SSS Card Kit Giveaway/Vicky Papaioannou

Vicky Papaioannou is one of my favorite YouTube artists. She is very talented and her videos are beautifully produced and are always informative. Her latest video can be seen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxP3FcPBYWQ 

and she is having a giveaway on her blog:

http://www.clips-n-cuts.com/2015/09/3-cards-and-giveaway

You have a chance to win the September 2015 Simon Says Card Kit of the Month.

I know you'll enjoy Vicky's YT channel and her blog, too.

Abraham: Sick and Happy

An Artist Trading Card I made last year.

Jubilation and a runny nose may seem incompatible, yet here I sit manifesting both symptoms. Looking back on the day, I see that my ride on this revel began while I listened to some Abraham YouTube clips before sending the links to a friend. I had actually promised her clips I had seen previously in which Abraham addresses the subject of weight loss and food. I went to my YouTube subscription page to look for them and discovered that some just-as-spectacular newly uploaded clips awaited me. As I listened, a tickly warmth danced round inside me. Today, it turns out, I weigh one less pound that yesterday. And that one pound added to all the pounds I've lost since the end of 2011 totals 50 pounds! And it all started with Abraham. This clip sums up how I began:

http://tinyurl.com/MakingPeacW-WhereYouAre

The making peace aspect meant that I quit taking action and quit thinking about my weight. I appreciated myself daily. I found things about my body to love and revere. I waited for inspiration. I took inspired action and stayed open to more inspiration. I quit worrying about the outcome. At one point I stayed the same weight for over 4 months. I regrouped and made peace with that and waited for inspiration. Not at all coincidentally, I found a wonderful hypnotist who needed contact hours to obtain her degree and have been seeing her at no cost for several months. I began losing weight. 

During that 14 months, however, I would lose resistance and then gain it and my weight followed suit. When my action was not inspired, I would gain a pound or two. Then about a month ago, I found a process that is supercharging my efforts. My next blog post will address that topic.

Meanwhile, here's another fantastic Abraham clip on the subject:

http://tinyurl.com/BlessTheDistractionOfFood

Abraham: Lance Armstrong, Oprah, You Are Worthy Beyond Description

(image courtesy of GraphicsFairy.blogspot.com)

Controversy entices me. The BIG stories turn my head and I feel the pull to take sides. Skilled at judgement from a lifetime of practice, I sometimes take pride in my facility at discernment. As I watched Oprah and Lance Armstrong sit together to speak yesterday, I found my sympathies conflicted. I tend to side with the underdog, so initially I identified with Armstrong. Vilification summons sympathy in me. I started getting my back up when Oprah went in for the kill. I found myself seeing her as a not-so-spiritual Oprah. Oprah, the journalist with the giant story. I watched my emotions roil as the waves of the story broke on the shores of my consciousness. I reflected on Oprah's position. I figured she felt she couldn't say no to this opportunity, but it was hard to hear this powerful woman invite shame upon this man. 

By the end, I loved them both very much. They are both incredible creators temporarily caught in extreme contrast. I doubt that either one is seeing themselves or the other through the eyes of Source. Armstrong says he is happier today than ever and I think that this is his call of Source. I would love to hear Oprah say that she knows that Lance is as wonderful a human as has ever lived, but it doesn't matter if she does, because I know Source sees him that way. I would love to hear Armstrong say that he is a worthy and lovable being just as he is, but it doesn't matter if he can see it, because Source can. I would love to hear Oprah say that this experience has led her to interview for purposes of upliftment only in the future, but even if she doesn't, that's okay. Whatever she does, I know that she is Source Energy in physical form and anything she does is fine. It's not for me to judge. This experience of falling in love with Oprah and Lance has lifted me into the Vortex where I see all contrast as beautiful. It reminds me that we are all in this together. There are no bullies, there are only those who vibrate at the same level and thus attract each to the other. And as they experience their co-creation, either may choose to focus in such a way that raises their vibration. The call of Source is always present; what is currently manifested is old news. We can choose to focus on the current manifestation, but if we want to change what is we must begin to tell a new story. I found this wonderful reminder today in the form of a rampage from Abraham. The title of this blogpost "You Are Worthy Beyond Description" comes from this clip from Zhanna Reiki's YouTube channel and I think you will enjoy it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nWSYsZ5inU

Thank you, Oprah Winfrey! Thank you, Lance Armstrong! Through you I found the opportunity to focus on seeing the world through the eyes of Source! I love the Vortex! I love contrast! 

Abraham: Beautiful Contrast

I wallowed in some delightful contrast yesterday. Awareness of my temporary disconnection from Source leaked in a bit as I berated and shamed myself for actions which had caused the inconvenience I had catastrophized into the downfall of civilization. I was driving at the time and I let the tumultuous sensations fueled by the momentum of the negative emotion blossom into a big loud expletive. Almost simultaneously I noted the blue of the sky. I tried reaching for a better feeling thought, but none was handy at the moment, so I groused and yelled a little more (mostly at myself) as I pulled into my driveway. I entered my house and just as I was leaning over to place my keys back into my purse I said out loud, "I'm really having a Step One moment right now." Relief and a modicum of clarity became available and instead of holding on to the anger, I let new thoughts begin filling in my grid.  

