanding there are many roads to God.

Now take a few moments and think of your own religious training for a moment. How does it compare? Would you have approached your life differently? Would your spiritual journey have been impacted? What if your parents held similar beliefs and fostered this perspective? Would it have changed your relationship with God and life?

DEFINING NEW THOUGHT - SPIRITUAL SCIENCE

New Thought, or the New Thought Movement, as it is often referred to, is not a religion but a framework for a positive spiritual approach. New Thought, to use a cooking analogy, is a savory stew incorporating some key ingredients. This New Thought spiritual stew starts with the flavorful soup stock of the early transcendental philosophy of Emerson; adds to it key concepts of ancient religious wisdom; primarily Hinduism spiced up with some Kabbalistic Judaism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Muslim Sufism; and then combines all of this with a large quantity of the teachings and the healing practices of Jesus and the early Christians. This is all served up in a spiritual scientific framework of universal laws.

Many New Thought practitioners interpret Jesus’ teachings and healing practices within a global religious framework, and like many other mystics, believe in a spiritual universe created and actively impacted by a supreme force or Godhead. According to New Thought, this universal divine force, which is addressed by many different names, God, Source, Spirit, Creative Mind, Infinite Mind, or Divine Mind, is an active force in the world and the lives of humankind. Taking this one step further, New Thought practitioners believe, we all have God within us and - like Jesus - by focusing on our God natures, we move towards being and becoming divine.

What is intriguing to me is the combination of philosophy, psychology, religion (Hinduism mixed with the Gospels) and science, combined for the first time by the positive spirituality of the New Thought Movement. To explain this “New Thought” approach, spiritual writers have offered a scientific explanation and basis for our relationship with God, and what happens in the world, by introducing religious laws that impact believer and non-believer alike - such as the Law of Attraction, the Law of Cause and Effect, and the Law of Circulation, to name a few. Paramount is the Law of Positive Thinking, often called Mind Action, demonstrating we are all responsible for and personally create our reality through our thinking, and not as a result of external circumstances. This “scientific approach” is the reason why many of the early New Thought, religious organizations added “Science” to their name: Divine Science, Christian Science, and Religious Science.

Using the mind for healing has always been a major New Thought emphasis, and was the primary focus of the early New Thought related church founders, who used the healing approaches of Jesus and Christian Gnostic's to cure their illnesses. New Thought was often referred to as the “Mind Cure” in the early days of its inception. It is also interesting to note that most of the New Thought innovators, who established the centers of learning and churches were women, and all of them were attracted to New Thought by a need to treat a serious illness that seemed untreatable at the time; including, Mary Baker Eddy, Myrtle Fillmore, Emma Curtis Hopkins, Malinda Cramer, and Nora L. Brooks.

New Thought also spawned a host of practical business-oriented writers and motivators, many of whom were also attracted to New Thought in search of healing, including Prentice Mulford, Wallace Wattles, Thomas Troward, William Atkinson, James Allen, Charles Haanel, Robert Collier, and Christian Larson, to name a few. These motivational pioneers wrote bestselling books applying New Thought concepts, especially the Law Of Attraction, to succeed in business, relationships, and life - not unlike what is happening today in our spiritual landscape. We will discuss the impact of these motivational New Thought pioneers later in this chapter.

If you think of the melting pot nature of New Thought’s development, it is very American, starting with a simple idea, early initiators began to combine new approaches, improving on the original ideas and making these ideas even better. With idea upon idea, still being added today, to create a uniquely American perspective to positive spiritual enlightenment, a sort of Christian Hinduism, an ethnic, philosophical, and religious melting pot creating something more useful and dynamic than any of its parts alone. Let’s look at how this all came about in the 1800s.

NEW THOUGHT THEN

William James, noted Psychologist of the 1800s, researched and lectured extensively on the impact of religion on the “mind,” culminating in his book of lectures titled, The Varieties of Religious Experience. This book dedicates a chapter to what James referred to as “The Religion of Healthy-Mindedness,” referring to New Thought as the “Mind Cure” movement, as it was known during its early inception. Here are James’ original thoughts regarding the positive spirituality of early New Thought:

Mind Cure is an optimistic scheme of life… One of

the doctrinal sources of Mind-cure is the four

Gospels; another is Emersonianism or New England

transcendentalism, another is spiritism with its

messages of “law” … belief in the all-saving power

of healthy-minded attitudes as such, in the conquering

efficacy of courage, hope, and trust, and a correlative

contempt for doubt, fear, worry…

William James went on to say of the New Thought movement at the time, “it must now be reckoned with as a genuine religious power.” As James explains, for the first time Science was applied to religion, the Law of Attraction was introduced, and the concept that we can control the world through our thoughts was added to the healing focus of Jesus and early Gnostic sects, along with the universal God of the early Hindu sages; and it was a very popular spiritual framework. What happened at this time I compare to the awakening and cultural shift that occurred in the 1960s, with young people across America and the world moving to a new awareness, which still impacts music, the arts, social awareness, politics, spirituality, and culture today.

So let’s see who had the guts to buck established religion and start promoting what some have, and many probably still do, perceive as heresy. In New England, we pick up the debate about our relationship with God as it is being reframed by the Transcendental Movement. Drawing their conceptual philosophical base from Plato and his concept of the “Over-Soul,” the Transcendentalists believed in the innate divinity of every man, the ability to have a personal relationship with God, the essential unity of all religions, and added on to this, defiance of tradition and disregard of external authority. Spurred on by the liberal preaching of William Ellery Channing, it reached a crescendo in the late 1830s and ’40s with the emergence of a Unitarian preacher and spiritual teacher, writer and poet, named Ralph Waldo Emerson, the person many consider the key force in the religious framework of New Thought’s positive spirituality.

Emerson and Thoreau, along with their friends Margaret Fuller and Theodore Parker, formed the Transcendental Club and met regularly for moral and philosophical discussions. Fuller and Emerson went on to publish The Deal, the most influential magazine of the time. But always, at the heart of the movement was Emerson, who created a controversy when he asked during his 1838 Divinity School graduation address at Harvard - “Why should we not have a firsthand and immediate experience of God?”

Emerson’s spiritual teachings, along with his personal journey, went on to frame the spiritual side of the New Thought movement. Referring to Emerson, Walt Whitman, who was also a key figure said, “I was simmering, simmering, simmering. Emerson brought me to a boil.” For a guide to Emerson’s spiritual work I would suggest a book by Richard Geldard titled appropriately, The Spiritual Teachings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and along with this, of course, The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

MIND CURE

The origins of New Thought grew from the well-known and the completely unknown. As I have mentioned, a key component of New Thought was the “mind cure or mind healing” movement, whose principal teaching was that “Spirit is more real and more powerful than matter - so the mind has the power to heal the body.” Our next stop is Portland, Maine, to meet Phineas Parker Quimby (1802-1898), a watch and clockmaker, suffering from Consumption, who with little formal education, learns early hypnotism (mesmerism at the time) and through his experiences with hypnosis, auto-suggestion, and the Placebo effect, realizes illness is a “matter of the mind.”

Quimby becomes the first New Thought healer using Jesus as a model for the ability to heal based on belief. Quimby opens an office in Portland, Maine and focuses on his mentally aided healing, and is quite successful. All of the established New Thought churches were, directly or indirectly, founded by Quimby’s patients who became his students. Mary Baker Eddy was an early patient/student of Quimby’s and went on to establish Christian Science - the first Mind Cure oriented church, although many disagree as to whether it is the first New Thought church, because of its strict dogma and religious practices.

Warren Evans, another Quimby patient/student, published three books on Quimby’s ideas including Mental Cure (1869), Mental Medicine (1872), and The Soul And Body (1876). Julius Dresser and his wife, Annette, both Quimby patients, went on to write related books, and their son, Horatio Dresser, became a popular lecturer based on his parent's work with Quimby. To the list of key New Thought concepts Quimby added:

Disease is due to false reasoning, so health is due to

knowledge of the truth. To remove disease permanently,

It is necessary to know the cause, the error which led to it.

“The explanation is the cure.” To know the truth about what

life is, therefore, the sovereign remedy for all ills. The truth

Jesus came to declare.

THE FIRST NEW THOUGHT CHURCHES

It was Emma Curtis Hopkins, a former student of Mary Baker Eddy, who had the most impact at the time on the future of New Thought. Along with spiritual healing, Hopkins’ focus was on the changing role of women, and the reign, of what she referred to, as the Mother aspect of God. She went on to write, Scientific Christian Mental Practice and founded the Emma Hopkins College of Metaphysical Science.

A well-known graduate of Emma Hopkins College - Dr. E.B. Weeks, who became a popular New Thought speaker in his own right, went on to inspire the Fillmore’s and the creation of the Unity Movement. On a spring evening in 1886, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore attended a lecture given by Dr. Weeks. Charles Fillmore’s real estate business was failing, and Myrtle had only a few months to live with her hereditary tubercular condition. As a result of Dr. Weeks lecture, Myrtle had a mystical epiphany, and left the lecture repeating over and over in her mind one single line, “I am a child of God, and therefore I do not inherit sickness.” This led to the healing of Myrtle, who lived on for another forty years.

Charles and Myrtle helped and healed others from their home, and the Unity movement came to life. There was no formal attempt through the early years to organize a church, and at its core, Unity remains a coming together of students seeking the truth. The Fillmore’s prayer group evolved into, what is known today as, Silent Unity, a prayer vigil dedicated to praying prayer requests from all over the globe, twenty - four hours a day, seven days a week.

Charles published a little magazine named Modern Thought, which became Unity magazine, and the world’s first thoroughly New Thought religious organization was established.

Unity was not an offshoot of any Christian church, so it generated no dogma, and instead focused on the teachings and ministry of Jesus while directing its efforts toward a “firsthand experience with God.” So in the words of Unity minister, scholar, and one of the top New Thought religious leaders of our time – Rev. Eric Butterworth, as quoted from his book Unity A Quest For Truth, “Unity is not a new religion. It is not a new philosophy or new teaching. Unity is purely and simply a technique in the demonstration and practice of Christian principles.” Butterworth goes on to clarify:

Unity is dedicated to the open mind, to the continuous quest for truth.
It does not seek to tell you what to think, how to define God, or what creeds to accept.
Unity seeks to teach you only “how to think,” “how to pray” – so that you can formulate your definition of God and find your own distinctly personal revelation of truth.
The ultimate goal of Unity is to help you become one with God.

Unlike past religious awakenings, there was no major break within the traditional Christian church with the move to New Thought, and as Rev. Eric Butterworth goes on to explain, referring to the history of Unity and the New Thought movement.

It was essentially a movement of idealism, religious

liberalism, and a sincere search of the practical truth

that frees. The term New Thought never did designate

a specific movement or organization. Emerson used

the word in referring to “this new thought.’’ W. John

Murray popularized the term at the turn of the

twentieth century in his phrase: “The New Thought

of Man, the Larger Thought of God.”

Let’s look at some of the key New Thought positive spiritual concepts, which are embodied in Unity, and the other New Thought spiritual organizations, we will discuss in a few minutes. First, God is you. When I first heard that we should think of ourselves as God, it was a shock, until I realized that it did not mean, I was God. I am going to quote again from Rev. Eric Butterworth’s book, Unity A Quest for Truth, directly, so I explain this idea clearly.

All ice is water, but not all water is ice. The life in you

is God - life, the wisdom in you is God - intelligence,

the love in you is God - love. You are a child of God,

an expression of God – so there can be nothing of you

that is not innately of God.

So what about Jesus? Traditional Christian doctrine says that Jesus is the hope for all humankind, and we must believe in Jesus to be saved. Unity asserts that the true hope of humankind is not revealed in Jesus, but through Jesus, and is reflected in the Christ within the heart of every person, which Jesus revealed. In Jesus’ teachings, he did not place emphasis on himself, but always on all people who believe, “He who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do (John. 14:12).”

A key tenet of New Thought positive spiritual law within Unity, and related organizations, is the concept that – our lives and affairs are completely influenced and shaped by the character of our thinking, that a person is not limited by God’s will, or by heredity, or environment, or by fate or circumstance - but by his or her dominant state of mind. This, in Unity nomenclature, is known as the “Law of Mind Action,” the foundation of what is more popularly known, today, as the Law of Attraction.

Wow, when I heard this for the first time, I was floored. What I heard was - everything good or bad in my life is the result of my thinking, and I am responsible for what I am attracting into my life. I thought, if this was true, then if I could change my thoughts, re-direct them, I could change my life. And I have come to accept there is no other way to change my life, but by changing my thinking.

As I became more familiar with New Thought spiritual approaches, the concepts congealed to comprise the basic principles listed below:

1. God is the source and creator of all. There is no other enduring power. God is all good and active in everything, everywhere.

2. We are spiritual beings, created in God’s image. The spirit of God lives within each person, therefore all people are inherently and naturally good because God’s divinity is within us and in everyone.

3. We create our experiences with what we choose to think and what we feel and believe.

4. Through affirmative prayer and meditation, we connect with God and bring out the good in life.

5. Knowledge of spiritual principles is not enough. We do and give our best by living the Truth we know. We make a difference.

The Unity Church is currently the largest New Thought movement today, with 125,000 members worldwide.

Divine Science was also founded in the late 1800s. It was based directly on the teaching of Emma Hopkins and was established when Nora L. Brooks, who was suffering from a severe throat illness, attended a lecture given by Emma Hopkins, and after several private sessions was healed. Nora Brooks teamed with another patient/student of Hopkins, Melinda Cramer, who had a similar healing experience, and together they formed Divine Science, which has a membership of about 5,000 today. Divine Science adheres to the following:

1. God is all, both visible and invisible.

2. One presence, One Mind, One Power is all.

3. This One that is all is perfect life, perfect love, and

perfect substance.

4. We are the individualized expression of God.

The United Church Of Religious Science was founded in 1927 by Dr. Ernest Holmes, another Maine native, who was a Divine Science Minister and became a popular lecturer after publishing what is virtually a textbook on religious New Thought titled, Science of Mind. In 1927, Holmes was convinced to create the United Church Of Religious Science, whose membership is about 100,000 today.

Prayer has always been a central feature of New Thought religious practice, as we outlined with Unity, which maintains prayer vigils, 24/7, to this day. To this prayer focus, Dr. Holmes introduced the technique and practice of the “Spiritual Mind Treatment.” Using the Law of Mind, as outlined in the Science of Mind – Holmes trained his practitioners to formally pray to infinite universal intelligence, God - seeing their clients as whole, perfect and healed, and as a result, impacting and improving their condition.

Of all the New Thought writers, I find the works of Dr. Holmes a source of continual inspiration. I have not only read Science of Mind but use it as a textbook for continuous learning, and often, listen to the excellent audio version when I need some redirection. I can also honestly say; I have read every book Dr. Ernest Holmes has written and published and would recommend them all.

Likewise, I also occasionally attend Religious Science services on Sunday and would suggest attending both Religious Science (often now referred to as Centers for Religious Science) and Unity services, if you are looking for established New Thought based religious alternatives. For daily reading, I would also suggest subscribing to the Religious Science monthly magazine, Science of Mind A Guide To Spiritual Living - as I mentioned previously - I read this every day for inspiration, and it is a centerpiece of New Thought information.

I would like to close this focus on the origins of the New Thought religious movement, and the advent of positive spirituality, with a 1958 quote from Dr. Holmes, which may still result in being more than wishful thinking.

We have launched a movement which, in the next

100 Years, will be the great new religious impulsion

(a force that moves something along) of modern time.

THE ORIGINAL NEW THOUGHT PIONEERS

As I mentioned, these early positive spiritual pioneers were joined by numerous, and often better known, motivational/self-help pioneers and practitioners, who must also be considered as rightful founders of the New Thought movement. I have mentioned a number of these writers, lecturers, authors, and entrepreneurs who mastered and evolved the early key New Thought concepts, especially the Law of Attraction, and applied them to succeed in business, relationships, and life.

In 1889 Prentice Mulford (1834-1891), a literary humorist and author, published Thoughts Are Things, which became a guide to the New Thought belief system. William Walker Atkinson - attorney, merchant, and publisher - who was the editor of numerous New Thought magazines, and wrote Thought Vibration Or The Law Of Attraction In The Thought World, and over 100 other books on related New Thought subjects. Russell Conwell, whose book Acres of Diamonds was first published in 1890 - originating, as I mentioned earlier, from a speech he would give 6,000 times around the world to raise funds to open my Alma Mater, Temple University, the only university funded by New Thought concepts.

Other key inspirational and motivational New Thought pioneers included James Allen (1864-1912), the poet and philosopher best known for his New Thought classic, As A Man Thinketh, along with his magazine, The Epoch; Judge Thomas Troward, known as the Judge, whose book, Mental Science, based on his Edinburgh Lectures On Mental Science (1904), further defined the movement for the academic world, including William James. In 1910, Wallace Wattles published The Science Of Getting Rich, to be followed by the Science of Being Great and The Science of Being Well. Charles Haanel (1866 – 1949), New Thought author and businessman, best known for his book written in the form of a course in New Thought, titled The Master Key System, published in 1912 which, later inspired Napoleon Hill’s work.

During the 20th century, these New Thought pioneers would be joined by Christian Daa Larson, whose ten books included, Your Forces and How to Use Them (1912), On The Heights (1908), The Pathway Of Roses, and Perfect Health: who went on to inspire the young Ernest Holmes. Robert Collier (1885-1950), whose book The Secret Of The Ages, sold over 300,000 copies. The only student of Judge Thomas Troward was Genevieve Behrend (1881-1960), who went on to write two very popular books, Your Invisible Power and Attaining Your Heart’s Desire.

It was Wattle’s book, The Science Of Getting Rich, a gift from her daughter during a difficult time, initially inspiring Rhonda Byrne to do her early work on The Secret. Byrne, in her books, The Secret and The Power, quotes extensively from all of these early pioneers, including Troward, Haanel, Collier, Behrend, and Larson. Other well-known 20th century contributors include Joel S. Goldsmith with The Infinite Way, published in 1947, Neville Goddard, and of course, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, who after reading Creative Mind and Success by Ernest Holmes became a minister and started his career. Peale would later say, “there is no question that Ernest Holmes’s teachings had helped me on my way.”

I feel compelled to note this listing is only a guide and does not include all who have contributed during this time. It is meant as a reference and not an exhaustive list. These New Thought motivational self-help practitioners, including those of today who we will discuss next, kept New Thought alive by reaching millions through their plethora of books, magazines, articles, and lectures, while the established New Thought religious organizations reached only a comparable handful.

NEW THOUGHT TODAY - THE SECRET REVEALED

I fully believe that today, from both a collective and individual perspective, humankind, confronted by a tumultuous world, appears to be in the throes of a powerful spiritual awakening, fueled by a desire to personally reconnect with God, move beyond the desires of the ego, and rediscover the genuine soul. New Thought concepts focused on positive spirituality are now, more than any time in the past, comprising the very foundation of this movement towards enlightenment.

A visit to your local bookstore or e-book source - Apple’s iBook’s or Amazon’s Kindle, and you will be astounded by the New Thought oriented positive spiritual best sellers now prominently displayed - not just tucked back in the religion section which, if you notice, is now full to overflowing in most bookstores - including; How The Secret Changed My Life, Hero, The Magic, The Power, and The Secret (Byrne); Peace In The Present Moment, A Stillness Speaks, New Earth, and The Power Of Now (Tolle), Change Your Thoughts, Living In The Light, The Power Of Intention (Dyer), The Healing Self, You Are The Universe, The Third Jesus (Chopra), The Return Of Christ Consciousness, Tears Of Triumph, The Age Of Miracles (Williamson), Getting In The Vortex (Hicks), Coming To Your Senses (Kabat-Zinn), The Seekers Guide (Lessor),How God Changes Your Brain (Newberg & Waldman), The Moses Code (Twyman), Quantum Wellness (Freston), and Loving What Is (Katie) and hundreds more classified as spiritual, religious, motivational, or self-help. Each one of these authors owes a debt of gratitude to the New Thought religious and motivational pioneers who came before them and blazed the trail.

Leading and powering this movement today, is a spiritual educator, guide, facilitator, and an international spokesperson for positive spirituality, Oprah Winfrey. As I have mentioned in my earlier chapters, I must credit Oprah with changing my life, and the lives of millions by introducing the best-selling New Thought primer, The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne. Suddenly millions were exposed to the concept of the Law of Attraction, and with Oprah’s, and later, with Larry King’s support, this New Thought message focused on positive spirituality, which had been in the past geared to a small audience of mystics, now became believable, accessible, and repackaged for mass distribution. New Thought and positive spirituality were rediscovered.

More than this, The Secret, opened me up to the world of positive spirituality, and a loving, kind God available to assist all of us with obtaining an abundant life. Ann and I were hooked, and read many of the books by current practitioners who were presented in The Secret, with our favorites being Rev. Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith, the former Religious Science minister and founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center, author of Spiritual Liberation: Fulfilling Your Soul’s Potential; and Jack Canfield, author of the Success Principles.

The established New Thought centers; such as Unity, Religious Science, and Divine Science, were caught off guard by this popular movement and worldwide discussion of conventional New Thought concepts, realizing in their avoidance of proselytizing, they had inadvertently contributed to keeping these teachings a secret to the general public. In response, Unity published its own book titled, Sacred Secrets – Finding Your Way to Joy, Peace, and Prosperity.

Still, few who read The Secret understood that these approaches could be found, and were incorporated in, established religious organizations that focused on positive spirituality, such as Unity, Religious Science, or Divine Science. Honestly, the connection has still not been adequately communicated, and as I have mentioned, this is a problem I hope to rectify with this book. Although The Secret has been the most impactful book Oprah has introduced, there have been many other New Thought oriented works, focused on positive spirituality, that Oprah has, over the years, introduced before and after The Secret, continuing still.

Oprah admits, she found her way to her positive spiritual path, after reacting to her pastor’s sermon on God being vengeful, and then reading Unity’s Rev. Eric Butterworth’s classic, Discover the Power Within You. I have quoted extensively throughout this book from the works of Rev. Eric Butterworth - the New York City Unity Minister who conducted services at Avery Fisher Hall in the Lincoln Center and was recognized as one of the top religious leaders in America of the 20th century. Oprah has expressed that Discover The Power Within changed her life, as it did mine, and I would recommend it as required reading along with The Secret.

Since I am recommending books focused on the movement toward awakening and positive spirituality, I must also recommend the third most influential book in my life, The Power of Intention, by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, who went from his first book, Erroneous Zones, and in the 1990s personally and professionally evolved into a positive spiritual guide and educator, assisting his readers with connecting with the divine intention in their lives. His recent death is a spiritual loss to all of us in the New Thought community.

I appear to be on a roll, so let me also mention the fourth book I would also recommend reading, and this is Eckhart Tolle’s classic, The Power Of Now, instructing us on how to reach enlightenment by living in the present, the “Now,” and controlling our ego’s desire to live in the past and the future. Tolle brings to light the “Pain Body,” the pain center we all individually and collectively carry with us, and occasionally sink into, creating our own life of pain. We will focus on the role of the Pain-Body in Book Two of the series when we discuss mind control and the control of consciousness.

Oprah Winfrey branched out to an international audience in 2008, introducing Eckhart Tolle’s second book, A New Earth – Awakening To Your Life’s Purpose, with a series of ten, one hour online programs, reviewing a chapter at a time with the author and 700,000 thousand viewers, who participated across the globe, communicating via Skype. Oprah augmented these efforts with her positive spiritual Sirius XM Satellite Radio program, Oprah’s Soul Series, which was also videoed, so free Podcasts can be offered via iTunes, which I love, and watch on my iPhone and iPad.

Orpah’s Soul Series in all of its iterations, over the years, has introduced spiritually-minded listeners to a virtual cornucopia of spiritual authors and thinkers of our time. Via these podcasts, I have been introduced to Elizabeth Lessor and her book The Seeker’s Guide; John Kabat-Zinn’s work on Mindfulness and his book Coming To Your Senses; Byron Katie’s Loving What Is; and most impactful, at least on my diet, Kathy Freston’s book on spiritually conscious eating titled Quantum Wellness. In 2009, Oprah aired another international spiritual webcast featuring Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith, Rev. Ed Bacon - a New Thought style Episcopal Minister from Texas who is just sensational and has since published his first book, 8 Habits of Love – Open Your Heart, Open Your Mind - and Elizabeth Lessor, the author I have mentioned, the co-founder of the Omega Institute.

Since Oprah now has a network – OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) - her reach has expanded with shows like Super Soul Sunday. Free downloads for all types of media are still available on iTunes, and Oprah’s website, listed on my blog. Since this only scratche the surface of the programming centered on New Thought focused positive spirituality, as well as inspirational and self-help guidance, available through Oprah programs, for more information, go to www. Oprah.com

MY CONVERSION TO CONSCIOUS EATING

On a personal side note, I need to reveal that Oprah’s Soul Series is responsible for my being a vegetarian, and my fully putting into practice the concept of conscious eating. Early in 2009, I bought a book I already mentioned called Quantum Wellness – A Practical and Spiritual Guide To Health and Happiness by Kathy Freston, who was unknown to me, but since I am in the benefits field, and it tied wellness with the word “Quantum,” as in Quantum Physics, I picked up a copy. Since I was spending up to five hours a day commuting, I read a lot, so I bought the book, brought it home, and left it on the bookcase with our cookbooks. In March of 2009, I am on my home treadmill watching Oprah’s Soul Series on my iPhone, and Oprah is interviewing Kathy Freston, discussing the book. I thought - wow this is the book I bought a few months back, so I listened.

Freston, who has a definite positive spiritual orientation, is asking a simple question, “If you are searching for enlightenment, how can you justify ingesting animals that have died in agony.” After I listened to the two podcasts, Ann and I decided to read her book and explore the concept of conscious eating. We took Freston’s recommended 21 days fast, where you give up caffeine, alcohol, wheat gluten, sugar, and all meat and dairy products. We succeeded and as a result, decided to not go back to eating meat or meat by-products.

We were vegans for the remainder of the year but slipped back into our old ways for a few months early in 2011. After I read The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. - the scientist who led the China study and has shown through research that animal protein could result in cancer, and other health issues - we returned to a vegetarian diet eating cheese only occasionally. So I have Oprah to thank for my healthy and spiritually conscious diet.

OTHER MODERN DAY NEW THOUGHT CHAMPIONS

There are other influential New Thought oriented leaders who have paved the way for the evolution of this positive spiritual awakening. Foremost has been Louise L. Hay, metaphysical lecturer, former Religious Science Minister, and renowned author of the bestselling; You Can Heal Your Life, published in 1984. Louise Hay went on to establish the spiritual publishing firm, Hay House, which has published the leading spiritually positive, New Thought oriented, authors of our time: including, Wayne Dyer which we have mentioned, Ester and Jerry Hicks (Law of Attraction), Don Miguel (Toltec Wisdom), Greg Branden (The God Code, The Divine Matrix), Doreen Virtue (Angels and Spiritual Counseling), and Marianne Williamson (Expansion of Course In Miracles) to name just a few. Louise Hay, at the age of 90, who built a New Thought publishing empire with its message about the power of thought and attitude, died on August 30, 2017.

Hay House also publishes the Law of Attraction work of Esther and Jerry Hicks, who over the last thirty years, have defined and redefined the key concepts of the Law of Attraction through their books – Ask and It Is Given, The Law of Attraction, The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent, Money and the Law of Attraction, and their latest The Vortex. Esther communicates the Teachings Of Abraham – a non-physical group of highly evolved teachers. Before I started to personally connect with God on the train, I was at first a bit freaked out that Esther was getting this information via, what some might call “channeling,” but after a few sessions, I got over it, and realized this was a true, modern guide and approach to practicing the Law of Attraction.

Along with Louise Hay, and the teachers Hay House publishes, I would have to add Joel Osteen, who I believe qualifies as a champion of positive spirituality through his ministry at Lakewood Church, located in Houston, which is now the largest church in the world; with over 40,000 attending services, and seven million television viewers, bolstered by the readers of Joel’s bestselling positive spiritual guides, including The Power of I Am, Become, A Better You, Your Best Life Now, and It’s Your Time. I have listened to countless Joel services, and have seen him in person, and I would classify his approach as positive New Thought with a Bible focus, very reminiscent of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, who like Joel, translated key New Thought concepts into usable and practical terms. Joel is now on Sirius radio.

As I have mentioned, I have only scratched the surface of the New Thought, and spiritually positive related works, influenced by New Thought, that are in the bookstores now, or have been, during the past few years. New Thought has entered our vocabulary with concepts like the Law of Attraction, the Laws of Prosperity, the concept of gratitude, abundance, vibrational alignment, cocreating, and manifesting. This is a revolutionary movement centered on positive spirituality, with a foundation in New Thought, and we can learn from and share in the bounty.

CLOSING NEW THOUGHTS

I will close this look at New Thought, and the world’s positive spiritual awakening today, with a quote from Rabbi David A. Cooper, from his book, GOD IS A VERB Kabbalah and the Practices of Mystical Judaism, written in 1995. This quote is based on the 1995 Hebrew calendar year of 5755, so in 2020, we would be in the Hebrew year 5780.

According to Jewish mysticism, five thousand seven

hundred fifty-five years ago, a new paradigm of human

consciousness was born…what we call the process

of enlightenment. Kabbalists say that we are rapidly

approaching another major paradigm shift in awareness.

It will be called messianic consciousness, and we

will understand everything in an entirely new light.

When I read this the first time, I was stunned, and tears came to my eyes. I truly believe we are fast approaching this consciousness - whether we call it messianic, God or Christ consciousness is a matter of religious semantics for me - the shift in awareness has begun, with New Thought based positive spirituality leading the way.

CLOSING NOTE ON ENLIGHTENMENT

The focal point of this New Thought positive spirituality is the potential to establish a personal connection with an indwelling God, the God residing within our souls, within our divine self, and obtaining God Consciousness. In the Meditation Note below, titled Divine Self Blooming, we are reminded to connect with this Divine Self, using it as a gateway for this connection with God.

DIVINE SELF-BLOOMING

The divine self, like an ocean of spirit within your

consciousness evolves, grows, matures – connected

and one with God – fully present – the spiritual self –

the soul within. This is your indwelling God – your

perfect you, always present in the mystery

of infinite intelligence.

Open your mind and heart to this divine self,

allowing it access to your life and the freedom

to evolve into you. Enlightenment truly is the

divine self-becoming fully conscious, and with

ego in tow like an errant child – moving through

consciousness to claim its divine right – its perfect

place.

Search no further than your heart, for here is the

sound and fury of your liberation – your becoming –

one connected and whole in Source. Tear off the rags

of physical form and walk without armor with eyes

closed – ego in check – and move to the essence of your

soul – God within – God without.

