What the Heck Just Happened?

Greetings my gentle readers to another week’s installment of the “be yourself, often” blog found at http://www.joelwlamoure.com. This is the point in time of the week where we are able to sit back and mindfully reflect on the moments that were and the impact that they have had in our lives.

This is our first blog posting of the past six weeks. Those of you who follow our radio show “prescribing spiritual hope” on WULC out of Carrabelle, Florida on the Spreaker network will also have observed we have been off the air for the past two months.http://www.spreaker.com/show/tuesday_prescribing_spiritual_hope I anticipate that not only will the blog be back to its normal weekly posting effective now, and our radio show be on the air again by mid-July at its usual time of 9 PM Eastern time and think all of our dedicated listeners and readers from around the world for staying with the network.

The past couple of months have been an exercise in journey into the deepest recesses and caverns that exist within the mind. A time within the wilderness where over the past 40 days and 40 nights opportunities have presented themselves repeatedly. Unfortunately, as we know in life, and that we as humans are not the divine architects of our own plans, most of the “opportunities” have had a negative flavor. However, the concepts associated with the phrase “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” are all well and alive.

These have been days of a death of dreams and recalibration of determining what is important. A time to realize that what one thought would be logical, in fact was illogical. There were birthdays forgotten by others, promises broken, expectations shattered, religious discrimination, hate crimes, decades of planning eradicated, disease and illness. A breach of confidence by confidents and friendly fire. Bullets that derive from close sources fired under the brave face of anonymity, send through an unwilling messenger. Sadly hypocrisy and vigilante justice is alive and well.

As such, based on what the title states, it leaves one wondering, especially a man of faith wondering why so many good people have been hurt while the sinful, wicked and evil continue to prosper in their lies and deceit, claiming to be and searching “enlightenment” themselves. I use the term in quotes as it is ego-centric enlightenment they seek, not Spiritual Enlightenment. My friends, these are days of learning the highest virtue, which is forgiveness. “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do…”

Within forgiveness, which is an easy word to say but hard action to do lies the resolution of inner turmoil. Resolution of the inner turmoil is not playing it out words and harming other people. Resolution does not lie by constant complaining, self harm, belittling, telling stories repeating stories, playing victim, hatred, or any of the other tools that were initially used against us. I believe, that is why true forgiveness takes longer… Perhaps truly 40 days in the wilderness.

