#WritingInspiration

By 2040, AI is expected to operate seamlessly across multiple modalities, with smarter, more intuitive prompts and the ability to handle complex, independent tasks. While voice input will remain a cornerstone, text, gestures, images, and even thought-based interfaces will create a richer, more versatile AI experience. 

What if, in a world where AI creates everything, somebody dares to rediscover the lost art of organic writing. Can human imagination still thrive in a future dominated by machines?

De Corazón a Espíritu: Elevating the Soul Through Poetic Prayer

Dr. Joseph S. Spence Sr’s “De Corazón a Espíritu: Hablando con Sinceridad” (From Heart to Spirit: Speaking with Sincerity) is a profound and uplifting collection of spiritual poetry designed to nourish the soul and inspire readers to deepen their connection with the divine. As a seasoned poet and a man of faith, Dr. Spence offers a unique perspective on spiritual writing, blending lyrical beauty with heartfelt devotion.

The Power of Poetic Prayer

At its core, this book explores the transformative power of poetic prayer. Dr. Spence posits that poetic prayer is a “dynamic and cosmic force that moves the soul.” It goes beyond rote recitation, engaging the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—in a creative act of connection with the divine. Through poetic prayer, Dr. Spence suggests that we can:

• Achieve a deeper state of wholeness and spiritual exploration
• Connect our inner and outer selves to find balance
• Bring order and stability to a chaotic world
• Experience a rebirth of spirit and a renewed sense of God’s presence

The author views poetic prayer as a revelatory process, allowing us to uncover divine mysteries and gain profound insights into life’s deeper realities. It serves as a form of intercession, enabling us to advocate on behalf of others before God.

A Journey Through Poetic Forms

One of the most fascinating aspects of this collection is how Dr. Spence employs a wide variety of poetic forms to express spiritual truths. The book is divided into several sections, each showcasing different styles:

• Regular Spiritual Poetic Forms
• Poetic Prayer Forms
• Invented Brief Spiritual Poetic Forms
• Epulaeryu Poems
• Glossary of Spiritual Poetic Forms

This structure allows readers to experience the breadth of poetic expression while also learning about the forms themselves. Dr. Spence includes both traditional forms like haiku, tanka, and sonnets, as well as forms of his own invention like the “epulaeryu” and the “linking pin sonnet.” By utilizing such a diverse array of forms, the author demonstrates how spiritual expression can take many shapes. This variety keeps the collection feeling fresh and engaging throughout, subtly reinforcing the idea that there are many paths to connect with the divine.

Themes of Faith, Love, and Divine Grace

Throughout the collection, several key themes emerge that speak to core aspects of spiritual life:

Divine Love and Grace

Many poems celebrate God’s unconditional love and the freely given gift of grace. The poem “Your Omnipresent Love” beautifully encapsulates this:
“Your precious love for us is here today to stay.
The potter molds us from clay in His way.
He is the one with the master plan.”

Praise and Gratitude

Dr. Spence frequently expresses profound thankfulness for God’s blessings and protection. “Praising Him All the Time” exemplifies this spirit of joyful praise:
“Today I’m praising God, glorifying Him in a mighty way.
My faith in Him will not waver.
His love for us is here to stay. Praising Him all the way.”

Spiritual Journey and Growth

Many poems touch on the process of spiritual development, acknowledging both struggles and triumphs along the path. “Reaching God Through Steps” uses an innovative form to depict this upward journey:

“By His love I seek
Praising God Trust Him always.
Tell God you’ll stay.
Of His loving ways.
Keep His course; don’t stray. “

Hope and Renewal

The collection radiates a sense of hope, even in the face of difficulties. Poems like “New Peaceful Dawn” remind readers of the constant possibility for renewal through faith:

“summer mornings
birds sing melodies of grace
pleasant harmony
walking in his light
peace and joy come with his love
creation’s dawning”

Intercessory Prayer

Dr. Spence includes several powerful prayers for others, demonstrating the importance of lifting up our fellow human beings. His “Prayer for Our Soldiers” is particularly moving:

“Dear Heavenly Father,
Please bless our soldiers wherever they may be.
You know the trials they have to endure.
You know the threats they face.”

The Epulaeryu: A Unique Spiritual Form

One of the most intriguing aspects of this collection is Dr. Spence’s use of the epulaeryu form, which he invented. While originally created to describe delicious foods and drinks, he adapts it here for spiritual themes. In “De Corazón a Espíritu,” Dr. Spence uses the epulaeryu to explore biblical passages and spiritual concepts. For example, “Communion of the Saints” draws inspiration from multiple Bible verses:

“Feed us with your Bread of Life,
like manna from heaven.
Your gushing well quenches the thirst
Reviving lost souls.
Communion of saints.
Bread of life
Christ!”

This innovative use of the form demonstrates how spiritual poetry can find expression in unexpected places, bridging the gap between the earthly and the divine.

A Multilingual Approach to Spirituality

While the main text of “De Corazón a Espíritu” is in Spanish, it is worth noting that this is a translation of Dr. Spence’s original English work, “Sincerely Speaking Spiritually.” This multilingual approach speaks to the universal nature of spiritual experience and the desire to make these uplifting messages accessible to a wider audience. The choice to translate the work into Spanish opens up the possibility for readers across the Spanish-speaking world to engage with Dr. Spence’s unique blend of poetry and spirituality. It’s a reminder that the yearning for divine connection transcends linguistic and cultural boundaries.

Educational Value

Beyond its spiritual content, “De Corazón a Espíritu” offers significant educational value for those interested in poetry. The included glossary of poetic forms provides clear explanations of both traditional and invented forms used throughout the book. This makes the collection an excellent resource for students of poetry or anyone looking to expand their understanding of poetic structures. Dr. Spence’s inventive forms, like the “linking pin sonnet” and the “God’s dynamic steps,” showcase the potential for innovation within poetry. By explaining the thought process behind these new forms, he encourages readers to think creatively about poetic expression.

A Personal Journey of Faith

In the book’s introduction and the additional material included at the end, Dr. Spence shares insights into his own spiritual journey. His background as a commissioned officer and commander in the U.S. Army, combined with his service as a lay minister of the Eucharist, informs the perspective he brings to his poetry. Dr. Spence’s varied religious experiences—from working with Jewish businesses to serving in Baptist, Episcopal, and now Lutheran congregations—have given him a broad understanding of faith practices. This ecumenical background lends a sense of inclusivity to his spiritual poetry, making it accessible to readers from various religious traditions. The author’s academic pursuits, including a degree in divinity from Faith Theological Seminary, have clearly deepened his theological understanding. This scholarly approach balances nicely with the emotional and intuitive aspects of his poetry, creating a well-rounded exploration of spirituality.

Reflection on the Creative Process

In the epilogue, Dr. Spence reflects on the motivation behind creating such a “dynamic and successful spiritual poetic text.” He describes it as an innate motivation, framed by a faithbased background that serves as a springboard to ignite flames that pierce through worldwide humanity. The author acknowledges that this kind of reflective, spiritually infused writing doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of a valuable journey through time and space, coupled with a historical dedication to not giving in to negativity. Dr. Spence candidly discusses the struggle against negative forces, viewing his ability to create uplifting poetry as a testament to God’s enduring grace.
This behind-the-scenes look at the creative process adds depth to the reading experience. It reminds us that spiritual growth and artistic expression often go hand in hand, each informing and enriching the other.

Impact and Recognition

The epilogue also details the impact Dr. Spence’s spiritual and poetic work has had over the years. His involvement in various religious organizations, from serving as a Baptist minister to being ordained by Universal Ministries, speaks to his commitment to spiritual service. The numerous awards and recognitions Dr. Spence has received—including the World Literary Rahim Karim Award 2023, the Mahatma ‘Bapu’ Gandhi Global Prestigious Award, and the Indonesian Ambassador Award for Peace, Social Justice, Human Rights and Diplomacy—underscore the global reach and impact of his work. These accolades serve as external validation of the power of combining spiritual insight with poetic expression. They suggest that Dr. Spence’s approach resonates not just with individual readers but with larger organizations dedicated to promoting peace, understanding, and spiritual growth.

A Tool for Spiritual Growth

Ultimately, “De Corazón a Espíritu: Hablando con Sinceridad” is more than just a collection of poems—it’s a tool for spiritual growth and reflection. Dr. Spence invites readers to engage with the text on multiple levels:

• As a source of inspiration and comfort
• As a guide for developing one’s own practice of poetic prayer
• As an educational resource for understanding poetic forms
• As a prompt for deeper theological and philosophical contemplation

The varied nature of the collection means that readers can approach it in different ways depending on their needs and interests. One might read a single poem as a daily meditation, study the forms to improve their own writing, or engage with the entire book as a comprehensive spiritual journey.

Conclusion: A Heartfelt Offering

“De Corazón a Espíritu: Hablando con Sinceridad” stands as a heartfelt offering from Dr. Joseph S. Spence Sr. to readers seeking to deepen their spiritual life through the power of poetry. By blending traditional wisdom with innovative forms, personal reflection with universal themes, Dr. Spence has created a unique and valuable contribution to the field of spiritual literature.

