Fireside I
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.
Hey Pam looks like we posted at almost the same time. How are you doing sister? Been meaning to ask how your post op healing is coming along. Still have the neurological pain? I have a feeling you don’t want to burden us with these medical updates but I just want you to know I’m sending lots of light your way.
Laura I haven’t given you an official welcome back! Just wanted to know how late you stayed up on the wedding night? I’m guessing you didn’t have a problem (:
Katrina we are on fire down here in the valley as high as 110 degrees…just brutal.
Hey anyone talk to Lawrence lately? Just curious how he’s doing. And Debbi of the Grotto’s Birthday is coming soon (Monday Oct 1 )
Rushing to have some coffee with Annie and Pam. Bernard I came to the fireplace because, as Annie and Pam, I could not ponder below today´journal.
Just thanks, thanks for your love for all of us that reflects so vividly in considering our needs not separated from yours. The first of the requirements to be a teacher of God. I already printed it. It has so many things to practice that is easier to re read it in paper and take notes. This nugget at the end is now on a card in front of me: “We cannot get rid of something that is not real. We can only learn that it´s an illusion, a fiction, a dream, and begin to smile at our childishness thinking it was real, and then it will naturally disappear.” In Course words we can resume it as: FORGIVENESS. But how essential it is to understand what is forgiveness talking about. Here we have a loving and at the same time brilliant (because is simple) answer.
Thanks Bernard, as Annie said everybody to some degree have issues with our parents and I think everybody have issues with denial. It is a favorite defense, one that could bring us a lot of guilt if we are seeing it through the ego´s eyes.
Counting the days to meet you all. Have a great day.
Hugs, Lisi
Guys, sorry about the link goof-up. Actually it was just a question of copying the article from the home page to the Mayor’s Journal page for the month of September. So glad you find there’s something in it for you all. Yes, father issues, hmm, or should we say, Father issues? I only touched on the tip of the iceberg of my issues in the article. Maybe we can all ‘come out with it’, you know, spill the beans, get it all off our chest. Who has not known some hateful thoughts toward their father? Just a rhetorical question…
Hi Annie, sorry I got distracted earlier and gotta go now to town. Will give an update later.
Hugs to all
Hi Annie, hot – yes! 113 on my ‘sun deck’. I’m slathering on sunscreen and heading for my friend’s pool to marinate till granddaughter pickup time.
Annie…you will be most proud of me in staying up till 11:45 the night of the wedding. I was packing a double Red Bull, but I never used it. My guess is that I really watched how much liquor I downed…slight. I know, I’m no fun. But I’m awake!!! 🙂
Hugs! Laura
{{{Lisi}}} I missed ya by a hair yesterday! Just finished my morning brew earlier than usual today. And my daughter and niece thought they would be sneaking into the house @ 4:30 am convinced they would beat my internal alarm…silly girls! What could one possibly be doing up till then…don’t answer…I don’t even want to know.
I’m like you Laura, almost midnight and I would turn into a pumkin.(So proud of you!) Plenty of good times to be had before then right. Unless one works the night shift what could possibly hold ones attention past midnight? Don’t answer that either…I hold sleep as a sacred ritual and can get down right nasty if someone messes with it. So when I toss and turn and can’t sleep because of some internal chatter and realize I’m in charge of my own happiness well that’s when I get really pissed! I believe I’ve been pretty peeved lately and conveniently an army of ants has marched into my kitchen this morning…now I have a reason to kill and take out all this frustration. I have already announced to them that they can live until I’m done with my coffee…I don’t think they believe me but they have been warned.
katrina: I thought it would be way cooler in SLO town! Thank goodness for friends who have swimming pools! BTW what’s your grand daughters name 🙂
anil buddy what country are you in? Miss you.
Nina, what should our theme be for Debbi’s Birthday?
