SPIRIT IN MATTERS: Taking a Higher View of Life on Earth
By Dianne Eppler Adams

Vol. 3, No. 3 – May 26, 2005
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DEAR READER:

Nearly 3 months have passed since the last issue of SPIRIT IN MATTERS. Recently I was asked “Why haven’t you written lately?” My answer is...

When I began writing SPIRIT IN MATTERS almost 2 years ago (June 18, 2003), I was seeking a means to express the ideas and concerns that were bubbling up inside me at the time. You may remember it was only a few months after the Iraq invasion.

My original motivation was to create a vehicle to not only share my ideas of how spirit could be seen and expressed more in everyday matters, but to share links to articles that I had been passing along haphazardly to friends who might find them interesting. My progressive, pacifist leanings were desperately in need of expression.

As time has gone on, two things have changed and so the nature of the newsletter.

First, I have become less of an activist so the links I pass on are not so critical of the powers that be. Does that mean I have changed my mind about what is important or how I wish the world to be? No. However, I have lost interest in pointing out what is wrong with the world and become more interested in focusing on what I feel is my work – to bring love and light into the personal world of individuals one-on-one.

This led me to the second change. My work as an astrologer – conversing with individuals about their hopes, dreams and struggles – has become more and more satisfying. My ability to make a difference in the world is greatest when I can help people find peace with who they are so that they may radiate more love into the world. Consequently, I am now putting more effort into astrology, including writing a monthly newsletter called “Astrology in Matters.” [I hope you’ve chosen to sign up for that newsletter by sending a blank email to astrology-subscribe@SpiritinMatters.com.]

SPIRIT IN MATTERS has taken a back seat, but I do not intend to stop writing it. Instead, you can expect that it will be less frequent (perhaps quarterly) and shorter (perhaps without any links to other articles at all). I hope you continue to enjoy receiving it.

Finally, I want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU for continuing to read what I write. I particularly appreciate those of you who have chosen to respond with comments, favorable and challenging. I will always be open to your comments.

Now for the rest of this issue...

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FROM THIS VANTAGE POINT...

    Imperfections as Part of Life’s Plan

How would you live differently if you realized that what you perceived as imperfection was actually part of your soul’s plan for your life?

I am aware that this is no small question as I ponder it for my own life. Born with a deep inner desire for perfection, it’s when I feel I don’t measure up to my own standards that I pour out self-criticism much harsher that anyone else would give me. There’s always the possibility that I haven’t measured up to others’ standards as well. Am I alone in this? I don’t think so.

Could it be, however, that our inner desire for perfection is really more like a compass pointing in the direction of our greatest good and an opportunity for personal growth? What if we were never meant to be stymied by self-criticism or deterred by self-doubt?

Here’s something to try (along with me): When you feel a sudden disappointment in yourself, perhaps you’ve fallen short in some way or there was an unintended outcome from something you did or said. Stop and think. Oh, what a gift this is! I am now aware of what doesn’t work. I have more information with which to redirect my behavior and choose to act differently next time. I’ve just been blessed by the awareness that comes from discovering my imperfection!

As a child I learned that somewhere in the Bible it says “all things work together for good.” Your imperfections also are good as they show you the way to self improvement. Bless them and bless your self!

(Your comments are encouraged and always welcome at SpiritInMatters@aol.com.)
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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

A Beautiful Message of Time
http://www.scottstratten.com/movie.html
 

10x10™ ('ten by ten')
http://tenbyten.org/10x10.html

10x10 is an interactive exploration of the words and pictures that define the time. Each hour is presented as a picture postcard window, composed of 100 different frames, each of which holds the image of a single moment in time. Clicking on a single frame allows us to peer a bit deeper into the story that lies behind the image. In this way, we can dart in and out of the news, understanding both the individual stories and the ways in which they relate to each other.

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For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of our tasks; the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.
--Rainer Maria Rilke

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©2005 Spirit in Matters: Taking a Higher View of Life on Earth
501 Slaters Lane #422, Alexandria, VA 22314. All rights reserved. Permission is granted only for reproduction or redistribution of this e-newsletter in its entirety.