The book serves as a bridge – between heart and spirit, between various faith traditions, between poetic craft and spiritual practice. It reminds us of the transformative power of words when imbued with sincere devotion and a questing spirit.

For those interested in exploring the intersection of poetry and spirituality, or for anyone seeking a fresh perspective on prayer and divine connection, “De Corazón a Espíritu” offers a rich and rewarding journey. It invites readers to open their hearts, expand their minds, and allow the rhythms of poetic prayer to lift their spirits to new heights of understanding and grace.

In a world often fraught with division and uncertainty, Dr. Spence’s work stands as a beacon of hope, reminding us of the unifying power of love, faith, and artistic expression. It challenges us to speak – and live – with sincerity, always reaching from our hearts toward the divine spirit that connects us all.

Furthermore, this collection beautifully demonstrates the power of reverential poetic prayer combined with divine faith. Dr. Spence’s work uplifts one’s aura and persona, encouraging readers to “Strive for the highest calling in the heavenly realms” as articulated so eloquently by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Philippians (Philippians 3:13-14). In doing so, “De Corazón a Espíritu” not only inspires spiritual growth but also motivates readers to pursue their highest potential in both earthly and spiritual realms.

Escrito en español

De Corazón a Espíritu: Elevando el Alma a Través de la Oración Poética

“De Corazón a Espíritu: Hablando con Sinceridad” de Dr. Joseph S. Spence Sr. es una colección profunda y edificante de poesía espiritual diseñada para nutrir el alma e inspirar a los lectores a profundizar su conexión con lo divino. Como poeta experimentado y hombre de fe, el Dr. Spence ofrece una perspectiva única sobre la escritura espiritual, fusionando la belleza lírica con la devoción sincera.

El Poder de la Oración Poética

En su esencia, este libro explora el poder transformador de la oración poética. El Dr. Spence sostiene que la oración poética es una “fuerza dinámica y cósmica que mueve el alma.” Va más allá de la simple recitación, involucrando a la persona en su totalidad—mente, cuerpo y espíritu—en un acto creativo de conexión con lo divino. A través de la oración poética, el Dr. Spence sugiere que podemos:

• Alcanzar un estado más profundo de integridad y exploración espiritual.
• Conectar nuestro ser interior y exterior para encontrar equilibrio.
• Traer orden y estabilidad a un mundo caótico.
• Experimentar un renacimiento del espíritu y un renovado sentido de la presencia de Dios.

El autor ve la oración poética como un proceso revelador, permitiéndonos descubrir misterios divinos y obtener profundos conocimientos sobre las realidades más profundas de la vida. Sirve como una forma de intercesión, permitiéndonos abogar por otros ante Dios.

Un Viaje a Través de Formas Poéticas

Uno de los aspectos más fascinantes de esta colección es cómo el Dr. Spence emplea una amplia variedad de formas poéticas para expresar verdades espirituales. El libro está dividido en varias secciones, cada una mostrando diferentes estilos:

• Formas Poéticas Espirituales Regulares
• Formas de Oración Poética
• Formas Breves de Poesía Espiritual Inventadas
• Poemas Epulaeryu
• Glosario de Formas Poéticas Espirituales

Esta estructura permite a los lectores experimentar la amplitud de la expresión poética mientras aprenden sobre las formas mismas. El Dr. Spence incluye tanto formas tradicionales como haiku, tanka y sonetos, así como formas de su propia invención como el “epulaeryu” y el “soneto de pin de enlace”. Al utilizar una gama tan diversa de formas, el autor demuestra cómo la expresión espiritual puede tomar muchas formas. Esta variedad mantiene la colección fresca y atractiva a lo largo del tiempo, reforzando sutilmente la idea de que hay muchos caminos para conectar con lo divino.

Temas de Fe, Amor y Gracia Divina

A lo largo de la colección, emergen varios temas clave que hablan de los aspectos fundamentales de la vida espiritual:

Amor y Gracia Divina

Muchos poemas celebran el amor incondicional de Dios y el regalo de la gracia. El poema “Tu Amor Omnipresente” lo encapsula bellamente:
“Tu precioso amor por nosotros está aquí hoy para quedarse.
El alfarero nos moldea de barro a Su manera.
Él es el que tiene el plan maestro.”

Alabanza y Gratitud

El Dr. Spence expresa con frecuencia un profundo agradecimiento por las bendiciones y protección de Dios. “Alabándolo Todo el Tiempo” ejemplifica este espíritu de alabanza alegre:
“Hoy estoy alabando a Dios, glorificándolo de manera poderosa.
Mi fe en Él no flaqueará.
Su amor por nosotros está aquí para quedarse. Alabándolo todo el camino.”

Viaje y Crecimiento Espiritual

Muchos poemas abordan el proceso de desarrollo espiritual, reconociendo tanto las luchas como los triunfos a lo largo del camino. “Alcanzando a Dios a Través de Pasos” utiliza una forma innovadora para representar este viaje ascendente:

“Por Su amor busco
Alabando a Dios Confía siempre en Él.
Dile a Dios que te quedarás.
De Sus formas amorosas.
Sigue Su curso; no te desvíes.”

Esperanza y Renovación

La colección irradia un sentido de esperanza, incluso frente a las dificultades. Poemas como “Nuevo Amanecer Pacífico” recuerdan a los lectores la constante posibilidad de renovación a través de la fe:

“mañanas de verano
los pájaros cantan melodías de gracia
armonía agradable
caminando en su luz
la paz y la alegría vienen con su amor
el amanecer de la creación”

Oración de Intercesión

El Dr. Spence incluye varias oraciones poderosas por los demás, demostrando la importancia de
elevar a nuestros semejantes. Su “Oración por Nuestros Soldados” es particularmente
conmovedora:
“Querido Padre Celestial,
Por favor bendice a nuestros soldados dondequiera que estén.
Conoces las pruebas que tienen que soportar.
Conoces las amenazas que enfrentan.”

El Epulaeryu: Una Forma Espiritual Única

Uno de los aspectos más intrigantes de esta colección es el uso que hace el Dr. Spence de la forma epulaeryu, que él mismo inventó. Aunque originalmente creada para describir alimentos y bebidas deliciosas, la adapta aquí para temas espirituales. En “De Corazón a Espíritu”, el Dr. Spence utiliza el epulaeryu para explorar pasajes bíblicos y conceptos espirituales. Por ejemplo, “Comunión de los Santos” se inspira en múltiples versículos de la Biblia:

“Aliméntanos con tu Pan de Vida,
como el maná del cielo.
Tu fuente que brota sacia la sed
Reviviendo almas perdidas.
Comunión de los santos.
Pan de vida
¡Cristo!”

Este uso innovador de la forma demuestra cómo la poesía espiritual puede encontrar expresión en lugares inesperados, cerrando la brecha entre lo terrenal y lo divino.

Un Enfoque Multilingüe de la Espiritualidad

Aunque el texto principal de “De Corazón a Espíritu” está en español, vale la pena señalar que esta es una traducción del trabajo original en inglés del Dr. Spence, “Sincerely Speaking Spiritually”. Este enfoque multilingüe habla de la naturaleza universal de la experiencia espiritual y del deseo de hacer estos mensajes edificantes accesibles a una audiencia más amplia. La decisión de traducir la obra al español abre la posibilidad para que los lectores de todo el mundo hispanohablante se conecten con la mezcla única de poesía y espiritualidad del Dr. Spence. Es un recordatorio de que el anhelo de conexión divina trasciende las barreras lingüísticas y culturales.

Valor Educativo

Más allá de su contenido espiritual, “De Corazón a Espíritu” ofrece un valor educativo significativo para aquellos interesados en la poesía. El glosario de formas poéticas incluidas proporciona explicaciones claras tanto de las formas tradicionales como de las inventadas que se utilizan a lo largo del libro. Esto hace que la colección sea un excelente recurso para estudiantes de poesía o para cualquier persona que busque expandir su comprensión de las estructuras poéticas. Las formas inventivas del Dr. Spence, como el “soneto de pin de enlace” y los “pasos dinámicos de Dios”, muestran el potencial de la innovación dentro de la poesía. Al explicar el proceso de pensamiento detrás de estas nuevas formas, alienta a los lectores a pensar creativamente sobre la expresión poética.

Un Viaje Personal de Fe

En la introducción del libro y el material adicional incluido al final, el Dr. Spence comparte ideas sobre su propio viaje espiritual. Su experiencia como oficial comisionado y comandante en el Ejército de los Estados Unidos, combinada con su servicio como ministro laico de la Eucaristía, informa la perspectiva que aporta a su poesía. Las variadas experiencias religiosas del Dr. Spence, desde trabajar con empresas judías hasta servir en congregaciones bautistas, episcopales y ahora luteranas, le han dado una comprensión amplia de las prácticas de fe. Este trasfondo ecuménico da un sentido de inclusividad a su poesía espiritual, haciéndola accesible a lectores de diversas tradiciones religiosas.

