Fireside II
It is to the Village Square that the townspeople come to exchange views and thoughts on their beloved spiritual philosophy, learning from each other in kindness and wisdom. Then when their minds have been filled, they retire to the tavern on the western side of the square where they share in social discussion, learning of each other’s events and challenges, happinesses and sometimes sadnesses, too. With a mug or glass in hand, they collect in front of the great Fireplace that dominates the long wall. Benches and chairs are often filled on market day with those who have come from farther away, bringing news of events and views the local people delight in hearing.
If you are feeling disoriented by all the philosophical talk by the fountain in the Village Square, then come sit down on the bench here with us for a while just to soothe your mind and share a mug of tea or coffee. Let’s all make sure the conversation is quiet and simple, caring and thougtful, exactly the kind of talk you might have around a warm hearth, the only light filling the room coming from the fireplace.
Bernard bro – Thanks for your heartfelt sympathies on my rough day. Truth be told – I can’t even remember it any more — buried in the mists of time, or perhaps more accurately, disappeared into the mists of memory (;
All is well (and was well, even at the time I wrote the post). Nice to read your long post with notes to many of us. Good to have you back, Mr. Major !! (:
Michele dear – your note sounds wonderfully calm and majestic (or perhaps it’s my current state of mind I’m projecting onto your note (; — or better still, it is indeed your state of mind, and mine too (: I love the fact that you’re taking your time with the Course – myself I feel the by-now-all-too-familiar ego pressure to keep the pace at a lesson a day.
May lessons were fabulous – one of the best sessions I’ve ever had with the Workbook in my two/three/four ? journeys through it !! (: – I get the gut feeling that I have one more time to go through it – especially, as the first couple of times in 2004/05/06 I was fast asleep (: – oh wait, I’m still fast asleep (: Oh, and more thing – have fabulous memories of Lake Tahoe – have a great trip there this month.
Pam, dear friend – Omaha, is still in the potential planning stages – no sure dates yet. But most likely the US trip will happen around the time which usually we end up in Brazil (July), and the US is always easier to come to from Brazil, so it might be August ? or September ? There was a small possibility it might have been November, but I don’t think that will pan out. Will talk to my Mum tonight, if I can, and see how much further we get on planning. Sorry am not able to be more definitive right now ! (:
Winnie, almost bed-time, yet ? 9 pm your time ? Sweet dreams, dear friend.
Is anyone else now having troubles loading this fireside page? It might just be getting too big in which case we might have to start a Fireside III.
I found the real Garfield!! Check out this youtube and tell me if you agree:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPzNl6NKAG0&feature=channel_video_title
Nice video, B – showed the wife and the son too – L was more interested in the Scooby Doo playing on the larger TV screen tho (:
maybe 900 becomes the cut-off for each Fireside (:
hugs,
a
Bernard – that is one weird cat. Well that is of course my weird perception. maybe he just did something fabulous quantum mechanical which I don’t see. I love the way he just sailed forward.
a* – pinky jinx! and hugs!
hiya nina – hugs !!
ps. sorry – just came back to the fireside now –got distracted after my last post – my son is getting more and more delicious each day (: he’s sitting on his mom’s lap, while i type at the laptop.
Awesome cat video Bernard and a warm welcome home!
All of the posts from *a, Annie, Bernard, Winnie, Michelle, Pam, Nina… “speak to me” in a way that *I will not attempt to put into symbols of symbols..twice removed….except for “wow!”
With Love and Gratitude to you all,
melody
Ahh so nice to know the starfamily is all together now…I presume you are getting ready for bed while some of us are just waking up and others are getting ready for dinner. This is my favorite hour of the day. (:
Love when there’s news from every corner of the Village and especially pictures and video attachments. Must limit myself or I’ll be late to work.
Have a Great Day or Night All.
Hi Bernard,Glad you and Pat had a great trip and I’m glad you’re back Hugs!
re.#900 As for a Skype list or schedules I don’t feel it is necessary. We all have connected by e-mail for the most part and I have Skyped one on one with several villagers as the “mood” has moved us to do so. In the same vein When you have the time and are moved to do a village skype session that is fine with me, I trust HS guides this also ya know.
I have found for, me anyway, that the less planning ,scheduleing and structuring that can be done away with from “my” perspective in this matter the more “room” I have left for HS to do the planning for me and the less I get stressed out.
Most of that feeling has faded for me since writing about it,yet it recurres from time to time. I have thought about “doing” something to connect with students here I’m open to it but it hasn’t felt right to post my contact info at the outreach site yet and there is a small Unity Church about 30 miles away that has on occasion had a few people “dabble” with the Course but no one consistent. Maybe I will be the consistent one someday but that doesn’t feel like what I should be doing at this time either.
There just is “something” about being in the physical presence of another like minded person that is different though. The time I met Laura last year in person still had a different quality or “flavor” than e-mail or skype that is hard to put into words. I will assume you know what I mean by being able to contrast reading one of Ken’s books to listening to an audio to watching him on video to being in the physical lecture hall to having him talk one on one with you.
