Oneness Ministry

Who Are You?

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Identity is an important aspect of human life for several reasons. It is how we all relate to one another and the world around us, it is how we discover our self, and it is how we discover God. I am not sure we ever really “know” God, especially in one human lifetime. Unity in Gender Diversity is a website that celebrates this journey of self discovery from the perspective of one individual.

UGD has two main parts, the Gender Learning Center and the Spiritual Learning Center. Each explores an important aspect of what I call the Journey of Love, which is really a journey to discover the self, God and all that is. Along this journey identity changes and evolves to the point where deep insights are discovered. It really never stops though and when this lifetime ends another one begins and the process is repeated in a slightly different way. Some say that when you lay down at night you die and are reborn the next day in a slightly different way. I have this experience often, so maybe I can say I have lived many lifetimes within this one lifetime, maybe we can all say this!

I love the infinite expressions of life that constantly shift and change, but in essence never change. No matter what you identify with, be it an object, animal, or person, the core essence never changes. Thus the saying, As much as things change, they stay the same. Meaning all things are Unified as One in infinite variety.

In essence we are all made of the same thing and this includes everything you can sense around you, the people you meet, the chair you sit on, the food you eat, the stars you see in the sky, the ground you walk upon, everything! Carl Sagan called it “Star Stuff”, Plato called it “Aether” and Aristotle called it the “Fifth Element”. (Wikipedia.org)

This knowing can make your life both interesting and fulfilling. Since all things are of the same source, no harm can really take place. Things appear to change all the time, the experience is constant change! This is the way it was meant to be. This is how the source discovers itself! All that I am not, leads to what I am.

The Journey then is “notness”. It is being what you are not so that you can truly experience who you are! I pray this means something to you, if need be please read over the website and discover who you are not.

Ok, I will spill the beans right here… all that you can see, touch, taste, hear, and smell is NOT who you are. You are not your pet cat, your favorite Barbie doll, or even your car, nor are you, your name, a man, blonde, short, stupid, wealthy, etc… At some point you will identify with just about everything that crosses your path in this life… it is NOT who you are.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Gender Related Spirituality Transitions

The Art of Appreciation

by Sequoia Elisabeth

This next blog is part of the Love Based Economy series and really gets to the core of how it all works. It could be said that this is the most important aspect of the system. Love it and it will Love you back. It really is that simple.

They way it works is to replace the word it with anything and everything in your life/economy. Like this, Love your enemy and your enemy will Love you back. Or Love a dog and it will love you back. Love broccoli and it will Love you back. Love your wife and she will Love you back. Love your home and it will Love you back. This works with anything that you insert, and the point is to insert it all!

The logical question is how does it work? I love my wife but she does not love me back. The answer is again very simple, but not necessarily easy. If you are Loving something and you are not experiencing the Love in return it means that you are not coming from Spiritual Love, but maybe ego love. Spiritual Love is that which makes up your soul, it is your core, it is unlimited, unconditional, and un-attachable. You cannot lose it – only give it way, you cannot limit it – only yourself, you cannot run out of it, ever! The ego version of love is the opposite of this. The remedy is to Love “it, them” some more!

So now you know what Love is, the goal is to share it or give it away, for when you do this you will have more! Like a basket of yarn that never ends, the more you pull from your soul the more you have! Since you have more than you need, you might as well give some away.

Going back to the key phrase, Love it and it will Love you back, the way to make it all work is to apply it consciously. The method of Love is to simply focus your attention on it. Invest yourself in it. For example, Love your dog and your dog will Love you back. Put your attention on your dog, give of your time, effort, and things that add value. Since appreciation is the act of adding value. The very word means increasing value! So to Love something or someone, appreciate them, make them valuable!

There are million+ ways to Love and objects to Love. In fact the options are endless. You have no doubt spent most of your life learning what is not Love. This is what this world is all about (ego). The ego world is self centered, artificially created, and important to no one except you. Without Love, this world is meaningless! Without you, it is meaningless. Because you are the very Love you give! You are what is important, not in a self centered way, but as a vehicle of Spiritual Love! We each share this potential and the more we realize it the greater its value.

😉 Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity Discover Sex and Sexuality click here

God’s Love

by Sequoia Elisabeth

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! ♥♥♥

Here is the answer to the previous Blog on Ego Love. The following is an excerpt from Sex and Sexuality, “For clarity I will capitalize this type of Love, so if you see “love” think ego and if you see “Love” think Eternal Spirit. The only true form of Love is that which some define as Agape or the Love of God. The ego mind is attempting to steer you around this section so just ignore your impulse to stop and read on. I promise this is an extremely important concept to master. Metaphor is so illustrative so consider this. You came to earth expecting a mansion and were instead given a shack! This is the illusion we all have been sold by ego mind. The ego is not who you are but is in fact a tool given us to experience this world. It is not possible to be in this world without your ego, because this world is in fact your ego expressing. It is time to let go of the belief that you are your ego (or your body) for it no longer serves you.

