Gazing in the Mirror

November 16 - Making the Most of an Experience

You can start with nothing, and
out of nothing and out of no way,
a way will be made.
~ Michael Bernard Beckwith

We must not only think but we
must know. We have to provide
within ourselves a mental and
spiritual likeness for the thing
desired. Whatever is imaged
is brought forth from mind
into manifestation.
~ Ernest Holmes

This morning I read an interesting article. A conventionally religious minister was sharing some bits and pieces of his personal experiences as well as how the Science of Mind magazine fit within that story. It was also the story of a pilgrimage he made to the Middle East holy lands and it was quite touching how he embedded some personal meanings into the entire experience. How he really made it "count" as the once in a lifetime kind of experience people sometimes have.

I understood that aspect because that was how I felt about attending my first (and so far only) spiritually focused conference called "Celebrate Your Life" back in June 2009 in Chicago. It all began when one of my online community friends mentioned to me that one of my favorite spiritual personalities, the Rev Dr Michael Bernard Beckwith, was going to be doing workshops at that conference. Attending that felt "possible" to me because it was only an 8 hr drive from where I live by car. Most of these type of events are very far away from my Midwestern home. Usually these take place on the east or west coast of the US or even out on a cruise ship. My husband does not share my passion for or interest in spirituality. I would define him as agnostic or even atheist, though he isn't passionate enough about that atheistic perspective to be defined as such. He is simply a very grounded down-to-earth man.

At the time I was doing Life Visioning weekly meditations guided by Beckwith via a cd recording. Although I wasn't thinking about that conference intentionally, thoughts of it kept coming up during my meditations. Each time it would come up for me, it came up a bit more strongly. Thoughts about this conference eventually became so strong that I felt that it was actually going to happen. Even so, it took some courage to bring the event up with my husband. In fact there was definitely a bit of resistance in him to the idea. There were several "obstacles" but The Universe kept removing them for me. As I became more definitely interested in going to this conference, several of my online social networking community friends were joining with me in holding positive intentions on my behalf. So it did eventually come to pass that I was going, my tuition had been paid, the motel reservations were secured and my family was going to travel with me. While I attended the conference, they would sight-see around Chicago.

I bought new clothes and some supplies – a blank Journal book and some special colored-ink pens. I intended to make the most of the entire experience and did. I will never regret making a genuine effort to make the most of it. I left my family more or less neglected during that weekend. It was "my" time. I did touch base with my children each night but my husband did not speak to me the entire time the conference was going on. I wasn't around the motel very much. I had my lunch and dinner meals at the conference, went to early session "extras" like Tai Chi and met with "new" friends for breakfast. I was thrilled to actually meet my longtime online community friend, Denise, who lives in the Chicago area in person. We went out to coffee at a local bookstore the first night I arrived. She was also attending a workshop at the conference on the first day. So that first day we had lunch together.

I had a desire to meet Beckwith one-on-one and give him a hug. I had signed up for both of the workshops that Beckwith would give during the conference. On the day of his first presentation right in between my 2 morning conference sessions, Beckwith "appeared" in the hallway right in front of me. He was walking with another man who soon left his side. Bravely I caught up with him and said quietly from behind him his name, "Michael". He turned around and I thanked him for his Life Visioning practice and said it was partly responsible for getting me to the conference. I told him I would be in both of his workshops. He replied, "I wonder what I'll talk about?". Later I realized that he has no written remarks prepared but that Spirit flows through him unrestricted once he is on stage. I was not brave enough to attempt my intended hug during that first, brief meeting with him. I worried that it would make him uncomfortable for me to even attempt to do so. It did not feel like the appropriate moment.

I was left feeling a bit unfulfilled that I had not achieved my intention to share a hug. After the second of the two workshops I went to his book signing. I brought one of his books with me. As I stood in line the girl behind me asked me to take her picture with him using her camera. She said she would take a picture of me with him in return and send it to me when she returned home from the conference. So I was able to actually get a tiny bit of a hug as I stood with my arm around his waist and his arm around my shoulder. I gave him a slight squeeze before letting go which was close enough to a hug for my heart to be contented. I received something I had not expected that day, a "gift" from Spirit in the form of a priceless photo of myself and Michael Beckwith standing side by side.

~ perspective

Whatever we desire within ourselves
is a good thing and is the same thing
that the Divine desires for us.
Whether we deserve to have what
we desire is a subjective choice that
we make for our own self and our
belief about it will "rule" the outcome.
My intentions unfold in very natural
ways that never look extraordinary
to the outside world.
I am grateful for my years of
experience with the law of cause and
effect and with setting goals and
intentions, and I love watching the
interesting ways these always
come into expression.
My life feels full of a special kind of
magic and I am grateful that it is so.

#agnostic #atheist #completion #experience #gifts #intention #manifestation #obstacles #resistance  #spirituality