Finding the way

Finding the way
Perhaps they met at a crossroads 
Traveled together for safety
Probably argued about direction
Shared food
Laughed around the fire at night
Or maybe they kept their distance
Watched each other
Tracked one another
Never new the thinking of the others
And there was the star 
A celestial phenomenon
How do you follow something that is really not moving
What is the way to be found,
Is it prophecy where you come from,
An astrologers whim? 

An astronomers calculation? 
So you end up at a house
In the outer room where the animals were kept  
A young woman holds a new born
As her husband gazes at you in awe.
You bring gifts
Do you simply honer life?
Or do you know something more?
Do you share what you know?
Have you found the way yet?
Is your wisdom helpful? 
Is this what you were looking for?
Do you really know why you are here?

Is the story over?

Or has it just begun?

jeffkimsey-carroll.com

Can You Imagine?

 From Out of Her Head

If I could climb inside of you

I could meet God there

and in the hallways of your body

God and I would walk around

and we would gaze in awe

upon the gatherings of your soul

That you hang upon the inside

of this body where you live

and God would stop and say to me

Man I love this one

And I would have to agree

Can you imagine

God and me

Walking through you?

jeffkimsey-carroll.com

Moment #24

 California

jeffkimsey-carroll.com

I made you up

I

I made you up. I was alone and the loneliness was relentless, so I made you up. I set everything in place for you to be. Gave you a place to dwell and eyes with which to see me, so you would not feel alone. Your eyes glazed over with all that was and continues to be before you. Sometimes I am not sure you see me anymore.  Nevertheless I am the one who made you up. I dreamed the motion, all the colors, the balance, the agility. I taught you to dance, to sing, to play about the garden.Then you got scared. With all there was to experience you became overwhelmed. You made up rules to bring order and stories that spoke of not being worthy and that you were cast out. I have always loved you and never saw you this way, you have never left the garden. I gave you everything and wanted you to have all the understanding of that everything, for that is who you are. Who we are, you and I and the everything are one. We are the made up and the makers of everything. Do not be afraid!

Jeff from another perspective 

A Whisper

This is a whisper in my head. That means it is not clear. Not a clear thought or idea, just a whisper.

There are these spirits that run across one of the valleys in my soul. They are warriors, hunters, reactors. They react without thought, quickly, so quickly that sometimes their action is complete before the event has begun. I know that is not possible but remember this is not real, I think, just a whisper. There is a deity that watches them from some place that feels not like my soul but more like my head. Okay now I am not saying that this means my soul is some place other than my head, but we are talking about feeling, not knowing. So I really don't need to explain this.

Anyway the deity watches and often sends storms into the valley in order to bring about change. The storm destroys the spirit warriors village and causes them to move and rebuild and keep trying to bring order back to their life. They do all this quickly, so quickly.

One day the deity set a storm that lasted for some time. The warriors hid from it as long as they could, but then chose to war against the storm. As the storm raged on, all they would do would be to run at it and try to pierce it with their spears. The storm simply sent the spears flying back, many warriors were killed. When the storm died out, something strange was left behind. A sphere that spoke of wonders, secrets, and dreams lay on the valley floor. Some listened, but most reacted swiftly and tried to kill the sphere and stop it from speaking.

As the spears struck the sphere they were drawn in and the energy of the spears brought with them the story of each warrior. All the spears gathered in the center of the sphere creating a kind of flower that seemed to amplify the wonderings that continued to emanate outward from the sphere. The sight and the stories slowed the warriors and they stopped their swift reacting and began to think and wonder about everything.
To this day the spirit warriors sit listening and at peace, in one of the valleys of my soul. They listen to the sphere reflecting there stories back to them. The sphere I believe is a fragment of the creative force of the universe. These fragments lodge themselves in many places with in each persons soul. We then spend our entire lives making attempts to hear the stories of existence held with in us.

This has been a whisper, only a whisper, if it had been actual information it would have made sense.

This is the full therapy painting the whispers came from. Just me playing with paint. The colors have been computer enhanced, the original is really quite dull.

Jeff listening to paint

this season

As I enter the Holiday season I always find myself looking for the real message. I look to friends, nature, the over all energy and movement of the season. Sometimes I find it some years it just comes and goes. One morning outside the house I am working at currently, I was putting off working by taking pictures of the trees. Later on that night (just a few nights ago) I put this image together. I call it "cracked vase".

 We live in a time of much brokenness as did this child Jesus. No mater what you believe this child grew to share a simple and yet complex message that if we could see past our fear and love each other with out conditions we could heal a broken world. I do not believe this child expected religions to be built around what he said and wars to be waged in his name. He simply wanted us to be together, truly together. It is that being together that is our greatest challenge. We still scramble around like frightened forest creatures gathering all the things we think we need to survive. Don't expect me to share some answer to all this I am as frightened as the next critter. Just keep looking to the creative spirit for guidance, always struggle to see in new ways and share what you feel with those around you. Allow growth, change, things must change, do not fear this. I know this is easier said than done, but we need to keep telling ourselves this. I hope the season gives you visions that eases a bit of your fear.

The Cracked Vase

The vase had been cracked

For all the years I was aware of it

It held a feather

She had pick up on a walk

The feather she said

Carried a prayer

Up to the heavens

To Gods ear.

"Awaken, awaken little one

The earth it moves with you

Bend down near it

And rise up from it

In every moment

You are new."

The vase was always cracked

But it still holds the feather well

The prayer had gone it's way

Along time ago

God has heard it full

And keeps handing it back to me.

Jeff then

Here is another story about broken Jars.

 Follow the link: http://www.innerfrontier.org/Practices/TikkunOlam.htm

Building a Sacred Place

Yes that's me, I've spent the past week working on a rocket ship on a nursery school playground. Really, it's what I do. I'll post a picture next week when it's done.

I am a very fortunate woodworker. I have had many opportunities to create devices or spaces for play. Building places for children to play is a sacred activity, because you are creating sacred space. Play is a powerful artistic and spiritual activity although we as a culture do not always give it that respect. Most of the time we are throwing around phrases like “stop playing around” or “ we need to stop playing and get to work”. As I learned back in my days as an educator, play is the work of children and if they are denied this developmental activity it can effect development of imagination and physical, mental and emotional strength. Play also helps children to over come fears, and develop confidence. Play is powerful stuff.

Like artists children use play to reflect life. Their play allows them to over and over again play out the situations and emotions that make up their real lives. Now I’m talking of imaginary play not games of competition or chance. In imaginary play children act out the roles of adults in their lives or characters they have read about or seen on TV. They are acting out domestic roles, jobs they see grownups doing, or they might fight against injustice or even monsters of all kinds. It is an activity that has to happen in order for the child to gather the confidence to work with others, share, and self-advocate.

So as I build a space I constantly imagine the movement of children through it. These imaginary children tell me when to sand a contact surface raise or lower work spaces or when to make something totally silly or to keep it simple. I have been fortunate to be present when real children enter a space I had a hand in making and see their minds light up as they see what’s before them. That’s an amazing feeling that you have created something that gives a sense or moment of wonder to someone. It's so cool to be able to make life fun!

Jeff 3 2 1 blast off

Here's a great article on play from Scholastic http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=10175

If you want to see more of the spaces I've built check out the link http://www.jkcwood.com/Exhibits.html