Global meditation on gratitude

18 09 2009

Friends,

Today begins the third  wave of Go Gratitude stewarded by Stacey Robyn. I participated in the first and second waves. It consists of  short meditations that are emailed to you, one each day for 42 days. Wonderful things happen when people around the world, notified through the internet, meditate together about gratitude. Soon, we may reach the critical mass, and then what?!!!  For those who want to join the experiment, you may click on the following link. Afterwards, clicking your back button will bring you back to Rebekah’s Studio.

www.worldgratitude.com

Again, it starts today.

As a reporter by training, I learned to check my sources. Never report anything unless it is corroborated by two or three others. And that’s how I will share with you the events that impressed and convinced me about gratitude:

One day at my morning water exercise at Pohai Nani, our substitute trainer mentioned to the class, “Read messages in water.”  That was it. No context, except that we were in the water of a swimming pool, and no author given. A few days later, my son-in-law handed me a paperback, saying, “Have you read this?” You guessed it: The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto. It tells and shows that water carries messages, that it can be photographed in its crystalline state, and that the word gratitude in any language creates the most beautiful crystals.

About the same time came Stacey Robyn’s invitation to the first wave of Go Gratitude. In the first wave, she introduced the symbol for gratitude and pointed out the pattern that is so prevalent in nature. We have only to look around. I also noticed it was similar to the symbol I was taught to use for practicing Reiki.

For five years up until the spring of 2009, I was involved as a book designer and project manager to produce 20 bilingual toddler’s books in Hawaiian and English. They were created and published by Na Kamalei—K.E.E.P. to promote family interaction in the home through reading. The book series was a remarkable accomplishment by the community of Ko‘olauloa that wrote the stories.

While the “Stories Told By Us” project was remarkable in itself, the Na Kamalei—K.E.E.P. book that touched my heart the most was one for adults that came out of a workshop given by Hawaiian art educator extraordinaire Meleanna Aluli Meyer on “Creativity” in which she guided participants in drawing and writing.  She asked us to think about what we are grateful for.

As members of the group shared with each other what they had written, I immediately noticed the makings of another book. It’s entitled ‘Umeke Writings: An Anthology. I am so very proud of it. It’s about gratitude, and it contains short writings, art work, and photos entirely by 20 grateful Hawaiians. It’s like Chicken Soup for the Soul, Hawaiian style.

Umeke Writings: An Anthology

Umeke Writings

Mahalo to Kamehameha Publishing for providing the resources for Na Kamalei—K.E.E.P. to publish it. And mahalo e ke Akua! Meleanna said afterward, she gives these workshops frequently, but never before had she experienced such synergy. If you come for a Reiki session with me, Oe-Len, I will give you a copy of the book as long as my supply lasts.

Lastly, for today, I wish to share a couple-three more links, just to let you know from where I am coming. (I realize we are all on our own journeys. If you are reading this blog, then for a few moments you are on mine! For me, sometimes it is easier when someone else just tells me something than when I have to learn it on my own. Sometimes I don’t know what questions to ask.) You may pass on this if you wish, however . . .

In the middle of the night before last, something awoke me, and I and was led to my computer to check my spiritual CNN. I found these articles for September 2009 very enlightening.

The first two are “The Wonder of It All,” and the third is a message from Archangel Michael about the violet flame. Here are the links. Afterwards, clicking your back button will bring you back to Rebekah’s Studio.

http://www.awakening-healing.com/A-HNewsLetters/2009/Wonder_of_it_all_PDCR_9609.htm

http://www.awakening-healing.com/A-HNewsLetters/2009/Wonder_of_IT-All_2_PDCR_9609.htm

http://www.awakening-healing.com/A-HNewsLetters/2009/Message_Archangel_Michael_RH_909.htm

I shared my messages-in-the-night experience with some lightworkers with whom I’ve studied and learned, and this morning, waiting in my emailbox was this response from Beverly, a healer in Kona: “This is a very important message from Archangel Michael in regard to what is and has happened in our evolution through this 26,800+ year cycle. I hope you take the time to read it.”

Because I checked my sources, I am comfortable passing on the information to you. It’s time.

With love, light, and gratitude ~ Rebekah

Copyright 2009 Rebekah Luke

Rev. Rebekah Luke has a healing ministry and is ordained by the Universal Life Church. The only two tenets of the ULC are “Freedom of religion” and “Do the right thing.” For more information, click on REIKI HEALING BY OELEN on the menu bar.

Suggested reading:

The Hidden Messages in Water (Paperback) by Masaru Emoto, translated by David A. Thyme, 2004 (ISBN: 978-0-743289-80-1).

‘Umeke Writings: An Anthology, edited by Rebekah Luke and Meleanna Meyer, published by Na Kamalei—K.E.E.P., 2008  (ISBN: 978-1-935111-00-9).

