LOVELIGHT

Magazine

 

July 2004,*** Volume 1, No. 7

 

OUR STAFF:  Managing editors of Lovelight magazine: Ada Maria Francis and Richard Shiningthunder Francis.  Contributors to this issue:  Pat Fields, Christine Finer, Sandi Grubb, Thomas Gustin, Linda Jung, Mary McLocklin,  and Kathy Rice.

 

Feng Shui Corner, by  Pat Fields

 

Feng Shui is as much about symbolism as it is about placement.

 

Don't use bells in the E or SE, which are both wood areas and are destroyed by metal.

 

If your property is flat, create mounds or hills so that it will not have too much yin energy. Add trees, bushes, walls, or hedges to provide balancing yang energy.

 

Much of feng shui is based on common sense, sound architectural design, geography, and intuition.

 

Give a pair of Chinese lion statues as a gift for a new home to provide protection for the family.

 

Don't hang any coins on your back door; this represents your money leaving the premises!

 

Don't spend tremendous amounts of time and money on the bathroom. Keep the decor commensurate  (adequate) with the function of the room: simple.

Your resources are better used in more important areas of your home, such as the master bedroom, kitchen, study, and office.

 

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REVELATION OF “DIVINE” GIFTS

Each and everyday we are bathed in gifts created from and by Love. 

·      Thank You For Sharing This Experience

·      Be Joy

·      Be Peace

·      Be Who You Wish To Be

·      How May I Assist You?

***

 

There are many different types and sources of lesson material that we each use for our Soul’s growth purposes. For written material, the obvious lessons are presented in a story’s prose, as in the literal interpretations of legends and parables.  Many very important Spiritual Growth lessons are, of course, often hidden from plain view.  These are often told as symbolic allegories. And they usually require additional awareness for total comprehension.  Most religious doctrines and rituals also include these.  Here is a little story that uses the imagination to teach.

 

KING ARTHUR’S RIDDLE OF LOVE

Once upon a time, as King Arthur rode in the forest he became separated from his friends, and found himself momentarily confused and apparently lost.  Unexpectedly he found his limbs were frozen so that he could not move at all.  Then before him stood a huge and threatening figure, fully clad in pitch-black armor. “King Arthur, you are completely in my power,” a voice whispered in his ear.  “You will die in one year unless you answer the question I’m about to ask you.”

 

Arthur, finding he was still able to speak, asked, “Who are you, and what is your question?”

 

“I am Gromer Somer Jour, whose lands you stole and gave to Sir Gawain.  Return here in a year with the answer to this question: ‘What is it that every woman desires most?’”  Then, in a flash, he was gone. The King then discovered that he could move again.  He rapidly returned to court, as one forewarned.

 

Arthur located Sir Gawain, and told him of the proceedings in the forest.  “My Lord, I will start at once, and have your answer within the year” said Gawain.  And he set out along the roads, chatting with every woman he met. Regardless of social status or refinement, he asked her what she most desired.  Soon he had a whole book filled with different answers.  However, none of them gave the impression of being completely and clearly perfect.

 

The year soon passed, and Gawain headed back towards Camelot.  Then he saw a woman dressed in a tattered crimson gown, sitting beside the road.  She was the most shockingly ugly creature Gawain had ever seen; her head was almost bald, her nose and chin nearly met in the middle of her face, her eyes were odd colors and looked in different directions.  And her body was so malformed that she resembled a rucksack of kindling.  As he came alongside her, Gawain was about to ride past.  Then he hesitated.  After all, she was a woman.  Before he could ask the question, she spoke: “My name is Ragnall.  For a price, I will give you the accurate response to the question you wish to ask.” 

 

“What price is that?” Gawain asked. 

 

She said, “That you marry me.”

 

Gawain grew faint.  Recovering, he said, “I will agree to your terms if your answer is proven correct.”  When he entered the gates of Camelot, Gawain had the hideous woman on his passenger seat.  Few could endure to look her way, and all were astonished at Gawain for allowing her in his immediate vicinity.  Arthur, too, grimaced.  After being told the whole story, the King said, “Nephew, I may not ask this of you.”  But Gawain responded that they should wait for the result of the King’s meeting with Gromer.

