Issue 20
In this issue:
1) Welcome Letter by Sibyl McLendon
2) Spirit by Sibyl McLendon
3) Be Willing To See Things Differently by Rhoberts Shaler
4)The Death Card by Eagle Dancing
5) The Power Of Music
6) "Thank You" Grace and Gratitude in the Everyday by
Susie Cortright
7) When I Am Old I Shall Wear Purple
<<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>>
Welcome Letter
by Sibyl McLendon
Ya'ah'teh' and welcome. I have news to report this week! First, I am proud (and relieved) to report that the MousePages website is up and running! You can visit it to read all the archived articles of MousePages. I will also be providing links to articles each week, to keep this newsletter short yet give you more information. This was a long labor of love.
Second, I am equally proud (and relieved) to tell you that Pages With Spirit, my greeting site, has been snatched back from the edge of extinction. After much discussion, Bobby and I have decided to pay for the site and keep it going. I sort of felt like I was pulling the plug on a friend to just let it be discontinued. I hope you will remember it whenever you are looking for a bit of inspiration, or to send a really unique greeting to a friend.
Click for Pages With Spirit: 
This week I am starting my series of articles on Spirit. I want to thank all of you who contacted me about what I wrote on this subject last week, and to say they were looking forward to the series. I sincerely hope I will not let you down. The power of music song this week is really an old one... from the 60's! I realize that my age is showing here, but it is one that I always thought had a good message for us all. As for lessons I have learned this week, you will have to wait until next week to hear about them! I am writing an article about toxic friendships, and it has been a real struggle. This subject has been rolling around inside of me for about 2 months, because of a incident that
occurred in early February. I have had to sort out my feelings, let go of the turbulence and really do some hard thinking about what I have been attracting into my life. That sounds a lot like many articles that I have included in MousePages doesn't it? Have a safe and blessed week.
Sibyl McLendon 
<<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>>
Your treasure house is within; it contains all you'll ever need.
~ Hui-Hai
<<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>>
Spirit
by Sibyl McLendon
I wrote a little last week about loved ones who are in Spirit, and how many people contact me because they are worried that their person is unhappy, or angry. I have decided to write this so that I can share what I have learned about being in Spirit, and what happens to our loved ones after they pass over.
As I have stated several times before, being in Spirit is our true home. I do not feel that this can be pointed out too much, however. People get so caught up in their lives, and so disconnected from their Spirituality, that they tend to think that this is all there is. They feel as if this is what is important: this life, this body, this reality. Nothing could be further from the truth.
A wonderful book to read is "I Send A Voice" by Evelyn Eaton. In it, she refers to the body as an envelope. It holds the soul, but it is only there to be opened, and to release the soul at the time of death. I have also heard the body referred to as a coat, to be removed. It is our soul that is who we are. The soul has always existed and it will continue to exist. Energy cannot be destroyed, only changed. This is a Universal Law. I have actually seen the soul leave the body at the time of death. When my stepfather died, I saw him leave his body and float to the ceiling. It is interesting to me that I was able to witness this occurring. I had been abused, molested and truly harmed by this man, yet I was given the opportunity to see him leave. It happened to teach me a valuable lesson.
We come to the plane of existence over and over again for two reasons: to learn lessons and to transmute Karma. I use the word Karma because it is a descriptive word that many understand to a degree. It is the Universal Law that states what goes around comes around. We have to pay for what we do wrong. We are rewarded for what we do right. In the Bible, it says "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." Man has subverted this from its true meaning. Man has turned it into an excuse for revenge, which is so the exact opposite of what it really means: it is the Universal Karmic Law that what we do, we must pay for. It is our eye that will be plucked out for every eye that we injure. It is our tooth that will be lost for every tooth that we knock out of someone else. There are consequences for our every action. Knowing this, will you change the way to react to someone harming you? All of the great Spiritual Leaders who have come here to teach us right from wrong, Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, White Buffalo Calf Woman, Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., all of them have stated that when harmed, we need to turn the other cheek. That is because of Karma. Strike back, and you have the Karma to deal with one way or another, one lifetime or another.
Lessons that need to be learned in order for us to advance Spiritually are the other reason we come here from Spirit. The goal here is to advance to the point that we do not have to come here anymore. We want to stay in Spirit because that is our true self. There is no pain, no infirmity, no hurt or sorrow there. All is love. But we aren't ready yet; we still have lessons to learn. Be they patience, compassion, love; whatever the lesson, we must learn it. And, we will keep having the same problems, over and over again, throughout every lifetime, until we do learn them. I, for one, do not want to exist in that hamster wheel! I don't want to have to repeat the same mistakes over and over. I do not want to have to deal with certain people lifetime after lifetime due to my inability to forgive, or forget, or to love universally.
