We Begin Our 19th Year
Whole Life Network Release
The founders of the Whole Life Network can
be justifiably proud that their creation has withstood the test of time -
nearly 20 years! The current Board of
Directors esteems especially our founders who still retain their membership in
our network: Don Bailey, Sandi Galbreth, Dr. Bettye Hooley, Andrea Leak, and,
our first president, Becky Lindsay. We
also salute and honor those who have stepped forward and accepted nominations
to serve on the 2007 Board of Directors.
In an unprecedented special membership meeting held on December 14th at
the Coffee Trader in Montrose, the following slate of candidates for the 2007
Board of Directors was assembled:
« Bruce Avenell
- Founder of The Eureka Society
« Richard Bresett
- Owner and Manager of Stone Clan Educational Center
« Jaime Glover
- Certified Feng Shui consultant
« Bonnie Poole
- Owner and teacher, Colorado Internal Arts
« Mary Redmond
- Trager Practitioner
« Elizabeth
Roscoe - Mind/Body counseling, Full Circle Integrative Therapies
We urge all of our members and
those interested in membership to attend the next special meeting to be held on
Wednesday January 10th at 7:00 pm at the Community Room of the Montrose
Library. It will be a short meeting
with the main item of business the election of the announced slate. If you can not attend, please return your
ballot by mail, fax or email. There
remain open seats on the 2007 Board and your network is still in need of
volunteers to pursue our Mission. Can
you help with the Whole Life Fair which is scheduled this year for April
7th? We have ambitious plans for 2007
including our support of the Montrose Immigration Initiative, Health Care for
All Colorado, and The Friends of the River Uncompahgre. Your community and your network need your
involvement.
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On The “Wisdom” of New Food
by Terry Turner
Once we again we are in the
process of proving how wise God was and how infinitely arrogant we are in our
stupidity.
A recent article, from the Food
Navigator --- an excellent source of nutritional information ---explains
how wonderful it is that science can turn off several genes in a tomato so
that it has less allergen.
They do not mention that once
this genetically modified crop is loose, as all genetic crops get loose, the
fate of all tomatoes change over time as the pollen spreads across the world.
They also do not say nor can I
find any report or comment about what beneficial properties of the tomato are
reduced due to this genetic tampering.
So now we have a new non-tomato,
presently in a greenhouse; but one day its pollen will rain down in Hico,
Texas and other points around the world. And natural tomatoes will slowly
disappear.
One supposes the
new non-tomato will go down the same road as iceberg lettuce. Some of
you are old enough to remember real iceberg lettuce.... the one that had
some flavor. Improved iceberg, now
almost without flavor or nutritional value, all grows to the same
required market dimensions, rusts more slowly, and is totally devoid of
nutritional value.
I believe some people
think iceberg lettuce is a cheap food, though it is doubtful they
have considered exactly how inexpensive is something that is absolutely
worthless.
Oh well, at least I am not a
cannibal yet, as far as I know. The pigs that have received human genes
have not, I hope, yet made it into the market place. Imagine having your
morning bacon ask if you want it to cook itself to crisp. Perhaps one day we
will be able to choose bacon that has genes from Elvis Presley or Tina Turner;
it could sing to us as it cooks.
Certainly all this GM business
proves we have great technical and scientific power, but I would prefer they
could demonstrate that we have both enough ethics and wisdom to consider
what the hell we are doing to each other and the planet.
I am a simplistic fellow. I
believe God designed a great tomato. I don't think I have met the man or woman
smart enough to improve on the original design.
God's design for food allowed
any man or woman to take a tiny handful of seeds and grow crops to feed the
family and many others.
Today, in our oh-so limited
wisdom, we are allowing the giant pharmaceutical companies, like
Monsanto, to take over all food crop seeds and to genetically modify those
seeds in a way that interferes with the ability of mature plants to produce
viable seeds.
Once that power over seeds
is fully operational, we can not grow a plant from seeds without buying
it a special seed from Monsanto or some other greed machine. They
will make huge profits, and only a few million people will starve as they
cannot "save seed" for future crops. I wonder why God did not think
of that... what an improvement.