Annie dear one – In India today. Came into Singapore last night with S and took the early AM flight to Bangalore this morning. You are very cute and amusing when you’re in a peevish mood (: – no, don’t take that to mean that I enjoy you in your suffering, i most certainly don’t, and would rather wish you all the happiness and peace of mind that you (and all) deserve. Just that you express yourself very sweetly when peeved (:
ps. I’ve been in a down-right “nasty” mood for quite sometime myself. only thing is i’m not nearly as cute as you, when that happens !! wish i could learn to speak like you (: hugs.
Laura – I do owe you that KC story. But you know what, my Dad is a bit of worrier when it comes down to blabbling on the internet and putting personal stuff out there. So maybe, what i’ll do is write it up in a short email to Bernard, and he can mail it to you.
Pam (and Annie) – the story of Shobha and me should be fine for this forum. She doesn’t have any issues with my writing about it here – although i should check with her more explicitly later, before i get down to writing it all down.
And last, but not the least, Michele – I checked with S, she has no idea what a gravatar is, so will not be able to help me with it. You know what – I’ll attach a recent picture of her and me on the email i send bernard, and he can add it to the gallery, nameless –
Annie, theme for debbi’s birthday – that must be gratefulness i think. BUT maybe she isn’t here to experience it- i really miss her comments on Jamie’s classes, and they have disappeared too – so …
maybe it would be better to mail her personally and give her our love?
*
I love this poem- the sense that time is fluid and maybe not real…
In the Middle
of a life that’s as complicated as everyone else’s,
struggling for balance, juggling time.
The mantle clock that was my grandfather’s
has stopped at 9:20; we haven’t had time
to get it repaired. The brass pendulum is still,
the chimes don’t ring. One day you look out the window,
green summer, the next, and the leaves have already fallen,
and a grey sky lowers the horizon. Our children almost grown,
our parents gone, it happened so fast. Each day, we must learn
again how to love, between morning’s quick coffee
and evening’s slow return. Steam from a pot of soup rises,
mixing with the yeasty smell of baking bread. Our bodies
twine, and the big black dog pushes his great head between;
his tail is a metronome, 3/4 time. We’ll never get there,
Time is always ahead of us, running down the beach, urging
us on faster, faster, but sometimes we take off our watches,
sometimes we lie in the hammock, caught between the mesh
of rope and the net of stars, suspended, tangled up
in love, running out of time.
~ Barbara Crooker ~
(Yarrow)
Anil, to get an avatar just go to gravatarDOTcom and follow the instructions. It is simple. Then all sites that use the company Gravatar will display your avatar when you post. example the village ,wordpress (Nina’s blogsite)ect
I feel a lot of gratitude and love right now for Bernard and the village. I am doing my day job work on my computer and every so often I read a paragraph of Bernard’s article from Sept. 28th. I have just felt peace rising up as I read his writing.
As Bernard says, daily lessons are ALWAYS available to watch the wormy ego (Ken W. has used worm to describe the ego in several CD’s I have been listening to the last few days). So…the peace as I read Bernard’s article is much appreciated.
I am laying down by the way alone in my cozy quiet house while I work on my laptop. I have a whole set up with pillows for total comfort that I love. I do usually work in my lovely office with my co-workers but some days I work in my bed. Today I am here working in bed just because it feels good and I wanted some alone time. Sometimes I gratefully work in bed if I’m not feeling well.
Love to all, Kendall
Hi Kendall, Sounds great to be able to work from bed. I used to take a day off work just to stay in bed and read books. Loved it!
Yes Pam, I have been doing this working on my laptop in bed for several years now on and off and I still feel very comforted by the whole experience.
October 3rd Fireside Get-Together
We’re getting ready for our Sunday morning/afternoon/evening ‘worship’ in the Tavern, and I’d like it if the people who are thinking of attending could take a look at this list of things to think about. It’ll make it that much more fun if we manage to do just a little preparation.
