talking with (god) retreat

I have two questions for you. Both are very important.

The first question is, are you ready for a life changing experience and the second is, would you like to discover answers to your biggest questions in life?

These are not idle questions. They are fundamental and potentially life altering, depending on how you answer them.

I am offering a retreat, the details of which appear later in the post, but for right now I want to share a few important things with you.

I have been having my own direct, intimate, personal conversations with spirit, divine, creator, or whatever name I choose for (god) at the time. After reading Neale Donald Walsch’s book, Conversations With God, I thought to myself, if he can talk with god and receive answers, so can I.

So, for the last 27 years I’ve been having my own talks with (god) and have received incredibly profound answers to my most challenging questions. During all that time, I’ve never experienced even one harsh word from god. The voice I hear is filled with love and compassion and as long as I quiet the noise inside my head, I hear answers to everything I ask. I need to point out, they are often not the answers I expected, but are always the answers I need.

If this sounds too fantastic to you and you want to stop reading, I’ll understand.

But if you’d like a deeper connection with god (or whatever name you use), please keep reading.

I am comfortable promising, that if you attend, you will be guided toward some insights you seek and feel a profound sense of love, as you work through the issues that challenge or possibly confuse you. This retreat will offer you opportunities to share your experiences with others, at your comfort level, and in a beautiful loving sacred space. Each attendee will have the freedom to explore their journey through journaling, conversations, meditation, music, art, walking and relaxation.

If this sounds appealing to you, I invite you to join us. The talking with god retreat will be held from Friday, December 13, 2024 (6:30pm registration) through Sunday, December 15, 2024 (closing at 11:30am) and will be held at the Dominican Retreat Center at 1945 Union Street, Niskayuna, New York 12309.

The cost is $295, which includes two-nights’ accommodations, four nourishing meals and a gift copy of my book, talking with (god) to the first thirty participants to register.

To register, please contact me (Rob H Geyer) at rhgeyer@gmail.com or call my cell phone (518) 469-8676.

I believe this is one retreat you will not want to miss.

What If Today…

I want to share something that I wrote for a dear friend of mine recently. It was intended to provide a spark to ignite a different way of viewing life. It was something that I needed. As with all of my posts, the thoughts and words arrive for me and then moved outward into the world.

The post is a dream in a way. Of a richer life. And of course, as it is in all cases, it depends on what we choose. I wonder to myself what will I choose, I wonder too, what will you choose?

What if today…

What if today…I choose to believe…to truly accept and embrace…that every single thing that happens to me is here to benefit me. What if I choose to see beyond appearances and all of the things that blind me. What if I give myself permission to believe that I am loved and cared for and know that everything I experience in my life is there to offer me something of value. That no matter what the world tells me, I can choose my own path. What if I embrace that my heart and spirit are the ones that set me free.

What if today I release any need to control the uncontrollable. What if I spruce up my ability to yield and let go of all the things that weigh me down…to set them aside and feel the precious liberation and the expansive freedom that choice creates.

What if today I collect all the most lovable parts of me and hug them and ask them to spread their joy throughout my body…my life.

What if today I allow every sorrow, pain, challenge, and concern to take the day off…to rest…what if I placed them all gently in the ocean of bliss that is my true home, where they can be washed clean.

What if, for one day, I give up needing to be in charge of anything and allow life to flow gently through me.

What if today…I breathe in peace and breathe out love.

What if today…is that day.

What If god Is Bigger Than We Think

I grew up Protestant, first Presbyterian, then Dutch Reformed. In college I majored in Religion and was set to go to seminary and afterwards into the ministry. That is until my whole world broadened and exploded in college.

I discovered the enlightening fundamentals of Buddhism, the inner strength of yoga, experienced the raw, untamed beauty of nature, explored the psychic world, and embraced the essence of love. Overwhelmed with these experiences, the constraints of specific religious dogmas felt too limiting to me. More than that, it felt far too small to be applied to the world at large.

During my life I’d been taught that ministers, priests, and rabbis and all the other religious teachers were somehow closer to god. They’d studied and learned things ‘regular people’ hadn’t and were experts who could help us make sense of what god wanted.

For the most part they appeared to care for their congregations and did their best to help interpret religion so that it could assist others with living their lives.

The difficulty is that ministers, priests, rabbis, and other religious leaders are also human. Despite their best intentions, they fall, just like the rest of us. Sometimes, they fall harder, buried under the weight of needing to be shining examples and god’s emissaries.

Since we’re taught to defer to their religious wisdom we often don’t grow on our own and we’re tempted to take the easy way out and let them stand between ourselves and god.

For me, I couldn’t do this. I still can’t do it.

I’ve always felt that, as a part of god’s creation, I have a bigger part to play in the grand scheme and I always wanted my own direct, personal relationship with god, not one where anyone else was filtering the flow of divine information.

