I AM
Sitting in silence I look, I wait.
I do not hear the rustle of movement but I feel you move.
I stand flush with excitement as I know you are near.
Hearing your whisper, my spirit sinks into your comforting embrace.
With Spirit surrounding my mind there is peace.
I press my heart closer to heaven
To hear you words more clearly.
I am swept away with soul listening.
Mesmerized by the timber of your voice.
I speak not just to you, but with you.
Whole.
Blessed.
I am.
~ Barbara Bernard Miller
ONE
One glance and the connection is acknowledged.
One conversation and all is made clear.
It is the ease and the peace and the trust that feels familiar.
The timber of your voice resonates from time before time.
This can be no mistaken identity.
And as I go inside my mind and transcend thoughts into that place of knowing.
I remember the brilliance of your soul as it was illuminated by God’s face.
Every inch of my soul screams in the ecstasy of remembering.
Not of the temporal knowledge but of the eternal knowledge that I have found you at long last.
This is not a discovery of who you are but a remembering of who you have always been.
The white light sparkle that drips from you intermingles with the same that drips from me.
And with this recognition comes a longing to romp, roll, and revel in the wisdom of your soul.
And again, we can be one.
One of mind, seeking to live in truth.
One of heart, beating with the love of all that is real and unfettered by mortal temples.
One path, skipping forward into the bliss of reunion.
One love, of which all things are created.
Simply one.
~ Barbara Bernard Miller
SOUL REMEMBERING
This journey of remembering my soul is a meandering path.
Along the way are strewn memories that have been hidden from myself.
Clues are peaking from behind laughter and tears pointing to bumps, bruises, and elations.
In my sporadic attempts to reach into my core essence
I begin to hear the whispers of my true purpose.
That dream I dream is a siren’s call.
That goal I’ve set is urging me to know myself.
The keys to my very existence sit before me in the echo of my childhood thoughts.
This is not a longing for what could be.
It is an awakening inside of me of what already is.
How have I come this far without fathoming my truth?
Today I will let my soul speak through images and intuitions.
I will be guided into my truth by my heart leading my head for but a time.
I shall recognize myself in the creation of my hands.
I shall touch my soul for this brief time, exposing it gently to the world.
Embracing the hidden friend that is forever here.
This time I will remember.
And for a brief moment, I may recognize myself as whole.
~ Barbara Bernard Miller
INVITATION OF THE SOUL
With giddy anticipation building, I quietly prepare my journey.
Gathering all I need, I step into the space, sacred but not silent.
Simplicity itself creates an opening where laughter can coax up imagination.
Connections exploding like popcorn around the room from one heart to another.
Voices ebbing and flowing as energy swirls and twirls and dwindles into reflection.
Searching being half the fun and vision the remaining, I feel a kiss of friendship.
Sharing, holding back, wiping a tear unidentified as joy or sorrow.
There in this space exists no pressure to perform.
No should, no ought, no obligation, only a calling forth of the soul.
Song and silence both opening the heart for recognition.
In community lies safety to expose the soul to those longing to see it.
Wandering to and fro with laughter and dancing spontaneously bubbling forth.
I stand face to face and recognize a picture into my very essence, claiming it as my own.
At the closing moment, with reverence and honor I look into the eyes of others.
I see a bit of me, in divine glory, looking back.
So the angels dance, twirling the energy of the moment in glorifying release.
Whooooooshhhhhh.
Awaiting the final chime of bell to close the celebration.
With more love, more insight, and more of me, I retreat to solitary reflection.
Heart complete and full until the next time I am beckoned forth by an invitation of the soul.
~ Barbara Bernard Miller
Today I was in the office and my cube-mate was playing some holiday music by consent of our small group. Most were happy and light and it was fun to hear them. Then one song came on that made me stop. I’ve heard it many times but for some reason in that moment, I found myself really, really listening as if for the first time. It was Josh Groban singing O Holy Night. His voice reverberated all the way to my soul and I was engulfed in a wave of praise and prayer. I had goose bumps and I could almost see every angel drop to their knees and join in the song. It was a tender, precious, holy moment in remembrance of an even greater holy moment.
