Many wise men, through the ages, have expressed the belief that our bodies are representations of Temples of God, each one containing a Soul that is connected to the Divine. Comments made through time hold the thought that we do not own our bodies….but rent them from God. Yes, indeed, we may be held responsible for what we do with our bodies here on earth, but overall the Universal Landlord expects us to respect and appreciate that which we live in temporarily.

The reason I am writing this essay is to take a few steps back and examine not just spiritual aspects of the relationship between the body and soul, but also the physical one. We look in the mirror, yet once we look past the eyes that is where we truly live. The fears, the joys, the tears and smiles live inside…just waiting for us to express them. We are all renters here on planet Earth. Where ever we live, our homes may look different, so too our bodies…but, our Souls all come from the same place. As I’ve mentioned before, once we accept the world around us as temporary, and that death is not a punishment, just a stage of life….personal ownership of this existence is not possible. The aging process through life is not an accident….it is God’s way of saying nothing stays the same….until one day the body is cast off and we return home, ageless.

The day we come into the world, we sign a lease with God. Certain expectations are contained within that lease. Hopefully, we leave the neighborhood a little better for having lived on the block. Some are given a spanky shiny new body right from the start….others have much to overcome….yet I am sure what we are given and what we leave behind is taken into consideration. We are not made to be perfect. We all have flaws, yet, each one of us has been made in God’s image. While our bodies may have flaws, we must never forget that inside each one of us is a little piece of Heaven. I am reminded of a scene from the movie, “Birdman From Alcatraz,” starring Burt Lancaster. His character was sentenced to life without parole, yet while incarcerated he did research on why the birds in his cell were dying….what disease were they succumbing to? His findings were embraced by the medical community. His reward was to have more free time to spend outside in the courtyard. A reporter said to Burt Lancaster’s character, “I’m sorry we couldn’t get you out of jail.” Lancaster replied, looking up to the Heavens, “Don’t feel bad, I’m free. I’m outside.” Before his discoveries, Lancaster’s character looked forward to a life of limited freedom, yet now to him, just the ability to feel the air and see the sky was a reward in itself. Life may come down to how we perceive it to be….and though we may live in different parts of the world, and under all kinds of different circumstances, still, we are all renters under the dome of Heaven. We may own or rent much real estate through the course of our lives, yet the most valuable property we hold is the body we rent from God. The house that holds the Soul.

Take good care of Yourself
love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2004 Jennifer Avalon

The last two weeks and for that matter, the past month, has been, for lack of a better word, bizarre. Hurricanes, floods, terror alerts, terrorism, and last, but not least, Batman scaling the walls of Buckingham Palace! Even Wall Street has gotten into the action, where brokers are stating “All we need now are locusts!”

Have you ever had a dream that you think is so real that when you wake up it takes a few minutes to convince yourself that it WAS only a dream? The year 2004 is looking kind of like that…but, unfortunately, it is quite real. Seeing children being murdered in Russia was very chilling…I don’t care what your grievances are, but when man stoops to the level of shooting children in the back, it must never be acceptable. The hurricanes that are hitting Florida and Gulf Coast in the United States are starting to look like a group of airplanes circling, waiting for permission to land. The experts keep telling us that much of what’s going on is quite normal and expected….the talking heads will give us fifty reasons to defend their positions…yet, the normal folks are beginning to have a hard time distinguishing science fiction from real life…the fine line between both is starting to fade. Trouble always seems like “someone else’s problem” until it arrives at our own front door.

It is so easy through any period of turmoil or severe weather conditions, to believe that it will never end, and that the storm will not pass. Well, it does, and it will. Awareness and safety are key. When storm clouds gather on the horizon, it’s not foolish to batten down the hatches, and prepare. Life is a sea of changes, and each one of us are sailors riding the waves. Like life, the sea may not be fair, but when damaged by the storm we can rebuild and heal. If we see fellow sailors in distress, we must reach out and cast a line…you never know when you may need the same. We may all sail our own individual ships, still, we are all part of the Armada of Souls, searching for a safe port.

Through stormy weather, just when we feel lost, out of the dark cuts the beams of light from the lighthouse…..Rays of Hope, that can bring us to shore. No matter how dark the day, rest assured, there is always the Light. The shining Truth that says we are never alone.
Weather the storm,

love, Jennifer Avalon
آ© 2004 Jennifer Avalon

To care is to reach out and cross over the threshold into the world of acceptance or rejection. To care is to see, identify, embrace and extend a hand. Caring is one of the ultimate learning experiences of humanity….while it may seem easy, once one gets started it involves quite a bit of courage.

