Say their names ~ Values: Honoring/Relationships/Ancestry

"We envision a world in which we live and grow as One Global Family that respects and honors the interconnectedness of all life; a world where this kinship with all life prospers and connects through the guidance of spiritual wisdom and experience."

Centers for Spiritual Living - Global Vision

This week we are invited to take time to honor those who have made an impact in our life and/or the lives of others. There are so many different ways we learn from those around us, be it family, friends, a pet, a teacher, someone in history, our favorite babysitter, a favorite author, artists, our next door neighbor... the list could go on and on. Chances are, what ever your age, you can think of at least one person who has impacted your life in a loving or memorable way. As I type these words my Oma (grandmother) comes to mind. She taught me many things over the course of our relationship and I am forever grateful for the gifts of life she shared with me.

Take a moment to think about someone in your life that has made an impact in your life. What is/was it about them that left an impression. Was it their kindness, their humor, their laughter, their light? Put your hand over your heart and say their name and feel the warmth well up in you in gratitude of the gift they are or have been for you.

"People will walk in and out of your life, but the one whose footstep made a long lasting impression is the one you should never allow to walk out." Michael Bassey Johnson.

Each of us has a lineage, an ancestry or a culture of which we are a part. Some families have a huge family tree that they can trace back through generations of time. Others have new families that form new branches that may include friends and pets. 

Our names often reflect our lineage. There is power in our name. In some situations we may decide to change our name to helps us feel more of who we truly are. We give our pets names that often reflect their personalities. 

Do you know what the origin of your name is? For fun, do a little project this week to find out the origin of your name. You can use your first, middle or last or all three or more if you have more! Find out all the things you can about your name and then draw a picture of you from the things you've learned. 

"Beauty exists not in what is seen and remembered, but in what is felt and never forgotten. Jonathan Jena

Honoring those that have gone before us is another way to pay our respect to our ancestors or those who have impacted our life. Many faith traditions have special celebrations to honor those who have passed on. 

"Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven, blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

What if you started a family history night? One night a week, or a month, or a special time in the year, gather together and share a story about a member of your family that has made their transition. What was it about this person that you remember, what story would you like to pass on. What gift would you want your children or grandchildren to know about their family history or heritage? Take turns telling stories. It doesn't have to be about a family member... it could be a really close friend or a family trip or vacation. You could do this with family pets too, remembering the silly things they would do or the way they made you feel. 

"It's the journey that matters, soak it in. Learn lessons out of it. Impact positively so that if you never get to your destination, at least you'd leave a legacy to be remembered." Emem Uko

Here is a short video from BBC Radio on Confusion Ancestor Worship

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dZfaU5tsDY

Affirmations for the week:

I honor myself by honoring the heritage of those who came before me.

I remember with gratitude the lives of my ancestors.

I see you, I remember you, I thank you.

The God in me, see's and honors the God in you.

Meditations:

Guided mediation on Self-Love and Self Acceptance from Mile High Chruch

(Affirmative prayer)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCcYTt4vPz4

For something completely different. This is a movement activity from Brain Breaks. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=388Q44ReOWE

Music: A few oldies to get your body moving.

Sister Sledge - We are Family - with lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKflQn-ieDU

Respect Yourself - The Staple Singers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1pYKdqD1ls

Everyday People - Jack Johnson - Jason Maraz - Keb Mo with lots of children

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g4UWvcZn5U

Books:

The Museum by Susan Verde - art by Peter H Reynolds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33tLLOXLUEg

Inspiration through the creative genius of famous works of art.

The Keeping Quilt - by Patricia Polaco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWR_ON8x1QM

Alma and how she got her name - by Juana Martinez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py7_9ATJDkk

The Memory Tree - by Britta Techentrup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8DDpbS1udk

Creativity!

This week you are invited to check out - Susanverde.com! (not a hyper link)
Susan's website is full of wonderful things to check out and activity guides, there is even a section of meditations and yoga! Under the tab books you find links to free teacher guides and activities. 

Have a wonderful rest of the month! I'm taking a break over Memorial Weekend and will be back in June with more spiritual inspiration. 

