(edited)

The bible says that “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” (Proverbs 25:2). Life is a game of hide and go seek. That must be why we celebrate Easter by hunting for eggs. The egg (the symbol of life) hidden by a rabbit (the symbol of eternal life); we (the people) must search out our fate. Easter tells us that we must put effort into our lives in order to get what is promised. Maybe that’s it.

Peace-

Jonas Cain

Indeed, today is a new day, and a beautiful one at that. Never dreamed I would make it here, at least in my heart. In my mind I always knew I would find a way to get back up.

I’ve come to realize that when something is taken away from us it is not a bad thing at all; on the contrary it is an opportunity for us to receive something more, something wonderful that we never could have imagined before. It was when I listened to my heart instead of denying my feelings that I was finally able to dream again. And dream I have…and wonderful things are happening, and more wonderful things are about to happen, I can feel it!

I don’t believe happiness is a feeling. Nor do I believe it is a thing or an action. But rather it’s a byproduct of doing other things and focusing our attention on those other things. Pursuing our passions and then living those passions and sharing them with those that we love. It is then that we find happiness. For if we pursue it directly it will flutter away from us just out of reach like the erratic flight of a butterfly. But if we pay attention to other things then we will one day find that it has landed on our shoulder.

I hope you too our pursuing your passions, for it is only when we follow our heart that we will make those dreams come true. We can listen to our heart for a lifetime, but it is only in following through with it’s guidance that we will get the world. So let’s go out there and dance our love around!

Peace-

Jonas

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jonas+cain

February 23, 2012

I came to know of Reiki through a classmate from Westfield State College.  I was performing a magic show at a corporate banquet in 2006; she happened to be in the audience and we reconnected afterwards.  She mentioned that she practiced Reiki and I admitted that I had never heard of it.  She explained that it was like a massage for the spirit.

It was another four years later that Reiki again found its way to my awareness.  I was experiencing some personal struggles and had been prayerfully questioning what God’s plans were for me.  It was a sunny April afternoon and I had just returned from a hike through the Peaked Mountain Range in Monson Massachusetts when I stopped at Adam’s Supermarket for a bottle of water.  Leaving the store, just by the door, I found a stack of free magazines called “Wisdom”.  I couldn’t pass up the freely offered wisdom so I accepted the offer and sat in my car reading what it had to share.  It contained various articles on spiritual, holistic and therapeutic techniques.   Among the advertisements were teachers of Reiki.  I recalled the concept of “massage for the spirit” and was immediately drawn to the possibilities.  I had been asking for direction and the offered Wisdom was clear.  That October I took the plunge and enrolled in class at Pioneer Valley Reiki in Amherst Massachusetts and received my first level certification from Haleya Priest.  Then, in February of 2012, I received my second degree certification.

I discovered that Reiki offers a way to honor God and His infinite Wisdom.  I could not see where I was going, yet through His Grace I saw a guiding Light.  Looking back I can see the many offers of assistance I had been afforded, yet ignored.  My initiative to study Reiki was a major turning point, as it was an acceptance of my own personal responsibility for life.  No longer was I turning my back to all goodness; rather I was now accepting the responsibility of success.  For as surely as God Loves us and wants to give us all that He has to share, the Grace cannot be given to those that lack acceptance of His Loving guidance.

In the act of giving a Reiki Healing, the practitioner also receives; and in order to give, the practitioner must first be connected to the Higher Power.  That is perhaps the most poetic part of Reiki: that it honors the relationship between God, self and other.  It is very much a practice of relationship; a reminder that we are not as independent as the illusionary reality tells us.  It is together that we will achieve our full growth as Human Beings.

Just as we can never know the impact we have in the lives of others, so too can we never know just how Reiki impacts our lives through the healing power of touch.  The Universal Life Force that is Reiki works whether we feel it or not.  Reiki works whether we know how, why, and even whether we believe in it or not.  As we are, so is Reiki.  In the moments during and just after a healing, one gets the overwhelming feeling, however temporary, that “all is well’.  It is refreshment for mind, body and spirit.  In this way Reiki can be called a spiritual shower: to remain refreshed one must take it often.

I am everyday grateful for the Gift of Reiki.  My Life is Abundantly Blessed and what I am most thankful for is the opportunity to share it with others.

Many people have purchased my books “It Just Happened the Other Day” and “Journey or Discovery: awaken your inner power”…thank you!  If you haven’t done so, check them out on Amazon.com.

On February 4 I attended a Reiki II certification class and am very excited to begin providing healing sessions to all those open to expanding their relaxation.   Live in or around Hampshire County and want to try it out?  Shoot me an email jonas@jonascain.com

In addition to teaching a magic club in Holyoke on Mondays and Tuesdays, I am now teaching the same class in Amherst on Thursdays.  Add to that the recent addition of a private magic student and a private saxophone student (both on Wednesdays) my weeks are filled to the brim with things to do.

