Dear Friends,

2009 has arrived and we are grateful to be able to

once again connect with you.  For the past 7 years

we did not produce nor publish a News letter, so this is

exciting to be able to re-connect with old friends and to

make new ones.

We will dedicate this Newsletter to personal growth

and transformation, which have always been our passion.

We hope that you will find the material and the articles

useful and uplifting.

We want to invite you to make this YOUR NEWSLETTER

and to contribute your stories, discoveries, struggles and

victories.

We want to thank you for your loving and loyal support

and interest in our programs.  We want to welcome our

new and future friends and we hope that you will be part

of our greater spiritual family.

TOGETHER WE CAN….TOGETHER WE DO make a difference

in this world.

We also wish you a happy, blessed, meaningful, creative

and prosperous New Year.

INSPIRATIONAL CORNER

WHY ME?

WHEN WE ARE GOING THROUGH A TIME OF DISCOMFORT OR ANXIETY, WE MAY ASK WHY ME?  THE ANSWER IS WISDOM.

THE WISDOM THAT RISES FROM THE DEPTHS OF OUR SOUL/

OUR AUTHENTIC SELF:

TO EITHER GIVE OR RECEIVE A BLESSING!

THE PAIN IN OUR LIVES IS THE TEACHER OF THE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED, THEREFORE , PAIN IS A BLESSING IN DISGUISE.  IT IS IN OUR GREATEST CHALLENGES THAT WE DISCOVER OUR TRUE

STRENGTHS AND VALUES.  OUR STRENGTHS AND TALENTS ARE THE

PRESENCE OF GOD WITHIN US.

ANYTIME WE GIVE EXPRESSION TO THE DIVINE IN US,

WE CANNOT HELP BUT TO BE BLESSED OR TO GIVE A BLESSING TO ANOTHER.

WE TRULY DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES AS WELL AS OURS.  

YOU WERE BORN WITH POTENTIAL

YOU WERE BORN WITH GOODNESS AND TRUST

YOU WERE BORN WITH IDEALS AND DREAMS

YOU WERE BORN WITH GREATNESS

YOU WERE BORN WITH WINGS

YOU ARE NOT MEANT FOR CRAWLING, SO DON'T

YOU HAVE WINGS, LEARN TO USE THEM AND FLY.

13TH CENTURY POEM BY RUMI

TRANSFORMATIONAL CORNER

USEFUL REMINDERS

IN THE GROWTH PROCESS THERE ARE TWO STUMBLING BLOCKS THAT ARE HARD TO OVERCOME: SURRENDER & FORGIVENESS.

FOR MANY OF US THE IMPRINTS REGARDING SURRENDER AND FORGIVENESS ARE:  WEAKNESS, DANGER, GIVING- UP, LOSING, ABUSE, DANGER AND LOSS OF POWER.

AS ALWAYS SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS ABOUT PARADOXICAL THINKING

AS I SURRENDER AND ADMIT POWERLESSNESS OVER MY EGO PERCEPTIONS

MY AUTHENTIC SELF BECOMES EMPOWERED

AS I GIVE UP CONTROL I GAIN MANAGEABILITY AND EMPOWEREMENT

AS I GIVE UP ANGER/RESENTMENTS I AM RESTORED TO PEACE, HARMONY,

I GAIN A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING AND I HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE BEYOND APPEARANCES

IT IS A PARADIGM SHIFT FROM THE VICTIM TO THE VICTORIOUS

WHAT IS SURRENDER?

SURRENDER IS:  TO REALIZE THE FUTILITY OF REPEATING THE SAME PATTERNS AND

                                   EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS

                                   IS TO REALIZE THAT TRYING TO CONTROL OUTCOMES CREATES PAIN,

                                   STRUGGLES AND FRUSTRATION

                                   IS BEING IN THE NOW

                                   IS THE DESIRE FOR CHANGE AND SOMETHING BETTER

                                   IS THE REALIZATION THAT I DON’T KNOW AND I DON’T HAVE THE ANSWER

                                   IS THE REALIZATION THAT I NEED HELP

                                   IS THE WILLINGNESS TO ASK FOR AND RECEIVE HELP

                                   IS THE WILLINGNESS TO LET GO OF OUTCOMES

                                   IS THE WILLINGNESS AND HUMILITY TO EXPERIENCE MY VULNERABILITY

                                   IS THE BEGINNING OF TRUST

                         SURRENDER IS EMBRACING OUR IDENTITY/OUR

                         AUTHENTIC SELF:   THE EXCELLENCE WITHIN.

