Abraham: Awakening In The Vortex/Angelic Connections

I love vintage housewares!

Greetings from the Vortex, all you lovely, wonderful Souls out there. Wherever you are in proximity to the Vortex, just know that Source is there beckoning you and offering countless paths to this blissful pasture (I'll wind backwards to this reference, I promise).


Here's what I think I'm discovering this morning. Your entryways into your Vortex are tailored specifically for you in delightful and sometimes almost bizarre ways, if that's your thing--I know bizarre suits me. I just heard from a friend a random thought he had about my fabulous partner. The gist: throw a beard and a top hat on him and he'd look a lot like Abraham Lincoln. I am stoked about this comment on several levels! Obviously, I LOVE that the name "Abraham" is woven into this multidimensional cosmic joke, especially since it connects to fabulous partner. I admit that when I first heard the observation, I could have gone into some judgment--I felt the tug. Happily, I've been joyriding the Vortex enough recently to ignore that and go with the fun; if you know me at all, you know that I'm always talking about how I want to have fun. So, there I stood slapping a beard and a stovepipe onto the image of my beloved and knowing that it made almost no sense and still it made me laugh. Then I began reveling in the thought that our friend came up with this totally unexpected idea and that he said it out loud. I started thinking about Abraham Lincoln and remembering how when I was a girl, I worked my way methodically through an entire series of cloud-gray clothbound biographies at the Gold Hill Library.* I realized that I would often develop crushes on these historical subjects. My crush on Abraham Lincoln lasted quite a bit longer than most, fueled as it was by a drawing of a beardless young Abe I had seen somewhere. I began appreciating my ability to conjure so many happy memories from what most would deem a broken childhood. I appreciate the concept that nothing is broken, and that all is well and I enjoy that thought even as I write. 


Almost the minute I reunited with my fabulous partner, I told him about the Abraham Lincoln incident and he immediately caught the wave of humor and we laughed over it. I stayed up a little later than he did and I laughed as I got into bed and told him about my Lincoln crush. I remembered it almost the minute I awakened and we milked the humor together as we started our day. In fact, the first thing I said to him this morning was, "Hey, there, Abraham Lincoln, get over here so I can give you a hug."


"Get over here, you feisty heifer," he replied, and yes, I laughed and yes, there's the link to the Vortex pasture reference.


So here's what we've been doing: We've been practicing the vibration of the Vortex. And even though that particular pathway was specific to me and my taste in humor and my appreciation of the somewhat bizarre observation, my partner allowed himself to be ignited by it too. 


So how has this all turned out? I've had the most lovely morning! I did dishes and swept and tidied and showered and lounged barefoot with my coffee.  I appreciated aloud all the aspects I enjoyed along the way: 


"I love seeing a cleared-off counter." 
"I adore feeling a newly-swept floor under my bare feet."
"Espresso with honey and cream tastes marvelous."


I also began seeing clearly how contrast creates expansion. Every comment I've listed is one I've expressed or thought about in a negative way many, many times in the past. I felt the tug of judgment several times as I went to YouTube for further expansion. I practiced feeling the tug and reaching for appreciation instead. All of this wonderful expansion has been helped by some recent videos from The Happy Jackster, whom I believe I have mentioned in a previous blog. Jacqueline Paesano Wood is a YouTube Goddess whom I appreciate greatly, because she consistently delivers wonderful, honest content as she practices what she calls high vibes. She and her co-creator, Liz Green, also talk about living in Easy World, the one you create as you navigate life from inside your Vortex. Happy Jackster's two videos on money have really stirred up something in me that I feel has been bubbling up again and again. I believe I've said it here before (I often don't remember what I've written, though, so.....), much of what gets stuck in my craw boils down to "What will people think?"


Jacqueline has adapted some processes that I think are really cool. So cool, in fact, that I will be using these vids when I sit in for our host at next Saturday's LOA Meetup here in Salem. Enjoy her:


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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozf8iraJ3_E&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL


In addition, I expected to find something wondrous along the way as I Vortex-surfed this morning. I don't often talk about Angels and Archangels in the Vortex Diary, but I confer with them, if not often, at least regularly. Angels saved my life on at least two occasions and saved my soul when I was thirteen. Angelic intervention is very real to me and I enjoy thinking about Angels very much. Angels led me to Abraham, and to this wonderful life that I now enjoy, so let's hear it for Angels! In my short exploration this morning, a video led me to the title of a book which I will manifest soon called "Angels In My Hair". I adored the video I found when I went to Amazon: 


http://www.amazon.com/Angels-My-Hair-Lorna-Byrne/dp/0385528965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313338601&sr=8-1

Have a delightful day and even if you don't, remember that you are precious and thank you so much for contributing to the expansion of the Universe. When you have those Step One moments, maybe you'll remember to say, "You're welcome, Universe!"






*Many tangents tempt me here. A short vignette on Jewell Routh, the cigarette-smoking volunteer librarian/social critic/raconteur, for one, but I'll save it. 

Abraham: Evidence of Being In Complete Control of EVERYTHING

This is one of my Frida Kahlo Flags (I've been obsessed with Frida since I was a teen). I did a series of these a couple of years back.

