Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls

A PRAISE POEM FOR BETTYE JOHNSON

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:42:00 +0000

A PRAISE POEM FOR BETTYE JOHNSON by Mary McCann

July is indeed a month of celebration. It is also the month of my birth some 80 years ago. Strange to think of the number 80. Inside I feel a youthful 40. My life is one of many twists and turns and with four books published, I am mulling over several ideas for my next.

On July 4th I celebrated my 80th year of wisdom with a family reunion and inviting friends to share the joy. Mary McCann wrote a praise poem and this I will share with you, the readers.

Bettye Johnson v.80.0
What wonders will you show us next Bettye Johnson?
Make known the unknown Bettye Johnson
Version 80!
You taught yourself how to publish books-what now Bettye Johnson?
Version 80!
You won the Independent Publisher Book Award - Twice!
What's next Bettye Johnson?
Version 80!
You've given us three fine sons who have given us children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Then you foster the writers in Yelm and produce more and more offspring.
Who's next Bettye Johnson?
Version 80!
You have uncovered timelines for Mary and Sarah and now the Black Madonna story grows grander and grander.
Will you tell us more Bettye Johnson?
Version 80!
Tell us about living in Paris and working for the State Department Bettye Johnson. Version 80!
Tell us about what it looks like from the other side of the pulpit Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
You are the storyteller Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
You are the community builder Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
You are the teacher Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
You are the helper Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
You are the inspiration Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
You are the Genie within Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
Praise the teacher
Praise the writer
Praise the adventurer
Praise the pioneer
Bettye Johnson Version 80! Bettye Johnson Version 80! Bettye Johnson Version 80! Written by Mary McCann

HISTORY, A TAPESTRY OF HALLUCINATIONS

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:17:00 +0000

HISTORY: A TAPESTRY OF HALLUCINATIONS

I have always loved history and when I was growing up, I accepted as truth what I was taught and read. I grew up in the West Texas city of San Angelo. We had a restored Fort Concho where Union soldiers were stationed to keep peace with the Indians and for the cattle drives to Kansas. During this time, there was racial discrimination and the blacks were not allowed to associate with the whites except during employment. I am bringing this in, because I never knew until I returned in the late seventies to San Angelo that the soldiers stationed at old Fort Concho were the Horse Soldiers. These were black or Negro rough-riding U.S. Calvary soldiers. During the days of segregation, there had been a blackout of anything about them. These Horse Soldiers were brave, fearless and great fighters.

Some of you may remember having been taught in school that Columbus discovered America. There was even a holiday in celebration of this, when nothing could be further from the truth. Columbus may have visited this continent, but he did not discover it. The early Vikings and other were the first ones to explore the East coast. Some say Leif Erickson and now I have come across information saying the Hebrews/Israelites discovery of this continent happened thousands of years before Christ. Remarkable, and there are alleged archaeological findings that support this. Is this pie in the sky? But wait! I titled this segment History: A Tapestry of Hallucinations.

What do I mean by hallucination? According to the dictionary, one meaning is one’s perception of reality. This also can be viewed in a broader context: history as told or written by the winners. On the other hand, history became distorted and facts omitted. Or, history deliberately changed and altered.

During my research, I learned the Catholic Church has based much of its history on lies, deceit and omissions. I am not going into that information at this time because I want to reach further back in time.

I am going to address the New Testament (N.T.). For years, theologians and scholars have admitted that the books of Matthew, Mark and Luke do not give identical information. John supposedly was written later. I have asked myself, then, who is correct? The authors of these books are unknown. And yet, we have the Christian religions using these books plus other books in the N.T. as if they are factual truth. Once a lie is repeated a number of times and accepted, it becomes the truth for the populance.

Recently I read Elaine Pagels and Karen King’s book READING JUDAS. The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity. First, let’s touch on Judas. For centuries, he has been maligned because he supposedly betrayed Jesus and received monies from the Romans for doing this. Pagels and King have addressed this in their book and by also researching the first four gospels, have found many discrepancies that have rarely been addressed by scholars. The authors of these gospels purloined some information from the Old Testament. So who wrote the books of the New Testament?

Tony Bushby, in his book The Bible Fraud, tells of the so-called presbyters who collected wise and spiritual writings from India to Greece to Egypt to Rome and went from village to village and city to city, and were much like the soapbox orators. They would stand at the village center and recite these writings or perhaps read them. These were not necessarily learned men.

Therefore, it is entirely possible for writings from Egypt and India to become part of the N.T. books. However, what about Jesus? In his book The Myth-maker, Paul and the Invention of Christianity, Hyam Maccoby writes an excellent account regarding the books supposedly written by Paul. Maccoby puts forth an excellent presentation that it was Paul – yes, the Paul who really was the founder of Christianity – and eventually the Catholic Church who first said Jesus was the Christ and the only son of God.

Nowhere do any of these books subscribe to the possibility that Jesus was an Initiate of the highest order of ancient mystery schools. And what were these mysteries? Teachings and tests to discover the god within.

Paul is a very interesting character. Even in his book of Acts and other books, he is subscribed to have written there are conflicting statements. I can well understand this.

I am going to digress for a moment. Almost all the books written about Jesus and Mary Magdalene have in some way referred to the ancient writings of Josephus author of The Wars of the Jews, The Antiquities of the Jews and The Autobiography of Flavious Josephus. What does Josephus have in common with the Paul of the Book of Acts in the N.T. I came across a most interesting possibility in Ralph Ellis’ book Jesus, The Last Pharaoh. Ellis became interested in the similarities of Josephus and Paul. In his book, he lists the biographical aspects of their lives as given in the Book of Acts and in Josephus’ Autobiography. They are so similar, that it is difficult to separate the two. What IF, Josephus created the character of Paul? What IF Josephus wrote some of those books in the N.T.? It is a big mind-boggling, but it is not only a possibility, but a probability.

When I first researched information for Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls, the writings of Josephus had no mention of Jesus or Mary Magdalene. Then in a later return to another translation of his works, I found several small paragraphs, which mention Jesus.

Josephus was a Jew and claims lineage via the Maccabees. He states he went to Rome to ask for the release of some priests in Roman custody. He returned to Jerusalem and alleged he worked with the Jews to repel the Romans in their great uprising. He alleged he hid in a cave while the destruction was happening, and was captured, taken to Rome and made a Roman citizen. From another source, he was seen riding in the carriage of Vespasian after Vespasian became the new emperor.

So now, in this tapestry of fluid history, we have the possibility that the renowned Paul of the N.T. was a creation of Josephus.

Is there more? Oh my yes. Ellis has another book of Solomon and I also read the books of Immanuel Velikovsky – written in the 1950’s. Velikovsky had no computer for research. He did his painstakingly by going to libraries and to Egypt. He also compared the information in the Rhind Papyrus, the Egyptian paintings in tombs, statues and came to some very interesting conclusions.

From my interpretation of what I read in the two books, and the first one being that there is a distinct possibility the great Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt could have been the Hyksos who had ruled lower Egypt – the delta area – for 150 years. The Hyksos were ousted out by the last ruler of the Egyptian 17th dynasty by the pharaoh whose name was Ahmose or Amosis.

It is a possibility the Hyksos became so angry of being ousted that they later changed names in their writings. It is postulated that the books of Kings and Numbers were actually referring to Egyptian pharaohs and the Hyksos' time in Egypt.

I also learned by reading these two particular authors – Velikovsky and Ellis that a pharaoh or a king had more than one name. There was the birth name, the pharaoh name, a name known outside the country and possibly by other names. Wouldn’t it make sense that the same person could be referred to by another name on a document and down through history it was taken to be separate people?

There is also another potential, and that is King Solomon and King David were Egyptian pharaohs. Now I come to the Queen of Sheba. Sheba was a title meaning ‘sacred one.’ Ellis has also done extensive research. Much of the two authors' documentation comes from archaeological findings.

One of the mind blowers is the information that in 1939 Pierre Montet discovered some intact tombs – magnificent within the enclosure at Tanis. The latter of the tombs contained the intact sarcophagi of the pharaohs Psusennes II and Sheshong. Ellis had already identified these two pharaohs as being King David and King Solomon. These mummies all reside in the Cairo Museum along with the possible mummies of Joab, Hiram Abif and the Queen of Sheba.

In my book Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls, I have Mary Magdalene as being of the lineage of the Queen of Sheba. What I have learned AFTER I published the book is there is a great possibility the Queen of Sheba was none other than the Queen/Pharaoh Hatshepsut of Egypt.

In I Kings 10:1-13, it is written: And Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David. (I Ki 3:1)

This has been mis-interpreted or possibly an additional visit to King Solomon by the Queen of Sheba was added. However, the Kebra Nagast says the pharaoh’s daughter was the Queen of Sheba.

The similarities and coincidences point out that history is not at all what most of us think it is. I have given the potentials and possibilities.

Think of the many translations of the O.T. and the N.T. over hundreds of years. Think of the possibility of the Tribe of Benjamin having another name. Some have alleged Mary Magdalene was a Hasmonean princes.. I rather doubt that. If one looks at the track record of the Hasmoneans, I see no greatness coming from that lineage.

Another myth is that the bloodline of Mary Magdalene and Jesus is through the Merovingian Dynasty. I have done research on the Merovingians and there is only a history of war, brother murdering brother, and possibly not even being able to read much less write. Bishop Gregory of Tours in the 5th century began tutoring the sons of the Merovingians to read.

