The Best Present

The other day I blogged about my favorite gifts as a little girl and tonight I want to blog about my favorite gift as an adult.

 

I've got Christmas carols playing on the stereo (do people still use that word?). I've got really pretty colored lights on my back fence that I see every night when I'm in my office. Just about everyone I've encountered In the last week has been very friendly. As we wind down the shopping, baking and wrapping, that very old familiar feeling that my soul has felt for hundreds of years appears once again. That anticipation of something coming.

When I was a little girl, I thought it was Santa Claus.  But as an adult, I've come to recognize what it is. It's the celebration of birth of the coolest man I've ever heard of. Rabbi Jeshua Ben Joseph-- (pronounced Yeshua Ben Yoseph).  Teacher Jesus, son of Joseph.

 

Many people think of Jesus as the guy that came to die for their sins....................but to me he is so much more than that. Frankly, I don't buy that whole conept of him dying for my sins. I'm responsible for my sins, not him. That's what the Golden Rule is all about.

 

I've always known since I was a lttle girl that he came to be a role model for us. He came to teach us so many things but the main message that stands out to me tonight is that God is a loving God and we can go directly to Him/Her.. We don't need a "go between" to do our praying for us.

 

He also taught us that He is NOT the only child of God. We are all children of God and we have the same unlimited potential as Jesus did. That unlimited potential is the Christ part of all of us.

 

His last name is not Christ. His title is Jesus the Christ.  He discovered the Christ part of himself as he was growing up. He came to understand that as a child of God, he had the same potential that God has and that what we're all striving for is to know that oneness and live in that oneness.

 

There is so much he taught us. He brought us freedom in so many ways.

I could go on and on about the things I've learned from him through prayer and meditation but I'm not going to.

 

Tonight, I'm just going to stay focused on that sweet feeling of anticipation that his birth will once again remind me to dig deeper and be more committed to living from that Christ part of myself.

 

 As much as I bitch about the hassle of Christmas, when it's all said and done, I'm grateful for it's gentle reminder of what we're really celebrating. His courageous life and teachings. His commitment to his path and to God. His example to all of us as to what it means to live from the Christ part of ourselves. That's the best present of all.

 

Merry Christmas, December, 2009.

Echo

 Echo Bodine, echo@echobodine.com on 12/23/2009

On the web at www.echobodine.com
"Living by your inner voice is like walking through
 life with your best friend in your pocket"
Echo Bodine
A Still Small Voice

Tiger Woods

Today I was shopping at a place that had big screen tv's and there on every screen was Tiger Woods face holding up a trophy. An odd sort of chill shot through my body and I wondered how many people are being affected by his infidelities right now.

 

It's actually my inner voice pushing me to write this blog. It's been bugging me for a few days and then today when I saw his face on every screen, I thought "Okay, Okay, I'll write it"

 

If you've read any of my books, you'll know that I usually try to find the good in whatever life challenge I'm going through so that I can get through it easier and without so much resentment about it.

 

What this public display of infidelity does for anyone  that still has wounds from being betrayed like that is that it's a reminder that we still haven't healed completely. If you've been through this type of betrayal, it can take a long time to heal and some choose not to look at it at all. Sweep it under the rug and pretend it didn't' happen until someone famous comes along and gets caught cheating and then all those old wounds come up to the surface.

 

As strange as it sounds, if you are one of those people that has felt this kind of betrayal and you're still hurting either with trust issues, jealousy, hatred, anger, rage, feeling like a victim, powerlessness, self destructiveness or wanting to hurt someone else, you need to look at this as an opportunity to heal yourself and those feelings. That hurt you feel is not about Tiger Woods or any of the other people coming forward about betrayal. Their actions are a catalyst for you to continue to heal so that the day will come when you can listen to a story of betrayal and not feel personal about it. That's the goal here.

 

I remember a couple of years ago the astrologer Nancy Jernander told us that we were coming into a two year period where secrets would be revealed. That it was time for the light to shine on everything that was being kept in the dark and that's why we've heard so much of in the last few months. My guess is that it's not going to stop. We'll continue to hear of stories of betrayal but if we can switch gears and look at it as a barometer for our own healing process, we can see the good in it. If you're having a tough time not knowing where to go or how to go about healing, get a copy of my latest book, My Big Book of Healing. As you work your way through the book ask the Universe to help you be honest with yourself and get those feelings out on paper. This life of yours is about YOU healing . Give yourself the gift of healing for the new year. Make it your goal to get out from under all those harmful feelings that might be eating away at your good health.

