Sheldan Nidle For The Spiritual Hierarchy And The Galactic Federation July 24 2012

Update by Sheldan Nidle for the Spiritual Hierarchy and the Galactic Federation - July 24, 2012

8 Batz, 4 Vayeb, 8 Manik

Dratzo! We return! Much continues to take place behind the facade of your world. The dark cabal's global banking system is crumbling at an ever-increasing rate, and a raft of banking CEOs is being forced to resign. Interpol and associated agencies are stepping up their investigations into the LIBOR scandal which now appears to have no clear boundaries, and indeed this operation is starting to threaten numerous governments in Europe and Asia with collapse. As the crisis grows, the BRIC nations and their allies are informing the cabal that its attempts to reinstate its electronic fiat currencies are banned forthwith. This is further exacerbated by a lack of available capital. The political situation in Europe and, shortly, in North America, is reaching a boiling point. Something has to be done swiftly, or the present economic construct is sure to collapse. The new economic system favored by the coalition of BRIC nations is now fully ready to be rolled out at a moment's notice, and pursuant to this, several nations in Asia have placed liens on a number of major western banks.

These developments are further complicated by the mounting turbulence in the Middle East and parts of South Asia, and this growing instability is also ready to boil over. Meanwhile, the interlocked financial crises in Europe and the rest of the world persist, and will remain unsolvable without vast banking reforms and global debt forgiveness. It is not a situation the world can just sweep under the proverbial rug, and this the dark cabal now realizes. As a result it knows that its power in the world is coming to an end. A series of events now underway will very shortly cause the downfall of the cabal, by first isolating its members and then removing them from power. This will bring in NESARA in North America and, like ripples in a pond, facsimiles of this act will spread across the globe. This new governance is to lead to the global liberation of humanity and the formal disclosure of our existence. Then we can begin the announcements that will transform your worldview and your reality forever!

As you approach this watershed moment, remember that a whole series of events needs to take place prior to disclosure. Our Earth allies fully comprehend what is now happening. The reality construct that has manipulated your lives and your world needs to collapse completely to permit the new system to take its place. This new system is currently being nudged into place by the same circumstances that are taking the old one down. This operation is happening at a very quick pace. The present system cannot sustain another extreme crisis, and such a crisis is very, very close at hand. Hence it was decided to put the new system clandestinely in place and wait for the right moment to reveal its constituent parts: new money, new banking, and new governance. The intention here is to allow the old system to be totally discredited and seen to be defunct, so that the general public will be disposed to welcome in the new. Our ships are monitoring all global flash points and will forestall the dark's usual tactics of solving problems by the use of warmongering and terrorism. This we will no longer permit!

In this world there always existed conditions and incendiary 'circumstances' that reliably led to 'useful' wars or even global conflagration. In these times we are delegated to prevent this, and to lead your globe into peace and prosperity. The dark is stoking a number of old conflict zones that it sincerely hopes to reignite. We need to inform them that, sadly, this is yet another plot that is not to be allowed! Your world is quickly shifting, and what Heaven has prepared is not to be undone! Our mission is centered on your return to full consciousness and this goal is on track. The next series of disclosures is ready to go, as are the actions which will slip your world ever closer to its grand shift. Heaven has decreed that this is now to proceed and all impediments are to be removed. Many individuals, who are not widely known, are to make the announcements that usher in the transitional governments and liberate humanity from its eons-long involuntary servitude. SS

Namaste! We are your Ascended Masters! Bless you all, for you are to be free! Events, blessed Ones, are busily happening, which will shake the dark cabal to its roots and put into play the circumstances that will bring them down. We bless Heaven and all those who have come to Earth to work the many miracles that are a boon to our sacred plans. Precious metals, as they are called here, have been horded for ages by the dark cabalists. They then substituted increasingly worthless mediums of exchange and introduced profane modes of usage. These are the factors that are proving to be their undoing. Major banks and stock exchanges are caught in a quagmire of massive shortfalls which makes their collapse both imminent and quick. Meanwhile, our associates have been busy planning the next phase of their operations for the last few months and are ready to proceed with the new financial system that is to 'save the day' for humanity!