I awoke pretty much in the Vortex this morning. Fabulous partner had taken the day off so I knew I'd get to visit with him in a much more leisurely manner than is usual for a weekday. I've been deeply immersed, off and on, in some artwork projects (creating a Junk Journal or Smashbook, making the tags I showed you in the last blogpost, doing my own version of Zendoodling in which I add bright colors to what is usually only done in black and white and attempting to create my own Washi tape). I listen to a lot of Abraham on YouTube, but I also follow a lot of sister artistes who generously share their endeavors and spark me into "having" to make something--a feeling that I relish. If you're interested in any of these somewhat obscure art projects, just google any one of the terms and you'll find lots of info. 


In addition to my personal art endeavors, the new season of Project Runway just began and a very good friend and I meet every Thursday to view the newest episode. We get WAY into it. If you're at all familiar with this particular reality series, you know that it's about fashion designers and that Portland area designers have won the competition a few times. There are two Portland designers this year, so it's pretty exciting. 


On top of that, a local Salem/Portland comic, Ron Funches appeared on Conan last night and got a TON of laughs and Conan called him "hilarious". Fabulous partner and I reviewed the performance this morning and reveled in Ron's success. We had both seen Ron open for Michael Ian Black at the Helium Comedy Club show that launched my recent excursion into live comedy. 


I showed my friend my homemade Washi tape last night and after she left, I began playing with it in my Junk Journal on my fabulous, perfect-height-for-me peninsula in my LOVELY kitchen which I appreciate time and again each day. I so impressed myself with my artistic brilliance that I went to bed in the Vortex. I could barely tear myself away from my journal this morning even though I was dressed for my morning walk and had my earphones hanging round my neck ready to listen to Prince in the park.


I experienced some contrast before my walk and I'll be darned if it didn't get stuck in my craw, as Abraham likes to say. I might have remembered an Abraham excerpt that I shared in a previous Vortex Diary blogpost, but noooo:


http://vortexdiary.blogspot.com/2011_06_26_archive.html


It's the one that answers the question about why we run into ornrey or intransigent folks even when we're in or near the Vortex ourselves. Abraham's response is that as uplifters, we can use those opportunities to be amused by those whose behavior may look to us to be OOV and to overpower the negative or fearful or controlling vibe with our own higher, positive vibration. We do this by seeing them through the eyes of Source. HA! That's not what I did....I bailed out of the Vortex and got my underwear in a bundle (AREN'T I PRECIOUS???) Here I was being given a chance to expand and I just wouldn't take my expansion right away (YOU'RE WELCOME, UNIVERSE!!!) Coolest thing ever is that I just got out of my own way and started allowing (my Step 3) a few minutes ago and it was magnificent. Here's what went down.


I set out on my walk with my resentment active in my thoughts. I didn't shake it right away, but eventually the music and the beauty of my little park and moving my body conspired and there I was in the Vortex. I ran into a lovely neighbor I worked with for years and I repeated the story of my resentment!!! Oh, aren't I precious setting off more rockets of desire asking to be treated fabulously wherever I go? Aren't I generous to get something stuck in my craw and to wait to take my expansion by staying in Step One just a little longer? 


Still, I had an endorphin high going and a lot of energy, so I extended my walk a bit and began gathering bits and bobs of trash as well as feathers and sticks. I have an art project in mind into which I'll incorporate these park finds. When I got home I enjoyed my breakfast and an espresso and nursed my resentment by keeping it running it in the background. Even though I thought of it consciously only in flashes, it was still charged and active in my vibration. It was active enough that I created a segment of errands in which nothing went well. I couldn't find a receipt for a return I had. I created an extra trip for myself. Traffic didn't flow well. You get the picture.... 


But here's the neatest thing of all. I knew that I was responsible for every event I experienced. "I did that!" I thought. I knew that I was creating the whole thing. I knew that all I had to do was to change my thinking and that I could create something completely different. I knew that the Vortex was right there. I knew that Source was calling me. How cool is that??????????


After all this transpired, I decided to just chill. That's when I re-read an email from a wonderful friend and Abraham fan who thanked me for the last Vortex Diary, which she said reminded her to reach for a better-feeling thought when she was OOV. I had to laugh, because she was actually reminding me to do exactly the same thing. I replied to her and could feel my vibration lifting. Since I was chilling anyway, I surfed over to YouTube and picked out a Vortexchillin75 video. I thought from the title that it was one that I'd heard recently, but that I think is wonderful. It was the excerpt I'd expected. I was hurtled into the Vortex immediately. I knew the story that Abraham was about to tell and the mere anticipation of the pleasure of hearing it again intoxicated me. 


"I did that!" I thought as I basked and listened and practiced the vibration of the Vortex. It so supercharged me that I have typed this whole blogpost at superspeed and enjoyed every minute of it. Here's the story for your listening enjoyment:


http://preview.tinyurl.com/PeggyAndTheMissedConnection




Love ya'; mean it! Bye.