Las búsquedas académicas del autor, incluyendo un título en divinidad del Faith Theological Seminary, han profundizado claramente su comprensión teológica. Este enfoque académico se equilibra muy bien con los aspectos emocionales e intuitivos de su poesía, creando una exploración bien equilibrada de la espiritualidad.

Reflexión Sobre el Proceso Creativo

En el epílogo, el Dr. Spence reflexiona sobre la motivación detrás de la creación de un “texto poético espiritual tan dinámico y exitoso”. Lo describe como una motivación innata, enmarcada por un trasfondo basado en la fe que sirve como trampolín para encender llamas que atraviesan a la humanidad en todo el mundo. El autor reconoce que este tipo de escritura reflexiva e infundida espiritualmente no ocurre de la noche a la mañana. Es el resultado de un valioso viaje a través del tiempo y el espacio, junto con una dedicación histórica a no ceder ante la negatividad. El Dr. Spence discute con franqueza la lucha contra las fuerzas negativas, viendo su capacidad para crear poesía edificante como un testimonio de la gracia duradera de Dios. Este vistazo detrás de escena al proceso creativo agrega profundidad a la experiencia de lectura. Nos recuerda que el crecimiento espiritual y la expresión artística a menudo van de la mano, cada uno informando y enriqueciendo al otro.

Impacto y Reconocimiento

El epílogo también detalla el impacto que la obra espiritual y poética del Dr. Spence ha tenido a lo largo de los años. Su participación en varias organizaciones religiosas, desde servir como ministro bautista hasta ser ordenado por los Ministerios Universales, habla de su compromiso con el servicio espiritual. Los numerosos premios y reconocimientos que ha recibido el Dr. Spence, incluyendo el World Literary Rahim Karim Award 2023, el Mahatma ‘Bapu’ Gandhi Global Prestigious Award, y el Indonesian Ambassador Award for Peace, Social Justice, Human Rights and Diplomacy, subrayan el alcance global y el impacto de su trabajo. Estos galardones sirven como validación externa del poder de combinar la visión espiritual con la expresión poética. Sugieren que el enfoque del Dr. Spence resuena no solo con los lectores individuales sino con organizaciones más grandes dedicadas a promover la paz, el entendimiento y el crecimiento espiritual.

Una Herramienta para el Crecimiento Espiritual

En última instancia, “De Corazón a Espíritu: Hablando con Sinceridad” es más que una colección de poemas: es una herramienta para el crecimiento espiritual y la reflexión. El Dr. Spence invita a los lectores a interactuar con el texto en múltiples niveles:

• Como fuente de inspiración y consuelo
• Como guía para desarrollar la propia práctica de la oración poética
• Como recurso educativo para comprender las formas poéticas
• Como estímulo para una contemplación teológica y filosófica más profunda

La naturaleza variada de la colección significa que los lectores pueden abordarla de diferentes maneras según sus necesidades e intereses. Uno puede leer un solo poema como meditación diaria, estudiar las formas para mejorar su propia escritura, o interactuar con todo el libro como un viaje espiritual completo.

Conclusión: Una Ofrenda Sincera

“De Corazón a Espíritu: Hablando con Sinceridad” se presenta como una ofrenda sincera del Dr. Joseph S. Spence Sr. a los lectores que buscan profundizar su vida espiritual a través del poder de la poesía. Al combinar la sabiduría tradicional con formas innovadoras, la reflexión personal con temas universales, el Dr. Spence ha creado una contribución única y valiosa al campo de la
literatura espiritual.

El libro sirve como un puente: entre el corazón y el espíritu, entre diversas tradiciones de fe, entre la artesanía poética y la práctica espiritual. Nos recuerda el poder transformador de las palabras cuando se impregnan de devoción sincera y un espíritu inquisitivo.

Para aquellos interesados en explorar la intersección de la poesía y la espiritualidad, o para cualquier persona que busque una nueva perspectiva sobre la oración y la conexión divina, “De Corazón a Espíritu” ofrece un viaje rico y gratificante. Invita a los lectores a abrir sus corazones, expandir sus mentes y permitir que los ritmos de la oración poética eleven sus espíritus a nuevas alturas de comprensión y gracia.

En un mundo a menudo plagado de división e incertidumbre, la obra del Dr. Spence se erige como un faro de esperanza, recordándonos el poder unificador del amor, la fe y la expresión artística. Nos desafía a hablar y vivir con sinceridad, siempre alcanzando desde nuestros corazones hacia el espíritu divino que nos conecta a todos.
Además, esta colección demestra hermosamente el poder de la oración poética reverencial combinada con la fe divina. La obra del Dr. Spence eleva el aura y la persona de uno, alentando a los lectores a “Esforzarse por el llamado más alto en los reinos celestiales,” tal como lo articuló tan elocuentemente el Apóstol Pablo en su Epístola a los Filipenses (Filipenses 3:13-14). Al hacerlo, “De Corazón a Espíritu” no solo inspira crecimiento espiritual, sino que también motiva a los lectores a perseguir su mayor potencial tanto en los reinos terrenales como espirituales.

Let’s say you’re an African mother living in the jungle in the year 1694. You’ve been with your man 17 years and have 4 children. You work hard and are 48 years old. Not easy raising 4 children and a sometimes-childish husband in this sweltering hot environment. All in all, life is good for you, and you laugh much more than you cry. 

One day, some white folks come into your village who are missionaries. They seem like nice people who have great food and smile a lot.They begin explaining about some man named Jesus who lived thousands of years ago. They tell you he walked on water, the blind could see, the deaf could hear, the paralyzed could walk, he raised the dead, and after he was hung on a cross to die, he raised himself 3 days later. Now these well-meaning people tell you he died for your sins, and you must believe this, or you’re going to eternal hell. You ask, “What is sin?” They tell you. “What is hell?” They tell you. You go to bed that night thinking this newfound information is a little absurd. This whole stuff sounds pretty out there to you. Who on earth came up with all this? You’ve lived a hard life but a good one. You have no enemies, many friends, loving children and a good hardworking and caring husband. Why on earth did these people tell you about this Jesus person? You’ve made some mistakes but now you’ve been informed these are sins. When you had asked what this sin stuff is about, they informed you that you’ve sinned against God. You asked, “What’s God?” They explain God had made you. You had thought all this time that your parents had made you. Also, this God who you have never seen is furious with you and is going to send you to a place of unending pain and misery. Forever. However, you’ve been told some good news. All you have to do is believe in Jesus, who died for the sin you didn’t know you had done. So, now you’re thinking, this God sent His only son to earth and commanded him to endure torture, suffering, and death? You don’t want anything to do with any of this nonsense. You had even begun to feel guilty about mistakes you were informed were sins. You had never felt guilty before and certainly do not appreciate the feeling. You truly like these kind-hearted missionaries and are a good judge of character. You never lie and always tell the truth. The minister asks you if you believe in Jesus. You tell him you’d rather not, as you were doing better before thinking about their so-called truths. They left. 

For several years you had been somewhat angry with the missionaries because they had disrupted your peaceful mind. You had started discussing this issue with their God after they had taught you how to pray. You understood the concept of forgiveness because you’d certainly forgiven your husband and children countless times over the years. To your astonishment when you told God you’d forgiven these folks, a feeling of amazing joy and peace briefly enveloped you and vanished. Over the next decade you and God became quite close, and you considered Him your best friend. You knew God understands your unchanged feelings about the sin issue and the death of Jesus. Years later, you reach the nice old age of 94 and die in your sleep. 

Where are you now? Atheists will say “in the dirt”. Born again Christians, “Eternal Hell.” I  feel the atheists have a much better response. A third glorious answer, “Enjoying the magnificent perfection and love of Heaven, forever.” Bob

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a book by Richard Bach that tells the story of a seagull named Jonathan who is on a journey to perfect his flying skills. The book contains many spiritual themes and ideas, and readers may find similarities between its teachings and those of A Course In Miracles. Jonathan Livingston Seagull was written in 1970. This little manuscript became a New York Times bestseller. 

As a young gull, Johnathan did what every other gull did. All day, every day, he would fight other gulls to get the fish scraps thrown off the boats. As he grew older, he’d had enough, there must be a better way to live than this. He started practicing flying. Every day as he practiced more and more, he became quite fast. The other gulls thought he was very strange, and he became an outcast. This didn't matter to Johnathan, at all. He practiced wing trim, spin dives, tail dives and advanced aerodynamics for a bird. He broke the sound barrier and because of his great speed he could dive very deep and capture the best fish. He could also fly very high for tasty insects. He lived to a ripe old age and one day a baby gull flew into his path. He swerved and flew into a cliff at a very high speed. He died. Next, the Great Gull was standing beside him and said, “Well Johnathan, your method of leaving time was a little abrupt, let's continue your training.” He reached the point of thinking of being somewhere and instantly he was there. 

