Welcome to the Lake Tahoe Spiritual Living Center!

Life is so good, and full and rich!

This week I wrap up summer quarter in my studies with the completion of Mind in the Cosmos (philosophy) and Wisdom of Islam (religion).  The new quarter brings Wisdom of the Kabbalah, as well as Ethics in the Ministry, First Ministry and Music Ministry.  For those of you just tuning in, I am enrolled in a Masters Degree program called Consciousness Studies at Holmes Institute.  I periodically report on my studies under the same title as today’s post, so if you are interested, you can search the blog using the terms “consciousness studies” and you will get a complete story of the journey.

For the first time since I began school two years ago, I am seeing myself as a minister.  I’m beginning to see the possibilities of a career change.  I’m beginning to see that it might be possible that I could be a minister at either my own Center, or an assistant minister at another Center.  When I began school, I couldn’t even consider this possibility.  I enrolled in this program because I felt an unexplainable and very strong call to do so, and I’ve learned to honor those inner tugs.  I was, and still am, very happy as owner of a photography studio, and can’t, at this point, ever see myself not doing professional photography on some level.  But  there are the outlines of some new doors beginning to emerge, far off down the hallway, and I have a bit of a clue now as to what lies behind those doors.

But in the meantime, I am two years into this journey, and have recently discovered that I am also two years out, with graduation date now set for June of 2014.  In the last two  years, I have learned much both academically and in my own inner journey.  School continues to change me from the inside out, and I am beginning to notice outer manifestations of those changes.  For example, I am now being invited to speak at other Centers and I’m good at it…very good.  I’ve been trained by the best and there seems to be an innate talent that was just waiting for some training to do this work.  There is more training to come too, which I’m excited about.  I’ve also noticed that the people who come to me for help are now coming for different reasons.  They used to come for help with outer stuff.  Once they learned that the change needed to come from the inside out, they were either willing to work on that level and stuck around, or they were unwilling and left.  But now they are coming to me already knowing that they want to change the insides.  We can now hit the ground running with almost immediate outer manifestations reflecting the inner change that happens when one knows that is where the change needs to take place.

Speaking of inner changes, I’ve already mentioned that school continues to change me from the inside out, and it does.  But the changes I am seeing in myself are deep and different than I thought they would be.  What a ride this has been!  There is a blooming of compassion and a more deep felt empathy for others, as well as an acknowledgement of myself and my own self worth, on a level that wasn’t there before.  And I seem to be wearing my “minister’s hat” more often than not these days, and that hat is becoming more and more comfortable.   I can envision the day when wearing the minister’s hat will simply be a way of being for me, no matter what I am doing on the outside.

I am excited for the long term effects of this course of study, and while I don’t know what exactly those will be, I know about some short term things that are coming up that I am very excited about.  I’m going to put them in list form, because if you are interested, I think it will be easier for you to save the dates in your calendar!

1.  First and most exciting of all:  Third Tuesdays.  I’ve put out a couple of teasers about this.  Beginning the third Tuesday in October, at 6 pm, at the Lakefront Wedding Chapels and Events, we will be holding a midweek service.  Once a month, beginning in October.  I will be giving a talk each month (and will not rule out the possibility of guest speakers!), I have a Practitioner on board, as well as the possibility of live music!  I promise:  you will leave inspired.  At our first Third Tuesday (October 16), we will also have a list of other activities at the Center for Spiritual Living Lake Tahoe.

2.  Following the first Third Tuesday, we will present two classes.  One I will be teaching.  It is a non-certificated class called “Living the Serenity Prayer”  It will begin Monday, October 22, at 6 pm.  It’s a six week class, held for two hours each week, cost is $120 plus your cost for the book.  This class will be held at the Center on Tamarack Avenue in South Lake Tahoe.

3.  Also following the first Third Tuesday, Practitioner Brenda Heldoorn will be teaching a certificated class.  This will be a beginner’s class, a prerequisite to all other classes taught.  Time and days to be set, but I can tell you that most certificated classes are ten weeks and cost $220 plus books.  This class will be held at the Center on Tamarack Avenue in South Lake Tahoe.

