Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Embracing the Shadow - Inner Peace Tip by Catherine VanWetter, MSW

Debbie Ford, who wrote the book, The Dark Side of the Light Chasers, has finished a movie called "The Shadow'. It was released June 26, 2009 and is available for purchase. It is a movie well worth watching.

I have been following Debbie's work for years and had the opportunity to meet her at the Chopra Center in LaJolla, California, and again at the Coronado Hotel in California. Debbie's workshops focuses on that part of ourselves that we push away and that we are ashamed of. It's that part of our self that we don't like and try to hide. The shadow is sneaky and can show up as a sarcastic remark, as judgment, or in criticism. When uncovered, it often laughs, as if to soften the edges of being dishonest, cruel or unfaithful.

Carl Jung, a psychoanalysis, coined the phrase shadow to describe those places in us that are often buried deep in our unconscious. The parts of our self that we try to forget about and hope that no one sees it. Everyone has a shadow. Whenever we are not in love, joy or light, we are in the shadow.

I work with individuals and groups who want to uncover their shadow thus shedding some light onto it. They have come to a place in their life where the shadow part of them brings them so much grief and pain, that they want to get to the core of it. It takes courage to do this depth of work because we often go into those places in us that we would just as soon ignore but that keep coming up, reminding us of their existence. It's like having a thorn in our side. We're aware that it is there and yet it is illusive and shows up as addictions, distractions, anxiety and depression, to name just a few.

Throughout my years of training and self-healing, I have begun to come to a place of peace within myself, and my shadow. My sense is that the shadow's initial intention was to protect us. One of the ways that the shadow did this was to help us feel that we were connected to those around us and that we had something in common with others. We could talk negatively of someone, gossip, and "puff" ourselves up because we thought that we were better than the one that was being ridiculed. Yet, that part that we didn't like in someone else often was a part in us that we didn't like. This is where the ego plays a huge part in the shadow. If we are proven wrong, the ego expands, and if we are successful in hiding our shadow it expands as well. Often people who begin to get in touch with their shadow may have the dark night of the soul or several, where the parts of them that are no longer working show up in the middle of the night as they are trying to sleep. It's that anxiety attack that seemingly comes out of nowhere waking them from a deep peaceful slumber.

As one begins to notice the shadow and shed compassion light on it, then the true work of resolving that part can occur. Until we have compassion for that part of our self and become aware of it, as a witness, we will not be able to embrace it. The shadow shows us duality. With the dark is the light. There are saints and there are sinners. This duality allows us to see the contrast that we walk in everyday. It's finding the balance and honoring all of our self, especially the shadow. By doing this we can heal that shadowy part that has kept us from our pure essence of light, love and joy.

The times that we are in are challenging and as a result are activating many people's shadows. It's showing up as road rage, pervasive anxiety, violence, corruption, and betrayal. The shadow is appearing in ways that is evasive and often sneaks up on us when we are not conscious, when we're stressed out or tired. To become aware of our shadow and how it shows up our life is to begin noticing it. It's in the noticing that we can begin to come to terms with it, and to begin to heal that part of our self that has been deeply wounded. Give yourself permission to begin this sacred healing through gentle noticing and deep awareness. You may be very surprised at the gems you find deep within your shadows.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Trans-Siberian Goodwill Tour by Linda Wieland

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Trans-Siberian Tour members deliver workshops in the Buryat Republic

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Trans-Siberian Goodwill Tour has completed it's stay in Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Buryat Republic in south-central Siberia. For several months the tour has been providing workshops, seminars and one-on-one help in the region.

Teachers at a secondary school who attended a workshop on Study Technology thought what they learned would greatly benefit their students and the community at large. The workshop covered fundamental laws on learning, researched and discovered by L. Ron Hubbard. One teacher was surprised how much this applied to her students' ability to perform music. Another teacher said the information would improve her students' performance and she was grateful it was being made broadly available through the work of the Goodwill Tour.

The tour provides workshops on the many subjects covered in the Scientology Handbook, including how to cope with problems at work, how to improve relationships, raise happy children and achieve one's goals in life.

