BoldGrace

Only 6 Days left until our annual  PIG ROAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE: CLICK HERE  to see pics of Pig Roast

ALL who read and contribute here on Bold Grace are invited to our house next Saturday September 5, 2009 to share in one of the MOST wonderful days you will experience this year! We will have of course THE PIG! THE CHICKENS, BEEF BRISKET and wonderful side dishes made by the best chefs and cooks the WORLD has to offer! We will also have a wide assortment of your favorite beverages. And if you happen to have too many of the assorted beverages you can stay over at our house. We will have as they say a real BLOWOUT! Also we will have our friend and brother Cliff Hazelbaker of Bold Grace here!!!!!!!!! Cliff will be providing a secret ingredient for the PIG ROAST!

Here is a link to some pictures of a past Pig Roast www.boldgrace.com/pics/pigroast/

If you need directions or more info I can be contacted here boldgrace.com/contact/

CLICK GEO and email me.

We look forward to seeing ALL!

Peace

Geo

I received a beautiful Daily quote the other day from my cousin Angie and never really took the opportunity to really read it until today. It is through JKrishnamurti.org and I found it to be just what I needed to end my week. It goes as follows:

As one becomes aware at the conscious level, one also begins to discover the envy, the struggles, the desires, the motives, the anxieties that lie at the deeper levels of consciousness. When the mind is intent on discovering the whole process of itself, then every incident, every reaction becomes a means of discovery, of knowing oneself. That requires patient watchfulness – which is not the watchfulness of a mind that is constantly struggling, that is learning how to be watchful. Then you will see that the sleeping hours are as important as the waking hours, because life then is a total process. As long as you do not know yourself, fear will continue, and all the illusions that the self creates will flourish.

I have been quiet this week simply because I have been emotionally bankrupt. I guess I have become aware at the conscious level and it truly did require a patient watchfulness. I have worried about my Mother every second of the day and it seems that the reality has finally hit me that we all have a new life to live…a new discovery. You would think one would be excited about a new journey or discovery, but NO, I am not excited, but I am willing. Every reaction I had about my life I shared with my Mother and Father over the phone or during a visit back home in Indiana. I loved self discovery. I became more and more confident about myself. My Mom and Dad are the two people I couldn’t wait to share it all with. It isn’t that I can’t share these reactions with them anymore it is just that I can no longer feel or hear my Fathers reactions. I can no longer feel his arms wrapped around me or hear the tone in his voice and the kind words he always had for me. The reality is that I must be patient with myself. I have to trust who I am and go through my process not fearing but learning from my discoveries and I am going to continue as I had before, but I will now do it knowing that my Father had given me the tools that he knew I would need to be confident on my own. I will do it knowing that he can see every discovery before it comes to me and he will smile at God and say, "What a perfect process she is." I will do it knowing that my Incredible Mother and best friend is still here to wrap her arms around me, motivate me and love me just as I am.

My Father wrote this just before he passed away:

"January 13th 1952, I was born and took my first breath, and i entered into perfection. I entered into life with a perfect god, and a perfect process to take me to the end. Now after 57+ years I have been able to observe that plan of perfection. And it has been glorious. Perfection is a state of being in a perfect faith connected to a perfect Creator. When we are connected to that state of being nothing that comes next will surprise us, and we will live in a constant state of peace and security that cannot be touched by insecurity and circumstances of what we think this world brings to us, because perfection cannot be threatened, imperfection does not exist and there-in lies the true peace of god. We find that perfection, we find our beginning moment once again and we are at peace."

We have found that perfection and we have found our beginning moment once again…we are at peace. Now we let it take us to the end and it will be glorious.

This is a tale of two travelers. A tale of two people who went to a state not there own. The first went to this state and although he know he had friends in that state he did not call to see if they were close to where he would be. After all he would not want to burden or bother his friends.

The second traveler sent an email to his friends the very day of his arrival asking the friends if they lived close to where he was going to be working. To his amazement they lived only 10 minutes from the very spot he was working at! And guess what? His friends asked him the weary traveler to come to their house for dinner! WOW! Without even asking could he visit his friends asked him to come to dinner!

I am the second traveler! This week I emailed Mindy & Dink Hill on the very day I was in their town and they invited me to their house for a GREAT Meal of mashed potatoes and Meatloaf! MAN WAS IT GOOD! Then we spent 2 hours talking of life and about Mindy’s dad Cliff. Cliff was my BEST FRIEND! Man do I miss him! Cliff as most of you know was Mindy’s Dad. I guess this post is to say…………. ASK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If in doubt ASK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did and it resulted in two WONDERFUL hours! Thanks Mindy & Dink!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peace

Geo

"ASK"!!!!!!!!!!!!

What are you persuaded about? The following verse was something that Paul the apostle was persuaded about and so am I.

Rom 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
He said, “I KNOW”. What did he mean here when he said “I Know”?

KNOW: From the same root as eidon, “to see,” is a perfect tense with a present meaning, signifying, primarily, “to have seen or perceived”; hence, “to know, to have knowledge of,” whether absolutely, as in divine knowledge: suggests fullness of knowledge.

