Tag Archive for India

India: The One Moment That Left the Biggest Impression

I’m getting butterflies in my belly as I order supplies and sort my stuff to pack before heading back to the United States of America soon!!!  I haven’t seen my family in a year.  This is the longest I’ve been away from my baby girl and I’m feeling a wave of emotions flow through me.  Living in a third-world country for the past year has really changed my entire perspective on everything.

There have been a lot of moments that have impressed upon me; moments of amazement at how folks here in India live on a daily basis.  I’ve seen houses literally made of mud with grass roofs.  I’ve seen people here washing clothes by hand and beating them on cement.  I’ve seen women here carrying loads on the top of their heads that most women in my country couldn’t carry with two hands.  Driving past fields in the early morning and watching the farmers honor their animal, giving it an early morning bath by hand.  But, aside from the many spiritual blessings I have received int his country, the moment that has left the biggest impression on me is when I was in Tirruvanamalia with my friend, Caz.

We had stopped at a shop to get some fruit and water for morning.  An elderly, emaciated woman approached us.  Most of her teeth were missing and her clothes were dull and tattered.  She motioned to ask for money.  My friend, not having any cash (or food) on her, handed this woman all she had to offer in that moment; a half-used bottle of warm water.  I was so shocked at what I saw next.  If some stranger came up to me in my home town asking for money and I handed him a half-used up bottle of warm water that I’d been carrying around and drinking from all day (and probably back-washed my lunch into), that stranger would look at me like I was from Pluto.  But this woman?  I’ve never seen anything like it.  Her face lit up like she was three years old on Christmas morning!  She graciously accepted the bottle and was visibly elated!

You see, to this woman, it wasn’t just a bottle of water.  That old, thin plastic bottle?  It was a prize in and of itself.  It was tool. She could use it to transport water or soap.  She could use it to bathe with.  She could use it to store things.  It was a prized possession, not a common house hold item.  Seeing someone so full of gratitude for a used up, warm bottle of water?  This one moment, it was just a few seconds; a flicker of a moment in time.. but it changed my life forever.  It made me realize all of the little things in every single day that I have to be grateful for in this life.  It made me think, what if I were so poor, that a used up, warm bottle of water was like gold to me?

Today, I get down on my knees and humbly bow down to my divine, filled with so much gratitude that tears trace tracks on my cheeks, and give thanks for this experience, and for the realization of all the things big and small, that I have to be grateful for every single hour of every single day that I am alive on this Earth.  Thank you, God.

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Much love and many blessings to you!

Jodi

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Do You See What I See?

Yet another beautiful miracle in my life!! I’m a total rock hound, and I generally collect a rock from where ever I travel. Why not? It’s a unique gift from God. It produces no waste. It will not take up a land-fill, it connects me to Mother Earth, and it’s all natural lol. In fact, I can even make Stone Soup out of them if I ever need to (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/043933909X/ref=aw_1st_sims_2?pi=SL500_SS115).

Today I went to the Matrimandir in Auroville, India.

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While I was on the trail to the viewpoint of the Matrimandir in Auroville…

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… I kept praying for a heart-shaped rock. I saw so many rocks, leaves and nature-bits that were heart-shaped.. The song, “All You Need Is Love” kept coming into my consciousness.

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When I got to the end of the path, look what waiting for me! How amazing is that?!!

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I found this right at the viewpoint, directly in front if the Matrimandir; to the right in this picture:

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I am just feeling so blessed!! Thank you, God, for all the beautiful miracles you bring into my life; for the grace that flows through and around me! <3

It doesn’t stop there, though. The entire experience has changed my consciousness. When I got back to my hotel room, the messages of love just continued. Do you see what I see?

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Ask your divine to give you the ability to see the beauty, magic and wonder in the simple things in life. Ask your divine to bring about a simple miracle in your life with the next few days, and to make you aware of this miracle. Thank the divine for all the beautiful miracles you’ve had thus far.

God is right there, waiting for us to dial His number. Once you dial, why hang up the line? Why not stay connected all day long? Talk to God about everything you see, do and feel!

You know that feeling you get when something happens great in your life and you’re all excited and you can’t to wait to run and tell your total best friend?! Yeah, that feeling. Let that be your passion toward God.

And you know how, when something icky happens and you’re down in the dumps and just want your total best friend to comfort you (be it your spouse or mom or your best buddy)? In these moments, talk to God.

Turn to God the same way you would rush to your best friend with exciting news, or to your mom/spouse for comfort. Then be amazed at the relationship that builds between the two of you!

Love to you <3
Jodi

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Coins & Miracles & Faith, Oh My!

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A true miracle!! Look at these coins!
The idea is to place the coin on the wall & the divine will hold the coin on the wall. I admit, I was a total non-believer… But my divine changed all that!

I walked up & placed my coin on the wall slanted part of the wall (top) & my coin kept sliding off. “There’s no way it’s gonna stick”, I thought. Then this man walked up & placed a coin on the verticle wall. It is straight up & down!!

It is physically impossible & against the law of gravity for a coin to be able to stick there!! Right before my eyes, though, I saw two people do it!! They walked up, prayed, and the coin stuck & they walked away!!

So, naturally, my mind is convinced that there’s some trick to this. I put my coin back up for the tenth time, again, it slips & falls (MAN, reflexes are fast when you’re awakened!). Feeling helpless and hopeless and about to give up, I decided to try one more time. As I’m holding my coin, a man walks up and tells me to pray and say a mantra.

