Inspiration from Life Itself

I recently finished reading a book by Joyce Meyer, and I appreciate her no-nonsense approach in making connections between God (Spirit, source, whatever you want to call it) and ourselves.  I received possession of this book when I started out on a business trip, so it was prime time to disconnect from my reality and delve into the words she shared.  In the very first chapter, she introduced a concept that I didn’t quite understand: “You can’t give what you don’t have“.

What am I not getting?

Intellectually, I get it but intuitively I wasn’t sure how this played out. Does she mean me? Other people? All of the above?  How does this apply?  Humbly, I  really didn’t get it. Then the other concept that goes hand in hand that Joyce explained is that most people don’t know how to receive.  Dammit, there it is again – being able to receive.  I have some things going on in my personal life that make me do a double take here.   Law of Attraction talks about it.  And I thought I got it when I learned about it then, but apparently some blockages still persist otherwise I wouldn’t be so confused.  What am I missing (I ask myself as I fly along to my destination)?

As I was going to sleep that night, I prayed for some guidance on what all this really means. And fortunately God delivered. I’ll explain.

Song in my head

The morning I woke up, I had a song in my head.  This happens often. This time it was a song by The Who “Love Reign O’er Me”.  The words..”LOVE…Rain on Me… On Me…On Me… (it’s the end of the song when Roger Daltry really screams it out) was pounding in my head.  Interesting, I thought.  Ironically it happened to rain like a M-F the night before.  It could be a coincidence, but I don’t believe in them.  But still it left me with questions – how do I allow love to “rain on me”?  It is a conscious effort?  Or something deeper at a subconscious level?  Ah, heck, I’ll just go with it. Stop thinking (I say in my head)!

Then it started to happen all on its own.  I start noticing that I’m making deeper connections with people, and I’m noticing a difference in their response.  I began to feel really energized and in general, loving.  Loving towards others.  It just flowed out of me.

Ah…I think. Perhaps I was not able to offer this before because I technically didn’t “HAVE” it to offer.  But for some reason now, I do (I did ask for it??).  It felt like I was plugged into this powerful electrical current and it just flowed out.

Pure Love?

As I was going home, I wondered…is this love the pure love of God? Is this what I’ve resisted?  Or is this something else? And where do you get it? It manifested between people vs. something I could accomplish alone.  So, was God there through all of this directing it through me? Hmm, I wonder.

In general, I am the type of person to hold myself to a pretty high standard.  I don’t let myself off the hook.  I tend to replay things in my mind, wondering what I could have said better, done better, delivered better, etc.  What if receiving this kind of love is just really just an extension of forgiveness, and allowing myself to be open to receive?  Is it that easy?  I do tend to block my own self-forgiveness until I feel I’ve beat myself enough. Why do that when this is ready to be offered and just received?

Going beyond myself

Going beyond myself I started noticing others around me who are not receiving too.  It’s almost epidemic.  I’m fortunate to have a loving family, but each person I know has blockages around what they are willing to receive.  I started to notice that we put up walls to receive others love because we are busy judging them for what they have done/haven’t done.  “So and so didn’t do this, and that really bothers me.”  So, next time they saw So and So…they would hold that issue in between them, like opposing magnets.  While it’s not overt or obvious, an energetic block occurs.  So no matter how the other person felt, they could not share their love with that person holding the block, neither could that person receive it.

Let’s face it.  There are times when we desire to receive a certain type of response from someone else.  It could be forgiveness, mercy, hope, love.  You might find yourself thinking in your head..”Well they’ll just HAVE to understand.”  But what if they, historically in their life, have not been a recipient of compassion or understanding?  Are they really able to offer it to you? And if they do not, how do you react to that?  Is it your failing or theirs?

It’s really not about you after all

I hold the belief that how people react to me is 99% of the time based on issues they have vs. anything I’m doing.  But I also find that it’s hard to remember when I’m feeling hurt, rejected, and not receiving what I had hoped in return.  Well, perhaps it’s as simple as they can’t give what they themselves don’t have.  It’s really not about me after all.

