FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY BLOG - NOTES ON ENLIGHTENMENT - PRESENTING CHAPTER SEVEN - FINDING JOY AND PEACE - PART TWO - THE MESSAGE - THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN BLOG BOOK - THE CRYSTAL PATH - QUEST FOR A POSITIVE, PERSONAL, AND CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY

PRESENTING THE BLOG BOOK

CHAPTER SEVEN - FINDING JOY AND PEACE

PART TWO - THE MESSAGE

FEATURING THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN BLOG STORY

NOTES ON

ENLIGHTENMENT -

Quest For A Positive, Personal,

And Contemplative Spirituality

THE CRYSTAL PATH

BY G. BRYANT CRONK

A blue and white crystal structureDescription automatically generated with medium confidence

____________________________________

PART TWO OF THE MESSAGE

CHAPTER SEVEN–FINDING JOY AND PEACE

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS

SHOUT OUT! - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

https://youtu.be/wvkzoqQ5Oak

LOS LONELY BOYS OFFICIAL VIDEO “HEAVEN” FEATURED ON YouTube.

HEAVEN OR HELL - A PERSONAL CHOICE?

FEATURING HEAVEN OR HELL - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

HEAVENONEARTH GAME VERSION 20XX.INFINITY

FEATURING FULLER LIFE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

YOU NEED MORE

FINDING JOY

FEATURING JOY, PEACE, LOVE, AND HAPPINESS - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

https://youtu.be/rOjHhS5MtvA?t=3330 (Ode to Joy)

https://youtu.be/rOjHhS5MtvA (Full Symphony)

ODE TO JOY. YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK FEATURING RICARDO MUTI AND THE CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

AND CHORUS FEATURING ODE TO JOY.

JOY IN THIS? DAILY BLOG POST

PERFECT HARMONY - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

AWAKE IN JOY - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

AS YOU SEE IT - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

YOUTUBE VIDEO FROM 2013 OF JOYFUL, JOYFUL, WE ADORE THEE AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL, LONDON AT THE LINK BELOW:

https://youtu.be/eMY3ivdNzwE

FINDING PEACE

WHAT IS PEACE? - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

SURRENDER TO THE PEACE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

THE POWER OF PEACE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

PEACE, POWER, AND PURPOSE - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER HEAVEN AND HELL?

WILDWOOD FLOWER- BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

CLOSING NOTE ON ENLIGHTENMENT

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PART TWO OF 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 – all 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 force –

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!

This morning, I awoke planning to start this chapter of Part Two, The Message, with another aspect of the guidance I have received from God on my commutes to DC. But on an endless loop in my mind were the lyrics of the Los Lonely Boys rhythmic, enchanting, but eerie hit song “Heaven,” - which poses the central existential question, “How Far Is Heaven?” During my morning reading and meditation, I realized I should start with finding heaven first since I understood this 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 getaway

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….

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. Instead of living and then dying and then going to heaven, it is the opposite: life itself is our opportunity to experience heaven. Heaven is a level of consciousness used as a synonym for the state of spiritual “Enlightenment.” Heaven is not a place or a location but 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. But, 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. I would also say to look into the eyes of a child, touch someone you love and care for, and observe the beauty of art, dance, and music. Understand the amazing sensory vehicle you have been given to touch, feel, and love this miracle we call life. I guess 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 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 appeared?

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 a genuine, authentic life – not

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 you of your talents, your ability, your dreams.

What impedes progress toward 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 BY 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 to understand the actual message to see if it makes any sense.

HEAVEN OR HELL - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Each person has a 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,

and you lay the foundation.

You come to this experience of creative life,

this world, to find heaven and experience

a living heaven on earth.

A 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 the Spirit’s heaven on earth – within you.

This is the time – this is the truth that you seek.

NOE BY G. 11.16.2008 9:50 AM

The “key tenets” of the message listed above relate to finding heaven, or hell, on earth, resulting in true enlightenment, reflecting all the other messages I have received during my commutes to DC on the train. I use the word “tenet” as Webster defines it 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, I am not proposing a religion. 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 we 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 absolute hell on earth, for themselves and the world, through the power of their egos.
Enlightenment is living as God intended and experiencing heaven on earth with joy, peace, love, and happiness.

The message above is undoubtedly a radical departure from what we have been communicated by established religious doctrines. Gone is the motivation to live a life of misery for a potential reward in heaven, or hell, based on the fear of punishment. 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 can 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 share it. The attainment of heaven on earth - enlightenment- is a personal choice.

HeavenOnEarth Game Version 20XX.Infinity

I want to continue our discussion, having some fun by viewing this from another perspective and seeing what it reveals. So 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 complex, 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 task to maximize their score and win.

God has been developing this game for ages. 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. Although God has sent some of Lifeware’s essential 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. But, frankly, God decided 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 can make anything happen by using their minds to cooperate 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, creating your world, and getting what you want or need using the Law of Attraction feature.