Paul literally saw this knowledge. It was alive, real, & powerful. This knowing is something that happens to us when we give up ALL desire to be righteous on our own. When we realize our pathetic attempts to be clean is an exercise in futilitly then and only then can God show us, let us see, that we have always been clean.

He also said, “I AM PERSUADED”. What was he persuaded of?

He was persuaded by Jesus Christ THAT THERE IS NOTHING UNCLEAN OF ITSELF. WOW, what a statement. We have been saying on this site that we are all perfect in Christ, not because of our own attempts but because God says we are. WE KNOW IT, WE ARE PERSUADED, JUST LIKE PAUL WAS.

Unfortunately there are many that do not see God’s creation as CLEAN. To those unfortunate souls life is filled with the UNCLEAN and their very lives reflect that lie in how they treat others. I feel so sorry for them and most of them are in church every Sunday. They are taught to judge those that aren’t like them even though God says he has accepted ALL in Christ and that NOTHING is UNCLEAN. Thank God that Christ is LORD, both of the living and the dead. Wow, where can we go that he will not be there for us. WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS!

Rom 14:7-9 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
Start this day KNOWING & BEING PERSUADED that every person you meet is PERFECT. Treat them that way even if they don’t see themselves that way. You might just be shocked at how they will change before your very eyes. I’m so glad Jesus looked at me that way.

PEACE TO ALL. THANK YOU LORD JESUS.

Today is my Mom’s birthday (Cliff’s Wife).

I want to say to you Mom that I know it is a tough day to celebrate when Dad isn’t here physically to celebrate it with you, but we all love you very much. You are never alone

"We are not made for the mountains, for sunrises, or for the other beautiful attractions in life – those are simply intended to be moments of inspiration. We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength."
Oswald Chambers

You are an amazing woman. Dad is soo proud of you!

I believe we are all born with many different gifts, but I believe we all have one gift that is the same and that is the gift to love who we are. Sometimes we hold ourselves back from sharing our gift and we do this for several different reasons. I want to write about what I believe the biggest hold is. I believe it is the fear of criticism or rejection and I think it is time the rest of the world knows what your gift is.

My Father had the incredible talent of awakening beautiful emotions in others. The talent he had was knowing who he was and having the confidence to share that with others. Naturally this awakened the slumbering christ within or whatever you want to call it. I call it the soul. When his soul was awakened his talent became even more incredible and his words were amazing poetry to most who read them.

Our insecurities take over so easily. How can we become confident enough to share our talent? We have to recognize the control that others have over us and determine whether or not the level of control is worth fighting for. For example, Monday through Friday I go to work where I have allowed a certain level of control because I need a paycheck in order to pay my bills. I may simply choose not to get involved in certain conversations because my opinion or the showing of my trueself could be judged enough or criticized enough to effect my job. This is sad, but we all know it is true. We may not wear what we really want to wear to work because we have a dress code. Same goes for our children in school. Another example is the Church. The Church teaches us that we are going to be rejected by God if we don’t do this or we don’t do that. Repent, confess, get saved, get baptized, blah, blah, blah. So we may hold back at church for fear of what someone may think of us or how we may be judged. We may be too afraid to really show others who we really are for fear of rejection.  

I say Love yourself. Teach your children to love themselves and allow yourself, your children and those around you to express themselves, but do this with an open heart and an open mind. Show others your love and respect and stop rejecting them or dismissing them so easily just because they may not seem perfect in your eyes.

We need to be patient and listen to our own feelings NOT what someone else is trying to teach us. Your feelings make up who you are and they are a beautiful mixed up mess of wonderment. Take your time to listen to them. They are your feelings and they will help guide you and so will your moral compass. Do you have a moral compass or is your moral compass what the rest of the world has designed for you or is it that voice within telling you what it really wants and feels?

I believe we all have this talent to love and I believe we are suppose to share it with the rest of the world. If the world wants nothing to do with your talent…so what? You gave it your best and your best is always good enough. Don’t hold back. GIVE US WHAT YOU GOT. You might be surprised what poetry may come out of your mouth.

I miss my Father. Today is such a dark day and as I read through his posts during a dark part in his life I am reminded that this pain must be felt and that this pain has a purpose. I wrote a letter to my parents back in 2007 and he shared it with all of you. I want to share it again. As I said before it is a good reminder for all us out there experiencing the darker side of life that we can get through it and we can get through it together.

My daughter Mindy just sent us this e-mail and I just had to share it with the world. The power of this BOLDGRACE is beyond words but my little Mindy has a way of speaking about love that comes close to expressing it. I am so proud of my children. They wrapped me and their mother up in the most amazing love this past week while my wife & I experienced our darkest hour and they stood firm in the message of grace.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Well, it is about 9:30 at night and you & Mom have come home. Wow, I am happy.