L. Ron Hubbard once wrote, "If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a Volunteer Minister and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance." The Trans-Siberian Goodwill Tour is one of ten Goodwill Tours dedicated to accomplishing this purpose, bringing help to people in remote areas. For more information visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Scientology Course on the Human Mind Delivered in Romania by Linda Wieland

With interest high in Scientology and Dianetics a course called "The Anatomy of the Human Mind" met with great success in Timisoara, Romania.

The publication last fall of 9 Scientology and Dianetics books in Romanian has ignited tremendous interest in the subject of the human mind. Add to that the presence in the country of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers European Goodwill Tour, and demand for Scientology and Dianetics courses was inevitable.

In answer to the many requests for more information, a course was presented called "The Anatomy of the Human Mind Course." It was held in the city of Timisoara, Romania to a packed house and covered basic concepts of the Scientology religion. The course was based on a series of lectures first delivered by Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard in December 1960 and January 1961.

The course contains a precise description of the mind, how the mind works, its components, and its relationship to the individual. It addresses such things as improving memory, how past instances of pain and painful emotion affect one's life in the present and how to eradicate these ill effects.

Copies of the original lectures by L. Ron Hubbard are available in English and 15 other languages through New Era Publications Incorporated in Europe and Bridge Publications for the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia and Oceania.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Faith Can Help You Through Recession, Adversity by Joel George

Joel George wants you to have faith.

And his message couldn't come at a better time. With unemployment reaching record levels and the economy reeling from bank failures, market lapses and multiple industry bail-outs, hope for the future is dimmer than ever.

But George, author of Signs and Visions Fulfilled from Morris Publishing (www.signsandvisions.com), has faced tough times, including an employer who cheated him out of money, false accusations of criminal activity and an accident that had him bouncing from doctor to doctor.

"When you are going through something like I have," George said, "some people do not like to see that you can still smile and have joy and be thankful to the Lord while you are going through your suffering."

George's story makes the current economic crisis pale by comparison.

It began with him falling out of a tree at work, and then being manipulated by his employers so they could avoid a worker's compensation claim and liability for the fall. At one point, they even had a doctor trying to convince him the damage to his knee didn't come from the fall, but rather, by a just-detected cancer.

After that, he was accused of selling drugs and abducting a young woman, but through it all, George held fast to his belief in God and was rewarded with happiness and joy in his faith, he said. He credited his ability to persevere to his relationship with his Pastor and the Elders of his church, and his unique outlook on the Christian religion.

"I hope that someone doesn't think that I'm trying to persuade them. I am just giving my testimony," he explained. "But as the country faces adversity and hopelessness, I just wanted to let them know that hope is not gone. Hope, perhaps the best of things, can be delivered to each of us through faith. Scripture tells us 'Act as ye have faith, and faith shall come unto thee.' I'm living proof that it works."

George expressed his belief that those who suffer can be brought closer to God as a result of their suffering. He is very steadfast in that conviction, stating that, "When you see the goodness in someone, you see God."

He is also very strong in his belief that forgiveness is a key component to a life of faith and redemption, even amidst the profiteering and fraud that seems to run rampant in the marketplace.

"You cannot get into heaven with hate in your heart," he said. "You see, if some people would turn down the hate and exercise love, we can overcome. The first thing people should do is learn how to forgive one another."

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

The Second Cycle by Alan Richards

Kira Blakely is a lucky girl.

She is getting a scholarship to a prestigious University, one that she would never have been able to afford. There is, however, a catch. Her last class must be one of her mysterious benefactor's choosing. When she arrives for her first day, she finds she is the only student and it is not a class, it is a paper that she must write. Her professor hands her a paper with a question on it - a question that leads her on a quest for truth.

The Second Cycle by Alan Richards, Emerald Book Company (www.emeraldbookcompany.com) is the story of a journey. Kira, Julia, Daniel and Peter embark on a journey that challenges the beliefs of major religions. Their journeys represent the myriad roads that we all may encounter when we embark upon the search for answers.