We cannot, for obvious reasons, elaborate on these plans yet. Just know that conditions worldwide are rapidly bringing the dark to the brink of an enormous calamity. The major nations, outside of the G-5, understand fully what is occurring, and are gleefully preparing for the collapse of major commodity and stock markets. This necessary 'sweep of the broom' will propel your society from its present morass of anxiety to a carefully orchestrated world of peace, prosperity, and open vistas of unbelievable possibility! All elements for this have only to slide into place! Hence, we ask you to remain full of confidence and joyous expectation, for many incredible events are close to manifesting. Rest assured that the Galactic Federation and our Agarthan family is guarding us against all last-ditch attempts by the dark to go out with a bang!

Take advantage of this time to prepare for your new reality. It will unfortunately come as a shock to most of your fellows. Be willing to start discussions with friends and family about what lies ahead, so that they may be somewhat prepared for the unsettling information they will shortly hear. And once things start, use your intuition and the wisdom life has taught you to comfort and ease the anxieties of those whose worlds have been turned upside down. Imagine what it feels like to have your fondest beliefs challenged, and know that your calm presence and your reassurances are essential for helping your community to accept a milieu that seems to get stranger by the day. Your mission is to remain serene amid the bewilderment around you. This is what you have been 'training' for over many lifetimes, and now the time is upon you. You are the blessed Ones whose abilities will make all the difference in these end times, and beyond!

Today, we updated you on important events. It is vital for you to recognize that what is now underway is a series of planned events that lead up to 'the cascade of dominoes' finale. Then the new epoch for humanity can slide wonderfully into place! Know, dear Ones, that the countless Supply and never-ending Prosperity of Heaven are indeed Yours! So Be It! Selamat Gajun! Selamat Ja! (Sirian for Be One! and Be in Joy!)

Planetary Activation Organization

http://www.paoweb.com/index.html

No Signs For You Sermon For Lent 2

MATTHEW 12:38-42

When I plan out my sermon schedule, I decide upon a text and then try to come up with a good title. Then, when I actually sit down to write the sermon, sometimes a few months later, the direction the sermon takes may have changed. So, when I read this passage, a famous phrase from "Seinfeld" came to mind. Remember the Soup Nazi? He made great soup, but he was very particular about how you ordered the soup. If you ruffled his feathers, he would say: "No soup for you!"

In reading this passage some months ago, I heard Jesus saying to the religious leaders in his audience, who came to him asking for a sign, "No signs for you." What I originally heard in this text was the demand that many make on people of faith to prove the existence of God. That can be a very intellectual pursuit. Theologians and philosophers from Anselm to Aquinas to Kant, have expended a lot of energy trying to prove that God exists. And when they're done, the God they offer us can be abstract and lifeless. It's hard to have a relationship with the "Ground of Being."

In this case, the religious leaders weren't demanding proof that God exists. They wanted proof that Jesus spoke for God. They wanted confirmation, which would include miraculous deeds like healings. It's not that Jesus didn't offer them signs, they just weren't satisfied with the ones he'd given them. Since Matthew isn't shy about offering up miracle stories, I can hear in this passage an impatient Jesus asking these inquisitors: "What more do you want?" Only an evil generation keeps coming back wanting more evidence. You have enough evidence, so make your choice - will it be God or not?

That is part of the story, but there's more to it than that. Jesus points us to two biblical stories. First, there's Jonah and Nineveh. Then there's the story of the Queen of Sheba. Jonah is the reluctant prophet who ends up in Nineveh, preaching to a people he despises, only to see them repent and follow God. As for the Queen of Sheba, she comes to Solomon, seeking wisdom - a wisdom Solomon's own sons reject. Now, standing before them is a person greater than either Jonah or Solomon. If Nineveh answered the call and the Queen of Sheba answered the call, why can't they heed his voice?