Love and Blessings ~ Susan Robinson, RScP

(Shout out of gratitude to Julia Kadel, Rajiv Perera and Johnny Cohen photographers from Unsplash.com)

This too is God? Values: Self Awareness & Goodness

This week we explore all the ways Divinity is expressed with an open mind to see that God is truly in all things. One of my practices is to use alternate words for God. I've often found that adults have far more triggers to the word God than children do. Children absorb what they learn from their adults and sometimes have negative ideas about the word and or concept of God. One of my favorite ways to help them release the negative image is to invite them to add an extra "O" and call it Good! 
It's really all the same. 

Life doesn't always present as "good" all the time. Conflict, difference of opinion, violence, upset, disruption and more are also a part of the Divine experience of life. In the photo above the person holding the sign is expressing a God given right to speak up and out for injustice. There is that within each of us that calls for humankind to seek peaceful solutions, to create harmony and balance. If we take the time to listen when someone is speaking up or out, we may just find the Good that is trying to be revealed. 

"Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict." Dorothy Thompson

Nature always shows us the truth if we pay attention. Tree branches and leaves bend and sway in a wind storm. Plants grow in the smallest cracks of pavement. The surface of the ocean can be calm and explosive all at the same time. Life finds its way to be flexible, to exist and to express itself in many ways. Just because something feels turbulent, rough, or difficult doesn't mean that something good isn't behind it. If we allow ourselves to be open and vulnerable, we might find that what ever it is we are experiencing is moving us forward into a greater expression of being. 

Self Awareness is the process of being aware of different aspect of our self including: Our behaviors; are we calm, excited, attentive, helpful, creative, active, quiet? Our traits; are we mellow, kind, silly, loving, patient, peaceful, shy, outgoing, fair, talkative? Our feelings; are we happy, sad, trusting, fearful, joyful, playful, loving?

Recognizing where we are in any given moment allows us to act and/or react from a more centered state of being. This means when we are in situations that aren't going the way we want them too, we can speak our peace about it or choose to remain quiet knowing it will soon pass. And, when they are going well, we can allow ourselves to enjoy the moment fully!

"Every individual is a unique manifestation of the Whole, as every branch is of a particular outreaching of a tree." Alan W. Watts

Self awareness helps us realize the truth of who we are and helps us come back to that truth when we feel we have lost our way. We are meant to live in the goodness of all this Life has to offer us. Our outlook on life plays a part in how we engage in it. Do we look forward with excitement? Do we dream of a future filled with joy, love and excitement? Can we be in this moment of now, completely content, or is there something we really need to say or stand up for because we feel it needs to change? All of is is good and yes... all of it is God expressing in a multitude of ways. 

Goodness is present in all people, all things and all situations. If we are not seeing the good, we can take a moment and list all the possible good things or what good can come from a change in our perspective. This practice helps us change our thinking and come into a place of gratitude about the world and about ourselves. 

This week, practice recognizing the good in your life. Take time to appreciate and show gratitude for the good that is all around you. The more you focus on the good the more good you will experience!

"Consider your own place in the universal oneness of which we are all a part, from which we will all arise, and to which we all return." David Fontana

Affirmations/I am statements:

I am one with the harmony of all creation.

I can see the good side to everything.

I am one with all that is and all that is is one with me.

I keep my thoughts focused on all that is good, and goodness comes to me.

All is well in my world. Everything is working our for my highest good. 

Meditations/Mindfulness/Mantra

The following is a mantra meditation where you repeat a particular phrase over and over for a period of time. You could use a small set of mala beads to count your repetitions or use your fingers. Below is an example of a Spiritual chant/mantra changing a "quality" word. Insert words that speak to you.

There is only One Life - That Life is God's Life - That Life is Perfect - That Life is my live now.

There is only One Love - That Love is God's Love - That Love is Perfect - That Love is my Love now.

There is only One Peace - That Love is God's Peace - That Peace is Perfect - That Peace is my Peace now. 

