Lamplight Group

Shaman Medicine Woman: A Contemporary Perspective: Guest Blog by Jeremy McDonald: New Beginnings? We...

2012-01-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

Shaman Medicine Woman: A Contemporary Perspective: Guest Blog by Jeremy McDonald: New Beginnings? We...: In the midst of everything happening in my life right now, it is a wonder how I am still keeping my thoughts and stayin...

Introduction to Lamplight Group

2011-08-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

Jeremy E McDonald Founder of the Lamplight Group and accomplished Soul Healer and Radio host discusses the genesis of the Lamplight Group. Fellow members Justin Deschamps and Sylvia Anne Tuggle tell us how the Lamplight Group has helped empower them in their lives.

"To contribute to the enlightenment of the world, as to the divine nature, power, and oneness of all living things. This will be done through the facilitation and oversight of the activities of all subsidiaries of the Lamplight Group. This will include, but not be limited to: Teaching in both spiritual, and non-spiritual settings, research and development, publishing of written work, private counseling, healing activities, and the development of intentional communities that will facilitate a synergistic way of life."

World Peace from the inside, Lamplight Group

2011-08-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

Life Coach and Radio Host Jeremy E. McDonald discusses his view on creating world peace. World Peace is all around us, it is in the moments we may not be taking the time time appreciate. World Peace comes from within, and it is this view point which transcends all temporal and material difficulties. The master views the world as a reflection of an internal experience, therefor happiness and peace, on a global level will only be attained as a result of a personal and internal effort.

http://www.soultalkradio.org/
http://www.lamplight-group.com/

Chakra Balance Meditation, Defining Balance: Exercise One

2010-11-24T08:06:00.000-08:00

Celebrate Spiritual Diversity

2009-12-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

Wow, am I excited!!! In the past week, I have had the most amazing shifts in my conscious thought and I have become even more peaceful within myself. I cannot even explain to you the warm loving feeling I have in myself right now!

It makes me want to go outside and scream “I love being alive”!!!!!! The cool part is that this is exactly what I am screaming inside of myself. I had an extraordinary experience yesterday and today; the blessing of a wonderful conversation via email, with a woman that is very strong in her faith as a Christian. I commend her and bless her because of her extraordinary strength to believe in what she understands. I also bless her for being an amazing mirror for me and teaching me a great lesson that all of us would be blessed to learn. She is no less or no better for her beliefs. She is strong in her beliefs and shows a tremendous amount of integrity, but there is no better way or lesser way in spirituality.

I realized during our exchange of information that she uses the same scriptures from the Bible as I do and the subtle difference is that she sees herself as small and a vessel of God while I see myself as God and a vessel of God, the one consciousness. I see myself with love in myself and she sees herself with love through God, as given to her. I see myself as my own salvation and she sees herself as being saved through Jesus Christ. What I realized is that all the words are the same; it is the feeling behind what we are saying. I feel free and very amazing when I touch her energy. She feels free, as well, in her own space and beliefs. It was an amazing exchange of our individual beliefs and energies. We were both strong and steadfast in each email response, and in the end our conversation just became about normal things and a peace settled between us. When I entered into the conversation, I made sure I let go and checked myself and my Ego before exchanging with her. When we were done, I felt a surge of love go through me because I experienced compassion for myself as I gave to her.

The amazing thing I want to share with you all is that this exchange had nothing to do with who she is, and everything to do with me. This was an experience of my integrity with my own beliefs. Was I going to feel small as she was saying we were sinners and not Gods? Was I going to make her feel small because I thought my beliefs were better? No, to both. I let my own inner God Presence take over, and as I kept my self grand, the words coming out of me were meant to encourage her to feel grand and keep her strong in who she is as a person. I realized that when you give compassion, you are not only helping yourself with peace from within, but as you become peaceful, you also help others to find peace.

That is amazing! Remember to align yourself with your higher thoughts when another intends to bring you into judgment and hold you in the illusion of superiority. The simple fact is that you are pure love, pure light, and you are grand and big. When you allow judgment to make you feel small, you fall out of alignment with who you really are;…God. As you grow more peaceful inside, love will manifest and you will feel your own magnificence. There will no longer be a need to be “better” than anyone else, because you will know you are God throughout your entire being. The words will become feelings, and the need to fight or defend who you are to anyone else will dissolve because you will be steadfast in your “knowingness”. That is God.

God is love and God is confident in ALL creation. In that moment, when struggle stops, you find peace and become “ONE” with your inner and higher being. Then you know that the peaceful inside creates the peaceful outside.

I AM GLAD TO BE ALIVE!!!

Namaste, and Peace be with you. May all beings benefit.

Jeremy

EGO - By: Jeremy McDonald

2009-04-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the EGO and it’s reaction to stimuli that gives us pain, or makes us feel threatened. As I have become more self aware, it becomes easier for me to be an observer in the world instead of participating in the reactions I see so often.

One thing that came to me recently is that when I have the perception that someone has wronged me, what is being hurt is my Ego. This is because the EGO is trying to protect me from being hurt. We have been trained in our culture to FEAR things that we cannot see, hear, feel, touch or prove. This happens in so many different aspects of our lives, and many people are unaware of it, as this has become instinctual. One example of this is the Economy, both national, and world. Many people are afraid of what will happen. They are so focused on the possible conspiracies of why this is happening, and their own losses, that they are unable to see the whole picture. Many people I have spoken with are operating from a fearful, victim mentality instead of seeing this as an experience that they are having right now. An experience that they have the power to change whenever they want to change it. I hear about the foreclosure rate, and the unemployment rate, and I can see the panic that people are in, the total fear of losing what they have now. What I have been focusing my attention on is to help people understand that none of these physical things matter as much as the pure love that they must find in their souls. Physical things can be replaced.

On the surface, it looks like we are losing our way of life, but consider this. There is an age old saying that states that where there is positive change there must be loss of the old ways. What I see is the falling of the old and the rise of the new. What is happening in the world is a great transition to a better way of thinking and living. This is not the first time or last time but it is simply the time we are experiencing right now. Many of the things that we are losing right now will become the catalysts for change. The EGO wants to blame someone when things go wrong, it wants to say that others have caused the crisis that we are experiencing. My own EGO wanted to do this when I lost my job, relationship, car, and home. What that experience taught me is that I drew those experiences to myself, and I was a co-creator in that reality. We make our own reality, either consciously, or by default. These realizations were not meant to make me feel guilty, and judge myself, but to help me be more self aware. Now I have learned to create a new reality of peace, joy, and self love. The journey has been difficult, but only because my own EGO fought me every step of the way, trying to control the outcome. I was using psychics, my own intuitive ability, doing everything I could to control the outcome of my life. This was because my own EGO did not want to do one very important thing, to just relax and let life happen. My EGO wanted to believe that I was allowing myself to be controlled, but it truly is not. It is the most liberating thing you can do for yourself.

