Founding Father Foolery

I just get a bit confused for all the people that talk about wanting to go ‘back to the ethics of our founding father’…or the ‘principles of the godly men who founded this country’… I mean, seriously. I’m open to seeing it differently. But don’t people realize that the founding fathers didn’t believe in the rights of women? They believed, the majority of them (at least the ones that signed the Constitution!) that women were subservient. They believed that blacks ‘might’ possibly deserve ‘some’ rights, but certainly not EQUAL rights. As a matter of fact most of the “founding Fathers” owned slaves. George Washington had his teeth replaced with REAL teeth! Guess where he got them? He had them yanked out of the head of one of his slaves! No, he wasn’t dead. The slave I mean. He was alive and George wanted his beautiful smile. Now, I’m as open minded as the next liberal, but I just don’t understand. The way that most believers or religious people worship in their church nowadays would be totally unacceptable back then. The Founding Fathers believed that there was one way to be respectful in the church. That was be quiet and listen. They believed in one interpretation – the one given in England – and if you veered more than a particular, acceptable measure, you were in violation of what was acceptable. Can you imagine?? If most people honored the Founding Fathers way to worship, or celebrate in their churches, they would probably be thrown in Jail. Do you see what I’m saying???? Don’t people see that things have changed? Of course if 1/2 the population wasn’t female, maybe women would still be required to stay at home, be quiet in the church and certainly not have a say in how things go in Society OR Government! And certainly blacks would still be sitting in the back of the bus and probably quietly, still being used as concubines for the elite and powerful. Certainly they would still be being used, openly and without excuse. I don’t know. I just think it’s such denial to go on and one about ‘the principles this country was founded on!’. I think those principles, overall, other than FREEDOM FOR ALL, and ALL didn’t have it!…I think mostly the people have spoken in the last 200 and some years and said something’ ain’t right. Rights for everyone! Freedom for all! Equal justice for the unlovely and those we disagree with and those that believe differently and within an ancient, acceptable guideline for community (not hurting another), are allowed to believe what they believe and live how they want to live! Aside from the fact that most of the people screaming from the pulpit, from the podium at the caucuses, from the editorials in the conservative (and quiet honestly, often liberal) publications are pretty much violating all the principles that THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED ON. Aside from that, I think most of us would agree….we don’t want to go back. We want to honor freedom and rights and equal justice for ALL. We want to be progressive in how much we learn and we change because of discovery that ‘the planet ain’t flat with four corners!’ Just my thoughts tonite. I’m sure I’m probably whacked, but if another person tries to take my rights away as a tax-paying, liberal homo or if I hear that another group is trying to ban my right to a marriage that mostly does nothing but offer me the rights for humane treatment as an American and protects my rights as a human being, if another group tries to make me small because they themselves can’t meet up to their own judgmental, attitudinal ‘patriotism’..i just might say somethin’ about it. I mean, don’t people know that if you’re going to use the bible for condemning gays, divorced people and a mirage of other current violation ‘of the rules’…then you’d better also, execute (in public) those who eat shrimp, kill the kids in a stoning when they speak back to their parents, cut off the hands of those who wear dyed or colored wool and openly stone anyone who commits adultery. After all, this IS in the bible and it IS actually in the same chapter where so many of the other “guidelines of the founding fathers” exist Ok, enough already Paul! Peace out. I think this years political race is going to be so frickin fun!!! Here we go!!! Paul

That River in Egypt…

Reminder (to myself and others): Life is supposed to be Fun! Perspective is everything. Lighten up. Change your mind. Shift the way you’re seeing things and suddenly you see the happier side of it all! It’s so easy to get dense, heavy, negative and depressed, focusing on what’s wrong with something or everything! But literally with a simple switch of Perspective – changing the way you are looking at things, everything changes! Shifts. Quickly, you feel and see the same things – differently! Don’t worry, you won’t go over the deep end drowning while in denial. Of course if you do die happy, wouldn’t you rather die with a smile on your face and in denial than miserable, whining to prove your point? Enjoy your day! Blessings on feeling better about things…. Paul P

Living. REALLY Living…..

Living our lives Honestly is the greatest Truth we can Live. Coming out of repression, deception & self-rejection is one of the greatest gifts we can all give Ourselves and each other. It’s how we draw closer to The Divine. Whether its addiction, self denial about our sexuality, overeating, hypocritical religious lifestyles (expressed as anger and prejudice in public or private) or inner-rage and self-hatred that only comes out at certain times – these are all signs that we have issues with being Authentic. Being Real. Being with OurSelves. And that translates into how we will treat ourselves and others. I commit to 2012 being the year that I let go completely of anything, including ideas, old beliefs, self-perceptions, prejudices and judgements that NO LONGER SERVE ME! And so it is. PP

Remember??