4.  I will be teaching a certificated class down in Carson City at the Center there, beginning on Wednesday, September 12, for ten weeks, from 6 to 9 pm.  It is called From Whence we Came, and is an exciting journey into the history of New Thought.  Not just our own history at Centers for Spiritual Living, but all New Thought history.  If you are a Practitioner and need CEUs, this class will qualify.  If you are involved in any kind of New Thought organization, ours or Unity or some other one, you may be interested in this wonderful class.  This one is coming up quick, so if you are interested, we need your $50 registration fee (which goes toward the $220 tuition) ASAP!  And if you live in Lake Tahoe and want to car pool down with me, contact me at 530-906-9336.

5.  I am offering a coaching special!  Now that summer has calmed down a bit, you may be finding  yourself a bit unsettled.  Change is in the air, and it is not only the change in the seasons I am speaking to.  You may be feeling a tug to be something different, but aren’t quite sure what that looks like, or you may have just experienced a loss and need to work through it, or you may want to make an outer change in your life.  Call me to learn about how I can help you with your journey:  530-906-9336.

This has been a long post I know, but I’m so excited about all the goings on!  I hope you enjoyed reading about all the news!

What if prayer was a state of being, instead of a beseeching to an outside, separate God?

There is ample evidence to suggest that prayer is indeed a state of being, and I will be talking about this topic this Sunday, at Mountside Center for Spiritual Living, in Placerville, CA.  The talk will be followed by a two hour workshop on the same topic.

Without spoiling the surprise and writing my entire talk here, I just wanted to leave you with something to think about:  what would your life be like if you viewed prayer as a state of being instead of a beseeching to an outside entity?  For that matter, what if you changed your definition of God?  Instead of a separate inaccessible entity, what if God were in you?  What if God was a part of you, and you were a part of it?  What if…..hold on to your seat….God manifested AS YOU so that it could experience life in the physical realm?  What would prayer look like then?  How powerful would you be then?  How much punch would your prayers pack if you changed your belief about the nature of prayer and of God?

Examine  your beliefs, and see if there are any beliefs about God or prayer that are not serving you.  And if you want to know more and you live in the area, come to the talk and the workshop!  If  you don’t live in the area, feel free to comment, or to ask questions privately.

“Fear is excitement without the breath.”  Fritz Pearls

I heard this quote a couple of times last week and it’s been on my mind because it has powerful implications.

Breath does wondrous things to and for us.  A good, deep, mindful breath connects us to that place within where The Force lives.  A diaphragmatic breath can signal the body to move into relaxation in preparation for meditation or yoga.  And yes, when we are feeling fearful we tend to not breathe, or to breathe very shallowly.  Breathing into the fear replaces that fear with something more peaceful, like a peaceful breeze moving fresh air through a meadow, distributing all the beautiful scents of wildflowers, pine trees and meadow grasses.

What if fear really IS  excitement without the breath?  What if we could simply take a deep breath and feel the excitement of life?  Instead of anxiety, anger, sadness or any of the other ways in which fear manifests?

I know that lots of folks don’t recognize fear for what it is.  But it really is true that there are only two states of being:  fear or love.  If you are feeling something negative, it’s fear.  Next time  you find yourself sitting in a puddle of tears, or angry, or anxious, or depressed, or worried…..stop.  Just stop, and take a deep breath.  Take another one.  Keep breathing, deeply, until whatever feeling it is you are having subsides and is replaced by something more positive.  Revel in that new, positive feeling.  Know that the new positive feeling is good and right.  Know it for the excitement that it is, for a new and positive feeling can create a new and exciting situation for you.  Positive thoughts are much more powerful than negative ones, so breath away those negative, fearful thoughts, and allow them to be replaced with beautiful, positive and exciting thoughts.

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Centers for Spiritual Living have Licensed Spiritual Coaches that can teach you how to breathe and replace those fearful thoughts with exciting and more powerful positive thoughts.  Call 530-906-9336 for more information about spiritual coaching in the Lake Tahoe area.