When I say just relax and let GOD handle it, most people want to know how I can let some GOD that I have never met control me! What I say to them is that the GOD that they would be allowing to handle the problem is their own higher self! It is your own soul, that is always connected to the divine. The soul always knows what will make you happy. Your own soul can show you a happier way of living, if you will allow it.

So as we fight within ourselves, and point the finger at others, projecting out to them what we are feeling inside, and we lose sight of what really matters. We look outside of ourselves, to find things that we think will help us feel happy, and better about ourselves. When we do this, the things that we seek out to make us happy become addictions. This includes food, love, drugs, sex, work, shopping, beauty etc... Every one of these things can become addictions if you do them for the purpose of making yourself happy. If we have already found happiness inside of ourselves, then these things will only enhance our already happy state of mind. Once you are happy and comfortable with who you are, (not just tolerating who you are) then love becomes an enhancement to your life. You see I lived with this in my life with everything from my relationship, to work, to DRUGS and partying. I was looking for happiness in my life, but I was not looking for it within myself. When the EGO is getting upset with and reacting to a situation, it is because it is afraid of losing something, and it has not let go of the experience it is currently having. It does not like change, because it fears pain and loss. Change makes our EGO feel threatened.

A peaceful state within comes from letting go of these addictions, and our emotional connection to them, and allowing them to enhance our lives but not rule our lives. The Buddhists teach that eating food and drinking water are an addiction. This does not say that these things are not necessary to live, but even living itself can be and addiction. This is because if you fear dying then to live becomes an addiction. You see the EGO is fearful of dieing because it cannot see the possibility of an afterlife. What the EGO needs to be trained to understand is that the SOUL (meaning you) cannot die. The physical body you so grasp onto is just a reflection of a higher aspect of you. So work on the fears you have so that you can convert into the pure love and light that you are at a soul level. All humans are pure love at their soul level. No one is intrinsically evil. If we connect to our higher selves, and let that guide us, then we begin to live from a state of pure love, and then we find peace and joy in our lives. This is how all of the great Masters lived. This is enlightenment.

Recovering From Fear - By: Jeremy McDonald

2009-04-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

In the last few years what I have been on is a journey of self discovery. One of the things that I have learned about myself is that I have spent a good majority of my life making judgments, and decisions in fear.

Many of the decisions I have made were based on the fact that the base emotioninside of me was FEAR. I think one of the greatest gifts that I have been given was the opportunity to come to that self realization. My journey in theyears since August of 2006 has been some of the most beautiful days of my life. I have had many major epiphanies and what I have realized is that much of the world, including myself, live in the reactive mode of trying to maintain our security. It makes me want to ask the questions. Where did this FEAR come from?How did it come about?

What modern day science is discovering is that we are the direct reflection of the thoughts and feelings we have in our mind and hearts. So where do these feelings come from? They could come from a number of things … This evening I had the tremendous benefit of hearing a wonderful speaker teach about the fact that we learn many of these fears as a child, some even as a very small baby. The interesting part of this is that babies, when they are first born, do not understand language, they only understand feelings, coming to them from their parents. If they experience neglect, then that feeling will trail throughout their entire life, and affect their sense of security. This will create a potential fear of abandonment and acceptance. When I thought about my own life, I thought that I had a wonderful family, this could not have possibly affected me! What I did not realize is that a baby could misunderstand even the smallest thing, which wouldcreate this feeling in their lives. One of the first milestones that and infant must accomplish in their development is Trust vs Mistrust. An infant needs toknow that when they cry, their mother or father will come and help them. Theyneed to develop that bond with their parents in order to feel secure. There are other developmental milestones along the way of growing up for a child. Each must be accomplished, in order for a child to have a healthy andwhole emotional life when they are adults.

We must also realize that language only makes up only 7 % of our communication skills, and body language makes up 55 %. Voice inflection or feelings make up 38 % of communication. What is fascinating about this is that in our culture, we put such an emphasis on words and language. We create wars because of ourinterpretation of the Bible or other holy books, such as the Qur’an. We fightover the constitution, laws, politics, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientationetc. All based on 7 % of our communication skills! We shun the ideaof using our intuition or instincts which would allow us to look beyond thephysical, and get the feelings behind the words. This is astounding to me! I do not understand why we do not communicate in a way that will help us understand each other on a much higher level.

Today I saw an article that was talking about civil rights being taken away by the current presidential administration. Lately all I have heard people talk about is fear about the economy, jobs going to India etc. What people need to understand about this type of focus is that when we let fear of these things occupy our thoughts and our conversations constantly, then we will see these things happening more and more. There is a saying out there that goes like this: “that which you resist persists.” What this means basically is that if we continue to put energy into the FEAR of losing something, then we will be in a state of losing rights, jobs, money, etc., over and over again. As a collective, we will create a reality in which there is a failing economy, people losing jobs, money, and homes. If youlook throughout history what you will see is the same things happening over andover again based on people’s fears. I say that it’s time to change this cycle! We are all divine creators and it’s time that we started acting like it!! We are not subject to fate and none of us are victims!! Instead let’s find peace within ourselves, and then relax and let the abundance flow. We can have everything we need to live joyful, happy lives if we just relax, and let it happen. When we can find that peace and security within ourselves then we will begin to create peace and abundance for the world. Scientists are nowproving that we are all “One” we are all apart of what they call the quantumfield or matrix (some might want to call this GOD). Modern science has also proven that our thoughts and intents can affect this field directly, and that this has a direct affect on our reality! So understanding that we are all “One” allowsus to understand how one person can create change just by how we feel.

As I sit here and write this very article I think about the misunderstandings I have had in my life, with my last lover, business partner, friends, family, etc. How upset I was at what other people had done! What I have found is that in each occurrence, if I looked at both sides, I could see clearly that each person was speaking but neither was looking at the feelings behind what was being said I would have had a better sense of clarity. In each situation we were focusing only upon the words that were being said. Both parties were talking and acting with their insecurities as well as their fears and as a result reacting to them.