                         IT IS SAYING YES TO OUR GREATNESS

WHAT IS FORGIVENESS

FORGIVENESS IS A PROCESS

AT THE PHYSICAL LEVEL:  

FORGIVENESS IS A CLEANSING OF TOXINS, EMOTIONAL POLLUTANTS AND ILLNESSES,

PRODUCED BY NEGATIVE EMOTIONS

AT THE EMOTIONAL LEVEL: 

FORGIVENESS IS A HEALING, RELEASING AND FREEING ENERGY

A STATE OF HEART AND MIND AND AN ACT OF SELF LOVE

IT IS A SELF EMPOWERING ACT:  WE RECLAIM OUR EMOTIONAL POWER BACK  

A PASSPORT TO OUR EMOTIONAL FREEDOM AND MATURITY

AT THE MENTAL LEVEL: 

FORGIVENESS IS A COGNITIVE PROCESS OF WORKING THROUGH SPECIFIC STEPS

IT IS A CONNECTOR THAT RECONNECTS OUR HEAD AND HEART AS WELL AS OUR VALUES AND

BEHAVIORS

AT THE SPIRITUAL LEVEL:  

FORGIVENESS IS A SPIRITUAL CATALYST FOR LOVE AND COMPASSION

A GIFT AND GRACE OF GOD

A PATHWAY TO PEACE AND HARMONY

CONTINUING THE WORK:  INVENTORY

SURRENDER:  

WHO AND WHAT AM I TRYING TO CONTROL?

HOW ATTACHED AM I TO PRESERVING MY “IMAGE”?

        MY NEED TO BE RIGHT

        MY WILLFULNESS OR MY FEAR

WHAT IS MY PAY-OFF FOR STAYING STUCK?

WHAT DO I NEED TO SURRENDER?

WHAT BENEFITS WILL SURRENDER BRING ME?

FORGIVENESS 

WHO AND WHAT DO I NEED TO FORGIVE?

WHAT DO I NEED TO FORGIVE MYSELF FOR?

GRATITUDE  

WRITE YOUR LIST OF GRATITUDE – COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

SPIRITUAL CORNER 

PRACTICING THE PRESENCE IS TO ENTER THE SOLUTION ZONE.

IT IS TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE MIRACLE WORKING POWER WITHIN. 

WE LIVE IN A TIME IN HISTORY WHEN PRACTICING THE PRESENCE IS OUR SOCIETY'S GREATEST NEED.

PRACTICING THE PRESENCE IS REMEMBERING THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD AND OURSELVES. IT IS REMEMBERING WHO WE REALLY ARE. 

PRACTICING THE PRESENCE IS ENTERING INTO OUR ONENESS WITH THE ALL LOVING AND ALL KNOWING PRESENCE WITHIN US.

PRACTICING THE PRESENCE IS TAPPING INTO OUR DIVINE SELF, IT IS DOWNLOADING CONCEPTS, REVELATIONS AND GUIDANCE….IT IS LISTENING TO THE DIVINE REVEAL TO US IN A PERSONAL WAY…OUR MISSION, OUR PURPOSE.

PRACTICING THE PRESENCE IS CULTIVATING AND PRACTICING FREEDOM FROM EGO AND DEVELOPING OUR IDENTITY/OUR AUTHENTIC SELF BEHAVIORS, THUS ALLOWING OUR INNER WISDOM AND STRENGTH TO COME FORTH AND SHINE.

WHEN WE DECIDE TO PRACTICE THE PRESENCE AND WE GO WITHIN, WE ALIGN OURSELVES WITH THE POWER THAT CHANGES THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

UNFORTUNATELY YOU AND I HAVE BEEN IMPRINTED AND TRAINED TO LISTEN TO AND PRACTICE THE PRESENCE OF OUR EGOS.  EGO CERTAINLY HAS A LOUD VOICE AND TALKS TO US REGULARLY ABOUT FEAR, WORRY, LACK, LOSS, COMPETITION AND SO ON.  EGO WANTS TO CONVINCE US THAT WE MUST WIN, WE MUST BE RIGHT.  EGO GETS OFFENDED BECAUSE OF SELF-IMPORTANCE.

TO PRACTICE THE PRESENCE OF GOD WITHIN US, WE MUST HAVE A SYSTEM AND A METHOD TO PROCESS THE IMPRINTS AND EGO, SO THAT WE CAN TRULY HEAR THE VOICE OF WISDOM AND LOVE WITHIN…AND DECLARE THAT WE ARE  GOD GOVERNED 

WHEN I WAS A CHILD DURING THE WAR….I WOULD SING TO CHASE THE FEAR.