It took some time to be inspired into action that could possibly lead to a solution. The momentum into the positive outcome needed to build a little so I waited. I had the notion that I had to be in the Vortex before I took the action but as I looked at the clock, I realized that I had just about an hour before the end of the business day, and I wanted to at least get an answer before the week ended. I pre-paved as best I could--trust me, it wasn't much--and picked up the phone. The call lasted about 15 minutes and mostly consisted of me on hold waiting for the person to research the situation. During those hold times I watched my mind manufacture more catastrophe, and found that breathing extinguished some of the negative thoughts. I would love to tell you that the positive outcome of the phone call sent me straight into the Vortex. The hour-long drama had been building for quite some time, though, and it took a little while for positive momentum to gather the oomph to lift me into the Vortex. 

In the meantime, I had an impulse to go to YouTube and find some Abraham clips. With my resistance quickly oozing away, this is what Source had to say to me:

http://tinyurl.com/EliminatePhysicalContrast

Here's what I realized: I can always find something to catastrophize about. And while I'm doing that, I'm expanding the Universe and I'm adding to my vibrational escrow. AND I can always find something to be appreciative of even in the midst of the contrast. In fact, the images connected to the turning points in this episode--the blue sky though my windshield--my hand aiming keys at my purse on the wood floor--keep flashing through my mind. And as I see these frames from the storyboard of my life, I get a little charge. Those pictures remind me that Source is calling me even as I ride the crest of a huge wave of contrast. And as Abraham reminds us again and again as we jump out of a plane at 50,000 feet, "Don't worry, it'll be over soon."

Abraham: Shall I Sweep My Kitchen Or Be Swept (into the Vortex)?

With the help and encouragement of an Abraham friend, I am practicing the skill of doing nothing. I know it's not nothing to practice doing nothing, but it's a leap in the right direction.

I've allowed the peanut gallery--the "they" who tell me why, when and how to behave--to upload their interactive soundtrack into my brain. If I'm listening, it means I'm out of the Vortex.  So I hear them hissing their snide remarks about how I'm not measuring up, now am I? No, I'm not I silently agree. What should I do? 

Now here's the odd thing, it's never have a nap or turn up the music and paint a picture. Instead it's, "Look at that filthy scum around the knob on the stove. Get out the toothpicks, why don't you," or "Looks like monkeys cooked in here last night. Put everything away this minute so you can scrub down the counters and sweep this filthy kitchen floor." 

I've let the peanut gallery push me around far too much in the past. That's why I practicing getting into the Vortex and waiting for inspiration. When a voice pipes up, I shush it and and go general and then find something enjoyable to think about or do. Today I decided to listen to some Abraham on YouTube. As often happens when I'm being who I really am, the Universe gave me a lovely confirmation. Waiting for me, first in line on my YouTube subscription page was this delightful conversation aimed right at me. And it swept me right in:

http://tinyurl.com/MakeNoEffortUnlessYou-reInTheV

ABRAHAM: Tuning Up Our Grid

PROCESS FOR
TUNING TO THE
VIBRATIONAL
FREQUENCY OF
WHAT IS IN YOUR
VORTEX

The blue moon on the brink of autumn offered yet another chance to marvel in appreciation of the heavens. As we glide into the next season I also appreciate the spiritual bounty of the last. And as always, I seek the excitement of the knowledge on the leading edge. At times that knowledge is wonderfully utilitarian. The following quote from the recent Seattle workshop jolted me pleasantly this morning. The emphasis is mine:

"...As you don't make a big hairy deal out of the things that are bothering you, and add emphasis to the things that are going well, let your work, your process, be more about making lists of positive aspects and....We would move from meditating--which is the most general thing that you can do with your mind--to making lists of positive aspects--which is the most specific thing you can do about those things that are important to you. And we would move back and forth between these processes and in doing so we would tune ourselves to the frequency of our Vortex. And then we would let the chips fall where they may. We would not try to control Law of attraction. We would not try to control other people. We would make a decision that we have a singular intent, and that is to be aware of, and therefore control, our vibrational output."

I love this formula and current evidence supports its efficacy. I put myself to bed this morning around 1 AM. As I lay there, I heard women singing in my head. 

I should note that while listening to a comedy podcast two days ago, I heard a beautiful Jean Ritchie song performed by Megan Mullaly, whom I adore. "Cool of the Day" lit up my music grid and made all the next logical steps perfectly clear:

a. listen to gorgeous song repeatedly 

b. sing along with gorgeous song repeatedly

c. decide to learn gorgeous song on the spot 

d. sing song wrong

e. sing song right

d. wash, rinse, repeat

This delicious detour led to other versions of the song:

http://tinyurl.com/CoolOfTheDay

I had to stop myself just now from listening to this Kith and Kin version, which I've already heard at least twenty times.

I sang the song again and again and sometimes the song sang me, which means I'm really in the Vortex. Long story short, I had just a few things I needed to accomplish that day and I let the song lead me anyway. It meant fabulous partner and I were late for a wonderful outdoor under-the-blue-moon-birthday-party, but it was fun late, not anxious late. And on the ride to the party, I began teaching the song to fabulous partner. 