Then I realized how I could change all of this, and lead a peaceful life, filled with love, joy and abundance. I realized that I no longer had to hold onto the fears that had made me upset in the first place. You see, when we are communicating, we often take the words that others are saying personally and react from fear that our reputation, or something else will be taken away from us. This is usually thebasis of anger. Some people have justified their anger to me, saying that “sometimes we need to react and be angry to defend ourselves.” The only thing I want to say back to them is this: “ask yourself if you are reacting from fear or love? If you are reacting from fear then you might consider why you are reacting this way before you actually act upon your feelings.” You see, there are only two base emotions and they are FEAR and LOVE. Every other emotion comes from these two base emotions. So the real question is, which one do you want to operate from? Do you want to continue living in a place of FEAR in which you are constantly trying to maintain your security, and you are always afraid you will lose it? Or do you want to operate from a peaceful loving state? What I realize is that security, freedom, and peacefulness are a state of mind. Even in the worst situations we can still choose our state of mind. One of my favorite figures in history is Viktor Frankl. He was a man that was born in ....Austria....,of Jewish descent. He lived from 1905 to 1996, and he was a prisoner in the Nazi Death Camps during World War II. He taught us one very important lesson. That lesson is this: As sentient, thinking, feeling beings we have one freedom that no one can ever take away from us. This is the powerto choose our own reaction to any given situation that we find ourselvesin. In other words no one can take away how we choose to feel our experience. So even though Dr. Frankl could not change the fact that he was living in a deathcamp, he could choose how he would react to it. So instead of living in FEAR he chose to fill his life with love, compassion, and joy and make the very best of his situation. He spent his days trying to give this very feeling to the others around him. What this man teaches is a very important lesson that we all need to hear. Instead of being enslaved by our fears we can choose to be liberated from them, and choose how we live in our experience. He chose to live from loveinstead of FEAR. Another shining example of this kind of choice is the current Dalai Lama. Even though he is in exile from his home he chose to live a life of love and compassion and not anger and FEAR.

These are just men like us but they have realized that theyare divine creators just like we are! They have chosen to create a world in which they are not enslaved by fear but are instead liberated by love.

Self love - By: Laurie McDonald

2009-04-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

How important is self love? How does it affect you ability to love and serve others? It was stated to me this morning that one can love and serve others without loving yourself. On the surface that seems correct, many people live their whole lives doing this very thing. Is this really true though? Let's examine this concept. When you are in a state of being in service to others, always loving and giving to others, but never receiving anything back for yourself, you become co-dependent. You never truly achieve joy and peace in your own soul. You live through your service to others. It becomes your identity. You build expectations of those whom you have served. You think, " I have given them so much, and sacrificed so much, they will surely do well and be happy." You judge those whom you have served. When they do not live up to your expectations, then you are disappointed, and unhappy. How does this make the ones you have served feel? Think about your relationship with your parents, how did you feel the last time they were disappointed in you. Did you feel guilty, and bad about yourself? Evetually did you become angry at them for making you feel this way? How did that damage you? So let's get back to ourselves and the assertion that we can be of service to others, without learning to love ourselves. In retrospect, have we really been of service to others? Or did we really end up making others feel bad when they could not live up to our expectations? When we can learn to love ourselves, then we can truly give compassion, and love to others, without expectations of them. Then the people that we serve can also learn to love themselves, and can give unconditional love to others, and so on, in a ripple effect out to the world. The world would eventually learn to love one another, without judgement. Then you can truly be the changes that you wish to see in the world.

Namaste,

Laurie

Commander of the Universe by: Jeremy McDonald

2008-02-11T22:05:00.000-08:00

As human beings, our relationship with the Universe/Creator is so powerful that we can not ignore it. This is the single most important relationship that we will develop. I hear people saying all the time we all must be humble, and show humility. I do not like these words. Humility? This word alone sounds so negative. Humbleness? Why do I have to be humble? I am not telling you to go out and be arrogant, as that is the direct opposite of what I believe. I believe you should be confident and sure of yourself as an individual, but not arrogant. If you become arrogant, and you think you know everything, then you can no longer grow and develop as an individual.

One of my favorite sayings comes from a speaker by the name of Walter Bond a former NBA player for the Dallas Mavericks. He says: “Confidence is Arrogance under control.” Basically, what he is saying is that there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. If you cross the line into arrogance, then you will stop growing and developing as a person. Notice that he does not say you should be arrogant, and neither do I. We are both telling you to be confident in yourself, and your own ability. These thoughts come up in my head because as I teach my students, I frequently notice that they are not sure of themselves at all. Instead they are full of self doubt and criticism for themselves. In the long run, they are defeating themselves before they get started, because they do not believe they can be successful. When you start a project, you must be sure that you are already there, that you own that goal, and you have already achieved it. In our everyday lives we are surrounded by well meaning people who keep telling us that we can not do things that we must think realistically, and not reach for such lofty goals. In the end, other people’s opinions do not matter. The only person who can say whether or not you are right is you, and you will know whether or not your plan is right for you. You are responsible for your own life, and your own successes or failures.

As I was developing myself intuitively and spiritually, some of my friends made fun of my beliefs. At first I was upset and tried to convince them that I was right. What I finally realized is that it does not matter what they think or what they believe. What matters is what is in my heart. There is an old saying that goes like this: “One third of the people will love you, one third of the people will not like you at all, and the last third will be indifferent”. So my question to you is, why waste your energy on trying to convince people that do not believe? It will only continue to drag you down and keep you from achieving your goals in life. Keep like minded people around you so you can share your experiences with each other and learn from each other. Like minded people will give you encouragement, and help you along the way.

Recently a good friend of mine told me that she had been told that she was a commander of the universe. I said to her, “That is awesome”! She told me that this statement makes her feel uncomfortable. She does not feel that she should tell the god/universe/goddess anything, and if she asks for anything she should be polite. I agree that you should be polite but that does not make you any less a commander of the universe. My point is, whoever told her she was a commander of the universe has probably used a bad choice of words, but I believe we can be commanders of our universe and have the power to control reality. The god/goddess/universe/creator, or whatever you want to call the higher being wants a relationship with us, we are all spiritual beings of the Universe! Would you treat your mother with disrespect when asking her for something? Would you treat your best friend or spouse with disrespect when asking them for something? I would certainly hope not. So you should also treat the higher beings with respect as well, right? You see, you are a “God” as well, and part of a bigger family and as a result you have to treat that family with respect as you would anyone else. When you ask the universe for something you should know and expect that it will come, but you should also realize that the universe/creator/God/Goddess will be working on your request, right along with you.

So let’s go back to humbleness and humility. I think that this is a bad choice of words, and we should really look at what we are saying. Should we approach the universe with such humbleness and humility that we are not sure if we deserve what we are asking for, and not sure that we will get it? I do not think so. I believe we should be confident and sure that we will receive what we ask for, and love and respect ourselves enough that we should certainly be sure that we deserve what we ask for. Be courteous to others and treat them with respect but do not be humble.

Blessings,

Jeremy

Paradigm Shifting by: Jeremy McDonald

2008-01-22T21:26:00.000-08:00

A key skill to changing your world and environment is to change your paradigm of the world. Not sure what a paradigm is? It's the way you view the world around you. So basically, if you are not happy with where you are in life and you want to change things, then you will need to change your paradigm. You need to change how you view the world in order to create the life that you want.

