GOD where are you? Pt. 2 Reading The Bible..

It has been almost a full month since I began reading the Bible in order to educate myself on the word of God. I have never read the Bible before now, in my last post I mentioned my spiritual walk before now and my previous attempt at reading that was very brief and unsuccessful. In this post I'd like to share with you what has changed along with some tips (italicized) for anyone who may be considering reading the Bible for the first time.

There are many ways one can go about doing this, you may decide to join a study group or church, or you may take this up on your own and choose a schedule that will take you through in a year's time. I have decided to go about it using the latter option. My choice has been to read from beginning (Genesis) to the end (Revelations) on my own for this first time. I am reading an authorized King James Version that was originally published in 1611 with read along references, read along translations, and the words of Christ printed in red. I like being able to reference other passages in the Bible that expand on what I am reading, I also like that there are some translations already entered in to help me understand words I do not know. Although, thanks to the blessing of technology, I can easily look up definitions on my phone or iPad when reading if there is something I truly do not understand. Another thing I like to do is pray before reading. "Thank you God for guiding me and showing me what you would like me to see."

So far I have read Genesis, Exodus, and am in Leviticus now. I am learning a lot and am having a good time doing it. I am not an expert by any means on these subjects, I am not here to have anyone follow me or my thoughts, my goal is simply to share my journey and provide a few tips to anyone who may be interested in reading the Bible for the first time. I highly recommend anyone interested in God to conduct their own search and education. If you ask and want to know, God will reveal himself to you.

Jeremiah 29:13 - And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

God bless

Silence

There is treasure in the quiet

Pillowy breaths mimic sounds of the ocean

The stillness of mind a treasured trove 

The universe within

Holding the galaxies 

The answers in the ether.

Lest we forget during our movements and all of our outward calling. 

This is a dance. 

It does not stop. 

Not even, when we relinquish our lead. 

-Tee

Letting It Go and Letting It In

Last time I wrote I was going through the depths of it. Questioning everything. Myself, my decisions, my path in life, my values and the things I hold dear, it was TERRIBLE. Since then I have prayed. I have sought council from my dearest, (husband, friends, family.) Slowly, the doubts fear and anguish started lifting away... Then I was gifted with this past weekend.

This past weekend, I went to Santa Barbara for a friend's wedding.The experience was a gift to me from God. It seemed as though everywhere I turned I was delivered either a sign of the path I am on or a reminder/encouragement for where I am going. Here is what I mean...

1. Hubby took forever to RSVP (it was his friend getting married) and I didn't think we were going to go but then not only did he pull the trigger but he had the idea for us to rent a room and enjoy the weekend.

2.Although we had been to S.B many times, it just so happened our usual Days Inn was not available leaving us to enjoy a new piece of town we were not familiar with. :)

3. This new Days Inn was nicer and larger than where we normally stay.

4. It "just so happened" that there was a lovely market like a privately owned smaller Trader Joe's filled with inexpensive healthy foods & drink right across the street. :D

Then we got to the wedding....

1. We arrived late along with another couple that "just so happened" to be friends of ours which was an unexpected delight.

2. After a short and gorgeous ceremony, we walked over to where the reception was to be held where we were greeted with a wonderfully talented group of musicians playing Brazilian music. The very next song they played upon our entering? My favorite, "Agua de Beber". :D

3. As we entered the main area and found our table, it just so happened a new band was playing another one of my favorite songs that has been very poignant for me these days "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" by Sting. We were also seated with the greatest company. A motivational speaker and his wife, our friends that I referenced earlier, and a powerful man in TV who is the spitting image of President Barack Obama. :)

4. As the night progressed, there was love filled speeches, praise, dancing, delicious foods, drinks, wonderful music, and FUN. It had been a long time since I'd had some fun.

There were other gifts blessings miracles,

5. Our friends fiancee had come to me later in the evening and said to me, "as an Artist, you can't give up. You must keep going. It may seem tough but everyone who is mainstream today started out not being well known. We each have gifts and you have to share yours with the world." She had no reason to tell me this. I had never met her before and did not mention anywhere in my conversation with her what I had been feeling in my heart the days before this outing. How on earth could she have known that I was contemplating quitting? *Gift

6. When we pulled up to this beautiful venue I found out it was valet parking only much to my dismay. I like to have quick access to my car and wasn't sure if I would need my coat later on. One thing I DID notice however was that in the front of the venue there were nothing but luxury cars and I made a comment to my husband about how THAT is the company I love to be in. ;) It just so happened as we left the wedding after a delicious stroll in the full moon light I came to find my car amidst all it's luxurious friends. :D

Can you believe that even on the way home there was very limited traffic and I had cars just move out of my way on more than three occasions? If you live or are aware of Los Angeles 101 traffic you will understand what a true miracle this is indeed. :D

I'm here to tell you that I believe in miracles and I think they happen every day. I believe that gifts and blessings swirl all around and are available to all of us. The days before this outing I felt broken, heavy, and lost. These things and feelings happen. But if we look around us and believe. All the things that make us happy and the people that make us feel strong are there too and they're just waiting to be given a chance to lift us up.