P.S. Fabulous partner returned home and we decided on the I'd fly if he'd buy arrangement for dinner. A lovely young woman (probably going into her freshman year  this fall) held the door open for me as I came into the restaurant. The equally lovely young woman who worked there delivered my to go order to my table rather than call out my number. The first young woman whispered to her younger brother as I received my order and he ran to the door to hold it open for me. Evidence of our improved vibration is always there if we care to notice. Thank you, garage sale gals, for the expansion. You're welcome, Universe, for all of us doing our parts to offer expansion to you.

Abraham: Puttering, Prince and Veering in the Vortex

I manipulated this photo of a crazy-beautiful vintage creation with gorgeous crocheted edges. 

Hey, Y'All!
August already! I've been puttering in my basement studio today having a lot of fun making hang tags for my Etsy customers. I like to make their orders look fab when I send them off--sort of vintage variety store style. I love to wrap the item in brown paper and secure it with twine to the ends of which I've adhered beautiful circles of paper that I stamp with an appropriate sentiment like "Enjoy". I have an opulent profusion of papers from which to choose. I love taking an elderly or mousy pattern and transforming it. Now I'm thinking that I need to take pictures to show you all the results. This is a perfect example of what happens when I'm blogging:


I so adore talking about the things I relish in life that I'm flooded with ideas as I'm in the process of writing about them. I'm happily paddling down the beautiful Blog River and can't help but notice Photo-Op Creek or Papercraft Brook along the way. I start to get a bit agitated until I remember that none of us will ever run out of ideas or inspiration. I can relax and enjoy writing and I don't have to worry that I'll forget something or "lose" an idea, because for every magnificent inkling I might temporarily neglect, there are a hundred more lined up and ready to launch. Here's a picture of the package. Out of this came a small line of tags that I'll put on Etsy which are fancied up with a little glitter glue, but that's a whole other tangent:

SO much fun to create in the Vortex!

It's been some time since I've published a blogpost, but I've been writing in bursts. I've begun to collect snippets I've written when I'm inspired and I'm putting them together into this one post. It's been that kind of summer. I'm often happily immersed in this project or that and have given myself permission to veer. I find the arguments between me and me quite beguiling. The inspired me is all, "We're restyling the china cabinet NOW!" as the OOV* practical me retorts, "Let's vacuum, do laundry and sort mail FIRST and then you can play with all the pretty things." 


I find that if I listen to the haughty yet convincing OOV voice, I may accomplish some stuff, but it takes longer, things go wrong and I end up even more out of the Vortex. Veering is Vortextual. Here's the restyled china:

This task was totally Vortextual!

That part of me that is sometimes OOV believes that fun is antithetical to accomplishment, but when I'm in the Vortex, I fly through tasks. And since I am currently in the Vortex, I'm going to publish this post, with but one more veer:

Algeria

Argentina

Australia

Brazil

Canada

China

France

Germany

India

Italy

Latvia

Malaysia

New Zealand

Nigeria

Peru

Phillipines

Poland

Romania

Russia

Serbia

South Korea

Thailand

UKZambia 

That is a list of countries that show up in the pageview stats. This is a shout out to all my readers and a warm recognition of those of you around the world who like to explore the Vortex with me. I set out on this expedition with several intentions and have reaped more than I could ever have imagined. Thank you, fellow explorers!

These are the snippets and some stop abruptly. Enjoy!

Monday, July 26th
I just pulled myself away from Photoshop where I've been employing the power the program gives me to get surreal if I want to, like I did in the picture above. I love puttering down one artistic avenue and veering off into another just because. I have this wonderful camera and a sufficient amount of skill to have fun with the learning curve I'm experiencing. Photography always fascinated me. It started with a book entitled, I believe, "The Family of Man". The only one like it that my parents owned, that book overflowed with photos of people from all over the world. I have no way of knowing how many hours, days, weeks or months I spent joyously poring over this collection, but those photos seared into my consciousness so deeply that I felt I knew the subjects personally. The skillfully rendered black and white photos schooled my eye at an intuitive level and fueled a desire to take pictures. I love to play at photography and often enter the Vortex both while capturing images and while processing them in Photoshop. 


I did get swept into the Vortex today and found myself judging the value of what I was accomplishing, which quickly got me booted out. I want to keep noticing when I'm swept in so that I can milk it once I'm in and keep practicing that vibration. I believe I'm in an extremely expansive phase right now because when I'm in or near the Vortex I feel marvelous and when I'm out it's unpleasant. In fact, I just returned from a long break from writing this post after developing a severe case of syntax anxiety. You've heard me speak of my desire to not give a rip what anyone thinks. When word worry cripples my writing I know I've taken a detour out of the Vortex and into self-consciousness, and it's time to do something else. It took time, but puttering, a pleasant phone conversation and some tea cupboard organization swept me back into this wonderful place where words sing rather than nag. 