The first thing that you must do is to closely examine your life. What is it that you want to keep in your life? What is it that you no longer want in your life? Next, you need to have an idea of where you want to go, what are your goals for your life? This is very important to creating a map of the direction that you want to take. Don't rush this process. Take your time and get in touch with what you truly desire. You are in total control of your life and your environment.

When you have your plan in place, then relax, and take that first step forward, and set your plan in motion. The world will start changing for you. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: "Take the First Step in Faith. You do not have to see the whole stair case, just take the first step". I know it can be scary to not know all the facts as you go forward, but that is where the joy starts. Creation starts with the excitement and joy of what you will be learning and experiencing next. Joy comes from appreciation of what you have and what is to come. The solid foundation of joy brings more abundance of what you want in life because it is what positive creation comes from. Do not be afraid. Joy and completion in life come from having faith in yourself and the universe.

As you proceed forward remember to relax and let life happen. You don't have to try so hard, or overanalyze things, because your higher self already has everything figured out. After all if you knew everything that will happen in the future, then where would be the fun in life? What would you learn if you knew everything before moving forward? You can relieve major amounts of stress in your life if you just remember to relax and let life happen.

Don't be afraid of mistakes or detours along the way. This is how you learn and grow as an individual. Life now becomes your classroom and mistakes become your teacher. If you knew everything in advance, then life would go into a state of stasis. This is a state that no one wants to be in, because then you would stop living and growing.

Overcome your fears, master them, and make them a positive part of you. This will challenge you to learn and grow as a spiritual being and bring you closer to enlightenment. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: "He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life." So master your fears, use them to learn and grow.

Be open to your own potential, it is most certainly greater then you will ever realize. Always know that you are more powerful and your gifts are far greater than you realize.

You must realize that you are a powerful being. Tell yourself this everyday so that it rings through your mind and is in your thoughts every minute of everyday.

Appreciate the miracles that are happening around you everyday. This will help you to change your thought patterns, so that you stop dwelling on the negative. This is very powerful. Appreciation tell the universe what it is that brings you joy. The rewards that you are getting now will help you truly appreciate the rewards that are yet to come. So look at the small victories and really appreciate them. Be thankful for them because they are not the only victories that are coming to you.

After you have been practicing these principles for awhile, if you were the half is glass empty type of person, then you will be shifting your paradigm to the glass is half full. Then you will see the rewards and abundance that will come from it. In turn you will be helping others to grow by following and watching your example. This is the type of disease that should be contagious.

Practice, practice, practice this is all I can say to you, because nothing happens over night. But the first step happens in an instant, and it is the most important step of all because it has just changed your world. Now everything will start to become clearer to you, and you will reap the joys of your future success. So go out there and start practicing, and reap your joy and abundance!

Good luck, Namaste.

Jeremy McDonald

www.lamplight-group.com

Love yourself by: Laurie McDonald

2008-01-22T21:25:00.000-08:00

Just had some thoughts about self love and self forgiveness. I know you all have heard much about this, but here is a new twist on it. For those of you who are Christian, and even those of you who aren't, Jesus is an ascended Master, and a great teacher, whose teachings most of the world does not really understand. In the Bible, in Mark, chapter 12, Jesus is asked what the greatest commandments are, and he says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your might, and all of your soul. And, Love your neighbor as yourself.There are no commandments greater than these." Now let's take a look at these. In essence he is telling you to do three things, Love God, love your neighbor, and Love Yourself! Most people just gloss right over that part. Pastors talk about this in church, and no one talks about the love yourself command! Most adult human beings are their own worst critics, and they expend alot of energy thinking negative things about themselves! If you are familiar with Masaru Emoto's work in "The Hidden Messages in Water," then you know that our thoughts and intentions, words, have a profound effect on water, and can change it physically. Now think about the fact that your body is 65 to 70 % water, and then realize just how much physical damage you are doing to yourself, not to mention psychological damage! You have heard of stress induced disease, and now you know why! We hold ourselves back from achieving our fullest potential because we do not believe in ourselves! We are capable of producing miracles! Jesus taught us this! In John 10, we read where a group of Jews were asking Jesus if he was really the Christ, why didn't he tell them plainly, and he replied, "I have told you, but you do not believe! The miracles I have performed speak for me! You do not believe, because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to me, and they follow me. My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all! I and the Father are one. The Jews then picked up stones and were going to stone Jesus, and he said wait a minute! For which of the miracles I have performed do you stone me? The Jews replied, we do not stone you for miracles, but for blasphemy, because you claim to be God! Jesus' answer to them was " Have I not said it is written in your Law you are Gods!" Just think about that, We are Gods! When Peter a disciple of Jesus got out of a fishing boat and walked on water, he proved that! But when Peter saw the wind and waves and became afraid, he sank into the water. When Jesus pulled him out of the water he said to Peter, "Oh you of little faith, why do you doubt?" Jesus was not asking Peter if he doubted Jesus, it was obvious he did not doubt Jesus, he cried out to Jesus to save him! Jesus was asking Peter why he doubted himself.! Jesus also said, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, and you say to a mountain, move here, it shall move! NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO YOU!" Listen to him people, and hear! You must believe in yourself, stop beating yourself up, and forgive yourself! Another great teacher, The Buddha taught us that no one is more deserving of forgiveness than ourselves. The universe is open to you, go out and exercise your power! I want to leave you with the quote that Jeremy put on an earlier blog, and really apply this to what I have just said, " Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other pople permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatiacally liberates others." (A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a "Course in Miracles", Haprper Collins, 1992)

With much love and Light,

Namaste,

Shaman Laurie

Make Life a Mission by: Jeremy McDonald

2008-01-22T21:24:00.000-08:00

My Father once said something to me that has stayed with me ever since he said it. He said, "Son, there are two kinds of people in this world. There are those who let life happen to them, and there are those who make life happen. What kind of person do you want to be?" Of course my answer was that I want to be the kind who makes life happen! I've always been that kind of person. However, even with that kind of attitude going for you, you will still need a clear plan in order to achieve all of your goals in life.

I have found that success is really finding that place in life where you feel complete. Where your worries are handled and you feel safe, relaxed and content for the most part with where you are and where you are going. Now I did not say that you were stagnant and no longer growing. I meant that you are happy with your life, and guiding it in the direction that you want to be going.

Many of us have a feeling of incompletion in our lives or a feeling like we are missing something. How did we get here? What causes us to continue down paths in our lives that prevent us from achieving a high level of bliss and happiness? There are several things that can factor into this, such as making life choices to please parents, loved ones, lovers or others out of guilt. What happens to us when our whole life has been spent pursuing other peoples dreams but not our own? Are we left with a sense of not knowing what to do next? How does this make us feel?

