The Riches of Life

My cousin Keith passed away a couple of days ago. It's a sad time for the family, although the loss was expected. He had been fighting cancer for quite a long time. In the end, the pain and suffering was excruciating for both him and his family that cared for him. As is true in many cases, death can be a blessing as the spirit sheds the pain of the diseased-ridden body.

I haven't seen Keith in years. In some respects this is probably a blessing for me. I never really saw him in a state of ill health so my memories will always be of a vital and strong teenager and man. Most of my memories of Keith involve childhood visits to my grandparents, from whom he lived a short distance away. He was 9 years older than me, so much of what I remember about him was holding him in awe. From my perspective, he was a handsome, powerful, playful teen who had a mischievous side and occasionally took the time to show my sisters and I the wonders of nature in the woods behind his house.

When you're young, the future shines like light glinting off a brilliant diamond, always inviting, always promising more riches to come. Keith's future, like so many others, shined brightly. He wanted to be an electrician like his father. He married his high school sweetheart and embarked on his journey into adulthood.

Unfortunately, life doesn't always turn out like we plan. Many of us reach middle age, look around at the dullness of everyday life, and wonder where time has gone and where that far-off diamond may be hiding. Keith was no exception.Those goals he had in his youth did not materialize as he hoped. In the end, the misery that is cancer took him on a journey of pain and suffering that seems in some respects too great a burden to bear.

Still, before you begin to believe that all is lost for someone like Keith, take a closer look. He may not have had the career of his dreams. He may not have had ended up with that perfect relationship or the brilliant life we all envision when we're young. Keith did have one thing that shines more brightly than all others--love.

Keith had the love of a family that was always there for him. They were there to celebrate all his highs. They were there to support him in all of his lows. In the end, their love surrounded him as he traveled the path that is cancer.They continued to hold his hand until he was finally able to feel that same love that waited for him on the other side of the divide between this life and the next.

The riches of life don't come from reaching the destination.They are obtained through experiences--great jewels of wisdom and truth--as we travel along the way. They are born of choices. They are born of pain and suffering. They are born as we gain new strength to overcome the obstacles we all face. It is the process of learning and growth that enriches us all and the reason we ultimately make this spiritual journey.

Never doubt Keith found his riches. Never doubt you are in process of finding yours.

I will always love you, Keith.Until we meet again!
~Cindy Shippy Evans

On To New Adventures!

About three years ago, I realized something. My youngest child was in high school and, the way time seems to fly by, it wouldn't be long before he would actually leave home for good. The thought scared me a little. I wasn't afraid to allow my kids to use their wings. I felt I was doing a good job with them. My concern was more for myself. You see, most of my identity at the time was wrapped up in my role as "mom". I did not want to be one of those parents who desperately tethers their kids to them instead of letting them carve out their own places in the world.

The solution was simple. Begin to take more time to work on me--my interests, my talents, my desires. I have a tendency to throw myself entirely into the job at hand, often with little thought to my wants and needs.

Parenting was like that for me. While the task did require doing some things for myself (mostly to hang on to sanity), I worked really hard to ensure my children had what they needed and at least some of what they wanted. Making money always took at backseat to parenting because I was determined to give them access to at least one parent. That's not an easy feat when you are single mom, and I did have a lot of help from family and friends along the way. Most days I felt as though the jobs I seemed to "fall into" to pay the bills and still be available to my children were not exactly where I wanted to be. There were usually enjoyable aspects to the jobs but none of them fulfilled me as much as parenting. They were helpful in one respect though: understanding what I wanted and did not want in a lasting career.

It is now three years later and my son will graduate from high school in just a few days. I can't say I have found my niche, although I can say I know myself much better than I did back then. I have learned to value who I am in all my giftedness, and I have to confess I like what I see!

I am smart. I have a gift for both the written word and spoken language. I am highly sensitive to the world and people around me and I use this ability on a daily basis to make my days run much more smoothly. I am a terrific problem solver. I have made wonderful new friends along the way who have given me greater opportunities to make my voice heard in the world. This journey of discovery has been such a blessing to me!

I still can't say I know exactly where I am going. I do know I want to make the most of my gifts and talents! I am open to the opportunities that come my way, and I am watching for them. While one door to my life is closing, I choose to see the world for its possibilities.

On to new adventures! May we always look for them. May we always be open to them. May we be thankful for the ability to become something new and infinitely precious!

Searching For a Savior

I've been a part of the conspiracy crowd for the past several years now. It's been an interesting life. I've spent a great deal of time reading up on alternative news stories, doing background research to prove or disprove the stories for my own satisfaction, and forming new understandings of what is happening in the world.

I won't lie to you. It has been a scary process. My world has been shaken to its very foundations, and I have had to rebuild everything from the ground up. Like Neo in the movie "The Matrix", once you wake up there is no going back to that comfortable world to which you once belonged. It's a strange place to be in--foreign and dreamlike (or nightmarish) most days.

During the past month, the computer I normally use has been fried, leaving my internet access much more limited that usual. The good thing about limited computer access is it gives you a lot more time to access other types of information--particularly the type you can only access through the heart. Basically, it has forced me to reach deep and focus more time on connecting to God/Source. While I can't say I rely on God for information 24/7, I can say my awareness of Source has been better over all.

Why do I bring this up? It's because I have  message. It's been growing louder and louder to the point where I can no longer be silent. I know from past experience that if I don't get this message out it will continue get even louder and drive me to the place I can no longer contain it.

The message is simple. There is no savior outside of yourself! YOU are the savior you have been waiting for!!!

What do I mean by this? Basically, we have reached the point in time where we all need to get off our sorry butts and actually DO something!!! We need to stand up and BE the change we wish to see in the world!!!

Part of the conspiracy theory world involves keeping up on the latest "news". I have spent hours researching what is going on behind-the-scenes in order to try to figure out when and how the world is going to be saved. The irony here is, every source of information I've ever looked at proclaims the world is on the brink of great change. They all make it sound as though it's all going to happen tomorrow! (Some of us in the conspiracy theory world joke around about "two more weeks"!!!) The problem is, tomorrow never comes. It is merely a tool used by those in power to string us along so we continue to look to others to fix the world.

One of the weakest, most vulnerable places to be in is the place where we look to someone else to save us. It's a place where we deny our own connection to God and the universe--a place where we give up our own innate power. The powers that be understand this very well! In fact, it is how they have ruled us for thousands of years!!!

The savior is not coming! The savior is already here!!! Learn to open your heart and connect to the savior within. You may just end up saving the world!!!