|
May we hold one another in our hearts as we face this global pandemic.
May we sense Loving Presence and Inextricable Connection in the midst of uncertainty.
May we practice compassion for ourselves and others.
|
|
|
You are invited to share the circumstances that are touching your heart in recent recent days. Please contact Miranda (administrator@koinoniagj.org) or Ellen (director@koinoniagj.org) if you have joys, concerns, prayers... that you'd like to share with the community.
|
|
|
Eric Rechel's surgery cancelled!
John Pipe passed away March 17. No word on services yet.
For global well-being.
Refugees and their children everywhere.
Elected officials and global leaders.
The Earth.
And for all who are grieving or facing uncertainty.
|
|
|
For those who use Facebook, we created a private group, a gathering place for the GJ Koinonia Community members (current and past). May we consider this our online Koinonia Sanctuary - where we speak respectfully for ourselves. It’s intended to be a place to share gratitudes, inspiration, joys, concerns, thoughts/prayers... It can be a place to ask for assistance and respond with assistance as you are able. Click here to request to join.
|
|
|
You are invited to contribute sources of inspiration to the newsletter - perhaps readings or recordings that you’d like to share. Please email administrator@koinoniagj.org with the inspirations you would like share.
|
|
Practices to Support Spiritual Growth
by Ellen Ireland
|
|
|
Greeting beloved Koinonians!
So how do we grow spiritually? Spiritual growth is not something we can take for granted. It takes intention and effort, commitment and practice. Here are a few suggestions.
|
|
|
The first practice is gratitude--this is spiritual practice 101. If you do nothing else, as the quote from Meister Eckhart infers, if the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. Gratitude is a fundamental spiritual practice. Counting our blessings puts the focus on what we do have—hear that--on what we do have and takes the focus off what we don’t have. We can expect simple yet amazing results by incorporating a practice of gratitude into our daily life. Write down 3 to 5 things we are grateful for every day-- put them in a journal or a jar. Find out what work for you. First thing in the morning or last thing at night. Gratitude.
|
|
|
Another spiritual practice I want to talk about is sing of love. What would the world be like if we sang of love all day long? The practice is to take a popular love song--there are thousands of them--twist the words a little if you need to and imagine the universe or mother earth or God singing to you. Or imagine you are singing of love to the earth or universe or the vast undefined—some call God. Try it for a day. You’ll never go back to listening to love songs in any other way. Sing of Love all day long.
|
|
The next spiritual practice is protection and guidance. If protection and guidance are available--why not have some. This is not something to leave to chance. Be intentional. Make it a habit-- like every time you are buckling your seatbelt in the car say something to affirm your safety and acknowledge you know where you’re going. Use the unity prayer of
protection as you walk in and out of doorways: light surrounds me, love enfolds me, power protects me, peace watches over me. As far as guidance is concerned, it most often comes to us during a time of silence. Spend time intentionally silent every day--tune into your inner wisdom, your intuition. It’s like a muscle, it gets stronger the more you regard it. From the ancient texts: ask and you will receive. Knock and the door will open. Protection and Guidance.
|
|
|
Forgiveness is an important spiritual practice. Forgiveness doesn’t happen without effort and intention. It doesn’t happen by wishing for it. It doesn’t usually happen all at once or overnight. It happens inch by inch, little by little, gradually. We’re like onions, we can peel off one layer and find another layer waiting there for us-- to forgive. Recently someone suggested we’re more like artichokes, peeling off the petals one by one to get to the heart. Jesus says, 7 times 70. Forgive 7×70. Say I forgive you, please forgive me--say it often. Forgiveness.
|
|
|
Another practice is to write down what we need and want. Date the top of a page in your journal or a piece of paper and write down what you need and want. Take time to do this. This is how we know if we live in a responsive universe. We can look back over what we have written and see that our wants and needs have been met. Sometimes even without us realizing it—sometimes it doesn’t look anything like we thought it would. Yet there is a felt sense that our needs and wants have been fulfilled. This is an excellent practice for some of us who have a hard time knowing what we need and want. Don’t take my word for it. Test it out. Write down needs and wants.
