A Blog of politically "incorrect" opinion and commentary on culture, politics and spirituality by a woman who challenges the traditional feminist ideals with bold curiosity and refreshing insight.
The process of birth is transformative. Three elements must be involved: (1) conception, (2) delivery, (3) animation. Humans can birth an idea, birth a product or (with the help of the opposite sex) birth another human. Because humans can create in this way, we are said to be created in God’s image. No other mammal, insect, fish or bird can create in all of these ways.
The critical point for us is always at conception. Without this there can be no resulting idea, product or human. Conception is the spark, the Big Bang, the beginning of creation. All of nature is this way, even to the smallest atom. But is there always intention? Think about it!
Intention implies commitment. All of the natural world acts in this way because there is no other way of being. Humans on the other hand may have intention yet can lack commitment and hence give up on their plan after conception.
Our human nature separates us from all of nature. Or does it? Could this be why Christ was born? This birth is a powerful example of God’s commitment to humanity. From John 3:16…King James Bible “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Jesus immortalized God’s plan for us. His birth and message remains our great hope that no matter who you think you are, God can deliver you (birth you) to an eternity of great Love for all that is, all that will be, and all that can be. Are you open to this Love? Commit to the humility and you can deliver this Love too by animating the grace of forgiveness to yourself and others that is now and forever found in your heart and soul. God’s gift to you. May it be so this CHIST-MAS.
How about that! The majority of voters want some common sense brought back to our federal government. This common sense has nothing to do with sexism, racism, homophobia or whatever other “ism” one can “imagine” that covers the whole woke spectrum.
People are tired of the nastiness being played amongst us. So much has been done by the political establishment to create a country of “us vs them” and it didn’t work. It will never work because we actually love each other as a beautiful and complicated family of Americans.
This bride will go on the create another loving American family.
As I retire from a career that has been both a blessing and a curse to manage through the good times and bad, I see that ultimately my experience was a joy because the people who needed my services relied on my expertise and they appreciated it. My work had value. Their dreams of looking their absolute best for the “big day” were fulfilled. Each individual I helped had their own story. I played a part, but yet their story remained their own.
As a country moving on to a new administration, let us all retire the nastiness of the past. No matter how much each of us played in the electoral drama, we must remember our American story remains the same…To pursue life, liberty and happiness as individuals and not as groups. An administration doesn’t give these things, our Creator does. Your God given ambition makes it possible. What career of value can you create that others will appreciate?
Since the time of Aristotle and no doubt even before, human kind has contemplated our existence. Every individual’s life experience is unique yet we all are conceived, born into existence, live, die and “feel” along that journey.
Where do “feelings” come from? This question is definitely hard to answer. I believe it’s more important to ask what feelings are grounded in. Plato developed more understanding around the latter question. Each individual has their own body/soul linkage…neither are independent from the other because one needs the other to form the basis of the human capacity to feel whether it’s the tangible aspects or the emotional aspects. Yet the body will one day decompose so humans are left with one more question, “What then?”. In this post I will focus only on those feelings that happen while we are alive.
Let’s start with the notion of “world view” which is different for everyone because we all have various family, religious, educational, cultural and geographic situations. This is our immediate experience, our “grounding”. Is the experience (aka grounding) “normal”? Heavens no! There are too many variables to account for. The grounding is the individual’s acceptance of their earthly experiences. It’s all relative to the order that is necessary for procreation of the human race without which we would not exist. This order is actually that which is normal. Societies are meant to thrive by bringing forth life within a structured familiarity (i.e. world view).
Our “world view” experience can expand with the help of modern technology. Travel, communication and media connect us with even more variety, but is this experience “grounding”? Heavens no again! These technological advances are a marvelous tangible distraction, but they do very little to advance our metaphysical sensibilities. The human soul was already a package deal from conception…Life on this planet is a distraction from the soul’s real purpose which is a oneness with God’s love for us. Ultimately He created us and wants us to live our physical lives graciously with each other before returning to Him in the metaphysical world.
As I have pointed out in my previous blogs (see https://shrewview.com/2019/04/03/a-religion-for-our-time/), order is based in the Male Principle (MP). Feelings that are grounded in the MP are orderly and cause no emotional distress. On the other hand, feelings that are grounded in the Female Principle (FP) are chaotic and cause much emotional distress…our metaphysical selves are always trying to balance these two Principles while we live in the physical world. Our feelings are expressions of this dual energy. Hence, our physical capacity to exist in this duality may or may not “fit” into the physical order of earthly circumstances. We see extremely ugly expressions of these dualistic feelings revealed as depression, anxiety, addiction, self harm or harm to others. The oneness with this ugly energy is our satan, our evil. There is no grounding, only physical and metaphysical unrest.