Jesus and Mary Magdalene would have left some awesome genes and in all of these allegations, I have found nothing to suggest greatness. In the genealogy charts I have read, rarely is the mother's name given.. Were these so-called kings hatched from an egg? Histories in the first 5 centuries are shrouded in mystery because there were almost no written documents except those written by the early churchmen. Moreover, those are suspect.

For nearly 2000 years, humankind has been duped by history in the name of religion. We have the potential of Paul being none other than Josephus. Paul could have come from the imagination of Josephus. And, if we look at the books found in the Nag Hammadi find and the Book of Judas, we get an entirely different perspective of the Disciple Peter – he hated Mary Magdalene and was jealous that Jesus would kiss her on the lips. Could there be a possibility that Peter was homosexual? Could this be why the Church has suppressed women? The possibilities from this are something that will be addressed at another time.

Therefore, I leave you with things to ponder. I urge you to do your own research. I am not an authority. I am only one who has researched and uncovered many potentials and possibilities for another side of history.

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:53:00 +0000

ISRAELI JEWS BLESS THE SUN IN RARE 28-YEAR PRAYER

This Wednesday, April 7, 2009, the faithful Jews congregated before the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and elsewhere in Israel to bless the sun. Why every 28 years? Jewish tradition has been that the sun returns to its position at the moment the universe was created 5,769 years ago. Having done research on the history of the Bible, I learned why the Jews have this belief and the history perpetuated has another truth. What if the history we have been taught in schools and by religions isn’t true? There will be some who will deny this and will hold on to their beliefs. It is frightening to move away from what we were taught and to take a look at new revelations.

Two authors that I have found to be of immense help in answering for me inconsistencies are Immanuel Velikovsky and Ralph Ellis. Velikovsky wrote A World of Chaos and Ramses II: Ages of Chaos. Velikovsky published these books in the 1950’s and during his research he found many inconsistencies, which didn’t add up. According to the Hebrew history, certain events happened that appeared to be similar to events in Egyptian history. The only problem was that there was a difference of six hundred years. This bothered him and he set out to find out why the variation. His results are fascinating. Regarding the 5,769 years, my understanding is that it arrived from the great Exodus. From the Hebrew point of view, the Jews had been enslaved and wanted to be free of the tyranny of Egypt. Under the guidance of Moses, they departed Egypt and after the Red Sea parted for them, they wandered for 40 years until they came to the Promised Land. Have you ever wondered where they spent those 40 years when it only takes about three hours to travel by SUV from the Nile Delta to Palestine? Have you wondered who the Canaanites were? You know - those people who God gave the Israelites permission to ravish, kill and take-over.
There are researchers who question the validity of the Exodus story as written in the Old Testament (O.T,) and Talmud. Published on October 29, 1999, Ze’ev Herzog wrote an article titled “Deconstructing the walls of Jericho” in Ha’aretz, the leading newspaper in Israel that after “70 years of intensive excavations in Israel, archaeologists learned that Israelites did not sojourn to Egypt or make an exodus. They did not wander in the desert.” If there is no evidence of Israelites being in Egypt, then what is the Exodus all about?

Perhaps the Israelites were not known under the name as given in the O.T. If one were to research Egyptian history as given in hieroglyphics, paintings and other ancient writings, then another picture begins to unfold. This is very much like cracking a hidden code. The Jewish scholars who promote that the world is only 5769 years old could be right from the point of view that the Jewish or Hebrews had no beginning prior that time. Since this is the year 2009 AD, this would place the beginning of the Jewish race to around 3760 BC. What was happening around 3760 BC? When I began researching, I learned that even Jewish history scholars cannot agree upon the timelines when important events took place such as the Exodus.

In The Gift of the Jews by Thomas Cahill, he writes that the Talmud came into being from oral history and there is no reliable record of written Hebrew before the 10th century BC. If you have ever played the ‘whisper’ or ‘telephone’ game, you have an idea of how garbled the original statements become.

Immanuel Velikovsky researched Egyptian history and the O.T. history extensively and even though there were parallels in both histories, the dates of the events did not agree. He finally realized that the Hebrews and the Egyptians counted time differently and when he learned how to reconcile the differences in times, he realized that their histories were practically the same. When in the O.T. it is written that Abraham journeyed south into Gerar, it could be he was traveling into Egypt because the names Gerar and Egypt were the same. What has been revealed is that the Hyksos were also the Israelites. Therefore, the Hyksos were in Lower Egypt at the time of the Great Exodus and during their sojourn changed their name and for them their world began when they departed Egypt. Thus, we have the belief that the world began 5769 years ago.

Why did the Hyksos depart Egypt? That will be posted soon. It is similar to unraveling a skein of yarn and the Jewish belief is a piece of yarn.

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:10:00 +0000

MARY MAGDALENE AND THE QUEEN OF SHEBA

When I began researching historical information about Mary Magdalene, little did I know that I was embarking on an odyssey of unraveling strands of history that most of the world does not know or understand. I agree with the statement James Cameron wrote in his Foreword to the book, The Jesus Family Tomb: “As a result of this twelve-year investigation, I have come to realize that history is a consensus hallucination. It is a myth upon which we all agree to agree.”

Mary Magdalene has been an enigma for over two thousand years. In the first four gospels her name is mentioned four times in the Book of Mark, three times in the books of Matthew and John and twice in the Book of Luke. I find it interesting that scores of books have been written about her and each one with the author’s interpretation and who and what she was from these references. In most authors’ interpretations, she has been assumed to be one of the ‘other’ women mentioned in the New Testament. Yet the real Mary Magdalene is unknown and even her background as given by most authors and scholars is based on unfounded suppositions.

Was Mary Magdalene a Hasmonean princess? Was she from the tribe of Benjamin? I have found nothing to indicate that this is true. “It is a myth upon which we all agree to agree.” In other words, if something is repeated over and over, the public accepts it as a truth when in actuality it has no foundation. From my perspective, the current information written about the Magdalene is based on recycled ignorance.

My own background is one of a woven tapestry of experiences. I became an ordained minister of Divine Science in 1981 and have since been a student of the Ramtha School of Enlightenment, an academy of the mind for over twenty years. One of the most important teachings I learned from Ramtha is not to accept his word, but to research and find out for myself.

When I first became interested in Mary Magdalene, I had few clues to go on. I had taken notes on the few tidbits Ramtha had mentioned about her. These were usually one-liners. The clues I had were that she was of royalty, she was Ethiopian, had black skin and red hair, one blue eye and one green eye and she was married to Jesus. They had two children; one a girl named Sarah and a boy named James. He also said she was an initiate; an initiate meaning that at that time she would have had to be in an ancient mystery school. One of the best explanations of a mystery school is from the Foreword in Grace Knoche’s book: The Mystery Schools. A Mystery school is a university of the soul, a school for the study of the mysteries of the inner nature of man and of surrounding nature. By understanding these mysteries, the student perceives his intimate relationship with divinity, and strives through self-discipline and devotion to become at one with his inner god. My quest was to verify this information.

I began reading every book I could find about Mary Magdalene and none of them had any real verification. I also have used the wonderful world of Internet. I learned that there are some Nubians today in Africa that has red hair and that it was not uncommon in the days of Mary Magdalene and Jesus. Several years ago I had a booth at the Los Angles Times Festival of Books and a number of Afro-Americans stopped to peruse and talk about my book, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls. What I learned from them is that many Afro-Americans have always known Mary Magdalene was of black skin. I also learned that there are some who have the genetics of red hair in their family lineage that do not come from a Caucasian.

I also researched the ancient history of Ethiopia and learned that even today there is a city called Magdala in that country. I learned that the late Emperor Halle Selassie of Ethiopia claimed he was a descendent of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon through their son Menelik I. He also carried the title Lion of Judah and alleged he was a descendent of the same lineage of Jesus. The Ethiopian Kebra Negast also pays great homage to the Queen of Sheba, King Solomon and their son Menelik I. I was beginning to find threads or connections of possibilities that were beginning to coagulate whereas I could find none from the Hasmoneans or Tribe of Benjamin.

It is a reasonable assumption that if the memory of Mary Magdalene had been kept alive throughout the years that there had to be something great about her. It was Pope Gregory I who first labeled her a prostitute and the Catholic Church later recanted this. I realized more than ever that there had been a great omission in historical records and writings. I asked myself, why would memory of her life and deeds be suppressed? Could it be because the males who dominated early Christianity did not want her deeds and equality to Jesus to outshine their version of Christianity? It is a possibility. When I say equality, I am using this in the context of her royal status, her knowledge and perhaps her own ministry. Jesus was not the only initiate to become god-man realized and ascend. Another initiate of that era was Apollonius of Tyana who while in chains before a Roman court dropped his chains and disappeared only to reappear within moments in India. This is on record in old Roman documents.

The Eastern Orthodox Church has a myth that Mary Magdalene attended a banquet with the Emperor Tiberius presiding. He asked her about the resurrection of Jesus because he didn’t believe it to be so. She assured him that Jesus had ascended. Tiberius is said to have picked up a hard-boiled egg and handed it to her saying, “If you can turn this egg red, then I will believe you.” Mary Magdalene held the egg in her hand and gave him back a red egg. All myths are based on facts. Today it is said that the Eastern Orthodox Church reveres the red egg at the celebration of Easter.