I know some of you do not think
this "matters." If you have no children or no care for the children
of the world, it does not matter, at all.
Terry Turner tdturner@hmscrown.com 970-626-5271
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Hope
by Charley Cropley
Hope is the sacred power of New
Year. It is the power to start
over. Ask yourself, “Where do I want to
start over?” How about your beloved
body? Are you sick, overweight, in
pain, fatigued, unhappy? Are you
addicted to substances, medicines, sickness, conflict, worry, spending, TV,
sex? What would you give to be free
of your addictions?
Why do so many people join
fitness clubs, stop smoking, begin diets at this time of year? The energy of the New Year awakens us to
perceive the opportunity of new beginnings in ourselves. The New Year calls to our hearts to respond
genuinely. In the light of hope our
excuses are seen as excuses, our challenges appear surmountable and our
abilities feel suddenly, wonderfully sufficient. We sense as at no other time the possibility that we could
fulfill our deepest yearnings.
I’m going to give you two ways
you can fan the embers of your hope as well as one way to keep the flames from
going out three weeks from now.
How do we strengthen hope? By exercising it, of course. We deliberately turn our attention to what
we hope for. All we need to do is to be
honest with ourselves about what we want.
Imagine God was looking us in the eye right now and lovingly asking:
“Tell me what you sincerely hope for?”
We then give ourselves to hoping for that. We hope for it fervently, passionately.
We know that our longing for
what is good is the very action of God in us.
We aligning our longings with the power of the universe and then grow
our hopes into passionate prayers. We
call out to God to come inhabit our body and mind and turn our hopes into
wholesome action. We yearn and beg and
pray to become the person we long to be.
We strive to deeply feel the genuine faith and conviction that our good
intentions will unfailingly triumph.
Next we descend into hell. We allow into our hopeful prayer what we
most fear and hate and are ashamed of… about ourselves. Why are we are NOT living our dreams? What are our weaknesses? What are we ashamed of? Where do we fail… repeatedly? What do we know we “should” be doing but
don’t and vice versa? How have we let
ourselves down in the last year? How
are we contributing to our own sickness, obesity, lonesomeness, unsatisfying
work and marital problems.
Without indulging these negative
feelings we allow ourselves to feel them fully. We cringe in revulsion and disgust at the ways we repeatedly let
ourselves down. We look at how we
refuse to give ourselves to what we know to be good and right. We acknowledge the ways we habitually,
compulsively, addictively poison, injure and deprive ourselves. We feel how deeply we do not believe in our
own greatness and therefore keep ourselves small. Ahhhyyyuuccchhh. This is
not fun. We observe how our cowardice
and fear of failure prevent us from admitting even to ourselves the things we
most want and fear. We acknowledge the
areas in which we are convinced that we are hopelessly inept, incapable and
unworthy. This is not easy work. We can only descend into the hell of our
fears and faults to the degree we are passionate about reclaiming our lives.
The hope that leads to New
Year’s resolutions is very similar to romantic love. Each moves us to make long-term commitments and then fades. For our hopes to reach fulfillment we
absolutely must know how to nourish and protect them. As our hope diminishes we can see it in our behavior. I.e. We behave like a person without
hope. Our diet becomes too difficult. Chocolate becomes irresistible. We can’t find the time to workout. Our life becomes encumbered with
difficulties and complications. These
are all symptoms of a deficiency of hope.
The greatest challenge we face
is this: How do we keep our New Year’s
hope alive and strong? How do we
sustain inspiration and commitment?
Because as our hope weakens we lose the inner strength that keeps us
moving towards our dreams.
Hope is founded upon trust. If we have a record of self-betrayal (and we
all do) how can we trust ourselves?
These are deep questions requiring personal honesty.
There is a saying in AA that penetrates straight to the heart of
self-trust;
“If you can do it, then do it.
If you can’t, admit it and get
help.”
If you can stop the sweets, do
the exercise, save the money, stop criticizing your spouse, make the business
calls… Do it! But if you can’t (or
won’t) do it, then admit it and get help.