It is about finding again what makes one happy and appreciating that we have the “free will covenant” and do not have to be the same as those that wrong us. It is not up to the courts to make a decision of judgment or forgiveness, but the quiet Light of Divination that says so much. To be able to not focus on stuff, and focus on the Light with clarity and intensity will allow us to be the spiritual being having a human existence and truly be yourself, often.

~~~ Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure June 2013

You CAN Paint it Black…or White! (Or Fuchsia!!)

Greetings my gentle readers to another week and another installment of the “Be Yourself, Often” blog at www.joelwlamoure.com . This represents perhaps a checkpoint in the week when we can step back and reflect of the moments and sands of time that have traversed the hourglass and gave themselves to help us reach the point and state that we are today. And that the moment and present that is the now can be translated into the dreams of tomorrow.

There are so many potential subjects that can be addressed from a spiritual nature filtering through the concepts and parameters of H.O.P.E., which we are striving towards.  This is a worthy spiritual agenda that advances our holistic health and ways that we can capture and encapsulate it, outcome driven objectives, personalized perspective and the end goals and challenges associated with empowerment.

If we agree that we are spiritual beings having a human existence and proceeding through the school of life, with all of its classes, challenges, dynamics and trials/ tribulations then we can consider each step begets the next. Ther are the challenges and roadblocks that exist and demonstrate themselves in the course of our life and how we perceive and deal with these define outcomes. Certainly, there are freak accidents and events that we cannot even begin to conceptualize as to the why of them occurring. Far too often, bad things happen to good people and where we translate the learnings defines our “mark” in this particular class.

Do we focus on the learnings in the moment or dream towards the future? Remain firmly rooted in the past perhaps? There are certainly pros and cons to all of these and perhaps as opposed to having to pick one, in this class of life perhaps we may be able to approach it more as a smorgasbord or buffet of life. There are the various courses that we are fully able to mix and mingle and intersperse with other components. Nothing saying that we cannot take the past learnings and nostalgia of times go by, be aware of those moments and enjoy a quiet reflective moment and a tranquil smile. Knowing that YOU have been given that gift to experience such a wonderful thing and that it can persist across the quantum dimension of time… and time past is equidistantly dead and are unable to touch or change that past. So our filter of perspective should be one of positives, for want of otherwise living in regrets.

To capture that moment in the smorgasbord is an intense blend of utilization of our 5 senses in the here and now and encapsulated/imprinted on the psyche in the moment. These imprintations will trigger future memories based on sight, sound, touch, taste, or smells are the root of the event and stimulate our wits, which senses used to be termed in Shakespeare’s time.

But perhaps my friend we are even more than that from a spiritual existence and the senses impart a feeling which we can link and be aware through the gift and inspiration of cognition. So many other senses then are drilled down such as pain, nociception, kinesthetic sensory input and so much more. That we are able to balance and assign a “feeling” to an event that files the event in the sensorium in the filing cabinets of good or bad also will translate through across time.

So then, what we absorb, intuit and feel will become the picture that we will carry around in our mental wallets forever, and through the premises of HOPE can assign the degree of robustness and richness the picture will have. Personally, I feel the truest way of remembering an event in true vivid high definition (HD) imprinted in our mental wallet is to have the event resonate on all senses, embracing it with the gifts and talents and being that we are. My father used to call it being “in country”, which means that we fully immerse ourselves in the surrounding environment and learn by being part of it. That is a wonderful way to collect facts and understand the why of the event as opposed of standing by passively and casting stones and Judgement.

Moments that are very dichotomous in nature as well tend to be filmed in the very best HD film as well. These moments can be easily created by the observer and often creates a smile and pleasurable associations if they are planned to be. They are the adult at play, Light within a period of dark, Water element touching earth and a kind smile on a gloomy day. Captured in fact by the Rolling Stones on their album “Aftermath” and the song “Paint it Black”.  We can be light even in dark.

That is the root of spiritual living is to be the beacon of light and provide a positive lesson to others in the moments of darkness. To help others in an altruistic way see and be the positive side of the dichotomy. There is a choice and that is to be the negative…if you wish. But by seeing the light and positives, then we can help others see it and then me and you can be yourself, often.

     ~~~~ Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure    April 2013

Living the Evidence-Informed Self: Those Silent Moments (Part 1)

Greetings my gentle readers to another week's installment of the "Be Yourself, Often" blog. As always this is a time when we can sit and in quiet meditative mindful reflection look at the week that was and realize the impact of the decisions that we have made. For in order to achieve prescribing and dispensing of Spiritual HOPE, then we need to know our root belief systems. We need to be informed of the evidence that presents itself to us, and how we interpret that information through our five senses, but also our sixth sense, which is our very accurate extra sensory perception. As we know HOPE is an acronym that stands for holistic health, outcome driven objectives, personalized care and empowerment.

This week we will extend our thoughts from the root cause analysis discussion of last week and add in the filter of what we see and how we see it. This is a time of empowerment when we can actually in collaboration with our higher power and meditative moments; influence in a positive way our future. In the same way as individuals will go to school for 20 years to achieve an objective, why do we not have the ability, desire, passion and drive to take even a half hour from our day and achieve positive outcomes question how hard is it to enroll in the school of the spirit?

My gentle readers, you are already a student in the School of the Spirit, whether or not you realized this fact. This is potentially a very inspiring and liberating opportunity, or may be extremely scary depending on your perspective. What this means is you are able to achieve an open dialogue with your teacher, who is your higher power.

Unlike school, this Higher Power has the ability to create miracles. All of the colors, sounds, tastes, life and living you have the ability to link to this master. Having that realization will positively influence your ability to filter the evidence in front of you.

Although I have used the term “evidence” multiple times in this blog, what does it mean? Inherently, one is driven to thoughts of police drama television shows. Really, it is not much different than that. Evidence is everything that is all about you and around you. An open and inquiring mind then filters this information through the lens of their belief system.

Your belief system is how you determine if something [such as evidence] is relevant to this particular case. And really, is this case not your life? And to add even further thoughts regarding karmic energies, are these not implications on life and lives yet unlived? Always having a bad day? What is your role in it? How bad is it really? Do you could task your files?

All of this really comes down to the basic concept that if you believe something is or will be bad then it will be so. You are evaluating the evidence as it relates to the case of your life. Having the mental and spiritual fortitude to examine the evidence is a wonderful place to start! Live and love life in the way it is and has been designed, which is full of moments and miracles!

How can this life be wrong or when there are so many miracles and gifts that exist within it? If we embrace our life as a gift in the present, rooted in mindfulness, then we should be able to truly be yourself, often.