Who are you if you are not your ego? When the ego is stripped away all that remains is Universal Intelligence, Great Spirit, God, or the One Mind. Other names for God are pure Love, Joy and Peace. For our purposes here today we are only discussing Love although Joy and Peace are interchangeable with Love. God is All There Is and how we experience this is what Love is all about. God is Love, God is Joy, God is Peace, God is YOU and me and all that is! You may have heard this explanation however I offer it here because it is so profound. Each of us are points of experience for God or you can think of each life form as an aspect of God and if God is infinite, remember the poem at the beginning of this chapter, then we all are infinite. Here is some prose that illustrates what Love is so that you can get an idea of what this entails.

Love Is

Love is not exclusive, but Inclusive

Love is not painful, but the Highest JOY

Love is never lost, but exists always

Love is not changing, but constant

Love is not different, but the same at all levels

Love is not wrong, but the answer

Love is Universal!

Love exists regardless of what is happening in your life, in fact

Love exists regardless of your life

Love is something you can share, but cannot prevent another from experiencing,

only yourself

Love is the only thing you have more of when you give it away

Love is a feeling, an emotion, an experience, and so much more

Love is life itself

Love is a way of life

Love is an acceptance of all that comes your way

Love is an expression of WHO YOU ARE, who we all are

I AM THAT, I AM

So the next time you wish to experience Love consider what that means. Love is unconditional and in order to experience this we must first give it away! How can you give away something you do not have? You cannot, but then Love is who you are so simply give you away. This is done by being thoughtful and considerate of others, accepting others for who they present to you, and never criticizing anyone or anything. You give of yourself by doing onto others as you would have done onto you.” (Sex and Sexuality)

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity Discover Sex and Sexuality click here

Ego Love

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Continuing the series on Love, the following is an excerpt from Sex and Sexuality, “The ego is an aspect of our being that allows us to function in this world. All that you see in this world is a function of ego and I do not speak of the personality version that Sigmund Freud introduced. I speak as A Course in Miracles (ACIM) teaches that the ego is all that separates. Whenever you experience something separate from yourself you are experiencing ego. This explains how we can think of love as painful or something we can lose. The world is full of “love stories” that teach ego based separation with all the pain and pleasure that comes with it. In this ego based world hate is the opposite of love, however they both come from the same source. They are opposite poles of one whole, the ego. In order to experience ego separation we must have the opposite which serves the very important purpose of supplying contrast.

Humans revel in the experience of contrast, love, hate, pain, pleasure, happiness, sadness, hot, cold, and all the aspects of time and space. Turn on the television for 5 minutes and you will see the contrast I speak of. All of the sitcom and soap opera programs serve up ego separation as juicy slices of comedy, drama, and action. The ultimate act of separation is killing or death; the grand delusion of mankind! The ego mind is a master of weaving this delusion into every facet of your life. You are reminded of the “reality” of death a thousand times a day, especially if you are watching television.

The world is so barraged by death that it is a natural way of life here on earth. It is the cycle of life, life is born and it dies. We would not have it any other way! Or would we? What if in fact you discovered that you never do die? What if you removed the veil of death completely and realized the truth of all existence as the poem by Prajnaparamita so eloquently states?

We have established what ego love is all about, but to further define it consider the many experiences we associate with love such as happiness, sadness, emotional pain, deception, betrayal, loss, falling in love, love at first sight, and even making love. These are all ego based so this means they are illusion. I am not saying that the experience is not real because it is indeed real, just like the movies are real. We can experience all these things in the movies and we do! In fact the reason we are in this earth experience is to experience love and all the other experiences involved in this journey of discovery. So if all the love and hate we are experiencing here on earth is an illusion what is the other version of love that exists?” (Sex and Sexuality) The next blog will cover the answer.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity Discover Sex and Sexuality click here

I Love You – So Now What?

by Sequoia Elisabeth

The fact that “Love is the way” is sort of obvious, but what is not so obvious is a question I have pursued since way back in 7th grade. I asked my father “what is Love!” His answer was, “you will know it when you see it”, and I stared back at him and said “huh”?

Love is such a dynamic subject that thousands of books have been written about it and we still want more! So what is it about Love that we desire? As I have shared in my previous blogs relationships are what life is all about whether they be relationships that are intimate, casual, family or friends every relationship you have is a relationship with God. Don’t run! God loves you and if this bugs you then maybe you should take a step back and examine why.

It could be the word “God”. There is so much stigma attached that it has almost lost its meaning. Feel free to use whatever word feels best for you since they are equal, Universal Mind, Buddha, Allah, Jesus, Goddess or Great Spirit. The point here is that you are Loved and to accept that Love is not as easy as it would seem. In order to fully accept Great Spirit’s Love we must accept the Love we are offered in every relationship we have. Every time you reject someone, be they friend or foe, you are rejecting Love. Yes, this means that your ex partner that you would prefer to never see again is a source of Love and so is that sexy person at the coffee shop that you admire so much. Every person you meet has a gift for you – an opportunity to Love. Simple isn’t it? Love and be Loved!

I suppose we need to look at what love is and isn’t. This is where it gets tricky and I suggest trusting only your heart. We have all been hurt at some time or another, that is a given, however what you do with that hurt is the key to your Spiritual growth. The phrase “forgive and forget” rings loud in my mind right now. The saying, “what comes around, goes around” applies here also, because you can leave the person to what he/she created. They will get what is coming, it is not up to you. If you take this role (revenge/vengeful), then you become caught in the web of karma which is simply not necessary. It takes a strong person to walk away or to even express caring/compassion for the person who hurt you. It matters not what the person did, killed your child, cut your hand off, or call you a bad name. Jesus showed us what forgiveness and Love brings, he will not soon be forgotten!

