tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70142173132446629342024-03-13T13:44:40.250-07:00Your Little Light ShinesYour Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-72265763347897131262013-04-27T14:32:00.003-07:002013-04-27T14:32:37.350-07:00Twenty-somethings are rightEver see someone reading a newspaper and the headlines catch your attention; you're trying to read their newspaper while they hold the paper up? That happened to me yesterday at the car wash. When the lady put her paper away, I couldn't help but ask her if I could take a look at it. She gladly said yes, and told me I could keep the paper.<br />
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After I finished reading the topic of interest, I noticed a little human interest story about a boy on a skateboard who whizzed into the street and nearly collided with a car. It seems the boy was in a hurry to get home to tell his mom that he had finally made the honor roll after struggling with math for two years. He attributed his success to the <a href="http://www.lumosity.com/">Luminosity</a> website where he practiced the memory games everyday. On the last blog (April 24th), I spoke about the Jose, the MIT student who said that young people are involved in self-learning because of the internet.<br />
What a wonderful example!Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-90190447204857189802013-04-24T10:55:00.001-07:002013-04-24T10:55:36.684-07:00Hopeful twenty-somethingsWhen I volunteered for a local election, one of my assigned duties was a poll watcher, which, of course, I had never done before. I arrived at the location and was greeted by a young man (twenty-something), Jose, who was the first check point for the voters. When I announced my duty, I was given a seat a few feet away from Jose. The other poll workers were elderly women who were intent on sharing their soap opera views; how long they have been watching the soaps, which soaps they were watching, and wasn't it a shame that some soaps were taken off the air.<br />
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Jose and I began to talk. Turns out he is a student at MIT. We talked about quantum physics; he talked about the "perfection" of the atom. We talked about religion and how science and religion really do intersect. One of the most interesting things that he shared with me was that gang related crime was decreasing. He said that the internet has opened up worlds of possibility. High risk youths are no longer confined to a neighborhood corner life of crime; they now see/have/are exposed to world wide open options. He said that many young people are self-teaching themselves. They find something of interest and can gather and explore all kinds of information about it online and can become "expert" in a particular field. <span class="st">The internet information explosion also affects college (bound) students. </span><span class="st"><span class="st">Some students, </span>once they become "expert," question the value of a tradition college degree citing Gates, Jobs, and Zuckerberg as examples. He believes that the way companies hire people is also changing and there is an increase desire in young people to become entrepreneurs. Interesting insights from an impressive young man.</span><br />
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<span class="st">Additional information can change opinions, beliefs, and subsequent behavior.</span>Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-64419623933237129842013-04-17T09:28:00.001-07:002013-04-17T10:28:22.221-07:00Safe in his father's armsAfter the last blog, I was in a shopping center going down an escalator, and in front of me was (I presume) a father holding his infant son. The baby's face was all scrunched up like he was really trying, at any second, to get that cry out. I wondered if the father began to talk to him, if the baby would stop crying. The father pointed up to distract the baby into looking at a giant mobile hanging from the ceiling. The more the escalator traveled downward, the more the baby wanted to cry. When they reached the bottom, the father turned and got on the escalator going back up. The baby seemed satisfied and kept looking up at the moving mobile. <br />
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I thought what an experience to be embedded in the baby's subconscious. That baby will never consciously remember that particular experience, but the sense of safety in his father's arms will be a subconscious memory.<br />
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People need to feel safe. For women particularly, it's one of the primary needs that a man can provide. Even in basic psychology, Maslow's hierarchy of needs lists safety on the second level. That is why, as a society, we feel so assaulted when our sense of safety is threatened.<br />
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Our prayers and thoughts are with the families of the victims of the Boston Marathon.Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-79094091468849834422013-04-11T10:46:00.001-07:002013-04-11T10:46:26.279-07:00A father's voiceI really love that quantum physics makes you aware of what you think you are looking at, you really may not see. It enables you to more readily change your thoughts and beliefs and therefore, your behavior.<br />
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A hole was drilled in the center of <i><b>Your Little Light Shines</b></i> to remind you, as you read, to look at things from a different perspective. For example, when you speak, you think words simply come out of your mouth. What if you change your thoughts to truly understand that when you speak, the vibrations of your vocal cords produce sound waves. All waves are rhythmic disturbances that transfer energy through space or matter. Sounds (your words) are waves (rhythmic disturbances) that move (transfer energy) through air, water, steel, skin, or other materials (matter).<br />