This is the time to hold the crystal heart – to see

the Heartlight, realizing it has been with you all along –

the divine self, blooming.

NOE G. 9.23.2010

CLOSING AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

I would like to close this chapter, where I have been focusing on my spiritual journey, with what I call an Affirmative Thought. Those, who follow my blog, will know that I write Ann a brief note every morning before I go to work, delivering it with her morning tea. Ann looks forward to these notes and has come to expect one every morning. These notes are a morning dose of New Thought influenced positive spirituality, covering a wide variety of topics and, although specific to Ann on that day, are usually so generic they can be applied by any of us as a daily affirmation when we find them useful.

So to close this chapter I offer the Affirmative Thought below titled - A Single Thought, which I feel reaffirms the essence of New Thought, with its basis in mind action and the ability to co-create with God. If you find these notes useful, you can explore all of Ann’s notes that have been published on the Blog, to date, by clicking Affirmative Thoughts, under “Categories,” on the left sidebar of the blog.

A SINGLE THOUGHT

Today let us return to the basics and understand that

a single thought coupled with emotion is

at the center of all attraction and mind-action

creating and taking a vibrational form

in the universe.

Today let us monitor each thought and replace

it with a positive concept – lack or less

become abundance and more –

let not good enough

become more than enough.

Today let us understand that thought by thought

we bring about our dreams and desires

and will create

our heaven on earth!

AT G. 4.23.2010

As always, thank you for taking this spiritual journey with me. Our next stop is the final chapter of Part One - My Spiritual And Life Journey, titled, Connecting With God On The Train - where I focus on an in-depth review of the techniques and approaches I use to develop my personal connection with God during my commutes to Washington, DC. I hope you will join me.

____________________

PART ONE MY SPIRITUAL AND LIFE JOURNEY

CHAPTER FOUR - CONNECTING

WITH GOD ON THE TRAIN

CARVING GOD

I whittle away slowly,

meticulously, carving piece

by piece from the solid

chunk of my soul –

chipping, slicing my way

to the spirit of God within.

Like the sculptor who lets

the stone reveal the image,

I let the art of God guide

my hands, shaping, smoothing,

chopping, caressing my way to

the Divine.

POEM G.

JANUARY MORNING

It is a wet Friday morning – 6:45 AM - January 21 to be exact - as I move through the Fredericksburg Station, watching the pigeons as they seek protection from the rain, with my umbrella still opened in one hand, with my case wheeling behind me, as I approach the ramp up to Track 3. Ann has gotten out of bed at 6:30 AM to drive me to the train, and on the way, attempted to inspire me by joyfully singing “I got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus down in my heart.” As I make my way through the station, I find myself whistling the melody of this positive hymn.

On the platform, I chat with John, one of my fellow commuters, asking if the track announcement has been made, and he confirms I am on the right track. Our conversation centers on the rain and when I will be able to take my Christmas lights down. The cast of Amtrak characters has changed since the March morning I started this book, most notably, Ron the architect, who was a brilliant conversationalist, was laid off in December and disappeared. I recently found out he has a new job and no longer takes the Amtrak. I miss the lively banter that Ron brought to the platform.

Down the track, through the rain, we can hear the rumble of the train in the distance, and finally, around the bend, we watch the flickering headlights cut through the darkness as the horn blasts twice. The tracks reflect the lights as the train pulls up. Near the end of the platform, the conductor sets out the yellow step-up stool, and with my fellow travelers, I board as the conductor repeats, “watch out, it is slippery.”

I make my way to the back of the train, which is my habit, but stop in one of the updated train cars with plush, roomy seats, usually reserved for the business class, or the trains that run to Florida. Since it is a more modern car, it fills up fast with the chatterers, and I move to the back of the train to find a quieter place to meditate.

As I write, I realize that it has been over ten months since I began the journey of writing this book, recording my train trip of March 15, which now opens Chapter One – God’s Wake-Up Call. During this time, I have had and recuperated from Pituitary Brain surgery, met my grandchild - Christian, and learned the basics of Blogging. With the encouragement of Ann, I set up my Blog - Finding God On The Train - Notes On Enlightenment, which may be where you are now reading this chapter unless the book has been published.

This chapter focuses on the methods and approaches I have used to connect with God on the train directly, and brings the story of Part One – My Spiritual And Life Journey, more spiritually current, recognizing that all of the proceeding steps have led me to find god on the train. I hope to explain and explore my connection with God, and by using my experience as a guide, inspire others who are seeking a personal spiritual connection. I say this with the understanding that, each of us, will have our own unique and distinct personal connection with God: each of us, will have a different approach and style of contact and will receive messages that pertain to our unique beliefs and quest. To augment this, I would also like to highlight my actual train experience by sharing snippets of my daily commutes.

During this initial period of writing, my concept of the book has also evolved, as I have become more attuned to my own divinely inspired guidance, along with incorporating what is of interest to my blog readers. I hope you will bear with me as I open myself up to divine inspiration, in a sense, co-authoring the book with God. Most importantly, to any spiritual journey, I have continued to learn a great deal about my life, my God, and myself.

We will leave Fredericksburg behind, traveling east along the CSX Railroad track line leased by Amtrak and the VRE Commuter Train, with the passenger and commuter trains competing with the long, large, and loud CSX Freight Trains. We climb, heading north through the small town of Brooke, and cross the Aquia Creek, meandering our way through some of the most scenic countrysides Virginia has to offer, heading to the Potomac River, and the Virginia/Maryland border, at the river’s edge. The sheer beauty of the trip, peaceful, serene, and full of panoramic forest and water scenes, overwhelms non-commuters and commuters alike. I am alone now, and it is my time to prepare for what I call meditative prayer, which is a combination that I have found to be very effective in connecting with God.

PREPARATION FOR PRAYER AND MEDITATION

Learning to pray and meditate effectively, is at the center of my spiritual time spent on the train. Although I have spent countless hours praying to God as a Methodist, a Jew – and later as an Episcopalian - I was never very adept at prayer. My training, regarding prayer, had been centered on thanking God or asking God for something, which I found most useful in times of fear and worry. I would often ask God to keep something from occurring in my life, to spare me, or to assist in saving me.

For the most part, prayer was for Sunday mornings. As an Episcopalian, in my adult years, this was made even more mechanical with the use of the Book of Common Prayer, where all the prayers for the Sunday service were provided, and you were instructed when to say each silently, or in unison. Jewish religious services were quite similar, also using a prayer book, except in Hebrew, which, I believe, set the tone for the Christian prayer books used by the Catholics and the Episcopalians. Overall, I never fully understood what to pray or what to expect. Surely, I was never prepared for or expected a direct answer or communication. I was OK with the concept that God worked in mysterious ways, helping out or assisting if able. As a result, I found prayer to be a Sunday thing, never expecting it to be very fulfilling or meaningful.

Meditation was even more difficult and perplexing for me, and it seemed somewhat mystical. I knew, from what I had heard about Transcendental Meditation, that a Mantra was needed to quiet the “monkey mind,” as the Buddhists call it, or often referred to as the “mind chatter,” which is running an endless loop of nonsense in our heads. This chatter, by the way, emanates from a few cells in the left hemisphere of our brains, whose job it is to interpret our reality, thus keeping a constant story going of potential issues in our lives. They are a creative group of cells that will embellish on reality, creating a whole false scenario, thus keeping our attention, if needed. In Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s book, My Stroke of Insight, A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey, you can learn about the monkey mind cells, and the amazing functioning of the brain, from a brain scientist’s personal experience with a stroke.

Returning to the point, which is: meditation assists you in quieting your mind chatter and entering into the silence. Although I had read extensively about meditation in the past, I never could quite master it as a daily practice. My mind was not to be quiet, and I would just stop trying. Another issue was that, besides a feeling of peace and oneness, I was never sure what it was I needed to accomplish.

Back to the train and the spiritual time each morning I use to connect with God. Over the years, commuting on the train, I have dedicated over an hour of my morning commute time to focus on my spiritual life. I have had a chance to develop a prayer and meditation style that fits me. This took at least six months before I was able to develop a system that worked. I want to emphasize, your approach to prayer and meditation should be personalized, to fit your individual preferences, and what follows, should be used only as a guide. As I discuss the process and the techniques, I will refer to the books and guides I have found useful as I have progressed. I will also underscore, the conceptual approaches used by established religious New Thought organizations, such as Unity and Religious Science.

But, before we start, let us understand what it is we do expect from prayer. Do we just want to let God know things are not going so well with our lives, and God needs to jump in and save us? Do we want to thank God for all God has done for us? Do we want something to change? Do we just need guidance and assistance? I believe God needs clarity to work with to understand what we need in our lives – a clear definition of God’s expected role in accomplishing our positive progress. But telling God what we do “not want,” does not express what we do want. This would be like telling a waiter, who requests our order, what we do not want. I believe, affirmative clarity, centering on exactly what it is we do need or expect, is the clearest way to communicate through prayer and meditation. Affirmative prayer is what this is called, and we will cover it in more depth, as we proceed.

Preparation for prayer and meditation requires that we move our focus from the physical world to the spiritual world. In our modern lives, this transition can be challenging and takes time. For me, with my hour and twenty-minute undisturbed train rides, I have a perfect environment, although a bit non-traditional. Likewise, to accomplish this, you will need time and space away from the physical world disturbances. If you are like me, this means your iPhone, Blackberry, and /or pager needs to be handled. I have all three, and I turn the ringers off, much to the chagrin of my clients at times. This is, my time, for rejuvenation and spiritual growth!

You will also need a place where you will not be disturbed, or interrupted. On the train, I seek a spot away from my fellow passengers who are holding conversations or making noise. Although I do hear train noise, I have learned to incorporate the rumble of the train into my meditation, finding it quite soothing and comforting. When considering how much of my day I now spend in meditative prayer, I would suggest dedicating at least fifteen minutes, to begin with, seeing how it works for you. Of course, as your prayer and meditation sessions become more involved, you may want to increase the amount of time you dedicate to your daily spiritual practice.

WHY BOTH PRAYER AND MEDITATION?

I want to take a moment here to clarify why you might want to both pray and meditate, and not just do one or the other, which of course, is always your option; your choice for your spiritual growth. Prayer, from my perspective, is your time to clarify with God (or Source or Infinite Intelligence or Divine Mind or Spirit or any term or phrase that best conveys the concept of God for you) what you want, need, or desire to happen in an affirmative way. With prayer, you are up to communicate and lay the groundwork – set the stage – and frame the request.

Equally as important, during this time, you also frame your expectation for your subconscious mind by clearly outlining your expected outcomes, specifically, as if they exist in reality today. Your subconscious mind takes these positive affirmations as fact, framing them as “reality” in your mind. In this type of prayer, you are preparing God at the same time as you are focusing your mind.

During meditation, you give God a chance to provide you with guidance, feedback, and assistance. I believe that God is connected with you at all times, and if you can be silent, or “enter the silence,” as many spiritual seekers describe this state, God will respond to you directly. Overall, what I am suggesting here, is to communicate with God effectively, you need to both talk and listen. Honestly, this took me several months of praying to find out. I finally realized that God was not responding because I never gave God a chance. I was too busy talking. I needed to listen. So this is why, a blended session, including prayer and meditation, has been so powerful for me, and is what I recommend.

TRANSITIONING TO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD

Effective mental transitioning from the physical to the spiritual world is assisted by preparing your mind for prayer and meditation; basically, getting into the mood for the experience. When I first started on this path, I had not discovered the abundance of spiritual literature that exists through the New Thought movement and the other spiritual writers just mentioned in Chapter Three. I focused on positive thinking and attitude improvement books, such as Jeffrey Gitomer’s, Little Golden Book of YES Attitude, which I would re-read every day, following his lead when he suggested reading positive thinking greats, such as, Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, and Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.

So as time went on, I added a morning dose of Dale Carnegie’s success-focused book - How To Win Friends & Influence People, then moved on to Napoleon Hill’s books, Think and Grow Rich, and Keys to Success. My first exposure into more traditional New Thought concepts came by way of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, as I mentioned in Chapter Three, who in the 1950s published a bestseller titled, The Power of Positive Thinking, which I consider the world’s first modern mass-marketed prescription of New Thought concepts and techniques, including affirmative prayer, and even a form of silent meditation.

The Power of Positive Thinking was The Secret of its time and touched on most of the topics approached in The Secret, or any New Thought work, I have read since. At the time, I had no idea that I was being exposed to the framework of New Thought, but I enjoyed Dr. Peale’s focus on God, which stressed our ability to connect with God in our lives. Today, I realize that Peale was one of the New Thought leaders of the 20th century, although he never mentioned the phrase. For a special treat, pick up the CD of the original audio recording of the book by Peale.

As I discovered the New Thought spiritual world, I began to set the stage for my day, and my daily meditation and prayer sessions, by reading Unity Church’s Daily Word along with the Science of Mind, A Guide to Spiritual Living magazine, published by the Church of Religious Science. Both are monthly publications offering a daily spiritual message with quotations from a wide range of spiritual writers. Most churches have similar daily guides and support materials, and as long as they are positive, read these to prepare for your meditation and prayer sessions.

Now, as an experienced New Thought oriented meditator, my lineup of spiritual reading has become quite varied, as over the years I have added what works for me, altering each as needed to add variety. In Chapter Three, I mentioned Dr. Ernest Holmes and his New Thought spiritual textbook, Science Of Mind, and I have added a daily reading from 365 Science Of Mind – A Year of Daily Wisdom From Ernest Holmes, edited by Kathy Juline. To add a Buddhist mindfulness focus to my preparation, I read another daily devotional titled Your True Home – The Every Day Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh, compiled and edited by Melvin McLeod.

I would also strongly suggest considering a daily reading from a wonderful compilation of spiritual masterpieces tilted Timeless Wisdom - Passages for Meditation From The World’s Saints And Sages, by spiritual scholar Eknath Easwaran. Depending on my focus at the time, I also add a brief daily reading, selected randomly, from one of the following spiritual texts of India, all available with excellent translations by Eknath Easwaran - The Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita, or The Dhammapada.

I end my spiritual reading with one or more poems from my favorite books of spiritual poetry. First, Rainer Maria Rilke, one of the twentieth century’s greatest poets, who while visiting Russia was overcome by the simple spirituality he encountered, and upon returning home to Germany, was divinely inspired to write his most famous poetic work, The Book Of Hours - a testament to the divine, reflecting his deep connection and intimacy with God. I use, and highly recommend, the English translation by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy titled, Rilke’s Book of Hours – Love Poems To God. My day would not be complete without reading from The Gift - Poems By Hafiz The Great Sufi Master – translations by Daniel Ladinsky. Recently, I have added a poem from a compilation of the works of the world’s great mystics, representing diverse spiritual paths, also translated by Daniel Ladinsky and titled, Love Poems From God – Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West. I am sure you have or will find, other poets that speak to you spiritually. Again, the key here is to find what works for you, so let your heart and soul take the lead.

The train keeps rolling northeast and meets the Potomac as the CSX tracks follow the natural curve of the river, moving into the Wide Water area where the Potomac expands to the widest section on its movement to Washington, DC. The train moves at full steam, or diesel, with the forest on the left, and the Potomac on the right, expanding under the new light of day. I truly feel this is one of the most beautiful areas of Virginia, as the train rumbles towards Quantico, Virginia - the home of the Marine Corps Base and the FBI Training Center - and I hear as the conductor shouts out, “Quantico, next,” and the train prepares to make its first stop.

USING POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS

When I am finished with my inspirational reading, I have added a step that you may wish to consider, and this is the verbal reading, out loud if possible, of positive affirmations. As we have discussed, affirmations are positive statements announcing to God – universal mind – and our subconscious mind, how we view the world, and what we expect to occur during the day. This is a powerful way to use the Law of Mind Action, or Attraction, to frame our reality and set positive expectations.

I will go into more detail on how to write positive affirmations in Book Two, but before I begin to pray/meditate daily, I recite several affirmations that I feel are most appropriate for the day, including affirmations on abundance, loving kindness, health, healing, positive mental attitude, confidence, memory, organization skills, and a host of other topics. I also include some affirmations focused on the completion of current projects and tasks, which promote immediate action or staying organized, because I do work, and these affirmations help me focus on doing the best job possible.

I usually kick off my spiritual session with an expansive and very comprehensive affirmation I offered at the close of the introduction to this book titled Today I AM - it is an excellent affirmation for starting your daily practice. You may want to consider making it a habit of reciting the Today I AM affirmation out loud each day if you find it helpful and relevant.

Another example is my Abundance affirmation listed below, which reflects the reality I want to manifest, even if, it is not always fully evident in my current life. Affirmations provide excellent spiritual and personal benefits, and where helpful, I will continue to provide an affirmation that I have found success with at the end of each chapter.

ABUNDANCE

Through God, the world supplies my every financial, spiritual,

and emotional need, want, or desire, and when appropriate,

provides even what I am at this time, unaware of, but need to

progress. The bounty of my life creates joy in knowing that if

I ask, or think, or dream, it will be given. Financially, I have

an abundance of money, wealth, and assets. I pay my bills

and obligations, give substantial amounts to those in need,

and have significant amounts in reserve. I can

purchase the house, cars, clothes, furnishings, and

education that I want, need, or desire, without concern.

I am wealthy beyond my imagination. I am abundant.

I am grateful.

BEGINNING OUR MEDITATIVE PRAYER SESSION

Now we are ready to begin our meditative prayer session. We will need to review a few simple techniques to put ourselves into a good meditative state and to quiet our minds for the session. I only first, fully understood meditation after reading Deepak Chopra’s excellent book The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire. Part Two of this book is titled Paving Destiny’s Path, offering a section on Meditation and mantras, highlighting an easy to understand guide on how to meditate. The mantra Deepak uses and recommends; the one I often still use effectively today, is the “so–hum” mantra.

What I do is; close my eyes, and as I inhale deeply I sound out the word “so,” and on exhaling, I sound out the word “hum.” This allows me to focus on my breath as I inhale, saying “so,” and as I exhale, saying “hum.” It is also an option to verbalize the “so-hum” in your mind, if you prefer, or if you are not in a place where you can say it out loud. The use of the “so–hum” mantra forces a focus on the breath, quieting the chatter in your mind, and in a short time, putting you into a meditative state.

If I cannot quiet my mind with “so–hum,” I have often used Wayne Dyer’s Joppa Meditation, as outlined in his gem of a book, Getting in the Gap, Making Conscious Contact with God Through Meditation. The one I use is based on the Lord’s Prayer, and I highly recommend its use when your mind will just not settle down. With Joppa, we use the “Ah” sound - which is used by many spiritual seekers as the sound for God - in a meditation using the Lord’s Prayer. The technique I use is to say “Ahhhhhhhh,” to fill the gap between the words of the prayer. I first say, “Our Father,” and then mentally, I fill the gap, or space, in my mind, after “Our,” and before “Father,” with a fully exhaled “Ahhhhhhhhh,” done three times to extinguish all the air, and again forcing me to focus on my breathing. Usually by the time I finish the Gap between “Who Art,” I am in a deep meditative state and ready to pray. Of course, this technique would work with any spiritual material that has meaning for you.

For an in-depth and fairly exhaustive study of meditation techniques, centering on clearing your mind, or what is also termed Mindfulness, I would suggest Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book titled Coming To Our Senses – Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness. This book is based on Kabat-Zinn’s work over the past thirty years at the Stress Reduction Center and Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, located at the University of Massachusetts Hospital and Medical School. At the core of Mindfulness is our ability to silence our thoughts, clear our minds, and focus on our senses through meditation. Clearing the mind is what we are after to create the silence.

Depending on my mind chatter, and/or preoccupation with the physical world, the “so–hum” and Joppa mantras prepare me for meditation in a few minutes. I have found these techniques so much more effective than jumping right into the meditative prayer session.

Throughout the book, I will share blog posts that I feel support the material and add something to the discussion. The blog post below titled Alive In This Moment, published July 6, 2010, highlights an opening prayer that I was instructed to memorize and use whenever I prepared to meditate. I have followed this guidance, finding it very effective when preparing to meditate, and possibly, you will also find it useful in your preparation.

ALIVE IN THIS MOMENT - PRAYER/POEM –

NEW THOUGHT NOTE FOR DAY

I have been expanding my meditation sessions to do some experimenting, seeing if I can get a little deeper and a little more connected. Near the end of a pleasant forty-five-minute meditation, I received a message in the silence that simply whispered, “memorize this prayer.”

When I get a message, I try to remember the first few lines, and when I finish the session, I reach for my Moleskine journal, record the line I remember, and then transcribe whatever comes to mind without editing. The first section came as a directive:

Memorize this prayer and say it until these words

are written on your heart – inscribed within your

soul and you are one with its rhythm and rhyme.

Here is the prayer that I then transcribed. I plan to take the advice and put it to memory, using it as an opening whenever I meditate.

ALIVE IN THIS MOMENT

In this moment now I am fully alive –

my blood flowing strongly through my veins –

I am all senses alert – full of the substance of life.

I see the wonder of the Universal soul –

I smell the fragrance of beauty – of reverence –

I feel the satin of cosmic flesh polished smooth

with the brilliance of everlasting life.

I taste the symphony of flavors of perfect

life alive, refreshing, bursting with a taste

beyond comprehension. I envision in my mind

the lavender splendor of a universal landscape

and seek the portal to all grace, to all-knowing,

to all love and peace. I am alive in this moment now -

all that is – is now. I am the sense of all creation

in search of my universal home, my divine self,

my purposeful life.

POEM G. 7.16.2010

LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER

At this time, my mantra changes, and I use a more traditional phrase, “Lord, hear my prayer.” I repeat this numerous times to open my prayer session while focusing on the rhythm of my breathing. “Lord, hear my prayer,” repeating it a few more times, and then I begin every session with thanks and gratitude. Each morning I begin with thanks and gratitude for all I have and all I have been given. Yes, this is the time I thank the Lord for all that I have received, expressing how grateful I am for my life, my love, my job, my breath, my abundance, and all the other wonders God provides my family and me.

I may simply state it as - “Thank you Lord for this train seat that provides me comfort, for this train carrying me to my job, for this opportunity to pray, for my health and the health of my family, for the issue you resolved for me yesterday. Yes, thank you, God, for being with me through the day, for your guidance, and your love.” If I asked for guidance or assistance and received it the prior day, I give thanks. I thank God for my job, my loving partner, my great church, and my wonderful children. During this time I realize and feel grateful for the abundance of my life and the joy of having God included.

Once thanks are given, and I am in a receptive mood, I like to establish my connection with the Universal Mind, or the Infinite Intelligence of God. In New Thought, terms such as Universal Mind, Divine Mind, Creative Mind, or Infinite Intelligence are often used as synonyms for God, similar to names like Spirit or Source, which are also used, rather than saying, God. I also use these terms to signify the personal connection of my mind with God’s universal mind, or if we look at this in modern system terms, we might say the Divine Internet.

I simply state the following: “I affirm and establish now that I am connected with God and infinite intelligence.” As I mention this, I realize I need to discuss my approach to prayer. For me, J. Douglas Bottorff’s A Practical Guide to Meditation and Prayer, which follows the Unity prayer tradition, has been a great guide, one of the more profound and effective books on prayer I have read. The concept here is that we need to clearly affirm what we do want, and expect, from our prayer requests. So before most prayer statements, I have added a brief phrase, saying the following: “I affirm and establish now.” With this phrase, I not only affirm that my statement is true, but by adding “establish it now,” I am affirming to God that this affirmative prayer statement is now true and active. To me, this clears up any confusion for God, and more importantly for my subconscious mind. I consider this affirmative prayer request: occurring - now, established - now, and true - now.

I believe this is much more effective than saying – “I wish, or someday I would like, or if possible, or would you please make this happen.” If this sounds too bold for you, or mechanical, it is your option to leave it off, but I would recommend that you focus on declarative statements with clear expectations. As a result, the line, “Affirm and Establish Now,” gets added to most of my affirmations and requests to God.

Let’s move back into our meditation, where we want to be sure to stay focused and in our meditative prayer state. We have established our connection with God, and we are ready to continue the session. If stray thoughts or chatter are breaking in, always go back to focusing on your breathing, and reintroduce “so–hum” until you are ready to proceed.

At this point, I do ask God to be with me throughout the day, guide my actions, give me strength, help me resolve the issues of the day, and be my companion. Although I believe that God is with us at all times, I find it comforting to make this clear as my first request. I move on to affirm my expectation for the day, and what I would like to accomplish.

“I affirm and establish now that I will successfully complete

all tasks, activities, or projects I focus on today.”

“I affirm and establish now that I will quickly, easily, efficiently,

and without strain, complete all day-to-day activities.”

These prayer affirmations can also center on how you expect to feel and handle yourself during the day. Affirmations I use daily include the following:

“I affirm and establish now that I will approach

the day in a loving and kind manner.”

“I affirm and establish now that I will be full of energy,

enthusiasm, and will have fun as I complete

my work today.”

This approach to using affirmations ensures the major issues that you face during the day will be addressed and framed to elicit a positive outcome. A positive outcome is what we want from God, and the clearer it is stated, the more effective the prayer will be, in my experience. Again, please note, that these positive prayer requests prepare and focus the conscious and the subconscious mind, on what you expect to happen, as a result of your activity during the day.

For some, this might be too rigid or formal, or not free-flowing enough, so a workable alternative is to outline for God what you would like to occur. Also, the content may be changed to cover your most pressing life concerns or desires. This is the time when you need to let God know what you want, and when you want it, and what direct assistance is necessary. I often, at this time, move from framing the day to other major issues including health, wellness, healing, and abundance.

The train completes its stop in Quantico, as the newly arrived commuters and travelers make their way to find seats, stowing their luggage. The train picks up speed moving over Quantico Creek, and maintains its course adjacent to the Potomac River, as it climbs northeast through Leesylvania State Park and into Occoquan Bay, where scenic views are provided on the right side of the train.

PRAYING FOR HEALTH

My current focus is on health since as I write this chapter, I am recovering from the Endoscopic (through the nose with cameras) surgical removal of a pituitary brain tumor. The operation was a great success, relatively painless, and I have recuperated as God said would happen in my meditations leading up to the surgery. Healing to me now - and the related affirming of my well-oneness - are the leading topics in my prayers. When praying for healing, I use the opening line from a powerful healing affirmation that came to me in a meditation.

HEALING

I focus on and accept the healing power of Christ in my life,

and my soul. The power of Christ’s healing force is within

me, surges through me, and clears away all pain and disease.

I am whole in Christ and renewed by the rebirth. Christ lays

his gentle, loving hands on my head, and creates wholeness,

oneness, and restores the original work of God. Christ, I

accept your healing powers and return to the wholeness

of God’s creation.

In this affirmation, I connect with the healing power of Christ, which was uniquely manifested and demonstrated throughout his ministry. A power, Jesus indicated, was within all of us. With this meditation, I connect with this power in my soul.

Please note that the reference to Christ could easily be replaced with any other spiritual healer, or force, that fits your religious and spiritual orientation. Although I have included the entire affirmation, I usually use the first line of the affirmation as a mantra when I move into an extensive healing prayer session, and say, “I focus on and accept the healing power of Christ.” For overall health and wellness, I often use this affirmation:

HEALTH

My body and mind reflect the perfect well state when

God created me. Healing powers surge through my

bloodstream, nervous system, brain, and every organ

and cell, keeping me in a constant state of wellness,

with both physical and mental health.

Prayer is the perfect place to request healing and health assistance. I also break from pattern prayers, as in the case of my tumor. On days leading up to the operation, I spoke directly to my tumor, telling the tumor that I understood why it came into my life, but that it had to be removed. With health, as with all prayer-related topics, place them in the clear, affirmative format of what you would like to occur.

I affirm and establish and thank God now,

that my body is whole, well, and free of pain.

Focus on the goal you are seeking, the well state, rather than the medical issue. I believe God knows your current condition and is aware of your pain. Keep in front of God what you need God to do for you. When possible, write down the prayer before the prayer session, so you are ready to be clear. Remember that if you truly believe you are healed, you will be healed!

Now back to the meditative prayer session. Depending on your meditative content, your affirmative prayer section may be a few minutes or thirty minutes. I suggest taking all the time you need to state your requests and clarify your issues, no matter whether they are financial, spiritual, relationship-oriented, and/or professional. Any life issues that require assistance are worth mentioning. Note, I do not think God has a time limit; spirit is available to listen, and assist as needed. Your time may be limited, so I have found framing certain types of requests on certain days, or focusing on just one major issue a day, is a way to meet my busy schedule.

RELEASING RESISTANCE

In every meditative prayer session, I do what is called “Releasing.” This is turning my attention on the fears, worries, self-doubts, lack of confidence, or other issues and blocks that may stand in my way of doing my part in this prayer proposition, and as a result, keep me from being able to receive the answers to my prayers.

In this “releasing session,” which I do after my affirmative prayer requests, I turn the prayer inward and face these issues. For me, fear and self-doubt are my biggest roadblocks to receiving the answers to my prayers. Life takes active participation, and although God is willing to be my partner, I need to have the strength to make my dreams a reality. I look deep into my psyche, taking an inventory of my doubts, concerns, phobias, and patterns of behavior that may keep me from moving forward.

This releasing section can also be brief, or more extensive, as is the case when I focus on some releases. A simple summary “release,” such as the one that follows, may be adequate.

I now connect with and feel all the fear, doubt,

and worry in my body, let it build, bring it to

the surface, and release it now!

When you do your own releasing, you should be able to feel this physically in your body, feel it in your spirit, and bring it to the front of your consciousness. In the book titled – The Sedona Method - Your Key to Lasting Happiness, Success, Peace, and Emotional Well-being, which has been my guide for releasing my resistance, the releaser is asked to answer these simple but profound questions:

Could you allow your resistance into your consciousness?

Could you welcome it?

Then, could you let it go?

Would you?

When?

The Sedona Method, written by Hale Dwoskin, defines resistance as, “one of the main things that stop us from having, doing, and being what we want in life. Resistance is like trying to move forward with the brakes on.” Understand this is your part – letting go of the resistance - and doing this during prayer with God can make this an even more effective technique. As I bring forward my resistance, feeling it physically in my entire system, I use the following affirmative statement to complete the release.

Lord, I deny the usefulness of this resistance to my

hopes and dreams, and release it fully now into the

world, or in my case, into the train.

As I do this, I release the tension that has been built up in my body and let it go. I send this resistance into the train along with my fear, self-doubt, or lack of confidence, or whatever I directly name as resistance. This is a healthy cleansing and an emotionally strengthening addition to prayer, and with God's help, I also feel it is quite effective. It makes me feel great, and relieved, which is a real plus. So every day, gather all the resistance, deny its usefulness, and release - clearing your soul and preparing you to accomplish your dreams.

