A Recent Testimony

About a week ago when I was praying, I asked a question. It was something I have been wondering about for a while now. In order to have this make sense, I need to explain that I have two children buried next to each other in the same cemetery. One died after ten hours and the other died after nearly nineteen years. My question was this: “Why, Father (God) do you promise to bless us with long, meaningful lives and then let some of us die so young?”

I truly didn’t understand what the answer could possibly be. I have prayed that prayer so many times, believing and hoping for my loved ones to have long, earthly, happy lives. And I had been wrong twice with my own children and watched so many other young people die. It made no sense to me.

A few days ago, I was listening to a message online and I received the answer. No matter how old we are when we leave this planet, we are blessed with long, meaningful lives. He said, “You never truly die. You only change form. You live forever.”

I guess I should have been able to figure that out but the answer always eluded me. Because I was focused on this life-Earth life. I didn’t consider the transformation of death to be a continuation. I knew we transformed but always considered it a new beginning. And it is in many ways. But in other ways, it is a continuation of our time here. They joy of having an eternal perspective is so beautiful! I just wanted to pass my little revelation along!

Discerning The Journey

The days

Remind us;

That

What once was

Will not be

Again.

Our memories;

Some sorrowful,

Others treasured;

Pull us back

Into yesterday.

We need hearts

To discern,

Our ever moving

Forward;

On paths we

Were destined

To walk.

We prepare

To meet

The judge and jury

Of the seasons-

Moments of old;

That whisper

What once was;

That speak

Of who

We truly were

And what

We truly wished

To have become.

We eat the fruit

Of our decisions

When Spirit asks,

That we explain ourselves,

Before

We journey Home.

Life In A Nutshell

Everything in life seems so important, sometimes dire-until we look at the big picture. The big picture keeps everything in its proper perspective.

Here is my digital art piece entitled Life In A Nutshell.  It's a great reminder to keep yourself focused on what's really important.

https://diamante-lavendar.pixels.com/featured/life-in-a-nutshell-diamante-lavendar.html

Life Is A Game. Play It Well.

(Late Night Fairy Flight by Diamante Lavendar)

Dimension means a measurable unit of space. This dimension occupies a space-but only a tiny space as compared to the universe. This dimension demands attention. But usually we give it the wrong attention. This dimension demands that we take heed of its specifications. However, we need to learn that its specifications-in a large way- are brought about by our beliefs. What we believe comes true-good and bad. We directly affect ourselves and our personal space in this dimension according to what our core beliefs are. That is why we must carefully guard our hearts and minds. Of course, the constraints and freedoms we experience in our lives here are also spiritually determined. There is a path we have chosen to take that we find ourselves walking day after day. Our beliefs affect that path moment by moment, day by day, year by year. Therefore it is important to believe in good so that we end up in a good place-if not here, after our game here is over. This is true regardless of what has happened to us. If our lives have been harsh then how much more do we need to believe in good! Earth is a learning ground. We've all come here to grow. If we grow tall in light and love despite our circumstances, we are winning the game of this dimension. Because, after all, "life" here IS just a game. But an important game. A game, if played right, of growth and wisdom. The stronger we are-the more able we are to live according to love and light-the more we evolve. Hardship is the greatest teacher. If you're experiencing great hardship, you're learning invaluable lessons that will help you evolve into love, light and truth. Embrace it to the best of your ability. After all is said and done, when you're standing in the light of eternity, you will understand that this life has only been a game of learning. So play it well.  You'll be really glad you did!

Make Lemonade

Learning how to make lemonade from life's lemons is a test. It is hard, it takes grit and determination. It is not for the faint hearted. When I think of the tragedies people have experienced while on this earth it hurts and it humbles me. I myself have suffered deeply. So I can empathize with the pain that others experience. I have come to believe that the strongest warriors are those that are able to make sweet lemonade from the hardships of life. Through death, divorce, illness, mental pain, and other agonies, the people who rise up and stand tall and true are the heroes of life. I call them the peaceful warriors. Those able to cry freely in the face of angst and oppression. My hat is off to all of you. You are a mentor to me. I pray I may also be a mentor to others as I suffer the travails of having been abused, buried several children and dealt with other hardships. Life can be agony. But at the end of the day when we are reunited with our loved ones in heaven, we will finally be at peace. Namaste. Ride the winds of life with mercy, grace and understanding. You will be rewarded in the end.