I have said it time and time again to my students. If you want to change anything in your life you have to start with yourself. Stop worrying about what is going on with other people and start focusing on yourself, and what makes you happy. This does not mean that you stop caring about other people. It means that if you want to be happy, then you must begin to make changes within yourself. The only person's life that you can effect change in is your own. You cannot control other people, or make choices for them. You cannot make them happy, and you cannot expect them to make you happy. Happiness is a choice that you must make for yourself. The next step is to discover who you are and where you want to be in your life. This can be a time consuming process of self analysis, critical thinking and being truly honest with yourself. This can be very difficult, because you must spend time clearing out what everybody else has told you about yourself, and truly examine yourself with your heart. I think that this is the hardest thing I have ever done is to make this journey of self discovery. This self analysis helped me to discover who I really am, and what makes me feel happy and fulfilled. This self examination is a constant mission, because the road ahead will hold many surprises that will help shape who you are as an individual. Regular self analysis of where you are at any given moment will help you to stay on target or adjust your course slightly if needed. If you have taken the initial time of self discovery then you will have a clear picture of what you truly want in life so slight adjustments will only enhance what you are doing, and will not take you off track overall.

The most important thing is to remain positive and not let the small set backs get you down. We must look at the past as a learning experience and not let it keep us from going forward in life. All of my seminars are geared towards helping people find happiness in life. I think that if more people found happiness, then we would have less problems in the world. This should our mission in life, to find our own happiness.

Jeremy worked professionally as a corporate trainer and speaker for many years. He has also been successful in the mortgage, banking and real estate industries. While recuperating from a very bad depression, Jeremy decided to pursue a path that he had always wanted to take, to start the Lamplight Group. Teaching people is Jeremy's first love. " Nothing makes me happier then to see the light bulb go off in a student's head." Jeremy has won several sales awards and has been awarded the "Outstanding Corporate Liaison" award from Junior Achievement, a charity that teaches kids the financial skills they will need for the future. He is also a well known Psychic in the new age community.

Rev. Jeremy McDonald

http://www.lamplight-group.com / http://www.myspace.com/lamplightgroup

What is success by: Jeremy McDonald

2008-01-22T21:23:00.001-08:00

What does it take to become a success? What is success? What does success mean to you? These are three very powerful questions! If you really think about this, and you are truly honest with yourself, you may discover some very important things about yourself. What blocks us from achieving success? Why do many people spend their lives dreaming about what they would like to achieve, but they never quite get there? What would make you happy? That is a question that only you can answer. You are the only one who knows what will make you feel happy and complete inside. So why are most people unhappy?

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I have spent a great deal of my life teaching others how to find that completion in their lives. I have found that many of the people that I work with are very busy trying to make other people happy, and not working on their own happiness. I know because I used to be just like them. I used to try to make other people happy because I thought that this would then make me happy. The truth is that if you are not happy, then you cannot make others happy.

I used to teach a class where I would have people set priorities in their life. The exercise required them to include themselves in that prioritization. More times than I can count, my students would list themselves lower on their list than their family, friends, job, god and children. Try telling a single mother that she should rank herself before her children! She will shoot darts at you with her eyes until you can show her that this does not mean that you do not love your children! What this means is that a parent is responsible for guiding and teaching their children, and loving them, but ultimately, in the end, the child is responsible for his or her own life and happiness. This is the right and responsibility of every human being! We cannot make another person happy! Next, try to tell people who are religious that they should be first in their priorities, before God! Making yourself the number one priority is to place trust and faith in the Creator. Because he/she wants you to grow and develop. Most importantly he/she wants you to be happy!

So, are you looking for success? Well then, first you have to start making yourself the number one priority in your life! Not second, not third, but number one! By doing this you are setting a standard that will make your goals and dreams a priority. Then achieving your goals can become a part of your life, and not just a distant dream.

Rev. Jeremy McDonald

www.lamplight-group.com

Universal Law of Unity by: Laurie McDonald

2008-01-22T21:22:00.001-08:00

The Law of Unity says that we are all family, that all living creatures are part of the same Universal Consciousness. Namaste is a Hindu greeting that says that our souls are the same, and I recognize the god consciousness in you, as is in me. Yet we are also individual beings with our own thoughts and free will. Let's think about that, We are able to think for ourselves, and control our own lives, and yet we are part of this collective consciousness, able to tap into all of the collective knowledge and memories of all who have ever lived! Wow! As we become more spiritually aware, we become aware of this universal consciousness, and it changes us. We become aware of the fact that we are all part of one family. The child in a war torn village, half way across the world, whose parents were just killed is also us! The enemy soldier, or terrorist who just killed the child's parents, is also us. The woman in New York who was just attacked and raped is us, and so is the rapist who just attacked her! We are all part of the Creator! Jesus taught us that God is in all of us. The idea that we are a part of everyone, and they are also part of us kind of boggles the mind doesn't it. It also makes wars an violence give us a kind of sick feeling. The very idea that you are attacking another yourself, well it's just unthinkable! We can then begin to understand the neccesity of unconditional love and compassion for all. We can embrace our family! Think of the limitless possibilities that we could accomplish in the world then. We can celebrate our uniqueness, and our unity all at once. The world is in the process of becoming more spiritually aware right now. 2012 will be a positive change for all, real hope for the world! What a fabulous time to be alive!

Rev. Laurie McDonald

www.lamplight-group.com

Universal Law of Choices by: Laurie McDonald

2008-01-22T21:15:00.000-08:00

Reclaim your power! Humanity has been blessed with free will, we control the path we will take through life. This also gives us great responsiblity, this power of choice. Our future is determined by the choices we make now. We may not be able to always control our circumstances, but we can control how we respond to any given situation. The Law of Choices tells us that decisions are made with our actions, not our words. We can choose to follow our internal guidance system, that little voice you have, or that gut feeling, or we can resist. If we resist what our higher self is trying to tell us in favor of instant gratification, then sometimes there are consequences to our choices. Some of the choices we make lead down the easy path, others lead us down paths that have hurdles, and lessons to learn, but allow us to grow spiritually. Eventually, we will be led back into alignment with Universal Law. We must recognize that each choice that we make, either action or inaction, will have consequences. Our willingness to accept those consequences gives us Complete freedom of Choice! You have the power to choose who you are, where you will be, and what you will do! No one can take that from you if you do not allow them to! Once we realize and accept this, then life changes from an obligation, a reality that others control, to a blessing, full of opportunities! That is when you can make miracles happen! So don't wonder if you are in the right job, the right relationship, or if you are on the right path, examine each thing, think about how you feel about it, and make your choices! Live each day by choice, and live it to the fullest. Take control of your power of choice!

