My Thriving Life in 2017

Beginning from 12/30/2016

• Began week 3 of a 21 day vegan diet program
• Continued monthly volunteer cooking at the Gospel Mission
• Participated in a Peacekeeper training, Anti-Racism, and Non-violent resolution training. 
• Conducted staff training at Center for Gender Equity at WNMU around Caregiver Fatigue.
• Participated in Peace Procession on Women's March day in the sleet and snow.
• Conducted Listening Sessions for the Southwest Conference of UCC
• Took care of my animal friends: Kate, Miriam, Buck, Frank, Gunnar, Grady, Mona, Cosmo, Rosa, Melito, Buddy, Callie, Cindy Lou, and Sherlock. (Not all at the same time!)
• Participated in Rotary, Reiki Circles, Green Drinks, SEED, and Silver City Indivisibles meetings
• Participated in Affinity Circles, Sister Rhythms, and Silver City United for Peace Meditations
• Flew to Phoenix for SWC of UCC Executive Board & MCVC meetings.
• Celebrated friends for their anniversary/shared birthday with a Bunco Party
• Sang Kirtan, went to Spanish class, and semi-regularly to the gym
• Enjoyed excellent concerts and movies
• Danced in Zikrs, Sang in Church Choirs, Led New Moon Sister Circles
• Directed "The Beams are Creaking", "Last of the Red Hot Lovers"," Who Invited Falstaff?" & "A Christmas Carol". Lead singer of the speakeasy band, "The Librarians" with bonus tap dancing.
• Planted trees, scholarship committee, Auction, and Vocational Service chair for Rotary
• Danced like a fool for PFLAG, Virus, and Grant County LGBTQ Fundraisers
• Performed Shakespeare for the 1st time in Ages!
• Completed my Infinite Possibilities Trainer Certification.
• Began monthly Community Agape Events (Food + Engagement + Non-profit awareness = Love)
• Spoke on panels for Parents/Allies of LGBTQ & WNMU Student Interfaith Alliance as SCUCC rep
• Facilitated 10 week Courage Coaching for Women &  13 week Healing your Heart Coaching groups as Pay it Forward fundraisers for El Refugio and SASS.
• Vacationed in Oregon & Washington visiting friends and family.
• Chosen to serve as New Mexico's 3 Great Loves Coordinator for UCC National
• Completed training and implementation of my new private client portal, and began engaging YOU into a profound transformational partnership. 
• Hosted a booth at Silver City Pride Festival
• Began training in Education for Ministry course & Convergence Leadership Project
• Built and sustained Ecumenical and Interfaith partnerships

After the election last year, I doubled down on loving my community. Didn't you also feel that wave of shock as startled spiritual beings around the world were rudely awakened to discover the collective shadow in full assault upon the most vulnerable among us?

I believe the time is now, not only for me, but for all those who sense they are in a process of awakening, to stretch into a new way of experiencing the world around us.  

Why did I do all that, when 95% of it was volunteer?

Because these gifts are not mine to keep.  The pain of my early years led me to discover a way of truth that supports me to follow the scary calling into servant leadership, stretch into my creativity, and make choices for my life and business that are based in the faith that I am completely supported. I practiced saying YES to the Universe.

Here's a recent note from the Universe:

Wendy, soon the new year starts, so now's a great time to:

1. Wipe the slate clean.
2. Focus upon what you really want.
3. Chart your course.

Or is that a bit old school? Feels tiring? Ugh!

How about an adventurous alternative:

1. Give thanks that your life is exactly as it is.
2. Decide that 2018 will be the happiest year of your life yet.
3. Every day, follow your heart and instincts down new paths. 

This will be your year, Wendy -
  The Universe

 My Way of Truth 2017:  What I learned....

There is a  new way of thriving in the world while not succumbing to the collective shadow of fear.  That way of truth is unique to each person.  I am here to help those on an Awakening Angels Journey to discover and trust their Way of Truth and create their Best Year Ever in 2018. 

Saying YES to the Universe, by Madisyn Taylor

Saying Yes to the universe opens the gate to receiving what your soul really wants.