1. Cup and plate and spoon required to participate (full or empty, but full is definitely more interesting).
2. Personal notes that each person reads out so we can get to know you a little. Could you please share with us:
Name, town, country, time zone
Weather outside, where you’re sitting, what’s around you, who else is there
Something about where you live that you’d like to tell us, something you like about your area or something we probably don’t know.
Receive some questions (giving us some juicy details about your life!).
One, two or three lines from the Course that have struck you recently for their beauty or clarity.
Okay, that’s it for each person’s preparation. Then there are a few questions I’d like to ask you all about the Village in general to get your feedback, as points of discussion. There should be about six to eight of us in all, so by the time we get through all this we’ll have been talking for an hour or so, I imagine. But if things go quickly and there’s some free time left over, then I thought we could take a look together at the notes from the recent Ken workshop at Jamie’s site. We could each read an entry one by one and then make any comments.
My atmosphere choices for this first informal fireside meeting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqG-7HD_PHI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVRQeiqZlKY
We’ll get more spiritually elevated in our choices as things progress. 🙂
If anyone has any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thanks!
Bernard, now i dare to participate. What a beautiful structure: place for everyone, a sense of peace and order, no rigidity but s t r u c t u r e .
I will come and look forward to it – but need to leave for my other skyping with Focusing friend in Canada ( she lives in the deep woods, and there are BEARS around her 🙂 and she is tattooed all over.) Nono. absolutely not related to anything at all.
Morning Nina or should I say afternoon…tell your friend to join us! Lions and Tigers and BEARS Oh my…we can go deep too (:
Anil: Boo hoo left the US…no wonder my hearts been feeling heavy. I’m guessing Bangalore means you are back to work. Googled the weather forecast there and it said 80 degrees F partly cloudy with occasional Thunderstorms. And believe it or not we had some freaky weather here yesterday. Warm 80-90’s not the 3 digit meltdown we’ve been having lately. Then some funky cloud cover, a few big drops of rain, Thunder and then a double rainbow. It was kinda unreal, made me think of you in Bangalore (:
So, you like my peevish moods (: I do try to veil my viciousness with a touch of humor and a few death threats. It’s a way of speaking honestly and it helps me relieve some of the steam before someone gets hurt. (ok the ants really did die but you know what I mean …humans) For the record I enjoyed killing all the ants yesterday. But I must confess now. I did not dispose of some food scraps properly so they were unconsciously lured in by me. Geez, do you think I set up other scenarios the same way. Leaving little traps for innocent souls to just walk right into?
It’s a good thing we all know this about each other anyway…my plotting ego is your plotting ego. …. So no reason to worry about introducing ourselves this Sunday right? I’ll make sure to put on a cheery color.
The only exception to the above scenario would be DonnaD…Her and all Canadians are excempt from vicious egos.
Tootles and Have a Good Day
Annie, i’m not sure what my cheery color is at 7 am. Maybe only blue in my open eyes. Oh, i forgot, it won’t be visual. Hmmm, i may have a just-focusing imagination, too. Maybe i’ll just face east and think with whatever color the sunrise is giving.
i want to make it, but i am having techno-phobia issues. i don’t know if i subscribe to US and France or to US and all of Europe. And if i do this, does it commit me to also getting a camera to comply with Skype sessions that i’ve been politely turning down?
My ego perception is at the circus whenever — well, 98.6% of the time.
love and hugs, katrina
Update to Fireside Gallery – Annie wanted me to include her son’s creative cake work. (What is it, a witch?)
Katrina and Anil, it is very simple setting up a Skype account. Just go to Skype.com and click on the download button to install the software (in my French Skype home page it’s the second button from the left in the main navigation bar under the Skype logo). Then get a Skype name for yourself by clicking on the ‘sign-up’ button which in my French version is second from the left in the mini navigation bar at the very top of the home page.
I couldn’t tell you if the US Skype home page is the same as my French version. Could someone perhaps guide everyone through the US home page, enough to get a Skype account name? Thanks.