Honor your feelings but learn their value. The awareness they bring is for only you to understand because there is a much deeper duality at play…The middle path is not necessarily the safest and each extreme is not always the only choice. You must comprehend the metaphysical Male (order) and Female (chaos) Principles to actuate a balanced life in the physical world. The lie comes when you shun this reality and exist on a merely physical basis…living life becomes chaotic and difficult in a real sense.
Soon humans will be sold a non-physical experience in order to create a more “perfect” concept of “reality”. This experience is not metaphysical even though the Company logo identifies itself as “meta”. This will be corporate cronyism at its finest. Remember what I said previously, societies are meant to thrive by bringing forth life within a structured familiarity. We are not meant to be used and manipulated by others for a social purpose…The Male Principle and the Female Principle will be replaced with radically formulated principles in this new non-physical experience. This artificial “grounding” will give us everything we want and need for a fulfilling yet manipulated life experience. It “feels” wonderful, but it will cost us our God given free will…just what satan wants.
Lies can be easily sold to you if your feelings are not grounded first and foremost in God’s love for you. Removing the familiarity of God from society IS destructive to your soul.
Ah the Holidays! Traditions that give our existence in the United States a meaning that goes beyond the words we know as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year. And meaning is so very important to the human species…We all know these dates exist in earthly time, and attached to these dates there are national as well as religious and family traditions, but reverence is definitely the central theme for them all.
Reverence is a showing of deep respect. The Holidays during November through December allow us to set aside time in our lives to dwell on this deep respect. But what or who are we to be respectful of or to? Think about this for a moment, if we secularize these special days then why would respect ever enter into any part of a holiday’s recognition or tradition? The truth is, these are holy days and the secular has no place in them.
God is Love
Oh sure, Thanksgiving can be about turkey, Christmas and Hanukkah about lights and gifts, Kwanzaa about community, and New Years about starting anew. We can even give a “sinister” new meaning to them as Thanksgiving has unfortunately acquired because of our ability to associate current human progress with past human realities…Hindsight is always 20/20.
But a nation needs its traditions in order to build upon its positive communal spirit. And the best way to build a positive communal spirit is to give joy and love to our gatherings. God as the “Great Creator” is the silver lining of our most profound loss and the essence of everlasting Love. To revere God is to give the greatest gift of all which is compassion. A nation that builds upon Godly traditions is at its most compassionate. Secular traditions eventually become divisive because there is no unifying principle to humble the communal spirit. Turkeys, evergreen trees, presents, candles and ball-drops are not unifying principles!
Because God is forgiving, God is for giving. Our nation’s year-end celebrations are meaningful because God has shown us the way. May we be blessed enough to know this Love, respect it, and share it always.
In one of my previous blogs, https://shrewview.com/2021/04/17/critical-race-nonsense/, I wrote about how Critical Race Theory (CRT) was affecting the culture in the USA. Critical theory argues that societal structures and cultural assumptions influence social problems rather than individual and psychological effects. In the blog I point out among other things that CRT has no scientific research and evidentiary discovery behind it, instead the discovery is purely philosophical similar to a religious practice like Buddhism…beliefs and ideals describing behavior and thought. If this is the case, then shouldn’t it follow that teaching the deconstruction of the Constitution and cultural norms of the USA (as CRT does) would lead to a vacuum of serious thought (aka critical thinking) among our students and employers who are being fed this crap? And, once this vacuum is presented what then fills it? Tyranny of course.
No country other than the USA possesses a Constitution with a very thoughtful framework for governance intended to be by and for its citizens. Though far from perfect, our Constitution sets the table to uphold individual Liberty by a checks and balances system. Also, each state is allowed to possess its own constitution. I contend that what matters most is the local government experience which is typically the best barometer of Liberty’s success…Holding elected officials accountable is best done locally.
Now consider that the USA has the most ethnically diverse population of any other country. Granted, not all communities have a large amount of ethnic diversity, but those that do not will still have population diversity of another type be it socioeconomic, religious or even seasonal…There are numerous “melting pots “. Yet there is one thing that holds us all together, and that is our desire to understand our roots and educate each other about all the hard fought freedoms which were gained by extraordinary people in order to pass true Liberty on to each new generation no matter the race, creed or color of the people.
