LOVELIGHT

Magazine

DECEMBER 2006*** Vol. 3, no. 12

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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR FRIENDS

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Managing editors: Richard Shining Thunder Francis and Adamaria Francis

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Contributors to this issue: Nick Ardizzone, Jim Dwyer, Jr.; Pat Fields; Chris Finer; Scott Fitzgerald; Mark Franzen; Mick Gallagher; Noel Harrison; David Hem Sagar; Steven McDaniel; Nathan Merritt; Heidi Nordberg; Ty Scharrer; Karleen Sell; Dennis Spencer; Alma Turner; Union of Concerned Scientists; and Bernadene Zinnie.

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LOVELIGHT MAGAZINE: WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT

Lovelight magazine is free, coming directly to your inboxscreen once a month, to bring a little sunshine, and at least a few laughs. So, if you discover any jokes that make you roar with laughter, please send them along.

But life is not all laughs. So, we hope also to share with you some pleasant and sweet thoughts, and life-lessons.

Lovelight wants to promote peace and harmony, and to aid you personally to overcome any problems. If you are working on any religious, psychological, or spiritual problems, we encourage you to write to us at rmfrancis@juno.com

We also want to present "miniparables" to help you grow. So, if you come across any wise or touching pieces, not copyrighted, fairly short, please share them with the efamily. Please send them to the magazine, at the same address. Also welcome are practical tips that can make life easier or safer. We also welcome short pieces on personal philosophies, interesting facts, wordplays, and spirituality, especially those that emphasize the value of compassion and other forms of Love. We reserve the right to make whatever changes that we deem necessary or desirable before inclusion in Lovelight magazine.

Your email name/address will not be shared. Please share, send, or copy, this magazine, or any parts of it. Share it with all your friends, and all others. Please use it on your websites. Also, if your friends are inclined, please have them send us their emailaddress and request a personal subscription.

This is published as a "light" introduction to spirituality. It is designed especially for those who have little or no interest in the "heavier" aspects. And it is also great, fun reading. A collection of magazines is produced once a year, and would make a sweet gift for a loved one. Happy reading!:)

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WE ARE ALL "LEARNING TO WALK ALONE," sent in by Alma Turner

Imagine a precious baby

Learning to walk

She is falling, hurt and crying.

You rush to this baby

Gentleness expressing

Love and understanding flowing

You comfort

You encourage, “Try it again.”

No put downs

No punishments for not having succeeded

Only words that lift

Words that build up, instead of put down

What would happen?

If we treated ourselves like

We treated the baby, when

We miss the mark?

What would happen?

If we were gentle, loving, understanding, encouraging

To the self

Lifting ourselves up

Knowing we’re growing

Into a greater Self, yet-to-be?

Practice Love

Including the self.

In fact, start with the Self.

Love the Baby within.

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ATTITUDE, by Alma C. Turner

Maybe you’ve decided to go it alone,

Hearing a higher calling from within

The fall season is upon Us

Preparation for what is to come

Do it now, do it later, or don’t do it at all.

The school of life is always in session

Without books we learn

Sometimes difficult lessons.

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Perhaps these bodies are but earth suits we wear

We can take care of them now, or later, or not at all

Food, water, exercise, and thoughts are all a part.

We write our own Book of Life

We can and do make a difference

Positive or negative-- still, a difference.

We can make mud pies or own a bakery.

We can seek a lawyer or be a lawyer.

We can be a hinderer or a helper,

Believe it or not.

ATTITUDE DETERMINES ALTITUDE!

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HOT WATER, LESS WORRY, by the Union of Concerned Scientists
Read this issue of Greentips online

Water heating accounts for approximately 15 percent of the average household’s total energy consumption (and a sizable chunk of its energy costs). If your water heater is more than 10 years old, it is likely running at less than 50 percent efficiency-- wasting energy and money-- but most people don’t replace their water heater until it fails. Upgrading to a new, more efficient model will lower not only your monthly expenses, but also your contribution to air pollution and global warming.

Before you shop for a new water heater, however, make sure you’ve done everything you can to minimize your hot water use. Install water-saving fixtures and appliances, for example, and insulate your pipes. Then, choose the most energy-efficient model that meets your needs and budget; three types are described below.

1) Storage Water Heaters
Heaters that maintain a large tank of water at a set temperature are the most common, and are best suited for larger households that use a lot of hot water. They have become more efficient over the years, but some energy is still wasted when the hot water is not being used (known as "stand-by energy loss").