~~~ Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure   March 2013

Enlightened Beings, Really?

Greetings my gentle readers to another week's installment of the "be yourself, often" blog and happy new month, welcome to March 2013. Hopefully, this is the time of the week when we can step back and appreciate exactly what we contributed to the components that added up to be the week that was. And when we stop and appreciate our involvement with people, places, things and all forms of nature hopefully the balance sheet of our contributions are on the side of the positive. This week's blog will go on a little longer then normal as it addresses several psychopathologies that present within the concept of “enlightenment” as we are seeing it develop in the Western world by and large.

As we know and have stated multiple times, prescribing spiritual hope operates under the premise that in some way we have not yet been able to achieve our full goals and objectives. But really, we cannot achieve these hopes and dreams if we do not know what we are even striving for. As such, knowledge of our goal of hope is essential. One cannot help but wonder as we evolve whether or not as stated by Monty Python whether or not the gods are truly crazy. Let us explore this concept through the lens and filter of H.O.P.E.

H stands for holistic health, where we are able to look at all aspects of our being and realize exactly what requires healing, without judgment. It is only at that point when an individual becomes an active participant in their healing through identification that appropriate steps and forms of treatment may be engaged. Per wit, this is the period of diagnostics. Once an accurate diagnosis has been made, only then can the appropriate methodology and treatment interventions be brought to bear. Really, it is along the theory and approach of knowing our enemy.

While there are many potential interventions that can be used, often they are ineffective or actually may worsen the individual’s clinical or psychiatric status if utilized in the wrong way. I believe we are seeing examples over and over of this in our "spiritual awakening". Without having a root understanding of spirituality there are so many that profess to being experts in this field. Often, it is an extension of the hunger and dissatisfaction that progresses in a society where so many are left feeling helpless. Given challenges and "fattening up", as well as having blinders affixed to the eyes through this Industrial age, we have been left spiritually bereft for so, so very long.

Now, add in a society and culture where individuals are used to, and in fact demand having everything handed to them or available at their fingertips. Sadly, we have been created a culture of sheeple, but ones that still have expectations and demands. I believe we can call these "first world whines". In true Freudian terminology, we have suppressed our most basic intellects at the cost of massive hyperinflation of our superego. Basically, we can get any color at any size at anywhere at the best cost, and have been more than assured that we [or rather our superego, which is affixed to our pocketbook] our first and foremost.

Once we look at the interface of vectors of these hyper-inflated egos, entitlement, narcissism, point of access to information and add in a hint of delusion regarding grandiosity, one can see there is not much room for true spirituality. True spirituality would mean that an individual is able to connect with their God [however they see their God [example Christianity]], while at the same time being able to embrace the differences and opinions of others and then use their God given gifts and talents to help advance other people.