Look back at the blog from Feb. 9th to see what Love is and isn’t in more detail, I originally ran that blog before this one, so I will get more into the difference between ego love or man’s love vs. God’s Love or Spiritual Love in the next blog. As this is the key to being able to forgive and forget!

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity Discover Sex and Sexuality click here

What Is Love?

by Sequoia Elisabeth

This is a repost from Feb. 23 2010, in honor of Valentine’s Day.

I will offer you a few poems to illustrate LOVE and then I will discuss some important points.

“What is Love?

It is that which is without condition, without limitation, and without need.

Because it is without condition, it requires nothing in order to be expressed. It asks nothing in return. It withdraws nothing in retaliation.

Because it is without limitation, it places no limitation on another. It knows no ending, but goes on forever. It experiences no boundary or barrier.

Because it is without need, it seeks to take nothing not freely given. It seeks to hold nothing not wishing to be held. It seeks to give nothing not joyously welcomed.

And it is free. Love is that which is free, for freedom is the essence of what God is, and love is God, expressed.”

Neale Donald Walsch, Friendship With God, Page 156

“Love Is, a Poem

Love is not exclusive, but Inclusive

Love is not painful, but the Highest JOY

Love is never lost, but exists always

Love is not changing, but constant

Love is not different, but the same at all levels

Love is not wrong, but the answer

Love is Universal!

Love exists regardless of what is happening in your life, in fact

Love exists regardless of your life

Love is something you can share, but cannot prevent another from experiencing, only yourself

Love is the only thing you have more of when you give it away

Love is a feeling, an emotion, an experience, and so much more

Love is life itself

Love is a way of life

Love is an acceptance of all that comes your way

Love is an expression of WHO YOU ARE, who we all are

I AM THAT, I AM”

Sequoia Elisabeth, Livin’ Large, page 20

Now that we have some idea of what love is and is not, I offer some important points to remember. The first and most important thing for you to realize is that love is not painful, so if you are hurting then that is not love; that is ego. Now that you realize this you can let it go for it serves you not! Infatuation is often painful so no that is not love although so many of us think it is when we first get started. This is a painful lesson to learn, but that is ok, pain is simply a distraction from the Truth, which is you are Loved by All That Is. If you are asking for love from one person and only that person, then this is not love. Love chooses you, not the other way around and if you put limits on your love then it instantly becomes ego. You cannot love one person more than any other, so when I say “I love you” I mean that as if I was speaking to my Beloved, because I am! This is the way Jesus spoke of love and so we can carry on the tradition.

Hopefully you are getting a good feeling of what love is and is not, so now let’s take this one more level to where it all begins; in your heart. I have mentioned doing mirror work before and this is where self acceptance and self love begin. Look into the mirror and go deep within your soul, feel the love, say it out loud, “I Love You”. Practice this over and over every day, every time you see yourself in the mirror! Feel it deep within your soul, for this is who you are speaking with, and your soul is reflecting back to you! At first this may seem difficult or awkward, just stick with it, the payoff is Golden!

Some of you may be thinking this sounds very narcissistic or conceded. I assure you it is not, and why it is not is because “you” are greater than what you see in the mirror. Remember the soul we were speaking of before, this is who you are loving, not the body you see in the mirror or the ego. Ego love is narcissistic and conceded, so that is what we are letting go of and instead we are focused on the Love of God, Universal Love, Soul Love, or Oneness.

“Wisdom is knowing that I am nothing, Love is knowing that I am everything, in between my life moves.”

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity Discover Sex and Sexuality click here

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Self-Acceptance Key

by Sequoia Elisabeth

The key to self-acceptance is first of all finding out who you are. This is not as simple as it may seem. The person you see in the mirror is not necessarily who you are. The body is more like a vehicle than who you are. Just like your car is not who you are neither is your body. Getting to the point where you are a happy with the image in the mirror and with yourself is sometimes a long road. There is no right way to get there either so leave the GPS at home and instead use your intuition.

Introspection comes easily for some of us and much harder for others, so if you are one of those who does not like to look within, then this will be even more important to you, although you may need to get help.

The journey goes something like this, look in the mirror what do you see? Ok, this is your vehicle. It was given you for a reason and most likely that reason is that it will take you where you need to go, not necessarily where you want to go. Right here and now, STOP thinking you know where you are going. Stop thinking you know who you are. Let go of any preconceptions you may have acquired. Each day is a new day and one with the potential to discover yourself.

Now that you have discovered your vehicle go take it for a ride. Test the cornering ability, the acceleration, and the stopping distance. See how good you are at changing situations, demands on your services or skills, and how well you can say no. Once you learn to say no, then you can move on and learn to say Yes. No is easy, but Yes carries responsibilities. Of course this will lead to rewards also. On the road keep a notebook with you and record your best features, skills and attributes. Get to know what you are good at and what you need work on.

