We frequently get requests for "prayers." A freind of the Church recently contacted me with teh following request:

 I am sorry to bother you, but this little boy needs prayers – badly. He's a friend of a friend and we are trying to get a prayer chain going around the world. I was hoping you could ask the folks in your Church ( Trish has mentioned the newsletter to me.) to pray for him.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lukejohnston

He's just a little tyke and I think at this point they could all use a miracle.
 I hope it's not too much to ask.

I was instantly reminded of my college internship with the Pediatrics Unit at Roswell Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY.  The thought of children with cancer is never easy or pleasant, but it happens with alarming frequency.

Prayer is always appreciated, but so is volunteer work.  Roswell Park has its own volunteer link, but if you have the love to share, I would encourage you to volunteer at a local Pediatric unit.  Trust me: in giving you'll recieve far more than you can imagine.

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The gender-specific words “Father,” “King,” and “Lord” are often used when referring to a Christian God. Feminist theologian Elizabeth Johnson, interviewed in U.S. Catholic magazine, is setting about trying to change that.  Johnson (a Catholic) objects to more than the perception of God as a male, and, therefore, worldly and finite being. She also takes issue with the paternalistic view of religion that the words instill. According to Johnson, the gendered language reinforces outdated perceptions of God that are straining the vital connection between people and spirituality.

Personally, it sounds to me like she might do better to find a local Pagan group that recognizes the duality of the Lord and Lady, rather than trying to change 2,000 years of Catholic Dogma, but, then again, who am I to lecture anybody else about tilting at windmills?

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While our church’s Managing Director was at work, he got a Tech Support call from a group called the Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta.  Many of their beliefs are in line with the philosophies held by several of our church members, so he passed this along to me.  With a little digging, I was able to find more about the Center for Spiritual Living, Religious Science and Science of Mind (all different names for the same thing) and the work of Dr. Ernest Holmes, a self-taught philosopher who rigorously studied all of the world's Spiritual paths for most of his life. In 1927, he wrote The Science of Mind, which synthesized the truths that he discerned were present throughout all of the world's faiths. “Religious Science” was the original name for this movement.

For the official site of the United Centers of Spiritual Living, please click here, or copy and paste the following link into your browser’s window:
http://www.religiousscience.org/xindex02.html

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As one of our elders lives with Fibromialgia , this is a subject that's taken on a new level of significnce for many of our members.  Here's a little more about it:

 In her own words: living with fibromyalgia
Karen K. is a 45-year-old postal clerk. She's suffered from fibromyalgia-related pain for at least 18 years, and was diagnosed 12 years ago. Despite frequent bouts of pain and regular episodes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)—a condition common among fibromyalgia patients—Karen considers herself lucky to be able to pursue hobbies like gardening and remodeling projects around her home. The divorced mother of two is currently helping plan her daughter's wedding.

Pain Management Center: Spiritual Tools for Living with Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome characterized by diffuse or specific muscle, joint or bone pain, fatigue, and a wide range of other symptoms. It is not contagious, and recent studies suggest that people with fibromyalgia may be genetically predisposed.

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A very uplifting Irish Blessing for you… sent with all the "blessing" I can give it!

http://www.e-water.net/irishblessing_en.html

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This is a real treat.  It’s a series of free Podcasts called The Joy of Living Creatively: Tapping Your Innovation and Imagination, by Dr. Eric Maisel, Ph.D.  It could have just as easily been called, “Getting out of your own way so you can create something wonderful.”

The description from the website reads:

Tap into your full human potential by using the creativity-inducing strategies that Eric Maisel teaches to bestselling authors, Grammy Award-winning musicians, Academy Award-winning screenwriters, and thousands of other creative clients and coaches. Experience the pleasure and confidence that comes with living creatively. Tap in to your imagination, resourcefulness and self-direction. Solve problems more quickly, make choices more easily, and use the power of your full potential to become an everyday creative person, creative at everything you do. Every week, through examples, tips and exercises, you energize your personal creative process and shine like a beacon with Dr. Eric Maisel, America’s premier creativity coach and the author 30 books including Ten Zen Seconds, Fearless Creating, Creativity for Life and Coaching the Artist Within.

For convenience sake, he refers to the exercises and activities from a writers’ point of view, but they work equally well for any creative process.  So far, there are two series’ in the collection: "Overcoming Obstacles to Creating" and "Honoring your creative space." 

Each episode is less than 10 minutes, and they can be downloaded for free and listened to like any MP3 – “Podcast” does not imply the need for anything “Pod-like.” (I used the basic Windows Media software that came with my computer, and had no problems.)

The rest of the site, Personal Life Media, is full of great resources and Podcasts designed to get the creative juices flowing.  Personally, I’m enjoying listening while I’m drawing.
 

If the above links do not work, please copy and paste the following addresses into your browser:

The Joy of Living Creatively: Tapping Your Innovation and Imagination:
http://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/227-joy-of-living-creatively

Personal Life Media:
http://personallifemedia.com/

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Sandy Grason definitely has B.A.L.L.S.  As the author of  Journalution: Journaling to Awaken Your Inner Voice, Heal Your Life and Manifest Your Dreams she showed that daring to dream big, “ballsy” dreams is just fine and manifesting those dreams is even better!  She encourages us to think like “Rock Stars” while promoting those dreams.  Fierce, fearless, and always fabulous,

Have you ever wondered what an Astrological "Age" really is (ie: what is "the Age of Aquarius," vs the "Age of Pisces"?)  …and why is 2012 so signuificant, anyway?

Wonder no more, my Star-Gazing Brothers and Sisters!  The following excerpt, from Drunvalo Melchizedek's book, Serpent of Light: Beyond 2012 gives a good overview, and plenty of reasons to check out the book itself!

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"Vipassana, or insight meditation, is the practice of continued close attention to sensation, through which one ultimately sees the true nature of existence. It is believed to be the form of meditation practice taught by the Buddha himself, and although the specific form of the practice may vary, it is the basis of all traditions of Buddhist meditation."  – By Sayadaw U Pandita

Step-by-Step Instructions on how to do this important practice ­— the foundation of all Buddhist Meditations — from the famed Vipassana master Sayadaw U Pandita, can be found here:

http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1465&Itemid=247

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