Critical Theory seeks to deconstruct systems without lighting a way toward unity. There can be no “United” States under this philosophy. Instead the action is toward chaos (aka disunity). For instance, the white supremacy mantra is a dog whistle used to create this chaos. We see it’s influence in some of our major cities that defund policing and push CRT in school curricula. But what is white supremacy? The term is used by Democrat leadership yet the definition is lacking. Does it mean a KKK style resurgence, a saturation of Caucasian culture or perhaps it means tyrannical behavior from the opposition political party? I believe that white supremacy is meant to mean whatever the person who hears it thinks it means to them, and the intention is to cause feelings of shame for some and feelings of anger for others. The intent is for driving destructive emotions, keeping some form of “Democrat” labeled political party in power, bringing solutions that only the federal government should administer, and reducing our great diversity to simple minded cogs in a wheel of slavery to the elite class.
I have faith that our diverse population will ultimately see through the CRT re-education ruse and teach an honest education of history with all its flaws and accomplishments. We must start locally where the rescue effort is most effective. The BIG LIE is CRT. The BIG TRUTH is to love your neighbor, stay Liberty minded and keep the next generation FREE!
I left my faith two years ago. Before that time I was very committed to the faith of my birth, Unitarian Universalism. Ever since my children were born I served my church in various roles: teacher, membership chair, governing board member and past president, personnel committee chair, leadership facilitator, and docent of its historic site.
Unitarian Universalism is described as a liberal religion characterized by a “free and responsible search for truth and meaning”, open to all persons, and without a creed. Long before gay marriage became legal, we affirmed this right of passage and performed many of these unions. Born out of the Judeo-Christian traditions, the faith now preaches that Love is their doctrine.
I have come to see that my church has lost its way during this time of racial upheaval and that it is trapped in today’s climate of identity politics. It started after the 2017 presidential election when the Unitarian Universalist Association began to promote the “Resistance”. During that time the Faith in Action Committee became heavily focused on social justice issues like the Black Lives Matter movement and White Privilege re-education. Now they march for the Poor People’s Campaign, everyone’s right for employment, and sustainable living wages.
The members of Unitarian Universalism have a long tradition of being inclusive and justice seeking which aligns well with the faith’s democratic governance structure. This method of “doing church” helped me to ground myself in governance models that are inclusive and sensitive to just action. These models I easily applied to my role as a city councilor, and I was able to create needed change in my community of diverse hearts and minds. However, “doing church” and “creating communities of justice” is not the same as “worship”.
Worship is the feeling and expression of reverence for a deity. One should not worship money, a privilege, or a social cause in place of God…this will cause emotional suffering when one comes to understand that the object replacing the worship of God is fallible. I see this happening in our larger cities…Government is expected to solve all of humanity’s problems. The more troubling thing is that most if not all churches now are misguided in their worship practice.
Like Jesus turning the tables of the greedy and manipulative money changers at the Temple, we must shake ourselves awake to our true purpose as caring individuals spreading the Good News that God wants us all to know; our Creator loves us and our prayerful good deeds lead directly to Him. This would be my church and my proudest affiliation. Does this worship experience exist for me here on earth without racial creeds or social justice dogma? Like Jesus, each of us must find our direct link to The ever loving God.
Love binds people of goodwill…A repost from a year ago.
Today is a day to reflect on the message of Martin Luther King, JR. His is a message of love and freedom; a freedom guaranteed by God and reflected in the U.S. Constitution:
“…in order to form a more perfect Union…secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity…”
In the early 1960’s there was no better person to secure these Blessings for people of color. Our lawmakers failed to be responsible leaders entrusted to uphold the Constitution. One might suggest that this failed responsibility dates all the way back to our founding as a nation, but I think that would be taking the easy route, condemning every step toward the progress of achieving a message of freedom.
“Humans have been literally torturing each other for centuries as they grope toward this Chalis of fulfillment.” – The Shrew
Our U.S. Constitution is the tool enabling wholeness in our country. No other country puts the responsibility of freedom in the hands of each individual. It is law makers who abuse this insight by putting limits on ideas instead of on their lawmaking capabilities. Martin Luther King, JR knew instinctively that the idea of a black person sitting where a sign indicated that they were not allowed by law to sit would challenge the lawmaker’s unconstitutional limitations on God’s creation. King gave power back to the people – all people, because injustice is never visible in God’s kingdom which is where the human soul finds strength to conquer the perceived injustice in the world of mankind.