You have a long list now and are ready to pursue this even further. Stay focused on the desirable features, skills and attributes. The ones you really like and have already accepted. Staying motivated at this level is about focusing on your good attributes and if you noticed any undesirable attributes on the list you can acknowledge them, thank them for being a part of you and then letting them go. To symbolize this write them down on a piece of paper. In a safe location, burn the paper while thinking of your desires. What are you grateful for? What is next for you? Be optimistic and joyful, you have just let go of all your troubles.

The process continues and goes deeper each time. Life will evolve and get better and better! Before you know it love and acceptance will exist in you on a deeper level than you even knew existed!

Remember a few things along the way. Everything happens for a reason (unless you decide it doesn’t), Resistance is futile, and everyone is going to the same place, only in different ways, through different means, and from different perspectives. Joy is in the journey!

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Gender Related Spirituality Transitions

The Perfect Relationship

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Does it really exist? Don’t be too quick to judge. Of course it does, and I am going to show you, but first a few points and foundational comments to start with. We have a relationship with everything in our life. So this means that you have a relationship with your family, your pets, your Lover, and every object in your life. What I am focused on here is the Love relationship with a partner. Many of the principles will go with any relationship.

The first thing to remember is that all relationships are about one thing, God expressing through you in self-awareness. As you are aware of God, God experiences God. Now, who or what is God. Simply put God is all there is. So how does an omnipotent, omnipresent, being know itself? By creating you! Of course the other thing to remember is that God knows all there is to know and so do you. God wants nothing, because God is everything. The word I think best describes God is LOVE.

With this in mind, as I express Love, I am expressing GOD. I am being the best “God” I can be. The goal in any relationship is to express Love. This expression leads to Peace and the experience of Peace will take us beyond all that is not God to a realization that we have been home with God all along. Yes, there is “not God” in this dualistic world, and you probably know this better than you realize. The easy way to tell the difference is “not God” separates, while God unifies.

So as we go thru our life we will be doing things and we will have feelings while doing them. As long as the feeling is positive you are on the right track, if you feel a sick feeling or negative one then something is not right and you need to change direction. This takes practice and experimentation, but over the years you will learn to do this either, consciously or not. The desire is to make this expression conscious and by observing your feelings, which are a combination of thoughts and emotions, you are being guided by Holy Spirit. A heightened consciousness and a greater awareness of all that is will result.

The next obvious question is how does one express Love. And this is really what relationships are for, the practice of expressing Love so that we may experience ourselves in our highest glory and that we may know God as God. Your partner is a witness to your life, your best friend, and your supporter. In so doing they are experiencing God. Conversely you are the same for them. Thus the cycle of Love and relation moves, grows and cycles back where it started with God

The partner relationship has one main purpose, to Love and Be Loved. How this looks is open for interpretation with infinite possibilities! It is best experienced without judgment or expectations as to what it should be like. Simply accept it all as an expression of Great Spirit or God.

Similar interests helps to move things along, so as we express ourselves your partner can understand more fully what you are doing and can help guide you by participating in the experience. Of course we all have thoughts that are different than our partner and this is the real gift. As we celebrate our differences, not trying to accentuate them, but by honoring them, our partner helps us grow. The longer two people are together the closer aligned they become.

Love your partner as they are, because it is up to them to change, if they even want to, so if you are not happy with something about them then step back and see if it is not something about you that is the real problem. Remember the world is a reflection of who you are and I mean your personal world, not the world at large (that is a culmination of all that is). As you celebrate your partner so you celebrate yourself, because we are all one.

Criticize not, or you will be condemning yourself. The more you become one with your partner the stronger the relationship becomes, but this need not be done by constantly standing by their side and melting into a shadow. In fact, the more you express yourself and be the person you were meant to be the better. Freedom to do this is important for a healthy relationship. Balance is advised here. Let me just say that we each have to learn on our own how this works, so doing what worked for someone else is no guarantee that it will work for you. Your assets enhance your partner; your strength is theirs. Forget about any short comings, they are soon to be history anyway. In the process of growth be forgiving of any mistakes you or your partner makes. A short memory when it comes to these things is a blessing. Each day is a new day, a new opportunity for you to be the best “you” possible.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Innocence Revealed

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Innocence is generally thought of as being free from guilt as in a crime or in a moral sense, however I feel that the meaning runs much deeper than that and I offer a difference perspective on what innocence is.

The law is fairly straight forward. Either a person is guilty or innocent. Often only the individual truly knows the Truth. If a person were to believe the material they read in the Christian bible it would have you believe that even a new born baby is guilty from the day they are born, because of the actions of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. All humans are guilty! …NOT. Please do yourself a favor and see beyond the veil of this falsehood.

Of course you are free to believe anything you like and the offering here is meant as a gift for further contemplation. It is not likely that if you are reading this blog you actually believe in a literal translation of the bible anyway. So does innocence have anything to do with religion or the bible? I believe on a superficial level it does, but it also goes far beyond these worn out teachings.

What if innocence was a state of consciousness or a state of being in which any human can operate. What this means for the average individual is that innocence is available to every human being at any time in any place. There is a purity to innocence that when accessed opens you to your soul and a very simple authentic expression.

Innocence has a very high energy vibration that is coupled with source creator. In order to access this state of consciousness or being one simply has to let go of any mental attachment to who they think they are and also to what they think they are doing. Instead come from a place of being open to the flow of events in a non-judgmental way.

