Dear Earth,

Thanks for the forests, oceans, deserts, mountains, streams, lakes, and beautiful blue skies. So much to explore, so little time. You've given me a lot, Earth, and I thank you for that! I love you and will try to keep you clean and away from pollution because that's what you deserve. Thanks for the life you have given me... I hope others realize how precious you are and treat you with the respect you deserve.

Love,

Jason

This is a great question! Prayer is many things to many people. It isn't limited to Christians or Muslims or Jews... and it's meaning is different between societies and between cultures.

For me, prayer is "Reflection." It is a mindful act full of contemplation, individuality, and privacy. Between our God, our gods, or ourselves. Prayer is not a wish to be granted or a hope to be fulfilled, but it is an insight into very own selves. What we pray upon is that which we truly value. It is a part of our being, who we are. We can look back at our prayers and see what we have valued in life and what is truly Important in our lives, in who we are. Our prayers are more more than we can define in simple words. They our our dreams and our values, our hopes and our wants. They are as I have said a "Reflection." A reflection upon our very own selves and what we treasure.

Will the prayer be answered? Will our prayers go unheard? No matter what, the answer is no. We have answered by questioning ourselves and our needs. The value is in the meaning of things, not in the thing itself. Prayers are heard by our very own souls and they become truth through our actions and our free will. We are blessed because we actually answer our own prayers all the time by finding comfort, hope in the things that truly matter. Look around you. Think of what you want, the first thing that comes to your mind, and you will see that which really matters to you.

Have a great holiday season! Remember to value not the gifts people gives us or that we give them, but the love that is behind it all. ~Peace~

I once noticed two drops of water on a table...  at different times but in the same spot (why? unknown).

I felt a connection to this and that there would be two huge floods in one-two weeks.  There was.  I think it was last year...  a flood in Mexico and one in the Philippines.

I also thought of an earthquake at around noon one day.  Later that night there was a tv show about an earthquake.  Then I felt there would be a relatively large earthquake (in California) within the next week.  In around 3 days (I think) there was a around a 6.0 quake.

Some other things I can't think of right now.  Btw, I did not watch the weather channel and then think of the floods, haha, nor did I predict a quake after there was already a large one (aftershocks naturally occur after a quake).

BUT, I'm aware I may just have been delusional, that it was just coincidence, etc.  I'm very scientific in how I think about things.  I refuse to just "believe"/"know" I have some psychic energy.  Because, frankly, I truly have no good evidence.  Coincidences occur.

I do feel weird about certain things, mostly relationships/patterns between objects... a connection of sorts, which is quite interesting.  It's hard to explain it all.

LOL, odd but I did get a feeling that major news (good or bad?) about hiv/aids would occur within a week or two, or in late January 2009.  I don't know, I'm probably wrong about this, though. haha  ::tweety bird in my head, perhaps::  :)  I am just being too open here right now but I know the people at Gaia aren't much of the judgmental types.

TV shows... movies... they embellish it all to make such things more dramatic.  I think we may have psychic energy... or a relationship to energy in the world.  To me, everything is connected.  Sometimes we may feel the connection between two apparently disconnected things.  BUT, I don't think its an absolute thing.  I think some of us may have a "connection" to the world that may be because of evolutionary biology, or...  who knows.   We should never assume we are 100% psychic, though, I'm sure even true psychics get some things wrong.

Humans are imperfect and for anyone to assume they have a perfect "gift" they are probably delusional since that goes against Imperfection, which is a Basic Truth of our Reality.   Ya know?  :-)

No matter WHAT, always be OPEN-MINDED!  We know very little in this world.  Humility is a good thing!  :-)

My close-mindedness.  Well, somewhat.  It's always a work in progress. :-)

Businesses often teach their managers "to think outside the box."  Because "newness"... "discovery" ... equals profit.

To think outside your "spiritual" box, you gain a kind of profit.  This profit is beyond that which can be measured.  It is the expansion of your inner-most being, your soul.

Lol, a great question to reflect upon!

Be quite weird and make people wonder if you're just crazy or really deep.... or a combination thereof.

Be a little odd, socially anxious, rebellious, and nerdy/silly/dorky/"you get the idea."

Be just another ol' human being in this game we call "Life."  Argue with people and think you're right but then realize you don't really know anything at all (in the greater scheme of things).

Try to smile and enjoy the (Halloween) "party"!  Before you know it, the night will be over and the party will have ended.

Enjoy the other peoples costumes and realize even when it's not Halloween we wear costumes everyday.  Things hidden in each of us.  Much to be learned about us all.

We often assume things about people just by those costumes/"the surface."  But people are more than that!  Try to get to know people based on more than hearsay/gossip, based on more than a few chance encounters.  Time it takes to to truly know another.  There may even be something beautiful in those people we swear are just "fugly."  Ya know?  We are all imperfect in an imperfect world.

~ Peace and enjoy Hallow's Eve! ~

I'm excited about growing! Fear tries to inhibit that growth but I must let go and trust my instincts.

I sometimes think too much but sometimes there's just a time when action must take place.  Thoughts are fine and dandy but they're just thoughts.  Right?

Suffering, this is one major thing that's helped me grow as a person!