5 Minute Mindfulness Meditation for Kids from Happy Minds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ_wdeog5Ek

Yawning Yoga - This is both a book and a meditation activity for before bedtime.

By Laurie Jordan, art by Diana Mayo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svB7DwPCf5I

Music/Videos and Books

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sELz0aCx9Lw

Class Notes: A Journey Through Musical Emotion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuYipRFklk8

One - India Arie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfERoDwU42g

Little bit of Love - Jack Johnson, John Cruz and friends

Giraffes Can't Dance - Giles Andreae - Read in a Song...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzb5Acl-n70

Oh the Places You'll Go - by Dr. Seuss - Read Aloud

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmOCyP4VyP4

Have a fantastic week everyone! 

(Special thanks to Unsplash.com for the cool pics and my friends Shiya Stone and Adrienne Cherry) 

Revolutionary Love

We've all likely heard the term Unconditional Love. It's the type of love that is affection without limitations, love without conditions. It's the kind of love we receive and give to our pets, yet sometimes have difficulty doing with each other. What if we took it a step further and expanded it into Revolutionary Love. The idea of revolutionary love is very much in the Now moments of our lives. It urges us to speak up and out. To be the voice of change. To make choices that are inclusive and to listen deeply from the heart. We all have the power to step beyond the patterns of the past, to break down the barriers of inequality and to shift our global consciousness to a new level of grace and compassion that creates global transformation. 

Revolutionary Love invites us into a way of being, a way of thinking, a way of feeling and a way of acting that is rooted in our love for one another. It is in this rising up of our consciousness that we rise up in revolutionary love for ourselves, for each other and for the wholeness of Life Itself.

“We see a world that works for everyone, where we are called to conscious social action.” Evolutionary Vision: From the Global Vision

From the early stages of our youth we learn how our actions have effects and sometimes consequences. Some cause joy, some cause discomfort and sometimes our actions cause harm. We forget as we grow older the strength it took for us to let go and take our first steps. That inner strength is with us always. What ever it is we are challenged with, we have the power to overcome it. We also have the free will to speak up for ourselves and others, to take a stand for fairness and the well being all humankind and of our beautiful planet. Revolutionary love invites us to look beyond our comfort zones and to take action where we can to make the types of changes needed that benefit all humankind. 

There are so many ways we can make a change or take action for the good of all. We can be mindful of recycling, composting, using environmentally safe products. We can use our voice to speak up for a friend who is being bullied, or to say something kind to the student in class that is quiet and shy. We can share our gratitude to our family for doing simple things like the laundry, cooking dinner or reading a bed time story. No act of kindness is too small when it is shared from love. What are 3 things you can do today that will make a change or be an action of goodness? What if you started each day this week asking that question and then doing the things? How do you think you'd feel at the end of the week? I imagine it will feel really, really good!

"When we make the choice to fill our heart space with unconditional love, our worlds blossom into a beauty far greater than we have known." Rio Godfrey

This blog will post on Mother's Day. To all the Mom's and Parents who nurture and share unconditional ~ revolutionary love, Thank YOU! You create the foundation from which we stand, learn, grow, thrive and live. 

There is also another way to experience revolutionary love and that is the inward love we give to ourselves. To love ourselves is to love the divinity that is within us. That spark of life that encourages us to try new things, to be creative in all the ways we express creativity, be it through the arts, sports, music, dance, gymnastics, gardening, and so much more. You are a unique individualized expression of Spirit in form and the world is blessed by your presence. 

“The ultimate lesson all of us have to learn is unconditional love, which includes not only others but ourselves as well.” Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Affirmations:

Today I open my heart to others by seeing the good in them.

I inspire people with my kind words and actions.

I breath in the love that I am and radiate it out into the world.

"I am an ambassador of revolutionary Love!" Rev. Masando Hiraoka 

Meditation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtYIQiXyrsE by Jaime from Cosmic Kids
A lovely guided meditation for kids - all about loving kindness. We imagine our loving thoughts as ripples on a lake's surface. When we think kind thoughts, they find their way out into the world and make it a better place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CMsGSWjYaU
Guided Meditation for Kids with Deepak Chopra: Teaching Inspiration
During this short guided meditation for kids, Deepak Chopra offers powerful prompts such as, “I dream of a world where…” to help children center themselves and reflect on what type of world they would like to live in. Cultivating positive awareness can inspire kids to think big about changing the world for the better, and appreciate the passions that are budding within. Though this meditation is geared towards children, the inherent message is powerful and transformative for practitioners of all ages.