Now it is not about helping advance other people while at the same time advancing your ego. It's not about sharing information and not learning it yourself. Those are the blinders coming back to bear on you. So really, are we truly becoming more enlightened? Or is there a generation of hypocrites that are developing? Is there truly an angry and confused generation evolving?

These are very interesting times looking at these last three questions. Certainly, the methodology that has been utilized over the past 100 years is no longer sustainable. New approaches, concepts and strategies must be employed. This is a time for peace, not war. As such, if we indeed are spiritual entities having a human existence then we should act as such. This is a critical time in our evolution to stop and reflect and learn. That learning is in the form of a diagnosis of the human race, but also a determination through spiritual social work of what are the goals of therapy.

Basically, if you want to be an enlightened soul, act like one. Believe like one. Study like one. Avoid the temptations of playing victim or engaging in hypocrisy. There was a wonderful expression I was told years ago, when I thought I knew everything that stated “Take the cotton from your ears and stick it in your mouth.” Once we do that, we can see the insanity that is evolving all around us. Wiser minds who look a all of the prevailing opinions as well as all of the evidence does not always prevail and in the sense of true entitlement sometimes the loudest entities in the interests of crusading get the most attention as well as the foot soldiers. This is a recipe for disaster and even potentially anarchy at a spiritual level, destruction of all, as we know.

This peace and enlightenment is not a hard object to strive for my gentle friends. It starts from within ourselves and an examination of what we believe in, our gifts and their talents, and the knowledge of what we are prepared to do. It is accepting the negatives and seeing how we can translate those into potential positives it is not boastful, nor being a victim. It is not taking up of arms nor justice of a vigilante approach. If we truly want that enlightenment, we need to look at that quiet and serene core that exists within us. That place where we are able to truly see that there are miracles that abound all about costs, and take them as the signs that they are, not any different than Noah was promised with the rainbow. This is a place where we can totally be at ease and thus avoid the dis-ease that exists within the disease that presents through the veil of society. It is a place for we can look with wide-eyed wonderment and the willingness to play us if a child again, including the wonderment of realizing the gifts that we have and the potential for positive outcomes. You don't need to be anyone else, or impress anyone else. Simply realizing that “I am as meant to be” is a very powerful message for us to learn and embrace.