Once again, we need to be careful in how we read this passage. It's very easy to read it in an anti-Jewish manner. We can find ourselves blaming the Jews for not believing in Jesus, while Gentiles embraced him. So, if we can steer clear of that kind of interpretation, this passage may have something important to say to us.

Last week we talked about self-examination. That is an important part of our Lenten journey - looking inside, underneath the masks we all put on. In this reading, we hear a question about our ability and willingness to hear the voice of God. Can we, as Christians, become complacent and fail to heed the voice of God? Or, are we looking for signs in the sky?

Jesus isn't interested in engaging in "apologetics" - trying to prove God exists. Arguing with the likes of Richard Dawkins isn't a pressing concern. While there still are plenty of "cultured despisers" out there, the more pressing concern today is whether the church has something valuable to say about God.

Rather than look to the philosophers, we might want to look at someone like Pope Francis. He just celebrated the one year anniversary of his election to the papacy, and over the past year he has changed the face of the Catholic Church. It doesn't matter what your religion is - Francis has inspired people with his warmth, his compassion, his humanness.

There is a lot of concern in Christian circles about the decline of the church. Increasing numbers of people, especially younger people, have either left the church or ignore it. Most of the folks who fit into the category that survey-takers call "the Nones" don't reject the idea of God's existence. Many of them are quite spiritual in orientation. They just don't see the value in religious institutions, especially ones that they think exclude people because of their ethnicity, their socioeconomic status, their gender, or their sexual orientation.

Forty years ago, church growth gurus declared that conservative churches were growing because they had very definite doctrines and expectations. It is true, that many conservative churches grew by making very clear distinctions about what was true and what was false. But, that's changing. It's not that liberal churches are growing, but conservative ones have begun to see decline in their numbers, especially among people under forty.

Why are the churches experiencing decline? Well, liberal churches fell into the trap of privatizing their faith so they wouldn't offend anyone. They embraced the idea that religion, like politics, isn't appropriate in polite company. Conservative Churches have begun to decline because their message no longer resonates. Many people simply aren't attracted to places that claim to have all the answers, deny scientific truths, limit the roles of women, and exclude people because of their sexual orientation.

One of the reasons why Pope Francis is so popular, especially among younger people, whether Catholic or not, is because he exudes a sense of openness to the world. His decision to live in a monastery rather than the papal apartments, or his decision to wear ordinary shoes rather than red papal shoes are signs that he gets the concern about hypocrisy among Christians.

I recently finished reading a book by Ken Wilson entitled "A Letter to My Congregation. " Ken is the pastor of the Vineyard Church in Ann Arbor. What is important about this book, and Ken's ministry, is that he has come to the conclusion that the church is called to fully embrace gay, lesbian, and transgender people. What makes the book and the ministry somewhat unique is that he is an evangelical. He came to this understanding in large part due to his pastoral work, which led him to rethink his interpretation of scripture and beliefs about gay folk. He began meeting with parents whose children are gay and lesbian, as well as gay and lesbian Christians. They wanted to know - does God love me for who I am? Besides the pastoral side of things, there was the missional element. He realized that his congregation, though it did pretty well reaching out to younger people - it's very contemporary in its worship - the congregation was aging. He realized that in a place like Ann Arbor, having a policy that excluded people who are gays undermined the mission of the church. Wilson concluded:Causing an unnecessary disincentive to follow Christ is a serious offense, at least as serious as failing to uphold a moral good. It would be easy to ignore or dismiss this concern if I didn't think it had substantial merit. ["A Letter to My Congregation, "p. 50.] The way the church treats LGBT people is only one issue among many. There is also the issue of science and climate change. There's the place of the poor, the immigrant, and the disabled.

Years ago the movie "The Elephant Man" made a significant impression on me. The movie tells the story of John Merrick. Like many films this one takes considerable license, even changing Merrick's name from Joseph to John. One of the most compelling moments of the film came when Dr. Treves, who had come to examine this man who society saw as a freak and even a monster, overheard John reciting Psalm 23. What made this remarkable was that Dr. Treves believed that John was so intellectually disabled that he couldn't speak. What was the message that I heard? It was that a man whom society considered expendable and an object of disgust was in truth a man of great intelligence and compassion. Therefore, I heard the message that we should always value people, no matter their intellectual capacity, their looks, or their ethnicity. It would take me much longer before I could add sexual orientation to that list.

