ESCAPISM

Its often a perfect saturday night when i'm just sitting at home. The little guys are sleep, and i am left awake, with a little bit of idle time. Typically, i'd fall asleep with intentions of reading the bible, writing a poem, or delving into the deeper realms of self, in search of self. But not this evening. I'm awake(praise God)and in the mood to escape.

Not so long ago, my mode of escape would be to go out. it's an especially nice, warm, tropical evening in the city of new beginnings. What a perfect evening to be out...circumstances, both physically and spiritual have allowed me to seek refuge in a place of stillness. a place call home. destination me. Surprisingly, i like it. i really like it.

As i write the memo of early sunday morning, i have Bill Withers playing in the background. I am a true music lover and he is one of my favorites. He asked me if "we can pretend" that there is no yesterday. "Sure!", i replied. God makes no memory of our past mishaps, so why should I? "Paint a picture of tomorrow with no colors of today." For me, that means no grey skies. Just bright horizons. So I choose yellows, reds, and oranges...lively colors, arent they? Yes, my today is as bright as a comet awakening the nights sky. My present is that pinkish tone that comes as the sun sets into the infinite ocean. What an escape!

In such a bold color scheme, i have come to realize and accept that i am not so much the same girl i used to be. The art that is evolving on this canvas called life is a woman who is subtle and simple. Not so complex. Not needing much, but a slient night, fresh water to drink, and some good music.

I live in an escape that does not require looking back. I have broken loose from the chains of yesterday...YIPPEE! A life of more introspection than retrospection. Jubilation instead of contemplation. Spiritual intoxication over physical indulgence and alcoholic consumption. What an escape! Who would have known, who really cares?? All i do know is that i like where I am and I anticipate where I'm going to escape to next.

Thank you all for taking the time to listen to what some might call a rambling of thoughts. I pray at least one would see is as an open door to a personal escape.

Good night and happy travels,

SahshaJay

WHO ARE YOU?

Blessings to you all this fine morning.

I hope you all intend to let the rain that is falling wash away all thoughts of who you believe yourself to be!

Who are you?

This simple three word question was posed to the crowd of people at a Single's conference I attended last night. Nine profound letters that stuck in my mind throughout the evening...

How many of us are living a life based in the "psuedo" you? Most of us unsuspecting souls have been walking around wearing who we think we are as a badge of honor. Would you say you are a sum total of your experiences, a product of your environment, a perfectly divided half of Mother and Father or something much more?

The world is changing, and so should we. In order for the world to reach its full potential, the people in the world have to live their life with a clear understanding of themselves so our planet and future generations can assume THEIR proper position.

In Jeremaiah 1:5 God states that "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb..." with that being said, there is a divine calling for you...right here, right now! The universe needs you to "do you" in order for us all to live in harmony....Yes, my friends, we need each other to "BE"who we are, which ( i can almost guarantee) is a far greater thing than what we are in our present state.

Love will only be achieved in knowledge of self. Yes, true love stems from true authority. True authority comes from accepting self, not accepting your experiences as SELF.

Take the time to peel off the layers of who you think you are.Stop doing jobs others think your great at, and enter into the journey of self discovery. No one can do it for you, and no one else can substitute for the longing you have for "you".

The world at large needs each and every one of us! YOU are significant to the world. Realize self, realize your significance. All the money in the world cannot buy the peace and contentment that come with the overstanding and acceptance of You.

Thirty minutes ago in prayer I asked God this question. Less than one minute later, the spirit replied" I am the one who intends on breaking the chains of normalcy." Wow, i said, "that was quick!" When you knock, the doors are waiting to be opened.

I ask one favor of you all. Please take the time after you read this to ask with sincerity WHO YOU ARE. Once you get the answer, delve into taking of the layers of who you are NOT. It is then that we can all enjoy LIFE as it was intended to be.

CHOOSE LIFE!

Con Mucho Paz(with a lotta peace)

SahshaJay
Labels: a thought..

Happy Groundhog's Day!

"...I will also give you for a light to the nations, that My salvation may extend to the end of the earth." Isaiah 49:6

When a groundhog emerges from underground in the midst of winter's hibernation and sees its shadow, it burrows back under with fright, thus extending winter for another six weeks.

If a groundhog appears from below and sees no shadow(a cloudy day, the absence of bright sunlight), it will emerge, indicating winter will end early.

History shows that the vast majority of times a groundhog extends winter(96 times seeing a shadow, 14 times not, over a 120 year period of tracking the groundhogs' "predictions")...all because it's afraid of its own shadow! Crazy, right?? But all to familiar.

What does this mean, you say? What does it say about myself? I was born 31 years ago on Groundhog's day...

In order to see a shadow, you MUST have a radiant light shown upon you. I must admit, prior to 6 months ago, the bright light that reigned on me, or shall I say, in me, has been quite intimidating. I too, like the groundhog, have hidden from the potential greatness and responsibility my bright light brings.

How much longer will I continue to burrow underground to make myself and others feel comfortable? How much longer will I continue to dim my divine light and accept "six more weeks of winter"? Not only for myself, but for the entire Universe?

I know. Hibernation is a place of warmth and familiarity. Everything is where YOU put it. Growth is stagnant. But, hey...you already KNOW that! Vanessa Williams urged you, almost twenty years ago, in her song, "Comfort Zone" to get in that land of familiar and chill. "...Just turn the lights down low and ALL the rest you know..." Boy, did she say a mouthful. NO light zone!!

There is great things in me that will benefit humankind. It will not make manifest if I continue to bury myself where light cannot come to the surface. I will not continue to be afraid of the shadow...it is there whether I hide or not. I might as well live life to the highest and let it shine...for all to see and bear witness.