Tuesday, July 27th
Got so tired I quit writing, but I was still in the Vortex while I readied myself for sleep. I basked in my bed for quite some time (fabulous partner was out of town) and even sang a few songs. My voice and I communed several times this week, so it was ready to go and we both enjoyed the songs. Singing in the Vortex.....mmmmmm. I don't remember my dreams exactly, just a feeling and some impressions and I awoke completely in the Vortex. I had my phone and earphones, so I meditated in bed. I've really been enjoying the General Well Being meditation for first thing in the morning. Then I milked being in there in order to practice the vibration of the Vortex. I paid attention to the elements of the environment that contributed to the feeling of being in. I focused on some friends and family and practiced seeing my Vortex versions of them. I thought about a few subjects and noticed where and how the resistance manifested. When and if it did, I refocused in a more general way or switched topics. I visited my insides and tracked sensations.


I am remembering to stop trying to get into the Vortex. If I'm really way out I might take a nap or do something completely selfish. I told a friend recently that while I think I'm quite selfish, my actions often come from a place of trying to accomplish something, often with another person or the committee in my head in mind. I may be trying to please, make an impression, or affect their judgement of me. The committee is the toughest, because they ask me to justify EVERYTHING. They would actually prefer that I punch a time clock and keep a log of all my activities to justify my worthiness. The call of Source scares them until they've been soothed and wrapped in the "warm blanket of worthiness" that Abraham mentions in the Vortex meditation. Music is one of my shortcuts into the Vortex. Recently, I lined up with the following song on a Prince album that came my way as my incredible son and I (simultaneously in the Vortex on that particular day) ran errands in Portland. Prince is apparently not just aware of the Vortex (the lyrics are all about being there), but I like to think that being in the Vortex has changed him. He has apparently loosened up about letting his music be on YouTube. I love you, Prince, and appreciate your generosity. Here's the link and the lyrics to "Future Soul Song":  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcka7eGySTY

"Future Soul Song"

I had a dream last night That I was flying for the first time 
And in the dream I could pilot my flight 
With the thoughts in my mind 

Since there wasn't any up or down 
Everybody was all around 
When we sang, we all sang together 
Oh, what a beautiful sound 

Ooh, ooh, sha la la la la 
This is the future soul song 
Ooh, ooh, sha la la la la 
This is the future soul song 

I had a dream last night 
That I was singing and the sound of my voice 
Seemed to come from every mountain top 
Like it had no choice 

And when my voice rose, so did the sun 
When the trees sang the harmony as one 
Every living soul sang the most beautiful 
Melody ever sung 

Ooh, ooh, sha la la la la 
 This is the future soul song 
Ooh, ooh, sha la la la la 
This is the future soul song 

Before the war the only words and language said 
Let there be light 
Those that can see it are the ones who believe it 
And put up no fight 

And in the absence of fear and control 
Is the sound of the surrendering soul 
Louder than the dogmatic persecution 
I sing it like you got that right 

Ooh, ooh, sha la la la la 
This is the future soul song 
Ooh, ooh, sha la la la la 
This is the future soul song 

Ooh, ooh, sha la la la la 
Ooh, ooh, sha la la la la 
This is the future soul song

Abraham: So Much Evidence So Much Joy

One view from my front yard.

I really love urban art.

Please assume that when you don't hear from me that I am either OOV* temporarily OR that I am so caught up in amazing experiences and opportunities that I'm too busy to write. Either way is fantastic, cuz you can't get it wrong and you never get it done and even when you're OOV you're just packing your luggage for an extra cool trip to Step 3. 


Tonight I used 4 free tickets to Helium Comedy Club in Portland to see a show that I couldn't have imagined would be SO fabulous. My friend and I have been there 3 times now with various other people, but she and I always feel like we're in a much larger and more glamorous city when we go there. Both other times we've gone was fun, but tonight's visit with my son and a wonderful friend visiting from North Carolina was THE most Vortextual of all. The headliner, Tom Wilson (Biff from Back to the Future) was not on my radar at all, which I don't really understand, because this man is a gift to us all. He had a packed house choking with laughter throughout his entire set and he was totally in the Vortex himself. Some comics I've seen are quite hilarious, but I've never seen a comic have so much fun in front of me. His spirit and energy changed me permanently. I am more loving and open for having spent that hour with him seeing firsthand what an artist who loves his craft is capable of.


WARNING: This next passage could bore you to tears if you don't love technology the way I do. I've been wanting to talk about my favorite notetaking program here for a LONG time, so here goes:


I listened to new Abraham YouTube clips all the way home. I've known for a long time that accessing YouTube on my phone using Evernote is way more efficient than going to the YouTube website. I  use Evernote to organize the clips that I link you to in these Vortex Diary blogposts. I name my tiny URL's of the clips so that I'll recognize them and maybe add some notes in Evernote to remind me of what I want to say about them. I noticed that clicking the links from Evernote on my phone is super-speedy. Right before I left today it dawned on me that I could dump a bunch of new clips into a note and preview them as I drove. I was in the Vortex when I thought of this and that just helped me milk it. The drives to and from Portland accompanied by new Abraham material were exceptionally pleasant. And the clouds.....YAAAAY, clouds!


