Archives

Effortless Generosity

Feb17

In today’s blog, we explore faith and good works and the effortless nature of giving when we know and trust in God.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?

Can that faith save him?

If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them,

“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?

So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

James 2: 14-16

The Fear that Keeps us from Giving

In my book, Authentic Freedom – Claiming a Life of Contentment and Joy, I address the very topic explored in James’ epistle above.  I do not directly relate giving to faith, but in essence that is what we are talking about.  We begin by exploring the first of the seven spiritual fears, there is not enough and how this fear causes us to gather to ourselves more than what we need through the compulsion of gluttony and how we fail to share our resources with others because of this fear.  As we allow this fear to be healed within us, we find that we naturally and effortlessly share our resources with others through the virtue of generosity.  At the end of the day, it is FAITH that allows us to be healed of this wound so that we can freely and generously share what we have with those who have not.  Generosity is our faith in action – and demonstrates how much we really believe in the truth of an abundant God.  When we know that our needs are being abundantly met, then we are free to give to others.  But here is the really cool thing….when we have faith and trust in God, we give to others even when it doesn’t seem as if we have enough to give….in other words, we don’t just give from our surplus, we give from what we might need to survive.  This is true generosity.

Fake it til you Make it

Faith,  however, is not always an easy thing to accomplish.  Whether it is due to our upbringing, our education or religious indoctrinization or just our personal temperment, sometimes we just simply struggle to BELIEVE.  When we don’t believe, generous giving might be a challenge.  But, there is something really magical that happens when we are generous with our resources – regardless of our faith.  There is a universal law of nature that when we give, we get back 100 fold.  I know, it is a leap of faith to believe in this “law” but sometimes faking it (the belief part) and giving anyway has the miraculous effect of establishing within us the foundations of faith.  We might call this, “Fake it til you make it.”  In other words…..give to others when you see they are in need and see what happens in your own life.  Take that $10.00 bill out of your pocket and give it to the homeless guy…just because….and regardless of whether he really needs it or not and whether or not he might use it to buy alcohol or drugs.  Just give it…without condition, without expectation, without judgment……and see what happens.  See if you don’t find something you have needed suddenly showing up in an amazing, wonderful and unexpected way.  Give and see what comes back to you….and let this be the seeds of faith.

The Generosity Challenge

There are  two fabulous resources I have found to help us in this journey toward being an effortlessly generous human beings.  The first, of course, is my book, Authentic Freedom.  :)   The second is a project called The 29 Day Giving Challenge.   This project is based on the founder’s (Cami Walker) experience of giving and how it freed her from the symptoms of an MS flareup.   Check out her website for details on the project and to get involved if you feel so called.

How Authentic Freedom Ministries is meeting this challenge

In the spirit of faith and generosity, I am pleased to share with you that Authentic Freedom Ministries is putting its resources (not just money), where its mouth is.  What good is all the work we do at Authentic Freedom Ministries if we are not giving back?  Believing in the abundance of God and wanting to freely and generously share our resources, we have recently entered into a community partnership arrangement with one of the local high schools.  Thanks to this partnership, we will be one source of support for the needs of the student and teaching populations of Oshkosh North High School.  With 47% of the student population qualifying for free and reduced lunches and with the continually decreasing resources available to teachers, Oshkosh North High School is in a state of great need.  We will be providing financial, material, networking as well as volunteer support as needed and as we are able.  We hope that this partnership becomes a model and a source of inspiration for other local businesses to follow.

How are you being called to share your gifts and resources in service to humankind?

Where does the fear there is not enough prevent you from giving?

How are you being invited to fake it til you make it?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Magic, Miracles and the Truth of Abundance

Feb8

Today’s blog explores the truth of an abundant Universe and the magic and miracles that happen when we believe this to be true.

The First Spiritual Fear

In my book, Authentic Freedom – Claiming a Life of Contentment and Joy, I reveal the Seven Spiritual Fears that prevent us from living a life of contentment and joy.  The first fear that I reveal is the fear that there is not enough. This fear arises out of our survival needs for food, clothing and shelter, but becomes distorted and irrational, causing us to constantly live in a state of anxiety over money, food, clothing, time, material possessions, money, money, money.  The truth that is the remedy to this fear and also revealed in my book is that the Divine meets all of our needs in abundance.  For most of us, it is a significant leap of faith to even consider the possibility that there is a Divine Source, let alone one who cares enough about us to make sure our needs are being met.  Then when faced with the reality of unemployment, a declining economy, world hunger and poverty, we really doubt this truth.  What we learn, however, is at the highest and deepest levels, this truth ultimately has nothing to do with our material world and has everything to do with our inner terrain.  Our original nature is peaceful and content and that inner state of peacefulness is independent of our external life circumstances.  In other words, even if we are dying of starvation and exposure in a Nazi prison camp, we can still know peace.  A tough pill to swallow to be sure, but this is the peace that God invites us into, invites us to remember and cultivate.  And, it is this deep well of inner peace that will give us comfort no matter what life throws at us.