“We believe that heaven is within us, and that we experience it to the degree that we become conscious of it.”

This is the fourth statement in the Philosophy of Centers for Spiritual Living.  If you are just tuning in, I’ve been doing a series of posts on this statement which is distributed as a sort of informational statement in Centers for Spiritual Living throughout the world.  This statement was originally written by founder Ernest Holmes and is called “What We Believe.”  Before I get any further with this post, please know that the statement is a guide, sort of an informatory handout for people who want to know what we are about.  The reality is that everyone I’ve ever met in any Center has their own beliefs, including me, and that sometimes we have the same beliefs and sometimes we don’t, and it’s OK.  This is what I like about CSL:  we are free to believe whatever we wish. The bottom line is that we are in alignment with our own truth, and all of our classes and teachings are designed to help you with finding and keeping that alignment.  In terms of this third statement, what we teach will allow you to find heaven, right here, right now.

So… heaven is within.  I’ve always felt this.  I’ve never identified with the “heaven as a separate place” philosophy, just as I’ve never identified with the “God as a separate entity” philosophy.

I like the more accurate description of  the kingdom of heaven which comes from Unity founder Charles Fillmore in his Metaphysical Bible Dictionary.  He says the kingdom of heaven is “a state of consciousness in which the soul and the body are in harmony with the Divine Mind.”

What does that look like?  What does it feel like when our souls and our bodies are in harmony with the Divine Mind?

For me, it looks like freedom and feels like peace.  It is when I am comfortable in my own skin, fully aware and accepting of who and what I am.  There are no doubts, no fears, no hesitations, and I am able to listen to that still small voice within and know….simply know.

Can I do this and be this all the time?  No.  And this is the beauty of what we teach in CSL, because I have tools to get back in alignment when I get out.   All the spiritual practices:  meditation, journaling, introspection and others are designed specifically to help us remain in alignment.  And when I can’t remain in alignment I go to a coach to help me.

If you don’t feel like you are experiencing heaven in your life, consider taking a class at your nearest Center, or take advantage of one of the online classes, or hire a coach to help you.  In Centers, we have Practitioners which are licensed to do just that.  You are worth experiencing the heaven within.

I’ve been doing a series on the Centers for Spiritual Living statement called “What we Believe.” I’m on the third statement today (the first two are here and here, but the honest truth is I’m not sure what I believe about this particular statement:  “We believe in the eternality, the immortality, and the continuity of the individual soul, forever and ever expanding.”

Basically the third statement says that while our physical bodies may wither, decay and die, our souls live on….forever and ever.

That’s a lot of souls.  Do I believe that MY soul never dies?  Well, never is a pretty strong word. I believe my soul has been around a long time, and that what I do in this present incarnation is caused by my soul’s longing, bottom line.  Maybe I believe that when the soul stops its longing is when the soul transitions into another realm.  Pretty heavy duty stuff.  And then there is the question of what, exactly, is the soul?

And really, why is this important?  Is it really important to know what happens to our souls?  Is it important to have a belief as to whether or not we even have a soul?  Is it really important to know what a soul is?  I’m thinking that it might be more important to lighten up.

Besides, I’m currently taking a history of New Thought class and have discovered that What We Believe is really what Ernest Holmes believed.  So the Centers for Spiritual Living are putting out a belief statement based on the statements of our founder.  Nothing really wrong with that, because the What We Believe statement is generally accurate for our overall belief system.  And because really, we are free in this movement to believe whatever we wish, we can take it or leave it, accept it or not.  I like to think the What We Believe statement is more of a thought provoker:  really?  Is that really what I believe?  Why?  And what kinds of ramifications does this have for my life?  The statement is also a sort of informational thing as well, because we are all over the map in terms of beliefs.  A newcomer walks into a Center and asks, “What are you guys all about?” and the answer he or she will receive will depend on who is answering the question!  The cool thing about our movement in particular is that we really don’t care what you believe, as long as you are happy and at peace.  And if you aren’t, change your beliefs and it will change what you manifest.  And to change your beliefs do these spiritual practices and your beliefs will be changed.  That’s really a very short description of what we teach around here.