To say “I love you,” easily rolls off the tongue, it is the next stage where the proof is in the pudding…are we willing to back the words up? Are we willing to dare to care? Once one steps forward into the minefield of life, caring can easily surround us with expressions of acceptance and rejection, yet, if we choose to not express our love, are we truly alive? In a world where joy and pain at times seem to walk hand in hand, it is quite easy to understand why some abandon the expression of caring.

I believe deep inside we all have a caring threshold. Subconsciously we ask ourselves, “How much am I willing to observe until I feel forced to act?” In a crowded mall out of the corner of our eye we may see a crying child searching for his or her mother. Do we keep walking, or do we walk over and care? Or the relative who has been diagnosed with a disabling affliction or disease…how long do we wait to pick up the phone and call? Crisis can be the alarm bell for caring, but does it have to get to that point for us to say, “I love you?” Each day can bring its own blessings and obstacles, and indeed, life can seem quite unfair…still, the more who care, the less we hurt.

If at the end of our days, all we show is an advanced intellect, with a barren well of emotion, do we become an oasis that never actually materializes? Do we reach our full potential? The head and heart, they can be friend or foe. The act of caring can improve with age…the alternative is a notebook full of regrets and missed moments. While we may never truly master the art of caring, by practicing it we grow to learn quite a bit about ourselves and those we love.

Dare to care…dare to share…here, there, and everywhere…

love, Jennifer Avalon
آ© 2004 Jennifer Avalon

Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home, as the old saying goes. For many, it feels real good to get out and about, yet after a while, the thought of returning home starts to give one a real warm feeling inside. The two places we seem to spend the most time at are work and home. While work may be considered a place of occupation and income, home can be an abode where one can recharge and heal. Some may live alone, while others share their surroundings, still, after a while we help generate its atmosphere. Home IS where the heart is, as it should be.

So, how do we really feel about our home? when it is threatened, it all becomes crystal clear. That chair in the corner, the painting over the fireplace, the coat hanging on the back of the door, all items that we casually pass daily….their importance in our lives stand out a mile away when the thought of losing them rears its head. It’s astounding to me how easily we as humans take so much for granted. This week country singer Tim McGraw releases his new album, aptly titled “Live Like You’re Dying.” Isn’t it sad that for some of us, we don’t truly come alive until we are facing the end of it? Let’s hope that the same can’t be said for the home, that we don’t take in it’s full meaning unless we are faced with the thought of losing it.

Around the world each day people lose their homes….financially, and through natural disasters. Next time you see television coverage of a hurricane or tornado, or fire, for that matter, turn off the sound and just look at the faces. Yes, they are hurt…yes they are fearful…but burning in the eyes is the determination to rebuild. In the image of their minds, is the picture of the home they once had…and once will again. I always believe that through the worst disasters, heroes and angels emerge. The best of humanity comes out.

This week just look around…the real treasure may be right in front of your eyes. Your home is your place. Be it ownership or rental, it doesn’t matter. What’s inside the four walls is you. We laugh, we cry, we mourn, we celebrate…it’s all there, filtering through each room. From the early morning to the turning off of the last light at night, we weave through our mortality, pass the doorways of time, that open and close within our homes.

All across the earth so many places, so many homes, yet one day our souls enter the home of Heaven, where one and all can feel comfort. Earthly homes, Heavenly homes….the family of man just looking for peace and love.

there’s no place like home,
love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2004 Jennifer Avalon

It’s so easy in life to just drift….floating along, not quite knowing where we’re going. We ask questions and we get no answers, and before too long, a sense of confusion and fear can easily overtake us. All the while, right within our reach is a switch that can activate a beam of light that reaches through the clouds into the Heavens. The Source is there, for the asking. It doesn’t impose, it doesn’t barge in….it waits for a request.

For many years I used to believe that my life was totally my responsibility and everything was within my control. That would be great, if my name was God, but it’s not! I don’t have all the answers….and I one day came to the conclusion that I can’t, like many, do it alone….I need The Source. While I will continue to once in a while make mistakes, The Source never fails to show me a way to correct them. While I am not a religious fanatic, for me, being a Christian, The Source is the Holy Spirit (the Breath of God)

The Source (Breath of God) has been called many names in different religions, but at the end of the day The Source is the current by which our bodies and souls are fused….a personal telephone line to the essence of our Creation that echoes through the Universe. Like all forms of communication, at first the reception may take time to come in clearly, but eventually the distance evaporates. The Source is not there to do all the work for us….but it lends a helping hand to show us the direction to arrive at a conclusion. When one embraces The Source, the thought of life without it feels empty. Each breath of air that we breathe is the proof for me that The Source exists. It’s all around us…we just have allow ourselves to see it, feel it, and touch it. As long as there is life, there is The Source.

