VerveEarth

It’s always nice to feel recognized so I was delighted to receive VerveEarth’s invitation for this blog to represent Boston on their world map of the Internet. The widget appears below.

One of the things that consistently amazes me is how people all over the world read this blog. A techno-savvy friend turned me on to StatCounterLocs, a site that tracks where in the world people are when they read this content. They’re from all over! In fewer than six months, people from six continents have read this blog.

Does anyone know someone in Antarctica who they could email and ask to sign on to Seeds for Sanctuary? That would make it seven continents.

Forty-nine of fifty states of the United States are represented. Does anyone know someone from Wyoming who they could email and ask to sign on? That would make it fifty states.

I know much is made these days of our global village, so I was shocked at myself to discover how little I know about world geography.

Anybody know how many countries Africa has?

I didn’t.

It’s 57.

People from five of those 57 read Seeds for Sanctuary.

Truth is, I want people from all 57 African nations reading Seeds.

According to Wikipedia, there are 192 countries in the world, and one non-country (Vatican City). There are Seeds for Sanctuary readers in 71 of those countries. I find it thrilling.

Yo, Rev!

Many years ago, whilst pastoring a tiny church in southeastern Washington, I was hired by a high school to teach a basic theatre class. The teacher had wound up in a painful divorce and needed time to take care of herself. It also paid my bills.

Dutifully, I showed up in the classroom every single day. I had only one unbreakable rule—we started every class with one minute of silence. Everyone had to participate, and if anyone broke the silence, we started over. One day it took us 42 minutes to get to one minute of silence.

Finally, one of the kids asked me why I insisted upon this.

I explained that I wanted them to use the time to put down whatever else had happened that day and come fresh into theatre class. Silence is one way to do that.

Well, to make a very long semester shorter, the kids somehow found out what I “really did,” and they brought that knowledge to theatre class. I got a new name, “Yo, Rev!” Once one of them started it, it stuck, and they all used it.

As I think back, that new name was the beginning of being able to reach those young people in a way I might never have had they not discovered my true profession. Somehow what it did was give them permission to ask me their real questions about life.

So the coolest thing happened just the other day. One of those long-ago students found me somewhere online and wrote me an email. She said she’d learned confidence in that class, and it had stood by her ever since.

“Yo, Rev!”

Togethering

Seeds X, 18

Seed: Togethering

Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi was interviewed by Joan Borysenko for a book on spiritual experience. She asked him, “How can genuine spiritual guidance be distinguished from one’s own self-will or ego?”

He answered, “If you can tell me how to tell the difference, I’ll become your disciple.” One thing he did suggest he called Togethering. Togethering is making reference to others, asking advice, listening deeply, waiting for guidance together.

My spiritual experience tells me that if two people consider an issue from a spiritual standpoint, they usually come up with the same solution. This is togethering. When I’m attached to the outcome of a particular situation, I need togethering. We all do.

When you know you’re attached to a particular outcome, let go and seek the advice of a spiritual friend. Similar guidance is usually direct from the Divine.

Be content,

Susan Corso

Dr. Susan Corso

Seeds are remarkable gifts. Sown in consciousness, they bring you to the most important part of your being—your Divine Spark.

When you have friends you would like added to the Seeds e-mail list, send their addresses to me at SeedsDrCorso@comcast.net and please visit my blog Ode Magazine.