Practicing What I Preach

Two years ago when it became obvious that divorce was inevitable, one of my teachers prophetically stated, “Well, now you will have an opportunity to practice what you preach.  You will be living the words written in your book.”  As the past 24 months unfolded, I can tell you there were many times I wish I had never written this dang book as I found myself choking on my own words.  Every fear that I teach about in Authentic Freedom came to bite me in the butt and I had to return again and again and again to what I had written.  The fear there is not enough was most certainly the most frequent visitor….and I still struggle with that fear from time to time and sometimes on a daily basis.  I guess the adage is true that we teach what we need to learn!

Proof in the Pudding

I do have to say, however, that everything I wrote in my book proved to be true.  In the face of all of my fears, through adherence to the principles of Authentic Freedom and engagement of the spiritual practices outlined in my book, I have found abundance, my own unique giftedness, empowerment, love, the freedom to generously share my gifts, insight and direction and most importantly the peace of remembering my Oneness with God and with all the Universe.  Specific to the fear there is not enough, the past week has been a glorious reminder of how truly abundant our God is and how our needs are abundantly met when we have faith and believe.  I want to share with you a few examples:

  • When I began this journey 24 months ago, a vision of a house appeared in my prayers – the house that would meet all the needs of myself and my children and my fledgling business.  I found what I thought was “the house” and lost it in a bidding war.  Later, I had a dream of a friend “giving” me a house.  This served as a reminder that the house that was in our highest good would come in some magical and miraculous way.  A month or so later, this is exactly what happened.  My children and I now live in a magical, amazing home that also houses my business and I am head over heels in love with this house!
  • When struggling with the fear there is not enough  last week, I brought it to prayer and in my prayer, I saw a vision of two fish and five loaves of bread.  Duh…..loaves and fishes.  God was giving me a message.  I was smart enough to hear the message and believe it.  I then paid my bills and found I had more than enough money to cover the bills and may have even discovered a $300 error, in my favor, in my bank account.  (still waiting for verification of that error)
  • I have a suggested fee that is in the reach of many of my clients, but out of the reach for some.  My commitment to God has been to offer my gifts without regard to people’s ability (or lack thereof) to pay.  As a result, I have worked out discounts, trades and barters with several clients.  One of my standing “jokes” around my trade and bartering is “Now I just need to find a farmer who will give me food in exchange for Reiki.”  Yesterday it showed up in an even bigger package than what I had asked for.  One client brought produce from her own garden and venison that her husband had hunted.  Another client brought a bag of organic groceries from my favorite Co-op in Madison.  When it rains it pours!
  • In an effort to meet my client goal for the week, I posted a message on Facebook, inviting past and current clients and friends to send people my way.  That very day, I got three new clients….completely unrelated to the Facebook request.

So, I guess the moral of the story is that God really does meet our needs when we have faith and believe.  And in those moments when I find I am unable to believe or trust in an abundant God, this is the prayer that gives me comfort:

Lord, Help me in my unbelief.

Because I have also found that all the praying in the world sometimes doesn’t calm our fears….and in those moments I know that only God can help me to believe.

Where do you struggle with the fear “there is not enough?”

What tools do you have for moving through that fear into belief in abundance?

Where do you turn to God for help when you are afraid?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

What if God isn’t?

Feb6

Today’s post explores the unexplorable, the unanswerable, the unponderable….in the mind of some people – the unforgivable. What if God isn’t?

Facebook Dangers :)

The image above was found floating around Facebook this weekend.  I read it and LOVED it! I immediately shared it on my wall, thereby inviting a firestorm of comments.  None of the comments were negative, in fact, most were either a “like” or something like, “YAY.”  One comment, however, struck me right between the eyes.  The comment was, What if god isn’t?  HMMMMM   I had never even considered that possibility.  This comment made me think, it made me reflect and  it made me sad.

The Unanswerable Question

Of course, there is NO answer to that question, “What if god isn’t” because, there is also no answer to the question,  “What if God is?”  At the end of the day, we do not know, we have no proof, we have no evidence.  And, unfortunately, unless God steps out of “the sky” and plants his or her feet on this earth (and THAT is a topic for a whole other blog!), or is spotted playing Skeeball at Coney Island (let me know if you get that reference :) ), or unless we die and go to “heaven” and meet God face-to-face….we will never know.   So until any of those events transpire, we have nothing to go on but FAITH in a God that may or may not exist.  I for one, choose faith.