You may have forgotten, and you my wander around in your lifetime, playing with your self-shame and all the reasons that you’re ‘not enough’, you’re feeling like a ‘worm’ because you’re sinner and deserver to struggle and be stuck?  Just a heads up: YOU are from the Light. We all are. NO exceptions.  And we’re all seeking home. The Light. The memory and home of God. Our natural place from Source, from where we came.  The memory is there.  It’s the Light in all of us, even in the shadows that we live are there to remind us “that’s our home!, Love, the Light.” Our reality. We’ve twisted and turned the truth, creating religion and ideas, philosophy and ‘truth’s and way’s.’ But we’ve gotten off tack, wandering away from our Essence.  So live like who you are, a being from the Light.  And if you feel you’re not, or you feel you don’t deserve it without something other than it BEING who you really Are, who you Already are, just remember, (Re-Member yourself) for one moment, the spark, the glimmer, the flicker of Light and you’ll quickly recollect who you really are. There is a great Re-Membering occurring right now. It’s happening en-masse. It’s been called the Quickening for many hundreds of years. The Rapture by a few. The Shift, Great Awakening…it doesn’t matter what you think you’ve secured by naming it, it’s still happening. Re-Remembering. It’s happening now. It’s happening to me.    Peace this morning.  PP

I say…QUESTION EVERYTHING!

For quiet some time now, I’ve been Studying the original Christian Gospels, texts and 2nd century Christianity as a whole. I’m so fascinated by the Historical FACTS of Christianity. It was strictly taboo when I was a kid and young man in Bible University to read back, study and really look into ALL the views of the Christian Faith, alternative views and non-fundamental aspects of the Faith. (FAITH being the key word here). I love Faith, but I REALLY LOVE FACTS! I’m so intrigued by people who have never really studied the origins of their own Faith. I know we were taught that it was ‘opening to the Devil’ if you looked at anything or considered anything other than what we were told. Great mind control, ey? Just don’t open it! (the mind). Most people I knew just believed what they were told. The Gospels, the original Church, texts and especially 2nd Century Christianity and how we have documentation showing how things were done is Fantastic! I Bless everyone for what they Believe, regardless of whether they agree with me or not. We are all from the Light and the Love of the Light, of God is in everything that hath Breath. “Light Breath” I call it. Peace on your Day. PP

Change

Personal and Spiritual development, change, shift, real evolution… Transformation…It all makes you feel like a kid in a candy store.  So much to do.  So much freedom and opportunity.  Onward!

“Life As Medicine”

by Paul Pennell on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 8:12am

Everything is Medicine. Sacred. All the Shadows and all its Fears.

Every Thing that haunts us brings the Soul opportunity to look at our crisis and discover where we are & what is going on. The Light is present everywhere. The Light changes everything. Nothing is more devastatingly beautiful and deliciously tragic than being in a pickle and patiently watching rage and emotion surface so we are better able to Ingest these Medicinal experiences – every experience. Every Holy opportunity. The experience that offers and provides us with radical, maximum Transformational opportunity – that Without this potential and space we might remain the same for another period of time – our Soul longing deeper for its Truest connection to the Light. The Source. The Divine.

The Gold is in the Dark but the Shadow brings gifts. Everything is Soul Medicine when we open to the Lessons and Truths in what’s subtly (and not so subtly) going on around us. What we can’t see, yet what we deeply know is accelerating our evolution with each challenge we face.

Accept the Gift of change. Of pain. Of deep discontent. Allow this Holy Medicine to be fully ingested. Allow it to teach us and share where the Light is being blocked.

As we move towards the Sacred, obstacles are removed as we enter into a Life of more recognition of the Divine within ourselves. Deep Peace. Through experiences that many see as mis-directed.

When we open our Hearts, the Light pierces through the Dark, the Shadow, and with great completion and with Holy honor offers us more recognition of Who we really are.

Om Nama Shivaya

Peace. P

“Those who stand closest to the Light cast the Biggest Shadows.” – Jung

Who’s Right?