Once you have a Skype account name, just send it to me in an email at: bernard@pauloandthemagician.com.
Skype help. What Bernard said is the same on the English page also. Katrina you DON”T want to subscribe or buy credit unless you want to call telephones from your computer. Open an Account and computer to computer is free. And NO you do not need a camera. Plus I just use an external microphone(my computer is to old for an internal mic.) and my computers regular speakers. It’s great sounds like they are sitting in the room with you.
If you or anyone else would want more help send an e-mail to me through Bernard (hope this is O.K. I know your busy) with your phone number I will call you through skype, my computer to your phone, and then we can go to skype and I will walk you through it. I will not sell your number, give it away or ever call you again (unless you want me to) once we are done. (-:
Don’t worry about the cost for me to do this, it is very cheap. I already have bought $10 worth of credit to talk with another friend on their phone and it is only 2.3 cents a minute. Same rate to anywhere in the world. We talked for 1hr 25min and I still have $7.85 left. I am willing to donate it to help us all connect.
Added note for the above #970 or just get my e-mail from Bernard we will need to set-up a mutual time for a walk through also.
I will not sell your number, give it away or ever call you again (unless you want me to) once we are done. (-:
You are too funny Pam. BTW could you tutor my son in Algebra via Skype? He can make pretty designs with his dessert but is struggling with math.
katrina and all …I had a couple skype sessions with Bernard just to get a feel for it. The first time he couldn’t hear me at all and the second time worked just fine but I got a bit fidgety and hit a button on my dayboard that made the connection disappear (totally by accident but good to know)…now that was just with me, so multiple that by 5 people and it should be one comical event not to be missed. I promise to behave. The agenda is already ambitious not sure what the spoon is for but I will be ready.
I’m anticipating some guest appearances…like “Cory from Nebraska” and “Pat with Pumpkin and Athos” my little guy “Max” is never too far away so I know he’ll want to say Hi.
Sorry Annie, I am horrible with math. But I can send you some free website links that explain it in a way that even I can get.
Story time: short version, I don’t think Laura will mind my sharing this but right before Bernard announced the Skype day and time we already had begun plans to meet face to face for the first time in a town about 40 miles from where I live for breakfast. Same day same time go figure. But we are going to bring laptops to the truckstop we are meeting at and will do our best to call in for a little while from there.
We are testing Laura’s Skype tonight. So excited, it will be the first time we have talked also.
OMGoodness what an awesome synchronicity!
Yes it is and after about 3 false starts we got the connection right and yakked for a little over an hour. ::giggle:: this is so fun
I second the “fun!” It was so cool to hear Pam’s (and Cory’s) voice last night. I told Hily about it today as we were driving to the small town for
her to present her Mandarin Chinese lesson. Probably a bit of a show-off when I said all the countries of residence included in the Skype meet. No matter how the meet goes on Sunday…we will have all had a new technology experience.
Hugs!
It’s T-19 hours till the Village goes Live! Could I also ask you to bring a pen/pencil and a piece of paper, please? This will just help a little with some sharing logistics (in case you think I’m going to ask you to draw something or do some math!). Thanks. So let’s just hope the technology holds up and we can actually make this work! If it does, it will be some party.
Pencil and paper. Check!! I hope the truck-stop that Laura and I are meeting at has a good WiFi or we’re going to be bummed. Happy to finally meet each other face to face but bummed if we miss this first live village talk.
hi Pam –
re: 960, and the gravatar advice – i’m still in two minds on whether i want one or not !! (: (am not even going down the path of which one would be right-minded choice (; —
and thank you for your kind comments on the picture. glad you liked it. it is my favorite picture of us, and was taken on our recent trip to Dallas at the Arboretum there (my brother-in-law’s favorite cafe, the one that sounds Brazilian, and i’m too lazy even to scroll around to find the correct spelling (:
And he’s one of those hi-tech gadget nuts, so he took the picture on his phone, and emailed it to me right away, and so it was in my Inbox, and most of my working life is chained to this email Inbox of my work (or so it seems), so it was a snap to just forward that email to our overworked Major (: when i read of Annie’s on-going suspense in this regard (:
and my what a long story that was (: – to explain why it took a year+ to get my pic in, and how easy it was thanks to all these co-indinky things happening these last few weeks, …..