Being a Fool for God

So, to the enlightened, the educated, the scholarly, I may appear the fool because I CHOOSE to believe in a benevolent God.  I choose to believe that there is a Higher Power, a Creative Source that is beyond me, that made me, that can be a source of guidance, support, nourishment, mercy, healing, love, insight, understanding, wisdom and empowerment.  I choose this belief because I have found that when I believe in God, my life is better.  And when it is not, I know that there is a loving God carrying me through the struggles, the pain, the loneliness, the loss, the betrayal and the tragedies…and when I surrender to this God, believe in this God, the doors open where I before thought they were closed, a light shines in the darkness and I am able to find HOPE where perhaps there had only been despair.  Believing in God keeps me going through the ups and downs of the human condition and allows me to seek beauty in ugliness, peace in the face of fear, clarity in the midst of confusion and strength in times of struggle.  And when I think about this really hard, I guess it doesn’t really matter if there is a God or not because it might just be the belief that gets us through and it might just be belief that helps us find meaning in a life that would otherwise seem meaningless.  But even if God doesn’t exist, and this is all there is, I still choose to BELIEVE because after what I have experienced, why would I choose otherwise?  And if I chose to not believe in God, then it would clearly be a matter of “Life sucks and then you die,” and that would just be sad.  So instead of sadness or despair, I choose God, and if that makes me the fool…..then so be it!

And here are a few God songs ….just for fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USR3bX_PtU4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Qpp1QJpxc

How has belief in a benevolent God helped you in your life?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Can I Get an AMEN!?

Jan29

Today’s blog explores the much used, abused and in truth, neglected word, “AMEN.”  What do we mean when we say this and what can it really mean? 

Exposing my Geekdom

I have a confession to make.  I am a geek!  I pretty much meet all of the qualifications for certifiable “Geekdom.”  And maybe this isn’t a surprise, but  one thing I bet you didn’t know about my Geekdom is my complete fascination with ancient and dead languages – in particular, Sanskrit, Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin.  I have said if I had all the money and time in the world, I would go back to school and study these languages.  But here’s the real Geek confession….it is not the languages per se that fascinates me, it is the letters, the root sounds and their magical, mystical, healing, transformative powers.  Because in case you didn’t know this…..these languages ARE MAGIC!  And that goes back to my first true fantasy and first touch of geekdom - to be able to wiggle my nose, ala Samantha Stevens,  and poof make things happen.  And in case you didn’t know this….Samantha Stevens is QUEEN of the geeks!

Magical Hebrew Letters

So my dream to be able to study ancient and dead languages has begun taking root.  On a recent Amazon.com search, I found this fabulous book, The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet by Rabbi Michael L. Munk.  In this book, he takes each letter of the Aleph-Beis (Hebrew Alphabet) and explores the hidden, mystical, magical, spiritual significance of each letter and their connection to Jewish deed and thought.  It is a beautiful book and it is quenching my thirst for a deeper comprehension of ancient languages and their spiritual roots.

Can I Get an Amen?

Now….to the point of today’s blog!  Rabbi Munk shares his thoughts on a tiny little word that is common among the prayers of both the Hebrew and Christian traditions, and that word is AMEN.  Having been raised Catholic, I was quite familiar with this little word – it acted as a period at the end of every uttered prayer.  Whether a rote, memorized prayer like the Lord’s Prayer or the Hail Mary, sung at the end of the Doxology, or at the end of the intercessory prayers, Amen was the word that marked the end of our prayer intentions.  I recall being told in religious ed that “Amen” meant something like, “So be it.”  Rabbi Munk reveals a deeper, more expansive understanding of the word AMEN that has totally altered the way I will use this word in the future:

The word Amen, stems from faith or belief.  When responding, ”Amen,” we must bear in mind that we are acknowledging our belief in the manifestation of God described in the blessing we have just heard.”

(The Wisdom of the Hebrew Alphabet pg 152)

When we say, “Amen” we are saying that we BELIEVE that God is doing what the words say God is doing!  We are saying that we BELIEVE that God is answering and taking action on our prayers.   We are saying that we BELIEVE the words we are saying or the words that God is saying to us.  Amen = I BELIEVE.  To me, this is HUGE!  It is one thing to put a period or an exclamation at the end of a blessing or a prayer, but to say, “Yep, I believe this,” is not just HUGE…it is EARTH SHATTERING!   Now…let me give you some examples.

