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Inspiring Stories of Love, Healing, & Empowerment Inspirations April 2004 Issue Number 21 Welcome to Inspirations! Global Community For All sends out this e-zine filled with short, inspiring stories of love, healing, and empowerment once every three months. We share these wonderfully inspiring stories to encourage and inspire each other to be the best we can be each day of our lives. If you would like to receive each issue of Inspirations as it is published, click here. Thanks for joining us, and may these words inspire us to ever deepen our commitment to love, heal, and empower; to open to divine guidance; and to choose what’s best for all.
Twelve Rules of Spiritual Wisdom—Author Unknown
1.
God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.
out of shape. reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
Fred Burks, fredburks@earthlink.net
A few weeks ago, I had a wonderful miracle come out of an official investigation against me. In December of 1999, I went to Cuba with my girlfriend because she wanted to vacation there after seeing the engaging movie Buena Vista Social Club, which richly depicts the lively music and culture of this sub-tropical island nation. At the time we decided to go, I didn’t know it was illegal to travel there.
Our 10 days in Cuba were most enjoyable. We stayed in the apartment of a Havana local, befriended a dynamic Afro-Cuban drummer and his family (including being invited to his daughter’s colorful quincinera or coming of age celebration), enjoyed the warm beaches, the rich culture, and lots more. On our return to the United States, we wrote on the customs form that we had visited Cuba. Upon going through customs, we were shocked to be pulled aside, detained, read our rights, and then separated and interrogated because we had gone to Cuba. I asked the customs agent if it was illegal to go to Cuba. I was most curious that, though we were being treated like criminals, she avoided answering this question.
Now, over four years later, I am challenging the $7,590 penalty I’m facing for this visit. I have since found out that it is not illegal to go to Cuba. I am facing this fine because there is a regulation against spending money there. This regulation was designed as a way of bypassing the Supreme Court’s decision that Americans have the right to travel freely anywhere in the world. This seems very unfair to me, as it does to a whole team of lawyers across the US, one of whom is representing me for free in challenging this fine in court.
As a result of this ongoing case, a few weeks ago the State Department sent a special investigator out to my house to question me about the case. His duty was to evaluate if I am still fit to work as a contract Indonesian language interpreter there. I have over the years served as interpreter for Clinton, Bush, Gore, Cheney, Powell, and many others (see www.inspiringcommunity.org/inspiringstories - Issue #1 for the many little miracles that led to this). I am very well liked by my boss and many others at Language Services in the Department of State. Yet, if serious concerns were aroused in this investigator by my Cuba visit and the ensuing court case, I might lose my interpreting work.
Upon hearing I would be investigated, I knew immediately what to do. I first prayed for what’s best in this situation, fully trusting that I am always guided to what’s best for me and for all in everything I do. I then opened my heart and energetically communicated with the heart of the investigator who was to visit. I mentally communicated to him that I had no desire to hide anything, and that I warmly welcomed him to spend time with me.
As I opened the door on the day of the investigation, I also opened my heart to this investigator, and warmly invited him up to my room. Within minutes, a deep feeling of friendship bonded us. He commented that he was very impressed at how open I was, and at how I was so willing to tell him anything and everything about myself and my Cuba visit. As he then ran through several pages of questions regarding my Cuba case and more, he even told me how I should answer some questions.
For example, one question was, “Have you ever used any illegal drugs?” I responded, “Well, back when I was young I did a few…” But he cut me off saying, “We’ll say no.” I told him, “I am deeply committed to speaking the truth. I think it is best to write down the true answers to these questions.” He looked at me very seriously and insisted, “I know what they mean by this question, and we’ll say no.” As I didn’t have to sign anything, and as he was doing the writing, I decided to let him do what he felt was best.
A short while later, he read another question from the forms, “Have you ever been involved in any activities which might embarrass the government?” I told him that I manage a website (www.WantToKnow.info) which is all about exposing major government cover-ups, but that I didn’t feel that this was embarrassing to the government, but rather that this website was designed as a call to Americans to help bring our government back to full democracy. At this response, the investigator put down his clipboard. He looked me straight in the eyes with a stern look. “Well,” he said, “I worked for 25 years with the FBI, and I want to tell you about some cover-ups I saw there.”