The “spiritual CNN” I refer to is the “Light News” portion of this website:

http://www.awakening-healing.com/A-HNewsLetters/lightnews.htm

“Stories Told By Us” — For more information on 11 books of the Stories Told By Us series, go to http://www.booklineshawaii.com/InvListPage.aspx?Query=Stories%20Told%20By%20U





What is family, island style

13 09 2009

Today might be a good day to talk about my family, or shall I say families. I’ll at least start. I am an only child, and my bloodline ends with me. Sometimes people feel sorry for me because of that, until they discover, “Oh, you have Family!”

Today might be good day to talk about family because we’re having Sunday dinner with my hanai family at our house, and I’m cooking. It’s our turn, and it will be a coming out party for 4-month-old Ayla (see my post “Miss Marvelous discovers her toes”), who is the daughter of my step-daughter.

My hanai (adopted) family came into my life about the time I transitioned from high school to college, well, earlier when I met Margy the first day I was a 9th grader. We remained best friends through Punahou. During my parents’ divorce when I was 17, Margy’s  parents—a doctor and his wife with six children—welcomed me into their home where I roomed until I landed my first job at The Honolulu Advertiser as a general assignment reporter. With that job I earned enough money to pay for my own apartment on Lanihuli Drive and moved out.

Family dinner is usually at Mom’s house. This is typical everywhere, as long as the matriarch is living, isn’t it? After that, the family sort of breaks up and the next generation of matriarchs takes over.

We’ll see who shows up: My nephew might have a flag football game. I’m told he is one of the better players. His dad who followed his father’s footsteps and became a physician—stay with me, now—might be on call. My sister, who competes in dressage, is showing her horse for the first time in a two-day event this weekend and hopes she will have the energy afterward to drive out to Kaaawa from Waimanalo. And ditto about the energy for a brother and his family who have a lunch party to attend at Bellows beach.

Some of my hanai family in the summer of 2008 in Washington, D. C., the year our mom Ivalee received the Jefferson Award.

Mom, who doesn’t drive anymore, will be catching a ride with Becky. Becky and I were each others’ first roommates in the Lanihuli apartment, and she’s family too. In any case, I’m making food for 15. Everyone wants to see and meet the baby.

Today might be a good day to talk about family because on Reiki Friday I saw a client from glee club who read my post “Sweet memories and coming home, part 1” and asked if I was related to Uncle Harry and Aunty Edna.

It is a growing fashion these days where I live to address anyone older than you, if even by a couple of years, as Uncle and Aunty whether you are related by blood or not. I’m sure it is done out of respect, but some people use the names almost as if they are punctuation marks in a way that, in my opinion, dilutes the title. I tend to agree with an authority on Hawaiian naming at Kamehameha Schools who prefers not to be called Uncle unless he is your real uncle. That’s okay, you can call me Aunty, but I prefer Aunty Rebekah.

So when my client asked if I was related to Uncle Harry and Aunty Edna, I thought to myself, yes, that’s why they are Uncle and Aunty, but I understood why she asked. Then I saw her resemblance to Harry. It turns out that Harry and Edna were her uncle and aunty too, and we’re related!—by marriage.

“We used to drive to Wahiawa to get lychee every year,” she said.  As they say, small world. Through family ties that extend all the way back to Kohala and the Basel Mission in China’s Kwangtung province, she explained how she knew many of my first cousins on my mother’s side of the family. My mother was the youngest of 15 Chongs. But that is another story, a story told in The Chong Family History by J. H. Kim On Chong-Gossard.* I sent my client off with a copy. “You’ll enjoy this because you know all of the people in it,” I said.

We are One.

My maternal grandparents and 13 of their 15 children in Kohala. My mother, seated front row and center, ws the baby of the family.

These are my ancestors: my maternal grandparents and 13 of their 15 children in Kohala in 1920. My mother, seated front row and center, was three years old and the baby of the family. Edna is the tall, darker complected girl on the right in the back row.

Copyright 2009 Rebekah Luke

* The Chong Family History by J. H. Kim On Chong-Gossard (Kaaawa: Chong Hee Books, 1992, ISBN 0-9634186-0-2, soft cover, 172 pages) is a five-generation family biography, or Jia Pu, of Chong How Kong and Pan Siu Chin and their descendants. Copies sell for $35 and are available from the publisher Chong Hee Books, P. O. Box 574, Kaaawa, HI 96730.

For information on Reiki Friday, click REIKI HEALING BY OELEN in the menu bar.





Learning about energy healing

3 09 2009

Often I’ve heard or read writings from healers who say they chose their vocation after a personal transformational experience. An unexplained miracle of healing at the time caused them to wonder and ask questions, leading them to learn how it was done so that they could help others.

My story with Reiki is not so dramatic, but I thought I would share how it evolved.

It began with a weekly meditation group in Honolulu at the residence of a psychic who ran a healing center and taught lots of interesting things. She was a lightworker. After she moved to Colorado, I was on the lookout for another teacher. That new teacher is Alice Anne Parker, an author and also a professional psychic, who suggested two years in a row that I take her Reiki class. The third year I said yes, thinking, she’s asked so many times, maybe I should. I had heard her lecture to public groups and had gone to her other workshops, including one on time travel and two on understanding dreams. I’d read her books, and she could read me!