God’s Words to Me

Throughout the past year and a half of blogging, I have shared with you several mantras and words of comfort that God has given me in my prayer and in my yoga practice.  Here are some of those words:

  • You are my beloved daughter and with you I am well pleased
  • You are precious and glorious in my eyes and I love you
  • I know well the plans I have for you, plans for prosperity and not for woe
  • Say yes to what God gives you
  • You are a vessel through which love is known in this place
  • You are worthy of love and belonging
  • The word is CHOOSE
  • Grow up
  • You know who you are, you know what you want
  • Be open to receive all the love the universe wants to give you 

I have taken these words to heart…..and they have been a profound source of comfort and help when I needed them.  But upon reading Rabbi Munk’s words, these words take on a whole new meaning.  To all of the above……I now add a big, huge AMEN!  In other words, I don’t just hear these words, I am being invited to BELIEVE them……to believe in prosperity, in love, in abundance, in openness, to belonging, to knowing, to receiving, etc. etc. etc. and to know that God is actually DOING what all of these words of comfort and support suggest.   So to prosperity…I say AMEN!  To knowing all my needs are abundantly met….I say AMEN!  To all the love of the universe, I say Amen…..You get the idea! And indulging my geek fantasies, when I say AMEN, I imagine God as Samantha Stevens, wiggling her nose and making it so!  Now it is your turn:

To what are you being invited to say AMEN?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Faith

Dec2

Today’s blog asks more questions than offers answers……so, let’s talk about faith baby! 

Scary Gospels

Jesus says something really scary in today’s gospel reading.  (Matthew 9: 27-31).  When approached by two blind men who asked for Jesus’ healing, he asks them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” They respond, “Yes.”  Then here were Jesus’ scary words, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.”  Oh oh.  My first thought was, “What if their faith is imperfect?  What if they waver for just a moment?  Does that mean they will only receive a partial healing?”  YUK!  I sure wouldn’t want to be the poor guy who doubted for just a second and only partly got my sight back.  Again, YUK!

Scarier Pop-Culture “laws”

If you have seen any of the materials out there on the so-called “law of attraction” or “the secret” or have read books or attended seminars by certain authors, this is their very position.  We only receive that which we have 100% belief in.  In other words, what we have in life is 100% reflective of how we think and believe and if we don’t have “what we want” it is because we didn’t have enough belief or because we thought the wrong thoughts.  I totally agree that our thoughts, our beliefs, our perceptions and perspectives are somehow reflective of our lives.  However, even as a recoverying perfectionist who likes to carry the blame for everything good or bad in my life, it feels like an enormous burden to have to carry ALL the responsibility for our life circumstances.  I consider myself to be a woman of significant faith and yet, I do not have the $1million house on the lake neither do I have the red Volvo station wagon (or 1963 split window hardtop Corvette) of my dreams, and I’m certainly not pulling in six figures.  And if I look back on all the things I’ve had “faith” about and seen them fall short of my desires and had no one to blame but myself for these “failures,” I just might end up suicidal!

The Loophole

I certainly don’t know everything…but I can’t believe that God is really that cruel.  If in that last moment before Jesus laid his hand on him, the blind man had just a flicker of doubt (because he is human for God’s sake!), I can’t imagine that God would deprive him of the complete healing that he desired and believed that Jesus could accomplish.  There has to be some sort of allowance for our humanness….because let’s face it, we are a doubtful people.  So here is what I think….that God’s intention and God’s knowledge of what is in our highest good overrides “the law of attraction,” “The secret,” and our wavering faith.

Our Job

So, our job then is to strive to have faith, and to recognize that in our humanness, we are imperfect and our faith will waver from time to time.  And it is here that we can pray for God to increase our faith as we offer these words, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.”  AND…..”Let it be done to me according to your word.”  Because at the end of the day, God knows best and God does best and sometimes it is not in our highest good to have the $million house on the lake and it might be in our highest good to be completely cured of our blindness…regardless of our imperfect faith.

What role does faith play in your own life?

Where do you struggle with faith?

How can you invite God to help you with your faith?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Following the Threads

Mar31

There comes a time in our lives when we have no idea where we are going or who we are supposed to be.  During these times, all we can do is follow the threads and trust that they will lead somewhere, even if not to the place they originally seemed to be leading.  It is here that miracles can happen, and often do!

 


Getting a “real” job????

