Favourite movies watched (2002)

•  The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers  (2002)
• Minority Report (2002)
• The Bourne Identity (2002)
• Road to Perdition (2002)
• Chicago (2002)
• Gangs of New York (2002)
• Catch Me If You Can (2002)
• About A Boy (2002)
• The Godfather 3 (1990)
• The GodFather (1972)
• The Godfather 2 (1974)
• Donnie Darko (2001)
• Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back  (1980)
• Star Wars:  Episode IV – A New Hope  (1977)
• Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)

Nepal

5 weeks exploring Kathmandu, Pokhara, The Annapurna Circuit and Chitwan National Park

The Annapurna Circuit

View in Google Earth

Summary of my time in Nepal

• Fly into Kathmandu – watch “Knight’s Tale” on the plane
• Pressure to hire a guide and a porter for the trek, but I decide to go it alone. I want to do it at my own pace and in my own way – and meet fellow travellors
• Walk around backpacker part of the city – amazing array of backpackers and restaurants
• My hotel is a little way off the beaten track and I get a little lost finding my way back, but nothing serious
• Early next morning, leave on a bus for Pokhara
• Meet Mariam, a friendly Dutch girl, at the bus stop and we soon become friends. She’s on a five week sabbatical from her job.
• Long bus journey, up hair rasing mountain roads at considerable speed, lots of tooting and passing. Scary and exhilerating. Stop off at some scenic restaurants on the way for quick breaks
• Pokhara is beautiful, set on a large lake with snow capped mountain set in background. We go rowing on the lake and visit an Island temple. Try my first proper local meal – a bottomless helping of Dahl Bhat (Lentils with a pour on sauce.)
• Mariam and I decide to brave the mountains on our own, and hopefully meet up with some fellow hikers.
• Spend next day exploring Pokhara and getting hiking permits. Hire a bicycle and cycle around. Go for a bit of a walk in the country, along the river, to get a feel for what’s to come. I push out my return flight – to just before Xmas
• Leave on a bus early next day for the start of the Annapurna Circuit. Another arduous bus journey. Bus packed with local and some tourists. Lots of security checks along the way. Towards the end of the trip, we join the locals up on the roof the bus. Lots of fun, using our backpacks as cushions. Bus gets a bit top heavy on some of the winding down bits at the end, and we have to walk parts
• Bus drops us off at a village – a small group of trekkers with a heap of backpacks on the road
• Nick and Izzy are instantly friendly – and a SAFFA chap too. Mariam and I join them for the start of the hike
• Starts off with relatively relaxed walk into mountains, and we discover it’s pretty hard to get lost. Maps are pretty clear and there are fellow hikers to follow
• Main decision each day is how far to walk and where to overnight. Lots of villages with little tea houses along the way
• Annapurna Circuit is a 16 – 20 day hike (depending on your pace). First half is a climb up into the mountains, eventually crossing over a high pass (Thorang La) which is high (5400 metres) and pretty cold. Second half is a trek back into civilisation down the other sie of the pass
• At 3000 metres, one must be mindful of altitude sickness. We aimed never to sleep more than 300 metres above where we slept the night before. Where possible, we climbed up past where we slept by a couple of extra hundred metres to make acclimatising easier. It’s all about building up your red blood corpuscles to better transport the thinner air roun your body
• Hike begins through farm lands. Lots of buffalos and rice fields. The hike follows a river most of the way. First half of the hike was the less touristic bit, eating lots of local food (Dahl Baht mostly). Some other specialities like battered apple and battered bread. And lots of “pack of noodles” type food
• Very friendly people, with big smiles.
• We meet a wonderful English guy (Sanjay) with his Irish girlfriend (Grania) on about the 5 th day. Immediate repoir with them and bump into them regularly on way up the mountain.
• I hike with Izzy, Nick and Mariam. Nick is a hard core hiker – works at a consulting firm in London as a printing specialist, Izzy is a vet who works in Bristol – the epitome of an english country lass. Great, great couple. I get on very well with them – and we have lots of laughs
• Some tea houses sell chocolate cake and other baked goodies – real treat after hours of hiking
• Many hostels very traditional and basic – it’s literally a case of sharing the house with a local family, on the 2nd story. First floor for the animals!