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Layer this understanding over information from Verny's book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Unborn-Child-Prepare/dp/0440505658"><i><b>The Secret Life of the Unborn Child</b></i></a>, that reports a child can hear in utero (in the womb). There is scientific evidence that hearing his father's voice makes a big emotional difference. "In cases where a man talked to his child in utero using short soothing words, the newborn was able to pick out his father's voice in a room even in the first hour or two of life. More than pick it out, he responds to it emotionally. If he's crying, for instance, he'll stop. That familiar, soothing sound tells him he is safe. (p. 51)"<br />
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Layer this information over another tidbit from Verny's book (p. 67), "On some level all emotional conflicts grow out of memories, whether the recollections are conscious ones or, as is more often the case, unconscious. … All of us have lost memories that from their hiding place—the unconscious—can exert a powerful influence over our lives."Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-44275232595739368362013-04-10T11:17:00.000-07:002013-04-10T11:53:58.741-07:00In the wombThere was a moment when I was going to (sub)title my book, "We serve a microscopic God." It played well with quantum physics which studies matter and energy at the level of molecules, atoms, or smaller. Many years ago I did a bible study where I passed around slides from a biology class that had tiny red-stained dots on it. Each dot represented hundreds and hundreds of cells that could only be seen with a microscope. (Ever think about the mind that invented the microscope?) I asked the class, "When God said, 'Let<br />
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us make man in our image, after our likeness' what image was He talking about? The<br />
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image of an adult man or the image, invisible-to-the-human-eye, of a single microscopic sperm cell that fuses with a microscopic single ovum?" These invisible-to-the-human-eye cells contain all the DNA of the fully developed, individual adult. That question was followed with, "When God looks at a mustard seed, does He see the seed or does He see the fully grown tree with birds on its branches? (Matthew 13:24)"<br />
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How is that relevant today? A friend called with the distressing news that her grandson had been arrested (again). Often times our behavior is a result of beliefs that are embedded in our subconscious, of which we have no awareness. Sometimes we are as addicted to certain emotions as a drug addict is to heroin (see April 5, 2013 blog) and we are not aware that we have an addiction. Many times, as adults, we are still challenged with what happened to us in utero. <br />
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Some books everyone should read, study, and keep in their library. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Unborn-Child-Prepare/dp/0440505658"><i><b>The Secret Life of the Unborn Child</b></i></a> by Thomas Verny, M.D. with John Kelly is one. The book says that how the unborn child (fetus) experiences the mother's womb whether "friendly or hostile—does create personality and character predispositions." A warm, loving womb produces a child who is predisposed to trust, openness, and self-confidence. A hostile, rejecting womb produces a child who is predisposed to suspicion, distrust, and introversion. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Unborn-Child-Prepare/dp/0440505658"><i><b>The Secret Life of the Unborn Child</b></i></a> says for the child in a hostile womb, "Relating to others will be hard … Life will be more difficult for him than for a child who had a good womb experience."<br />
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Sometimes the reasons why we act the way we act are deeply hidden in our psyches.Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-75108068093246328392013-04-05T09:14:00.001-07:002013-04-05T09:17:52.476-07:00The beach imitates life (aka change is hard!)After volunteering for a local election, my head was spinning and I needed major quiet, contemplative time so I decided to go to the beach, something I hadn't done for a long, long time. I didn't remember how hard it was to walk barefoot through the sand and I, on purpose, had to slow down even though I wanted to get close to the ocean as quickly as I could. In slowing down, I had to focus on my steps—what I was doing at the moment—rather than the end purpose. I had to concentrate to make sure my walk was as steady as possible because the sand had uneven, lumpy mounds and sharp broken shells. Isn't that like life? There were a number of people on the beach, mothers with children, teenagers, homeless people, sleeping, soaking in the sun, flying kites, sitting quietly. I wanted to find a quiet spot and had to walk a lot further than I had anticipated.<br />
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I paused to look to my left and several miles down the coastline were tall cylindrical, smokestack like structures billowing out heavy plumes of smoke. With respect to environmental ordinances, it still looked like pollution. The teenagers were also smoking. I thought about how difficult it is to break habits; how difficult it is to make a change. <i><b>Your Little Light Shines</b></i> talks about how difficult it is to change eating/(lack of) exercise habits, even after a serious heart attack. Change is difficult because often times we are addicted; and most times we don't even understand that we are addicted. In <i><b>What the Bleep Do We Know!?</b></i>, there is an excellent explanation about how the brain emits a chemical for every emotion we experience. We can become as addicted to our emotions as a drug addict is to heroin—which means that if you have a tendency to worry, you may be addicted to anxiety and seek out those situations that cause anxiety in order to get your "chemical" fix. Here is a video link to a clip of <i><b>What the Bleep Do We Know!?</b></i> that explains how we can become addicted to emotions: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BkI8LD24y0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BkI8LD24y0</a>. It really, really is worth a look!<br />