This Wednesday I’m jamming with my good friend, bassist Justin Kumpulanian.  I played sax in a band with him several years ago, but aside from a run in with him on Mt. Monadnock in 2010 I have neither played with nor seen him in far too long, so, I’m pretty excited.  Check out some of our tunes on the media page on my site www.jonascain.com

Thursday night I’m doing  a show at the Black Moon Music Lounge in Belchertown, MA with my band Casual Sax.  I used to perform at the Moon every week, but aside from a show there a few months back, it too has been far too long.  It’s free pizza night every Thursday, so if you are looking for something to do that night come listen to some tunes and eat some pizza with Casual Sax.

It’s been four months since I returned to working at Ware Junior/Senior High School, and I’m loving every moment of it.  As a paraprofessional I get to work with students but without the responsibility of actually coming up with lesson plans (I also don’t get the higher pay that an already despicable teacher’s paycheck gets, but I have plenty of  other jobs to make up for it).  Over all I find it fascinating that I actually look forward to going to work everyday.

Wedding plans are going very well.  Sara and I did a lot of work early on so now all we have to do is wait for the big day.  July 21, 2012 here we come!

That’s all for now.  Off to bed!  See you in another few months.

Peace-

Jonas

P.S. I get far too many spam comments on this blog, so I now ignore all comments and delete them without even reading them.  If I can ever figure out how to disable comments I will do just that.  I apologize fro anyone that actually wishes to comment.  Perhaps you can send an email comment instead?

If you know anyone that may be interested please share this with them.

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Happened-Other-Day-ebook/dp/B006RQ39WM

Thank you-

Jonas

What have I done?  What direction am I moving towards?  Is this where I want to go?  What good have I done?  How have I made this place better because i was here?

For too many years I didn’t like the answers to these questions.  Perhaps for the first time in a long time I do not dislike the answers I have come up with.  Sometimes my personal journals may contradict what I just said, but then again I often use my journals to vent the negativity from my body to prevent it from damaging my spirit. Naturally such negativity does not reflect my wholeness, but only the part that is selfish, lazy and irresponsible.  Change requires courage, commitment, responsibility and learning.  Staying the same would be so much easier, but without change the world would not have butterflies and I would still be drunk and suicidal.

And so this is Christmas; what have I done?

I went and got myself engaged, a full-time job, a new apartment, a new car, some new friends.  a Kindle and news shoes.  I planned my own wedding and was the best man in my nest friend’s wedding.  I changed my applauding habit so now I clap with my left hand above my right (just to try something new).  I bought some book shelves.  Gave away a bunch of my magic supplies.  Wrote a new theatre magic show and have no intention of performing it.  I started teaching magic classes again.  I became Catholic.  I bought some Christmas presents.  I have a new band.  I walked quickly through the grocery store.

I did many more things but that’s all I can think of at the moment.  My lap top is about to run our of power, and I really don’t feel like plugging it in right now.  I will type all that I can before the power runs out,  So if this ends at an odd moment please understand.

What happened to everything else?  What happened to my other thoughts and actions>  Where did they go?  They are still here in this blog and in my journals, but month after month, year after year, new thoughts take over and I am swept away to different places.  What happened to Herb?  What happened to the bicycle?  What happened to China?  What happened to the book?  What happened to the show?  How did I end up in a classroom?  How did I end up on this couch in this apartment in this town?

It all stands on what came before it.  It all came from the prayers I said silently and screamed out loud to myself and to God.  They are answers.  Certainly not what i was expecting.  But certainly grateful just the same.

I no longer care for my own thoughts for thy don’t really matter.  All that really matters is that I live.  And that I Am.

Another year over and a new one’s just begun.

Merry Christmas.

Enjoy…

Just think, last week at this time we were all beginning to prep for hurricane Irene. Here we are, one week later and many of us came through unscathed. Amazing. However, we are now aware of the utter destruction to the property of friends or family here in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, and numerous other areas. I have several friends in Vermont, and know of others right here in MA, who are stranded due to roads or bridges out and who have lost homes. This is not even mentioning the loss of life. Some of you readers may be enduring these very hardships and our hearts go out to you.

For us “survivors”, how do we cope and make meaning that so many others are suffering right now? If we look at the bigger picture, we can include Katrina, Japan, and many areas around the globe impacted by fierce and ferocious weather at this time. And yet, those of us who came through with flying colors can go about our daily lives as is. And with all predictions of 2012 most of us understand the world won’t come to an end. But we DO know we are transitioning from our attachment to the material world and moving more toward a conscientious world. How is that? Well, ask anyone who has just lost life, limb, house, bridges, towns, et al. When setbacks happen our priorities begin to shift from HAVING to BEING. From ISOLATION to CONNECTION. From TAKING to GIVING. From HOARDING to SHARING. From WORRY to GRACE.