Growing up I was trained to accept what others told me, but what I wanted to know was, how did they know what to teach me?

The instructions I received sounded very limiting, as if god could only behave in prescribed ways and that our relationship was based on master/servant rules. If I did not act in certain ways, god would be unhappy and would punish me.

I was taught that, by myself, I would never be good enough, after all I was born a ‘sinner’. No matter how good I was, I would always fall short of what god expected of me.

The underlying message was that god was to be feared and the ultimate threat of going to hell hung in the balance.

It took many years for me to see the real truth that god is all about love. It was not until I began having my own intimate, direct conversations with god that I began to understand the importance of our relationship.

Rather than feeling confined to the previously understood set of rules I’d been taught, god shared with me that god loves me no matter what and always will.

God then reminded me what ‘free will’ means. God told me I was open to explore and move in any direction I chose, without any risk of separation. Of course, some of my choices might lead to frustration, suffering or pain, and yet in every situation there would be teachings for me to learn from, to spur my spiritual growth and help me become the person I want to be in this world.

Because god and I have had thousands of conversations, I’ve come to realize that god is far bigger than I was taught and far bigger that I could ever have imagined.

I ask that you not accept anything I have to say at face value, because for you to know your truth, it’s important for you to explore your own divine relationship. It’s only then that it becomes a part of you.

NOTE:

If you need some help establishing your own personal, intimate connection to god, I’ve written a book, talking with (god), that shares a way that has worked for me, and it may also work for you. talking with god is available on Amazon (books) in both print and eBook versions.

Standing In Your Own Truth

Have you ever wondered how you can stand in your own truth and speak from your heart what feels real and genuine to you?

Each of us is surrounded by a culture that influences us every moment of our lives. Our own thoughts and beliefs can be easily overshadowed and when we do use our voice others may not hear us or accept us.  It can be even more challenging because cultures need for conformity may be too binding and restrict our freedom of expression.

I’ve felt the weight of this many times in my life, and I wondered what Lia, a feminine, ethereal voice of god that speaks with me, would say about this. So, I asked, “How can I come to stand in my own truth.”

She answered, “By consciously releasing yourself (your self) from whatever power holds you back, recognizing it was placed there by others (for their purposes). They only have power over you if you accept it and allow it. You are free to choose and do not have to give your power away to them.”

I responded, “So, I don’t have to accept what others have told me nor what they will tell me in the future?” I needed more reassurance.

Lia paused, then said, “No, not now and not ever. You came here to earth with an inner knowing that guides you to your truth. Whether you believe this and trust it is another thing.”

Continuing, she added, “All throughout your life you will be challenged to decide what and who to believe. You will need to consider what you know inside you to be the truth and then decide to follow this or accept what the world teaches you and expects you to believe. Part of your difficulty is that you are in ‘relationship’ with others, and this makes it challenging to stand in your own truth, because they want you to stand in theirs.”

I recognize my own temptation to concede, to take the easy way and comply with the world around me, except that when I do, a part of me feels shaken, unhappy, and angry, as if I’ve let myself down.

She heard me and responded, “Yes, that’s because a part of you always wants to stand in your own truth and your own light. Whenever you accept anything that does not feel true to you, a conflict arises. You know something is wrong and this generates these feelings you have …and more.”

I asked, “And the sole remedy for this is to stand in my own truth and light?” She nodded yes and I asked, “Given how deeply trained I am by my culture and how strong the demands and expectations are upon me, how do I do this?”

“By letting go of all resistance to anything. You may believe that if you recognize how culture is demanding something from you that you do not want to give, that fighting and resisting it will work to free you. It won’t because it is true what you’ve heard, ‘that which you resist, persists’. It’s like you have a ball and chain around your ankle. You think you are free, but it follows you everywhere.”

I was confused and asked, “Aren’t they the same thing said two different ways?”

She explained so that I could understand, “No, resist mothing means you do not fight against things (ideas, expectations, requirements). It means you see what is there, but don’t pick it up and hold it inside of you. You do not make it a part of you.”

Going on, Lia added, “Release means letting go of what is already within you which does not feel like your truth. All the ideas that a part of you knows do not agree with your truth. It means you see them and know they do not serve you, so you allow them to fall away from you.”

I responded, “So, resist nothing means recognizing what others outside of me believe, but not making it a part of me, unless it feels like a part of my truth. And releasing means seeing what is inside of me that no longer feels like my truth and letting it go.”

I could sense Lia smiling and hear her say, “Yes, it is a divine process. A cleansing and washing clean and what remains is YOUR truth. This is where you speak from. This is the light that shines within and through you into the world.”

I am so grateful for her presence in my life and her encouragement to stand in my own truth and light.

Spots

If you thought about it for a moment, how many references come to your mind for the word, ‘spot’?

