Hi Everyone –
Warm greetings and blessings to you all!
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be safe and protected from all inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
As I hold the intention to create more SIMPLICITY and SPACE in my life, new thoughts and new experiences are flowing into it. In April, I talked about EASE and GRACE; in May, I talked about FOCUS; in June, I talked about RISK-TAKING; in July/August, I talked about ASKING FOR HELP; in September, I talked about SURRENDER; in October, I talked about FULL ACCOUNTABILITY; and in November, I talked about SILENCE. This month (and next), it’s about JOY.
My life used to have BIG emotional “waves” in it – real “highs” and real “lows” – and I desperately wanted to be “high”, to be “on top” of the waves, as much as possible… Now, as I deepen my exploration inward, I’m noticing that my emotional “waves” are much smaller, and that joy can be a much more subtle, much more peaceful state… I LOVE a good belly laugh – believe me! – AND the combination of shorter days and cold and wet weather lend themselves naturally to inner solace… And that’s filling ME with joy. In all that I think, say and do, may I remember, more and more easily, that joy is my – OUR – natural state of being. AMEN!
With this in mind, I offer you this blessing as a route into YOUR exploration of JOY:
Winter Solstice Blessing
May you be blessed with the luminescence
of living in the truth of your nature.
May your joys, like the stars at night,
be too numerous to count.
May you find serenity by
allowing life situations to unfold naturally…
May awareness be more abundant
than all the grains of sand
on all the beaches
on all the oceans
in all the world.
May any perceived lack or struggle be the opening
to resting in just This,
a space of endless openings into the infinite.
May you lovingly celebrate your humanness,
embracing its every attempt to separate
and live in illusion.
May Christ/Buddha radiance
be your constant companion.
May every pathway chosen
lead to that which is pure and eternal.
May every doubt and fear
be replaced by a deep abiding trust
in the Unknown.
And when there is only darkness
and storms of life seem to be closing in,
may the light of your being illuminate the world.
May you always be aware that you are loved beyond measure
and may you be willing to love unconditionally in return
with the realization that you are Love itself.
And when you are tempted to judge
may you be reminded that there is only the ONE
and that every thought you think
reverberates across the universe,
touching everyone and everything.
And when you are tempted to hold back,
may you remember that love flows best when
it flows freely
and it is both giving and receiving
that are the best gifts
for one cannot flow without the other.
May you always have music and laughter
and may you always discover the rainbow that follows every storm.
May gratitude wash away every disappointment
may compassion dissolve every sorrow.
May you be blessed with an empty vessel
expecting nothing, wanting nothing
allowing the Ultimate Reality to reveal itself to you.
May every wound bring wisdom
and every trial bring triumph
and with each passing moment
may you live in completion and fulfillment.
May you be blessed
And may others be blessed by knowing you
..and by knowing that
you are the blessing itself…
May this blessing inspire you as deeply as it inspires me. (THANKS to my friend Gwen Gagne for inspiring me to deepen MY exploration of JOY. If YOU have any suggestions for inspirational media that you’d like me to share in a future newsletter, or any thoughts or feelings that you’d like to share with me, please drop me a line at NathenAswell@Me.com – I’d love to hear from you.)
REPORT
Here are my highlights from the last month or so:
– Performing at the 10th Annual World Kindness Concert (Vancouver, BC). This event is always one of the highlights of my year – SO much talent and love on one stage! THANKS to all who took part, and to Brock Tully for his vision for a Kinder World. 🙂
– Performing at CSL Campbell River (Campbell River, BC). THANKS to Jill Brocklehurst and her community for the opportunity to serve, and for their open-heartedness. BEAUTIFUL folks all!
– Touring Seoul, Korea with my dear friends in The Euphorics. THANKS, dear Joani, Helen and Bing, for the rich bond of friendship and respect that we share – being with the three of you is ALWAYS a rich adventure! – and to Peter Son, our Korean contact, for his vision and for his playfulness. 🙂
– Performing at “Christmas In The Round” (Vancouver, BC). What a love fest! THANKS to Jerry DesVoignes and the rest of the gang for singing and playing so completely from the heart, for the crew of volunteers who work their magic in a great many ways, and to all who attended – THIS is joy!
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
BIG NEWS:
– I am excited to announce that I will be appearing at the FESTIVAL OF ENLIGHTENMENT in EVERGREEN, COLORADO next JUNE 13TH TO 19TH.
To celebrate the holiday season and to express their thanks to you, Festival founders Bill & Jan Moore have a FANTASTIC OFFER for you: To get two 7-day tickets to see over 250 of the world’s leading conscious speakers and entertainers (worth over $1500), simply donate $100 before December 31st… As a special thanks, you will also be entered in the prize draw to win $1000, $500 or $250 to help towards the cost of your travel and accommodation at the Festival…!
To find out more and to claim your tickets, please go to http://www.festivalofenlightenment.com. Tickets will be sent out to you when they are released for sale in January.
Whether you decide to take up this fantastic offer or not, Bill & Jan would like to express their gratitude for your support and they look forward to seeing you at the Festival in Colorado next June – as do I! 🙂
SPECIAL EVENTS:
– It gives me great pleasure to announce that IN JANUARY, I’ll be PERFORMING IN FLORIDA at UNITY CHURCH OF PALM HARBOR (WITH fellow artist JOY KATZEN-GUTHRIE) AND at THE 6TH ANNUAL POSI AWARDS IN ORLANDO. (Details for both events are below.)
Here’s what my ENTIRE CALENDAR looks like in the next month or so. I’d be honoured to see you at any of these events. (AND please remember that I welcome any and all opportunities to serve you with my music; just e-mail me with your ideas at NathenAswell@Me.com.)
December
24, 7:00 PM – Centre for Spiritual Living White Rock (14600 North Bluff Road, Centennial Park, White Rock BC) – Christmas Eve Church Service, with me, Diane Lines, and Acoustic Groove
2011
January
13, 7:30 PM (Doors open at 7:00 PM) – Unity Church of Palm Harbor (1960 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor FL) – Concert with Joy Katzen-Guthrie (www.JoyfulNoise.net) and I. Advance tickets $15 (cash/Visa/MasterCard) at either Unity PH bookstore (http://www.unitychurchofpalmharbor.org/) or NathenAswell@me.com; suggested love offering at the door, $20.
14-17 – Orlando Airport Marriott (7499 Augusta National Drive, Orlando FL) – Posi Awards (http://www.empowerma.com/). (I’ll be performing in the “Music That Matters” Concert on Friday, Jan. 14th, and in the “Pajama Jam” music showcases after Friday night’s Concert.)
23, 11:00 AM – Spiritual Centre for Dynamic Living (1495 West 8th Avenue, 4th Floor, Vancouver BC) – Church Service
30, 11:00 AM – Unity of Vancouver (5840 Oak Street, Vancouver BC) – Church Service
February
6, 10:30 AM – Centre for Spiritual Living White Rock (14600 North Bluff Road, Centennial Park, White Rock BC) – Church Service
NEW WEB SITE CONTENT
As well as updating my “Calendar” and “Blog” pages, I’ve:
– added photos – from the “Christmas In The Round” concert, from the Euphorics tour of Seoul, and from my trip to CSL Campbell River – to my “Photos” page.
– added new comments (THANKS, dear Dorothy, Bobbi, and Jill!) to my “Praise” page.
Happy December and January, everyone. Go with love – and JOY! – through this Holiday Season and into the New Year. 🙂
With love and gratitude,
– Nathen
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