We Are The World

We are the world. Together we can create peace, love and prosperity for Mother Earth. It is up to us individually and as a community to make the dream of heaven on earth come true. We hold amazing power to change for the better if we make the decision to do so.

Available at http://www.diamante-lavendar.pixels.com.

The Gift Of Life

(Available at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/1-the-gift-of-life-diamante-lavendar.html)

When life gets tough, it's not so easy to see it as a gift. When we are hurt or bad things happen, life seems to be anything but a gift.

This is a world where we come to learn, to grow and to understand. The only way to do these things is by living through good times and bad, in pressure and in happiness. It's a human perception that moving away from rough things is what we need. And yes, that is what we need, but only after we've addressed the issues presented to us.

Life is a test and a testament. A test of whether or not we can get through hardship and a testament as to what we've conquered.

This piece I created speaks of the gift of life. Through pain and turmoil we see and learn about meaning in even the littlest things. Life is a gift: of growth, learning, seeking, finding and understanding.

Namaste!

Echoes

 

Before you left, You told me Everything: All your pain, And your regrets. I found it strange- The sudden openness Between us, But I didn't consider The ramifications; Until I found Your lifeless body In your apartment. Suddenly the world Came crashing in As I remembered Your haunting words. You knew you'd soon Be leaving me forever And I refused To believe it. Now I'm sentenced To the silence You left behind; And your words That once fell Upon my deaf ears Will echo in my mind Until I too Leave this earth To search for you In eternity.

Dedicated to my daughter who passed last November. I love you, Celby. Please forgive me.

Peach Blossoms

The peach blossoms reach And grasp for the sky, Watching graceful birds And insects fly by;

They drink in the essence, Of the winds' lusty breeze, And the sweet scented flowers, Growing nearby their trees.

They watch and marvel, At the vibrant colors, Of the grass, the skies, Flowering sisters and brothers;

All in due season, All in due time, There is no worry or pressure, In nature's rhythm and rhyme.

Available on Fine Art America at:

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/peach-blossoms-diamante-lavendar.html

Being Frugal

Whether this concept is an old one to you...or a new one...it's still worth mentioning. I know I need reminders about this frequently myself! Here is a message about money...the material possession which makes our society go 'round! (Whether we'd like to admit it or not!)

Be frugal. Be wise. Life requires wisdom in order to succeed.

Dreams are important-they're necessary-but so is living in the moment according to the means at your disposal. If you get caught up in believing for your wishes to come true in Now, you'll find yourself in debt. Take one day at a time with your heart believing for tomorrow. Slowly build your efforts. It's a lifestyle just like everything else.

If you're patient, your efforts will pay off! And you won't have to pay "big time" for that to happen!

Now Determines The Future

 

Now determines the future. Now is the "seat" of tomorrow. Don't project what happened yesterday into tomorrow. You'll create more of the same in "what is to come".

If you want to start fresh, make Now the best you can and see that best going forward into tomorrow. That is the most productive way to correct past mistakes, one moment at a time. And if you slip up or get off track, don't worry or fear. Just realign yourself in a successful Now and the future will be much brighter and better.

Remember: life is a journey and we are all works in progress!

You Can't Have One Without The Other

There is an unfortunate tendency in our society to focus on social class and egoism. While I completely understand the differences and needs of particular social classes and the importance of individualism, when it comes to our society working together for good these tendencies cause problems.

In the study of society, or sociology, differences in society are categorized as class, race, gender and geographic location. These differences affect how people can access resources and opportunities. (Reference: What are social divisions?)

Social divisions stem from the idea that society is separated into the powerful and powerless. Those in lower socioeconomic classes have fewer opportunities for things like education, health care and employment. Those in higher socioeconomic classes have an abundance of pretty much everything. (Reference:  What are social divisions?)  For far too long, our society has valued the upper socioeconomic classes such as doctors and lawyers and undervalued the lower socioeconomic classes such as fast food workers and janitors. But the truth of the matter is, we can't have one without the other.

