Jim Palmer's Blog, page 53

Notes from (over) the Edge, NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!

NOTES FROM (OVER) THE EDGE, IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!

ALSO AVAILABLE IN KINDLE EDITION!

So I just got an email from someone telling me that Notes from (Over) the Edge is now available on Amazon in paperback. Geesh, so much for having an organized effort for a “release day.” I was going to hold off on letting people know the book was available but then I got another email and another, and I realized it wouldn’t be long before word spread. The book is available and in stock in paperback form. It should be available in Kindle Edition within the next 24 hours, and then Nook and iBooks editions were be available soon after. I still plan on organizing some special days to spread the news about the book, and will need your help.

In the meantime, today, Sunday, December 1st, is the official release day

Please consider getting a few copies today. A big push will help influence the Amazon ranking for the book. You will receive them in plenty of time to gift them to others for Christmas. Also, please let your friends know about today’s release of the book. To make that easy, you can share this post -> http://jimpalmerblog.com/jims-new-book/

or, the Amazon link.

Thanks!

Jesus said the truth sets you free (what truth is that?)

There is suffering in this world.

When we are born, we cry. When we are sick, we are miserable. When we are old, we have ache and pains, and find it difficult to get around. None of us wants to die. We feel deep sorrow when someone dies. We suffer being with those we dislike, and being apart from those we love. We suffer by not getting what we want, and there are all kinds of problems and disappointments that are unavoidable. We feel anxiety and stress, trying to hold onto things that are constantly changing.

There is of course happiness in life. There is happiness in friendship, happiness in family, happiness in a healthy body and mind, but when one loses them, there is suffering once again. We continually search for something outside ourselves to make us happy. But no matter how successful we are, we never remain satisfied.

Jesus said that knowing the truth sets us free. What truth? It is the truth of who you are, and the truth of how all things are. Your true well-being is never threatened. This world is characterized by impermanence and change, but your fundamental well-being is not dependent upon circumstances or conditions.

The way the world appears as separated, fractured, and divided is not the way things really are. Who you are, and the way all things really are is not something that can be expressed in mere words or understood through the cognitive reasoning of your mind.

I can tell you that all is well. I can tell you that in every moment that your true Self is at peace and undisturbed. I can tell you that there is a beautiful harmony that underlies all things. But you must experience this or have this awareness yourself. When we touch this reality, we think of God, and then we suppose somehow that we are separated from God.

Jesus said, “I am the truth.” What truth? The truth that we are not separated but united with God, and God’s kingdom of love, peace, well-being, and freedom.

15 Things Jesus Didn’t Say

15 things Jesus Didn’t Say:

“For God was so disgusted with the world and you that he gave his one and only Son.”

“I have come to bring you a new religion.”

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have correct theology.”

“If anyone would come after me, let him disparage all other religions and their followers.”

“If you love me, you will regularly attend a church of your choice… within reason.”

“Blessed are the tithers for they shall be called the children of God.”

“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in Heaven after the earth goes up in flames and is destroyed.”

“You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor,’ which means the people with whom you attend church and relate to in your Christian sub-culture.”

“In my Father’s house there are a limited number of rooms. But no worries, there is plenty of room in Hell.”

“The kingdom of God has come!… Well, not exactly. I mean, not completely. Let’s face it, the really-real kingdom comes after we die. Hang in there. It won’t be long.”

“And you will know the truth and the truth will make you superior to all the other simpletons who never learned Greek or Hebrew.”

“You are the light of the world… well… in a sinful-filthy-scum kind of way.”

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you a checklist of things to do and not do in order to remain in God’s favor.”

“For God so loved the world… you know like theoretically… as in, God loves the big ‘W’-world. But when it come to you specifically, there are quite a few things that would need to change for God to actually and specifically love… or even like… YOU.”

“He appeared to his disciples over a period of 40 days and spoke about how to incorporate his life and teaching as a 501(c)3, and go into all the earth to build mega-churches in his name.”

- Jim Palmer. Notes from (Over) the Edge

Love is not an idea

“Jesus came to awaken our heart. Religion too often makes it about rules and rituals. It defines our holiness by our allegiance and compliance to the organization, tradition, and system. Over and against religion, Jesus showed up and calls for an awakening of the heart. He says God is love, and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Jesus invited all people to allow themselves to be loved by God – to open our hearts and know that we are lovable… ever last single one of us. Jesus said look at me and see what God is like, and then he knelt in the dirt to rescue a woman who had been written off by religion. Jesus taught us that love is not an idea. It’s something you feel in your heart, and then you bring expression to it through your humanity. The truth is not a sterile and indifferent philosophy, or a theological creed. Jesus said, “I am the truth,” and then he lived a life of love. Jesus lived in the security of divine love, and walked a daily path of human love. Do you imagine you have to be intelligent to know God, or have correct theology, or carry out all the duties of organized religion? Jesus said I can show you everything you need to know when it comes to God, and then he lived a life of love. His heart was flung wide open to God and the world.”

