Expansion Encounters - with Dusty
We Will Shine in 2009

A special thank you to all of you who continue to support Life Now and our ventures!

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You can read archive issues of "Expansion Encounters" at Expansion Encounters and now at Expansion Encounters 2009

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Alike in the Goodness
by Dusty Reed

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 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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Joy
by Dusty Reed Joy is a circle,
infinite.
Joy is a sphere,
full of love.
When love expands,
joy bubbles over.

Joy is deep contentment;
relaxed, as a sleeping child.
A warm and happy feeling.

Joy is bubbly;
a luxury of being pampered.
Joy is fizzley, sparkling,
effervescent, fresh.

Joy is a feeling
of touching lives
with all life -
Being content.

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Some sites I recommend:

The Wild Rose

Oasis TV

Carol Shireena Sakai's Art Works

Spiritual Endeavors

Astro Star

Spirit Link

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It is my joy to share with you that I continue to add new rose drawings and some photographs available at art.com! You can view them at Roses. I now have some of my rose drawings at an auction site, Art By Us And, I have a page with note cards (for sale) with some of my rose drawings. You can check it out by going Rose Note Cards.

I have been posting some of my other drawings now at Dusty's Art and at Dusty's Gallery

My sister-in-spirit, Sunny, has several of her drawings and has added new photos at art.com, too, at Sunny's Place

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And, for anyone who enjoys playing at ebay, lots of goodies (records, books & post cards - occasionally some nic nacs) are available at Dusty's eBay

You are welcome to forward this newsletter to friends who might be interested! If they would like to subscribe (at no cost), they can write to me at With Expansion Encounters as Subject. Thanx muchly!

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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Pathway

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Life Now

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Enjoy every moment!