The mystical beauty of Sedona is a luminous place to be for any celebration. There I feel a harmony and spiritual connection with God and with nature. I always enjoy going to Sedona, a place I visit often throughout the year. There are four beautiful seasons experienced in Sedona; each highlighted by the radiating appearance of its own beauty. Summertime brings sunshine that illuminates the deep blue sky. In the winter I saw Sedona with the exquisite snow on the red rocks, draping the trees like a wedding dress worn by a new bride. Spring blooms from winter, blanketing the fields with wildflowers. In the fall the leaves change to orange and yellow, the color of gold. During the rainy monsoon season I witnessed vibrant rainbows arching across the beautiful skies of Sedona.

Sedona’s main attraction is its stunning array of red sandstone formations, the Red Rocks, for which she is famous. The formations of colorful layers of rocks appear to glow in brilliant orange and red when illuminated by the rising or setting sun. The Red Rocks form a breathtaking backdrop for everything from spiritual pursuits to the hundreds of hiking and mountain biking trails. The famous rocks: Bell Rock, Thunder Mountain, Coffee Pot, Sugar Loaf Hill and Cathedral Rock are transcendental. Through the year, people from around the world come to celebrate their honeymoons and much more. This is evident by just walking through the streets of Sedona. One can hear a variety of languages#mdash;too many to count. Sedona is also a haven for artists and art lovers. All the colors of Sedona inspire the art that fills the walls of the many local galleries. Everybody seems happy and glowing because of the majestic beauty of Sedona. Likewise, Sedona is a wonderful place for growing a spiritual and personal relationship with God. His presence is felt wherever you go. As someone said: “God created the Grand Canyon, but He lives in Sedona.” For these reasons, I would like to live there too. The bright side is that I’m living nearby, so I am able to enjoy the beauty of Sedona more often.

One year, just after Christmas I spent three days at my friend’s cabin in Sedona. The place was quite solitary, deserted with a variety of beautiful cacti. From the cabin I saw Cathedral Rock, and further down was Oak Creek flowing with crystalline water. There was no cellphone signal, no radio, no TV, no connection with the outside world. It was amazing. Just God and me … and the javelinas. In the mornings I was able to see delightful sunrises. Each morning, birds rose with the sun singing marvelous melodies glorifying the Creator. I enjoyed the divine music. In the evenings I was delighted with the sunsets. One afternoon, I cherished the full moon rising behind the red rocks and meditated on the beauty of God. It was breathtaking. I do not need any words to praise God when watching His Creation for I believe His Creation speaks for itself. I treasure that time in my friend’s cabin and every time I have spent in Sedona since.

On September 14, 2011, I was celebrating my 33rd anniversary of my Consecration. After the morning Thanksgiving Mass, I went to Sedona to continue the celebration. When I arrived there, I parked my car, and went for a walk on Main Street. I visited galleries, shops, and especially jewelry stores. After a while it started to rain, and I went to a tavern for a glass of local, delicious beer. Later, I drove up to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. I stayed in the chapel for a while, prayed, and I was delighted in the beauty of God looking around the chapel through the windows. Outside it was raining cats and dogs, and there were puddles in the road. I decided to head back to Flagstaff. While I was driving north on highway 89A, colorful rainbows came up one after another. The colors were red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. There were two rainbows at the same time. I’ve always seen a rainbow in the sky, far away from me, but this time I was inside of the rainbow. While I was driving home, a rainbow was up from one side of the road to the other side, and I was inside of the arc, like in a colorful glowing tunnel. Sometimes I was in one rainbow, other times I was inside of two beautiful rainbows. That was amazing. Seems like time stopped, and I was in another dimension. It was like from the Bible: the alliance between God and me. It was the sign of the covenant that God makes between Himself and me forever from the day of my Baptism when I was 6 days old. Even this day I was sad and crying, missing my family, as all of them are in Heaven. Somehow, through the rainbow I was connected with God and with them. It was a divine connection. What a glorious day! Without rain there are no rainbows. Every time, when I am driving to Sedona on 89A, with joy, I remember the two rainbows that I saw on September 14, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

I invite you to visit the mystical beauty of Sedona. There you will experience the many seasons of Red Rock Country and connect with God.

