Blessings of Wisdom to all of you, dear friends of silence!  The term "sophia perennis" (perennial wisdom) seems to imply that wisdom is always with us, and yet sometimes it seems to be so sadly lacking.  Emily Dickinson wrote about truth, "The truth must dazzle gradually or every (hu)man be blind."  Perhaps something similar is true of wisdom: it comes gradually, or it would be beyond our understanding.  But perhaps, also, we too often do not look for it, or even think about it.  For wisdom is ever with us, in the deepest part of our being, and all around us in the natural world, where we can see it at play if we but pay attention.  Internally we can find it by sinking into our silent depths and listening.  May Wisdom abound in the world!
 

Warm, winter greetings, dear friends. It is still cold in areas that experience seasonal change, but we are past the Winter Solstice and there's an almost imperceptible increase in the hours of daylight. And even on the coldest of days, the light of compassion can warm us. It has been said that compassion is at the heart of all the world’s religions, but it can be difficult sometimes to find it in our own hearts or even to adequately define it. At such times, we can turn within, ask for help, and then, in the silence, listen with our hearts. The answers we need will come. If we but ask and then listen and finally act as our heart directs, we can bring more and more compassion into our suffering world, one heart, one soul at a time.

Season's Greetings to you, dear friends! As we begin another year on this incredible, awesome, yet fragile planet, let us consider a question together: What might happen if each one of us concentrated on discovering and bringing forth the Light deep within ourselves? How might the world change? What might the leaders of the world do differently if each one embraced the Divine Light within him or herself, and in every other person in our world? Deep within, we are Light; our work is to bring forth that Light from the depths and beam it out to our troubled world. "Let your Light so shine . . ." The healing, the very survival, of our world depends on it. May it be so!

Warm greetings and deep peace to you, dear friends of silence. As we approach this season of awe and joy, we look around at our wounded world and wonder, "Where is peace today?" It can be so very difficult to find, when all around us we are witnessing the chaos of natural disasters, wars and conflicts. We must turn within; there is much truth in some of the catch-phrases used today, like "Peace begins with me" and "Be the peace you wish to see in the world." Peace is our divine birthright: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you . . ." Let us turn within, we lovers of silence, and claim peace for ourselves, for only when each of us is peace can there be peace in the world.

Greetings and gratitude, dear friends! As Thanksgiving approaches and we are reminded of our many blessings, you, our community at large, immediately come to mind. In our noisy world, how difficult it sometimes seems to find the silence that feeds our souls! We are surrounded by so many bells and buzzers, alerts and reminders -- telephones, doorbells, computer prompts and all kinds of warning beeps, the roar of traffic, radio and TV. How comforting, then, to think of all of you "out there” and recall that we all carry within us the silence we so need. We can meet together in that silent inner space at any time, wait together for the one sound that matters: that still, small voice that speaks always to those who take the time to listen. Let us gather there often.

Namaste, dear friends around the world! One of the ways this greeting is translated from the Sanskrit is:

"I honor the place in you in which the entire Universe dwells, I honor the place in you which is of Love, of Truth, of Light, and of Peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are One."

Let us strive to dwell in that place within ourselves more and more, until finally we are able to live the truth that we are, truly, all one in the One. Only in this way can wars cease; only when we all dwell in our unity can we bring peace to the world. May we come to know this truth in the depths of our being as we meet together in oneness in the Silence. Namaste!

Greetings, dear Friends of Silence!

When you think of the concept of "time," what comes to mind? Usually it is schedules and deadlines and rushing around! But there’s another perspective . . . think of mountains, oceans, rivers, ancient trees, those things of this world that suggest words like "eternal" and "everlasting." For we know the whole concept of time is our idea, not our Creator’s, and that there is no such artificial construct in eternity. Even if we have to schedule it by this world’s idea of time, we can step into that stream of eternity at any time by going within, entering the Great Silence. There we become part of it, and while we are there time no longer exists. Turning inward, becoming part of no-time, refreshes us and often colors our perceptions so that when we return to this world of deadlines and time constraints, we are more able to "go with the flow" and view our world with new vision.