AFTER MY MOM DIED AND I WAS 10 I TALKED TO MY GUARDIAN ANGEL TO KEEP ME COMPANY AND CHASE THE LONELINESS AND GRIEF AWAY.

35 YEARS AGO WHEN I QUIT MY ADDICTIONS AND THE INSANITY PRODUCED BY MY EGO; IN A MOMENT OF ULTIMATE SURRENDER , THE EVER PRESENT LOVE OF GOD ENFOLDED ME AND NEVER LEFT ME SINCE.

AND HOW MANY STORIES OF TRIUMPHS AND SIMPLE GESTURES OF SERVICE HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED THAT WERE REWARDED BY A GRATEFUL SMILE AND YOU KNEW BEYOND THE SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT GOD IS THERE.

HOW MANY TIMES IN MOMENTS OF PAIN AND TROUBLED HEART, IN THE MIDST OF A BIG LOSS AND HEARTBREAK YOU SAID HELP ME AND FELT A SURGE OF CONFIDENCE, STRENGTH, COURAGE AND LOVE.  WE WOULD NEED A BIG BOOK TO RECORD ALL THE SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES THAT YOU HAVE HAD.  YET WE ARE CALLED TO MORE, HIGHER AND FASTER.  THE MORE WE HAVE RECEIVED THE MORE WE ARE CALLED TO GIVE.  THE ONLY THING THAT STANDS IN OUR WAY, OF TRULY BEING IN ONENES, IS THE OLD BELIEF THAT WE ARE SEPARATE FROM GOD.

I BELIEVE THAT OUR MAIN PURPOSE AND MISSION IS TO RECONNECT DAILY AND HOURLY TO OUR AUTHENTIC SELF AND BE THE EMPOWERED CHANNELS AND TRANSMITTORS OF OUR INDWELLING POWER.

TO ME YOU ARE THE SHINING STARS, THE BELOVED CHILDREN IN WHOM GOD IS VERY WELL PLEASED, AND I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT THROUGH YOUR BEAUTY AND LOVE I AM REMINDED OF MY OWN AND CONNECTED TO YOU IN ONENESS.  THANK YOU FOR BEING WHO YOU ARE. 

MEDITATION

THANK YOU GOD…THANK YOU GOD…WE BREATHE IN THANK YOU GOD

WE LET IT PENETRATE US:  THANK YOU GOD.

WE JUST LET OUR DEEPEST SECRET SAY THANK YOU GOD

WE LET OUR MOST PROFOUND WOUND SAY THANK YOU GOD

FOR THE THING THAT ALMOST BROKE US WE SAY THANK YOU GOD

FOR THE DAY THE PAIN LEFT US WE SAY THANK YOU GOD

YES THANK YOU…THANK YOU…THANK YOU!

FOR THE BILL WE COULD NOT PAY WE SAY THANK YOU GOD

AND WHEN IT GOT PAID WE SAY THANK YOU GOD

OH! FOR THE STUFF THAT WE JUST COULD NOT TAKE NO MORE WE SAY THANK YOU GOD

FOR THE THINGS WE HAVE TRIED TO FIGURE OUT AND COULD NOT WE SAY THANK YOU GOD

AND WHEN SUDDENLY WE UNDERSTOOD, WE SAY THANK YOU GOD

THANK YOU GOD FOR OUR LIVES….THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU!

FOR EVERY TEAR WE THANK YOU.  FOR ALL THE LAUGHTER WE THANK YOU

FOR EVERY BREAKDOWN AND EVERY BREAKTHROUGH THANK YOU GOD.

FOR EVERY HAND HELD AND EVERY HAND TO HOLD THANK YOU GOD

WE THANK YOU GOD – WE MADE IT

WE DID NOT KNOW THE WAY, BUT WE MADE IT….THANK YOU

WE DID NOT KNOW THE PATH…..THANK YOU GOD

WE DID NOT KNOW THE RESULTS…THANK YOU GOD

WE DID NOT KNOW THE LESSONS…THANK YOU GOD

WE COULD NOT SEE THE BLESSING…THANK YOU GOD

FOR ALL THOSE WHO LEFT THE PATH…THANK YOU GOD

FOR THOSE WHO WALKED THE PATH WITH US…THANK YOU GOD

BREATHE IN THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU GOD!

WE LET OUR BODY SAY THANK YOU GOD

WE LET OUR LIFE SAY THANK YOU GOD!

WE LET OUR HEARTS SAY THANK YOU GOD AND WE ENTER OUR MOMENT OF SILENCE

FILLED WITH JOYFUL GRATITUDE AND WE REJOICE IN OUR ONENESS.