This is my take on this beautiful story.  All of his life, Johnathan strove to achieve perfection in flight. Because of his dedication, he ate better and lived better than all the other gulls. I happen to be a Christian, and I feel this is analogous to a Christian’s life. A little side note, I am a Christian of a different color. I don’t believe Jesus died for my sin to save me from an eternal hell which does not exist. I have and continue to live my life by the standards he set. He lived a perfect life. His only enemies were the religious hierarchy. He was caring, kind, generous, truthful, helpful, forgiving, honest and loving. As we strive to achieve perfection in these traits, we, like Johnathan, live better. If everyone alive today, all 8 billion of us, would simply live by, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”; here's what would happen. We would have no more wars, prisons, poverty, crime, or homelessness. We would have no need for locks or passwords. Doing just that, think about it, it's true.  Bob

I was married for twenty years, twenty-one years ago we were enjoying a second honeymoon. Mary Jo sold television commercials for the local cable company and had earned, not won, a five-day cruise. We both anticipated this vacation like kids waiting to open their Christmas presents. Sunday finally arrived, we flew out of Pittsburgh, into Florida. Mary Jo was holding my arm with her head on my shoulder with folded hands, she had never flown and was scared. The ship set sail for Nassau and stopped at a small island where we looked at the local vendors' merchandise. Strangely, the last item Mary Jo ever purchased was a cross. On Monday we exercised, walked around the ship, went swimming and sun-bathed. We both dressed up for Captains Dinner, I had on a suit and M.J. was dressed in a black sequined gown. She looked beautifully eloquent. Stunning would be the word. After dinner, we watched a musical production. Next, we had our pictures taken, the last picture her hand is on my heart. We walked into the dance club and ordered champagne. She’d only drink alcohol on special occasions, I’d drink a twelve pack without batting an eyelash. We danced, sat down and tipped glasses.This night was magical and much better than any New Year's Eve. It’s 10:30, I’m looking at the dance floor. She died. Her leg had been unusually painful, the compression and decompression of the aircraft caused a blood clot to literally explode her heart. I watched her stomach enormously expand and fluid shot out of her mouth flying across the dance floor. I was 48, Mary Jo was 43. We have three children, Tracy was just starting optometry college, Tara was a senior in high school and Travis was in eighth grade. Horror, nightmare, and mental collapse partially describe how I felt, not fully.

I entered a state of unbelievable dis-belief, the mind was having a horrible time comprehending what It was witnessing. Everything went surreal, time was strange, and I was having difficulty understanding what the doctor was asking.  “Was she on drugs?” What? No.”” Are you on drugs?”” No.”” Did she ever do drugs?””’ No.”” Did she have any medical conditions?”” No.”” How old was she?” My mind was on overload, and I couldn’t exactly remember, so I muttered,”Early forties.” 

He gave me a strong sleeping agent and a nerve pill. I still can’t recall leaving the dance floor or anything after talking to the doctor. Evidently, I talked with the ship's captain. I woke up in an empty cabin and instantly smelled Mary Jo’s perfume. This was like being in a trance, suddenly I’m at our cabin door. I mustered the strength to enter our room and pack. When opening the door, a feeling like terror developed. Feeling faint I quickly sat down. The room that just yesterday had been filled with laughter and love was deadly quiet. I suddenly understood that love transcended life and death, a great peace washed over and instantly vanished. Mary Jo was with me, but I still started to tremble and sweat. I lay down on my back as I became slightly nauseous. I then felt something akin to panic and thought. I have to get out of here. Now. Quickly packing every item, brought back recent memories. I staggered, feeling like a dagger was in my heart. Oh my God, the perfume odor became stronger. My blood pressure had to have been through the roof. If I wasn’t still feeling the sedatives the doctor had prescribed, I probably would have fainted. Looking back, it was astounding what I did. I should have contacted the staff but was certainly not reasoning properly. This was a nightmare, and it was very real. The office set up a transoceanic call. I couldn’t tell our children over the phone, the only person I could think of was Mary Jo’s mother, Jewel. She was one of the strongest souls I’d ever met, a truly remarkable woman. She gasped and was quiet for a time that became somewhat worrisome, later explaining she almost fainted. The captain asked if I’d remembered last night’s conversation, which I couldn’t. He explained international law would have her body left off at the next port of call, Nassau. He suggested she remain on the ship and would be back in the States on Friday, eliminating red tape. I agreed. The ship made special arrangements, and I flew out of Nassau. I remember sitting in the airport watching all the couples' holding hands. Surreal. Nobody knew what I had just experienced. I was in first class flying to Pittsburgh, and the seat next to me was empty. The tragedy hit home, and I gasped. Immediately, a feeling like a warm egg being broken over my head occurred, and the same peace washed over me not lasting but a moment. I know it was Mary Jo with her head on my shoulder and folded hands, just like when we had taken off only two days ago. 

Tracy and I had an apartment in Columbus close to the Ohio State campus. Jewel wisely thought she could not tell Tracy over the phone. She contacted Shane, Tracy's cousin, and asked if he could drive to Columbus. A half hour from the apartment; Shane made a mistake and called to see if she was there. Tracy is highly intelligent and puts two and two together. Why would Shane be coming to see her? He told her over the phone and when arriving at the apartment, it was in shambles. Our beautiful daughter is completely alone and experienced the worst half hour of her life.  

Arriving home, I called the relatives on my side of the family and then Dave, he was working in the Carolinas. He’s my best friend and dropped everything to be at my side two days later. Well-meaning companions would talk in platitudes about God, and I wanted to hear none of it, the pain was too deep. Dave was the only one who made sense. He explained, "You'll go one of two ways. Either becoming mean, hateful, and bitter, making everyone around you miserable because you're dwelling in self-pity. Or you'll accept what you cannot change, find peace and come to the realization that nothing will ever happen to you as bad as this. I'm living proof that time heals all wounds, but it takes time. Believe me that eventually not much will bother you."  With Dave’s advice and the grace of God, I went the latter route. The prior year, Dave had called in February, sobbing and explaining his wife Robin had just been diagnosed with liver cancer. Months later he called on a Friday and asked if I could visit on Sunday as Robin wanted to see me. I said I would let them know on Saturday. After talking with Mary Jo, I decided it was too far to drive, and I had work to do. Mary Jo couldn't go because she had plans with her sister. Saturday afternoon I was sitting on my weight bench, and I swear I heard a voice say "Go.” I drove the three hours to their home with the radio offering the silence to think. This is the day Robin gave  “My Dream Of Heaven.” I’ve included an excerpt. My advice to anyone who is experiencing the dark night of the soul is to keep busy. Sitting around and dwelling on the circumstance only makes the pain worse.

Tuesday, Jewel had been looking over some papers and found a life insurance policy Mary Jo had taken out for twenty thousand dollars. I had no idea, pennies from Heaven. She also found a key to a safe deposit box. I went to the bank and witnessed a very strange occurrence. The key would not work. The locksmith explained he’d been doing this for seventeen years and this had never happened. After numerous attempts, he had to get a vice and literally rip the door off.  Mary Jo had always handled our finances quietly and accurately as this was nobody's business. I think she had her finger on the door. 

Wednesday, Tara and I were sitting on the couch, and she said, "Daddy, I'm scared." I replied, "All is Ok because we'll always have one another." Several years later on her wedding day she was so exuberant and happy, I said, "Honey, do you remember sitting on the couch and telling me you were scared?" "Yes." "Well, now all is Ok." Friday, Tara was to ride in a parade as she had been elected to the senior homecoming court. After exclaiming, she couldn't, I asked what her mother would want. She sat on top of the convertible's back seat with tears streaming down, I was in the front praying. In a small town, information travels fast, all knew her mother had suddenly died. People started clapping, giving our family a beautiful honor, I'll never forget that evening.

 Sunday, I stated, "Get ready, we're going to church." Tracy commented, "Dad we can't go to church." "We've been attending First Christian for years and yes we can." Our family had always sat in the front pews, this time we quietly sat in the back to not draw unneeded attention. Rod, the minister, told me after the service, "Bob, you have no idea how positively your family has affected the congregation." I quietly explained we simply needed to be there. The showing started at 1:00 after church and the funeral was scheduled for Monday. I was told this was one of the largest funerals they'd ever had, many I didn't know, as they were Mary Jo's customers. I remember standing beside her coffin with our children watching groups of people sobbing and then suddenly stop. This happened several times and I could almost see her walking around the room, placing her hands on the grieving and offering peace.

Monday, after the minister, I said a few words and read the following. These beautiful words are buried with her. The author is Joseph F. Girzone from his book, Joshua in the Holy Land. "Of late, I have come across so many hurting people, and so much pain. I know you all endure hurt and pain and struggle with difficulty understanding it. I know life must be very confusing to you. But it is not senseless. There are patterns and reasons, though you may not be able to see them. It is important for you to know that your lives are not just an accident of circumstance or the product of random forces at work in the universe. Each of you is a masterpiece of God's creation. You were made special and are precious to God. He works each day quietly, calmly, within you, weaving together the apparently disconnected strands of your life. Your youth was a preparation for your life later on. As you grew older, each moment was part of the carefully planned training that God was putting you through, each day building on another, each of you being drawn along a path different from everyone else, because each of you is unique and special to God, with a special mission to accomplish for Him in this world, and a special message to preach through your life. 