I know that it is not easy. I have had to struggle with this a lot in this life. I have had to try my best to forgive people for things that seemed unforgivable: my stepfather's molestation and abuse, the molestation of one of my children by a good friend, being betrayed by friends. But to the best of my ability, I have forgiven. It is because I do not with to have to go through anything like it again in another lifetime. I do not want a Karmic connection with these people. I want to learn the lesson and go on.
Your loved one, in Spirit, led the life that they did, and died when and how they did, according to these Laws.
I will continue this series of articles next week. I hope that they will be helpful.
<<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>>
Change your thoughts and you change your world.
--Norman Vincent Peale
<<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>>
Have Just a Little Willingness to See Things Differently
by Rhoberta Shaler
How you see people, events or situations in your life determines your responses to them. Of
course, how you see these things is a choice. Nothing has any meaning except the meaning that
we give it... right? If you choose to see a situation as a tragedy or a disaster, then you
will respond accordingly. If you choose to see that same situation as a learning experience, or
even, a push to look in a new direction or a stretch to expand your skills, you will respond
differently. It remains your choice.
Accepting responsibility for this choice usually requires some mental gymnastics. It is a
significant shift for most people. It is so much easier to complain about something if you believe
it has nothing to do with you, isn't it? It's even easier if you can find agreement for that
view among your friends and, then, you can really stir up negativity!
Are you living within someone else's view of the world without consciously making it your own?
Perhaps you are living with the vision, or core beliefs, of your parents, your culture or
spiritual path, and have accepted these views without thoroughly examining them to see how they
fit for you. On the other hand, you may have rejected those same views without examination,
too. Taking the time to figure out what is really important to you--what you deeply value-- will
provide the foundation for you to fully embrace and commit to those views, or send you in search
of your own answers. Once you are committed to your own personal values, you are on the path to
personal success.
You are defined by what you say you truly value, and by how your behavior reflects your values.
This is the meaning of living in integrity.
If you want more peace, passion, love, joy and success in your life, express your most deeply
held values in all that you do every day. Make sure that the way you use your time reflects your
priorities in life.
******************************
(C) Rhoberta
Shaler, PhD. All rights reserved worldwide.
Author of several books, programs & audio tapes, Seattle-based Rhoberta Shaler, PhD, speaks,
consults and trains for corporations, conferences, and conventions on 'People Skills for a Competitive Edge' through her company, SPEAKING ABOUT WORK. She leads teams to improve
and strengthen workplace relationships and recover time lost through conflict.
<http://www.RhobertaShaler.com>
<http://www.SpeakingAboutWork.com> Contact
Telephone: (425) 401-6464 Email:
mailto:RS@RhobertaShaler.com
<<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>>
If you don't change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?
~Dr. Robert Anthony
<<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>>
The Death Card 
by Eagle Dancing
The death card depicts the grim reaper, a skeletal figure in full armor, riding a white horse. A Religious figure holds his hands out to death, as if praying. Children are kneeling in front of him, and a dead man lies under the horse's hooves. In the distance, the sun is rising between two towers. and a boat sails peacefully upon a river.
More than any other image in the Tarot deck, this card brings fear to the querent. People are afraid of death, and although it does not usually mean the death of a person, it still means confronting something alarming or frightening.
Meaning
When you draw this card it is certain that something is coming to an end. This may be painful and difficult. You may be resistant to this change. There really is no reason to be, though, because Death promises transformation, renewal and the start of something new. Your life is about to be altered in a major way, or you are about to experience a loss: a relationship fails, a frienship is ending, a job may be lost. You must remember that this is not necessarily a bad thing, because it will make a place for something new to enter your life. Look forward with faith in the future.
Reversed
You are resisting change, and things are stagnating. You may feel that you have no energy, and that your life is boring. You are lethargic, and seem to be standing still. If this card is surrounded by postive cards, it may be telling you to wait; you will overcome you fear and begin a new cycle.
Eagle Dancing is Bobby McLendon. He may be reached at eagledancing1@mailcity.com
http://www.eagledancing.com
For a reading, go to http://www.keen.com/eagledancing
<<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>>
My dancing, my drinking and singing, weave me the mat on which my soul will sleep in the world of spirits.
~ old man of Indonesia
<<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>>
The Power Of Music
Stand by Sly and the Family Stone
Stand!
Stand
In the end you'll still be you
One that's done all the things you set out to do
Stand
There's a cross for you to bear
Things to go through if you're going anywhere
Stand
For the things you know are right
It s the truth that the truth makes them so uptight
Stand
All the things you want are real
You have you to complete and there is no deal
Stand. stand, stand
Stand. stand, stand
Stand
You've been sitting much too long
There's a permanent crease in your right and wrong
Stand
There's a midget standing tall
And the giant beside him about to fall
Stand. stand, stand
Stand. stand, stand
Stand
They will try to make you crawl
And they know what you're saying makes sense and all
Stand
Don't you know that you are free
Well at least in your mind if you want to be
Everybody
Stand, stand, stand
(C) 1969 by Daly City Music
<<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>>
Freedom is not something that anybody can be given; Freedom is something that people take,
and people are as free as they want to be.