TAKING THE TIME TO PRAY FOR OTHERS

Before moving onto full meditation, I usually use this time to pray for others in my life. I use a technique I learned from reading Ernest Holmes, founder of Religious Science. Holmes suggests praying for people as whole, one, and well, and not focusing on the negative issues that may be occurring in their lives. So I always pray for wholeness as follows.

Lord, please be with my son today, guide him,

bless him, and keep him whole, complete, and

perfect. Give him insight and help him find his way.

I used this affirmation daily in March and April for my son who had experienced some issues while away attending school. Of course, any way you wish to pray for others is your choice – these are only suggestions.

The train rumbles north, towards Northern Virginia for its next stop at Woodbridge. We notice the tree and water vistas being replaced with small warehouses and townhome communities, signaling our entry into the great Washington DC megatropolis. After ten or so minutes, the train pulls into Woodbridge, a medium-size city, as the conductor shouts over the intercom, “please only exit where you see a uniformed attendant.” As the new passengers find their seats, the train pulls out of the station, towns like Lorton appear, with I-95 now in sight on the left side of the train, then moving parallel with 395, and finally crossing the Capital Beltway.

MEDITATION MADE SIMPLE

Now is the time, during our affirmative prayer and meditation session, that we will need to meditate truly, to silence our minds. We have discussed some tools, such as breathing in, and saying “so,” and breathing out, saying “hum.” Likewise, we have also discussed the Joppa approach, focused on utilizing the Lord’s Prayer. I want to take a moment to attempt, further, to demystify meditation and reiterate that it is merely any technique that focuses your attention on your breath, so you can stop thinking, and connect with your senses and spirit.

For the clearest guide to meditation available, I will refer you to, and quote from, the world-renowned Vietnamese Zen Buddhist, social activist, and master translator of the mindfulness meditation techniques originally taught by Buddha - Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced Tic Nat Han). This Mindfulness focus in meditation is called Conscious Breathing, and Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that a successful meditative state can be accomplished by breathing in, and verbalizing, either out loud or to yourself, a simple phrase, such as - “Breathing In, I know that I am breathing in,” and then, slowly breathing out, and verbalizing, either out loud or to yourself, “Breathing Out, I know I am breathing out.” The use of these two simple phrases, like the “so-hum,” provides an effective and easy to use method for focusing on your breathing and controlling your thinking. I quote from Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, Peace in Every Step.

You recognize your in-breath as an in-breath and

your out-breath as an out-breath. As you practice

your breath will become peaceful and gentle, and

your mind and body will become peaceful and gentle.

In a few minutes, you can realize the fruit of meditation.

You can shorten this by just saying, ”in,” when you breathe in, and “out,” when you breathe out. Thich Nhat Hahn goes on to instruct, that conscious breathing brings our mind and body together. If you did nothing else, but follow this instruction, you would reap the full benefits of meditation. Use this technique at any point to quiet your mind, and prepare for the silence needed to communicate with God.

WHERE ARE WE NOW?

At this point, you may be thinking that you will need a train ride across the country to have the time to complete this prayer and meditation session, but effectively, what we have accomplished to this point is the following, and all these practices can be adapted to fit your schedule.

1. Prepared for Prayer and Meditation.

2. Used the “so-hum” mantra and moved into a

meditative state.

3. Thanked God for all current gifts and abundance.

4. Completed a period of affirmative prayer, reviewing

needs, and wants with God.

5. Released all that stands in the way of making

this happen.

6. Took time to pray for others.

Note that we are now halfway through our prayer and meditation session, and in the next section we will enter the silence of deep meditation, and communicate directly with God.

COMMUNICATING WITH GOD

Back to the train and our meditation. At this time in my affirmative prayer session, I move back to my use of “so-hum,” or the “breathing in and breathing out” mindfulness mantras we just discussed, to reestablish my focus on my breathing, and begin to prepare for the silence. I often repeat a new phrase to ask for God’s guidance - “Lord, be my guide,” more on this shortly.

By now you may be in an excellent meditative flow, or you may be having to ward off your mind vociferously telling you that you should be on your way; if so, resist, move onto this next section, and enjoy “the silence.” This is the time you dedicate to God, allowing Spirit to communicate directly with you, personally.

Before proceeding, let’s discuss what type of communication we may expect “in the silence.” Honestly, at first, I did not know what to expect, and there was little guidance to prepare me. From my New Thought spiritual orientation, I had heard people speaking of God communicating in “whispers” so faint that if you didn’t listen, you would miss it entirely. Charles Fillmore, the co-founder of the Unity movement, took a business approach to meditative prayer, and spent every night in silence at 7:00 PM, waiting in meditation for God to communicate. In Fillmore’s case, he never did communicate with God during these sessions, but instead connected through his dreams. This communication with God may come as an insight, a visual picture, an emotional feeling, or via some other channel.

Let’s look at an example of a communication that occurred during my meditation session on a March train commute in 2009. I received a clearly worded statement that whispered, “Bask in the Warmth.” In the beginning, I would ask, what does this mean, and I would get a few more words; in this case, it was, “of God’s love.” Then I would repeat - “Bask in the Warmth of God’s Love,” I would keep questioning, and ideas would flow, but not really clear. After several months, I realized that if I would remember the statement, and close off my meditation session, thanking God for the connection, I could quickly reach for my journal, jot down the line, and start writing a clear stream of consciousness on the subject.

Of course, I questioned my sanity early on and thought my ego was playing tricks on me, but after a few times, I became less skeptical. Deep within my core, I knew this was going to be my method of communication. While writing down my meditation notes, I have rarely edited what I received, and overall, have worked hard not to think or question, but to write as fast and accurately as possible, as each word unfolded in my mind. After completing hundreds of these meditation communications, on a variety of topics that will form the basis for the remainder of this book and the blog, I am now sure this is God’s way of communicating guidance with me. For me, these continue to be personal communications, with many addressing questions that were on my mind at the time.

Let’s review, in more depth, the full communication resulting from the opening March train commute meditation guidance we just discussed. After the opening line, I wrote down the following note, as it was received, right after the meditation. Possibly, this may have been a response to my developing fear and anxiety over my operation planned for May, and my ability to survive it. This note came more like a poem, which although not typical, filled my heart with joy, hope, and peace when received.

BASK IN THE WARMTH OF GOD’S LOVE -

MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Bask in the warmth of God’s love. Feel secure in knowing

God is with you even in the tender moments of your grief,

the full moments of your joy, the lost moments of your pain.

Bask in the warmth of God’s love. Step by step God is with

you in the times of fear, the times of courage, the times you

question your intentions, and the times you question God’s.

Bask in the warmth of God’s love and know that God is with

you, inside of you, surrounding you, protecting you, loving

you into full life, full joy, full abundance.

Bask in the warmth of God’s love and know God is with you,

loves you, marvels at your growth, and supports the success

and missteps.

Bask in the warmth of God’s love, energy, and growth and

know God knows nothing of your guilt or sin or shame.

Bask in the warmth of God’s love and listen for God’s

guidance, support, and assistance. Listen to the whispers,

look into the coincidences, and decipher the opportunities,

and know God abounds.

Bask in the warmth of God’s love and rejoice.

NOE G. 3.14.2009 8:45 AM

The dictionary definition of the word, “bask,” is to, “warm oneself pleasantly, as in the sunlight, or to enjoy the warmth or pleasant feeling from being in a certain environment or situation.” In this case, God was offering warmth. Since I love words, poetry, prose and beautiful flowing statements, I guess God uses my preferred means of communication. Find the method that works best for you, and I believe God will do the same. Just be flexible and remain open to what happens.

WHO’S TALKING?

Now is a good time to talk about authenticity. Is this an authentic communication from God? The answer here is, no one will ever know for sure, not me, not you. To move forward, you will need to suspend your disbelief, apply these techniques, and see what happens with your connection. But, if you are like me, you will come face to face with the skeptic in you, who will question every communication.

Even though my wife Ann and I were both following a similar spiritual path, it took me about a month of daily communications on the train before I had the courage to tell her that I was connecting with God, or something, beyond me, and that I was receiving notes with guidance. Saying, I was connecting with God, took a certain audacity, so in the beginning, I said, I must be tapping into my spirit guide. Weird, but it seemed more logical than God. Then, I said, it must be the Holy Spirit. Sounded a lot more accessible than God. In the end, I asked why me and the answer I received during meditation was, why not you.

Did I need a special certification or approval from the church? I know that a few hundred years ago, I would be considered a heretic for just thinking this was possible. Partly, because established religious orders have convinced us that only specially trained representatives, such as, Priests, Bishops, Pastors, Gurus or Shamans, or men or women who have ascended some spiritual, preordained hierarchy, should be eligible to have the clout to converse with God. But with the help of my friends at Unity and Religious Science, I was able to accept that this direct connection and communication with God was possible, and available, to all who would listen.

Let’s take a breath, moving back to the train and our meditation. The train moves on, traveling east, again returning to the Potomac River, onto Alexandria, Virginia, the next stop after twenty minutes, a major spot for tourists and commuters. The Amtrak train stops and loads the new passengers, then moving back along the Potomac River – as views of Washington, DC – stately, beautiful, and powerful, join us on the right as we pass the Regan International Airport.

ENTERING THE SILENCE

This, by some standards, would be the time when our session most reflects authentic meditation. Our goal at this time is “Silence.” In Frances W. Foulks’ beautiful classic titled Effectual Prayer, written in 1923, this Unity icon wrote these words to guide her students:

Indeed the Silence does seem a problem to those who

have never assumed control of their thoughts, who have

never learned the art of relaxation, concentration, of

meditation, of being still and listening within.

I quote this passage to underscore that moving into the silence takes practice and patience. The “Monkey Mind,” full of chatter, works to fill the silence with more of its “inane antics.” It took me many attempts to move into an effective state of silence. To clarify, when you do obtain the silence through the use of a mantra, such as, “Lord, be my guide,” and focus on your breathing, the world will be fully alive and anything but silent. On the train, when I move into the silence, I can hear all the sounds and noises of a fast-moving train – fully alive, whole, wondrous, as if I have never truly listened. I am in a heightened state of listening and mindfulness, my mind chatter silent, completely “now” focused, fully one and at peace. At this time, I know I have entered the silence. I am ready to listen for God’s guidance.

As Rev. Foulks said so very long ago:

…, steps that are taken to enter the silence where God

dwells and where we hear the “still small voice” with

its words of wisdom, and love, where we contact the

gifts that through eternity have been waiting for us to

become still enough and receptive enough to receive them.

As I read these words, they underscore what the pursuit of silence has been for me. So, getting back to our meditation, your focus now should be on repeating a focus phrase, such as, “Lord, please be my guide,” or a mantra of your design, while focusing on your breathing. As I have said, when you focus on your breathing, your mind chatter cannot verbalize, so you are free to enter and focus on the silence. When you obtain the silence, with its oneness and newness, focus with all of your attention on what you are hearing, feeling, thinking, or visualizing.

This is the time for God’s communication to enter your consciousness. Be careful to edit nothing at this time, careful to avoid hindering any type of expression. At first, I thought that God’s wisdom was mind chatter, and I would disregard the message. If you receive the communication in the form of words, such as, “Clear the Path,” as I did recently, you should say the words over and over, reusing them as a mantra for focus. “Clear the Path,” thank you, God, what does this mean? Clear the Path, what path needs to be cleared? As I mentioned previously, I use questions in the hope of finding out more information, to gain more clarity. On this one occasion, I received a few more words, including the phrase, “path to enlightenment,” and as I questioned, I wrote the following communication in my journal.

CLEAR THE PATH - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Clear the path to enlightenment before you, waiting

for you to move forward and accept its joyous being.

Clear away the baggage you bring with you to the path,

the fears, the worries, the anxiety, your ego and any

other feelings, emotion, or memory that is keeping

you from moving forward and evolving.

The sound of peace and prosperity is waiting; it is

only you and your fears that keep you from making

this move. What is this move? It is the complete

acceptance of life as it is now – a joy in living and

an emotional connection to it.

Watch. Listen. More will come.

NOE G. 5.29.2009 7:50 AM

Although this communication is briefer than my usual meditation notes, it is typical in that it provides direct guidance on how I should spiritually move forward. I need to “Clear the Path,” or more exactly, get out of the way, stop using my fears and emotions to inhibit my progress, accepting the direction of my life; and as a result, get in alignment. Honestly, as I sat recovering from surgery, and started to write this book, I often questioned the path I was on. It seems like God was saying to me - move forward and get with the program: stop dragging your feet. As you can see, messages from God, at least for me, are often very direct and honest, clearly confronting my motivation and commitment. As I said, this type of guidance is personal and often will be directed to your current life situation.

If you receive a message, you may want to meditate on what it means to you and for your life. You have been given a gift of guidance and direction from God, not necessarily the solution, but possibly the guidance you need. If the communication comes in the medium of a vision, or picture, or impression, focus your efforts on the communication and ask God questions to clarify. As I said previously, when I receive guidance, I quickly attempt to document the communication by closing the session and reaching for my journal. When I first started out receiving my initial communications, I would remember the line or message, reviewing it throughout the day to explore its meaning. Again, as you work on understanding the full message, I would highly recommend keeping a journal of your meditative prayer sessions with God.

In my experience, these messages may be quite clear and direct. Eat What is On Your Plate, the Meditation Guidance shown below, is a message I received when I kept asking God for more before I utilized what I had already been given.

EAT WHAT IS ON YOUR PLATE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Eat the food that is on your plate. You have been given

a banquet, a feast of spiritual direction – like Lao Tzu

at the gate. It is time to process, devour, eat of the word

and translate and communicate the word.

You sit with a full plate and ask for more. You cannot

get more until you understand the essence of what you

have in front of you. Do not gobble the food – wipe your

mouth with your hand and stick out the plate for another

feeding.

Savor, enjoy, discuss, and relish the direction you

have received. The bounty, the truth is in front of you,

for you to process, for you to live, for you to communicate.

You are the messenger and you need to clarify the message.

It has been given to you in servings - but each serving

of a course relates to another.

You need to create the work and offer it to the world.

You need to comprehend fully what you have eaten –

incorporated fully comprehend. These are not “notes,”

these are in its entirety the “note on enlightenment.”

Transcribe, collect, publish, communicate, and I will

prepare the way. This is the guidance you seek –

this is the crystal path - this is the way.

Eat what is on your plate!

NOE G. 1.31.2009 8:00 AM

This meditation note was written in my journal, unedited and transcribed, in about ten minutes. As you can see from this note, it is very clear what God is trying to express - along with the sense of frustration that I had not done anything with these notes, but write them in my journal. I transcribed this note on January 31, 2009, and four months later, I finally put pen to paper and began this book. In Part Two Of Finding God On The Train Story, I will focus on this Message and what I feel God has been communicating.

As you gain more confidence and a fuller relationship with God, you will be in awe at times with what has been communicated, along with the blessing that exists in simply connecting. At other times, you may be challenged, confronted, and possibly annoyed, as God prods and guides you into the fuller life of your dreams.

At this point in the meditation process, you will take control, learning how to pace yourself. If you have heard the “still small voice” whispering, you will determine, based on your schedule, how long you may wish to continue. Enjoy yourself, if you have the time or can make time; this will be a major moment in your life.

When you are ready, you should gently close out your meditation, rather than abruptly ending the session, after you have gotten what you needed. Always end the session with thanks and gratitude to God for entering into your life. Thank God for taking the time to engage with you, providing you with guidance and direction. Thank God for all that you have, and all that waits for you to have. Thank God for the love and kindness, and the abundance provided.

As you prepare to end the session, another excellent opportunity arises for you to pray for others and the world. You will never be closer to God than you are at this moment: make the most of it. At this time during my sessions, I give thanks and pray for anyone who I did not pray for earlier, ending my session with a simple thank you. I bring my hands together in prayer to my chest, then I raise my hands, still held in prayer, until I can gently rub the base of my thumbs to my forehead, next I lower my hands until I can gently touch the tips of my fingers to my lips, ending with my hands and arms separated and outstretched, with palms facing forward. This is my ritual that has developed over time. I am sure you will develop one that works for you. As I then open my eyes, I am ready to reenter the world energized, enthused, refreshed, and rejuvenated. I am ready for a great day!

As the train crosses the railroad bridge over the Potomac, with the magnificence of DC in front, the river on both sides below, I humbly thank God for the opportunity to work in such a stunning world, full of symbols, architecture, and icons of America’s present and past. As the train slowly proceeds, the Tidal Basin and the Washington Monument appear to the left, followed by the National Mall. Directly passing the Jefferson Memorial, as the full beauty of the Tidal Basin unfolds in front of us, we pull into L’Enfant Plaza with the US Capitol in sight. Then, the train rolls towards our final destination, through the underground railroad tunnels to Union Station, just one block from the US Capitol.

WHAT IF NOTHING HAPPENS?

Let’s take a step back and answer this question - what if you do this day after day and there is no communication? You have followed all the techniques, and no epiphany (an appearance of God), no message, no vision, NO - NOTHING! I would suggest that you continue this practice for all of your meditations, response, or no response. On its own merits, this practice allows you to enter the “now,” and “mindfulness,” and easily brings your mind to a true meditative state.

I would estimate that millions of people follow similar practices each day without the expectation of communication, solely because it connects them with God and infinite intelligence. This is usually the only chance any of us have to reach this state of peace and beauty. It also reduces your stress level, eases anxiety, and lowers your blood pressure, as much as ten to twenty points. Meditation is good for both your physical and spiritual self and should be practiced daily.

OK, back to the NO - NOTHING! Let’s understand that during the session you have expressed to God your desire for personal guidance and assistance, and I believe, God always responds to you in some form, some manner, or some way during the day. Be alert, be expectant: the guidance and assistance will most surely come to you. I believe my guidance came verbally because this is my skill area – words and writing come easily and move easily through me. God may express guidance through your art or creativity – through dance, music – or through your work or relationships. Know that God will provide what you need. I needed a lot of guidance, and received direction to write this book, so I received words and concepts I could convey. If you remain observant, I am positive you will be pleased with the communication you develop with God.

Remember your meditative prayer session is your work of art, and you should create and organize it to fit your spiritual needs. As you see, I have sewn together the fabric of my session, as I have learned or mastered a new idea or technique. I am always adding to the mix, such as the technique I learned from Joel Osteen, my favorite positive Pastor of all time. Joel said he would breathe in “strength” and breathe out “weakness.” I use this to breathe in success – breathe out failure, breathe in confidence, and breathe out fear. This is a great technique that I have incorporated into my sessions, and it constantly bolsters my spirit, breathing in the positive – breathing out the negative. Try it – I use it throughout the day as well as during meditation, it works. So feel free to adapt this guide to meet your needs, but keep focusing on the basics of meditative prayer.

A SUCCESSFUL SESSION WILL INCORPORATE THE FOLLOWING

Arrange for a clear, uninterrupted block of time.
Ensure your location is private and free from distractions.
Be in a relaxed, meditative state.
Start with thanks and gratitude.
Ask God to guide you through the day.
Use clear, positive, affirmative requests.
Pray for others as whole and well.
Release fear, worry, or insecurities standing in your way of receiving.
Meditate deeply and ask God to be your guide and communicate.
Listen and record.
End in thanks.

For me, affirmative prayer and meditation have changed my life: I am both grateful and awed. I firmly believe God is with us all, and anyone willing to listen to the “still small voice,” in whatever way God manifests, will be successful in communicating and forming a lasting connection with God, Spirit, Source, Infinite Intelligence, I AM, or whatever name you care to use. The God I know is loving, kind, and caring; ready and waiting to provide us with full, abundant life. It is our job as cocreators to be willing to do our part, to be fully ready to receive the joyous answers to our prayers.

The Amtrak train this morning pulls into Union Station at 8:15 AM, on schedule, the train is full of commuters and the remaining passengers that make the entire trip. I watch as many of my fellow commuters wake up from their naps. I pack my reading material and my meditation journal, turn on my iPhone and Blackberry checking for messages as we wait for the conductor to open the door. Most of the passengers will continue with the train, as it heads north, but along with the remaining commuters, I detrain and make my way to Union Station. I will have coffee and my second breakfast at the Au Bon Pain, in the bustling train station with its stunning architecture, upscale boutique shops, and restaurants. After I eat, I walk down to Mass Avenue to meet my shuttle to work, and in twenty minutes will be sitting at my desk.

CLOSING NOTE ON ENLIGHTENMENT

I would like to end this chapter with two closing meditation notes. The first tilted, Silent Spaces, which will prepare us for our personal connection with God, anywhere we are so fortunate to find God – whether we find god on the train, on the bus, on the subway, in the commuter van, in a taxi, in the airport, on the plane, in our backyards, at a highway rest stop, waiting to pick our kids up at school, in our office, or relaxing on a park bench - connecting with God is all about quieting our minds and entering into the silence. Within this silence, we can connect with the divinity within and hear God, possibly for the first time. Within this silent space, if we stop making noise, there is a passageway to the eternal, to God’s guidance. This note below was my clear instruction from God to be quiet and start listening.

THE SILENT SPACES - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

See and hear the silent spaces - the moments of no sound –

the empty moments between the active tone and movement.

In the silent space, there is an opening – the passageway

to the eternal core. All of life’s noise covers the magic

of no sound, no movement, nothing, no substance, and

no thought.

In this opening is a place of peace – the mind’s rest,

the vision peace – look between - focus between –

in this space is the center. Look at the empty moment

and realize its abundance –dance to its music, hum

its tune–whirl like a dervish in the ecstasy of non-ness.

Stop making noise in the world – the ego wishes and

desires noise as a confirmation of its existence.

The ego lives by racket like a child in mid-tantrum,

it waits for the world to respond to its noise.

Seek the silence – move your eyes to the empty space

between the mass and the substance. In this space

exists the fluid of God – the essence of the source that

glues together the fabric of life.

Sit, meditate, and pray in silence – listen to only your

breath and ask for guidance. In the silence, the spirit

of all living creation can hear you and will respond.

Stop talking, mumbling, chanting, affirming, and listen

to the silent spaces and the message.

NOE G. 1.21.2008 9:30 AM

Below, the second Meditation Guidance is titled Come to God Alone. I feel it summarizes all we have experienced and learned during our train ride connection with God. Just you, God, and the silence are all that is needed to connect and communicate. In the silence, you will find the whispered word of God.

COME TO GOD ALONE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Come to God alone and connect directly through prayer,

meditation, and contemplation. Alone within the silence –

God is there waiting for you to quiet the chatter of your

ego-mind – a mind caught up in the trivial and the mundane.

In the silence, you will find God waiting for you with the

answers and the guidance you seek. There is no need for

a go-between – no need for a priest, pastor, rabbi, or guru –

you are the center of God and have always been able

to connect directly – alone.

God waits for you in the silence – the indication you

are prepared to receive. Move towards your waiting

God alone – in the silence – and listen to the words

of true love.

The whispered word of God.

CLOSING AFFIRMATION

As we discussed, affirmations are positive statements announcing to God – Universal Mind – and to our subconscious mind, how we view the world, and what we expect to occur during the day, or in our life. It is a powerful way to use the Law of Attraction to frame our reality and set positive expectations.

The affirmation below titled, Positive Thought And Action, is for daily use, and when recited in the morning each day, it has been a powerful tool for pointing my thoughts in a positive direction. I often pull this affirmation out during the day, when my thoughts need a reorientation. As with all affirmations, this is most effective when read out loud.

POSITIVE THOUGHT AND ACTION

Today my words, thoughts, and actions are positive,

affirming, and true. Cleared away and forgotten and

cleansed are any thoughts of lack, anger, resentment

or negative impressions – replaced instantly by

thoughts of love, kindness, admiration, and glad tidings.

Today my words reflect the perfect nature of all

I meet or contact and the positive essence of all

situations I encounter. My words, thoughts, and

actions are positive, affirming, and empowering,

aiding me, and others I encounter, in our spiritual

growth and attainment of power and peace.

We have covered much ground in Part One – My Spiritual and Life Journey. I hope you will continue on the train with me to our next stop on our quest for a positive, personal, contemplative spirituality; Part Two – The Message, which features an in-depth review of what God has communicated to me on the train.

I want to close with the poem below, and as always, thank you so much for reading.

WITH LOVE, G.

GOD WITHIN WAITING - POEM

I search for God within - waiting -

deep within the soul of my existence.

I search for God within - waiting -

to clear away the pursuits of my existence.

I search for God within - waiting -

the source of all existence.

I search for God within - waiting -

the pure essence of my life - your life – all life.

I search for God within - waiting.

UNION STATION, WASHINGTON, DC

____________________

PART TWO THE MESSAGE

CHAPTER FIVE – THE FOUNDATION

CRYSTAL CONSCIOUSNESS

Space, infinite, unbounded, exists within the soul.

This is the center of God’s grace!

Watch the abundant sky of the universe within -

reflecting, mirroring the universe without.

Connect tightly to the core space

and venture only to the crystal heart.

Here, at the crystal light, you will

find the portal – the path to awakening.

You must prepare to receive

the full bounty of God’s glory.

You are not yet ready to unleash

the full state of grace –

the crystal heart.

The day is coming – prepare.

POEM G.

SOME KIND OF MAGIC

With Chapter Five, I begin Part Two – The Message of the Finding God On The Train Story, moving into the very heart of the guidance I have received from God on those long commutes to my job in Washington, DC. I will attempt to not only unveil and unravel these key concepts - the Crystal Path, the Heartlight, and the God I have met on the train but describe how all of this arrived in my life. I have Joshua Radin’s song Brand New Day, from his CD - Simple Times, playing on my iPhone, with Joshua almost whispering as if praying these Whitman like lyrics to his enchanting melody:

Some kind of magic happens late at night

when the moon smiles down at me and bathes me in its light.

I fell asleep beneath you in the tall blades of grass

when I awoke the world was new I never had to ask.

It’s a brand new day, the sun is shining.

It’s a brand new day, for the first time

in a long, long time, I know I’ll be ok.

https://youtu.be/9XhYr74ARJc

Official video for “Brand New Day (Live from the Village)” by Joshua Radin

Buy Live from the Village on iTunes: http://hyperurl.co/1dy5mx

Listen on Spotify: http://hyperurl.co/zm4qlc

It has truly been “some kind of magic,” this journey and the “still small voice” that has whispered this message to me, first in poems like Crystal Consciousness, listed above, and then in greater depth during my sessions of prayer and meditation – pointing my soul to what I would know as the Crystal Path, the Heartlight, and Universal Consciousness. I believe it is time for me to do what I was asked to do, and share “the message,” as outlined in this Meditation Guidance below, titled Messenger, I received on Wednesday, November 19, 2008, at 7:35 AM on an Amtrak train moving its way to Washington, DC.

After a few years of self-debate, I have accepted my role as a messenger with this book and the blog, both representing my major effort towards the dissemination of this information. Although along with publishing the unedited meditation notes, affirmative thoughts, poems, and related blog posts, I will be doing my share of explanation and interpretation, as you will pick up when you read the chapters that follow; contrary to the guidance outlined below - such is the impact of free will.

MESSENGER - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

In all of this, you will be a messenger. Your role is to carry

the message to those who are seeking the way, the path

to spiritual fulfillment. Simply take the notes and offer

them to those who seek, who wait for the word.

Do not alter the notes - simply write and transcribe and

pass the pure thought to those who wish to listen. The

message does not require explanation or interpretation –

just dissemination. The waiting will understand the words,

the guidance, and prepare the way.

You will need to record the message in physical form and

transmit it to the world. Transmit the clear and untampered

with word - let the message receiver read and comprehend.

It is time to compile the message and transmit it.

NOE G. 11.18.2008 7:35 AM

In all of this, I believe, I am one of the countless messengers who are now translating and sharing the divinely inspired message they have received - only a drop of water in an enormous spiritual wave that is forming and will change the consciousness and the evolution of humankind forever. As I have documented in previous chapters, many are at this time carrying the message forward, with others being prepared to deliver a similar message. I am grateful to be a part of this awakening.

Let’s trace my steps to accomplishing my mission so far. In May of 2009, while recovering from the removal of my Pituitary Tumor, I began to write the Finding God On The Train Story, and in August of 2009, with Ann’s prompting, I created my blog and began publishing chapters of the book. In February of 2010, again with Ann’s guidance, I began doing New Thought Notes For The Day and my readership expanded. Blog readers enjoyed the book chapters that were being posted - often revised and edited by me in real-time - but were also attracted to the affirmative thoughts, poems, prayers, and tales of my spiritual journey posted on a more frequent basis.

Joel S. Goldsmith – the author of the spiritual classic The Infinite Way - one of the great New Thought spiritual pioneers and healers of the 20th century, clearly outlines below that we are all able to connect with God.

As we learn to listen to the “still small voice,”

The Spirit of God opens our consciousness….

This spiritual food is never rationed to those

who learn to meet with God within the temple

of their being.

I contend that receiving divine inspiration from God, although interpreted by some as madness, is truly possible for all of us, if we will listen. Why I am a messenger, frankly I still have no clear idea – except, maybe, it fell to me because I was willing to listen and transcribe without my ego getting in the way, or I had somehow set this in motion that Sunday morning in January of 2007, when half-paralyzed and facing spinal surgery, I asked for a chance to do what I had left undone spiritually.

I believe that finding a job a few weeks later, which involved a long train commute, resulting in my finding God on the train; creating the blog; and writing this book you are now reading - was no coincidence. I also believe I have some of the verbal and writing skills needed to handle the assignment, and I was confident enough to convince myself, Ann, and the readers of my blog at least, that I was not completely crazy and was able to continue with the project. Or, maybe, I am just foolhardy enough not to be worried about the potential for negative reactions and feedback from those who will be positive I am dead wrong, demented, or at least in need of immediate salvation–or all of the above.

If you were to ask Ann, she would tell you I have been desperately searching for God all my life, and finally, after countless years and misdirection, I stumbled on the way to connect with God, and God finally, in God’s mercy, responded. When I was a child, my mother would tell me, and others who would listen, that I was suffering from “Divine Discontent.” I guess it has continued throughout my life. More important though, is the “Message” itself, and whether or not what is conveyed is of any use in our modern world; or is the message just my personalized guidance, and as such; does not apply in a generic sense.

Honestly, each communication I received during prayer and meditation, had about a one-day shelf life for me. It came in the morning, directly impacting my day, but by the next day, the new guidance would appear, and I would move on. I used these messages as daily guides for moving forward spiritually, enabling me to handle my life issues at the time. Frankly, there was such a plethora of spiritual guidance being received; I was often overwhelmed by the quantity and variety.