In 2001 I went to France and learned even more about Mary Magdalene. I drove through the Languedoc region and in almost every small church, there was a black Madonna and many of the churches were dedicated to Mary Magdalene. When I went to the great cathedral in Chartres, I learned that one of the figures on the outside of the North Porch was the Queen of Sheba flanked on the jamb by King Solomon and Balaam. I asked myself why the Queen of Sheba and Solomon were honored in this way and of course this has led to more research. If one looks closely at the Queen, she is standing on the body of a small black person. I asked myself, could this mean that the Queen ruled over a nation of black-skinned people because she was one also?

The Chartres Cathedral was begun in 1194 and completed twenty-six later, which was a record for those days when they had no high-powered machinery. The architect for this cathedral is not known nor is the names of the artisans known. At the Amiens Cathedral in France there are also figures of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba on the South Portal. This cathedral was constructed beginning in 1218 and completed in 1269. The architect of this cathedral is known.

From my research there is a strong possibility that the Knights Templar were responsible for the creation of Chartres Cathedral using divine geometry and symbols in the forms of statues, carvings and the rose windows. I sensed the architect(s) was leaving a roadmap for those who have the eyes to see and the ears to hear.

What does this have to do with Mary Magdalene and the Queen of Sheba? When I began to research in earnest upon my return home, it has been similar to pulling Ariadne’s thread through a labyrinth of obscure references, misinformation, misinterpretations and lies. Here we have two powerful women from the Bible with very little information about their backgrounds. One might say that legends have grown up around them and now as we are moving into an age of enlightenment, the time has come for their greatness to be revealed.

One of the most popular verses from the Song of Solomon 1:5, I am black, but comely indicates the Queen of Sheba was of black-skin. There have been scholars who have attempted to learn more about this Queen of Sheba. There is no proof that there was a land of Sheba, so where was Sheba? From this question, my research became even more interesting. I will digress for a moment by saying that the languages of those ancient biblical days were dialects and it has been a challenge for research scholars to interpret the meanings. I went to a book by Kamal Salibi titled: The Bible Came From Arabia. According to his research using the Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic and Classical Arabic languages, he arrived at his conclusion of evidence that the twelve tribes of Israel had their origins in West Arabia and not Palestine. Heresy? In the eyes of some, yes.

According to Salibi’s comparison of languages, the original Jerusalem was in West Arabia along the Red Sea. This could possibly indicate that King Solomon lived in this area around the Red Sea and in some scholarly books I have read state that King Solomon had built a seaport on the Red Sea of what is now Saudi Arabia. . Therefore, there is a possibility that this is true because when a request was made from the Saudi government to have some archeological work done in the area in question near Mecca, what did the Saudi’s do? They bulldozed the entire area and now it could be eons before proof is unearthed. There is even a potential that Solomon’s Temple was actually located near Mecca. Could this be why the Prophet Mohammed’s sacred city is located at Mecca?

Two of my favorite scholar authors are Immanuel Velikovsky and Ralph Ellis. Velikovsky wrote his books in the 1950’s and had no Internet. His information came from libraries and visiting the sites he wrote about. Ralph Ellis is a present day researcher and he has also traveled the path of Velikovsky in that he went to Egypt and other places to verify his research. I admire their tenacity for research. Using Egyptian historical writings, hieroglyphics and pictures on unearthed tombs, these two men began asking questions and using their knowledge of Egyptian history began comparing it to the Hebrew history. The similarity of the Hebrew and Egyptian history is astounding.

Perhaps I have digressed, however Velikovsky found that kings, queens and pharaohs had a number of different names. There was the birth name, a royal name, and a name they were called in some other country and perhaps other names. This could be very confusing and there is a strong possibility the Queen of Sheba was also known as Bathsheba, Maakhah Tamar II, Maakare, and Mu-Tamhat II according to Ralph Ellis’ research. There is another potential that I will mention later. Apparently in those ancient days royalty and priests had titles and/or other names. It has been noted by a number of scholars that Mary was a title given to females who were given to the Temple for service. Therefore, Mary Magdalene could indicate she was considered of high rank along with Mary of Bethany and of course Mary, the mother of Jesus.

In tracing the name of Mary, Ellis followed a trail back to Egypt and according to his findings learned that these Marys were the holders of a long and illustrious Egyptian heritage. These influential women, who inadvertently and unintentionally founded the new sect of Christianity, not only held the original titles of the Egyptian royalty, they also had the very same name that had been originally used by Queen Hatshepsut-Maakare in the early years of the New Kingdom.

In going further, Sheba is a mystique name because its location has avoided most researchers and writers. Lower Egypt was also known as Seba, which covered Ethiopia, Avaris, and Memphis in addition to Lower Egypt. Sheba in all probability was not a country, but a title. Some of the interpretations have been the number ‘seven,’ or that she came from a ‘land of plenty,’ meaning Egypt/Ethiopia. The writings of the Jewish historian Josephus seem to indicate this was so. Therefore from the chronological evidence presented by Ellis, Velikovsky, Josephus, Manetho and others it would indicate that the Queen of Sheba would have been either a princess or a queen. References in the Old Testament indicate this was so.

The conclusions I reached were that Mary Magdalene was in all probability a descendent of the Queen of Sheba also known as the Queen or Pharaoh Hatshepsut of Egypt/Ethiopia. Does this mean that Jesus and his followers were of dusky skin? What is the connection of Mary of Magdalene and the Queen of Sheba with King Solomon and King David? What are the Old Testament books of the Kings and Chronicles really about? As I continue to pull the threads of history, I am finding out. However, that will have to be revealed in a future article.

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:01:00 +0000

ARE YOU READY FOR ABUNDANCE NOW?

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CAN YOU DANCE WITH ME

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:01:00 +0000

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet... We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I'll let you know,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord..

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask ' How are you?' Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away..... Life is not a race Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

It's National Friendship Week.. Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND. If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends.

To those I have sent this to... I cherish our friendship and appreciate all you do.
'Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance! - Anonymous

SECRETS REVEALED - THE HOLY GRAIL

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:35:00 +0000

SECRETS REVEALED – THE HOLY GRAIL

Just when I thought I knew quite a bit about the Grail Legends and Rennes-le-Chateau, new information has been revealed. Last year I had the opportunity to interview and later meet the director, Bruce Burgess and producer Rene Barnett of the movie Bloodline. (For more information on this fascinating movie, please go to www.bloodlinethemovie.com and click on the Blog.) Burgess and Barnett learned of a hidden tomb with a preserved body covered with a Knights of Templar cloth along with rich artifacts. As far as I know, this tomb has not been excavated and is located close to Rennes-le-Chateau, France.

When I was in France and Spain in 2001, I visited Rennes-le-Chateau in addition to other places of interest that piqued my interest in Mary Magdalene and the Black Madonnas. From this trip and my previous interest, I wrote the book Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls—an Independent Publisher Books Award Winner 2006. This was followed up with a sequel, Mary Magdalene, Her Legacy, also an award winner 2008.

Now comes the book City of Secrets, author Patrice Chaplin's "A true life journey to the Heart of the Grail Legend." Chaplin's account of her arrival in Gerona, Spain in 1955 at age 15 and meeting a mysterious man named Jose gives another view of the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery along with the secrets long held in Gerona. Gerona is midway between Barcelona and Figures/Cadaques (Gerona is sometimes spelled Girona). For the next forty years Chaplin's life was intertwined with Jose off and on with her learning about the mysterious Cabbalistic movement in early Gerona. The Iberians first arrived and later the Romans settled the area. In the first century, Jews from Palestine were fleeing the Romans and many came to France and Spain bringing with them esoteric knowledge and establishing mystery schools. The area is filled with unique energies. A small group of Jews arrived in Gerona and established a Cabbalistic center. They were later expelled from Gerona by the Church in 1492.

In Gerona is a Tower of Magdala from which Berenger Saunière constructed the Tower of Magdala in Rennes-le-Chateau. The Gerona tower was built in 1851 while Saunière's tower was built in 1901. He reportedly traveled often to Gerona to learn the 'secret.' According to Chaplin, powerful events occurred and there was "Spiritual travel through time and place, so that Girona is forever connected to the other realms." The two towers have a connecting ley line, which is powerful and it supposedly is this energy that enhances spiritual evolution.

The Tower in Gerona has been destroyed since the earlier years when Chaplin was there. However, on another note, there is a Tower on the Island of Majorca in Soller that is identical to the towers of Gerona and Rennes-le-Chateau. Could this be a connection? It is known that the Knights Templar were connected with Majorca and the King of Majorca gave the Templars a section of his summer castle at Collioures, France. Robert Wood, an English mapmaker mapped the area surrounding Rennes-le-Chateau and the results are most interesting because they show the divine geometry in the Languedoc Region connecting many churches in the forms of pentagrams.

Chaplin writes that Jose told her: "The mystics in the Middle Ages and before…This place has witnessed extraordinary events that are beyond human expectation. And less than a hundred years ago certain mystically inclined individuals came here and repeated these ceremonies—for their own grandiosity perhaps. And in their pursuit of 'direct knowing' of the divine, they let slip the earthly love, which was a gift beyond anything and that caused such tumult and such pain."