Summer Blessings, dear friends! Looking back over past issues of Friends of Silence, Nan Merrill's words on "freedom" from two years ago seem even more appropriate for today, given the current devastation and grief so prevalent in our world:

"Freedom is very much in our hearts and minds these days. But freedom is just a word, a concept; an ideal until we will it in our individual lives. We cannot have outer freedom, however, if inwardly we are imprisoned by our fear and all its negative companions. Yet blessed are we who choose to face our fears, one by one. . ."

May we so choose as we meet together in the silence of our innermost being. May we project strength and love outward to our suffering planet and all its inhabitants. As Nan went on to say, "Silence is the golden key that helps us open our heart-gate wider and deeper toward freedom: thus, we bless the world."

Warm Greetings, dear friends! The garden is in, flowers are growing and blooming, and summer is coming on. The seasons turn according to the music of creation, listening for the crescendos, andantes, rests, and allegros, as all of nature follows the Great Conductor in the eternal symphony of life. We, too, are part of the concert, even when we may feel a bit off-key or appear to be out of step with the rest of the instruments. At such times, especially, we must listen with the ears of our hearts for our cues, trusting, knowing that the music of the universe flows through us. We have only to enter the silence and "tune in" to pick up the beat and find ourselves back in the flow. As we listen to the strains of our own melodies, may we feel ourselves immersed in Great Music of our lives, guided and directed to perfect harmony with all of creation.

Warm greetings, dear Friends! Grace abounds on this sparkling spring day. Rachel Naomi Remen, in her book Kitchen Table Wisdom, writes about the story of a poor man walking along a dusty road one day, wondering whether he would have anything to eat that evening, when suddenly the gods took pity on him and dropped a bag of gold in his path. He was not ready to receive this gift, however, and detoured around it without investigating, thinking himself fortunate to have avoided stumbling over such a large rock in his path. Our lives are full of such a "bags of gold" appearing in our path, but they rarely look like the gifts they are. Sometimes they even appear to be just the opposite, and only looking back do we perceive their value. As we meet in the Silence, let us seek the vision to recognize the many gifts of grace with which we are richly blessed every day.

"Is there enough Silence for the Word to be heard?"

Springtime Greetings, dear friends! Although at a casual glance the landscape may still look a bit barren, we know things are stirring and soon we will see signs of new growth. That welcome first sighting of green grass...the earliest tiny spring flowers, sometimes peeping through a lingering snow...a little more light each day...fat buds popping out on the trees -- all these signs tell us that much has been gestating in darkness, deep within the earth, unseen during the bleak winter days. And what of the depths within our human souls? Like our earth, we, too, have fallow times when it may seem nothing is happening; but something, some new insight or idea, the seed of a new awareness may be trying to break through into consciousness. In the silence, let us tend our own inner gardens, that we may find springtime signs of new life within ourselves: blessing to us and our world.

"Is there enough Silence for the Word to be heard?"

IN MEMORIAM

Nan Crerie Merrill, December 3, 1931—January 23, 2010

On January 23, 2010, at 11:15 p.m., Nan C. Merrill, founder and director of Friends of Silence, slipped through the veil to her Beloved. The daughter of Ernest and Merle Crerie, Nan was mother to 3 sons and 2 daughters; "Nana" to 6 grandchildren; and "Auntie Nancy" to 6 nieces and nephews. She is also survived by one sister and a whole host of friends and colleagues across the country and abroad.

Nan touched the hearts of thousands of people through her monthly publication of Friends of Silence. She started this newsletter over 22 years ago in Detroit, Michigan, where she spent several years as a lay volunteer in an inner-city church. FOS has grown from a beginning group of about 40 members who came together at the church to pray silently over the city to more than six thousand subscribers world wide.

Nan shared her deep spiritual insights and love of writing by authoring six books and editing numerous others. She encouraged and nurtured everyone who came into her path. Nan has led retreats, worked with inner city residents and been involved in prison ministry for many years. She had a wonderful sense of humor and was an avid sports fan who enjoyed watching golf, basketball and football.

