JONATHAN.. hang in there sweet Being of life.. we are all feeling the "strain" but this too shall pass. We are here- holding the formation. Blessings, Bonnie Kelley

--- On Fri, Aug 8, 2008, in msg263320, Jonathan Stemer wrote ---

Namaste Bruce, Constance, Bonnie and everyONE,

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest in Eugene, OR where the sun is shining brightly and we are blessed with warmth during this month of August.

Firstly, Bruce thank you for your tireless efforts in continuing to maintain the foundation upon which we may come together and share with one another. Although I really have no idea what may be going on with the System, I feel confident that everything is working out as it needs too.

I'm grateful for this community and the connection that I feel to all of you...there seems to be an ebb and a flow to the posts and there are times when I definitely feel more inspired to write something...during the times when there isn't much to say, I appreciate being able to read other people's posts.

As far as where the energy comes from...the Source that we all intuitively know is everpresent at all times and inexhaustible...I have gone through the last few months wondering if I will ever feel connected to this Source again...it has been like the ground laying fallow in winter before springtime comes. Even though the summertime in Eugene is a time when many people take advantage of the few months of sun that we are blessed with before the rains and the grey settles in, I have felt like I've been in winter...but then I realize that there is a rhythm to everything...like in Ecclesiastes...to every thing there is a season (or something like that)...what helps me during these times is to remember that we are all connected and like Constance has said part of a global family...so we all have our ebbs and flows...and what a beautiful dance it is...the things that seem to help me feel connected again are time in nature, meditation and communing with silence/stillness, listening to music that helps my mind to slow down, simple mindfulness breathing...and sometimes it is the opposite where I need to let loose and express the rawness that is inside...

Bruce...I commend the simplicity of prayer and fasting...I definitely find myself eating more than I need too and am attached to certain pleasures that I haven't been willing to let go of at this time...regular exercise does help in keeping a sense of balance...and I agree that there are certain things that we must do or else the gates remain closed...as has been said the Path is a razor's edge...

I'm glad that we are connected and have created a space together where there is a palpable sense of shared resonance...with the Olympics beginning on this day 888 (8-8-2008) it is an opportunity to look past the illusion of separation and celebrate the interconnectedness and global unity and oneness that we all (who come to spend time right here) are aware of and integral aspects of bringing this awareness into the consciousness of the collective at this time.

Blessings to each and everyone of you,

jonathan (a brother on the Path)

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