Steven Liebowitz's Blog, page 114

Insanity

Devorah smiled wistfully. “How seeming strange and paradoxical all this is to the ego self. But experienced with ourSelf, it’s easy to appreciate that seeming trials, difficulties and ‘failures’ are really opportunities to choose again. When faced with difficulties we can pause, reflect and invite ourSelf  to show us the opportunity to choose again and see life differently, with spirit instead of ego.

“Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is as good a definition of insanity as there is. The T party and its true believers need to appreciate this and know that adding more fervor and commitment to a failed choice do not help, but actually make it more difficult to change and choose again.”

Making the Right Choice

The soldier looked deeply into Devorah’s eyes. “But how do I make the right choice?” he asked.

“There are only two choices,” Devorah replied. “You always choose between your weakness, your separated self alone, and your strength, your connected Self. And what you choose is what you think is real. If you do not use weakness to direct your actions, you give it no power, and your strength will automatically guide you. Bring your weakness, your fear, doubt and worry to the light and the light will shine away the darkness.”  HQPubs. com

Temptation

“This does not mean a denial of the objective world,” Devorah said to the wounded man as she knelt beside his bed and prayed with him, “but a recognition that there is a transcendent cause in and through it. One creative cause for both sickness and health.”

“But they may cut off my leg,” the soldier said.

Eyes calm and full of faith, never leaving his, Devorah said, “Tho you may lose your leg, do not give in to the temptation to see yourSelf as a body. You remain as God created you – perfect – choose yourSelf. Temptation seeks to persuade us – the blessed children of God, that we are bodies, born into what must die, unable to escape its frailty, and bound by what it orders us to feel. This is not so! Accept not these limits. See temptation for what it is – a lie. YourSelf is whole and perfect and may still live, love and contribute with one leg or no legs.”

Devorah stroked the man’s bearded cheek. “Relax into your reality as spirit. Do not fight the temptation, my gentle warrior, that only makes it real. See the temptation, do not deny its appearance, only its power over you. The one creative source makes you healthy or sick, whole or broken as you choose. Know this and choose to be yourSelf.”

One Cause

“One dead, twelve wounded,” Barak told Devorah as the soldiers returned. “A good night’s work!”

“Indeed, Barak,” Devorah replied. “Would that we didn’t have to suffer even one wounded, and so for the Canaanites. That would be true were we able to turn from the appearance of duality, of good and evil, and perceive the one consciousness behind all forms.” Barak frowned. “This does not mean a denial of the objective world, Barak, but a recognition that there is a transcendent cause in and through it. One creative cause for both Hebrew and Canaanite, democrat and republican…. And we war but against ourselves, something our loving father would not have us do.”

Gratitude

Alone in her tent, Devorah felt the anxiety of awaiting the soldiers return. She knew some would not return. Her body trembled. “Gratitude is this present moment.” Yes, Abba, she thought. Thank you. I forget that the present is all we have and the finest, most elevated response we can have is gratitude.

Yesterday

Devorah addressed a reinforced company of Barak’s best fighters before they went on an early morning raid. “All your yesterdays ended last night.” Her face shone bright in the flickering torch light. “It makes no difference how long you’ve been alive; they all ended. This day is absolutely new. You’ve never lived it before. Go forth knowing God is with you.”

Save the Date

Save the date. Meet Dr. Steve and Devorah, Sun, October 13th, 3 PM, Dave and Mary Alper South Dade Jewish Community Center, 11155, SW 112 Ave,  33176.

Thank you!

Devorah and I thank all those who joined us for our presentations at the South Florida Writers Assn, Saturday morning, and at Temple Beth Am Sunday morning. We all had a fine time!

The Field

“Out there, beyond ideas of right and wrong, is a field. I’ll meet you there.”  Hafiz

Sacred Sex

Can sex – real or imagined, elegant or gross, physical, sensual, erotic, messy and unfettered sex, without limits – be sacred?

Is ‘sacred sex’ a contradiction in terms? For Yael, a major character in Devorah, Book One of The Covenant and The Scrolls series, a fictional account of the life of Devorah, Judge, prophet, and human being in ancient Israel, the answer is “Yes!”