Nan and I met by mail through her FOS newsletter nearly 20 years ago. As she did for so many, she mentored me by being my "pen pal" for several years before we met face to face. Nan assisted me along the way through the intense spiritual search in which I was engaged, lending an ear or a shoulder as needed. She became my dear friend and colleague as the years passed, and I will sorely miss her. Still, I am so aware that she is here, that she lives on, not only in her published work, but also in our memories and our awareness of her strong spiritual presence in our own lives. Friends of Silence will continue in her footsteps.

Warm greetings, dear friends, on a cold winter's day!  The sun sparkles on a field of snow, dazzling us with a sudden awareness of the miracles Love wrought in creating our beautiful world.  Perhaps one of the greatest of these miracles is that a spark of the Great Love also exists in every one of us.  The seeds of Love are planted in our hearts that we may blanket the world with fields of love.  We have only to open our hearts to enable that love to grow and bloom and spread across our world.  Look deeply into your own heart as you sit within the silence . . . find the love there, and as the husk falls away from the seed, allowing it to grow and bloom, allow any hardness of heart to dissolve into the flame of Love.  Love can change the world!

New Year's Greetings, dear friends of silence!  As we move through the winter season, let us, like the earth, lie fallow for a while, allowing unseen and as yet unknown life to gestate within our depths.  With deep humility, let us reflect in the silence upon what it means to surrender to the Divine Spark that resides in each of us and allow that creative Life Force to do with us what it will.  It is a gift of this quieter season that we can be released from our ego-driven lives and draw closer to the source of Love in the silent darkness.  Let us surrender ourselves in humble recognition that we are called, through faith, simply to be open and accepting; to listen, without expectations, to whatever is coming to birth within us.  We are called to a humble openness, to walk the way of goodness with the comfort of Love, at one with all humanity and with our earth.  May we surrender to the call, whatever it may be, as it comes to each of us.

"Is there enough Silence for the Word to be heard?"

Winter Greetings, dear friends, and deep peace of the season's first silent snowfall to each of you. As we naturally turn inward in response to the more reflective nature of the season, may we find there reminders that we can carry the peace of this slower, quieter season within us to every place and every time. For peace, fostered by silent communion with the Love that ever accompanies us, is not confined to any outward season or circumstance. Rather, it is born of our constant awareness of and gratitude for the companioning Presence that accompanies us all the days of our lives. May our innate longing for peace foster a growing ability to nurture it within ourselves and each other by turning within in silence. Discover the "still point" of peace within your sacred heart-space and listen for the Word to be heard.

"Is there enough Silence for the Word to be heard?"

Bountiful blessings of the Silence, dear friends!

Taking time each day to allow the Silence to permeate your whole being is a gift to your Self that keeps on giving. For, in Silence we are never truly alone. Indeed, as we abide in the Silence, countless beings are drawn to the peace and well-being that radiates around us ... those from the unseen Realm of Love along with the angels and community of heaven. Since silence is the language of Love, we are practicing the Presence daily each time we surrender ourselves into holy Silence, be it for a few moments, minutes, or hours. As our souls yearn for the Beloved, in stillness and silence our souls are guided to the Divine Indweller. To maintain a daily discipline of silence is to nourish and nurture the Divine Child within us. ... May we each sink again and again into the Silence of Love and listen ... Silence speaks.

Warm greetings, dear friends!

Ah, the sweet mystery of our lives on Journey ... the mystery of being touched by nature's wonders, great and small ... the mystery of relationships–friends, family, community, nations ... the mystery of deep Silence, inner and outer ... the mystery of our own being–Who am I? ... the mystery of our own birth and death ... the mystery of Life beyond the Veil in the unseen Realm of Love. To sit in solitude and silence and contemplate the Mystery can bring surprises and blessings of new insight, deeper peace, and the joy of simply Being within the Sacred Chapel of our hearts.

No one else can know what work will make our hearts sing, but we ourselves in our own inner being. Two mystic poets can, however, help us with the essence of what our Work can aspire to be: Gibran – "Work is love made visible" and Rumi – "Let the beauty we love be what we do." Work as an offering of our Selves in love, with all our strengths and limitations, to the wider community becomes a mutual blessing that honors our very being. To know Work as a sacred vocation no matter how lofty or how humble it may seem becomes equal in the eyes of Love. For all good work contributes to the Whole ... nothing we do with love and kindness is too little.