I couldn’t pass up the chance to give you the same opportunity. And for my non-Christian friends, I hope you can simply enjoy the instrument that is his voice.
Enjoy and be blessed!
“NEW-FOUND BLESSING”
There was a day that changed my soul and it happened with a word.
From fantasy to truth at last, and I felt my spirit turn.
I hadn’t seen you in this light and you caught me by surprise.
With both confession and revelation I was opening my eyes.
It wasn’t fear I felt this time but a subtle recognition.
I saw you for the first time and not the apparition.
I mourned the one I knew before although they were not you.
Suddenly the world felt raw and I wasn’t sure what to do.
Then I felt emotion surge inside my heart again.
It was the truth that stirred my soul and I pray a quiet amen.
This was all I wanted, the story that was real.
And having it made an instant path for my head and heart to heal.
Now day by day and inch by inch I love the truth I see.
Your heart and hurt and hope are growing closer to meet me.
The connection is strong and surprisingly flows with gentle ease.
And I find you on my heart and mind as I pray upon my knees.
The future path is open wide and I see such possibilities.
Let’s sow the seeds we wish to grow with love and gentle peace.
For who you are is a gift from God which I cannot deny.
And I shall quiet my mind for now and cease to question why.
Now it’s time for me to live and stop the constant guessing.
Because this seems to be the time to count my new-found blessing.
~ Barbara Bernard Miller
SOULS ALIVE
Inside of you and inside me is a soul designed to create.
Born to bring to life a piece of what makes us great.
In the dark of our imagination, a flicker of light does grow.
And into the day comes the manifestation of that which makes us glow.
From the second we see it forming in the back of our mind’s eye.
The essence begins to take its shape in a way we can’t deny.
Once it blooms into a form we ought not hide it away.
Because the creation that comes from our best must be given away.
Whether it’s art, or words of wisdom, or whether our gift is love,
We can trace its origins back to source, our creator, God above.
There is no chaos or drift of fate that allows for the act of creation.
For without an artist to think it up, there is no imagination.
You and I are the final product of the great Creator’s hand.
With love, a word, and nothing more, he made us on command.
And now in his image, and with the power of his heritage within.
We must stir up our spirit, and muster our courage to have ourselves begin.
To create the world we long to have, where everyone can thrive.
Is exactly the reason we have power within to bring our souls alive.
~ Barbara Bernard Miller
“What would be the point of living if we didn’t let life change us?” ~ Downton Abbey
Indeed, isn’t that the very point of life in a nutshell. Learning, experiencing, loving, making mistakes, forgiving and being forgiven – it’s all about changing the very essence of who we are because we change what we know and understand. We allow life to flow our soul from one level of innocence into a deeper level of wisdom and understanding. Life doesn’t just change our physical bodies. The very act of living changes our deepest spirit and our view of who we are and who we are not.
Those changes allow our path to unfold in the direction of our choosing. Every crossroad brings wisdom. Every time we overcome, we grow stronger. Every loss changes our perspective of what is important and what we can and cannot live and even thrive without.
So let us live life to the fullest – out loud, in brilliant color, and with full on passion. May we, with exuberance and anticipation, experience the ups and downs. Let us mindfully and choicefully learn from our failures and successes. Let us grow from the heartaches and the loving. In all ways, may we, with open hearts and open minds, allow life to change us into the best versions of ourselves.
Live and be blessed!