This last step is perhaps the most essential of all. If you wouldn’t bet a year’s pay on your
success then you need help. Go get real
professional help and suport. If your
hope is genuine it will impel you to seek the help you require.
This essay offers you three ways
to grow more hopeful.
First, clarify something(s) that
you genuinely hope for. Next, nurture
your hope into a fervent prayer... daily.
Second, Descend into hell. Acknowledge and feel your self-doubt and fear without wallowing
or getting stuck in it. Turn your fears
and memories of failure into prayer and real hope.
Third, ask yourself the AA
question. And then go get help. I repeat.
Go get help.
Dr. Charley Cropley, N.D. is a
practicing Naturopathic Physician, teacher and author now living in
Paonia. He has trained hundreds of
doctors, taught at medical colleges and universities, produced DVDs, books and
many courses in nutrition and self-healing. He uses no medicines. He teaches
people to Heal all types of Health problems through the power of wholesome
nutrition, strengthening exercise, positive thinking and honest, caring relationships. For Personal Appts, DVDs, books or courses
call 970-527-7008 or charleycropley@tds.net.
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Remembering Aztlán
A Column of Poetry, Culture & Spirit by Art Goodtimes
Editor's Note: The Whole Life Network
congratulates contributor Art Goodtimes who was recently invited to join the
Board of the Colorado Progressive Coalition. He will be our Western Slope
representative to this outstanding organization that has been recognized
nationally for their contributions to a better life for all in our state.
PERSIMMONS … When I went to visit my dad in California this past
autumn, his front yard persimmon tree was fruiting. Usually we come in the
spring or summer, but because we’d made a fall trip, we were able to harvest
several bags full of persimmons to bring home to Colorado ... One interesting
thing about this unusual fruit is that it ripens slowly. Very slowly. Two
months later and I still have ripening persimmons scattered over available nook
and shelf of my living room and bed room as we speak … Occasionally we eat one
that looks like it’s quite overripe. It’s not. Ripe, persimmons are incredibly
sweet and delicious. Like pudding. But unripe, they’re loaded with tannins and
quite astringent. And tough … My dad is a great fan of Luther Burbank and the idea
of grafting one variety onto the stock of another. And, although he didn’t do
it, his persimmon tree has two kinds of fruit growing on it. In fact, the tree
is a veritable icon of Pacific Rim diversity. It’s a Japanese cultivar
(Hachiya) of a Chinese persimmon tree (Diospyros kaki, or the Kaki
Persimmon) that was brought to California from Portugal. Hachiya persimmons are
among the sweetest, although they are very astringent when not fully ripened.
Grafted on to the Hachiya is a non-astringent cultivar called Fuyu. Even
unripe, they’re sweet … Diospyros, the genus name, derives from the
Greek dios (cognate with the Latin deus for “god). It is a
genitive form meaning “of Zeus” – Zeus being the chief god of the Greek
pantheon. Pyros is Greek for “wheat,” deriving from the root pur-
meaning “fire.” Wheat was said to be flame colored when ripe and was the staple
of the Indo-European diet. Thus the scientific name for persimmon means
something like the “fire-colored food of God” – making it a flamboyant cognate with
chocolate’s caffeine-like theobromine, which literally means “food of God.” …
The word persimmon is derived from putchamin, pasiminan,
or pessamin, from an Algonquian language, Powhatan, of the eastern
United States, meaning "a dry fruit.”
COCONUT BLISS … As part of my fall trip to the West Coast, I ran into my
old Telluride Mushroom Festival staffer Tammy Davis up in Eugene, Oregon, and a
great new alternative ice cream company she’s working for -- Larry and Luna’s
Coconut Bliss. They make a vegan, non-dairy and non-soy frozen dessert delicacy
that uses organic coconut milk and agave nector as principle ingredients. In
fact, all its ingredients are organic. And its regular flavors are outrageous
enough – dark chocolate, cherry amaretto, chiapas arabica decaf – but its
specialty flavors are unbelievable – lavender wild blueberry, cinnamon
chocolate flake, and peruvian espresso – and its seasonal flavors divine –
coconut sunrise for spring, lakshmi’s luscious lime for summer, pumpkin spice
for fall and bliss nog for winter. And those are only a sampling of their wild
concoctions! Check the website for the full scoop, www.coconutbliss.com…
Currently Coconut Bliss only available in western Oregon, from Portland to
Ashland (and soon in Washington state), but I have a hunch this is a new
product that’s going to take off around the country … Ben & Jerry’s, move
over.