To purchase the most efficient storage water heater for your needs, you need to know two numbers: first-hour rating (FHR) and energy factor (EF). FHR represents the amount of hot water your family uses during its busiest hour; the U.S. Department of Energy offers a worksheet to help you determine this amount (see the related links). EF represents how efficiently the appliance operates, with higher values signifying better efficiency. EF ratings typically range from 0.75 to 0.95 for electric water heaters, and 0.50 to 0.70 for natural gas-fired water heaters.

2) Tankless Water Heaters
Also known as on-demand or instantaneous heaters, these devices use energy only when hot water is needed, resulting in less standby energy loss than storage heaters. They tend to have a higher up-front cost, but are less expensive to operate in the long term due to their higher efficiency. When choosing a tankless water heater, you must first determine your required flow rate, or the total hot water consumption of the appliances you need to run simultaneously (in gallons per minute).

3) Solar Water Heaters
By transferring heat from the sun into a conventional storage tank, solar water heaters can supply part or all of your hot water needs. They have higher up-front costs than conventional water heaters, but much lower operating costs, and can pay for themselves within 4 to 10 years under favorable conditions. You might also be able to take advantage of local, state, or federal energy-efficiency incentives that help lower your initial investment; a list of incentives by state is available through the related links.

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SNORTS, GASPS, AND GUFFAWS: HUMORTHERAPY

INEPT BUSHISMS, sent in by Ty Scharrer

“Bushisms” are grammatical errors made by our beloved and benevolent President, G.W. Bush.

MARIA BARTIROMO (CNBC): I'm curious, have you ever Googled anybody? Do you use Google?

DUBYA: Uhh, occasionally. One of the things I've used on the Google is, uhh, to pull up maps. -- The Google, available on the Internet. White House, Oct. 23, 2006.

"Nobody has accused me of having a real sophisticated vocabulary."-- White House, Oct. 11, 2006.

"I worked with [Arizona Congressman] Rick [Renzi] to pass what's called the Healthy Forest Initiative. See, his district has got a lot of important forests. It means that we can work together with local folks to thin out those forests so they're not full of combustionable fuel." -- By that twisted phrase, he means "trees". Scottsdale, Arizona, Oct. 4, 2006.

"It gives me great comfort to be able to tell the loved ones of those who wear our uniform that if you get hurt you will receive first class, compassionate care from the United States military." -- It's great to know that Dubya has "great comfort" from his insulated and guarded office while girls and boys are shedding blood and dying in the superheated desert for his greed.-- Washington, D.C., Sep. 29, 2006.

"The goals of this country is to enhance prosperity and peace." They is? Grammar goes out the door again, in the White House Conference on Global Literacy, New York, New York, Sep. 18, 2006.

"I'm going to answer one question as this legislation proceeds, and it's this. The intelligence community must be able to tell me that the bill Congress sends to my desk will allow this vital program to continue. That's what I'm going to ask." Excuse me, Dubya, but that wasn't a question.-- White House, Sep. 15, 2006.

"I would hope people aren't trying to rewrite the history of Saddam Hussein -- all of a sudden, he becomes kind of a benevolent fellow. He's a dangerous man. And one of the reasons he was declared a state sponsor of terror was because that's what he was. He harbored terrorists. He paid for families of suicide bombers. Never have I said that Saddam Hussein gave orders to attack 9/11." Apparently "9/11" has been attacked.--

White House, Sep. 15, 2006

"It's important to have members of the United States Senate who understand the call of history and are willing to stand strong in the face of an enemy who is relenting." Wrong word, Dubya. This one means the opposite of what you were probably trying to say, that the enemy is "relentless."-- Salt Lake City, Utah, Aug. 31, 2006.

"I've, I've got a eckullectic reading list." I'm sure he must know the word "eclectic" but this sure sounds different!-- New Orleans, Louisiana, Aug. 29, 2006.

REPORTER: What is your philosophy on granting presidential pardons?

Dubya: "You know, I don't have the criterion in front of me, Mark, but we have a strict criterion that we utilize -- we being the Justice Department and the White House Counsel. And I, frankly, haven't compared the number of pardons I've given to any other President." Either Dubya has only one criterion that determines all the pardons he issues, or he doesn't understand what criterion means. "Criterion" means only one (singular); the plural is "criteria."-- White House, Aug. 21, 2006.

