Tag: divine love

Life Is Love, Love Is Life

Posted on by Joe Merkle

Photo by Khadeeja Yasser on Unsplash

During a contemplation last week, I realized how fortunate I’ve been to have been surrounded by love my entire life. I took that for granted for most of my life, not realizing how special it was. During this contemplation, I had several revelations I would like to share.

When I met my wife, Nancy, for the first time, I fell instantly in love. At that moment, I realized that I had never been in love before. Real love transcends time, space, and logic. It simply is.

I felt complete. Little did I know at the time that love is never complete. It is constantly expanding. My first realization of this was when our first child was born. When you hold that special soul in your arms, you feel as if your heart could burst. That love continued to expand through the years as we experienced this with two more children. 

My point is this. Love is a never-ending journey. Whether we are here in the physical or elsewhere, even if we wanted to, we cannot escape it because everything in existence is sourced from God’s love.

Grief is a love trainer. It’s akin to starting a workout program where your trainer tells you to forget what you think you know and do this instead. Little by little, through the aches and pains, you start to become a new you. You become stronger, more flexible, and can take on new projects you’ve put off for too long. Your world becomes more effortless. You have more energy and a better outlook on life. Your light begins to shine again. 

Grief is your spiritual trainer. Not one you chose, but one nonetheless. And like a fitness trainer, it breaks you down before it can build you up. And grief is a trainer you can’t fire. You’re stuck with the task master. You can try to fight it or run from it. None of this will work. If you want to gain all the gifts grief has in store for you, simply immerse yourself in it. Go with the flow. Allow it to ravage you. This is the greatest of grief’s gifts. 

It cleanses the soul in preparation for the new life you are about to be born into. A life filled with new adventures and endless possibilities. A life that has been handed to you with blessings from God. The only question that remains is, what will you do with it? It’s entirely in your hands. Make it a miraculous one.

You Are The Music

Posted on by Joe Merkle

I’ve played

My life has been an orchestra of love
Those I’ve loved are the notes I have played
I sincerely don’t know what I’ve done
To deserve the chance to conduct this heavenly serenade

I‘ve conducted a wonderful symphony of souls
All the sharps and flats creating a gravitational mass
An inimitable universal love that unfolds
A treasure chest of love that I’ve amassed

Sing to me my choir of shining stars
That I may sail away upon your wings
Let’s erect our personal spiritual alcazar
A palace to share our heartstrings

Let me sail away upon your perfect harmony
Scaling notes beyond human comprehension
As all our love melds with eternity
While we entertain each spiritual dimension

The Greatest Lessons In Life Are Gifts From Our Greatest Challenges

Posted on by Joe Merkle

Think of all the experiences in your life that led you to this moment. The joys, the heartaches, the friendships, and the losses. Each one of them is a part of what makes you who you are today. But more importantly, who you will become tomorrow. Did you stop learning to ride a bike when you fell for the first time? Did you quit trying to do better in school, at a job, or in relationships when times were hard? How about your first dive off a high diving board? It’s all scary stuff, but you pushed through it all and learned so much about yourself in the process. You learned you were a survivor.

You see, that is why we are here. To learn the hard lessons. Earth is a cruel planet, and human history continues to prove this every day. It is the place where we, as souls, learn we can rise above anything. God provided one tool for us to succeed at this. Love. Not just the messy human love that is truly wonderful, but divine love. A love that has no attachments. A love that recognizes everything in existence is divine love.

EVERYTHING. NO EXCEPTIONS.

To have any success in human life requires the ability to face our challenges head-on. To recognize that they are not the end of our world. They are the stepping stones to a more fulfilling life. Each challenge we face provides us with an opportunity to discover the real reason we chose to incarnate on this most difficult planet. To become a Co-Worker with God. To be a channel for divine love. To fill our hearts with gratitude for even the most difficult challenges we face here.

When we face up to and conquer these challenges, the gifts we receive are limitless. For then, we can tap into divine love at any or every moment in our day. We have become an open channel for It. Those close to us see the change in us. They can’t quite find the reason why they always feel better when they are in our presence. All of life responds to this flow of Divine Love, from the smallest particle to universes.

