My Journey into the Daylight Age

     I wish to share a quick thought.  Wow!  This quick thought may turn out to be a God Shot.  This morning I was engaging in my early morning “chin ups”.  I remember something from my Air Force Academy days where we were required to do “pullups” just prior to lunch in Jack’s Valley.  30 seconds of exercise just prior to eating seemed like a good idea.  Well, this morning I realized the problem I may have with the pull up bar is the fact that my feet are not touching the ground.  In many things that I do in this world, I use the ground as a source of power and energy.  But since my feet are in the air, historically, I struggled with the pull up bar.  Well, this morning was different.  Instead of using the ground as the source of energy and power, I used my hands and my oneness with everything around me . . . including the air, the ground, and the entire world and all the lifeforms on this planet.  It was the most incredible feeling.  Just thinking about this, as I am writing this, is giving me a surge of energy.  ^_^

     Ok, so you are probably wondering how many “chin ups” did I accomplish this morning.  I stopped at five.  I could have done more but,  I am connecting the dots here . . . last week I accompanied my fiancée to her acupuncture appointment.  Dr. Arnette is an amazing character and I know he says things in a light-hearted manner and he is definitely speaking the truth.  He said the old saying, “practice makes perfect” is not correct.  A better version of it is . . . “perfection is in the practice”.  I want to practice this sonen so that I can use it in other parts of my life.  So . . . throughout the day I will use it.  While doing exercise, while washing the dishes, playing golf, playing ping pong,  while writing my blog, while breathing.  It helps with my sonen if I connect everything with spiritual cords.  Wow!  I can feel the surge of energy again. 

8/7/22

I am reading this blog, now, two years later and I realize the connection that really counts is to God. The spiritual energy just flows when we think of God. My daily connection to God is thru Nature. It is all around us. Even in our homes when we have flower arrangements in every room. Thank you God! 

8/16/23

A year later and I realize I need to pay attention to what I am writing. Sometimes I am not aware of the source of what I am writing. That being said . . . I need to reread my own blogs to make sure I include it into my life. Today for some reason I received a huge surge of energy. Looking back at my morning I did a little bit of QiGong before watering the plants around my home. But something happened prior to the Morning Service at the Center. I believe it is confirmation of what Noah said to his family. He told them that many people of the world eat meat thinking it will give them strength. They have forgotten that strength comes from God. So what happened this morning is . . . I felt the presence of God while preparing the altar. This feeling is unmistakable because I feel it when I visit the Sacred Grounds. And then, an amazing thing happened . . . when I glanced at the picture of Meishu-sama, I could have sworn that he was smiling. I blinked and stared again . . . the smile was gone. Well, that was good enough for me. Our connection to God and Meishu-sama is the most important connection of all.

!/04/24

Update: I realize that there is a common thread with all the previous entries. Mindfulness. Last night, Alison and I watched a documentary on Buddhism. It was very interesting. A lot of what was said were confirmations of Meishu-sama’s teachings. The one part which resonated with me was the word “mindfulness” It is in the Eightfold Path but it was also mentioned with the coverage of Zen Buddhism. Mindfulness in everything we do. While walking, while writing, while exercising, while doing the dishes, while praying, while channeling Johrei and while living, period. Being on autopilot at certain times is okay but mindfulness is the key to allowing the mind to overcome the chaotic mess of our daily thoughts. 

This morning I was sharing with Alison a short phrase that came to mind. ”Budgeting our way to prosperity”. The reason for budgeting is not to restrict us. A more important reason is to bring mindfulness into our spending habits. If our budget is $12,000 per month, then a budget would keep our spending within our income stream. If our monthly income stream was 12 million dollars per month then a budget would do the same thing. Our spending will be mindful and once again there is a chance that we will keep our spending well within our present income stream and live a life style in harmony with that income stream. This is a gift that Meishu-sama and the Buddha gave to us in their teachings. To be aware of our present situation is in line with the words of many philosophers. It just makes sense. Details can be contemplated and addressed in the present and will allow us to live in harmony with our environment. The environment changes. Our income stream changes and we should properly address those changes with changes in our budget. What a concept. Thank you, Buddha. Thank you, Meishu-sama. Thank you, God! 

Back to my chin ups. ^_^

6/24/24 Update: Since this blog started with exercise, I thought I would give everyone the latest in that regard. A month ago, I was enjoying my lunch in the teacher’s lounge when a conversation was heard by all. A teacher shared that many years ago she was in the service and she did 1,000 push ups every day. I was very surprised to hear it. I don’t know if it was true or not. Just the thought of it, motivated me to start exercising again. Pushups is my favorite. I don’t know why I stopped. I am up to 120 per day. I may not reach 1,000, but I hope and pray that I do not ever stop exercising again. I feel alive and grounded. ^_^