​   Many of you knew I was making the trip from Oregon to Texas this stormy week so I want to reassure you that I made it through around the edges of the worst weather.
   I left the Florence Fellowship after Sunday’s service and the class that followed, drove to my new little home in town, changed clothes, finished loading the car, refilled my water bottle – and was on the road by 1pm. I had checked the weather and it was clear I wouldn’t be going south on I-5 with the storm in the Siskiyous, or north to I-84, with the rain and snow there, so that meant going East.
   First leg was across the Cascades after the first snowfall. Absolutely beautiful – though slow going, of course.

   ​I did have a significant adventure that first night, however.
  It took longer than anticipated to get through the mountains so I got into Central Oregon later, and the temperature plunged further, than expected.  All that meant Hwy 97 was a ribbon of ice, with a long line of cars and trucks moving slowly and steadily along – until about 30 miles north of Klamath Falls when I came over a rise and there before me was a string of brake lights.
   I tapped the brake gently … and spun around! Out of control! The first time in years of driving in all kinds of conditions. I ended up on the opposite shoulder, facing the other direction, stopped by the bank of snow created by the snowplow. Everything's working, not even really shook up – whew!
   Then the driver of the truck that had been behind me came over to see if I was okay. I was fine, with lots of blankets and food and water, and told him so. He told me he wished he could help but the car was too far into the snow to get me out.  Then he said something that I didn’t even really register until later: “yeah, that ice is something. It’s a good thing the truck that’s in front of me saw me coming and moved a bit or I would have hit him.” Oh my! My car would have been smashed between them if it hadn’t spun away! Thanks be to All That Is for taking care of me so well!
   He got back in his truck and a few minutes later the line of traffic moved a bit and a few cars came the other direction. I turned on my flashing lights and called my insurance company, and they started trying to find a tow truck. At one point a woman asked if I would be okay spending the night there…. ??!! On the side of a major highway with cars and trucks sliding in 24degree weather?? – possible, but definitely not preferable!
   I had just shut the phone off when there was another tap at the window. Another truck driver was asking if I was okay – such nice people!  I reassured him and then he said “would you like it if I got a few guys to help you get out of here?” And of course I said, “That would be fantastic!”
   The next thing I knew there were half a dozen men with shovels and garbage can lids clearing away the snow from under and around my car, then a guy showed up with a big tow rope, and another was in an SUV backing up in front of me… the line of cars and trucks had begun to move again but they stuck with me – wow.
   I have no idea what they tied that big, thick rope to but they did, and soon I was gently accelerating, keeping that rope taught, spinning the wheels only a little … and then I was moving! Out of the snowbank and onto the road! Whoopee! Thank you! Thank you! I shouted my thanks to all involved – and to the divine Presence they had embodied for those powerful minutes in the dark and cold.
   The guys were out of there in seconds, all back in their trucks and headed south. I drove north a few hundred feet and was able to turn around and head south, as well.
   In a few minutes the road was clear and wet, then clear and dry. I drove into Klamath Falls around 7pm, refilled the gas tank and picked up a turkey wrap. I was feeling good so I thought maybe I might complete the planned distance even though I was nearly 3 hours behind schedule.
   Heading south out of Klamath Falls was lovely – clear and dry. Then, suddenly I was in a blizzard, and the road was again icy. And the car wanted to slide. Nope – not happening again. I gingerly eased it around and headed back into town, where the Motel 6 was open and the guy at the desk said a lot of people were there who hadn’t planned to be.
   Oh, by the way, the motel reservations I had made online for much further down the road that night (and hadn’t cancelled) had not gone through – the server had gone down just as I had hit “confirm” so I was not charged. The Universe really does take care of me.
   In the motel room I checked the weather and wondered if I was going to spend a couple days in K Falls… but in the morning, I was awakened by car doors slamming. I peaked out the window – no snow! no ice! And when I checked the forecast for various spots, there was clear and warm temperatures at all points Eastward. So I headed for Winnemucca and Salt Lake City.

Years ago a woman I worked with said, "you know, we read the Bible backward; we're living through Armageddon and we end up in the Garden of Eden." It's a fascinating idea, and I've pondered it many times. Especially now, when it appears that the world - that is this culture of acquisition-and-control, is coming to an end, falling apart all around us. 
Recently I drove a few thousand miles and, as I often do, sampled the various sermons being broadcast along the way. The consistent theme was that we were living in a world of constant temptation to deviate from the path of loving wisdom into the world's foolishness and distress. And one of the preachers reminded his listeners of the story of what was in place before the creation of the world/universe. He spoke of the bright angel, the being who was so close to God that it bore the name Luci-fere: Light-maker. I listened intently as the voice on the radio reminded us all that here was a being who became aware of how wonderful it was and declared that it was no less than the Creator of All - for which it was "pushed" (and the preacher reiterated -"pushed, not fell" from Heaven. Then the preacher told of how the serpent in the Garden of Eden was the same being, taking physical form, and, having first questioned what God's instructions were concerning the Tree of Knowledge, stated a lie: "you will not die but will be like God" and to Adam and Eve were expelled - not fell - from Eden.
For several hundred miles I considered these words. I reflected on the thoughts I'd had a couple weeks back when I realized that it's not that anyone is prevented from entering, or staying, in that state of being we call Heaven, but that some patterns of thought-feeling simply cannot support being in that state. Pride, fear, anger, and shame are some of the states of thought-feeling that can't be experienced while experiencing Heaven, so if we remain attached to those thought-feelings we are unable to be in that state we call Heaven. 
From that state of reference I could immediately understand how Lucifer, with that pride, would no longer be able to experience the heavenly state of being. And, reflecting on the fig leaves Adam and Eve thought they now needed, I could see how their shame would prevent them from being able to maintain the close relationship with their Creator that was the defining characteristic of Eden.  Feeling shameful, they would have to leave, and experience what a life based on duplicity and shame is like.  
Not too surprisingly, when I returned home and got online, one of my favorite online teachers had just posted a YouTube on the subject of the Tree of Knowledge...  

Here, then, is yet another interpretation and understanding of the nature of Eden - and the "sin" that decided the fate of Adam and Eve. Isn't it wonderful? The fundamental Jewish principle, that the work of being human (tikkun) is to fix what is broken in the universe, is explained in a way that allows us to let go of the idea that we were born into shame and lies. Thank you, Rabbi, so much, for this insight!
So, as I look around me at the broken world that we are living in today, I see, not more shame and lies, but more ways in which the old story is beginning to break down and a new one, based on the fundamental beauty and lovingness of humanity is beginning to replace it. 
What we are seeing today is the possibility of living in our greatness, rather than a story of our poverty of spirit and character. What we are learning today is how powerful our light is to burn away the dark shadows we've been afraid of - when we let it shine.