~James Baldwin
<<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>>
"'Thank You': Grace and Gratitude in the Everyday"
by Susie Michelle Cortright
“Thank you.”
For many of us, it is an autonomic response. Like breathing, or blinking, or crying during re-runs of Little House on the Prairie.
“Thank you” is a reflex action--a phrase we spurt out at the end of a conversation, mostly to signal its end.
I thank people for calling, for writing, for bagging my groceries, for stopping me on the street to pet my dog. If you are like me, you catch
yourself uttering the phrase at least a dozen times each day, but have you ever really stopped to think about what it means?
In Mexico, it is “Gracias, Amigo.” During a recent month-long trip to Mazatlan, that autonomic response thing of mine was going strong. In fact, “Gracias, Amigo” is the single Spanish phrase I mastered during my
month-long visit. This was more because of my limited bilingual abilities than because I really meant to thank anyone. But, when you discover what the phrase really means, “thank you” becomes a wonderfully appropriate response when you find yourself speechless.
During that spring month of sunsets and sailboats, I would say “Gracias, Amigo” to the green parrots who peered from the resort’s lush greenery and mimicked whatever I said; “Gracias, Amiga” to the round-faced girl who dodged heavy-footed tourists to sell me spearmint chewing gum; and
“Gracias, Amigo” to the Pulmonia driver, though he careened around strolling pedestrians and through clogged intersections at a breakneck,
maniacal speed, finally forcing me to nearly choke on that chewing gum.
I soon learned that a “Gracias, Amigo” and a genuine smile can get you anything--or get you help with anything--in this foreign land. It became my
favorite expression, mostly because the origin, the true meaning of the “thank you,” is more obvious in its Spanish translation.
Gracias. It’s all about grace. It means: I don’t deserve this, but you did it for me anyway. I don’t deserve your help finding my way around in a
foreign country, but you helped me anyway. I don’t deserve the time you spend bagging my groceries--I’ve done nothing for you--but you bagged my groceries anyway.
And the “Amigo” part is important, too. I smile on a culture in which everyone from uniformed schoolgirls to straw hat vendors calls you (who is, of course, really a stranger rattling about in their country) a friend.
This is their autonomic response, it seems. I couldn’t always tell what they were asking me, but I always picked up the “Amiga” at the end. What a terrific etymological partner for “Gracias.” After all, sometimes we don’t deserve our friends, but a good many of them stick around anyway.
My husband and I say “thank you” a lot, and I don’t ever want to let that go. Because “thank you” means I don’t deserve you, but you’re here anyway. I don’t deserve your willingness to deal with my smelly socks, my chocolate cravings, or my coffee pot paranoia (did I unplug that thing or not?) but you’re willing to deal with them anyway.
The urge to say gracias...thank you...is a natural outgrowth of what that syrupy sentimental part of me calls true love. The kind of love in which
each partner encourages the other to do and to be everything they want to do and to be.
This kind of love has nothing to do with levying expectations for this partner to do something they wouldn’t choose to do on their own. It is
reserved for the mature, the wise, and the secure because it involves no
demands, no obligations, no expectations, no ultimatums.
Naturally, this is not a new concept. More than one psychotherapist has molded a multi-million dollar deal out of the idea. Best-selling books,
such as Scott Peck’s A Road Less Traveled, and Wayne Dyer’s Your Erroneous Zones, are just a couple of examples. Not to mention that old book called The Bible, probably responsible for starting it all.
So, the idea is not new, but it wields enormous power. Try it and see. Say thank you to someone. Not because they took out the garbage or cleaned the litter box or fixed your carburetor. But because they didn’t have to.
Susie Michelle Cortright is the founder and publisher of Momscape, an
online magazine devoted to nurturing the nurturers. Visit her at
Momscape where you may read more inspiring articles and essays, subscribe to Momscape's free online magazine,
mailto: momscape-subscribe@onelist.com, and register to win free pampering packages.
Article courtesy of MediaPeak, http://mediapeak.com
<<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>><<:::>>
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
with a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me,
and I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
and satin sandals, and say we have no money for butter.
And I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
and run my stick along public railings
and make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
and pick flowers from other people's gardens,
and learn to spit.
You can wear terrible suits and grow fat
and eat three pounds of sausages at a go
or only bread and pickles for a week
and hoard pens and pencils and beer mats and things in boxes.
But meanwhile we must stay respectable
and must not shame the children; they mind more,
even then we do, being noticeable.
We will keep dry with sensible clothes and spend
according to good value, and do what's best
to bring the best for us and for our children.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised when suddenly I am old
and start to wear purple
.
Home