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My walk on the beach was not as enjoyable as I had first envisioned when I decided to make the drive. But I continued until I did find a spot isolated from the smoke and the voices so I could focus on my thoughts and spend some quiet time with God. This experience imitated life. Sometimes we have to walk a lot further than we imagined. Sometimes the walk is laborious. Sometimes when you reach a certain point, you still have work to do. Sometimes you have to force yourself to become quiet. Though the walk may not have been enjoyable, it certainly was memorable. Because I continued to walk, I accomplished my goal.Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-69898443093966869592013-04-03T21:28:00.001-07:002013-04-03T21:30:36.452-07:00Right in front of you and you didn't noticeIn the beginning (forward) of <i><b>Your Little Light Shines</b></i>, I talked about subliminal messages. Toward the end of the book, I pleaded with you to turn off your cell phones, computers, etc. and spend some alone time with God. During one of the book club discussions, someone suggested I read the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brainwashed-Challenging-Myth-Black-Inferiority/dp/1401925928"><i><b>Brainwashed</b></i></a> by Tom Burrell. I thought what better person to talk about subliminal messages than the (retired, Advertising Hall of Fame inductee) founder of an advertising agency.<br />
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I ordered the book from amazon.com and when the book was delivered, I was busy with something else so I just opened the package and put it on the living room table—but not before I noticed and admired the high gloss finish on the cover. The next day or so, I noticed, from a certain angle, what appeared to be smears running across the cover. I thought to myself that must have happened when the printer put on the high gloss finish; maybe it didn't dry enough.<br />
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The book had been sitting on the table for several days before I noticed that what I thought were smears were actually words that had been screened transparent and placed over the image of the face that took up the entire cover. <br />
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What a tremendous example of subliminal messaging. Well done!<br />
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<br />Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-83123857232556629862013-04-01T13:58:00.000-07:002013-04-01T13:58:11.114-07:0029 years ago, a father killed his sonIt's been 29 years since legendary singer Marvin Gaye was shot and killed by his father—Sunday, April 1, 1984. I had met Marvin, in (of all places) Omaha, Nebraska yet I was in Los Angeles on a business trip when I heard the news. Our "acquaintanceship" was very new as we had just met in October and it was still very positive. Several months after his death, I dreamed about Marvin. As I ran my fingers across the bullet holes, his skin was translucent with a cool, smooth marble feel to it. In this dream, we talked about his life and I asked, "If you had it to do all over again, what would you do differently?" His answer was, "I didn't trust enough." After our dream conversation, I experienced an incredible, tranquil feeling of peace where the peace and I actually became one. I had always been a worrier, ridden with anxiety. But in this instance, I was suspended in peace; peace was all around me and in me and over me and upon me. I did not have a care in the world and I truly could have stayed where I was forever. After the dream was over, it felt as if an angel gently woke me up to tell me that he would be okay. I sat up, awake, calm, and continued to bask in the residuals of the peace.<br />
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I recently spoke to a friend with health challenges who had a similar feeling of peace which helped to remove any fear of death. We shared our experiences like two excited children on a discovery.<br />
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That feeling of peace began the search that guided me to Christianity. Though I vividly remember the experience 29 years later, I have not been able to duplicate it. I still worry (the reason I meditate), no doubt because I don't trust enough. However, the experience keeps my mind open to tenets of quantum physics where other worlds exist. Some would call this world heaven, where peace reigns. It gives a more pronounced meaning to the words, "rest in peace."<br />
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I wanted to suggest a video of the universe but could not find the one I really wanted. I came across this one that gives a quantum physics perspective on the biggest galaxy to the smallest atom by the National Geographic Channel. Hope you enjoy (<a href="http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/the-biggest-and-smallest/">http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/the-biggest-and-smallest/</a>)!!!Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-84035462607405649852013-03-29T13:57:00.003-07:002013-03-29T14:04:46.656-07:00Children KnowAs you promote your book via book clubs and speaking engagements, you'll have some enriching experiences. One Saturday afternoon a friend came to a book club discussion with his three sons in tow; the eldest, named Jahhson, is eleven years old. We were talking about what happens scientifically when the voice of an opera singer shatters a wine glass; something discussed in <i><b>Your Little Light Shines</b>, a quantum physics look at the bible.</i> These three young children were fully engaged. I then asked how could Jesus walk through walls? Jahhson said if Jesus could speed up his molecules to the point where they were the same as the molecules in the wall, Jesus could walk through the wall.<br />