In 1976, Chaplin returned to Gerona for a short while and while there a vision of Mary Magdalene appeared near the Tower. One woman saw her and said she left in a rainbow of colors. When she told the people in Gerona about her vision, she was sent to a mental institution. When released, she again repeated her story calling her La Dona de la Copa or the Lady of the Cup. Since that event, the story was changed by the Church and a monument has been erected saying it was Jesus who appeared. For me, it indicates that Mary Magdalene was indeed a powerful woman and I know my books have portrayed her as she might have been and I only touched on it.

Chaplin addresses the Grail.It is not a cup, or the chalice Jesus drank from.The
Grail is as Jose described it "as being made of the most remarkable physical matter in the universe. It was purported to give powers beyond human reach including physical longevity, immortality, invisibility. Who holds this, holds the world. It has power of projection and takes the bearer out of time. It produces levitation. Objects move out of the dimensions as we know them and reappear elsewhere. They've not disappeared. They've just travelled beyond our sight and come back. He mentioned transmutation, teleportation. It is a gift from paradise, known since the beginning of time."

What Jose described to her is all about our brain. Our brain is the Holy Grail and has the capacity to accomplish all the things as described above. Jesus said, "In my Father's House are many mansions." His Father's House was his brain and it is the greatest computer every created. We each have it and we only have to seek knowledge and to let go of our limited humanity and discipline our brain. For most of us, we do not have the tenacity to discipline our personalities/our thoughts to be able to do this. It has been said that it takes a Master Teacher to teach one how to fulfill the Holy Grail for self. This is why I am a student of Ramtha the Enlightened One at the Ramtha School of Enlightenment. I am learning one step at a time.

THE UNITED NATIONS

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:08:00 +0000

BETTYE AT THE UNITED NATIONS ~ November 25, 2008

There are probably people who know more about the UN than I do. I had a marvelous peek at the workings of the UN when I attended the "Global Publish Health and the Eradication of Poverty' co-sponsored and organized by the Women's Federation for World Peace International on November 25, 2008. For me, it most most insightful and I have an enormous respect for all of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that from my perspective are the backbone of the United Nations. The news media focuses mostly on the Security Council, The United Nations is the branch of the United Nations charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers as outlined in the UN Charter include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization for military actions. There is much more to the United Nations.

justify>The NGOs are private organizations who operate and contribute to many vital areas of the world such as the UN World Food Progam, poverty, disease such as HIV/AIDS, UNICEF for the children, education and many more vital challenges in the world. I heard several speakers say that there is no food shortage in the world. True, doughts do create famine and there are organizations who mobilize to send food, however the food is withheld either due to wars or to politics.

December 10 is the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. After the Forum, I went on a tour of the portion of the UN that is available to visitors. I was quite taken with a wall with framed rights. These rights cannot be enacted into law by the UN, however they can serve as a reminder to all of us that we do have rights. For more on this, visit:

http://www.knowyourrights2008.org/index.php?nav=declaration&rub=declarationLanguages&list=def&language=eng

With HIV/AIDS being the most prevalent cause of deaths in the world with malaria being the second, each of us would be wise in learning more about these diseases. The rate of HIV/AIDS in Geneva, Switzerland per capita is larger than the per capita to many of the African countries. There are NGOs working to reduce this and to find a cure or a vaccine for these diseases.

From the forum paper handed to those of us attending it states: "Against a backdrop of global action and individual health security, this forum will consider family as one of the most strategic focal points for integrating individual and collections health needs....Family health is societal health at the cellular level. And for those in extreme poverty who have no socially structured safety nets, family is the locus of hope, comfort, health, happiness or despair.:

Before I received the invitation to attend this forum, I created the For Freedom Now project with the intent of sending out thoughts and words of love and gratitude to saturate the world with frequencies to combat much of what is happening now. I admit is is a gamble and a challenge, however I do feel that shifts can be made. I invite those of you reading this now to join me and to go to:

http://forfreedomnow.weebly.com/home.html

Each of us are wonderful beings and each of us can contribute to the uplifting of the world.

With love and gratitude,

Bettye Johnson

CALL ME AUNTIE MAME

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:03:00 +0000

Book reviewers are chancey when one submits a book for a review. It is similar to tossing the throw of the dice, or tossing a coin. Heads you win, tails you lose. I have been fortunate in receiving great reviews--for the most part. There were several reviews that were not author friendly and when I read them, I realized that my genre and style of writing was not frequency specific to them. And then, there comes a review that tickles the sense of fun and laughter.

I don't know how many of you saw the movie, Auntie Mame with Rosiland Russell or saw the Broadway musical based on a 1955 novel by Patrick Dennis. Auntie Mame was wild, outrageous and wonderful character. The closest I have been to being described as a possibility of being a teensy-weensy unusual character is the delightful review of my latest book Awakening the Genie Within recently posted on Amazon.com. The reviewer, Monty Rainey of New Braunfels, Texas has written a review that I think I will frame. I love it.

FROM AMAZON.COM

A pleasure to read, October 10, 2008 By Monty Rainey (New Braunfels, TX) - See all my reviews
Bettye Johnson reminds me so much of that wacky, eccentric great aunt that seems to exist in almost every family. You know the one, everyone talks about her like she's a little off her rocker, but yet, deep down, everyone wants to spend a little "alone" time with her because she's just so darn fun to be around! And, if you'll open your mind up a little and listen to what she is saying, some of it makes perfect sense!

Well, dear old aunt Bettye wrote a book and called it AWAKENING THE GENIE WITHIN: A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY. Now I'm the first to admit I'm a die-hard conservative Christian minister, Dallas Theological Seminary and all that, but I'm also the first to tell you I don't question someone else's faith. If Bettye found enlightenment through the Ramtha and his School of Enlightenment, then so be it. I believe there are many avenues to take us to the answers we seek and those roads don't always look the same.

This was an enjoyable read. Some may scoff at some of the conclusions that were reached, but keep an open mind and remember that Ms. Johnson's path may have been a little different than yours. That's okay. It doesn't make her wrong, only different. The point is, she has traveled a long journey and has gained wisdom, which she has chosen to share with the rest of us. Absorb her gift of wisdom in the way it was meant and enjoy the ride.

Here's to Monty Rainey! I enjoyed the style of writing along with the wit and the humor. With this review in mind, I will pull out the rough draft of a memoir, An Innocent in Paris based on my adventures as a young woman fresh out of racial prejudice Texas in the early fifties and thrown into the diplomatic world working for the embassy in Paris.

The Secret Female Pope

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:58:00 +0000

THE SECRET FEMALE POPE

When I was researching for my book Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls, I learned about Pope Joan and now a new revelation has come in a book by Eleanor Herman titled, Mistress of the Vatican: The true Story of Olimpia Maidalchinhi: The Secret Female Pope. This is a fascinating non-fiction story of a woman born in 1591 in Italy. At this period of history, females were abhorred by fathers because it usually meant they had to have a dowry. The fathers wanted sons who would marry wealthy girls/women and bring wealth into the family. During this time period there was a wide chasm between rich and poor.

According to Herman, a son was an insurance policy for the father while the daughter was a lodestone. Olimpia's father was a man striving to become part of the rich elite and his second wife was the daughter of a nobleman. Olimpia was a leader from birth and of course it vexed her father. Her skills were not at all what was expected from a female because as Herman wrote, "her mind worked like an abacus in financial matters" in the areas of adding, subtracting, multiplication and calculating percentages. She also had a fantastic memory.

It was the norm that unwanted females would be sent to convents where they lived for the rest of their lives and many times behind walls and family could only visit with them through grilled windows. History has disclosed tales of young men who would visit a female relative and pull out their penis and tantalize the nuns because they thought all women were hyper-sexual. This was the general concensus of the Italian men during this period.

The culture accepted that women were inferior to men and "Pope Innocent III (reigned 1198-1216) confidently declared that menstrual blood was so 'detestable and impure that, from contact therewith, fruits and grains are blighted, bushes dry up, grasses die, trees lose their fruits, and if dogs chance to eat of it, they go mad.' " To further demean the female, the culture quoted Greek philospher Aristole as saying that he believe "that a uterus was a kind of soil--dirt, actually--in which the man planted his seed. A woman merely provided a nine-month lease for a warm rented room." Apparently many of these so-call learned men were also blind-sided when it came to women.

According to Herman's extensive research, she writes, "All pregnancies, it was thought, started off as male, nature attempting to replicate its own perfection. But at some point in about half of pregnancies, something went terribly wrong, an irremediable birth defect, and the fetus became female. A female's reproductive organs proved her defectiveness; they were small and misshapen, most of them tucked away in an evil-smelling cavity inside the body, unlike the robust, full formed private parts of men, which enjoyed the fresh air and dangled proudly."

Herman goes on to write, "According to popular medieval literature, which was still widely read in sixteenth-century Italy, if a woman spread her legs very far, her female organs would fall out and she would become a man." But this isn't all. Thomas Aquinas, in the thirteenth century considered the most influential theologian in the history of the Catholic Church, declared women to be misbegotten men, inferior by nature and therefore incapable of leadership.

It becomes very apparent that it has been a slow up-hill climb for women of all cultures. We think we are emancipated here in the U.S., but are we fully free from prejudices and biases?

Olimpia decided at an early age that she was not going to be sent to a convent. She had received a very basic education from a nearby convent and she set her mind on marrying someone that had money. Of course, she did not tell her father and he was beside himself because he wanted his son to have all the money to improve the son's chances to marry a wealthy woman. In the town of Viterbo, Olimpia's father was climbing the ladder of success.