I was truly amazed. Here this man was sent by the
government to investigate me, yet he ends up not only actively helping me to
keep my job, but also telling me about some major cover-ups he had seen in
his time working with the government! God often works in wondrous, unexpected
ways, especially with those who are deeply dedicated to doing what is best. I
give many thanks for this experience and for the warm connection I felt on
that day with my new friend. I also give thanks for the amazing guidance I
continue to receive daily in my life, and for the wonderful heart connection
I feel with every person on this planet.
The Road to Death In 1982, I died from terminal cancer. My condition was non-operable. I chose not to have chemotherapy. I was given six to eight months to live. Before this time, I had become increasingly despondent over the nuclear crisis, the ecology crisis, and so forth. I came to believe that nature had made a mistake—that we were probably a cancerous organism on the planet. And that is what eventually killed me. Before my near-death experience, I tried all sorts of alternative healing methods. None helped. So I determined that this was between me and God. I had never really considered God. Neither was I into any kind of spirituality. But my approaching death sent me on a quest for more information about spirituality and alternative healing. I read various religions and philosophies. They gave hope that there was something on the other side. I had no medical insurance, so my life savings went overnight on tests. Unwilling to drag my family into this, I determined to handle this myself. I ended up in hospice care and was blessed with an angel for my hospice caretaker, whom I will call "Anne." She stayed with me through all that was to follow. Into the Light I woke up about 4:30 am and I knew that this was it. I was going to die. I called a few friends and said good-bye. I woke up Anne and made her promise that my dead body would remain undisturbed for six hours, since I had read that all kinds of interesting things happen when you die. I went back to sleep. The next thing I remember, I was fully aware and standing up. Yet my body was lying in the bed. I seemed to be surrounded by darkness, yet I could see every room in the house, and the roof, and even under the house. A Light shone. I turned toward it, and was aware of its similarity to what
others have described in near-death experiences. It was magnificent and
tangible, alluring. I wanted to go towards that Light like I might want to go
into my ideal mother's or father's arms. As I moved towards the Light, I knew
that if I went into the Light, I would be dead. So I said/felt, "Please
wait. I would like to talk to you before I go." The information transmitted was that our beliefs shape the kind of feedback we receive. If you are a Buddhist or Catholic or Fundamentalist, you get a feedback loop of your own images. I became aware of a Higher Self matrix, a conduit to the Source. We all have a Higher Self, or an oversoul part of our being, a conduit. All Higher Selves are connected as one being. All humans are connected as one being. It
was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It was like all the love
you've ever wanted, and it was the kind of love that cures, heals,
regenerates. I was ready to go at that time. I said "I am ready, take
me." Then the Light turned into the most beautiful thing that I have
ever seen: a mandala of human souls on this planet. I saw that we are the
most beautiful creations—elegant, exotic...everything. The revelations went on and on. I asked, "Does this mean that Humankind will be saved?" Like a trumpet blast with a shower of spiraling lights, the Light "spoke," saying, "You save, redeem and heal yourself. You always have and always will. You were created with the power to do so from before the beginning of the world." In that instant I realized that we have already been saved. I thanked the Light of God with all my heart. The best thing I could come up with was: "Oh dear God, dear Universe, dear Great Self, I love my Life." The Light seemed to breathe me in even more deeply, absorbing me. I entered into another realm more profound than the last, and was aware of an enormous stream of Light, vast and full, deep. I asked what it was. The Light answered, "This is the River of Life. Drink of this manna water to your heart's content." I drank deeply, in ecstasy. The Void of Nothingness Suddenly I seemed to be rocketing away from the planet on this stream of Life. I saw the earth fly away. The solar system whizzed by and disappeared. I flew through the center of the galaxy, absorbing more knowledge as I went. I learned that this galaxy—and the entire Universe—is bursting with many different varieties of life. I saw many worlds. We are not alone in this Universe. It seemed as if all the creations in the Universe soared past me and vanished in a speck of Light. Then a second Light appeared. As I passed into the second Light, I could perceive forever, beyond Infinity. I was in the Void, pre-Creation, the beginning of time, the first Word or vibration. I rested in the Eye of Creation and it seemed that I touched the Face of God. It was not a religious feeling. I was simply at One with Absolute Life and Consciousness. I rode the stream directly into the center of the Light. I felt embraced by the Light as it took me in with its breath again. And the truth was obvious that there is no death; that nothing is born and nothing dies; that we are immortal beings, part of a natural living system that recycles itself endlessly. It would take me years to assimilate the Void experience. It was less than nothing, yet greater than anything. Creation is God exploring God's Self through every way imaginable. Through every piece of hair on your head, through every leaf on every tree, through every atom. God is exploring God's Self. I saw everything as the Self of all. God is here. That's what it is all about. Everything is made of light; everything is alive. The Light of Love I was never told that I had to come back. I just knew that I would. It was only natural, from what I had seen. As I began my return to the life cycle, it never crossed my mind, nor was I told, that I would return to the same body. It did not matter. I had complete trust in the Light and the Life process. As