Now, that I have had the time to study what I have written, including the poems, prayers, and affirmative thoughts, I believe the message is the same, God - Source, Spirit, the Universe, Infinite Intelligence, the Tao, or whatever term we feel is appropriate - has been communicating for centuries, and will continue to communicate until we listen and learn: that is, a message of Enlightenment. But before we explore the details of the message, let us take a moment to understand the origin and foundation of the message.

CORNERSTONES OF THE MESSAGE

Let us start by exploring the cornerstones of this message – The Crystal Path and The Heartlight - to provide some needed perspective on the meditation guidance to follow. Sometimes, it is not just what is said - but how and when it is said, that makes for an impactful message. This certainly was the case with my introduction to the Crystal Path and the Heartlight – leaving no way I could miss the point.

It is worth traveling back to a gray and overcast New Year’s Eve morning, the last day of 2007, to retrace these steps. The year 2007 had been an amazing year for me; I had spinal surgery in January, read The Secret in February, started a new job in Washington, DC in April, learned to meditate in May, found Unity - a New Thought Church, in July, and started to connect with God on my long train commutes in November and December. The following account was published on my blog at the time.

It was New Year’s Eve morning, 2007, and I was attending a group meditation, sponsored by Unity Church, which tied into an international World Prayer/Meditation Event for Peace, with people from all over the world participating at the same time, or at least the same day. Ann and I got up early so we could get there at 7 AM - the coordinated start time for the event. Since we were running late, we agreed to eat after the event, which was to last about 45 minutes. As I walked out the door, I remembered my blood pressure medicine and took it.

The room being used for the meditation was too small, with twenty of us packed into a space that could comfortably fit about ten. In true Unity tradition, this would be a guided meditation with our pastor, Rev. Carolyn, doing the guiding while music played in the background. I worked to shake off my general feeling of claustrophobia. Rev. Carolyn, a master of guided meditation, quickly put me into a deep meditative state.

We started by visualizing the earth from outer space, moving in on the planet, until we saw our country, region, state, and finally our town. I am not usually good at visualizing, but I could see every detail in clear color, starting in outer space and slowly moving towards earth as if in a slow-moving space vehicle planning to land. For me, it was amazing, and somewhat frightening, at the same time.

As I came down to the local frame, I could see thousands of figures that were like black shadows moving through a black and white landscape. Each figure was connected with a white beam of light that came from their chests - each connected to the person closest to them. At this level, there were no identities, just vibrational shadows connected by beams of light. I was overcome with a sense of joy and pure peace. Afterward, I would describe, to those who asked about the experience, that I saw these shadows connected by lights from their hearts. This was my first experience with what my meditative guidance would, in the future, refer to as “the Heartlight.”

I moved in closer and found myself being projected into a variety of locations around the world, all amazingly vivid as if I was there observing the scene standing right next to the people in the vision. My first stop was on a mountaintop that looked like it could be in Afghanistan, as I joined a group of bearded men in robes who were nestled around a large machine gun aimed at the valley below. They were talking and laughing as the light of dawn peeked above the horizon. I knew they were soldiers ready to do battle for what they believed to be a worthy cause.

Then, I felt myself traveling to the next stop, which was a dirty street poorly illuminated by broken street lamps. Later, I would think it looked like a street scene in Brazil, especially given the chaotic crowd of children and teenagers – some shoeless – others just ragged and worn out, as they searched through large trash bins. Again, I felt as if I was there with them, but they could not see me.

The speed of my experiences quickened, as I moved around the world, with a stop in a plush palace where I listened while a general told a commanding figure, who looked like a president or leader, that there was no way to avoid a war. As I moved quicker, I started to feel nauseous and opened my eyes, trying to muster the energy to leave the room, but being sucked back into the movement.

After some time, I heard my name being called through the distance, and I started to fight to regain consciousness. As my eyes opened – my Ann was facing Rev. Carolyn holding her hands and crying. Someone standing near me was trying to find my pulse. It was a Physician Assistant, who was a member of the church, and in relief shouted, my God, I feel a pulse.

When I regained full consciousness, I was told that a few of my fellow meditators, including Ann, had heard me take a strange gasp of air and I had seemed to stop breathing. As they tried to revive me, Ann fell on her knees and began to pray with Rev. Carolyn for me to come back to life. Others called for the emergency squad. Ann and many of the others admitted that they thought I had died during the meditation. The emergency squad took my blood pressure, and it was so low and they transported me to the hospital. I was released about three hours later when I stabilized.

So, what happened? As I mentioned, some of the participants in the room firmly contend, including Ann, that I had died and been revived. To this day, Ann feels fear when she meditates with me. A few in the room thought I had experienced Astral Projection, also including Ann, after she heard the whole journey, reasoning that I had left my body to travel the world, only to return to full life when finished. My doctor, who is also a meditation expert, said it is a common occurrence for blood pressure to drop 15 to 20 points during very deep meditation. In his opinion, it was the deep meditation, combined with my taking blood pressure medicine on an empty stomach that drastically lowered my pressure and I lost consciousness. He does agree this could be fatal if my pressure was already low when I started the meditation.

I am not sure what happened, but I will never forget the Heartlight experience and my journey around the world. A few days later, I was riding on the train to work, and struggling with meditating, as I often did in the beginning, when I received my first meditative guidance, and soon after received the direction to write Finding God On The Train. Nothing has been the same since.

CRYSTAL ON MY MIND

For the first few days of 2008 - still recovering from my New Year’s Eve Unity world peace meditation session where I lost consciousness - I had a phrase that was stuck in an endless loop in my mind – “Follow the Crystal Path, Follow The Crystal Path” - and it would not be until Thursday, January 17, 2008, that ‘’Follow The Crystal Path” would be explained in one of my first meditation notes received on the train.

THE CRYSTAL PATH TO THE HEARTLIGHT -

MEDIATION GUIDANCE

You ask the way and I say you are the way, the light, and

the crystal path to the new world – paradise, freedom,

elation, and joy. The way is in your soul, your soul connected

and formed in spirit. There is only simple joy from simple

action. The journey is not complicated or mysterious; it is

only profound because the pursuit of the way is profound.

It is the mission of the spirit that you seek, and it can only

be found in life, this life. Inside each moment of “now”

exists the full extent of joy – the way is in the moment

where God lives. God does not live in a place, but instead,

in the eternal, lasting vibration of pure joy, love, sincerity,

and being.

Search not in the fields but within your heart – the heart

of your soul. In each breath, there is life, hope, and the

creation of forwarding movement – the divine in being

is all present, all-knowing, and never wavers from

a course of love.

You struggle because you want to be something,

someone special, elite, profound, and in this struggle

you lose the way, and you are like a deaf child pounding

on the piano keys – wondering why there is no sound.

No sound from life because you do not appreciate that

the day-to-day activities are but a vehicle for learning

the way – not the way. When you pass to the next plane,

you will not be known for your title, or wealth, or even

your accomplishments. The authenticity – of who you

evolved into, what you created in your spirit, will

determine your worth if worth matters.

You are here to experience the joy and pleasure

of waking, walking, and creating. A vehicle of pleasure

existing to grow and evolve into a being of evolved spirit.

Leave the focus that the physical rewards, that the ego

will fulfill you; it has not for many years. It is only through

finding the spirit that you connect to the source and

realize “everlasting joy.”

The way is in front of you, surrounds you, you swim in

it like a thick soup of fetal protection – it oozes in and

out of you. You move through the thick spirit – as does

everyone, every day – protection in the pre-birth state

waiting for birth. This time, the womb of joy is pleasurable

but holds no measure to the infinite joy of light that waits

when you find the peace of the lasting connection with God.

God surrounds you, envelops you, and moves through

every pore. You search for what already exists, but you

are unable to see. Stop looking – start feeling. It is all here –

the divine heaven of eternal joy – you walk and live in it,

but as of yet, you cannot see the Heartlight – the Heartlight

connects all beings through love. See the Heartlight, and

you will see the connection. Search for the Heartlight and

follow the path.

NOE G. 1.17.2008 7:15 AM

As you can see, the New Year was starting with a bang. I was stunned when I received this Meditation Guidance. I had fought with myself as I was transcribing the message, which is one of the longest I would ever receive, wanting badly to rephrase and reword, but I resisted. Had I not been involved with a church that encouraged this type of connection, like Unity, I would have sought immediate therapy.

I just kept reading the note and saying – my God what does this mean? I had many questions - who or what was talking? – God or my demented ego? What is the Crystal Path? And most importantly - what did it mean for my life? I did not tell Ann or anyone else for a few months but decided, then and there, to just go for the ride with God and see what would happen. What I did glean from this meditation is bulleted below, because each concept is central to the message going forward.

The Crystal Path takes us to a new world - paradise,

freedom, elation, and joy.

Our soul connected with God is the way, and we

will be guided along the path.

God lives in the eternal, lasting vibration of pure joy,

love, and sincerity.

We lose our way because we want to be someone

special, elite, and profound.

On the next plane only our authenticity - who

we have evolved into and what we have created -

will matter.

We are here to experience the joy and pleasure

of an evolved spirit.

Infinite joy awaits when we find the peace

of a lasting connection with God.

This meditation guidance also left me wondering why the word “crystal” was being used and what was its significance. Of course, crystals are not new to the spiritual world, where crystals have been used for healing and other purposes. Along with the “Singing Bowl,” which is a crystal bowl vibrating a healing tone, there are also chakra-balancing crystals, grounding crystals, energy crystals, meditation crystals, and even manifesting crystals.

A quick visit to Google filled in the scientific details. Crystals could be formed in a few minutes, or take millions of years to develop. A crystal, or a crystalline solid, is a material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The unique aspect of the crystal is that it grows based on an orderly, preordained plan, which is unique to the individual crystal. The crystal can keep growing, or remain dormant for thousands of years, and then grow again. The crystal is also quite hard, conducts electricity, and of course, refracts light.

Coincidentally, early radios used a crystal radio receiver for transmission, called a “crystal set,” made up of a crystalline mineral such as galena, now called a diode. This crystal receiver needed no battery, or power source, and ran on the power received from the radio waves over a long antenna. Strangely similar to the role of the “crystal soul” in the transmission to infinite intelligence, and the power of God, outlined in the meditation guidance below.

I continued to wonder about and meditate on what the “crystal” referred to until I finally received the following guidance, defining the crystal as the divine self, or the soul, transmitting to infinite intelligence. Maybe the Crystal Self works just like the Crystal Set?

CRYSTAL SELF - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

The crystal is the divine self – the divine soul within you

that is connected to the infinite intelligence and the power

of God. It is your soul - like a crystal – hard and durable –

capable of growing and becoming more. Through the crystal,

all light passes becoming more, unfolding into a spectrum

of full life.

The crystal of the divine self has always existed, and will

always exist, and is the essence of your soul spiritually

evolving and becoming. The reason for your existence is

to rediscover this crystal, follow its path, and become one

with your divine self/soul and begin to grow again, drawing

strength and power from your connection with the Infinite

Source, Spirit – God.

Cherish the crystal and follow the path back to your true

consciousness – unreflected, unexpected by the ego –

constantly forming and reforming to scare away and

deal with the threats of the world.

The path to enlightenment is the Crystal Path – the path

to the divine you.

NOE G. 1.17.2008 7:15 AM

So the “Crystal” of the Crystal Path is your divine self - your genuine soul evolving and fully connecting with God – resulting in full God Consciousness - Enlightenment. This Crystal Path – this path, or road, or journey to enlightenment, is through the soul – the divine self – and this Crystal Soul knows what it needs to do spiritually to be both “genuine” and “authentic," reconnecting with God, although it may have remained dormant for many years, as mine did. When this is accomplished, the Crystal Soul becomes the enlightened soul and truly finds heaven on earth.

Mind control is at the heart of each message I have received on the train, with the focus being on controlling negative thoughts, overcoming fear, worry, and negative emotions. The meditation notes above were also the first to introduce the "Ego" – considered the greatest obstacle we all face in reaching this destination. The Crystal Self note above, reinforces the need for all of us to manage, or handle our egos, keeping them from doing what they often do best - Edging God Out. We will review the guidance offered on how to harness the ego, and redirect its often-neurotic power, in Book Two of the Finding God On The Train Story – focusing on mind control and the control of consciousness.

THE HEARTLIGHT

As encountered in my New Year’s Eve meditation, I believe we may all be connected by the Heartlight - connected with a white beam of light that comes from our chests and connects to the person closest to us. This Heartlight is what makes us both finite, while at the same time attached to the infinite or universal. Only one spiritual teacher, I am aware of, has directly referred to the Heartlight; that is, Dr. Zhi Gang Sha, Physician and soul communicator, who wrote the book, Soul Wisdom. In his Soul Wisdom video, he speaks at length about seeing his patients with lights coming from their hearts and being connected to heaven.

The concept of a light connecting every heart has been a recurring theme of my train meditations: a spiritual connecting force joining us all together as one. The meditative guidance listed below was received on the train March 8, 2008, in response to my questions regarding the nature of the Heartlight.

THE HEARTLIGHT - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

The Heartlight is the portal to the divine consciousness

and the Godhead that you seek. The light is the beacon

of the soul transmitting the radiant energy and the true

vibration of all life force - connecting between soul and

soul – all souls connected and one with the light.

The center of the Heartlight is the heart area of your

chest. You have seen the second view – the view of the

light as it connects. This is where infinite connection

and the oneness of the soul transmits to all creation.

When you connect with this portal, you move to the single

consciousness, the one entity, and the light of all creation.

This is the plane of full consciousness, and once connected,

you may visit with any life form and experience their

wholeness.

You are fooled by your form state, your physical ego striving.

You have lost touch with the Heartlight and are seeking the

headlight – this path is one of hopelessness and loss, moving

instead of into the ego.

Follow the Heartlight – search for the Heartlight not only

in prayer and meditation but with every interaction within

your life. The Heartlight is there – you must see it to

touch your divinity.

You have seen it once, you know what it looks like – search –

strive – seek – be aware - abandon the ego and you will find

everlasting life and the kingdom of heaven on earth.

NOE G. 3.8.2008 8:45 AM

This meditation guidance was received over two months after my New Year’s Eve experience outlined in the opening section of this chapter, but the memory of the shadowy figures with lights connecting their hearts was and still is etched in my memory. The guidance goes on to clarify that I had witnessed “the second view,” where the infinite connection and the oneness of the soul transmit to all creation – and what is being transmitted - is radiant energy and the true vibration of all life force.

At the time, I remember shaking my head, wondering where this was all leading, having the distinct impression I was entering the realm of science fiction. But as I was being instructed, I was also being admonished for losing touch with the Heartlight that I did not fully understand, or really knew existed due to my ego focus. I was told, if I abandoned my ego, I would find everlasting life and experience heaven on earth. Yet, with this message, my New Year’s Eve experience began to take on a new sort of mystical meaning, appearing to have occurred to enable me to actually experience what would be referenced as the Heartlight in these later messages.

It was actually a full year after I received this guidance regarding the Heartlight that I returned to this message, realizing I was being told that the Heartlight is our connection to all life and divine consciousness. I began to put the pieces together - using a computing analogy, the Crystal Soul would be our spiritual Mac Book Pro or PC, while the Heartlight would be our FIOS or Cable infrastructure, connecting our soul to the spiritual internet – infinite intelligence – universal consciousness – God.

I would like to close this Heartlight discussion with an inspired poem I recorded, which further describes the Heartlight.

THE HEARTLIGHT POEM

Feel the clear and perfect moment, fresh and full, aware

from meditation. At peace, refreshed through spirit –

how do I reveal God in me? Where is the center

of internal divinity? In the vibration passing through

the Heartlight – connected souls – strung together

on a leash of light.

The power of all creation is revealed as the connected

consciousness of all living presence. At the moment

understand, as the essence of spirit moves through you,

surrounds you, in eternal light and vibration, flowing

through the spaces of your cells.

We, you, me, all move through the substance of God

energy, the vibration of creative God force, we breathe

the breath of God into our lungs to fuel our beings.

Breathe in God!

The Heartlight is the portal of all human connection –

move to your heart center and see the connection –

mentally move through – from the mind to the heart

and through the portal of a connected life.

We are one energy connected by the Heartlight!

POEM G. 6.28.2008

MY GOD

I would like to open this section with a poem that offers us an analogy or metaphor to describe God, which might help us understand God as more than a concept, giving life to Spirit. In my poem below, Fabric of God, Spirit is the strong thread holding together life.

FABRIC OF GOD - SPIRITUAL POEM

Move through this life transcended – awake and alive

beyond the consciousness of the physical – material world.

Comprehend the depth of the spirit holding together

this moment like a strong thread.

The fabric is textured and full of manifested and

preconceived desire. Look deeply at the fabric of life –

the beauty and craftsmanship of all the forces creating

this moment.

The fabric of now was sewn with a million manifestations –

interrelated – conjoined by mutual desire.

Live this moment – understand the creative energy

required to bring you this order – this into being.

Wrap yourself in the fabric – focus on the threads

of integrated life creation.

Rejoice in the opportunity to be a participant in this creation.

This is the fabric of God – constantly evolving – changing –

reforming and becoming more.

POEM G. 8.8.2008

We each carry a vision of God in our minds and our hearts; this God is real and personal for us - alive in our consciousness. In my opinion, there are as many interpretations of God as there are those who believe in God. As we all try to peer into the unknown, we attempt to describe what we have experienced or wish to experience. For example, my wife Ann believes in the traditional concept of God, as a father figure who is located up in heaven. Ann is not alone and is joined by millions, if not billions, of other traditional believers.

Before proceeding to outline “the message” I have received during my meditations with God, I need to fully introduce you to the God I have met on the train. For some of you, this God will be like a breath of fresh air in the stale room of life, but for others, this God may not fit the preconceived notions of your religious beliefs or spiritual training. I am in no way saying that my concept of God is the ultimate or the only appropriate vision of God, or that it is “the truth.” What I am saying, is your interpretation of God does not have to agree with mine, or mine with yours, for us to travel together on this spiritual journey. I would only suggest, if possible, reading the related meditation notes and forming your own conclusion on whether our views of God are similar or different, and whether it matters.

I would like to introduce the God of my commute, in a series of “perspectives,” that I believe are being conveyed from my meditation guidance, when from time to time, God responds to my questions about God’s nature or clarifies a point requiring God to be further revealed. By the word “perspective,” I am using the Webster definition – “a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.” Since God is in fact beyond our comprehension, the best we can accomplish is to have a point of view. I would like to introduce six perspectives based on my guidance.

PERSPECTIVE ONE – ONE GOD

All the meditation guidance I am using for this section, or notes, as I often refer to them, were received through prayer and meditation as outlined in Chapter Four - Connecting With God On The Train. So let’s see what God has to say about God. I would like to start with the following meditation note, titled One God, which was an answer to a question I posed about the true nature of God.

The meditation communications I have transcribed, for the most part, refer to God as God, not with a personal pronoun, such as, he or she, which, when I think about it, would make sense, at least for me, since the God of my experience is not a person, but a force like consciousness, a universal spirit. What I do not get is the smooth conversational style represented by Neal Donald Walsch’s – Conversations with God, although my content is often very similar to Walsch’s, but instead, many of the communications, even though poetic, at times seem a bit formal, or better put, academic, as if they had been downloaded from a standard cosmic instruction manual or textbook.

At times these meditation notes, or meditation guidance, appear to be at an advanced philosophical and theological level, expecting the reader, which was me up until now, to work hard to fully comprehend. Given these notes are transcribed totally in a matter of minutes, after my meditation session, based on an opening line I am given during the meditation - with absolutely no editing on my part - they arrive in a surprisingly coherent and well-organized fashion - almost like a prepared text as if God knew the question and had already formulated the answer long before I ever actually asked.

As outlined below, my first perspective conveys that there is only one God – not often debated by the major monotheistic religious, orientations – a God which is nameless, formless, faceless, and described as the creative force of the universe, a force we can connect directly with and obtain “God Consciousness.” This Meditation Guidance came on Saturday, June 6, 2009, just one week after the surgery to remove my Pituitary Tumor. You may have picked up that meditation notes are usually dated with the actual time listed. I do this to keep accurate records, and to provide some perspective on what was happening at the time. It also allows me to track similar messages, over time, for consistency and comparison.

ONE GOD - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

There exists only one God – nameless – formless – faceless –

all power – all wisdom – all life. The creative force of the

universe – universal life and love – the essence of all that

exists or will ever exist. Through God, the breath of life is

given – through God all minds are connected – all vibrations

set – all evolution transpires.

God is an energy of life – empowering and powering all

growth and development in the world. God is the universal

life force moving all life to greater beauty, kindness, love,

and potential. God is the authentic life force inside every

cell of everything we encounter or hold dear, a life force

pushing to become more, better, fuller, more beautiful,

wonderful, and glorious.

God moves through you, with you, and surrounds you –

is whole but formless and is all form. God is spirit;

God is power, God is all and God is the space between all.

No one needs to become God because you are God - full

of God’s love and intention. Your spiritual mission is to

know the God potential – the living God in you – alive –

in full vibration.

No person can stand for God – for God is all humankind,

all existence. A person can move towards God-consciousness,

connect with the God-self, and live within and with the

nature of God. Is this, not the way of the mystics, and

all who have deeply connected with God?

Connect and become one with God – the one God – the all –

and the all less.

NOE G. 6.8.2009 9:25 AM

PERSPECTIVE TWO – A UNIVERSAL FORCE

The basic premise of my work and the key concept conveyed in what I call Positive Spirituality, which is most noted in the New Thought literature, is that we are in some way always connected with God, and as a result, connected with the force of creative energy that emanates from God. As I have asked these questions during my meditations, I am often given an explanation of this unique spiritual connection between God and humankind.

In this meditation note below, titled Unified Universal Force, transcribed on April 11, 2010, on a Sunday at 9:00 AM, nearly one year after the One God note above, we are told that God is again the creative energy of all life and matter in the universe, and we are all connected by this unified universal life force. This is a human connection to divinity, but the note clarifies that we can never become God, because a part cannot become the whole, with God being the whole. We are told we have the power to be like God and create our own heaven on earth.

UNIFIED UNIVERSAL FORCE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Always connected to God, you are encompassed in a force

beyond all comprehension – a force consisting of the creative

energy of all life and matter in the universe directed towards

empowerment, growth, and continued creation.

This unified force of all universal life and form is connected

and made one by the love of God. For God is all of this life

force and more - so much more that we cannot comprehend.

Unified life is the connection of all existence within God –

a blade of grass in a universal field of intention and growth.

As a human being, you have this connection to divinity –

you are a part of a magnificent growing and expanding energy

of God. Within this connection, you can become part of God

and move towards the qualities of God - become more like God,

as you acquire the divine nature within.

You can never become God, for a part of the whole cannot

become the whole that it is part of originally. All true mystics

have moved to this God nature – divine nature – and obtained

power over the forces of creative life. This connection to the

unity of all life is the creative connection behind the Laws of

Attraction – all cocreation.

Unified with all as a facet of God - you have the power to be

like God and create a heaven on earth through love, positive

thought, and centered emotion. You are connected to the

power and love of God!

NOE G. 4.11.2010 9:00 AM

PERSPECTIVE THREE – CONSCIOUS CONNECTION

As we fully analyze each of these meditation notes, behind the views or perspectives being presented of the God, I have met on the train and the related messages, it becomes clear that God and humankind, along with all creation, are fully intertwined. In the Meditation Guidance below, we are told all consciousness is connected – from the smallest particle of matter to the intricate human form, existing within a “universal consciousness” –a vibrational connection.

Via this connected vibrational consciousness, we manifest our thoughts and our intentions, thus co-creating our existence. This would serve as an apt definition of the infrastructure for the Law of Attraction or Mind Action. If we can plausibly define this universal connected consciousness as God, then we, when properly aligned, co-create our lives through thought with God. Let me rephrase this because it is a pivotal point in the message - each of us has the capacity to co-create and attract what we want in our lives through our thoughts, utilizing the universal connected consciousness of God.

This is not a new concept but has been the foundation of positive spirituality, originating from the theology of Plato with the Universal or Over-Soul, to the Hindu Atman or Soul. The Infinite Mind, Infinite Intelligence, or the Universal Mind are all terms used to describe this phenomenon. All of my related guidance supports this assumption that we cocreate by partnering with God in this endeavor. Note the Jewish mystics of the Kabbalah, refer to the concept of cocreating with God, as “Godding.”

CONSCIOUS CONNECTION - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Consciousness and connection are at the core of all life

and existence in our universe. From the smallest particle

of matter to the full life of human form, we

are conscious of our existence, exert will over the

outcome, and impact all of our actions.

All matter is aware of its existence and its impact

on others. All consciousness is connected, and this

connection allows for the communication between

all matter. A vibrational connection flows through

the connected consciousness, allowing all matter,

all existence, to impact whatever it interacts with.

Through consciousness–universal consciousness –

we are all connected and are impacted, by all forms.

This is the infrastructure of our existence, and if fully

understood, it can be used, through love and clarity

of thought, to manifest what is desired. Every particle

is connected life – conscious and fully aware of its

environment.

The vibration of your existence, of your thinking and mind

is connected and communicating – asking the manifested

world to respond to your expectations and view of existence.

With thought, you are forming your experience, your life –

formulating your environment.

Clarity, and positive communication, to the connected

consciousness is essential for finding joy, peace, love,

and abundance. The mystics of the ages understood this

connection, and that all of existence obeyed. Always be

aware of your consciousness, and connection, and what

you are intending and manifesting.

NOE G. 9.26.2008 8.04 AM

PERSPECTIVE FOUR – GOD HAS A CHOICE

In this meditation note below, we are instructed that God has a choice, as we do, but always chooses love, creation, abundance, and joy. God is fully aware of good and evil – positive and negative – growth and stagnation. What connects us with God is our free will – our capacity to choose between the positive life force and the negative life force. Since we learn from our choices, we are told in the guidance, that there is no punishment, except the effect of poor choices on our lives.

GOD HAS A CHOICE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

God has a choice, as you do. God is infinite wisdom,

infinite love, infinite knowledge, infinite caring,

infinite creativity, infinite power, infinite strength,

infinite will, infinite growth.

God is fully aware of the potential for good and evil

in the world, with full knowledge of the positive and

negative, of life and death, growth, and stagnation.

God understands these choices and fully understands

the ramifications, and outcomes, and has chosen, and

always chooses love, creation, abundance, joy, peace,

beauty and the creation of positive life based on divine

awareness.

As the living part of God – not God but of God – you

have the choice between the positive life force – and

the negative life force. What connects you with God

is the capacity to make this choice – the capacity to

understand that life flourishes in good – and life

diminishes with non-good.

There is no punishment or negative reinforcement

or direction from God – for in infinite wisdom God

understands the consequences of your choices help

you learn, redirect, and make more loving choices.

NOE G. 9.20.2009 10:30 AM

This Meditation Guidance below, titled Evil, clarifies God’s powerlessness in the face of the evil permeating and enveloping our world. This note was a response to my questioning why God would allow evil in the world to exist, as reflected in constant war, brutality, homicide, genocide, torture, injustice, avarice, and unspeakable pain and suffering. Why would a loving God condone this evil?

The answer is outlined below, but to summarize - God does not and cannot transform the evil created by us into good. Since humankind is endowed with “free will” - the power of choice between a positive life and a negative life - we have the responsibility for the evil we create. According to this message, this evil is the direct result of the human ego gone out of control. We, not God, can only accomplish the elimination, or reduction of evil.

In short, do not blame God, or other cosmic entities, real or imagined, such as a “devil,” for the works of humankind. The true devil is within the ego of humankind. God does offer hope, and pledges to help, in whatever way possible.

EVIL - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

God cannot stop or prevent the evil created by humankind,

only humans can do this.

God who is love and good does not know or deal, or intervene,

or transform evil into good. Evil, despair, and fear are based

on unlove – the desire to control, dominate, and dictate to others.

Evil is the work of the human ego separated from God, and

as a result is separated from hope, love, caring, and peace.

Negative acts and negative thoughts generate the ills of this

world. Before the human race, the world survived, evolved,

and created life through the Laws of Spirit and Nature.

Humans, endowed with free will and choice, entered into this

life with the capability for positive change, and the capacity

to accelerate the creation of growth and good.

But humanity has created and empowered the ego – separate –

working to the best interests, at times, of hysteria, paranoia,

and avarice. Then, has turned and blamed their own handy

work of these negative pursuits and intentions, these harmful

results and impacts, on God, fully expecting God to solve

and resolve.

God does not invade, imprison, commit homicide, torture,

or persecute anyone or anything. God does not starve

the innocent or condemn the hopeless. This is the work

of human ego desires gone out of control – this is

the presence of evil, or hell, in your life today.

Do not blame God for the works of humankind, do not

expect God to intervene; God will always work for the good,

but only humans can eliminate their human-created evil.

Humanity, must reform and transform humanity –and God

will help.

NOE G. 7.17.2009 8:00 AM

This note effectively establishes that God is not the cleanup crew for the havoc often created by humankind, and honestly, although it explains why God did not assist during genocides like the Holocaust, or arrange a cure during the plaques, or stop the crusade - it leaves me with an uneasy feeling, a sense of dismay – that the hope of humankind rests with humankind. As we will note below and in the later chapters, our awakening is not only essential for our spiritual development but our own survival.

PERSPECTIVE FIVE – THE HANDS AND FEET OF GOD

The Meditation Guidance offered below – The Hands And Feet Of God – further expands on humankind’s essential partnership with God: God being the source, providing the universal consciousness and the creative energy, but we are the conduits of this divine power. You might ask, why does God need us since God should be able to create anything God wishes - but after more than ten years of messages, I believe God cannot fully create alone. It is like God has set up this Internet – universal consciousness - but without users – in this case, people with energized individual intention – there is nothing to create.

The fun comes when we add the intentions of billions of people, close to eight billion to be exact, creating and manifesting their hopes, dreams, and desires. Worlds are conceived, cures created, empires built, art formed, and yes all the evil, but also the potential of moving beyond the ego created evil, thus creating true heaven on earth.

To do this, we need to be the hands and feet of God, as outlined in the note below.

HANDS AND FEET OF GOD - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

You are the center of all creation in the universe.

You are the hands and feet of God and through you

and with God – the inner and outer substance of

divine will cocreates the world.

Your thoughts create and manifest your life

circumstances, your life experience. Each thought

is a prayer, a creative wish that is fulfilled by the

universe – by life energy.

The divine power – the source of life in life –

created man as a thought of an active God – a God

on earth, who is capable of a positive, manifested life.

The essence of all life is seen in the culmination

of a life force that can create easily in the world –

who can visualize a new world, and has the power

to combine forces to build what is seen.

The power of all creation requires the force, mobility,

the creativity of both humankind and God to bring

it into being. Each of you is God – source energy –

a full creative energy force. As creative forces, only

you can resist this essence, resist your birthright,

and focus on the non-positive, the negative.