I’m taking a deep breath before I even utter this……….in this process of divorce, I have had to ask the REALLY hard question about whether I will have to find a “real” job (you know, something 9-5 ish with a regular salary, insurance, etc.) in order to support the needs of my family.  I shudder to even think of this because I LOVE what I do and I don’t think I spent seven + years studying theology, spirituality and energy medicine to go work in an office doing something administrative or corporate, business world related.  Not to mention, I’m damn good at what I do and have seen the results in the people with whom I have worked.  Call me naive, or a starry dreamer, but I can’t stop believing that God is creating some way in which sharing my gifts will bring financial benefit to my family.  At the same time, there are people in my life who haunt me with their words, “You need to get a real job.”  SIGH!  All that being said, I’m not so naive as to think I don’t need to explore EVERY option.  So, yesterday I followed the thread of “looking for a real job,” and met with a professional career counselor.  Here is where the miracles began.

Unexpected miracles

So, I enter into this meeting thinking I have to uncover “what the heck kind of job could I even pursue with nearly 20 years of ministry experience and past experience in the corporate world that was, shall we say, yuk!?”  What do old ministers do when the ministry work isn’t paying the bills?  And, how in the heck do I explain to a business guy what I do so that he can sculpt it into something marketable in the business world.  ARGH!  In the end, I decided honesty is the best policy.  So, here’s how the meeting unfolded:

Career Counseling Dude: “Lauri, what do you want to do when you grow up?”

ME: (deep breath)  “I want to do exactly what I’m doing right now.  I love what I do.”

CCD: Excellent.  Now, let’s figure out how to grow your business so you don’t have to get a “real” job.

WHAT???  SERIOUSLY??   Then here’s the best part.  This Career Counseling Dude TOTALLY GETS what I do.  He even got the Reiki part!  I didn’t have to explain a thing.  Then we got to work on the task of growing my Spiritual Direction practice.  YEA!  Hope!  Light!  Miracles!

The First Task

So, the first task toward the goal of growing my business is to create what the CCDude called a “sell sheet.”  On the sell sheet, I’m supposed to explain what Spiritual Direction is and how it benefits others.  Now, herein lies the challenge!!!!!  How in the heck do you define Spiritual Direction.  It is kind of like counseling, but not really.  It looks and feels like counseling and sometimes counseling-like issues come up, but the intention and the goal is completely different from counseling.  And, how do you put words to that in a way that people will understand?  I was at a loss.  So, I decided to enlist the help of some of my past and current clients and asked them the question, “In ONE sentence, describe how working with me has benefited you.”  Here are some of their answers:

  • Lauri helped me bring balance and awareness into my life.
  • Lauri has helped me realize that I am loved and not alone.
  • Lauri has helped me realize that my feelings are real and deserve
    validation.
  • Lauri has helped me realize that I do have a “higher power” who cares
    about me and who is there for me.
  • Lauri has taught me that I have a “truth”, and that I owe it to myself
    to find my “truth” and to live my “truth”.
  • Lauri helped me to trust the voice of God within me.
  • I had been to counselors on and off for 10 years and Lauri hit the bulls eye during our first session; after our second session, the grief that plagued me for over 10 years was gone.
  • As a result of working with Lauri, my soul found recognition and healing. Now, I am me again.  I am whole, and I embrace life.

While this doesn’t give me a clear definition of Spiritual Direction, it gives me a place from which to start.  In addition, another miracle showed up.  Seeking assistance from my clients has provided relief for some of the self-doubt that has arisen in this time of transition and has diffused the effect of the external voices of the nay-sayers.  So, I still don’t know if I will have to get a “real” job, but (to borrow the words of St. Francis) where there was despair, there is now hope, and where there was sadness, joy.  :)

What are the strings, strands and threads you have followed in your life and what unexpected outcomes did they lead to?

Where have you experienced unexpected miracles in your life?

Where are you being invited to trust in miracles and dreams?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

God in the Nada and Why Spiritual Directors ROCK!

Oct16

The title says it all – Finding God in the Nada (Nothing) and why a Spiritual Director is the BEST gift we can give to ourselves!


Ok, so you have heard my moaning, groaning, bemoaning, wailing, complaining and crying over not getting  the house I wanted and how I feel like God has pulled the rug out from underneath me.  WEEELLLLL…..I was meeting  MY Spiritual Director (yes, even Spiritual Director’s need a Spiritual Director) and dumping the same pile of victim on top of her wise head.  I told her I was tired of sitting in this place of limbo, unable to move forward with my plans.  I want a house and I want it now, I want this divorce to move forward, I want my book to be released, I want more paid writing gigs, I want more clients and I want to start creating my new life.  I’m tired of sitting here with NOTHING happening – NO house, NO book, No divorce, No clients (literally….my calendar suddenly became TOTALLY empty!), No paid writing gigs, NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING!  And this is why I LOVE my Spiritual Director – she followed up my temper tantrum over hating this place of nada with the following question:

“Lauri, can you find God in the nothing?”