So now it's been two days in the spell of the song and it plays its beguiling little tune as background music for almost everything. And there's synergy in creative pursuits. I sing, which makes me want to play with paints and paper, which makes me want to sing, which leads to writing in my journal, which leads me to more writing. So is it a surprise that as I trundle off to bed after applying color and words to paper for hours, that these women in my head would begin their song? I let the song lead me to the computer to record the fragment. And some harmonies. And to open other audio files and record new tracks. Two hours later I slept.

All of that glorious meandering is evidence of my connection and the firing up of my positive emotional grid through music. Discovering the wonderful YouTube clip and clearly hearing incredibly practical advice directly from infinite intelligence is more evidence yet. But I do adore witnessing really clear, almost instantaneous connections between adjusting my vibration and manifestation. This morning I noticed a little self-judgement after I spent another hour on my art journal. "You could have used that time to take some pictures for your Etsy shop," seemed to be the gist of the nagging. "Art journals and singing are all very nice, but they're not making you any money, now are they?"

"Nyah," I thought as I stuck my mental tongue out at the nagger, who is, by the by, ME. And it's just a subtle little voice. Just a practical suggestion, one might point out. But those subtle, insinuations, which I picked up from somewhere else, are like tiny pebbles in my shoe. If I don't stop to shake them out, they're going to bother me with each step I take. For me that meant taking some spiritual sustenance instead of dining on guilt.

So I listened to the beginning of the clip. Oh, here's a link to the whole clip:

http://tinyurl.com/TuneYourFrequency

I reveled in the experience of vibrating in a place where I could hear Abraham so clearly. I began transcribing the words. I began making a list of things that are going well. I sketched out the picture you see above. I delighted in the concept. My phone chimed to let me know that I had an email. Not a bit surprising is it? Just the next logical step. One of my Etsy items had sold.

Special thanks to Sharron, who told me that I needed to be blogging. And thanks also to Magi Rose, who posited on the subtle nature of "that thing that we do" and got me to attend to that little voice. Next time, I won't even need to stick out my tongue, will I?

Abraham: Jerry's Beautiful Death

Since Jerry Hicks' transition into non-physical last fall, many puzzled over the fact that Jerry died from disease in his body. How, some asked, could someone who had such direct, intense and repeated exposure to the teachings of Abraham manifest a fatal illness? While I, and many others, had a knowing that Jerry's transition was right and good--perfect, in fact, I never heard nor came up with a satisfying explanation. I knew that Jerry was human and experienced resistance that might manifest as illness, but I never got far beyond that milepost of understanding. I certainly reveled in the stories of Jerry's new non-physical presence and the ways he made himself known to Esther and many others. To have Jerry join the consciousness we call Abraham seemed like a pretty incredible special feature in this movie we call life. Yet every now and then I would wonder why Jerry didn't die peacefully in his sleep. And as is always the case, when we ask, the asking is answered. And, as always, Abraham answers in the most beautiful, moving and satisfying way. Listen:


http://tinyurl.com/DidJerryPassFromResistance

For me, life is almost richer knowing that one of the premier askers of all time is now answering. We love you, Jerry, and thank you for your magnificent contribution to our knowing.

Abraham: Pre-Paving/Back Book Correction

The new pathway.
And thanks for the lovely comments and emails.

Another beautiful day from my Vortex perspective. I am very much appreciating our slightly refrigerated summers here in Oregon lately. I am thrilled to report that I did some deep relaxation last night and my neck and shoulders are feeling grand. An extra-long luxurious sleep delivered a complex three-part triumph-over-peril dream. Many things nearly went afoul in this dream yet solutions materialized in each scenario. I awoke realigned and chipper. 


I had a chance to practice going general last night. I quickly became petulant when a subject about which I've practiced negative thinking was raised. I had already been doing a bit of sloppy thinking, so when I touched upon this subject--WHOOSH--I was in full-on activation. I made one derisive statement and instantly law of attraction provided another and another, a couple of which I voiced. After this bit of indulgence I withdrew from the conversation by saying, "You know what, I need to stop talking right now. I got very negative and I need to realign." 


In the moment I made those negative statements it really seemed I had no choice. I don't remember even thinking, "don't go there". It felt like I HAD to put my hand on the hot stove. But thanks to Abraham and Somatic Experiencing (and the myriad other modalities and methods that address brain and nervous system  function currently springing forth from the cosmos), I know that patterns can be changed. I know that the WHOOSH of activation I experienced is simply my primitive brain's beautiful 1/125th of a second hair trigger responding to a perceived threat. Many of our modern brains don't differentiate well between real and actual threat; thus we have dug many deep neural pathways for intense activation into our brains. By taking my hand off the burner, I jumped the neural groove and began firing and wiring other neurons into new patterns. I got off the subject and soothed myself with an "I don't have to think about this right now" statement and began activating other subjects. It didn't feel completely authentic, but I began by noticing the beautiful vegetation along a huge concrete wall. Then I looked at the sky and the clouds. My heart rate decreased. Muscles began to relax. Breathing slowed.


