Whatever we add to others becomes extension of our soul. Sharing our energy and kindness can change the world of one or many. Spiritual growth is exactly that. Not A+ on your spiritual knowledge but how much do you share and positively add and influence others.

I received the following story titled ‘Red Marbles’ in an email from a dear friend.

RED MARBLES
By W. E. Petersen (first appeared in the October 1975 Ensign Magazine)

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.
Pondering the peas, I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

‘Hello Barry, how are you today?’

‘H’lo , Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus’ admirin’ them peas.. They sure look good.’

‘They are good, Barry. How’s your Ma?’

‘Fine. Gittin’ stronger alla’ time.’

‘Good. Anything I can help you with?’

‘No, Sir. Jus’ admirin’ them peas.’

‘Would you like to take some home?’ asked Mr. Miller.

‘No, Sir. Got nuthin’ to pay for ‘em with.’

‘Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?’

‘All I got’s my prize marble here.’

‘Is that right? Let me see it’ said Miller..

‘Here ’tis. She’s a dandy.’

‘I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?’ the store owner asked..

‘Not zackley but almost..’

‘Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble’.. Mr… Miller told the boy.

‘Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.’

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, ‘There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn’t like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.’

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr.. Miller had died…

They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could..

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts…all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband’s casket.. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her, and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one; each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband’s bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

‘Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about.. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim ‘traded’ them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size……they came to pay their debt.’

‘We’ve never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,’ she confided, ‘but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho.’

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.
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The Moral: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath…..

Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn’t make yourself…An unexpected phone call from an old friend…Green stoplights on your way to work…The fastest line at the grocery store…A good sing-along song on the radio…Your keys found right where you left them.

Forward or copy and send this to the people you’ll never forget…

Surely you have one person in your life to appreciate and share this story.

IT’S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED.

I dug this out of the old poems chest.
For myself, you and for the rest of the world.
We can always do better.

Wake up the eagle
© Copyright 1997 Zion Nefesh

wake up the eagle,
the eagle inside
set it free
wide wings to spread
and neck to stretch

wake up the eagle
let it rise
jump high and fly
to seventh sphere then climb
where no border to confine

seek and touch heaven,
rule the skies and
unlock the hidden divine
wake up the eagle
the eagle inside

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A member of my ‘Spiritually Group’ on Facebook recently asked me, “What is the place of the woman in spirituality, beyond the boundaries of religion?” My original response was brief, but I would now like to elaborate more on the subject.

Let us begin by making an important distinction between religion and spirituality. Most, if not all, religions do not truly practice spirituality. The fact that people worship a spiritual entity (or entities) does not mean they are spiritual. In fact, many religions now function as social groups or even cults—in one form or another—with rules defined by their leaders, who use their own interpretation of the spiritual system to worship God.
In most religions, women have been relegated to playing a minor role. In fact, some religious groups actually treat women as though they were second class citizens. We should understand, however, that a religion is fundamentally flawed if it does not grant the woman her proper place in the world, in order to fulfill her important role as intended by Creation.

True spirituality requires the woman. In the same way that one cannot create an electric current without the right and left poles, one cannot engage in true spiritual work without the equal—albeit different—participation of both man and woman. In fact, without the woman, nothing can grow. Just because the man can plant a seed in the ground, it does not mean he can bring the tree to life. To nurture the seed, the man cannot do so by himself. The same concept applies in spiritual work. Therefore, man and woman depend equally on one another to fulfill their roles in the world.

Women have been infused with the ability to bring forth life (and, in more ways than one). The woman has the inherent power to manifest given her stronger desire to draw the energy to make things happen in the world. The ability to activate the circuitry and flow of life energy to its fullest potential belongs to women. As such, if an idea is not supported by a woman—in one way or another—it will not come to fruition. As the saying goes, “Behind every successful man, there is a woman.”
Throughout history, women have played a key role in raising the consciousness and awareness of humanity. In fact, the woman’s primary role as defined in spirituality is to help connect all of humanity to the quantum, to the source of everything. It should be understood, however, that women should not do this only as members of a religious organization. Fulfilling their roles—doing the job dictated by Creation—should be part of a personal desire to help awaken and elevate human consciousness to a state of unity, in order to break the chains that have held us back from achieving true fulfillment. In fact, it is only women that can transform all “the talk” about unconditional love and human dignity into spiritual energy to manifest in the world.

To all the women in the world that have been trained to think they do not possess spiritual powers or have a lesser role to play, take note. And, just for a moment, think about this: What would happen if woman stopped accepting the seed of man? What would happen if the earth stopped absorbing water?

On the day of the full moon of the month of Aquarius, Israelites and Jews celebrate a “new year” for the trees.
The energy of Aquarius represents and is related to the future of humanity. The concealed meaning of this day between the trees and humans is the connection to the Tree of Life. The full moon of Aquarius, which is a full reflection of the Sun’s light reveals the total energy of the month on this world.

The biblical code is in Genesis  and tells us that we came from the Garden of Eden where we had the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge, Good and Bad.

Our soul came from the infinite source of creation, the Tree of Life or however your belief system describes it.

We are like fruitful trees. We join the energy of Male and Female to bring children, “the fruits of our loins”. When they mature they separate themselves from the source tree in order to create a tree of their own and bring more fruits.

This is the cycle of life. On a yearly cycle and on this day there is an ability to connect to the original Tree of Life to “recharge” the process of continuity in the world.

This year we had a partial lunar eclipse on the same day, which means a disturbance in the flow of the energy. Six months later on July 22, 2009, which is the first day of the moon of Leo we will have a total Solar Eclipse.

Let us hope and pray that this year will not be negative.