For to recognize those positive outcomes and achieve peace and enlightenment, to be an enlightened individual is to truly be yourself, often.

~~~Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure   March 2013

Groundhog Day and Karmic Batteries

Greetings my gentle readers to another week's installment of the "be yourself, often" blog. This is the time of the week when we can sit back and reflect on the moments that were, the moments that will be, in the days that we have to look forward to.

As we progress through time, it's a matter of taking a look at what inspires us what has inspired us, and what will inspire us. Today in North America is February 2, 2012. As we well know here, this is Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day is a day when we tend to look forward to spring, or determine number of weeks [8] that winter will continue upon us. In the famous movie,  “Groundhog Day", Bill Murray lives/exists experiencing Groundhog Day over and over again until he can actually get it right. What he is striving for is positivity, energy and love.

These are the days that we are living. It is a matter of us being able to ensure, that what we do, it's ultimately the best for what is. There are no second takes my friends, we have one chance in order to ensure that what we do in this moment that is and was in this life is done correctly. There are so many doubts and questions that we reflect upon in the course of our day. Often, we are left quivering and unsure as to whether or not our decisions that we make are indeed timely, sensitive, reflective, and accurate for the situation and situations that have transpired.

My gentle friends, it is ultimately our beliefs which drive our thoughts, and our thoughts which drive our actions, and at the end of the day our actions to drive our endpoints and results. If we want to ensure that are endpoints are positive, robust and directly proportionately positive for ourselves and those around us, we will ensure that our beliefs and our thoughts are positive in nature in pure.

It would be horrible if our thoughts and our actions were primarily or mainly negative in nature and as such we have to live these moments over and over again.  But if that happened? That is truly what we see born out in karmic energy. Karmic energy and the resultant batteries are a way that our negative thoughts and negative actions will come back and bite us in the arse over and over again across this lifetime and not surprisingly across the next life spans.

In order to ensure a positive now in the healthy energy supply, and a positive next life, we must derive a life that is positive in belief, positive interactions, rooted in Scripture, and rooted in healing positive.

As we progress forward, we exist within the free will covenant, as such our choices; our beliefs and their actions are centered in the ability to make a decision, rooted often in our beliefs. Groundhog Day does not have to be a day that we merely exist within over and over in order until we get it right, but an opportunity wherein we can make decisions accurately the first time, which are rooted in all critical factors: hope, faith and belief and all filtered through our actions which optimize this current life that we have. Indeed, we only have one life, one chance, and it is a matter of making this time matter. And this is a life and a gift, a present, truly a spiritual entity manifests as a human existence.

My gentle readers and friends, we truly do have a life altering choice. This choice is to wallow in what we have if it is negative, or we can make a decision, a conscious choice, in order to the optimize the NOW. That now is about paying it forward, translating small successes and leveraging them into bigger and more positive wins. This helps in now and helps the future.

Quite intriguingly, the best way in order to achieve and leverage these biggest and wins, is to intensely focus on the smallest miracles of the moment. The smallest miracle of the moments manifests themselves robustly and we seethe healthy selfishness of being a child.  Those terms are counterintuitive in a Western culture "healthy selfishness”. It basically means, that we need to look after ourselves first and foremost before we are able to help others.  It is a matter of not considering what others think, how you dress, what you do, how you play, or how you act. It is a matter of being right for you in the moment. It is being willing to be lighthearted, open-minded and willing to play.

It truly is about being at one with the moment, appreciating the smallest miracles of the moment. The smallest miracles of the moment can manifest themselves in sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste.  At the end of the day the smallest miracle ultimately reflect themselves along the paradigm that "man is the maker of straight lines". It is about being able and willing to color outside the lines, look at the contraries and shapes of the leaf, or appreciate the smell, belt witness, or curvature of a simple flower petal. This is a miracle my friends,  considering potentially exactly how much we can optimally translate, yet we don't, and yet how much that we could absorb, through simple play.

So in order to build the mindfulness of the moment and recharge your batteries, ensuring also our karmic batteries are charged to their fullest then lightheartedness, inspiration and play must seriously be considered and implemented. Sometimes my gentle friends, this is a matter of stepping back from the demands and challenges of society and truly finding and at full charge be yourself, often.

~~Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure    February 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

Having a Love Affair with Life

Greetings my gentle readers to the beginning of August 2012 and another episode of the “Be Yourself, Often” blog. Those moments that offer hopefully a different slant on the moments and challenges and opportunities that we have chosen to call our life in the here and now. Reflection on the mindfulness and miracles of the moments, interspersed with the challenges and evils that perpetrate and demonstrate all to clearly.

We touched on that concept last week as we looked at the light of good that exists and burns within all of us. But the fact that we at time are paralyzed in actualities or conceptually by what we imagine to be real and cant touch our dreams in the moment. That is such a sad place to be. Always running like a hamster on a treadmill, with nothing at the end of day and days but sadness and destitution. To be infused with drugs, alcohol or other vices that have allowed you to escape life on lifes term… you find that the life and gift that you have been given has been lost. Items that allow one escapism are drugs, Internet, alcohol, pornography, sex, shopping and almost anything else in excess that lights up dopamine, the pleasure reward homes. In fact the river of years have brought only numbness and tears and frustrations, with small leveraged wins along the way, but many societal positions and trappings and stuff that you are now having to consider walking away from. And considering it’s a normal neurotransmitter/hormone…you are just a big hormonal mess.

And why is that? Why have all of theses material items not brought you the joy and happiness as the commercials assured you they would? Heck, your neighbour seemed so happy and to have everything. What is wrong with me, again that I get the short end of the stick? Per the title of an old book for the 1970’s, why do you always draw the Black Marble?

This is about idolatry and wanting and the difference between wants and needs and entitlements. What you thought should be your due, you did get (sometimes) but came at such a heavy price, not unlike the $200 that was obtained through “The Monkey’s Paw”. Someone else had, you were sold a bill of sale and expected it delivered to you.

But because it wasn’t worth the price or as shiny as your mind set it out to be (See blog from July 1^st on Polishing the Brass Ring of Uniqueness) you got mad. Real mad. Madness infused every part, which causes one to not be able to appreciate the moments that are here and being squandered away.

Sad and almost everyone reading this will be able to know and identify someone they know that this relates to, correct? Want to rectify? Love and live the moment and love truly and totally is an intelligent concern for others. Others includes not just humans, but all living things like people, plants, animals, crystals..All of which that have the Spiritus residing within them. 

Loving life through all your affairs is the best way to captures the depth and breadth of gifts that abound all around us. Try it on, and see what really there is when you take the time and invest in yourself. The dividends might just be that you can finally, at ease, be yourself, often.

                  --- Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure   August 2012

Guided into the Light out of Solitary Confinement

Greetings my gentle readers to this weeks’ “Be Yourself, Often” blog. Yes, that quiet reflective time that we all need and value within the chaos of the week and day, existing within that busy walled city that we tend to call society. Full and fraught with challenges and demands and expectations and where at the end of the day, there runs the risk of being very little you in there.

The past 2 weeks and in my new weekly radio show “Prescribing Spiritual H.O.P.E.” on every Tuesday at 9pm Eastern Time URL: http://www.spreaker.com/show/tuesday_prescribing_spiritual_hope ,

I have talked about barriers and the identification, awareness and impact of what these mean to you. You really are a walled city within a walled city that can withstand almost any attack that you have been told might happen, by selling you the soul of FEAR, but is that really what there is on the other side of that wall? Are you going to end up on Channel 5 news as a statistic on a government chart and have been attacked by some unknown machete-wielding cannibal wearing a panda suit? Omg…lets get the locks, put 2 batteries in the Taser and screw the stun setting! Lovely purple paranoid people eaters unite.

Interestingly, we can (and often do without calling it such) fear ourselves and hurt inside so bad and that can dampen the Light that we emanate so much easily that the external forces.

In regards to that internal strife, Coldplay recently reminded me of an excellent set of lyrics from the song “Fix You”.

“When you try your best, but you don't succeed

When you get what you want, but not what you need

When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep

Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face

When you lose something you can't replace

When you love someone, but it goes to waste

Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below

When you're too in love to let it go

But if you never try you'll never know

Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down on your face

When you lose something you cannot replace

Tears stream down on your face

And I...

Tears stream down on your face

I promise you I will learn from my mistakes

Tears stream down on your face

And I...

Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you"                                        K.Batchelor/Coldplay