It occurs to me as I write, that the dream is a reflection of this incident. During both the incident and the dream, things looked dire initially but solutions were close at hand. Nothing like a little contrast to stir the pot, make life interesting and offer practice at being who we really are. This little incident took maybe 15 minutes. I got negative for less than three minutes before getting off the subject. My hand got a little red and there might be a few blisters. Next time I'll be probably be swifter still.


I love this Abraham clip:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCQVWEgZOe4



**And in yesterday's post, I cited the wrong book. Here's the book I actually used:


http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Naturally-Mind-Body/dp/0743424646

Abraham: The Book In the Back Seat

I love birds and bunnies.

What a wonderful week this is being for me. I'm wearing shoes that feel like they were made for me for which I paid an in-the-Vortex price of $8. I've had pleasant visits with friends and family. And as I sit comfortably to type I notice how soft and supple my trapezius and deltoid muscles feel today, just as I knew they would eventually. Earlier this week those muscles told a different story and I chose to worry for a moment and blame myself for their tightness. Then I remembered that physical manifestations are the result of unchecked negative emotion and attention to contrast. I took my attention off the muscles even though they spoke loudly at me for days. I soothed myself with statements like, "I've had sore muscles before and it didn't last forever," and "I'm really excited about what I'm putting into my Vortex with this physical contrast." I focused on the many things that are going well in my life. I did self-care that even if it didn't fix the soreness was of benefit. I went about with my daily activities and stayed open to helpful information or suggestions for remedies. I've had a book for the last several months called "Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection":


http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446392308

As is often the case, I bought the book and put it on my reading table and left it there. I thumbed through it a few times, but never sat down to read it. My wonderful partner read several portions and gave it a very favorable review. A few days ago I threw the book into my back seat in case I needed something to read on my mythical coffee shop visit. Almost every day I think I'm going to go to a coffee shop to read a book. Almost every day I don't. But that little fantasy of mine is what got the book into the back seat and lined me (and a friend) up with some good-feeling muscles.


I went to Portland yesterday to spend time with my son and his wonderful partner and to run some errands. The three of us coffeed and dined and shopped and joked and told stories. We enjoyed each other's company for several hours and accomplished all our goals. I had one more errand and then planned to visit a longtime friend whom I had not seen in a very long time. Every so often throughout the busy day I would notice those sore muscles and redirect my thoughts if I strayed into negativity. It wasn't even that difficult, because everywhere we went, the people we encountered were above-and-beyond pleasant. We had so many lovely interactions that we ended up having a short conversation about them. I'm sure we basked for a good 68 seconds and I know that we had a high collective vibe as we parted ways. I noticed the book in the back seat as I dropped them off. 


So when I called my friend to give her an ETA and she mentioned that her back had gone out, I realized that the book being right there at the perfect moment was just part of the grid I had been establishing this week. I told my friend I had just the thing for her back and that we would work on it. I began to get a little stressed because I had lined up with rush hour but I decided to enjoy the stream of invigorating hip-hop on the new-car perk of XM radio. Jeezy, Snoop, Jay-z, Niki Minaj, Drake and Fifty Cent entertained me as I pre-paved the perfect route and some lovely breaks in traffic. I mused that I didn't have a clue what I would do for my friend, but figured that I would know what to do. I called on Metatron and Raphael for good measure and enjoyed the ride, which was quite brief and very pleasant. In my quest for things to appreciate in the 5 MPH traffic, I was treated to an amazing composition of concrete lines and curves populated by scores of automobiles. I had a we're-all-in-this-together flash that combusted into laughter that went well with the music.


I was thrilled to share my finds of the day with my friend and do some catching up. It was obvious that her back was not currently right. I had shown her the book and told her I was going to open it at random and let it lead me to something valuable. That book and I found THE most perfect spot to align with a beautiful section on deep relaxation. I read the information to myself and would have been amazed at its perfection, but I know better than to be amazed. When I am in a mode of appreciation and fun, fabulous things flow to me. I read the section to my friend and off we went.


The author, Dr. John Sarno, tells us that our back goes out on us at inopportune times because of stress. He relates a couple of stories about prescribing 30 minutes of deep relaxation to patients who reported excellent results and relief from acute pain. Deep relaxation stops the noxious loop that fear, worry and anger (negative thinking) perpetuate and that then causes us to tense our muscles.


Following the instructions in the book, my friend propped herself into a comfortable position on her couch. She lay so that there was no strain on her muscles or joints. With the lights low I began to read and as much as possible to do the deep relaxation myself as I sat in a comfortable chair. Dr. Sarno had us bring awareness to our breath and just notice the flow in and out of our lungs. He asked us to become aware of our toes, the tops and soles of our feet and our ankles. We breathed deeply, held it for an instant and then exhaled slowly. Next we moved to the lower legs and calf muscles. I used my phone's stopwatch to time about 3 minutes for each area (2 minutes is more like it). We spent 45 minutes in this altered state, and while my own muscles were still tight, I felt absolutely bouyant in all other aspects. My friend reported great relief and soothing. On my drive home I appreciated the power of establishing a positive grid where the next logical step is extremely apparent. I actually didn't notice how wonderful my neck and shoulders felt until a couple of hours after I awakened. I guess I just knew that things always work out for me.

