The Inward Sea

Thurman's lines imply that the angel with the flaming sword obeys "me" and does not intervene when my consent ( "fluid" indeed , it often is ) permits any something to infuse my being. ( Whatever is placed on "my" altar, infuses my being). But who really is the deity of this temple/church ? "Me" or God ?.
It helps me to make the tough decisions , quickly, timely, if i consider ( worshipfully) that the deity is God and not me, though instinctively, most of the time , "me" gets served

Thank you for this reminder…- our shared path to our inner altars is also a sacred space of collective interconnectivity. We forget our responsibility to our own inner altar when we meet obstacles such as these last few years where “reality“ has shifted as if we were all living in a kaleidoscopic turbine of mixed forces. From the perspective of staying present, open and connected to what is emerging, I know I am passing through all sorts of release, where I welcome the flames of the sword as a purifying, an elemental initiation. Then I might be washed clean, perhaps more ready, entering that more fluid space of heart, and a deeper awareness from a different opening toward a Gladdened path of embodied joy & harmony. It is both solitary and multiply informed; these many dimensions and ways of knowing play us through time and space, shaping ‘the New’. Love matters most here.

I've discovered my inner authority through the game of chess. There are many choices to made and it's necessary to discern the good moves. Often I've asked myself what move the chess engine (computer program) would recommend and this effort to "second guess" the best move has yielded spotty results. But if I trust my own gut and my (admittedly limited) ability to calculate the outcome of a move, then I play my own game and have much more success. I'm learning to do this in my life, too. Rather than think about what I "should" say or do, I go to my inner self and trust my guidance. I'm learning how it feels to really be myself and I'm enjoying life a lot more!

Knowing I have an inner authority (My I Am Presence) allowed me to consciously take authority of my life with the help of all the Masters, Angels, and Cosmic Beings helping us ascend. Free will took on a very different meaning. I was so lost until I woke up to this reality. Invoking light helps me remember the truth of this reality by how I feel. It is validation of how light energy is real right in the center of the heart. I give free will consent daily and often hourly.

My thoughts: Our inner authority and consent can help us touch our sacredness, are important ingredients, but they aren't enough. Understanding "inner authority" to mean it's "my doing" to get to the altar is true, and it takes even more than that. That is, it takes my being truly sincerely into it, not just going through the motions. It also takes some good fortune. I've brought sincere study, reflection, discussion, openness to my inner altar resulting I feel in some growth in my spirituality. What helps me realize the power of my inner authority and consent is the sincere effort I'm referring to, along with some good fortune.

We all have the potential source of Inner Light to see the Reality, the Truth, the Sacredness. Such inner light shines when our eyes do not get blinded by the power of hungry and self-centered people in our life. We are witnessing such authoritarian, power hungry, and self-centered leaders in many parts of the world creating divisiveness, hatred and destruction. How do create a world where we can relate to each other as highly evolved human beings? How can we create light in darkness? We have been blessed to witness highly evolved leaders like Mahtama Gandhi, Howard Thurman, Martin Luther King Jr and others mentioned in the introdution of the passage. This is a call for all of us to wake up, to remain awake, to join hands with our brothers and sisters and take a firm and strong stand for peaceful coexitence. Cultivating inner qualities of knowing the truth, listening to it with an open mind and open heart, and taking a courageous stand and joing hands with others is my way of goin... [View Full Comment] We all have the potential source of Inner Light to see the Reality, the Truth, the Sacredness. Such inner light shines when our eyes do not get blinded by the power of hungry and self-centered people in our life. We are witnessing such authoritarian, power hungry, and self-centered leaders in many parts of the world creating divisiveness, hatred and destruction. How do create a world where we can relate to each other as highly evolved human beings? How can we create light in darkness? We have been blessed to witness highly evolved leaders like Mahtama Gandhi, Howard Thurman, Martin Luther King Jr and others mentioned in the introdution of the passage. This is a call for all of us to wake up, to remain awake, to join hands with our brothers and sisters and take a firm and strong stand for peaceful coexitence. Cultivating inner qualities of knowing the truth, listening to it with an open mind and open heart, and taking a courageous stand and joing hands with others is my way of going through such diificult times. When I am walking on this path I remain alert, awake and aware of not taking a wrong step. I am blessed to have people in my life who provide a clear mirror to see my blind spot. I am very grateful to them for helping me to walk clearly on my path of serving others. Studying and following the Eightfold Path of the Buddha has been very helpful to me in my journey of life. May we all awaken and walk on the path of authenticity, compassion and selfless service! The Eightfold Path [Hide Full Comment]

Beautiful! Howard Thurman certainly has many inspiring quotes to offer. This text reminds me a lot of Khalil Gibran´s Prophet, where he writes something similar "on freedom": If it is an unjust law you would abolish, that law was written with your own hand upon your own forehead. You cannot erase it by burning your law books nor by washing the foreheads of your judges, though you pour the sea upon them. And if it is a despot you would dethrone, see first that his throne erected within you is destroyed. For how can a tyrant rule the free and the proud, but for a tyranny in their own freedom and a shame in their own pride? And if it is a care you would cast off, that care has been chosen by you rather than imposed upon you. And if it is a fear you would dispel, the seat of that fear is in your heart and not in the hand of the feared. This book (The Prophet) came to me as a present for the birthday of my older daughter and I kept it on my bedside table for 26 years. ... [View Full Comment] Beautiful! Howard Thurman certainly has many inspiring quotes to offer. This text reminds me a lot of Khalil Gibran´s Prophet, where he writes something similar "on freedom": If it is an unjust law you would abolish, that law was written with your own hand upon your own forehead. You cannot erase it by burning your law books nor by washing the foreheads of your judges, though you pour the sea upon them. And if it is a despot you would dethrone, see first that his throne erected within you is destroyed. For how can a tyrant rule the free and the proud, but for a tyranny in their own freedom and a shame in their own pride? And if it is a care you would cast off, that care has been chosen by you rather than imposed upon you. And if it is a fear you would dispel, the seat of that fear is in your heart and not in the hand of the feared. This book (The Prophet) came to me as a present for the birthday of my older daughter and I kept it on my bedside table for 26 years. Still love every line in it. [Hide Full Comment]

wow........what a beautiful reminder of the power we each have to make choices that support our heart, our work in the world and our sense of belonging. I needed to read this exactly this morning. I needed to be reminded to be conscious of my inner authority and the 'fluid area of my consent' . Thank you dear Awakin team! With much gratitude and appreciation....