Namaste

Rev. Laurie McDonald

www.lamplight-group.com

The Universal Law of Balance by: Laurie McDonald

2008-01-22T21:08:00.000-08:00

Balance is the key that unlocks the secrets of the Universe, it applies to all levels of our being, body, mind, and spirit. Every Human secretly yearns for a state of inner balance and peace. Most of us are so out of balance, that being out of balance feels normal to us. Anything that we do can be overdone, or underdone. What may people call neuroses, are actually a state of imbalance. Once we achieve a state of inner balance, it acutally may feel odd to us. You should really examine what you have achieved, and how it really makes you feel. Does it feel good, and peaceful? Now you know what it feels like to be balanced, then you will know when you need to make an adjustment, to come back to that center point. If the pendulum swings too far one way, it will inevitably swing back the other way. The universe strives for balance in all things. Chinese medicine teaches us that we need a balance in all things. Restoration of the flow of qi, and balance will assist the body to heal disease. This applies to physical, emotional, and spritual imbalances. Many severe illnesses, such as cancer, can be traced back to a severe emotional trauma suffered by the patient. Treatment must apply to the physical body, the energetic body, and the spiritual body in order to achieve complete healing. Balance begins with breathing. Sit quietly, breathing in slowly. With each inhalation, breathe in peace, energy, healing, calmness, with each exhalation, release negative emotions, such as anger, fear, guilt, etc. When life's situations bring these emotions, allow yourself to feel them, but then sit down, and begin your deep, even breathing, relasing tension, and negative emotions, and bring yourself back to balance. Remember balance in all that you do. Too much of anything, even good things, will not work.

Rev. Laurie McDonald

www.lamplight-group.com

you are god! by: Jeremy McDonald

2007-10-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered where all these crazy people came up with the concept of manifesting your own world? The very idea that you are in control, not some divine being that you have never seen before. Where'd they come up with that? It's true you know… you are responsible for yourself and for the outcome of your own life. No one else has the responsibility for your success or your failure.

It was interesting because few years ago I watched this movie called "What the Bleep do we know" and in it one of the speakers said this. "I am saying that you are God" I was lying on my couch and I sat up very quickly and thought, HUH?? But then I realized that what was said was correct. If you are a Christian, then think about what the bible says. It says we are made in God's image. This means that we are made in the image of God, not partially, but fully made in the image of God! Here is something else that will knock your socks off!!! My mother who is my partner in crime for all of the Lamplight messages, events, business etc sent me an email a few days ago that said "READ THIS". Of course being the person I am, I did not read it for a few days. Anyhow, it has a link to the online bible and quotes a verse in the bible that states the following: "Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your Law, I have said you are gods" (John 10:34). WHOA! How come the modern day Christian Church missed this??? They didn't think it was important to tell people this?? Lol! Now don't get me wrong, I know some of you are not Christian and that's okay, I'm only speaking from my experience. Maybe someone could help me with other beliefs and what they say.

Wow, so we are god! Let's ponder this for a little bit. Does this mean we are in total control of our own life, free to make our own decisions in life, whether they are good or bad? Umm Yup!

Let's go on just a little more shall we??? The Universalists believe that we are in total control of our lives, that Jesus did not die for our sins but was a great Spiritual Master. Powerful stuff! Not only does this give us the power to make our own decisions in life without some huge powerful being hanging over us, and judging us, but more importantly we have the power to make our life happen!! We don't have to be afraid! We don't have to constantly judge ourselves, and think that we are inadequate! We are in control!

But wait, there is more!!! Dr. Candace Pert says in her book, "The Molecules of Emotion", that our minds, based on chemistry, are hard wired for feelings of bliss and pleasure. So why would we want to create so much fear in our lives that we cannot feel the bliss and pleasure that we were meant to feel? Here is the thing, the god, goddess, universe or spirit what ever you want to call the prime creator or wants you to enjoy life.

Say it with me, THE CREATOR WANTS YOU TO ENJOY LIFE!!! I have said for years that Fear and Guilt are the only Useless emotions. I want to change that just slightly. If Fear and Guilt take you out of balance then they are WRONG in your life. It's like anything else, WE NEED BALANCE PEOPLE!J Yes, if we had no fear, then nothing would prevent us from going into a known bad neighborhood without some safety precautions. If we do something that hurts another individual then it is our guilt and conscience that pushes us to go make amends. However, if Guilt and Fear consume us and keep us from moving forward then it is wrong. Trust me, I have been there in life.

Anyhow, I just had to share such a powerful message, that we are God, we are a part of God and we are a part of the Universe. YOU are in control and you are the one that can make your life happen! You, and only you can make your life a priority. Only you can make yourself happy!

Blessed be!

Rev. Jeremy McDonald

www.lamplight-group.com

Intuitive Power by: Jeremy McDonald

2007-10-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that we are taught to be too careful in life. What happened to relying on your instincts? What about trusting in your own internal guidance system?

Each one of us has intuition. If we pay attention to it, we would be guided in the right direction each and every time. Interestingly enough most people that have reached a level of success in their lives have greatly relied upon their intuition to guide them. A quote from Albert Einstein comes to mind, and it is: "The only real valuable thing is intuition."

Now we all know that Albert Einstein did great things in his life, things that the helped shape the modern world. Have you ever seen an interview with a famous person? When asked if ever at any point they wanted to give up and just throw in the towel, almost always, they say, "yes, there were days when I wanted to give in, but I knew I just could not do that, or I knew that I would make it." When asked how they knew they would be successful, the response is usually, "I just knew ". Where does this inner sense come from? Some people would say it comes from the heart, while others might call it a gut feeling. Others might say it was just pure determination! Still others might say it is destiny. I'd say that they are all right!

You see when someone has that kind of drive, it can't come from anywhere else but the heart. I truly believe when the drive is that strong, then that individual came into this life to accomplish exactly what they are doing. That person, in those circumstances, is definitely determined to succeed at what they are doing. What do you think?

The human mind we know is divided into the right side of the brain and the left side of the brain. At a basic level we know that the right side is intuitive and instinctive, and the left side is logical and orderly. So what keeps us from following our intuition? Is it fear? What makes some of us not have the same individual drive as Albert Einstiein or even Bill Gates? A very simple quote by Bill Gates he says: "Often you have to rely on intuition." quick and to the point but it pretty much sums it up. Often we do have to rely on our intuition. Have you ever experienced a thought so strongly that you could not stop thinking about it, but you were not able to explain why? Maybe it was a feeling that you needed to call someone who is close to you, and when you called, you found out that the person you had the feeling about was very much down because something tragic happened to them. In any case that person needed you right at that moment. That is your intuition. Follow your intuition and you cannot go wrong.