- Jim Palmer, Notes from (Over) the Edge

(photo by Darla Winn)

When being thankful is difficult

I am feeling compassion this morning for those whom the holidays is a cruel reminder of a lost loved one. Perhaps this was the first thought that some of us had this morning, and you greeted this Thanksgiving day with tears. Compassion stirs within me for all those who are separated from ones they love. In many cases, those who are divorced have arrangements where perhaps one parent won’t be able to see their children today. Some of us also have sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, and other family and friends that serve in the armed forces, and aren’t able to be home.

For some the holidays serves as an agonizing reminder of what doesn’t seem right about their lives. Sometimes our greatest regrets and griefs and triggered and punctured during the holiday season.

I understand and have felt many of the above feelings, and I feel great sorrow for those of you feeling any of these things this morning. Perhaps there is nothing more difficult than to be bombarded with messages of thankfulness and family, while you are stricken with emotional pain.

And I think of those who awakened on this day when everyone is supposed to be grateful and happy, while you are caught in the clutches of depression, and the frustration over how depression is no respecter of holidays.

Where is my Superman cape? What is the right combination of words I can string together to ease your pain? But alas, all I am is a man who shares your sorrow, and will light a candle in thoughts of you today.

This human journey is filled with joys we will never forget, and hurts we wish we could. We laugh, we cry, we celebrate, we grieve. Sometime we are stuck in this strange place where we don’t want to die, but we don’t want to live.

So, it sucks but it’s okay to feel what you feel. Perhaps this day will be difficult. Perhaps an unexpected joy will show up unannounced. And when this day is over, we will sign up for life again tomorrow. We know there is a time for everything. That’s the bad news. But that’s the good news.

“Do you ever feel like life is a slow and painful process of being torn apart, limb by limb? But then aren’t there also those times when something amazing and beautiful happens in life that you never expected?

Just when life delivers a blow that feels like it will be the end of you, turns out it actually helped unravel a little bit more of who you really are.

One moment a tidal wave of change turns you life upside down into something you hardly recognize, but then strangely provides a clearing for you to create the life you really wanted in the first place.

Sometimes life is a path of self-destruction, a course of sabotaging your relationship with yourself and others… that is, until you finally crack, break, and hit rock-bottom from where your journey of true healing begins.

And just when everything you were so certain of in life, everything you placed your trust, faith and security in comes crashing to the ground, but then one day sifting through the rubble of your life you find a couple pieces to put together in a different way, add a few new pieces and you’re on your way to building something new, filled with possibilities.

And yes, there are those gut-wrenching moments when life strikes you down with a heartache so deep that feels you can never recover from, but then there’s that song, breeze, sunset, hug, or something you catch out of the corner of your eye that mysteriously let’s you know you’re going to be okay… and you laugh even as the tears of heartache fall.

Do you see what I’m getting at here? There is a time for everything – that’s the bad news… that’s the good news.

Life!

Sometimes you mourn, sometimes you dance.

Sometimes it feels like it’s all getting away from you, sometimes it comes together in ways you never imagined were possible.

Sometimes you give your heart, sometimes you withhold it.

Sometimes you search, sometimes you give up.

You hold one, you let go.

Sometimes you’re the one delivering the blow, sometimes you’re the one applying the balm.

Sometimes you break the silence, sometimes you step back and say nothing.

Do you see?

Stretch out a continuum between love and hate, between peace and war, and realize that you will not be spared. Life – you can run but you can’t hide. Sometimes you’re the one instigating it, sometimes it is callously and randomly thrust upon you without your choosing.

But I’m asking you to keep the faith. You’ve heard it said, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” But what I’m telling you is that everything is okay right now! Everything is truly okay in this moment, and in the next moment, and in the next. You’re saying, “Not sure what definition of ‘okay’ you’re using here!!”

All I can tell you is that in every moment of your life everything is okay in a way that only you can discover and know for yourself. I’m just asking you to have a little faith that okay is always there for you to find. In the living and dying, loving and hating, laughing and crying, dancing and mourning, tearing and mending, brokenness and building… it will be there. Sometimes you’ll have to fight for it or be still enough to hear it or feel it but it will be there. Like a light breeze across your face, something will mysteriously whisper that you are loved, and tell you the story of how goodness and beauty prevail.”

- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Religion-Free Bible

Thank you for being my friend.

“Each friend represents in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” –Anaïs Nin, diary, March 1937

I am deeply grateful for all my friends here… every last one of them. There are so many ways Jim Palmer has been born anew because of you showing up in my life. Your encouragement, support, compassion, kindness, patience, wisdom, understanding, acceptance, wisdom, and inspiration has profoundly impacted my journey. So many times you have kept me going in my discouragement, offered comfort in my heartache and pain, the voice of wisdom I needed to take my next step, and even pushed my buttons when I needed it.