SCREEEEEECH!   I felt like those hysterical women in the 1940′s dramas who are startled out of their hysteria when the “big strong man” slaps them across the face (which, by the way, I do not recommend).  What?  Finding God in the nothing?  Well…….I know it is easy to find God in the miracles – the pink sink, the affordable home, the eager contractor…..   AND  it is easy to find God in pain – God as our source of comfort, God as our source of healing, God as our source of inspiration.  But….How do I find God in the nada?


The image that surfaced when she asked me this question was one of a caterpillar resting snugly within the chrysalis WAITING to emerge as a butterfly.  To the naked eye, it appears that nothing is happening.  It appears that the caterpillar is simply taking a nap and that it will someday emerge….as a caterpillar.  AH…..but in truth, there is DEEP and PROFOUND transformation taking place….IN  THE  NADA!  Nothing is happening…..and yet…..PROFOUND change is taking place….and not just any sort of change…but a change that is MAGNIFICENT and DEFIES LOGIC.


So…..How can I find God in the Nada?  It seems that this is perhaps the biggest leap of faith that I have ever been invited to take.  Can I find God in this space of seemingly nothing?  Can I trust that God is at work in a deep, silent, profound place where it appears that nothing is happening….but perhaps something is?  HHHHMMMMM  I don’t know.  But then the answer came……How can I find God in the nada?  The answer in a nutshell is:  IN THE PRESENT MOMENT.


Duh….God is present in one place and one place only – THE PRESENT MOMENT.  Can I get out of my list of grievances from the past and out of my daydreaming and planning about the future and BE HERE NOW?  Can I enjoy the presence of my children?  Can I appreciate the beauty of autumn?  Can I be grateful for a time to pause, reflect, pray, meditate.  Can I be present to my own need for healing, comfort, silence?  Can I recognize that perhaps my clients disappeared because I don’t have the emotional energy to be present to others in that way (right now anyway) as I face my own grief, fear, etc.  Can I just be here now and find the peace of God, the compassion of God and the embrace of God in this time of NADA?  Well, all I can do is try.



So today, I thank my Spiritual Director for metaphorically slapping me across the face and startling me out of my victim tirade to be present to the more important question at hand – Can I find God in the Nada?

To whom do you turn for support, guidance, presence in your own Spiritual Journey?

What is your typical response to times of Nothing, Limbo, when there is seemingly nothing happening?

How do you find God in the Nada?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries/YourSpiritualTruth

http://yourspiritualtruth.com



Moses, Madness and Miracles

Sep24

Traversing the Divinely revealed path to our highest truth can certainly look from the outside like madness.  Were Moses, Abraham, Mother Mary insane or did they take that leap of faith….and now stand as examples and inspiration for the rest of us as we search for spiritual freedom in our lives.



This has been a week defined by Divine madness, miracles and dreams of Moses.  This whole Moses thing started months (in fact years) ago as the truth became more and more evident that my husband and I were being called out of the familiarity of married life into the unknown desert of divorce.  I could not even begin to attempt an explanation as to how this was revealed to us (not that it is anyone’s business), and even if I did attempt an explanation, from the outside it would quite simply look like madness.

Here is where Moses comes in…..poor Moses….he was living a delightfully contented life in the desert of Midian with his wife, her family and their children, quietly tending sheep.  But then that darn burning bush had to show up and startle him out of the familiarity of his desert life and remind him that while he was enjoying a peaceful life in the desert, his people (the Hebrew people) were suffering under the harsh rule of the Pharoah in Egypt.  Now here is the crazy part….God told Moses it was his job to go to Egypt and lead the Hebrews out of slavery into “a good and gracious land flowing with milk and honey.”  Did Moses jump to it and run off the Egypt to rescue the Jews?  NO WAY JOSE’!  He whined, complained, bargained and came up with every excuse in the book as to why he could not go.  In the end (as is usually the case), God won the argument and Moses went off on a journey through which he was required to leave behind everything familiar, place his blind trust in God and convince a nation that they should do the same…trudging through desert and plain with no map, no compass and absolutely no destination in mind.  They eventually ended up in “the promised land”, but as history proves, the drama didn’t end there.

So, I’ve been feeling a little Moses-ish these days.  Of course, I have no illusions about leading a nation or crossing the “Red Sea” of Lake Winnebago, but the message that I have received that invited me on this journey is no less insane than claiming that a burning bush talked to me.  All I can do is trust, and hope that God is going to show me things along the way that tell me where to go, what to do and will provide for my needs along the way.  I keep looking for the fiery column by night and the cloud of smoke by day….but alas, it seems the signs of God’s guidance are a little more subtle.  This is where I feel compelled to share a few miracles that I am claiming as my own personal column of smoke.  And this week in particular has been a week of miracles.