”You may not think the world needs you, but it does. For you are unique, like no-one who has been before or who will come after. No one can speak with your voice, say your piece, smile your smile, or shine your light. No one can take your place as it is yours alone to fill. If you are not there to shine your light, who knows how many travellers will lose their way as they pass by your empty space in the darkness.” ~ Your Inner Sparkle
This quote is a simple reminder because I see so many people forgetting their divine nature. They lose sight of their incredible uniqueness as a perfect gift to the world. The world may not recognize it if you are hiding the brilliance of who you are. Whether you live a simple, modest life or a grand, and spectacular one is of no real matter. It’s the essence of how you live it that matters. Remember, it was a simple boy trained as a carpenter who changed the world forever.
When you can heal a heart, body, or soul – please do.
When you can lend a hand to build an invention, lift someone up, or raise a child – please do.
When you can sing a tune, create an artwork, or write a meaningful word – please do.
When you can feed a loved one, a stranger, the poor, or the masses – please do.
When you can spread a kind word to the discouraged, the failed, or the hard-working – please do.
When you can accept yourself, accept a compliment, accept the differences in those around you – please do.
When you can try again, forgive again, or love again – please do.
For when you do these things you are fulfilling the desires your soul has to be your very best version of yourself. You can live with vigor and grace the life that your spirit has chosen to live. And in all things, know that the Creator who made you wonderfully and uniquely, always loves you.
Be blessed!
I am a dreamer. Hmm, let me restate that – I am a prolific dreamer. I am one of those people who wakes up and often remembers in great detail what I have dreamed. Sometimes several are smooshed together and sometimes I clearly know where the line of one dream ended and another one started. I also dream in all senses, including living color. I’ve had some dreams that are so profound that I know the meaning and the context and can remember them with great detail even years later. Those dreams I don’t think of as fanciful trips of the unconscious. Those are more like memories.
Last night I had several very vivid dreams. One where I was faced with the reality that I was compelled to, with great danger and fear, attempt to save another person’s life. The last, and most vivid one was about family connections and intuition. The dream flowed from one part into another. At one point I was riding a bike home from downtown. It was dusk and I knew exactly where I was. And then, I was suddenly aware of my intuition to abandon my normal route. I took a right and then another right. I was drawn to turn into the driveway of a house I had never been to before. I stood looking at the door talking myself into the courage of knocking to find out who I was instinctively drawn to (yep, that’s something I would do in my waking state too). At that moment I heard my name and I looked over to see a cousin and her family whom I haven’t seen in years. I was standing at the stoop of her house. And in my dream I was suddenly aware of my dreaming and said to myself – this is exactly what I will blog about when I wake up. No I swear to you I am not making this up! I proceeded with the rest of the story that my unconscious mind needed me to know. I remember it so clearly.
Now I am awake and so here I am. I am writing about what I knew I would – dreaming and intuition.
Just like my dreaming, I have a strong intuition, perhaps cultivated by my boldness to follow it, which always makes it stronger. I believe that our intuition is actually our connection to spirit. Be it God, the Holy Spirit, our own spirit, our angels who guide our soul. Whatever you want to call it, it is a knowing that is outside the realm of what we “should” be able to know. That intuition doesn’t sleep and obviously is strong enough to speak to me in my dream. It is one of my most cherished characteristics, if I can call it that. What I also know is that it is different from my own “voice in my head”. It does not speak my judgments or opinion.
Inevitably my intuition pops in with new information. It doesn’t question or wonder; it declares something I don’t otherwise know or have never actually thought about. It has a physical manifestation too – I can “feel” my intuition as much as I” hear” it. Maybe hear is not the right word. It really is a new “knowing”. Sometimes it’s knowing that it is time to leave. Sometimes it’s knowing that a certain person has ill intent or a darkness of heart. Sometimes it’s knowing I will see someone out of the ordinary and then I do. Sometimes it’s knowing an innocuous piece of data that I ordinary wouldn’t notice is going to be important. Or knowing that someone far away is struggling with health, or emotions, or dying.
I’m not sure what you call it, but I am sure you have it – we all do. I’ve watched my kids when they were little and didn’t have a word for it but still they recognized it and relied on it. As adults I’m not sure if they still practice listening to it but I know they know how.