"But we want an education system to educate every child. And here's our vision of how it's done. First, you must have leadership that sets high standards. It's amazing what happens when you have low standards. Guess what happens. You get low results. It's what I call the 'soft bigotry of low expectations.' If you don't have high standards, you get lousy results, particularly in some neighborhoods. And that's unacceptable to a person like Lynn Swann and me." How did you and Lynn become one person? Nice grammar, Dubya.-- Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Aug. 15, 2006.

"This is a competitive company. It's a company that can't fill every order it gets because they're constrained by being able to find enough workers." "Not being able to" would make a lot more sense, and is therefore probably what he was supposed to say.-- Green Bay, Wisconsin, Aug. 10, 2006.

"I will be making the troop level decisions based upon what General George Casey recommends. We owe that to our troops. We owe that to their families. We owe that to the Iraqi." Do you have one particular Iraqi in mind?-- Chicago, Illinois, July 7, 2006.

"The first thing we got to understand as a country is that illegal immigration undermines the rule of law. It creates an underground economy. It can danger our national security -- And we certainly don't want our national security dangered."-- Artesia, New Mexico, June 6, 2006.

"If one were to measure progress on the number of suiciders, if that's your definition of success, I think it gives -- I think it will -- I think it obscures the steady, incremental march toward democracy we're seeing. In other words, it's very difficult -- you can have the most powerful army of the world -- ask the Israelis what it's like to try to stop suiciders. ... That's the -- but that's one of the main -- that's the main weapon of the enemy, the capacity to destroy innocent life with a suicider. ...Trying to stop suiciders -- which we're doing a pretty good job of on occasion -- is difficult to do. And what the Iraqis are going to have to eventually do is convince those who are conducting suiciders who are not inspired by al Qaeda, for example, to realize there's a peaceful tomorrow."
Dubya unleashes the made-up word "suicider" 5 times in quick succession -- a new record.-- White House, May 23, 2006.

"We're honored that the Flying Tomato represented our country, and we want to thank all the dudes and dudesses of the snowboarders who are here." Dubya takes a painful stab at being hip in a ceremony with the 2006 U.S. Winter Olympic and Paralympic Teams.-- White House, May 17, 2006.

"I sent a supplemental up to the United States Congress recently to make sure our troops what they have they need to be able to do their jobs." -- Washington, D.C., May 17, 2006.

"Churches all across the country are reaching out -- synagogues, people from different faiths understand that it makes sense to help their parishioners realize the benefits of this plan." "Parishioners" of different faiths? Nice word choice.-- Sun City Center, Florida, May 9, 2006.

"I, personally, have a working relationship with Vladimir Putin and that's very important. I've got a warm relationship with him. It's a relationship where I can sit down with him and ask him direct questions as to why he's made the decisions he's made. It's a relationship where he questions me about what the intentions of the United States may be. It's one that I value, and I think it's an important relationship not only for the United States to have, but it's an important relationship for countries in Europe for the United States to have a relationship with Vladimir Putin."-- White House, May 5, 2006.

"I've come to realize that the nature of the German people are such that war is very abhorrent, that Germany is a country now that is -- no matter where they sit on the political spectrum, Germans are -- just don't like war. And I can understand that."-- White House, May 5, 2006.

"I was not pleased that Hamas has refused to announce its desire to destroy Israel." With friends like that, who needs enemies?-- White House, May 4, 2006.

"And it recognizes that we have got to educate our children -- now! -- for the skill sets necessary for tomorrow. And this is a better place -- there's no better place to talk about that -- and there is no better place to talk about that right here at Parkland Magnet Middle School for Aerospace Technology. Thanks for letting us come by. God bless."-- April 18, 2006.

"The tests show we're fine in the fourth grade in math, and we're okay in eighth grade. They start to slip up prior to going to high school. That is the time to intervene in a child's academic career to make sure he or she has that skill set necessary to become the mathematicians or the scientists or the engineers by the time they get out of college."-- Rockville, Maryland, April 18, 2006.

"There's no need to have a health care system for our seniors that doesn't meet needs. And one of the things I noticed in analyzation of the health care system for seniors, analyzation of Medicare, was that medicine had changed, but Medicare hadn't." "Analyzation? Don't try to invent words, dubya.-- Jefferson City, Missouri, April 11, 2006.

"I strongly believe what we're doing is the right thing. If I didn't believe it -- I'm going to repeat what I said before -- I'd pull the troops out, nor if I believed we could win, I would pull the troops out." What did he just say?-- April 6, 2006.

