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As much as we say we want peace and to live with the absence of bitterness, resentment, and judgment, how many of us are able to walk our talk?
Mahatma Gandhi was approached one day by a reporter who yelled out, "What do you think of Western civilization?" It was a defining moment, and Gandhi's reply instantly transformed him from an object of curiosity into a celebrity. In his heavy Indian accent, he answered: "I think it would be a good idea."
The Season for Nonviolence, January 30 - April 4, is an international 64-day educational, media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities. It has been inspired by the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi (January 30), and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (April 4).
Here at the Center for Spiritual Living in Santa Rosa our team of volunteers has published a booklet with 64 Ways in 64 Days that offers us 64 daily affirmations as a way to create an awareness of nonviolent principles and to practice a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and communities by using them. Our kickoff event is scheduled for Thursday, February 2, at 6:30 pm. Our featured speaker is Kenny Johnson, a spiritual teacher and consultant to families and to released and incarcerated men and women.
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Our Online Community features topic specific groups that you can join once you have completed a free registration. (See the "Our Online Community" link in the Quick Link list above on the right.) Once you have registered, you will have the option to log in using the user name you selected, or if you are a Facebook user, you can log in with your Facebook identity.
Here is a sample of the topics our groups focus on:
This group is a networking resource for sharing spiritual tools that work for you. There are so many wonderful tools that can assist and guide us on our journey with Spirit. Spirit is FOR us, and using spritual tools allows us to open our hearts and minds to this influx of Good. It is not about doing something once you feel peaceful or joyful, but doing something in order to feel these qualities of God within.
This is a group for exploring and sharing the latest body-mind based practices for calming and stabilizing the emotions and nervous system. The new field of Energy Psychology (body-mind practices) is being shown to be very effective in changing the brain, healing in-grained patterns and expanding consciousness. Whether you are working to get over your triggers or are looking to expand you capacity to be who you really are.... or both ... these ...
This is a group for people seeking support to help them expand their experience of good. Whether you are living paycheck to paycheck or want to experience even more good than you already are, the principles of abundance and their universal nature apply to your life, whether you know it or not! Let's explore this together...
We gather monthly at the Center to engage in creative activity as a community. Provided is an open studio with art and
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by Edward Viljoen
 For the past several years I have had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday with you at the Center on January 4. We have co-created an event that is entertaining, community building, and a lot of fun. Because January 4 is on a Wednesday in 2012, we have moved the celebration to the nearest Friday—January 6.
The entertaining part comes in the form of the fabulous performing artists we have featured and this year is no exception. (Hint: You’ve Gott to be there!) We will begin selling tickets to the concert the first week in December to help launch the new year for our Center’s general fund.
The community building part comes in the form of the raffle we create together. It opens up ways that we can contribute our skills and treasures to provide for the Center we love so much. The drawing for raffle prizes is at the concert, but winners do not have to be present to win. We have received wonderful donations of everything from professional services to round trip air fare to Bali and more.
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 by Tish Lobland, Trustee
I have been studying Religious Science for most of my adult life. Having been raised Catholic as a young child, it has taken me a good part of the journey to undo my early beliefs—the belief that I was born a sinner and the belief that God has all these rules and if I didn’t follow the rules I was “bad” and I would be punished. I have come to truly believe that I am a creative expression of Divine Intelligence.
Two and a half months ago, when I first learned of the alleged violation of the finances of the Center, I felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach. I thought, “This is my sacred home. How could someone do this? And who would want to?” Being personally involved in some of the research into this alleged crime, I experienced such anger—even expressing it in words and phrases that are inappropriate to repeat here. I was reduced to tears of sadness as I saw the scope of what had allegedly happened.
I don’t mind admitting that it was a difficult time. And yet I have come to see the opportunities in this experience—the opportunity to test my faith, the opportunity to be led by a minister who practices what he teaches: to be allowed to express our human reactions and yet to ultimately come back to the basics of this teaching, and the opportunity to go through this situation with the most honorable group of people I have ever been associated with: my fellow board members. It has been a blessing to see how deeply they love this Center and how seriously they take their role as trustees, leading with such integrity and spiritual guidance.
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