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And that, from an eleven year old's point of view, is an explanation of Einstein's renowned equation E = mc<span style="font-size: x-small;">2</span> where energy equals mass times the speed of light squared. Under the right conditions energy can become mass and vice versa. They are interchangeable; energy and mass (or matter) are different forms of the same thing. Whenever mass (or matter) is converted to pure energy, the energy by definition is moving at the speed of light. If you want more scientific insight, please visit the NOVA website (<a href="http://pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/legacy-of-e-equals-mc2.html">pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/legacy-of-e-equals-mc2.html</a>).<br />
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Even without the science, you can still appreciate that Einstein's discoveries underscore many modern technological advances like lasers, computers, fiber optics, photoelectric cells. So the next time you use a microwave or your cell phone, think about how these conveniences are the results of the thoughts of a sixteen year old. Einstein was sixteen years old when he first tried to envision what it would be like to ride on a beam of light.<br />
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Here's another thought for you to appreciate: a raisin (mass/matter) has enough energy in it to supply most of New York city's energy needs for a day. How much energy resides in you?!!!Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-71062679704815048822013-03-28T12:01:00.000-07:002013-03-28T12:01:20.431-07:00Where did the time go?I can't believe this much time has past since my last blog!!! I have been a recovering first time author. Recovering from the imaginations of a traditional publishing house picking up my book so I could retire from the royalties. It didn't happen that way for me (which doesn't mean it won't happen for you!). So I have had to dig in and begin to self promote the book. Sometimes I ask myself if I had really understood how much time, effort, and money this would take, would I have done it? Every time the answer is yes, although some yeses are weaker/stronger than others.<br />
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There is something about publishing a book that soothes your essence. The feeling of holding your book is probably akin to holding your first baby. The thought that your book will exist for aeons after you pass away is indescribable. Your experiences along the way will be priceless. Last week at a book club, I shared my experience when Dr. Maya Angelou personally called to tell me she found my book to be "fetching" — I still get the goose bumps.<br />
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I recently spoke at a women's club and spent some time explaining the concept of image streaming that I first learned about in <i><b>The Einstein Factor</b></i> by Win Wenger, Ph.D. and Richard Poe (<a href="http://www.winwenger.com/imstream.htm">www.winwenger.com/imstream.htm</a>). Millions of images are being streamed into our conscious and subconscious via the television, internet, movies, and other visuals—all someone else's images. With the techniques explained by Dr. Wenger, the images are your own and in the process you can enhance your memory and creativity and improve your brain health.<br />
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Afterwards, a very excited woman came up to me and said that recently her three year old grandson asked her to close her eyes and describe what she saw. Then he asked her to keep her eyes closed and describe a beautiful forest. Three years old!<br />
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The concept of image streaming is so important to changing your perspective, I invite you to spend a moment at Dr. Wenger's website. Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-91404993706427859252012-07-16T11:36:00.000-07:002012-07-16T11:48:55.666-07:002nd Customer ReviewQuite an interesting weekend, one of those first-time author experiences. Received a rejection letter from Destiny Image. As I was warding off those feelings of rejection, I checked my amazon.com listing and there was, to my amazement, another five star review. Before we jump from rejection to happy, in <i><b>Your Little Light Shines</b></i>, I shared that you remember things in the state you learned them. Whenever you are feeling depressed or rejected, you will more easily recall other situations that made you feel depressed or rejected. The reason why you should not dwell on a hurtful memory is because it grows into thoughts of all your other collective hurtful memories and it becomes overwhelming. You think about the rejection letter from Destiny Image and all of a sudden you remember something negative your ex did to you. So you have got to manage what you think about.<br />
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Now we can jump to happy. One of the things that flabbergasts me is when someone (a perfect stranger) gets something from the book and writes a review. This review, from "real health hope blogger" who lives in Kentucky, said, "This is the book I'd been looking for and thought I might have to try to put together myself. I intend to use it in teaching very smart "church raised" recovering drug addicts. It is EXACTLY the book we need for just such a time as this. It "shines THE light" through Scripture and removes the "tatoos" from the reader's soul."<br />