Here are the miracles in a nutshell:  a house within a budget that I set for myself (the current “buyers market” has helped with this!), a newly ordained contractor who is generously allowing the house that I hope to purchase to be his portfolio project which includes a HUGE discount on labor costs, approval on my loan application (this quite frankly might be the most significant of miracles!), a house inspection at a very reasonable cost, a marketing consultant that is helping me to take my business to the next level, thus providing me with the means to obtain my current income goals, a publisher that is enthusiastically taking my book, Authentic Freedom to market.  I could go on, but I won’t bore you with the details.  In the end, I am completely in awe over the manifestation of these miracles…most of them completely unexpected and some of them so generously given that I can only sit back in stunned silence at the magnitude of the gifts being presented to me in this journey of entering into a new life.

I am fully aware that as I leap into the abyss of unknown, that this is not only my journey.  Each and every one of us at some time is invited to step more fully into our most authentic truth and into a life that is in our highest good.  Most frequently, this requires a leaving behind, a letting go and a LEAP OF FAITH.  We are invited to trust the message whether it is presented in the tiny whisperings of our heart….or more dramatically through our own burning bush.  The good news…is that when we allow ourselves to surrender to this path AND MOST IMPORTANTLY….let go of our compulsion to control the process…..miracles, signs and wonders come to us along the way.  These signs and miracles are what give us affirmation of our truth and provide for us the resources, guidance and comfort we need along the way.  God doesn’t simply throw us out into the desert to figure it out for ourselves…God is always right there, leading, comforting, guiding, strengthening and even carrying us when we think we could not possibly take one more step.



So today, I invite you to examine your life for your own messages of truth:

  • Where are you being invited to step more fully into your highest truth?
  • How are you being led to a life that is in your highest good?
  • What are the things you will need to leave behind?
  • How can you be open to your own column of fire or column of smoke?


Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries/YourSpiritualTruth

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Miracles, Signs and Manifestation

Sep14

Yesterday I received an unexpected gift from a dear friend – a Girlie from artist, Kelly Rae Roberts http://kellyraeroberts.com/.  Little did my friend realize the depth of meaning to this gift.  In today’s blog, I explore the truth of miracles, signs and the magic of manifestation.

As most of my readers are aware by now, I am currently going through a divorce.  While this process is mostly amicable, there is of course grief, fear, trepidation and whole lot of having to trust trust trust that the god’s that initiated this process know what the heck they are doing!!!  In the midst of this process, I have had to cling to this trust with every ounce of my being, looking for the signs of where to go and how to proceed, along with the little (and sometimes HUGE) miracles that show up along the way as a form of affirmation and validation that I am indeed on the right path.  Yesterday’s gift showed up as one of those miracles, a sign along the way and evidence that we are indeed vehicles through which the highest good is made real in the world.

As I mentioned in the prelude above, I received a gift yesterday from a dear friend in the form of a Girlie from artist Kelly Rae Roberts.  Now…..I have to tell you the story of why this gift is a miracle and a sign that I am indeed on the right path.  But first, I have to tell you my history with Kelly Rae Roberts.

As some of you know, one of the spiritual practices I have embraced is the art of collage.  When I feel really stuck spiritually, I find that collage helps me to get unstuck.  I have created several pieces and have shown them locally.  One day, my mom sent me a link to an artist that she had discovered who she thought I would like because of her seemless integration of whimsy and collage.  The artist was, Kelly Rae Roberts.  I immediately fell in love with her art and have been coveting her pieces ever since.  While Kelly’s art is extremely reasonably priced, I just never allowed myself the gift of one of her pieces.

But then came the process of divorce.   While this is a process long in its unfolding, the end result will eventually be that I will have my own home to play with and decorate – completely in my own taste (along with the taste of our children).  As I have been dreaming and imagining my new home, Kelly Rae Roberts’ art keeps showing up.  Unfortunately, her online shop has been closed as she awaits the birth of her child.  NOTE:  THE SHOP IS NOW OPEN!!!!!  http://kellyraeroberts.com/ In the days since her shop has re-opened, I have been perusing her virtual shelves for the perfect pieces for my new home.  I knew I wanted to start with the Girlies, but wasn’t sure where I would display them.  Ok….so here is the fun part.  YESTERDAY morning during my yoga meditation, the exact Girlie presented herself and the place that she wanted to call home.  “Listen to your Life” showed herself and told me that she wanted to sit atop my upright piano that will be displayed front and center in the front room of my new home.