The point is, bad stuff does happen and happens to good people. We ourselves can be the architect of our OWN walls and even if there isn’t that “prison” around us, we still place ourselves in solitary confinement. Bad stuff happens more often than winning the lottery for sure, but will and do you let it control your life? Does the societal dictates themselves and selling of media actually confine you?

Awareness is key here as there is no right answer for any particular person or family. We live on a world that is robust with miracles and sin, all in one homogenized package. Cant separate the fat from the milk. Again, as we discussed last week, this is the awareness, valuation and what does it mean to me piece. How stifling are the wall and rules and dictates and challenges on us and what are we prepared to do about it?

We are and cannot be expected to do anything more initially than be aware of ourselves. What we do, say, feel and think and how they translate through to others. That is the first and most critical step to tunneling under the wall and approaching the real Light that burns brightly within us. That light is the true spiritual essence of who and what and why we are. It is peace and the light feels like a mothers embrace.

That Light is the true core of the humanities and miracles that define who we are and reflects a state of being, and that is being at peace and at ease. It is in touch with all and being at ease with all. It just is, and it is Good.

I don’t believe we can touch that spiritual light in our walled cities and walled obligations and false idolatry that is rooted in BMW (Biatchy, Meany, Whiny) philosophies. To tunnel under the walls and at the same time within and yet outside of ourselves is to be at ease. At ease prevents and is the opposite of the dis-ease that exists all around us. Perhaps we can use these skills to also take us our of solitary confinement as only we can fix ourselves, with a little help from our Friends. 

Perhaps my friends, these steps may help arrest, decrease or make less critical the disease that inherently afflicts or minds and bodies. That we can live and learn, even in times of challenge. For we can only know ourselves, but to know us is to radiate ease, which inherently will help others, quest their own journey. All because you choose and chose to find and be yourself, often.

                           --- Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure   July 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 

The layered parfait of life

From: http://www.joelwlamoure.com/id43.html

Greetings my gentle readers to another week and another weekend with the "Be Yourself, Often" blog. A time when we can sit back with a common thought and thread and love and appreciate the miracles of the moments that surround us. A time to rejoice on the small moments and the interface that we share with all other living creatures on this big rolling blue marble that we call Earth.

I would like to thankl everyone who has read and shared this blog and subsequently tuned into my radio show,  "Prescribing Spiritual HOPE" found on blog talk radio as well. Each week we will look at this blog and discuss it further and how it relates to the fact that we are really simply spiritual entities who are having a human existence. Our live show is aired every Tuesday at 9pm Eastern EDT and given audience numbers, have added a repeat/re-airing of the show every Saturday night at 8pm EDT. That there are so many wonderful opportunities that exist around the corner. Spiritual HOPE takes into the context that we in order to prevent the dis-ease and diseases that permeate through our lives that our tactical approach to healing and staying well (and avoiding those darn negative karmic souvenir keychains!) must be multimodal in approach. Past radio shows may be found here. We should look at approaching our lives through a Holistic approach and that we need to have an idea what our end Outcomes are. Where are we going and what are the tools and plans and strategies that we will pursue to help make those dreams come to life? Our life is also a very Personal experience and so the P in HOPE looks at that personal journey that we all have and more importantly how it links and interfaces with everything else. And that we know we have a choice under the free will covenant which is the E, or Empowerment. We can make choices and take responsibility as we move ahead and ensure that we have the opportunity to advance our objectives.

Where does this all go? I believe it enhances the mindfulness and richness and appreciations of the moments. There are so many challenges along the course and discourse of each and every day. Are we indeed hard wired to be miserable despite all of the incredible offerings around us? Or perhaps are we reading the signposts along the avenue of life incorrectly? Do we as individuals get so wrapped up in goals for stuff and filling our places with stuff and buying stuff and working to make money to get more stuff that we are indeed, stuffed?

I find that an interesting concept as there is a wonderful thought that goes along the lines if we are so full of ourselves, there cannot be room for anything else. That is the ego-dragon that exists within all of us I believe and it is hungry, wants more stuff and is growing. The 3 headed dragon so to speak. And that simply shearing a head off of the dragon is not going to do much in the long term for healing. In fact, the head comes back and he is one peeved off, bitter camper. Burn baby. Someone call in St. Michael the Archangel... stat!

Certainly is it hard to remove the ego from oneself and I am not saying to do that. Shylock and the Merchant of Venice and the "pound of flesh" comes to mind. And to do that without spilling a drop of blood... aint gunna happen.