• Kira - Like most people, Kira Blakely has never considered that there could be another truth than the one she has believed all her life, until her friend Julia reenters her life. Kira's search for the truth about her mysterious benefactor leads her to a truth about her past that she never expected.

• Julia - Julia Edwards was certain in her belief in Christianity. She left college to learn more about her religion. Somewhere along the way she lost her faith, and gained a surprise.

• Daniel - After a miraculous recovery from a serious car accident, Daniel Aiello awakens to find that God has chosen him to impart certain truths. Truths that contradict the teachings of the prevailing religions.

• Peter - Peter Grayson stumbled into an internship in medical research. This research will reveal the truth behind human memory and challenge the idea that death is an ending.

When Kira and Julia meet Daniel, they are not sure if he is a prophet or delusional.

"God created a finite number of souls," said Daniel in the book. "Each soul resides in the same person for all eternity. The soul is never separated from its person. The appearance of the body will change as the soul progresses through the seven cycles of existence, but the person inside the body never changes."

The Seven Cycles of Existence, according to Richards' book, are:

• innocence • knowledge • compassion • perseverance • courage • tribulation • purity

Daniel believes that each soul must fulfill a certain number of "Achievements" in each cycle. A soul is reborn into each cycle until it has completed each of the Achievements. When the last soul has completed the last cycle and all souls are with God, then peace, love and harmony will rein.

Every year on the anniversary of his accident, Daniel falls asleep at the time of day he went into a coma. It is then that God imparts his messages to Daniel, who then awakens at the exact same time of day that he awoke from his coma.

Kira and Julia suggest to Daniel that he join Peter's research group. Peter's professor is conducting experiments on human memory. They decide that Daniel will make a fascinating subject.

Is he remembering an actual event or is he delusional? The results cause the experimenters to question their perception of truth in spirituality.

"Every religion is based upon faith," according to Daniel in the book. "Belief is unverifiable. If you're looking to believe in something you can prove, it isn't religion."

Those who have never questioned their relationship with their religion will find much to contemplate in this story. For those who have reflected upon their faith, the story of Kira, Peter, Julia and Daniel will enhance their experience. As the characters in this novel search for their spiritual identity, they learn that they cannot rely on logic alone to uncover their personal truths.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Faith The Substance Of Things by Franklin Broomfield

Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Everything in the physical world has substance. In some way or another it can be detected. And the original substance of all things is faith. If God had not released his faith in the earth there would not be anything here now. Through faith God created the worlds by his words. (Hebrews 11:3). Faith is a spiritual substance by which spiritual things become physical. There is a spiritual world. God created that world with his faith and words also. That world is just as real as the physical world.

The physical world operates by the spiritual world. Look at yourself your physical body operates by your spirit. When the spirit leaves the body it ceases to operate. The spirit world is eternal (everlasting)but the physical world is temporal (temperary or subject to change)(2Corinthians 4:18). So when the eternal comes against the temporal world the temporal has to give way to the eternal. And faith is the spiritual substance that brings the spiritual into the physical. See, faith is what gives substance to the spiritual in the physical world. And that spiritual force comes from the word of God, by hearing God's word (Romans 10:17).

Understand this that things you are trying to get faith for already exist. God said faith is the substance of things and a thing is only a thing when it exist. That thing exist in the spiritual realm. But as long as it stays spiritual only you don't benifit from it. Like your healing for instance it is spiritual. By whose stripes ye were healed is a spiritual reality. But that spiritual reality has to become a physical reality for it to benifit you. And faith is the substance that gives substance to that spiritual reality into a physical reality.

Faith is believing something is so without any physical proof. And a good example of that is the 10 lepers in Luke chapter 17 they believed Jesus words which are spiritual (John 6:63) over what they saw and felt in the physical. When Jesus sent them to the priest he was calling them healed. You only went to the priest after you've been healed for him to pronounce you clean. Believing the spiritual over the physical that's what faith is all about. Faith gave substance to this physical world. And it will continue to. Faith comes by hearing but when it comes it has to be released by speaking. When you believe you will speak (2Corinthians 4:13). God gave you his word to get his faith so that you can give substance to this physical world just as He did. That's why God made you in his image and likeness.

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