So, then, who are we to judge? Ourselves or others? We’re all human trying to live our lives and be good people (for the most part).   Perhaps we should just try to learn how to love others around us and ignore that judgement voice inside.  Then perhaps we can offer something someone else needs, vs. what we need from them.  Pure love of God.  That’s all.

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So, what does the word JUST mean? According to Merriam Webster‘s Dictionary as an adjective (as used here)

How many times a day do you use the word “Just”?  I really dislike it’s “Conforming” aspect of the description as depicted in Merriam Webster…

This has recently been brought to my attention through a lecture by Joyce Meyer…and I’m aware that I use the word often.   Even when I use it, I find it’s dis-empowering and justifies something that often requires no justification.  I’m going to keep track this weekend of how often I use the word daily.  I’ll report back.  It feels lazy already, and I haven’t started yet.

Have you ever heard yourself saying this:

“If I only just…”

“If they only just..”

“I’m just …:

It sounds  like a wasteful word, doesn’t it?  Why don’t we JUST lost the “JUST”?

” If I only”

“If they only”

You get the drift.  This word is used to help justify or posture something that is only important to the SAYER and not the RECEIVER.  It helps make the SAYER feel better. From the RECEIVER  side if feels like an excuse? Or does it?

I’m thinking thoughts…(or “JUST” thinking thoughts)…

When do you use the word JUST and is it necessary? Can we choose a better word that depicts our  true feelings or position without excuse or posture?

“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.”
Anais Nin

I have to admit that this post has been percolating for some time.  I’ve been unsure of what exactly I want to say here, except that my thoughts around the act of be-coming has been something in the making.

I’ve been indicating that I’m in a point of transition.  I’m nervous about making that big step from one known entity of me to another.  I’m not necessarily creating a totally new version of me, but more a releasing of an older version.

Do you ever have the feeling that you have more to offer than what you are currently bringing to the world?

Do you ever feel trapped into staying and doing the “what’s known” side of you than venturing and investing into  a side of you that is more unknown?  Unknown in terms of how it will all fit in with home-life-career-family-everything?

And it’s funny because it’s not my first boondoggle making this type of change either.  I went through this process about 9 years ago when I started consulting for a living.  It was scary because at the time, I didn’t know quite how to do it and was worried about how it would all work.  Now looking back 9 years later, I’m still here, successful and know the ebbs and flows of working in this capacity.  The difference between today and that time is that back then, I was relying upon my marketing skill base as a means for generating income vs. now, where there are skills-I-don’t-have-yet-that-I’ll-need-but-won’t-know-until-I-make-this-move type stuff going on.  A bigger unknown looms out there.  It’s tantalizing at the same time.

But in the words of the late Clarence Clemons (who I will miss) said “my purpose in life is to bring joy and light to the world” and music was his way.  I feel this same desire and yearning.  Up to this point my “music” was marketing…  But I’m feeling the need go beyond that.  To a new level that allows me to use this gift, but in a whole new way.

Bear with me as I work through my feet in two camps.  It won’t be long.  The desire is too strong.

Stay tuned….

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Luceat Lux Vestra. Let your light shine. These are the words of my dear friend who passed suddenly in 2008.  Her name was Christine, and she was truly unique and divine in so many ways.  I think of her often. She sometimes visits me in my dreams, for which I am grateful.  Her passing was so sudden and  quick.  No time for good byes.   I was fortunate to have a nice lunch with her about one week prior, she was full of life and dreams that needed conquering. She opened many doors of understanding and enlightenment for me, and to this day I still explore those unchartered waters and flora covered paths, trying to find my own way.

I felt moved recently to share her last post, just days before her passing.  I felt it was relevant to how I’m feeling and the changes I’m making.  Christine was a shining star, always wearing colorful outfits and things that dazzled.  She loved bling and expressing her most feminine side.  She was a true goddess in every sense of the word and addressed her friends as such.  Perhaps you’ll see a glint of that here, in her very last post:

Truth or Consequences time, best beloveds.