My revelaton has been deposited in my spirit for such a time as these. I challenge all my brothers and sisters of the human race with the life giving spirit in them to get up out of that familiar place and move into that place where the light continually shines! Emerge from the insanity of repetition! Best case scenario: Your life will be a light for yourself and the world beyond. Worse case scenario: NOTHING! And that is a scary thought.

Much Peace and Many Blessings,

SahshaJay

Build Vision-Exercise your Choice

I sat in awe of the fact that the company I work for does not observe the Martin Luther King
holiday. "WOW", I thought. "...am I living in Atlanta of Arizona?" (as you know, Arizona was the only state in the "union" that didnt observe the Martin Luther King holiday)

"we were concieved free, labored, and born into a world as 'slaves'. Slavery truly has no color. reclaim your freedom by exercising choice."

That was the daily deposit on my spirit.

I, we for that matter, would not be here, in the deep south, able to work, drive and live as we please if Martin Luther King didn't exercise his freedom to CHOOSE.

He was born into a world that called him unfavorable. Clearly if he and I were created by the same Divine force, the great, "I AM", that invisioned and spoke us into existence, we most certainly are favored. Yet, born into a world of have's and have not's, do's and don'ts(which some 'get away' with doing certain don't's...that, dear heart, is a whole other blog), we are to exist and pursue happiness. "HUH??" "How do we possibly do that, in a world of limits?" When you ask yourself that question is when the journey begins.

"GIVE ME FREEDOM OR GIVE ME DEATH"

CHOOSE to go deeper than what you see in front of you. What most of us are currently living is the sum total of what others have created in their minds eye.

CHOOSE to follow the spirit of love to a place of inner creativity that dwells in us all. That,my friend, is where freedom lives.

Hold on to that vision. It will make manifest, if you believe it to be so. CHOOSE to believe. Let's face it. We have NO ONE to blame for the current state of our existance(yes, me, too). We must challenge ourselves to elevate our thoughts beyond our current situation. We are not living life if we are not living what we dream.

Martin turned his life into a labor of love. Love, fearless love(thanks shelli), is what brought his dream(vision) into fruition.

I CHOOSE to honor his faith, fearlessness, and obedience to spirit by taking the day off(without "pay", of course. I will be volunteering the night before at the Dekalb County jail, preparing food for the MLK day celebration) My spirit beckons me to take a stand...in the name of freedom of CHOICE. I hold on to the vision that one day soon, ALL people will reclaim their freedom by creating the world in which they want to live in(for me, one in which we honor ALL our ancestors and the paths they have layed for us).

Thank you, Martin, for showing me freedom's light. Prayerfully, by allowing myself to take a stand for what holds true in me, I will allow another to find and follow the truth in them.

"Those who are led by the spirit of God are the sons and daughters of God." Romans 8:14

side note: we take time off to "honor" dead presidents. To our people, Martin Luther King, Jr, was the President! Let's give him honor.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MLK!

Peace and Love,

SahshaJay

"holla if you hear me, Yell if you don't!"

"Play another slow jam"..Where did the slow songs go?

"Play another slow jam, this time next week..."Yes, the slow song was something you looked forward to in the middle of sweating your inner water supply away, trying to outdance the next cat who was, at least in your eyes, trying to steal your shine. Ah yes, the slow song was your time to summons the lady or guy you were trying to impress with those "fresh" dance moves, or get close to the person you have been eyeing at school, or the previous weekends at the club. Eyes meet, followed by a coy smile. Typically he would softly ask, "Would you like to dance?" If he wasn't close enough, He would gesture with his eyes, that pointed in the direction of the dance floor, or even lip sync the question.

Once the connection was made, the chemistry, or lack there of begins. In any event, the slow dance was where you can get a sense of a person, decide if you all would exchange numbers, and at the very least, determine if the person had any rhythm!

As subtle as the communication in the previous scenario was painted, the slow dance or "break period" was key to getting to know one another at a social event. Often times hearing"Make it last forever" while whispering sweet honey somethings in ones' ear, was an indication of how you wanted the moment to go on..."forever". At the end of the dance, you eagerly anticipated the next musical soiree, either to dance with your Sir or Madame Charming again or to create a new"after the dance" memory.

"Where is the Love?"

Fast forward(real fast, real forward, light speed if you will) a decade and a half later...the fast dancing is still there, or shall I say the "two step", and the atmosphere is still electric(for those of you who like microwaves), but WHERE ARE THE SLOW SONGS? The innocent and discreet touches mixed with a little conversation that accompanied"Can you stand the rain?" and "Roni" have been replaced by the groping, fondling, and demands that come with "...girl you look good, wont you back that ass up!" and the promises of a "sensual seduction"...all before you know the guy or girls name!

Just as in all happy mediums in life, there is something callled balance. With the 100 degree temperatures of the Atlanta summer come the 35 degree winters of January. In between that , there is the Fall, or the "break period" in which you seek relief from the heat, enjoy the changing of seasons and brace yourself for the impending Winter.

The slow song served that same purpose...it was a welcome break. It didn't last long, but when it came, it allowed a period to get to know someone, run to the restroom to freshen up, or at bare minimum, hear the latest plea from Keith Sweat...all in preperation for when Mr. DJ says, "...all party people to the dance floor!"

Can one person be the spark to start the wildfire? YES! Can one ballad be the "Start of a Romance?" YES!...or at least a "New Edition" to a friendship circle. The next time your out at your favorite night spot, tell the DJ you want to hear "I can't help but wait" or "Falsetto". If you like it old school, request "Come and Talk to me" , "Honey Love" or "If this world were mine". Not only are you contributing to a "Slow Jam" revival, but you are creating an atmosphere for change...and change in this crazy world, is great!

"Holla if you hear me, yell if you don't!"

Peace and Truth,

SahshaJay