Olimpia went so far as to go to the Church an invoke a rule of the 1563 Council of Trent, which stated that a daughter did not have to enter a convent against her will. This was granted to her much to her father's anger and dismay. When Olimpia was seventeen, she married Paolo Nini the richest man in town. Paolo had an easy going nature and allowed Olimpia to administer his estates. It must have been a heady elixir for her to have reached this stage of her life.

While Olimpia was enjoying being the wife of a young wealthy man, her younger sisters chose to enter a convent rather than go against their father's wishes. Herman writes about the custom of a young girl marrying the church. "The girls stretched themselves out in front of the altar, their lips touching the cold stone floor. A black cloth was thrown over them, and lighted candles were placed at their heads and feet, the same ritual as in contemporary funeral customs, And indeed, to the world these young nuns were dead." Olympia's determination had saved her from this fate.

A short time after her wedding, Olimpia discovered she was pregnant and gave birth to a girl and soon after realized she was pregnant again. This time it was a boy. Three years after the marriage, at age twenty-three Paolo fell ill and died. This left Olimpia a very wealthy widow at age twenty. Nine months later the baby boy died. Due to the circumstances she found herself with choices. She could either enter a convent or re-marry. Olimpia chose to re-marry. She was fortunate in marrying an older man from a family of nobility. However he was not as wealthy as Olimpia. Thus began Olimpia's path to becoming the secret pope.

Olimpia married Pamphilio Pamphili a Roman nobleman nearing age fifty and poor. His brother Gianbattista Pamphili was a priest trained as a canon lawyer. Olimpia now moved to Rome and into the Pamphili home, which also housed Gianbattista. Olimpia not only ran the household, but she also took care of the estates and the dowry she brought to the marriage. Little is known about Pamphilio the husband, but there is quite a bit about her relationship with Gianbattista, the priest.

Olimpia became his confidant and advisor. There are historical records that indicate that they were lovers because it was evident they loved each other. Very little is said of Pamphilio, the husband. It is reported Olimpia had a bedroom between the two men with doors that could be open to each one.

Not only did Olimpia enhance the financial wealth of the Pamphili family, but she was a very adept lobbyist and over the years saw to it that Gianbattista was promoted and then he became a cardinal because of her endeavors. It is written that if anyone wanted something from Gianbattista that they had to go through her first. In 1644, Gianbattista became Pope Innocent X with Olimpia still his primary adviser. His reign as pope ended in 1655 when he died. Olimpia followed him in death two years later. From all indications she was indeed, the Secret Female Pope.

In 1652, Cavalier Giustiniani wrote the following about Olimpia:

Donna Olimpia Maidalchini is a woman of great spirit, but her sole title to influence is that of a rigid economist. When offices fell vacant at court, nothing was decided without her good pleasure; when church livings were to be distributed, the ministers of the dataria had orders to defer all appointments until, notice having been given to her of the nature of those benefices, she might then select such as best pleased her for her own disposal; if episcopal sees were to be conferred, it was to her that the candidates applied; and that which most effectually revolted every upright mind was to see that those were preferred who were most liberal in giving.

It must have been triumphant for her to reach the stature she did in the midst of an ignorant male mentality of the female gender. She was brilliant and she was shrewd. Olimpia ran the Vatican and its government. Pope Innocent X was only the front man and she was the power behind him.

I highly recommend Eleanor Herman's book Mistress of the Vatican: The True Story of Olimpia Maidalchini: The Secret Female Pope for a broader picture and understanding of Olimpia and the times she lived in. Herman's extensive historical research shows that the Vatican and high society were decadent and immoral with residues of that are seen even today. It has made a mockery of the teachings of Jesus and is indeed a religion founded on falsehoods and immoral attributes. It is a religion of the human male.

REVIEW FROM BOOKPLEASURES.COM

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:42:00 +0000

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 7:27 AM
Awakening the Genie Within .: BookPleasures.com
http://www.bookpleasures.com/Lore2/idx/0/3856/article/_Awakening_the_Genie_=
Author: Bettye Johnson
Publisher: Living Free Press
ISBN: 978-0-9650454-4-5

In her preface, Bettye Johnson explains her concept of the fairy-tale Aladdin’s Lamp and the Genie inside it. She informs us of its hidden meaning in that all of us have a genie living in our brain. Aladdin rubbed his lamp to activate the genie but we don’t even need to do that in order to release our genius. The word genie means, spirit within and this is derived from the word genius that means having a guardian spirit or a person of natural intelligence or talent. Bettye then goes on to say she will share her own knowledge and experience along with the tools that have helped her. It is to be a journey of discovery.

I immediately thought, oh dear, another of those self- enlightenment books and wondered if this would be any different to the others. In my experience, and I’ve read quite a few, they all tend to use similar jargon and theories. It would be gratifying to discover someone who has a fresh outlook with original ideas. So I read on in hope. Then I read Bettye’s poem, The Awakening and I loved it and really identified with it- Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? I await a reply. These are some lines taken from the poem.

The author’s quest for a meaning in her life began with a “prickle” in her forties and her superficial relationship with her husband ended when he asked her for a divorce. She didn’t look back. She informs us how we play many roles in our lives and that we all have choices. She discusses perseverance and how she chooses not to give into fear. She changes her mind all the time, moment –by- moment, letting go of the power of fear gives us inner freedom and has to be achieved. I was enjoying this but then I read the chapter where Bettye tells of writing letters to God or whatever else you want to call it, I was turned off somewhat. As she herself says, “what is reality? What is illusion?”

I continued reading and discovered that we use less than ten percent of our brain. I was a bit disturbed to read about the experiment of a lie detector being attached to a plant which showed that when the leaf was burnt the detector showed human reactions!
Bettye quotes extensively from Ramtha which she has studied for years and follows its teachings, many of which she discusses in this book. I also gathered if we change our beliefs and open our minds we are activating our own genie within.

In this quantum world I learned that all things are possible, e.g. quelling a storm. I haven’t tried this yet but feel inspired to try. Read and be amazed.

There is a very interesting chapter on the true meaning of words. Did you know that nice means foolish, stupid, senseless? This is fascinating stuff.

I was startled when I read about the out of body experience where the hospital for damaged souls in the after-life is called Infrared. Come on now, Infrared, I really do wonder!
However, Bettye has compiled an impressive book of her experiences and thoughts that I’m sure will certainly enhance our own lives if we put them into action.

Thought provoking, not the usual hype and I did find some of her ideas fresh and original. Read it for yourself especially if you are looking to change your life.

The above review was contributed by: Jessica Roberts: Jessica is a book reviewer for a local newspaper and has reviewed for a national women's magazine too. She has had various articles published in magazines and has now completed her novel. Jessica currently lives in West Yorkshire (UK) and enjoys walking in the dales and woodlands as part of her hobby as well as, of course, reviewing books.

Awakening the Genie Within Amazon.com Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:21:00 +0000

AMAZON.COM REVIEW
Has some good tips, September 17, 2008 By drebbles (Arlington, MA USA) - See all my reviews

Bettye Johnson has led an interesting life. Born in Dallas, Texas in 1929, she grew up during the Great Depression. Throughout her life she has held a wide variety of jobs including picking cotton as a child, working in Paris and Tokyo for the U.S. State Department, a Federal Women's Program Coordinator, a holistic health center program director, and a non-denominational minister. She was the wife of a career military man and is the mother of three sons. In 2001 she became an author. "Awakening the Genie Within" is the story of how she was able to accomplish so many life changes.

"Awakening the Genie Within" is part autobiography and part inspirational thinking. Johnson's life has indeed been fascinating and I hope she eventually writes a full-fledged autobiography (I'd love to hear more about her second husband). Johnson is a student of Ramtha and his School of Enlightenment, which guides the inspirational part of the book. Whether or not you are open to Ramtha, there are several useful ideas in the book. Johnson advises that people open up the unused parts of their brains and gives several examples as to how to do it. She has several useful tips such as the seven P's (stages) of questing; how to inventory yourself; how to break out of mental cages ("I can't", "it isn't possible", etc.); keys to change; the power of imagination; self-healing; rules for living joyfully; and much more. While those were all useful tips, the one thing I really took from the book is the need to get rid of "stinking thinking" - something I have to work really hard to do.

"Awakening the Genie Within" is an inspirational book from a remarkable woman.

THE HOLY GRAIL

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:07:00 +0000

The Holy Grail—what is it? I invite you to come with me as I pull the threads of mystery, myth, false clues and finally what the Grail is, and what its purpose is. For centuries, people have written about the Holy Grail. Many assume it represents the cup that Jesus drank from at the Last Supper. Others allege Joseph of Arimathea used the Grail cup to catch Jesus' blood when he was placed in the tomb. Now if we were to reason this, the crucifixion occurred over two thousand years ago and at that time Jesus had not been declared a Christ, because it was Paul who gave him the title of Christ and the books of the New Testament were not written until some years after the crucifixion. Somehow, I find it a challenge to think that someone would save his cup, chalice, the lance that pierced his side, a portion of the cross or any other artifact. I do not think that anyone at that time would give importance to those. There are stories that Helene, the mother of Emperor Constantine I reportedly brought back the first relics from Jerusalem and this was the beginning of placing relics of Jesus, Mary, Mary Magdalene and other saints in churches to be venerated. Why? To keep the populace's attention focused on someone or some being outside of them to worship.