Are you willing to be different, original, authentic — truly YOU?

Or is acceptance more important to you?

The thing about being authentic and expressing your true self is that it’s likely to land you outside the mainstream, which may not always be a comfortable place. Especially if your private measure of success is acceptance. It’s just too scary to leave the pack and venture outside it. Much safer to take cues from external sources that will tell you what to do and how to be.

Just know that you’re making a huge tradeoff — because your fear is the absolute opposite of love.

So this question is addressed to those who ARE willing to be different, original, and authentic. Do you wake up every morning and commit to being in the flow of giving and receiving that is specifically for you? Here’s to your courage and boldness!

Go for it! Cut loose! Be creative! Make waves! Make a difference!

By being your authentic, divine self you will attract to you the circumstances and people that resonate with you. And yes, you’re likely to offend some folks. But if you are listening to your own Inner Being rather than the herd, you’ll be in the flow, and your reward will be great. It is far better to stand in strength than to sit in weakness. Let your light shine, for heaven’s sake!

Luceat Lux Vestra. Let your light shine.

Enough said.

A couple weeks back, I had an amazing dream, it felt like it was full-on movie with multiple sequences, a cast, and so on.  I love to analyze my dreams, and this time when I woke up I just laughed out loud because this dream flooded into my memory sockets I couldn’t believe what I remembered.

Ok, so setting the scene – I’m in some industrial building  to attend a wedding for a friend…I’ve been in this building before.

I go into this large room for the reception and I see all the round tables.  I see a few tables with people sitting them, but they are mostly empty.  At the very front of the room is this long buffet table, and the sister of the bride Marie is at the table.  She’s all nervous, pacing about because she things her sister Jean (the bride) didn’t call someone about the food.  A little time goes by, and the Marie makes the announcement that it’s time to eat.  I get in the food line and as I approach the table, all i see are a few small plates of food, and a very long blue table cloth with nothing on it.  My eyes scan it from right to left…and it’s empty – not a thing on it.

NEXT SCENE

I’m leaving the wedding, and I’m trying to carry a bunch of stuff in my hand – boxes, papers and all I can think about getting some help.  “I just HAVTA find a way to carry all this stuff” I’m thinking.   I go outside and try to call my husband, but I can’t get a signal.   I go back inside, and I see a man pushing a little cart out of the elevator and I think “That’s EXACTLY what I need…!”  I jump in to the elevator, there’s a couple of people on it.  One is a short small woman standing in the corner.  I wonder aloud “Where do I find a cart like that” and the woman speaks to me these words of wisdom: “you can find whatever you like whenever you like, all you need to do it think it and it will appear.”

OF COURSE  I think… So I jump off the elevator and start looking around for a damn cart.  I’m looking all over – in a kids toy bin, in a used furniture area — all still in this industrial building.  I find nothing.

NEXT SCENE:

I’m in a school setting, there are classrooms around me.  I’m in the “office” area where the principal office is.  My friend Christine (who passed a few years back) is standing there. She’s got this ring of keys in her hand.  She’s talking to me … but not talking in words…and slides the keys over to me.   I take them, and immediately think that I’m supposed to  give them to the principal. (I’m sure she groaned at me here…) I slip them in my pocket and wait around in front of the principal’s office so I can give them back.  As I’m waiting, I think that just perhaps…these keys are meant for me.  As this thought rolls around, the principal comes out and says “Oh, Julie, I’ve been waiting for you.  Here take this, this is for you.  I’ve been meaning to give it to you.”

She hand me a very old, opened FedEx envelope.  Inside are a bunch of old rebate checks, from like 1999 and so on.  I’m wondering, what the heck am I supposed to do with these checks??  They are all old and not cash-able.  I feel frustrated.