These miraculous things could only happen here, in this spiritual place because God lives in Sedona.

Alchemy: a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation or combination.

In 2004, I thought I had been to Sedona. My wife and I had passed through on our way to the Grand Canyon a few years before. Honestly, the only thing I remember is Uptown and I specifically remember thinking, “It’s a tourist trap. What’s all the hype about?” I was soon to discover, though, that there’s a huge difference between “driving through” and “being in” Sedona; between seeing it pass by on the other side of a window and walking in its energy, experiencing it firsthand and intimately.

Every year, in September, there’s an event held in Sedona called Tai Chi Alchemy. You’d think that it’s a Tai Chi event and, in fact, some Tai Chi does happen there every year. The event, though, isn’t really about Tai Chi. It’s really about the Alchemy and, for me, that meant so much more than Tai Chi or even the amazing community of practitioners who attend the event each year.

In December, 2004, I met a man named Stephen Watson, “Stephe” for short. We met at a martial arts event in Miami, Florida. Stephe and I hit it off immediately. He’s a Tai Chi instructor and also teaches other martial arts. I have been training in martial arts pretty much all my life but had always considered Tai Chi to be “boring” and, at best, something I’d get around to when I was “old.” Almost from the moment I met Stephe, though, he started sharing Tai Chi with me and he started talking about this event in Sedona. He rarely even mentioned the name of the event. He just said, “You’ve got to go to Sedona.”

I said, “Why would I want to do that? I don’t train in Tai Chi. The event is several hundred dollars, plus travel and lodging. Why would I want to spend that kind of time and money for something I’m not directly involved with?”

He said, “You’ve gotta go. It’ll change your life.” Incredibly prophetic.

Over the next 6 months we talked regularly via phone or e-mail but we also saw each other in person about once a month. Several times it was by accident. We would just happen to be in the same area at the same time and we’d hook up. We randomly encountered each other in San Francisco, New York and Colorado. We also visited each other; he lived in Connecticut and I lived in Kentucky. Every time we talked, whether in person or on the phone or via e-mail, he’d bring up Sedona.

Finally, after all Stephe’s cajoling, I ponied up the money for the travel, lodging and event. First, the event was amazing. It was so much more than I could ever have expected. It’s indescribable and I would highly recommend the event to anyone. Google it; it’s easy enough to find information. It’s organized each year by an incredible man named Rick Barrett and his family.

So in 2005 I spent a long weekend in Sedona, basically attending Tai Chi Alchemy (TCA). At one point, though, the group went out to Bell Rock and we all went our separate ways to do a hike. While on that hike, I thought, “So this is what people mean when they say ‘home.’” Prior to that moment I had never associated the concept of “home” with a geographical location.

In 2006, I spent a week in Sedona. I thought I was just doing it so I could hang out with some of the TCA folk who stayed after. I had an incredible experience at Bell Rock, though, and I e-mailed my wife about it. When she read the e-mail she was in a business meeting. She said she read the words but literally couldn’t wrap her head around what they meant because she was in such a different space.

In 2007, my wife, Margaret, came out to Sedona with me. She figured she’d at least be in the same geographical region and might be able to actually share some of the experience with me. We rented a house for two weeks. Our second day here, Margaret said, “So, when are we moving here?”

In 2008, we rented a house near Chapel of the Holy Cross for a month. We were hooked. We weren’t sure how we would manage it but we knew, without a doubt, that we were ready to live in Sedona. It called to both of our souls like nowhere else we’d ever been and we’re both very well traveled.

In the spring of 2009 we moved here. We lived in Rimrock for about four months, then in Oak Creek Canyon. After returning from some extended traveling we rented a house in Village of Oak Creek. Through our windows we can see Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte.

People ask me if I ever take the amazing scenery for granted. I say, “No. Every day I go outside and I have at least one moment when I just stop and say, ‘Wow!’”

