Sacred Journies

Hello All,

Glad to be with you. As usual, I've just been seeking, exploring, working my "day job," and creating some art along the way. I pray that your adventures have been likewise enlightening and fruitful, my friends! I've been making more time again for music, meditation, writing, fun, family, and friendships. It appears that these things and more contribute greatly to my sense of happiness and well-being. Also, I'm bringing a new piano into my home! I've been hurting for a real instrument to play for quite some time now(!!) Yet, my work is settling into stride, and still there are "miles to go before I sleep." ;) We are on a sacred jourey--a "trial trip in the flesh--" I know that much. As per usual, I just thought I would try to lay out a few written lines to express my recent wanderings, wonderings, and musings......

Every man and woman's path takes courage, integrity, truth-hunger, and conviction. At least, this is what I'd like to believe. There is no quest more important than living in harmony with the loving will of the Infinite God. My mind, body, and spirit strive, by sincere faith and free-will choice, to grasp and to understand His eternal truth, beauty, and goodness. The very search for a Higher Self and true values is in themselves capacity enlarging!

"By their fruits, you shall know them." -Jesus Christ.

Slowly, but with faith alone, it appears that we human beings--relative, imperfect, and finite--are awakening to the fact that we are the planetary children of God. What is God you might ask me? God is Love. IT IS THAT SIMPLE. I believe we are IN REALITY progressing closer and closer to this perfect truth of our divine origin by way of connecting with greater and greater spheres of Love. Even if we fail, stutter, or fall down along the way; it's all essential to our progressive experience of growth. A sincere thirst for the truth will be quenched by the eternal Water of Life, the free-flowing spirit, and its myriad streamings of the soul. I know there is an everlasting spirit which I call God, and it indwells all men, for God is Spirit too! I pray to be guided by the Almighty and Infinite Spirit of Love.

"Cosmic Love is relentless and absolutely indifferent -- it teaches you its lessons whether you like/dislike them or not," John Lilly affirmed. Will I rise to meet the challenges the universe has set me with love, courage, and sincere faith? Or will I simply give into my animal nature, procrastinate until the last minute, and only do whatever seems easiest in order to survive? There are choices, and we can grow and learn from our trials and errors, by the grace of God. We must acknowledge this divine gift of Sonship, embrace all of humankind as our brothers in the spiritual sense, and invest our talents wisely in the duties of kingdom life, loving service, and fellowship in the name of the Living God. "Freely have you received, freely give."

"The living Jesus is the only hope of a possible unification of Christianity. The true church--the Jesus brotherhood--is invisible, spiritual, and is characterized by unity, not necessarily by uniformity. Uniformity is the earmark of the physical world of mechanistic nature. Spiritual unity is the fruit of faith union with the living Jesus. The visible church should refuse longer to handicap the progress of the invisible and spiritual brotherhood of the kingdom of God. And this brotherhood is destined to become a living organism in contrast to an institutionalized social organization. It may well utilize such social organizations, but it must not be supplanted by them. The call to the adventure of building a new and transformed human society by means of the spiritual rebirth of Jesus' brotherhood of the kingdom should thrill all who believe in him as men have not been stirred since the days when they walked about on earth as his companions in the flesh."
-The Urantia Book

The Truth liberates; it shall set you free. I pray that the the loving will of God eternally guides you into glory and peace. Jesus is a living and loving spirit and He appears with many names and faces as you progress through this whole universe scheme. O how the Spirit moves you, loves you. The Kingdom is wide-open, my friends! But still it holds true, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few."

I read a prayer from another Brother online that moved me this morning:
"may the Father's escort be ever welcome in our minds and hearts . . . may I grow in depth and perspective to identify ever increasingly with the mystery monitor's vision of me . . . may I relinquish my childish habits and remain childlike in my awe and worship of the divine ; may today's practice of mercy, justice and love be one step closer to our inspired ideals, may our minds migrate one service closer to being of and in the brotherhood of Man, may our spirits soar above it all and glean a cosmic perspective to soothe our souls. May you all be well my brothers and sisters as you experience your unique and individual ascension scheme, tailor-made by you and God, now and in eternity!" -Cosmic_Citizen

LET'S TALK, EMAIL, OR DO SOMETHING TOGETHER SOON! Please keep in touch, my friends.