Babies do this naturally, (despite what the bible teaches) as do animals. Our pets are excellent at modeling innocence for us! Of course this relationship often gets construed with our human behavior projections so that the pet becomes like us.

The innocence I speak of is the one that comes from not knowing, genuine curiosity, and non-judgment. The not-knowing I speak of is not ignorance as that implies apathy. Innocence comes from a deep caring, sense of adventure and desire to explore. It is that wild eyed look a child gets when they discover something new and exciting. Watching dogs play in the park without human intervention is another demonstration of innocence. Love can have an innocence to it when first embraced, and for those who are lifelong partners it is something that is never lost.

Innocence is a place we all can operate from on a daily basis. It does take an intention to do so and practice will make it into a habit, so that we are constantly coming from this divine place of freedom, authenticity, curiosity, open mindedness, and non-judgment.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Polyamorous Relationships

by Sequoia Elisabeth

There is nothing more important than having Loving relationships in your life. Just exactly how you express your love is up to you and is highly personal. This blog is one possible way to express Love along with a few things to keep in mind when developing your Love life.

Love is our nature or more specifically Love is who we are. If you were to strip off every layer of your life; the appearances, the behaviors, and the thoughts, the only thing that would be left is Love or Agape. Not only is Love the way, it is the essence of your being. This Love is interchangeable with Joy, Peace and God. This is in stark contrast to ego love which is possessive, limited, weak and jealous.

If you have any experience with ego love in a relationship then simply understand the difference between ego love and Spiritual Love (love and Love). Love is based on surrender, trust and gratitude, while love is based on fear, manipulation, and ego centric behavior. To be in a polyamorous relationship it requires that you be coming from Love.

Polyamorous simply means multiple Loving intimate relationships with the consent of each and every person involved. These relationships are more than a one night stand, although they could include those also. Love is not meant to be limited and when allowed to flow freely keeping it focused in one monogamous direction is like trying to hold a handful of water; the harder you try the less water is left.

Love as a paradigm and lifestyle emerging now in our society as the new relationship, so I will share my vision of where this is going. I see the end of marriage as an institution. Instead there will be soul bonds or spiritual unions which may be two people or more and their gender, race, national origin, etc. will not matter. The government will not have any say in these bonds and offer no coercion in their formation. (licenses, financial benefits, etc.) The Church no longer offers judgment as to whether relationships are right or wrong. They simply support and Love their members. They will still conduct ceremonies if the Polyamorous partners choose this, although I do not see this as being necessary any longer.

The Polyamorous paradigm is a world based on Love instead of fear. It is a world based on oneness, trust and free will. No one can harm you in this world, and no one would want to. Relationships are based on sharing loving experience and have no limits. The relationships are all about gaining a deeper understanding of who you are and experiencing that through your partner. (Which is true today, but comes coupled with all sorts of fears) If a polyamorous relationship is dissolved it is done in a loving and accepting manner because the relationship is based on goodness and sharing, not attachment.

Relationships are open and consenting because we each come from a place of Love and a desire to express Love. Children are embraced and raised by the community, not only the parents. The community is totally symbiotic and each person knows that in Loving and supporting others they are in effect doing so to themselves. This is what Jesus meant by “Do onto others as you would have done onto you”.

The Polyamorous paradigm is emerging now because it is time. The world is ready for this kind of Love. We have seen ego love enough now to know that it is not who we are. Now that we know we are Love, let’s express this in all that we do!

😉 Sequoia Elisabeth

Learning To Love

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Now that we know that the secret to all our challenges in life is learning to love your self, how do we go about that? The suggestions I made in the previous blogs are a good place to start, and the next step along the road is to learn from others.

There is a three tiered process of learning to love others and it begins with plants. Plants are very simple. They respond to our loving care by growing stronger and blooming brighter. You may have noticed that some individuals are great at growing plants and we refer to them as having a ‘green thumb’. Anyone can have a ‘green thumb’ by loving plants! This means caring for them, protecting them, and appreciating them. Try this experiment, go to the store and buy a potted plant. Learn how to care for it and do so by giving it the water, food and light that it needs. Play soft music for it, talk nicely to it, praise the plant for growing well and for blooming if it has flowers. Over time the plant will thrive and you can tweak your approach and most importantly create the habit of caring for this plant. It takes 30 days to create a habit so be faithful to this experiment for at least that long. In reality the process lasts a lifetime. Remember to self talk in a positive way, which means to acknowledge to yourself and others how much you love plants and enjoy learning about them. Once you feel good about growing plants then you can move up to the next level, animals.

Pets are great teachers! Why do you think so many people have dogs and cats? We are learning to Love! Fido and Kitty are our teachers. In reality any animal can be our teacher as they will respond to our care and attentions appropriate to the animal. I have a friend who loves snakes and others who are all about fish and aquariums. Birds make good teachers too, so find the one that works best for you and do the same experiment that you did before with the plant. This process will likely take much longer and it is often years before we realize our success. The nice thing about dogs is they are very forgiving and incredibly loving. Loving a dog could not be easier! Remember to self talk in a positive way! So when you feel confident loving your pet then the next step is personal relationships.