Anyone who has known tragedy knows ultimately that consciousness is where the meaning making leads us to. Still, we live in a material world. Our increased awareness may wane, but we never forget these realities. Irene reminded us that at a deeper level we know “it could of been me”, or “it could be me next”. These are both true. If we simply worry about either, it is not useful. But if we can allow ourselves to take action around either of these points we empower ourselves and show our support to those who have lost everything. We can use the experience as a spiritual tool. We can take these worries and take action.

What might action look like? Here are many options:

- Extend our wallets to give to charities and organizations helping those in need.

- Offer a physical hand to clean up or rebuild.

- Take inventory of our own lives. Ask DO I REALLY NEED THIS?

- Give our extra THINGS to organizations who can distribute them to the needy is a perfect way to help others.

-  Focus on relationships. What relationships do I need to clear up?

- Do our spiritual work. What is your purpose on this planet? Are you moving in that direction?

- What is not working in your life. what blocks you from changing?

- How are you being asked to reach out to others?

- Are you taking care of your body/mind/and spirit as own your spiritual temple?

- Practice gratitude for what you DO have

- Spend time in daily prayer or meditation showering metta onto those who are suffering.

No shame around what you haven’t done. There is only now and tomorrow. You can start now. One step at a time.

Many Reiki blessings everyone!

Haleya

http://www.valleyreiki.com

Today I received an email from Jeff McBride.  It contained a message from Jordan Wright, a talented artist, both as magical performer and filmmaker.

Judging Success

How do you judge yourself and your success? Do you look at your career and see completion or do you see room for growth? Many magicians might choose to measure their success by how many shows they have done. Others might choose to measure only by the amount of money they make. The tendency is to dwell on the work we have in the moment or have had in the past. But there are those times when we feel like we are working just as hard yet we are getting very little “work”. It is easy to get to feeling down and to feel like we are not a success. We might receive a bad review, and suddenly our self-doubt creeps in. In the end, it all comes down to our attitude in how we judge our success. If we judge how great our work is by what we have done, or the feedback we receive, then we are only looking at the end result rather than the passion we had doing it.

One of my favorite types of art is conceptual art. In its origins, conceptual art challenged the belief that the purpose of art was to create material objects. Conceptual art is never focused on the result, or the product that is produced. Instead, the focus is placed on the process, the creation of new concepts and ideas. Relating this to magic, think of magicians who are always striving to develop new techniques and skills to accomplish an effect. A lay audience might never see much of what they come up with, yet they are always generating new ideas. Perhaps we can learn from this “concept” to measure success by our passion to attempt something new. After all, we have to be willing to create something beyond what has been done in the past in order for our art to evolve. Our work is not just about the end result, it is about the creative process. The end result will look good if the process felt good.

http://www.jonascain.com

Seek first the Kingdom of God.  Then all prayers will be answered.

Seek the inner, rather than the outer.  Seek first to love and understand.  What matters now and forever is the spirit.  What matters now is Life and that I do it as my soul wills.

I’ve natural abilities that are to serve this mission in Life.

To honor God and all that is I must use my talents, sharing them with others.

In this way I will be God’s moon, reflecting His Light into the darkness for others to follow.

They in turn will become my moons, reflecting God’s Light to even more, until one day his Love is set up as a tent over the entire world.

We are God’s campers, blanketed by his Love.

Some do not see and even those that do do not fully understand.  But if we continue to listen and follow our Hearts, the promptings of our Spirit, we will know our Lord’s Peace, Love and Joy.

I have a dream.

In this dream my talents allow me to support myself and my family.  My talents are as a resource magnet; all that I need is supplied to me in abundance.

If I need food, it is given.  If I need clothing, it is given.  If I need shelter, it is given.  If I need transportation, it is given.  If I need nurturing, it is given.  If I need a favor, it is given.  If I need forgiveness, it is given.  If I need help, it is given.  If I need Love, it is given.  If I need Hope, it is given.  If I need prayers, it is given.  If I need guidance, it is given.  If I need council, it is given.  If I need opportunity, it is given.  If I need experience, it is given.  If I need a friend, it is given.  If I need advice, it is given.  If I need wisdom, it is given.  If I need strength, it is given.  If I need perseverance, it is given.  If I need knowledge, it is given.  If I need warmth, it is given.  If I need a cool breeze, it is given.  If I need Light, it is given.  If I need a sign, it is given.  If I need my Heavenly Angles, They are given.  If I need my Savior, He is given.  If I need my God, He will carry me Home.

And in this dream, with these talents that support my well-Being, they are also shared with others, so that they too may be supported.  That all that they may need is given unto them.

My dream is to be God’s moon.  To reflect His Love unto others.  To shed His Love all across this beautiful Earth.