And as always, I wish you well in your Earthly labors...................

In friendship and fellowship
under That which knew us before we knew our Selves,
~Justin

Flying Pig Flu: a Weapon or an Accident of Nature?

A little bit of both, of course. The most horrid tales are probably paranoia, and the purely unintentional explanations are ignorance. Something is happening here. A test run? We know the symptom, but what's the true cause? If you are a child of the Spirit, you will experience an intense journey of awakening from the delusion of death. The Spirit transcends every atrocity. The prophet cries, and tries to shake the listener awake: "ABRE LOS OJOS!" Open your eyes, there is a truth which we can behold -- beyond death and dictators and deadly weaponized germs.

The flying pig simply flew.



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REJOICE & BE WELL!! :-)
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Love Provides

I had an episode recently where I found myself very disappointed and on the brink of "losing faith." I was protesting to the universe for evidence of the miraculous. A 'Calling All Angels' sorta thing. However, I did end up re-framing and recovering from the situation as a test of my faith, which in fact grew stronger for the self-imposition. What most people don't understand is that the real mircales are discovered in the very mundane fact of things. BTW, I took the attached picture of a particularly striking sunset in Arizona. There was a golden light that hung in the air that evening.

Have you ever asked yourself, "Why is there anything happening at all?" I knew angels were designed more as guardians more than companions. We have a lot to learn, eh? And there is good reason that things are only gradually revealed to us. Otherwise, we'd be incapable of learning/progressing. There's no harm in asking for your true heart's desire, but being attached to certain outcomes can be painful.

I believe my heart is in the right place now. I'm still charting the waters of the inner-space, trying to get out of my own way, if ya know what I mean? There seem to be three primary domains that I am investigating: MATTER, MIND, and SPIRIT. Or facts, meanings, and true values. Ah, the persuit of patience...I pray everyday to be a more patient person. These domains are not separate, in fact, they are very much intermingled and inter-related. It's the connections that I look for. Life is a series of RELATIONSHIPS. I am still a philosophic spirit, at least I try to be. I hunger for the truth, beauty, and harmony of life. The Urantia Book has been a tremendous help in the co-ordination of the three domains. I am deeply convinced that we are meant to learn, understand, and make decisions in our lives.

On a side note, I've also discovered that drugs are primarily a mindal phenomena. A mental experience which has its place. A little wine, in moderation, never hurt anyone, and in fact, it can be quite stimulating in the right circumstances. However, There is very little spirit in LSD-25, even if one has an intense mental experience of "seeing God," it is more likely they have discovered or warped themselves into some recess of their own mind. I had some recent experiences with another hallucinogen, I believe I explained this to some of you in private conversations, and I had some very convincing mental experiences that I made the mistake of believing was a genuine spiritual happening. The practice was not completely bereft of deep meditation and sincere worship, but the feedback from my own mind was veiled by my very own thoughts and associations -- or disassociations, what have you. Luckily, I realized what was going on, and I have found a saner path to walk. I have come to see the mind more like an INTERFACE and less like some distinct unit of individual character. At best, the mind can genuinely connect matter with true spiritual values. So much of human existence is the discovery of erroneous concept-frames that are gradually replaced by slightly-less erroneous concept-frames. Growth is dependent on change. Progress requires replacing old habits with a better way of doing things. Endless repetition and mindless habits are not healthy. Be honest with yourself.

Above the oracle at Delphi, there were two sayings:
"KNOW THYSELF" & "NOTHING TO EXCESS."

