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Expansion Encounters - with Dusty
Create & Appreciate… in 2008!

A special thank you to all of you who continue to support Life Now and our ventures!

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You can read archive issues of "Expansion Encounters" at Archives

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Acceptance
By Dusty Reed

Acceptance of God's forgiveness,
Acceptance of God's love,
Allows me to attain
A healthy attitude
And the ability
To go on with life.
Accepting each moment
With joy,
Staying in tune,
In close fellowship,
Brings acceptance
Of God's forgiveness.

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Attitude Creates Enthusiasm
by Dusty Reed
Do you sense a new atmosphere of enthusiasm?

I have given myself the gift of taking time for evening stargazing. It brings a sense of peace. It opens the channel for enthusiasm in whatever is happening in the moment.

Enthusiasm for life brings me to thoughts of how I am willing to reach my full potential in this delightful essence.

We have the choice of how to invest each moment: favorable or less favorable. Staying aware is the key. We can attain awareness simply through practice. Whatever method works for you to do this, continue using it!

It all has to do with attitude. Are there areas where we are not satisfied with our attitude? It is simply a matter of deciding to change. As Tony Robbins says, making the decision is the important step. Once that is done, the rest can fall into place.

Awareness must continue to reign to show us where our focus lies. This takes us back to our attitude and the choices we make.

Once we are living within our preferred attitudes and realize how easy it is to do, it provides astonishment to realize or understand why anyone would choose anything less favorable.

Enthusiasm is the spice of life!

"Unless you live consistent with your deepest (end) values, you'll achieve but still lack the ultimate fulfillment you truly deserve." - Tony Robbins

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Acceptance Brings Awareness
By Dusty Reed


One evening, when our family was outdoors, our then four-year-old son found it very exciting being able to stay up to discover the Big Dipper. He kept exclaiming, "I really get to see the Big Dipper." When he and I came in, he gave his daddy hugs and thanked him so much for letting him stay up to see the Big Dipper. Just before we came in, he discovered the Little Dipper by himself. I have difficulty finding it. He described it to us and was pointing in the right direction so we told him it was the Little Dipper. Then he was even more excited because he had seen both the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. It was a fun time for us. I am sure our son felt free to tell everyone he saw the Big Dipper. He was grateful for his discovery.

Sharing new awareness is exciting. As with a child's discoveries, being open-minded brings new possibilities. If people had continued to hold to the idea of the the world being flat, with a canopy of stars overhead, we would certainly not have the technology we have today or be where we are in this world!

Everyone shares a personal epitome by opening to acceptance. It may open new doors of awareness.

There are many beliefs from one's past that may now be out of date and not applicable. Once upon a time people thought having water actually coming directly into their home was the greatest thing since peanut butter… well, maybe peanut butter hadn't been discovered yet then. They were used to having to go out to a pump or well to fetch it. What would have happened if no one thought it would be easier to pipe water directly into one's home?

Acceptance brings awareness of life, acting as a channel of Love, peace and wisdom. Complete acceptance requires preparation. Preparation offers assurance.

What good is the ninety-five percent of the brain that does not receive exercise? By allowing acceptance to surface, wisdom has opportunity to emerge. It is difficult, at times, however, to accept what still looks outwardly impossible. The mountain looks too steep.

Healing of a family torn apart by circumstances may loom as an impossibility. Many family relationships have been knit back together with forgiveness. Love can weave into every thread of the lives involved.

Restoration of health can look totally impossible to an invalid or someone with an incurable disease. Testimonies are many of those who have come back from the shadows to live a joyful, healthy and long life.

Financial ruin can appear devastating, where there are still those who take their lives.

Being in the storm and just complaining is different from being in a storm and learning or accepting. Peace comes through acceptance. Acceptance is mentally stepping into the sunshine.

There are, however, many who are willing to accept where they are and begin the climb once again. Acknowledging, accepting and confronting an unfavorable situation brings a discovery of mastery over that situation. It is useless to become upset in a time of crisis. If one can accept that no problem in the world is big enough to cause worry, since worry solves nothing, how much more life could bring joy.

Meditation and asking for direction can bring the solution to heal the circumstances.

One may not realize how deeply his words are accepted by the one to whom they are spoken. It is safest and best to always give words of encouragement, no matter what the circumstances, to be heard by the ear that is waiting for those words of comfort.

One can offer comfort, tenderness, and compassion for others. What is shared with some may be tough love. They may not understand the reasoning and walk away. Whether they are willing to accept this as tenderness is their choice.

There are minimal actions in life that are impossible. The maybe's can often become possible if the willingness to grow receives a flashlight.

Acceptance is also making what appears to be a mountain into a gold mine. If everything possible has been done to try to move it, go through it or go around it and the mountain remains a blocking point, then it is time to look for ways to turn the mountain into a pot of gold.

By looking at each happening in one's life with an attitude of appreciation, one can find the joy of discovering acceptance in every new day.

Honesty in relating to others is important in receiving and offering acceptance. The heart holds love and light. There is no need to strive. Just turn on the faucet.

It is a more pleasant relationship when one lets others accept them just as they are. There is no need to belittle self nor is there any reason to build one's self up in the eyes of others. If there is acceptance, this is fine. If there is not, this is also fine. It is not worthwhile to carry a load of false personality. Anyone can have the freedom always to be just the way they are.

I continue to write books and share thoughts via email. As I repeatedly share with each note, “Enjoy every moment,” the receiver is reading it once. I am writing this statement myriad times daily and it has become an inner acceptance for me through the repetition.

Being a note of joy to others can be a fulfilling experience. People can only find happiness by applying creativity and passing it along to others.

Life is not made up of simply accepting what may appear as a dilemma or what others attempt to dictate. Living in the moment is making a decision after careful consideration and doing what one thinks and feels is good. Listing the pros and cons, discussing them with others involved along with making personal decisions, allows conclusions. Anyone can remain with a decision unless new light gives reason to change that choice.

New awareness and readiness to accept others appears daily as one opens to acknowledge his gifts. Gifts such as wisdom, unlimiting love, health and enthusiasm, just to name a few, are already within, waiting to be applied to one's thoughts, feelings and communication with others.

Each person has a special gift to give, whether it be a smile, a word of encouragement, help in a situation or sharing a service with others. Everyone has needs and everyone has something to offer.

Acceptance, contentment, joy and gratitude walk hand in hand. When one experiences any one of these, they are all present. By accepting their presence, one receives the effects.

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Some sites I recommend:

Scott H Young

Keys to Healing Mind, Body & Soul

Life in Acting ~ Acting in Life

Purposeful Growth

Life Life You Want



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It is my joy to share with you that I continue to add new rose drawings and some photographs available at art.com! You can view them at Dusty's Roses I now have some of my rose drawings at an auction site, Art By Us
And, I have a page with note cards (for sale) with some of my rose drawings. You can check it out by going to Rose Descriptions.
I have been posting nearly all of my drawings that are not displayed elsewhere at Rose Garden I have two galleries there. The other is at Reed's Loft. It has various photographs, other drawings, and notecards available.

My sister-in-spirit, Sunny, has several of her drawings and has added new photos at art.com, too, at Sunny's Art Work

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And, for anyone who enjoys playing at ebay, lots of goodies (records, books & post cards - occasionally some nic nacs) are available at Dusty's eBay

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 Expansion Encounters as subject). 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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