"Consciously Tapping Our Local Resources" A CFC Message from the Midwest, USA
The library. One of the simple pleasures in my life. It's peaceful. It's warm in the bitter Wisconsin winter, cool in the suffocating summers. A sort of shelter from the storm. I am a mother of two. One of the many women in the United States of America who tries so fiercely to have it all - - - to achieve the delicate balance between family and career. And on the days when I am at home with my kids, I consciously and endlessly try to provide my kids with fun, stimulating, economical activities. I am a master of economical activities. So when we need a change of scenery, somewhere welcoming, somewhere soothing, we go to the library.
I am blessed to live in a community where libraries are plentiful. We know the Brookfield branch, the Elm Grove branch, Oconomowoc, Wauwatosa, and Milwaukee, to name a few. But our most favorite is the one just 2 miles away. We play with the puzzles, lounge in their kid sized chairs, read books on their cozy benches, play hide and seek in the rows and rows of books, pick out new music, rent Baby Einstein DVDs, movies on My First Ballet . . . I could go on and on. It is such a gift to have all of these resources FREE at our fingertips! Was the library a place where the idea of recycling first began? Please don't get me wrong, my kids have shelves upon shelves buried in books we own, but there is just something so wonderful about borrowing a book, and then returning it. Pass it on. You pass on the pleasure. How many little boys and girls have shared this same Olivia. Goodnight Moon. Corduroy. Harold and the Purple Crayon. Many, as I can see from the well loved pages.
We live in a disposable age. Or at least we have been living in a disposable age. While some of us have always leaned more towards the "frugal" side and managed to reuse every scrap of paper twice, I see many others who take delight in buying every book they ever had even the slightest interest in. I look at the financial situation this country is facing. I look at many of my friends who buy buy buy, charge charge charge. Where has it gotten us? Nowhere. This life isn't about who can own the most. It's about being the best person you can be, and as a parent, guiding your children to being the best they can be. Not achieving. Not owning. But living consciously. Caring. Caring about our earth, caring about our neighbors, caring about those who are NOT our neighbors, caring about the creatures who share this space with us.
So next time that shiny new hardcover is calling your name. Stop. Think. Every time you buy it, you remove one more tree from this earth. You displace one more creature. You use natural resources. Try the library. I promise you'll lose hours there. :)
Amanda Clark Krause
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Let's keep the lights shining!Welcome to our annual exercise of spiritual democracy! One of my favorite quotes is from the Dalai Lama who said, "The world is a spiritual democracy. You vote with your life." So here we go! This year's campaign is dedicated to raising the consciousness of stewardship. Whether the human race is aware or not, we are stewarding our earth and its creatures. The question is at what level and from what foundation of consciousness. It is all too easy to be silent, discouraged or complacent in the face of energies that appear to dominate the scene. When I tune into the plight of the polar bears who die swimming trying to reach a melting ice mass, I am faced with a pivotal decision. I can drown in my sadness, refuse to bare witness-or I can pull up my spiritual bootstraps and declare, "Not on My Watch!" The power is in our hands because power resides within! In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Great men are they who see that the spirit is stronger than any other material force." Let us never forget that our vision is stronger than any current appearance. I am continuously inspired by the power of conscious individuals like you. Commitment to use your power to create through visioning, demonstrates that a new paradigm is here now manifesting itself as a new earth-a world that works for all. There is absolutely more than enough divine intelligence popping up all around us~ Airports like Denver International going solarHomes popping off the grid through innovations producing excess energy for othersPioneering families turning their rooftops into grocery stores Individuals neutralizing their carbon footprint What initiative! If change doesn't come to the people; the change comes through the people. Soular power, baby!Erin from the Garden StateLabels: affirmation, animals, consciousness, earth, environment, meditation, new earth, new thought, planet, unity
Welcome to Campaign for Consciousness 2008!
for more details visit www.campaignforconsciousness.org and post your name
Spiritual Social Action Focus: To actualize the stewardship and well-being of our sacred Earth and its diverse inhabitants through our collective vision of a new consciousness.
