Birth and rebirth ... of me!

Especially in the sights, colours, and smells, signs of spring are everywhere! Spring, my favourite - and most powerful (as I mentioned in my previous posting), is a time of birth and rebirth, not only in nature but also in me!

There are various theories concerning how often our bodies reinvent themselves, cellularly speaking. You've probably heard it before: along the lines of how often your heart, lungs, and entire body renews itself, the latter believed to be about every seven or 10 years.

Regardless of the science and/or math around that - not my forte! - rebirth means being born again or reincarnation. Though having my own (evolved) theory of "reincarnation," I am referring to being "reborn," at least in this posting.

For me, spring is a time or renewal on a spiritual level, and I believe emotionally and mentally as well. Perhaps somewhat akin to a cleanse (having done my first this spring), it's like letting go of beliefs that no longer serve me - they aren't true anyway - and opening up my heart, more to myself and who I (truly) am...underneath all my layers (of being, i.e., personality, beliefs, etc.). Hmmm...maybe the season of Kenosis is when it all began for me!? (see blog posting re. Kenosis - Learning to Let Go ..., Sunday, February 24th).

Discoveries in the form of a powerful workshop that seemed to awaken something within me and my body (just before the official spring equinox), to another powerful healing modality related to changing ones beliefs by getting to the root (cause) were and are respectively factors in me 'reinventing' myself. (More about that another time?)

Is it because of spring and/or all these changes/discoveries that I've been so happy lately? My heart (chakra) is opening like (the shape of) these fiddleheads I saw yesterdayand I am singing more. I recently joined a wonderful choir (see my bio). Oh yeah, and how can I forget? I also took two weeks off enjoying the most wonderful balmy spring weather we had this year! Oh joy!

How are you reborn: what do you do to renew or reinvent yourself?

Kenosis - Learning to Let Go ...

I got to participate in a cool – actually hot! – ceremony today as a result of visiting LVUC (www.lynnvalleychurch.com) in North Vancouver, being a member of their community choir, byoVoice (www.lynnvalleychurch.com/programs/2-north-van-community-choirs/pages/byovoice) singing “what i want” a heartfelt poem written by Pat Lowther (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Lowther) (who happened to be born in Vancouver and grew up in North Vancouver) and music written by Stephen Smith (also from Vancouver).

Pastor Blair Odney defined the season of Kenosis simply as ‘self-emptying.’ According to Wikipedia, “in Christian theology, Kenosis from the Greek word for emptiness is the 'self-emptying' of one's own will and becoming entirely receptive to God's divine will.”

Like I said before it was (both) a cool and hot ceremony. The congregation was invited to write on a piece of tissue-like paper what they were willing to let go of. I wrote “worry and anxiety…” especially concerning a particular aspect of my life.

Even though I witnessed the pastor and a few other members burn and release their paper, when it was my turn – ouch! a slight sting – I didn’t let go completely of the piece of paper like others had. What was I thinking?! Silly me!

What I discovered and relearned in that process was the importance of letting go, not only figuratively, but also literally. I have come to know that the most important aspect of actualizing (or manifesting) something is to let go, completely. If I had let go of the paper (completely) while it was burning – the way it burned so quickly was like magic to my eyes – I wouldn’t have hurt my finger, even slightly.

No wonder then that this morning the card that tumbled from a small deck of cards that I received from Anne Marie Evers, (www.annemarieevers.com/damevers/dr-evers/), the Affirmation Doctor, was ‘Spiritual Growth.’ (See blog posting Mon. June 26, 2011 for picture and another related story).

Later in the day, I rediscovered (as I had forgotten) that the Oscars were on tonight. In the past, I watched them fervently. Now I feel that I have outgrown my addiction for watching award shows as I have other interests (and self-imposed deadlines such as writing blog postings!). I can do without (watching) the Oscars and am totally at peace with that. So I feel I have grown spiritually in this regard.

What are you emptying or releasing from yourself?