Joy is the full cocreative bliss, when you are aligned,

and creating at full throttle. Creation leads to more

life and a complete abundance. All you need is the

inner soul – the spirit. You carry the source of all

creation and are connected through the Heartlight,

to the combined power of universal manifestation.

As source – connected to infinite intelligence –

with the power of cocreation, there is nothing you

cannot have, be, experience, or create into being,

as the hands, feet, and mind of God.

NOE G. 1.29.2008 7:30 AM

The message is simply - you, me, we are all active players in this life experience. Free to allow our intentions to grow our lives, along with the creation and evolution of all life. God does not direct us, only guides us and assists us in expanding the fabric of consciousness, effectively, the growing of God itself. I would like to close this review of the perspectives of the God I have encountered on the train, and have fallen in love with once again – the God of our heaven on earth – with this final message:

GROWING GOD - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

God grows with each moment of creation in the manifested

world – with each idea, movement, and breath – the fullness

of God grows. All life grows God in the pursuit of more life,

more creation, more growth.

God is the force of growth behind all positive creation.

This movement forward is the manifestation of the continued

moving forward. This life force, this creative force is the essence

of God, the source – where all creation is fueled and put in motion.

God – the source – moves only towards the clear truth of perfect,

abundant life. Each step builds on the previous step, each creation

forms and becomes a new creation. This source is God.

God is in you – God surrounds you – God moves through you –

realize you are a creative, living, cell of God – an individual

creation inspired by divine creation.

We all must grow God.

NOE G. 11.18.2008 8:50 AM

AN EMERGING PERSPECTIVE OF GOD

The spiritual messages I have received over the past thirteen9years have grown progressively more detailed and complex. From the very beginning, as the note from 2008 just offered above conveys, with ideas such as the growing of God, were far from traditional and conventional. Yet lately, here in 2019, the concept of an “emergent God” has raised the bar to a new and more complex level. I would like to republish a post from June of 2017 titled Our Earnest Effort. As the post warns, some may find this just too far out or disturbing to consider, but, as I promised myself early on in this quest, I would listen and communicate the message I received, stretching to comprehend it, even if I did not find it in alignment with my core beliefs. After we review the post, I will come back with some coalescing remarks.

OUR EARNEST EFFORT

NEW THOUGHT NOTE FOR THE DAY

earnest (adjective) - resulting from or showing

sincere and intense conviction.

OUR EARNEST EFFORT - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

We are mobile creatures in search of our origin, our

primal essence, the first cause of our very existence;

this search ignites our creative center, as we conjure

gods, rulers, myths, magic, wizards, and/or shamans

to interpret our place, our possible situation; perhaps

to connect with our creator, to return to where we

originated, once more.

This molten force of will has formed a conjoined

intention, given life to this distant, passionate pursuit;

overwhelming, unwieldy, forging a consciousness

of human longing, a continual cry for our lost place,

our desire to be spiritually comforted by our universal,

ancestral Mother – Father – the formulator of our

beingness.

From this earnest effort, we, humankind, manifested

a presence, a conscious response, the hoped-for overseer,

a gentle, engaged strength – a God –a tangible consciousness,

a combined soul evolved through and by conflicting views,

this presence finds being, and provides love, peace, joy,

and happiness – our combined intention.

NOE G. 5.18.2017

What if the note above is tenable, would the following conceptual foundation be supportable?

Our Universe is continually evolving to fulfill our unique desires – at its core, at the root of its very essence, hardwired into its firmware, an algorithm existing for growth through conscious creation – a creation engine of sorts, a 3D printer producing thought into being, being that is tweaked and altered into a better being, then into evolved being – often appearing to take even our sketchy thoughts, dreams, and visions - for good or ill - seriously - working beneath and beyond our understanding, to make them appear. All this with consciousness as its medium, strong intention as its catalyst, tangible reality as its exhibition.

If this first proposition is supportable – then the creation engine referred to above, would certainly qualify as a potential God-like presence; yet one that is founded in natural law, or possibly better put, algorithm-based, rather than love and kindness centered? Although, a God providing an existence that attempts to give what we desire, for the most part, does seem rather loving to me.

We, humankind, each of us, our world, our reality would be the result of this continual creative force – given that we, each of us, would be mobile creative creatures, fully designed and connected with this universal consciousness, capable of bringing what we wish into being. Thus, all of this, every human-adapted thing we see and touch: our human world, manifested by us, for us, in less than a few hundred thousand years.

So with this creative power, the combined consciousness of humankind fuels the emergence of all it surveys, a communal force so potent it can change the very underpinnings of reality, enabling all life to flourish in a virtual heaven on earth – or, as we sometimes do, create a virtual hell on earth that unknowingly speeds humankind, all of us, towards our own extinction?

Perhaps, within our combined creative reach – is a God of worth, a God of merit, a God of love and hope, a God of our own creation – or maybe altering. The note above seems to suggest that we collectively, unknowingly through the millions of prayers, and pleas, and thoughts over thousands of years of struggle, suffering, and hard-fought existence, that we, we may have created, manifested a God of meaning, a God of purpose, a God of goodwill, a God that we deserve – through our own vested power of creation.

As often occurs when writing these posts, my original objective to present this speculative concept of an emergent God, created from our conjoined human consciousness, has, over a few paragraphs itself evolved into a fuller, and I guess for me, a more fascinating and plausible concept - that through our spiritual-based intentions, we all created a more engaging, loving, useful, caring God, enhancing the universal creative engine with a heartlight. A God of the heart as well as of natural law.

However it happened, this is the God I am going to keep empowering and fostering through my prayers, my gratitude, and my love.

Thanks for speculating with me, as I continue to attempt to understand fully the guidance I receive.

______________________________________________________________________________

This post expresses what I believe is a unique take on this emergent perspective: that is, a God that encompasses both the natural/physical/material world we exist in, as well as the domain of consciousness through which we interact with life, enabling us to think, imagine, and create.

I will take even a bolder leap of faith, conjecturing that one aspect of this emergent God is the very formulator and foundation for the hardwired, algorithm-based creative force we discussed in the post above, with its structure of laws and processes, yet always connected and interacting with pure conscious intention. This natural or physical world, although regulated by fixed laws, offers pliability through the creative framework of the Law of Mind Action or Attraction, equipping us all with our very own virtual, consciousness-based 3D printer.

The spirit or consciousness aspect of God may have emerged from our own use of the Law of Mind Action/Attraction to create a livable universe, one with some measure of love, kindness, and compassion: or, it was always present, just waiting for us to wake up and connect with God. Whatever its origin, this consciousness aspect of God provides us all a pathway to divine guidance, underscoring God’s involvement with our lives. And although God may not grant every wish and prayer, God can and I believe does, assist us in understanding our own creative powers and personal ability to mend, heal, and empower our lives. It also enables us, collectively, to bring about significant change through our own thoughts, dreams, prayers, and intentions. We, connected with God, have the power to truly create a heaven on earth if we so desire.

As all of this has been consuming my thoughts lately, I realized that this dual aspect of God – with its intersecting form and consciousness - is exactly how we function with our form-based bodies and our consciousness based minds. Perhaps, this is what was meant by the concept that we were created in God’s image.

Thanks again for considering these notions. I will ask you to keep this emergent God argument in mind as you proceed with the book. I will return to it in-depth in Book Three of the Finding God On The Train Story – God Consciousness and The Divinity Within.

CLOSING NOTES ON ENLIGHTENMENT

As I have presented these perspectives of the God I have met on the train, I have realized that “my God,” instead of being a separate entity, is actually intertwined with and coexists with all of sentient life, an active partner with, instead of a controller of, humankind, existing as a creative force, like a kiln where our ideas can be fired and given lasting form. The note below titled, Tangible Creation, expands our perspective of the creative force of God in our lives, telling us that our contribution is the total focusing of our emotionally charged desire, fueled by complete belief.

TANGIBLE CREATION - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Tangible creation is envisioned desire formed into

existence through the power of cocreation, through

your divine spirit connected and one, with God’s

force and power of creation.

Tangible creation is thought in form, in substance,

where the imagined becomes real, takes life, and a

appears in front of you.

Tangible creation springs from total focused desire,

uninhibited by the thought of lack or impossibility –

empowered by emotionally charged belief, powering

the connection to both your and God’s creative force –

a life force combination so infused with potential –

intention – that it becomes real –takes shape – and

inhabits conscious form.

Tangible creation is your birthright – is at the essence

of the human spirit – the divine soul – a power so vast,

but often unutilized, except for those who marshal its

forces, and work to create the world of their dreams –

their heaven on earth. A power fueled by complete belief,

the absence of doubt, loving desire, and faith in the creative

power of the universal mind. Here is the universal power

at the fingertips of humankind.

Learn it, harness it, and create with it now!

NOE G. 8.2.2011 7:15 AM

I would like to add two additional Notes On Enlightenment to this chapter, sharing with you below what I believe to be one of the most fascinating God concepts I have received in my meditation guidance on the train – titled God Has No Voice, which suggests that God, in fact, communicates via a conscious vibration, that creates a sensation of meaning, rather than with a voice. I follow this, with a more recent reiteration of the same concept, in a blog post titled The First Language.

GOD HAS NO VOICE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

God has no voice, being but a vibration, which when you

touch creates a vision, a sensation of meaning translated

by your need to form experience into words. The pounding

surf of God’s message wears away at your hazy awareness

until you quiet the clamor of your restless mind, receiving

the transmission of a few drops of thirst-quenching nectar –

yet this is all that is required since each contains the whole

story – for all is alive within a single drop, for those who

can connect.

God has no voice, this is your idiom, instead, expressing

more clearly through an emotion of being, forming waves

of conscious vibration, waiting for some connection to be

attained and secured.

Listen deeply, feel intensely, connect earnestly, allowing

the message to move through you, before you rush to chip

away at it in words, realizing, someday you will communicate

so much deeper, fuller.

No reason to feel anxious or slighted, if the reception

is unclear, know God is always expressing, learn to listen,

all that is needed is one magnificent drop.

NOE G. 6.3.2012 8:00 AM

THE FIRST LANGUAGE

NEW THOUGHT NOTE FOR THE DAY

Although God communicates with us through our own language, expressing in the terms and idioms and icons, we most understand perhaps God’s language, is the first language of sincere expression, primarily vibrational, emotional, intentional as the note below conveys; and we – if we really listen with our full hearts are capable of translating this communication into our own words and symbols. Perhaps, our literal brain-ware has been engineered to translate this God message, and does so, if we will intently listen, with faith, for its song.

THE FIRST LANGUAGE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Within deep consciousness, we speak in emotions,

vibrations, intentions rather than words that require

learning and translation; we speak the first language

of sincere expression – feeling – the intensity of

expression spoke with and through the heart; moving

via the heartlight; sounding and resounding and

rebounding and reverberating through time and levels

of space – across dimensions: this is the communication,

the language of the cosmos – listen intently, heart-focused,

and it is possible to hear the sounds of aware life expressing,

listen even more completely and the messages will find

expression within and through you, as they have and

continue to do, as this note validates.

Today, again place your ear to the tracks of the

cosmos, listen for its song - sonorous and lush.

NOE G. 4.4.2017

CLOSING AFFIRMATIONS

The two affirmations shared below, titled Cocreation and Ready To Receive, will help us prepare to tap into, and use the creative powers we have just discussed. We will top it off with an Affirmative Thought titled, Visions Of Dreams Obtained.

COCREATION - AFFIRMATION

I can manifest and cocreate into the physical

world, anything I want, need, or desire. I can do, be,

or obtain anything I want to focus my

thoughts on manifesting.

READY TO RECEIVE - AFFIRMATION

Thank you, God, for I know you have already solved

the problem, and I am willing to receive.

VISIONS OF DREAMS OBTAINED -

AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

Today fill your mind with visions

of dreams obtained, desires fulfilled,

goals accomplished, challenges overcome –

visualizing the intended or desired end

result, rather than the details of each step

on the path to actual attainment.

Today fill your heart with the emotions

and feelings of the joy hoped for,

the happiness encountered, the peace

and serenity of life subdued, the love

felt and found in a heaven of your

own making.

Today fill your life with the qualities

of authentic being – the energy and

the pure enthusiasm of living on purpose,

being in the zone of constant fulfillment –

the resonance of a vibration whole, solid,

complete and divine – all already present

within you, waiting for you to arrive today.

AT G. 8.31.2012

____________________

PART TWO THE MESSAGE

CHAPTER SIX – THE SEVEN FACETS

AN ESSENTIAL NOTE

We are each a distinct, unique, succinct

expression of life – a leaf, a petal,

a magnificent wonder birthed

in a moment of time to flourish and

shine – a vestige of a creative force,

budding and blooming, reaching out

to fuse its original destiny.

In this presence, we singularly grasp

the torch of all existence, surging forward

with our soul’s strength to forge our

desired contribution, etching upon this

eternity a lasting wonder – a flash

of beauty upon the retina of all existence.

Know all of this is a perfect moment,

never forgotten or erased, instead, an

essential note in the symphony of

this perfect being, forever pushing and

encouraging each tone, hereafter, to

reach for timbre yet unheard of –

unimagined – reframing the sonorous

song of perpetual becoming.

POEM G. 2.24.2013

This divine message, in its infancy, continued to unfold in the early part of 2008, with what I would later understand to be the foundation of all the messages that would follow – the Crystal Path, the Heartlight, which we have already discussed, and finally a focus on enlightenment defined in the guidance as the attainment of a genuine, authentic life. At first, the enlightenment message was focused on developing what I believe to be the essence of “Enlightenment” – reaching God Consciousness through developing a direct connection with God. As the years have progressed, the message or meaning of enlightenment has expanded, to go beyond a divine connection, entailing living an authentic, purposeful, or fuller life, with a workable blend of spirituality and practicality.

IS IT GENUINE OR AUTHENTIC OR BOTH?

Life often comes to a matter of semantics, and I have been vacillating on whether the descriptor “genuine” or “authentic,” or both, best describes what I am attempting to convey in the Crystal Path message. As a descriptor, “authentic” is starting to vie for celebrity, almost cliché, status, while “genuine” seems somewhat forgotten and rarely expressed. As you probably have noticed, I have opted to use both: for example, “genuine, authentic,” or “genuinely authentic,” or an “authentic, genuine nature,” or with the use of a dash, as in my favorite; “genuine – authentic.” I would like to republish an excerpt from a post titled The Genuine You that addresses this conundrum, and hopefully expresses what I am attempting to convey.

THE GENUINE YOU

NEW THOUGHT NOTE FOR THE DAY

As I am typing this, I am thinking about how I prefer the word “genuine” to “ authentic.” The word genuine – often defined as:

truly what something is said to be, authentic:

(of a person, emotion, or action) sincere.

To be fair, I need to define authentic. The word authentic is defined as:

of undisputed origin; genuine: made or done

in the traditional or original way: based on facts;

accurate or reliable.

Genuine just feels stronger than authentic to me, seeming to have more gravitas. In human, behavioral terms, I would further add to the “genuine” definition - “it is what someone is designed to be,” not what they have to be, are told to be, or what others think they should be, but what they were “designed” to be - their original intent for existence here on earth. And often, certainly not what they turn out to be.

Note, that my added definition uses the phrase “designed to be,” we might also say “created to be,” “meant to be,” or “preordained to be,” that is, decided or determined beforehand. The definition of genuine listed above starts with the word “truly,” which adds to the concrete, actual, tangible nature of the “to be.” Let’s think of this as the “genotype,” the genetic constitution of an individual organism, what the organism is born with. In a spiritual sense, we could apply this to the individual’s divine self.

Authentic, by definition, is of the origin, that is genuine - but can then be made or done like the original, based on the original, even be factual, or accurate. Here, continuing with my genetic analogy, authentic seems similar, to me, to the genetic “phenotype;” that is, built on the set of observable characteristics of an individual; resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment; or in our case, we might say - the divine self with the reality of life.

With this framework in place, I would suggest that we can be both genuine and authentic, when we realize and acknowledge what we were designed to be, and based on this foundation, via our interaction with the environment, authenticate our original natures. The revised descriptor, I would propose, clarifies our spiritual strivings for, and the potential attainment of, a level that would be considered – genuinely authentic. In other words, the divine plan for you, God’s plan, melded with your plan for yourself, resulting in, a genuine, authentic existence.

Often spiritual teachers seem to focus on our calling, what God created us and intended us to be. I do believe this calling does exist and is at the heart of what I would consider our “genuine, soul based, purpose or nature.” I believe God is constantly working to steer us towards our genuine mission. Yet, I have little doubt, God realizes that “fate and will” are both active in human development: fully aware most “willful” human beings, if they do discover their genuine calling, would incorporate their wants, needs, desires, and plans, thus formulating a hybrid calling, one that is both genuine and authentic - incorporating their “genuine calling,” with their individual “human, authentic, calling.”

As the Affirmative Thought below suggests, being genuine does require opening yourself up and taking a look within, and, it requires that we work counter to our cultural training and put ourselves first in this case. I am not saying here that you should let the kids starve as you jet off to a monastery in Tibet. What I am saying is that being genuine, is a major step in our understanding of ourselves, our purpose, and our spiritual journey.

THE GENUINE YOU - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

Open yourself up today to who you are,

what you want, and the path you desire to

follow - reaching for a place of true balance

and equilibrium found in the authentic,

the honest pursuit of your dreams, your vision

of heaven on earth.

Open yourself up today to the clarity of

purpose within you that urges you to live

for you and not for others, the purpose that

says “you must make yourself happy before

you can inspire happiness in others,”

the purpose within you that knows when you

move towards it or away from the target

of your desires.

Open yourself up today to the genuine you,

the only “you” you should aspire to –

the “you” you were created to become –

the “you” who extends you, excites you,

and vibrates the essence of the successful –

fulfilled – magnificent you.

AT G. 6.15.2012

So, based on this paradigm, I will proceed by using both genuine and authentic as descriptors for what I will offer as Facet Seven of the Crystal Path; Living a Genuine - Authentic Life. I realize that some readers will consider this redundancy, exclaiming that the use of authentic alone would suffice. I guess this comes down to a matter of semantics, and I hope you would allow me, by doing this, to remind us all that spiritual authenticity involves understanding our genuine, God created natures.

The Finding God On The Train Story blog post below, titled Genuine - Authentic Life = Enlightened Life, introduced blog readers to an expanded definition of this aspect of enlightenment, referring to it as the attainment of an “genuine, authentic life,” which we learn, requires our progression through a clearly defined series of spiritual and physical realizations. This expanded definition, would also further clarify the Crystal Path, along with the steps needed to progress towards the attainment of heaven on earth, often used in my guidance to describe the end state of full enlightenment.

GENUINE - AUTHENTIC LIFE = ENLIGHTENED LIFE

NEW THOUGHT NOTE FOR THE DAY

Continuing with this blog discussion focused on living a “Genuine - Authentic Life,” a life where our spiritual-self blends with our physical self, to move, progressively, towards enlightenment. When we live a Genuine - Authentic Life, we receive all we are destined to receive, from both our physical and spiritual lives - actualizing both. Since most of us have families, jobs, and related commitments, leading a Genuine - Authentic Life allows us to be spiritual, even enlightened, without retreating from life. Connecting with God as we live, work, and strive.

As I spend the week further clarifying Genuine – Authentic Life - what I think is the essence of my message from God - I would like to share the following meditation guidance I received, which is focused on living a Genuine- Authentic Life. It is a bit long, but it clarifies this concept. Let me know what you think.

GENUINE - AUTHENTIC LIFE = ENLIGHTENED LIFE

MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Enlightenment is living a genuine - authentic life, where your

spiritual or divine self is fully aligned and merged with your

physical self – divine and secular – spiritual and physical -

moving in unison and perfect harmony – total self-actualization.

Genuine – authentic – enlightened life – recognizes your

spiritual destiny and your earthbound form destiny –

maximizing the full potential of life and resulting in joy,

peace, love, and happiness – heaven on earth – enlightenment.

Genuine - authentic life requires a series of steps or levels –

best considered as facets of consciousness to be obtained:

with the first being, the control of your consciousness –

control of your mind through right thinking – reframing

the ego to quiet the negativity, doubt, worry, and fear,

through belief and positive reinterpretation.

The second facet is being centered in the “now,” the present –

mindful – leaving the images and nightmares of the past

behind, while avoiding the “what if” of future living.

Only in this “nowfulness” are you fully alive, aware,

and connected to your true self. This experience of now

is direct, clear, and allows you to connect with God,

who can only exist in the present.

As you progress, the next facet is to realize God Consciousness –

the divinity within you that is connected to God. This is

our soul, or divine self, and is the portal to communication

with God.

Through the divine self, you become aware of your

spiritual purpose in life – your mission in a spiritual sense.

As you

discover this mission, and become more aware –

your God Consciousness becomes more powerful –

you reflect your true God nature – as you see God within

all things – especially yourself and the events around you.

God Consciousness will impact you, as you relate to all

existence with loving kindness – the true essence of God.

You will apply this most when moving to the stage of

forgiveness – forgiving yourself and others – moving

forward in love, even for those who have hurt you most,

and as a result, let go of the past; freeing your life from

anger, resentment, hatred, and contempt.

Next, as you progress, you will clarify what you want

from both your spiritual and physical existence.

Clarification of your wants will assist you in obtaining

an authentic, genuine life. This clarification is the major

step towards purposeful action – living fully aligned

with who you want to be, what you want to do, and

the path you are willing to take to get there –

living with purpose.

In the pursuit of purposeful action, you will learn to marshal

your mind, soul, and selves to actively cocreate with God,

to create the world, you wish to live in and inhabit. You will

need to refine and develop your belief system – to believe

in your ability to create miracles and co-create your life.

This path to discovery – what may be called the Crystal Path –

a path to spiritual and life enlightenment will be traversed,

and you will begin to glow with the full light of enlightenment,

as you progress towards your genuine - authentic life –

a life fully alive in God and living. Here is where joy, peace, love,

happiness, and oneness reside – true heaven on earth.

NOE G. 11.8.2010 9:30 AM

Let’s take a moment to digest what is being said in this blog post, and the meditation guidance featured. As we will see shortly, if we had no other guidance but this one post, we would have, virtually, the entire guidelines needed to traverse the Crystal Path, which is defined here; as a path to spiritual and life enlightenment; thus, enabling us to live a genuine - authentic life – experiencing joy, peace, love, and happiness - our true heaven on earth.

Those seekers, who have already been on their path to enlightenment, will recognize each of these facets of consciousness - they are not new, and in fact, many books have been written to address each separately. What I find unique, useful, and refreshing, is that this guidance fully incorporates these often disjointed aspects of spiritual and life development into a constructive paradigm, a model that we can understand and follow, if desired.

Below, I have listed the “Seven Facets of Consciousness on the Crystal Path,” taking each level separately, and discussing it in more depth, offering related Meditation Guidance, Affirmative Thoughts, and Finding God On The Train Story blog posts that clarify and amplify each facet where appropriate, while providing a flavor of what is to come later. For those, who wish to more fully understand the message, or wish to incorporate it in their own spiritual approach, I will be focusing the remainder of this book, as well as the subsequent books in the series, on providing detailed and in-depth guidance on fully incorporating each facet of consciousness to be illuminated or achieved on the Crystal Path.

THE SEVEN FACETS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

ON THE CRYSTAL PATH

FACET ONE: CONTROL OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Control of consciousness - mind control through right

thinking - reframing the ego to quiet the negativity, doubt,

worry, and fear – through belief and positive thought.

The message I have received from God during my commutes on the train, constantly stresses and reinforces the need for mind control – the control of our consciousness. Putting in the daily effort to fully understand this facet, is essential to both our physical and spiritual well-being. Who would have ever guessed that the majority of our spiritual work would involve controlling and marshaling our thoughts? One would think that our minds would be a ready ally, and lead us in the proper direction. In reality, it is the opposite, with the mind easily taking us into the negative, promoting our fears, doubts, and insecurities.

Mastering Facet One - Control Of Consciousness, conveyed by the message I have received on the train, as the first step on our road to genuine, authentic, enlightened life, clearly requires a controlled mind focused in a productive manner, through positive thought, affirmations, visioning, and constant diligence when thinking; thus, eliminating, or at least taming, our negative consciousness. The Meditation Guidance below, titled appropriately Negative Consciousness, is the divine response I received to a question regarding what can be done on a personal level to manage this negative aspect of consciousness. The note below conveys what is at stake for both our physical and spiritual well-being.

NEGATIVE CONSCIOUSNESS - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

What can we do to manage our negative consciousness

that permeates our awareness, stifling our lives and

our attainment of joy, peace, love, and happiness?

The truth is that this all-pervasive or dark consciousness –

thought to be ego based, but often appears to have greater

strength at times – severely limits our lives, turning our days

into barrages of false thinking, disempowering thoughts

rehashed fears, and for some, a continual, dialogue of distress.

We can only imagine what life would be like with a fully

cooperative mind, but through constant diligence, faith, and

mind control, we can tame and nullify this dark consciousness,

replacing it with an affirmative consciousness that encourages,

flatters, and reinforces; instilling confidence and love.

Our spiritual life mission is to harness the negative

consciousness and quiet it – redirecting it to focus

on the pursuit of heaven on earth. This requires a constant

awareness of what we are thinking, the insertion of our

authentic mission, and the use of our mind control tools,

provided by the wise throughout time.

Assess where you are now, determining how much

of your thinking is negative, dark, and disempowering.

Work to reframe and increase the positive consciousness

within you.

NOE 8.26.2012 9:50 AM

As you know, or will quickly realize, when you do your assessment as suggested above, this level of mind control and control of consciousness is a major undertaking, requiring a thorough understanding of what is currently occurring and what needs to be changed. Addressing this, much of the message of the Finding God On The Train Story, on both the blog and in this book series, is directed towards gaining control of negative consciousness and redirecting our thoughts in a positive, constructive manner.

Facet One of the Crystal Path will be handled at length in Book Two of the Finding God On The Train Story– aptly titled MIND CONTROL - THE CONTROL OF CONSCIOUSNESS, focusing in-depth on mind control and offering a thorough handling of the subject, including an extensive review of practical and useable mind control techniques and approaches that you will be able to apply immediately. The Affirmative thought below emphasizes that we have the power to transform our consciousness.

POWER TO TRANSFORM - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

The power to transform your life resides in your mind -

your consciousness - forming your thoughts, attitudes,

and perceptions to exist in unison with your divine

purpose and all of existence.

The power to transform your life exists within your belief -

in your ability to master the mental chaos - give it order and

purpose, leading it to the promised land waiting for you

to arrive.

The power to transform your life is created by your desire

to touch the truth of all existence - to immerse yourself in

its splendor and appear again reborn - over and over and

over again.

Seize the power!

AT G. 6.11.2011

The most disturbing aspect of achieving Facet One is that our minds are often creating “needless” stress, tension, and anxiety by telling us, daily, we are not OK, not good enough - we need to change, improve, or give up completely before we get any worse. The truth is - we are OK, and instead of listening to the negative banter, we need to be getting to the root of this turmoil by controlling our minds. I wrote the Affirmative Thought below titled - You Are OK - after waking up to my own mind, working me over for what I was doing or not doing. When I fully listened to the urgent voices in my head, I realized the critique was based on a series of totally implausible worse case scenarios. I said, enough! Got up and wrote this note to remind me and anyone else who may need it that - WE ARE ALL OK!

YOU ARE OK - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

Your life is OK, even if your mind tells you it isn’t –

like a child in the dark, your mind reacts

to every creak or strange noise even when,

especially when, all is well, safe, and comfortably

flowing to your intended destination.

You are OK, even if your mind tells you, you are not –

like critical parents who demand that you live up

to their expectation of unfounded and unfathomable

perfection – often chiding constantly for failure

to meet a standard that was neither sensible

or plausible – while providing little or no recognition

for a life truly well lived.

Your soul is OK, even if your mind tells you it isn’t –

like a Puritan of old, it encumbers you with thoughts

of sin, shame, and guilt - reminding you of the penalties

and punishments: when all that exists is God’s grace,

understanding, and forgiveness.

Today remind your mind that you’re OK and enjoy the day!

AT G. 7.28.2012

Buddha, after years of struggling with, and finally obtaining, mind control - what he considered a major component of Nirvana, or enlightenment - taught that the only devil, or Mara, we needed to overcome was rooted in our very own minds. Constant practice and training are necessary to get our minds to obey our conscious, as well as our spiritual wills, and when accomplished, enables us to overcome the antics of the uncontrolled mind.

In truth, why should the slow progress of the evolutionary development of our brains hold us back? If a vast number of us, were to all learn the art of mind control, and transform our lives, some scientists would say, that by doing so, we would inspire the actual genetic shift needed to enable us to evolve and develop a newly supportive brain. As previously noted above, the upcoming book on mind control - control of consciousness will strive to offer a comprehensive working guide to help readers fully understand, and hopefully, master this facet of consciousness, and, if not capable of stirring an actual evolution, will at least help readers make a personal transformation.

The next facet of Crystal Path consciousness features expanding “mindfulness” in our day-to-day and spiritual lives. So the next stop, Facet Two – Mindfulness, represents an essential element of effective mind control.

FACET TWO: MINDFULNESS

Being centered in the “now” – the present – mindful –

leaving the images and nightmares of the past behind,

while avoiding the “what if” of future living. Fully alive in

“nowfulness” where God resides.

Mindfulness has been at the center of my meditation guidance during my years connecting with God on the train, with God repeatedly nudging, encouraging, and finally directing me to understand the importance of focusing on the present to quiet my mind and nullify the demands of my ego. Early in 2008, I was starting to receive guidance focused on Facet Two – Mindfulness.

IN THE MOMENT - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Live in and within the moment – this exact moment

is life – moving the ego away, experiencing the natural

joy and fullness of life. Take in the fragrance, see the

connections, understand the order.

Today know these moments are the essential ingredients

of life. In this moment, now, you are fully conscious and

act and live without mental restraints.

Try to limit thinking about the past or the requirements

of the future. Respond only to the action, or topic at hand,

and respond from your whole being.

Take back the wheel of the car that you have given

to the ego. Live in pure action – action, based only

on the requirements of this now.

NOE G. 4.14.2008 7:30 AM

The guidance instructs us that being focused in the “now,” not only helps us manage the turmoil in our minds, but also is the clear pathway to God, since God only actually exits in the now, the present.

CHERISH THE MOMENT - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Cherish this moment – for this moment is your life and

should be approached with love and joy. Now, this breath,

the set of sensory cues – these emotions – awake – tired –

whatever – it is a moment of pure life that needs to be

lived fully.

Breathe in the full breath of life and feel God at the core.

This is the miracle of life, and you are experiencing

the miracle.

