I am here presenting a series I have written of word vitamins to ponder. They are not necessarily related in content. The purpose is to find your awareness in your now as you read through them. They may trigger a memory, something happening now or that you would like to see happening for you, or you may simply find yourself analyzing the writing.

The purpose of this exercise is for you to be attentive to what goes through your mind as you ponder these thoughts. Enjoy every moment!

Focus

To focus on an idea
is not to concentrate.
Concentrating may block
the inspiration.
Focus is simply to ask
for the Lord to bring
His idea to consciousness,
then relax and think
of other things, as necessary;
Not concentrating
but focusing on an idea.

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Understanding

Sensitivity toward others
must couple with timing.
Knowing the what
is easier
than knowing the when.
Partnering with God
gives the ability
to discover
Sensitivity toward others.

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Choosing Attitudes
by Dusty Reed

We flavor each moment with our preference on our path of life for the benefit of our expansion. Regardless of what appears, it is to be enjoyed. We are not to envision whether the moment is "good" or "not good." The choice comes from beyond our conscious mind, regardless of what we think we desire, and this is what is revealed.

Some believe the revelation comes through our intent. This can deal with emotions and emotions fluctuate frequently. We may set our mind with our desires or pronounce affirmations. These help tune us into recognition but they do not create the happening. We can receive the happening without thinking, seeing or having any feelings about it. It comes from a deeper source than these.

By stepping into acceptance, we can taste joy with whatever is happening. If our attitude brings us to any other decision, we see it as less favorable and find discontent with much that happens in our lives. We blame others and outside situations. We think we would rather have different results. Would an attitude of acceptance be more joyful, giving us occasion to study it for lessons? With such an attitude, we could simply continue on our path, enjoy smelling the roses and hear the melody of life with acceptance and confidence.

Our attitude about something or someone equals our relationship with that something or someone. This premise occurs in every position of our lives spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, in our relationships with our families, with friends and acquaintances, with our coworkers and bosses and with our finances. It occurs when choosing our style of clothing, what books we read, what kind of pet we have, plants that we house, how we treat children and the elderly, and how we are affected by international affairs. Our attitude about the universe affects our relationship with these aspects and with every situation we meet along our path.

Just as we exercise certain muscles to accomplish our tasks, so do we exercise certain attitudes. We are not aware of some until we take time to go within and investigate those that are less obvious. Some may be hidden behind others. As we open our consciousness to become aware of why our thoughts and actions surface as they do throughout the day, we learn how to adjust our attitudes. We then choose our options of releasing or strengthening them. Awareness is the key.

A decision lies in our attitudes. When the choice offers one favorable and one less favorable decision, we will usually choose the favorable if it does not involve being less favorable for others. It might mean the necessity of doing the task later. Our opportunity is to release the tendency to grumble when the later time arrives. If we take time to discover a favorable attitude about attainment at the later time, we can accomplish the delayed task with enthusiasm. Favorable results of doing this in the past will influence our decision now.

Awareness must continue to reign to show us where our focus lies. This depends on the reflection of our attitude and the choices we make. Once we have the taste of our preferred attitudes and realize how comfortable they feel, we feel astonishment to hear why anyone would choose anything less favorable.

A friend suggests that the solution is that gratitude changes attitude. Is this possible in all cases?

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Gift of Love
by Dusty Reed

Communication with family is one of my highest priorities. It doesn’t always seem to show as such on the surface but when I sense the overall love our family experiences, I am grateful. I believe my husband’s and my convictions, blended, have provided this influence. This blending has developed over our thirty-one years of marriage.

I am an independent in many beliefs, choices and opinions. I am also dependent on my husband for many decisions. If I do have a definite belief or opinion, he seldom challenges it. If I am searching for a solution, he is willing to offer his opinion about it. Many times, he is a good listener and lets me find my preference. There are a few issues where we have not found total alignment. However, we respect one another’s rights to personal beliefs and, in these cases, we each follow our own convictions. Sometimes this becomes an opportunity in avoiding verbal disagreement. In these few areas, we remain strongly convicted to our personal beliefs.

I make it a frequent practice to study Scripture, write affirmations, speak them when applicable, journal with solutions, take word vitamins (favorable traits) by thinking on them, encourage my joy bubbles, avoid complaining and gossip, listen to motivational speakers and study personal development books. These and other favorable practices continue to develop my convictions. Each of these practices strengthens my faith in God, in who I am and who I desire to be. My outlook on life offers assurance of this.

I continue to see more expansion that was always there. I didn’t know how to define it but when I see it through another’s writing, I know it is also a part of me, of my beliefs. As it is awakened, I can observe and say, “Aha, this is a healthy assurance because I already believe and connect with this.” It offers a communion with the other soul who also believes this. We communicate on a deeper level of understanding. We sense the invisible but ever-present love that is guiding us.

Love is an individual thing. It means different things to each person, depending on faith, memory and experience. I have experienced God's love through experiencing it with my family. Others learn it through a traumatic experience when they discover on a one-to-one basis that God loves them. Others learn from caring souls who give with compassion. Others learn by giving.

We all have the Gift of God's love within. We cannot begin to define God's love! There aren't the words to do so! There isn't a feeling to do so! God's love "is" and our responsibility is to simply accept!

Once we accept, we become more aware through acknowledgement by willingly loving God, loving ourselves, loving others and the circle goes round and round and round, expanding, expanding, expanding. How does this happen? Simply by asking God to let it happen and remaining open for it to do so. I think, write and speak that it happens and believe that it does. Therefore, accepted by faith, it is happening.

(`~`*`~`)`~`*`~`(`~`*`~`)`~`*`~`(`~`*`~`)`~`*``~` (`~`*`~`)

Some sites I recommend:

Is Foundation

Quantum Metaphysics

Occupy Till I Come

Spiritual Frontiers

The Prophet's Candle

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And, for anyone who enjoys playing at ebay, lots of goodies (records, colored pencil drawings, books & post cards) are available at Dusty's eBay

I have posted a page with note cards (for sale) with some of my rose drawings. You can check it out by going to Rose Descriptions. You can also see samples of a couple of other colored pencil drawings I've done at My Roses

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You are welcome to forward this newsletter to friends who might be interested! If they would like to subscribe (at no cost), they can write to me at cascade@mahaska.org (with subject as "Expansion Encounters.") Thanx muchly!

Working toward consideration and to better humanity, we want to encourage free enterprise, free speech. We are Life Now, a spiritual happening on and off the Internet.

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