Dear
J-R and John:
I really wanted to share with you both how impressed I am
with our church, and particularly the high-tech look we
present because of NOW Productions. At J-R's birthday party
in September 1998, I had an opportunity to talk with Phil
Danza. He shared his enthusiasm for how fast NOW was growing
and the new projects NOW had undertaken. He invited me to
tour NOW if I was in town sometime.
Fast
forward to January 1999 when I had some business appointments
in LA and arranged to see the Network of Wisdoms facility.
How all those folks fit in that tiny space with all that
equipment is beyond me! I was really dazzled by the array
of equipment and variety of projects everyone was working
on. The level of dedication was very apparent. I've run
my own international business for nine years and have been
in sound studios and made business videos before, but I
have to say I've not seen anything like what NOW Productions
has going.
Fast
forward to March, 1999 when my husband and I came out to
LA early to volunteer to help NOW setup for the Easter week
celebrations. John and J-R, in the ten hours we worked,
we easily received a hundred "thank you for helping out,"
"you're doing great" and other compliments for our minor
contribution. Why, they had even made personalized place
cards for us at the lunch table!
We
worked with Cheryl and Denise, who both took the time to
explain the big picture and educate us on why we were doing
what we were doing. When we screwed up, it was handled in
the most light-hearted and loving manner. That really made
the experience worthwhile and less intimidating.
The
entire group of paid staff and volunteers worked together
in an amazingly smooth manner and everyone was upbeat and
generous. This was in spite of several setup problems—the
stage was too small, the backdrop not hung correctly, and
the backdrop wings got painted three times to match! It
was very different from the international trade shows I've
participated in—where everyone bites each other's heads
off and bedlam reigns. It was really a shining example of
the Church teachings applied to everyday life. And we were
very impressed.
After
ten hours, they sent us on our way, but the staff stayed
and worked until the wee hours and came back to do it again
the next day. As a church member and a volunteer, I experience
NOW, Phil Danza and their professional approach to be one
of the greatest gems the church has. For myself, I'm coming
out to LA early to help NOW set up for Conference. I'm doing
it for selfish reasons—I'm looking for more information
on how the NOW folks stay in their loving through the catastrophes
and tedium and long hours. That's worthwhile information
I can use for the rest of my days on the planet.
Covering
you both with love,
B.F.
Beloved
J-R,
I thank you for 23+ years of unconditional loving. For all
that you have taught me. For all that you have shared, for
all the happiness, joy, forgiveness you have brought to
me. For all the intercessions on my behalf. For loving me
over & over again through all of my fears, all of my heartaches.
For encouraging me through it all. Hearing your soft voice
inside me when my thoughts go astray. For the sanctity.
Your guiding light. For your embrace and comfort. For not
giving up on me, which enabled me not to give up on myself.
For teaching, showing, demonstrating better ways to be,
think & do. For showing me the way home inside so I may
know the Lord. For the Sacredness of your Spirit. For the
kindness. For loving peace as a reference point inside...For
letting me know you. For the opportunities to be part of
the greater good of all. For being the 'perfect' teacher,
companion, friend and co-worker with the Lord. For teaching
me loving acceptance of myself and all things. For all the
years of joyful giving.
Loving
you forever,
R.A.
REFLECTIONS
ON PEACE
Dear J-R and John,
On Sunday morning of the PTS Class this past weekend, I
awoke with a new awareness about Windermere and the Foundation
for the Study of Individual and World Peace—and what we
are doing here. I feel inspired to share where I am now,
at this point, as a sort of reference point in this process
that will keep on moving.
I'm
realizing the reality that when the Holy Spirit comes present,
it takes each of us as we are, with all of our personality
quirks and behaviors, and raises them and transforms them
into a higher vibration. So that even that very quirk or
behavior which was so bothersome before, which appeared
to be our personality challenge, can be part of our greater
and unique contribution to the whole. And for this to take
place requires one thing on my—our part: that we do love
one another. So it really is the key to all things.
When
I am open to this awareness I can be focusing on the loving,
regardless of what my personality or anyone else's personality
is going through. I need to, because at any moment, as a
result of my loving and the loving of those I am with—no
matter what we are doing on the outer—the Holy Spirit can
come present and transform all those lower attributes of
personality into their higher counterpart. It could happen
at any moment, so I want to keep my eyes on the loving.
This is the One Accord I am holding for.
I
thought of Windermere and where we are going now. It is
as if we are all (everyone who is involved with Windermere)
looking at the two pieces of the tetrahedron, looking and
waiting for someone, anyone of us who in a moment may represent
all of us, to step forward and put the pieces together in
such a natural and grace-filled manner, that the perfection
will immediately be revealed and the entire group will say
"AAhhhh" in one voice. In the meantime, various ones of
us step forward and each make our own offering of how the
pieces might fit together. And sometimes, some of us will
say, "Yes, that configuration is nice," and others will
say "I'm not sure that's it yet." Yet we all have an inner
knowing that there is a possibility that the pieces will
fit together in a perfect way, and when it does the entire
group will move into that estate called One Accord. Until
it takes place it may look very difficult, and yet the key
that will take us there is waiting for us every moment.
The key is our loving one another.
Oh
Lord, if I could just hold this at the core of my awareness
each moment . . .
I
am practicing—we are all practicing.
Beth Hinman
From
a friend who has a life-threatening illness:
Dear J-R,
It is important to live in the love and light of God! I
don't know how much time I have left on this earth; but
I know I want to use that time God gives me to serve him,
to serve the people who need it—to be loved! And you gave
me, you give me so much energy and power! I can't explain
it to you. Only if you know how it is to be in the deep
and not to know how you come to the land, and your energy
is empty, you can't swim more, and then there is a hand
from God and takes you up and lift you to the land! That
peace I have now!
R.S.G.
Denmark,
