I've received another confirmation of my attitude toward organized religion. A friend whom I thought had reached a level of enlightenment, is deeply involved in a "church" I will call New Age, for want of a better title.

All my life I have seen evidence that organized religion divides people and sets them against each other (among other destructive products.) In so many cases, when a seeker begins to awaken and discover the reasons for his indwelling on this earth, he (spoken generically) is so taken with his "discovery" that his course of action is to 1) record his feelings and conclusions about it, 2) build a fence around it, 3) organize it, 4) limit access to it (by imposing all kinds of requirements and exclusions), 5) declare himself "enlightened," and 6) STOP seeking and learning. Even those who never intended to form a new "church" or organization-e.g. Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed--are trapped in this scenario, because other seekers read their written words and without authorization or affirmation, perform items 2-6 above in the name of their so-called Master. It is my sincere belief that none of us can ever learn everything there is to know in the Universe, and we should never stop seeking and learning. Everything should be challenged, especially anything that remotely smacks of organized religion.

I suppose if I presented this viewpoint to my friend he would reject it, because there is a certain sense of security in clinging to one's "enlightened" absolutes. As for me, I believe that everything is possible, in heaven and on earth, and I am prepared for the coming development and advancement of human potential.

Can I really be six weeks late with my posting? No excuse.

After all the trouble I've had with Trafford, now they've sold out to a company from Indiana. They decided to do a complete makeover of their website, and components have been missing for months. For example, I can't access the sales record for each of the three books. The website says they are "re-populating" my information, and it should be ready soon (first they said "mid-November" and now it's "as soon as possible.") VERY irritating. I don't like the webpages they built for each of my books. They are cryptic and not nearly as colorful as the old ones. The last order of books I received had sub-par photo quality, compared to previous shipments. Okay, I'm done complaining. I certainly hope they get their service straightened out soon. I'd like to order a few cases of books for next summer's book tour.

With Betty (Jim's mom) in the local nursing home, this house feels to big and too empty. We are trying to heat only the rooms we use regularly to save energy. A few years ago I made the statement that I would never spend another winter in Montana. And now here we are, and it's thirteen degrees below zero. "The best laid plans of mice and men." Because we don't want to get too far from her, we'll have to think of another way (other than going to Arizona) to get through till spring.

We had a quiet Thanksgiving compared to past years. Only two kids made it home: Marty and his family and Randy. Only one deer was harvested. I have a freezer full of leftovers. We'll be having a quiet Christmas at home, I think.

Speaking of Marty, there is concern in the family about his status as relates to the new troop surge for Afghanistan. He has not received notice of deployment, but he hasn't yet served a tour. We are thinking all kinds of positive thoughts to keep him home with his family.

I'm working on my essay. The trouble is, my research is leading me to an opening of mind and heart, and consequently a change in my preconceived notions. What a magnificent creature is man! And what a fantastic trove of information is out there for the seeker. If we could all realize our power and potential and link our abilities, we could change the ills of the Universe. We are not the broken, sinful misfits we are led to believe, by the Powers That Be and their cohorts. We are powerful, beautiful beings who choose our experiences and, through those choices, become co-creators with the universal intelligence. So far, from what I have learned, I have developed a few recommendations: Never stop questioning those in power, never assume that you have to allow others to make your decisions, and don't trust those who preach to you in absolutes. Challenge the accepted version of science, challenge organized religion, challenge politicians and challenge all others who have or wish to have power over your life.

I'm sorry to report that this blog was hacked, so I had to hide any comments, including those sent by my friends. The hacker was using my blog to further a hostile agenda. My friends may still comment and I can selectively receive those comments, but they won't be available for the world to see.