In the silence we can ponder the ways we work in love, create or honor beauty, and bring blessing to others. What makes your heart sing?

Summertime Blessings of sunshine's radiance, blossoming's beauty, laughter of children at play ... Love's eternal and infinite variety at the heart of Life. In the stillness of no-time we are free of fear, free to simply be without burdensome thoughts of past or future. Here, "I am who I am" ... here, we are One in Being with All. In the deep Silence of timelessness, may we surrender to the Eternal Now, be present to each holy instant, and know Love-with-us always.

Blessings of great beauty be with you all, dear friends of silence.

Without Beauty what a dull world this would be. For, when we are able to see and feel the beauty that abides within us, we, naturally, begin to see the beauty within everyone and everything. Beauty hides Her face only to those whose eyes see others and things as objects to be collected or used. We can, however, learn to see beauty everywhere through the eyes of Love abiding within our hearts. When you love — especially those you would rather turn from — Beauty will gently reveal Herself, if you are open to Her. Then, you will both begin to shine with the Divine Beauty of Love and extend it out to the world. Be still, silent, and see.
 

Blessings, dear friends around the world!

Throughout our journey into the Silence, we experience new landscapes, the beautiful country of our soul. Here our minds are stilled and we "know without knowing," a clarity beyond our little selves in no-space and no-time. Our creativity expands as our soul is attuned and aligned with our higher Self, where our soul is at One with All. These may be but fleeting moments; yet, as we dive deeper into the Ocean of Love that stirs us and ever embraces us, our soul expands, our life becomes rich and full even under difficult circumstances, our fears diminish in the presence of Love. We become beneficial co-creators as we engage with the world. Let us be mindful, as Meister Eckhart reminds us, that "God is not found in the soul by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction." For, our souls thrive in silence, stillness, simplicity, and times of solitude.
 

Dear friends...Blessings of Springtime renewal and growth—Nature’s eternal new beginnings, a time to be still and listen.

 She whispers to us in blue sky days, where bird songs fill the air as the work of nest building and birthing create fresh starts, new hope. She invites us to co-create with Her to renew the Earth! She speaks to us of Her sickness and pleads with all to come to Her aid. She weeps with those who bear the brunt of Her inevitable storms and droughts that are but terrible Wake-Up calls to every one of us.
 
Nature is showing us that the time is now as She calls us to the Great Work of renewal, peace, justice, and Love . . . For, She knows that we are blessed as we honor Her Body, as we work--even in small ways--for Her survival, as we take responsibility to help Her heal and, once again, know well-being. And, as we respond, we will come to know that we are One in Being in the Divine Milieu of Life . . . and, rejoice!

Winter blessings, dear friends! Home evokes a unique image and feeling for each individual: home is an origin, a place of belonging, a family or familial abode for everyone in every possible state, from humble hovels to rich mansions. For many of us, home is where our heart is, be it a haven of comfort or a challenging place endured. For all too many, home is on a bench, over a ventilator, under a bridge, or even with thousands of refugees in make-shift areas in the desert. To be homeless is a suffering, sorrow, and great unjust imbalance in the world. Home is often associated with our body. To be at home with who you are—body, mind, and soul—is pure blessing creating confidence and self-esteem. To remember that wherever we dwell, our true Home is in the Heart of Love ... we can never truly be alone, for Love is our eternal Home—here now or in Life beyond the Veil. And, one day, as the world recognizes that we are all interrelated, One in Being, Love will lead the way for individuals to share so that everyone will have a home to "nest" in.

Blessings to you all . . . friends around the world!

True hope is rooted in a Reality beyond ego and illusion.  Hope that rises in our hearts is like a buoyant bubble of champagne; for some, it brings tears of relief, while others, may sense a new way to the future that will bring healing to us—personally, communally, nationally, globally—to all of Creation.  Hope recognizes that many challenges await us on the path, obstacles and possible pitfalls that may delay outcome.  In hope we are made new; for it is a sure and steadfast anchor of our soul that enters “the inner shrine behind the curtain,” where the Divine Guest abides.  So, in the Silence, let us embrace Love and dare to hope: the promise for all of Creation.
 