 

The next day, the King rode again in the forest.  For a second time, found himself in front of Gromer Somer Jour.  He gave the book of answers that Gawain had collected to the black-clad knight, who gave them only a superficial skimming before tossing them to the ground.  He drew his black-bladed sword, and raised it high above Arthur. 

 

“Wait!” cried the King.  “I have one more answer!”   And he gave Ragnall’s solution.  At once, Gromer roared in rage: “Only my sister could have told you that.  May she be cursed forever for her disloyalty.”  Then, Gromer simply disappeared, and Arthur returned to Camelot.  There Ragnall and Gawain, anxiously waiting, could see that Arthur had succeeded.  Gawain looked pale, while Ragnall was delighted.  The wedding was set for the next day.

 

Regardless of the protestations of Queen Guinevere, Ragnall would not take no for an answer.  For she desired a wedding feast with as many guests as possible. Her dining etiquette upset everyone, as did her grotesque appearance in a white gown and veil.  When the wedding celebrations were finished, the couple was escorted to their chamber and left alone.  There, Gawain, somewhat dazed, gazed at the fire until his bride requested a kiss.  Bravely, he consented, only to find that he held in his arms a gorgeous woman.  “How may this be?” he asked. 

 

She replied, “I was enchanted by my brother Gromer, forced to remain in that other shape until I found a man gentle enough to marry me.  Now you have released me from part of the curse.  Another part of the spell still exists.  I can be fair by night and foul by day; or revolting by night and beautiful by day.  You must choose.”

 

Bewildered, Gawain reflected.  Then he told her, “I cannot make such a choice.  It is for you to say.”  And Ragnall clapped her hands for joy.  “With your choice the second part of the enchantment is broken,” she cried.  “For you have given me the one thing that every woman most desires – freedom to be what she would be.”  Thus Gawain married a fine-looking bride, and lived happily with her.

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FUN AND FUNNY STUFF: HUMOR-MEDICINE AND HEALING LAUGHTER

 

 

Essential New Words For the 2004 edition of the “Work-place  Vocabulary,”
sent in by Christine Finer (gentlesong)

Blamestorming --Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible. *** Cube Farm-- An office filled with cubicles. ***Prairie Dogging-- When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people's heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on. (This also applies to applause from a promotion because there might be cake.) *** Mouse Potato-- The on-line, wired generation's answer to the couch potato. *** Stress Puppy --  A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiny. *** Percussive Maintenance -- The fine art of whacking an electronic device to get it to work again. *** Adminsphere -- The organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the "adminisphere" are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve. This is often affiliated with the dreaded "administrivia" -- needless paperwork and processes. *** 404-- Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error message "404 Not Found," meaning that the requested document could not be located. *** Ohnosecond-- That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just made a BIG mistake (e.g. you've hit “reply all”).

have you clicked today?

 

http://bigcats.care2.com/i?p=354899971

 

please

 

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Churchy Mistatements

sent in by Christine Finer

Ladies Bible Study will be Thursday.  All ladies are invited to lunch after the B.S. is done. *** The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast. *** Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church. *** Potluck Supper. Prayer and medication to follow. ***Weight Watchers will meet at 7 p.m.  Please use large double door. *** Don't let worry kill you, the church can help. *** Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar. ***  The ladies have cast off clothing of every kind and they may be seen in the church basement. ***The cost for attending the Fasting conference includes meals. ***The church will host an evening of gracious hostility.*** This evening there will be a hymnsing in the park across. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin. *** The rummage sale is a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands.

http://rainforest.care2.com/i?p=829955055

***

Answers from the game show “Family Feud”, sent in by Christine Finer


Name a song with moon in the title: blue suede moon  ***Name a bird with a long neck: a penguin ***Name an occupation where you need a torch: a burglar ***Name a famous brother and sister: Bonnie and Clyde ***Name an item of clothing worn by the Three Musketeers: a horse ***Name something that floats in the bath: water ***Name something you wear on the beach: a deck chair*** Name something red: my cardigan ***Name a famous cowboy: Buck Rogers ***Name a number you have to memorize: 7 ***Name something you do before going to bed: sleep ***Name something you put on walls: roofs. ***Name something in the garden that's green: a scarecrow. ***Name something that flies that doesn't have an engine: dishes ***Name something you might be allergic to: skiing ***Name a famous bridge: the bridge over troubled waters ***Name a continent: Italy ***Name something you do in the bathroom: decorate ***Name an animal you might see at the zoo: a dog ***Name a kind of ache: a pancake ***Name a food that can be brown or white: potato ***Name a potato topping: jam ***Name something with a hole in it: window ***Name a non-living object with legs: plant ***Name a domestic animal: leopard ***Name a part of the body beginning with 'N': knee ***Name a way of cooking fish: cod ***Name something you clean: your sister

http://children.care2.com/i?p=788519369

 