What about you? Do you dream, or hear, or know your intuition’s voice? Can you distinguish it from your own?
Be blessed!
This has been an unusually early spring for us. As I walk my dog Gracie I am delighted to notice the smells of the season. With the tulip trees, red buds, and forsythia blooming, the air smells like a freshly stocked floral store. Neighbors are cutting grass for the first time creating a backdrop of the sounds of warmth. The mere drinking in of the spring essence stirs renewal in my soul.
It is much the same way when we indulge our soul in self-examination and notice that the darkness and sadness have cleared a way. With the coming of spring and new life, let us blow away that which no longer serves us so we can create a fresh path for our year. Bloom and be blessed!
“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms 118:24
Next weekend I get to join a dear friend of mine, Mar Feder,
in an adventure of the soul. Lucky for me she is a fellow adventurer in both my physical and spiritual journeys. I met Mar through work. There was something about her energy that attracted me when we were in meetings. Over time she became my mentor and more importantly, my friend.
Mar is a certified facilitator in SoulCollage® work here in Cincinnati. While she’s not the creator of the process she is a warm and gifted facilitator. Being both a personal and professional coach, as well as a licensed counselor has given her a gift with people that not everyone has. I’ve attended a SoulCollage® session with her a couple of months back and have to admit, it has hooked me … heart, mind, and soul.
I now feel the call of the cards to create more. I will sometimes see an image and stop in my tracks, knowing that I have to clip it out for this project. I feel lighter and brighter during the process and a sense of accomplishment when a new card is complete. There’s something exciting about listening with the heart instead of with the ears. Crazy talk? Not really. Our physical senses are so limited compared to the potential our entire being is capable of in the realm of communication. True listening encompasses not just words but vibrations and feelings and energy. Taking time out to let my unconscious guide me to images that prove to be meaningful over and over again has not only been fun but enlightening. Tomorrow I’m excited to go to the next level and learn more about how to use them, not just create them.
So, if you are feeling adventurous, or just wanting to get in touch with yourself in a new and creative way, I invite you to check it out. And if you are in Cincinnati, perhaps I’ll see you next month.
Inspiration is a funny thing.
At work I’ve been talking with a colleague about ways we can help people connect their work plans with the organization’s purpose statement in more meaningful and inspiring ways. While that’s important in the workplace, it leads me to the bigger questions about motivation and inspiration. What is inspiration, really? It’s such a vague and personal thing, this inspiration. For some people it’s easy – all about dollars and cents. But for most people, inspiration is so much bigger. It carries a life of its own and often leads to action and creation, not because someone is compelled by a job or external expectations, but rather they are called and pulled and almost magically motivated because they are inspired.
For me, there are so many images and songs and events that motivate me to think or have emotions. But there are limited numbers of things that inspire me and then compel me to act. I’m inspired by:
> The desire to see my children and family happy. That’s a very motherly thing to say and “aren’t we all” comes to mind.
> The desire to touch another person’s life in a practical way. That’s what drives me to volunteer in the community to help children, elderly, or disabled people. This makes my faith real in the physical world and it feels like I’m giving back. Considering how much people helped me, particularly when I was a child in the orphanage, this is inspiration becoming action for me. I can’t even the scale but this helps me get closer.
> But the biggest, is my desire to touch another life at the soul level. This is something I think about all the time. It’s not a fleeting fantasy. It’s not a lofty dream. This is real. This makes me breathe air in and out each day. This is why I do the work I do in HR – craving the ability to touch a life. This is why I meditate on my life’s purpose. This is why I write about God and inspiration. I want to shine the light so strongly that others see their own gifts and possibilities. If I touch a soul, my life has been relevant. That’s what really inspires me.
I’d love to know – what are your inspirations? And what are your gifts?
Be blessed!
“Follow your heart. You heart is your key connection to your soul’s purpose. Be blessed!” ~ Barbara Bernard Miller
Mighty Inspiration 