 

We're coming into a brand new year...............And from what I've seen in readings lately, 2010 sure holds alot of promise for people. I see new beginnings everywhere.

 

So let's send a mental thank you card to all the people out there that are pushing our buttons and reminding us of our unresolved pain.

 

Happy 2010.

--
 Echo Bodine, echo@echobodine.com on 12/16/2009

On the web at www.echobodine.com
"Living by your inner voice is like walking through
 life with your best friend in your pocket"
Echo Bodine
A Still Small Voice

Christmas Magic

The other day I was baking cookies, thinking about Christmas and the memories I cherish the most.

The thought struck me that I wondered why I always reminisced about my childhood Christmases and not any of the Christmases I've had as an adult.....................

 

After much mulling over, I realized that as a child, there was always a magic about Christmas. The memories that came up the strongest were the plate of cookies at my grandma's house every year. She  would do a cookie exchange with her church friends and it was always fun to see what was on the plate. When we were finished with dinner, gramma would give each of us a bowl of ice cream and we passed the cookie plate. It was such a fun part of the evening. I don' t have memories of any of the gifts or the conversations we had. Just gramma's big beautifully decorated dining room table where we all sat together and felt happy.  

 

I loved driving to Grandma's on River Road because we always watched for Santa. I swear my little heart jumped out of my chest every time I saw a red light in the sky. And then when we got home we'd all run to our beds to see if Santa had left us new pajama's on our pillows because that meant he had already been there and would be back soon. One quick cup of hot chocolate and we were off to bed in our new jammies.

 

Favorite memories of gifts? Tiny Tears doll, a blackboard (so I could be like my 2nd grade teacher Miss Johnson), a stuffed monkey, an Easy Bake Oven and a new doll every year.

 

I've had wonderful Christmases as an adult. I've received beautiful presents, have had wonderful friends, nice places to live, wonderful spiritual experiences. There's been so much to be grateful for at Christmas time, and yet........................I think I will always yearn to feel that childlike innocence of believing that Santa will once again put those jammies on my pillow and that it's really Rudolph streaking across the sky on Christmas Eve. That there will always be a plate of cookies without the worry of what the gluten or dairy. Believing in the magic once again.

Those are the memories I cherish.

 Part 2 tomorrow.

Echo Bodine, echo@echobodine.com on 12/16/2009

On the web at www.echobodine.com
"Living by your inner voice is like walking through
 life with your best friend in your pocket"
Echo Bodine
A Still Small Voice

The Plan?

I'm told that my mind jumps from one thing to the next in a matter of seconds because I have Gemini rising. Whatever the reason is, I can tell you one thing. It's very annoying (but entertaining).

So here we are, 12 days from Christmas and my mind is all over the place.

 

The Center is closing in 18 days. I was over there yesterday, taking things off walls, reminiscing as I held each item in my hand. Several times I caught myself wondering if this was really the next step in my life. Letting go of the Center and all that's in it. Letting go of the dreams I've had for years of creating a safe, spiritual place for people to come to. And every time I wondered, I heard my inner voice give me that quiet confirmation that I have felt so many times.

 

Many many times throughout my life, my inner voice has reminded me of a commitment I made to Jesus as a little girl and that was that if he ever showed up at my door, (like he did the disciples) and asked me to let go of everything and follow him, (as he did the disciples)  I WOULD.

 

I've always lived my life with that sense that I needed to be foot loose and fancy free so to speak, in order to follow the guidance I received from within. And closing the Center is another one of those "closing the door" experiences in my life.

 

I remember thinking as a kid that I KNEW this was how I was supposed to live my life, no matter how much I wanted to hang on to relationships and material things that I had outgrown.

 

But here I am, at 61 years old (can't be) and I'm doing it again. People ask me what's next and as I've told my students many times, the new plan has not been disclosed yet. The guidance I get is finish up what's on my plate ie; close the Center, finish the new ghost book, continue to stay on top of my health (very sensitive Virgo system) do Christmas and wait.

 

And this is where I have trouble with my Gemini mind. It races to make a plan. Wants a plan. Thinks it will die without a plan. "Please Echo, make a plan. It's irresponsible to live without a plan. blah, blah, blah."