The downside is that many participants cannot control or harness their egos, so play can become 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. Although it is needless - war, poverty, and starvation are standard grips of participants who feel the game is too hard to master.

On the positive side, the game features provide much guidance 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 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's 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. 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 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, exciting relationships, and abundance – a life overflowing with enthusiasm, joy, peace, and love? As you might expect, 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.

The message of Finding God On The Train Story, which we have discussed in Chapters 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. 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 due to our spiritual connection with God - when we live in harmony with our Divinity, fully connected and trusting in God.

JOY, PEACE, LOVE, AND HAPPINESS - MEDITATION GUIDANCE

Experience the joy and abundance of your life, the gifts

God has given you. All is provided 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 total abundance.

Enjoy this step; enjoy the sights, 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.

Please pay attention to the needs of others, their fears,

and their 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 lovingly

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 enlightenment's

joy, peace, love, and happiness.

Stay focused and lean on God for your direction

and guidance.

NOE BY G. 2.19.2008 7:40 AM

Let’s recap what God's message 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 earth.

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 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 must fully align ourselves with the joy, peace, love, and happiness we seek throughout the process: to have each as a lasting aspect 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 provide a detailed understanding of what heaven on earth entails and presents in our lives.

FINDING JOY

https://youtu.be/rOjHhS5MtvA (Full Symphony)

42,333,130 views May 8, 2015 #sharethejoy

An die Freude

Freude, schöner Götterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!
Deine Zauber binden wieder
Was die Mode streng geteilt*;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder*
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.

Wem der große Wurf gelungen
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein;
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!

Freude trinken alle Wesen
An den Brüsten der Natur;
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben
und der Cherub steht vor Gott.

Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels prächt'gen Plan
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen.

Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
Such' ihn über'm Sternenzelt!
Über Sternen muß er wohnen.

Ode: To Joy

Joy, beautiful spark of Divinity [or: of gods],
Daughter of Elysium,
We enter, drunk with fire,
Heavenly One, thy Holiness!
Thy magic binds again
What custom strictly divided;*
All humans become brothers,*
Where thy gentle wing abides.

Whoever has succeeded in the great attempt,
To be a friend's friend,
Whoever has won a lovely wife,
Add his to the jubilation!
Yes, whoever also has just one other's Soul
To call his own on this Earth's round!
And he who never managed it should slink
Weeping from this union!

All creatures drink of joy
At nature's breasts.
All the Good, all the Evil
Follow her trail of roses.
Kisses she gave us and grapevines,
A friend, proven in death.
Lust was given to the serpent
And the cherub stands before God.

Gladly, as His suns fly
through the heavens' grand plan
Journey, brothers, on your way,
Joyful, like a hero to victory.

Be embraced, Millions!
This kiss to all the world!
Brothers, above the starry canopy
There must dwell a loving Father.
Are you collapsing, millions?
Do you sense the Creator, world?
Seek him above the starry canopy!
Above stars must He reside.

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 - coupled 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.

The then stone-deaf Beethoven reached into his Soul and offered the world his work of joy based on Schiller's poem. He added the choral voices to a symphony, resulting in what many still consider the most remarkable musical masterpiece of all time.

YouTube Note: On May 7, 1824, Beethoven shared his 9th Symphony with the world even though he could never hear it. On May 7, 2015, to celebrate the anniversary of Beethoven’s most glorious and jubilant masterpiece with Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. An exhilarating testament to the human spirit, Beethoven’s Ninth bursts with brooding power and kinetic energy and culminates in the exultant hymn, “Ode to Joy.” The video is now available free on demand for all to enjoy!

For a real treat and a rush of joy, I would suggest the YouTube video link below featuring Ricardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus featuring Ode To Joy.

https://youtu.be/rOjHhS5MtvA?t=3330 (Ode to Joy)

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice:

let them shout for joy…, Psalm 5:11

The word “Joy” is uplifting and powerful, making me think of bliss, extreme happiness, peace, nirvana, and elation. Joy is a powerful emotion representing the feeling existing on the emotional continuum beyond mere happiness and right before bliss. Joy is also an explosive emotional concept 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 absolute joy.

As the Meditation Guidance below tilted Perfect Harmony instructs, “joy” is an emotional reflection of the coalescence of several vital components of enlightenment:

Living a genuine, authentic life;
Practicing full acceptance without resistance;
Being focused on loving-kindness;
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 want to share this post as a lead into this guidance since, in a very real-life way, it reminds us as we live our lives - the pursuit of joy in our quest for enlightenment is not easy.

JOY IN THIS?