I’m generally not a person people would describe as “woo woo” or “new age.” Most people would describe me as being very intelligent, level-headed and practical. However, in Sedona I have walked with ghosts, flowed like water down Bell Rock and seen a UFO driving down the street. I routinely give rides to strangers, something I almost never did before moving here. I have found sheer, unadulterated wonder in the flight of a raven, the running gate of javelina and the awesome power of an elk. I have watched breathless as a large mule deer buck ran across the road in front of my car and felt the reverent peacefulness of the Buddhist stupas amidst the red rocks. I’ve stood meditating on a ledge half the width of my foot and marvelled at the sound of an unseen flautist; apparently sourceless music drifting through a cave when I was sure I was alone.

“Believe as a child believes and the magic will find you.” — Theresa Langdon

I think Sedona is a huge catalyst that makes this phenomon incredibly easy to bring into being.

I saw this wise saying a few days ago and it made me do a lot of reflecting. And I found that putting these thoughts down in writing helps me un-jumble them, maybe somewhat like a diary.

(Dear Diary…)

In Sanskrit, the word karma literally means “action”. In Buddhism however, karma mainly refers to one’s intention or motivation while doing an action. And I’m Baptist, so where does that leave me? Well, another answer then would be: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A person reaps what he sows.” (Gal. 6:7)

However, I don’t want this to be a piece centered on karma, so I guess that I could change the title to: “How you treat me is your bag (or doings, or responsibility), how I react is mine…”

And I guess that the main thing that got me thinking is the “how I react” part. Sometimes, I take things so personally. The guy that cuts me off while I’m driving because he didn’t see me (or is one of us in the older generation that can only turn his head ten or fifteen degrees to look). The lady with the grocery cart that just stands there in the middle of the aisle (beep, beep, honk, honk). The turmoil we go through with those close to us. Boy, I got to lighten up some.

What that above saying made me realize in just a few words is that I should not worry or be bothered so much by their actions, but be more conscious about mine. They have their own “life-circumstances” that colors their intentions or motivations, that’s their present-life karma. I’m not responsible for what they do, they are. I’m responsible for how I react to it and I don’t do such a good job sometimes.

I’m (slowly) learning to be happier or accepting of myself. What’s there is there …. By accepting myself better, I won’t reflect my feeling on what others inherently make me feel when they interact.

One of the things that I’m doing is getting out more in the sunshine here in Sedona instead of being “captured” by my computer. I’m also going to the Sedona Meditation Center and enjoying the classes there that get my body moving (rocking and rolling).

One other thing that I’m learning is to concentrate more on my breathing. I went to a lecture at the library a few weeks ago, given by the author of “The Call of Sedona” where he spoke on the utter importance of breathing (aside from keeping you alive). Not just breathing, but how you breathe. This is another thing that we all could learn better, whether it be at the Meditation Center, or at any of the yoga studios in Sedona.
Want to read a few paragraphs on breathing, click here: http://www.ilchi.com/tag/abdominal-breathing/

So, I’m practicing watching my breathing, concentrating on every breath, both in and out for 30 minutes a day. I know that I breathe shallowly, someone just reminded me of it last night. So, soon I hope to start to breathe more deeply without having to think about it. Keep myself kicking-around for a few more years…
I don’t want to feel like this little manga character… Life here in Sedona is pretty sweet, I want to enjoy it more… Ready to join me?

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
(Unknown source)

Shaeri's Self-Published Book

by Dylan Reese Marshall

SHAERI RICHARDS

I first met Shaeri at a table read for the Paul Boyce mocumentary “The Sweat Lodge”…we did the movie and it was an amazing experience.

Shaeri is a woman of many talents and many skills.

She is, without a doubt, a beautiful soul.

Shaeri and her delightful dog, Muzzie

I am blessed to have a  connection with her.

It had been awhile since we had sat together and held palaver…and I am thrilled to be able to share it with you.

Enjoy this learned woman’s insight into Loving yourself…

The Unparalleled Beauty Of The Red Rocks

It’s in two parts for your listening pleasure!

Many Blessings of Light and Love to you ALL!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Open links in a new tab on your browser so you can listen and read the latest articles.