Love binds people of goodwill. In a nation of diverse ideas, those people of goodwill come together to solve the issues at hand. There is no us vs. them. There is only…
Higher consciousness is the place in your mind where you find the transcendent power of your soul. You get to this place (or should I say “space”) by being in full awareness of your actions and affections. You can’t reach this state of mind unless you have been born into our earthly reality which is a powerful act in and of itself!
Why is the transition to higher consciousness important, and when is the right time to act on it? There is no easy answer.
To start, you must live an earthly existence and experience your life with all its joys and sorrows. To have experience is what makes you human, and the daily choices you make relate to who you are becoming. Education is a very big part of this phase; reading and studying all you can on both sides of the spectrum, asking questions, testing theories, observing the actions of your elders. Along with education is your ability to acquire a respect for those things you are unable to control; other’s words and actions, the weather, an animal’s instinct.
Next, you must understand how your own emotions relate to your experiences. You must feel each of these emotions deeply. Cry when you’re feeling the tears move you, laugh when the outcome of your own oddness is funny, be angry when disappointed, be humble when you’ve disappointed another. Along with these expressions comes a practice of letting go which is hard to do at first, but becomes easier as you figure out that life does indeed come with its ups and downs. Everyone has these internal mood regulators which generally come up against your external influencers. Accept it all and find comfort in a Higher Power that loves you for your unique soul. This will help you to know who you are and to find the strength for improvement in your earthly endeavors.
Finally, practice makes perfect! Be intentional with positivity. Let mindfulness be consistent with your daily interactions and you will touch upon the unconditional Love which is required for the transformation to higher consciousness. You can honor this ability by your practice of it because it shows through in your authentic purpose and gives meaning to your life, enriching everyone around you.
How does this spiritual capability work within our secular systems? This is the topic of my next blog post…
This week’s brews are from one of my absolute favorite Portland, Maine breweries, Allagash Brewing Company (Allagash.com)!
Allagash crafts Belgian-inspired beer, their best known is Allagash White which I enjoy drinking from an ice cold glass with a lemon wedge floating on the top…this brings out the citrus and spice undertones very nicely 🙂
However, last week I went to visit their tap room on Valentine’s Day with my husband Stephen to celebrate our love and participate in the annual beer and chocolate pairings known as BEER HEARTS CHOCOLATE benefiting the American Heart Association. My favorite this night was their JAMES & JULIE Flemish style sour brown ale, 6.7% ABV. Mahogany in color with aromas of raisins, cherries and caramel iced sugar, it paired very well with dark chocolate that was topped with a slice of candied ginger…MARVELOUS! Stephen’s favorite was the Allagash White, 5.2% ABV, paired with milk chocolate having a crispy peanut filling…AMAIZING!
The Hibernal Fluxus 2017 paired with chocolate covered coconut and the Coolship Red paired with white chocolate covered raspberry were very enjoyable as well.
The atmosphere was cozy and inviting for a February day. I am looking forward to spring and the opportunity once again to drink a flight in the lovely Maine outdoors at the Allagash Brewing Company.
Today is a day to reflect on the message of Martin Luther King, JR. His is a message of love and freedom; a freedom guaranteed by God and reflected in the U.S. Constitution:
“…in order to form a more perfect Union…secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity…”
In the early 1960’s there was no better person to secure these Blessings for people of color. Our lawmakers failed to be responsible leaders entrusted to uphold the Constitution. One might suggest that this failed responsibility dates all the way back to our founding as a nation, but I think that would be taking the easy route, condemning every step toward the progress of achieving a message of freedom.
“Humans have been literally torturing each other for centuries as they grope toward this Chalis of fulfillment.” – The Shrew
Our U.S. Constitution is the tool enabling wholeness in our country. No other country puts the responsibility of freedom in the hands of each individual. It is law makers who abuse this insight by putting limits on ideas instead of on their lawmaking capabilities. Martin Luther King, JR knew instinctively that the idea of a black person sitting where a sign indicated that they were not allowed by law to sit would challenge the lawmaker’s unconstitutional limitations on God’s creation. King gave power back to the people – all people, because injustice is never visible in God’s kingdom which is where the human soul finds strength to conquer the perceived injustice in the world of mankind.
Love binds people of goodwill. In a nation of diverse ideas, those people of goodwill come together to solve the issues at hand. There is no us vs. them. There is only…
The Shrew 