Although there are those who struggle with intellectual questions about the Christian faith, more often than not, the questions that inquirers have on their hearts and minds have more to do with our behavior. As Stacey Simpson Duke, another Ann Arbor pastor, puts it: "We do not need more evidence; we are the evidence." It is "our regenerated lives" that "are the sign of Jonah: Christ crucified and raised" ["Feasting on the Gospels--Matthew, Volume 1," 1:336]. Yes, that is the only sign we need!

Source: just-wicca.blogspot.com

Avatarism Presents The Definition Of Avatarism How Avatarism

Avatarism presents, THE DEFINITION OF AVATARISM-HOW AVATARISM CAN CHANGE THE WORLD-HOW TO START CONSCIOUSLY CREATING MY CHARACTER, AND HOW WE PLAY THE GAME!

AVATARISM had it's start at the BURNING MAN festival, but it's roots are deep in the ancient sanskrit idea of "Avatara." Loosley translated it means gods inhabiting human bodies and walking the earth, but that is a narrow explanation. Avatarism is how a group of people, all over the world, seem to have developed or learned God-like or superhero-like confidence, the ability to accomplish their dreams and goals with ease, and the ability to live out their highly personal vision that they themselves have envisioned. Encouraging and supporting the individual honing of the will through focused play and persistence, and the upholding of others on the journey is at the heart of this movement. Avatarism encourages people to begin to design in great detail, new and carefully chosen skill sets, characteristics, goals, and aspects of themselves. As the game is played, the player crafts a new and richly embodied personality and finds themselves permanently up-leveled. Seeking and embodying gurus, teachers, archetypes from history and fantasy may be involved; the warrior, the poet, the god Pan, Rainbow Bright, Batman, Buddha, Jesus, James Dean, Kermit The Frog, Kali, Tara, Tesla, Dr. Who, Conan the Barbarian, Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Leonardo DiCaprio and Leonardo the Ninja Turtle to name a few.

The process of skill collection, archetype embodiment and the other ideas that comprise Avatarism don't have to be taken seriously, but they are important. Avatarism is a dance towards personal excellence more than it is a march towards perfectionism. Avatarism is an open source game/philosophy for people attracted to radically changing themselves away from the current life/brain programs they may be running. We are, all of us, collections of moments and memories wet wired to a heart mind and body. You are not some stoic and frozen being unable to change! It is your birthright to be changeable and modifiable.

Avatarism is a great philosophical model for rebellious souls, hardcore gamers, fantasy players, festival goers, hopeless romantics, seekers of truth, lovers of beauty and anyone attracted to the idea that life is a game, meant to be played. The game of conscious character creation is easy to start and hard to stop, Simple to begin and hard to master. Think about how tough it is to change a habit or learn a complicated new skill. Usually people undertake to change themselves for a health reason or to learn a new skill to make more money. While playing the game may correct bad habits, and allow you the confidence to make more money Avatarism is not a means to an end. This game is a life-long pursuit in the direction of the betterment of self, for the good of self and the rest of mankind. This game has no end. The ongoing goal is to consciously create a personally fermented culture of awesome, and never stop.

"Forever, endeavor!"-"Burning Dan" Gordon Levitt

Avatarism is the game that we have been playing since the beginning of our history and it is not just a Burning Man or a festival thing. Because we feel free to enact these alternate character traits at these events, there is a powerful and indelible change that happens in individuals when they do. If you decide that you want to play the game, you will experience this too. The change that happens to us when we go to an event and embody our avatar(s)or even just put on a costume and feel the change in ourselves is something the greeks understood long ago. Cosmetics, costumes, cos-play all have their root in the word, Cosmos. The ancients knew that embodiment lead to a kind of cosmic or higher consciousness.