"There are only two ways to live your life. 

One is as though nothing is a miracle. 

The other is as though everything is a miracle." 

- Albert Einstein

Wishing you an abundance of miracles. Love to you,
Tee

The Extraordinary & Ordinary Intertwined

This weekend I was in and out of consciousness. My cold had me relegated to my home (mostly my bed.) Not by force (thank goodness) it was my choice. What can I say?! I tend to highly value maximum health. Amidst the sea of dreams, I experienced many firsts:

*I put my needs first & turned down a family invitation because it didn't feel right.

*I created the most luxurious spa experience in my bathroom complete with candles, lavender bath salts, extremely hot water, & a private showing of Eat Pray Love. Thanks to Netflix & my MacBook.

*I made the decision to, & began learning Italian.

*I claimed my space without guilt once & for all & now refuse to let my cats sleep with me in my bedroom anymore.

*I let my faith guide me through yet another extremely big change in my life. A person I love very much and have dedicated a good portion of my life to is no longer in my regular picture. Their departure from my every day has been surreal yet serves as another sign of what I "knew" the moment the clock marked 12am on New Year's Day 2011. I'm stepping into a whole new life.

The more I allow it the more I see the beauty of the extraordinary & the ordinary intertwined. It is beautiful, succinct, delicious. It is gorgeously intimate. I feel I am becoming a better person. This excites me. I've never experienced peace like this before, faith like this before, it is amazing.

I guess you could say cold and all, my weekend was great. Somehow 85% of the time spent in my room connected me even more to myself, the world, and you. Extraordinary & ordinary, indeed.

Today I Step In To My Newest Title, Philanthropist.

It's sunny outside, the weather is warm, I am energized, refreshed, grateful, excited. This is after over a week of gloom and rain, metaphorically speaking it couldn't be more perfect. This week has brought about a massive amount of change. Consolidated. In your face. The kind of change that even someone like me who loves change, has to pep talk her way through it. Truthfully speaking, like all extremely hard things in my life, God got me through. I've experienced extreme lows and highs. Outpouring of support from fans, friends, and family. I will never be the same.

Amidst this process I have been enlightened to dreams I didn't know I had, to possibilities I hadn't seen before. To things that are now my new life's path. I am alive.

The first section of my life was about survival. The second section about me finding and expressing myself through the arts and my talents. This new phase is about the world.

Listen, I'm not out of the woods yet. I've had major unexpected financial things come up, (a move, parking tickets, ding in my windshield, medical & vet expenses, people I trusted and thought were on my team try to take advantage of me) some of these are still pending.. Sometimes I get scared and it hurts but I've also been extremely blessed. To be honest the only reason I am mentioning this to begin with is because I want you to know I'm a real person. A human being, making my way through this world, trying to be the best I can. Any hints of greatness come from something much higher than me, I call it God.

Please know I am not here to blog about religion, I am not religious. I am simply sharing with you this amazing wonderful metamorphosis I have experienced and the joy I have to be able to step into it TODAY. I dream of being a millionaire on the "Secret Millionaire" show. Until that day comes I will take cues from my mentors Oprah, Neale Donald Walsch, Rhonda Byrne, Robert & Kim Kiyosaki, God... and I will go out and make it happen. It started with making more donations and tonight/tomorrow night I start in deed.

If you are reading this right now, have connected with me at any of the social networks I use, thank you. I can't even begin to express how much I appreciate you. I really do carry you in my heart. This is my longest and my second most personal blog to date. I hope to continue to interest you. May you have a blessed and productive day. You are amazing.

Cheers to all of us, living out our dreams.

Blah.

How are you? Today's been weird. Not hard, not easy, just trying.. what's up with that? I think it could be because I'm going through a lot of change and growth right now. It seems my week was littered with an on day off day kinda deal where I'd have one really powerful day and the next I'd be really tired or crabby. Anyone else go through this?

I guess it just feels like I am being tested. Like, can you take the pressure and work your goals require? How serious are you? Check out this distraction, will you fold? It's weird. The other night after an extremely powerful phenomenal day, I found myself crying in bed. I mean, I wanted to just sob. How weird is that? Here I was just overcome. I can tell you it took me by surprise but just imagine how crazy it looked to my sweetheart in bed next to me. He's like, what happened? What's wrong? And there I was, just crying like, "I don't know"...

I've been wanting to share what I'm going through here on my blog for a few weeks now but I've been afraid because it's BIG stuff having to do with business, spirituality, GOD, and I guess even though I know it's amazing, real, and I want to share it with you so you can benefit too, I also wonder will they think I'm crazy????

Ultimately, no matter what there's always a chance you could think I'm crazy and I guess in truth sometimes I can be. I think you have to be a little "out of your mind" to be bold, successful, and strong in your faith.

