COURAGE TO CONQUER FEAR


One of my favorites...
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Marianne Williamson

Marianne Williamson

 

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 READ PSALM 151 FOUND AT QUMRAN

http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/deadsea.scrolls.exhibit/Library/psalms.html

PSALMS GO MISSING FOR TWO THOUSAND YEARS

                               Qumran Living Quarters

         The ruins of Qumran is 50 miles east of Jerusalem.

BUT, how could such an important book, like the Bible, get misplaced or lost?  Dr. Hoffman believes that as rolled up scrolls progressed into codices (an ancient form of a bound book) only so many pages could be produced. The current Bible represents the “greatest hits collections (Hoffman 2015).” For example, today’s Bible contains 150 Psalms, divided into three sets of fifty. Yet, scholarship of newly discovered scrolls at Qumran reveal twice that number was originally written. Only the best of the best made it into the Bible codex. Qumran is 50 miles east of Jerusalem. 

 MAKING A TORAH 

                         All The Books Of Bible Unscrolled.

Making a Torah is a long holy task that can only be completed by a specially trained person called a sofer.  Before beginning any work each day, the sofer takes a ritual cleansing bath, a Mikvah, and then begins copying. A feather quill is dipped in specially made black ink. The task takes an entire year to complete inscribing the 304,805 letters in the First Five Books of the Bible, known as the Torah. The new Torah is paraded throughout the Jewish Community in a festive Torah Dedication Ceremony.

 

A verse missing after Psalm 145:13

The New Moon Celebration: An Ancient Jewish Tradition

            In our modern society the daily “To Do List” has become an integral part of our lives.  Every day is cluttered with paying the bills and putting out the garbage, yet it is important to remember to take care of your spiritual life as well. One way to accomplish this goal is by observing the celebration of Rosh Chodesh (pronounced ROOSH KOO-desh ) each month.  While many religions and cultures have celebrations when the moon is full, the celebration of Rosh Chodesh occurs during the new moon period, just as the first glimpse of the new moon occurs.

Rosh Chodesh

This new moon festival is first mentioned in the Book of Numbers (10:10) "And on your joyous occasions - your fixed festivals and new moon days - you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your sacrifices of well-being." Four thousand years ago, after the sun set, with only the shimmering stars in the sky, the loud blasts of a ram’s horn or shofar (show- FAR) filled the air.  The sound announced to the gathered people, “I am here.”  Despite the darkness God’s presence could be felt close by.  The community rejoiced in the knowledge there was a greater force, a Higher Power, in the universe governing the cycles of the moon, the sun, and the stars. 

A Modern Experience

Back then there was no light pollution from street lights to interfer with your spiritual experience. Try turning off all your lights at your house and go into your backyard to rediscover this ancient experience.  Take a few mintues to soak in the peaceful moment while listening to the night time sounds of birds and other creatures.  Relax and meditate knowing a Higher Power is watching over everyone, including you.

The new moon of Rosh Chodesh marks the beginning of a renewal process. It is a time for introspection and reflection on last month’s hopes and failures.  It is a time to think about the new month’s goals and desires.  Every month is an new opportunity to reconnect with God and your higher spiritual self to rediscover your spiritual destiny.  This month remember to spend time outdoors at night under the twinkling stars thinking about your place in the vast universe. 

The Gateway To The Divine

One of the earliest recorded dreams occurs in the Hebrew Bible known as the Old Testament.  The story begins when Jacob, a Patriarch, leaves the home of his parents and travels to find a bride (Genesis 28: 10 –19).  As the sun sets Jacob drifts off to sleep.  A very ordinary event most people can relate to.  What happens next is anything but ordinary.  In his dream Jacob sees a ladder that stretches from Earth to Heaven.  On the humungous ladder messengers, commonly called angels, are going up and down.  All night long Jacob witnesses the messengers ascending and descending the Heavenly ladder. 

Unraveling the Dreams Meaning   

For Jacob the sun is setting on his childish and youthful ways.  No longer will he ask for guidance from his Father or Mother. As a universal message the dream represents that every individual is provided the daily opportunity to end old behaviors and start new attitudes with every setting of the sun. The ladder Jacob sees shows the interconnection between Earth and Heaven not only goes up, but comes down, too.  This metaphor demonstrates each day Jacob (and every person for that matter) makes decisions to aspire to Heaven through right actions and motives or to stay below on Earth. 

God’s Promise

Something amazing happens during Jacob’s dream; he hears the voice of God. God interrupts, “Remember, I am with you: I will protect you wherever you go and bring you back to this land.  I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”   (Gen. 28:15)

Jacob announces, “Surely the Lord is present in this place, and I did not know it!”   God is present in the life of each and every person.  God makes this same promise to everyone on a daily basis as we step out of bed.   God declares, “ I am here! I am here! I want to protect you.  I want to help you reach your goals.  Recognize me and know I am here.”

This parable of Jacob’s ladder advises to pay attention to your dreams.  Amazing opportunities are available to our souls during our nightly dreams.  In our dreams our soul has the capacity to transverse two universes, to travel up the ladder to heaven and back down to Earth.  

The Soul Enters the Divine Realm

There are two additional extraordinary transcendent levels of the soul. The Chayah, the Hebrew term for “living” is the name of the fourth level. Through zealous faith and belief, the highly evolved chayah soul perceives the Divine Presence.  The chayah soul recognizes the Divine Spirit living in every person, animal, plant, and object in existence. No longer is the chayah soul ego-based or interested in its own desires and needs, but understands its distinct personal life mission and the necessity to perform “tikkum olam” to help repair the world.  This person commitment lies in helping to perform charity to help lift up the sick, the homeless, and the uneducated.  In the immortal words of the Vulcan Spock, “the good of the many out weigh the needs of the one.”  This core belief forms the basis for all decision each and every day. 

Yechidah, the highest soul level means “singular” or “one” in Hebrew.  The yechidah soul is united or one with God. Every thought, action, and word is fused with the Divine’s purpose and intentions for the universe. Needless to say very few ever achieve this level of soul development and if they do only maintain this awareness for a brief period.  According to the Kabalah, when all the people on earth reach this level of Divine awareness the Messiah will finally arrive. 

What does this mean to me?

At the lower levels of the soul, the nefesh and ruah are focused on physical pleasures and emotional satisfaction.  When a person struggles to make ends meet, pay their bills, and lacks any friendships or strong love bonds this will interfere with further spiritual development. The individual’s biological needs control their waking thoughts, motivations, and actions. 

But when the bodily needs are satisfied the soul awakens to unlimited possibilities. Though many people chose to ignore the little whispering and nudging, for others the soul evolves to the neshamah level.  Once achieved spiritual and moral beliefs begin to guide decision-making. These three levels of the soul intertwine to form a unique personality encapsulated in a physical body. 

At this point of spiritual development, the soul crosses the chasm between the human plane into the divine realm.  Here the soul begins to perceive the divine mysteries of God and the universe.  Many people at this point who lack a spiritual guide become unnerved and uneasy by the experience.  Lacking any place to share their ideas they may retreat to a lower level where they feel safe.