ALL LIFE IS DIVINE LOVE. NO EXCEPTIONS.

God is love. God created everything. Hence, everything is love. When we become aware of this at our deepest core, life becomes simpler, richer, and more meaningful. All of life that surrounds us responds in kind.

Each Beat Of Your Heart

Posted on by Joe Merkle

Is my life’s elixir

Each beat of your heart
is my life’s elixir
and your kisses impart
an unintended strip search

Your laugh lights the way
then you dance the pony
a reinvented sexual foreplay
so innocent and carefree

You’re a treasure with no measure
my pièce de résistance
an irresistible treasure
you are my soul assistant

The man I am did not exist
you rescued me from certain doom
with just a hug and then a kiss
you stripped away my grieving costume

I wonder at the innocence you display
how wonderful it must feel to know
that life is just child’s play
while you emanate a golden glow

Let it go, Joe, you encourage me to see
that life is love and nothing more
that there are no guarantees
then you whisper come to me, my matador

I fall deeper into your eyes
swimming in those blue lagoons
all my demons exorcised
each day becomes a new honeymoon

We sail in the cosmic seas
as we escape our earthly bonds
no longer concerned with analyses
masters of our magical wands

The Human Experience

Posted on by Joe Merkle

Is Just Scratching The Surface

Image by Freepik

89.9% of humans cry at birth. Noncrying after birth had 100% sensitivity for nonbreathing infants after birth. Taking this into account it is highly prevalent for humans to cry at birth when we survive it. 

WHY?

Because the physical is extraordinarily harsh compared to any of the higher planes. What simile could I use to express this? I’ll let you determine this. Think of the happiest, most joyful event in your life. Relish in it. Now do the same for the worst moment in your life. And that is nothing compared to what we experience at birth.

Now there is an important reason for this. The physical plane is where we as souls choose to visit. Why would we do this? There are multiple reasons for this decision. The prime reason is so we can burn off karma quickly, allowing us to attain higher states of consciousness more rapidly. Did you catch that? We made this choice. 

Why would we be that stupid? 

Because as souls we know this is just an illusion. This life is no different than a child playing with a doll. It doesn’t matter in the least what this physical body does or doesn’t accomplish beyond learning to become a vehicle for divine love. That is why humans struggle throughout their lifetimes. They have forgotten they are souls. A soul brighter than ten thousand suns. A coworker with God.

What happens when we become a vehicle for divine love?

The world becomes a better place. Not that anything changed. You changed. You see love all around you. And everything from the tiniest molecule to the tallest mountain feeds off this divine energy you share without even being aware of it. People smile more when they are with you. They become aware something is happening to them, but they can’t quite explain it. Without their knowledge, they become vehicles for this divine love. They may smile more. Be more loving. Enjoy the simple treasures life on earth has to offer. 

They spread love

Be that person

The rewards are indescribable

Dear Nancy

Posted on by Joe Merkle

My love

Image by author

A letter to my wife.

Dear Nancy,

As you well know, I was just 21 when we met. I had no clue what love was. Like everyone else at that age, I thought I did. Upon reflection, nothing could be further from the truth.

If someone at that time told me that I was going to meet this spectacularly beautiful woman who would fall madly in love with me, I would have asked them if they were tripping. I wasn’t looking for love. I was content and married to music then. Way back when my fingers still worked. Of course, you know that.

You were all my wishes come true. Though I didn’t it know then. From the moment we met, I knew I loved you. I know, it wasn’t rational. What’s rational about love?

I am still amazed at how easy love was for you. You gave it freely with no conditions attached. To everyone. But I will be eternally grateful you chose me to share eternity with. Particularly this life, as I am still left to deal with this one for a little while longer.

I have to say that you were one crazy chick when we met. It’s no wonder why I was so attracted to you. Besides your smoking hot body. We became good friends. How many times did we walk down the hall to one another’s apartment to get high and have a beer or six? I think that’s when you fell for my witty charm and good looks. Or began to feel sorry for me. Either way, it worked.