The Race for Children in Need is a quick, easy way to help our needy children with a simple point and click. The race is 100% free to you!

 

Care2's Race for Children in Need generates funding from corporate race sponsors to help meet the basic physical, emotional and educational needs of 14 children that Care2 has committed to sponsor for the year. Each of Care2's member clicks help generate this funding. It take

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RULES FOR GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

1. It is time to clean out the refrigerator when something closes the door from the inside. ***2. Never make fried chicken in the nude. ***3. Do not engage in unarmed combat with a dust bunny big enough to choke the vacuum cleaner. ***4. You make the beds, you do the dishes and six months later you have to start all over again. ***5. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator. ***6. Cobwebs artfully draped over lampshades reduce the glare from the bulb, thereby creating a romantic atmosphere.
***
WACKY LABELS, sent in by Christine Finer

In 1997, Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch (M-LAW) began a contest to expose how frivolous lawsuits, and a concern about potential frivolous lawsuits, have led to a new cultural phenomenon: the wacky warning label.

You have probably heard about the lawsuit over a spilled cup of coffee. However, there are many other silly lawsuits involving products that have received far less attention. For example, did you know a man received $50,000 when he sued a small company that makes basketball nets because he claimed the company was responsible when he caught his teeth in a net while dunking a ball? People who make products hear about these outrageous lawsuits, and they often decide to slap common sense warnings on their products,  "just in case."

Over the years, M-LAW has received hundreds of warning labels from people around the world. M-LAW verifies the authenticity of each label and selects the "Top 5" for each year.

Following is a list of some of the best labels from the first five contests:

A warning on an electric router made for carpenters cautions: "This product not intended for use as a dental drill."  ***A warning label found on a baby stroller cautions the user to "Remove child before folding"
***A prescription of sleeping pills says, "Warning: May cause drowsiness *** A sticker on a toilet at a public facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan actually warns: "Recycled flush water unsafe for drinking."
***A massage chair warns: "DO NOT use massage chair without clothing... and, Never force any body part into the backrest area while the rollers are moving."  ***A snowblower warns: "Do not use snowthrower on roof." ***A dishwasher carries this warning: "Do not allow children to play in the dishwasher."  ***A CD player carries this unusual warning: "Do not use the Ultradisc2000 as a projectile in a catapult."  ***An "Aim-n-Flame" fireplace lighter cautions, "Do not use near fire, flame or sparks"  ***A label on a hand-held massager advises consumers not to use "while sleeping or unconscious"  ***A container of underarm deodorant says, "Caution: Do not spray in eyes"  ***A cartridge for a laser printer warns, "Do not eat toner" ***A household iron warns users: "Never iron clothes while they are being worn" ***A label with a hair dryer reads, "Never use hair dryer while sleeping" ***A 13-inch wheel on a wheelbarrow warns: "Not intended for highway use"
***A cardboard car sunshield that keeps sun off the dashboard warns, "Do not drive with sunshield in place"  ***A Bathroom Heater says: "This product is not to be used in bathrooms"  ***A can of self-defense pepper spray warns users: "May irritate eyes"  ***A warning on a pair of shin guards manufactured for bicyclists says: "Shin pads cannot protect any part of the body they do not cover."  ***A popular manufactured fireplace log warns: "Caution - Risk of Fire"  ***A box of birthday cake candles says: "DO NOT use soft wax as ear plugs or for any other function that involves insertion into a body cavity.

 

 

PASSING THE TEST, sent in by Christine Finer

 

A young mother was driving a little girl to her friends house.

 "Mommy," the little girl asks, "how old are you?"

 "Honey, you are not suppose to ask a lady her age," the mother warned. "It

is not polite."

 "OK," the little girl said, "how much do you weigh?"