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I am humbled.<br />
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I love the tattoo analogy. Once something is imprinted or tattooed in our memory, it takes as much effort to remove that memory as it does physical effort to remove a tattoo.<br />
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Thank you Real Health Hope Blogger for taking time to write the review and giving me words of encouragement.Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-63045016592114976442012-07-14T11:15:00.000-07:002012-07-14T11:21:28.224-07:00They have known for yearsThere is nothing I love better than a good, lively discussion about scripture. There is always something new to discover. Much of my interest in the Old Testament is because it's foundational to the New Testament. You have to have a good solid foundation first, before you start to build.<br />
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In order to better understand the New Testament, we have to understand and respect that Jesus was a Jew. He was born a Jew. He was raised a Jew. He worshipped God as a Jew. All of his apostles and disciples were Jews. All of the writers of the bible were Jews. They were taught as Jews. They thought as Jews.<br />
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The books in my library about the Talmud are valuable resources. When I began to collect volumes of the English translation of <i><b>The Talmud The Steinsaltz Edition</b></i> (published by Random House), I did not know anything about Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. In the process of writing my book, I found out that <i>Time</i> magazine, in 1988, hailed him as a "once-in-a-millennium scholar."<br />
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Because intelligence is the attribute that is most attractive to me, I just knew that I could learn something from Rabbi Adin Steinseltz who, born in 1937, is currently living in Jerusalem. His website is <a href="http://www.steinsaltz.org/">http://www.steinsaltz.org</a>.<br />
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I ordered his book, <i><b>The Thirteen Petalled Rose</b></i>. I was just astonished that some of the information I labored to present in <i><b>Your Little Light Shines</b></i> just rolled off of his tongue in a manner like, doesn't everyone know this? He begins his book with "The physical world in which we live, the objectively observed universe around us, is only a part of an inconceivably vast systems of worlds. Most of these worlds are spiritual in their essence; they are of a different order from our known world. Which does not necessarily mean that they exist somewhere else, but means rather that they exist in different dimensions of being." Fasten you seat belt.Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-37702226575000882802012-07-11T10:15:00.001-07:002012-07-14T10:17:56.486-07:00What I discovered, "they" already knewI can't believe it's been over a month since my last blog. I've reached the age where I attend more funerals than weddings and this month I had some involvement with two homegoing services. My good friend lost her ex-husband. They had been married for forty-nine years and five years ago they divorced. Even though they had done pre-need planning for their funeral services years ago and made arrangements to be buried together in the same crypt, it was difficult to see how her opinions and wishes were relegated to the "legal" next of kin. It was also difficult to watch the current girlfriend on the scene. We live, we die, we leave stuff behind.<br />
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It reminds me of a quote from Dr. Maya Angelou, "I've learned that every day you should
reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly
pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've
learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what
you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."<br />
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When Dr. Angelou called me, she suggested that I read <i><b>The Seat of the Soul</b></i> by Gary Zukav. I ordered several of his books. In the introduction of <i><b>The Dancing Wu Li Masters</b></i>, I found another source of inspiration. Zukav said, "When I wrote <i><b>The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics</b></i>, I had never written a book and I had never studied physics." Me either, me either. His comments encouraged me over and over and over again. He said that he just knew this book would sell and all he needed to do was his part—to continue writing. That's got to be a source of inspiration for all new authors.<br />
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Many of the things I discovered in my journey, Gary Zukav knew over thirty years ago when he wrote his book in 1979. And so I pass along Dr. Angelou's recommendation. You can learn more from Gary Zukav at <a href="http://www.seatofthesoul.com/">www.seatofthesoul.com</a>.Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-87872684425098321842012-06-01T10:21:00.000-07:002012-06-01T10:30:21.375-07:00Now you see it; now you don't<i><b>Your Little Light Shines</b>, a quantum physics look at the bible</i> helps you to change your perspective and perhaps your behavior because from a quantum physics point of view, it helps you recall that what you think you have been looking at all along, you really may not have seen. <br />
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Over the holiday weekend, after a press release was sent out, the website received a large number of views from reddit.com. Because I was not familiar with reddit.com, my curiosity caused me to investigate. The full name of the website was reddit.com/r/atheism. Of course, you can imagine my concern when after the release, the website to promote a Christian book received all these visits from atheists. I first saw it as a world-wide, organized effort. There were views from England, Switzerland, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Spain, etc. But the views only lasted for a few seconds. I thought I was being surrounded by spiritual forces and called my friend for prayer. Later that restless night, I got up to really investigate reddit.<br />