There will always be pain in life and hurt. You cannot grow without it. Pain and suffering are the dark strands weaving through the tapestry of your life, providing the shadows that give depth and dimension to the masterpiece God is fashioning within you. Athletes embrace stress and pain as they prepare their bodies for the contest. You are made strong and refined through your hardships and struggles. You are not being punished. They are the necessary ingredients of life if you are to grow in God's image. If God is to mold the human clay of which you are made into something that resembles Himself, that process cannot help but be painful. So be patient and know that your pain is not in vain, nor is it a punishment. God is too big to pick on people when, in their weakness, they fall. When you do things that are hurtful, God, like a kind father, or a tender mother, makes adjustments in your life to remind you that your actions are hurting others or yourself and prompts you to make changes. But God is never cruel. He accepts you where you are and is very patient as you turn ever so slowly back to His love. 

He weaves everything into good when you reach out to Him. Your life is really like a tapestry. You look at one side and see all the disconnected and loose ends, and say, "What a mess my life is!" God sees the finished product on the other side and sighs, "How beautiful you have become!" So don't be discouraged or lose hope. Trust your Father in Heaven. He loves you more than you can imagine. Call him ABBA. He is truly your Daddy, so tender is His love for you, He watches over your every deed, not to find fault or to judge, but because He cares. This may seem impossible, that He could be fully aware of every detail of your life, but look upon the mind of God as the sun rises in the morning. Its rays penetrate every detail of creation in a single moment. God's mind is like that sunshine, touching and penetrating all creation in a single instant.  In this way, He can guide and enlighten you with His wisdom and inspire you with His love. May His peace and blessing go with you each day and guide you in His own way, and along His own paths, and may you always know that He is near." These words are beautiful and very true.

On an astonishing side note here are the parallels between Dave and I. Robin was 43 when she passed, Mary Jo was 43. They had raised two girls, one boy, one adopted; we had raised two girls, one boy, one adopted. After dating for three months, they were married for twenty years; we had dated for three months and were married for twenty years; both were blond; the day Mary Jo died was Robin’s birthday. What are the odds of these analogies? My oldest friend went through the same ordeal.

My Birthday Gift From Heaven

This is mind-blowing. I was finishing a manuscript on my birthday in November 2023. The reason I place so many prints throughout is I want the pictures to flow with these beautiful and magnificent truths. I came upon this quite by accident and was stunned, to say the least. This is exactly how Mary Jo looked when we first married, even the way she’s holding her hands. She gave me a birthday gift from Heaven.
My Dream Of Heaven   

 “My Dream of Heaven” is a book by Rebecca Ruter Springer, originally titled “Intra Muros”. It was written in 1898 and is considered a nineteenth-century spiritual classic. The book is a vision of Heaven that was given to Springer during a time of pain and severe illness. She was unconscious for several days as she received the vision, which covers a period of years. Springer intended the book to offer comfort and hope to readers, and it has inspired generations of Christians for over 100 years. The book captures Biblical truths with emotional impressions and portrays the beauty of Heaven as an imperfect sketch of a most perfect vision. Springer’s story continues to accomplish her goal of offering hope and comfort to those searching for answers about the afterlife. The words of the author best set the stage for this beautiful treasure, which contains two missing chapters that have not appeared in print in more than 100 years. 

The manuscript was given to me over 22 years ago by my best friend's wife who had terminal liver cancer. Dave took me into their dining room where we waited for 20 minutes. Robin painfully shuffled out and sat down. She weighed 93 pounds, was only 43 and had a port implanted in her sternum. Her wrists looked like pencils and her skin color was deathly pale. However, her countenance was breathtaking and glowing. She sat down at the kitchen table and was absolutely joyful. No poor me or why is this happening. She said,“God could heal me if He wants, but I’ve got a big mouth, maybe He wants to use me from the other side.” They didn't attend a regular church but enjoyed a remarkable faith. Two months after she gave me the manuscript, Robin died. I highly recommend for all who have read it come to the same conclusion that It’s much too beautiful for the human mind to simply have made up. The small manuscript is truly Inspired and Divine. Following are some excerpts.

 Rebecca died and was carried to Heaven by her uncle who had transitioned as an officer in the Civil War. He set her down in a beautiful meadow. She said one could get lost in the perfection of a single rose and was surprised to see herself wearing a beautiful white gown which somehow shimmered. They waded into a river and the water came up to their throats. She said, “Stop! We'll drown”. The earth thoughts persisted. He looked at her with a twinkle in his eye and said, “We don't drown here.” They went down over 40 feet and talked at length surrounded by beautiful light rays and refractions, like being inside a prism of diamonds. When they came out her hair and gown were instantly dry, and she felt as if she could fly. She did, later.

          All the water in Heaven flows from the Throneroom of God and prepares the soul for the Celestial Life. She picked a fruit and said the flavor was extraordinary, beyond anything she had ever tasted. The juice squirted on her gown and instantly vanished for nothing impure exists in Heaven. Numerous streets were made of gold and surrounded by magnificent mansions constructed of textured stone, precious woods and beautiful minerals. All had breathtaking lawns and stunning terraces. Jesus said, "In my Father's House there are many mansions.” Children came into her home who were artisans, they had delicate tools and planted live roses in her marble floors. She was there quite a while, time was meaningless, when she came upon a golden lake. Rebecca said the vista was so stunning that she was barely spiritually strong enough, even in Heaven, to gaze upon the glorious beauty. There were dozens of spectacular boats driven by a technology she wasn't aware of. There is no night, just a softening of glory. They went to a massive outdoor theater and the dome roof was held up by columns of Jasper and Pearl. Softly singing angelic beings were up in the dome. Martin Luther of the Reformation strode out on stage. He talked of the effects the Lutheran Church had on Europe. All heads were bowed after he spoke, contemplating the wisdom shared. She looked up and out came Jesus. He was dressed in a golden suit and the Glory of God surrounded him. He spoke of the link between the earthly existence and Heavenly life. She said if she had known how the Saints and Angels watched over her in time, she wouldn't have worried so much. Jesus then spoke of how their beginning life in Heaven would be and the astonishing universes they would explore for all Eternity. When writing she didn't know of any earth words which could properly explain his teachings concerning the Celestial Life. We wouldn't be able to understand anyway. She saw the Throneroom of God.

 One would not be able to behold this in human form. The Power, Glory, and Love were beautiful to behold and feel, all were immense beyond thought. The last vision she saw before waking from her coma was the Celestial Sea. There were huge, wooden, sailing schooner ships adorned with all the flags of the world bringing new arrivals from Earth. Their loved ones were excitedly awaiting on shore. She said, “Oh death, where is thy victory? Where is thy sting?”  

When finishing this writing I was somewhat at a loss for words and reflected on the meanings for several days. We truly do not have the slightest comprehension of how enormous God’s Love is for us. If one lives a life of pain, sickness, despair, fear, and heartache it will be as nothing the first minute being Home. Our tiny earthly existence is a fleeting moment compared to the wonder, glory, beauty, joy, peace, and love we will all share. Forever and ever and ever. God Is, Bob

21 years ago, Mary Jo, my wife of 20 years, died suddenly in front of me while we were enjoying a 2nd honeymoon on our first cruise. She was only 43 when a blood clot exploded in her heart while we were dancing. The following occurred 15 years ago.

This is a really amazing miracle. The Emmaus Walk.  Ahnora called, out of the blue, and asked if I would be willing to attend a three-day seminar at a church. I hadn't been in a church in years. She said it would be on a weekend, I'd go in on Friday night and leave on Sunday. Explaining the retreat is called The Emmaus Walk and I could only be sponsored by those who had been on one, which she had. I asked what does the walk mean and what’s the purpose. She said two men had been walking toward a town called Emmaus after Jesus had been crucified. A third man joined them and proceeded to explain what their Scripture truly means. The Old Testament. His wisdom astounded the men. They arrived at their destination and made lunch. The moment they broke bread, the men's eyes were opened, and they saw they had been talking with Jesus. He vanished. A miracle. 