NEXT SCENE:

I’m in a house, and I’m looking out the back kitchen window. I see a young girl and a puppy romping around, and they see me in the window and start running to the house.  I open the back door and the dog and girl come bounding in.  There’s lots of laughs and joy in the air.

The dream ends.

The Connections:

1.  Empty buffet table: I’m looking for other people to fill my table.  I need to be self-reliant to fill my “own” table.

2.  Carrying things, needing a cart:  I need to drop some of the things. The point isn’t to take everything with me and definitely not in a cart so I can lug all that stuff around.

3.  The woman in the elevator:  I need to rely on spirit to manifest what I want, not expect physical things to solve the problem.

4.  Keys:  I hold the keys for my life.  Never give them away – there is no authority figure in my life but me.

5.  Old checks:  Money owed to me isn’t going to solve any problems, the moeny in itself is not my “source”.  Spirit is my source, all else is a detail.

6.  Young Girl and Puppy:  More joy is needed in my life. Open the door and let it in.

What may be hard to understand in reading this is how it is relating to my life.  I’m in a transition place and have been living “in between” making a decision.

Whaddya think?  Did you make any connections in this dream  that I may have missed?  I’d love to hear it.

When we bought this house just about 12 years ago, at the time we needed alot of space.  Our 2 daughters were 15 and 16, and our son was 3.  There was always a bustle in the house, someone going here, someone going there, teens in and out, eating out of the fridge, cupboards went from bare to replenished to bare again in 2 days time.  It made life interesting (errr, a-hemm).

And when the girls were in their teens, they couldn’t WAIT to get out of this house.  It was like we were keeping them here in chains.  So they both left the house in their teens, and while we were a bit upset at them leaving in a rush, there was not much to do except let them go.  And we did.

So fast forward a couple years later in the cold world, and both girls have been back at one point or another.  Right now one is living with us, with our grandson who is 2.   Our bedrooms never seem to get empty enough where I do something new with the space.  I guess that’s a good thing… At one point I was setting up my upstairs dojo in a spare room,  when the revolving door opened again.  As soon as space opens up, the universal vacuum kicks in and wella, the space is filled yet again.

We’re ok with helping them get back on their feet.  We don’t want them to leave in a big rush again and find themselves in a hole, but then again we don’t want them to take “too” long either… So, I thought I ‘d share my tips for living with adult children since the perils are equally as challenging as teenagers:

1.  Do try to set boundaries.  They don’t always work but especially when there are younger ones involved, try to establish some ground rules.  This could involve willingness to babysit (when grandkids are involved), laundry days, etc.  Nothing is worse than competing for laundry machines in your own house!

2. Work together to set a goal for moving.  Help them organize their finances and plans so that they have the best chance of hitting their goals.  The reality is, they don’t really want to stay there any longer than necessary, but it also helps to avoid complacency if they do get a little “too” comfortable.

3.  Require some semblance of room tidiness.  Surprising fact: an adult child can quickly regress into keeping their room like they did when they were a teenager.  This alone can drive anyone mad crazy.  At one point, we spoke with our daughter when she was on the bad end of this spectrum and she promptly said ” Well David’s room is just as bad as mine.”  Whoa there, he’s 14, you’re 25 and already been out of the house and now back.  Your time has come and gone!  No dice…

4.  Learn to let go of small stuff.  Just like any child would, there is a clutter of mess that gets left behind.  As much as you want to think that they will pick up after themselves, you discover that not to be the case.  Sure you can gripe about it, but all it gets is frustration.  So, learn to focus on the big stuff and ignore the small stuff.

5.  Get rent if you can.  Sometimes this is a touchy subject.  My husband and I diverge on this point.  My approach is to charge a nominal fee for rent, and then put that money away to support their future move.  Let’s face it, saving money can be hard so this is a way to help that process in the name of “rent.”  It also lets them feel they are contributing to the household.  But if your other half isn’t on board, it’s unlikely to get roots.

6.   Plan for surprises.  Surprises come in all forms.  Just recently a surprise for us was when  a small party turned into a big party of 32 people!  Other surprises include last minute requests for help … financial or otherwise, significant others coming to stay, and so on.