"What we're doing is difficult work. And one -- the interesting thing that's happening is, is that imagine an enemy that says we will kill innocent people because we're trying to encourage people to be free."-- White House, Mar. 21, 2006.

"The people of the city still have many challenges to overcome, including old-age resentments that still create suspicion." Why not attack the most defenseless among us?-- Cleveland, Ohio, Mar. 20, 2006

"The third part of our plan is to develop new technologies to defend against IEDs. We're puttin' the best minds in America to work on this effort. The Department Defense recently garnered some 6 -- gathered 600 leaders from industry and academmia, the national laboratories, the National Academy of Sciences, all branches of the military, and every -- uhh, relevant government agency to discuss technology solutions to the IED threat."-- George Washington University, Washington, D.C., Mar. 13, 2006.

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IT'S ALL PSYCHOLOGY, sent in by Karleen Sell

A guy bought a new fridge. To get rid of his old one, he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it: "Free to good home. You want it, you take it." For three days the fridge just sat there. He decided that it looked too good to be true. So, he changed the sign to read: "Fridge for sale $50." The next day, someone stole it.

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One day I got a call from a person who asked what hours the call center was open. I told him, "Twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week."

He responded, "Is that Eastern or Pacific time?"

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We overheard one of them talking about her sunburn. She drove down in a convertible, but "didn't think she'd get sunburned because the car was moving."

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. . She has a lifesaving tool in her car, designed to cut through a seat belt if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the trunk.

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We saw a woman with a nose ring attached to an earring by a chain. My friend said, "Wouldn't the chain rip out every time she turned her head?" I explained that a person's nose and ear remain the same distance apart no matter which way the head is turned.

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MARRIAGE, THE SEXES, AND CONFUSION, sent in by Chris Finer

These answers were written by kids:

You got to find somebody who likes  the same stuff.-- Alan,  age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going  to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who  you're stuck with.-- Kristen, age 10

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?

You might have to guess, based on whether they  seem to be yelling at the same kids.-- Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR  MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?

Both don't want any more kids.-- Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO  ON A DATE?

Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.--  Lynnette, age 8

On the first date, they just tell  each other lies and that Usually gets them interested enough to go for a  second date.-- Martin, age 10

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A  FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING
SOUR?

I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would  call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the  dead columns.-- Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I  wouldn't want to mess with that. - - Curt, age 7.

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Humorous but true reflections on politics, Sent in by Chris Finer

1.  Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But then,  I repeat myself.-- Mark Twain***2. I contend that for a  nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket  and trying to lift himself up by the handle.--Winston  Churchill***3. A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can  always depend on the support of Paul.--George Bernard  Shaw***4. Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a  sheep voting on what to have for dinner.--James Bovard***5. Foreign aid might be defined as a  transfer of money from poor people
in rich countries to rich people in poor  countries.--Douglas Casey***6. Giving money and power to government is like giving  whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.--P. J. O'Rourke***7. Government is the great fiction, through which  everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.--Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)***8. Government's  view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves,  tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it  stops moving, subsidize  it.--Ronald Reagan***9. I don't make jokes. I  just watch the government and report the facts.--Will  Rogers***10. In general, the art of government consists of  taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the  other.--Voltaire (1764)***11. Just because you do not  take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in  you.--Pericles (430 BCE)***12. No man's life, liberty,  or property is safe while the Legislature is  in session.--Mark Twain***13. Talk is cheap, except when Congress does  it.--Unknown***14. The inherent vice of capitalism is the  unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the  equal sharing of misery.--Winston Churchill***15. A government big enough to give you everything  you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.--Thomas  Jefferson

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TANK YOU FOR THE FUNERAL, sent in by Mick Gallagher

As a young minister, I was asked to hold a grave-side service for a homeless man, with no family or friends. The funeral was to be held way back in the country.

I became lost. And, being a typical man, did not stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late. I saw the backhoe and the crew. I apologized for my tardiness. I stepped to the side of the open grave, where I saw the vault lid already in place. The workers gathered around.

I poured out my heart and soul. As I preached, they began to say "Amen," and, "Praise the Lord!" I preached like I'd never preached before, from Adam to Armageddon. I closed the lengthy service with a prayer and walked to my car. I overheard one of the workers say, "I ain't never seen anything like that before; and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."