But despite all outward appearances or prophecies of doom and gloom, I seem to be getting along rather well these days. The ever-impending quest of self-realization marches onward and inward. Life is a just day's work, and I am trying to use that fact to bring myself more into the present and appreciate the abundance of mundane miracles in everyday life. There is a satisfying sublimity to it all. I know that I am still improving and that I can help out a little bit more in this world. I know that the mind is sovereign and that free-will choosing is perhaps our greatest gift. I know that we are a part of the universe, and that the universe reponds in ways that are not conditioned by our expectations. I know that love provides the energy to overcome resistance and to directionize spiritual patterns in the ever-impressive organization of life, the universe, and everything.

O Infinity, you are absolutely alive and moving. Loving. Living. Being. Doing.

Do, be, do, be, do.....................

~Justin

Slippery Slope

Permit me to share short story from my life............

When I was in 4th grade, we took a field trip to Natural Bridges tide pools in Santa Cruz, CA. I ventured very close to a steep cliff. Suddenly a wave crashed against the cliff and sprayed up to mist me, while also moistening a patch of algae and seaweed where my foot was planted. I remember that algae suddenly became slippery like a soapy bathtub, and I completely lost my footing and fell off the cliffside. By some miracle of survival reaction, I flipped around and caught myself by my fingertips on the edge of the cliff. I was crying out for help and I was losing my grip rather quickly. I would have fallen 30 feet down into ocean rocks and turbulent waves, when a man (who happened to be photographing the tide pools for a local news article) quickly rushed over and pulled me up just in time. I narrowly escaped the situation with just a few minor scrapes and bruises. I was literally saved from quite a bit of trouble by my fellow man that day.

Yet the specter always lurks. Physical death. Nature can strike by accident, catastrophe, old age, or whatnot, and wipe out this body for good. There comes a time when something breaks down in the physical energy body, and we're not so lucky to have any earthly companions nearby who can remedy the situation in our favor. But the question persists: are there subsequent adventures in consciousness?

You thought you could slip away so easily? A central theme in my walk of faith is a kind of assurance that literally prepares one for the cosmic eventuality of leaving behind that body. Yes, the Earth body is temporary and destructable. However, the spirit body is eternal and indestructable. That's one of the main differences between matter and spirit. Earth time is limited time -- the finite realm. Life on the other hand...is infinite! Cosmic mind recognizes, connects, harmonizes, and utilizes the experiences of living to demonstrate these crucial material, mental, and spiritual truths! Inevitably, amazingly, FAITHFULLY, we exhange one form for another. And another. And so on...until we attain a perfect and eternal spirit state. You have such a great potential! Truly, there is a great joy in surrendering control and TRUSTING your destiny in God's hands. You must be willing to believe in order to perceive. You must approach the very threshold of your consciousness and take a leap with all your faith -- faith beyond reason even -- to behold the transcendent truth of the Infinite and Eternal God.

LOOK OUT. With one foot planted in the spiritual kingdom, and a splash of true insight, you just might slip off your cliffs of uncertainty into the oceans of Eternity.

Kindling

I've procured a portable e-book reader from Amazon.com (The Kindle 2) and I've sure become a voracious READER again. What a joy to connect to other minds through the written word...I've read a couple good pieces by Tom Robbins, Hemingway, Melville, The Urantia Book, The Tao de Ching, The Art of War, Gulliver's Travels and all the other book I have enjoyed or that I am only now learning to enjoy very much. There is good food in books. Also, you can email/USB upload any document from your computer to your Kindle and back again. How nice!

There is a certain clarity in the written word, you know? When I put something down on paper, it becomes so much more...REAL! Things are progressing well these days. I feel relatively in touch with happiness. Life is just a day's work. Practice makes perpetual.  "The methods work if you do..."

I am a wandering fool-poet-philosopher-bard-healer-performance artist undergoing some kind of spiritual experience with Jesus Christ at the helm. Meanings and values take you further than the facts alone. We are given, almost as the gifts of sincere Love and faith, access to the invisible realm of divine values that nourish the soul: joy, patience, forgiveness, compassion, harmony, wisdom, peace, etc......

