Opening your life to love is a good thing

This is one of the times of year when people speak about love a lot. We show it more readily, by spending time with family and friends, and giving them gifts. I cherish and revere love, but it’s not the overtly romantic, possessive, “You belong to me….only,” or “Will you love love me if I do this?” kind of love. It is the, “No matter what happens in this 3D world, I will love you, and you can count on that love” kind of love. So where does that higher love come from? From our Source, Beloved, Creator, God, Jehovah, Great Spirit One, The All, the One beyond all names.

There is an eternal steady streaming of love (spirit) from beloved’s heart to ours and ours back to beloved. It’s hard to explain. Even Jesus had a hard time explaining it to Nicodemus who was a spiritual leader of the Jews. Jesus told him that, “That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of spirit is spirit.” They don’t really understand each other.

A starving body isn’t thinking of love when he takes food from others. An ego that is starving for love will settle for someone telling them that they love them, even if they do unloving things to them. The ego wants to be right, and preserve its self-created concept, and is willing to make others look wrong and feel bad so that they can appear right and feel temporarily good about themselves. An ego who doesn’t feel important will define importance in terms of wealth, or power, or approval. And all the while the loving spirit within a person is there. It never leaves. It just waits for the opportunity to love you and others.

Spirit knows itself. It knows that within everyone is another spirit, even if the person around it has forgotten it. When people give love from their spirit selves, it is given unconditionally. There are no strings attached. I give it to you to do with what you choose to do with it, because I value you. I know that you are loving spirit on the inside, no matter what the outer 3D expression of your life is right now. I know that in time you will remember it, becoming more and more loving along the journey, and if the loved one can receive it, it becomes a great source of positive energy. That’s how Jesus, and other faith healers heal. They looked beyond the outer form of mental, physical or social illness of an individual, and connected with the loving part, and energized it.

I know, because it happened to me 37 years ago. I was in an unloving marriage, had had a cough and cold I couldn’t shake for weeks, and was working as a waitress at night for a boss named Augustus at a restaurant called “Caesar’s” to help support a one-year-old baby. Need I say more? I was cut from going to work one night and happily joined the regular spiritual study group I was in. We were able to ask our spiritual teacher, Rev. Paul Solomon questions. I don’t even remember the question I asked. But I remember the answer.

Paul looked at me, and it was as if our eyes were locked. I found out later he was speaking to the group about loving yourself, and how important it was. But I was receiving energy and love from him. It was as if our eyes were locked, and so much energy was generated. My body felt gently electrified, and somehow I knew that good things were happening in my body and was appreciative of it. I’m not sure how long I received that energy, but a part of me knew when we were through. We smiled at each other, and I just stayed with the “high”, and the peace I was feeling.

It was as if the universe responded as well, and kahuna will tell you that a spiritually focused mind does have control over the elements. So did Jesus exemplify that when he said to the stormy sea, “Peace be still,” and the waves settled down.

In my case a dear friend invited me out for cheesecake after the study group, the next day a friend showed up and gave me a massage, and within ten days I had a new lucrative job that I loved, and where I was appreciated. I was physically better in about 3 days. I felt much better about myself. You know how wonderful you feel when you feel loved, And yes, in less than a year I was separated, and soon divorced. Now I’ve been happily married for almost 32 years.

But what if I hadn’t been receptive? The reason that some people don’t get healed is that they don’t feel worthy of the love being sent their way. Somewhere along the line they bought the story that they weren’t lovable. Listen right now. That is not the true story of you. You’ve just been misled by people who don’t feel that they are lovable.

“A Course in Miracles” says that people are always doing one of two things. They are either extending love to others, or they are calling for love from others. When I’m sick or acting unloving to myself or others, I am really loudly saying, “Please love me. Remember who I truly am for me, because I’ve forgotten.”

When a person flips you the birdie in traffic, know that they are mad at themselves for being late for wherever they’re going. They don’t even know you. Love ‘em back. When someone begs for money from me, I’ll give it, but I’ll also say, “I know who you really are, and it’s a beautiful loving soul.” Haven’t gotten my teeth punched out yet. These peoples’ souls are sleeping or medicated. We can water their soul seeds with love.

It’s not easy from the ego point of view to love other egos that are hurtful or selfish. But every time that you do it, you are giving that little seed within a little sunshine or water, and it also waters and feeds your own soul. It gets easier and easier to forgive, or look past their actions until that actually becomes more of your habit.

The other day I judged someone I love as being unloving, and I felt terrible for days, until we had a chance to work it out. I know I don’t have the ability to judge another. I can’t see the future or past. But sometimes I slip. How about you? Does it feel good to judge another negatively? How do you feel when you’re with them? Kind of awkward, right? Well then fess up. Apologize. But don’t just say “Oh Sorry for do.” Make sure you say what it is that you’re apologizing for, and let the person know you won’t do it again.