So, I arrived home very late (it is now the tiny hours of the morning) and checked my email. I will say before I tell you this next nugget that I had an unusually high number of invitations and commitments and opportunities for what is now today, Saturday, July 16th. Our Salem Abraham group meets this afternoon and three afternoon/early evening parties glistened before me. I had chosen one but realized that the time conflicted with the meeting and became oddly ambivalent when attempting to choose another and decided to opt out of everything. Immediately several MORE things came to my attention and still no choice felt quite right. I remembered to check my email before I went inside tonight and saw an alert from a good friend entitled "Bobby McFerrin". You know how I feel about him, dear readers. He and I have been connected for many years. His voice vibrates out of many pieces of art I have created and his music is often a gateway into the Vortex for me. So when I saw his name, my already high vibration sprazzled up a notch or two. I now understood why Saturday's schedule seemed so impossible to me: Bobby McFerrin is appearing less than an hour's drive away at a  wonderfully convenient time!!!!! Life is truly wonderful on top of fabulous layered with neon, thank you very much.


Evidence of my alignment pours down on my head lately like syrup made from sunshine. I couldn't possibly tell you every story because I'd have to stay at my computer almost all the time. Let's get telepathic so we can tell our stories in real time, because I know you all are having these experiences too. Here's just one that I love a whole lot:


Okay, so last Saturday, I really wanted to get to the herb store to purchase a couple of mixtures I've been inspired to drink. I honestly can't remember where I was vibrationally that day, but it seems like I was in the Vortex mostly and was having so much fun at home that I kept putting off driving to the store. I gave them a call at one point to ask a question and got the answering machine, but figured they were busy with a customer, so I drove over. When I arrived I saw a sign in the window saying they were out of town. HMMMMM, I thought, I wonder what's up with this. What grand opportunity awaits me, genius creator that I am? The scenery, the temperature, the open road and the unknown beckoned. I will, I thought, just wait to see what happens. I felt inspired to go to another store to see if they might have the powdered herbs I needed even though I doubted they did. An appreciative giddiness bubbled up from my core as I attempted to count the shades of green on the 12th Street Cutoff (one of my favorite 40 MPH stretches in Salem). Hey, I'm going right past the $3.00 theater, I realized. I've got cash and time and who knows what's playing, I thought as I swooped into the parking lot. I cruised in and slowed WAAAY down when I saw the marquee, which provided unmistakable evidence of my alignment. See:

For those of you who don't know, my first name is Judy. This marquee, a combo of two shortened movie titles, "Judy Magee" and "Source Code" was arranged by the Universe simply for my benefit and joy and I appreciate it so much, Universe. Thanks!!!!

You see why I love Abraham so much???? There is just sooo much goodness wrapped up in deliciousness inside an envelope of intense pleasure and tied up with ribbons of gladness and delight inside the Vortex and it's Abraham who turned me on to it all. 


Oh, and lately appears a spate of leading edge thought presented by the lovlies who continue to supply all us YouTube junkies! I must reek of appreciation right now. As difficult as it is to pick just one for tonight, that's what I shall do. I also love the pictures on this clip:


http://tinyurl.com/AbeKidsVegans


Continue from wherever you are to revel in the goodness wherever you may find it and whatever it is. When you do not enjoy something, look away, dear ones, and you know I'm speaking as much to myself as to any one of you out there. I truly love and appreciate all of you out there that I know physically and those of you I know vibrationally. It is a good day to be alive.


*Out of Vortex

Abraham: Celebrating Big Egos and Other Stuff

I've really been enjoying reducing the clarity setting in Photoshop to make these dreamy-feeling effects.

Earlier Vortex Diaries reveal some of my history in 12-Step programs, which provided stepping stones out of a life I had surely outgrown and into one I naively imagined would permanently quench my thirst for happiness. Well, Honey... (have Whoopie Goldberg read this line in your head, please) things didn't quite go down  that way. Even before Charlotte Davis Kasl published her controversial Many Roads, One Journey: Moving Beyond the 12 Steps in 1992, I had been in a secret wrestling match with the concept of humility, one of the pillars of Bill W.'s amazing offering to the modern world. One point that Kasl makes very wisely, I believe, is that many of us women have patterns of humbling ourselves in ways that actually fuel the addictive cycle. I would boldly expand that notion to include both sexes and go out on an egotistical limb to proclaim:

HUMILITY IS OVERRATED!

There, I've said it! I, whose parents stomped out any lick of self-esteem to prevent a wildfire of conceit they feared would consume me and spread to my five younger siblings. And what was up with that? Since I am in the Vortex as I write this, I can see that they believed that innoculating their brood against big-headedness was the responsibility of any good parent. I am not alone. Most of us received, from numerous cultural messengers, reinforcement of the belief that the ego is the enemy. Well, I'm getting up on my high horse right now, too smart for my own good and too big for my britches, to toot my own horn all high and mighty to pompously and shamelessly bluster that I agree with what Abraham is saying these days. It's good to be egotistical. We are genius creators who are meant to be joyously conceited. I declare it publicly for the first time today, but Honey... (cue Whoopie one more time) deep down inside, I've known it all along. I've known it all along because Source has been there all along calling me toward my genius. 

Raise your hand right now if I've shocked you. I'm going to sit here for a minute and picture that. I'm going to practice not giving a rip whether I see a room, a stadium or even a sea full of raised hands. I'm going to picture Oprah and Eckhart Tolle sadly commiserating over my misguided celebration of ego. I'm going to love them and their beliefs, which, after all, aren't far off from mine. Hell, I'm even going to love any and everyone who would doom me to eternal damnation if they could. I'm loving you and them all because I'm in the Vortex and love is the best-feeling thought of all.