Cherish the opportunity to be fully alive, lay down

the worries and concerns. Look at the burden as the

payment for the pleasure of this amazing existence.

Move into the moment and shut down the chatter –

the banter – of your mind.

The world is full of richness – manifested by life

through God. Dive into the manifestation – swallow

the experience and know you are blessed. This full

measure of life is a creation of God in humankind –

the perfect manifestation of life from life evolving,

progressing.

Cherish the moment; it is your life.

NOE G. 8.6.2008 8:00 AM

Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is

gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to

ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch

with life. Thich Nhat Hanh

I have learned, there is no better technique to find peace, and mental quiet than to focus on my breathing and intently engage in what I am doing in the present. As conveyed in the quote above by Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist Monk and popular author of You Are Here, who has translated this key Buddhist concept, which stresses the focus on the breath and the clearing of the mind, to accomplish living in the present moment. This has been adopted by New Thought and has been taken worldwide by Eckhart Tolle in his books The Power of Now and The New Earth.

EMPTY CANVAS - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

Today is our day – it does not belong to the thoughts

and worries of tomorrow or next week – it does

not belong to the could have been, the might

have been, or the should have been of the past –

it belongs to us now – to cherish – to enjoy –

to fully live.

Today is an empty canvas – let us come to it with

clean brushes and fresh paint.

Let us enjoy and live each moment robustly –

all out - thanking God for each breath

along the way.

Let us live Now!

Living in the present, the now - is the second facet of consciousness, required for attaining a genuine, authentic, purposeful life filled with joy, peace, love, and happiness, heaven on earth. To master Facet Two, we are instructed to resist our ego’s natural inclination to have us live in the past - where we can be reminded of past mistakes, or focus on the future, and the potential negative scenarios waiting around the corner.

We will explore in more depth the concept of mindfulness in our upcoming discussion of mind control approaches and techniques, which will offer guidance for fully understanding and mastering mindfulness in our day-to-day and spiritual lives. For now, let’s move to the next stop, Facet Three.

FACET THREE: GOD CONSCIOUSNESS

Realize God Consciousness – the divinity within that is

connected to God. This is the soul or divine self, the portal

to communication with God. Through the divine self, we

become aware of our spiritual purpose, or mission in life.

WITHIN US NOW - POEM

Within us now is all the wisdom we seek –

all the compassion possible to feel –

all the wonder anyone could wish to experience –

all the magic waiting to be performed –

every miracle bursting forth into life.

Within us now is all eternity –

the past, the present, the future –

the potential moment –

the vision of heaven on earth –

the suffering with its lessons waiting to be revealed –

our soul – our God – our magnificence.

Within us now is all existence, flexing

its creative muscles – urging us on

to our purpose, our destiny –

saying yes even when we say no –

cajoling us forward with arms outstretched

to catch us with each tentative step

we harness the courage to take.

POEM G. NO DATE

The foundation message of Finding God On The Train Story has centered on our personal capacity to connect with God, directly, via our internal divinity. This divinity within is often referred to as our Crystal Self or Divine Self in the message, although it is also referenced by the more traditional terms, such as the Soul. This Crystal/Divine Self, or Soul, is both of God and us at the same time, joining in one being, combining both our spiritual and human consciousness.

We are called to understand this internal God nature, by using our Crystal Self as the portal of communication with God, thus becoming more aware of our spiritual purpose in life; that is, our mission in a spiritual sense. The basic premise is that as this connection grows, we share more of our consciousness with God, becoming more powerful on a personal and spiritual basis, beginning to reflect our true God natures, seeing God within all things, exhibiting the qualities of God as we understand them, and enhancing our ability to create our life through God, previously referred to as cocreating.

Let’s take a look at the Meditation Guidance to get a sense of what is being conveyed by the message. First, I would like to share the guidance below titled, God Waits In The Back Room, a message I received in the summer of 2008, during this first year of my revelation.

GOD WAITING IN THE BACK ROOM -

MEDITATION GUIDANCE

You seek God in the wrong places. You search for the

connection in the external – move back into the internal.

God waits for you in the abundant mansion of your

conscious soul – waiting in the back room. Move through

the distractions of the gold and silver, sparkling trinkets

of each room, moving to the small room where God waits.

This is your God – the living God that lives within each

living spirit – God waits and will wait until you arrive.

God in the back room knows the illusions and desires

of life are enticing and difficult to reject. God wants you

to have them all and more but wants you to understand

the source of this abundance. God wants you to have

all life, as full and as rich as you can embody. Put on

the fine clothes and jewelry, eat the abundant foods,

lavishin the pleasures of form, but remember these

will fade – grow stale – rot and fall away. Left in the

end as a pile on the side of the road.

Only connection with the spirit of God – the connection

with you as God - will enable you to find pure joy. Only

by meeting God in the back room – making your way

through the mansion, will you meet God face-to-face,

one spirit. As you turn the knob on the back room door

where God waits, and open into the pure joy of oneness -

you will stand frozen and alive in the moment, as you

meet the waiting God – who is you.

NOE G. 7.16.2008 10:10 AM

As I remember, I was on vacation when I transcribed this note, during a meditation overlooking New River in Virginia, and as I recorded each word, I thought of this God figure who sat in this metaphorical back room, maybe sipping coffee, reading worn magazines, like a character in an old movie, just waiting patiently. It was a comforting thought until the last line, which I resisted writing because it sounded so bizarre and weird. Based on this final phrase - “you meet the waiting God who is you” - I never used this note in any of my posts, or book examples, never showed it to Ann, I just let it sit and wait in the back room. Such are the complications with receiving divinely inspired messages.

Today, as I write this chapter, I release this note held for over four years, as I finally arrive at a point where I understand its meaning and do not take offense with the suggestion that I am the God I meet in the backroom. I realize now the note was not referring to a physical appearance or a personality, but instead to an evolved spirituality that I would have most certainly have obtained, if I was truly prepared to enter the back room, and finally meet my true divinity.

Similar to describing how to ride a bike, this guidance seems more complicated than the experience: we tap into our divinity within, which then provides a portal to expanded God Consciousness, we connect to this consciousness or spiritual center, ask for guidance, and we discover our genuine, authentic purpose. Using my experience as an example, which was fully outlined in Part One of the book, all I did to connect with my divinity within was to meditate, ask for guidance, and I made a connection with God, recording the guidance when received in my journals. For me, once a connection was made, there was an outpouring of guidance.

The mechanics of this connection is not the difficult aspect of Facet Three – God Consciousness, or any of the other facets presented here - what is difficult is making room for it in our lives. It takes time, and constant effort, to make this connection with God Consciousness through our divinity. Our egos will most certainly get in the way, if they can sniff out any doubt, or lack of confidence, on our part.

I am planning what will be Book Three of the Finding God On The Train Story– to be titled God Consciousness And The Divinity Within. This final book, in the Finding God On The Train Story series, will focus on God Consciousness and its relationship to our internal divinity, providing an in-depth discussion of both Facet Three, and upcoming Facet Four – the incorporating of true God qualities. This said the final chapters of this book will actively work to enhance the clarity of this facet – as we each reach to obtain our own heaven on earth.

FACET FOUR: TRUE GOD QUALITIES

Exhibit the true essence of God by adopting the qualities of

God, including loving-kindness, forgiveness, and freeing

life from anger, resentment, hatred, and contempt.

As we progress on the Crystal Path, discovering our true God natures, we are expected to adopt, or emulate, some of the qualities most recognized as God-like; including, compassion, empathy, loving-kindness, and forgiveness, as well as mastering the control of our passions and emotions; such as anger, resentment, envy, hatred, or contempt. Let us touch on some of the most obvious God qualities as outlined in the following blog post.

TRUE GOD QUALITIES

NEW THOUGHT NOTE FOR THE DAY

What if humankind is still in the process of evolution, where the focus is no longer on physical development, but instead, is centered on the refinement and improvement of our level of personal consciousness? Taking this a step further, what if our next evolutionary thrust is a movement towards overcoming our ego dominance and attaining what some would call – God-like qualities – including love, kindness, compassion, a collective sense of oneness, and empathy. And what if, along with this evolutionary thrust towards better being, was the expectation that we, both individually and collectively, are to hone the powers to cocreate our lives freely through conscious intention, supported by our access to our divine natures? In other words, we are to evolve into our true God natures.

The Meditation Guidance below, titled True God Qualities, addresses this potential, clearly outlining the rationale for this evolutionary step, and highlighting what qualities we might expect to encounter. This is a concept that has been addressed by others, as noted by the work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin - Jesuit Father and distinguished paleontologist who, over sixty years ago, addressed this very theory in his landmark work The Phenomenon Of Man. My guidance seems to echo the same sentiments. Is it plausible? Is this where the current spiritual awakening is leading us? I believe this is the case. Your thoughts?

TRUE GOD QUALITIES - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

We are here to assume our true God qualities and

powers, by overcoming our propensity for negative

thought, neglect, hopelessness, and evil; by marshaling

our divine wills towards greater achievements, genuine -

authentic living, peak spiritual experience, and our

connection with God – refueling our potential to live

beyond the illusion of material pleasure, grasping

the greater good of collective consciousness.

We are here to transcend - to transform beyond our

infantile focus on the acquisition of pleasure and the

avoidance of pain – to reach a pinnacle of human

excellence and evolution, ensuring our God powers

and qualities are recognized and grasped by those

who wish to go on growing, becoming, moving

towards their genuine, authentic natures.

We are here to create heaven on earth - not hell,

as it appears many are engaged with today – our

conscious focus as a collective humankind on this

heaven allows us to move forward, grow, and

assume our true birthright – our genuine, authentic

God nature of power – co-creation – and love in

balance - all supported by positive purposeful action.

Although many have careened in the opposite

direction, there are a growing number of those who

have grasped this message, who are moving in this

divine direction – working hard to prepare themselves,

consciously, for the catharsis of heaven focused living.

NOE G. 1.15.2012 7:50 AM

This Meditation Guidance above also touches on some of the other key qualities of God that we need to strive to possess to reach our heaven on earth: being selfless - stripping away our personal desires and marshaling our ego; being empathetic - seeing our face in every face of all we encounter, knowing all life is worthy of love; and experiencing unity – the oneness and connectivity of all existence. As the guidance reveals, much of God’s essence is based on God’s inherent ability to love without regard or restraint. In Chapter Eight, More Heaven On Earth – Finding Love and Happiness, we will discuss “Love” in greater depth, how it relates to obtaining heaven on earth or enlightenment. Also in Book Three, focused on God-consciousness and the divinity within, we will continue to expand on these God-like qualities.

Based on the guidance I have received – creativity - that is the ability to create via force of will, or better put, by force of aligned consciousness, is a key element of God that is miraculously included within human nature. At the center of positive spirituality is the act of creativity – the ability to use our minds to create tangible life – physical form. It is at the heart of the creative process that we most resemble God. Each day, we all live our own Genesis creation story - utilizing our gift of creative energy for our growth, or at times, our hardship.

CREATIVE CONNECTION - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

The creative energy of God is within you – surrounds you –

radiates from you - infusing you with the creative powers

of the universal mind. Simply tap this power by going

within, connecting to its source - then feel the surge

of perfect thought – alive within every cell of your being –

feel the connection to all that is, becoming one with

the creative force within you.

All creativity is at your fingertips, ready to be harnessed

by your consciousness – open the canvas and create

the life of your dreams – heaven on earth – outlining

the knowledge or guidance you wish to convey. There

can be no wrong, no missteps since you are all creative

energy – just trust in the source of the signal and move

forward. There is no failure in this creative action –

it is the work of God – the divine calling – the building

and forming of what is at first thought and then becomes

form.

All you create comes from source – is one with source –

an expression of God through you – wake up to it – use

it to light the path to oneness, to wholeness, to the

connection with God.

The ability to cocreate with God is at the very essence of the message of the Finding God On The Train Story, the subject of numerous meditation notes like the one above, and others we explored in our discussion on the Perspectives of God in Chapter Five - The Foundation. Let’s move on with consideration of the next facet of consciousness, Facet Five – Clarify Intentions, which is a key ingredient for any co-creative enterprise.

FACET FIVE: CLARIFY INTENTIONS

To clarify our intentions – what we want from both our

spiritual and physical existence; thus living with purpose

or purposeful action – a life fully aligned with who we want

to be and what we want to do.

I spent the early part of my professional career as the Director Of Career Services with the Temple University Career Development Center, providing career and employment counseling for students and alumni. An important element of career planning is having the client complete a values clarification exercise to determine what they truly want and value: for example; financial security, assisting others, the opportunity to travel, job security, creativity, autonomy, to name a few preferences. Facet Five asks us to determine our intentions - what we truly want from both our secular and spiritual existence.

Living a “purposeful life” or “genuine - authentic Life,” one that mirrors your divine and secular callings, often starts with clarifying your intentions through focused meditation. In the Meditative Guidance below titled Clarifying Your Intentions, I am asked about my intentions and how clearly I have thought them through.

CLARIFY YOUR INTENTIONS - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Clarify your intentions – what is it you want to accomplish?

What do you want to come from this? Know that to move

forward will take risks on your part, requiring dedication

to the task and commitment to the goal. Clear and well

thought out intentions will guide you, motivate you,

along the way.

Are you the teacher, are you the messenger, or, are you

a spiritual explorer diving into the mystery of the

metaphysical world to understand its vastness – its

potential for human growth? Or, are you all three;

messenger, teacher, and spiritual explorer all

combined in one individual effort.

The path is open and has been laid out for you, but you

will need to be thoroughly committed to the plan.

Prepare yourself for the challenges of this engagement –

of this effort. Take time to build strength, find peace,

meditate, and practice. Do not try to please all aspects

of your life, but keep them in balance through focused

attention.

Focus on your personal life and keep connected and

actively participating. Let the calm you feel erase

whatever stress you have and be a tool for moving

forward.

Know the destination, and the journey is easy.

Clarify your alternatives and move forward with

confidence and joy.

NOE G. 2.18.2010 8:05 AM

This guidance lays the foundation for clarifying intentions, with the key question being - “what do you want to accomplish,” and the follow-up,“ are you willing to take the necessary risks?”

I believe a key element of attracting what you want from the universe is declaring your intention(s) to the world, rather than keeping your intention(s) secret until fully conceived. In a sense, my blog offered a public venue for declaring my intention to write this book, long before the actual writing was underway. Often, we avoid this declaration of intentions for fear of negative feedback that will stall our progress, and this is a legitimate concern. In my case, I did not run and tell those who would not understand but choose a medium that would broadcast it to those who would be my potential audience and find it useful. The guidance that follows instructs us clearly - to declare our intentions.

DECLARE YOUR INTENTIONS - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Declare your intentions to the world, giving form

to your dreams, your visions, your plans to create

a fuller life.

Declare your intentions to the world with passion –

with emotion, vibrating with the anticipated joy

of becoming new.

Declare your intentions to the world, pushing past

the alarms of your ego – the voices of the internal

naysayers - the chorus of “you are not ready –

maybe later.”

Declare your intentions to the world fully, envisioning

the result and breathing life into thought – creating

from pure desire.

Declare your intentions to the world and watch the

intentions take shape, take form, take life, and fly.

Declare your intentions to the world!

NOE G. 9.16.2010

FACET SIX: COCREATING WITH GOD

Through purposeful action, marshal the mind, soul,

and self to co-create with God - creating the world

we wish to live in and inhabit, with full belief in our

ability to create miracles and cocreate our lives.

If you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that

what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. - Mark 11:23

We touched on this topic of cocreating with God in Chapter Three – New Thought Yesterday and Today, and later in the foundation perspectives of God, in Chapter Five, as well as the closing Note On Enlightenment of that chapter, titled Tangible Creation. The ability to cocreate with God is a key concept in Positive Spirituality/New Thought, known by a variety of labels; such as the Law of Mind Action, the Law of Cause and Effect, or much better known, since The Secret was published, as the Law of Attraction. The basic concept is that our thoughts; both positive and negative, are vibrational, and attract into our lives, in physical form, corresponding desires, wishes, or dreams.

Have you ever started your day thinking it is going to be a bad day, and this feeling was confirmed, as you faced negative events all day? This is the Law of Attraction, or cocreating with God, at work. Simply put – when you expect positive experiences, you get a positive life. Focus on the negative, and you will also attract the negative into your life. The difficulty for humankind is that our minds are set biologically in a survival mode, constantly looking for negative scenarios, and as a result, our thoughts are naturally negative.

From a positive spirituality perspective, this is a loving God giving you exactly what you ask for without question, no matter whether you realize it or not. Those who are aware of this law, usually want to make their intentions clear to God, so there is no confusion about what they want, need, or desire. First, they work to focus on positive thinking as a baseline. Second, they use prayer, meditation, affirmations, visioning, and similar techniques to attract major things or events, they desire, into their lives.

Facet Six entails actively working with God, to manifest into physical form, and your day-to-day reality, the life of your desires and dreams. But, the catch here is that you need to be emotionally aligned and ready to receive. If you don’t really believe that you can cocreate, you will not be ready to receive what God is ready to give, and nothing happens. For me, it is often this doubt, with my ego keeping my cocreating from working, especially, if what I am asking is really beyond my current reality. The meditation guidance below focuses on building this power of belief.

POWER OF BELIEF - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Believe and it will be true – it will be created – manifested

into full form – full life. Simply believe. Belief is a full

alignment of your focus and vibration – of your energy –

your creative soul energy - and takes a tremendous act

of clarity and focus. Belief requires that competing

forces in your mind and soul do not question, but fully

support the effort – totally – completely.

Otherwise, “doubt” splits the focus like a wedge,

impeding the movement to total belief. What is

“doubt” but the competing ego driven voices

of fear and insecurity?

The ego shouts – “how could this be true – how could

you move the mountain. You are crazy! You need help!”

It is your job, and in your self-interest, to re-indoctrinate

the ego – soothe it and retrain the voice in your head

to seek the safety of total belief, total clarity in pursuit

of the prize of enlightenment.

Utilize the ego, teaming with the ego in the pursuit

of full and total belief. Belief in yourself and your

capacity for cocreation – your capacity to harness

the power and create your heaven on earth.

NOE G. 11.7.2009 9:20 AM

The most difficult concept for those who encounter New Thought for the first time to comprehend and accept: is their innate ability to create their own lives. Many of us believe that forces outside of our control are creating our lives; that these forces are far stronger than we are: socio-economic class; financial position; cultural background; family connections; inherited talents and abilities; God; Karma; or just plain luck. Being responsible for the results of our efforts is not always the most comforting notion. But in my meditation notes, like the one listed below titled The Power To Create, I am constantly reminded that I have the power to create into form or experience, what I hold in thought.

THE POWER TO CREATE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

You have the power to create into form or experience,

any thought, dream, desire, emotion, or vision. You have

the innate capacity for cocreation through God, using

the Law of Attraction/Mind Action or any label you wish

to give it.

For God, has given each of us, the capacity to create and

become what is held in thought. Clarity of thought is

essential for the development of the life you wish to

manifest. Negative thoughts will also attract negative

outcomes, so you must not focus on the reasons

why your dreams cannot be brought to life.

The Power to Create is on-going, always working, and

never stops. Practice focusing and training your mind

to create a need, desire, or want. Watch how the world

will deliver this wish. Focus your mind on the desired

result you wish to manifest and prove the action.

This is the reason you must constantly inventory your

thoughts to ensure you are always thinking positive,

affirmative thoughts. If not, change the direction by

clearing your mind and focusing your breath until

your mind is clear. Then, start again, working to reset

your thoughts and clear the slate.

Test the power you have to create by focusing on

one unlikely positive wish, and seeing if it manifests

into your reality. It will!

NOE G. 4.16.2010 7:20 AM

This an extensive subject, really worthy of its own complete book. So let us understand the cocreative power, holding our discussion, for now, ending with the Affirmative Thought below, aptly referred to as Your Creation, which provides a fitting segue to the final facet of consciousness.

YOUR CREATION - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

This is your time, your life, your moment –

live it today with authority and purpose

knowing that no one is better prepared

to make the most from this experience,

so trust your instincts, follow your hunches,

and listen to your own guidance.

This is your opportunity to soar and flourish,

to tackle the waiting tasks and projects

with renewed enthusiasm and clear intention,

moving all you do a step closer to closure

and completion – knowing you have the

power to create lasting success.

This is your creation, your chance to shine –

to fill your life and the lives of those who

depend on you, with clarity, a sense of

direction, and a refreshed vision, of what

together, you can all seek to accomplish.

AT G. 7.16.2012

FACET SEVEN : GENUINE-AUTHENTIC

PURPOSEFUL LIFE

Continue to traverse the Crystal Path to spiritual

and life enlightenment - progressing to an Authentic Life –

a life fully alive in both God and living – experiencing joy,

peace, love, and happiness – true heaven on earth.

We now find ourselves at the seventh, and final facet of consciousness, on the path to our spiritual and life enlightenment – the Crystal Path, a path to the discovery of positive spirituality, where if we are successful, we have a life fully alive in God and living – true heaven on earth. What I find so positive about this approach to spirituality is that it requires our complete attention to succeed, mixing equal measures of heaven and earth, to create its enlightenment.

Whenever possible, I like to present the original guidance that introduced me to a phrase or concept, which would later turn out to be a major theme of the message of the Finding God On The Train Story. The Meditation Guidance below, titled Perfect, Genuine, Authentic Life, is from August 13, 2008, and is one of my first communications referring to an “authentic life.” As the note below conveys, I believe God is our coach and will do whatever is needed to help us achieve our perfect life; if we are willing to participate and overcome our fears, doubts, and negative life patterns keeping us from creating our heaven on earth.

The note tells us that my genuine – authentic, purposeful life; the life I was designed to live and would reveal my true potential - is tied to communicating the message from the Finding God On The Train Story as outlined by my initial revelations in Chapter Five, The Foundation. It is important to note, when I was originally given this mission, there was very little actually existing to communicate. But God has been true to the coaching promise, assisting with expanding my understanding and vision, as needed, to grow with the project, keeping the material coming, so I would have something to convey.

I also feel, God has indirectly provided the financial support, over the past ten years, so I could have time to finish what I have started, without struggling. My life has evolved and has expanded as I have been empowered, broadened, and educated. Although I am grateful, there were rare moments when I have wished I had been napping, rather than meditating, on the train.

PERFECT GENUINE - AUTHENTIC LIFE

MEDITATION GUIDANCE

As a creation of God, you are able to obtain a Perfect Life.

The qualities of God exist within you, and the potential

for God perfection is your essence and birthright.

Perfect Life is genuine - authentic life. It is the life you

were designed to live, the life that will reveal your full

potential. Perfect Life exists and is within your grasp

if you reveal the true message – the guidance that leads

you to this existence.

Listen to your inner voice – your divine soul and understand

where it is calling you. Where you are now maybe close

or not, but do not despair. The movement toward perfect,

genuine, authentic life is a force that will prepare the way

if you let it. Listen and understand.

Frustration, anxiety, and despair are all indications you

are on the wrong path or need adjustment. All you need

to do is stop resisting, take in the lesson, and understand

what is lacking. Look towards your joy or excitement.

Envision the perfect life – role-play - dream and let

these expressions reveal it to you.

You are on the road to your perfect, genuine, authentic life.

Move-in this direction, and prepare when needed. Be honest

and willing to risk what is needed – be willing to work and

adapt.

Work with the divinity within you to reveal your destiny.

NOE G. 8.13.2008 8:00 AM

A key to living a genuinely authentic and purposeful life is finding meaning in our lives. I believe, on both a spiritual and human plane, life is a quest for meaning – a search for purpose – an answer to the “why” of existence, and in the end, this answer, is a catalyst for infusing a sense of mission into living. This meaning and the resulting mission allow us to obtain the most from life.

As a young business professional, I was introduced to a form of corporate goal setting known as Management By Objectives – M.B.O.’s - which on an annual basis, reflected what we would do personally and as a team to accomplish our corporate goals, which, in turn, reflected, the organization’s mission and vision. Now, most competitive organizations clearly follow some sort of goal-setting process. Since clarity of goals is essential for all purposeful action, I am proposing we all establish L.B.O.’s – Life By Objectives, setting up clear operational life goals, based on our purpose and mission, to ensure we attain a genuine - authentic - purposeful Life.

FINDING MEANING - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Life without meaning is like taking a journey without

a destination, it is pointless because you will never know

if you have arrived. Knowing where you are going, and why

you want to go, is essential to a purposeful life.

Infusing meaning and purpose into your existence

breathes energy and power into your life.

Evolving this purpose into a “mission” –

a strategic plan for living, one that you live

with passion, dedication, and complete focus,

is the true elixir of life.

This strategic plan, or mission, or quest, will enable you

to get the maximum from life, providing you joy

and happiness from just living.

This meaning and mission can be spiritual or life driven –

when both are blended, the power of your commitment

will enable you to move mountains – cocreate and manifest

all you need to succeed. Finding meaning and creating

a mission to lead the way – will also provide you

the feedback needed to adjust your efforts.

Authentic, purposeful life is built on establishing

a mission infused with meaning, passion, and desire –

a mission beyond yourself, but of yourself.

NOE G. 11.11.2010 7:00 AM

Meaning and mission make up the Seventh Facet of Consciousness on the Crystal Path, based in purposeful action, as outlined by the note below.

PURPOSEFUL ACTION - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

In every moment – every thought – every action – do it with

purpose – with intention – fully connected to your strengths,

your divine guidance, your wisdom.

Each action carries with it a vibration into the world – rippling

across time – across humanity – rebounding and colliding with

similar vibrations until they combine into a wave - a forward

motion of forceful – powerful – impactful action – setting off

further vibrations and changing the world and all humanity.

Purposeful action is genuine and authentic, powered by love

for yourself and love for others. This is co-created action –

teamed with God to become full creation – manifested and real.

These actions have power – substance and are totally real.

Each day look at your actions, and the motivations behind

them, reflecting on the origin. Do they come from your desire

or the desire of others? Are they meaningful and purposeful

or shallow or just for the pleasure of others – fulfilling their

wishes and not your own?

Today make every action magnificent, personal, and fully

purposeful – connected to the clear vitality of your divinity.

NOE G. 2.17.2010 8:10 AM

Genuine and authentic purposeful action is really accomplished by living a purposeful life, which I believe is your “genuine/authentic life” focused on both your divine/spiritual calling, as well as your secular. The title of the guidance below states it more clearly – Follow Your Heart – your God connected heart. This calling is not always easy, but it is authentic and will put you into alignment with the flow of universal forces, taking you downstream as Ester Hick’s Abraham would reference it. Let us meditate on whether we are following our hearts, thus living a genuine, authentic, purposeful life.

FOLLOW YOUR HEART - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Follow your heart and become who you are meant to become –

the genuine you, the authentic you – the you who waits for a

turn to be. Know that all your life has been moving to this

point, this destiny. Take the step and walk to the edge, and

you will find through your efforts and God’s assistance,

there is a bridge forming to carry you to the next life.

You are afraid – afraid of having no money – no job –

no means - so you linger and wait. But what do you really

have, if you gain the world, and lose yourself? No one

else can make this choice – no one else can take this risk,

and in the end, no one else can reap the rewards. Laugh

at your fear, and believe it will be so, and it will be so.

Look again at the fear of losing it all – love –respect –

money – family – but is this possible? Do you continue

to live a life for them and not for you? Let yourself take

a moment, prepare, and then find your way to your

destiny that waits for your courage and belief

NOE G. 2.9.2010 7:45 AM

The Seventh Facet Of Consciousness on The Crystal Path – Living A Genuine - Authentic Purposeful Life is a new life where we live in perfect harmony, by actualizing both our spiritual and physical natures, through connection and co-creation with God. This “New Life,” does not require escape to an ashram or monastery or the desert, but allows us to attend to our families, jobs, and related commitments while obtaining joy, peace, love, happiness, and ultimately enlightenment. The Affirmative Thought below, tilted Genuine - Authentic Life – New Life, summarizes this message.

GENUINE - AUTHENTIC LIFE – NEW LIFE

AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

All of life is as it should be, a blend of perfect harmony -

clear intentions resulting in purposeful actions

all leading to our Genuine - Authentic Life –

our New Life – our heaven on earth.

New Life fueled by our love and kindness -

set in motion for ourselves, our loved ones

and all we meet, enabling us to grow in God

and experience true joy, peace, love, and happiness.

Genuine - Authentic Life – New Life focuses our attention

and enables us to reach for the most from

every moment – enjoyment of every action –

bliss in every breath – peak experience in every event.

All life is powered by our creation.

AT G. 11.10.2010

So this New Life, this Genuine - Authentic, Purposeful Life, enables us to reach for the most from every moment, have enjoyment in every action, bliss in every breath, peak experience in every event. Living a Genuine - Authentic, Purposeful Life is defined as enlightenment. The closing Affirmative Thought in this section explains why the light is the centerpiece of enlightenment.

THE LIGHT IN ENLIGHTENMENT - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

Today let us reveal the “light” in enlightenment, and

understand its source and how to sustain

it throughout our lives, this year, and this day we are

now living.

Today let us use the light – bright from seeing the world

without the illusion of fear, doubt, and worry -

without a focus on the past or concern for the future –

the light unencumbered and uninterrupted.

Today let us unveil the divine light within ourselves -

God’s light given to us at conception to brighten

the path and lead us to our destination of oneness with

God’s love – trusting in God’s place in our lives.

Today let us realize the light is powered by our ability

to love – without judgment – without

expectations – brightening our lives and those of

humankind – providing light for all who need

to see the path to full genuine, authentic

life in God – true enlightenment.

AT G. Not Dated

TRAVERSING THE CRYSTAL PATH

As we consider each of the Seven Facets of Consciousness comprising the Crystal Path, I think it is essential to fully recognize this path is not a simple checklist but is something that requires diligence and active participation. Personally, I feel that in this paradigm, each level signifies a progression or continuum of heightened awareness. I am working on each of the seven facets at the same time, intending to reach my intended point of expertise for each. I have no timetable or set of deadlines; most of the time I feel I am progressing, occasionally backsliding, but for the most part, always on the path. And when I lose my way, often my guidance is directed towards shaking me up and getting me back on the path.

Being on the path opens me, the seeker in this case, to a vast range of emotions: especially, when I think I am keeping my side of the bargain, but there seems to be no contact on the other side. The blog post offered below provides an excellent description of what I mean by this, offering, as well, a forward-thinking wrap–up to our discussion of the Seven Facets of the Crystal Path, along with this introductory discussion of the foundation of enlightenment.

SPIRITUAL ACTIVISM

NEW THOUGHT NOTE FOR THE DAY

My life is centered around connecting with God, recording this divinely inspired guidance, sharing it on my media sites; and when appropriate incorporating it into the book rolling out on my blog. As with all seekers, there are times when the “still small voice” is silent, and I have learned to take it in stride, looking for inspiration elsewhere, except when the silence lasts too long, in my opinion.

