Expansion Encounters - with Dusty
"Dreams come true in 2002!"

Thank you to all of you who continue to support Life Now and our ventures!

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If you prefer to read this online, you will find it as February, 2002

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CONTEST WINNER! - Congratulations, Sunny!
She and I have enveloped a slogan for each year over the past twenty years. This year we were almost late in doing so - but she came up with a winner!

You can visit her site, which contains several of Sunny's Articles

"Dreams come true in 2002!"

Thanks to you who participated! Was fun reading through them! Other possibles received were:

"Life's Brand New in 2002", or "Brand New in 2002" - Lisa.

"Be symmetrical in your life during symmetrical 2002" - Neil.

"Notice the beauty within and around you in 2002" - Sunny

"Discover the hidden treasures within you in 2002" - Sunny

"Be aware of life's gifts to you in 2002" - Sunny

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Alike in the Goodness of God

At our center being we are creations in the likeness of God so we are alike in that place. That place is God's love. His love flows through creation. We simply give it individual expression, which brings about uniqueness of personality. Love personifies differently and, along the way, we each collect a lot of stuff, or dross. To find the love-in-common, we focus on God's love. My life touches another individual's life when we each reach out and touch God's love in one another.

The Lord provides love and concern. I receive the inner impressions when I release all surrounding concerns.

Struggles arise when I meet a person who presents a challenge in drawing out my love. What are my responsibilities in obedience to the Bible's, "love your neighbor as yourself?" This commandment for loving my neighbor is emphasized several times in Scripture.

Loving others is applying the love essence, which, channeled through me, might be showing courtesy and respect. It may be revealing compassion. Do I have to like someone's personality to love them with pure love? I am grateful to many who have shown courtesy, respect and compassion but may not like my personality.

Liking a person benefits my health. I prefer a few close friends with whom I can share my inner self. For this type of friendship, I also need to be needed. I need their willingness to share their inner selves with me. I am a very open person and share on a deep level in serious discussions. I have only found a few very special souls who enjoy approaching me to share their deep feelings of life. These are the unique friends who encourage a healthy life.

Love leads to giving;
Giving leads to sacrifice;
Sacrifice leads to life;
Life leads to love.

Courtesy, respect and compassion are disciplines my will desires to learn. As I practice these disciplines, I am submitting my mind, will and emotions to the Lord. It isn't always easy. It has taken much prayer for guidance, communication with friends and practice.

How much time am I willing to give to those to whom I am commissioned to love? When someone is seeking a friend and needs to share inner struggles, I am willing to give of my total self, especially as a concerned listener. I am still learning the beautiful art of listening. This type of relationship, practiced daily, can become true friendship, encompassing all the essence of love for us.

The scriptural commission in Matthew 22:39 says to love your neighbor - singular person. Does the Lord expect me to love everyone in the world, as much as I love myself? I sometimes misjudge what love means. I judge love for myself by my actions or feelings. This is not correct. I may dislike some of my actions, but I can continue to love myself. There is a reason to love myself: to love the Christ-essence in me. If I say I do not love myself, I am saying I do not love God's creation. This is the same in my response to others. I can love them, as creations of love.

Purpose brings obedience;
Purpose brings magnitude;
Purpose brings comfort;
There is purpose in gratitude.

The Lord's loving arms enfold me when someone tells me they love me. I take this deeply and can love them without having opportunity to express it. To develop a deeper love, for bettering my health, I can share my expression of love for them. It may be face-to-face, a phone call, in written expression or another means of communication. They can experience God's love through me.

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SHORT CUTS TO AWARENESS - Mindfulness

For this new year, we are including a series of personal reminders and suggestions for relaxation exercises and methods for uniting in communication with others.

Discovery is everywhere.

May these personal reminders give you the joy of discovery and enlightenment.

Each Short Cut best finds its enchantment if the exercises are performed in a quiet, relaxing space.

There are no "short cuts" if the path of awareness has not already been traveled. Each person's path is unique.

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Take quiet time for relaxing mind and body.

Focus on a favorite nature scene. Put yourself in the scene. Experience all the sensations.

PURPOSE: To draw awareness through imagination.

HINT: Give self twenty minutes minimum and be patient for results. Continue daily.

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Adventures in Life

Some of us are climbing mountains. Some are exploring the deepest seas. There are also those of us who are sitting in the meadow, just absorbing our surroundings. No matter what quest we choose, we are experiencing life as an adventure. Each of us is the author of an episode in which we are the main character. Daily living can be a confident exploration of unlimited opportunities. All that is required is imagination and the ability to grasp the excellence.

When we stop lamenting a lack of opportunity or claiming we did not get the favorable breaks in life, our activities will become exciting and creative. When we lose ourselves constructively in what is happening around us, we find all kinds of pleasant fruits awaiting our recognition. The adventure begins at the gate of our action.

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Here are a few sites I find very worthwhile. I will be including those of subscribers so, if you have a site and think I might not be aware of it, let me know!

Always had a yearning to do some writing?

The Classifieds

A different kind of vacation - relaxing!

Dance of the Soul

A quick and easy color analysis

Tour Sonoma County, California

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Enjoy every moment to the fullest! - Dusty

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Working toward consideration and to better humanity, we want to encourage free enterprise, free speech. We are Life Now, a spiritual happening on and off the Internet.

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Questions or comments?