I had no idea what Reiki was. Are there any prerequisites? I asked. Not really, just come with an open mind and a willingness to learn, she said. I signed up.

The weekend intensive course was in the Unlimited Reiki System of natural healing, and I attained the Initiation and completed the Attunements for Levels I, II, and Master. After the training, I had knowledge of using Reiki to heal myself, to heal others, and to teach it to others. The knowledge to teach the Unlimited Reiki System to others is what is meant by the title “Reiki Master.”

Now, if this is already getting a little woo-woo for you, or you want to know what Reiki is before reading further, you may click on REIKI HEALING BY OELEN in the menu bar for some background. Then click on your Back Button to return to this page.

AliceAnne explained that previously and even currently in some schools of Reiki (there are many), learning Reiki well enough to practice on others required years of training and experience, and that the cost of the training was (and still can be) very expensive. The price of a Reiki treatment used to be (and still can be) hundreds of dollars. She further taught that now, especially in the times that we live in, Reiki is available to anyone and everyone. We all need healing every day, and Reiki should be accessible.

However, with just three days of training, I wasn’t entirely comfortable hanging out my shingle, but I was still interested. At first I practiced on myself, next on darling husband and puppy dog. Those two are good receivers! Then, for about two years I gave 20-minute demos at health fairs for free. As a practitioner, I don’t know what the client feels during a Reiki session, which is why I welcome clients to report back. I, myself, don’t feel anything during a session, only the same as I feel normally, because I am channeling the energy, the Universal Life Force Energy found in all living things.

98% of the feedback was positive. Each person experiences Reiki differently, I was told, and for a person, it can be different from session to session. These are the kinds of statements people made: “You really have good hands.” “I have never had an experience like that in my entire life.” “As you moved your hands I felt as though my blood was being cleansed from head to toe.” “I have a pin in my right foot, but I felt a sensation in my left foot.” “I had so much energy afterward, I went home and cleaned my whole house.” “Your hands are so warm, they feel really good.” “After the Reiki session the pain from my surgery went away and never came back.” I made the decision to keep going.

There are many alternative healing modalities, different types of “energy work” across all cultures that have been practiced since ancient times, rediscovered and renamed in modern times. The practitioner will select the modality that feels right to him/her, and it can be a combination of methods.

As Oe-Len (that’s my Reiki name), I give straight basic Reiki the way I was taught. My learning hasn’t stopped. Most recently my study of tai chi and qigong, as well as learning about and witnessing The Reconnection, have helped me to better understand the workings of the Universal Life Force Energy. I continually learn from my clients’ feedback, too. Everyone has the ability to heal, just as most people have the ability to make music or, say, run. Some just have a stronger ability, interest or aptitude and spend more time in fine tuning the art. ~ Rebekah

Oelen healing space

ANNOUNCING REIKI FRIDAYS.  Oelen’s new healing space in Kaaawa is open for Reiki sessions every Friday,  from  10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  For an appointment, directions, and rate information, please call 808 220-9642.

Copyright 2009 Rebekah Luke






Miss Marvelous discovers her toes

1 09 2009
In my garden for one night only, 12 night blooming cereus flowers like these

In my garden for one night only, 12 night blooming cereus flowers like these

I made two paintings with light today. One is of our granddaughter Ayla, and the other of night blooming cereus. Both were taken with my iPhone, hand held with existing light. The only adjustment I made was to the contrast on the cereus, as I shot it just a few moments ago, and it’s dark outside! The real artist, though, and I’m sure you’ll agree, is our Creator. Mahalo e ke Akua. ~ Rebekah

She's marvelous!

She's marvelous!

Copyright 2009 Rebekah Luke

To see my paintings in oil, click on PAINTINGS in the menu bar. RL





Milestones to celebrate

25 08 2009

I turned 60 this year and must say I like it up here! Today darling husband and I complete 25 years of marital success. We welcomed our first grandchild, a girl, in May. What fascination! My puppy dog whose job is to give everyone joy turned 6 and technically she’s not a puppy anymore, so it’s probably okay that she’s upstaged by the baby. The raised garden beds were put in at last and yielded wholesome food. The eggplant, Manoa lettuce, and bok choy did great. A section of our home was dedicated and transformed into a wonderful healing space. We had a proper Hawaiian blessing for the entire property, and I resumed my Reiki practice. Equally satisfying has been my return to painting. When I remember to be mindful of the present, keep my intentions correct, and relax, I am shown that life is abundant and all is well.

Thanks to Alice Brown, Pete & Ayla





Haiku rain blessings

23 08 2009
Nearly six a soft
rain falls, pitterpattering
outside my window
through which a cool cool
breeze that brought the shower blows.
The squall refreshes
my garden. The breeze gently
brings new energy.
Bossy cat Ula
spreads her body on my desk,
softens her meow.
Eternal feline
waits patiently for breakfast,
for her mistress, no,
maid, to finish her poem
while the butler and
the dog continue to snooze.
Such a blessing—rain.
Copyright 2009 Rebekah Luke