Abraham: Letting Go Of The Oars=Going General

Such a long time since I last posted. It's been a busy year and it's been a good one, too. I am reveling in the new information we are receiving through Abraham about Esther's experiences with Jerry in his pure positive energy form. It's heartwarming and lovely to hear the stories of how he communicates with Esther using seemingly mundane circumstances and events. I love the one about Esther's unplanned (and somewhat unwelcome) trip to a drive-through that lined her up with a van bearing a huge sign professing Jerry's love for her. 


And while the new metaphor of the grid seemed somewhat elusive to me in the beginning, I am appreciating its utility as a teaching tool as I catch on to it a little more all the time. I'm enjoying the expansion of the understanding of the grid provided by the questions from brilliant leading-edge thinkers in the hot seat at the Abraham gatherings. In the following YouTube clip, the hot-seater makes a connection that I hadn't really thought about. When I began listening, "letting go of the oars" was one of the phrases that Abraham used to convey the notion of letting go of trying to control circumstances and events in our lives. This clip starts out with what I think is a cool interpretation of that phrase. It's also just a wonderful clip all around:


http://tinyurl.com/GoGeneral

So, enjoy, appreciate and pre-pave. I'm planning to take my phone to my room tonight so that the first thing I do upon awakening is one of the guided meditations from the "Getting Into The Vortex" CD. And before I go to sleep, I'm going to go very general as Abraham advises and sweep away any worrisome thoughts with statements like:


"I don't have to think about that right now." 
"Things always work out for me." 
"I'm doing that thing that I do. Aren't I precious?"


I'm going to look for the best feeling places in my body and focus on the hum of my being as I drift into the theta state. As I pre-pave here on the page I am experiencing a warm buzz on my skull in the area where Caesar's laurel wreath might have touched his head. It's almost like my scalp is hugging that area. Extremely pleasant. 

If you got here from a link on ArtJoyStuff:

ArtJoyStuff.blogspot.com

it's because Blogger is kind of quirky sometimes when you have more than one Blogspot. My art blog is here:

ColoresCorona.blogspot.com


Don't get too excited--I haven't posted there in a LONG time. I'm a teacher and have a wide range of interests and get very, very busy. I absolutely love to create, but when I have time I find that I would rather get my hands in the paper and ink rather than getting back on the computer. That's why I LOVE doing the swaps on Kimberly's blog! I still like some of the posts I did on my blog way back when and you might appreciate them, too. Thanks for visiting!

Abraham: Wonderful Jerry

Nearing the end of a wonderful Vortex meditation I heard the bird tweet sound my phone makes to signal that I've received an email. I observed myself wondering about who might be contacting me and finished the meditation which had soothed me into the Vortex. I sat for a few moments and milked the delicious physical sensations of warmth and expansion in my chest.  I picked up my phone and read  "Jerry Made His Transition". The email included the following words from Esther:

Dear, dear Friends, 

Our sweet Jerry made his transition into Nonphysical last Friday. How sweet the Vortex is feeling to him today!

Jerry said to me when we came together over 30 years ago that given the difference in our ages that it was likely “that I will cut out on you early,” to which I replied, “I don’t mind.” His joy of life and continual new discovery of purpose kept his life feeling fresh and we shared such joyous eagerness for life.

Over the years, Abraham has consistently insisted that there is no death. Again and again they have reminded us that there is only life and more life and more life. It has taken me some time to understand this, and I honestly must say I have not yet fully come to terms with it, but I do believe that in what we are calling Jerry’s death he is discovering the next logical step of life that Abraham has always been talking about. And at times I am catching a glimpse of the bigness of what Jerry is feeling and while I am still pretty mad at him for not sticking around longer to surprise and delight me in all the ways he has been doing throughout our 30 years together I accept fully that the next logical step of joyous life for Jerry was to be found in his re-emergence into Nonphysical.

Since 1985 it has been Jerry and Esther and Abraham and I believe with everything that I am that that has not changed. I know that Jerry will continue to be the third powerful point of the triad of Energy that makes up the Abraham experience and I am certain that his new vantage point will be, as it has always been, of advantage to us all.

I know for sure that Jerry will help me, in time, release my own personal resistance to physical death, because I will not be able to maintain that resistance and also play easily with him. And my desire to continue not only my Abraham experience but also my Jerry experience I am certain he will be the catalyst to help me do what Abraham has been trying to help us all do all along.

Once again, Jerry is out there leading the way for me. But the difference this time is that I must find the way. I am not there yet, but it is my absolute promise to myself that I will find the way, because it is the most natural thing in the world to do and because Jerry has provided for me the reason to do it.

I am eager about what is ahead and while I cannot begin to explain or even imagine the details of how it is all going to play out, I am certain that it will be fun.

I am such a fortunate girl, to have been able to play with Jerry and Abraham and all of you for so many wonderful years and I am so eager to continue doing more of the same for many more years to come. I feel certain right now that not only has nothing gone wrong, but things are going especially right. It will be different, for sure, but it will also be very, very good.

I’m feeling such love for you all, and for Abraham and most of all for Jerry. And as I have said to him a thousand or more times through the years, “Well isn’t life just a kick in the pants?”