• Often share the path with a large herd of donkey carrying goods up into the mountain. The only way to get stuff (cokes, chickens, chocolates, wood etc.) up into the mountain to more remote villages is by carrying. Donkeys carry some stuff, sherpas other stuff. Donkeys travel in “trains” an have bells so they toll as they walk. Sherpas carry huge loads with strap attached to their heads (so neck takes the weight) – not their shoulders as we tend to do. Scientific research has shown many of these guys have denser and more powerful bones than we do – gnetic from generations of heavy carrying? Some porters were carrying as many as three backpacks in a sack attached to their heads – amazing. Some shepas carry huge cage of chickens.
• My energy snacks of choice were Bar 1 and Lemon Fanta. Food gets increasingly expensive as you travel higher up the mountain (because you have to pay for transport too)
• Mountains get higher and more and more spectacular as ascend first half of the hike. Each day, views become more awesome. Towering, ice capped peaks. Farms start to give way to thick pine forest. Every so often, you need to cross onto the other side of the river, across metal swing bridges
• Get to Mannag at 3500 metres, a large town famous for it’s baked goodies. Get to enjoy a rare shower (I think I got to shower 4 times in 20 days!)
• Izzy, Nick and I decided to head off the beaten path on an optional side excursion – and ascent to the highest lake in the world – Telicho Lake. It’s at 5900 metres. It’s a three day excursion. Mariam is not keen but she has met 2 friendly Dutch girls so joins up with them.
• We spent first night in an extremely traditional house with some locals, preparing ourselves for the onslaught ahead. We were all a bit confused about the altitue climbs ahead, and hoping we could take it. Altitude sickness has nothing to do with fitness – it attacks even the most fit. The worst form (water on the brain) is fatal.
• Next day we headed straight up. We climbed up close to 1000 metres, then back down over a lip. Extremly heavy going at such high altitudes. Altitude saps your energy and it becomes hard just to put one foot in front of the other. We experienced some very steep paths with terrifying fall offs an being scared of heights, I had some dizzy moments.
• Finally, after some scrambling down a very, very steep shale slope, we arrived at our overnight spot – a ramshackled hostel set in a valley. A very cold and uncomfortable night – head-aches due to altitude and had to get up to pee several times (another altitude side effect).
• Next day, climbed another 1000 metres into the snow capped mountains to the lake. Saw an avalanche on the way. The lake itself is exquisite – sparkling blue with mountain peaks reflected off it. Extremely cold up at this altitue though, we could not stay for too long. Then back down to the hut.
• Next day, we return to the main circuit along the lower route – which requires some very firm footing on some knife edge paths. Very scary at times. On the way, we bump into Sanjay and Grania and walk with them most of the way. They were downhill specialists – and could travel at some startling rates.
• Next section was a big higjlight too – Izzy, Nick and I decided to travel the high road, overnighting at some very traditional villages. Slept in a run down local home with the donekys sleeping below. Really getting a feel for how the locals live.
• I am ecstatic to see my first ever “Bearded Vultures”. It has been one of my life goals to see this bird and I walked the South African Drakensberg mountains flat in my efforts to spot one. Here they are quite common. Huge wing spans and very majestic, their speciality is to drop bones from a high height onto rocks to shatter them so they can get at the marrow. Egyptian vulture sightings too so I am in my element.
• The pine forests become thinner and replaced by mountain scrub and grass. Weather eroded rocks poke through. Snow capped peaks tower ahead.
• Very exciting moment – my first meeting with a real life yak. Big, hairy cow like creature. Apparently they can only live at 3000 metres and above.
• It was becoming very cold at night, I wore two fleeces and my down feather jacket in a down sleeping bag and still felt cold. My water bottle regularly froze next to me. At hostels, all the trekkers would eat together with special heaters under the table. Very communal and lots of fun. It’s impossible not to make lots of friends on the way.
• Next challenge was the pass itself. Had to leave early in the morning (but careful not to make it too early or you freeze.) Steep winding climb of nearly 1000 metres. At the top, there is a huge cluster of prayer flags and a little tea shop for a congratulatory bar one. Everyone in very good spirits. Then an equally steep descent to a village on the other side. Some spectacular views on the way down.