What can Avatarism do for society?

Look deep within yourself at the dreams and hopes that you have failed to put into action as of now. Who would you be if you reversed that pattern and began to embody those dreams with the kind of zeal usually reserved for zealots? How would the remainder of your life be played if you lost your fear? What is keeping you from starting now? If we were all confident and free to enact our dreams in an unashamed way, how fast could we cause change in society?

Wars, protests, and fights change the culture very little and very slowly. But when individuals begin to change the culture from the inside........a groundswell happens. Because that kind of energy is infectious and viral, the culture moves fast and furious. The revolution is within, this is a revolution of spirit. So while the patriarchal model of change may be fight, fight, fight. The Avataristic model is Embody, Up-Level, Uphold.

EMBODY the highest vision you can create for yourself. Use the Avatar Character Sheet or any other means of design to collect physical, emotional, magical, and wisdom based skill sets.

UP-LEVEL your current character away from the mundane and degenerate programs that no longer serve you and that you did not wholly choose.Use focus, study, ritual, emulation of archetypes and role models to impress your nervous system and turn on your deep memory circuits so that you can get the data in for good.

UPHOLD yourself to your self created model while communicating to your tribe, your friends and groups of influence what those changes are. In this way, the people around you can uphold you and remind you of who you are creating yourself to be and not who you have been in the past.

We don't need to exert our power upon the world as much as we need to become powerfully inspired and confident individuals. Only from that standpoint can we hope to change the world for good.

"You can't fake a phenomenon"-"Burning Dan" Gordon Levitt 1974-2010

Thanks for reading the Avatarism Blog! I sincerely hope we meet soon, down the dusty road, living our dreams in the glorious future.

Onward and upwards, forever endeavor,

iRev. Alexander Polinsky Founder of Avatarism

TO JOIN THE GAME PLEASE VISIT THE AVATARISM FACEBOOK PAGE

PM ME FOR A FREE AVATAR CHARACTER SHEET

OR READ THE BLOG AT WWW.AVATARISM.ORG

Herb Of The Monthjanuary

THE SEASONAL HERBS FOR JANUARY ARE BASIL, CHILLI, CHIVES, CORIANDER, DILL, MINT, OREGANO, PARSLEY, SAGE, THYME. BEGINNING THE NEW YEAR IS A GREAT TIME FOR PLANNING MENUS, STARTING A NEW NUTRITION PLAN, AND UTILIZING THE SEASONS FRESHEST AND ALSO CHEAPEST PRODUCE AND HERBS AND SPICES. PROVIDING COLOUR AND FLAVOR TO ALL YOUR MEALS AND ALIGNING YOUR BODY'S NATURAL SYSTEM WITH THE RIGHT FOODS WILL HAVE YOU FEELING GROUNDED AND CENTERED.

TODAY WE WILL DISCUSS SOME OF THE WONDERFUL USES AND MAGICKAL PROPERTIES FOR BASIL AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JANUARY WITH THE REST OF THE HERBAL LIST. MAKE SURE TO CATCH THE RECIPE BELOW~

BASIL:

* HAS SEDATIVE AND CALMING QUALITIES. A BASIL SANDWICH, FOR EXAMPLE, WILL HELP TO ALLEVIATE ANXIETY.
* USE BASIL AS A GARGLE FOR CLEARING MOUTH INFECTIONS - POP A HANDFUL OF BASIL IN 250ML OF BOILING WATER AND ALLOW TO STAND FOR 5 MINUTES.
* HEALING PROPERTIES WILL HELP RELIEVE THE PAIN OF TIRED AND ACHING FEET. SOAK 2 CUPS OF FRESH BASIL LEAVES IN 2 LITRES OF WATER. ALLOW TO COOL AND IMMERSE FEET FOR A GOOD LONG SOAK. YOU CAN ALSO CRUSH THE LEAVES AND MASSAGE INTO YOUR HEELS.
* IT HAS BEEN SAID, THAT A DROP OF BASIL JUICE FROM THE LEAVES OF THE PLANT, HAS BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE IN THE HEALING AND RELIEF OF EAR INFLAMMATION.
* BASIL IS ALSO AN ANTISEPTIC AND ANTIBACTERIAL HERB. ITS HEALING PROPERTIES CAN BE USED AS A DIGESTIVE AID TO RELIEVE NAUSEA AND AN UPSET STOMACH.
* BASIL IS ANTISPASMODIC, SO AIDS IN THE HEALING AND RELIEF OF HEADACHES AND MIGRAINES, VERTIGO AND EVEN COLIC.
* AS A CULINARY HERB, BASIL IS ONE OF THE MOST CLEANSING AND HELPS WITH HEALING KIDNEY AND URINARY PROBLEMS.
* BASIL PROVIDES A SOURCE OF BETA-CAROTENE, ESTRAGOLE, EUGENOL, BORNEOL AND VITAMIN C.