|
|
|
Another important spiritual practice is inspiration. Take time every day to read inspirational and spiritual materials. I think every bathroom should have a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul in it. We have plenty of opportunities throughout our day especially in Colorado—here in Mesa County to inspire ourselves with watching a sunset or sunrise from start to finish. Watching birds and animals, noticing a baby’s smile and the random acts of kindness by people around us. Everywhere. Allow yourself to be inspired. Make time for inspiration every day.
|
|
|
Journaling—that oh so pesky spiritual practice--journaling. Writing with pen in hand at least five minutes a day. There are so many worthwhile techniques – writing with our non-dominant hand, Julia Cameron’s Artist Way morning pages. I know it takes discipline. I have a hundred half started journals in my house as I write. Set a timer for 5 minutes and write with pen in hand. Don’t worry about punctuation or grammar or analyze the words you’re writing. Just write freely until the timer goes off. If you want to read it over the next day—it might have a pearl of wisdom for you—or not. And then tear it up or burn it-- It’s not meant to be anything that anybody else needs to read. Writing with pen in hand for 5 minutes every day.
|
|
Releasing and letting go is an often-overlooked spiritual practice. Develop rituals for releasing and letting go. Surrender. Sending it down the river. Putting it in a balloon and watching it pop. Cry uncle. Release is when we realize we are only human after all. We think we know what’s best for us and others, but faith and hope encourage us to trust there is a beneficial unified field where the highest and best good resides. We give up and allow something greater, something larger-- something more than us and trust alchemy to do its thing. Release is something that we must work at. We let things go and then we pick them back up. We perseverate on the outcomes—what it should and should not look like. With practice we can notice sooner when we do this, and we can pause, take a step back, maybe shake our hands or
shrug our shoulders, release and let it go again.
Experiment with these practices-- make them your own and find out what works for you. Especially in these days of staying away and having more time at home. I look forward to being together again in person in our sacred A-frame. In the meantime, we will continue our beloved community of Koinonians via videos and audio recordings. Emails and
Facebook and phone calls. Take care, stay well and let’s keep connecting with each other. Peace and blessings.
|
|
Volunteers
...for those who may need help or offer assistance.
|
|
|
I have extra toilet paper. They are the LARGE rolls. if you need some, please let me know. I can deliver.
Janie White
250-1690
redheadedjaniem@gmail.com
|
|
|
Homeward Bound has a new wishlist!
Toilet Paper
Paper towels
Tissues
Diapers
Tampons
Cough drops
Tylenol/Ibuprofen/Advil
Non-perishable food items
Donations accepted Mon-Fri 9 - 4
2853 North Ave
970-256-9424
|
|
|
|
Grand Valley Resources & Announcements
|
|
|
Jacob Richards has formed Grand Junction Mutual Aid #grandjunctionmutualaid, a moderated Facebook group to help people and organizations interact about various needs and opportunities to help during this difficult time. People can post their requests or questions, volunteer to help, organize responses… all the many things that might be helpful. In just the few short days since the page has been up, over 10,000 people in the Valley have joined. Click here to find the Facebook link. |
|
April Food Drive
The GVIN spring food drive event held at the Downtown Vineyard church has
been canceled. INSTEAD… we will have a “virtual food drive.” For more information, click here.
|
|
|
The 2020 Business Sustainability Forum that was scheduled for April 2 has been postponed. We will post updates as soon as we can.
|
|
Be sure to check our e-Calendar for upcoming meetings and events by clicking here. As you're viewing the calendar, click on an event to see its additional information.
|
|
|
|
Give Koinonia a Review on Google!
Do you love Koinonia? Well, we would love more 5 star Google Reviews! It only would take a moment. Just click the button below!
|
|
|
|
|