GUNNISON GROUSE … Dr. Bill Baker of the University of Wyoming found this
quote from Aldo Leopold, and although he was talking about a different kind of
grouse, I think it has some relevance to our own locally endangered species: “Everybody
knows, for example, that the autumn landscape in the north woods is the land,
plus a red maple, plus a ruffled grouse. In terms of conventional physics, the
grouse represents only a millionth of either the mass or the energy of an acre.
Yet subtract the grouse and the whole thing is dead. An enormous amount of some
kind of motive power has been lost.”
SPEAKING OF DR. BAKER … He and Dr. Deb Paulsen have come out with a fascinating
new natural history of our area, The Nature of Southwestern Colorado:
Recognizing Human Legacies and Restoring Natural Places (University Press
of Colorado, 2006). I’m just beginning to read the book and it seems to be a
handbook for reinhabitation, as the bioregionalists like to speak about. What
Gary Snyder said was the “real work” – learning to become native to a place.
More to come about this essential tome.
SPEAKING OF BOOKS … After 20 years of performing instead of publishing, it
looks like I’ll finally have a new book of poetry in print around the first of
the new year, As If the World Really Mattered (La Alameda Press,
Albuquerque, 2007) … I’m very excited, and it should be available at most local
bookstores, or directly from La Alameda Press (www.laalamedapress.com) or the
University of New Mexico Press (www.umpress.com)… Here’s on of the blurbs from
my buddy and North Beach poetry legend, Jack Mueller: “Poet, shaman, artist
and activist, Art Goodtimes gives us poems that are precise and generous and
true. They sing and bring us new marvels of understanding. Some poets work
inside the tradition, others outside. Art Goodtimes is one of those rare maker
poets that help define a fresh, evolving tradition. These are songs of Earth
and our human condition that lift as they illuminate. They serve a larger
purpose: the encounter of the real, the sacred and the moment. In the splendid
mess we call “human,” Art Goodtimes catches the heart-wood we all need. He
gives voice and song and poem to the wilderness of possibility rising. He
reinvents and makes it new. You are holding poems of authentic engagement.
Goodtimes knows a growing thing when he feels it, and has the skill to help it
grow into your ear and heart and mind.”
© 2006 Art Goodtimes
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Rock Soup - Waking Up
by Dea Jacobson
New year, new beginning. What will 2007 hold for you and me? Although we can resolve and plan, Life
happens. Who’s in charge, anyway? So, the best we can do, I think, is set an
intention and keep our actions in alignment with it. In light of that assignment, I recommend “waking up”, becoming
mindfully aware of our moment by moment decisions, even the little ones, and
how they impact our lives, those we live with and the world we are connected
to.
Well, tall order, that. But, if this idea appeals to you, I
recommend a book, Coming to our Senses, Healing Ourselves and the World through
Mindfulness, by John Kabat-Zinn. Zinn
spent many years developing and teaching Mind Body Stress Reduction at the
University of Massachusetts.
Visualize, if you will, doctors encouraging their patients to meditate
and do yoga as part of a healing regimen for serious illness, this
incorporating the missing pieces of the healing process into their daily
lives. For me, this sounds like a
recipe for wholeness.
As a community activist, I find
myself at a loss to make a difference, when the old tried and true ways seem
unoriginal at best and ineffective at worst.
And I remember leaving the East Coast at the end of the sixties with a
sense of relief, leaving the barrage of information and retreating to a farm to
grow my own food and live in peace.