I question these, because the birth year of Constantine I is questionable. Some allege it was in 272 A.D. while others say 271 or 273 A.D. If his birth year is a big hazy event, then why accept that these stories of the Grail and other relics are factual? Having done extensive research, I am always open to new information. In either 323 or 325 A.D., Constantine convened the Council of Nicea and thus was born the Catholic Church although it may not have been given that name at the time.

To place events into a perspective, the first four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of the New Testament were written between 65-95 A.D. Actually it is alleged that the Book of John was written in 100 A.D. at Ephesus. It is alleged that Jesus was crucified in 30 A.D. and this date perhaps is not the actual date. The next 15 books after John are attributed to Paul with the first written in 50 A.D. and continuing through 67 A.D. The Book of Acts is purported to be the biography of Paul's life. The research of Ralph Ellis, Jesus Last of the Pharaohs, indicates that the life of Paul and Josephus, an often-quoted ancient Jewish-Roman historian are almost identical according to the autobiography of Josephus. There are 20 points that indicate the possibility that Paul and Josephus were the same person Could it be that Paul was a character Josephus created and never existed? It is something to consider.

During the Roman-Jewish War of 70 A.D., the Romans totally destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. It is doubtful that any artifacts pertaining to Jesus or Mary Magdalene survived. Perhaps some of the scrolls and writings survived and were taken to the Great Library of Alexandria. Even though a major portion of the Library had been burned by Caesar in 42 B.C., some of the documents were housed in the Serapeum. In 391 A.D., the Christian Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria destroyed almost all of the Serapeum and anything remaining was destroyed by the Muslims in 642 A.D. Therefore, must of ancient history was destroyed and numerous myths have been created.

What does this have to do with the Holy Grail? It is background information leading up to another belief that Mary Magdalene was the Holy Grail, having given birth to the children of Jesus and thus was born the bloodline. The Knights Templar enter the picture with it being created after the First Crusade around 1119 A.D. by Hugues de Payens of France with eight of his knight relatives.

Nine knights spent nine years in Jerusalem supposedly digging for Solomon's Temple and when they left, they became known as Knights Templar. They became wealthy and also responsible for the architecture of the beautiful Gothic cathedrals in France, including Chartres. Chartres is filled with symbology for those who have the eyes to see. They also were responsible for venerating Mary Magdalene. Some have written that it was due to her being the mother of Jesus' children and therefore the bloodline. What if there was another reason?

I am going to backtrack a bit to the Library at Alexandria. When the Serapeum was destroyed by the Patriarch of Alexandria, the great teachers of the mystery schools began dispersing to other places with one being Constantinople and another Baghdad. The mystery schools of great knowledge went underground. It was from these teachers that the Arabs learned mathematics and science, while in Europe the Church suppressed knowledge. What if, the nine knights traveled to either Constantinople or Baghdad and studied under the great teachers? Where else would the knowledge of geometry and the truth about Mary Magdalene come from? It is my assertion that these nine knights spawned their own secret order to carry forward the knowledge they had gained from the great mystery schoolteachers who perhaps were called Magi.

I do not subscribe to the theory that the Knights Templar were perpetuating and protecting the bloodline handed down through royal bloodlines. It does not make sense if one truly reads history. I have already written about the Merovingians and why I do not think they were a main conduit to carry the bloodline. Bishop Gregory of Tours gave the Frankish Merovingian chieftain Clodion the title of king. Before that they were a warring tribe with brother killing brother and the brothers having different mothers. An excellent book to read on the Merovingians is The Birth of France by Katherine Scherman.

There is also the theory that the Grail bloodline was taken to Scotland to the Sinclair's. Rosslyn Chapel is filled with esoteric clues. Several books have been written about Henry Sinclair sailing to Nova Scotia and on down to Massachusetts where there is evidence of the Knights Templar presence. William E. Mann's book The Knights Templar in the New World gives the possibility that the mysterious code left at Rennes le Chateau points to Acadia, Canada, which includes Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. There is evidence according to Mann that Sinclair left clues that have yet to be fully deciphered.

Mann uses in his book the tarot cards as a heading for each chapter with the first chapter being The Fool. By looking at the symbols on the cards, I have realized that these are cards for an initiate of the Great Work. The Fool is the initiate and each succeeding cards indicate various stages of the Journey into full self-realization. I will get back to this, however I want to address what I surmise is the great Secret that the Church did not want revealed and has covertly promoted the myth of the bloodline. Jesus left clues and one is his saying that we can do greater things than he did. He also said, Don't you know your scriptures that you are gods? (Psalms 82:6 and John 10:34.)

What if each of us is a part of the bloodline? What if Henry Sinclair sailed to Acadia to make known an unknown, and he with his other knights did that, and left clues that they had been there? What if Mary Magdalene was a greater teacher than Jesus and, the Knights Templar knew that? What if knowledge of her great works has been eradicated because she was a woman? What if this is all about the individual journeys that each of us must make at one point in time or in another lifetime to realize that we are gods connected to the Source? Religions are the prisons that bind us to beliefs that God is outside of us and that a mortal man can only interpret what the man or men want us to do with do's and don'ts.

What is the Journey? What is the Great Work? It is the discovery that God resides within every human being and each of us is a part of the tapestry of the Source. We have given our power away over eons with one reincarnation after another. Isn't it time we began looking inward and allowing our own Holy Spirit to come forth? How does one begin? There is a saying, when the student is ready, the teacher appears. Ask for the teacher. This is what life is all about. Welcome to the Journey.

THE ROSE - MEANING AND SYMBOLOBY

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:45:00 +0000

Down through the ages the rose has been revered and treasured not only for its beauty, but also for its symbolism. I have been asked why I chose the red rose for the book cover of Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls. I chose it is because to me it represents what Mary Magdalene, her life and her legacy symbolize.

As the result of my research, the red rose was chosen because the color of a red rose indicates giving of one’s self for the purpose of greater evolvement. Red also indicates the material plane and we are now living on this plane.

Not only is the rose an ancient symbol, it is also an ancient plant. The rose originally came from Persia, however rose fossils that have been found in Colorado and Oregon that have been determined to be 32,000,000 years old. Yes, that is 32 million! It isn’t only in the United States where fossilized roses have been found. There is fossil evidence of roses, which grew in Mesopotamia many millions of years ago.

The rose is mentioned all throughout ancient history. There is evidence that the Romans imported masses of roses from Egypt. There are also stories of Cleopatra having the floor of the banquet hall carpeted with roses 2 feet deep for Mark Anthony.

In the Song of Solomon in the Bible, it is written, I am the rose of Sharon…along with in Isaiah, I rejoice and blossom as the rose… According to these words, the ancients knew something important to leave a message that I am the rose and I…blossom as the rose. These are early clues that the rose has always been a sacred symbol.

In researching the symbolism of the rose, I have found many interpretations. The rose carries the meaning of purity or heavenly, passion, transmutation, completion, of consummate achievement and perfection in addition to being an ancient symbol of joy. The Persian poet Sa’adi of Shiraz wrote of the rose garden as a garden of contemplation. Today most people think of the rose as a symbol for love. It is all of these meanings.

The rose has been used as a sign of silence in addition to secrecy. This is where the words sub rosa came into usage and is defined as under the rose. When secret societies and gatherings met in medieval times, a rose was hung from the ceiling at a meeting indicating a demand for discretion.

In Roman times the rose was sacred to Venus. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the symbolism changed with the rise of Christianity and the ancient meanings were changed when the Catholic Church began incorporating them into their beliefs. Instead of belonging to Venus, the rose became the flower of the Virgin Mary and she was deemed to be the Rosa mystica. The Roman Jupiter Capitolinus became St. Peter’s and the Temple of Juno Lucina became the Church of Ste. Maria Maggiore.

The Catholic rosary is said to have first started with rolled up dried roses made into beads and used for counting, which evolved into the name rosary. In researching the meaning of the rose, I came across one statement, which said that to the Arabs, the rose was a masculine flower. Further research indicates it may have meant the masculine to them, however my research indicates it is definitely a feminine symbol.

There is a legend that there has been and could possibly be in existence today the Sisterhood of the Rose. The sisterhood is said to be composed of twelve women who work for the betterment of mankind. In some circles it is considered a myth of Mary Magdalene creating twelve groups and each group composed of twelve women who were taught to be wisdom keepers of the sacred knowledge. Perhaps this sisterhood is the ongoing work of Mary Magdalene. History is fluid as I have written before.

The Knights Templar was instrumental in the building of magnificent Gothic cathedrals in France and other parts of Europe. In the Cathedral at Chartres there is a glorious Rose Window and perhaps the most famous. Actually there are other Rose Windows in the cathedral with the window over the main entrance considered the most beautiful. The Rose Windows began appearing in cathedrals around 1200 in France and spread to England, Italy, Spain and Germany.

The origin of the round Rose Window came from the Roman oculus, a Latin word for eye, embodying the concept of completeness and balance. Originally the Romans used the concept in building a round opening in the top of a dome and this eventually grew into a round stain glass window in churches.

The Rose Window operates on many levels. The symbolic meaning may be different for each person and touch her or him spiritually, meditatively and emotionally. There is another aspect of the Rose Windows in that geometry is utilized on three levels such as manifestation, hidden and symbolic. The rose, with a characteristic five-petal shape imitates the pentagram – a five-sided star also a sacred symbol.

Symbols were created to leave a path for those who open their minds to seeking a higher level of knowledge and the meaning of life.