The other side of that is forgiveness. So many religions tell us to forgive. Now psychologists are doing it too, because holding a grudge is bad for you. I’ve written about that before. Forgive means to overlook the other’s ego self that made the error, mistakes we make until we finally learn and get it. We are love. That’s the part we were before we were born, and the part that will continue when the body/ego dies.

We are all gifted with the same amount of love. It’s not from our DNA, or biological make up. Any soul who chooses to express love from that loving soul place within can offer that love and connection from the highest in them to the highest in another. It may seem that some folks have “more” of it, but it’s just that they’ve learned that they can keep giving it away, and it never runs out! In fact, it just makes more. Love is the best investment you can make, because the return for your contribution is continually growing.

My friend Jessie Basquez paid an $8 tab balance for a couple at a restaurant whose credit card was maxed out. I was with her, and I felt good, the couple felt good, the cashier felt good, and that goodness continued on to express in our lives. She’ll get the most back, and who knows how or when, but lots of us were lifted by her action.

What blocks it is the receiving part and that comes from our brain mind, not our soul. Somehow along the way we started thinking that we didn’t deserve love. If you’re feeling guilty about your past, you can only change it in the present. Start now, and express love a little more. Don’t force it. Your heart will lead you. When you feel motivated to do an act of kindness, do it, and smile. Smiling is one way that we can all express love.

I have a two and a half month old granddaughter, and I’m watching her learn about love, how to receive it, and how to respond to it. What fun! She’s already giving back when people beam love at her with a nice big gummy grin. She smiles with recognition at people who have loved her in the past. Smiling and expressing happiness are how she expresses her love for another. It continues until we die.

I was just 20 when my paternal grandmother was in her last days. My husband and I had driven six hours to see her, and she was very still in bed. But when she saw me, her whole face lit up. She smiled so big that the dimple near her eye appeared, and she called out my name loudly and with joy. I responded with equal love and joy, and the energy between us felt wonderful. She was able to use that energy to stay alert for some time, and we were able to catch up, and bless each other.

That’s how we can all give the gift of healing love this season. Smiling is a start. Caring or kind acts help. And guess what. These are the gifts that are eternal. That toy, or article of clothing, will some day disintegrate, but not the love that you shared. That is eternal. Isn’t it grand?

•••

Questions?

Hale Opio Kauai convened a support group of adults in our Kauai community to “step into the corner” for our teens, to answer questions and give support to youth and their families on a wide variety of issues. Please email your questions or concerns facing our youth and families today to

This is one of the times of year when people speak about love a lot. We show it more readily, by spending time with family and friends, and giving them gifts. I cherish and revere love, but it’s not the overtly romantic, possessive, “You belong to me….only,” or “Will you love love me if I do this?” kind of love. It is the, “No matter what happens in this 3D world, I will love you, and you can count on that love” kind of love. So where does that higher love come from? From our Source, Beloved, Creator, God, Jehovah, Great Spirit One, The All, the One beyond all names.

There is an eternal steady streaming of love (spirit) from beloved’s heart to ours and ours back to beloved. It’s hard to explain. Even Jesus had a hard time explaining it to Nicodemus who was a spiritual leader of the Jews. Jesus told him that, “That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of spirit is spirit.” They don’t really understand each other.

A starving body isn’t thinking of love when he takes food from others. An ego that is starving for love will settle for someone telling them that they love them, even if they do unloving things to them. The ego wants to be right, and preserve its self-created concept, and is willing to make others look wrong and feel bad so that they can appear right and feel temporarily good about themselves. An ego who doesn’t feel important will define importance in terms of wealth, or power, or approval. And all the while the loving spirit within a person is there. It never leaves. It just waits for the opportunity to love you and others.

Spirit knows itself. It knows that within everyone is another spirit, even if the person around it has forgotten it. When people give love from their spirit selves, it is given unconditionally. There are no strings attached. I give it to you to do with what you choose to do with it, because I value you. I know that you are loving spirit on the inside, no matter what the outer 3D expression of your life is right now. I know that in time you will remember it, becoming more and more loving along the journey, and if the loved one can receive it, it becomes a great source of positive energy. That’s how Jesus, and other faith healers heal. They looked beyond the outer form of mental, physical or social illness of an individual, and connected with the loving part, and energized it.

I know, because it happened to me 37 years ago. I was in an unloving marriage, had had a cough and cold I couldn’t shake for weeks, and was working as a waitress at night for a boss named Augustus at a restaurant called “Caesar’s” to help support a one-year-old baby. Need I say more? I was cut from going to work one night and happily joined the regular spiritual study group I was in. We were able to ask our spiritual teacher, Rev. Paul Solomon questions. I don’t even remember the question I asked. But I remember the answer.

Paul looked at me, and it was as if our eyes were locked. I found out later he was speaking to the group about loving yourself, and how important it was. But I was receiving energy and love from him. It was as if our eyes were locked, and so much energy was generated. My body felt gently electrified, and somehow I knew that good things were happening in my body and was appreciative of it. I’m not sure how long I received that energy, but a part of me knew when we were through. We smiled at each other, and I just stayed with the “high”, and the peace I was feeling.