I have experienced such a meditation guidance dry spell in the past few weeks. I started wondering - if this is it, have I, in the past five years, received all that I was intended to receive? Day after day, I have prayed and meditated, but no still small voice, just silence. Last night, before going to sleep, I prayed and asked if there is more, is there a next step, a next level that I should be focusing on - perhaps book number two? A very timid and respectful “what’s up” with the silence?

This morning, as I started to meditate, the first sentence of the guidance below came to me, over and over, in a louder and firmer voice than usual - “be the enlightenment you wish to see in the world.” The words kept coming, line after line, so after ten minutes I ended the meditation and began transcribing what I heard in my head into my journal, resulting in the guidance below tilted, Spiritual Activism.

After rereading and reflecting on this guidance, I believe this message is pointing to the next step on the Crystal Path, a challenge for me, and possibly all of us, to step out of the theoretical zone, moving beyond the comfort zone, into true spiritual activism. I believe God is clearly indicating that since I have been given the message, now it is the time for me to live the message. Your thoughts?

SPIRITUAL ACTIVISM - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Be the enlightenment you wish to see in the world,

be heaven on earth, demonstrate and be the joy, peace,

love, and happiness in tangible living form – be the

hands and feet of God in the pursuit of spiritual

transformation – change the consciousness, by being

the consciousness, you desire to manifest through

the world.

Be the enlightenment and actively step out, one

significant step at a time, to be joy in the world,

creating joy, exhibiting joy, overcoming someone

with a sense of joy, being in each action the joy you

wish to bring to the world. Create joy.

Be the enlightenment, by finding your peace within,

as you work to establish peace in your home, with your

family, in your community – pushing the world – your

world, into peace through being a living example

of peace. Create peace by committing to at least one

peaceful action per day.

Be the enlightenment you wish to see in the world,

the heaven on earth, by loving without bounds,

without limits, through tangible acts of love and

kindness, broaden a smile into a gesture of love,

make room for loving yourself, committing to

spreading it to others, knowing you are

connected to all you see – love as God loves without

qualification or expectation. Create love.

Be the enlightenment in action – in thought, word,

and deed until the happiness you seek is the

happiness you give. Let others know the source

of your happiness, the bliss of a life formed in faith

and connected with God, let them know that God

wants them to be happy by creating happiness for

others who are struggling or need assistance.

Create happiness.

Be a spiritual activist, moving the concept of heaven

on earth, into the reality of heaven on earth, for the

world you inhabit – for your life and the lives of those

around you - reaching out beyond to all who would

benefit from your efforts.

Create heaven on earth for all!

NOE G. 5.2.2012 7:17 AM

CLOSING NOTE ON ENLIGHTENMENT

There is so much for us to learn on the Crystal Path, but for me, a key lesson is presented in the note below, titled Wordless Form, reminding us it is not about the words, it is about the feelings of love, confidence, strength, security, patience, and kindness. Again, it is not cerebral; it is visceral. It is not about doing; it is about inspiration – what we can create from pure feelings, will assist us, with obtaining our genuine, authentic self.

WORDLESS FORM - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Wordless form – formless life energy vibrating feelings –

founded in wonder, splendor, and the love of God.

It is not about words; it is about feelings – feelings

of love, confidence, strength, security, patience,

kindness – feelings cannot be expressed in words.

How do you feel now – are you at peace? Are you

secure? Are you anxious wanting to get along with

the day? The day is not an endless set of tasks, it is

simply time to be lived and enjoyed. Stop and do

nothing and watch your ego taunt you into action,

push you onward. Listen to your ego remind you

of your commitments – your to do list – what is next.

You must move away from duty and move into

inspiration – what you can create from pure feeling.

This is not a contest, it is a process of becoming your

genuine, authentic self, the self of your dreams,

the self of your soul. Work on asking yourself how

you feel – not what is required – not what is on

the schedule.

Creation – creating divine love through action

takes time. Give yourself the gift of time. Address

your fears and open your heart, knowing your fears

will not come to life. Learn to imagine what you would

like to accomplish and become and move forward

alive in God.

NOE G. 8.4.2010 9:55 AM

CLOSING AFFIRMATIONS

As we discussed, affirmations are positive statements announcing to God, Universal mind, and to our subconscious mind, how we view the world, and what we expect to occur during the day, or in our life. It is a powerful way to use the Law of Mind Action, or Attraction, to frame our reality and set positive expectations. As we traverse the Crystal Path, we must be able to learn easily. Here is an affirmation to assist us.

ABLE TO LEARN EASILY

I affirm and establish now that I easily, completely, and fully

comprehend and learn any skill, process, instruction, theory,

or body of knowledge; whether learned through practice,

experience, or documentation, and when desired, I am able

to fully recall and utilize for my educational, professional,

and or personal development.

And as we learn, here is an affirmation to ensure all we learn is remembered and recalled easily.

MEMORY

I remember everything I hear, see, or experience and

can easily recall when needed. I am especially good at

remembering names, faces, cell numbers, directions,

instructions, and passwords.

I remember every word, phrase, and concept I read,

and when desired, I am able to recall every word

I have ever read, heard, or written.

As we get ready to move on with our spiritual quest, I would like to close this Chapter with the following Affirmative Thought, which defines what we need to accomplish.

AN AUTHENTIC BLEND - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

Today lets us strive to become who we are

and what we are as spiritual beings

having a physical life – learning to blend our

divine destiny with our daily life –

blending and actualizing both.

Today let us comprehend that to achieve

joy, peace, love, and happiness

we must be fully who our divine selves

and our egos wish us to be –

know we should be – push us to be.

Today let us live this dual mission working

to realize both spiritual and

worldly success is required to obtain

our heaven on earth.

Today let us feed both our souls and

our egos working with both

for our greater good.

AT G. 8.8.2008

____________________

PART TWO THE MESSAGE

CHAPTER SEVEN – FINDING JOY

AND PEACE

SHOUT OUT!

Shout out a joyous noise unto the Lord knowing you are

saved, and whole and walk in oneness with the spirit

of all life and creation.

Shout out and let the world know your joy and glad tidings –

let the world know you are safe and secure in the hands

of God.

Shout out and let the universe know you are thankful

for all you have and are yet to have – all the beauty –

the abundance – all of the love.

Shout out for the healing power that is within your soul –

mending you – cleansing you – clearing away the wound

and replacing it with smooth flesh.

Shout out for the strength within - the power and energy

of God’s presence – feel the strength – feel the power.

Shout out and know the blessings of all existence wait

for you to receive – for you to open your heart and truly

understand you are worthy.

Shout out and rejoice for you have found favor with God –

and are truly blessed – you the sons and daughters of God –

you with the Christ potential built into your divine soul –

you who are perfect and always have been perfect in

divine sight.

SHOUT OUT!

I woke this morning planning to start this chapter of Part Two The Message with another aspect of the message I have received from God on my commute, but the lyrics of the Los Lonely Boys rhythmic, enchanting, but eerie hit song “Heaven” - that poses the central existential question, “How Far Is Heaven?” - was on an endless loop in my mind. I realized during my morning reading and meditation that I should start with finding Heaven first, since this is what I have understood as the goal of all our spiritual efforts, creating Heaven On Earth and living with joy, peace, love, and happiness.

https://youtu.be/wvkzoqQ5Oak

Official Los Lonely Boys Video of Heaven

Listen To Spotify - https://play.spotify.com/search/LOs Lonely Boys

Preview and Buy on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/heaven/id157923778?i=157923900

HEAVEN

Save me from this prison

Lord help me get away

Cause only you can save me now

From this misery

I’ve been lost in my own place

And I’m gettin’ weary

How far is heaven

And I know that I need to change

My ways of livin’

How far is heaven,

Lord can you tell me….

So, in a sense, we will start at the end, discussing first, the most important and complex concept I have learned from my meditation guidance, and hopefully, the answer to the Los Lonely Boys’ existential question – How Far Is Heaven? In truth, I believe the answer is a simple one: not far, we are now in heaven.

From all I can understand from my guidance, it appears we have reversed the concept, and instead of living and then dying and then going to heaven, it is the opposite: life itself is our opportunity to experience heaven. Also, in my guidance “Heaven” is not a place or a location, but a level of consciousness, which is used as a synonym for the state of spiritual “Enlightenment.” Heaven is a state of mind, a perception, available to us all at this very moment.

You may be saying out loud, “say what? OK, G. you may be in heaven, but I am with the Los Lonely Boys, and this sure does not look or feel like, heaven. Hey G. open your eyes and look around, can’t you see the misery, the poverty, the crime - cancer, AIDS, and that’s just for starters - it looks more like hell to me than heaven.”

I would reply, there is suffering, but I also say, look into the eyes of a child; touch someone you love and care for; observe the beauty of art, dance, music; understand the amazing sensory vehicle you have been given to touch, feel and love this miracle we call life. So, we both have our points, but I would like to present in this chapter of the book, for possible consideration in your spiritual pursuits, the case I feel God has presented to me.

As we described in Chapter Six, the Seven Facets Of Crystal Consciousness culminate in attaining a genuine, authentic, purposeful life – being fully you - and in the process creating your own heaven on earth. As I was trying to determine how to present these key topics in the book, I received the following Meditation Guidance, which emphasizes the importance of the connection between a Genuine/Authentic Life and Heaven on Earth.

FULLER LIFE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Fuller life is what you seek and is the essence of all struggle

and movement on this earth. Fuller life is not more of what

you have but is conceiving and seeing what exists around you.

What is your heaven on earth? Would you recognize it,

if it appears?

Heaven is being one with life – living in full enthusiasm –

loving abundantly and becoming your genuine, authentic

self. The squirrel moving across the lawn is not divided

within itself – it has one purpose – live life to its fullest –

pushing boundaries at times – taking risks, but being

a squirrel first and foremost.

Being fully you – is genuine, authentic life – not the

you of your parent’s dreams or your lover’s desires -

but the you God has empowered you to be. Move back

to this and start exploring from there.

This is the you of your talents, your ability, your dreams.

What impedes progress towards being fully you? Every day

we are presented with the life of our past – created from

our past desires.

Learn to live and accept it – to flow with it and see its place.

You must accept this place and create from this spot –

not negating – but affirming and building.

NOE G. 9.10.2010 8:05 AM

HEAVEN OR HELL - A PERSONAL CHOICE?

Since the focus of Part Two of this book is on the actual message, and not just my perspective, let’s travel back to Sunday, November 16, 2008, and the Meditation Guidance I received titled Heaven or Hell, and understand the actual message to see if it makes any sense.

HEAVEN OR HELL - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Each person has their unique vision of this world, their

reality. Heaven and hell are created and composed

of this vision. Heaven and hell are within you,

not outside of you, you make the choice,

you lay the foundation.

You come to this experience of creative life,

this world, to find heaven and experience

a living heaven on earth.

This is the gift from God to all life – the opportunity

to experience life as God experiences

life in a heaven of joy, love, peace, and happiness.

Heaven and hell are the results

of your spiritual and physical

life journey.

Heaven and hell are the visions of the world

that you create, not that are created for you.

Heaven and hell are within you, and they are

the result of your own vision of this world.

Much of the world today, now creates a vision of hell,

thus living in the hell

of guilt, shame, poverty, lack, hopelessness, illness,

and despair. These are the emotions of hell on earth.

Create heaven in your mind, see heaven, visualize

heaven, and experience the love, peace, joy, forgiveness,

actualization, and creativity of internal heaven –

and external heaven.

All enlightenment is the pursuit of becoming God

and experiencing Spirit’s heaven on earth – within you.

This is the time – this is the truth that you seek.

NOE G. 11.16.2008 9:50 AM

The “key tenets” of the message listed above relate to finding heaven, or hell, on earth, and as a result: true enlightenment. These tenets reflect, in some sense, all the other messages I have received during my commutes to DC on the train. I use the word “tenet” as it is defined by Webster as “a principle or belief, especially one of the main principles of a religion or philosophy.” I like the concept of a “principle” – defined as – “a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as a foundation for a system of belief or behavior or a chain of reasoning”.

Although spiritual in nature, I am not proposing a religion, but instead, I am proposing a “chain of reasoning or fundamental truth” that I believe God is conveying. I want to review each tenet, without explanation, so each of us might determine if they appear at least tenable.

Heaven or Hell is a matter of interpretation – a choice we all make based on our vision of the world, our faith, and our perspective.
If we create a vision of heaven in our minds, then we will exist in heaven.
As spiritual beings, this life is a gift from God to grow spiritually, and an opportunity to experience life as God would experience it – with joy, peace, love, and happiness.
Many, today, have chosen to envision and create - through the power of their egos – a real hell on earth for themselves and the world.
Enlightenment is living as God intended and experiencing heaven on earth with joy, peace, love, and happiness.

The message above is certainly a radical departure from what we have been told by established religious doctrine. Gone is the motivation to live a life of misery for a potential reward in heaven, or based on the fear of punishment, in hell. Humankind has often set up its hell on earth through its ego-driven vision, yet by just changing this perspective, and awakening to the potential for enlightenment, we have the ability to create heaven on earth, and by doing so, experience love, peace, joy, and actualization - and as a result, experience heaven on earth as God intended us to experience it. In the end, the attainment of heaven on earth - known as enlightenment, is, for all intents and purposes, a personal choice.

HeavenOnEarth Game Version 20XX.Infinity

To continue our discussion, I would like to have some fun by viewing this from another perspective and see what it reveals. Let’s take a fantasy journey to meet the supreme software maker of eternity, the geek of all geeks, God, CEO and COO, and Lead Developer of the Lifeware Project, whose primary product is the hit software game HeavenOnEarth version 20XX.Infinity.

The HeavenOnEarth game enables game participants - spiritual souls - to take human form and create a world of their choosing, along with billions of other participants. To make the game competitive, those souls who decide to participate, pick a level of life difficulty, the more difficult, the more life points, with poverty and abuse giving the highest points, if overcome by the time of transition back. But the key is to select a spiritual mission, which is forgotten at birth, but through a series of game clues, while living, a participant needs to identify and accomplish the mission to maximize their score and win.

God has been developing this game for ages and, although it still has some glitches, it beats the earlier versions where all participants became Cicada Bugs and had to burrow into and live underground for seven years, only to come to the surface, mate, and die. OK, there have been a lot of customer service issues regarding the Ego Module of the game. And although God has sent some of Lifeware’s key technicians in to assist – Moses, Lao Tzu, Buddha, and Jesus to name only a handful, few participants have learned how to handle their Ego issues. Frankly, God decided a while back to let the Ego Module bug stay in because it made the game more challenging and dynamic. Sometimes things do work out for the best.

All HeavenOnEarth participants are capable of making anything happen by using their mind to cocreate with God – and since each participant has free will, they get to pick what they want HeavenOnEarth to look like. The selling point for joining the game is free will, create your own world, and get what you want or need by using the Law of Attraction feature.

The downside is that many participants have not been able to control or harness their egos so that play can become very difficult and downright dangerous. This Ego glitch has resulted in the ability to create hell on earth for some participants who can’t quite get the knack of mind control. So although it is needless - war, poverty, and starvation are common grips of participants who feel the game is too hard to master.

On the positive side, there is much guidance available within the game features to help participants overcome their egos and discover and accomplish their spiritual mission. Of course, when this occurs, these lucky players live in abundance, joy, and peace, enjoying all the pleasures of heaven on earth. The game is quite challenging and very addictive, with souls jumping back in as soon as they transition to improve their scores with each visit.

Sound familiar? As our visit to Lifeware, Inc. ends, and we return to our own lives and realities, I propose that we are all currently playing the HeavenOnEarth game. I hope this chapter of God guidance provides some consulting assistance on how we all might maximize our chances of experiencing some of this joy, peace, love, and happiness built into our lives and waiting for us all.

YOU NEED MORE

I know you may believe the help feature in this real-life game is nonexistent; only providing you with the support, you need long after you have fallen into disaster. And how about the suffering, pain, and anguish that seems to flow abundantly? Some of you would sue if you could.

I am sure we all have a list of questions we would like to have answered like, “what would this heaven on earth be like and how do we find it?” What would we experience? How would we live? Would we all have meaningful jobs, wonderful relationships, and abundance – a life overflowing with enthusiasm, joy, peace, and love? As you might expect, I feel God’s answer would be yes, but with a condition - we would all need to be willing to learn to look at life just a bit differently than we do now. Let’s look at some of the advice I have received and see if it sheds any light on the process.

Since the message of Finding God On The Train Story, which we have discussed in Chapter Five and Six and will continue to be examined throughout the remainder of the book, works diligently to answer these questions in detail, thus preparing the committed reader for excelling at the actual HeavenOnEarth game, I would suggest we first focus on what heaven on earth would be like. For starters, since these concepts are often discussed, but rarely experienced, what would joy, peace, love, and happiness entail, and if so, how would they impact our lives.

Let’s start with the Meditation Guidance below titled Joy, Peace, Love, and Happiness, which communicates that all four elements are available daily, as a result of our spiritual connection with God - when we live in harmony with our own divinity, fully connected and trusting in God.

JOY, PEACE, LOVE, AND HAPPINESS - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Experience the joy and abundance of your life, the gifts

that God has given you. All is provided for you to ensure

you live in perfect harmony with your spirit. Become

who you are meant to become, realizing this is just

a step on the path to the realization of full abundance.

Enjoy this step; enjoy the sights and sounds and

emotions of this phase of life. This is your life now

and must be fully appreciated before moving on.

Live today in joy, peace, love, and happiness -

surrounded by and assisted by the support of God

in you – the divinity at the heart of your soul.

Feel the pleasure that only your senses reflect –

the sensual pleasure of life.

Pay attention to the needs of others, their fears

and wants. Relate to their hopes, and struggles –

empathize, and you will connect with their love.

All love requires the generation of love from

the start. Love draws love and to live in a loving

manner takes concentration and work. Do not

fear loss or rejection for in the spirit of love

all the world will come to you.

Understand that joy is the gift of love from God –

understand this way, and it will bring you forward

if you are willing. Bringing you forward to the joy,

peace, love, and happiness of enlightenment.

Stay focused and lean on God for your direction

and guidance.

NOE G. 2.19.2008 7:40 AM

Let’s recap what the actual message from God on the train has clarified regarding the attainment of our own personal heaven on earth – also referred to by using the traditional term - Enlightenment - or a broader and more modern concept, Genuine/Authentic Life. The Crystal Path was fully defined in Chapter Six with the Seven Facets Of Consciousness, listed below, as the progression through each facet, combines to bring us closer to our heaven on earttgh.

F1: Master Mind Control – Control of Consciousness.

F2: Live Mindfully – centered in the “now” – the present.

F3: Attain God Consciousness through a direct connection

with God.

F4: Adopt the God qualities of loving-kindness, compassion,

empathy, etc.

F5: Clarify personal spiritual and physical life intentions.

F6: Marshal the mind, soul, and self to cocreate with God.

F7: Live a Genuine - Authentic Life – a life both fully alive

in God and living.

The guidance tells us that we will experience joy, peace, love, and happiness in our lives if we are fully aligned with the facets of consciousness on the Crystal Path. Yet, it is not clear in the guidance, which comes first - the joy, peace, love, and happiness: or the enlightenment. One premise I will make here is that we need to fully align ourselves with the joy, peace, love, and happiness that we seek throughout the process: to have each as lasting aspects of our lives.

The remainder of this chapter is focused on finding joy and peace, followed by Chapter Eight, which continues the discussion with a focus on finding love and happiness, both chapters providing a detailed understanding of what heaven on earth entails and presents in our lives.

FINDING JOY

Joy is the name of the strong spring

In eternal nature.

Joy, joy drives the wheels

In the great clock of worlds.

She lures flowers from the buds,

Suns out of the firmament,

She rolls spheres in the spaces

That the seer’s telescope does not know.

Happy, as his suns fly

Through the heaven’s magnificent plain

Run, brothers, your track

Joyfully, as a hero to victory.

English Excerpt From Ode an die Freude –

Ode To Joy by Friedrich Schiller

YouTube Version of BEETHOVEN - Symphony no. 9 “Choral” –

Leonard Bernstein Conducting (4)

https://youtu.be/t4N5-OALObk

Preview with the link below and purchase from iTunes Leonard Bernstein –

Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies conducting the Vienna

Philharmonic including Symphony No.9 in D Minor, Op. 125 “Choral.”

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/symphony-no-9-in-d-minor-op-125-choral-iva-presto/id79126879?i=79127063

Spotify - Leonard Bernstein Op. 125 Choral

https://play.spotify.com/search/Leonard Bernstein

There has rarely been a musical expression of joy, in my opinion, that has surpassed the intensity and beauty of the coupling of a poem - Ode an die Freude (Ode To Joy) written to celebrate the ideal of unity and brotherhood of all mankind by a German poet, playwright, and historian named Friedrich Schiller - with the musical genius of Ludwig van Beethoven, resulting in the 4th and final movement of his Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op 125, thus linking poem and music for eternity in a pure expression of joy and creative splendor.

This would be the last completed symphony written by the then stone-deaf Beethoven, who reached into his soul and offered the world his work of joy based on Schiller’s poem - adding the choral voices to a symphony, resulting in what many still consider the greatest musical masterpiece of all time. For a real treat, and a rush of joy, I would suggest the YouTube video link above with Leonard Bernstein conducting the finale of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, featuring the “Chorale” version of Ode To Joy; or exploring the iTunes and Spotify links, both featuring audio renditions of Bernstein’s take on this amazing work.

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice:

let them shout for joy…, Psalm 5:11

The word “Joy” is both uplifting and powerful, a concept that makes me think of bliss, extreme happiness, peace, nirvana, and elation. Joy is a powerful emotion representing the feeling that exists on the emotional continuum beyond mere happiness and right before bliss. Joy is also an explosive emotional concept that is built on energy and full experience. As a BMW ad that is currently airing states, the car company is no longer selling a car but the experience of “joy.” There is a sense of momentum about the word, and you can readily feel the adrenaline when you contemplate the experience of real joy.

As the Meditation Guidance below tilted Perfect Harmony instructs, “joy” is an emotional reflection of the coalescence of several key components of enlightenment: living a genuine, authentic life; practicing full acceptance without resistance; being focused on loving-kindness; and most of all, maintaining a personal connection with God. Joy is an emotional reward for our spiritual growth and development. Perhaps, there is no better way to explain the attainment of heaven on earth, than the descriptive phrase highlighted in the republished post below: “life in perfect harmony - synchronized living, believing, and being”, originally published in one of my favorite early blog posts titled, Joy In This?. I would like to share this post as a lead into this guidance, since in a very real-life way, it reminds us that as we live our lives - the pursuit of joy in our quest for enlightenment, is not ever easy.

JOY IN THIS?

NEW THOUGHT NOTE FOR THE DAY

Today, I write this post after a long day at work in Washington, DC, which started with my driving through the snow and ice of Fredericksburg to the train station, and now ends in the crowded Virginia Rail commuter train car after the cancellation of my usual, and much more comfortable, Amtrak train. This is real life, and I am sure the others on this train would agree with me that “Joy” is a difficult emotion to manifest.

Some might say that to be joyful at these times, when life does not work out as planned, would not be enlightenment, but might more properly border on temporary insanity. Even so, I find myself wondering what it would take to feel joy at this moment.

First, I would have to stop resisting what is happening to me at this time, giving up feeling stressed because I didn’t get what I wanted. I would need to accept the situation, finding some value in this experience - maybe the people or the situation or how I can still sit here typing in this cramped seat. And maybe, I need to think of all the positive things that happened to me today and work on gratitude for this life.

I am still a long way from joy, but I am moving in the general direction. And this is what happens when we stop resisting, accept our lives, and look for the message and meaning it offers. This is what happens when we change the dissonance of our lives and choose to listen for harmony. The following Meditation Guidance, from my ride in this morning, titled Perfect Harmony, sheds some light on what we may need to accomplish to experience joy. Hope this provides some insight.

PERFECT HARMONY - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Joy manifests in your life when all aspects of your life

are in perfect harmony – genuine, authentic living,

full acceptance, a connection with God, and positive

thought and spirit.

Joy is the emotional reflection of all forces moving

in the intended direction, moving in unison,

synchronized, fully complementing each other.

With joy, there is no need for doubt or concern,

no room for negative interpretation, no room

for remorse. With joy, there is the magic and

the wonder of feeling fully alive and one with

all aspects of your life in perfect harmony -

synchronized living, believing, and being.

When resistance or doubt or lack of enthusiasm

erupts, look to this area and bring it in line.

Either accept the event or change your reaction

to it, or find another way. For joy exists in

nonresistant movement – full manifestation

and cocreation with God; trust in the positive

intention of the universe.

If life is dragging you through the day,

there cannot be joy – only when you are fully

cocreating positive action, profound good,

meaningful love, and kindness, and internal

peace, will you clear your soul to celebrate

the true joy of living and being.

Open your mind, heart, and soul to the full

life of joy that was always yours to receive.

Be open to the joy!

NOE G. 2.16.2010 7:40 AM

In actuality, I could stop here, since this note so clearly expresses the very essence of joy and its importance in obtaining our personal heaven on earth. But the question remains - what do we need to do to get to this point, to experience this joy? What are the actual approaches we need to accomplish to set the stage for this level of awakening? I have often received meditative guidance regarding “joy,” as God has tried to help me see the point; life should be full of joy.

I have realized that “joy” appears as we move forward on the path of our own spiritual awakening and enlightenment, evolving to the point where we can experience the joy from everyday existence. As stated in the Meditation Guidance below titled Awake In Joy – “a joyous life is the ordinary life envisioned and lived as extraordinary.”

AWAKE IN JOY - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Awake in joy! Live this day as if joy has taken over all

of the cells, muscles, and fibers of your physical form.

What is joy except for the celebration of the wonder

of life? A joyous life is not spectacular or out of the

ordinary, it is rather the ordinary envisioned and lived

as extraordinary.

Ask if what you are feeling is joy? You may say this

is impossible in your world of demands and expectations.

I say this is where joy must reside, in the joyless.

Clear your vision and see the full life worthy of celebration.

Do not be set back because you have tasks to complete –

these tasks can bring you joy.

You are alive and watching the sun move with the train.

This “now” is a unique now for you. It is full of possibility

and spirit. Move with the now and release your desire

to control. In this flow is the reality of God working

in your life. The presence of God moving you through

the day.

Relax the apprehension and flow with the spirit of life

and joy. Cherish the moments, the interactions, and the

pleasure of being alive and creating. This way you create

joy for yourself and others.

Awake in joy! Live in a consciousness of good.

NOE G. 8.5.2008 7:25 AM

To accomplish finding joy, thus living our ordinary lives as extraordinary, the Meditation Guidance below titled As You See It, emphasizes the need for all of us to take control of our consciousness and see through our divine mind. We need to fully understand that all of this; joy, peace, love, and happiness – heaven on earth - is as we see it, and is all subject to our interpretation.

AS YOU SEE IT - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

All of this, life, is as you see it and is subject to your

interpretation. If you see happiness, it is happy.

If you see misery, it is miserable. All subject

to your interpretation and definition.

Sentient life – conscious existence can only be lived

and experienced through the framework of your

mind and perception. Change the perception

and you impact the thinking involved and your

emotional response.

The challenge lies in the fact that the mind –

your mind, with its penchant for negative creative

thought – framing the worst-case scenario - is at

the center of this interpretation. This mind could

and does interpret a neutral reality into a potential

nightmare.

The God mind – divine mind within you is available

to call you back to reason and see the completeness

and wonder in each moment, each event – good

or bad. Work to see your life and the unfolding

events as gifts from God, and if possible, accepting

the learning experience of each event and situation.

Work with positive interpretation – see joy –

feel joy – have joy. See happiness – feel happiness –

have happiness. The more your divine mind controls

this interpretation, the more at peace you will be –

the more authentic, real, and purposeful your

interpretation. And when this is not possible, start

with acceptance – accept and do not resist. Work

on your interpretation, for all of this, is as you see it.

NOE G. 10.8.2009 7:25 AM

Finding Joy is an essential ingredient for attaining heaven on earth, and its importance is reflected in the messages I have received from God. At the center of this guidance, is the need to live a genuine, authentic, purposeful life, to find lasting joy by ensuring all of the following have been accomplished and mastered:

Control of our minds along with the reframing of our consciousness, especially managing our egos;
Connection with God by recognizing and listening to the divinity within each of us;
Focus on self-empowerment and enhancement of self-esteem, learning to believe in our self and trust in God;
Clarify what we want and establish clear goals;
Discover our genuine/authentic selves and live a purposeful life - follow our bliss, our passion – do what we love and enjoy;
Accept and optimize the lives we are living now - learn to enjoy every action, even the most mundane;
Avoid being focused on fixed outcomes - enjoy the journey wherever it leads.

To close this section on “joy” where we started, I would like to offer the poem written by Henry van Dyke in 1907 - Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee, which was linked with the music from Beethoven’s No. 9 to become a very popular Christian hymn.

YouTube Video from 2013 of Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee at Royal Albert Hall,

London at the link below:

https://youtu.be/eMY3ivdNzwE

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun

above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark

of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the

light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven

reflect Thy rays, Stars, and angels sing around Thee, center

of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain,

flowery meadow, flashing sea, Singing (sometimes chanting)

bird and flowing mountain call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,

Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!

Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love

are Thine; Teach us how to love each other, lift us to

the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars

began; Father love is reigning o’er us; brother love binds

man to man. Ever singing, march we onward, victors

in the midst of strife, Joyful music leads us Sunward

in the triumph song of life.

Now that we have addressed joy let’s find peace, love, and then move onto happiness in our pursuit of mastering the HeavenOnEarth game.

FINDING PEACE

Peace: a word from a Merciful Lord.

Koran 36.58 Yasin

The peace of God that surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Grabbing for my Webster’s New World College Dictionary, I feel compelled to start with the definition of this very complex word. As we are all aware, the most prominent definition of peace has to do with the absence of war, or as I will refer to it - external peace - often controlled by forces outside of ourselves. I am highly aware of this, as I watch the YouTube videos of the civil unrest, as the Arab world moves into an all-out revolution, and peace is sacrificed for the hope of freedom and independence. Our definition then moves inside, to the absence of mental conflict, or internal peace, which each of us, considering our life circumstances, maintains essential control over.

PEACE - 1. freedom from war or stopping war; 2. a treaty or

agreement to end war or the threat of war; 3. freedom from

public disturbance or disorder; 4. freedom from disagreement

or quarrels; harmony; concord; 5. an undisturbed state of

mind; absence of mental conflict; serenity; in full peace of

mind; 6. calm; quiet; tranquility.

