(From and to Karen Langford in Tennessee)

December 20, 2011

Brad,

You know, it’s interesting in how much there is to learn, or what we should probably term as “remember.”  I pondered this not too long ago.  How there seems to be a “pulling” of one’s attention to all things spiritual.  Of course, for those who don’t know the difference between being religious and spiritual (whatever difference there is),

(bc response)

How about all the difference in the world? …and here’s why from my perspective and/or perhaps better said, the way I define it. Religion is made up of codified belief systems largely based on traditions. Spiritual is being tuned to SPIRIT which can easily turn into religious traditions and subsequently a codified belief system. This doesn’t rule out spiritual persons belonging to one religion or another… but to me it is a huge difference.

(kl continued)

those who focus on being religious tend to put their attention on a religion, church, preachers, or a denomination.  Those who take themselves out of the box of religion, who focus on spirituality, tend to go directly to Spirit.  I do have to say, though, there are many who say that they’re spiritual and not religious, but still end up being dogmatic in their beliefs.  They still have the “I’m right, you’re wrong” mentality.  I used to be a religious fanatic, and then became spiritual.  Except Spirit got after me one time because S/he told me, “Um, Karen, don’t get fanatical about being spiritual.”  Ha!

(bc response)

Amazing, Karen, I went off, above, before I read your next paragraph where you put into words perfectly what I was feeling in Spirit, but simply couldn’t articulate other than what I was “given.”

(kl continued)

Back to the pulling of one’s attention.  We really don’t know what all is out there, if anything, but somewhere within us, we have this “knowing” that there is something much greater than us.  Even those who have never seen a Bible or heard of religion tend to have that “knowingness” of something greater and they have great respect for it.  I kind of envy them in a way because they haven’t been tarnished by man’s beliefs.  Theirs is still pure, honest, and childlike.

(bc response)

How about “spiritual?”

(kl continued)

But here is my theory.  I believe that we came from the All-That-Is here to earth, and of course, upon landing (being born), our memories were wiped clean, and yet, we had that slight “remembering” of something that was, but we can’t quite put our finger on it.  It’s like trying to remember a name, and you know it’s on the tip of your tongue, but you can’t quite grasp it.  That’s one reason we don’t feel good enough and why our self-worth takes a hit.  We feel less than for some reason, but don’t know why.  THIS is why!  We feel less than because we have a slight remembrance that we are a part of something grander, but we don’t know what it was.

(bc response)

Preach it, sister, all I can say is this resonates in me perfectly!

(kl continued)

When we become aware or remember that direct connection (or what I call “being saved), then we know where that “less than” feeling was coming from!  The hard part then is trying to erase all those old tapes that were programmed into our brain from past teachings that came from dogma, false teachings, and basically, outright lies, etc.  Some can do that easily, while others tend to struggle with it.  I’m part of the latter because I’ve had religious dogma scratched into my subconscious.  I know consciously that it’s all untrue.  It’s just getting down into the un/subconscious basement of my brain and cleaning out all those old files, dusting, sweeping, rearranging, etc., that tends to be work for me.  I wish it wasn’t.  I know it doesn’t have to be that way.  I think there are some hidden files that I haven’t found yet, but I’m working on it.  Grin.

(bc response)

Ditto (preach it sister)

(kl continued)

I’m really amazed at all the different religions and belief systems that are out there, and many, if not most, claim that they’re the only way.  Now that I “get it,” it’s hard for me sometimes to understand why everyone else doesn’t get it.  Spirit has to remind me that I used to be one of those who didn’t get it, and that everyone will get it in their own time.  We all have a path to take.  Some people are just ahead or behind others, but it doesn’t mean that because someone is ahead or behind that anyone is any better or worse than the other.  It’s just where we’re at in any given time on this great journey of ours.

(bc response)

Gee, I wish I’d said that, so perfectly stated!

(kl continued)

I think of it like traveling from the east coast to the west coast of the United States.  We all start from point A and we’re traveling across country to point B.  Some of us will take sports cars, some RV’s, some their family station wagon, and some of us prefer to hike.  Some of us want to take all the scenic routes and see all there is.  Some want to just get on the highway and get there as soon as possible.  Some people may take a wrong turn along the way and get sidetracked.  Some may get stuck because they run out of gas.  Some stay in five star hotels, some stay in cheap hotels, and some like to camp out.  Along the way, we meet many, many colorful people in their own various stages of travel.  It’s just part of the journey and everyone’s journey is different.  And again, none are better or worse than the other.

(bc response)

And (ditto yet) again…

(kl continued)

My challenge is that I get frustrated sometimes because I want to be farther along than I am.  I want to be so much more than I am (though I know I already am, if that makes sense),

(bc response)

I gotta butt in here, again, OF COURSE IT MAKES SENSE! You are describing, perfectly, the 4^th Dimension/kingdom of heaven now.

(kl continued)

and I don’t understand why I can’t just jump through some kind of time warp and be ahead of myself.  A Unity minister in Hawaii has a great saying that I keep reminding myself of and he says, “You’re in the right place, at the right time, right now.”

I also understand so much on a spiritual level.  It’s just getting it to show up on my human level. Jesus came here and was the greatest expression of who we could become.  He taught us that we could do the same things He did.  I totally believe it!  And I WANT to do those things, too.  There are obstacles (files?) somewhere that are keeping me from taking that leap of faith, and I haven’t quite figured out what they are.  I also understand that there are steps that need to be taken because if we jump ahead without learning something that needs to be learned beforehand, then we wouldn’t appreciate that jump ahead.  A good analogy would be that if I wanted to jump off a cliff without learning that I should probably have a parachute first, I could get hurt.  Ha!

Okay, Brad, does any of this even make any sense or is it just my spiritual babbliness babbling on?

(bc response)

Karen, I’ve said all I’m going to say, because you have said it all beautifully, from right where you are in the here and now.

If you don’t mind, I’m going to put this exchange, as is, in a chapter of my forthcoming book The 4^th Dimension

Note: Karen gave her okay in a subsequent e-mail

Up next (chapter 35) …Practical or Not, Here We Go!

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