Now, with 24/7 connectivity and the relentless flow of emails, spam,
cable and satellite radio it seems I am at a crossroads again, looking for an
escape route, looking for peace. This
time, I am choosing the inner path, and wish to cultivate different soil, that
of my own soul.
I want to quote you a bit from
this book, to perhaps start you along on this path, if you like:
“...if we wish for greater
wisdom and kindness in the world, we could start by inhabiting our own body
with some degree of kindness and wisdom, even for one moment accepting
ourselves as we are with kindness and compassion rather than forcing ourselves
to conform to some impossible ideal.
The world would immediately be different. If we wish to make a true difference in this world, perhaps we
must first learn to stand in relationship to our own lives and our own knowing,
or at least learn along the way, which always amounts to the same thing, since
the world does not wait for us but is unfolding along with us in intimate
reciprocity. And if we wish to grow or heal or change in any way, perhaps to be
less strident or acquisitive, or more confident or generous, perhaps we must first
taste silence or stillness, and know that drinking deeply at their wells is
itself healing and transformative through embracing in awareness itself
whatever we find here in this moment, including our deeply ingrained and
unconscious tendencies”.
This, in more eloquent words
than I could have thought up myself, is my intention.
So, off I go, on my inner big
adventure, starting NOW. I’m going
in. If I only spend an equal time there
each day as I spend on this infernal machine I will feel balance returning to
my life. And I will do that when I
play, cook, launder, walk, stretch, listen, speak, read, pet my dog, plan my
garden, whatever. And maybe I will
share my findings when I get back!
Dea Jacobson is taking a sabbatical from
writing for 2007. However, she can be
reached at www.blueheronyoga.com for classes and private yoga lessons, or at
970 856 4905. She will be nesting in
her earthship on the south face of the Grand Mesa near Cedaredge. Namaste!
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Peaceful Contributions for the Soul
by Kathy Gates
Happy New Year
Our bodies are moving forward
into the unknown. Each of our bodies is made up of particles and light in a
condensed form. Our particles of light
are what connect us to all that is. When we look deeper than our flesh and go
within we can see with our inner eyes and feel a connection to deep rich
colors. Our Creator is all colors and
is always present in all we see. Inside and out.
This meditation is one way we
can feel our connection with the rich colors of life.
(Do not drive while in meditation)
Get a piece of paper or card
stock and cut out a circle. In the center of the circle color another circle
with deep rich forest green. Then take a deep breath and release it slowly,
continue to do this until you feel a sense of relaxation. Then with both hands
hold the card in front of your eyes and focus on the deep rich color forest
green. Gaze at it for a few minutes. Then close your eyes and see the color of
deep forest green with your inner vision. Get a feeling for the color.
With your inner vision and
feelings of being with this color, let your imagination flow. When you are
finished, slowly open your eyes when you are ready. Write down what came
through this meditation for you.
Working with the color deep
forest green encourages the warmth and growth stimulated by the Earth. This color is good for manifestation,
abundance and bringing forth deep healing and a feeling of stability. This is
the color of the deep forest where all things are growing.
Picture yourself sparkling with
aliveness, full of energy and vitality. What do you love to do? What brings
that feeling of aliveness, energy and vitality out in you? Bring it to life and
leave any limitations behind. Begin this New Year with new dreams to make real.
Blessings to all.
Kathy Gates (Women's Spirit
Retreat) wsretreat@aol.com www.womensspiritretreats.com
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Herbs For Pets
© Anne Calzada Herbalist
Animals have always used herbs
in the wild. This is partly how we have come to our herbal knowledge and
lineage through observation. We use herbs, however our pets can reap the
benefits too! Used wisely, herbs can be a gentle and effective tool in the
healthcare kit for Fido or Fifi. In my case, Lucy and Frankie!
Good pet health begins with
adequate nutrition, hygiene and of course,lots of love!
Remember that dogs and cats lick
their coats and absorb anything that has been applied. Non-toxic products are
the most desirable, as anything that you wouldn't want to use, you wouldn't
want your pet to be exposed to. This includes most essential oils,with the
exception of oils such as tea tree or lavender, which carry great value in
natural pet care. The olfactory system of a cat or dog is 300 times greater
then ours so it important to not overload their sensitive systems with scent..