• Ah, what a beautiful, spiritual village. Beautiful monasteries – one with a shrine to all the world religions. One holy site is shared by both Hindus and Budhists alike (you wouldn’t find that with Chritianity and Islam!). I meditate next to a lovely lake and feel my spiritual side breath back to life. I am re reading “ Deepak Chopra’s Seven Laws of Spiritual Success” and am reminded of the power of the moment. You are often very much in the moment while you hike and it feels awesome.
• The villagers bring down three yaks from the moutains and slaughter them. It’s freaky but interesting to watch. They harvest ever last scrap of the animal. Even the tail is harvested to become a duster. Some drink the fresh blood and eat the raw flesh. Dividing up the bodies takes almost a full day.
• Izzy and Nick are on a tight schedule so they decide to hurtle down the mountain on the 2 nd part of the hike. I’m happy to chill so join up with Sanjay and Grania.
  The second village down is also a very spiritual place with a beautiful monastery overlooking the valley and villagers living as they always have. They herd their animals in at night to keep them warm. We play football with some of the local kids and my spirit soars.
• The food on this part of the mountain is more touristic – but delicious beyond belief. Lots of pizzas and lasagnes and pastas and baked goodies. Orgasmically good after all the Dahl Baht of the previous two weeks. I eat loads and loads.
• We meet some American tourists who are rather gullible – Sanjay and I lead them on a merry tale of how Yaks explode below 3000 metres. They lap up every word and are amazed.
• It is very dry at the top of this side of the mountain. As we make our way down the valley, the scenery can be best described at desserty. The wind blows up the sand and we have to cover our mouths. It’s tough going at times.
• We come close to the border to Tibet. There’s a very scenic village here with stunning views across a river valley. An old fort gives it extra atmosphere. You can kike this valley but it is very expensive.
• I am feeling very chilled and happy to go slow and enjoy the atmosphere. I buy “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy” and carry it along with me. Heavy – but what a fantastic read. I am immersed in the strory of Frodo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey. Very excited that the movie is coming out close to the time I am back in the UK.
• I am also reading "Conversations with God by" Neale Donald Walsch and it’s a revelation. Probably the best book on spirituality I have ever read and it rings true for me. It answers many of the questions I have been grappling with for a long time. Brilliant book. Thanks to Rosemary who gave it to me.
• I decide to exert some major effort once more and ascend Poon Hill for some inspiring views. Sanjay and Grania head down for some romance so we part. It’s a tough climb for a full day. I overnight at a warm hostel an then very early the next morning (in the dark!), climb the last bit of the hill for the sunrise. There’s an outlook tower and it’s breathlessly beautiful.
• The pine forest return and then thin out into farm lands. More buffalos and rice and farmers hard at work.
• Arrive at large village that many tourists fly into for a few days trekking. Very civilised. I have my first hot shower in close to three weeks. I sit under it and have never enjoyed a shower more. May I never take showers for granted again.
  Arrive at a village with hot springs – very relaxing. I bump into Mariam again with the Dutch girls – great to see them again.
  Finally arrive at tail end of hike and bump into Izzy and Nick again – having returned from a whirlwind ascent of another peak.
• Get the bus back to Pokhara and go straight to the Everest Steak house for a huge steak (they ship in the meat from Argentina) Must rate as close to my best steak ever. Izzy and Nick manage close to 1 kg of meat between them!
• I hire a boat and explore the lake for birds. Then climb to an impressive monastery on top of the hill but the mist rather obscures the view.
• Catch the bus to Chitwan National Park – famous for it’s birds. I bump into the Dutch girls there and we all get on very well. Great Indian food at a local restaurant.
• I hire a guide who specialises in birds and spend two days trekking the jungles. See 74 new birds – amazing… Also see Sloth Bear and hear Tiger roaring very close by. The long grass makes it hard to spot animals but the birds make up for that. Highlights include stork billed kingfisher and enormous woodpeckers. 6 species of woodpecker alone! I really enjoy my guide – La. I try desperately to email him afterwards but the email bounces back.
• Back to Kathmandu for some sightseeing. Visit “Money Monastery “ for great views and a game of kicking up elastic bands with the locals. Also watch cremations at the holy river. Amazing
• Fly back to London in time for Xmas. Nepal must rate as one of my three favourite countries. I am very motivated to do the Everest Base camp trek one day.