Lately, I've questioned my in-the-Vortex status. I have experienced a LOT of contrast lately and I've been worried. Worried that I'm attracting negative experiences and since I create it all, I must be doing something very wrong. Through some fine-tuning and chilling I've remembered that contrast creates expansion and that not only is suffering optional, it's impossible if I focus on the solution that is created in the same instant as the problem. Abraham states it succinctly. Negative emotion tells us that:

a.) Our emotional guidance system is working.

b.) We have expanded.

c.) We're just not taking the expansion.

I've just been doing that thing that I do that prevents me from hearing the call of source. I've been holding my hand on the hot burner of my negative thoughts. I've been way too focused on reality. I've had a bad case of what-isness. AREN'T I LOVABLE? AREN'T I PRECIOUS? That's me taking the expansion. Once again, if I let go of resistance, I feel better. If I feel better, I allow the solution to show itself to me. Here are two fabulous clips from Magiro333, whom I just found on YouTube recently:
http://tinyurl.com/BestPt1Response2NegEmotion


http://tinyurl.com/BestPt2Response2NegEmotion


Another thing I've worried about (I am so precious!!) is that I seem to run into some pretty negative people. In fact, right after I wrote the previous paragraphs, my fabulous partner and I went to a music festival. We sat down to eat our delicious meals purchased after wandering from booth to booth to appreciate the various choices and since I was in the Vortex, the wrap I got was just great. We sat at a large table enjoying our food and a jazz group led by a neighbor of ours, whom we were pleasantly surprised to see on stage. A woman with a plate of fettucine Alfredo approached a few minutes later and asked if she could sit with us. We welcomed her and as she prepared to sit, she struggled with her paper plate a little and made some very amusing noises as she righted it and prevented the meal from taking a tumble. She looked truly troubled by this and then began to complain about the "incompetent girl" that had served her. I ignored that and commented on the good music. She agreed the band was entertaining. A few minutes later another, younger woman  joined her and began complaining about the service. When I looked at them side by side, and heard their similar griping style, I suspected they were related. I commented on their gorgeous heads of hair and learned they were mom and daughter. They both ate their entire meals and the mom said that it was the worst she'd ever eaten, which I secretly found hilarious. They tried to draw me in to their negative rant about the bad service, and I repeated a line from a comedy routine about women from Texas. "Well, bless her little heart," I said. And bless yours, I thought, as I shifted back to seeing them through the eyes of Source instead of judging their judging.


Later, as we watched an entertaining band and I shook shoulders and stomped and yelled in appreciation, I was also impressed by the couple next to us who kept getting up to dance. They looked pretty darned good out there and seemed to really enjoy it. When the band ended, we chatted and I introduced myself and my partner. They began bickering a bit over who was right about whether there was more entertainment. It was soft and joky at first, but it began to escalate, so we excused ourselves and left. I wondered why I would witness yet another negative interaction. Of course, the minute I got home, I went to YouTube, and as usual, one of the first clips I found answered that question immediately. One of the most basic of Abraham's teachings is that we need all kinds of rascals around us to create the contrast that leads to our expansion. If we're seeing them through the eyes of Source, we're taking the expansion. Abraham says it so well and with such humor:


http://tinyurl.com/OthersCreateOurVortex


So, long story short, quit worrying so much. The Universe is on my side. Things are always working out for me. Thanks again to Abraham and all of you who work as cooperative components in the expansion of the Universe.

Abraham: Aftermath of Portland Abraham Workshop

A Portland cat.

This is less than 2 minutes long:

http://tinyurl.com/DidWeFindAbeDidAbeFindUs

I am so FILLED with love right now that it feels as if my Vortex is beating like a giant heart all around me. This is the feeling of complete and utter alignment with my Inner Being that sometimes feels elusive to the point of misery these days. It's so true what Abraham says: 


You can't go back once you've tasted deliberate alignment. Living in and around the Vortex is so delicious that once you've gotten used to it, being out feels worse than ever. 


So, feeling awful is really good news. Most of us have spent so much time out of the Vortex before we discovered Abraham that we got used to feeling bad, just okay, pretty good, and at times very good, but none of it necessarily on purpose. I, for one, had no idea that life is supposed to feel good, and that I could choose to feel wonderful by deliberately choosing to do so, thought by thought, and moment by moment. 


I learned some incredibly powerful lessons before, during and after the Abraham workshop in Portland on Saturday (June 18th). 