Every day, in some way, we are always reminded how temporary and precious life is. One long vacation or journey that eventually comes to an end. Death is not a punishment….it is a doorway to the city of God where The Source originates. Life and Death can be changed in the blink of an eye….while all the while The Source continues. If all we see is the physical, we become trapped in our bodies, yet, by being mere mortals we cannot be totally Souls…somewhere in-between on the road of Eternity, we can rendezvous with The Source.

It could be a prayer, or just a simple conversation….The Source listens. It may not be there to help you win the lottery, but it can spring forth to make one a better person. The greatest gift in life is peace of mind….and that has to be earned every day. All The Source asks is that we come half the way….
Breathe deeply,

love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2004 Jennifer Avalon

Are you feeling a little more stressed than usual? No kidding….welcome to the summer of 2004! So let’s see…what on earth could be so stressful these days? Well, let’s check the menu: Bizarre weather, fires raging in the Western part of the United States, flooding in the Eastern states, two political conventions where the expectation of a terrorist attack is a foregone conclusion, and last, but not least, the Athens Olympic Games in August…and, all the while, the Middle East continues to be a center of turmoil. The multitude of television and radio stations are never far from our eyes and ears, to help us remember these events any time during the day. Stressed out? Naw….
 
So here we are, heading towards the end of July…going about our lives, while written on each person’s face is not only general fear, but also personal struggles too. You’re not a fool thinking that what we are facing these days are unique and monumental events. Where once weapons of mass destruction were laid to rest in the hands of opposing countries, today with some cash and a little know-how, the guy down the street could easily turn his home into a factory. On the surface, we look at life on a horizontal playing field…..yet, underneath, in the subconscious, there is a little voice saying “What on earth is going on?” Even the best optimists are struggling.
 
The way that I am trying to deal with all of this is with the proverbial phrase, “One day at a time.” As I write this essay, I look at tomorrow as a precious gem of Time given to me by the Heavens. It is so easy to take that gem for granted, yet, with all that is going on, the gem of Time has become more valuable. Each day circling my thoughts I say to myself, “Will the world look the same a month from now?” All I can do is take each gem of Time, polish it, and make it shine the best I can. Really, what truly matters is what we do with those gems that become our lives. Will we make our own unique individual contributions? This we have control over….our personal decisions that chart our own rare and special course. So if you feel discouraged, or disillusioned, grab a hold of that gem of Time…hold it in the palms of your hands, squeeze it, feel it, and mold it into something beautiful.
 
Each drop of rain has a voice….each river flows to the sea, each Soul climbs the ladder to infinity. All leave behind a message. A beginning, a middle, and no end. hang in there,
 
 
love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2004 Jennifer Avalon

This being Fourth of July weekend here in the United States, we celebrate our Independence Day. The blueprint that stands to this day (The Declaration of Independence) represents the beginnings of a nation that stands for “One Nation under God with Liberty and Justice for All.” The Founding Fathers wrote this document as a foundation for the United States to build upon…even today it is a work in progress. As history has shown, America still had much to learn about equality and liberty….but this document has evolved for each generation to improve upon. It may not have been perfect, but as time as proven, it represents, perhaps, the most successful form of government in modern times.

We too have within us a blueprint that can be written down on paper as a guide to help us evolve and become more productive and happier people in our lives. All around us are tools that we can use to create this personal portfolio. The Bible, the encyclopedia, and many other books can present ideas that we can use to better ourselves as people. Will our own personal blueprint contain all the facts and all the ultimate knowledge? Maybe not, but as we live on we will fine-tune and improve our own document to grow stronger and more secure.

There are so many things that try daily to rob us of the power that we have over our own lives…and it’s very easy at the end of the day to look at your hands and see nothing. If we just create tools, like a blueprint, they can be the maps to show us the way when the weather gets rough. It is your life…nobody knows it better than you. Sometimes we wish somebody could do the work for us….but like the Founding Fathers, we too sense what we need to find stability, health and happiness.

The Declaration of Independence, the document on which the United States of America was built, shows us that it is possible to improve one’s life and find a better way. This weekend, over 228 years later, it still stands as a beacon for all those in search of freedom. The United States is not perfect, and still to this day has alot to learn….but at least changes can be made to make it better. A work in progress…. and so, too, is mankind…..

Happy Independence Day,

love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2004 Jennifer Avalon

There was a time not too long ago where you could have different political and philosophical viewpoints from issue to issue. On one subject you could have a liberal slant….while on another, a conservative opinion….but that was the world pre-9/11. The Fine Line these days could not be any slimmer.