I'm not saying that suffering is the only thing that causes personal growth, not at all, but sometimes this terrible thing can even be helpful to us!

Sometimes we need a push and sometimes that push is pain, sorrow, depression... .  These things "irritate" us in a way and that irritation causes us to CHANGE.  The change may be negative or positive but it is still "change."  We move in a different direction from where we currently are and I hope that current direction for you is a positive one.

Many people here at Gaia have been through painful times and have suffered quite a bit but these things have helped us move in a positive direction.  We don't want others to endure what we have endured... we don't want to live through what we once lived through.  We personally grow and try to become better people and this is a great thing!

Isn't that weird that such a nasty thing like suffering can be thought of in a positive way?  Think of who you once were and who you are now.  Think of how beautiful it has been to have grown in a positive direction and to let that suffering of the past... and the current pain in this world, propel you forward spiritually.

I'm happy to see so many trying to better themselves.  Let's continue to grow personally (and together) because that's our destiny, right?  What do you think?  :-)

I have a hard time believing in an un-loving or condemnful God.  I don't believe a God would create us, make it so we would have a sinful nature, let us sin, and then send us to suffering forever away from Him.

This makes me think of a mother(God) who would abandon her child(us) forever because the child did things wrong during his/her teen years (the relatively short time on Earth).  I think the mother would have the right to be sad and upset if her child wasn't how she wanted him/her to be but she wouldn't just get in a car and leave her child in the desert.

We'd want to make our mother proud but, for example, I'm gay and my mom would have never left me.  She was even against it all at first because of her beliefs but she loved me so much she saw things in a new light, I guess.  She would always be there for me, though, and understood I wasn't exactly who she assumed/wanted me to be but that she was my creator(maker) in a way having a bond with me.

I use the parent analogy with God because God is like a parent and we are his children.  God does not leave his children in the desert, or adrift at sea.  He could never even think of such a terrible thing!

I hope others agree and that we can love God and know He is a loving God, not one that some portray Him to be.  I'm talking about the Christian God (Father) but this extends to any of us who believe in a higher power who created/formed us.  (As Mother Earth created/formed us.)

Connectedness, Respect, Manners...

My purpose in life is many things, some of which I know about and others... well only time shall tell.

I think one of my main purposes in life is to integrate the idea that we are all connected as one.  We are individuals, and that's a great thing, but we are also all a part of the same wholeness, which is Life.

We tend to keep to ourselves and love those who already love us but how often do (we all) take that extra effort to try to be closer to those we naturally would not get along with?

We want peace and happiness in this world but pass people throughout our day without saying, "Hi" anymore.  We don't keep the door open for them.  We ignore them like they don't exist.  Even during a walk in my neighborhood I may encounter a few people but rarely do they acknowledge me.  I am not saying to say, "Hi" constantly to people but when you are the only person on the same street and you walk pass them at least try to acknowledge their presence, their "life."

I've often said, "Hi" to people in a casual and upbeat way and they walk on by like I didn't even exist.  Even a nod is great!  I was even told it was weird I said, "Hi" to people or looked at them at all.  I'm talking about moving my head in a few degrees, people.

We are all so fearful of those creeps (for lack of a better term) out there who may be rapists, pedophiles, robbers, and all of that... of those negative energy beings seen in the news reports that we have given up a part of our humanity.  Our peace, patience, kindness... our manners and etiquette have decreased.  Manners, showing respect to other people by acknowledging them, opening the door, not spitting a piece of gum on the sidewalk right in front of them... is a sign of love for our fellow man(woman).

I'm not saying to follow an etiquette tips book as law but to just do those small things to show we are valued people.  To recognize us and to not ignore us will help make the world a better place.  So, one of my purposes is to teach people, even grind it into them, that trying to treat everyone like we would a dear friend will go a long way into making this world a better place for our children.

I thank you for reading all of this and just try to remember to be nice to people and acknowledge them a little.  We are all busy these days but treat others how you'd like to be treated.  It's that Golden Rule coming up again, and it's a universal ethical principle because it's true. :-)

And thank you again for your time!

To show our weaknesses we open ourselves to being further hurt.  We may be criticized, devalued, or just plain ol' judged!  But, how often do these things actually occur?  It's hard for us because during these moments we are already weak as it is!, so to bear anymore hurt would just complicate the delicate situation.  But, we mustn't let our fears control us!  It would be more sad to look back on our lives and see how we could have had greater bonds with the people around us if we had just opened up a bit more.

The time to express ourselves to those we love is now.  For now will never come again.  It's an odd analogy but just think of this part of the Autumn season.  The leaves begin to fall from the trees...  a loss of sorts, but it's beautiful as well.  And what happens after some time? The trees grow back, more lively than ever!  So are we.  Our emotions and feelings are like those leaves.  They are colorful.  They are dull.  They are torn.  They are lively as they shake upon the branches and move about in the wind!  Even though it is a time of loss, something good comes from it all!  So, too, are the times of sadness and sorrow.  Don't bear it alone because, first, this is not the natural order of things.  There's more than one person for a reason.  Secondly, something good will come out of that sorrowful time.  Your relationships with others will be strengthened.  Your bonds with others will deepen.  You will just simply have a better life because of it all.