Love,

Esther


Jerry, we love you and look forward to your further amazing contributions to the expansion of the Universe.

Abraham: Source Likes What It Creates

Madonna vision.

Several of you out there have recently heard me allude to some contrast I have experienced of late in regard to my creative endeavors. It came up last night in one of our fabulous local Abraham groups where the topic was financial well-being. I talked about the line in the Vortex meditation on finance which reminds us that we will know we have released resistance to our abundance when the success of another makes our heart sing. I absolutely love to look at the amazing things that others create--I find it stimulating and inspiring. When I'm in the Vortex I am thrilled for all those artists. I also recently shared with an Abraham friend about a painting project I'm working on. I returned a call from this friend after I had walked away from the task in frustration. I've been in the Vortex about this undertaking since I made the commitment to do this piece for a fundraiser. This project has taken many forms in my creative Vortex. At first, my ideas centered around collage, which is something I'm very comfortable doing. My approach eventually evolved into copying a painting and adding 3-D elements. The day I discussed this project with my friend, I had spent several hours recreating the painting. Even though I walked away from it somewhat pinched off, I did feel the reassuring presence of Source. My friend confirmed the message: leave it for now. When I returned for a look yesterday, I was very happy with what I had created and am eager to get back to work on it. And because I have a steady foothold in my creative Vortex, the Universe provided me with a customized message in the form of a YouTube video from the fabulous Beatrixme. In this clip Abraham speaks of the creative process in relation to the actual artistic manifestation which is very satisfying. But what's really satisfying to me is the elucidation of the creative process in relation to the business side of art. I'm not sure I've heard this question hit so head-on. Very satisfying and Vortexy to me. Life on the leading edge is so much fun. Thanks to all of you Abraham appreciators who read and comment and co-create in the expansion of the Universe!


Here's the link:


http://tinyurl.com/ArtistBusinessGrid

Abraham: Woke Up Laughing

I guess it's time to start saying "last summer".

I actually began laughing a good 15 minutes after I opened my eyes. I woke up fretting about something (blessed and now welcome contrast). I whooshed myself into the Vortex by doing a little Somatic Experiencing. I began by tracking the physical sensation associated with the fret. This I accomplished by visiting the constricted areas and watching those constrictions amplify momentarily, shift to other sites in my body, manifest myriad associated sensation and eventually dissolve, thus making way for the buzzing warmth that, in my body, signals and accompanies the basking "entering the Vortex" vibration.* 


Once I begin basking, my natural tendency is to start thinking of jokes--especially if I'm lying next to Fabulous Partner, who is an easy laugher on a weekend morning. I thought of wordplay that might amuse a 5th-grader and made myself laugh. I HAD to tell the newly hatched witticism to FP and, as expected, he tittered and giggled along with me. We spent the next half-hour or so in our jokefunlaugh Vortex that raised my vibration even higher. I puttered and appreciated my way through a delightful segment in the kitchen and brought my delicious coffee drink into the TV/Computer room. YouTube beckoned. I've kept myself so busy lately that I haven't kept up with my Abraham clip viewing. My neocortex, lovely and wise as it is, sometimes produces thoughts based on its love of novelty. Often when I see that someone has added clips from "old" Abraham workshops, I get a little crotchety (by the way, this is the word I woke up laughing about). I almost skipped the newest clips in the queue because they are from (GASP!) 2002. I'm really glad I didn't because I received some delightful evidence of my alignment. I mentioned that I've been busy lately and I have. I've also been in the Vortex as I've accomplished many wonderful things. Often as I'm getting ready for bed, I'll think, hey, I didn't meditate today. Sometimes I guilt myself just a bit even if I've had a great day. Thank you, Abraham, for reminding me (way back in 2002) that anything can be a meditation. I love this "new" definition they offer in this clip:
"Meditation is the process whereby you can teach yourself the vibration of connection."


http://tinyurl.com/SheCannotMeditateBoulder02




I also love this amazing and clarifying clip from the same workshop:


http://tinyurl.com/HorsesPullingApartBoulder02

I almost sold this little one-inch-tall penguin
at a garage sale. The woman wasn't willing to pay a dollar for it and I'm glad she didn't. I've had a lot of fun posing it with other tiny objects.

*I keep telling you that I'm working on sussing out the connection between the teachings of Abraham and Somatic Experiencing. Well, I received a block of thought recently that clarified this beautiful correlation, which I recognized on a cellular level yet could not quite articulate. I am currently joyously working on telling this juicy new story and will keep you updated. It's Super Neon Cool, people. The process I describe in the opening paragraph is part of the evolution of that story, so stay tuned.

Abraham: Who We Truly Are

Roses I manifested as evidence of my alignment. They showed up in a shopping cart at Winco one hot afternoon. Wilted though they were, they survived the shopping trip, and my 90 minutes at 24-Hour Fitness. Did you know that if you cut the stems of wilted roses under running water, they can come back to life like that rose in the middle (which represents me, I'd say)?? I learned that  tip from a Portland matron who owned a restaurant where I worked in the seventies. Thank you, Colleen.

September 9th
I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful I feel right now! It's a bit of a paradox, really, because I woke up experiencing physical symptoms that most would interpret as a classic I'm-coming-down-with-something situation. I started to take that road so well-trodden by the herd:


I focused on the kind of discomfort I experienced and where it was showing up in my physical apparatus.


