A Spiritually Enlightening Online Magazine ISSN# 1708-3265

Index Meet Our Staff Free Subscription Donations Come Shopping Advertising Archived Issues ***OUR NEW FORUM***

Illuminations Aleesha Stephenson About the Cover Grace Tran Spirit Night Elaine J. Habermehl Get Outside - It's Good for You! David Suzuki PhD Dignity Is To Spirit As Breath Is To Life Dj Brown Growing, Not Just Going To Heaven Rev. Cheryl Jewett Carol's Story Annamaria Hemingway A Spurt in the Grass Alegria Imperial Peace and Quiet Marlene Buffa Middle of the Night Middle of the Heart Patrice Karst 6 Tips on How to Not Let Your Relatives Ring Your Holiday Bell Jackie Lapin The Latest Word On Raw Food: Raw Chocolate! David Wolfe The Envelope Please… An Interview with Revvell Revati Aleesha Stephenson Wiccan Voices Crystal Blanton, HPs Life in the Raw Melissa Gilbert Walk Your Talk Aleesha Stephenson Being Mindful Janet Alston Jackson Breathe Wisdom Jacqueline Kramer Lifetalks Dawn Baumann Brunke Get On Track! Jennifer Dillon Meditate a Moment Featuring: Aleesha Stephenson Naked Chocolate David Wolfe and Shazzie Fresh The Ultimate Live-Food Cookbook Sergei and Valya Boutenko True Meditation Adyashanti Who Would You Be Without Your Story? Byron Katie Food Matters DVD

Yesterday
is gone.
Tomorrow
may never come.
In this moment,
I am the changer
and the change.
I am the traveler
and the journey.
I am the student
and the master,
I am the lantern
shining my light.

Shooting fires light the star-sprinkled sky with luminous trails of golden brilliance and Mother Earth sighs as some settle down to sleep and those blind to light wake to live the night.

The power of night's illumination is its own like morning rising from the magic hour is its own. Each is different, yet the same as they grow into their own full potential. So too, it is with humankind. We may differ in looks and personality. We come from different backgrounds. Some of us were country children. Others grew up in the city. We are people of different nations. We speak different languages. We each walk a path unique to our journey. Yet, even so, we are sisters and brothers in growth and light. All of us are witnesses known to our Higher Self as I am.

I am, awakens when we focus our minds on witnessing instead of pure sensual input. Growing in the light as I am leads us to a level of observing our intentions and actions from our spiritual view. As a witness, I am, you are, together we all make up the growing and living light of life. I am will always tell us the truth. Show us the reality of a situation. Help us see our potential rather than relying on the judgment of others to know ourselves.

As a witness, we know words do matter. Thoughts do matter. Actions do matter. Listening, attention, and nurturing do matter. It matters how we see ourselves, and if we accept and love what we see in ourselves we become stronger in spirit, and gentler as masters of our thoughts, empathic and compassionate in our observations and feelings. When we are all of that with the person we face in the mirror, we become truth seers, seeing others in the same light. Seeing ourselves from the point of our witness, we see a precious gift to be treasured and honoured in all of us. Our dignity is to our spirit as breath is to life.

Growing is such an individually personal experience because each one of us project different meaning upon it. Auspicious signs are not superstition, but confirmation. As a witness, we see what we are, where we are and where we are headed without ego-induced motive or judgment. I am gives us the opportunity to grow with the benefit of our higher-consciousness as our guide.

Growing belongs to those of us who choose to be strong. We stumble often to rise again and again and again to reach our purpose. Growing is not for the faint of body, mind and spirit. And sometimes, we can be distracted. It is so easy to turn back to yesterday. We can drift among the shadows of our memories reliving and wishing. However, yesterday isn't a choice for negotiation. Or just as easily, we can slip in the pit of projecting "what ifs" of tomorrow. Neither of those places exist in the moment. They have no place in today's growing experience. The more we remain in the moment, the easier it is to fix our attention, purpose and actions on growing into the light where spirit resides, the heart sings, and the mind is creative and free.

Growing is paying attention to what we already possess. For that which is noticed and nurtured is magnified. This state of right mindfulness opens the gateway to listening by transcending the intellectual mind. You and I are more resilient and creative than we can possibly imagine. Our only limits are the rocks we kick as we walk our path and keep fumbling over one to kick another. We are self-fulfilling beings with every thought and action we create and choose.

Our witness observes, and even more importantly, listens not just through our ears but through spirit. Truly, we hear the music of life as we listen to the silence between the notes. Without that silence, we would only hear noise and chaos. If we are quiet of mind, we can learn from listening to our family, friends, the cashier at the market, the homeless. We gain perspective from listening to our conscious, listening to our intuition, listening to our heart. We learn when we listen to the silence, the flapping of dragonfly wings in the garden, a breeze playing in the grass, a dandelion bursting to seed on a hot summer day, or snow falling to blanket Mother Earth. Listening until we hear the questions. And then, listening even more to hear the answers. In doing so we come to find significance and meaning through listening for the deeper questions and answers. Along the way, we find the symphony of life.

As we grow into our own illumination, we age as sages from our journey. The lantern and the light glow as one, giving off a steady golden light burning brightly with inclusion. Student and master join I am in discovering, cherishing and witnessing the ultimate power of growing in truth and light. The traveler on life's journey finds the path least traveled is within and the true treasure of the journey is ours to discover alone. Changer and change become partners in peace, love, compassion with open arms as a safe harbour, ever changing, always welcoming.

I am, you are, together we make up the living, breathing light of the moment. Yes, yesterday is gone and tomorrow, well, it's not here, so just for today, this moment, let's live in the light and work to find our way home to our true Higher Self. Let's be our own witness observing the awesome mystery of our growing, playful spirits having a human experience.            

A mystical curiosity about nature and the ability to paint pictures with words gives this gifted writer, public speaker and artist the ability to serve and share with those she walks her journey with. Dj Brown earned a degree in metaphysical ministry and counselling. She was born a sensitive to spirits and finds her abilities enhanced by her spirit guides and earthly teachers. Dj describes her life goal as one of further developing the tapestry of her spirit to reflect the compassionate, loving Source of her being.

Copyright (c) 2008 by Timeless Spirit Magazine. All articles are the copyright of the particular writers and cannot be reprinted without their expressed permission. All rights reserved. International copyright laws prohibit reproduction of or distribution of this page by any means whatsoever, electronic or otherwise, without first obtaining the written permission of the copyright holder. We retain legal counsel to protect our copyrights.

Any advice given is for informational purposes only.