Official Fall Retreat Dates:  September 13, 14, 15, 16, 2012

so you all can plan ahead; we look forward to seeing you all then

Yes, it is time to greet each other in 2012, and start the new year right

Potluck Brunch, Gab Fest, Circle Sharing

Saturday, January 7, 2012, 9am to Noon, 

get your boots on, grab your grub and 

come on out to Michael Markowitz' home:  

"I look forward to having you at my house this coming Saturday morning.  We are in the middle of a kitchen remodel but the important parts are done.  The flooring may or may not be ready by our meeting."  

Directions to 2136 Parrish, Santa Rosa, CA 95404;  Google Map:  http://tinyurl.com/8xcbt8k

From the freeway, east on Steele Lane across Mendocino it becomes Lewis, left on Franklin.  It becomes Chanate.  Keep going, like you're going to Sutter Hospital.  Go past the hospital about a half mile and turn right at Hidden Valley.  Go about a half mile, and turn right at Parrish.  2136, second from last house on the left.

Or, if you know how to get to Pacific Market, continue past the store, turn left on Parsons, it becomes Hidden valley.  Go through 3 stop signs and turn left on Parrish.  Second to last house on the left.  2136. 

See you then.

Michael Markowitz

326.1160 cell

573.8590 house

Our Core Team:

Roger Vincent 707-539-5808,  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Jimmy White 707-758-3319,  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Steve Easterling 707-280-9611,  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tom McCurry This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jamie 707-292-0301, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

John-Jack Erbaugh Emeritus

Rev. Sunbear Emeritus 

Submitted in response to Live with Intention:

Surrender to Love:

To always meet in mystery

To play without regard

To give without thinking

To take without asking

To trust without reason

To feel without limit

To surrender to love

  By me

    Bruce Hubbell

Connecting in the Social Hall

Sharing from ManSpirit First Saturday, January 8, 2011:

"Live with intention. 

Walk to the edge. 

Listen hard. 

Play with abandon. 

Practice wellness. 

Laugh. 

Risk love. 

Fail with enthusiasm. 

Continue to learn. 

Appreciate your friends. 

Choose with no regret. 

Stand by your family. 

Lead, or follow a leader. 

Do what you love. 

Live as if this is all there is." 

   -- by Mary Anne Radmacher

We had a fire circle out at the coast last night with the theme: Honoring our Fathers and Grandfathers and this would have contributed much to our talking--actually, I think this is a summary of our sharing:

forgiving our fathers
by dick lourie

maybe in a dream: he's in your power
you twist his arm but you're not sure it was
he that stole your money you feel calmer
and you decide to let him go free

or he's the one (as in a dream of mine)
I must pull from the water but I never
knew it or wouldn't have done it until
I saw the street-theater play so close up
I was moved to actions I'd never before taken

maybe for leaving us too often or
forever when we were little maybe
for scaring us with unexpected rage
or making us nervous because there seemed
never to be any rage there at all

for marrying or not marrying our mothers
for divorcing or not divorcing our mothers
and shall we forgive them for their excesses
of warmth or coldness shall we forgive them

for pushing or leaning for shutting doors
for speaking only through layers of cloth
or never speaking or never being silent

in our age or in theirs or in their deaths
saying it to them or not saying it -
if we forgive our fathers what is left

We're putting our mind on planning the retreat.  

Monday, Sept. 20, 2010

Greetings brothers!

It's hard to believe that already one week has passed since our time together. I've had a few challenges this last week health-wise in trying to fight off a sinus infection which seems to be lingering into its 10th day now. Luckily I have some tools that have helped me not stay isolated (my usual m.o.) and suffering alone (also my usual m.o.)

And it got me to thinking... how are the rest of you? Have you "landed" from the retreat experience? Have you had LIFE flood back in? Are you "Rising and Shining?"

Three tools I've used this week that were introduced at the retreat have been extremely helpful, and I just want to encourage you to remember to utilize these (or others from your spiritual toolbox).

1) The Spiritual Buddy - having Patrick M. there as support has been a benefit without comparison. I get cranky and isolative when I don't feel well, and his cheerful demeanor and caring nature helps lift me out of the doldrums in these circumstances. We both went to help John Palmerlee for a few hours in tearing down John's retaining wall. It did my heart and soul good to (a) get out of the house, (b) offer help/get out of myself and (c) see several of my ManSpirit brothers who had shown up to assist John. This is what I believe ManSpirit is about: being there for each other. Patrick also chauffeured me to the Center Friday and Saturday nights where we were able to view a slide show on Antarctica, then participate in the Global Drumming event the following night. This connection kept me from wallowing in self-pity and grumpiness. So I encourage you to go ahead and make a coffee date with your spiritual buddy. You won't regret it!

2) The tapping technique that Dawson presented (Emotional Freedom Technique). I started tapping as a means to deal with the awful headaches that have been one of the symptoms of the sinus infection... "Even though I have this pain, I completely and totally love myself and God loves me completely and totally." The pain decreased, and even more profound---I had this epiphany as I kept digging deeper into the beliefs/emotions surrounding the pain... I realized that after 25 years of living with HIV, I HAVE NEVER FORGIVEN MYSELF FOR CONTRACTING THE VIRUS! Whoa! I was able, through the tapping, to connect with that 22 y.o. frightened boy who got HIV unknowingly during the early years of the virus. Amazing that a simple technique such as tapping to get rid of a sinus-related headache would bring up ages old burden I've carried for nearly 3 decades. So please, tap tap tap, if you have an issue!

3) My daily meditation practice of sitting for 15 minutes twice daily.

So, I'm not harping here... I just want to encourage people to not let the retreat slip away. Do what you can to keep it present. You just might be astonished at the miracles that show up as a result.

Blessings

Jimmy