Promoting hydration in the form
of fresh water and essential fats are key as well as deterring from commercial
shampoos, flea powders and pest sprays. Brushing through their coats releases
natural oils and they love your attention! Adding a tsp. or two of cod liver
oil to their food will help nourish their coats and prevent what I call
"itch back". Which is essentially constant itching and scratching!
You could even add a little vitamin E or olive oil to dry spots if needed.
Anxiety or hyperactivity can be
calmed with adding chamomile or lemon balm tea to your pet's water. Try a drop
of lavender essential oil on their bed or collar. Use flower essences to
support your pet's emotional health.
Chronic bad breath can be helped
with less canned foods and more raw foods. Crunchy carrots or apples make good
snacks and clean the teeth and gums in the process. Add a little chlorophyll in
their water or chop up some fresh parsley and blend with their food. For
flatulence, add a little peppermint tea to their water daily. Add a pinch of
ginger to their food to support digestion. Add a sprinkle of spirulina to boost
nutritional value to your pet's daily diet.
For cuts or wounds, you can wash
the area with calendula, usnea or echinacea tea or tincture. You may want to
use a compress of these herbs and wrap it, as your pet will probably want to
lick it off. Remember to check their pads and paws for foreign objects that may
be present if there is a limp. Having an herbal salve on hand for healing is
effective; just make sure there is no infection present when using it. Add a
few drops of Echinacea tincture to their water to boost immunity.
Arthritic ailments occur for
animals just as they do for people Turmeric, alfalfa and cayenne are helpful in
reducing inflammation. Glucosamine, MSM and omega fatty acids are extremely
beneficial.
Ear infections can be relieved
with mullein/garlic eardrops applied into the ear. Use 3 drops and massage into
the ear up to 2 times a day. You can also flush out their ears, probably easier
for a dog than a cat! Add 4 drops of grapefruit seed extract into a warm cup of
water, using a syringe, gently flush out the ear. For eye infections you can
make a tea of raspberry or calendula tea and rinse the eye out.
Parasites are a concern for
pets. Adding a ½ tsp. of garlic powder daily to their food will not only help
to rid of external unwanted guests, but will help to prevent any internal ones.
Add black walnut hull tincture to the water.
Fleas, mites or ticks can be a
problem and to deter them you can try a few different things. Add a ½ tsp. of
garlic powder to their food. B vitamins will help with this issue, so you can
add 1 tsp. of nutritional yeast to their food as well. You could give ¼ to a ½
of a B complex capsule. Add a few drops of tea tree oil to their shampoo or one
drop on their collar. You can also make an herbal rinse for them. Use equal
parts of rosemary, wormwood, lavender and calendula. Mix these together and
make a tea. Use this as a rinse and leave on the coat to dry. Filling a cat or
dog bed with cedar, lavender or rosemary will discourage insects.
Dosages vary depending on weight
and disposition. Consult your local holistic veterinarian for more information.
There are many great herbal and homeopathic formulas available for pets now!
Nutritional Pet Blend
2 part nutritional yeast
1 part lecithin granules
1 part alfalfa powder
1 part flaxseeds
1 part kelp powder
½ part garlic powder
½ part mint powder
¼ part spirulina
Blend together and keep refrigerated. Use a tsp. or two in your pet's food
daily to boost nutrient intake! Some pets may not go for it and some will love
it!
No Insects Powder
1 cup baking soda
1 tsp. neem powder
½ tsp. tea tree oil
Blend together and sprinkle on.
Catnip Dream Pillow
Sew together a 4"x 4" cloth with 2 sides and fill with catnip. Put it
on your cats bed and they will love you for it!
Herbal Dog Biscuits
2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup peppermint
¼ cup rosemary
1 TBSP. oil
Mix flour, oats and herbs together. Mix broth and oil together. Add wet
ingredients to the dry and blend. Roll out and cut. Bake 35 minutes at 350
degrees until done.