Together let's affirm throughout the world--September 10-October 19, 2008!
We believe in the power of Life. It expresses itself in myriad ways and is sacred in all forms. Our unity and interdependence evidences itself as the diversity of life, intelligence, and substance. We seek to understand divine design. Immersed in the growing consciousness of our true nature, we align our desires, actions, systems, and vision with the principles of universal law.
Ideas of entitlement, domination, profiteering, exploitation, and hierarchy are now erased from human consciousness. We atone for the senseless neglect, misuse, and abuse of our mother earth and her majestic inhabitants. Ideas and ideals of collaboration, innovation, sacred awareness, and discernment replace old ways of being as we collectively establish dominion over obsolete, limited, and myopic perspectives.
As ambassadors of wisdom, we steward our earth and all of its living inhabitants. With spiritual integrity, we embody compassion acknowledging that animals are worthy of each dignity we seek for ourselves. From the core of the earth to the expanse of our atmosphere, polar regions to national parks, waterways to farmlands, marketplace to dining table, we consciously create a world that works for all. Harmony is our intention, wisdom our currency, discernment our path, integrity our foundation, and unity our inheritance.
We immerse our word in gratitude as we release it unto law.
Amy Gillespie, TIOS' Executive Director interview with Colorado Public RadioWhile in Colorado Springs this January Amy Gillespie sat down with Colorado Pubic Radio's Eric Whitney to discuss the ongoing health crisis in Africa. Amy has dedicated the last three years of her life creating life saving, life improving programs for orphans in Mozambique. Her 3rd and largest Skills Center in Chimoio, Mozambique serves over 200 children a day.Eric Whitney is uniquely qualified to understand the challenges facing TIOS. Eric spent most of 2003 living and reporting in Cape Town, South Africa before becoming KRCC's News Director, the NPR Affiliate in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Eric is currently the Health reporter for Colorado Public Radio. The interview is scheduled to air between 6:45 and 7:00 am, and repeat between 8:45 and 9:00am MST on Monday, Feb. 18 on Colorado Public Radio. You can listen online at kcfr.org, the story should be archived and available on demand by the end of day Monday or shortly thereafter.Colorado Public RadioTIOS
About TIOS
Amy Gillespie left "corporate" America five years ago to follow a calling to help children in Africa. As she found herself struggling with the local language, with "seed capital of $150.00", she developed a new HIV/AIDS training program that bypassed the language barrier and is now being recognized as an innovative and successful way of reaching African's with the facts of HIV. The program has been so successful; it resulted in her recognition as a top 20 finalist for CNN Heroes.
TIOS / AIDS Orphans Skills Centers' unique "Five Components of HIV" program has been recognized or adopted by Columbia University, Peace Corp, JICA (Japanese Development Corp), Church World Service, ITC (International Trade Cooperative), OSEO, US AID, and The National Council to Combat AIDS in Mozambique.
"In addition to the unique HIV/AIDS training program; what impresses me is TIOS emphasis on survival skills training for children. It is not enough to protect them from HIV/AIDS as many children die from preventable injuries and illnesses," commented Dave Bryan, TIOS/AOSCI Board member.
"Due to the dynamics of the local culture, we emphasize income generating vocational skills for undereducated girls, as they are typically the care-giver for the family and have limited access to education and job opportunities. We teach trade skills to older girls that they use to make educational products that facilitate better HIV/AIDS programs," states Gillespie.
TIOS/AOSCI is a 501©3 non-profit NGO, registered to operate in Mozambique under the name TIOS (International Training for the Orphans and their Survival). Amy Gillespie is the founder and Executive Director.
Donate to TIOS
TIOSAmy GillespieFounder & Executive DirectorAGillespie@TIOS.US011.258.825.192050
TIOSDave BryanDirectorDBryan@TIOS.US719.499.3283
Breakthrough Experiment: Compassion to Action Program
May 15th through the 29th, 2007
CommonPassion.org, in cooperation with the Association for Global New Thought and many local and global groups, is orchestrating the world's largest interfaith global meditation and prayer event ever performed. This will be a series of meditation and prayers for community and global peace in which it is anticipated that over a half million people will participate.