and now i’m out of breath (:
sooooooo…. have fun at the FireSide live this Sunday – i’m going to do my best to make it, but i’ve written all the details to Bernard separately in another email, and if it happens, then it will be lovely, and if it doesn’t, it gives me the joyous anticipation of looking forward to joining the next one live…..
toodle doo, mah friends, and lots of love,
a
Anil, just want to share how much joy it gave me to see your face, and Shobha’s too, at last. It felt like i recognized you.
soft hug
Nina
Anil, yes, your picture was really vivid in my mind when Bernard told us you said hello, and we pictured it after 11 pm where you were.
Well, that Skype call sure leaves me yearning for our next one.
Thanks so much to everyone who participated in this on-line conversation!! Thanks Laura, Pam, Annie, Lisi, Katrina, Michele, Donna, and Nina!! Group-hug…
I would imagine we all shared some of the same sensations/experiences of deeply loving the person we could hear now for the first time speaking as they spoke because of the history we have of already loving each other and having alot of gratitude for what a gift we all are to each other. We all shared patience with the process too.
Amoungst all that love and joining I saw my ego there too so it was normal.
Thank you Bernard and thank you everyone.
Now I’m off to see Anil’s pic!!
Bernard, was that wonderful, or what??!!!
When we finished the meditation with Lesson159, i had this whoosh of realizing just the geographical scope of that same moment being shared, and then just as swiftly, i felt that we were all one. Sure can’t beat that. Thank you so much for everyone who managed to get on, and the many who i know were thinking of being there, and especially to you, Bernard, our open armed host.
love, katrina
Thanks Bernard for making this wonderful sharing possible. No doubt we are all just One. When you was reading the closing I was thinking and experiencing so much the same as Katrina, we all, seemingly apart from each other, in different parts of this so called world, and in truth all together as One, experiencing it through this union and love, we are just ONE.
Lots of hugs and love, have a great Sunday
Lisi
A gentle peace,
a controlled exuberance,
and a kind patience,
was present in each voice during todays skype session.
It was such a pleasure meeting my lovely self in all of you.
I was particularly touched that Jamie forwarded a greeting to the group as well as anil. I do like the balance of male/female energy and so I was grateful that Cory stepped up to the mike to support our fearless leader Bernard.
Another Group Hug to All,
Annie
Can anyone direct me to where Anil and Shoba’s pic is viewable or did it disappear? Was it in his gravatar?
Michele, you can find it by going to AcimVillage, Galleries, Fireside gallery. Hope that helps you. {{{smile}}}
It was really a pleasure to “see” many of you today. And wasn’t it terrific that Pam, Laura and Cory were able to connect towards the last as well. Bernard, I want to thank you for taking the time and making the effort to pull this off. It was wonderful listening to the man from down under speaking in French :::smile::: It’s quite remarkable that although we are seemingly living in all corners of this world we made up, we have the same desire to walk this path—along with all its trials and tribulations. And we are doing it together. Remarkable. Warm hugs everyone. D.
Pumpkins, I am so looking forward to connect with you later again, and would love to connect through a meditation, as is talked about. That must have been wonderful!
Again, thank you all for your wonderful presence today. It was really a magical moment that has stayed with all day. It was just our first meeting, so there was a lot of getting to know each other. I thought we got on beautifully, a real sharing, a going back and forth, a respect of each other’s time. So good. And thanks for playing the game with our little introductions. And lots of forgiveness for the technological hitches – and my goofs, sorry! But the next time we get together (October 17th) we get to work! (says he, trying to sound like a boss, hehe) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and more than anything, I hope you feel you will be getting something out of these meetings. For me the idea is that these encounters serve you, are useful to you on your path, in your life. They should ideally help you know that you are not alone in your study – we are all doing this together, we are all aiming for the same wondrous goal, and struggling with our mutual insanity all along the way! I really think we have something we can learn from each other. Each of us is moved by something slightly different in our work and can share it with the others. We are all an inspiration for each other, and an enlightening presence.
