God In The Real World

In this episode, we let it be a total hodgepodge — a little bit of everything, just like life. We talk about finding your bigness, what it means to really cherish being here, grief, and the weird, wonderful mess of being human on a spiritual path.No big agenda, just two friends showing up to see what wants to come through.

Margi and Michelle are back with a sweet story of how their newest cohost, baby Mani, came to this world in a cloud of Baba and Mehera's love. Enjoy!

After what we're rebranding as an intentional hiatus, we thought we'd kick things back off talking about anger. This episode is slightly spicy, very passionate, and, let's be honest, aren't you just glad we're back? --- Meher Baba said: Someone asked Hafiz what spirituality meant and he answered in one ode: “Unless you go against your lower self,you cannot unite with your higher Self.” Now what is the lower self? That which makes you think you are small, that which makes you feel that you are not satisfied, not happy, that which makes others see you as small. So, the meaning of going against the lower self is to transform this in quite the opposite direction. Be that which makes you look big and makes others see you as big. Remain pleased and contented, happy and satisfied. When you are displeased, unhappy or upset and moody, it is your lower self asserting itself. People always put the blame for their dissatisfaction and suffering on others. But the fact is, when one suffers it is one's own fault. Mansari became excited, she was angry and suffered, and she laid it all on Elizabeth, Norina and Lucky. But if she had gone beyond the lower self, she would have taken it calmly, swallowed it and remained unaffected. If you are firm, nothing will upset you. If you try, you will surely have it. I do not want any repression, but I do want transformation. I never for one moment say that you must not get angry. Don't be confused. You must get angry when the occasion arises. But, at once, you must get it out of your head. If you are not hungry, to fast has no meaning. -www.lordmeher.org, p2143Sep, 1940; Meherabad --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

This special episode is a live recording from our last day as the guest speakers at the Meherana 2024 Sahavas. We are joined by the other guest, Adrienne Shamszad, sharing our inner life and experiences with the Mehera, the Beloved of the Beloved. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this (slightly chaotic) live recording from the Meherana Sahavas, Margi and Michelle share a bit more about their journeys, the importance of intergenerational relationships, and the spiritual significance of Bryn Mawr, PA. Feel immersed in the fun of the Sahavas through this ep! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

This May, Margi and Michelle had the opportunity to be the guest speakers at the Meherana Sahavas in Mariposa, CA. During the four-day Sahavas, we recorded our talks so that we could share them with you! We hope you enjoy this live podcast from our Welcome Talk. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

Ever feel like life just keeps throwing things at you? Same. In this episode, we talk about how to roll with those punches, overcome obstacles, and just stay afloat in this world. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

Michelle and Margi ponder imagination, appreciating the good, accepting the bad, and living with everything in between. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

A sweet simple episode with series of questions answered by Michelle and Margi --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

Margi and Michelle use Meher Baba's “Final Declaration” to guide a conversation around current global conflicts. (https://trustmeher.org/meher-baba-messages/the-final-declaration) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this episode Margi and Michelle discuss depression and mental health struggles on the spiritual path and in life with Baba. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

Bill Foley joins us on the podcast to share his Baba story. We love you, Bill! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

Merwan Keller joins Margi and Michelle on this episode to give all listens a short introduction to God Speaks and the journey of the soul. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

Margi and Michelle are joined by the incredible Adrienne Shamszad who shares her Baba story in this beautiful episode. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

Margi and Michelle recap the Perceptions of Disconnection series as it comes to a natural pause point. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this episode Margi and Michelle continue the conversation on the divide between intergenerational relationships within the Baba world with Michael Kane. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

Margi and Michelle are joined by skipper Schauer to continue the conversation on perceptions of disconnection. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this episode, Margi and Michelle talk to Aidni Ormerod. She shared her story and experiences of life in Baba. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

Michelle and Margi dive into their experiences from the 2023 Youth Sahavas, as well as the struggles and challenges of entering back into the world after the event. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

Margi and Michelle continue their chats about intergenerational connections in the Baba community with Dyan Ullman and Terri Levine. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

Michelle and Margi continue the “Perceptions of Disconnection” series, discussing intergenerational Baba connections with Wisteria Winters. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