She had no idea if I would benefit from the retreat, she knew several who had. I agreed to attend. The weekend came, an elderly gentleman picked me up at home. The church was forty-five minutes west. There was a beautiful sunset. I asked him what people had derived. He explained I would learn something, he had no idea what. We arrived, and they collected our cell phones and watches. We would have no idea of time and would be awakened by hand bells. People on social media have suggested the reason they took our phones was so they could be hacked to steal identities thus explaining the following miracle. This was not possible, I’m a good judge of character from years in big-ticket sales; these giving and caring folks were far too sincere. There were seventeen of us, all men. The minister informed us that volunteers would be continually praying for us in the chapel. Around the clock. All food was home cooked. Let's say you wanted a Mountain Dew, and they didn't have it, you would have a Mountain Dew shortly. Incredible service. Saturday morning came, and we all met in a conference room and broke into groups. There were five in my group and we were asked to assign a spokesman. The minister explained we would be listening to speakers who had experienced traumatic events and how they survived. We were to take notes. Late Sunday afternoon, our speaker would explain to all, what our group had learned. Two speakers I remember. One man had been sodomized by a priest for several years when young. The other was an elderly, big man with a deep voice. He’d been head minister of a large local church. When his trauma started, he was in his sixties. One morning, he was holding a toothbrush and had no idea what it was for. His wife found him sitting on the kitchen floor, crying. He went through months of therapy for deep clinical depression.

Sunday afternoon came and the five of us explained individual lessons learned.  A mutual decision was made about what our spokesman should explain.  I had told my group about Mary Jo. After a moment, I said, ''Gentlemen, I’ve never explained in public what our family experienced and how we survived. I’d be honored to do so now." All agreed, our turn came. After talking for about twenty minutes, the minister plus several others shook my hand. I explained I was a messenger, simply trying to help others understand tragedies they’ve experienced. Two men explained what they had been going through. One was elderly and taking care of his wife, who was dying of cancer. What I had said about death being an illusion, and we live forever, touched him deeply. The other was a married young man with three children. He said he had lost his job and his employment was about to expire. I’d explained that worry does nothing but rob us of peace. I’d also briefly talked about our ego and how it wants us to be either living in the past or worrying about the future. In doing so, we’re not living in the moment and talking to God now. The young man shook my hand and said, "Thank you." “You're Welcome”. I simply told the truth.

Saturday night we went to the empty sanctuary where services were held. The auditorium was huge and communion was offered, certainly not mandatory, and all accepted. Sunday evening was when the miracle occurred, several were astounded, as was I. We again went to the sanctuary, naturally expecting it to be empty. When the doors opened, there were hundreds of people holding candles. All for the men who had just completed The Emmaus Walk. I experienced a wave of Indescribable Love. Much greater than when I had said yes to Jesus years before with Chuck. We walked to our seats and this is when I met Ahnora. The church had paid for her flight from the Carolinas to meet me, this was an absolutely beautiful gesture. The congregation left, and we were advised to take communion. This time we were instructed to put something on the bread no longer wanted and someone else would ingest. I placed on the bread that I wanted complete healing of the pain of losing Mary Jo. I was totally and forever healed. We were packing and a young man I had met last night came over. He was married with three children, worked two jobs, and was a gifted guitarist. He said, “Mary Jo was blond, right? "Yes."  "And she enjoyed dressing in black?" "Yes." “Who is Travie?”  "Our nickname for our son, Travis.” ''And you have a favorite picture of Mary Jo's, you're lying on your back with a baby on your chest and her name starts with a T, Who's that?" Tara."  I was amazed and asked, "How do you know this?"  Mary Jo had come to him in a dream. She also said she would visit me twice in time. She was pleased with how happy our children are, and I was doing a good job. Folks who ask for proof that God exists, now have it. How could he have possibly known that information? The driver drove Ahnora and I back to my apartment. She flew out and I haven't talked with her since, I follow her on Facebook. She had been an author, if you will, of the greatest and perhaps final miracle of my life. Bob

Truth

Today is 11/15/2024, early in the morning, and I'm experiencing an “Ah, ah continuing moment.” I’ve dedicated countless hours to writing eight manuscripts about A Course In Miracles. I’m deeply familiar with all its teachings, having carefully thought them through to ensure clarity for others. Despite this, I’ve struggled to help readers fully grasp my points. While Course students understand, others seem to miss the mark. I hope this changes starting now.

You must agree that the subject of God is the most mysterious topic of all. After years of thinking and writing about this subject, I’m going to attempt and make everything I know simple for you to understand. My parents were old enough to be my grandparents. Dad was born in 1897 and mom in 1904. I was fortunate to have been raised in a loving home. Mom and dad weren't churchgoers, and the subject of God never came up. They did teach a little prayer when I was very young. “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray to the Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before I awake, I pray to the Lord, my soul to take.” So as a toddler, the existence of a higher power was ingrained. When I became older, friends would discuss God. “Where did God come from? I don’t believe any of it.”  I couldn’t answer but retained my belief. Today, I simply accept the truth that God Is. My knowledge of a higher power has survived countless attacks for 50 years and continues to grow. My perception of this world is changing to wisdom that understands all is most perfectly well because of the supreme Love of God. Love is not an emotion but an extremely powerful Force which guides, teaches and sustains. 

I’ve dedicated myself to understanding this Being, driven largely by curiosity. This morning, it struck me that I’m publishing these manuscripts in a world where most people don’t even believe in God’s existence. They never have, never will, and have no interest in the subject whatsoever. So, should I stop writing? My answer to that is No. The reason I say this is that I’ve learned more from my writings than anyone else. Make sense? I’ve been gifted with a logical mind, absolutely no common sense, but a logical mind. Read my book, Two Faces, One Life: The Journey Within. It’s an autobiography, and you will be amazed at some absolutely idiotic, important decisions I’ve made. I still wonder how I could have been that stupid. In college, I aced high-end mathematics, calculus, quantitative methods, geometry and advanced algebra. I was gifted with a mind for math and what I enjoyed about the studies is there are no gray areas. One plus one equals two, pure logic. I should have decided on engineering as a career, but alas, no common sense. I’m using this same logic while attempting to explain The Course. I’ve always struggled with the idea of how could a God of Love create a place of endless, unimaginable suffering for all eternity, known as Hell? It just doesn’t align with the nature of a loving God. Hell is a concept created by our ego, the misguided part of our mind, to project the enemy outside ourselves. This way, we fail to recognize that our true enemy is in our mind.

Please humor me for a little while, and somewhat consider the idea that God Is. Forty years ago, I taught a large adult Sunday school. As I explained, I always had a problem with the concept of Hell and never mentioned the subject. ACIM comes along and proclaims Hell does not exist. The wars, crime, poverty, corruption, hate, and fear we see in this world every day were never mentioned in class either. I chose to teach and talk about the good, not the bad. ACIM teaches even better news. God doesn’t even know about any of those problems because Source isn’t even aware of the existence of this entire universe. The Course explains God’s first creation was Christ (not Jesus) and that God’s very nature is one of complete extension. To explain the logic of all this I wrote the following fictional story utilizing the teachings of ACIM. The statement about the black hole is of course my imagination.

“Whoa, why is this? Who am I? Another answered, not by voice, but somehow He heard. You’re My Son. What’s a Son? You’re my very first creation. What does creation mean? I’ll show You around after a little more creating. You’re also My only joy. Astonishingly, He knew what joy is and He felt absolutely wonderful. This Being started to share the very essence of Who He Is, and suddenly, He started to learn and comprehend very, truly, extremely fast. He mysteriously understood atomic forces, protons, electrons, neutrons, neutrinos, recurring and changing inorganic and organic molecules. He comprehended amino acids and the forces that regulate all. Vistas of astonishing beauty opened up for Him. He became ecstatic while gazing at forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans, skies, worlds, suns, stars, galaxies, and universes. He was everywhere with this magnificent One. He asked, Who are You? I Am was the reply. He instantly comprehended His own name is Christ. 

He became aware this is His Father, Whose very nature is to give and teach all He knows, and He knows everything. Christ knew He was not in any way separate or different from God and understands He is not a part of God but an extension of the whole. He knew love must be shared, and the love that is shared in His Father’s universe is exquisite and beautiful. Oh, the joy and laughter as They completed One Another. Christ supremely became as powerful, compassionate, wise, knowing, limitless, and most importantly as loving as His Creator. They are inseparable and continue to co-create vast galaxies and universes. However, due to the infinite wisdom of I Am, they stopped short of creating life to populate all that is. In Their beautiful Minds, They knew exactly what to do when God would say the moment was perfect. They envisioned all aquatic life, myriads of different flying species, all animal life, and the harmony of the varying interconnected environments all would live in. Their creations were also to be gifted with the ability to co-create. Each after their own kind. All of this would happen in a nanosecond, just as Christ had been created. There was no concept of time or space for They were everywhere, and They were One. God has created Christ to be exactly like Himself and to share His eternal love and joy in a state of unencumbered, boundless, and unimaginable ecstasy. Any question the Son asked was instantly answered as Their communication was perfect. 

Then somewhere, somewhen Christ asked a question that was not answered. What? Why? The question was like,” What else is there?” or “What would it be like to go out and play by Myself?”  I Am did not answer because there is nothing else, but God’s perfect creation. The Divine Son became horrified, certainly an awful new feeling previously unknown. He mistakenly thought His perfect communication was completely gone. Then He experienced a vastly more terrible knowing. Fear. Christ instantly created a universe of His own where He could hide. The Big Bang occurred, composed of billions of fragments. He needed somewhere deeper to escape, so He made the first human bodies after His Own Image and placed His magnificent Mind into all of them. The first ego was spawned. This Mind believes that it is completely on its own. Christ also actualized all the animal life, countless aquatic creatures, the avian companions, and the harmonious environments they would all co-create in. The idea of duality could not be carried out in God’s Reality, so Christ created a universe of illusion and entered it as if falling asleep and dreaming. 