The Course does talk about that the function of the body basically is simply a communication device and the only thing to communicate is Love or fear.
It all boils down to; am I being, in the nonphysical way, open and connected or closed and separate regardless of the seeming proximity of my body to another.
Hugs to all.
Good morning everybody. It’s not yet daylight. I’m sitting up in my campervan all rugged up coz it’s winter over here, although most of you would probably roll your eyes at our Queensland winter.
I’ve made my pot of lemon and ginger tea and snuck back into bed to write to you. My heater isn’t working so i’ve got longjohns, 2 pairs woolly bedsocks etc etc.
It turns out that i can only stay about 4 days at a place before my batteries start to stop doin’ their thing. So i guess i gotta move on this morning.
While it feels wonderfully carefree during the day to live the life of a solitary wanderer who has given up the comfort of house-living, there are the odd moments, usually at night, when it feels kind of stark. But i dont really think that has anything to do with this new kind of life, so much as it has to do with the recognition that nothing, no-one and nowhere in this world turns me on very much, well apart from chocolate and the like, and that’s a scary place to be.
After my post the other day, i went for a lovely walk and it occurred to me that my conflict about writing came about because i was being a bit hard on myself. I could hear that thought being whispered to me as if in a suggestion by Nina, and as though she were right there with me, i answered back ” You’re right Nina ! Why on earth should i expect myself to not desire self-expression for cryin’ out loud. How unrealistic and harsh.
I used to be notorious for being hard on myself and i guess i thought i learned not to do that anymore. Fact is, i’m just sneakier in hiding the fact.
Bev i LOVE that passage ! The first time i read it, i encountered such relief. It feels so freeing and i found it to be the most marvellous tool when i suddenly found myself in the midst of an ego attack totally forgetting how the heck to practise forgiveness or what the steps were i had to remember. But i could remember this phrase and the comfort it gave was enough to carry me to calmness so that i could>/b> remember my practice.
Annie … an intimate and honest post and such a delight to read. I agree with Bernard about your beautiful lines ->
“There is a comfort in knowing that you know I’m insane. And then there is a greater comfort in knowing that you know within me is a completely wholly and perfect fragment of the Kingdom. I need you to see it in me so I can see it for myself. And having said that I know my work here will not be done till I see only your holiness.”
Yes Bernard dear, i am having trouble loading this page. I don’t have a big gig allowance – maybe that’s why? I am also reluctant to watch anything on youtube at the moment until i can figure out how not to go over my gig allowance.
Michele la belle – i loved your chatty, cosy and loving letter. Like our Annie says, it’s lovely to hear little snippets about the Villager’s personal lives. I’m still chuckling over Nina’s asking if you are in jail.. hee hee
Annie you made a comment somewhere or other to the effect – ” being kind seems so inefficient at times” I thought that was a great line, because we are the new breed of miracle workers, that unlike the old, don’t generally get to see changes or differences, sometimes in even little things, much less on a grand scale and so we need to remind ourselves….->
The miracle is taken first on faith, because to ask for it implies the mind has been made ready to conceive of what it cannot see and does not understand. Yet faith will bring its witnesses to show that what it rested on is really there. And thus the miracle will justify your faith in it, and show it rested on a world more real than what you saw before;
What i love about this passage are the verbs in the future tense.->
Faith WILL BRING
the miracle WILL BRING
If we stand right back in the grand scheme of things and view our life’s purpose as being forgiveness practitioners in all situations, our whole life slots into the seemingly banal existence of the “waiting” part of forgiveness.
Forgiveness….merely looks and waits and judges not
Dear – dear Winnie – A heartfelt thank you for this. This post is all encompassing of everyone’s love – and printed for re-reading. Many times. 🙂
Love and Gratitude to you all,
melody
Winnie love
that is so beautifully expressed that it reads as deep nourishment. And shivers went up my back when you told me you hear me say that maybe you are hard on yourself re expression: I DID say that to you when i read your post, and i WAS waking beside you. There is no distance any longer. (There never was.)
I am tearing up when i see all of you here now as my Teachers for God – and since I am one of you, that means I am too – when i accept it.
I post the rest of the post on the Forgiveness-page. See you there
Ohh yes a lovely read this morning. I’m seeing you sitting up all cozy like Ms. Winnie with gloves that have been snipped off at the finger tips. I’m sure they are colorful gloves with each digit in its own color. You probably knitted them yourself – I wouldn’t be surprised (:
I find it fascinating how the illusory world hides nothing about the upside and backwards nature of this planet. One world yet two different experience going on simutaneously. My Winnie in Australia is pulling out all her woolly socks while I am looking for my flip flops so my toes can breathe. In form, we act accordingly, while we and I loved this line most of all, accept “the seemingly banal existence of the “waiting” part of forgiveness.”
How can we not laugh (:
Big Hug Winniekins
Okay, this Fireside page is finished – please don’t post here any longer but use the Village Square page. I’m not going to create the next Fireside page yet so that everyone who visits over the next few days has the chance to see these great posts. So please post your comments to these great contributions over in the Square. Many thanks to everyone who made this another beautiful place for us to visit.