How do we break old habits and start following our intuition? First you have to start with being confident in yourself, so you can follow your heart. A quote from Allan Alda says this: "You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself." This is a very true statement. When we look inward, we then can start to discover who we are, and where we are going. We can find out what our innermost desires are. This is the hardest task you will ever undertake. This journey of self discovery is necessary, to discover what you really want out of life. Once you discover that and start to push forward, then you will see that you are creating your reality around you, with your thoughts and intentions. A reality that conforms to your own desires. Then you will start to see the endless possibilities of life instead of all of the limitations. The whole universe is before you, nothing is impossible to you! But first you must start with yourself. You must learn to love yourself, and believe in your own abilities. You must accept responsibility for your own life, and stop blaming others for the bad things in your life. You must accept that you are responsible for your own happiness. You have free will, and can choose your response to any given situation. Stop beating yourself up, forgive yourself and move on. You are the only one who is holding you back! This is a process, which may take some time. We must change our mindset completely. Holding in anger, either at yourself , or with others is damaging to you. Refusing to give this up is only hurting yourself, no one else. Forgiving another doesn't mean that anything they may have done to you is ok, it just means that you want to move on. You want to have a life filled with joy, and all of the things that you have dreamed of. It is possible. It depends on you!

Rev. Jeremy McDonald

www.lamplight-group.com

Universal Law of Reciprocity by: Jeremy McDonald

2007-10-16T09:42:00.001-07:00

This is one Universal Law that it seems has been forgotten while the whole "The Secret" craze is out there. Don't get me wrong what that book teaches you has alot of valid points and the Law of Attraction is a very powerful tool. However, all Universals laws shoudl be practiced to bring balance into ones life. The Law of Reciprocity is the law that states what you give into the Universe is what you will get back. Think about this now if you go out and volunteer at a homeless shelter or you help a friend in need you will get that back 10 fold. Now WAIT! don't just go out and become a volunteer for everything because you want good things to come back to you. BALANCE!!! everyone don't forget about balance. Also if you do good things with just the intention of getting back then you have missed the whole point.

Also here is one more valuable lesson that this law teaches us. What you give out you must have a mutually rewarding exchange. Basically when you go to work everyday do you do it for free? Probably not otherwise you would be working somewhere else. Also, that mutual reward comes from both parties meaning EVEN exchange it cannot always be lopsided with one party giving it's all but not recieving in return. What will end up happening is that eventually the one party will feel neglected even if that was not the intention of the party not giving it's all.

Use this Law and it will improve your outlook on life it will bring more rewarding relationships in your life and will improve your current relationships and in some cases might end some relationships.

Blessed be!

Rev. Jeremy McDonald

www.lamplight-group.com

Yet another Law of Attractio positive

2007-09-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

So last night I'm talking to a friend online that is studying graphic design and he showed me his new website that shows his portfolio. Anyhow, I've had it on the brain that I need to get a website designed and have thought about doing it myself but just keep on thinking i don't want to do it and don't really have the time to do it.

Anyhow, i jokingly asked him how much he would charge me and he said we could work it out in trade and we worked out the details online. He is very talented so I know it will look good. Also, check this out there is a site that will host it for free all I have to do is pay $ 9.95 for the domain name. Woot! woot!

See the universe brings us what we need when we need it.

what i have learned by: Jeremy McDonald

2007-09-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

You can't find happiness until you know what will make you happy. you can't find happiness until you are happy with yourself. Once that happens you will know what direction to face and where you want to head. I teach people in my classes to journal and get into their heart to find out what will make them happy all the way down into their soul. I hear that I dont have enough time or i'm just to tired. My recommendation is this. Turn off that damn TV! i'm serious. Over the last year yes I have a few things I watch but pretty much that thing is a life sucker. It creates mindless drones of people that are not happy and live their lives through that thing. The shows that I do watch. Do I get upset when I miss them no not usually. I have to many other things that keep me busy that have to do with real live people not actors on a screne.

Abraham Maslow taught us about Self Actualization and how this is the highest state of existence. This is where we feel totally complete as a human being and have all our needs taken care of. Realize time is the most precious and most valuable thing you have start making the most of it now!

What I have learned is that you have to heal yourself before you can truly be happy and the only way you can do that is to face the things that hurt you head on. I've been going back to things that have heart me over my life time and fore giving that person and letting it go within my heart. The hardest challenge I am now working on and that's fore giving my ex for what he did to me. It's hard because ever time I do it sends a sharp pain into my heart. However, each day I work on this it makes my heart that much lighter so that one day I'll be able to trust again. I'm getting there slowly but surely. I'm that much closer to Self Actualization each day I work on myself inter personally.

As we should all spend that time to get that much closer.

Law of Attraction by Jeremy McDonald

2007-09-21T11:36:00.001-07:00

This is a speech I gave at the People's Spiritualist Church in August of 2007

Currently the latest buzz word or book is called "The Secret" Let me just share with you that this is not that big of a secret since it has been around since the beginning of time. It was the Greek Philosopher Plato in 390 BC that said "Likes tend towards likes" (in other words likes attract) The Universal Law of Attraction is just that you attract and create your own reality based on your thoughts, emotions and intentions. In other words if you think everything is doom and gloom then that is exactly what will come into your life. However, if you think that things are always good and those things will grow and get better as you need them too then that will happen as well.

Buddha said: "What you have become is the result of what you have thought" in other words a positive mind set brings for a positive world and a negative mind set brings a negative world into your life. This is not ruled by your environment or by how much money you have etc. Purely on how you perceive things or what your paradigm of the world is.

So if your paradigm of the world is that everybody is always working against you and nothing you ever do will help you be successful. What do you do to change this? Most people would just say change your paradigm. However, changing our paradigm is most definitely a lot harder then just thinking positive instead of thinking negatively. Usually the negativity that is within us is caused by several years of hearing negative, being taught negative let's face it the world is full of cynics. Just once I would like to turn on the news and see something that is positive. How about telling that today at Tampa General Hospital there was 26 babies born today? Wouldn't that be a lot more refreshing then seeing the number of soldiers that were killed in Iraq since the war started. Am I saying to turn a blind eye to things of importance like a war? No I'm not saying that at all what I am saying is that the world is full of negativity so it is hard to escape it. It's hard to not think negative because we are bombarded with it everyday, every minute of everyday.

So… "The Secret" talk about the Universal Law of Attraction but it misses one very important Universal Law: The Universal Law of Action. Very few things in life fall into our lap as this movie/book suggests. What this message is really telling us is that our thoughts, emotions and intentions create our own reality. However, you can be as positive as you want about having a lot of money but if you don't go out and do the things necessary to get the money it will never come. They speak about the gentlemen that wrote the Chicken soup for the Soul books and how he took a dollar bill and wrote zero's at the end of it and manifested nearly $ 100,000.00 into his life. This is a true story and I have seen it many times just in a different setting with a different person. However, what they do not focus on very much in this story is this: He had to write the book first to get the money. You also have to work on the emotional aspects of your life to be able to think positively enough to create that positive world.