Our goal for the NEW THOUGHT community is to increase that projection by 100,000!
www.CommonPassion.org"If you are able to participate, the process is very simple. This Sunday, May 27th, in spiritual services throughout the world, communties will focus in prayer and meditation on any or all of the following: Global Peace, Iraq, Jerusalem, Darfur, Sudan, New Orleans.
"Concurrent with the prayer-meditation practices we will monitor crime statistics, emergency call data and other social indicators to ascertain change as a result of this peace-creating program. Results of this two week long experience will become available to you after the event so you can see for yourself, and share with your community, the power of this collective enterprise.
This universally relevant experiment is tied to a breakthrough technology. For the first time, we will enter the domain where it becomes possible to measure and direct our collective energetic field. As these new methods become more and more precise, we will begin to have the capacity to make conscious choices about using prayer and meditation to concretely affect world problems. Visit
http://www.commonpassion.org/events/ events.htm"
ALSO THIS SUNDAY IN NEW JERSEY
Securing A Legacy of Peace
New Jersey State Campaign for a Department of Peace
In Honor of Memorial Day, Support the Department of Peace Campaign!
Join Us for An Inspirational, Informational, and Musical Fundraiser this Sunday, May 27, 3:00 - 5:00 PM
Where: Unitarian Church of Montclair-67 Church Street, Montclair, NJ
FREE ADMISSION - DONATIONS ACCEPTED
Featured speaker: Dot Maver, Executive Director of the Peace Alliance
Music by Carly Goodwin, Folk singer
Jenny Neely is Walking for AIDS in KC & Idol Gives Back
Hello friends!
Jenny Neely of the CFC team is fundraising for the AIDS Walk Kansas City this year, which takes place this Saturday morning through the Plaza. There is still time to make a donation by sponsoring online!
You can make a donation by clicking on the link below:
http://www.firstgiving.com/jennyneelyThanks very much for your supporting a better future. The AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City thanks you in advance for any support you can give.
Infinite Blessings (and appreciation!)
------------------------------------------------
Did you see American Idol Gives Back?
More than $60 million was raised to support positive change!
See article by Natalie Finn at
http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=94beea6c-380c-4582-8d5c-f59c36823572 Monies raised go to national programs as well as projects in Africa via the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, Malaria No More, Nothing But Nets, Save the Children and UNICEF.
Go Idol!
Join us in person or in spirit Friday, March 16
8:00 pm
For an evening of "Charging the Center!"
~Join us energetically at 8:00 pm wherever you are for a few moments of meditation in support of the grid of the earth as it relates to this special place.
Earlier this month, one of The Light Center's most beloved teachers, Helen Yamada, taught an advanced healer workshop at The Light Center. Robin spent some time in the circle exciting us with her very awesome and LARGE plans for The Light Center to expand into an intentional living community. What Helen got from her guides is that this is a huge undertaking for one person and that those of us who rely on the work and teachers Robin and her group bring to
The Light Center could support her in a way that is SIMPLE and so easy to do.
We can help her build energy...and work with the energy (or Light) grid of the earth that really IS what The Light Center is so that the work that is being done here, at TLC, and also in South Africa is supported energetically.
The work that is being done here supports all of us whether we are completely aware of it or not. It's time to prepare for the expansion....time to grow in the expansion, time to BE the expansion. And, we can all be part of it.
There will be a series of gatherings....maybe even monthly, to gather to meditate, chant, do movement....whatever is presenting itself...to begin to refresh and expand the energy grid for The Light Center which then can also connect to other centers of light all over the world. It is a changing world and we are learning how to change in it. In this, we can learn how to create a new way of living both physically and energetically on this planet.
There will be simple snacks and great camaraderie as we all join for this common purpose of serving that which has served us so well.
IF YOU CANNOT JOIN US IN PERSON, join us energetically at 8:00 wherever you are for a few moments of meditation in support of the grid of the earth as it relates to this special place.