I suppose I'm continuing the great chain of writers who are trapped in their libraries. I have a degree in creative writing & modern lit and I am working quality assurance for an AT&T call center. Reach out and touch someone. Life could be far worse, yet somehow it seems to be getting better. Go figure. This whole experience is full of blessings and surprises. The change always starts from within, right?

Go pick up a book. Get inspired! Words can change your world.

~Justin

- Friday Night Epiphanies -

Rhema (ρημα) Greek ; an utterance (indiv., collect. or spec.); by implication a matter or 'topic' (esp. of narration, command or dispute). From the primary verb Rheo (ρηω) to flow or run , as water; and the suffix ma(μα) , a finite dispensation or portion (eg. "charis", grace ; but "charisma", a portion of grace, (spiritual) gift, etc.


This evening, in a reverie of faith and flowing language, these word-symbols poured forth:

RHEMA, RHYTHM, RHYME. Is there a relationship here? Does it matter? What is our theme here? Rhema: the divine and ever-evolving word intutively delivered to the perceptions by our indwelling and guiding spirits. We are forever grasping at the yarrow stalks of the Infinite Spirit. Our assumptions rest upon these marvelous intuitions, imaginings. WE are synergistic. When we de-center and pay attention to the rhema of the spirit, we are motivated into some new perpetual motion working within the fetters time and space. We are free from selfishness. We are simply free. The word has always been FREE. It's so great to understand the ETERNALITY OF THE LOGOS and the TEMPORALITY OF THE RHEMA. A little bit of grace, just at the right moment, can inspire the miraculous.

When you believe in an underlying oneness, fiction and non-fiction become a lot more blurred. I feel that I have learned more from novel than text-books. Rhema speaks through all the objects of a faithful one's experience. And who's to say that THE MIND IS A UNIT?? I believe THE MIND IS A RELATIONSHIP, a synergistic relationship between the rhema and the word designed for uplifting we thinking beings...

Couldn't the rhema be projected by any book, any word, experience, or any thing? When you allow the will of God to dictate your ACTION, all things attest to the eternal truth. It is man who must adjust himself, his own mind, to the LOGOS...the LOGOS doesn't change. Couldn't a negative image or word impart the rhema as well? And then something shifts for the positive, and off we go!! The levels are endless, the growth unending, the ETERNAL is also a word for the INFINITE. Way beyond the finite...this word has a beginning but no end. This is how we can change the world with words. The universe is a growing and dynamic experiment of the eternal spirits. The word is alive and moving and reacting to itself. The universe responds, personally, relentlessly, eternally. A lot of words for ONE LOVE.

Yet, I'm still dwelling on fundamental relationship of rhema to rhythm, music, dance, and rhyme -- and HARMONY as the language of HEAVEN. There is a great flow of beauty and goodness through the cosmos. The beautiful word IS the true word. The vital spark. A different music. A cosmic jitterbug. The free-jazz flow of far-flung nebulae. We live in an elegant and sacred cosmos. The LIVING truth is larger than all of us. We don't have to learn so much a way of speaking, as we need to learn a way of listening. Our tongues can bring a lot more trouble into the world than our ears. May you find an ear to hear...just listen, my friends.


Listen.


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CUENTA CONMIGO

Check out this lovely portrait of Jesus that I purchased in Mexico for 133 pesos, or roughly $10 bucks. If you weren't aware, I consider Jesus Christ my spiritual Master, Teacher, and Guide these days. I've also started collecting divinely-inspired art. This image, which I often call "Cosmic Jesus," measures 36" x 24" and looks quite beautiful on my office wall, I think. It sparkles. Literally. The image has accents of gold and silver glitter that shine in the daylight and add a real texture and depth (and even a kind of endearing tackiness...) to the piece.