MAGICKAL PROPERTIES OF BASIL: LOVE MAGICK AND FOR EXORCISM. BASIL IS ALSO GOOD IN FOR WEALTH, PROTECTION, CLAIRVOYANCE AND PSYCHIC DEVELOPMENT. USE BASIL IN PURIFICATION AND WEALTH SPELLS FOR SOME ADDED BENEFITS. OTHER NAMES: ST. JOSEPH'S WORT, WITCHES HERB, AMERICAN DITTANY

GENDER: MASCULINE

ELEMENT: FIRE

DEITY CONNECTION: MARS, KRISHNA, VISHNU, ARES

BRUSCHETTA WITH TOMATO AND BASIL

INGREDIENTS

6 OR 7 RIPE PLUM TOMATOES (ABOUT 1 1/2 LBS)

2 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED

1 TBSP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1 TEASPOON BALSAMIC VINEGAR

6-8 FRESH BASIL LEAVES, CHOPPED.

SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE

1 BAGUETTE FRENCH BREAD OR SIMILAR ITALIAN BREAD

1/4 CUP OLIVE OIL

METHOD

1- PREPARE THE TOMATOES FIRST. PARBOIL THE TOMATOES FOR ONE MINUTE IN BOILING WATER THAT HAS JUST BEEN REMOVED FROM THE BURNER. DRAIN. USING A SHARP SMALL KNIFE, REMOVE THE SKINS OF THE TOMATOES. (IF THE TOMATOES ARE TOO HOT, YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR FINGER TIPS BY RUBBING THEM WITH AN ICE CUBE BETWEEN TOMATOES.) ONCE THE TOMATOES ARE PEELED, CUT THEM IN HALVES OR QUARTERS AND REMOVE THE SEEDS AND JUICE FROM THEIR CENTERS. ALSO CUT OUT AND DISCARD THE STEM AREA. WHY USE PLUM TOMATOES INSTEAD OF REGULAR TOMATOES? THE SKINS ARE MUCH THICKER AND THERE ARE FEWER SEEDS AND LESS JUICE.

2- MAKE SURE THERE IS A TOP RACK IN PLACE IN YOUR OVEN. TURN ON THE OVEN TO 450^0F TO PREHEAT.

3- WHILE THE OVEN IS HEATING, CHOP UP THE TOMATOES FINELY. PUT TOMATOES, GARLIC, 1 TBSP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, VINEGAR IN A BOWL AND MIX. ADD THE CHOPPED BASIL. ADD SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE.

4- SLICE THE BAGUETTE ON A DIAGONAL ABOUT 1/2 INCH THICK SLICES. COAT ONE SIDE OF EACH SLICE WITH OLIVE OIL USING A PASTRY BRUSH. PLACE ON A COOKING SHEET, OLIVE OIL SIDE DOWN. YOU WILL WANT TO TOAST THEM IN THE TOP RACK IN YOUR OVEN, SO YOU MAY NEED TO DO THESE IN BATCHES DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF YOUR OVEN. ONCE THE OVEN HAS REACHED 450^0F, PLACE A TRAY OF BREAD SLICES IN THE OVEN ON THE TOP RACK. TOAST FOR 5-6 MINUTES, UNTIL THE BREAD JUST BEGINS TO TURN GOLDEN BROWN.