7. Keep communication doors open.  Things can go sour with unspoken, resentful thoughts lingering around.  Reactions will be similar to how this same child would react if they were a teenager.  So be prepared for some drama, even though you’d think they would have grown out of it by now.  Take some of the responsibility in that we own some of the energetic communication that is in the “air” and just not being spoken aloud.

Ok, so the reality is, alot of this stuff won’t happen the way you want it to.  We’ve been successful with items 1, 4 and 6 and 7.  We tried for #2 and #3, but initial plans went south and tidiness is still an issue.  But then I go to #4 of not sweating the small stuff, that’s what really does help keep things flowing smoothly.  The rest have hit the wall at one point or another, or just never got off the ground. It’s ok, we’re all still learning.  Relationships require lots of patience, understanding and compromise.

If you experienced this, what has worked for you?

I was watching the movie “Master and Commander” the other night which stars Russell Crowe (one of my favs for a number of reasons ).  For those of you who don’t know the movie’s premise, it’s set in 1805 during the gallant yet brutal Napoleonic wars. Crowe is a British Captain who commands a beautiful multi-masted vessel which is sets out on a mission to overtake a French enemy ship. He  pushes his boat and crew to points of almost disaster to achieve his quest.  It’s set in all it’s glory, epic like Gladiator… you can’t help but feel like you’re on the ship.

There were several gripping moments throughout the movie, but there was once scene that connected with me at a deeper level … and I thought… wow this is so relevant!!   I’ll explain…

Manuevering the Storm

The scene comes just after Crowe executes a brilliant naval maneuver and escapes a defensive chase from the French vessel by faking them out … and regains his position of power.   The crew is esctatic and thrilled to be back on the offense vs. the defense.  Then a terrible storm hits and the ship is rolling left and right.  All of a sudden survival is the goal.  Part of the crew are a number of young boys who are preparing for a life on the sea, it was very much part of the times and the expectation of making boys to men.  The storm came on so fast that they did not have time to take down the all the mast sails.  He send up one of the young boys who is popular on the ship to wrap up sails on the biggest mast.   He climbs up, and he’s hanging on for dear life as the ship tosses back and forth.  He looks frightened out of his mind, you can feel his fear.  He struggles while the boat is thrashing around, and yells down for help (and can barely be heard due to the storm), finally the Captain ordered another young boy to climb up and assist.  But just as the second young boy starts the treacherous climb, you hear a huge “CRACK” and then the mast breaks off with the boy attached and it falls into the turbulent sea.

Watching it you feel the horror, hopeful the boy will be saved.  The crew were all yelling to the boy to “swim!!” but you know he won’t make it through the huge wave swells.  The Captain is yelling to the boy, watching him struggle… he is visibly upset because he really liked this boy. But his officer is urging him to cut the ropes to the mast otherwise the whole ship will go down.  The mast is dragging down the whole ship, turning it on its side.  Stuff’s falling out, crew are clinging to what they can as the mast force pulls the weight of the ship down.   As awful as it was, the Captain realized that he needed to sacrifice the one life for the 100 on the ship.  And he grabs a sword and starts chopping at the ropes that is connected to the mast in the water, one by one.  Finally the mast is severed, and the ship rights itself back up.  You can see the boy in the distance sitting on the mast getting further and further away.  His fate was determined.

The Broken Mast

I felt a knot in my stomach watching this scene.  How horrible to make such a life or death decision.  Then something clicked in my mind.  Is there something in my that life represents this broken mast?  What is dragging me down and not letting me right up my ship? With that view of things, I began to relate on a different level.

With the economy being the way it is, I thought it was a good metaphor for the stormy sea.  It’s out of my direct control, and the only way to survive is to batten down the hatches, reduce expenses as much as possible and ride the storm out.  It will eventually pass. Storms always do.