(Celebration by Diamante Lavendar)

It is an inconceivable notion that some people are more important than others in a society that hopes to accomplish its very best in the given moment.  Yes, doctors and lawyers are important. But if society valued all walks of people more, perhaps lawyers and doctors would be in lesser demand because there would be less fighting and stress!  Who would clean the rooms and hallways of the hospitals if everyone were a doctor? Who would prepare gourmet or classic meals, create beautiful pieces of art to appreciate or music to calm the senses?  Who would make sure the factories worked correctly and that we had safe water, pipes, heat, electricity, running vehicles and amusement parks to occupy ourselves?  It takes all of us to create a happy whole.

Democracy is defined as "a system of government by the whole population through elected representatives". (Dictionary.com).  Are we truly being aptly represented by our officials?  Everyone matters.  Every life is important.  It is a travesty and a shame when some are deemed more useful than others.  Even in the Bible it says, "There is one body, but it has many parts.  But all its many parts make up one body.....if all parts were the same, how could there be a body?"  (1 Cor. 12:12 and 19).

We all matter.  Our lives matter. Our souls matter.  Our means of living matter.  When we are each contributing positively to the value of the whole, who can truly say one is more important or meaningful than the other?  Deep down, we all need the same things and crave the same things.  I believe it's time to value the parts of society contributing to the sum of our society's parts.  Even Aristotle said,  "Mathematically, the whole is equal to the sum of its parts, neither more nor less." Then psychological Gestalt theory took it a step further, stating that "The parts, when working together, are able to achieve an outcome superior to one or two people working alone."   (PubMed.gov:  The whole is more than the sum of its parts:  Aristotle, metaphysical).

I know Aristotle was onto something but I believe the Gestalt theory summed it up beautifully. If everyone worked together in harmony and synchrony, wow, what an amazing society this would be!

Finding Peace

Deep down in the heart of every person is the desire to be at peace. The beauty of peace is an innate craving. We try and try to find things that will give us peace. True peace can only be found in God.

The world says that we'll be at peace when we achieve this or that or when we win this or that. That type of satisfaction is temporary. No matter how many mountains we climb, how many things we achieve, how many dollars we make, it will not bring us lasting peace.

Peace is an experience devoid of anxiety; an experience of fulfillment without reason. What do we have to do to find true peace? In reality, the only thing we can do is connect with our Source...the one who created us to begin with. We crave a relationship with God. That's why we try to find true love in another fallible human being. The only "true" love that exists is the love of the one who made us. The reason being? None of us is perfect. We all fall short and let each other down sooner or later. So how can peace exist in such an environment?

It can't hinge on our surroundings. Our surroundings are always changing. They're unpredictable, unreliable. Peace can't thrive in such a state. Peace depends on the solidity of faith and a power much greater than reason; hence, a state of being which will supercede our everyday existence. Peace is a quandary for the seeker. It can seem like a state that doesn't really exist. But if you look in the right place, you'll find it.

It's a spiritual undertaking: a quest. And when you finally enter its beautiful state of rest, you'll never be the same. People have found it and learned to treasure it more than their everyday life experiences. The truly beautiful aspect of peace comes when you learn to cultivate your everyday life into its wonderful concept. When you're truly living "peace on earth and goodwill toward men", what could possibly be better?

From my viewpoint, not much!

Living In Love Doesn't Mean Being A Doormat!

To revere peace and love, we are told to live in love and have a good attitude. That is a wonderful way to live but we also need to know our boundaries in that type of lifestyle.

Too many times we think that living in love means to allow others to walk all over us...to be a doormat. In reality, it means to have a loving attitude and to help out any way we can...with limits.

Once the relationship becomes abusive or we are being used for the benefit of others, there is no shame in walking away.  In fact, walking away is setting a healthy boundary for us to continue to be loving people.  The key is:  walking away with a good attitude.  In order to do this, we must walk away before our anger is ignited because we have allowed others to use us in our process of trying to be loving, caring people.

So....once your good has worn out its welcome in a situation (as it very commonly does)...walk away!  And don't feel bad about doing it!  Because you will soon find yourself facing another situation where your love is needed to be passed along.  And if you allow yourself to be used, you will be too weary to continue on your journey.

Take care and God Bless!

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Pain Is An Activist

Are you someone who has felt a great amount of pain during your life? Are you in pain right now? I'm talking about every type of pain that exists: mental, physical, spiritual and every other type of pain that you can name.

As a species in general, we try to shy away from pain. I do it as much as the next guy. Let's face it. Pain sucks. No matter what you're experiencing, it's tough to see any good in it at all. But the truth is there IS good in pain. It just takes a lot of guts to acknowledge it.