A famed modern day spiritual leader named Neale Donald Walsch had this to say on his Twitter the other day: "Your feelings never lie. They do not know how to. They tell U exactly what U are being in any moment." I know he's right.

Remember my crying the other night? Once I reflected on that, I realized that my feelings did reveal something I didn't want to admit to myself. I had allowed myself to believe wholeheartedly in something and when it didn't pass, my great disappointment and my being overwhelmed at everything going on, just came out. No matter how much I tried to hold on to the joy of everything else I was experiencing.

So what are you feeling? How was your day? My day was just blah and that's... OK.

With love and acceptance,

Tee


Now Playing: We Fight/We Love by Q-Tip

Let's Get Our Zen On!

If you're new to the blog, welcome. I have just had a big move and now live near the ocean for the first time and it's amazing. Every day, there's is something different to take from it and I figured, why not share the love??

No matter where you are, now you have a bit of the ocean with you whenever you want! So go ahead and get your zen on! There's no wrong way...

Sending you full expressions of health, wealth, and happiness. Ommmm..... ; )

Thank you...

Andrea for your support, tenacity, and belief in me. Robin & Chaim for your commitment to those you align with and including me in that group. Tony for everything. Who you are, how you encourage me to be, and how time is when I'm with you. Christian and Andrea for teaching me while letting me teach you. For friends new and old. Admirers. Loved ones.

Thank you good health, delicious food, opportunities, and positive attitudes. Thank you peace, rest, and nourishment. Thank you wealth.

There is so much to be thankful for.

Thank YOU for visiting. Thanks for reading, subscribing, posting, following, commenting, for all you do. Thanks for being who you are. Thanks for being a part of my life.

Thank you.

Love, light, and blessings... Tee

Goodies for your spirit

Hello guys and dolls!

I've been thinking a lot about what my second blog would be about. There is so much love I have to share I was like a rant or personal anecdote just wouldn't do.. not at this stage, at this stage I felt like a gift was in order. Then it hit me!

Listen, we all have a lot going on in our daily lives and depending on where you're at financially, emotionally, or stressfully <-( is that even the right way to use that?! ) well you may really benefit from some spirit goodies. What's a spirit goody? Check it out!! And hey, feel free to share your thoughts or share with friends if you approve. After all, sharing is caring. ; )

# 1
Rev Run will always be known as a member of rap group Run DMC but lately he has made a name for himself as a motivator with his positive MTV shows and his daily "Words of Wisdom." I subscribe to his daily posts and follow him on Twitter. Here are some examples of what he shares:

If ur dreams turn to dust, vacuum.. move on, dream again! -Rev Run
Dont be sad too long, its a sign of giving up -Rev Run
Your haters actually hold you in a very high regard - Rev Run

#2
If you don't know about The Secret, it is a movement centralized around the Law of Attraction. Once hailed by Oprah, it sparked a phenomenon & really if you take a look, you'll see why. I subscribe to their once a week Secret Scrolls. Here's an example of what you'd get by following suit:

Every single day, no matter who you meet in the day - friends, family, work colleagues, strangers - give joy to them. Give a smile or a compliment or kind words or kind actions, but give joy! Do your best to make sure that every single person you meet has a better day because they saw you. This might sound like it is not connected with you and your life, but believe me it is inseparably connected through cosmic law.

As you give joy to every person you meet, you bring joy to YOU. The more you can give joy to others, the more you will bring the joy back to you. -Rhonda Byrne The Secret... bringing joy to billions

#3
Last but certainly not least is Joel Osteen. I came across Joel Osteen while flipping channels one day and was amazed by his style of preaching and uplifting people in Christ. I now subscribe to his daily word. He is funny, modern and doesn't make me feel beat down by religion. Here's an example:

When I think of being filled, I think of being satisfied. I think of having more than enough to meet my needs so that I can be a blessing to others. But it all starts with our level of expectancy. My question for you today is what are you believing for? What are you expecting? You might say, "Well, Joel. I don't think I'll ever meet my sales goals this year with the economy like it is." Or, "I don't think I'll ever get promoted. I'm not that qualified." "I don't think I'll ever get well." The problem is you're not looking for those good breaks. You're not expecting increase. You're not positioning yourself for God to fill you, and unfortunately, you won't be disappointed. Jesus said in the scriptures, "According to your faith it will be done unto you." He might as well have said, "If you've got a cup, I'll fill you with a cup level of blessing. If you've got a bucket, I'll fill you with a bucket level of blessing." But if you'll take the limits off of God and believe for supernatural opportunities, if you'll go out each day expecting far and beyond favor, you won't be disappointed. He will fill you and satisfy you with His goodness and show His favor in ways beyond your wildest dreams! -Joel Osteen

Friends, it is my goal to share a lot with you through my blog and hopefully you too will share with me. I hope that you find yourself in high spirits and good health. No matter what your circumstances are though, know YOU ARE AMAZING. With love! Talk to you soon...

*waves