Sensational Soul Food

I write as the L.A. Sightseeing Examiner for examiner.com.  I basically duplicate those articles in my blog, CaliforniVacation: SoCal Style, as your SoCal gal.  The intent and content for these venues is meant to be about places to go and/or things to do in the greater Los Angeles area.

I mention this because on March 24, 2010, I visited a venue almost literally in my own backyard...that's how close it is to where I live.  This venue is South Bay Celebration Church, also the location for Teen Challenge Los Angeles.  I'm not going to take the space here to rewrite about this venue.  Instead, I'll simply provide this link, here, to the examiner.com article if you weren't already directed to this blog from there knowing this is where I share some of the soul food Sheila Raye Charles dished up in her amazing testimonial.  Ms. Charles has an autobiography, Behind the Shades, and a music CD with the same name.

I feel Ms. Charles would agree that her main dish of the evening is the message, "God sees no evil in her or any of us."  We may see evil in our self or in other brother and sister children of God.  God does not.

What does God see?  Not simply that we are good, but straight on to seeing the perfect divine love intelligence in each one of us that we were created to be.

I loved Ms. Charles' side dish message which includes speaking about her stint in federal prison when she prayed and was answered by God, who she refers to as Big Daddy.  She mentions after feeling like she'd lost everything and she means everything as she goes through the list, she was puzzled what God might possibly wish for her to give.  For indeed, God mentions God wants something from Ms. Charles.

What does God want?  God wants us to give up all of our pain to God.  God wants us to give up all of our mistaken ways we identify our self that aren't the same as the way God sees and identifies us.  Thus, in a way it is not even a matter of forgiveness.  God never has nor ever will see evil in us.  NOthing to forgive.  So give it up.

I was a little worried about what Ms. Charles mentions when it comes to homosexuals until she ended this side dish with a helping of non-judgment and loving one another.  I mean if God sees Sheila Raye without evil (even after all she had done and been through), in other words divine; what if I saw her the same way?  What would there be about Sheila Raye for me not to love?  For that matter, if God sees Sheila Raye without evil, I feel fairly certain God must see me the same way.  What would there be about me then, for me not to love? Can I?  Of course, I am capable.  Will I give up to God all the ways I currently think, feel or believe I am unlovable?  That's a whole 'nother can o'beans now isn't it?

I found it entertaining that Ms. Charles is so certain of her conversations with God and the way she regales these conversations.  It had me wondering a little about my self, (who I like to think is definitely and willingly on the path of spirituality and being the best, most divine me I feel I am able to in any given moment) since I don't feel I have such overt interactions with the Creator of all.

Surprisingly and delightfully, a thought popped into my mind that I may not identify what I "hear" as the voice of God; but, I tend to feel that thoughts of things to do or insights I feel I receive (almost as if from left field, if you know what I mean), might just as easily be considered divine messages as Ms. Charles' conversations with God.

All of these soul dishes are very powerful messages in my opinion.  One last thing Sheila Raye mentioned that really got to me was when she shared God's plan for her.  Part of that plan she mentions (while using my own words and interpretation), is people will be lured to see her because they are curious about this daughter of Ray Charles, the famous, now departed from earth, blind singer.  Once in her presence, it is the perfect opportunity for God to speak through her his message of love for all of God's children.

This Bjork must admit she was definitely sucked into the plan...appreciatively and happily so.  I enjoyed every morsel of the tasty soul food served.  We are so loved.  We are so blessed.  Message received.  Mahalo, Sheila Raye.  Gracias, Dios!

How To Turn a Parking Ticket Into a Positive

On the last day of Winter, 2010, I went to Point Dume (pronounced doo-may) hoping I just might get a glimpse of a gray whale.  Point Dume in Malibu is said to be an excellent venue for such things.

Not only did I not see any gray whales, I got a parking ticket too.

I shouldn't be too upset about the ticket I told myself.  I know better.  I parked in a known "no parking" area because I didn't want to drive back down to the parking area on Westward Beach Road.  Plus, I told myself that where I parked looked as if I wasn't the first to park there and probably wouldn't be the last.  Not to mention I wasn't staying very long.  And the myriad of all the justifications I played in my mind as to why it was okay to park in the no parking zone.

I am not too thrilled about paying the $50.  As I placed the ticket into my purse, I vowed there must be some way I can "spin" this to my advantage for the future.  How might I do that?