There’s a beautiful diversity on this planet. The way we all wake up and make our way back Home. So many different perspectives and views. I need patience to tolerate those that believe they’re right and everyone else is wrong. I’m getting better at it. At allowing and forgiving those who Judge others for ‘their journey.’ I certainly believe they, you, we have our own Journey Home and how we get there is a beautiful path of discovery. As a former bullied, depressed, suicidal gay kid, I’m so grateful for all of those who forced me to go within and find the Light. Who followed me around and mocked me into my own Inner self. Whose actions catapulted me at 12 into an involuntary Journey into the midst of Hell and delicious discovery of my own Bright light. My own relationship with The Divine. I guess without these bullies’ ‘in-difference’ towards me I would never have the Peace & Joy that I have now or be with those in my life that now so passionately are in love with living in the Light. So grateful today. No matter how different you are from others, remember that you have a choice and you have a choice to be the Light or be the Hell for those around you. Give peace. Forgive. Bless those that curse you and realize that you are only WHO YOU ARE because Grace has chosen to be with you. And no matter how RIGHT you think YOU are or I think I AM, there is only Journey and the way Home travels us many many places. If you deny those who are heading Home their process, you potentially interrupt with their memory of who they really are and interfere with their finding the road to the Presence within. The Stillness. I still have the shadow of thinking many times that “I’m the one who’s right.” This is what I was taught. What my religious upbringing was like. “I know the way, there’s only one and I’m the one who’s found it!” It’s such a beautiful and devastating gift. To release that idea, that Shadow and realize that each one, each relationship through the heart, with the Divine, is an individual process and each one has a karmic directive for their own Journey while on this planet to find THEIR OWN WAY home. Bless those around us who support us in that process. And for those that don’t want us to Wake Up except with THEIR eyes, bless them too. Forgive them for they know not what they do. Bless You, Paul

The Blessing

“BLESS YOU” The “Blessing” is an ancient choice. Although Christians created a version of the blessing in the 700′s, The Original Blessing means to intentionally make sacred or holy by a sacrificial custom or outreach. We literally, through our intent or speech, have the ability to Bless Someone. Bless Others. Bless things. Through this sacred act of Blessing someone we offer a higher space for others to Be. Whether it’s our Political intent or our outlook on how others should be treated, when you Bless someone you offer them the highest form of Wish and Belief & Knowing in power of who they really are. Bless someone. Blessings on everyone. Not just those that have your Faith or believe what you believe, but everyone. We are souls incarnate as humans that have egos. We don’t see purely with eyes of Spirit. not most of the time. Bless each other. Bless me. Bless you! Namaste. Paul P.

My Morning of INQUIRY: Me, You & The SEPARATISTS

SEPARATISM, no matter how you got to the Choice, is about Fear. If you’re seeking Peace or your goal is Love, Separatism is a mistake. No matter what Scripture, Philosophy or Teaching you use to Justify it, it’s based on Judgement, anger and doubt. It’s based on fear and it offers no self esteem – to anyone. No real Power. SEPARATISTS have no compassion and tons of internal self-hatred. Self loathing steeped in fear that someone will see who they really are. And, if it matters to You or Me: It’s Anti-Christ too. Without Love there’s Nothing and Separation doesn’t offer Love.

My life has been spent being expelled from certain religious groups of Separatists and people and places that don’t like the way I think. From my perspective, these are people uncertain of their own Faith. Not really sure who they are. I’ve never even held a picket sign, screamed in rage at them or told them they were evil for the way they believed and how they’ve judged me, I’ve just observed and watched how they’ve ‘cast out’ so many from among them to justify their…something. I guess maybe their own sense of Righteousness? Did someone tell them to be this way? Are they still following someone else’s idea of what it means to be Holy? Is that why we tell people they need to believe something like us and why we don’t Celebrate the differences? And don’t misconstrue my observation, it’s on both sides of every fence. The Left AND the Right.

Countries, wars, political parties and even churches – certainly Religion as a whole… are these for bringing people together or have they been created for the purpose of Separation?? Maybe safety and a sense of security? I find it all so fascinating. And Liberating. So sweet to know that no matter how we or they act, it changes so little. To Choose e to love those that Judge, to be able to INVITE those that hate us into our homes and our circles, what a gift if we’ve come to that place. To not care what they believe but to Love. Only Love. To drop the liturgical steel walls and bible-quoting barriers that keep us safe from the Questions and Self-Inquiry of WHY DO WE BELIEVE WHAT WE BELIEVE??? Do we really know what we know? And how do we Love unconditionally? By separating from those that believe differently or those that ‘repulse’ us because of their liberal stance or conservative perspective? Aren’t all of those, the ‘others’ seeking the same thing we are? To know God and seek Presence and love and Spirit? So many facades. On all of us. And why do we refuse to interact with those that have hearts and deep compassion for not only themselves, but for all living beings. We label them as Buddhists, tree-huggers, liberals or ‘New agers’. Because they accept too much. They love too much.

For me, it’s a fascinating Journey to Question these things about judgment and Separation. I’m so curious about those that refuse to be a part of the whole. Those that choose to ‘come out from among them’ that are different from themselves.

Ahhhhh, so many empty places to pour some sweet Love into if you ask me.

There. That should piss a lot of people off this morning.

Peace. I say QUESTION EVERYTHING. PP