I’m thinking the importance of the third statement is not so much what it states, but what it causes in terms of introspection.  Introspection is a key spiritual practice.  The practice of introspection will allow you to get to know the beautiful being that is you, and that’s a good thing.  Spend some time in introspection about your soul today and see what comes up for you.  I’d love to hear about it!

This is a second installment in a series based on the philosophy of Centers for Spiritual Living, taken from a piece written by founder Ernest Holmes called “What We Believe.”

I wrote about the first sentence in What We Believe here.

Here’s the second in the series of twelve statements: ” We believe in the individualization of the Spirit in Us, and that all people are individualizations of the One Spirit.”

In plain English, basically what it says is that each of us is the physical manifestation of God.  This is one of my favorites in the series, as it has powerful ramifications for how I live my life.  See if perhaps it doesn’t for you also.

Can you believe that you are a physical manifestation of God?  Think about it.  If you are a manifestation of God, that means you have power.  Lots of it.  Awesome power.  It means you are nothing but good and love and abundance and joy and peace.  It means that all of the attributes of Spirit are also your attributes.  I don’t know about you, but I am filled with wonder and excitement when I contemplate this.

If you believe that you are a physical manifestation of God, you also have responsibility and empowerment.  If this statement is true, then attributing the stuff that happens in our lives to God is not accurate.  I can no longer say, “God did this,” or “God did that.”  I can no longer give responsibility to God for anything in my life, because I am a part of God, a physical embodiment of Spirit.  What is true  is that “I did this” or “I did that” or “I am good.”   God does not do things.  God simply is.  We humans are the doers, God is the be’er. As physical embodiments of Spirit, God is a force that provides us with the strength and power to be and do that which we were meant to be and do.  When we are out of touch with this connection is when we experience negativity in our lives.

I don’t know about you, but when I first “got” this, I was a bit frightened.  It meant I could no longer blame anything or anyone else for anything in my life, which meant I had to take responsibility.  After I realized that ultimately responsibility meant empowerment this concept no longer frightened me, it exhilarated me!

This concept also means that what I call myself, I am also calling God that.  All that negative self talk had to go.  I just didn’t feel right about putting God down, and if I’m a part of God, I’m not going to put myself down either.  This is where a very good concept of humility comes from, by the way.  Humility is not about putting ourselves down, it’s about knowing our truth and embodying it.

Try this statement on for size.  See how it fits in your life.  I’d love to hear your thoughts about this!

I’ve been experiencing a bit of writer’s block lately.  It’s not really a block, it’s more like there is so much I want to write about that my posts end up being about a thousand words or more too long, and that simply won’t do for a blog.  I’ve tried editing my work and it doesn’t result in fewer words, simply a rewrite, so I thought I would spend the next few posts writing about the Centers for Spiritual Living belief statement.  This statement is called What We Believe, and it consists of 12 statements written by our founder, Ernest Holmes.  You can see the statement in it’s entirety here.

Here is the first of the twelve statements:

“We believe in God, the living Spirit Almighty; one, indestructible, absolute, and self-existent Cause. This One manifests Itself in and through all creation, but is not absorbed by Its creation. The manifest universe is the body of God; it is the logical and necessary outcome of the infinite self-knowingness of God.”

Sound a bit complicated?  I know it used to sound that way to me.  Now it isn’t.  Simply translated, it means we believe that one can call God anything one wants.  Whatever we call it, it created everything so that it could  experience the physical, yet it is not affected by the physical.  God simply knew, and what God knows becomes.

Taken a bit further, it means you were created by God as an expression of God so that it could experience the physical.  You are a part of God.  And because you are a part of God, you can also create simply by knowing.

Whoa…heavy duty stuff there.  Try it on for size.  See if it doesn’t feel better to know you are empowered to create, rather than simply having stuff created for you.   I know it felt better for me.

I’m stopping there.  Otherwise this will turn into another little mini book.  But I hope this will provoke something in you.  Maybe you will even feel moved to comment and start a discussion. I would love to see how others think and feel about this statement!

