Chaos

Life this past week has been very chaotic to myself and my family. 

For starters, my father rolled his truck on his way home from the airport.  He totaled his vehicle and suffered some bruising/soreness from the accident.  Other than that he seems to be ok.

If many of you readers out there are from West MI you are aware of the flooding that has been going on.  This is also something that has affected me.  This natural disaster has also taught me a good lesson.  I knew that people were being displaced because of the flooding of their homes, but I didn't pay too much attention because I figured I was safe.  Wrong!  I have been forced out of my home for the past few days and am quite unsure when we will be able to return.  I know that I am moving out soon anyways, but being forced out in a way where you don't have control is very difficult and defeating.  I am thankful that I have wonderful people in my life who are willing to put me up and accommodate me.  So many people have been forced from their homes and many have lost transportation.  It is very sad and very hard for many people.  I am slowly making trips to and from my apartment to collect my things for moving out.  We have to have workers escort us to our apartment using flashlights.  :(

So forgive me for not posting a whole lot since my last one.  Things are coming along, but much more slowly. 

In about one and a half weeks I will be flying out to California for my last session with the Harner foundation and the three year program.  It takes place at a beautiful retreat center called IONS (Institute of Noetic Sciences.)  This center was founded by Edgar Mitchell and contains a vast amount of exploratory disciplines/approaches to understanding consciousness/spirituality.  I cried something fierce when I left the Harner two week intensive.  So who knows what is going to happen this time around after being together for three years.  There are many different ways in which you can see and get to know someone.  Although I don't know many of these people on a day to day basis, I know them quite intimately though sacred space and working with spirit.  I have seen how this work has transformed many of them throughout the three years (and some since my two week intensive.)  The transformational power that comes through shamanic work is incredible.  It can take a long time to understand though.  It is very much like a sprouting seed.  I believe that is an analogy used a lot when talking about growth.

In some upcoming posts I would like to say a few things about religion and spirituality.  Mainly, I want to post several different definitions of each and talk about how what I am doing fits into certain categories and doesn't with others.  When I grew up the people around me said that they don't talk about two things:  Religion and Politics.  I see and understand very clearly why they say that.  Personally I don't talk about politics (only because my knowledge/experience is lacking in that area.)  I like talking about religion, spirituality, and thought.  In order to really open up two or more people to start communicating about their ways of understanding reality in terms of religion and spirituality, a good solid foundation can be immeasurable.  Qualities such as patience, understanding, and insight come into play as well.  Since many people aren't used to talking about topics such as these on a daily basis, it can take awhile to really bring out what they want to say and what they mean by that. 

Stay tuned!