I feel like time is slowing down, which is a good thing. Time is slow enough now for me to understand each moment and take it all in. I am on a natural high that doesn’t seem to be letting up. I don’t want it to let up. What I have learned from the most recent journey that we all took together is that the quality of the moment is what matters. “Mother Earth” wrapped us all up and gently guided us through this journey. We made it! We did it! We didn’t even question it. We embraced it. We learned to love and with each journey we go through we will continue to love and learn.

I didn’t think I could love my family any more then I already do, but I have. I love you both soo much and I know you know this. I will never let this connection go away. I am growing everyday and now that you both are free from religion I feel like my soul just said, AAHH!! I feel like I am ok now. You told me to follow my heart, but until you were free from religion I believe I was still a prisoner because I couldn’t do it alone. I always questioned myself and I think that made me angry and I am not angry anymore. I am not an outcast. I wasn’t trying to be difficult or disagree to just be a rebel and you know that. My heart was telling me something wasn’t right, but to know that we were all feeling the same way makes me want to sing!!

What you guys did for this family this past week was so powerful and I am going to make sure that for the rest of our lives you know that. I learned more about love this past week and it is a treasure that I hold near and dear to my heart. I literally watched you both grow as humans and I have never seen anything like it in my life. I have never seen two people more connected.

Thank you both. I love you more then you can ever imagine.

Mindy

As painful as this process is it is a perfect process.

I truly believe that we have no idea what our faith is until it has been tested. I am reading a book by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer called, "Change Your Thoughts- Change Your Life" Living the Wisdom of the Tao. This is another book that my Dad loved and I realize now after reading it that it was probably one of his favorites.

My Dad would often repeat this saying from the book: "This is a perfect process and it is and always was perfect." I understood this or so I thought I did until my faith was tested with his diagnosis of Glioblastoma. Our lives were turned upside down and inside out. While it has only been 4 months since he has passed and still very fresh in our minds it FEELS like it has been a lifetime without him. This is where my faith has been tested because I can’t fathom living the rest of my life without him. I am so angry I can’t even see straight. I am angry at the world for moving forward. I am angry that I have to live with this pain. I am angry for My Mother who now lives without him and misses him dearly. I am angry that all we have are memories. I am angry. I am angry. I am angry. WHY?? Why do we love each other soo much only for it to cause pain in the end? Why should I love if it hurts this bad? What is the point?

THE POINT IS THIS: IT IS AND ALWAYS WAS PERFECT! The anger, the pain, the memories, the love…all of this is the magic of who I am and where I come from. Everything I do, everything I say is exactly the way it is meant to be. All of these things make up ME and I believe we are a part of each other and a part of this earth whether we are together physically or spiritually. I cannot change the process of perfection.

In this book on page 94 is one of my favorite verses…#20 and it says:

Give up learning and you will be free from all your cares. What is the difference between yes and no? What is the difference between good and evil? Must I fear what others fear? Should I fear desolation when there is abundance? Should I fear darkness when that light is shining everywhere? In Spring, some go to the park and climb the terrace, but I alone am drifting, not knowing where I am. Like a newborn babe before it learns to smile, I am alone, without a place to go. Most people have too much; I alone seem to be missing something. Mine is indeed the mind of an ignoramus in its unadulterated simplicity. I am but a guest in this world. While others rush about to get things done, I accept what is offered. I alone seem foolish, earning little, spending less. Other people strive for fame; I avoid the limelight, preferring to be left alone. Indeed, I seem like an idiot; no mind, no worries. I drift like a wave on the ocean. I blow as aimless as the wind. All men settle down in their grooves; I alone am stubborn and remain outside. But wherein I am most different from others is in knowing to take sustenance from the great Mother!

I don’t have to seek for truth, knowledge and understanding of this magic. It lives inside of me just as it did with my Father. "I accept what is offered." The night Dad died was PERFECT and BEAUTIFUL. It was a mystical night. It was quiet and peaceful watching his soul go on. It was a night that changed our lives forever. I have never seen magic like that before. This life has and always will be beautifully mystical to me. I believe that my Father was reborn into the earth that night. I accept that he is physically gone from my life. This is the perfect process. Just as my Dad did not fear this nor will I fear the process of living without him. This is the way it is meant to be and I am learning to let go and let God. This life will take me where it wants to. I will not compromise who I am for the sake of anyone else. I jokingly said once to my brother-in-law that I hear voices inside my head talking to me. He has never let me live that one down, but in all seriosness I DO! I believe it is my spirit, my inner being, my true self aching to be free.

What I want to know is are you willing to let go and let God. Are you willing to be free?

I want to leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Meredith Jordan

"Whatever you have forgotten, you can remember. Whatever you have buried you can unearth. If you are willing to look deep into your own nature, if you are willing to peel away the layers of not-self you have adopted in making your way through the tribulations of life, you will find that your true self is not as far removed as you think."

I love you all!

Until next time…

For any Pittsburgh Steeler Fans here is a link to some pictures I took today at the first day of Training Camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa.  picasaweb.google.com/georgehowell/SteelerCamp2009#

Enjoy Dink!

Peace

Geo