Ask the question. I believe the Universe loves and supports us so much that an answer always shows up.  Maybe right away.  Maybe not right away.  I feel like it happens more in the same way that you have a word on the proverbial tip of your tongue and that word make itself consciously known to you when you let go and allow it to show up perfect place/perfect time.

My answer to "how might I do that?" came in the form of "ask the question".  So I did.  How can I turn this parking ticket into a positive?

I attempt now to share the answer in a way I hope makes sense and may benefit others too.  In other words, if you are reading this I am going to assume you were directed to this blog because the words will enhance your life in some way.

Here goes.

A ticket, or citation if you will, seems to be an effective motivator for people not to do something.  You know if you do it (and get caught), you will be fined, ticketed, cited.  And if you ignore the citation, the fines pile up.  Soon what may have been alleviated by simply paying the ticket may turn into jail.

What if I used this same sort of system towards spiritual mastery?  Spiritual mastery begins with discipline and dominion over self consciousness.

Each of us is endowed with a Divine Right of Consciousness.  No one has ownership of what plays on the "screen of our mind (our consciousness)" but our self.  We have the ultimate final say over what we will allow to play on that screen.  What truths we will agree with.  What beliefs we will buy into.

You've probably heard it said before that doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.  Well, if you continue to hold the same vision on the screen of your mind yet hope for different results in your life, I put it out there that this too is insanity.  As personal creation of our life's experiences starts with what we envision on the screen of our minds, again, we have ultimate authority.

I know it sounds ominous, but every thought...every feeling matters.  We may know better.  We may feel others before us have thunk (you like that) the same thoughts and gotten away with it so to speak.  But just like a no parking sign and then parking there resulted in a citation, what if when we know thinking/feeling/visualizing our self as poor, ill, ugly, unloved, unblessed, unlucky (you get the picture I trust) only creates more of the same in our experience...well, what if we saw the result of such thoughts/feelings/visualizations as us receiving a ticket or citation with the fine being continued experience of the lies we tell our self regarding how we identify with health, wealth, beauty, blessings, well-being and so on?

Thoughts matter.  Feelings matter.  They create.

The good news is that every moment is a new opportunity to clean the slate (so to speak) of the screen of your consciousness starting fresh with new visions and feelings of your self the way you desire to create your self to be.  There is a first time for everything.

We are spirit first.  Spirit made manifest.  Spirit in form.  Thoughts made manifest.  Feelings made manifest.  Thoughts into form.  Feelings into form.  Look to your screen of consciousness and make sure it only includes thoughts, feelings and visions of you and your life that are in alignment with how you wish to create your life until this becomes the life you manifest.  The more disciplined you are with this practice, the faster the manifestation.

While technically I feel there is no punishment in God consciousness, simply interpretation of what is on the screen of our own personal consciousness (why clarity and confidence are such wonderful practictes)...if we know we (for instance) wish to create and experience unlimited abundance, the "no parking" zone for unlimited abundance would be thinking or feeling poor, poverty or scarcity.  If we park in that zone with our thoughts and feelings, the ticket or citation is that we can not experience wealth, riches or unlimited abundance we desire when we are parked in the unlimited abundance "no parking" zone.

Now if you find yourself in the unlimited abundance (to extend the metaphor) "no parking" zone, you immediately pay the fine (take responsibility and forgive yourself for this mistaken thinking/feeling/seeing) and move your vehicle to the unlimited abundance parking zone right away, the damage will be minimal.  Stay too long and pretty soon you succumb to the spiritual untruth of poverty. It is as if you have been placed in poverty prison forgetting that you are the only one with the key to release your self.

Here was a side benefit that occurred to me from this experience.  You know how many times (myself included) we find ourselves saying we can't afford something.  I've often noticed that in a way this statement is a cop out.  If I really desire something and feel justified and deserving of having it, I somehow can afford that something.  I also noticed that when it comes to paying tickets and things like that which I feel "I have to do" (mostly because I am afraid of the consequences of not paying it), somehow I find the money even if I don't necessarily admit I can afford it.  I know somehow there is a way to apply this observation in a beneficial way.  Although, maybe this observation becomes a moot point when I am disciplined about staying out of the unlimited abundance no parking zone while living joyfully and firmly in the unlimited abundance free parking lot.