What words could I possibly string together to express what you mean to me, and how thankful I am that I crossed your path in this big world. We’ve laughed, wept, hurt, grieved, and rejoiced together… sometimes carried each other through.

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .””

Thank you for letting me know that I am not alone. Thank you for sharing in this journey with me. Thank you for showing up in my life in all the ways you have. Thank you for being my friend.

We hurt, we cry… we are not spared of this.

No amount of spirituality or religion, and no combination of ideas and doctrines about God, spares you of the pain of loss. There are times when being present in the moment means you weep and you hurt.

I have a Master of Divinity degree, and spent many years as a Senior Pastor, but I still cannot find sufficient words or explanation to somehow make loss okay for people who are faced with it. Why? Because it’s not okay. You don’t rationalize or even theologize a person through loss. You love them through it. You be there through it.

Update on Notes from (Over) the Edge

Wanted to give you a brief update on Notes from (Over) the Edge. As you know, we are independently publishing the book. A team of folks have been hard at work in several different areas, making this happen. That group includes: Mike Willis, Yana Cortlund, Heather Palmer, Ryan Ange, Darla Winn, Anne Goodrich, and Rachael Jefferies Kelly. The team also includes all of you who participated in The Notes Campaign, the effort to fund the project. There are 12 days remaining in the campaign if you are interested in contributing. Here’s the link -> http://igg.me/at/notes/x/294635

The remaining aspect of this effort is completing the formatting of the interior pages for print. After that, the manuscript will be turned over to Amazon, and made available in digital and print. I don’t have an exact release date yet, but I should have a better idea within the next few days. I will keep you posted.

I appreciate all the encouragement and support so many of you have been!!

Don’t let past regret steal your present moment

I’m feeling compassion tonight for those who feel regret about their lives. It saddens me to think of those who are beating themselves up about a choice they’ve made or didn’t make in life, or those who painfully wish that something about their lives could be different. I understand those feelings. I know just how agonizing they can be. I’m sorry you are feeling them tonight.

We all have things about our lives we wish could redo, undo, or have a do-over. Did you get that? We ALL do. You are not alone in this. And though I don’t pretend to understand all the hurting feelings you may be carrying. I can tell you this much. I do care.

You and I both know you can’t change the past. If I had a magic wand, you would let your past go and stop reliving it. You would fully occupy your present life, and see new possibilities for what lies ahead. The past is done! Over! But there is still 100% of the rest of your life left. And this is the first day of the rest of that life.

Today, I had my first phone call with one of the contributors to The Notes Campaign. He had a few years on him; I’m guessing he was in his 70′s. He was so full of life! It was amazing to hear him share how he had learned to take life one moment at a time and be fully present. He shared some of the wounds and scars he had experienced over the course of his life, and how in recent years he has discovered freedom like never before.

I know that letting go of the past is easier said than done. I just want you to know that there’s another human being over here who is on your side, cheering you one, and believing that you can… that WE can. Look, let’s do this together. One day at a time, one hour at a time, one moment at a time, one step at a time, one choice at a time… actually and fully LIVING the life we have now… in this next moment.

This world does not have to be a painful place (and other Monday thoughts)

We’ve turned this world into a painful place, but this world does not have to be a painful place. This world can be a world inhabited by Jesuses. But it’s up to each one of us to turn ourselves into Jesus. That’s the work. It’s seeing things as they really are. It’s seeing no separation between God and humankind. It’s seeing the kingdom of God here now. It’s seeing every person as your sister or brother.

*

It is very difficult to convince people that they are good and beautiful human beings when religion has sufficiently convinced them that they are despicable to God. As one person put it to me, “I am a piece of shit to God, which is why I need Jesus.” A lot of what I’ve done over the years has been helping people shed false beliefs that have separated them for their true Self, God, others, and life. It’s difficult. Once you get those toxic beliefs inside you, they are not easy to get out.

*

There will always be both the potential for awakening at any moment and the potential for incredible damage at any moment. We fool ourselves into thinking we are past this. We must pay attention to our hearts and lives.

*

At times it can feel as through truth is something that is very abstract. It feels this way because truth is beyond the mental processes of the mind. But no not forget that truth has a very practical dimension. Truth and compassion always go hand in hand. We realize everything and everyone is connected.

*

The realization struck me. I have always been in the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God was always the case. Reality itself is the kingdom of God. What I had taken to be real was actually the unreality, which I created out of my spiritual ignorance.

*

We don’t need “change” as in shuffling around the same furniture in a different configuration in the same space. We need transformation, as in setting the furniture on fire and leaving the house altogether.