If you have any suggestions as to how we can make these meetings better, suggestions, ideas, thoughts, likes/dislikes, please don’t hesitate to let me know via email.
Thanks again. You all give me a real reason to continue. And I hope to see more of you there next time. Many blessings, everyone, and all my love,
Bernard
A year and a half or so ago the world shrank for me and didn’t seem so big and overwhelming when I found the monastery and started writing with everyone. Now it just shrank again with our being able to talk over the airways, as a group, with Skype. I choose to see this as symbolic of our little willingness to join with our brothers and sisters.
The ego thought system’s days are definitely numbered.
P.S. It took us so long to get connected to the internet that we were starting to worry that we would miss the session.
Hi everyone…. i heard about the SkypeFest….. i dont have Skype but i was there with you in spirit …..
I love you guys ! xoxoxoxo
Ah..Winnie checking in..the icing on the cake!!I love you..we all love u
Bernard I’m happy to see you writing once again about our first audial gathering…so good to feel everyone’s prescence in our hearts and ears
DonnaD..thanks for the directions- I’ve never been to that page… I loved what you wrote about our time together and how we share our path struggling with the same envitable insantity stuff. Everyone one here is a lifeline in the ocean and a gentle hand up the ladder.
Pam, shrinking the world,a great image… today my heart swelled with getting to hear you, you had a particularly wonderful effect on my spirit
Nina…I love being called pumkins by you…thank you and i look forward to your not having to leave earlier next time and stay with us.
{{{{Winnie}}}} This is the best gift I could ever asked to close this magical and pleasurable day. Hope we are going to have you here with us for the study of Ken´s workshops proposed by Bernard. I am sure all of us will be delighted to have you here again.
Lots of hugs, and much, much love,
Lisi
Thanks to EveryOne for making it such a special Sunday morning! Pam and Cory and I met up in person for the first time and then we joined all of you on the Skype Meet. Now THAT is a treat that will last and last!
Hugs to All and a particularly big squeeze to Bernard for organizing the event!
Gonna try something new and move my body before I move my mind. Putting on my sneakers and going out for a walk. Well, that’s not entirely true. I flipped the blue book open radomly and it fell open to Chapter 25 VIII. Justice Returned to Love. So I decided that I will carry the first few lines with me while I take my stroll. ” The Holy Spirit can use all that you give to Him for your salvation. But He cannot use what you withhold, for He cannot take from you without your willingness.” I suspect he’s talking about my weight (: (I know he’s not, but my lack of commitment to weight loss is just a metaphor for something deeper I’m sure. So I may as well start there. The question is …Why am I holding on to these extra pounds? Wish I could just start running like Forrest Gump and not analyse everything. I may or may not write upon my return. So I bid you all a lovely day.
{{{Winnie}}}
how wonderful to connect with you here again. If you want to visit next meeting, Skype is supersimple to download. Even PC-dummies like me did it.
Yes, to hear our voices was special and wonderful – Annie, I started to giggle when i heard you, your joy was so contageous – and I love that Cory was present too.
GROUPHUG – and that includes also the silent ones!
Hellooooo Winnie, Come and have a cup of tea and a pecan sticky roll. I brought enough rolls, tea and coffee for everyone. And Annie the rolls are those special zzero calorie type.(-:
Ahhh, Winnie, you are one of the main persons i was talking about (984 above) — i could feel you with us in spirit. Skype to do these calls is just a free download. Hope you have a PC again, though, because you can’t get to a library at night.
Miss you so. love and hugs, katrina