Birding at Chitwan National Park (Nepal)

 Dairy entry

• Catch the bus to Chitwan National Park – famous for it’s birds. I bump into the Dutch girls there and we all get on very well. Great Indian food at a local restaurant.
• I hire a guide who specialisea in birds and spend two days trekking the jungles. See 74 new birds – amazing… Also see Sloth Bear and hear Tiger roaring very close by. The long grass makes it hard to spot animals but the birds make up for that. Highlights include stork billed kingfisher and enormous woodpeckers. 6 species of woodpecker alone! I really enjoy my guide – La. I try desperately to email him afterwards but the email bounces back.

New birds seen in Chitwan National Park (72)

• Red-vented bulbul
• Lineated Barbet
• Blue-eared Bee-eater
• Black-crested Bulbul
• Red-whiskered bulbul
• Common Buzzard
• Oriental Honey Buzzard
• Common Coot
• House Crow
• Large-billed crow
• Yellow-billed Chough
• Large Cuckooshrike
• Darter
• Emarald Dove
• Eurasian Collared Dove
• Black Drongo
• Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
• Spangled Drongo
• White-bellied drongo
• Grey-headed Fish Eagle
• White-throated fantail
• Oriental Pied Hornbill
• Black Ibis
• Common Iora
• Stork-billed Kingfisher
• Rufous-winged Bushlark
• Sand Lark
• Red-billed Blue Magpie
• Rufous Treepie
• Scarlet Minivet
• Small Minivet
• Common Moorhen
• Jungle Myna
• Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch
• Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
• Black-hooded Oriole
• Asian Barred Owlet
• Alexandrine Parakeet
• Plum-headed Parakeet
• Red Jungle Fowl
• Yellow-footed Green Pigeon
• Olive-backed Pipit
• Ashy Prinia
• Grey-Breasted Prinia
• Grey-crowned Prinia
• Plain Prinia
• Common rosefinch
• Common Woodshrike
• Large Woodshrike
• Jack Snipe
• Lesser Adjutant
• Barn Swallow
• Crested Tree Swift
• Great Tit
• Egyptian Vulture
• Lammergeier
• Common Greenshank
• Little Ringed Plover
• Red-wattled Lapwing
• Citrine Wagtail
• White Wagtail
• White-browed Wagtail
• Grey-sided bush warbler
• Paddyfield Warbler
• Black-breasted Weaver
• Oriental white-eye
• Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker
• Greater Flameback
• Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
• Grey-headed Woodpecker
• Himalyan Flameback
• Lesser Yellownape
• Ashy Woodswallow

White river rafting on the Zambezi River (Zambia)