I shared the information with fabulous partner to elicit sympathy.


I classified and categorized the symptoms and fished out a diagnosis from the sea of terminology identifying "illnesses" that most of us recognize and believe in.


I began calling it by a well-known disease name.


I joined, temporarily, those who believe in the germ theory and focused more strongly on the symptoms. The symptoms worsened.


And then I remembered who I really am.


I remembered that when I don't feel well physically, emotionally, spiritually or mentally, it is totally my own creation. 


I remembered that by the time something manifests physically, it is because I have ignored the call of Source repeatedly and did not take the expansion that contrast offers me. 


I remembered that a physical manifestation means that I am not keeping up with who I really am. As you read through this post, which I began long ago, you will see the genesis of the knowing that I recently received that allows me to rejoice over a set of symptoms that remind me that I am a powerful creator. 


One Abraham analogy that recently came into focus for me is "Yuma to Phoenix". Fundamental, modest--elegant, really, yet I just wasn't getting it and I knew it. I looked at it from many angles and finally came up with my own method of interpretation. I plugged in the names of my town and the town 50 miles north that I visit often. Bingo! I finally got that I believe in Portland every time I begin that journey. I don't question it because I am completely confident that Portland is there and that my car and I will arrive every single time. It's just a done-deal. That is faith. Based on that faith, I make the trip and I get there. 


Okay. So do I really believe that I can be or have or do anything that I want? The answer is YES because I have been in the Vortex and I have glimpsed what's in there. I hear the call of Source every day and I answer that call regularly enough to know from inside the Vortex that it's all in there waiting for me. It's just that when I'm outside the Vortex I stop believing in Portland and now I see how funny that is. Portland is there. Portland is real, or as real as anything gets. I have faith in Portland. 


At one point I sat with the "faith" sensation and experienced it in my body. I tracked the sensations of "faith". I remembered that action alone means nothing--it is faith in the outcome that makes me confident enough to take action. I am almost constantly offered opportunities to make things happen in my own life. I take the ones that seem like sure things and up to now have hesitated when I'm not sure how it will turn out and when I begin second guessing. "What will people think?" is a thought that underlies much of this second guessing. 


So today when I turned up "sick" in my here and now, I decided to ignore the symptoms, get into the Vortex and to take no action until I found those sensations of faith. I decided to listen for the call of Source in an attitude of self-love, relaxation and confidence that I would know exactly what to do. Results: 


WOW! I got totally inspired. I've been wavering on some action steps for one of my goals. I made a decision and lined up with it and saw the steps laid out for me. I spent roughly an hour "doing" and when I wanted a break, I took one. You knew, didn't you, that I went to YouTube where I discovered another amazing Abraham excerpt. I then felt inspired to finish this blogpost and here we are, Co-Creators. I'm going to have faith that these inspired words I've written over the last few weeks will resonate and I'm not going to do any more fiddling. I'm confident you'll all find your way through the post without any further explanation. I love you all! Enjoy. Here's today's link:


http://tinyurl.com/InventorMachine




Wednesday, August 24th
I have been in and out of the Vortex recently. In on a number of subjects consistently and out consistently on others. I also find I'm in and out on different aspects of the same subjects. For instance, I'm head-over-heels in love with my new kitchen. It's so gorgeous and it is such a reflection of a side of me that many people didn't even know was there. I love vintage and funky and artsy and weird. Ethnic, colorful, Bohemian, crazy, and wild are all tags I've used to describe my artwork and the merchandise that I sell and they are truly a reflection of who I am. But we are multi-dimensional brilliant creators, don't forget. We have the ability to conjure anything. When I was dreaming this kitchen, I let the stream carry me in a whole different direction. My kitchen is retro-modern with very clean lines--almost all of them straight. In fact, the curves are few and subtle: the handles on the appliances are all arcs; the cabinet pulls are comprised of cylinders; the glass tiles feature curved edges; the bullnose on the counter tile curves, and the faucet and the fan sport curves as well. It's elegant and very calming and much more minimal than anyone expected, I think. I am totally in the Vortex about how the design turned out and about how wonderful the space is to work in. And because it is so clean and spare, I've spent a significant amount of time doing Step One work--worrying, in this case--about what to move back into the space and what to leave out. I manifest amazing and beautiful possessions because I love clever gadgets and time-savers, appreciate beautiful design, adore bargains, and love to try new things. These treasures appear constantly and delight me. When we moved out of our old kitchen, I did a lot of de-manifestation and found it to be challenging at first and then a lot of fun. I've let myself be very slow about moving into our new space so that I could watch how I do things and place necessary objects in wonderful, convenient locations. Fabulous partner has also been busy creating and our house and garage have new roofs. Every project has a host of sub-projects and those things have affected kitchen progress. So, I'm in the Vortex about the look and feel of the kitchen. I'm in on the subject of working in my kitchen. And, aren't I precious, I've been out on the subject of what goes and what stays. 