Who is to blame for this narrowing of the middle ground? unfortunately, both sides. More and more we are being forced to make a choice to be here, or there, where being an independent political thinker is being scorned by both. The Fine Line from both the Far Left, and the Far Right, has become public enemy number one. The shout of whether you are with us, or against us, could not be any louder.

As we head towards the November Presidential election here in the United States, just like the year 2000, the country is, according to polls, evenly split with just a few states to decide the outcome. A small shrinking number of independent voters are the only ones that will probably sway the election one way or another. Everyone else seems to have already made up their minds, and it’s looking like the year 2000 all over again. The year 2004 brings with it a few more subjects to add to the stew….terrorism, war, homeland security, gay marriage, and as always, the economy. With the Fine Line almost disappearing, within the next couple of years these subjects are going to be on the front lines of our lives. We are going to have to choose where we stand, definitively. There will be no room for indecision, or wavering…it will come down to state now, or forever hold your peace. With a country so divided, and a two-party system doing battle, it will not matter who gets elected, Bush or Kerry…these new hurdles will not go away. All it may take is for the United States to be hit one or more times and the perceptions of many could change on a dime. At that point, civil liberties and rights won’t matter….what we will be talking about then is survival of life as we know it. I am not an alarmist, I’m just being very realistic. The war on terrorism is a new battle that we’re going to have to learn to fight one way or another. All the past rules of engagement cannot be applied. This weekend an American civilian, Paul Johnson, was beheaded on international television, by terrorists. This is the third such occurrence with perhaps more to follow. Only a fool would say that when all this is finished, the world will not be a different place.

The only room that I feel is left for dialogue is within the unity of our true religious belief systems. If the Holiest of Holy books are placed on a table, and used as a blueprint for the lives of humanity, Christians, Jews, and Muslims would find common ground. Without these books, it will be nearly impossible, because so many of the world’s government structures have been built upon these beliefs. How long can it be before one madman or a group of them gets their hands on a nuclear warhead? Surely, the God of Jesus, Abraham, and Mohammed can shine a light through the darkness. The true beliefs of our world religions can bring about the best in mankind, while the distorters of the Word engulf us in turmoil. The stress that we are feeling in regard to these issues is not our imagination…it’s real. The Fine Line can be a good place for dialogue, but some have used it as a place to hide. The ultimate question mankind is going to have to ask itself will be, can we live in a world where the Laws of God are not recognized? As long as the sun rises in the morning, and sets in the evening, someone else controls the Universe other than man.

choose wisely,
Jennifer Avalon
© 2004 Jennifer Avalon

Each day brings with it a fresh new supply of energy. It is left to us to contemplate how much of it we give away, and how much we keep. If all we do is keep giving and giving, before too long we can find ourselves running on empty. Yet, if we keep it all for ourselves, we can easily suffocate on self-centeredness.

Yes, I know, one more set of decisions that we have to tackle each day….but the mix and the balance of this dilemma is important to get right. Helping others and providing a service can motivate and change lives. A kind word, or a casual gesture can move a mountain…it always seems to be the simple things that mean the most. I recently had a conversation with a waiter in a local restaurant. I always notice that whenever I see him, he always has a smile on his face, and a kind word or two for everyone. I asked him one say, “Jim, you seem to be running a mile a minute…do you ever run out of gas?” He replied, “I’ll tell ya Jennifer, once or twice during my shift I have to take a few minutes to breathe in and recharge the batteries.” Jim is a great waiter, and it became obvious to me that there had to be moments where he had to take five minutes here or there to cool his heels. A couple of times a year this same fellow told me he always goes camping to get in touch with nature for a little rest and relaxation. I guess there’s only so much you can take from the well, until you have to replenish it.

On the other side of the equation is sitting back and doing nothing for anyone other than yourself. Hey it’s easy to say some days, why do I do this? Why do I run myself ragged? still, are we meant to keep our life force all to ourselves? Unfortunately, there is also someone I know who never fails to take from each person he comes in contact with and give nothing back. Each time I run into him I’m always left with the same feeling about him…he is materially wealthy but spiritually poor. I gave it my best shot one day, and said to him, “Hey Brad, I think it would be a good idea to help Kathy down the street…she’s looking for someone to wait with her for the bus to come.” He replied, “I don’t have time for any of that junk…besides, what has she ever done for me?” Brad has lived the same way for so long that he truly believes he does nothing wrong. He has seen me and others wait with Kathy at the bus stop….but, I guess he thinks we’re fools.

So there it is….two sides of the coin. Each day it’s left to us mere mortals to find the middle ground…not too much, not too little. A well-rounded person. We are all islands floating around, hopefully realizing one day that to be totally fulfilled, we have to become a continent. Citizens of a land where no dream is too small, and no hope is too big.

Move mountains,

love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2004 Jennifer Avalon