An overland trip from Cape Town to Nairobi

Countries and places visited

A summary of our trip

• 4 week overland trip from Cape Town to Nairobi through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya with “Which Way Adventures” in a large truck with 13 fellow passengers and two crew
• Pre-briefing to meet fellow travellers and the crew. They are delighted to have a fellow SAFA on board
• Leave from Business School at Waterfront. First view of our yellow truck
• First camp, briefing from Martin, learn how to pitch tents
• Memorable fellow travellers: Carl, my tent mate, an American law student and intrepid photographer; Chris the hilariously funny group clown; Rory, the firy and booze loving Irishman; “Mama”, very large, loud, fun American who got on Martin’s nerves; Anna the wingy Australian; Terra the young student from “down South” with the long drawl; Menno, the older, zany Dutch lorry driver
• Views of Fish river canyon – and river walk at camp site
• Hear about 9 / 11 just outside Swakopmund ( Namibia) - shocking but surreal
• Cycling into town with Anna from the camp site
• Sand buggying in dunes of Swakopmund
• Nice camp site in Namib with canyon walk. Get sozzled on punch and get to know each other
• Climbing a large dune in the Namib and viewing an ancient petrified forest in the middle of the desert (where they filmed “The Cell” starring Jenniefer Lopez)
• Driving through Namib coastal park and seeing large seal colony (very smelly!)
• Seeing lions at the “night hole” at Etosha Pan and a leopard on a game drive
• Long game drive to hilly part of Etosha
• Lazing in the pool at Etosha camp
• Walk into a barbed wire fence and cut my stomach (faint scar to this day)
• Fly into Okovango Swamp from Maun in tiny plane ( Botswana)
• Moses, the fun local guide. “Welcome to Afrika” in his deep voice
• Makuro (dug out boats) through the swamp – overnighting on an island with roars of lions and hyena skulking close by
• Game walk on island in Okovango
• Watching birds and hippos from the look-out at Okovango camp – and trying to find our wooden huts in the dark
• Stay in Baobab camp on way to Chobe – and I prove my worth my climbing the pole in the bar to write my name on the roof
• Sun set river trip at Chobe, watching elephants on the bank
• Holding breath under the water competitions in pool at Chobe – I manage close to 3 minutes but Carl just pips me
• Martin meets a soul mate, a South African tourist who joins us for the next 5 days – he’s in love for the rest of the trip
• Victoria Falls – white river rafting grade 5 rapids along Zambezi River (feeling rather ill due to dehydration)
• Pissing it up in the local bar (after a meal at the Spur) – Chris gets a body shot from Mama!
• Touts desperately selling foreign currency
• Overnight in cool camp on Zambian side of Zambezi
• Sun set and all you can drink cruise along the Zambezi River – and pushing Carl into the pool with his passport, then getting pushed in myself
• Ben takes out his glass eye
• Slow progress over pot holed, narrow roads in Zambia – slow progress in the big truck
  Southern
• South Luanga National park – day and night drive. See leopard cubs, Scops Owl
  Great fun by pool at South Luanga and elephants coming through the camp, playing darts
• Into Malawi, the land of happy, colourful people
• 4 amazing days at camp on Lake Malawi – snorkeling, windsurfing, fishing, water skiing. Fun with the camp’s tame squirrel monkey who loved playing with the dogs. Watch England narrowly claw back a draw against Greece in the Euro qualifier. Apocolypse Now – Terra’s favourite movie. “Truth or dare”
• Locking Chris into his tent
• Weird swimming out in what look like the ocean but not needing to worry about sharks
  Apple pie at the famous local tea house
• Two nights at another camp along the lake – beer race against another truck, great waterfall walk, swimming in some quite big waves
• Reading “Down Under” by Bill Bryson
• Into Tanzania – the girls have trouble peeing in private because curious local keep appearing from nowhere
• Dar Es Salaam camp site – get to swim in the ocean. Prostitutes in the camp cause some merriment. Sexual confessions – innocent Terra does some shocking
• Zanzibar ferry to Spice Town. Italian ice cream, night fish markets
• Drive a jeep with Terra and Mamma, while others go motor biking. Red Colobus Monkey. Great forest walks. Up north to a gorgeous coastal camp. Swimming, beach walks, turtle aquarium, smoking grass, Lounge music, lying till very late by the fire
• Serengetti base camp – love birds, great bar, Panic Mechanic
• Drive to camp on outskirts – see Coucal
• Serrengetti – see the big 5 within an hour, leopard hanging over tree, cheetah too. Giant Eagle Owl. Sit on roof of the cruisers, sharing sightings on walkie talkie.
• Ngoro Gora Crater, amazing views down, fever trees, flamingos on the pan, lion.  Wild pigs at camp on top of crater
• Back to Serengetti Base camp for a big piss up
• Kenya lake – Malachite Kingfisher, watch TV, feel a little blue, Born Free house where Hamiltons lived
• To Nairobi. Visit museum with Terra
• Fly out back to London - what an awesome trip