I read on a blog somewhere yesterday not to believe anything I read on the internet today.  I’ve seen some pretty cute stuff out there so far.  One minister I am acquainted with rearranged all the furniture in his sanctuary for this morning’s Sunday celebration.  I thought that was pretty funny.   Have you ever experienced something like that?  You walk into a place you know well and some….um…well….I’m trying to remove all negativity from my life, so let’s just say well meaning person has rearranged all the furniture. Actually, in my crowd, it’s the mischievous ones that tend to sneak in before everyone else arrives and rearrange the furniture.  Then they sit back and smile, entertained by all the reactions.  Just so you know, I’ve been know to be one of the furniture re-arrangers.  If I had a sanctuary, I would probably have rearranged the furniture today. Besides, it would have given me a good opportunity to get rid of the dust bunnies.  Oh well, the dust bunnies will live to talk about the April Fools Day they didn’t meet the garbage can.

But the metaphor of a surprise rearrangement of furniture reminded me of change, and how we sometimes don’t do well with that…at all.  What is up with that?  I can walk into a room and see the furniture rearranged and see the humor in it all, but spring a change of a bigger sort on me, say a relationship change or a career change or a living situation change, and I am experiencing all sorts of fear based stuff like self pity, intolerance, judgement, sadness, distrust.

You would think I didn’t have a Power in my life that allows me to know that all is well, all the time.

The fact is, I do have that Power, and that makes it even worse.  Because having that Power should mean I shouldn’t be feeling all those fear based things, right?  We’ll talk about “shoulding” on yourself in another post, lest I get off track into dust bunny land again.  Back to the topic:   Fear should not be on my list of things to do with Power, right?  Well, that’s a lot easier said than done.

Here’s the deal with change, and fear based reactions, and having a Power in one’s life to help with all of that:  it takes consistent and persistent spiritual practices to be able to respond (not react) with love instead of fear.  It takes introspection, paying attention to one’s self, to be able to know that all is well in the face of uncertainty.  It takes meditation to feel a calm and a peace, no matter what.  And it takes constant thinking about that Power in our lives to be able to live a love based life rather than a fear based one.

It’s like taking a shower:  you can’t expect yesterday’s shower to keep you from smelling bad today.  One needs to shower every day.  One needs to do spiritual practices every day too.  That’s just the way it is if you want to live a happier, more peaceful and freer life.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Except……somehow, I wanted to tie in today’s post with the image of the month.  These images are from a calendar I produce every year.  The images are mine, the quotes come from lots of different sources. The quote for this month just happens to come from…me!….Gotta tell you, it was a weird feeling to get the calendars back from the printer and open up to the month of April and see my quote there.  I liked it.  Anyway, here’s the quote and the image:

“When one does not know one’s own truth, one is subjected to the truth of others.”  (see those spiritual practices I talked about above, that’s how you know your own truth).

If you like this image, it is available for purchase (as a stand alone image, not with the black background and quote, although if you want that it’s available too!) here:  https://vando.imagequix.com/gallery.html?id=49R7J9W&eventid=1046-8080-0087

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Weekly meditation discussion group, Monday’s from 5 to 6 pm at the Center for Spiritual Living Lake Tahoe.  Cost is $10, address is 3665 Tamarack, South Lake Tahoe, CA

Looking for some one on one help?  Perhaps some coaching in a specific area of  your life?  Or some lessons on how to deepen your spiritual practice?  Karen Linsley is a Licensed Spiritual Practitioner and offers sessions over the phone or in person. Contact her at 530-906-9336 for pricing and more information.

I’m going to be a minister when I grow up.

Not only that, but I’m going to be a great minister, an awesome minister, one of the special ones that stands out.

That may seem a bit…well….over the top, but hey….the definition of humility is knowing your place and your true worth in the world, and not denying it.  Whatever we call ourselves, we are calling God, and if we deny our own goodness, we are denying that God-part of ourselves as well.  So be humble and know that what calls in your soul to be great IS great, it wouldn’t be calling if it wasn’t.