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WHITE HOUSE ANSWERING MACHINE, sent in by Ty Scharrer

"If you are calling to complain about the abuse of prisoners and the White House's endorsement of torture, press 2, and then say the name of the torture site that you wish to complain about (and please note for the sake of the voice mail system that it is pronounced Abu GRABE, not Abu grahb).

"If you are calling to complain about illegal spying on American citizens and the abuse of FISA laws, press 3, but do know that these calls will be recorded. If you are calling to complain about the disastrous mismanagement of the hurricane Katrina recovery, please press 4, and your call will be directed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. If you wait for more than 48 hours without anyone picking up the phone, hang-up and send a letter. We have been assured that all letters will receive a prompt reply within one year.

"If you are calling regarding the administration's unwillingness to enforce immigration law, press cinco, por favor, or direct any thanks to your local chamber of commerce office, which can explain why we like cheap labor that can't vote; and where you might be able to find willing illegal day laborers in your local area.

"If you are Jack Abramoff or any Saudi prince, please call the private line - it is always open.

"If you are calling about the Medicare prescription debacle, please press 6. If you are having a medical emergency, you should proceed directly to your local emergency room, although please understand that your health coverage might not pay for the visit; and you can no longer get out from under the bill by declaring bankruptcy.

"If you are calling about the ballooning federal deficit or the recent hike in the debt ceiling to $9 trillion, please press 7, unless you are Bill Clinton calling to brag about the surpluses under your administration, in which case we don't want to hear about it.

"If you are calling to complain about the White House's efforts to block stem cell research, please press 8, and then state the disease that you are most concerned about that may ultimately be cured through scientific research.

"If you are a scientist calling with new research findings or important clinical data, please hang up. We don't want to hear from you.

"If you are calling to express concern about global warming and our efforts to roll back environmental laws, please press 9, unless you are a government scientist, in which case you are forbidden to talk without first clearing it with the oil lobbyist we hired to screen and edit your research. He can be reached at Exxon 4-2611.

"If you are calling to complain about the President's efforts to "privatize" social security, press Star 1 and your call will be redirected to representatives at Merrill Lynch, who will explain the virtues of putting all your savings in the stock market.

"If you are calling about the need for more prayer in public schools or any other faith-based initiatives, please press Star 2 and a fundy preacher will be with you shortly.

"If you are calling to lobby for more Supreme Court Justices who will block a woman's right to choose, please stay on the line and the President will be with you immediately.

"If you are calling about all the tax breaks for the wealthy and you have ideas for more loopholes and are making more than a million dollars per year, press Star 3; if you are earning less than a million per year but have ideas for how you may help the wealthy, press Star 4; if you are earning less than a million per year and just want to complain that all the burden is now falling on you, please call back in a couple of years.

"Thank you for calling the White House. It is our pleasure to serve you; and remember to vote Republican next election.

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FRONT TO BACK, sent in by Chris Finer

An elderly lady called 911 to report that her car had been broken into. She was hysterical as she explained her situation: "They've stolen the stereo, the steering wheel, the brake pedal and even the accelerator!" she cried.

A few minutes later, the officer radios in: "Disregard. She got in the back-seat by mistake."
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OLD FRIENDS, sent in by Chris Finer.   

Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. They had shared all kinds of activities and adventures.  Lately, their activities had been limited to playing cards. One day, one said, "Don't get mad, but I just can't think of your name. Please tell me."
Her friend glared at her. For three minutes she just stared.  Finally she said, "How soon do you need to know?"

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SENIOR DRIVING

As a senior citizen was driving down the freeway, his car phone rang. He heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, "I just heard that there's a car going the wrong way on
Interstate 77. Please be careful!"

"Heck," he said, "It's not just one car. It's hundreds of them!"

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WORDS BY WHICH TO NAVIGATE

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."-- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"I can't do everything, but I can do something. I must not fail at doing the something I can do."-- Helen Keller

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"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."-- Thomas Edison [sent in by Nick Ardizzone]

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"The secret to success is to do the common thing uncommonly well."-- John D. Rockefeller [sent in by Nick Ardizzone]

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LOVELETTERS FROM BUDS, PALS, AND FRIENDS

From Dr. Heidi Nordberg:

Dear shining one

Thank you for your sweet letter. I too am very grateful for encountering you in this life. You have given me such hope and joy in your very existence. The friendship that has grown between us is really… the little something extra special added - that brings such gratitude. Thank you so much for being there, for being you, for being a friend of depth and worth.

…I read with some interest your post on eating out, and had just one comment.