 

This is actually the magical part. The part where I tame my Gemini mind to focus on what's in front of me ie, baking, shoveling, feeding the cat, cleaning the house, blogging more, taking out the garbage, don't slip on the ice, answer my emails, set up appts., eat gluten free, call mom, write, get new tires, call my son, water the plants, feed the squirrels, birds and bunnies and watch NCIS, take a nap.

 

AND DON'T MAKE A PLAN. Listen for the plan. Listen.

 

 

 --
 Echo Bodine, echo@echobodine.com on 12/13/2009

On the web at www.echobodine.com
"Living by your inner voice is like walking through
 life with your best friend in your pocket"
Echo Bodine
A Still Small Voice

Listening for Plan B

Changes, changes, changes.

Yesterday, we had an Open House at the Center and it was so wonderful to see so many people show up for readings, healings, massage and aura photo's, not to mention take advantage of the great sale that Moon Wisdom Gift Shop had. It was a really fun day.

My numerology chart (done by Wes@weshamilton.com) keeps saying that I get most of my energy and enthusiasm from working with other women right now and it sure is true. There was such a feeling of love and nurturing in the room and I didn't want the day to end.

 

Many of you know that I made a decision (with the help of the Universe) to let go of the Center as of December 31st. After the day like yesterday, I've been questioning my decision on and off all day but my inner voice keeps affirming that the decision was the right one.

 

I think back to all the work we put into creating it just the way we wanted it to be and there's a whole array of mixed emotions. Gratitude, sadness, excitement, pride. I have to remind myself that we had no idea what that building would lead to when we undertook the reconstruction job on the building and yet it turned out to be a blessing for many many people.

 

We have 5-6 weeks to get rid of everything and get it ready for the photographer that is taking over the building.

 

Many people have asked me what plan B is and I haven't been shown that yet. I don't know about future classes or meditations. I know there's a plan...............there's always a plan.............but until I get a clear vision of it, I have to stay out of the way and LISTEN.

 

Am I visualizing what I want? Have I made a Treasure Map so that the Universe will know what I want? Am I seeking the help of a life coach? No, no and no.

 

I listen.

 

Not to the voices of the world. Not to the voices of well intentioned friends. I love the input I get from my gifted friends, but the last word on anything that happens in my life comes from the still small voice inside. As tough as it is not to get in the drivers seat and figure it all out, living this way has always been the best way for me to go.

 

In one of the stories in Look for the Good and You'll Find God, I mention my parents taking us to a play when I was younger called Fiddler on the Roof. The main male character (can't remember his name) has constant conversations with God about his life and I remember knowing at the age of 10 that that's how I wanted my relationship with God to forever be.

 

Right now God's wisdom is NOT giving me Plan B because I can easily get overwhelmed with the holidays approaching and letting go of the Center.

 

Before I know it, Plan B will present itself and I'll be off and running on my new adventure.

 

Stay tuned.....................and Happy Thanksgiving.
--
 Echo Bodine, echo@echobodine.com on 11/22/2009

On the web at www.echobodine.com
"Living by your inner voice is like walking through
 life with your best friend in your pocket"
Echo Bodine
A Still Small Voice

What's with all the Demons?

 

What in the world is going on? Lately all I hear about is demons. Demons are the cause of this or that. Demons are attaching themselves to us and making us do horrible things. Demons.

What the hell is a demon anyway?Webster says it's an evil spirit or a devil.

So suddenly we're all being taken over by these evil spirits?

C'mon folks. GET A GRIP..

And then there's all this spirit attachment.

Everyone's behavior in the last year has been excused away by spirit attachments. And again I say, GET A GRIP.

We are not a bunch of victims here.

I heard that Gary Spivey says people with Fibromyalgia have demons. I'll be sure to mention that to my sweet 80 year old mother who has the disease.  I've also heard that he says demons are the root cause of all of our problems.  That reminds me of an experience I had at least 30 years ago.

I was giving a talk to high school kids about un-wed pregnancy and birth control and one of the girls came up to me afterwards and said that her boyfriend told her if she ate a lot of peanut butter, she wouldn't get pregnant. She was wondering if that was true. I was torn between wanting to get mad at the young man or laughing.

And that's how I feel when I hear these ridiculous stories about demons and spirit attachment,

Lets break this down:

There is a Universal law that is Like Attracts Like and since that's the case, you have to ask yourself Why would YOU attract a demon? Why would a spirit attach itself to YOU? What's the benefit in it for them?