Because They were no longer perfectly communicating God thought, “My Child is asleep and must be awakened.” But there was a major problem. Whatever God places His attention on becomes as if it is real. If God entered the dream to redeem His Son, then the dream would become real to Him as well, and He would also be trapped. There would be the risk of both the Father and the Son becoming eternally separated from their true Home and losing Their Identity. In other words, if God Himself were to acknowledge anything except the idea of perfect oneness, then there would no longer be perfect oneness. To solve the problem and allow God to keep His attention focused on Reality, He manifested his second creation, the Holy Spirit, Who would be a bridge between the two states of existence and the answer to the perceived separation.The Spirit was created with the miraculous ability to view God’s perfect Heaven while also viewing the Son’s imperfect dream. The Holy Spirit knew the original Christ Mind had created a black hole and was attempting to achieve nothingness, His fear was that immense. The brilliant light of God completely shattered the darkness and Christ began to love Himself again and woke up in the Heaven He never left.

So now Christ who is once again learning from the Father is thinking, “I’ve learned much from my first question of “Whoa, why is this?” I must help the children I have made who are sleeping.” Thus enters Jesus into our dream illusion. The Son thought, “I’ll have Jesus be born of a virgin, and he’ll be able to perform what my children will call miracles.” Christ knew He had been healed by the Holy Spirit, so the same Spirit conceived Jesus in Mary’s womb. Furthermore, Christ reasoned, “I’ll ask the Holy Spirit to descend on Jesus in the form of a dove after he’s baptized by John. I’ll have him led into the desert immediately after his baptism and live for 40 days and nights without food or water.” He knew His children would mistakenly think the reason was to be tempted by a Satan which doesn’t exist. Christ also thought, “I’ll have Jesus trained in the wilderness to only listen to the Holy Spirit; thus his ego will be totally eliminated. Jesus will be the only one in time who will completely manipulate his dreaming. He’ll walk on water, calm the seas, feed the multitudes, explain magnificent spiritual truths, heal the paralyzed, the blind will see, the deaf will hear and best of all, he’ll raise the dead. This will prove to my children that death is an illusion, especially after he will live again after his crucifixion.” He knew unfortunately His children would think he died for their sins. My Father knows nothing about my false universe and doesn’t even know what sin is. He understands, “I’ll have the same Holy Spirit Who healed Me, have Jesus thoroughly understand he is One with Me as I am One with Our Father. My creations will eventually understand the same Truth. When the last mind is healed and the false universe vanishes, My Father and I will receive great pleasure and joy in teaching our beautiful Children the perfection of Their being. Forever. They’ll understand Love is not an emotion but the most powerful force in all creation.””

This is the end of my little story, let’s reason together to understand what this all means to humanity in 2024.

What Does This All Mean?

There is a vast difference between being spiritual and religious. Spirituality is for those who have experienced hell, the religious are those afraid of going there. I’m the former. As I reflected on my thoughts, it became clear to me that we are destined to become Co-Creators with God. This insight came despite my ego’s persistent claims that such a belief is madness. Reason suggests that Christ is far more than a mere name; it represents a state of Being. In essence, when we awaken from our dream in the Heaven we’ve never left, we will joyfully realize that we are no longer human beings but Christ Beings. Jesus explained to Helen in ACIM that he is not to be worshiped, just highly respected. The only difference between him and us is what is potential for us is his Reality. He has God and nothing else. Jesus explained in the Course that he set in motion over 2000 years ago the principle of the Atonement. This is the knowing that the one problem that ever existed was perfectly solved. We are not separate from God in any way, never have been and never will be. This is impossible for we are One with Source and have simply forgotten.

 Let's say you and I are strangers and enjoying a cold beer on a hot summer afternoon in a quiet little bar. We strike up a conversation and after an hour the alcohol is mildly kicking in. I say, “Our discussions are quite enjoyable, I’d like you to know something about me.””What’s that?” “I’m perfect.” Suddenly you remember you have an errand to run for your wife and can’t miss dinner. While driving home your thinking, “Wow does that guy have issues, he needs professional therapy.” However, perhaps you happen to be God. The response would be, “Thank you my Child, I know, because this is how I created you.” If God made anything imperfect He/She would no longer be perfect, therefore we are perfect. Yes we make mistakes in our dreams, but this doesn’t negate our perfection in Heaven.

A bit of trivia, Jesus had been married to Mary. Under Jewish law, only the wife could anoint the body. As I mentioned earlier, eventually we will evolve into a Co-Creator God Consciousness Being. It is a natural process to unfold into this state. There is so much we can learn by observing nature and all her teaching lessons. In all of nature, there is never a hurry to quicken a process as everything is always perfect in every moment and when the time is right, the rose will bloom. The Universal Christ Mind is constantly communicating with all creation in every moment. For the kingdoms without free will, this connection is called innate intelligence when the guidance comes directly from the Universal Mind. The guidance for a beaver to build a dam, a bird to build a nest, a flock of birds to fly in a V Formation, the spider to spin her web, or the hibernation of animals in the winter. The timing always comes perfectly. All these life forms are always in Christ's presence in every moment. This guidance is perfect, and it represents harmony, balance, order, and unity for the good of all. Nature comes together to represent the synchronicity of the Oneness as life unfolds. These kingdoms, mineral, plant, insect, animal, and angelic, do not have free will and are directly connected to the Christ Mind and stay consciously aware at every moment. Everyone on Earth is also directly connected to this Mind but have not yet learned to stay consciously aware in each moment. Before coming to Earth we were also connected to the Son's Mind through Innate Intelligence, but when we came to Earth we were gifted with free will, the ability to manifest using a conscious mind and learning to discern using the five senses and reasoning. Once understanding we are always connected to the Universal Mind and never separated from the Oneness of life, we’ll learn to trust our feelings and reconnect to understand our perfection. 

Gary Renard’s books are incredible, and he’s also the author of Your Immortal Reality. In his writing, Gary explains, “Imagine you’re watching TV and you forgive a news story you see. The Holy Spirit then spreads your forgiveness throughout the mind that projects the universe, and through the projection itself. This act cuts through unconscious guilt and its karmic projections like a laser beam, affecting all your past and future lives, every dimension of time, and every parallel universe that seems to exist. As you practice forgiveness, the Holy Spirit collapses time, erasing the lessons you would have needed to learn. Although you might think, “This is boring, nothing’s happening,” something extraordinary is happening. Our ego is like an onion, peel away a layer, and it still looks and smells like an onion. The more you forgive vast layers of the ego are being peeled away, and your ego is disappearing. If you persist in practicing forgiveness, you’ll eventually reach the final layer of the onion. Once that layer is gone, the onion and the ego vanishes completely. After your final forgiveness lesson, the ego is gone; it's been undone, and there's nothing left to interfere with your experience of Who You Are. There's no reason for you to reincarnate in your dream. Practicing forgiveness the way that we will continue to instruct you is how to break the cycle of birth and death. Perhaps a close friend was planning on stealing from you tomorrow, but this does not happen.The reason being you had already forgiven a closer friend who had stolen in the past. A lesson learned does not need repeating.” Your Immortal Reality.

 Each time a baby appears to be born into this world, it is merely reliving the time when it seemed to leave its perfect environment in God, where all was Nirvana, and it was completely taken care of and provided for, and then suddenly found itself slapped in the face by a seeming reality that was a living hell by comparison. We may consider birth to be a miracle, but babies don’t come into this world smiling, do they? They come in crying and screaming. The mind that is reliving the seeming separation has actually fallen asleep and is dreaming an idle, insignificant dream, or nightmare because anything that seemed to be apart from Heaven would have to be symbolic of an opposite to Heaven. It would thus seem to include opposite characteristics. There’s no doubt we believe we’re experiencing reality here. We must be shown the way out of this experience. Our “asleep at the wheel mind” doesn’t know it, but it’s going to wake up in the equivalent of a cosmic instant. That is because the Voice for God and Heaven, which we now understand is the Holy Spirit, is always with us to remind us of the truth and call us to return. This fail-safe memory of who we really are can never be lost, making an awakening to the Reality of Heaven completely inevitable. We have the power to choose the memory and strength of God or something else instead. That is what the part of our mind that decides did immediately after the seeming separation. Out of shock, fear, and confusion, it made a series of unwise choices that resulted in us appearing to be here. We still don’t realize that, given the remarkable power of the mind, certain choices made by us could end the seeming separation, and could have at any time. This means that we are capable of accomplishing it, with beautiful help from the Holy Spirit. God could not have created this world. It would not be in His nature for He is not cruel. If this were the real world, God would be cruel, for no Father could subject His children to this as the price of salvation and be loving.