Music/Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9v3_nwX63s

Ani DiFranco - Revolutionary Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiouJsnYytI

Lean On Me (Bill Withers) Playing for Change/Song around the world

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5oXgAVs250

Colby Jeffers and AWU - We can Change the World

Books and Inspiration:
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JicGbdUtMJg

How Kids Change the World

This is an inspirational story to help start a conversation about ways we can make a difference. In this story you will notice many different ways that Ryan is making a difference for himself, his family, the community, animals and the earth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sZtMTBXDdI

Wherever You Are My Love will Find You - By Nancy Tillman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKbiWGq1WCQ

The Invisible Web - by Patrice Karst - read by Patrice Karst!

This Adventure called Life! - Values: Adventure Chance & Growth

Within our spiritual studies, we talk about the concept of Oneness a lot. For most people the idea that each of us are Spirit expressing itself in, through and as US... seems too BIG to even imagine! Yet here we are, living our life, breathing, growing, learning and becoming. Each day embarking on this adventure called Life.

If we remember that there is only on thing going on, the Law of Life, and that we are all sourced by a Creative Intelligence that knows our highest good, then what is there to fear? Mistakes happen. They help us learn, grow and they teach us to make better choices. It's all a part of the adventure!

"Every day our actions exist on the cutting edge of evolution, the frontier where the mind is caught between caution and curiosity." Deepak Chopra and Menas C. Kafatos

Spirit awaits us in every moment to plant seeds of thought that are life affirming, that grow in ways that create harmony, joy, light and love.

Do you think the seed of a plant worries about what it will become? Within the seed is all the knowledge it needs to become itself. It just needs a bit of soil and water to begin its adventure of becoming.

When we place positive thoughts in our minds, mixed in with a bit of curiosity, its like the soil for the seed, it aids in our growth. It awakens the opportunity to try new things and take a few chances to learn something new. What we learn along the way stays with us and becomes a part of who we are. We may outgrow it at some point, yet every part of our life adventure aids in our becoming.

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Elliot

What adventure have you always wanted to go on, but haven't yet? What is something you've always wanted to try? What is something you've always wanted to learn about? What food have you never tasted but have been curious about? What other language would you like to learn? What is something you are willing to take a chance on, even if you fail? 

Spend some time this week being curious about life. Have a family discussion about your dreams, hopes, ideas and the things you would like to try or things you would like learn about. Take a small step in the direction of this new adventure of YOU, then take another. Life is so full of wonderful things to explore. Today is a great day to begin again!

Affirmations:

I love trying new things.

I dare to be different.

Today what serves me stays and what fails me goes!

Today I live with purpose and my purpose lights my path.

Mindfulness/Meditation

Sometime we come upon a cool website with great links for mediations, yet the links do not work in the blog. However, you can go seek them out on your own and in the process, you might find a cool website that you'll go back to again and again.

Today that web site is www.greenchildmagazine.com - type in the search bar mediations for kids and you'll find several to choose from.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf5K3pP2IUQ

Cosmic Kids Zen Den - Be the Pond meditation

Music & Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E1bNmyPWww

Follow the Sun by Xavier Rudd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUA6tQmNQXg

Storm Boy - by Xavier Rudd

Books:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUUSxgVGQxk

Beautiful Oops - by Barney Saltzburg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_fYv3UrSlQ

What do you do with a Chance? - by Kobi Yamada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVnTh1RZyIY

It's Okay to make Mistakes - by Todd Parr

Have a wonderful week creating a new adventure in the life of YOU!

(Shout out of gratitude to Aziz Acharki - Renee Bernal and Daniel Oberg - photographers on Unsplash.com - and my friend - Shiya Stone for her collaboration.)