Dancing on the Rocks

Humbled by the Majesty of Sedona's Rocks


Whenever I can, especially before it gets hot,
I like to get out and hike these magnificent
trails across Sedona. What makes them
especially delightful is that all the snow
that paralyzed Flagstaff and shut down the
Interstate quite a few times this year,
is now rushing down in melted raging rivers
throughout the Verde Valley. This can make
normally dry trails become un-navigable
until the flow recedes for the abundant water
is finding anyway it can to get down from the mountains.

On a trail last Tuesday afternoon,
my friend and I had to cross one of those
side tributaries to get to the waterfalls
we guessed had to be there because of the
great roaring we heard reflected from the cliffs.

To get there, my friend hopped over the
small rocks that were spaced just far
enough apart to step on. The problem was,
they moved. A rock that moves can tumble
you into the water pretty fast and belies
the phrase, “rock solid.” Although this
part of the river was not too deep or fast,
I didn’t want to get drenched either.
I took it pretty slow at first but then
kind of had to go for it to get across.
It was like dancing on the rocks.

However on the way back we decided, wisely,
not to tempt the moving rock gods twice and
found a different way across the river.
The challenge on this part of the trail
was different. There were larger rocks.
Most of them were plenty big and didn’t
look like they were going to move because
of us. The spaces between the rocks were
also larger, much larger than normal
footsteps. Standing on a rock in the middle
of a stream, while very pretty, isn’t that
comfortable, especially if it’s big enough
for just one foot. There comes a point
where you just have to really go for it.
You’ve got to trust that your body will
know what to do to get your across the
river and just jump. Thoughts don’t help.
Action does. Amazingly, it was if my body
knew exactly where to step and how much to
jump and not overshoot the rocks. I moved
swiftly across the waters from rock to rock.
Calculating would’ve been a serious waste of
resources, especially since we were deep
in the wilderness and losing valuable daylight fast.

Where in your life, do you need to take
a “Leap of Faith?” What is something that
can’t just be thought out, but needs to be
acted on and jumped across? Which situations
do you need to trust that when you make your
leap into and cross it, there will be wings
to carry you through? You know what that
situation is. Life is giving you the nudge,
or even the not so gentle kick.

You must leap sometimes along the trail of life.
You will not get through life without the big leap.
Is it time to make your leap?
Is it your time of trust?

Don’t cross anything obviously un-navigable
but when a little trust is needed, if you
can provide the trust,
God will provide the wings.

Was that leap worth it?
Yes!! We came across perhaps a thousand
raging little waterfalls as a reward
for our leaps of faith.

Take your leap of faith.

Live like a hero!

Terri Marie

Tooth Fairy Woes

© 2007 Terri Marie
The Tooth Fairy’s alter ego

(Wrote this at the Northern Arizona Poetry salon a few years ago. It was published a few years ago and does sort of tie in with today, the joyous day of Easter. Hope it makes you smile. Happy Easter!)

I am the voice of the gnarly tooth fairy
I sound pretty squeaky like a spoiled canary

No one has heard me deliver the goods
When I take all those teeth, throw them out in the woods

My purse is loaded with the freight I must bear
To stealthfully leap in the room in midair

And lift countless feathered cloths from little limp faces
And leave only numbers in place of their braces

Oh I’ve woke a few, yes I have I must say
I’ve scared them to pieces so I ran away

Once the police thought me entering and breaking
I showed him all the teeth, the poor guy is still shaking

But whence in the morning the wee ones awake
They look for my visit, think I’ve made a mistake

For I’ve confused all those darn systems of money
And left pesos and lira, which I thought was real funny

But the head of the myth places was furious with me
And demoted me now to the Easter Bunny

Why It Seems So Hard

The Soul Ladder or

When things seem hard.

I've found that when things seemed hard - for a good portion of
my life- it was because I hadn't hit my stride yet.
I hadn't believed in myself enough to let go of situations,
people and places that weren't for my highest good.

BUT they actually were.
They were necessary rungs on the spiritual ladder to a
higher version of myself. They showed me areas in
my life where I wasn't being good, loving and kind
to myself.
So they were great teachers.

Once I could accept and treasure that experience, I could move
on and view them with gratefulness for their gift to me.
And let them give that "gift" to someone else.

As I did that more and more, I found more loving, higher
soul people taking up spiritual residence in my circle of friends
and business acquaintances.

And guess what?

It got easier, not harder, to be with these people
People who serve the planet with deep love and understanding.
People with great wisdom.
It got fun, exciting and far more enjoyable to be who I really am
and who I have created myself to be.

As you rise up your soul ladder, you will find the people who can
help you make your dreams come true, your life successful and your
inner potential manifest. If it appears hard right now, it's an illusion
to show you how wonderful you are. Once you get that, you will glow
with the brilliance of the God who made you - to shine your perfect
soul essence onto your life and those you touch.

Glow well my friend,

Like like a hero!

Terri Marie

Hero of the Week
Jodie Nelson of Dana Point.
Jodie surf board paddled 40 miles from Catalina to Dana Point to raise money to help fight breast cancer. It took her nine hours. My arms would have given out before the hour. Her story is even more amazing. A whale joined her side for two of those hours giving her the moral support she needed. Jodie did something BIG. What can you do? We all have this power.