Today was the first day in a long time that no one and nothing needed my direct attention. No contractors or workers with whom to consult. No appointments, no unavoidable errands and fabulous partner is out of town. It's an unusual kind of day for me--I've been a busy person for months and months, it seems. I chose to laze about and meditate in my bed this morning. I basked and appreciated the heck out of the temperature, the late summer sun, the bedding, Abraham, Esther's voice and pleasant thoughts of upcoming visitors whom I love and adore. I listened to a podcast as I ironed in the still-cool morning. I eventually wandered into a breakfast of cappuccino and figs picked from our backyard tree. I pre-paved on the subject of getting ready for guests tomorrow and decided that I would fiddle around with my pantry organizing project. That pre-paving included a lot of self-love. It's funny to me that I not only worry about what others think of me, I worry about what I think of me in regard to owning material objects. 


It got hot today and I decided to work as slowly as I wanted and to take a lot of breaks so that I was constantly entertained by the process. I loved sorting through items and finding new locations for some things and new homes for others. I took a lunch break, watched some TV and then I got very excited by the idea of checking out my YouTube subscriptions. I had built up a backlog of delightful videos to watch. 


Yes, I felt a delighted anticipation of what I would find there. No, I did not expect to have my world rattled quite so vigorously. How can one prepare to learn (be reminded, to be more accurate) that the reason we love Abraham so very much is that we ARE Abraham. My thoughts recently led me to the realization that those who call themselves Abraham comprise any number of those dead ones we love and admire and even revile. From close personal acquaintances (Hi, Mom; Hi, Roland) to those most wise or wicked we know only through studies or passions, perhaps, the Abraham amalgam might contain John Lennon on Tuesday and Buddha on Thursday night. Such pleasant thinking, that. Yet there I sat all goose-pimply, listening as Esther's voice delivered me the message that Infinite Intelligence chose for me that day:


"That which is Abraham, which is predominantly from the label Abraham, projecting from nonphysical is now focused in those like you, in those like Esther, in those like Jerry. In other words, you are the physical manifestation of that."


Shut the front door!!! Okay, maybe you all out there are saying, "Well, I knew that. We are physical beings with non-physical roots, so of course we are Source energy, which logically implies that we are Abraham."


Okay, so I'm behind the curve a little maybe, but I just wasn't up-to-speed on this little tidbit. Abraham goes on to say, 


"We want you to not work so hard at understanding the separation and make your effort toward allowing the blending."


They go on to speak about contrast in a delicious way. I actually sat and transcribed a section of the clip because it took me several times through to embody those concepts. This is vintage Abraham brought to us by Dave of homebuiltindoorplane yet again. Much love and appreciation to Dave for the steady delivery of...., of...... ME to ME, I would have to say now that I understand this. 


Ahhhhhhhhhhh, I love being Abraham. Here are the links:


http://tinyurl.com/RetroAbePt1GoodQuestions


http://tinyurl.com/RetroAbePt2GoodQuestions


In addition, you've got to check out this amazing film that Nick from Great Britain is putting together. He does an Abraham/LOA meetup in London and I absolutely love what he's doing. This preview I found to be delicious, practical, entertaining, exciting and I've already expressed this to Nick, whom I've admired since I first encountered him through YouTube and through his podcast. Geewow, I think you will love this, too:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/AbeNicksPt1Film

through Oh, and while I was tracking down that link, I found a second preview, which I am including sight unseen. Since I am in the Vortex and milking it right now, I KNOW it's gonna be good:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/AbeNicksPt2Film

As you can see from the date on this entry, I began this writing long ago. It is now two weeks later roughly (who's counting, though, since time doesn't actually exist) and I thought I'd like to post today. This is fabulous partner's birthday week and we celebrate tonight and Saturday night, too. I Vortexed a really cool creation which took many hours and which delighted me and pleased him very much. My inspiration for this piece began with a YouTube video in which an artist made her own large tags and created contrasting hole reinforcers from patterned paper. I wanted to try that. On a recent Artist Date at Scrap (a recycled craft supply warehouse in Portland on MLK btwn Stanton and Morris, if you're interested), I came across some cardstock stickers I would usually pass up. I got them thinking they'd make a nice card for my guy's birthday. As often happens in my studio when I'm creating for someone I love, the project snowballed into a tagbook with enclosures. I painted, punched, glued and stamped. I solved problem after problem I created for myself and my neocortex buzzed and basked its way through hours. I ignored the phone, the cat, and most of all, time. Time is infinite in the Vortex and energy flowed through me in huge abundance. So today I felt a little groggy until I sang a bit and tweaked the tag book enclosures and puttered in my studio and rode myself right back into the Vortex, which eventually landed me here writing once again to you lovely and wonderful and brilliant creators. Aren't we fabulous? 


Here's what I made:

This is the tag book showing the pocket side and the inserts. 

This photo shows the stickers that inspired the project. The stickers are large so the tag book is about 6" long. I altered the stickers with paints and inks and did the same with the background papers I used. All materials are recycled bits and pieces I have picked up along the way.

The scrapbook paper I used for the inserts came from a book of papers from the early 2000's. I love altering outdated or discarded materials. Fabulous partner really appreciated the color palette and the movement in the paint finishes. He liked the fact that I was totally in the Vortex when I made this for him.
Me, too!