“For in hope we are renewed.  Yet hope that is seen is not hope.  Who hopes for what is seen?  Then, if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with trust, patience, and assurance.”  Hebrews 8:24

Winter Blessings, dear friends!

Recall for a moment the innocence, spontaneity, and energy of your childhood years . . . the world of growing pains and joy, dancing and singing, running and jumping, magic and mystery, of freedom and friendship . . . of hiding in quiet spaces in silence under bushes, a willow tree, or in a closet where you could create a secret, imaginative life for a while . . . Then, all too soon, it was as if a door opened into the adult world and childhood dreams slowly seemed to fade away. For some children, however, childhood held more fear than fun. Some grew up in tragedy never really having a chance to grow and mature "normally." Still, the Divine Child dwells within every one of us. What if you were to take time to call upon your inner Child, ask him or her to lead you in the Dance, the Play, the Music once again? It is possible!

Mechtild of Magdeburg, an early sage, was affirmed in her prayer, "I God, am your playmate! I will lead the Child in you in wonderful ways, for I have chosen you."  Love has chosen us all! It is never too late to learn from the Divine Child within your heart.

The way I treat my inner child is the way I am going to treat my outer child.

"Is there enough Silence for the Word to be heard?"

Holiday Blessings, dear friends! And so much gratitude for each of you!

Gratitude is an expression of heaven on Earth ... a treasure that enhances our lives so we feel rich, as in "all is well with me, all is well with the world." For, in truth, we usually receive far more than we are able to give: we have Life and all of nature's gifts, and an open door to Love without end. We have the hidden world of Silence and the Holy Counselor to walk with and within us all the way.

May deep gratitude for all that has now passed inspire us with trust for all that is to come. O, may we ever be rooted in gratitude!

"Is there enough Silence for the Word to be heard?"

Greetings of the season, dear friends! Silence can be a great revelation, a gentle revolution, and can evoke resolution. Ever awaiting us in the Silence are insight, intuition, and inspiration. Be still, remain awake, and listen! While shallow ponds and brooks are noisy and busy, still waters run deep; they are calm and silent. True Silence is the blessed, eternal language of soul-Love. Silence: a sacred garden of meditation. In the Silence be still and Know; be still and See.

"Is there enough Silence for the Word to be heard?"

Every Blessing, dear friends. As summer dies into autumn, we can feel new energy, new life. For life is eternal ... how could it be otherwise? There is a universal continuity, an infinite and ever-flowing consciousness that we forget at our birth and return to at our physical death, where we pass into the Realm of Love. This Love is present to and with us throughout our lives. As young children, we naturally live in both the earthly and heavenly realms until the material world with its wondrous possibilities and myriad distractions becomes the norm.

Blessed are those who learn to see beyond the Veil, who communicate with the angels and lovingly co-create with the community of those who have entered true Life! As we die to all that is not life-giving here and now, we more easily make the transition when Love calls to us.

"Is there enough Silence for the Word to be heard?"

Heartfelt good wishes, dear friends!
Creation ... Creator ... Creativity. We are all born into Creation to become co-creators with the Great Architect of all Life. Moment by moment, creativity flows through us, inviting us to create and re-create our own lives into Love being expressed. Silence is like a river that keeps our "creative juices" flowing. At each new dawn throughout eternity, the world is made new. And so it is with us; how we choose to live, think, and act becomes the blueprint of our own creation. Wherever we are, whatever our age and circumstance ... creation continues.

"Is there enough Silence for the Word to be heard?"

Summertime Blessings of sunshine's radiance, blossoming's beauty, laughter of children at play ... Love's eternal and infinite variety at the heart of Life. In the stillness of no-time we are free of fear, free to simply be without burdensome thoughts of past or future. Here, "I am who I am" ... here, we are One in Being with All. In the deep Silence of timelessness, may we surrender to the Eternal Now, be present to each holy instant, and know Love-with-us always.

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