ALTERNATIVELY, YOU CAN TOAST THE BREAD WITHOUT COATING IT IN OLIVE OIL FIRST. TOAST ON A GRIDDLE FOR 1 MINUTE ON EACH SIDE. TAKE A SHARP KNIFE AND SCORE EACH SLICE 3 TIMES. RUB SOME GARLIC IN THE SLICES AND DRIZZLE HALF A TEASPOON OF OLIVE OIL ON EACH SLICE. THIS IS THE MORE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF MAKING BRUSCHETTA.

5- ALIGN THE BREAD ON A SERVING PLATTER, OLIVE OIL SIDE UP. EITHER PLACE THE TOMATO TOPPING IN A BOWL SEPARATELY WITH A SPOON FOR PEOPLE TO SERVE THEMSELVES OVER THE BREAD, OR PLACE SOME TOPPING ON EACH SLICE OF BREAD AND SERVE. IF YOU TOP EACH SLICE WITH THE TOMATOES, DO IT RIGHT BEFORE SERVING OR THE BREAD MAY GET SOGGY.

MAKES 24 SMALL SLICES. SERVES 6-10 AS AN APPETIZER. OR 3-4 FOR LUNCH (DELICIOUS SERVED WITH COTTAGE CHEESE ON THE SIDE.)

MY RECOMMENDATIONS: The Herbal Kitchen: Cooking with Fragrance and Flavor

Herbal Kitchen, The

Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (Cunningham's Encyclopedia Series)

The Benefits Of Meditation At Work

by daryl mitchell

Article by Spiritual Now Editors

Increase the physical and mental performance of employees

Meditation is multifarious in its benefits and a person who practices, receives multiple advantages whatever is at home, outdoors, and even in the workplace. It has been noticed that both executives and employees gain comprehensive benefits from meditation, which automatically helps in creating a favorable work atmosphere in the companies and organizations.

Spiritual management and meditation are becoming the core subjects of management studies, and more and more managers are willing to explore its benefits for their business.They are open to the implementation of meditation at work and see what it can do to the whole work environment. The needs of business environment are fast demanding some techniques that can be incorporated to cater to the mental needs of the employees and executives. Tension, anxiety, and fatigue are common phenomenon that almost all the corporate sector is complaining about.The competition and market demand does not allow them to be moderate in their work. They need to work like machines.This is actually where the problem lies, and meditation at work can easily have its impact. Meditating at work can prove almost to be a panacea for work environment problems.

Let's venture to see what perceptible benefits are gained from meditation at work:

Increases Productivity

Productivity is the factor that almost all the managers look at when they want to implement some new techniques in their work environment. Meditation at work helps in increasing the productivity, as it provides comprehensive benefits to individual executives and employees. It can be easily understood that individual benefits combine to make it happen for the whole organization. A sense of satisfaction dawns on the employees and executives through meditation at work, and the experience of rewarding work help in increasing the productivity.

It should be noted that as the organization or the team moves along with meditation a! t work, the effects are increased. It is like more you practice and more you develop yourself.

Creates physical and mental balance

It has been noticed that meditation at work brings a complete balance between physical and mental performance of the employees. The corporate performance is propelled by more rewarding work experience, which helps in minimizing the mental wear, and thus, helping meditation at work to bring out complete benefits. Employees and executives who practice meditation at work, enjoy dynamic but relaxed work-experience, and are not prone to anxiety, tension, and fatigue.

If we can gauge the potency of meditation at home, we can easily think about the behavioral changes and mental calmness that meditation at work can bring about. Meditation at work should be incorporated as a regular practice, and not as a one-off training session. Once meditation at work is implemented, work will be done with more fluidity, lesser problems, and in a manner that will benefit both individuals and the companies as whole. About the Author

Spiritual Now is a guide to spiritual enlightenment and meditation at work to increase performance.

