Part 1: Take the GUR out of Guru and you have U

I've been in the industry for over twenty years. 
I've watched the trends come and go.
I've watched the different men and women of the hour strut across center stage.
I've watched books be sold.
I've watched conferences be attended.
I've watched, created, and marketed webinar after webinar
I've heard the questions be asked
I've been asked the questions

And that list could go on and on........................

And I am here to say after decades in churchianity and the industry of consumer version of christianity, I wanted something different.  In other blog posts I have written about the statement that entered my heart, "The I can't do this anymore," reverberation that was going to change my life.  The return to faith, self and life was to follow. 

When I first read the Sheldon Kopp quote, “The continuing struggle was once described in the following metaphor by a patient who had successfully completed a long course of psychotherapy: 'I came to therapy hoping to receive butter for the bread of life. Instead, at the end, I emerged with a pail of sour milk, a churn, and instructions on how to use them.' (138)”  along with this one; "My only goals as I begin work are to take care of myself and have fun. The patient must provide the motive power of our interaction. It is as if I stand in the doorway of my office, waiting.  The patient enters and makes a lunge at me, a desperate attempt to pull me into the fantasy of taking care of him. I step aside. The patient falls to the floor, disappointed and bewildered. Now he has a change to get up and try something new."  my heart began to sing, shout, roar a very loud YES reverberated deep into my being.


Besides writing about "the I can't do this anymore," season of my life, I have also written about the time when I refused to believe that I, in and of myself, could touch an understanding and not necessarily be taught by another.  When I thought the so-called, "expert" had a corner on the market and that if I listened to him teach the information I would have deeper understanding.  As I shared I got to the end of the third tape (yes, I date myself) only to realize there was nothing on those tapes that I hadn't learned by sitting still and listening to Spirit and waiting upon God.


I have watched decades pass and I have watched you come and spend hundreds and thousands of dollars upon a weekend to learn from, be prayed for and listen to  another man or woman.  What I have rarely seen is the one who will take even 5 free minutes a day and sit still and quiet and cease striving and believe that in so doing there is nothing that man or woman could teach you that you couldn't learn for yourself.  There is a desire for a  drive through spirituality that we can order up and catch on the fly, an experience to be had that will make all things better, a word that could be given that could change your life forever.  I've seen the destruction of such things more than I have seen good fruit.


I have seen the good fruit when the one comes and doesn't come back (or to "another show") every weekend.  When one is willing to sit and ponder and let life and spirit sink in and sink in deeply.  It takes time for a seed to grow into a tree that will bare fruit. But we want the factory manufactured version and wonder why we are spiritually sick.


Friends, for those of you well versed in Christian scriptures it comes as no surprise. At least it shouldn't!  The man, Paul, while writing a letter to the Ephesians speaks about yes, there are some who have been granted certain grace to be teachers or those with revelatory or leadership gifts.  However it is not for them. And it is not for you to stick a straw in them and suck until both you and them are dry.  Any one who has such a thing upon their life is to make sure that they are working themselves out of a job.  It is for the growing up of all, the maturing of all, until there is oneness and wholeness into spiritual maturity.  I'm not making this up! It is written in Chapter 4.  No longer should it ever be acceptable for a "Moses" like character to go alone up the mountain and for the rest of the community to wait until they can be spoon fed pre-digested food. 




So I am telling you... skip the next conference!  Don't spend the $25 on the next book.  Don't buy the CDs, DVDs, or Webinar series.  NOT until you take the GUR out of guru and embrace yourself... sit with you!


Then whatever you go to and whatever you buy.. hopefully it will be a confirmation, a slight add on to that which you already know.  You don't need someone to do the work for you.. it will never work that way.  You need to do the secret growth on your own.  Those speakers.. the ones that are authentic anyway, very small group, SMALLER then you want to know.  Have lived lives in secret upon which their public lives stand..  There is so much crap in all our lives, just because one can stand in front of you with or without help from Holy Spirit doesn't say anything about their lives or spiritual practice.  Trust me......  Sadly, I know way too much.


But so don't think that that person has it all together and you don't. The thought that says if you only go to one more conference, get a word, get prayed for by so and so your life will be different... That isn't where the long term difference comes.... Learn a personal practice.  Find stillness. I can promise you something and it is guaranteed to work. 100%  If you can be still and cease striving, breathe, and sit with yourself, YOU will know God.. YOU will know Spirit... You will find rest for your souls....  There is nothing another can ever really give you until you give yourself the gift of you.


In upcoming posts, I will lay before the stepping stones I have walked upon.... Maybe something will speak to you...   But you won't need me or anyone else for that matter.... You will find yourself and then others come along that walk with you and that you walk with....

But first find the U..