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, this blog post is going to be all over the place in terms of topic.  (it’s also a long post, I hope you hang with me) Do not expect a logical thread here.  Think more “morning pages,”  that stream of consciousness exercise recommended by Julia Cameron in the Artist’s Way.  Only slightly edited for reader ease.

Back to the minister thing.  I just finished my second year of ministerial school. Up till now, if you’ve been reading my adventures about school, you know that I’ve been calling it “Consciousness Studies.”  Because, really, that’s what it’s called.  It’s a fully accredited Masters Degree program called Consciousness Studies.  But it’s also the most difficult ministerial school in the country, and according to one of the muckymucks in the leadership of our educational system, my education was designed to put me on a par with any graduate of any theological seminary in the world.

That’s some pretty heavy duty stuff.  That means I will have had the same level of education as the local Catholic priest, the Rabbi, the Presbyterian minister and the Episcopal minister.

Did I mention that part of my training is all the world’s religions?  (Just as an aside, I am seeing much beauty and wisdom in those religions, all of them.)  In addition to psychology, spiritual leadership, body mind medicine and quantum physics.  Yep, I be getting edumacated….big time.  And very well trained to help people spiritually, emotionally, physically and psychologically.

I’m going to be a minister when I grow up.

I traveled a rather…um…colorful road to get here.  I’ve been told my childhood was not normal (I still question by whose standards normality is defined), but I was blessed with a black sheep mother who not only journeyed the road less traveled, she paved her own road most of the time with colorful characters and lots of substances and a scorn for anything resembling normal or legal in the 1960s.  She broke the law with great relish whenever she could.  She taught me things like how to race sports cars and make them do cool things like jump over deep valleys in the road and hold corners at a hundred miles an hour, all without spilling a drop of vodka.  And I was also blessed with a father who was touring during most of my childhood with various jazz greats of the era, except when he was stationary with the stepmother du jour.  During his stationary times I had the opportunity to be exposed to this movement I am now a part of, because he became part it in 1960.  Anyway, back on topic:  I had no less than three complete sets of siblings come and go in my life, and never met two or three of my stepmothers.  And I am grateful for every minute of it, and I loved my mother when she was alive and I love and appreciate my father.  And I loved most of my stepmothers too.  But needless to say, I’m pretty colorful myself as a result.  And proud of it.  I look at my life today and I know without a doubt that there is a reason why I’m here.  There were times in my life when I should have died, literally, and I’m still here to share the stories when I think sharing them will help someone.  I think I’m in a position to help when someone else couldn’t, not only because of my history, but now also because of my education and training.

I’m going to be a minister when I grow up.

I may be in my fifties, but I hear 50 is the new 30 and I do things lots of 30 year olds I know wouldn’t even contemplate.  Did you tell you about learning to ride horses…and learning to jump with them?   All in my fifties.  Racing cars doesn’t hold a candle to flying through the air on the back of a horse.  And I haven’t really even flown yet…my jumps are still very short!  But it still feels like flying.  Anyway, I’ve had a great 30 year career as a photographer.  I have to tell you, the thought of a career change when I began ministerial school was not a welcome thought.  I love photography, I love what I do for a living.  I don’t think I’ll ever stop doing it, but its place in my life is changing.  It is no longer my identity.  My identity now is as a minister.  Photography is what I do, minister is what I am.  And that feels pretty good.  Scary sometimes, but good.

Which leads me to something totally and completely weird:  I’m not religious.  I don’t appreciate what religion has done to our world, or to the people in it.  But I think there is hope.  There is much beauty in religion, but it is covered up with judgment and literalism and fundamentalism and shame.  As a minister, I can pull those covers to expose the beauty.  Not only that, but I’ve created the Center for Spiritual Living Lake Tahoe (CSLLT).  It’s what is called a Teaching Chapter, which means I will be teaching, not preaching.  It’s the first time in about 25 years there has been a CSL presence in South Lake Tahoe, and because this is a new work, I get to have a say in how I want it to look and function.  Not only that, but I have a fancy new title with the creation of this work:  I’m the Spiritual Director of CSLLT.  Time for some new business cards!