Franklin Hughes has recently posted two wonderful pieces.  Check them out!

Heart of Sedona- Shaeri Richards Part One

Heart of Sedona- Shaeri Richards Part Two

Hello my dear friends,

This is a two part interview with an amazing artist and dear friend Rose Moon.

Her website is:  http://www.rosemoon.net/

The photos here are only a taste of the voluminous amount of work that this woman has done over the years.

Rose is a wonderful person and I am so happy that I can count her as one of my friends.

I hope you enjoy hearing what Rose has to say, as much as I.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Rose Moon Part One

Rose Moon Part Two

By Franklin Hughes

I came across this story and I thought it offered some good food for thought:

In a time long past, there was an old monk who, through diligent practice, had attained a certain degree of spiritual penetration.

He had a young novice who was about eight years old. One day the monk looked at the boy’s face and saw there that he would die within the next few months. Saddened by this, he told the boy to take a long holiday and go and visit his parents. ‘Take your time,” said the monk. “Don’t hurry back.” For he felt the boy should be with his family when he died.

Three months later, to his astonishment, the monk saw the boy walking back up the mountain. When he arrived he looked intently at his face and saw that they boy would now live to a ripe old age.

“Tell me everything that happened while you were away,” said the monk. So the boy started to tell of his journey down from the mountain. He told of villages and towns he passed through, of rivers forded and mountains climbed.

Then he told how one day he came upon a stream in flood. He noticed, as he tried to pick his way across the flowing stream, that a colony of ants had become trapped on a small island formed by the flooding stream. Moved by compassion for these poor creatures, he took a branch of a tree and laid it across one flow of the stream until it touched the little island. As the ants made their way across, the boy held the branch steady, until he was sure all the ants had escaped to dry land. Then he went on his way. “So,” thought the old monk to himself, “that is why the gods have lengthened his days.”

(Author Unknown)

Recently I was listening to Public Radio and heard the following story being read by Daniel Pinkwater. I found the story wonderful because of the really different perspective it has—a young wolf’s perspective.

I wanted to place it here so that you could read it also and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks to National Public Radio for making it available.

If you would like to hear it being read by Pinkwater, please click here.

By: Daniel Pinkwater

I was sleeping with my brothers, Tanglefoot and PeeWee. We were warm and cozy, snuggling under the snow. Mama was sleeping nearby, and Aunt Fang and our older brother Robert, all covered by mounds of snow. Papa was somewhere nearby, watching over us. There was a bright moon. We had all had a good meal of venison Papa had caught earlier. PeeWee and Tanglefoot made contented little growls and mumbling noises in their sleep.

PeeWee stretched. I felt his four paws push against me, shoving me out of the warm tangle of fur. I growled a cranky growl. Tanglefoot heard me growl and bit PeeWee on the tail. Then all at once, we exploded out of our snow mound. We were wide awake, wrestling and tumbling, jumping on one another, laughing and biting and pushing.

PeeWee found a twig, and Tanglefoot and I chased him. First, Tanglefoot had the twig, and then I had it. We scampered about, bumping into the grown-up wolves, growling and yelping. Mama and Aunt Fang and Robert stood up and shook the snow off their backs and then settled down again, watching us play in the moonlight.

Sometimes, we were able to get the grown-up wolves to join us and play, too. Tonight, when I would bump into one of them and fall on my side and then roll on my back with my paws waving in the air, the big wolf would nuzzle me but not get up and romp.

Papa appeared out of a little stand of trees. We stopped our game and ran up to him. We reached up and rubbed our faces against his face. “Uncle Louis is coming,” Papa said.

“Wee, Uncle Louis,” we pups said. We loved Uncle Louis. He was a funny wolf, and always had interesting things to tell us and show us.

“How do you know Uncle Louis is coming?” Robert asked. “Did you see him? Did you smell him? Did you hear him howl?”

“I just know,” Papa said.

“It will be nice to see Uncle Louis,” Mama said.

“Yes,” Papa said, “though he is not a serious wolf.”

