I’ve been watching Burn Notice on Hulu, set in Miami and Miami Beach. I enjoy seeing how all the old locations look now. It’s fun to recognize many of the neighborhoods, particularly the downtown area where the courthouses were and where I worked since my 20’s as a criminal defense paralegal. The Star Island and Hibiscus Island, Palm Island locations reminded me of several high-profile criminal defendants we had that were in the news at the time. But to tell my story would be telling their story and I don’t have authority to do that. Needless to say I loved my job, I was good at it and every day was a trip.

Watching Burn Notice filmed in Miami, I recognized one of the properties on Star Island as being formerly owned by clients we represented in the 80s: Brother Louv and the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, known for smoking marijuana as part of its worship services at their mansion on Star Island. I remember for trial we would walk the 4 blocks to the federal courthouse from the law office in a group of like 20, surrounded by reporters and curiosity seekers. I worked for some dynamic attorneys with high profile cases that got lots of media attention. Here’s an article from The Miami Herald August 2, 1981 The Brother Louv Story by staff writer Carl Hiaasen https://www.druglibrary.net/olsen/RASTAFARI/tropic.html

Here’s a Video from Square Grouper – The Zion Coptic Mansion on Star Island. In 1975, the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church purchased a mansion on the exclusive Star Island to serve as their Miami headquarters. They soon fell into conflict with their neighbors, who didn’t appreciate Coptics arriving and leaving all day and night or the thick cloud of marijuana smoke that blanketed the property like a fog. https://vimeo.com/39662748

Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Zion_Coptic_Church

A friend mused under a starry sky just how many “stars” in her own life had gone out before her. She wondered what kind of place they were in and if they’d meet again. Then she worried how that would work with several exes who didn’t get along and children she was estranged from.

That didn’t sound like heaven, that sounded like hell. “I already have that now.” Then she worried how she could GO to hell if she’s already IN hell and I told her,

“If you focus on it enuff, you can talk yourself into anything.” She mused it might be a good time to start making peace with her past. She wanted them all to step up and admit their part and apologize to her and mean it.

The full moon tonight is also the Wesak  full moon.  Wesak is the first full Moon in Taurus.  At the Wesak full moon every year, many celebrate Buddha’s Birthday, receiving the love of Buddha and connecting with all humanity.  Wesak is the most holy time in the Buddhist calendar, the Buddha being the expression of the Wisdom of God, the embodiment of light and the indicator of divine purpose. It is a day for meditation and for radiating Loving-Kindness.

At Wesak and during daily puja, we say The Great Invocation: 
From the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.   Continue reading →

I was pondering a favor a galpal extended, which I graciously declined because I don’t loan or borrow $$ from friends. She offered me an interest free loan for a $5,000 project. $5k for 24 months at the 12.5% my credit union offers would be $676.88 interest. At 4% (I wouldn’t consider zero %,) the interest would be just $210.99, a difference of $465.89. We have the same bank so I could schedule the payments to transfer automatically each month. When I write it all out, it’s just a savings of $19.41 a month and that’s not enough for me to warrant having anything hanging over our friendship.

I joined Facebook in 2009. FB shows us another side of the people we know, a side we may only get to know if we spend daily time with them for years. Someone I’ve met in real life and know as a kind, fun-loving and spiritual person is now posting pro-Trump, hateful, intolerant, racist and body shaming memes about “Democrats.” I’m used to the side of her that quotes ACIM “Look beyond the error in your brothers and sisters! God does not see — or perceive — error, God knows only unconditional love.”

 I don’t need to engage her or try to change her mind. That would only separate and divide us more.  She accepts a different premise than I do. If you accept the premise, the logic follows. But I’ve learned with people I consider my tribe that if I fall out of orbit with one for whatever reason, I’ll soon come into orbit with those who meet me at my current vibrational resonance. And it’s always an upgrade.

I agree with much of what Sadee Whip wrote below. She’s not boasting here how holy she is, she’s explaining her spiritual journey. In my 40’s I was called into daily hours of contemplation, study and practice, so much so I left my 22 year career as a criminal defense paralegal. By my 50’s it was the new lifestyle. I’ve written about my journey in my blog. Believe her when she writes what you can expect as you morph into this new, internal way of being. And altho I’ve absolutely known those who’ve learned to be a spiritual resource for a community while holding down non-related jobs and not have a ton of alone time, it’s rare. Knowing what someone else’s experience has been can greatly enhance your own. 

Sadee Whip writes, “A glimpse into sacred calling – when you have been called, some version of this is what you can expect:  I spend an average of 5 hours a day in contemplation, study, and prayer. Some days I devote the entire day to these things.  The path I walk requires this. And this isn’t counting the near nightly “downloads” and sacred conversations that happen when I sleep.  Continue reading →

I’ve learned to never judge where someone finds spiritual inspiration. If you’re concerned a loved one has come across an inauthentic “spiritual teacher,” you have to recognize they’ve attracted that via their own vibrational resonance with that person and that situation. The only reason that YOU are aware of it is that you are teetering on the edge of that vibration as well. Sometimes we have to leave our friends to learn their own lessons and let them come back around when they are out of that particular vibe

I’m on a serious kick right now saving up $6,000, my out of pocket for a medical procedure (donate here if you’re inclined) so things that I typically pay other people to do, I’m putting that amount in my savings account each time. It may be little things like cleaning my own house, mowing my own lawn, cutting my own hair and not eating out, but I’ve learned it adds up. I recall about 15 years ago I added up how much I’d spent the previous year on eating out 7-10 times a week and I could have paid off my 2nd mortgage! It was good incentive to begin cooking AND to stop spending unnecessarily. Don’t get me wrong, I still buy whatever I need when I need it. I just don’t NEED as many THINGS as I used to think I needed. I’m growing up!

Checking the calendar to connect with a pal this morning made me realize that my whole life is set up for work, work, work. Since my home is my office and I field phone calls, texts and emails all day, it derails me if I stop for a visit. Friends know not to casually drop by, I can’t really invite them in when I’ve got work spread out all over. It’s usually no big deal but my friend today I’ll make time to connect with bcz who knows how long we’ll all be on this planet in these physical bodies. So many of my friends have so much free time, I guess I just put too many plates in the air early on and I’m working my way thru figuring out how to do less of that.