DAILY POST ON ENLIGHTENMENT

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 was 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. 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. This is what happens when we stop resisting, accept our lives, and look for the message and meaning they offer. 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 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, 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, 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 BY G. 2.16.2010 7:40 AM

I could stop here since this note so clearly expresses the essence of joy and its importance in obtaining our personal heaven on earth. But the question remains - what must we do to get to this point, to experience this joy? What are the 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 spiritual awakening and enlightenment, evolving to the point where we can experience joy from everyday existence. As stated in the Meditation Guidance below, 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 is 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 BY G. 8.5.2008 7:25 AM

To accomplish finding joy, thus living our ordinary lives extraordinarily, 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 – The 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, accept

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 BY 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 ourselves 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 fountain 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 and love and then move on to 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, and tranquility. Unlike joy, which energizes our senses, peace moves us to a state of serenity and calmness. There is a lack of tension and 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.

We also need to address a question as we work through joy, peace, love, and happiness: their causal relationship to enlightenment or heaven on earth; basically, what comes first, is it 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. When we have significantly progressed on each facet, we climb to the top and see the light, or at least more light than below.

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 focuses 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 BY 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. However, Ernest Holmes—a 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 to 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, being 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 “withdraw” 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, and 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 BY 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 that 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.

Thus, failure to achieve acceptance and eliminate resistance results in the absence of peace and the continuation of stress, anxiety, turmoil, and disease. My favorite analogy regarding resistance has to do with driving a car with the emergency brake engaged. 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. As a result, the car experiences a breakdown, similar to how we break down - 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 and 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 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 the force

of God's creative mind. Work to be at peace, and

you will find the energy you seek to move forward,

becoming one with life and God.

NOE BY G. 9.4.2009 6:50 AM

In my Meditation Guidance, peace 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 cocreation and

belief in your ability

to manifest the life of your dreams into reality or form.

Power is 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 full life.

NOE BY 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 egos

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.

AT BY G. Not Dated.

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 BY 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. 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 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 obtain enlightenment and our peace 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.

Since this is only the opening discussion, realize the remainder of the message is geared toward 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

DAILY POST ON ENLIGHTENMENT

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 - 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, we discussed how much she misses her father. Ann's dad 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. I am adding this as a Postscript to Chapter Seven, hopefully, to explain what happened to the other Heaven and Hell.

I believe that there is an existence after we are finished with our lives here on earth. Our unique consciousness continues full of our life experiences, emotions, and memories to exist after death as we return to a combined state of conscious existence. I feel this consciousness 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. This is a topic, I will discuss in more depth with an upcoming section of the book.

I believe that the major playing field of eternal life is here on earth, where we have form and can actively participate in creating 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 but a stage.

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. On the other hand, those who have personified evil, hatred, and destruction will face the truth of their actions and will spend their afterlife reflecting on how lost they were alive. This afterlife 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. Still, I found myself reflecting on consciousness during an afterlife, 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 BY G. 4.27.2011 7:25 AM

One of the unique features of having a blog is that you can document major life experiences, and share them with your readers. As I put the finishing touches on this chapter in preparation for publishing, I realized 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 –

DAILY POST ON ENLIGHTENMENT

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. Then, of course, load onto a tracker pulled cart for a ride to the pumpkin patch to pick this season’s to-be-carved Halloween companions.

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, upbeat personality, and sheer love of life made him the center of her world. He loved the Green Bay Packers and taught her to love football at an early age. But, 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 Nanna, laughing, running, and enjoying the day with the grandchildren. Yet, I could also see the strain of an excruciating week that began with a phone call Tuesday morning from our local hospital's Women’s Health Center. The caller informed Ann that there was an issue with the Mammogram she had taken the week before. There was an asymmetry detected. As a result, the doctor wanted her in for a more extensive Mammogram and an Ultrasound - both being scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

When I received Ann's call, I instantly knew 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 “asymmetry.” Ann said she was really frightened, with her voice trembling 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, 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 were 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 doctors 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. Nevertheless, the sites were full of women baring their souls as their minds 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 means cancer, surgery, and possible death. Ann, who understands all the modern mind control approaches, admits, early on, that she lost control. Ann's mind prepared her for cancer, getting the family ready for her death and planning the videos for the grandchildren to watch 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 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.” Since this was uncommon for Ann, she paused as if to gain the courage and said, “this is a bitch!”

I felt the air clear with words, and Ann seemed to release the pent-up fear as her breath became peaceful. With all the strength I could muster, I said, “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? I might have prevented this if I had only had my routine screening. But unfortunately, I was always too busy; I canceled my appointment repeatedly 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. An older couple was 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 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. Finally, 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 toward me with an amazing smile of joy. “I am ok; the doctor said I am ok. It was a lump in the Mammogram, but it did not appear 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 life, hope, future, and family were all restored in an instant.

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 with her husband. Like me, she was so worried that she might have made a dreadful mistake.” I listened, knowing 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 were 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 to join her daughter in the open stagecoach during the ride. 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 initially 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 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 support 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. BY G.

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 was 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. God calls us to be the defenders and 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, 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 BY G. 4.27.2013 9:40 AM

CLOSING AFFIRMATIONS

As we discussed, affirmations are positive statements announcing to God – the universal mind – and our subconscious mind how we view the world and what we expect to occur during the day or in our lives. 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 is evident 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. BY G.

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. BY G.

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