“The pups like him,” Mama said.

“We love Uncle Louis,” we pups said.

A little while later, Uncle Louis appeared. We pups did not approach him with respect the way we approached Papa. We flew at him, jumped all over him, and rolled him in the snow. Uncle Louis laughed and batted us with his paws.

“What big pups,” Uncle Louis said. “And what a pretty wolf little Stinkface has become.” Stinkface is my name. I felt my fur tingle when Uncle Louis said I was pretty.

Uncle Louis rubbed faces with the big wolves; just a little rub with Papa and Mama. Robert and Aunt Fang approached with their legs bent and their heads held sideways, and reached up to rub faces almost like pups. Uncle Louis is black all over, with yellow eyes, and he is very tall.

“It’s the longest night of the year—or just about,” Uncle Louis said. “Does everyone feel like taking a run through the woods? I want to show you something unusual.”

“Louis, you have not been going near that pack of humans again, have you? They are dangerous to wolves.”

“They are hardly dangerous,” Uncle Louis said. “They are so clumsy and make so much noise they are not able to get near us—or even see us if we don’t want them to. Besides, this is their special night. They are quite peaceful and won’t be bothering about wolves.”

“Oh, please, Papa, let us run through the woods with Uncle Louis and see something unusual,” we all yelped.

“It is a fine night,” Papa said. “I must admit, I do feel like running.”

And we were off, all of us, bounding through the woods. The snow felt crisp and crunchy under our feet. The moon made dark shadows. We breathed the cold air deep into our lungs. I stretched my long legs out. I felt strong. I felt light. The moon shone silver on my brother’s fur, and the stars were bright. We never got tired. I felt as though we could run forever.

We smelled the place where the humans lived. There were about a hundred smells we had never smelled before, and some of them were nice. We stopped and sat on a hillside. Below us was the humans’ place.

The humans live in big, wooden things. Uncle Louis said they put pieces of wood together to make them. They have light in them, and it shines out through holes in the sides. And there were colored lights, like colored stars, everywhere—and hot, smoky smells and strange meat smells and sweet smells.

We didn’t see any humans. They were inside the wooden things with the light shining out through the holes, and the glittering lights on the outsides and the smoke coming out and the snow on top.

We didn’t see the humans, but we could hear them. They were singing. We listened. It was nice. I thought, even if they are dangerous, they are animals, just like we are. Then we threw back our heads and sitting on the hillside above the place where the humans live, we wolves sang, too.

Copyright © 2010 National Public Radio®

Happy Holidays

The Call of Sedona- Journey of the Heart, by Ilchi Lee

Review by: Dylan R. Marshall

Many people have been to Sedona, and many more will come. The draw of its visual majesty is undeniable. Sedona is, and always will be a source of Awe and Inspiration.

Mr. Lee knows all of these things…and more.

He uses plain and straightforward language, and his personal experiences, to take you by the hand and share his Joy, Passion, and Discovery of this spiritual refuge.

‘The Call of Sedona- Journey of the Heart’ is quite possibly the most deeply passionate book ever written about the Red Rocks.

Ilchi Lee playing his flute

Mr. Lee takes us there by sharing himself:

“I was born in December 1950, amidst the fires of the Korean War. When I was young, I was unusually softhearted and physically weak. I encountered many difficulties because I couldn’t focus well on my studies at school…demanding questions like, “Why am I here?” wouldn’t leave me alone, so I couldn’t focus on what I was supposed to be learning.”

He speaks of a transformative experience:

“…at age 14, I was involved in a tragic accident. I went to go swimming in the reservoir with a friend and he drowned. Because of the shock and grief I felt, I was sick in bed for nearly a month afterward and experienced acute fear and anxiety about death.”

He comments on his indignation with Life:

“God, if you put me on this world without bothering to get my permission, shouldn’t you at least tell me why I should live?”…I felt a resentment that wasn’t directed toward anyone in particular and I was bursting with questions that had no answers.”