New birds seen

Etosha (Namibia)

• Doublebanded Sandgrouse
• Sociable weaver
• Kori Bustard

Okavango

• Lesser honeyguide

Ngora Crater

• Lesser Flamingo

Serengeti

• Whitebrowed Coucal
• Southern Crowned Crane
• Giant Eagle Owl
• Yellowthroated Sandgrouse

South Luanga

• African Scops Owl

Gramps CV

Frazer's wedding

Dirk's wedding

Rotanga Junction

Having great fun doing adventurous rides at this fun park.

Pavarotti concert in Hyde Park

It was a lot more enthralling than the photo indicates!

Neale Donald Walsch and "Conversations with God"

With his "Conversations with God" series of books, Neale Donald Walsch transformed my conception of God.  He also introduced me to the concept of life being God's experience.  His first book was bought for me by Rosemarie Saunders, a moment of synchronicity.  I read it in The Himalayas while hiking The Annapurna Circuit. I also immersed myself in his books while on holiday in Barbados. 

Quotes on Wisdom Trove

His books I read

Some favourite quotes

• It is the purpose of your soul to announce and declare, to be and to express, to experience and to fulfil Who You Really Are. And who is that? Whoever you say you are! Your life lived is your declaration. Your choices define you. Every act is an act of self-definition.
• The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself but creating yourself anew. Seek therefore not to find out Who You Are but determine Who You Want to Be.
• You are always and forever in the moment of pure creation. The point of life therefore is to create—who and what you are, and then to experience that.
• You do not live each day to discover what it holds for you, but to create it. You are creating your reality every minute.
• My moments of awakening can come at any time, and through any person. These are my moments of grace, when clarity and wisdom, love and understanding, guidance and insight are brought to me and through me. My life has been created to bring me just such moments. That is why I do whatever it takes – meditate, exercise, pray, read, write, listen to music, whatever I find works – to ignite my awareness daily.
• You cannot create a thing—not a thought, an object, an event—no experience of any kind—which is outside of God’s plan. For God’s plan is for you to create anything—everything—whatever you want.
• I truly want what you truly want—nothing different and nothing more. Don’t you see that is My greatest gift to you?
• If there is some aspect of creation you find you do not enjoy, bless it and simply change it. Choose again. Call forth a new reality. Think a new thought. Say a new word. Do a new thing.
• Your job on Earth, therefore, is not to learn (because you already know), but to remember Who You Are. And to remember who everyone else is.
• You think of yourselves as humans searching for a spiritual awakening, when in fact you are spiritual beings attempting to cope with a human awakening. Seeing yourselves from the perspective of the spirit within will help you to remember why you came here and what you came here to do.
• Your soul doesn’t care what it does for a living – and when your life is over, neither will you. Your souls cares only about what you’re being while you’re doing whatever you’re doing. It is a state of beingness the soul is after, not a state of doingness.
• In creating “something else” – namely the realm of the relative – we have produced an environment in which we may choose to be God, rather than simply be told that we are God, in which we may experience our Godness as an act of creation, rather than conceptualisation, in which the little candle in the sun – the littlest soul – can know itself as the light.
• We are all God, Godding – experiencing Our Self through the experiencing of Our parts. We are God expressing Our Self.
• My purpose in creating you, My spiritual offspring, was for Me to know myself as God. I have no way to do that save through you. Thus, it can be said that My purpose for you is that You should know yourself as Me.
• You cannot experience that Which You Are in the absence of that which you are not. Therefore, know that when you experience that which you are not, it is not a failure to experience but a way to experience That Which You Are.