Loving another human being takes many forms and we are learning from every person we meet. Some are teaching how not to love and others are teaching how to love. The ACIM (A Course In Miracles) says that we are all teachers and students at the same time. We learn from our children just like they learn from us! We learn from criminals about what not to do just as they learn from the consequences of their actions. This is Oneness expressed. Everyone is learning what love is and is not from everyone and every experience in their life.

Until you learn to love the person in the mirror though you are simply a spectator in the bleachers who is teaching how not to love. Maybe it is your turn to step out onto the field and play the game of life. In the process of learning how to love, you become the teacher.

😉 Sequoia Elisabeth

Embrace Yourself

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Addiction is a dependence on a behavior or sub-stance that a person is powerless to stop. The term has partially replaced the word dependence for substance abuse. Addiction has been extended, however, to include mood-altering behaviors or activities. Some researchers speak of two types of addictions: substance addictions (for example, alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking); and process addictions (for example, gambling, spending, shopping, eating, and sexual activity). There is a growing recognition that many addicts, such as polydrug abusers, are addicted to more than one sub-stance or process.

Addiction can be a multifaceted state of being but most often it only involves one behavior that is psychologically or physically habit forming to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma and this persistent compulsive activity is harmful to the user or others.

The question of some behaviors being addictions such as talking too much, collecting memorabilia or habitual crossdressing are debatable as to their harmfulness or severe trauma from quitting. It is important to understand that an addiction is habitual and harmful to the user and/or others by definition. It is also important to understand why the addiction began in the first place.

As I explained in the previous blog addictions spring from our desire to hide from our self and this image is all a mirage. The Divine Truth remains to be discovered by anyone trapped in addiction, so I will offer a road home.

Do not take addiction lightly as the first tendency is to think you can handle this on your own and this is probably not the case. Get help, even if it is finding someone to share your fears and concerns with. It is best to find someone who knows the Divine Truth and can see beyond the illusion.

Focus on the root cause of the addiction, not knowing how to love yourself. Love involves acceptance which I think of as embracing the essence of who you are. One great way to do this is to use affirmations and the other is to do mirror exercises.

I have been making references to mirror exercises so let’s look at that in detail. Look at yourself in the mirror and be aware of your feelings. Direct your thoughts to the positive and say to yourself, “I Love You”. Do this as often as you can and notice how you feel. At first it may feel awkward and difficult, just stay with it. Keep doing it and be gentle with the self talk. Focus on accepting who you are.

Affirmations are great for shifting our perception of who we are. Use this affirmation as often as you can, “I now discover how wonderful I am. I choose to love and enjoy myself.” (Louise Hay 1998). Once you get really good at this try looking into the mirror and saying the affirmation.

A large part of our journey here on earth is learning to love. This love starts with yourself and then we extend it outwards. Often we make the mistake of trying to love others first and that will end in disaster unless you can learn to love the self, because ultimately we are all one. So when you love your self you are loving others.

😉 Sequoia Elisabeth

Stop Running

by Sequoia Elisabeth

The easiest thing to do when you are faced with something scary is to run away. Fear is the opposite of love and we always have the choice of experiencing either one or the other like darkness and light. When you turn on the lights the darkness in the room goes away, it is the same when we love.

According to the ACIM (A Course In Miracles), our greatest fear is ourselves. Humans are afraid to know the truth about themselves because they fear the horrible things they have been told about whom they are and how horrible they can be. I mean Humans actually kill one another in sometimes brutal and vicious ways. Humans kill animals and eat them. We allow our children to starve to death. On a more personal level we have all hurt the ones we love in some way either physically or mentally, so we must be horrible creatures!

Are we really that horrible? Is being a vile person a requirement of humanity? Hardly! Please do not buy into the illusion and certainly do not run from your self! The nature of this reality is that our thoughts manifest in ways we are not aware of and the Divine Truth is hidden behind all the fear, pain, and lack we believe in. Each of us creates our own reality through our thoughts so what you think about that person staring back at you in the mirror is your “truth”.

It takes courage to look into the mirror and see the Divine Truth…you are looking at God (or your choice of deity). The road to self love begins with one step and the mirror is a great place to begin! Now do not get confused here, I am not speaking about loving what you see, that is just a shell and the same goes for everything else in this world. It is all illusion and we have been born blind! The Truth is always present and the potential to see it is always available. You may have had revelations where you actually saw the Truth and those are gifs from angels.

When I look in the mirror I am aware of my feelings. I do not judge them as good, or bad I simply feel. It is the feeling that leads you to who you are and seeing the Divine Person/Truth. Remember you are made in the image of God.

For someone who does not know the Truth, fear often jumps in and this is how addictions are born. We have a void in our lives and we have no idea how to love that person we see in the mirror, much less out in the world, so we run. We run from ourselves in a vain attempt to escape. The pain of the illusion is too great so we find a way to escape and the method of choice these days is chemicals that alter our sense of reality. Addictions come in many forms but they all have fear at the core. Addiction simply means that your behavior has become habitual and harmful. Even though you may realize that this behavior is harmful to both you and others it seems that you cannot stop and it also seems like it relieves the pain.

This is what I call a dream within a dream within a dream! How many layers of deception does it take for you to feel safe from yourself? Tomorrow we will continue this look at addictions and I will offer a solution.

