G DOT PUBLISHING VENTURES LLC
PRESENTS THE BLOG BOOK
THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY –
NOTES ON ENLIGHTENMENT
QUEST FOR A POSITIVE, PERSONAL,
AND CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY
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 THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY - 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, may 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 that 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 subscribers 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 yellow book 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 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 abortion was the reason for the nursing shortage, 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 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 a 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 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, purchased 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 for a response earnestly. 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, 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 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 - THE CONTROL OF CONSCIOUSNESS, and later, BOOK THREE – GOD CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE DIVINITY WITHIN.
A BLOG BOOK?
Since THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY – NOTES ON ENLIGHTENMENT – Quest for a Positive, Personal, and Contemplative Spirituality, BOOK ONE - THE CRYSTAL PATH, is 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
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.
THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY BLOG EVOLVES
As those who have been followers for years are well aware, over the past ten years, 1300 FGOTTS (Finding God on the Train Story) blog posts, affirmative thoughts, meditation guidance, poems, and prayers, along with numerous book chapter drafts and edits have been published on The Finding God On The Train Story - Notes on Enlightenment blog site.
By June of 2018 it was time for The Finding God On The Train Story blog to evolve, with a part of this evolution being the adaptation of our current Typepad infrastructure, hopefully fostering our growth and expansion for the next decade while supporting our move to a voluntary member supported option for readers who wished to receive daily emails of posts and access to pre-published offerings. Although some followers have chosen to support this site, receiving enhanced services with a $10.00 monthly subscription, it is and will remain completely voluntary.
With The Finding God on the Train Story - Notes On Enlightenment blog serving as the home site, past and future blog content will also be featured on three newly established, but related, blog sites titled respectively Notes On Enlightenment; Affirmative Thoughts; and Spiritual Poetry, providing those who are interested in a specific type of blog post content; such as, Affirmative Thoughts, easier access to their preferred posts. Likewise, with each new book publication, an exclusive but related blog site will be established to present the new blog book offering, thus avoiding impact on the original site.
Please note, my spiritual direction and mission are to make the communication of the inspired message offered here open to all who are interested or may find it beneficial - regardless of the ability to pay - fully free of charge, requiring no fee, contribution, or subscription. This includes free access to a blog based edition of this book and all future books that will be published. For those who prefer a digital or traditional copy of this book; that is, publications in standard iBooks or Kindle formats, along with print versions, will have an option to own a copy via purchase on the blog site or other popular book retailers. I will make every attempt to inform potential buyers that a free version is available on the blog. I have created my own publishing company, G Dot Publishing Ventures, LLC to ensure Finding God On The Train Story related books are always available for free access on the blog.
For more information about this evolution and details regarding the member support option, I direct you to the original Finding God On The Train Story – Notes On Enlightenment blog site previously referenced.
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 co-creating 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 ten 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 also 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 –
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:
I
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….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 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, and 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
Its 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 the 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, THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY, maybe it will be of use to in 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 merely – You are not alone!
WITH LOVE, G.
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FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY POSTS AND BOOKS
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