The hardest thing about saying yes to the universe is that it means accepting everything life puts in front of us. Most of us have a habit of going through our days saying no to the things we don't like and yes to the things we do, and yet, everything we encounter is our life. We may be afraid that if we say yes to the things we don't like, we will be stuck with them forever, but really, it is only through acknowledging the existence of what's not working for us that we can begin the process of change. So saying yes doesn't mean indiscriminately accepting things that don't work for us. It means conversing with the universe, and starting the conversation with a very powerful word--yes.

When we say yes to the universe, we enter into a state of trust that whatever our situation is, we can work with it. We express confidence in ourselves, and the universe, and we also express a willingness to learn from whatever comes our way, rather than running and hiding when we don't like what we see. The question we might ask ourselves is what it will take for us to get to the point of saying yes. For some of us, it takes coming up against something we can't ignore, escape, or deny, and so we are left no choice but to say yes. For others, it just seems a natural progression of events that leads us to making the decision to say yes to life.

The first step to saying yes is realizing that in the end it is so much easier than the alternative. Once we understand this, we can begin examining the moments when we resist what is happening, and experiment with occasionally saying yes instead. It might be scary at first, and even painful at times, but if we continue to say yes to every moment through the process, we will discover the joy of being in a positive conversation with a force much bigger than ourselves. 

From the Celtic Daily Prayerbook

I cannot speak, unless you loose my tongue;
I can only stammer, and speak with uncertainty;
but if you touch my mouth, my Lord,
then I will sing the story of your wonders!

Teach me to hear that story,
through each person,
to cradle a sense of wonder in their life,
to honor the hard-earned wisdom of their sufferings,
to waken their joy that the king of all kings stoops down to wash their feet
and looking up into their face says, ‘I know – I understand’.

This world has become a world of broken dreams
where dreamers are hard to find and friends are few.
Lord, be the gatherer of our dreams.
You set the countless stars in place,
and found room for each of them to shine.

You listen for us in your heaven-bright hall,
open our mouths to tell our tales of wonders.
Teach us again the greatest story ever;
The one who made the worlds became a little, helpless child,
then grew to be a carpenter with dark-seeing eyes.

In time, the Carpenter began to travel, in every village
challenging the people to leave behind their selfish ways,
be washed in living water, and let God be their king.
The ordinary people crowded round him
frightened to miss a word that he was speaking.
Bringing their friends, their children, all the sick and tired,
so everyone could meet him,
everyone be touched and given life.

Some religious people were embarrassed,
they did not like the company he kept,
and never knew just what He would do next.
He said, “How dare you wrap God up in good behavior,
and tell the poor they should be like you?
How can you live at ease with riches and success
while those I love go hungry and are oppressed?
It really is for such a time as this that I was given breath.” 

7 Days of Rest Event – January 1 – January 7, 2018

The Master Shift is delighted to co-host 7 Days of Rest – a global event for the healing and replenishment of the Planet and all its Inhabitants. Please join us in dedicating 1-7 January 2018 to seeding a new, peaceful and healthy way of being in the world.

Lotus Center is partnering with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the Silver City Sufi Circle, and Guadalupe's to participate in this world-wide initiative called 7 Days of Rest. 

This initiative, between now and the start of the new year, invites us to contemplate what a more "restful life," internally and externally, might look like, and then, integrating some of your ideas into your daily life during the first seven days of January.  It just might be that these "restful practices" will result in a more restful (and, therefore, healthier) life!
  
Some ways in which you might find repose:

-- Enjoy a “Screen-free” day/week (i.e., free of computers, TV’s, cell phones, etc.)
-- Pay attention to the breath (breathe in fresh energy, breathe out all that no longer
    serves you)
-- Spend time in silence
-- Spend time in Nature
-- Enhance your sleep
-- Visualize a healed world

Practice resting on your own, attend a meditation class, a movement class, or perhaps Azima Forest's Journey into Light workshop on January 6!

For local events: https://www.lotuscentersc.org/events/

For more information, you can visit the 7 Days of Rest webpage HERE

and the facebook event page HERE.

CONNECT WITH ME

Book a Virtual Coffee Date HERE.  I'd love to check in and hear where you are at!