AWAKENING THE GENIE WITHIN

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:44:00 +0000

AWAKENING THE GENIE WITHIN NOW AVAILABLE:

www.barnesandnoble.com

www.amazon.com

http://www.magdalenescrolls.com

Your comments are most appreciative and please leave a review

if you perchase from BarnesandNoble or Amazon.

Thank you,

Bettye Johnson

Awakening the Genie Within

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:19:00 +0000

The book, she is here! The Journey - a partial memoir and self-help for those who read it. In my book I share my awakening to the grander mind of me and anyone can access their grander mind. That is what the Journey of Life is all about.

We are suppose to explore life and create new avenues of expression. I have seen so many people glued to the past. It's almost as if they are in a moving vehicle with their face stuck to the rear window. Life is for living. It is not about dying. Life is not about going to a nursing home.

I like the cartoon of the woman sliding with a bottle of wine in one hand and chocolate in the other. We - as a collective - have been programmed into believing that this is good for you and this is bad for your. If one understands the quantum field, then it becomes obvious that it is only done unto you as your believe.

As I write this, the book is not posted to BarnesandNoble.com or Amazon.com. It takes approximately 8 weeks for it to make its way on-line. In the meantime, you are welcome to purchase it from my website: www.magdalenescrolls.com.

Enjoy and leave your comments. Bettye

NEW BOOK ~ AWAKENING THE GENIE WITHIN

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:29:00 +0000

What happens when a forty year old woman awakens to a genie lurking within her? Two time award-winning author Bettye Johnson answers this question in her soon-to-be released first work of non-fiction Awakening the Genie Within, A Journey of Discovery, a semi-memoir of Johnson's journey into a world of manifested words and thoughts. Johnson's book Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls is an Independent Publishers Book Award Winner 2006 and its sequel Mary Magdalene, Her Legacy an Independent Publishers Book Award Winner 2008.

Suzanne Fairbrother, Ph.D., author of the best-selling book The Goddess Within, says "Awakening the Genie Within is a delightful presentation of the accumulated wisdom of a life well lived. Bettye Johnson's book shows us how to live our lives more powerfully." Johnson's book covers a span of her next 39 years of developing the genie within and shares her experiences, the tools she used and the wisdom gained during a fascinating journey of discovery.

Two Wins. How Sweet It Is!

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:45:00 +0000

Indeed! It is sweet to receive my second Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY Award) for Mary Magdalene, Her Legacy and especially since there were 3,175 entries from 49 U.S. States, 9 Canadian provinces, and 16 foreign countries.

The Independent Publisher Book Awards, also named the IPPY Awards were created in 1996 as a broad-based, unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the independent publishing industry. The awards are intended to bring increased recognition to the thousands of exemplary independent, university, and self-published titles produced each year, and reward those who exhibit the courage, innovation, and creativity to bring about change in the world of publishing. I am truly honored.

Since I published my first book in 2005, I have seen a change in the publishing industry and it has been beneficial to those of us who choose to self-publish. Internet and Amazon have been a boon to those of us who choose to self-publish. When I first made a decision to publish Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls,

I research my publishing options. What I learned was that one must find a literary agent and after some rejections, it seemed that to self-publish might be the way to go. I even attended some workshops and learned further that print-on-demand publishing that furnished the ISBN numbers was almost the kiss-of-death to self-publishing by bookstores and most wholesalers.

Fortunately, I had already purchased a block of 10 ISBNs, so that was no problem. I was gifted with some funds, and I had my book printed. I also learned some hard lessons such as the cost of freight and having a place to store the books. Whereas, print-on-demand allows the author to purchase as few or as many as one wants and that elminates the storage space. I also secured 3 wholesalers including Baker&Taylor. At that time, the biggie Ingram did not take self-publishers. It has been a grand journey of discovery. I am so delighted to be a two-time award winner and what is my next step? To promote, promote and also to get my next book, Awakening the Genie Within published. Yes, it will be self-published and is my first non-fiction book.

BORDERS OF THE MIND

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:08:00 +0000

Memorial Day in the U.S. was one where many paid homage to the men and women who died while in service to their country. Perhaps across the world there were other countries who are also mourning their fallen military, and I have often wondered why we have war. I recently re-read William Bramley's book, The Gods of Eden. I had the privilege of hearing the author speak in the early 1990's.

Bramley at that time was a research lawyer and he shared that as a boy around eight he played war with his playmates. It was exciting and fun. One day he saw a photo of the prisoners of Dachau who had been released at the end of WWII. He was shocked by their skeleton look. This was the beginning to find out why there is war in the world and it led him to other discoveries.
During his talk, Bramley told the audience that he had found his knowledge in public libraries and it was there for everyone to read. This surprised me and this could have been a seed of the beginning of my love for research and history. What I found from my research reinforces Bramley's research. I recommend his book for those who are interested.

In this article, I am taking a different approach to the same subject: why war. It seems to me incongruous that with the information and technology, we have today that few people realize that what occupies our bodies comes from the same source—meaning each spirit that inhabits the body is from only one source and the source is neither male nor female. The source of all life can be found in quantum physics and has nothing to do with religion.

In the beginning, the physical body was created to house a spirit, which would have an opportunity to explore and evolve in the physical world; borders were placed in the brain with limited thinking. It is up to each spirit occupying a body to break though the borders of the mind. The first border to break through is that of religion. Religion sets apart those who believe in a particular form of religion from another. By studying history, one can see that most of the wars have been religious wars.

Others wars have been for power and expansion of territories. It is there in the history books. War is promoted by sports. In sports, there are the two teams who 'battle' to see who is the winner. Sports rev up the adrenalin in those viewing and there is cheering for whatever team one is for. This is reminiscent of the gladiators fighting in the Roman forums. When the Christians were thrown to the lions, the Romans became bloodthirsty and roared with approval.
Humanity has been fed to the lions of power. The approval of war has been passed down through generations and now it is genetically accepted by most of the world's population. This is a border of the mind that must be passed through in order to evolve the spirit within.

Borders of the mind that must be dissolved are prejudices, which pit one nationality against another—one skin color against another. Another border to be dissolved goes hand-in-hand with prejudice and that is discrimination. The U.S. is still subtly holding on to racial discrimination even though the black population legally is freed from segregation and discrimination. This also goes for those from Spanish-speaking countries such as Mexico. It is ludicrous that a border wall is being built between the U.S. and Mexico. Is this to keep us in, or to keep others out? This is a form of war fed by propaganda and fear.

War breeds fear. War also keeps women in submission because the history of war shows that one of the spoils of war is for the conquering army to rape women and in ancient times to carry them off to be slaves. Women and children are the victims of war and have no voice.
In breaking through the borders of the mind, one can see all of humanity as a brilliant quilt made up of the many facets of the Source. It is up to each individual to choose whether to participate in war or not. There are those who will not because the most challenging borders to break through are the borders of fear and doubt.

Fear and doubt are partners and keep people from breaking through the borders of the mind. They are lost in conformity, ridicule, being different, becoming an outcaste in the tribe and other attributes; therefore suppressing their desire for change.

One only has to view the wars going on across the world objectively and observe the motives for war. This means to break through the borders of propaganda and see each war for what it really is—power with its offshoots of religion, greed and control. One only has to go to VA hospitals and visit the wounded, or read about the walking wounded and the suicides that are escalating. We only have to ask ourselves, is war worth this? It is time for each of us to break through the borders of our mind and create a new future.

Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls Meets The Bloodline

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Thu, 15 May 2008 23:01:00 +0000

Yes, the author of Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls did meet the producer, Rene Barnett and director Bruce Burgess of the newly released documentary Bloodline on Bettye's show Knowledge Is Power, www.blogtalkradio.com/bettye. Barnett and Burgess' film is as exciting as a thriller--only this one is true and you can view it instead of reading it.

Barnett and Burgess discuss the repercussions and the background of a major discovery of a hidden tomb found in the Languedoc region of southwest France. According to the Documentary Bloodline, this discovery may help substantiate the existence of a Mary Magdalene and Jesus bloodline. The Chamber contains a mummified corpse on a rose-colored plinth under a shroud bearing the distinctive red cross of the Knights Templar. This figure is surrounded by wooden chests revealing a cache of gold chalices and coins.

The discovery has been reported to the French Government agency, Direction Regionale des Affaires Culturells Languedoc-Roussillon, and plans are underway for a full scale survey. There are reportedly scrolls, documents and artifacts that will have a startling effect on current attitudes held by theologians and the Church.

According to Burgess, the subterranean chamber was discovered by an English advednturer, Ben Hammott and by using a hidden code in the decor of the church at Rennes-loe Chateau, left behind by the 19th century priest Berenger Sauniere. The film team was able to gain access into the tomb by using a remote camera inserted through a small air shaft at the top of the chamber.

The revelations of the tomb has the potential of changing the world view of Mary Magdalene, Jesus and the involvement of the Knights Templar. Their website is http://www.bloodlinethemovie.com/.

The archive of my talk with Burgess and Barnett is not as clear as it was broadcasted, but if one hangs in there, Burgess and Barnett come across loud and clear for the listener. Please go to
www.blogspotradio.com/bettye.

Water Into Wine

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:46:00 +0000

I think most of us have heard the biblical story of Jesus turning water into wine, but few fully understand the true intent of this story. The meaning of turning water into wine precedes religions and Christianity. It is ancient knowledge that has been convoluted over the ages until it has been attributed only to Jesus. Let's first begin with water.