the stream merged with the great Light, I asked never to forget the
revelations and the feelings of what I had learned on the other side. I
thought of myself as a human again and I was happy to be that. From what I
have seen, I would be happy to be an atom in this universe. An atom. So to be
the human part of God ...this is the most fantastic blessing. It is a
blessing beyond our wildest imagination of what a blessing can be. But I reincarnated back into this body. I was so surprised when I opened my eyes, to be back in this body, back in my room with someone looking over me, crying her eyes out. It was Anne, my hospice caretaker. She had found me dead thirty minutes before. We do not know how long I was dead, only that she found me thirty minutes before. She had honored my wish to have my newly-dead body left alone. She can verify that I really was dead. It was not a near-death experience. I believe I probably experienced death itself for at least an hour and a half. When I awakened and saw the light outside, confused, I tried to get up to go to it, but I fell out of the bed. She heard a loud "clunk", ran in, and found me on the floor. When I recovered, I was surprised and awed about what had happened. I had no memory at first of the experience. I kept slipping out of this world and kept asking, "Am I alive?" This world seemed more like a dream than that one. Within three days, I was feeling normal again, clearer, yet different than ever before. My memories of the journey came back later. But from my return I could find nothing wrong with any human being I had ever seen. Previous to my death I was judgmental, believing that people were really screwed up. Everyone but me. About three months later a friend said I should get tested for the cancer. So I got the scans and so forth. I felt healthy. I still remember the doctor at the clinic looking at the "before" and "after"scans. He said, "I can find no sign of cancer now." "A miracle?" I asked. "No," he answered. "These things happen...spontaneous remission." He seemed unimpressed. But I was impressed. I knew it was a miracle. Lessons Learned I asked God: "What is the best religion on the planet? Which one is right?" God said with great love: "It doesn't matter." What an incredible grace. It does not matter what religion we are. Religions come and they go. They change. Buddhism has not been here forever, Catholicism has not been here forever, and they are all about to become more enlightened. More light is coming into all systems now. Many will resist and fight about it, one religion against the next, believing that only they are right. When God said, "It doesn't matter," I understood that it is for us to care about, because we are the caring beings. The Source does not care if you are Protestant, Buddhist, or Jew. Each is a reflection, a facet of the whole. I wish that all religions would realize it and let each other be. It is not the end of separate religions, but live and let live. Each has a different view, and it all adds up to the big picture. I went over to the other side with a lot of fears about toxic waste, nuclear missiles, the population explosion, the rain forest. I came back loving every single problem. I love nuclear waste. I love the mushroom cloud; this is the holiest mandala that we have manifested to date, as an archetype. More than any religion or philosophy on Earth, that terrible, wonderful cloud brought us together all of a sudden, to a new level of consciousness. Knowing that
maybe we can blow up the planet fifty times, or 500 times, we finally realize
that maybe we are all here together now. For a period they had to keep
setting off more bombs to get it into us. Then we started saying, "we do
not need this any more." Now we are actually in a safer world than we
have ever been in, and it is going to get safer.
All the darkness of the world cannot put out the light of a single candle.
Thanks for sharing in these inspiring stories with us. We wish you lots of love, inspiration, and all the very best in the coming months.
Explore these empowering websites coordinated by the nonprofit PEERS network: Subscribe to or unsubscribe from Global Community for All's email list (one email every three months with the most recent issue of Inspirations) by visiting http://www.inspiringcommunity.org/subscribegca. For other email lists in the PEERS network, subscribe to the empowering email list of inspiration and education (one email every two weeks) at http://www.momentoflove.org/subscribewol. Subscribe to the WantToKnow.info list on deep cover-ups (one email every few days) by visiting http://www.WantToKnow.info/subscribe Inspiring Stories of Love, Healing, & Empowerment |
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