So….who should show up yesterday afternoon in the form of an unexpected gift???   YOU GOT IT!!!!  “LISTEN TO YOUR LIFE!”  As I shared my surprise, joy and wonder with my friend, all we could do was stand in awestruck wonder at the miracle that presented itself right before our eyes.  Now here is the real irony, my friend had NO IDEA that I loved Kelly’s art.  In fact, she and I had never discussed my artistic taste.  AND….she did not purchase this piece online….she found it in a giftshop some 60 miles away.  Ok…..all you statisticians out there…..you tell me the odds of this….Getting a Kelly Rae Roberts piece from a friend who had no idea that I liked Kelly’s work let alone that it was the “Listen to your Life” Girlie I had been coveting…and that she should present me with this gift on the afternoon of the very day that the piece showed up in my meditation and told me where she wanted to be displayed.  Come…I dare you!  I’m guessing this is like  a one in a zillion chance.  So….considering the odds…..I officially declare this an honest to God-ness MIRACLE!  MIRACLE MIRACLE MIRACLE!   I do believe in miracles, I do, I do!

So today, I give a heart-felt thanks to my friend who somehow acted as a vessel through which God could offer me validation and assurance of a rightly chosen path.  And I thank Kelly Rae Roberts for being not only a fantastic artist, but a source of inspiration for me as I embark upon the journey of embracing my own artistic life.  This is the other part of the miracle…..as I have been open to this period of transition, I have been longing to more deeply claim my creative self and embrace the life of a writer, author, artist and musician.  Receiving one of Kelly’s Girlies seems like a little nod of affirmation from the Divine and a nudge in that direction.  So, again I thank Kelly for being a source of inspiration and for being a resource for those of us to wish to more fully embrace ALL of our Divine gifts!

And one final thought…..and is this an example of how we, ourselves, can be vehicles through which God’s miracles can be made manifest in our own lives?  Did God send me the Girlie, or did I draw her to myself?????  The world may never know!

All images copyright Kelly Rae Roberts. http://kellyraeroberts.com/

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://www.yourspiritualtruth.wordpress.com


The Gods Must Be Crazy!

Aug6

Taking a journey based solely on faith makes us wonder if we have lost our minds or if the gods must be crazy!   

Brothers and sisters:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.

Hebrews 11

 

Today, I am taking another step on a journey that can only be described as  based solely on faith and faith alone.  This weekend, I am attending Kirtan camp, led by internationally renowned Kirtan artist and musician, Ragani.  http://www.raganiworld.com/  Kirtan is the practice of sacred chant from the Hindu and Yogic traditions, specifically Bhakti yoga.  I first discovered Kirtan through the yoga classes I attend at Inner Sun Yoga in Oshkosh http://www.innersunyogastudio.com/  and then had the opportunity to attend professional Kirtan events led by such names as Krishna Das, Durga Das, Wah! and Ragani.  The practice of Kirtan spoke to something deep in my soul and when I found myself at each and every event moved to tears, I knew that there was something in Kirtan for me.  I cannot explain why singing words I do not understand and can barely pronounce has had such a profound impact on me, I just know that it has.  Then at some point in my experience of Kirtan, I found myself desiring to learn more and in that desire, the idea of possibly leading and hosting Kirtan events locally.  Have I lost my mind or am I simply pursuing the unmet childhood dream to grow up and be Stevie Nicks? 

 

 

Here is where the journey of faith comes in.  I am not a professional musician, nor do I have any qualifications to call myself anything other than a hack musician.  I studied piano for 10+ years and sang in school and church choirs, but my piano talents are only fair and my singing pretty average.  Add to this two past traumas with performance anxiety and I am the last person who should even be thinking about leading or facilitating Kirtan.  But there it is…..something is compelling me to attend Kirtan camp with the idea of holding local Kirtan events sometime in the future.  I don’t think I have lost my mind,  but the Gods must be crazy! 

 

 

In each of our journeys, there are times when ideas, inspirations, visions, invitations show up that seem to make no sense at all, and yet we are compelled to follow those dreams.  Perhaps we are compelled to quit our job, end a relationship, pursue education, embark upon a new stage of learning.  Sometimes these visions show up with nothing to back it up, but faith.  Faith is what compels us to follow these ideas even in the absence of logic, evidence or proof.  This is when all we can do is step into the journey and trust that the gods know what they are doing – even risking ridicule, rejection or even failure.  This is where I step as I enter into this weekend of Kirtan camp and all I can do is follow the trail to where – I do not yet know….but follow it I will.

 

 

This weekend, I invite you to reflect on your own journey of faith.  What are the inspirations, dreams, visions you feel compelled to follow based solely on faith and faith alone?  Enjoy the ride! 

 To see a clip of Ragani’s Kirtan:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GkVsyIay-g

 

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://www.authenticfreedom.net