If you’ve been reading my posts for a while now, you’ll remember that my mind doesn’t always travel in a straight line. Often, I see new routes and explore different directions.

So, when I landed on the word ‘spot’, many things came to mind, and I thought I’d share some of them with you, ending with one that may alter your life.

Looking down at the carpet on our floor, I noticed several spots. I wondered how they all got there, and something occurred to me. Two different ways of thinking, objective and subjective.

Objectively, it’s most likely that someone (and it could have been me), spilled something on the carpet and obviously, something that couldn’t be cleaned, otherwise, I wouldn’t still see it.

Subjectively, the cause could have been carelessness on someone’s part (animals included), or it could have been a simple accident, and no one’s fault. This led me to wonder what the difference between the two is.

Perhaps in the first case, the one responsible doesn’t care and in the second case, the one responsible may care a great deal. I wondered how I determine which one it is? Do I judge solely by their reaction to the spot? And how does my judgement impact how I feel about the spot and the one responsible for putting it there (me included)?

Another reference to ‘spot’ is the saying, “x marks the spot”. In some cases, this means that there is an ‘x’, perhaps on a map, which exists to indicate something significant is located there. Maybe the ‘spot’ is the source of buried treasure or marks the place to dig, so that a project can be accomplished. The spot is important, not in and of itself, but because it serves as a guide.

I wonder, are there ‘spots’ in our lives which would help guide us, if we knew they were there? Is it a case where they are already there, but we don’t recognize them? If so, what would we need to do, so that we would take note of them?

After a bit of consideration, it seems to me that everything in our lives is actually a ‘spot’. If we pay attention, everything is here to guide us, especially our intuitions.

A scary ‘spot’ is the one found on an x-ray. Once located, it usually creates immediate anxiety. It’s almost impossible to calmly sit back and wait for the results. Our minds are inclined to fill in the absent results with worst-case scenarios. Although it might be nothing but a shadow, we’re strongly tempted to believe the ‘spot’ will be life threatening.

This kind of ‘spot’ generates panic and fear and for good reason, especially under certain conditions.

So, what else can do we do about this kind of ‘spot’? Are there objective and subjective ways to approach it or do they blur together, making our path forward difficult?

Can we see this ‘spot’ as some sort of guide? And if so, how can it give us direction?

This feels to me like one of those decisions where, to use another expression, “the rubber meets the road”, meaning the point at which things become the most important.

This is everyone’s own personal decision point. And we each arrive at this ‘spot’, sooner or later.

If you have a guide who aids you, this would be the time to connect with your guide.

But, if you have arrived here, and have done so many times in your life and haven’t found a source, a guide who offers you wisdom and comfort, perhaps you’d like to consider this invitation. It is an invitation to form your own connection directly with the divine.

The process is simple. Sit back, close your eyes, breathe in and out gently and allow your body to settle. Relax into yourself. If you hear or see any objections or obstacles, acknowledge that they exist and promise to talk with them later, then release them, let them go. Allow yourself to feel a sense of freedom. Give yourself a chance to create some space inside you, as an opening to the divine, by whatever name feels comfortable to you. Imagine whatever ‘spot’ is creating a challenge for you and ask for help, then sit in stillness and listen. It may be a quiet voice at first, but over time, it will become a great source of strength, comfort, and wisdom. It will become a sure guide.

Precious Hearts

I’d like to share something personal to me. That sounds kind of funny to me since these posts are all personal to me.

What I mean is that I recently wrote a poem as a way of ‘feeling my feelings’, which is a profoundly personal experience. In my earlier life I would not permit myself to go very deeply into this adventure, but I now see the wisdom of it.

Here is the poem that came through me.

precious hearts

i want to know

what is love

made of

i wonder

who can tell me

can you

is it possible

that it can be said

with words

or

is it only possible to be felt

with the heart

i wonder

who do I have to be

to understand

how one comes

to feel loved

we are not always

kind to each other

we bend

in the wrong places

and snap

and sometimes

our dreams shatter

into broken pieces

and our hopes

fall by the wayside

left strewn

on deserted roads

when these things happen

how are we to know

we are loved

i want to tell you

what I have found

i have found one

who answers

my questions

a divine one

a collector

of redemptions

a reassembler

of scattered things

one who makes them

whole

a channel

who restores vision

and polishes the mirrors

we use

to see ourselves

a truth teller

who hears

all that we have not

given voice to

i have found

a divine one who listens

to our stories

but

does not believe them

for the divine one knows

they are just

stories

perhaps

the truth is

the divine one

found me

and felt my wounded

heart

and

sang a new song

into me

i believe

the divine one

can do the same

for you

if

you open your precious heart

and

ask to be filled

with love

I hope you find something of value in this and that if you are suffering in any way, that you open your precious heart, so the divine one can sing a new song into you.