For me, this image portrays Jesus Christ as a living and loving spirit, the Shepherd and Lord of our Universe. Many illustrations of Christ dwell on the cross, the crucifixion, and the cruel treatment that Jesus experienced in the flesh. While the death of the human Jesus carries many important meanings, we should not lose sight of this triumphant, living, spiritual, creative, and COSMIC JESUS who eternally works to demonstrate the creative, personal, and merciful will of God. I personally believe Christ surrendered his earthly body on the cross to prove a point: chiefly, that THERE IS NO DEATH FOR KINGDOM-BELIVERS, and that the path of worship and forgiveness leads to a creative and eternal destiny of loving service. God gathers all living and loving spirits to Him. Faith, a belief in the presence of God in our lives, leads to an experience of the universe as a domain capable of sustaining and uplifting self-aware spirits and God-conscious creatures.

When I look at this painting, it shouts, "Look up, see the greater universe!" Jesus is watching over us, here and now, and we can depend on Him to guide us into glory -- for we are the children of God. We have an eternal place and purpose in this divine universe. We have a fragment of God dwelling within our minds even now. Just look within. If you sincerely seek, then you shall find the Truth. And if you're willing to accept the truth, then the truth will set you free.

May you discover many blessings on your path,
~Justin

Traumlicht (Dreamlight)

(dedicated to Andreas Herrmann)

Some day you will see this whole thing as a dream
and then as a dream that never was --
a universal dreamingness.
So are you the dreamer or the dream?

Dreams are sophisticated bio-feedback:
spirit-thought transmissions riding in on
electrochemical symphonies of the dreaming universe.

But what if you were integral to the Infinite?
would you need to work so hard to be that body? --
that particular, limited, separate self.

Can you go beyond the dream?
What's wrong with experiencing the unlimited?
Dreaming the unlimited dream.


First, I saw God everywhere --
and gradually God disappeared into nothing --
then I found God inside myself --
and then he slipped away again --
back into the world,
but never all the way back.

I still find God
in the nonsense whispers of the handicapped child
with his broken toy guitar in the lines back from Mexico,
and the high-pitched buzzing near the bank teller machine,
and the dusty manure pile and the rake,
the burnt toast, and even the snake,
a God of the little things, a god in-between --
returned to everything.

God beyond me, beyond my world, beyond the dream, beyond any THING.

So are you God
or just the dream of God?
Are YOU either way?
What if you could never stop existing?
What if you never started existing?
What if you woke up with nothing?
Would you call this a dream?

A memory is just a thing --
A dream of this being.

~

Listen to the song, "Dreamlight" by Andreas Herrmann:
www.icompositions.com/music/song.php

Listen to "Lux Aeterna" (Eternal Light) by Andreas Herrmann and Justin Karpel:
www.icompositions.com/music/song.php

It's a Girl!

Well, Jai and I just adopted...a new kitten!

Her name is Duende. She was born on May 21st, 2008.

(more kitty pictures in my photo album...)


Animals are so much fun!! ^_^

~Justin

Living Faith

I pray with genuine faith for the extension of our Father's spiritual kingdom in the minds of men. I pray that the divine purpose be achieved. I am but one faithful believer, a sincere seeker of truth, and a happy Son of the Most High God AM I. But Lord, I pray you speak your truth to the spirit inside all of us; refresh this planet with the life-waters of your Holy Spirit. Let us see with new eyes what has always been there. Let us attain what so many souls have attained before us. O little ones, guardians of destiny, mighty angels, men and women of all walks of life: To the least of you, He shall reveal the way, and you shall understand that it is THE ONLY WAY. Reality is not plural. The truth does not change. Will you stand face-to-face with the eternal truth of your being, the truth inside your very being? Will you lay claim to your glorious place inside the Christ's spiritual kingdom as Sons and Daughters of the Almighty God of Love?