• The parable of the soul and the sun: There was once a soul who knew itself to be the light. This was a new soul, and so, anxious for experience. “I am the light,” it said. “I am the light.” Yet all the knowing of it and the all the saying of it could not substitute for the experience of it. For in the realm from which this little soul emerged, there was nothing BUT the light. Every soul was magnificent, and shone with the brilliance of My awesome light. And so the little soul in question was as a candle in the sun. In the midst of the grandest light, of which it was a part, it could not see itself, nor experience itself as Who It Really Is. Now it came to pass that this soul yearned and yearned to know itself. And so great was its yearning that I one day said “Do you know, Little One, what you must do to satisfy this yearning of yours? You must separate yourself from the rest of us and then you must call upon yourself the darkness.” “What is the darkness, oh Holy One?” the little soul asked. “That which you are not.” I replied and the little soul understood. And so this the soul did, removing itself from all Yea, and going even unto another realm. And in this realm, the soul had the power to call into its experience all sorts of darkness. And this it did. And yet in the midst of all the darkness did it cry out, “Father, father, why have you forsaken me?” But I have never forsaken you, but stand by you always, ready to remind you of Who You Really Are, ready, always ready to call you home.
• Be a light unto the darkness, and curse it not.
• The act of resisting something is the act of granting it life… the more you resist, the more you make it real, whatever it is you are resisting.
• God is love. God accepts you as you are. God expects nothing of you. God does not judge. Nothing makes God unhappy. God would never condemn anyone. You do not need to change anything or “get better” to be seen as perfect and beautiful in God’s eyes.
• God is love. There is no judgement and there is no separateness. And the only ‘hell’ is the one we create for ourselves here on Earth.
• I do not love “good” more than I love “bad.” Hitler went to heaven. When you understand this, you will understand God.
• God offers friendship, not lordship—and in return asks for friendship, not worship.
• See God in everyone and help everyone to see God in themselves.
• God is in the sadness and the laughter, in the bitter and the sweet. There is a divine purpose behind everything—and therefore a divine presence in everything.
• God’s greatest truth is that there is not one way only but many ways Home. There are a thousand paths to God and everyone will get you there. Indeed, all paths lead to God. This is because there is no other place to go.
• There is no such thing as an incorrect path for all paths lead to the same place eventually
• I have sent you nothing but angels and miracles. See the perfection in this moment. Your soul chose your life to create the opportunity to fulfil your soul’s agenda. There is no such thing as a chance encounter. Everything is occurring in perfect order, as it should be. 
• The universe is conspiring in your favor. It is placing before you in every moment all of the right and perfect people, circumstances, and situations with which to answer life’s only question: Who am I? Have you decided yet?
• A master understands that life is perfection and always prefers what is occurring.
• Enlightenment is understanding that there is nowhere to go, nothing to do, and nobody you have to be except exactly who you’re being right now.
• Each moment of your life is a holy moment, a moment of creation. Each moment is a new beginning. In each, you are born again.
• Do what you do for the sheer joy of it. Do what you choose, not what someone else chooses for you.
• The purpose of a relationship is to decide what part of yourself you would like to experience and express.
• In all relationships, there is only one question that has any importance to your soul: “What would love do now?”
• A five-word sentence that could change the world tomorrow is “What would love do now?”
• All you have to do to have love is be love.
• What you do for your Self, you do for another. What you do for another, you do for the Self. This is because you and the other are one. And this is because…there is naught but You.
• When you see others who appear separate from you, look at them deeply. Look into them. Do this for a long moment and you will capture their essence. And you’ll meet you, waiting there.
• Life proceeds out of your intention. Your true intention is revealed by your actions, and your actions are determined by your true intention.
• Have intentions but don’t have expectations, and certainly don’t have requirements. Do not become addicted to a particular result. Do not even prefer one. Elevate your Addictions to Preferences, and your Preferences to Acceptances.
• He who does not go within, goes without.
• FEAR is an acronym in the English language for ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’.

Sam's 1 st birthday

Thanks for the photos, Jo.