This episode Margi and Michelle discuss the importance of connecting the different generations in the Baba world with Alisa Genovese. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this episode Michelle starts us off with a sweet story from That's How It Was, followed by conversation about Baba's mandali. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this episode, Margi and Michelle interview Alan and hear his coming to Baba story! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this episode, Margi and Michelle dive into the topic of shame and what roles in plays in our life on the spiritual path. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this episode Michelle and Margi discuss how they love Baba inwardly through all the trial and tribulations of life. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Baba said Mehera was His female counterpart-the feminine expression of God. On top of their Divine Love story, Mehera was a vision of beauty, power, and Love. She was the living example of how to Love God as He should be loved. In this episode Margi and Michelle discuss their personal relationships with her as well as her influence in the world. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Baba makes it so easy for us to love Him. He never told us we had to follow any specific spiritual practice. He just told us to Love Him. Michelle and Margi discuss the ways to Love God in the practical. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Michelle and Margi pay homage to Baba's New Life by discussing Baba's New Life message and the constant companionship of the Beloved in our daily lives. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Margi and Michelle Baba's voice of Intuition on the path to Him. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

What if you saw yourself how God saw you? What would change? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this episode Michelle and Margi discuss the significance or insignificance of dreams where Baba appears. “Likewise, when one sees Baba in one's sleep dream, it is significant because even though we are asleep and dreaming we have the semblance of Reality and hence His appearing in our dream has significance.” -Eruch Jessawalla --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Michelle and Margi discuss what Baba has said about past lives and sanskaras. If you have interest in learning more about what Baba has said you can refer to the Discourses or reach out to Michelle and Margi. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this episode, Margi and Michelle what it means to navigate trauma on the spiritual path and how to hold to Baba through it. Quote, “Traveling with me is full of both joy and hardships. Joy in the sense that you have the privilege of my company and are able to enjoy the benefits of my explanations. Hardship in the sense that there is plenty of work to be done and I am a hard taskmaster.” --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Margi and Michelle are joined by Cindy James, who just happens to be Michelle's fabulous mama. Baba Quote: Here it is!WORK Meher Baba Do whatever needs to be done, but do it as a spiritual being. As one who knows he is divine by nature and unlimited with the whole of life in essence. Do it as if you are doing it for Me or for God. Do it with equal consideration for the interests of all concerned, for God is equally in each. Do it with utmost concentration, yet with utter detachment for the results of action. Leave the fruit of action to Me or to God. Do it as if it were the most important thing in the universe, yet let it be destroyed, or ignored, or ridiculed without concern, or let it be praised without elation. Leave the response to Me or to God. Do it, in short, as if you were not doing it at all, but as if I or God were doing it through you. PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY, p. 208, John A. Grant 1985 © Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Michelle and Margi talk all about those serendipitous mystical moments that keep us going. Baba Quote: “I am nearer to you than your own breath. Remember Me, and I am with you and My Love will guide you. Your being with Me physically is immaterial. It is My being with you that matters. So keep Me with you always. You have to love God silently and honestly even in your everyday life. Whilst eating, drinking, talking and doing all your duties, you can still love God continuously without letting anyone know. Through unfathomable ways, I lead you to liberation. Accept My rhythm, come in tune with it without reservations. My rhythm of Truth shall redeem you: it will open your heart, it will give you new love.” --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Bif Soper joins us from India to share his story of coming to Baba and how Baba continues to show up in his life. Baba Quote: "It is natural that at times you feel 100% miserable. Be sure that I know everything. When everything goes wrong, the mind becomes helpless and has to rely on the heart. These are the moments when you resign to my will and rely solely on my help. When you leave all to Me, I dare not neglect you, and you get relief from your predicament. I am the Ocean of Love and Compassion. Indicating the helplessness of a lover, the poet Hafiz has said, "In loving my Beloved, I have become like an ant under the foot of an elephant — safe and secure, but helpless to move." To demand anything from the Beloved is an insult to Love. Love only gives and goes on giving till the will of the Beloved alone manifests through the lover." --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this episode Michelle and Margi speak to Aaron Hemeon about his spiritual journey and inner life with the Beloved, Meher Baba. “He who speculates from the shore about the ocean shall know only its surface, but he who would know the depths of the ocean must be willing to plunge into it.” Discourses: The Deeper Aspects of Sadhana - Pg 207 in the 6th revised edition of the Discourses” & “Call on me at all times…I will never fail to help.” --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Michelle and Margi speak at the LA Sahavas about this podcast and the inner life in the modern world. This is a live recording from the Zoom call. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this episode Margi and Michelle discuss the challenge of entering back into the world after a period intense spiritual exchange and how to integrate that into everyday life. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