ACIM states that it is even beyond its teachings to fully explain what Love actually is. However, with logic and reasoning we are given glimpses. Let’s discuss a Love that Is absolutely perfect. A Love that Is beyond purity, immeasurably magnificent and beautiful, immense total power, all knowing, all seeing, everywhere, outside of time, forever unchanging, cannot conceive of any loss, eternal, and always giving an unlimited joy and contentment and happiness. Totally complete in and of Itself, with a perfect light that extends to all existence. We are a part of this forever. You might wonder what happens to someone like Jeffrey Dahmer at the moment of death. According to what I’ve read, each of us is accompanied by two or three spiritual advisors who review our life experiences with us after we’ve transitioned from the body. We’re shown both the good and the bad. At this point, we are asked, “Would you prefer to go back into a body?” A mass murderer would respond, “I lived a terrible life and now understand the immense suffering I caused, especially to the loved ones of my victims. I need to return as a baby and endure torture and death to truly grasp the horror I inflicted.” Reincarnation, as experienced in our dreams, serves as a mechanism for continued learning, correcting our mistakes, and ultimately allowing us to achieve perfection in forgiveness. Jesus told a parable in the Bible called the Prodigal Son. A king’s son took his vast inheritance and went to a far land, squandering all his wealth on wine and women, he became impoverished. He thought, “My father’s servants live far better than this, so I'll return and beg for forgiveness. Perhaps I can work in a vineyard.” The king became aware his son was returning and said, “Prepare a feast, my son was lost, but now is found.” A few days ago, the thought occurred to me that Christ was the first Prodigal Son. After He was healed, Christ must have understood something also previously unknown, what it felt like to be forgiven. Although God doesn’t forgive because He sees nothing to forgive, Christ knows what He felt. While being crucified, Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He said this, to place into the collective human psyche, the extreme importance of forgiveness.  

We are all bipolar, the right side of our mind is based on Spirit and love, the wrong side is based on ego and fear. Fear of what? In the deepest part of our subconscious we fear God. This is our ego’s most absolutely insane idea of all. Once we have achieved perfection in forgiveness God will awaken us. How can we help? Don’t feed our ego. Every time we’re worried, upset, jealous, angry or afraid we’re feeding our ego. Know this. Also, never talk to it because this makes it real and it’s not. Your ego made your body as a fence to keep God out. When you consciously give your mind to the Holy Spirit the body becomes a wonderful vehicle to heal God’s Son, which we all are. What higher calling or more beautiful purpose could we possibly have? Pray every day, “Holy Spirit for my highest good and the highest good of all please grant perfection in listening to the Sacred Silence between my thoughts.” This little prayer is astoundingly amazing. I’m finding myself answering questions I didn’t even know I had. You’ll receive Divine Wisdom and once shared you’ll be taught more to share. This is a true miracle and once you experience this you’ll know. I learned of this powerful prayer after reading, Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan. 

 When I think of the many attractions of the world and all of its temptations. Peace is now the only one that draws me in. Nothing else makes any sense to me anymore. Peace brings with it the awareness of the Love of God. I am the perfect, loving, and unlimited extension of God. Only my thoughts and beliefs would convince me otherwise. I need only to stay in the peace and silence of this present moment. Everything else disappears from my awareness, and only the Peace and Love of God remain. They were always there shining brightly in the background of my mind and are no longer hidden by the meaningless thoughts and beliefs of a delusional egoistic mind. Don't let the clouds of delusion mask the Light of your Being. Just be the Light, for you are the Light that you seek. The journey to God is merely the reawakening of the knowledge of where you are always, and what you are forever. It is a journey without distance to a goal that has never changed. Truth can only be experienced. It cannot be described and cannot be explained. I can make you aware of the conditions of truth, but the experience is of God. Truth will dawn upon you of itself, for God Is. Your wholeness has no limits because you are Eternal.   

My manuscript, “God’s Paradox: The Unliftable Stone And The All-Knowing Creator” explains the following which is directly from The Course. “Who Is Christ? Who Is The Holy Spirit? What Is The Second Coming? What Is The Final Judgment? What Is The Ego? What Is Creation? Who Am I? What Is Salvation? What Is The Body? What Is Jesus’s Purpose? What Is The World?” We’re messengers sharing wonderful news for all of humanity. God Bless. Bob            The Answer     Five Free Manuscripts   YouTube God's Paradox: The Unliftable Stone and the All-Knowing Creator
 

ACIM Core Beliefs 

1. This world is not real. God did not create this world nor even know of its existence.The entire universe is an illusion dreamt by the Son of God.

2. Pure non-duality: Anything that comes from God must be exactly like Him. God could not create anything that is not perfect, or else He wouldn’t be perfect. 

3. Consciousness is the domain of the ego and was conceived after we dreamt of separation.

4. Spirit is unchanging, perfect, and eternal. This is the state of Heaven.

5. Truth is not different for everyone. Truth is truth.

6. There are no levels in Heaven. All conflict arises from the concept of   levels. We are either enlightened and back in reality with God, or still dreaming of separation. Only life in Heaven is real.

7. Life in all its myriad forms or possibilities is already scripted at the instant of separation.The only choice is in our mind, where we decide to identify with the Holy Spirit or with the ego, when interpreting each moment.

8. Life in this world is insane. Nothing makes sense in this world. The world was made as an attack on God.

9. There is only one higher self, the Holy Spirit. Also known as the Voice for God, our memory of God, or the reflection of God’s love in our dream.         

10. Collectively, we are the Son of God. God created only One Son of God. 

11. There is no evil or devil, only illusory madness projected by our ego mind and thankfully, they are not real.

12. Every attack is an attack upon ourselves. We project our unconscious guilt onto (dream) figures or situations that seemingly attack us. So now they are guilty, not us. The cause of our guilt arises from our imagined separation from God.

13. Life is a lesson. Every opportunity is used by the Holy Spirit to teach forgiveness to undo the ego mind.

14. Time and space are illusions, and Spirit has nothing to do with them.         

In this book

1. How do I define Saudi Arabia
2. The pyramid structure; starting from the royal family to the poorest foreign worker in the country
3. How did the Saudi government exploit social contradictions to remain in power?
4. Sources of the Saudi economy and how the Saudi Financial Structure is damaged beyond repair
5. Employing the Islamic religion to dominate the aspects of Saudi Society
6. The hidden side of Saudi society that is beginning to take the lead
7. Using sports ( Football / Soccer ) to distract people from politics
8. The Football Game Between Saudi Arabia & New Zealand in 1981 and how it was used for a political agenda!
9. How the government made immigration a non-privilege for Saudi citizens
10. Swapping a Saudi Minister of Telecom with 40 Turk Drug Traffickers!
11. How do I see the future of Saudi Arabia?

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Watch this video about the book

Explore the profound and thought-provoking poetry of Tanya G. Guleria in "The Gospel of Eve." This collection delves into the author's critique of modern society, addressing issues of corruption, greed, and the suppression of women's rights. Through her poetic voice, Guleria challenges societal norms and invites readers to contemplate eternal values such as love, compassion, and the cycle of life. While not a religious text, "The Gospel of Eve" offers a beacon of hope and faith in our collective future.

Once a Soul Asked an Angel:

Once a soul asked an angel:
- Why should I go to Earth?
I am afraid of all the dangers,
Waiting for me after birth.

 

The angel answered with a  warm voice:
- No reason for your fear,
Cause everytime you take a choice,
l will be always near.

 

- But how could I know you if
You change your face with other?
- For your ease and relief
You should call me: “Mother”.
 

Narindra’s Sweet Shop

Narindra Kumar was the proud owner of the biggest sweet shop in Amritsar. It was located on the main shopping street and stood out with its vibrant colours amidst the crowd.

In the centre of the window above was a picture of Ganesha, who seemed to be enjoying the delicious aroma of the sweets displayed below him.

Ganesha, one of the most famous and beloved deities in the Indian pantheon, is often placed in places where commerce flourishes because his blessing is believed to stimulate ventures as well as an influx of customers and therefore financial revenue. Ganesha is depicted with the head of an elephant with one broken tooth and the body of a man with a rounded belly.

With Ganesha's blessings, Narindra Kumar's labour was rewarded with wealth and prosperity. Foreign journalists often visited him to explore and showcase Indian culture and culinary art. Narindra enjoyed such visits immensely and tried to fulfil every whim of the journalists, because they added to the reputation of his shop and gave him additional publicity.

Narindra's sweet shop was also a favourite with the locals, where they found a variety of specialities for many of their private and public parties. He often fulfilled orders for catering companies and his sweets were preferred by customers for engagements and weddings.

Many local youth applied to work for him, hoping to learn the craft and one day open their own pastry business. The selection of employees was strict, but fair. To get a chance to work in Narindra Kumar's shop, one had to have good references from previous employers and a lot of experience, and climbing the ladder was difficult and hampered by the many competitors.