In August 2003 I did a redesign of this article to put it on one web page instead of the two it has been on since February 1999. It is the first time I have read it in it's entirety in a couple of years. As is so often the case when I returned to something I wrote some time ago, I am very pleasantly surprised by it. I am both impressed by, and proud of, this page - and certainly do not take any ego credit for it. I think it is quite a masterful piece of writing - and I thank my co-author Bubba (a term I use for my Higher Self in my Trilogy.) Although I pulled a quote from this page for one of the recent chapters of the online book I am presently writing Codependency Recovery: Wounded Souls Dancing in the Light Book 2: A Dysfunctional Relationship with Life, I did not stop and read the article at that time. This article - which I originally wrote in August 1998, and probably modified slightly in early 1999 when I made it a web page on Joy2MeU.com - fits perfectly with the things I have been writing recently.

I spoke in my June 2003 Update about the level of sophisticated discernment that has manifested in the writing of this most recent online book which I am publishing as I write it.

"When I refer to the sophistication of the online book I have been writing for the past year, it is primarily the levels of discernment that I discuss in that work that I am referencing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . In Chapter 14 I talk about separating the Metaphysical power of the name, message, and symbolism of the Master Teacher Jesus Christ from the angry, vengeful, Old Testament male image of god that is at the foundation of so much of the war we see manifesting in our world today." Joy2MeU Update June 2003 Newsletter 2

Part of the condition of codependency is black and white thinking. That polarized thinking is the foundation of the "us vs them" perspective that has caused so much war and suffering in human history. It is just so important - so vital in my view - to start learning how to stop empowering black and white thinking so that we can have the wisdom to be discerning. It is vital both on the level of the individual personal recovery process, and in terms of healing the Human Condition.

"The name and significance of Jesus Christ carries great metaphysical power because of the importance of the message of Love carried by this Master Teacher. People who are not practicing discernment and still viewing life from a black and white perspective, often resonate with the Truth of Love symbolized by Jesus and don't know how to separate the feeling of connection and Love associated with Christ Consciousness from the distortions and lies that became a part of Christianity because it was a state religion being used by governments - beginning with Rome - to control and manipulate the masses." - Codependency Recovery: Wounded Souls Dancing in the Light Chapter 14 Spiritual Manifesto

As I emphasis in this article and often on my web site, I am not trying to force my beliefs on anyone - just offering you an alternative perspective to consider. We need to be willing to be open to larger perspectives in order to grow, in order to change our relationships with self and life.

"My own personal Spiritual belief system is one form of spirituality. It is certainly not the only one. Mine works for me very well in helping me to have a relationship with life that allows me to be happier today. It is not necessary for you to accept my belief system in order for you to use the tools, techniques, and perspectives that I have developed for emotional healing / codependence recovery / inner child integration.

For the purposes of this discussion of spiritual integration, I would now define what I refer to as a Spiritual Awakening in the quote above, as: being open to a larger perspective - awakening from being trapped in a limiting perspective. In this regard, spiritual would be a qualifier, an adjective, that describes the quality of one's relationship with life.

This adjective, spiritual, would be (in my definition) a word describing an expanded level of consciousness. A level of consciousness, of awareness, that is expansive and inclusive and facilitates personal growth - as opposed to limited, exclusive, rigid, and inhibiting growth, development, and alternative view points." - The Recovery Process for inner child healing - spiritual integration

I wrote an online book of over 100,000 words about the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. I felt compelled to write that work because I saw the unfolding events as such a blatant manifestation of the black and white thinking of codependency.

"In the normal course of events, it is rare for someone to read my words who isn't on the same wave length to some degree. However this is not a normal time - and the cataclysmic and tragic events of last week may bring some people to this site who would not normally read my words. I am going to be stating my Truth quite directly in this article without apology - or qualification for the most part. It is not my intention to insult anyone or cause anyone pain. If you think my words are sacrilegious or unpatriotic, then we are definitely not on the same wave length. Go in Peace, and Blessed Be." - Attack on America - A Spiritual Healing Perspective & Call for Higher Consciousness (first chapter posted online September 22, 2001)

If you have read this far, you probably have some capacity to be open minded. I urge you to explore my site and take what you find helpful without letting any of my beliefs that you disagree with keep you from picking the baby out of the bathwater. I hope that you can recognize the respect with which I approach this subject - and the "Spirit of Love and Truth" that I attempt to attain in my writing.

This page came to my attention because I noticed it was getting a large number of visits - which usually means that someone has placed a link to this page on another web site. In looking at it, I decided to do the redesign. It was, as usual, a perfect unfolding of my recovery process - both in terms of aligning with what I have written recently, and in terms of what I am experiencing in my personal growth process. I hope you find some value here. - Robert August 11, 2003