For our purposes in defining spiritual peace, I would choose definitions five and six above - an undisturbed state of mind - full peace of mind – tranquility. Unlike joy, which energizes our senses, peace moves us to a state of serenity and calmness. There is a lack of tension, lack of struggle, and a sense of full acceptance, knowing all things are as they should be; almost an absence of desire. Like joy, I believe the attainment of peace is also at the center of enlightenment.

A question we also need to address, as we work our way through joy, peace, love, and happiness is their causal relationship to enlightenment or heaven on earth; basically what comes first, the enlightenment or the joy, peace, love, and happiness? For example, do we obtain joy by following the Facets Of Consciousness we outlined in Chapter Six – The Seven Facets Of Crystal Consciousness, or do we become enlightened, and are we then joyful? I believe enlightenment requires working on each of the building block facets of crystal consciousness, mastering as much of each Crystal Path facet as possible, and when we have significantly progressed on each facet, we climb to the top and see the light, or at least more light than we did down below.

So we have covered joy in the previous section, but what are the ingredients or building blocks of peace, as outlined in my guidance from God, and how is it obtained. We will kick this off with a Meditation Guidance titled appropriately, What Is Peace? Where we meet some familiar themes; such as being connected with God, living in the present, and the ego working in cooperation with the divine self. It ends with a focus on unity, or oneness, of all the diverse aspects of our spiritual lives: one with God and the flow of life, emerging with one thought, one voice, and one being. To accomplish this oneness, we need to have an absence of mental conflict, with the mind acting in divinely inspired unison.

WHAT IS PEACE? - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Peace is the result of living immersed in God, living within

the present in full cooperation with your ego and your

divine self, accepting all that is or will be, as purposeful

and divinely inspired.

Peace is being fully alive, at one with the motion of your

life, protected and synchronized with the universal flow –

each breath is an awakening – each thought a revelation –

totally at one with all existence – all creation.

Peace is letting go, believing, trusting, and becoming new

with each breath – alive in living – fully conscious of the

God, you are and were always meant to be.

Peace is power confined to the blossoming of your

genuine, authentic soul – alive and fresh, becoming

new with each moment. There is no then – no when –

only “this” – “what is” – is the splendor of universal

love and consciousness.

Peace is nirvana – awakening to the essence of living

with God as one – one thought – one voice – one being.

NOE G. 11.19.2010 7:10 AM

There is undoubtedly an element of spiritual surrender in this note above, and my guidance has echoed this concept in other notes regarding peace. Ernest Holmes - New Thought Pioneer and founder of Religious Science, previously discussed in Chapter Three – New Thought Positive Spirituality Yesterday And Today - says it best in one of my favorite quotes regarding peace.

God is peace. We enter this peace in such a degree

as we withdraw from confusion.

From Words That Heal Today

I was intrigued by this line when I first encountered it – “God is peace.” On an individual level, to be at peace in our world, does seem to take divine power. So when we find a way to stay in peace, we find a way to connect with God. We simply need to make a conscious decision to “withdrawal” from the confusion. This is also clearly the message of the following meditation note.

SURRENDER TO THE PEACE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Surrender to the peace within your soul and let go

of your struggle to God. Surrender and free your

tormented soul – free yourself and touch God’s

outstretched hand. Release and breathe – let peace

move through every cell – every fiber of your being.

Know all is well and you are well.

Surrender to the divine magic within you – strong –

courageous – powerful – loving. Surrender the

negative thoughts, and negative emotions, that suck

your strength and serenity. Feel the peace flow

through your veins – moving through your nervous

center – through the circulatory system. Breathe

in peace – breathe out surrender.

Today join hands with God and enter the world –

calm – strong – patient – loving – knowing that

all that happens was always meant to happen.

All that is – has always been – has been prepared.

Today with God, move in peace, security, certainty

that all outcomes will be affirming and positive.

Today move with God in peace and harmony and love

and know all is well.

NOE G. 4.29.2009 7:55 AM

Although we do not often associate the concept of peace with power, I have received some meditation notes which, make a strong case for doing so. In the following Meditation Guidance titled The Power Of Peace - internal peace is accomplished through the acceptance of our current lives and the elimination of resistance. We will find, these are the two primary ingredients for obtaining and maintaining peace.

Failure to achieve acceptance, and eliminate resistance, results in not only the absence of peace, but also the continuation of stress, anxiety, turmoil, and disease. My favorite analogy regarding resistance has to do with driving a car with the emergency brake on. When we resist what is happening to us, we cannot fully commit to our lives, thus wasting our power, as we push against the reality of the brake. In the end, the car experiences a breakdown, similar to how we breakdown - overtaken by dis-ease. On the other hand, when we truly accept and do not resist, we are empowered and obtain enhanced creative energy.

THE POWER OF PEACE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

There is power to be found in peace, peace of mind, peace

in your heart, peace through acceptance of all that appears

and impacts you each day in this life.

With God and through acceptance of God’s force of good

in your life, you will transcend your frustration and the

expectation of a different reality from the one you encounter.

Peace is found through acceptance - that this life experience

is the experience you are meant to live – to learn from, and

to evolve through. Peace is the complete lack of resistance

to what is, along with an understanding that resistance breeds

stress, anxiety, and turmoil.

All disease is founded in resistance: all resistance is the

unwillingness to accept the now – this moment – which

often summons a tendency to compare the now being lived

to the desired fantasy, or a wish that is not currently available.

Although this contrast can help you define what reality

you prefer, it can have you spinning in circles of frustration.

Peace – internal peace, frees your creative energy –

life energy – manifestation energy, enabling you

to connect with the power freely and force of the

creative mind of God. Work to be at peace and you

will find the energy you seek to move forward,

becoming one with life and God.

NOE G. 9.4.2009 6:50 AM

Peace, in my Meditation Guidance, is often added to other elements that are needed to find enlightenment, usually as the first step towards moving on the Crystal Path, as it is in the following note Peace, Power, and Purpose.

PEACE, POWER, AND PURPOSE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Follow the three P’s as you progress along the Crystal Path.

Peace, Power, and Purpose are the linchpins

of enlightenment –

they are the three legs of the stool, on which, we will sit

and go forward.

First Peace - peace is your mind at rest and

your ego in check, or cooperation.

A peace centered in this “now,” free of the

weight of baggage from the past, or fears of the future.

Peace to sit still and do nothing, or peace while

still being active and creating.

The peace that surpasses all understanding.

Next is Power. The power of co-creation and

belief in your ability

to manifest the life of your dreams into reality or form.

Power based on the strength of will and your

belief in the Law of Right Action and the positive force of God.

Power to create – creative energy fueled by a focused

unencumbered mind.

Then Purpose – your genuinely authentic true purpose-based

on your divine calling – the purpose that has brought you to

this place, this moment. Understand the purpose fueled again

by yours and God’s energy to create good in the world –

to assist others on the path to a full and perfect life.

Fulfill this purpose, and you will fulfill your life.

Meditate on these three words, understanding that they are

the foundation of enlightenment and a full life.

NOE G. 7.21.2010 10:00 AM

But as with joy, the true obtainment of inner or spiritual peace is not easily mastered, requiring constant diligence and recommitment. In our Mad Hatter, caffeine driven world, we often have traded peace for productivity – including me - pushing ourselves along with all humankind at an exhausted frenzy. It is not by accident that I have written numerous Affirmative Thoughts for Ann, and me, helping us regain balance and peace in our lives. Here are two brief Affirmative Notes that provide some guidance, or suggestions, for regaining peace when the frantic world wins out.

SEEK PEACE AND SOLACE - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

Today let us seek peace and solace in a hectic world -

let us go within and focus on each breath – moving

inward to our inner calm.

Today let us use a mantra to quiet our overactive

minds, saying with each breath;

“I am at peace and so is the world.”

Let the day flow easily and become what it is meant

to become - moving through it at peace!

Have a peaceful day!

PEACE AND CALM - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

Today let us connect with the gentle peace and calm

of life, always present in our lives but often drowned

out by the noise we create. Feel the calmness of the

day, like sitting in the backyard in the early morning

with only the sounds of life to accompany the moment.

Be at peace!

Today let us connect with the peace within that we carry

with us on this journey – this peace is heaven –

this peace is enlightenment.

Let us linger in the peace and calm, holding off our ego’s

rush to move – practicing and teaching our minds

this is our birthright – this is our true spiritual essence –

our nirvana.

Let us connect with the peace and calm and the

oneness of a loving God and the universe.

Peace is both a destination and a consequence, on our way to experiencing enlightenment – heaven on earth. We all realize that to truly live in internal peace, without mental conflict, with no competing voices in our heads, in complete harmony and acceptance – fully connected with God - would replace, for many, what drugs, alcohol, therapy, and the pursuit of physical pleasure has not been able, fleetingly, to accomplish. This internal peace, the peace that surpasses all understanding, is what we are after, and will result, as we move toward enlightenment.

This final Meditation Guidance titled Internal Peace, resulted from my asking God, this morning, to help me further reveal the role of peace in our lives and explain why it is so important. This note also serves as a guide to what we need to accomplish to obtain this peace.

INTERNAL PEACE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Peace – internal peace – the absence of mental conflict –

the full acceptance of what is in your life now – the elimination

of resistance – is the first level of enlightenment.

Internal peace is the foundation needed to obtain a full

connection with God and complete God-consciousness.

It is the reward for the control of your consciousness,

allowing you to turn your sights to your own divinity.

Internal peace occurs when your divine mind, your

operational mind, and your ego are in sync and move

forward without conflict.

Internal peace clears your energy for the pursuit of oneness,

and wholeness, required to reach for genuine/authentic existence –

purposeful life. This peace is the freedom from stress, worry,

doubt, fear, anxiety, and depression – all signs of a lack of

hope and faith in God.

Internal peace readies your soul for growing, developing,

and becoming the essential part of you – all issues have been

resolved, all sins are forgotten, injustices are forgiven, as you

are prepared to move on along the Crystal Path to your

enlightenment – your heaven on earth.

NOE G. 3.3.2011 7:16 AM

Along with joy, finding peace is also an essential step to attaining heaven on earth, and its importance is reflected in the meditation note above, and all the messages I have received from God. It is considered the foundation, the first step because it requires that we pull in the reins of our consciousness, gain control of the competing voices in our heads, and deal with the man in the mirror as Michael Jackson’s self-aware song so aptly conveys.

Michael Jackson – Man in the mirror (Official Music Video).

https://youtu.be/90C-Wx_uGdM

I’m starting with the man in the mirror

I’m asking him to change his ways

And no message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself, and then make a change

The attainment of spiritual peace requires a complete commitment to our positive, personal, spiritual quest, to be one with God while making substantial progress traversing the facets of consciousness we outlined in-depth in Chapter Six – The Seven Facets Of Crystal Consciousness. Along with this, the Meditation Guidance I have received on the train also points to a few other elements or approaches that will assist us with this effort.

Work to eliminate any resistance to the life we are now living – letting go of expectations and investments in the outcome.
Accept our current life, recognizing this life experience is the experience we are meant to live - to learn from and to evolve through.
Work towards, and secure, the absence of mental conflict, ensuring the divine mind, the operational mind, and the ego are in sync.

Peace, in this sense, requires a leap of faith, a true letting go and letting God, to obtain enlightenment and our piece of heaven on earth.

As we realize the HeavenOnEarth game is not for the faint of heart - but the payoff of joy, peace, love, and happiness is surely worthwhile. But even more than this, the attainment of spiritual peace, even by 10% of the seven billion plus of us on this planet, 700 million people, would have a tremendous impact on the manifestation of actual world peace. Who knows, maybe this is God’s motive - to create world peace, one soul at a time.

This is only the opening discussion, with the remainder of the message geared to helping us obtain our goal. As we journey on the Crystal Path, let us move on to our next stop on the train to enlightenment - love.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER HEAVEN AND HELL?

As outlined in the Blog Post below, I feel I need to answer the question posed in the title above - what happened to the other heaven and hell? To examine this concern, I would like to discuss what I feel my guidance has been on the traditional concept of heaven and hell; that is, what happens to us when we die or transition. I think this post below provides the answer and a starting point for discussing the afterlife.

POSTSCRIPT TO HEAVEN ON EARTH

NEW THOUGHT NOTE FOR THE DAY

Over five daily posts, I have published Chapter Seven of the Finding God On The Train Story titled Heaven On Earth – Finding Joy and Peace, followed by Chapter Eight titled More Heaven On Earth - Finding Love And Happiness. During this posting process, I did some major editing, feeling good about the offering except for one unanswered question. If heaven is here on earth, what happens to you after you pass away, die, croak, or transition? What about heaven featured in standard religious thought and practice?

This caught my attention, as I noticed Ann’s reaction to these chapters. Culminating one night when, as we were driving home discussing how much she misses her father who passed away two years ago – turning to look at me and saying with tears in her eyes – “I still believe in the traditional heaven, and I am sure I will see my father again.” Suddenly I felt like someone who had accidentally told a child for the first time that there is no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny. I had inadvertently, taken something away from Ann, and possibly many other readers of my blog.

Later as I reviewed the chapter, I realized I only briefly discussed the afterlife; saying glibly, we come from source energy, and will return to source energy. I guess this does not sound much like a heavenly afterlife. So I am adding this as a Postscript to Chapter Seven hopefully to explain, what happened to the other Heaven and Hell?

I do believe that there is an existence after we are finished with our lives here on earth, that our unique consciousness continues full of our life experience, emotions, and memories to exist after death, as we return to a combined state of conscious existence. It is this consciousness that I feel formulates the basic infrastructure of Infinite Intelligence, the Universal Mind, or the Consciousness of God. God expands through the combined living experience and wisdom of all who have existed. A topic, I will discuss in more depth with an upcoming book.

This said, I do believe that the major playing field of eternal life is here on earth, where we have form, and can actively participate in the creation of even more and better life. I also propose, that most of us will do whatever we can to return and rejoin the living and the learning. Although this afterlife state may allow us to reconnect with those we have lived with and loved, it is not an end in itself.

I will go one karmic step further, saying this afterlife state can be either Heaven or Hell depending on how a person has lived their last life on earth. For those who have mastered the challenge of a loving existence, this afterlife will be a reflection of a life well-lived. Those who have personified evil, hatred, and destruction will be faced with the truth of their actions and will spend their afterlife reflecting on how lost they were alive. This will be their hell – a consciousness of remorse and regret – a lasting self-punishment. Trapped in a mental hell knowing they have missed the mark so completely.

This morning at 6:40 AM, in my library, I tried to connect with God on the next chapter but found myself reflecting on consciousness, during and after life, resulting in this Meditation Guidance, which as you can see, framed my day, and will be featured in my Postscript to Chapter Seven.

COLLECTIVE SOUL CONSCIOUSNESS - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

In prayer and meditation, you connect with the collective

consciousness of all existence, the consciousness of each

person, or living soul, who is alive now, or has ever lived or

existed. The faces you encounter in deep meditation are

the reflections of this conscious energy – each a pattern

or imprint of this life consciousness – existing as memories

of all the lives they have lived.

This collective grouping of all soul energy combines

to expand and reform constantly, and in total creates

the infinite consciousness or universal intelligence –

connecting all humankind. This consciousness –

collectively – forms the ever-expanding consciousness

of God – the creative energy of existence.

Each question, or request, framed in prayer and meditation

connects to this collective soul and is responded to in kind

with the appropriate answer or action. In this way God

harnesses the collective life experiences of all who have

ever lived as a reference - as consultants to what is real

human existence.

Each of us, upon transition, will enter this consciousness

carrying with us the life experience, the joys, the knowledge,

the creations, as well as the sorrow, the regrets, and any

evil personally created. To find peace, those who

have created hell on earth will be forced to reflect on their

deeds, and seek resolution through the forgiveness of

those who have been hurt. Those who have created hell,

will carry their pain until they are released, or an attempt,

another opportunity to live.

The collective soul consciousness - the essence of God - is

the center of all knowledge and of all love. It is the source

of all cocreation – existing and finding form as the soul

consciousness continually expands.

NOE G. 4.27.2011 7:25 AM

One of the unique features of having a blog is that you can document major life experiences, sharing them with your readers. As I put the finishing touches on this chapter in preparation for publishing, I realize this postscript would be enhanced with the addition of this blog post below. It is especially meaningful because it is an experience Ann had with her father two years after his death.

WILDWOOD FLOWER –

BREAST CANCER SCREENING AWARENESS –

NEW THOUGHT NOTE FOR THE DAY

Like many families, a highlight of the fall season, for us, is a visit to a small farm with a pumpkin patch, to test our skills traversing the cornfield maze, listening to the grandkids laugh with excitement as they speed down an underground slide cleverly carved out of the side of a small hill, watch the pigs race and stop in mid-scamper to nibble a bit of the hay, and of course, load onto a tracker pulled cart for a ride to the pumpkin patch, to pick this season’s to be carved Halloween companion.

Yet, the trip this year was different, it was the birthday of Ann’s father who had died a few years ago after a three-year battle with a stroke. Ann loved her father dearly, his kindness, positive personality, and sheer love of life made him the center of her world. He loved the Green Bay Packers and taught her, at an early age, to love football. Most of all, she loved to listen to him play his guitar and sing.

One of Ann’s favorite childhood memories had to do with her father playing the traditional folk song, made famous by the Carter family, Wildwood Flower. They shared a sort of ritual, with Ann gleefully asking for her favorite song – calling out “play Wildwood Rose, daddy, play Wildwood Rose. “Runt” her father would say with a smile - using his nickname for his tiny, shy, fragile daughter - truly the runt of the family litter - “you know it’s called Wildwood Flower, Runt,” as he would begin to play and light up his adoring daughter’s smile.

I could see Ann’s well-concealed melancholy, as she gladly performed the role of the excited Nana laughing, running, and enjoying the day with the grandchildren. I could also see the strain of an excruciating week that began with a phone call Tuesday morning from the Women’s Health Center at our local hospital. The caller informed Ann that there was an issue with the Mammogram she had taken the week before, there was an asymmetry detected, and the doctor wanted her in for a more extensive Mammogram, along with an Ultrasound - both being scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

When I received the call from Ann, I knew instantly something was seriously wrong, prompting me to ask what had happened even before she relayed the details of her call. You often hear it said that it is one call that changes your life forever, as I caught my breath and emotions, I realized this might be the call. I asked Ann to go over the Women’s Health Center call word for word, questioning whether the caller had explained what “asymmetry” actually meant. With her voice trembling, Ann said she was really frightened because it had been several years since she had scheduled her annual mammogram. She worried out loud asking, “have I waited too long, and now this,” as her voice trailed off.

The retest was scheduled for Thursday, a full two days off, an eternity when you are waiting to determine your fate. Ann said, she would call and ask if it was possible to reschedule it sooner because two days was just too long to wait. I got off the phone and went onto Google to understand what “asymmetry” actually meant in lay terms, and soon realized that asymmetry referred to the mass of one breast being larger than the other, a sign that there was an issue that required more extensive retesting and usually an Ultrasound.

The internet doctor’s attempted to mitigate the fear and panic that had understandably overtaken most of the women, as they searched for some hope to deal with the terror of waiting for the retest. The sites were full of women baring their souls, as their mind’s bombarded them with every worst-case scenario conceivable. All caught in what can only be called a hellish limbo.

Thankfully, Ann had called and gotten the test moved up one day, as I could hear the nervous panic beginning to take its toll. Ann knew it would be the longest twenty-four hours of her life. Mind control is difficult enough when there are no pressing health issues, but often impossible when the verdict is still out.

The human mind is hardwired to prepare for the worst, and in this case, it meant cancer, surgery, and possible death. Ann who understands all the modern mind control approaches, admits that she lost control early on, as her mind prepared her for cancer, getting the family ready for her death, and planning the videos for the grandchildren to be watched as they grew up without her.

By evening, I could see that Ann needed a rest, so I suggested that she take her migraine medicine to knock the fear and the worry out for the night. Before she drifted off to sleep, we held each other and prayed. Ann would tell me later that she prayed to her angels. Ann also asked her dad for a sign that he was there with her and would protect her through this ordeal.

I woke up and wrote Ann the note below, striving to bring hope and faith back into what was fast becoming one of the worst experiences imaginable. As we worked to get the courage to get up and face the day, Ann turned and said, “I am going to say a bad word, really, I am going to say a bad word.” This is something quite uncommon for Ann – so she paused as if to gain the courage and said – “this is a bitch!”

With this word, I felt the air clear, and Ann seemed to release the pent-up fear as her breath became peaceful. I said with all the strength I could muster, “I cannot agree more – it is truly a bitch!” Ann looked at me and said peacefully, “I am ready now, I have told my mind that it has had its say, and I am now prepared to go on with strength and not as a victim. “

I drove Ann to work, trying to convince her to take the morning off. Ann said she would be crazy having nothing to do. I would pick her up at 2:00 PM and drive her to the Women’s Center, a few blocks from her office. I told her that I loved her and that I firmly believed all was going to be OK. She said she trusted my connection and hoped so. So did I.

She said with a touch of sadness in her voice, “you know what is the most troubling thing about this, is that I might have prevented this if I had only had my routine screening. I was always too busy; I canceled my appointment over and over because I was busy at work. If I get another chance, I will never miss or postpone my annual screening.” All I could do was nod my head in agreement.

We arrived at the Women’s Health Center building, a state of the art facility recently constructed to focus on medical issues unique to women. There was an older couple, also waiting patiently, and we watched as the woman kissed her husband and nervously made her way to the exam rooms. Ann went through the process with me – she would go in and have her Mammogram, and then an Ultrasound, and would come out to get me when the doctor reviewed the test results. Ann told me not to worry because they were backed up, and it might take longer than expected.

I kissed her and said that I would be there waiting for her. I could see the panic making its way, but she regained composure and went in for the tests. I prayed, waited, and tried to read. About an hour into the procedure Ann called me and said she had already finished the extensive Mammogram and was waiting for the Ultrasound, asking me not to worry.

After what must have been another forty minutes, I look up, and Ann is coming towards me with an amazing smile of joy on her face. “I am ok; the doctor said I am ok. It was a lump in the Mammogram, but it did not show up on the Ultrasound.” The compassionate doctor had walked into the exam room as soon as he got the positive results, and said to Ann – “First things first – you are ok!” Ann was ok and in an instant life, hope, future, family, all restored.

As we were driving home, Ann said, “you know the women who went in before me – she was sitting with her husband when we arrived.” I nodded, and Ann continued, “well when I shared with her that I had missed getting my Mammogram last year, she confided that she had not had a Mammogram for over ten years. She was worried because they had just retested her a second time before I talked with her, and she was waiting for the doctor to go over the results together with her husband. Like me, she was so worried that she might have made a dreadful mistake.” I listened, knowing full well, that we could have just as easily been on the wrong side of this message.

Later, Ann and I agreed not to publish this story on the blog, but by the weekend, Ann asked me to publish the story, so others who may have delayed getting their breast exams, would not delay further, and get them done now. She felt it was an important message. She looked at me and said – “we need to understand how lucky we are and be grateful.” I do, and I am.

So back to our Sunday fall outing visit to the pumpkin patch. It had been several days since the retest - we are tired, but happy, to be alive and well. The grandkids eye an antique carousel – a merry-go-round in a large barn at the top of the hill, complete with painted horses, moving up and down, with the music and mirrors reflecting the pastoral scenes - so we make our way to enjoy a ride.

No one else is waiting, so we have the carousel to ourselves. The baby is propped up on a horse, with dad and mom holding firm, the nine-year-old independently picks his steed, as Ann’s younger daughter opts to sit on the stagecoach type seats, and Ann finds a horse just in front of the stagecoach, getting on for the ride. I am videoing the scene, thinking that I am grateful beyond words for this moment. Again, I realize for Ann, it is her dad’s birthday, and all of this must be bittersweet.

Ann gets off her horse during the ride to join her daughter in the open stagecoach. Since I am busy videoing on my phone, and not paying close attention, I have to rely on Ann’s account of what happens next. As they sat in the stagecoach, taking in the picturesque carousel, Ann looked at the horse that she had originally been riding, noticing a name on the back of its saddle. Tears came to her eyes when she realized the name painted in hand-lettered calligraphy on that saddle was – Wildwood Flower. Ann told her daughter to look at the saddle, as they both began to cry, remembering having heard their dad and granddad play the song countless times. They snapped the photo I used to start this piece as a lasting memory of a magical moment.

After the ride, Ann looked at me, and said, “it is the sign I asked for, it is the sign, it is my daddy, and it is his birthday, and now I know he is with me.” I agreed, overcome with goosebumps.

WELLNESS, ONENESS, WHOLENESS

Today reflect on thoughts of wholeness,

knowing you are a being conceived in

wellness, oneness, complete and lasting,

perfect form missing nothing, lacking

nothing, always returning to a state of

profound health.

Today reflect on thoughts of God’s grace,

knowing you are not alone – able to turn

your concerns over for divine assistance –

freeing your heart and mind from

needless worry or doubt-filled instead

with confidence that existing issues

will be resolved in your favor.

Today reflect on thoughts of abundance,

prosperity, and the love that surrounds

you supports you, enfolds you – knowing

your strength is mighty, your power to

manifest is without limits, your future is

long and stretches out ahead of you full

of peace, joy, love, and happiness –

wondrous, splendid, and magnificent.

CLOSING NOTE ON ENLIGHTENMENT

When we speak of peace, I feel compelled to discuss my guidance as it reflects physical aggression and violence, since the absence of external peace in our world is guaranteed by our frequent and rampant acts of violent human aggression – wars, riots, genocides, revolutions, coups, assassinations, retaliation, terrorist acts, and all forms of armed rebellion. It seems every country has an enemy, internal or external, and is at war with that enemy. A few years back, I remember being told that on our planet, at any given time, up to fifty wars were being waged. I fear, today, this may be a conservative estimate.

The message below clearly stresses what has been repeated guidance from God on the train - complete and total nonviolence towards all sentient life - calling us to be the defenders, the nurturers - leading with love, tolerance, and forbearance. No one said that enlightenment was going to be easy, as we will see, this same concept is reinforced in the next section on Finding Love.

ALL LIFE IS SACRED - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

All life is sacred – protect it, support it, encourage it,

refusing to be involved in the ending of it, the consumption

of it, the destruction of it. Inflict no harm, no pain, no

retaliation, but instead foster freedom, growth, and

complete forgiveness.

Abandon the ways of the predator and realize the living

are sacred – each life containing the essence of God –

never strike out, cause pain, or hurt – instead gather

those in need of care, offering protection, safe haven,

offer sanctuary to all life.

Abandon the ways of the accuser, the punisher, realizing

this is not your task, instead take the role of the defender,

the nurturer, even to the least deserving – offer assistance

and forgiveness, providing relief from their lost endeavors.

Abandon any thought, word, deed, or indication

of superiority or intolerance, knowing in the mind

of God all exist as even. Refuse to set others aside,

look down on them, or feel superior to them -

knowing you are not superior. Only lend assistance,

promote, encourage, and give love. Your place

is to not judge but to forgive.

Open your being, stretching your arms wide to foster

all life – knowing all life is sacred – a work of God’s

creation – leading with love, tolerance, forbearance,

and forgiveness being – at all times a nurturer of

God’s infinite domain.

NOE G. 4.27.2013 9:40 AM

CLOSING AFFIRMATIONS

As we discussed, affirmations are positive statements announcing to God – universal mind – and our subconscious mind, how we view the world, and what we expect to occur during the day, or in our life. It is a powerful way to use the Law of Mind Action, or Attraction, to frame your reality and set positive expectations.

I enjoy writing affirmations so that I can tailor them to my mood and life experience at the moment. I have a two-year-old grandson and watching him totter across the floor brings a smile to my face and a glow to my heart. I offer the affirmation below, titled Finding Joy, to assist us all with recognizing the many opportunities to experience joy in our day-to-day lives. Try your hand at writing your own affirmations, or feel free to take one of the joy related Affirmative Thoughts on the blog and adapt it to your needs.

FINDING JOY

Joy is mine to have today, fully contained in every moment

lived; a quiet laugh, a heartfelt thanks, a baby's tottering

gait. I am immersed in a joyous song of living, light and

lively, crisp with possibility, God’s work obvious at every

turn. I am living a joyous existence, joy fills my senses,

captures my emotions, and gives energy to my every

endeavor. Joy is mine to have today.

Peace in our hectic world, both internal and external, seems in constant short supply. Below, I have offered an affirmation for Finding Peace in your life. Use it daily to center yourself, to find the tranquility and the calm you will need to truly traverse the Crystal Path.

FINDING PEACE

Peace is at the center of my life this day and every day,

flowing like a vast sea of calm - tranquil and serene -

beneath the hectic pace of daily life, it gently washes

away my stress, my anxiety, my impatience, my longings,

my fear - soothing my very soul, bathing every cell and fiber

of my being with its placid nature until I succumb and

surrender to its gentle ebb and flow. Breath by breath,

I am the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Joy and Peace have been the subjects of numerous Affirmative Thoughts published on the blog, and I would like to close out our discussion with two that bring home the point poetically.

THE SONG OF YOUR HEART - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT

Listen to the song of your heart –

play through your every breath –

your every movement with its

intoxicating melody of joy and

wonder – its harmony composed

of all the perfection of your soul’s

desire for a genuine, authentic life.

Listen to the song of your heart –

hum it, sing it, dance to it, rejoice

with it like a dervish in mid ecstasy –

pound it out with your hands and

feet until the beat and rhythm

resonates and vibrates you

with the thrill of living –

with the God within you.

Listen to the song of your heart –

don’t be shy, instead, let it

play loudly and boldly through you –

let it entertain all existence

with its magnificence.

AT G. 8.20.2011

INNER TRANQUILITY

Let us live from our center of tranquility

today, exchanging stress and anxiety with

a sense of calm and peace, as we choose

our divine nature within, over the ego’s

perpetual need for more, bigger, better.

Let us realize within this tranquil center,

we will recognize our true nature, connect

with our soulful longing, touch our genuine,

authentic spirit and know who we are,

and what we are, is defined and set within

waiting for us to uncover and discover.

Let us throughout the day, know we may

return to the center to regain our peace,

our equilibrium, our essential balance,

simply by focusing on our breath and

quieting our minds: mindful and aware

of the present moment, we regain our

poise, our power, our inner tranquility.

FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY BLOG - NOTES ON ENLIGHTENMENT

Chronicles my twelve plus year quest for a positive, personal, and contemplative spirituality, highlighting my experiences connecting with God while commuting on the train to Washington, DC, with a focus on sharing my divinely inspired guidance on this blog and related social media sites.

INTRODUCING BOOK ONE OF THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY BOOK SERIES - THE CRYSTAL PATH - QUEST FOR A POSITIVE, PERSONAL, AND CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY