(D)Evolution of the Fiber-Optic Class?

Ok folks, gentle readers and those that subscribe to this blog at www.joelwlamoure.com and diligently read this that I apologize for being late (again) this week as its been a time myself  (yet again) of stopping and reflecting and wondering what to write. What is important and what makes the biggest difference at the end of the day. Today is Victoria Day and tried to figure out how to fit in Canadiana and family/fun/fireworks into the mix but just couldn’t work it through. I have had though great opportunities to watch and learn from people this week that had no intention up front of teaching me anything, and from those that did. Actually sometimes those are the most impactful learnings I find.

  The past 3 weeks from my radio show “Prescribing Spiritual HOPE” in a bit of a self-imposed reflective exile I have been able to step back and reflect on the things that drive life, the people that we meet, the items that we have, the gestures that we make and the adventures that we have and share. Really at the end of the day what is important and what is not. Assumptions that we make and how they create the next steps in the running dialogue of the life that is and even more how these subsequently translate into positives and negatives in ours and others’ lives. I will SO agree that everyone sees things in a different light and what is important to some are useless pieces of shiat to others. My goal is not to impose or force my will on others, but to cause us as human beings to think and reflect as well. In keeping with my New Years Resolution (yes, still going :P ), which was to not judge, not jump to decisions and to be careful with the things that were said lest they hurt as words and comments bite more than one knows. Even more so in this electronic world where we are truly adrift… unknowing of the 90% of communication, and just how valuable this is.

All of the rate, tone, pitch, expressions, eye contact, muscular expressions etc. Also reflecting over the past several weeks on why such negative comes to such beautiful people and how in a heartbeat masks are discarded and inner rage can predominate what was once a relationship of love. Reflections on when there are acts of kindness commenced that why do people personalize these events and claim there is unfairness and inequity. Complain and shut down the pipeline of aid instead of trying to network with the pipeline of joy that radiates out even more. Be positive besides positively demoralizing. I believe this will occur more and more in this electronic world devoid of non-verbal human touch and also as the ability to rip off that mask, express oneself and have ZERO accountability enhances. We are not acting as tigers in such ways, but that of jackals.

  Bad things happen to good people and very inspired individuals and great opportunities are given to those that may not seem deserving. I see the opportunities lie here in leveling the playing field. Spirituality is a wonderful way to achieve that objective. I have enough belief and been a fortunate recipient by my wonderful parents and families who always did the best they could with what they had at the time in love, life and empowerment that that might actually happen. Reframing our thoughts and knowledge and being open vs. entitled helps a great deal with that objective.

We are then able and willing (and wanting) to step and aid, even in a small way with my gifts that I have been given to step up to the plate and aid a hero that is in need. Someone that is having a challenge, a good person and needing a stabilizing arm. That I believe we can all offer and help them stand up and brush the dirt from the road off their clothing and watch as they start to progress and shine again. There are sadly very many of them out there. The people that have been blinded, crippled and or beat by societal demands and dictates. Yet these people deserve and want and need to practice and live with pride and integrity in the way they know and understand. Without Judgement or assumptions that hinder and hamper aid. The heroes that give their time and resources to help less fortunate and bolster their potentially fragile egos and feelings and show them some in the world DO care.

  The person that we look to isnt the people at the top of the societal game usually. As stated by the late Harry Chapin, Rich people are too busy hanging on to their wealth and items and possessions, no matter how they got them. The poor person is struggling to make ends meet, yet in my experience those that give and help are those that ARE at a more dis-advantaged state. They give of time, love, caring and experiences.

  Maybe, just maybe what really matters at the end of the day isnt how much money I have, the car I drive, a house on the lake and my symbols and trapping of status. Heck, it didn’t work too well in Sodom and Gomorrah did it. Ouch. Maybe we are creating that psychopathology again, I don’t know and will save that for a theological discussion one day. This time the invisible webs that are reinforcing the Towers of Babel are held up by fiber optic cables and a mask of denial, a false golden calf that we have all strived to worship and achieve in the sense of the great god of Economics.

Where did we lose our definition of a hero and leader? Where did these individuals go? I had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer and present at a moving ceremony in the cool wind of a man who gave his life to save 2 others 70 years ago over Lake Erie. One man and LAC Spooner gave his so others could survive. These stories abound and the reflections I had the privilege to deliver that esteemed group related to the fact that “Freedom is NOT free” and also the fact from a previous blog that states we have gone from the “All Seeing I” to the “All SeeKING I”. We have totally lost our moral compass, or at least gone off course somewhere since the days of Victoria.

What is REALLY important is being true to your belief system and standing by it 110%, not backbiting others and integrity/consistency. Put that money where your mouth is. At the end of the day, none of us get out alive in this realm.

So at the end of this exercise...what are MY deliverables? I want the opportunity and joy of a smile, to have helped another and feel the experiences that exist in my own backyard of life. At the end of the day, that kind word, effort even in communications that are not face-to-face, smile and experience is what is remembered. To be otherwise is to be dis-connected with who we are. That creates dis-ease. Personally, I will have Nunavut. I would rather spend my time and energies with those that can advance that same curve and pay it forward. But to do that, we must know ourselves fearlessly, pay it forward, and put our currency where our mouth is. To know yourself, you must be yourself, often.

                           ~~~ Rev Dr. Joel Lamoure   May 2013 

Beacons Fostering Light and Love Through Storms

Greetings my gentle readers to this week’s installment of the “Be Yourself, Often” blog. As you all well know, this is a time when we can all sit back and think and the moments that were in a segment of time on this plane that will not return again.  When one stops and reflects on it from that sort of perspective, it is quite a sobering point. A collection of events that transpire in our lives that result in negative outcomes, most often beyond our control and results in “The Perfect Storm” or “Frankenstorm”, which may be more appropriate given the weather patterns across the Eastern seaboard of the United States as this is being written.

However, what we do with challenges and forces of positive and negative that integrate themselves into our path is always a potential for reflection. It is not that we are lucky or unlucky, but if we are to address these forces that intersect our vector, awareness is essential. 

There are some situations that occur that are so much an act of aggression that it is us during times that we are so least deserving or ready to fight that battle, yet we most. It is an interface of the worlds we have that co-exist on Earth in a spectrum. In my experience, these challenges that impact these people are most often debilitating, severe and impact on a persons financial or personal health and well being encompassing disaster and disease that results in dis-ease.

It is an attack also on the psyche of the person and results in an alteration of the orbit of their world, that can cause nothing less than a marked change, coupled with a health degree of positive self-talk, reflection and looking to the root cause analysis of why. Root cause analysis is a pattern of asking the question “why?” 5 times in a sequential and structured format. Why did this happen? Why me? Why now? Why are the forces causing challenges at this point and time?

One of the hardest questions that I have had to grapple with, is that why is it always the kindest, most warm and loving people that this happens to often?  The people that give so much and earn from the Universe trials and tribulations for their efforts and kindness helping others while those that may not care the same or are more self-centered seem unafflicted? Blindness, neurological, psychological, physiological, autoimmune, nerve and immobility to name a few.  It is what the people do with these challenges that make them beacons of Light that translate into positive outcomes across time and give for others.

These are individuals, and we all know one that is a beacon of Light on the dark and stormy seas. Their guiding light saves many mariners such as myself from the darkness and towering waves of the moment. They are truly Light-givers and altruistic in nature. They are heroes that push humanity ahead.  They ensure that the vectors of humanity are not fully divergent, but have the opportunity if so chosen and selected for the masses to learn love and light.

And I believe to have the true honour to touch these individuals and have them touch you is to touch the spirit in the sky. And just maybe the gift that they carry will translate to you if you have the willingness and fortitude to learn. And to learn the gift of love and light is to touch the person and spirit that we truly are, and allow you to be yourself, often.

                        ~~~~ Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure     October 2012

Lightning in our Orbit

From: www.joelwlamoure.com


Greetings my gentle readers to this weeks instalment of the "Be Yourself, Often" blog. Ah, a time when we can sit back with a piping warm cup of coffee or tea and reflect on the moments of the week that has passed. No matter what, good or bad in the week... the thing to keep in mind and consider is that the week has and did and does continue to fold out exactly as meant to be.


This week I decided to focus on a question that tends to come around quite a bit clinically. Usually it is attached to a whine or lament-> "Why me?" For we are the centre of that universe that we call us that encompasses a sun of various appearances and many, many planets. Depending on the individual, the sun (or suns) usually define around Us, Ego or Spirituality or an Other planet. Any of these are planets in and of themselves, but what of the centre core and being of OUR existence? I think that some people may ascribe to having Pluto at their core, but lets not go there- either the buddy of Goofy or a cold uninhabited ice sphere...


"Why me?" is so integral and central in fact to survival and existence as it is a reality check, a way to ensure we are surviving and moving along and either a pathetic whine or a term of self reflection. Lets talk about those people that use these questions as a form of self reflection. These are the inspired ones, the crazy ones... the ones with the square pegs in the round holes. But they are often visionaries and gentle, spiritual and loving souls. I am so fortunate to know many of these people and they are not rooted in the here and now of stuff, but engaged in a dialogue with the Universe. That they accept with equanimity what transpires and then use that to help others, makes them heroes on this rolling blue marble.


These are the ones that Lightening sadly seems to attract... as they have their feet in the water, head in the air and may be perceived to be "poorly grounded". Now that last bit is a scoietally driven spin on the whole matter as I actually find that these people are the most grounded, and serve as a conduit for some pretty bright flashes on inspiration, but ones that may send a non inspired, non-lightning rod person to the morgue. Ouch.. seeya baby, dont write.

People that are rooted in Other vs themselves and in spirituality vs dry dogmas tend to gravitate to the ring around the sun and a position of catching some pretty sweet waves. But it does and may happen again. How many prophets have we NOT heard about in the Bible that went on a 40 day magical mystery tour and had their minds fried? How many miracles unsung? There is so much that exists all around us. And interestingly, like in this case DOES attract like in my experience, totally counter to the rules of magnetism. People that are these divining rods of lightning in their darkest hours attract others of the same spirit and capacity to help prevent shorts and destruction of their grid. These saviours that help us are our grounders, yet also have the ability to attract the power from the sky. They understand and have been there.


So, before you ask the question "Why me?", perhaps we should look to the fact that it is as meant to be, be at ease with that and the untapped skills we have. Perhapsby touching those skills, eventually and at ease in this moment you may be yourself, often.

---  Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure     June 2012 

Heroes and Heroines of the Fourth Cornerstone

Greetings my gentle readers to the “Be Yourself, Often” blog. A time when we can sit down with ourselves and our reflective thoughts and mind interfacing with matter.

Over the past 3 weeks (with the exception of the week I took off to be in Copenhagen), we have taken a look at the perfect, parfait driven live from the cornerstones and ultimate pinnacle of a pyramid. In God we trust, with the All-Seeing eye on the obverse of the American $1 bill. But this is the pyramid symbolic of personal and strength that we are reflecting up. The 4 bases of this pyramid will be the Mindfulness, Reflection, Gratitude and Altruistic giving with the pinnacle representing Prayer/Spirituality.

As we have learned, the main 2 cornerstones and anchors of the pyramid that is the person in strength and humanities is mindfulness. That is being at one and connected and in the moment, appreciating all aspects of the moment.  That we are able to mirror also says so much and that reflection on the acts and also the root causes and etiologies of the action. Gratitude is the giving of thanks for what we are able to experience… and embraces both the positive and the negative. It is very hard to give thanks for the negatives when compared to the positives, yet they are needed.

Altruism is I feel the fourth corner of the square that denotes being able to have a life with depth and breadth. This is the corner that presents the most challenge in reflection and action, as it is the hardest to capture. While on the surface, it may appear simple that a person does an act without expecting anything in return; identifying the root motivation may make altruism greyer than we expected. 

For example, if a person does something nice to another and hope to simply advance their karmic positives, it would be hard pressed to really consider that altruism, even if it was meant as giving. Sadly, the thing that comes to my mind is the blatant hypocrisy that people go to church on Sunday and then slander someone through gossip or negative actions the rest of the week. That is like giving for karmic positives.

Indeed, I believe a more accurate depiction of altruism comes clearer when we look at actions across time. Why indeed must we expect something in return? For we know that that creates resentments and negatives often, which is on that slippery slope, swirling down the drain.

To get a real feel of altruism, I believe we need to look at examples where there is unconditional love and giving, with an intelligent concern for others and the ego-rat has stopped nibbling away at the base psyche. The examples I come up with are nature in its habitat, where everything is as it should be and the falling leaves begat life for the tree and that unending cycle. Such a perfect ecosystem, repeated over and over again at a macro and micro level.

A mothers’ love would b a close second and very much intertwined with the Mother that is Mother Nature that we have defined above. Even in times of challenge, when mankind is at their worst you hear real altruism. I know a wonderful person who was a young girl in Stalingrad in 1942. When the bombs were falling in the siege of Stalingrad, with the enemy at the gates, the mother by the grandmother covered the child. This is to me one of the most touching reflections of altruistic giving, and can be seen in the Madonna of Stalingrad, painted by a German Officer at Christmas 1942. I have seen and heard both sides of this picture, and they are humbling.

Down the linear (or circular) conceptualization of altruism is the unerring love and giving of pets and animals. Those that have been loved or abused yet are still dedicated and full of true love and giving. Despite the fact that we think we are superior, we as humans can learn a lot from animals. Any hero who has rescued a pet knows that.

And that leaves the concept of a hero. Those people with nothing to gain, lots to lose but stand on their belief systems and integrity.  We see them identified across the centuries and we know some of them from time to time if we are lucky to cross their paths. They speak with conviction and belief and want to advance what others can learn and do, even when there is no remuneration, rewards, gifts, accolades or titles. In my experience, they often have or are facing major health crises and yet always want to look after and give a positive word or thought or learning or just by being is an inspiration. Like the boundless love of an pet, the protective embrace of a mother or the seamless perfection of Nature, these people enter your life to be themselves. 

And if you have the courage to let them do what they do and listen and learn with the openness of a child with peace, patience, silence, humility and serenity… then their touch will I believe, impart a window of their magic to you. And know that maybe you too can be a hero to someone someday.

Can you imagine and then to see and know and resonate and feel that you can be yourself, often

--- Rev. Dr Joel Lamoure     May 2012