He shares his frustrating early searches for those answers:

“…I started wandering about in search of someone who could give me the answer to the issues of life and death, or at least offer some clues! I looked for and found books about philosophy and the spiritual world, and every time I had a chance, I would seek out people who were said to have performed ascetic practices in the mountains…But I couldn’t find anything that resonated within me…”

Moak Mountian in Korea

He speaks of his enlightenment:

“I had reached that moment where I had to give up on “life and death”- whether I wanted to or not. As I resigned myself to my fate, I said, “O Heaven…Please do as you see fit”…And that’s when something amazing happened…”

“…I had come to have faith that if I gave my sincere devotion to an extreme situation, a strength other than my own would come and guide me, lifting me up.”

“…music of the universe reverberated in my heart and the breath of nature went in and out through my skin.”

The Amazing Bell Rock, Sedona Arizona

He talks of his discovery of Sedona:

“In early 1996, I was reading a newspaper…I saw a photo that immediately grabbed my attention…The red rocks were so real they felt like they might jump out of the paper at me.”

He shares his first experiences with a Sedona guide:

“This guide…came to me one day and said, “There’s a saying, ‘When you come to Sedona, you have to set aside all of your personal thoughts and desires. If you don’t, you can’t receive Sedona’s energy and furthermore you could pollute Sedona.’ That’s why, you have to clear your mind and prepare yourself before you come.”

He tells us the most Important Question:

“…though I had had many names and titles, there had always been only one question behind everything I had done. That question was, “Who am I?”…”

He explains the role of the Earth:

“…the Earth is also an organic life form; it has an energy system similar to that of the human body. Vortexes perform a similar role for the Earth as chakras do in the human body…The vortex energy of Sedona has the power to correct the energy imbalance in the human chakras.”

He Illuminates the Pathway towards Self-Realization:

“…You have to know that the sense of being that seems to extend infinitely without beginning or end is not an illusion…you are then able to embrace all moments of life with confidence…”

He shares his Sedona epiphany:

“As I looked at the dazzling beauty of Sedona’s Earth and sky awash with the morning sun, my heart skipped a beat, and it occurred to me that this just might be the place that I had been searching for for so long.”

And this is only a mere fraction of this amazing book…

‘The Call of Sedona- Journey of the Heart’ is a rich, interwoven tapestry of personal experiences, philosophical reflections, and celebration of the harmonious energy of the Red Rocks. It delves into the infinite possibilities that will manifest themselves when you meditate on the bucolic serenity of Sedona.

It is poignant and engaging at every turn.

‘The Call of Sedona’ is a Love Letter written not only about Sedona, but also about a Deep and Abiding love and concern for all humanity.

Thank you so much Mr. Lee!

Like many other people who are fed up with media chaos, I quit watching television when I moved to Sedona in September. Unplugging ‘the boob tube’ was the smartest thing I’ve done in years: my life has become richer in many ways. The constant input of negative messages and bad information really dampened my own consciousness, and I feel alive again! I read again, write again, and even have intelligent (finally!) and meaningful conversations with my new friends, on a daily basis! One brilliant book I read recently is The Call of Sedona by Ilchi Lee.

After three months I decided that I would watch a movie with a friend, a DVD with no commercial brainwashing! We chose to watch August Rush … what a great decision; this movie goes hand-in-hand with The Call of Sedona, proving that a great movie (quite rare, really) can compliment a great book! The synergetic effect of the two really left me with a renewed rush of inspiration and hope for our society and myself.

In this movie, an orphaned young boy stays true to his inner self as he maneuvers through a painful cast of individuals who are hostile and skeptical about his ability to hear music everywhere in the world. True to life, he gets help where he needs it, however, and overcomes all obstacles to realize his dreams and bring his family together. The movie mirrors Lee’s book in describing the extra senses we can use to ‘read’ the world and realize our goals. There is energy everywhere, Lee details, in the voice of the birds, in the wind, in the trees and plants, in the sea and air, which can tell us how the earth feels and what’s going on around the earth. Lee constantly points out that we can “find our rhythm” —our personal rhythm—inside, and also discover, through the meditative practices described in the book, the powerful vortex of energy within our souls.