So what do we do first?

We start working on ourselves from within so we can see things with a clear mind. It's very hard to see things on that level if we can not have a control on our own emotions. When we are not in touch with our own emotions we are denying our truest self to show through. How do we look at ourselves and start to work on our selves. Well there are many ways actually and I strongly believe one of the strongest tools is to journal. This last year for me that's what I have done a lot of because it helps me get all the thoughts that are stored up there out on paper. Even if they never fall on human ears it has still been said and that is all that matters. Meditation and focusing on where you want to be and the goals you want to achieve are very important when you are working on becoming a more emotionally intelligent person. In some cases we might need outside help to help us to heal pains that we were not able to do on our own. A lot of the time the spirit is so broken by our past pain that it is almost impossible for us to do this on our own. Proverbs 17:22 states: " A joyful heart is a good medicine but a broken spirit dries up the bones."

In a biblical sense this is further proof that our positive thoughts not only attract good things but they help us to heal and have a healthier life. Psalm 36:9 "In thy light, we see light" so in other words if you see things in a positive way you are going to see the positive in situations instead of always dwelling on the negative. Matthew 7:8 "For every one who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened." Basically, what we ask for we get.

Recap: So the Universal Law of Attraction and Action are very important tools that we can use to manifest a wonderful enriching world around us. Buddha would refer to the heightened state in life or the end of emotional pain and suffering "Enlightenment" a 20^th century psychologist named Abraham Maslow referred to this as Self Actualization. I am calling this level Synergy. This is the total state where you are at a level of emotional awareness that you are able to manifest a positive and enriching life for yourself but you are also able to maintain it.

This means not letting the simple things bother you and it means facing the hard emotional traumas in our life head on and not running from them. Each experience in our life is something that helps us grow as human beings. We are a constant evolving creatures and only with our experience can we grow and learn and have that heightened state of living.

The Devine in you by: Laurie McDonald

2007-09-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

"Namaste": a Hindu greeting, translated literally it means, "The divine in me greets the divine in you," or, "The spirit in me meets the same spirit in you." This greeting recognizes the equality and sacredness of all living things. The Lakota Sioux have a prayer that states, "Mitkuye Oyasin," literally translated it means, "All my relations," it states that we share a common kinship with all living things, in the hoop of life. The Maya also have a saying, "In Lakech," translated, this means, "I am another yourself." So all living things are connected, related, but what connects us to each other? In the Christian Bible, John ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />14:20, quotes Jesus Christ as saying, "I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." God is in all of us. The Chinese believe that there are 5 realms of energy that manifest in energy and physical matter. Metal, plant, animal, humanity, and the divine. Metal has the lowest energetic vibration, the divine the highest. Each realm has a progressively higher vibration, each are connected to each other. Each drawing energy from the realm before.

So all living things are connected by energy, running through them, and sustaining them. Modern science confirms this when we look through a microscope at an atom. An atom is made up of molecules that are in constant motion, with energy in between the molecules. This is the energy we see in nuclear weapons when we split an atom. What does this really mean to us as human beings? We know that our Creator gave us all the ability to think and create, and free will, but how far can we go with this ability? The Toltecs believe that all of our conscious reality is a dream, a collective dream that all humans contribute to. They believe that humanity dreams while awake, thus creating their own reality. Modern quantum physics also states that we create our reality with our thoughts.

A Japanese scientist named Masaro Emoto ran some experiments in which he proved that words and intentions have a profound effect on water. Positive words and thoughts had a positive effect on the water, negative words and thoughts had a profoundly negative effect, almost making it sick! Dr. Emoto proved that our words, thoughts, and intentions have an effect on physical reality. The Toltec shamans taught that we should be careful with our Word, because it has power. It can heal or harm. John 1:1 in the Christian Bible says "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God!" The Word was God! This is our power to create. In the Christian Bible there is a story about Peter, one of the disciples of Jesus. Matthew 14:25-31 says, "And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them, walking upon the sea. When the disciples saw him, walking upon the sea, they cried out in fear, saying, it is a ghost! But Jesus spoke, saying, do not be afraid, it is I. Then Peter said, Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. Jesus said come. And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on water, toward Jesus! Then Peter saw the wind, and the waves, and he began to be afraid, and began to sink beneath the water. He cried out, Lord, save me! Then Jesus put forth his hand, and took hold of Peter, and pulled him out of the water. He said, oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Now he was not asking Peter if he doubted God, or Jesus, he was asking Peter why he doubted himself! It is fairly obvious from the story that Peter believed in Jesus, and his ability to save him. Peter doubted himself! Think about modern times, and your own life. How many times have you not gone for something that you dream about because you doubt yourself? Peter was just an ordinary person, like you or me. He was a fisherman by trade. Yet he walked on water for a few steps, until he doubted himself! This is the power we all have! But we must believe in ourselves, and our ability to control our reality. Matthew 17:20 in the Bible quotes Jesus as saying, "For truly I say unto you. If you have faith as only a mustard seed, and you say to a mountain, move from here to there, it shall move. Nothing shall be impossible to you!"

This puts a whole new meaning on the idea of creating our own reality! We really can take control of our own lives! We don't have to live with the things in our lives that make us unhappy! But it also brings a new responsibility. We must take responsibility for our actions, more so than ever, when we realize the power that our very words have. The other lesson that this teaches us is that others only have power over us if we allow them to. What you believe is. Others cannot harm you if you refuse to believe in their power to harm you. Harsh words cannot harm, if you do not give them power. Constant self criticism, and negative beliefs about yourself, can do great harm, to yourself, and to your ability to believe in yourself. This causes you to doubt yourself, and then you cannot use your creative ability to bring yourself a reality that you want. This can also cause physical illnesses, as modern medicine has seen. Stress causes physical illness. This is a known fact. So my message to all of you is, be kind to yourself. Learn to love yourself, don't believe all of those negative things that others may have said to you, or that you imagine they are thinking. What you imagine is far harsher than what others are actually thinking. Changing this is a process. It will not be easy, but it must be changed, if you are to have the life that you truly want. It is a process worth going through. You will have to be patient, because it is not going to happen right away. You have an entire lifetime of building up all of the negative beliefs you have about yourself. You are going to have to change your entire way of thinking! So if you stumble, and slip back into your old way of thinking, and you will, many times, try again. Don't get angry or harsh with yourself, be patient, tell yourself that you don't have to live that way anymore, that you want a new life. Eventually you will change. Remember, the only person that you can change is yourself! Others must grow at their own pace, and we must allow them to.

Laurie McDonald