In order to be an evil spirit, you had to be evil in your life. Let's take Saddam Hussein. Why would he bother attaching himself to you? Why would he come into your life and make you do bad things to people? I think he's got a pretty full plate on the other side cleaning up his karma. And the same with all of the other EVIL people we have heard of  throughout history. These folks are not down here on Earth attaching themselves to us. They're working their butts off (actually they don't have butts, do they?) to be able to come back to Earth someday.

I can hear you thinking "yah but what about all those ghosts in the astral plane" and that's a good question.. Something you need to understand about ghosts is that most of them are immature souls who simply do not want to move on. We've all met people like that. Maybe you're one of them yourself.

You hate change. You don't want anything in life (or death) to change, so when you die, because you have free will, you might chose to remain earth bound AND STUCK.

I'm thinking back to how many spirits I have seen over the years that have attached themselves to people and I can honestly say less than a handful. And I've had a spirit or two attach themselves to me, but when it happens, you feel weird, off balance. You can look in the mirror and not see your own eyes looking back. You feel the extra weight of something that's hanging on to you.

If you have those symptoms, you can go to a healer and get the spirit attachment off with a simple healing. It doesn't have to be some grand ritual. Don't buy into the hype that seems to be going on.

You can also tell the spirit to get off of you and go to the light.

I don't want to sound like I'm blowing off the whole spirit attachment/demon thing. Spirit attachment is real and does happen, but certainly not as much as people are saying. And I suppose there are demons out there although I've never seen one in the 42 years I've been a ghostbuster.

If you're having a problem in your life, do your inner work first before deciding it's a demon or spirit attachment. Don't buy into the crazy peanut butter stories out there.

And if you are someone who has a reoccurring problem with attachment or attracting demons, ask yourself one question. What are you getting out of it for it to be continually happening. Does it make you feel special? Is it a good excuse for not having to do your inner healing work? There's a pay off somewhere otherwise, you'd put your foot down and not allow it to happen anymore.

Demons be gone. Spirit attachments go home.

End of Blog for tonight.

 --
 Echo Bodine, echo@echobodine.com on 10/17/2009

On the web at www.echobodine.com
"Living by your inner voice is like walking through
 life with your best friend in your pocket"
Echo Bodine
A Still Small Voice

No More Gas Station and Vitamin D

Oh what a difference a week makes!!!

 

Last week I wrote the Blog about finding my gas station and a week later, I've let go of the entire idea.  Last Saturday I spent the day at the Cottage House making popcorn for all the folks that came by to shop. It was a really fun day and I'm very glad I did it. I met some really nice people and it was fun to watch people come out of the house with their new purchases and big smiles on their faces. At least a dozen people commented that they loved coming to the Cottage because it's like stepping into a whole other world and I knew exactly what they were talking about. That's what I was hoping to create for people with my place but I realized that day just how much work was involved in putting together something like the Cottage House and that's why I let go of the idea. I just don't have the energy to keep The Center going and create a new "happy place."

 

Moving on to my next thought is this article that my webmaster emailed me. I really hope you will read it. This whole pandemic thing with the Swine Flu is starting to get crazy.

Monday night in class I channeled a message to the students and one of the messages is that we need to take big doses of Vitamin D and Magnesium during the next 6 months.  She didn't say why and I assumed it was because there wouldn't be alot of light in winter time, but the next morning, my webmaster, Chris LaFontaine, sent me this really cool article about Vitamin D and the H1N1 virus. Here's the link:

 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/09/22/Low-Vitamin-D-Increases-Flu-Death-Risk-in-Kids.aspx

I'm so aware of how quickly our emotionally charged thoughts are manifesting these days, so please spread the word that there is a solution to this virus. We need to get the positive thoughts out there about it and counter-act all the negativity.

 

We don't have to be a bunch of sitting ducks wondering if we're going to get this virus. You can get Vitamin D in 5000 IU and only take one a day!!!!

 

I think that's it for today. It's raining here in Minneapolis this morning so I'm going to go clean the house!!!

 

thanks for checkin' in.

Echo

 

 

 

 

--
 Echo Bodine, echo@echobodine.com on 9/25/2009

On the web at www.echobodine.com
"Living by your inner voice is like walking through
 life with your best friend in your pocket"
Echo Bodine
A Still Small Voice