Here in Atlanta, the food prices have skyrocketed. In many cases, it has become more economical to eat out than to eat at home, especially at eateries that do not cater to the restaurant snobs that have become common in this restaurant-heavy city…. I can

spend less and get more quality by going out….

Keep me informed on the video project, and whether you need/want any input.

I'm wondering if maybe you should set up a page on your site for easy contributions? Maybe using Paypal or something like that? Or set up a special account so that people can mail a check? Perhaps he has a site where we could direct people?...

Much love to both -

Heidi

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From Dr. Mark Franzen:

Please realize that you are a special condiment to my life.  I think of and refer to your teachings almost daily.  Please take a moment and consider all the people, like myself, that  you've touched directly in a profound manner.  Now consider the people that we've all affected.  WOW!!! 

Your karmic downline is grand for sure!

Thanks for being my gentle teacher!

Love,

Mark

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From Mick Gallagher:

THANK YOU SIR… THANK YOU TANK U, TANK U VAEY MUCH, MAY I HAVE ANOTHER, SIR!!

Soooooooooo much to be Thankful for! We are all so Blessed. Let us give more, love more, be more….

Oh it's all too beautiful, Mr. Man!!

Your such a kidder!

Love U guys!!

Poindexter LePuh

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From Pat Fields:

Hi Richard and Adamaria. I, too, give thanks for the 2 of you in my life. It is made much richer because you are…. HAPPY THANKSGIVING HAPI.

Love,

Pat

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From Chris Finer:

aww, thank you, Richard!

I am one of those people who, even when others leave my life, never stop loving them.  So for me, friendship is forever.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chris

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From Jim Dwyer, Jr.:

Dear shi and Adamaria,

I too and very thankful for you two wild and loving donkeys!  EEEEE-AWWWWW.  I appreciate very much your friendship and compassionate love.  Best of feasting to you both. 

Love,  

Jim

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From Noel Harrison:

Dear Shi and Adamaria!

Thank you for your (always) loving words. Also for the book, some months ago….

You are never far from our thoughts. We send you love from soggy Devon. [England]

Noel and Lori

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From Scott Fitzgerald:

Richard,

Many blessings to you as we kick off the Holiday Season.  Hope your healing is coming along well.

my best,

Scott

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From Steven McDaniel:

Hi brother,

I just told Cindy how much "I really love that cat"  meaning you the cat.  Thanks for the letter-- as Thanks and Giving are all about being friends, especially on the level we share.  It's rare.  Wish we lived on one big farm together.  We could cultivate Love-crops for the world.

Always look forward to being there with you, but you are always here in reality-- as there's no there there as Gertrude Stein wrote.

Love to you and Adamaria always,

Steven

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From Nathan Merritt [combining two letters]:

Dear Shi

…I'm very pleased to know you as well. I hope you had a pleasant Thanksgiving. My wife and I did. Just the two of us….

I finished my Master thesis in comparative religion today. It took me months! If it passes muster I can begin my doctoral thesis.

I'm up to page 55 [of your book], and your book is focused like a torpedo on every dirty nasty dark secret and sickness of the Org. Your style in this book has an immediacy and authenticity that can come only via personal experience. You're leaving no stone unturned in this expose of JW psychology,… This is very potent stuff, very concise and content-intensive.  All of it is relevant with no filler, and spot-on.  This book did some deep and lasting good. Divine blessings to you for it! This is one of the best, most illuminating expose's available. More to come as I read it. 

Love Divine to you as well Shi, 

Nathan

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From Karleen Sell:

Dearest Richard and Maria,

We are grateful to have you in our lives-- as inspiration, friend, and inventor of wonderful words!

Driving around yesterday, I felt such overwhelming love for those in my life-- and that I would not trade or change one of them! I have lots of little notes to write! And as for politically correct, anytime is the correct time to contact a friend-- especially with love….

So, either way-- timely or inspirationally-- our loving thoughts to others on any day proclaim a Personal and yet Universal "Thanksgiving Day"!

Love to you both,

Karleen

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From Dennis Spencer:

Dear Richard,

…I am also thankful to have you as a friend. My mood has been a little better the past 2 weeks and I think it's because I returned to the pneumarium. I plan on becoming a "regular" again.

Peace and love,

Dennis

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From David Hem Sagar [in Darjeeling, India]:

Dear Francisji 'Shi' and Mariaji,

Namaste and Sneham! [Spiritual greeting and Love!]

Thanks for the latest information about your new book Wal