All personalities exist by virtue of God's will alone. The divine spirit of God within each of us ever struggles to make contact with the mind of man. As soon as we discern the in-born presence God, we have begun to strive for a true mastery of ourselves. I pray that you surrender to THE DIVINE AFFECTION. Let go of restlessly searching the external world and look inside yourself for a change. Recall Jesus saying, "The Kingdom of heaven is within." Let go and let God assume your life into the realms of everlasting love. As the perfect patterns of the Eternal Spirit are revealed in your consciousness, so too is the truth, beauty, and goodness of your mind, soul, and personality most vividly experienced as joy and a deep inner-knowing. DIVINE WISDOM arrives only through intelligent worship and dynamic prayer. You are now learning to trust in this DIVINE LOVE. Attainment in the kingdom of God is simply the unstinted bestowal or ever-increasing degrees of love. To the degree that you radiate love, so are you too loved. To the degree you forgive, so are you too forgiven. Let go of your resistance to this truth. Allow your soul to grow and function in new dimensions and spiritual domains as a part of God's universe--in this life and in every successive stage of your spiritual reality.

Those brave souls who act upon these high callings of the Spirit within are walking the steps of the kingdom-believer. You cannot enter part-way into the kingdom. One must enter the spiritual kingdom with their whole life or not at all. The old life is exchanged for a path into everlasting life. Those men and women that consecrate their faith in the kingdom of God are literally reborn in the Spirit. The soul is regarded and eternalized through God's will alone. Old things are already becoming new. The journey into spiritual matters transforms your remaining days into progressively divine experiences.

Our faith is consecrated, tested, challenged, strengthened, and reassured all along the way--often by the worst adversities in our lives. Yet, in the highest light of meaning, all difficulties (the so-called "problems" of life) are merely the appearance of cosmic opportunities to learn, to refine ourselves, to grow, to become something more--something greater than we were before. When faced with trials and tribulations in life, rejoice and be exceedingly glad, my brethren! With God, the positive can be discerned inside the negative. With God, our troubles can be reversed. With God, our very misfortunes can become our most profound lessons and teachers in this life. The universe is full of divine tension. Often, we must undergo a temporary struggle before we can resolve the perfection of the divine affection.

Lord, I pray you have mercy upon us and deliver our souls into new dimensions of the spiritual kingdom in our lives beyond the flesh--all the way through to the Paradise abode of the Universal Source and Center of ALL. Let us celebrate the highest achievement of our life and Your love as one united fact in this supreme creation. All those who have vouched faith in the Paradise Son, Jesus Christ, have found the door to the Paradise Father; they have discovered the adventure of spiritual ascension and self-actualization, they have decided to claim their birthright as joint heirs with Christ in the Father's eternal kingdom of LIFE, they most-certainly know and love God.

So how can you tell if you're on the right track? BE PATIENT. HAVE FAITH. TRUST YOURSELF. When you genuinely glimpse the eternal truth of divine reality called GOD, you will most likely yearn to explore this glorious place and potential in the unlimited kingdom of the spirit with every fiber of your being. Your life will become more light, joyful, and satisfying than ever before. You will begin to experience the majestic presence of God in all things that you do in accord with the divine will. Your appreciation of truth, spirit, beauty, serenity, love, brotherhood, purpose, true goodness, and fulfillment will continuously expand as you pursue the Infinite One. All manner of things will begin to turn around for you. Old burdens become effortless and easy to manage. Your daily life will be infused with a new sense of meaning and profound value. Oftentimes, you will be struck with feelings of a deep peace "which surpasses all understanding" and a satisfying sense of true progress in life. Such divine blessings attend all those on this spiritual path. With God, you can and will attain profound states of grace.

Never forget, the eternal circuit of the Universal Father contains EVERYTHING. His broadcast of love is INFINITE. There is nothing more perfect in this finite, human experience than consecrating your will to the faith belief in the supreme experience of knowing God. Will you accept the ultimate and boundless adventure of experience, progression, and growth of mind, soul, and personality? Will you let your spirit shine through every facet of your divinely-ordained life? Every moment of every day, there is an opportunity, there is a choice, there is a will that His loving will be done. We call this devotion to spiritual growth, loving service, and divine attainment: LIVING FAITH.

~Justin