Anne Calzada is a Certified Herbalist and
founder of Healing Heart Herbs. For consultations please call 626 5663 or email
her at annecalzada@aol.com.
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Meet Sherry Olree
Whole Life Network Release
Sherry Olree has lived in
Montrose for two years, and she tells us, “( I ) now feel ready to become a
member of your organization”. Our
community is benefiting from the fact that Sherry is a Registered nurse, Certified
Holistic Nurse and a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner. She has recently established her Healing
Touch business, named Caring-Hope Wellness, at the Canyon Ridge Salon, Montrose
Trade Center, 2400 E. Main St. Healing
touch is based on human energy field re-balancing. Potential clients please call 240-9023 to schedule an
appointment.
In addition to Healing Touch,
Sherry also knows some acupressure points and ear acupressure, the latter
learned from the Center of Chinese Medicine of San Diego. She often ends treatments with creative
visualization which is intended to help the client’s specific needs. Earlier this year, Sherry took the basic
course in “Inner Sound” Tuning Forks and has experienced success in meeting goals. We welcome our new Business Member,
Caring-Hope Wellness, to our network.
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The Assurance of Peace
by Jerry Overton
Perhaps the thing all of us want
most is peace. We want it as a nation, as a family, and especially personally
as we go through the living of our lives. The age-old question is, how do we
get it.
Apparently, as a nation, we
think it’s through conquest—staging war against those who seem to pose a
threat, and through force bring them into submission—and we’ve seen time and
again that that doesn’t work. As a family, we think that if we can just get our
family members to see things the way we do and become more agreeable, then we
can have peace in the family—and we know how that comes out—anything but peace!
And personally, we tend to think that if we can just get our life in order and
more organized, we can reduce the stress, and then we’ll have peace. And yet,
we can never quite get it all together such that peace prevails.
So, what do we do?
As a long-time student of A
Course In Miracles, I’ve discovered a way that, when I do it, actually
works. It has to do with finally acknowledging that there is a Power beyond
myself who will lead me into peace if I’m willing to relinquish control and let
that Source lead the way. It’s summed up in this statement:
“This Holy Instant would I give to
You. Be You in charge. For I would follow you certain that Your direction gives me Peace.”
It’s really quite simple. All I
have to do is just admit that I want peace and that I’m willing to be
led to it.
And yet, although it’s as simple
as that, it can be the most challenging thing I’ll ever do—for it
entails admitting that I’m not capable of being in control of my life in such a
way as to have peace, mainly because I don’t know enough to be able to bring it
about. It goes against everything I think I know, as well as all I’ve been
taught about the necessity of being in charge of my own life. It’s like finally
admitting that I don’t know anything—and that I’m not capable of being
in charge of my own life. And it can feel like admitting that I’m both
ignorant and incompetent.
And yet, there is another way to
look at all this. Rather than seeing myself as ignorant and incompetent, I can
choose to see myself as so loved and cared for that I simply don’t have
to know or be in charge—that I can
trust this loving Power and Source of my life to do it for me—in ways that will
assure Peace.
What can make this easier for me
to swallow is when I remember how it was when I was a child. I simply trusted
the love of my parents to take care of me—to make those decisions that would
insure my peace and happiness. And life was not only peaceful and happy, it was
also very easy! It was only when I tried to do it myself that things got
difficult and chaotic!
So, as you head into this New
Year, I invite you to consider what your life would be like it you were to give
over personal control to the Source and Power of your life to give you peace.
How would it serve you personally, and how would it affect your family? And
then consider how our world would be if our elected leaders were to do the
same.
Perhaps the hope of “Peace on Earth” that
many of us just celebrated in the Season past would actually come to be after
all! And wouldn’t that be wonderful!
Give it a try. What have you got
to lose, except maybe a lot of stress and suffering!
Copyright 2007 Dr. Jerry Overton
Jerry is a practitioner of the Emotional
Freedom Technique, an amazing tool for all sorts of emotional and physical
healing. He can be reached at 970-252-9311.
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