He puts his coin vertical, it sticks, and then he walks away.  I’m in amazement, but I am still convinced there is a trick to this.  I think to myself, “He’s gotta be licking the coin or something to give it moisture to stick”.  So, with a sideways glance to ensure nobody is watching, I lick my coin, and then try to stick it to the wall.  Again, it falls.

“Okay”, I think, “Maybe it needs something thicker, like sweat, in order to stick?”.  Again, I look both directions to ensure nobody is watching, then I press the coin against my chest, to pick up some sweat and again, I press it against the wall with a prayer.  Again, the coin falls to the ground.  I begin to feel discouraged.

The man walks up again, and again he prays and places a coin on the wall.  I turn to him, “What’s the trick? Do you have to press hard?”, I ask as I press the coin as hard as I can with two fingers.  He chuckles at my question, watching my coin fall to the ground once more. “Faith”, he says with a smile as he walks away.

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“Ah”, I thought to myself. Faith.  I lack in faith.  I know this.  I had tried so many times, to no avail.  I sang the moola mantra and tried; the coin fell.  I prayed and tried; the coin fell.  I pressed hard and tried; the coin fell.  I licked the coin and tried; it fell.  I used sweat and tried; it fell.  Yet faith never crossed my mind.  Suddenly, I felt like I was trying to hard.

After the man walked off, I took a deep, steady breath. I relaxed my grip on the coin.  I realized that this is not something that *I* can do.  It is something the divine will do.  What I had to do, was to get out of the way and allow the divine to come through me.  So, I gently held the coin to the wall with two fingers, with as little pressure as possible. I prayed to my divine, “God, I know I lack in faith. If you’re really there, please accept my offering and deepen my faith.”

As soon as I said this prayer, I felt heat come through my arm, then through my hand and finger tips.. and then I felt, like.. I felt the coin stick to the wall… Like the wall was grabbing the coin from me… and I knew it was safe to let go.

I moved my hand away, and the coin stuck to the wall. That coin is in this picture:

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My jaw dropped, and then I got the hugest grin on my face that I think I’ve ever had… like a child at Christmas who just got the biggest thing she’s ever wished for.  This… it defies all laws of gravity.. it defies all laws of physics!!  There is no other explanation for this, except that it’s the divine.

It wasn’t sweat, humidity, or spit that made the coin stick.  There was a trick, though. The trick, was to ask my divine for what I wanted, to have faith, and then to just let go of the outcome; get out of the way; surrender to my divine with faith, and allow my divine to come through.  I had to stop trying to control the outcome and surrender completely to my divine.

GOD IS REAL.

GOD CAN DEFY THE LAW OF GRAVITY.

GOD CAN DO MIRACLES.

FAITH CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS.

Thank you, Spirit, for the miracles you bring about in my life, for teaching me how to let go, and for deepening my faith.  I am forever and truly grateful.  I can never deny the existence of God again.  I am a changed woman.

How are you trying to control the outcome in your own life?

♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SOULYSTIC SUGGESTION – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥

Today, you can make an ‘offering’ to your divine by doing one kind thing for somebody. If you feel you lack faith, perhaps you can acknowledge these feelings and then pray and ask your divine to deepen your faith and reveal itself (himself, herself) to you in some way today.
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥

Still not a believer?  Check out the videos of this phenomenon.  I can’t make this stuff up, folks!

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Love to you!

Jodi

Pics: Amma’s Temple, Nemam, India

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I Have Arrived!

So I made it to India! Ive been adjusting for a few days. I’m on campus and loving every minute of it, challenges and all!

I’ve met people from all around the world here… Holland, Hong Kong, Belgium, Germany, Sweden… beautiful!!

The food is WONDERFUL!! It’s like a party in my mouth!!

The nature is amazing! It really reminds me of when i lived in Hawaii, with the lizards climbing the walls & hanging out on the ceilings in the dorm (although Hawaii is much more cool). In America, you wake up and hear birds singing. In India, you wake up and hear birds and Monkeys. Wow!

My shoes came up missing yesterday, so I’ve been walking barefoot for a couple days. We have to leave them outside… maybe the monkeys took them… If not, then somebody needed them worse than me. I have an ‘inside’ pair I may start using outside cuz the pavement is HOT!!

Some people here literally live in grass huts. That’s all I can say about that.. pretty sobering.

Today I did a walking meditation.. Where I had to walk reeeeaaaaalllllllyyyy SLOW… and contemplate who I am. It took me an hour to walk a distance that would ordinarily take less than five minutes. It was an experience! Try it sometime… Just don’t do it on scalding hot pavement while barefoot – ouch!

I’ve been wanting ice cream really bad lately… It’s SO H-O-T here!! Today I got some… It was so feeling delicious!

Don’t let me forget to tell you about my trip to Amma’s ashram on the way to the University! That was an experience!

Internet connection here is sporadic, so I will post as I can. When I get access I have a limited amount of time so my grammar will not be the greatest – deal LOL! :-p

I got to see the monkeys hanging out on the dorms the other day. Sooo cool!! Check out my Facebook page, I will ry to get a video uploaded soon.

I’m posting from my phone and still learning so if things come out wonky, I blame it in that LOL

We practice what’s called mauna after certain processes, where we remain in silence. I will share more about that as I can. We stay pretty busy here, between classes, practice, food, and washing my clothes by hand!

Speaking of class, one is coming up soon.

Blessings & Love,
Jolliana

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