August, the prodigious young musician in the movie, hears his family’s music in the wind, in the night, and hears music in every sound on the earth about him. He refuses to believe those around him who try to make him doubt himself and ostracize him, and leaves the comfort of his stagnant existence. He sets out into the world, following the music, and overcomes his fears and doubts to realize glory.

I found it interesting that there is not one bird in the movie, as birds are key in spreading news, but that is evidence that all writers can forget an important element of a telling. Hemingway talked about this; he called it the ‘tip of the iceberg’ writing: we can describe only the surface elements of a story, as long as we know what’s underneath. If we don’t know, then there’s a hole in the story. That’s why Lee’s book compliments the movie; it fills the holes that the writer perhaps doesn’t understand: the powerful extra-sensory perceptions, the underlying psychology, and the great vortex of energy within us all. Too many people in our human societies live as zombies, bodies without a purpose, without understanding, led by bad information to lead pointless and hedonistic lives. The movie definitely covered ‘finding your rhythm,’ for sure!

Try watching August Rush while reading The Call of Sedona. Then practice the powerful meditations at the end of the book, and help realize your own dreams. My life has changed drastically over the past year, and I have found Sedona and a host of friends and teachers. I am delighting in the energy and rhythm of the dream I’ve discovered, a dream that was lost over the painful years of wandering through an unguided life. Instead of throwing our lives away chasing material gain and stagnant comfort, discover the rhythm that is yours, ride the powerful vortex of energy within. Realize your own dream, and your soul will sing within your heart.

Ah, we’ve had our first snowfall in Sedona; makes it a very magical time of year. It’s so nice to live in an area where we get the four seasons, but not too much of any one (except for summer). But, even in the summer, we still can open our windows at night and enjoy a perfect temperature for sleeping.

The title of this little story, “I didn’t ask to be born, but I’m glad I was”, is actually the title of a book I recently read, authored by Bill Cosby.

After reading it, the true Sedona spiritual / esoteric way of thinking about things got me thinking about my life (although I didn’t ask to be born) and how glad I am to be living here in Sedona (but I’m glad I was).

My “I didn’t ask to be born” happened in a little paper factory town in Pennsylvania. It had (and still has) a log house where George Washington was supposed to have slept (it’s close to Valley Forge). Although I’m not exactly young, I can’t personally substantiate that.

My childhood was a pretty normal one. I learned to ride my bike there. As you can see in the picture, I was really proud of it, but we still had the “training wheels” on it. Not being the bravest kid on the block, it took me a while to get rid of them (to my father’s consternation). Anyway, it moved me up from riding with a leg in my wagon, wearing out the knee of my pants.

At 17, I decided to go into the Navy as my grades in school were pretty bad. As you can see in the photo, they like to cut off all your hair, but I must admit that the service was probably the best thing to help me mature.

The last photo of me here is one that was taken as we crossed the Indian Ocean on our way to Vietnam in 1964. I just had to stick it in because it’s one of the few that make me look better than I really do. Now at my age, I’m approaching that Walter Matthau look of when he was in Grumpy Old Men (no photos please).

Anyway, to get back to real life, I’ve been fortunate enough to live in many places, Upstate NY, Atlanta, and even Europe, before moving to Sedona. I’ve had some trials in my life like losing a wife, but overall it’s been pretty decent to me. I don’t know if I believe in Guardian Angels or not, but things have always seemed to “fall into place” for me. Guess that I’m pretty lucky.

Being here in Sedona, I’ve come to realize that there is so much spiritually or soulfully, that I continue to learn daily. Things I felt impossible or even imaginary before, I try to be open to. Things continue to fall into place in my life.

Although I didn’t ask to be born, I’m happy that I was…

P.S. I find it enjoyable to be able to sit down and write a little blurb every once-in-a-while. I’m sure that you have some nice stories yourself, why don’t you share them with others right here on sedonastory.com. It’s really easy to do, and I’m sure that many people would like to hear about your experiences. The lady that keeps this site clicking is so nice and a joy to work with. But she needs more stories like what you can write.

Let’s see something from you soon…

Franklin…