Scientists are at last finding that water hold memory. Dr. Masaru Emoto has demonstrated the attributes of water with his experiments with polluted water. He has proven that polluted water can be changed to clean water by sending messages of love to the water. He has done this not only with a polluted lake, but by placing words of love on beakers of polluted water and the water responded and became clean. What happened? The water changed its memory.

Most of us have heard of the Ganges River in India. The people bath in its waters, wash their clothes, swim in the river, dispose bodies in the river after death, and possibly urinate in the water. To the people of India, the river is holy and they know it is blessed--thus, they are able to use this water also for drinking and cooking. Most Westerners think it is abhorrent, but is it really? Over the years of accepting it as being holy and blessed, haven't they turned the water into something clean and wonderful?

Over the eons, the blessing of water became used in the form of baptism and it also was taught to bless the food one eats with an intent of giving thanks by religion. Therefore, blessing became associated with religion even though the meaning was ancient. I have learned that by being sincere, we can change our water and our food impurities to something wonderful for our bodies. The degree of success comes from the degree of our acceptance and intent. There are several well-known quotes that actually come from ancient Egyptian teachings and one is as a man/woman thinketh, so it is and the other is it is done to you as you believe. There is also another statement, practice makes perfect.

Therefore, by blessing our water, our food, and everything and every person in our life, we can change water into the wine of life. Perhaps the simple act of blessing is the Holy Grail. It is something to think about.

HOPE ~ AN OFTEN CONVOLUTED WORD

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:54:00 +0000

I have often heard the phrase, I hope so spoken with a voice inflection that indicates that the person speaking would love to have a wish or something come true, but doesn't think it will really happen. In other words, it is a maybe, or perhaps. It appears that the word hope has become a word with an ambigious meaning.

I looked up the meaning of the word hope, which is to wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment. The archaic meaning is to have confidence, trust. Hope is a beautiful word that has gradually lost its luster. It's time we polished it up and now share messages of hope.

Recently I was sent an email giving a website for the Hope Revolution. A beautiful woman began placing messages of hope around New York City and now there is a website: http://www.hoperevo.com/.

When we change our attitudes such as prejudice, bigotry, judgment and harboring anger and resentment, we change our lives. When we watch the words we use and the thoughts we have and change them into something affirmative, we change our lives. When we change our lives, we affect the people around us. It is something like throwing a pebble into a pond and watching the ripples flow out. This is what we can do.

There is never a problem or a challenge that cannot be resolved. We can create what we want by using affirmative words and thinking affirmative thoughts. I use the word affirmative because it is a statement. Thinking positive will only attract its opposite of negative.

Pass the word and use the affirmative word hope and we can change our world.

Bettye Johnson

Why Presidents' Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:47:00 +0000

February 18 has been declared a national holiday in honor of our past Presidents' birthdays. I understand some people look upon this day only as having a day off from work.

In reflecting on this holiday, I realize that few people truly know what some of these great men accomplished or what they based their presidency on. The Founding Fathers of this great country and the creators of the U.S. Constitution were great men. President James Madison, considered to be the Father of the U.S. Constitution, along with Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Freedom and the following portion is part of the State of Virginia's Constitution. In Section 1, Jefferson argues that the concept of compulsory religion is wrong for the following reasons:

-The imposition of anything on a human mind, which God made to be free, is hypocritical and wrong.
-Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free, God never coerced anyone to follow him, and the imposition of a religion by government officials is impious.
-The coercion of a person to make contributions—especially monetary—to a religion he doesn't support is tyrannical and crates favoritism among ministers..
-Civil rights do not depend on religious beliefs, and what a person thinks is no business of the government.

There is also a strong possibility that the Iroquois Confederacy influenced the writers of our Constitution. Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin are known to have a strong connection with the Iroquois and used parts of the Iroquois Confederacy constitution as a role model for the U.S. Constitution. I find this most interesting because most of our population have looked up the Indians as being savages and pagan. It is time to change that image and to realize their contributions.

The Confederacy consisted of five Indian tribes and recent estimates date the confederacy and its constitution between 1090 and 1150 CE. The initiator of the Iroquois constitution is reportedly the Great Peacemaker Deganawida. Legend has it that his was a virgin birth. He stuttered, was ridiculed and he became an enlightened man through his handicap. He traveled through the various tribes to teach them the way of peace and along the way met Hiawatha, a ferocious warrior. Hiawatha listened to Deganawida and became his disciple as Deganawida's orator.
Deganawida became known as a prophet as he traveled among the tribes counseling peace while unifying them into the League of the Iroquois. He created an advanced political system—primarily democratic and it allowed women a major role.

In celebration of this Presidents ' Day, it should be noted that this country was not founded on religious beliefs, but the wisdom of the Founding Fathers. President John Adams wrote in the Treaty with Tripoli, "As the government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." President Harry S. Truman is quoted as saying, "We believe that all men are created equal because they are created in the image of God."

Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying, "Truth is certainly a branch of morality and a very important one to society." President John F. Kennedy said, "Let us resolve to be masters, not victims of our history, controlling our own destiny without giving way to blind suspicions and emotions."

We have a brilliant Constitution and a legacy of wisdom from our Founding Fathers, whom we should honor and insist on the restoration of the Constitution.

Interesting People

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:39:00 +0000

Today the thought came to me regardng the difference between interesting people and fascinating people. I checked my trusty dictionary and learned that primarily mean the same though there are slight differences. The word interesting is defined as holding attention, while fascinating is defined as holding attention, plus possessing the power to charm or allure. Hmmm. Almost the same, but not quite the same.

An interesting person is one who is not a whiner, blamer or a victim. There is nothing of interest there. A truly interesting person is a doer--always seeking and this could mean a variety of things. An interesting person is one who when they talk has something worth listening to. My interest is held by what is being spoken to me.

I meet a lot of interesting people. There are many interesting people all over the world. All we have to do is shut up and listen. If their conversation is mundane, then I tune them out. There is nothing to exchange here. To me it means they are just treading life. Sometimes it seems to me as if there is no one home behind those eyes. An interesting person's eyes is alive and they enjoy new experiences and perhaps new adventures.

There are many interesting people who are the quiet ones and perhaps these are the ones who have the most interesting things to say. There are many people who quietly live interesting lives and if you want to find these people, it is well worth your effort to ask a few interesting questions of your own. Who knows, you might find them fascinating.

THE BULL AND THE BEAR

noreply@blogger.com (Bettye Johnson) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:55:00 +0000

Once upon a time there lived a bear in a cave deep in the woods. Nearby
was a meadow in which a farmer kept his cattle -- and one large,
ferocious-looking bull. Each day the bear hid at the edge of the woods,
watching the bull. The bear was known as the strongest, most fierce
creature for miles around. No other beast in the forest dared to tangle
with him. As the bear watched the bull peacefully gazing, he wondered
which one of them would win a test of strength. He thought about this for
many days. Then one morning he decided to challenge the bull to a fight
to the finish.

The bull had just chomped down on a fresh clump of clover when he looked
up and saw the bear barreling across the meadow toward him. He stopped
chewing. The red flag of danger popped up in his head. The bear skidded
to a halt in front of him. The bull lowered his head menacingly, his
sharp horns aimed right for the bear's throat. For long moments they
stood in place -- eyeball to eyeball -- neither one of them moving.
Finally the bull grew tired of the stare-down and asked, "What do you
want, Bear?"

"I want to fight you," growled the bear.

"Why?" asked the bull.

"Because, I want to prove that I am a stronger and better fighter than
you are."

The bull laughed. "I thought you really wanted something. You can't
possibly win against me. I have sharp horns that can cause terrible
injuries."

"And my claws are sharp and quick," the bear shot back. "I have defeated
many an enemy -- anyone who would harm my cubs or take away my mate. I am
the king of the forest!"

"Then go back to the forest," the bull bluntly advised. "This is the
meadow."

The bear blinked in surprise. "I beg your pardon..."

"I mean, what's the point of me fighting with you?" the bull asked. "What
would that prove? We are not enemies. I have not harmed your cubs or
taken your mate."

"It would prove that I am the strongest."

"Okay," said the bull, smiling. "I'll buy that. You are strongest. Now
leave and let me graze in peace."

"Just one cotton-pickin' minute. What do you mean by that?" The bear
raised a club-like paw. "I will tear you to shreds. Defend yourself."

"What you do is up to you," the bull answered calmly. "But if you do,
what will all your friends -- the ones who are watching us right now --
think about you?"

"They will think that I am the strongest," yelled the frustrated bear.

"I don't think so. I do not choose to fight you just because you choose
to fight with me. I would only fight to defend one of the cows in my
care. If you attack one of them, then I'd be obliged to give you a good
lashing."

"I can't attack them," protested the bear. "They can't fight back. There
would be no victory to it."

"Exactly," answered the bull. "But what if you did? And what if I should
try to defend them? What if something should happen to me? Who would
protect them then? You? Would you trust me to protect your cubs if
something happened to you? What would happen to your family if you lose
the fight?"

"I never thought of that," said the bear.

"Go back into the woods, Bear," said the bull as he turned to walk away.
"Live in peace. And I will stay in the meadow and do the same."

The bear turned toward the woods. He had come spoiling for a fight -- to
prove which one was the strongest.

But he had learned an important lesson from a very wise bull. In peace,
there are no losers.
-- author unknown