😉 Sequoia Elisabeth

Love and the art of Divorce

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Relationships can be easy, difficult, painful, joyful, and essential. The one thing they cannot be is avoided. It is in our nature to love and care for others. If you will remember we talked before about the nature of all relationships being with the One, Holy Spirit, God. The ego mind tries to create the illusion of separation and thus comes the pain and difficulty we have with relationships.

Marriage is basically an acknowledgement of the oneness that exists always. Two people who are attracted decide to share in the journey of love. They make a commitment to stand beside each other no matter what and to share all that each has to offer. This is done in the presence of God, because God is all there is! So whether the ceremony is conducted in a church, court house or park Spirit is present and witnesses this bond.

The nature of the world we live in is ego mind. Separation is being thrown at us at every turn, so it is little wonder that not all marriages last. The rules we impose on each other are contrary to our nature as animals and as Spirits. Monogamous, Heterosexual, relationships with biological family must be our lifestyle!

I am here to remind you that the rules are simply made up and can be changed. There is no right or wrong in life, only what feels joyful or not. When we surrender to the flow of Spirit we are guided on the path we intended before we embarked on this human adventure. Love is the way!

Sometimes marriages do not last and that is OK. There is no rule that says we must take only one partner per lifetime. You decide what is right for you! Divorce does not have to be ugly.

Marriage is two people looking in the same direction, sharing common goals. If that changes then divorce can be the best choice. While this needs to be considered deeply once the decision is made mutually, moving on can be as easy as walking away. Love does not have to be abandoned! Just because two people divorce does not mean they stop loving each other. It means their paths are heading in different directions.

I encourage you to take your time and keep love by your side always and all ways. This means that you love everyone in your life whether you know them or not. Do not leave your partner in anger or frustration and instead stay long enough to work through your feelings. What you give, you receive. Keep this in mind as you decide how you will approach divorce. Marriage is a 50/50 arrangement so when it comes to dividing that, keep it as equal as possible. Attachment is the root to all pain and suffering and the more you insist (resist) the worse it will be.

When the right (for you) decision is being made things will flow and fall into place without struggle. Pain is natural (because you are releasing an attachment) so do not focus on this, but instead focus on the possibilities to fulfill your purpose here on earth. Love is our nature, so just be yourself and love will flow whether you are divorcing or marrying! 🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Know Who Guides You

by Sequoia Elisabeth

This is a continuation from yesterday.

There are several aspects to this voice we hear in our heads that will tell you if you are listening to God or ego. Some of the aspects of the ego are that it wants to be heard, so this voice is loud often taking front stage. The other thing is that our minds never stop, even when we are sleeping, the ego does not sleep! One reason people do not sleep well is they are listening to their ego. Learning how to shut down your ego is what Buddhist monks work on all their lives, so do not expect to do this over night. Once you understand what your ego mind is and how to detect it, making the conscious choice to not listen is much easier. Resistance is Futile so do not oppose the ego, simply choose not to listen and instead focus on listening to the God Mind.

The God Mind is quiet, consistent, and loving. It never asks you to do anything that might harm you. If it hurts or if pain is involved then God is not speaking. God only speaks to you in your Highest and Best interest. God does not yell or demand. God will answer your questions a million times if necessary and never complain that you do not remember. Any criticism you may hear is coming from ego mind since God never complains, criticizes, or demeans. God speaks only inspiring, helpful, and loving thoughts. Abundance is Gods nature so if you have any thoughts of lack you are listening to ego. When our lives are given to Holy Spirit, which is the voice for God, Abundance becomes easy and second nature for us because we are allowing this energy to express through us.

Crisis will occur in your life because this is an ego world, so just accept it and look instead for the gift hidden within the crisis. Be grateful for all that presents itself to you whether you think you want it or not. Gratitude has the power to heal and set things back into harmony. It is time for me to share a prayer with you. Look at these words as if it was the first time you have ever seen them, how do they apply in your life?

Christian Prayer for Peace

Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be known as the Children of God.
But I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
To those who strike you on the cheek offer the other also, and from those who take away your cloak, do not withhold your coat as well.
Give to everyone who begs from you, and of those who take away your goods, do not ask them again. And as you wish that others would to do you, do so to them.

Blessings on your Journey of Love 🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

What is Love?

by Sequoia Elisabeth

This is a continuation from yesterday.

I will offer you a few poems to illustrate LOVE and then I will discuss some important points.

“What is Love?

It is that which is without condition, without limitation, and without need.

Because it is without condition, it requires nothing in order to be expressed. It asks nothing in return. It withdraws nothing in retaliation.

Because it is without limitation, it places no limitation on another. It knows no ending, but goes on forever. It experiences no boundary or barrier.

Because it is without need, it seeks to take nothing not freely given. It seeks to hold nothing not wishing to be held. It seeks to give nothing not joyously welcomed.

And it is free. Love is that which is free, for freedom is the essence of what God is, and love is God, expressed.”

Neale Donald Walsch, Friendship With God, Page 156

“Love Is, a Poem

Love is not exclusive, but Inclusive

Love is not painful, but the Highest JOY

Love is never lost, but exists always

Love is not changing, but constant

Love is not different, but the same at all levels

Love is not wrong, but the answer

Love is Universal!