Do You Honestly Expect Me To Believe

by Ben Cartwright

Does anyone who supports the idea that the Bible is infallible honestly expect me to believe that...

...God created the world, knowing full well that most of us would end up burning in eternal hell?

...he created it teeming with all sorts of amazing plant and animal life, including dinosaurs, and then shortly thereafter flooded it all and destroyed a devastating amount of them?

...by flooding the world in the way he did, he created a fossil record which clearly seems to indicate that the world is extremely old, yet doesn't want us to believe this?

...God also created the stars so that light from them would appear to be millions of years old, deceiving us once again?

...he wrote a book which is very similar to all other creation and religious mythology, yet expects us to separate this book from the others and see it as perfect and holy? And if we don't see that, we go to hell?

...Jesus came and died on a cross so that people wouldn't have to go to hell, yet people keep going? Swing, and a miss!

...God thinks it's fine for Bible-believing Christians to believe what they are taught and never ask any meaningful questions, but expects people in all other religions to question their foundational beliefs and assumptions enough to rip themselves out of their religion and culture and believe in the Bible? He expects them to go through this process, but not us? (oh yeah... because we're "right" and they're "wrong"... I forgot)

...God wrote a perfect book containing all that we need for our lives, yet no one can agree on what that book really says? (even on crucial hell-determining factors like salvation!)

...God is all-powerful, but can't keep us out of hell? (if it is not God's desire that anyone should perish, then no one should... he's God! He can have what he wants!)

...God would make it this complicated to know him?

Perhaps if he creates another world, he will learn from his mistakes and just spell out "I am here. Believe in me so you won't go to hell" in the stars. Or maybe he'll just write, "Sorry for any inconvenience."

read more of Ben's Writing...

Origin: master-of-tarot.blogspot.com

The Scariest Time Of Year

I am so sorry for my week long absence! As faithful readers know, Halloween is very busy around here. I do the leg work and Sister St. Aloysius does the sewing. Sister Mary Fiacre needs a little more care these days, and the whole house is covered in rick rack and snippets of thread. We haven't had time to even think about putting up a few little outdoor decorations. I am partial to those fake cobwebs. Sometimes it comes with plastic spiders to stick in there.

I thought I'd better get to this timely question, so it got moved to the top of the queue.

"DEAR SISTER MARY MARTHA,"

"AS THE CATHOLIC MOTHER OF THREE CHILDREN 5 AND UNDER, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HALLOWEEN. THIS YEAR I HAVE DECIDED WE WILL GO OUT WITH THE KIDS IN SAINT OR SOON-TO-BE SAINT COSTUMES (AN ANGEL, BLESSED KATERI, AND SAINT MICHAEL). IT SEEMS LIKE THE HOLIDAY THOUGH IS NOW MUCH SCARIER AND GORIER THAN I REMEMBER IT AS A CHILD. SHOULD WE PROTECT OUR CHILDREN AND ABSTAIN COMPLETELY FROM THE FESTIVITIES OR SHOULD WE WAGE SPIRITAL WARFARE AND SHOW OTHERS THE CHRISTIAN SIDE OF THIS NOW QUITE SECULAR AND PERHAPS EVEN DEMONIC HOLIDAY?

"THANKS!"

It's lovely that the children are going as saints and angels, but I wouldn't start a Holy War over, what is for a small child, a gentle little holiday involving candy and dress up. It's such fun to dress up. That's all they care about. That, and candy. Yay! Candy!

It's not really a demonic holiday. It's a very Catholic holiday. Holiday/Holy Day.

And candy.

But if you are new to our little convent on the internet, here is what goes on around here and my take on Halloween in general. I can't believe this blog is FOUR YEARS OLD! But four years ago, this was my Halloween adventure:

Grab a cup of coffee, a mug of tea and share my own Halloween horror!

Let's not overthink this Halloween thing.

Into the fray

Crusader nun

The Close Shave

You may be pleased to know that, four years later, the employee turnover rate has made it possible for me to buy orange rick rack at the fabric store once more.

Credit: healing-magic.blogspot.com