 "Now really," the mother said, "these are personal questions and are

 really none of your business."

They arrived at their destination and the little girl started to play with her friend. Undaunted, the little girl asks, "Why did you and daddy get a divorce?"

"That is enough questions, honestly!" The exasperated mother walked away as the two friends began to play.

"My mom wouldn't tell me anything," the little girl says to her

 friend.

  "Well," said the friend, "all you need to do is look at her drivers

 license. It is like a report card, it has everything on it."

  Later that night the little girl said to her mother, "I know how old

 you are:  you are 32."

The mother was surprised and asked, "How did you find that out?"

 "I also know that you weigh 140 pounds."

 The mother was past surprise and shock now. "How in heavens name

did you find that out?"

"And," the little girl said triumphantly, "I know why you and daddy got a

divorce."

 "Oh really?" the mother asked. "Why?"

 "Because you got an F in sex."

***

 

THE SILENT TREATMENT, sent in by Sandi Grubb

Mike and Joan were having some problems at home and were giving
each other the "silent treatment." But then Mike realized that he
would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 am for an early morning
drive with some pals to a golf match.


Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and so lose
the "war"), he  wrote on a piece of paper,   "Please wake me at
5:00 am."

The next morning, Mike woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 am
and that his friends would have left for the golf course without
him. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't
awakened him when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.

Written on the paper was,  "It is 5:00 am. Wake up."

 ***



LIVING UP TO YOUR BUMPER STICKERS, sent in by Linda Jung

 

     An honest man is being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly the light turns yellow just in front of him. He does the right thing and stops at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

     The tailgating woman hits the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as she misses her chance to have gone through the intersection with him.

      As she is still in mid-rant, she hears a tap on her window and looks up into the face of a very serious police officer.

      The officer orders her to exit her car with her hands up.

      He takes her to the police station where she is searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a cell.

      After a couple of hours, a policeman approaches the cell and opens the door.

      She is escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer is waiting with her personal effects.

      He says, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping the guy off in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him." "I noticed the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ and the ‘Follow Me to Sunday School’ bumper stickers, and the chrome plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk."

      "Naturally I assumed you had stolen the car."

 ***

 

 

THE DAFFODIL PRINCIPLE, sent in by Kathy Rice

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they lose their blooms." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive.  "I will come next Tuesday, " I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.
     Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!"
     My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother."
     "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm
heading for home!" I assured her.
     "I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car."
     "How far will we have to drive?"

     "Just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this." After several minutes, I had to ask, "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!"
     "We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled, "by way of the
daffodils."

     "Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around."
     "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you
miss this experience."
     After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign that
read, "Daffodil Garden."
     We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner, and I looked up and gasped.  Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone
had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and
slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns -- great
ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink,
saffron, and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.
     "But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn.
     "It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.
     On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline.
     The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read.
     The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and very little brain."

The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

     There it was, The Daffodil Principle.

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty-five years
before, had begun -- one bulb at a time -- to bring her vision of beauty and
joy to an obscure mountaintop. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year
after year, had changed the world. This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of indescribable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.
     The principle that her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time -- often just one baby-step at a time -- and learning to love the doing; learning to use the accumulation of time.
     When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.
     "It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn.  "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"
     My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.  “It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of
yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a
cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"
     So, stop waiting until ....your car or home is paid off ; you get a new car or home; your new job comes along; your kids leave the house; you go back to school; you finish school; you lose 10 lbs.; you gain 10 lbs.; you get married; you get a divorce; you have kids; you retire; summer; spring; winter; fall ;you die...
     There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.   So work like you don't need money, Love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one's watching.
*******

 

 THE POSITIVE SIDE OF LIFE, sent in by Mary McLocklin      

Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year. *** How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you’re on.  *** Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live. *** Happiness comes through doors you didn’t even know you left open. *** Ever notice that the people who are late
are often much jollier  than the people who have to wait for them?  ***Most of us go to our graved with our music still inside of us. *** If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day, how come nothing is free yet? ***You may be only one person in the world,  but you may also be the world to one person. ***Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened. ***We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors.  But
they all exist very nicely in the same box. ***A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. *** Working for God(dess) doesn’t pay much but His/Her retirement plan is out of this world!
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