Making tough decisions

It also put focus on the importance of making those tough decisions.  They aren’t easy and when we’re not looking at real life or death, we can postpone those decisions.  The reality is that we are hurting ourselves and others in not making them.  Some times we need to let go of situations, people, jobs, relationships, and so forth. Hanging on to things that are not helping and are dragging us down only perpetuates a situation that needs to be “righted up” like the ship.

We all have difficult decisions to make.  We all need to fill in the blanks for ourselves.  I filled in mine.

What does mast represent for you?

It was a typical night for me, waking up at the random hour of 3 am, mind turned on, wheels turning.  And all of a sudden I was receiving a poem… I’ve never been a poet nor have tried to intentionally write poems myself.  But it came fast and furious.  I got up and had to write it down.  I thought I’d share it here…

Ignition Happening

In reading the written word,
or the actions of another;
In a smile on the lips,
or the eyes of lover;
During a walk in the gentle rain,
or carousing on the shores of Maine;
In a fun little push of a swing,
or hearing a robin’s roost in the spring;

Lighting the flames of the soul
Come not when beckoned or called
but come inthe softness of the night
sitting in the moonlight;
allowing
yearning
desiring
appreciating all that is…
all that can… and will be.;

Upon fanning the flame
with a soft breath, a sweet kiss,
a loving hug, or a playful tug;
Never in the doing but in the being.

Being in kindness,
letting love flow,
from our hearts,
and through our fingertips;
through our touch,
or in giving;

And allowing the gentle flow of love
to rain down upon another
only to ignite the flame again..and again.

***

Crazy….but cool.  Would love your thoughts…

I’m always up for a new challenge and I’ve got a new one I’m looking at starting tomorrow.  It’s a physical fitness bootcamp, thanks to my sister-in-law Kelly .  It’s an 8-week program where groups compete with each other to achieve the greatest improvement as a whole.  There is a personal trainer that helps each group, and keeps everyone focused on their goal.  I must say it’s been quite awhile since my feet have entered a gym – perhaps 15 years plus??  My feeling has always been that exercise doesn’t need to happen in a gym per say.  I’ve participated in karate and tai chi classes, but all have been held in a dojo and not a formal gym. My other routine is a couple mile walk with my dog.  It will be interesting to see how this goes.

In previous posts, I definitely have undertaken various lifestyle changes in diet, thought processes, practices, and this one is really no different.  I’ll keep you posted on my progress.  I’m looking forward to getting back to a better eating discipline too – I’m kind of off track from my year-long pilgrimage of no wheat, no whites, no sugar.  I did feel better then too…if there was only a way to avoid smelling a fresh loaf of bread!  But I digress, I’ll deal with that one too.  And eagerly await my physical transformation…

My brother and his wife have lived in many places, but have not lived close by in years.  He’s often said he’s not coming back to Massachusetts, which has never really bothered me.  But, when they announced last year that they were having twins, I really started to feel the distance. I wanted to celebrate with them and our family, but this was going to be near impossible without traveling to see them.  If they lived close by, then throwing a baby shower would have been a no-brainer, but this was not going to be case.

So I started to look around to see how we could celebrate with them, and use web 2.0 technology as a tool to do that.  I’ve been a big SKYPE user for a couple of years now, and began to wonder if there was a way to use that as a mechanism to gather our family virtually.  I also investigated using streaming video software on a free platform like DimDim or LiveStream, but upon a closer look this required more logistical coordination with my brother’s computer and with him being in Portland, OR, that would have been tough.

Based on that research, I decided to use SKYPE as the tool for our communication.  It’s a free computer- to-computer communication tool, and uses the Internet as the “phone line”.  It has video capabilities too, and if your computer has a microphone and video camera, then it’s a snap to use.  Even if a computer does not have video or a microphone, it’s relatively cheap to pick up a web cam and mike (under $100 for a Windows PC).  I have a Mac and everything is built right in.  I did decide to purchase a separate web cam though, because the field of view in my built-in camera is limited and my vision for orchestrating this was on a grander scheme .  Keep in mind that Mac peripherals like web cams cost more than a Windows system and it’s important to make sure the technology purchased is compatible with Macs.  Not every web cam out there works with a Mac.