Lesson Number One: Loving What Is
I've gotten very good at ignoring reality. I loved the woman in the hotseat on Saturday who worried about being in denial when it came to relationships. Her question dealt with the deal breakers, as some might call them, in past relationships. She--like almost everyone in our culture--felt she was ignoring red flags about some of the men she had known despite the fact that she really, really liked them and appreciated much about them. She had come from an alcoholic family and had probably done some 12-Step work or some theraputic work, or both, in which denial of reality is pathologized. Abraham congratulated her on being in denial and guided her to look ONLY  at the positive aspects of her partners. I didn't identify too much with her situation at the time of the workshop. I, after all, am in a long-term relationship and I truly love my partner and appreciate him very much. It wasn't until later, when I'd lost contact with my Inner Being temporarily, that I realized that I'd been doing some very sloppy thinking in that arena (I love me very much; aren't I precious?) I'd been doing so well on other fronts, but I had been letting it slide a bit when too many moving parts got my attention the night before the workshop (driving in rush hour traffic, meeting an out-of-town friend who is unfamiliar with the Vortex, and pre-paving my whole busy day only up to the part that I assumed would be a lot of fun). Here's what I learned: my Book of Positive Aspects is an invaluable tool. It's just a cheap little notebook in which I've listed almost everyone I know and interact with on a regular basis. I have Post-It flags dividing up the sections (office supplies are very Vortexy to me), and I've taken the time to list the positive aspects of each person. I started with those who are the most difficult to see through the eyes of Source consistently. I wrote down EVERYTHING wonderful about them that I could think of. Sometimes I could only come up with a few things at first, but as I kept attempting to see my Vortex version of them (seeing them through the eyes of Source), I was able to come up with longer lists. I identified everything from physical characteristics to good taste in clothing, from strengths in personality to talents. Sometimes it was a stretch and I ended up noting a particularly nice pair of socks I saw them wearing. I review the lists occasionally and add to them. And here's the magic: If I take time to quickly read through the list right before I interact with the person, I have way more fun than when I don't. 


I hadn't made a page for our out-of-town friend whom I hadn't seen in a couple of years, so I was just winging it. Instead of loving him where he is and seeing him through the eyes of Source, I did some Step One work and observed things in him I'd forgotten about that I don't like and I focused on that instead of his numerous and wonderful positives. Not only that, I forgot to appreciate the contrast temporarily and completely forgot that I can jump into the Vortex any time I want to if I relinquish my focus on what is. I did have quite a bit of fun in and among the contrast-y moments, but my vibe took a dip that night as I used him as my excuse to ignore the call of Source. 


Lesson Number Two: Tell Your New Story Exclusively
Abraham often reminds us that getting to know someone should never include stories about where you've been. I'm often so amazed at how far I've come that when I meet a new person, I want to demonstrate the power of deliberate thinking by talking about the extreme contrast of my past. It's true that many of us deliberate creators who are enjoying the sweetness of the Vortex on a regular basis are also born teachers who seek to uplift those around us. I can easily fall into the trap of telling the old story, which is quite dramatic, and for which I am ecstatic at having lived, as I get to know a new person. So, fabulous and wonderful new person to whom I blah, blah, blahed the old story on Saturday morning, forget everything I told you if you please, because it really doesn't matter where I've come from. What I forget, at times, is that even though those things happened long ago, I am telling that story in the present moment and I have to lower my vibration to tell that story. And it's amazing how telling one part of the old negative story attracts other parts and pretty soon a trend has started. So I'm sticking with my new story; it's a much better story. 


The point of briefly revisiting those detours from the Vortex is that even though I spent all day Saturday in the Vortex, I had a little bit of a hangover from those Step One moments of focusing negatively. I had two very late nights Thursday and Friday and a very busy week in general, so when I got home on Saturday afternoon, I crashed hard. On the couch. Fully clothed. I think it's very common to download lots of information after seeing Abraham, as well as to make major vibrational adjustments. In addition, fabulous partner was working away on a plumbing project in the basement and those banging and creaking and watery sounds, I believe, figured into whatever was going on with my sleeping body and mind. Let's just say that when I awoke around 8PM, I had no idea where I was. I only stayed awake for a couple of hours and then trundled off to bed.


Sunday was one huge long adjustment period. It took quite a while and a double dose of meditation to find my way back to the Vortex, but when I arrived it was VERY sweet. And today I started with back to back meditation again from the Vortex meditation CD and had a killer day in the Vortex. When I went to YouTube I found exactly what I'd needed to hear, starting with that very short clip at the beginning of the blogpost. Here is another amazing clip that addresses exactly the lessons of this weekend:


http://tinyurl.com/DontLetRealityTrainYourVibe


In addition, I found some new YouTube folks to subscribe to. Eventually, I'll get around to doing another homage to those generous YouTube uplifters. One of the hotseaters on Saturday mentioned how he visits YouTube often, as did a wonderful artist with whom I walked to Starbucks with before the workshop.


Abraham was FANTASTIC! I squeezed some time from my extremely busy week to make--very quickly and somewhat haphazardly--some Vortex Diary cards to pass out to folks at the workshop.  The cards read:


Vortexdiary.blogspot.com
A hardcore Abraham fan documents her experiences in the Vortex.


I was pumped about the trip and about seeing Abraham and in the Vortex and running on adrenaline, I'm sure, and the minute I got to the workshop began passing out cards--about 50 of them. I met so many extraordinary people. Gorgeous, generous, wonderful souls beaming the light of who they really are. Artists, writers, healers, soldiers, teachers and just regular folks who happen to be, one and all, on the leading edge of thought in this incredible Universe of ours. I spoke with several of the hot seat victims, as Abraham likes to jokingly refer to those select few who are called upon. It was a pleasure to interact with so many lovely souls and I invite any of you to subscribe or to email me if you'd like to be on an email list to be notified of new blogposts. I also post on Facebook and Twitter (Judy Corona and JudyFrida, respectively), so there are lots of ways to follow the blog.