So how can we move ahead and spiritually as we indeed truly are advance without being full of ourselves? If indeed we do have that overbearing, overarching desire to fill ourselves... perhaps we can look externally.  We I feel can have our cake and eat it to if we look at it with eyes of appreciation and goodwill, relishing the cake one mindful bite at a time. Same way one cannot fill a vase with sand and then expect to put in stones and golf balls, we ARE able to put in the golf balls first, then the pebbles and then the sand. Make a layered parfait out of our lives that is a mosaic of many facets and skills and gifts.

For we do have those gifts and in order to maximize their strength (use it or lose it baby!) we need to practice and continually build that muscle of spirituality. Mindfulness, reflection, gratitude, prayer and giving with altruism I feel are the 5 fingers and thumb that fit this glove that we are. They will produce an end outcome that has been driven by holistic approaches. To be mindful is key that we are one with the moment and not racing off in true illegal street racing form to get to the next stoplight. It is the wide eyed wonderment of the child and looking at things without judgement as if they were new each and every time.

Over the next 5 weeks, I will look at each of these 5 components of a parfait driven life. Mindfulness, Reflection, Gratitude, Prayer and Altruistic giving. Along the way, we will share exercises and break bread and have a wonderful collaborative and giving/ sharing experience! Feel free to email me at rev.joel@live.ca if there are any particular stories or perspectives YOU would like to share over the next 5 months.

Together, we can let us, let me let you be yourself, often.

--- Rev. Dr Joel Lamoure    April 2012 

Learning how to spiritually fly... instrument check

From: http://www.joelwlamoure.com/id43.html

Learning how to fly... instrument check

Greeting my gentle readers to another week's instalment of the "Be Yourself, Often" blog. This is a time in the course of our hectic and chaotic weeks that we will actually be able to step back and reflect on the challenges of the moments and be able to make some sense out of the insanity of the moments and see the divine balance that actually does exist. That is, of course, if we are able and willing to be patient across time and see indeed that every snowflake falls in exactly the right spot.

I really wante dto build up the last weeks blog and radio show that addressed the concepts of the transformation of the caterpillar into the butterfly, and the fact the caterpillar has that skill and knowledge inside of itself what it can become. That would also have built off of the radio show "Prescribing Spiritual HOPE" that was done last Tuesday.

BUT...given there is so much to do in the course of a week and the insanities within each and every day... wherever to start? And that comes around to a flight lesson in learning how to fly as a butterfly. We touched on the concepts that simply being a unique butterfly will and would not protect us from the wind and the elements. What of these first tenuous steps that we take and undertake in our new spiritual world full of the promise and premises of HOPE? (Holistic health, Outcome driven goals, Personal goals and objectives with a huge smattering of Empowerment?)

One may think that as we touch our true spiritual life that the world will change in our favour and that all the negatives will be thrown away in the favour of us being able to touch our room within the mansion of many rooms. But we mustn't forget that as WE evolve and start to shine our light and spread our wings that there is the current present, societal challenges and dictates, expectations, imperfect humanism, pride, lust, greed, envy, sloth, avarice, gluttony, jealousy, temptation and a raft of other winds waiting to blow us of course. Ouch. Plus there is that little factor to deal with called karma. And that might just trip you up and bite you too. Plus that little thing called our believe system and attachment to false gods, idolatry, celebrity worship, dulling through social and television media and of course....money. I will be sure to address these VERY controversial and debatable issue on our radio show March 27th at 9pm EDT.

So my gentle friends....we have a bit of awareness that we need to do before we can even consider spreading our wings and flying. I mean... why is aviation 3-5 orders of magnitude safer than even standard medicine? There are a variety of points we can discuss here, but the one I wish to address is the systematic checklists that are employed pre-flight. And I believe this systems checklist and healthy awareness is the very first thing that we need to do once we find our inner Calling. Why? Because to not do so will to at very best risk falling back into old patterns of belief and behaviour. And really, how well did these work for you? Not that well (despite the fact you might disagree) and how do I know? Because you sought inspiration and goals from a Higher Power since what you were doing by yourself with your keen intellect and superior intelligence wasn't working by itself. We needed Backup...real heavy backup. So we evolved and were resurrected.

However, we still have the imperfect body and imperfect mind and imperfect thoughts.... Join me for our free radio show to discuss how to do that instrument check and then the week after we will look at flight plans. For to have the fearless ability to take that moral inventory and check off what we need vs not is to learn and feel and be yourself, often.

--- Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure       March 2012