It was as if the universe responded as well, and kahuna will tell you that a spiritually focused mind does have control over the elements. So did Jesus exemplify that when he said to the stormy sea, “Peace be still,” and the waves settled down.

In my case a dear friend invited me out for cheesecake after the study group, the next day a friend showed up and gave me a massage, and within ten days I had a new lucrative job that I loved, and where I was appreciated. I was physically better in about 3 days. I felt much better about myself. You know how wonderful you feel when you feel loved, And yes, in less than a year I was separated, and soon divorced. Now I’ve been happily married for almost 32 years.

But what if I hadn’t been receptive? The reason that some people don’t get healed is that they don’t feel worthy of the love being sent their way. Somewhere along the line they bought the story that they weren’t lovable. Listen right now. That is not the true story of you. You’ve just been misled by people who don’t feel that they are lovable.

“A Course in Miracles” says that people are always doing one of two things. They are either extending love to others, or they are calling for love from others. When I’m sick or acting unloving to myself or others, I am really loudly saying, “Please love me. Remember who I truly am for me, because I’ve forgotten.”

When a person flips you the birdie in traffic, know that they are mad at themselves for being late for wherever they’re going. They don’t even know you. Love ‘em back. When someone begs for money from me, I’ll give it, but I’ll also say, “I know who you really are, and it’s a beautiful loving soul.” Haven’t gotten my teeth punched out yet. These peoples’ souls are sleeping or medicated. We can water their soul seeds with love.

It’s not easy from the ego point of view to love other egos that are hurtful or selfish. But every time that you do it, you are giving that little seed within a little sunshine or water, and it also waters and feeds your own soul. It gets easier and easier to forgive, or look past their actions until that actually becomes more of your habit.

The other day I judged someone I love as being unloving, and I felt terrible for days, until we had a chance to work it out. I know I don’t have the ability to judge another. I can’t see the future or past. But sometimes I slip. How about you? Does it feel good to judge another negatively? How do you feel when you’re with them? Kind of awkward, right? Well then fess up. Apologize. But don’t just say “Oh Sorry for do.” Make sure you say what it is that you’re apologizing for, and let the person know you won’t do it again.

The other side of that is forgiveness. So many religions tell us to forgive. Now psychologists are doing it too, because holding a grudge is bad for you. I’ve written about that before. Forgive means to overlook the other’s ego self that made the error, mistakes we make until we finally learn and get it. We are love. That’s the part we were before we were born, and the part that will continue when the body/ego dies.

We are all gifted with the same amount of love. It’s not from our DNA, or biological make up. Any soul who chooses to express love from that loving soul place within can offer that love and connection from the highest in them to the highest in another. It may seem that some folks have “more” of it, but it’s just that they’ve learned that they can keep giving it away, and it never runs out! In fact, it just makes more. Love is the best investment you can make, because the return for your contribution is continually growing.

My friend Jessie Basquez paid an $8 tab balance for a couple at a restaurant whose credit card was maxed out. I was with her, and I felt good, the couple felt good, the cashier felt good, and that goodness continued on to express in our lives. She’ll get the most back, and who knows how or when, but lots of us were lifted by her action.

What blocks it is the receiving part and that comes from our brain mind, not our soul. Somehow along the way we started thinking that we didn’t deserve love. If you’re feeling guilty about your past, you can only change it in the present. Start now, and express love a little more. Don’t force it. Your heart will lead you. When you feel motivated to do an act of kindness, do it, and smile. Smiling is one way that we can all express love.

I have a two and a half month old granddaughter, and I’m watching her learn about love, how to receive it, and how to respond to it. What fun! She’s already giving back when people beam love at her with a nice big gummy grin. She smiles with recognition at people who have loved her in the past. Smiling and expressing happiness are how she expresses her love for another. It continues until we die.

I was just 20 when my paternal grandmother was in her last days. My husband and I had driven six hours to see her, and she was very still in bed. But when she saw me, her whole face lit up. She smiled so big that the dimple near her eye appeared, and she called out my name loudly and with joy. I responded with equal love and joy, and the energy between us felt wonderful. She was able to use that energy to stay alert for some time, and we were able to catch up, and bless each other.

That’s how we can all give the gift of healing love this season. Smiling is a start. Caring or kind acts help. And guess what. These are the gifts that are eternal. That toy, or article of clothing, will some day disintegrate, but not the love that you shared. That is eternal. Isn’t it grand?

•••

Questions?

Hale Opio Kauai convened a support group of adults in our Kauai community to “step into the corner” for our teens, to answer questions and give support to youth and their families on a wide variety of issues. Please email your questions or concerns facing our youth and families today to Annaleah Atkinson at aatkinson@haleopio.org

at aatkinson@haleopio.org