I'm really rambling here, as is my habit at times. I will write more specifically about seeing Abraham in the future, I think. Suffice to say, it was amazing as always. This is the first time I've attended with friends and that was a spectacular bonus. Our Abraham group in Salem is turning out to be a wonderful resource for me, and seemingly for many others. Kudos to our wonderful organizer who heard the call of Source and created a space for us all to come together. She is so awesome! 


And a shout out to a friend who is going downstream on some health issues right now. I've been picturing her in perfect health on a daily basis because that's what is in my Vortex and in hers. Much love.

Abraham: Soothing and Loving and Feeling My Way Into the Vortex

A photo from my first shoot with my camera. I'm learning more about its operation and think I would have been able to get more detail in the worm's body if I took the same pic today, but I like it just the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, what a perfect, perfect day! This day follows on the heels of some fabulous contrast on several fronts involving the kitchen remodel which provided me with the opportunity to practice pulling back the thoughts that would stop the allowing process. When what looks like a sure-fire catastrophe, screw-up, perfect opportunity to blame someone else for what seems to manifesting in my "reality" (old news) happens now, I often am able to stop myself and say, "Hmmmm, I wonder what incredible opportunity has been created for me by this problem." I'm able to remember, often, that the very instant a problem arises there is a solution created and that the Universe has scores of solutions available to me. If I allow myself to remain in the Vortex by pulling back the "woe is me" thoughts and if I can ignore all those around me who want to tell me how bad this is going to be and just chill, the Universe will knock itself out to give me huge gifts. Here's yet another story:


We ordered our appliances from a local company about 5 weeks ago. Their normal delivery time is a couple of weeks. I started calling last week, because our contractor needed to install the microwave hood before he could begin working on the luscious glass tile backsplash. I found that our salesman was not available and BECAUSE OF MY SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF MILD FRUSTRATION, I created a situation in which the one appliance that we needed was the one appliance that had not shipped. I did that! I am so precious and I was having a Step One moment (asking) that would make my Step Three (allowing) even more delicious. Because I was not at that time a cooperative component, I was unable to attract other cooperative components to the situation. Long story short, as of yesterday morning, the story was that the model we had ordered was discontinued; there were none in transit; I was one of 9 customers who had ordered this model; I was not first in line if one was found; the owner of the store was being ignored by his sales rep; my salesman was gone for weeks and probably some other details I'm forgetting. I tell this story joyfully because as I received each piece of information, I pulled back the negative thoughts and made statements like, "Things always work out for me," "The Universe is on my side," "My only work is to stay in the Vortex," "I needn't worry myself about this because my beautiful kitchen is already complete," etc. I would not allow even fabulous partner to go dire on me. I would just say, "I'd prefer to tell a different story," or "I can't wait to see what wonderful solution lies ahead," or "I'm a deliberate thinker, so I'm going to think about something else right now," or "I need to get into the Vortex before I attempt to think about this."


I got a call from the store owner yesterday. Not only was that particular model discontinued, the replacement model was smaller and less powerful, had lower CFM's (less sucking power) and wasn't available until August. (I was at that point deliberately pulling back negative thoughts.) But what he was going to do for me was offer me the floor model at a nicely reduced price!!! I should take away those exclamation points because I was not even surprised. I truly knew that because of my current vibrational level, I could not create a catastrophe. I HAD TO be creating an even better solution than buying that model at the very good price we paid for it originally. Oh, yes, the concierge was at work.


In addition to that evidence of my current vibration, there were countless other conversations, synchronicities, coincidences in my day. A person pulling out of a space in a full parking lot just for me. Feeling pulled back to my house during my busy day only to find myself arriving within 30 seconds of a tile delivery. Numerous interactions with friendly strangers, happy babies and delicious friends. And best of all, celebrating a fabulous friend's birthday with her and two of her fabulous sisters and ALL OF US are Abrahamsters! Who could ask for anything more????


So when I began my day today feeling a bit delayed and started to do things while slightly OOV*, I dropped everything and got to my computer to check out an Abraham clip or two. Following is what I found and what influenced the title of this blogpost. I hope you will love it as much as I did, for it moved me right into the Vortex where I remain and where I am milking it by amplifying my connection by doing one thing I love to do: writing to you all. Enjoy:


http://tinyurl.com/WhatIsInHisVortex


Also, just a shout out to all those from other countries who are finding their way to the Vortex Diary. I can see the pageviews in my stats in Blogger/Blogspot, so I don't know if people are actually reading posts, but some are, I'm sure. So hello, Latvia, China, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Canada, Romania, Australia! I've seen many other countries in the past, but I'm now noting new countries in Evernote so that I can acknowledge you all out there. I so appreciate all of you for being cooperative components in the Abraham experience. I love you all. 


*Out of the Vortex