I just recently saw a post stating that "we are continually faced with great opportunities disguised as insolvable problems" (AmpLIFEied.com).  What a way to look at it!  Our insolvable problems...the ones we can't seem to figure out that keep us on a hamster's treadmill are our great opportunities...WOW!  If you tell the wrong person about this philosophy, you could end up with a harsh slap to the face!  But is it true?  I believe it is.

As someone who has been faced with thousands of seemingly unsolvable problems, I'm a first hand witness to the emotional throwback of such a statement.  When we've been through a million and one things, the last thought on our mind is, "Oh, great!  Another wonderful opportunity wrapped up in anguish!  Yay!"  When in reality, it is a great opportunity...to GROW into a better person.

Is it really worth the pain?  In the end, yes.  But during the daily fight of turmoil and angst it can almost drive you to insanity.  You have to keep holding onto the hope that some time it will bring blessings beyond comprehension.  But in the meantime, check that temper!  Continually let go of that anxiety!  Growth is never easy but it always brings us to more peaceful understandings of our lives and situations.  Isn't that what life is about?  To learn as you move through your experiences?

As you examine your current condition, whether it be mental, physical, spiritual or some other type of angst, look at what seems unsolvable.  The truth is, there is always a solution but sometimes we fail to see it or we don't want to see it.  What ending will the solution bring?  Does it add to your life or take away from it?  Many times the process of taking away adds bigger things down the line.  Do you have the guts to walk through the fire?  To deal with the cards that you've been dealt?  Bad things happen to good people.  It's true.  You have no choice in the matter.  But you do have a choice as to how you will respond to tragedy.

Keep the faith.  Hold onto hope.  You'll make it through and some day you'll be a better person for your pain.  I know it's tough, but don't ever give up the fight!  Even if it's debilitating, it will cause you to grow in ways you've never imagined.

If Only Things Had Been Different

He sat in the back of the room.  There were people shuffling about around him but he sat in his seat quietly ignoring them.

If only things had been different.

He remembered being in a boat with his dad.  He sat quietly, his fishing rod in the water.

 I wish a fish would bite.  

The water lapped peacefully around the boat.  His father sat at the other end, a cap covering his head.

"You have to be quiet.  Otherwise you'll scare the fish away,"  his father had told him before they left.

So he stayed very quiet.  And his father didn't talk.  Not when they were fishing or any other time either.

He stared at the other boats dotted around the lake.

 I wonder if they sit in silence too.

Of the handful of times that he'd been fishing with his dad, he had only caught a small number of fish.

Does it really matter if you talk?  It doesn't seem to matter when I'm fishing.

His dad reeled in his line and re cast it out on the water.

Thirty minutes later, his dad looked at him and said,  "We're not having very good luck.  Do you want to stay here longer or should we go?"

"Let's stay a little longer,"  he said.

 Let's talk a while.

Another fisherman drove past in his boat.

"Having any luck?"  he yelled.

"No,"  his dad shook his head.

"Try the southern part of the lake.  I just caught a few over there,"  the fisherman said.

"Thanks.  I might,"  dad yelled back as the fisherman continued on his way.

"Do you want to go to the southern part of the lake?"  his dad asked him.

He shrugged.  "If you want to."

"Let's just come back another time.  I'm getting sun burnt."

He looked around the room.  People were talking in hushed tones.  Some were crying.  He stood up and walked to his father's coffin.

I wish things were different.  I wish we would've talked a while. 

A tear slipped down his cheek as he walked over to join his family.

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The Dance Of Life

Life is a dance; it is a danceOf love, of compassion, Of nature, of wit, If you do it right.

A dance Of happiness, of holiness, Of peace, of helpfulness, If you follow your own enlightened path.

And when your last days come, You will know if you've succeeded By the people who have gathered around you And the people who hold you in their hearts.

For life is not a game of chance; It is a testament Of who you are as a person And who you have become,

Through the path You have chosen to walk While you found yourself Here on earth.

Life

From the dust we are made,To the dust we return;

In the days of our lives, Many lessons are learned;

To believe is a key, To take risks is a cost;

To feel true joy and peace, We must understand loss;

Life is indeed a game, That we must play with care;

And its greatest achievement, Is the love that we share.

-Diamante Lavendar