Love exists regardless of what is happening in your life, in fact

Love exists regardless of your life

Love is something you can share, but cannot prevent another from experiencing, only yourself

Love is the only thing you have more of when you give it away

Love is a feeling, an emotion, an experience, and so much more

Love is life itself

Love is a way of life

Love is an acceptance of all that comes your way

Love is an expression of WHO YOU ARE, who we all are

I AM THAT, I AM

Sequoia Elisabeth Carpenter, Livin’ Large, page 20

Let me know if I left anything out or if you have a question I did not address, I am at your service. :-)Sequoia Elisabeth

“Wisdom is knowing that I am nothing, Love is knowing that I am everything, in between my life moves.”

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I Love You! So now what?

by Sequoia Elisabeth

The fact that love is the way is sort of obvious, but what is not so obvious is a question I have pursued since way back in 7^th grade. I asked my father “what is Love!” His answer was, “you will know it when you see it”, and I stared back at him and said “huh”?

It could be the word “God”, there is so much stigma attached that it has almost lost its meaning. Feel free to use whatever word feels best for you since they are equal, Universal Mind, Buddha, Allah, Jesus, Goddess or Great Spirit. The point here is that you are Loved and to accept that Love is not as easy as it would seem. In order to fully accept Great Spirit’s Love we must accept the Love we are offered in every relationship we have. Every time you reject someone, be they friend or foe, you are rejecting Love. Yes, this means that your ex that you hate so much is God and so is that sexy person at the coffee shop that you admire so much. Every person we meet has a gift for us and that is an opportunity to Love. Simple isn’t it? Love and be Loved!

This is something that comes easily for me because I have practiced it so many times. How did I have the opportunity to practice so often you ask? Being so tall (6’11”), it matters little if I am a woman or a man, I got stares and was treated like a freak more times than I care to remember. In the early years I did get angry and rebel with smart remarks and such, but I quickly noticed that it just made me feel worse, so I stopped. Instead I decided to “do onto others as I would have done onto me”, I complimented them. The advice your Mom gave you about, “if you don’t have anything good to say then don’t say anything at all” is great advice.

Con’t next time… 😉 Sequoia Elisabeth

Gender Related Spirituality Transitions

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Mirrors of Friendship

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Transition is long and sometimes arduous journey so it is very important to treasure each moment of Joy and each success along the path. Doing this alone is certainly possible, but it is when we have someone who cares to share our experiences with, the Joy grows exponentially.

Often when we decide to begin the journey we are in an intimate relationship which becomes our first challenge. Will they accept us? The real question is do we accept ourselves? The only way to know if you accept yourself is how others treat you. I know this may seem backward or strange, but this is just how it works. Understand that you are all there is, all else is a reflection of who you are.

I call this the mirror principle and our lives are often like living in a house of mirrors, it can get pretty confusing. This being said let’s get back to our partner who is having difficulty with our coming out news. Each person in your life has their own vision of you, as a reflection of themselves! Be gentle with your expectations of them and this is where the golden rule comes in. Do on to others as you would have done on to you, because they are you! We are One.

When you think about this it explains a lot about the reactions and treatment you get from others. Those who understand are supportive and loving. Those who believe themselves to be like you are going to be supportive and understanding (and vice versa). Join a support group! The internet is the place to look and if you need help, contact me I am here for you. The time spent with others on a similar journey will help you to better understand yourself and you have the opportunity to grow self love. The Love you give is the Love you will receive! Not only do support groups offer information you will need along the journey such as where to go to get the things you need, what to look out for along the path and who can help you, they show you who you are! I find this to be the greatest gift anyone can offer you! 🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

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If it walks like a Duck

by Sequoia Elisabeth

If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and looks like a duck then it must be a duck! This is the power of reason. Reason is our last sense of the mind to cover in this series of tools for coping with Transition. Most of us know about deductive reasoning from the stories of Sherlock Holmes and we are taught to reason in school by using the logical brain, so let me share a method of using reason for your Spiritual growth.

In Religious Science when they do Spiritual Mind Treatment part of the process involves reasoning with the mind so that the practitioner or one mind is totally convinced of the certainty of what we are praying for. It goes something like this, “Almighty God I know that we are one and that all I see around me is our creation together, I know that you flow through me as I am creating my dreams. And since you work through me, I know we can create anything, I know that I am healthy because I am an expression of your Perfection, I know that we are Abundant, because you create through me, I know that Peace is here now, because Almighty God flows through my life constantly. I am so grateful to be a part of this glorious process as I allow Almighty God to operate in this world through me! I release these words to the Universe in gratitude and grace. And so it is.

It is not necessary to go through all the steps to have reason work for you. Be as specific as you can and give examples of Miracles that you have experienced. Use reason to build a positive life by looking for all the good that is in your life and then reasoning that if good exists then you must be good. Or just because something bad happens does not make you bad, because of all the wonderful things you have to be grateful for such as air to breath, water to drink, food to eat, and friends to share with. We always have what we need!

The power of reason is just another tool we have at our disposal to create the life of our dreams! Each of us have the responsibility to create the life we desire, it is not going to fall into our laps, unless it does and if it does, be grateful you created it! Just remember the process goes like this, thought – word – action. Now that you know the 6 senses of the mind you can use these tools to create a master piece of life. Blessings on your Journey of Love. 🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth