A Beloved Blanket

Twenty some years ago, a little 3-year-old girl left the country of her birth with one possession, her blanket. Think about this for a moment. Leaving the only home you have ever known, unable to take anything with you except a blanket.

I had a chance to speak with this accomplished young woman recently. Now in her 20's, she is a high school teacher working toward her doctorate. Listening to her and questioning her was an education in itself.

She and her parents left Bosnia during the war in the 90's. They lived in Germany for some time and were then able to come to the United States and eventually became citizens.

A little history lesson: between 1992 and 1995, over 100,000 deaths occurred during a genocide much like that in Hitler's Germany. Actually this conflict was more of an ethnic cleansing. The Bosnian-Serbs wanted control and that control included eliminating much of the Muslim population.

So what did I discover in my conversation.

I found that this young woman began a study of Islam during her teens and embraced it wholly when she was in her late teens. She prayed five times a day, followed dietary restrictions and was covered with a Hijab (covering of head and chest) when she went to her mosque. This was a time of spiritual fulfillment; however,...

Soon her parents feared for her safety and suggested she refrain from following this path. She stopped going to the mosque, praying and wearing a Hijab. And for now, she is okay with that.

My feeling is that this is so sad. In a country where our forefathers came for religious freedom, this young immigrant is fearful to live her beliefs. Some of you reading this are thinking, "It is Islam. No need for a religion of repression and terrorism." Read on because I also discovered some other interesting facts.

This talented and beautiful young woman talked to me about cultural traditions verses religious traditions. Many Middle Eastern nations have cultural restrictions for women that have virtually nothing to do with religion in any form. The Burqa (covers everything but eyes) is cultural not something the Quran requires. There is really nothing in the Quran that says a woman must cover all of her body. Modesty is the key.

I did some research as far as head covering and found that there are similarities in old Jewish traditions regarding head coverings. These are very similar to the Hijabs worn by many Muslim women. Similarly women were required to wear a head covering in Catholic churches during mass. I could go on and on but won't.

When we talked about what Islam teaches, she indicated it teaches basically the same thing that all religions teach: non-violence, goodness, and love. One God just many paths.

Of course, there are those who say they are Muslims who are terrorists. They kill, rape and plunder. These people are not Muslims. They interpret the Quran in a way that benefits their violent causes just as others of various faiths have done. Much of this is political manipulation and just plain insanity.

So why have I chosen this subject in a blog about mystical happenings and miracles? I feel it is important to explore that which is different, that which is unknown. How many people reading this really know what Islam teaches? Or Christianity? Or Judaism? Or Hinduism? or Buddhism? or......

I have a working understanding of many of these faiths. I enjoy discovering the nuances in each of them. The one unchanging aspect is they all affirm life. One must remember that almost all of these Holy Books were written many, many years ago. Many are historical in nature. Life was a lot different then.

I would like to challenge everyone reading this blog to read about a different faith, to attend a different church or synagogue or temple or mosque. Become friends with someone of a different faith, ethnicity, race, or sexual orientation. You might just be surprised by the similarities.

Embrace The Unknown! Your life just might become bigger and bolder and more wonderfull than ever.

Peace and blessings,

Mareda

If you are interested in receiving a personal affirmative prayer, 

please email me at maredaeckert1@gmail.com.

 

For more information about me 

and the services I offer, 

please go to my website

www.maredaeckert.com.

Affirmative Prayer for Week of August 7, 2016

One.

Only One.
One Life.
One Intelligence.
One Power.
One.

I turn to this One now and recognize It as the source of all Good. As It only knows Good, only Love, only Infinite Intelligence, only Unconditional Love, It knows that at the center of my being that is what I am.

I now declare that I am Good, Love, Intelligence, and Love for I am an expression of the One. Just as a drop of water is part of the ocean I am a part of this Divine One. There is no separation other than that which I create. As I allow myself to accept my divinity, I express that Divinity.

This is true not only for me but for all who express here on this earth plane. We are all expressions of the One. All are created out of the same Stuff. It is our choice as to how we express. Do we express uniquely as emissaries of the Divine or do we express our littleness in ignorance of our true heritage?

I am now choosing to express my Divine heritage. Furthermore, I am open to seeing the Divine in each and everyone of those living on Earth right now. I let go of the outer trappings of anger and fear that permeate so much of our world and see beyond appearances. I look into the eyes of everyone I meet and see the eyes of the Divine. I rise above the hatred, the appearance of lack and limitation, and the differences. We are all One!

Yes! We are all One!

I accept this!
I believe this!
I know this!

At this very instant in time, I release these words and know.  I am one with  the Divine Presence that is THE ONE!

And so it is. And  so I let it be.

Mareda

If you are interested in receiving a personal affirmative prayer, 

please email me at maredaeckert1@gmail.com.

For more information about me 

and the services I offer, 

please go to my website

www.maredaeckert.com.

Affirmative Prayer for the Week of July 31, 2016

As I breathe in, I breathe in Peace. As I exhale, I exhale stress and fear. Ah, the wonder of it all. Letting go of the stress, the fear. Luxuriating in Peace.

In this Peace, I discover the Presence of the Divine. Universal Intelligence is here guiding me as I consciously connect with it. I am part of It and Its magnificence. All are part of It.  Awareness is the key. As I become more aware of this presence in everything I do, in everyone I meet, an awareness of the Good in all becomes apparent.

In these times of fear and anxiety, I know that there is a Peace that passes all understanding. This Peace comes from that which is Divine. Universal Love and Truth rules as we get our littleness out of the way.  I remove the little me from the equation and allow the Larger Me that the Divine Presence knows to express through me.

Right this very instant, I declare that this Presence is unfolding a miracle in this world. I trust that there is Divine Right Action taking palce in the depths of the unknown and the Highest Good is manifesting NOW! Good shall prevail. Love shall prevail.  It is happening in the darkest places. Shadows disappear when the Light of Love pours forth from the hearts of those who allow Love to rule their lives. No more fear. Nor more hate. No more greed. Only that which is Good, Kind, and Affirming is being expressed.

I accept this for everyone right now. ALL people are expression sof the Divine. ALL people have a part in this Divine Drama we call Life on Earth. Good Always is Victorious. This is my declaration.

Releasing these words, I know and accept that Divine Right Action is taking place in the here and now. It is done. It cannot be otherwise.

I give thanks to that which is All Good, All Intelligent, All Life, All Love. Thank you Mother-Father-God.

And so it is. And so I let it be.

Peace and blessings,

Mareda

If you are interested in receiving a personal affirmative prayer, please email me at maredaeckert1@gmail.com.

For more information about me 

and the services I offer, 

please go to my website

www.maredaeckert.com

Affirmative Prayer for the week of July 24, 2016

Years ago a dear friend encouraged me to begin a blog. I followed her advice. She wanted me to include affirmative paryers in this blog. I did not follow her advice. She is once again nudging me to do this. This time, I shall follow her advice. My intention is for this to become a weekly entry into this blog. An affirmative prayer (please refer to my website as to the definition of Affirmative Paryer or Spiritual Mind Treatment ~ www.maredaeckert.com) to guide and uplift the readers of this blog follows. And so it begins...

Taking in a long, slow deep breath and releasing the stresses of daily life,  I consciously connect with the Presence of God. The Presence that is all good, all knowing, all intelligence, all power. There is absolutely nothing but this Thing that I call God. Right now, I know that It dwells within me, acts as me, and truly is me. There is absolutely no separation now or ever.

This is true for all life, all sentinent beings. All are a spark of the Divine. All have that within them that is Good. No matter what the appearance, there is Good within everyone, everything, every experience. Deeply held within the soul of man there is Good.

Knowing this, I speak these words for those who have feelings of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of that which is different, fear of those who speak differently, fear of those who worship differently, fear of loss and limitation. So many fears and yet the biggest fear is the absence of love. The Love that created us at the moment the Divine thought of us.

Knowing this, I now proclaim that the hearts of all humankind are opening to the spark of Love that knows only courage and grace. Every action is now guided by a deep and abiding wisdom that supercedes any feelings of fear. A great "aha" reverbirates through the universe. Lives are changed one by one. Light overcomes the darkness. Love overcomes hate. Peace overcomes violence. No longer is it necessary to judge those who seem to be different. Underneath we are one. Our hearts and souls are connected with a Divine Thread that cannot be broken. The knots of this Divine Thread are now coming undone and there is a free flow of Perfect Love.

Life is Good. God or the Universe or Divine Intelligence is Good. I now accept this for each and every person reading these words. Lives are changed as hearts are opened. Accept only the Good. Share that Good with everyone you meet. Love as you have never loved before. Remember you are an emmisary of the Divine. You have been chosen to spread Love by your Creator. This is your purpose. Begin Now!

These words I am speaking have power for they are coming through me from deep within. I release them knowing they are beginning a ripple of Good that shall start a Love Revolution.

I let go knowing it is done. And so it is. And so I let it be.

Peace and Blessings,

Mareda

For a personal affirmative prayer, 
please contact me at 
maredaeckert1@gmail.com.

For more information about me 

and the assistance I offer, 

please go to my website

www.maredaeckert.com.

Feel free to share this prayer.

Namaste.

Fifty Years!

Fifty years - 600 months, 2,607 weeks plus one day. I could go into days, hours, minutes and seconds but I think you get  the point. Lots of time.

The year of 2016 marks 50 years since I graduated from high school. It really doesn't seem possible. I still "feel" the energy of my school years. The fun, the excitement of a win at football, the winning basketball team, walking down the halls of DHS to an exam, the angst common in teenage years and so much more.

Earlier this year a group of the DHS Class of 1966 began to meet to plan the best reunion ever. At first, I wondered why in the world did I want to get involved. I'm already busy. I've been in planning sessions before and they ain't fun. A couple of people end up doing everything with others just offering criticism. But...

This is not what happened. We started meeting and these planning sessions became fun. We did the work. Goodness we even had an agenda and took notes. We made plans, set deadlines, and assigned projects. We also reconnected. It was almost like no time had gone by. Sure we are all a little bit more mature with our bodies showing symptoms of the fact that 50 years have passed. Some of us are a bit grayer, balder or have added a few pounds, but...

At heart, we remain the same. Kids who like to laugh and relive those glory days of high school. Forgotten are those times we didn't understand geometry. Forgotten are those days we felt inferior or self conscious. We remember the fun, the classmates, the teachers. Our reunion is still in the planning stages with two more meetings before the actual party. If our DHS Class of 1966 Reunion is half as much fun as the meetings have been, we will have succeeded in having the best reunion ever.

What does this experience tell me?  Remember the good times, the fun, the joy in living. Remember to laugh more, complain less. We tend to focus so much on the negative that we forget about all that is good. And I don't care what the media says, there is a lot of good in this world. Make the naysayers crazy with your laughter and positive attitude.

Maybe communities could have planning sessions that look for the good. Maybe their agendas could include the following:

Give hugs. 

Forgive. 

Show gratitude. 

As has been said before, be the change you wish to see in the world. 

And last but not least, LAUGH! Laugh till you cry! Big, bold, belly laughs. 

Staying with the subject of high school, maybe this can jumpstart the laughter. 

Peace and blessings,

Mareda

Sad...again!

I really don't have much to say. I really don't know what to say. The fear and hate felt by so many in this world is beyond my comprehension. So, once again, in the words of the late John Lennon:

Imagine

My wish for today is that the people who are saddened by the latest act of hate which occurred in Orlando stand up for what is right and good. That they unite in Love and Light. Darkness cannot prevail when the Light enters. 

May Peace surround and support all those who have been affected by senseless violence. 

Peace and blessings,

Mareda

Going Home...A Tribute to Those Who Have Left This World

Today a good friend is "going home." Others have gone before him and we will all follow at some point in the future. The majority of the time, I am accepting that this is a part of the life we live. It is just a step into another experience. An experience I expect to be one of Goodness, Truth and Infinite Love.

Sometimes I find it very difficult to accept this death of a body. Some people are just larger than life. There have been a few people who I still feel walk this earth. Maybe they do just not in a body as we know it. I can think of three people who fit this category.

Digna Amano Martin 
I worked with Digna years ago when I lived in DeSoto, Missouri. She was the nurse for Dr. Andres Bonifacio. We became very close friends. Digna was challenged with lupus. Her body was ravaged by this disease. Yet I never heard one complaint from her. She was there for everyone even to the week before her passing. Someone needed her help babysitting. She was there for that baby.

Ernie Hays
Ah, what can I say about Ernie that has not already been said? First time I heard of Ernie was when my minister, Rev. Satterlee, told me this man would be the new organist at our church. Rev. Satterlee said "he plays for the Baseball Cardinals." Not a baseball fan, I couldn't figure out how a baseball player was going to be in church on Sunday mornings. I soon discovered that Ernie was an extraordinary organist. He was also one of the sweetest most giving men I have ever known. His jokes were another story but made him all the more unique.

And then there is Marvin Levin
Today is the day Marvin is officially sent home. He graced this earth for 91+ years and left a legacy that few can match. His contributions to the diabetic community changed the scene for the diabetic foot. I cannot even find words to express what Marvin meant to me. His emotional support during a very difficult time in my life was always present. His "to-do" list on a yellow legal pad made the work day a little more organized and very busy. Yes, there were days when all I could say when he appeared in my office was "Marvin!"  He would respond with "Ok, I'm leaving now." Ah, to hear those words again. Maybe I will today at his Memorial Service.

Other family members and friends who have passed are missed and still loved beyond anything I could have imagined. It is not my intent to minimize their passing. There is just something different about these three people. I am wondering if any of you reading this blog have this experience.

The following song was played at my maternal grandfather's memorial service in early 1970. It has always touched my heart at a very deep level.

Going Home by Libera

Peace and Blessings,

Mareda