Our greatest gifts of service come out of our own learning and healing. Our greatest transformational lessons for others come out of our own transformational healing within. While the saying goes, "we teach what we need to learn," more accurately,"we learn what we are called to teach." What we are able to offer others come not in what we can do for them or teach to them, but in what we can share and mirror from our own vulnerability and Spiritual mercies received. These are the lessons from heart to heart and soul to soul that soothe and deepen our connection to one another and Sacred Divine Source.

In the physical, patriarchal culture, there is teacher and student, healer and patient, master and novice.

In the spiritual, feminine community, there is unity and connection in all things. Vulnerability and openness welcome the places of woundedness and seeking and with kindness and honest receptivity, all are healed.

See your wounds as the places Spirit calls you to teach and heal others. Know your receptivity to learning will become your gifts of wisdom and wholeness for all.

I have a friend that I love. Unfortunately, she has not been in touch recently, nor have I. We had an upset and she withdrew. With some honesty and integrity, she shared it really had nothing to do with me, but she needed to have some time to herself to do some more 'work' since she was angry and blaming me and knew there was nothing I had done to deserve it.

I love this kind of openness and honesty. When woman are able to look inside and share their own vulnerabilities, I know this is someone I can trust and with whom I want to be close. It is a principle I try to live by myself. Rigorous self-honesty, vulnerability and self responsibility is the foundation of authentic intimacy. Period.

So why do I remain so angry, hurt and personally offended by her imposed moratorium on our friendship? When I reflect on her and our relationship, there is mostly self-righteous anger and condemnation with only fleeting moments of compassion and understanding. I want compassion and understanding most of the time, with only fleeting moments of self-righteous condemnation. What's the deal?

Meditation and prayer is often the only place I have some peace. My Spiritual Guides remind me that we are all wounded and that it is in our woundedness that we most need Spirit and Divine mercy. In my desire to love others with selfless compassion, I come face to face with my own warts and in doing so, I can admit my desire for transformation and healing. From here, receiving love begets love~forgiveness of self begets forgiveness of others~and in my humble wartedness, I learn compassion for another's warts. We all have them. Different sizes and shades perhaps, but lumpy and sometimes blistery just the same.

So today, rather than an internal self assault for my lack of compassion and understanding, I can expose my warts and know that I am loved from where I start. As I expose my own wartedness in the sacredness of my own Divine prayer vigil, I'm less afraid of exposing them out in the light of the physical world. If you show me yours, I'll show you mine?!

Got Warts?

Surrender is a word that implies to some the 'giving up' of something. This can mean resignation to being a victim and not asserting self in productive and powerful ways. In the world of 'creating our lives' and 'manifesting our destinies' this can be seen as negative and weak, so a closer look at the meaning of the word 'surrender' is necessary.

The word is actually made up of two other words that together literally translate to 'render up or give.' It implies choice and this is the key.

As women, we often think that having our personal power and no longer allowing ourselves to be a victim in our relationships with others requires some sort of control or assertion over others. We may confuse 'control' and 'powerlessness' as opposites and try to exert control rather than surrender when a situation or relationship calls for this.

To 'surrender' means to 'render or give up' and in this context a greater, more profound spiritual union is created. When we embrace our 'powerlessness' over our own or another's dis-ease, we open ourselves to the flow of Divine connection and energy. Surrender of our own woundedness, shadows, defects and anxious attempts to control situations and individuals outside of our control, opens to the possibility of Divine influence in the situation. This is an important perspective that comes with Spiritual maturity and a willingness to risk the mystery and unknown that comes with conscious, intentional spiritual surrender.

Surrender of our criticisms, righteous judgments of others, blame and unease related to our own thoughts and behaviors or that of another will invite compassion, care, ease and joy in our lives.

*To surrender requires great courage and a willingness to release an old way of being and venture into the unknown.

*To surrender requires maturity that comes only from the discipline or self awareness and reflection.

*To surrender requires womanhood that comes to only those willing to open themselves to Divine thinking and behaving and those willing to risk 'being wrong' for a Higher Spiritual Purpose.

*To surrender invites choice, power and union with the Divine as it is only in our vulnerability with intention that we are able to embrace Spiritual Flow.

Today I am grateful for my own courage and willingness to try 'letting go' of that within me that does not bless in order to risk the unknown and connect authentically with the Divine.

Today I am willing to surrender that which I am certain I 'know' or 'believe' to embrace a deeper and more compassion 'mystery' of Divine Movement.

Today I surrender my judgments, gossip, blame and criticism of others in order to experience Sacred healing that comes from looking within and trusting the unknown.

Today I surrender my righteousness in order to embrace deepened love connection with my sisters, brother and self.

I surrender to Spirit whose flow is love, care and soulful nourishment.

And so it is.