After technology gave us some trouble, we decided to just talk about how to roll with whatever comes up and have faith. Baba Quote: Love. Everyone now uses the word ‘love'; it has been made so very cheap. If one really loves, one would never utter that word. What does it mean to love God? It is a very, very great thing. The true lover of God never says anything. He forgets that he loves God. How will you love God? How should you love God? Not through so-called prayers or other things. There are two ways. One is to leave all and everything. That means to have nothing of your own, not even your body - to renounce absolutely everything. Everything means not only your surroundings, but everything, including yourself. The second thing is something great. There you do not have to renounce anything. You can lead your family life, be in the world, do your work or business, attend your services, attend theatres, parties, everything. But always do one thing! Constantly think, constantly try, to make others happy, even at the cost of your own happiness. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this episode we talk to Kristine Nordeen about her life and journey with Meher Baba. Quote: Leave everything to Him and He will see to everything. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Margi and Michelle discuss how they approach difficult conversations from a spiritual perspective. There are some *slight* technical issues, which we attribute to Mercury ✨ Baba Quote: Do not get disheartened and alarmed when adversity, calamity, and misfortune pour in upon you. Thank God, for He has thereby given you the opportunity of acquiring forbearance and fortitude. Those who have acquired the power of bearing with adversities, can easily enter the spiritual path.” --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

“I have come not to teach, but to awaken. Understand, therefore, that I lay down no precepts….” In this episode Margi and Michelle breakdown and chat about Meher Baba's Universal Message. If you have interest in a Meher Baba support and discussion group email margaret.connor1998@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Don't worry. Be happy. In this episode, we take a little time to talk about some of our sweet funny moments with the Avatar of the Age. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

In this episode, Michelle and Margi discuss navigating doubt and personal conviction on the spiritual path with Meher Baba --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Babe quote: God is not to be sought out by running away from life, but by establishing unity with the One in the many. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Margi + Michelle chat with Aria Irani, who shares her perspective on growing up in a Baba family and how that shows up in her life today. Quote: To penetrate into the essence of all being and significance, and to release the fragrance of that inner attainment for the guidance of others, by expressing in the world of forms-truth, love, purity, and beauty-this is the game that has any intrinsic and absolute worth. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Baba Quote: A spiritual life is not ruled nor bound by any principles. The sanskaras of each one are different, and so the behavior and temperament of everyone are different. In a virtuous life, evil is suppressed and good surfaces; but the evil is still there. The bad sanskaras remain and have to be worked out, if not in this life then in the next or the one after. In the spiritual life, both good and bad sanskaras express themselves, and both get nullified. A spiritual life leads one toward naturalness, whereas a virtuous life, in the guise of humility, inflates the ego and perpetuates it! A spiritual life, though, is only led under the guidance and orders of the Avatar or Perfect Master, who knows the pulse of everyone and treats everyone according to his particular malady. You do not like Aloba's behavior, but his behavior was quite natural and necessary for him. How can you understand that? People of the world act according to moral standards and socially acceptable behavior, but the Avatar or Perfect Master deals with everyone according to his or her sanskaras. Thus spiritual life is totally different and cannot be judged on the basis of morality, ethics or any principle. [Lord Meher 13: 4591] --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

Margi and Michelle talk to Vanessa Weichberger about parenting, authenticity, and Baba. Baba Quote: Real happiness lies in making others happy. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support

David McKeever joins us to discuss how they navigate relationships with Baba, spirituality, and queerness. Quote (from The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson): ”My time with him has been the happiest time of my life. Its happiness has been more of a palpable and undeniable and unmitigated quality than any I've ever known. For it isn't just moments of happiness, which is all I though we got. It's a happiness that spreads.” --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-in-the-real-world/support