Last weekend in class we had a visit from a guy who is running for president of our newly merged organization (United and International Centers for Spiritual Living into Centers for Spiritual Living).  He mentioned something that I’ve noticed: church membership is decreasing.  According to him, there is an Episcopal church closing its doors everyday in the United States.  Yet the Centers for Spiritual Living is growing.  We are starting new works all over the world:  new ways of being in community with others of like mind, people who know that spirituality has everything to do with experience and a connection to that which means something to you, and nothing to do with what someone else says God is.

This is where my vision for CSLLT comes in.  I want something big and great and awesome and powerful for the people of South Lake Tahoe who currently are lost, adrift in a sea of disconnectedness from that which makes everything rich and wonderful.  I want a community that people will want to be a part of, and that people will claim with pride, and bring all their friends to. I envision a place where there is something cool going on every day and night:  classes, workshops, Satsang,  guest speakers and teachers, learning, teaching, sharing and profound experiences.

And I’m going to be the minister.

So here’s where you come in.  In order to be a minister, I need a flock.  I want to serve, to help, to minister.  That’s what I’ve been trained to do and I am ready to do it.  I know you are out there….wondering what it is that is missing in your life.  I know you are out there, contemplating going to church because you don’t know where else to go, but feeling like it just isn’t for you.  I know you are out there, living an alternative lifestyle and deeply wanting that spiritual connection, but not going to any churches because of the rejection factor.  I know you are out there, seeking…seeking….seeking something, you aren’t sure what.  I know you are out there.

And I am here to tell you that there is now a place for you.  Come and join me in making CSLLT a place for peace in South Lake Tahoe.  Come and learn to meditate.  Come and take a class. Come and participate in some exciting programs I have planned for community outreach.  Come and be a part of the most progressive and spiritual movement in the world today.

I’ve begun things with a gathering on Monday evenings.  It starts at 5 pm. The CSLLT is at 3665 Tamarack.  We are meeting in my very nice photography gallery, it’s quite nice to be surrounded by all those beautiful photos!  Anyway, I’ll see you on Monday!  Oh, and if you have any questions, call me at 530-906-9336.

I’m not a minister yet… in the eyes of the leadership at CSL.  I must finish my education (another year and a half) and pass a whole bunch of tests and interviews and all sorts of stuff before I accomplish that particular goal.  But in my consciousness, where it counts, I’m a minister.

What are you going to be when you grow up?  And what are you doing to get there?  If you don’t know, membership in CSLLT will help you figure it out.

First of all, notice the logo?  You may have seen something similar, for there are Centers with this logo all over the world, except instead of saying Lake Tahoe underneath “Center for Spiritual Living” it says whatever city the Center is located in, so you might have Center for Spiritual Living Carson City, or Center for Spiritual Living Santa Rosa, for example.

What’s cool about this is that until last month I didn’t have the proper okee dokees to fly that particular logo, but now I am happy and proud to say that the Lake Tahoe Spiritual Living Center is now a formally approved Teaching Chapter with Centers for Spiritual Living!

This is exciting news for me, and for you it means more classes, plus now your donations are tax deductible!

As a Teaching Chapter with the Centers for Spiritual Living, we meet once weekly.  I’ve decided to hold our once weekly meeting on Monday Evenings.

You may  not be able to read the fine print, so here’s what we are doing:  Each Monday night, from now until we see fit to change it (which could be years), we will meet.  The first part of each meeting will have meditation instruction, a different type of meditation each week.  The second part of the meeting will be discussion, and currently the topic is based on the book, “Living Deeply, the Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life.”  This is an awesome book that will allow you to do just what it says:  transform your life.  This particular book has written exercises at the end of each chapter, so the last part of the meeting, at least for now, will be spent doing the written exercises.

So, gather you meditation cushion if you have one, bring your journal if you have one (I have journals for sale), and show up on Monday night at 5 pm (until 7 pm).

Cost is a tax deductible suggested Love Offering of $10.  I will also have books available for purchase.  Want more information?  Call 530-906-9336.

See you there!