It wasn’t long after that I had the most significant moment in my life. The moment that would shape my future in the most amazing and unimaginable ways. We kissed. Both of us were not sure as you were still in a relationship, though it was failing. That moment in time will be forever imprinted in my brain. But, more importantly, it was the spark that reminded us, souls, that we are forever joined in love.

Every day was special from that moment. Through the good times and bad times. Through all the laughter and tears. Through the births of our children and the deaths of our parents. We had to learn what all parents learn. How to let go. How to watch them leave the nest and spread their wings. Because of you, it was easier than I expected. You just took it in stride, knowing the foundation we created prepared them as best we could.

I am sitting here trying to share with you everything you mean to me. I can’t. Words just fail miserably. All the times you were there for me. For the kids. Hell, for everyone. I only wish I could walk out of the office and hug you from behind like I’ve done a million times while you are preparing something in the kitchen. To kiss your neck until you can’t help but turn to me and say “Stop it. I won’t get dinner done,” as you come in for a kiss with a smile lighting the way.

You should know that many of our friends have been showing me kindness since you moved on. That should come as no surprise as they loved you dearly. As I am sure you are aware our children are coping with your departure in their way. I think it would help our daughter Kelly immensely if you visited her occasionally in her dreams to let her know everything is fine. She is still struggling and occasionally needs a mom hug.

I need to tell you this. You were an amazing mother. And wife. And lover. And friend. And daughter. And sister. You are no longer those things. You are soul. As we all are. And my love for you knows no bounds. It is endless. As is yours. Though you are not here to hold me in your arms your love enfolds me every minute of my life. For this my gratitude is boundless. I thank you for sharing with me such wondrous love. See you soon. Visit anytime.

PS. Take care of our little boy Chewy. I’m sure he is ecstatic about having his favorite lap back in his life.

© 2022 Joe Merkle All rights reserved

Originally published on Medium.com

Dragonfly

Posted on by Joe Merkle

what answers unfold in your haphazard flight

if you could speak to me what mysteries might

you solve, how many perches must we alight

to splash in the Sound and the Light

fickle though your flight seems

it’s an inquiry of sorts, it learns to be

a means to seek a simpler path

a way home, home at last

here you dodge and here you dart

like an arrow shot from Cupid’s bow

meant to pierce each wayward heart

a weathervane to let us know

that love is haphazard at best

that the spirit within us never rests

that we must trust in this adventurous flight

to take us home to the Sound and Light

Inhale

Posted on by Joe Merkle
Photo by hrv.co.net

Inhale, Slowly, Deeply

Feel Your Chest Expand

Exhale, Mouth Wide

Upon Life’s Windowpane

Create New, A Canvas

Born From Within

Touch, Fingertip, Moist

Cold Upon The Glass

Begin, Search, For Colors

Of Your Soul’s Palette

Paint Life, Love, Encompass All

Reach, Expand, Your Consciousness

A Human Life In Perspective

Posted on by Joe Merkle
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 5ef8de4f374c91b032fcaf4b8c1f05e6-1024x530.jpg
Photo by StockNation

There are 700,000,000,000,000,000,000 planets in the universe. That’s 700 quintillions. The universe is 13.8 billion years old. The average lifespan of a human is 79 years. To put a lifetime into perspective that is 0.0000005724637681% of the age of the universe.

So, in reality, a human lifetime fails to register as even an insignificant speck of time. A beat of a hummingbird’s wings is universally speaking much longer than a lifetime. It doesn’t matter if you are an illiterate person or a historically famous one. Your life is simply an illusion, a moment in time, which is also a creation of the human mind.

In their conceit humans generally think their lives are significant. No matter what you think, you are still a speck, proofing that yours or anyone’s opinions or achievements simply don’t matter. The only way to escape from these illusions is when you expand your consciousness beyond the limits your physical senses place on you.

And really? Do you really believe that with 700 quintillion planets in the universe we are the only intelligent (jury is still out on that) species? Or that the God you choose to pray to or believe in has a special place for just humans? Talk about arguing for your limitations.

Keeping this mind, the wise thing to do as a human would be to explore beyond your earthly bonds. To look for answers that can’t be explained in a book. To expand your consciousness beyond the physical world. In other words, to put your existence into perspective beyond your senses.

As humans, we become aware of only one thing that doesn’t perish, love. When a loved one dies our love for them lives on. Yet, you can’t see love, or touch, taste, or feel love. But what we most often do is wrongly classify love as an emotion, therefore limiting something that has no limits or boundaries. We attach emotions that throttle all the possibilities that love presents to us.

Divine love is the thread that binds all of creation at every level of existence. To try to put it in words is impossible. As your awareness expands it continues to trickle into your consciousness subtlety at first, providing hints as to what awaits. You begin to slowly let go of attachments and beliefs once held as truth. Things that were once important are exposed as tethers holding you back from self-realization.

Not unlike a six-year-old that has mastered simple addition. He is rewarded with praise from his teachers and parents. He becomes important in his own eyes. If that same six-year-old chooses to become a quantum physicist he will have to unlearn those early lessons that will now become an illusion to him.

The realization begins to envelop your consciousness that what matters most is helping those get ready to start a most spectacular journey of discovery. This can take many forms, most of which are subtle suggestions to sow the seed of greater awareness. Everything else becomes the means to succeed in this endeavor. The only reward is the submersion in divine love. Nothing could be greater.

WARNING, this is often a bumpy ride.

Imagine If You Would

Posted on by Joe Merkle

Imagine if you would…that you are an artist. Yes, a brilliant artist capable of creating masterpieces that would inspire all future generations. The next Divinci. Or perhaps a musician that can compose an opera equal to Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”. Or that your oration skills would even surpass Cicero’s. Imagine if you could pen a poem the equal of Emily Dickinson…” Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tunes without the words, and never stops at all”.

What makes the artist, musician, speaker, or writer capable of greatness? Do they possess unique skills that the average person is incapable of? Do they have privileged knowledge most of us do not have access to? Or can it be simply that they are in tune to an intuitive nature within themselves that most are not aware of?

To quote Richard Bach ~ “ Argue for your limitations and sure enough they are yours”. How many times do you find yourself telling yourself “I can’t do that”. Or I could never be…fill in the blank. I am sure most of you have seen the Paralympic Games and how inspiring it is to see the disabled refusing to wallow in self pity and instead choose to pursue great achievements despite their handicaps.

Throughout our lifetimes we “receive” hints, suggestions, guidance from our inner self. Only those attuned to those “feelings” will listen. Most pass them off within seconds and chalk it up to silliness. Those fortunate enough to realize their good fortune allow themselves moments of grace and humility in the presence of something greater than flesh and bones. And just what is that exactly? It is you, and me. It is simply our spiritual essence attempting to guide and enlighten us. The vast majority of those reading this will think it is folly. For those who have nurtured this relationship you know of what I speak.

Does anyone who believes in God in any form perpetrated by religions throughout the millennia think that the Almighty would just willy-nilly slap together universes of who knows how many species of beings and just wash his hands and say…”good luck you all.” My religious friends of many faiths will say he gave us a few prophets that came to guide us. Did they? Or were they simply further along the path of enlightenment and chose to share their wisdom.

Or do you seriously think that this is the only plane of existence for a soul to maneuver through? Yes, we are made in the likeness of God. It is not the other way around though humans since the beginning of our time on earth have given God human qualities. How silly. We as souls are in his likeness, not our temporary shells used like lessons in book until we learn what we need to and move on to the next chapter.

Imagine if you would that within you is the ability to experience infinite love. Not some cheap selfish human version of love, but divine love that has no attachments and knows no boundaries. Imagine what you could accomplish when infinite wisdom is at your disposal.  Everything positive that has occurred in your life has been a result of love and/or wisdom gained. It is up to each of us to explore the endless possibilities we have been provided. Imagine if you would you are a great explorer.