So here’s how everything went, the good, bad and the ugly:

1.  I had my brother purchase a web cam so we could “see” them for the shower call.  We tested out our SKYPE video a few times leading up to the shower date to make sure they were set and ready.

2.  I sent out an email invitation to everyone on our “list”. This work is no different than planning other showers, except that everything is done electronically and you need working email addresses.  The invitation outlined the date/time, and informed everyone we were using SKYPE and required setting up a free account.  On the invitations, I intially set it up on Evite.com, which lets you manage RSVPs online.  But I found it that folks needed a registered account to make it work, and that created confusion.  I heard from several people with problems.  I followed up with a regular email to everyone and ended up sticking with that vs. using the Evite system.

For the gift coordination, I shared all baby shower registry information, and set a deadline to mail gifts to my sister-in-law by a certain date.  The goal here was to have her open the gifts using the video feature on SKYPE and share with us the goodies.

3.  I requested an RSVP with their SKYPE user name.

4.  I encouraged people to gather together in groups to minimize confusion and encourage a family celebration.  I held a small gathering at my house for my local family, had appetizers and such just like a regular shower.  This worked well, and we had 4 groups in different states gathered which made the coordination much easier.  You can have up to 20 people on a SKYPE call at once, but it can get overwhelming trying to sort through that many contacts.

5.  I sent out email reminders before the gift deadline and a couple of days before the shower, and reminded folks to sign up for SKYPE if they had not done so.

6.  I wanted to kick things up a notch and broadcast this gala event on my TV and not use my computer as the main screen.  I have a 50″ widescreen TV, and it would make viewing for our guests much easier and more exciting.  Plus, I wanted my brother and sister-in law to see everyone at our house too, hence the external web cam made it easier to set up and place in a strategic location near my laptop.  I had to buy a special cable to make the Laptop to TV connection – I did a few Internet searches, found an online cable company, called their tech support line because I had no clue what I needed…. and thankfully they were helpful and ordered me a cable!  Make sure to test things out before hand to make sure it works!  Do this at least 2 weeks in advance to give you time to return something if it doesn’t work the first time.  The cable I purchased was for video only. I found out after I could have done an audio/video connection but my laptop sufficed with its speakers for the audio portion.

7.  On the day of the party, I connected with everyone on SKYPE and set a specific “call” time.

8.  At the call time, I used SKYPE’s “start a conference call”.  I found out that this is not the same as a “Video conference call”.  To do a video conference call, everyone needed the latest version of SKYPE loaded on their computer.  Since there were four computers connecting, this was not a huge hassle, but it did set us back about 30 minutes.  Lesson learned here is make sure that everyone has the very latest software loaded.  You’d think that if folks set up a new account they would have the latest software, but this was not the case.  Because we were trying to access the video feature, SKYPE prompted us to what we needed to download.

Once we had everything right, the video call worked!  We had 4 locations with about 20 people total participating. SKYPE let’s you toggle between different video screens for those who were participating so we could see everyone and everyone could see us.  It was a blast, and watching everything on the big TV was a huge hit!  We could see my sister-in-law’s BIG belly, which was just hilarious because she was tiny to begin with and she was having twins.  We watched her open her gifts and share them with us, which was great.

We did not organize any games, it would have been challenging to coordinate.  We were just happy to pull the whole thing off.  After the call, we ended up calling back our relatives in Florida (who participated) and video chatted with them for awhile on the big screen.

While it wasn’t the same pomp and circumstance as a regular baby shower, we certainly had fun and shared in the joy and excitement with our family. Now we have everyone using SKYPE as a regular communication tool, and now that the babies are here, we can see them on the screen anytime we want.

SKYPE is truly a blessing and brings people together!

Don’t be afraid to give it a try…good luck!