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Apparently, it is a very popular social news website where after someone submits content (the press release), the other users vote the submission up or down. The votes determine the submission's (the press release) position on the reddit site's pages. Submissions with the most "up" votes are posted on the front page. There are thousands of sub-reddits including world news, videos, science, movies, and alas, atheism. There is even a Christian reddit.<br />
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So what I first saw as one thing, with additional information, I could look at it in a different light and finally get a good night's sleep.Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-48491696495270633532012-05-30T10:41:00.000-07:002012-06-01T10:25:53.985-07:001st Customer Review<i><b>Your Little Light Shines</b>, a quantum physics look at the bible</i> received its 1st customer review May 27, 2012 on amazon.com and what a review it was!<br />
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Whoever you are Joan C. Fullmore, many, many heartfelt thanks!!!<br />
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"A must read for fearless Christians," Joan also said, "I was very impressed with this book and its in-depth grasp of language and transliteration and connectivity between quantum physics and various so called 'new age' practices and how they intersect with Biblical teachings. If you only read pages 121-133, this book will change forever the way you approach praise and worship.<br />
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BRAVO! to Ms. Williamson and the dedication to research and language she undertook to write this book. I will never read the semi-colon and especially the colon the same!!!"<br />
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Joan, I am humbled by your comments. Thank you very much for taking your time to write this review and share it with others. Your words are also a source of encouragement and a bright "light" on this book publishing journey.<br />
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<br />Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-79728615674494892162012-05-25T12:25:00.003-07:002012-05-26T11:17:00.189-07:00My Maya Angelou AngelWhen trying to publish your book, you really have to be aware of the add-on costs of e-book/on-demand publishers. They lure you with the promise of publishing your book for a certain package deal, $900, $1,600, $3,500, or more. They list everything that you will get in the particular package, for example, editorial support. The editorial support consists of a cursory review with comments "purposed" to make you feel that you may not have done a good job and perhaps you do need more help. Then they recommend a more comprehensive editorial review for an additional $3,500. The add-ons can increase the total publishing costs to well over $10,000.<br />
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It just so happened that Dr. Maya Angelou's call to me came shortly before the e-book/on-demand publisher's editorial review. It was like the good angel was whispering in one ear and the bad angel was whispering in the other. If it had not been for Dr. Angelou's comments, this is the point that I would have faltered on the project because I did not have the $10,000. The battle in my mind had begun. The bad angel was really talking, "Dr. Angelou said that your book was fetching, she didn't say that it was well-written." The e-book/on-demand publisher wanted to know what qualified me to write the book. The bad angel asked, "Yeah, what really does qualify you?" At one point, I had to scream to myself that whether the book was well-written or not (from an editorial perspective), there was something about the book, that first of all, caused Dr. Angelou to pick the book up to read and to continue to read it; to put it down and pick it back up again and again; and, most importantly, to personally call me to tell me that she found the book to be fetching! This "phenomenal" woman is a world renowned accomplished author. Imagine the many books she has read in her life. Imagine the many people who have sent her their manuscripts.<br />
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That was more than enough to shut the bad angel's mouth even though I had one final phone conversation with the "editor" for the e-book/on-demand publisher. He questioned whether the call really came from Dr. Angelou because he said there are so many on-line scams. He wanted to know how she even got a copy of the book. (I sent it to her.) I detected some aggression in his voice. What I was really witnessing was "intent." Now, in the process of trying to publish the book, I take a moment to think about "intent" before I make a decision to use a certain vendor or supplier. Doing business on-line can be quite treacherous. The intent of the editor was to sell me the more expensive editorial package. Dr. Angelou's intent was angelically pure. She called to compliment and to encourage—a perfect stranger. Can you imagine a life like that(?)—where you are able to help so many others and the intent of your heart is so pure. wow!Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-23712629954092702502012-05-23T10:54:00.000-07:002012-05-23T11:06:29.008-07:00My Maya Angelou Dance<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When God passed out rhythm, I was at the end of the line. Even in my pre-teen years, enough people laughed at my attempts to dance that I hung up my dancing shoes. I attend a pentecostal church where when the "spirit" hits, some folks break out into a dance. I always look at them in amazement as I have to make an effort to even clap to the beat of the music. So after Dr. Maya Angelou called me on November 16, 2011 to tell me she thought my book </span><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>"Your Little Light Shines"</b></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> was fetching, I was so excited—amazed—filled with wonder, something inside of me exploded and caused me to start twirling in my living room. I was stomping as I was turning with such speed. Then suddenly, I would switch directions. My arms were waving in the air. I kept moving, almost uncontrollably. And I was shouting, too! I stomped so much that later I could "feel" my knee joints. I shouted so much that my voice became a little hoarse. I call that wonderful experience my very first praise dance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you're writing your (first) book, amidst the challenges, frustrations, and rejections, there will be moments of celebration; moments when your spirit soars; moments when you dance and shout. Capture those moments in your memory, imprint them on your mind because you will need to recall them—often. Whatever you focus your thoughts on, you will attract more of the same. When the moments of frustration and rejections come, and they most assuredly will, you will have a natural response to them. Okay. Those are the times when you need to make a conscious effort to recall your moments of joy. Even though I may not feel like dancing at the time, I am quick to recall that Jack Canfield and his co-author of the </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Soup-Writers-Soul-Rekindle/dp/product-description/1558747710" style="color: #f1c232;"><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Chicken Soup for the Soul</b></i></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span>series received rejections from over 100 publishers (some sources say 123, 134, 144) before they found a small publisher to take on the project. When those moments come, if you need some help to refocus your thoughts, read the book description on the above <i>Chicken Soup</i> link. It will encourage you. Just keep going!!!</span>Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014217313244662934.post-37029706069010168032012-05-21T15:18:00.000-07:002012-05-21T16:34:35.138-07:00Thank you, Dr. Maya Angelou<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thank you, Dr. Maya Angelou</span></b><br />
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Writing your first book is quite an adventure. I'm going to use this blog to share my experiences as a first-time writer, in hopes that (in case you want to write a book or you know someone who does) it will help with some of your "challenges" as you begin your journey.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My first advice is to never give up. You never know when your miracle will happen. My book, <i><b>Your Little Light Shines,</b> a quantum physics look at the bible,</i> took a number of years to write.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because my background is marketing/advertising/graphic design, I printed 100 advanced copies using my own (commercial) printer (I'll share tips about that later). My intent was to send copies to everyone I quoted in the book, as a courtesy and I also did not want to violate any copyright laws. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Imagine my amazement and astonishment when on November 16, 2011, my telephone rang and the caller id showed Maya Angelou. Because I answered the phone and the call was "live", the only way I could make my friends believe that she really did call was to take a picture of the caller id on my phone. I think I had to make myself believe it also because the experience was so surreal. If you want to know more about the experience right now, you can go to my website, </span><a href="http://www.yourlittlelightshines.com/" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">www.yourlittlelightshines.com</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> and it will link to<span style="color: red;"> </span></span><a href="http://amazon.com/dp/B007V3MB9M" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">amazon.com</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> where you can peek at the book's forward. Dr. Maya Angelou said she found my book to be </span><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">FETCHING!</i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> After Dr. Angelou's call, I danced and shouted and danced some more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I think about Dr. Angelou, I cannot describe what an amazing woman she is. Dr. Angelou did not know me at all—not at all, yet she took time from her very busy schedule to reach down, grab me by my hand and lift me up with her words (in "that voice") of encouragement and advice. Yes, this is the same </span><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings</i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the Pulse of Morning</i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Phenomenal Woman</i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> herself </span><a href="http://www.mayaangelou.com/" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">www.mayaangelou.com</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. What kind of person does that? What kind of soul does that? Because that experience doesn't happen very often (to me), I call it a miracle and I think of Dr. Angelou as an angel. I've written her to let her know that without her words of
encouragement, I would have faltered on this project. How do you thank
someone for being an anchor in a storm? </span><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Thank you, Dr. Maya Angelou!</b></i>Your Little Light Shineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17473316159094757704noreply@blogger.com0