I have chosen to come live in Johannesburg, described as the crime capitol of the world, for a period of 3 months or more.  I have now been here just over a month and this morning I became part of the crime statistics.

Sitting in the front garden over breakfast and reading the daily lesson of The Course in Miracles, Louise Broomberg and I were relieved of her cell phone and my wallet and pocket knife by three young men who simply walked through the front gate, which we had inadvisedly left open, calmly walked over to us and quietly asked us to come with them into the house.  I won’t rehearse the details of the encounter here other than to say that we weren’t hurt and lost nothing but the items mentioned above.  My aim here is simply to explore the options of creation.

It has been said that we create our own world.  Does that mean that I created those three men and invited them to steal from me?  I don’t believe that is the point of that statement.  The fact is that the robbery took place.  The world that I create has to do with how I see that fact and what I choose to express internally and externally with regard to it.  Course in Miracles teaches that I am not the victim of the world that I see and that there is another way of looking at the world.

Nothing happened today that caused me to lose my sense of peace or my knowing that I live in a world of beauty and love.  I don’t deny the fact of what happened today, nor that there are ugly things that happen in the world every day.  But the world that I live in is the world that I express.  I don’t wish to live in an ugly, hateful world so I continue to express love and compassion into my ENTIRE world, which includes these three men.  What would I create if I choose to express anger, hate, and vengeance towards these men or self-pity about my loss of money and the inconvenience of cancelling/replacing credit cards, etc.?  Conversely, what am I creating by choosing to handle this circumstance in a peaceful, loving way in my interactions with Louise, the police, my banks, and all of those friends and relatives who inquire about the incident?  Does it serve me, or my world, to spit out hurt and indignation each time I relate the incident?  Other than to those people directly involved, does it serve me to even speak of the incident, unless, as in this article, there is a creative point to be made?  I can choose to let it flow into my past as just another event that happened during this twenty-four hour period.  I choose to move into my next moment creating joy, peace and harmony that is alive right NOW, even while filling out police reports and cancelling my credit cards.

So, it is true that I became part of Johannesburg’s crime statistics this morning, but I did not become a victim.  That is not the world that I choose to create.

Larry Pearlman is a personification of the evolution in consciousness that recognizes that spirituality and the material world are not mutually exclusive. While working 32 years in corporate America, Larry also taught courses in “The Art of Creative Living” and served as a faculty member for “The Opening” – an 8 day experiential class in discovering your full potential. Larry hosted the radio show Evolution in Consciousness while living at Sunrise Ranch. He served in the Peace Corps in Ghana from 2007-2009.  For more information, see his website.

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Post from: Sunrise Ranch

What World Do I Choose to Create?

Be active in the preparation of your station
For the ongoing calibration of your vibration
To a higher elevation in this material nation

In a sincere affirmation of divination and holy individuation,
Follow the gentle condensation of sensation through meditation
And receive vital information for your present incarnation

As a body manifestation, you are a living presentation
Of unlimited transformation
Through the faithful application of divine inspiration

With your concentration of creative imagination,
A light-filled pulsation moves throughout creation
Sparking the formulation of a new generation
Of conscious consideration and collaboration

Enjoy the revelation and infinite celebration
Of pure joy and elation through the transmutation
Of the illusion of separation from the spirit nation

Gary Goodhue is an author, actor, poet and spiritual aspirant. Gary has been exploring universal success principles, personal development and spiritual concepts for most of his life. He has studied at the School of Metaphysics, as well as teaching classes and serving as branch director for one of their sixteen school centers. He was also involved with the Community of Light and is currently living at Sunrise Ranch, headquarters of the Emissaries of Divine Light. He is involved in their Full Self Emergence Program and serves in multiple capacities on the ranch and in the community. He works within different departments and also has started participating in the EDL ministry program, sharing spiritual truth and reciting original works of poetry, as well as writing blog articles for the website. Gary is looking forward to deepening his relationship with the Emissaries and serving in greater capacities as the spirit of love expresses through him into larger levels of manifestation and experience.

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Post from: Sunrise Ranch

The Spirit Nation

It truly is amazing how Life works. Having just published my book describing how following Spirit works vis-à-vis a journey that I took when I was 28 years old, here I am doing the same thing again at 65. Déjà vu!

I left Sunrise Ranch towards the end of Feb. without having a real solid idea of what was next for me. Since then, I have “moved” to Florida (that’s in quotes because I’ve established legal residency in my brother’s Ft. Lauderdale home but so far have spent very little time in Florida), spent 3 ½ wonderful weeks in Costa Rica, and took a road trip up the east coast which brought me to New Jersey. That’s ironic since the trip I took in 1976 started in NJ, went through Florida and ended up out west.

A few details about my travels. I bought a Thule when in Colorado and, with the help of my friends Ford North and Billy Hunter, mounted it on top of my 2008 Subaru Outback (I like to call her Mo). I then determined that anything that did not fit inside Mo or the Thule was no longer mine and gave the excess away. Over the past 15 years, I have been discovering how little I really need to thrive and enjoy life.

The road trip through Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida got me back in touch with how diverse and beautiful this country is. Other than a short section of snow and icy roads in Colorado and an hour or two of driving in blinding rain in Florida, the weather was perfect for enjoying the splendor of the countryside, especially since I only drive during daylight hours. I had intended to take more secondary highways and two-lanes but caved in to the desire to get to Florida sooner rather than later. Still, the scenery was breath-taking and I did get a bit of the experience of driving through little towns and eating at places other than franchise restaurants. Also got to see the 100+ year old house that my friend Chuck Hunter owns in Baton Rouge and visited with my friend Jim Barker and his granddaughter in Ft. Worth.

That brought me to Florida where I spent time, both before and after Costa Rica, with my brother Rob, sister Carol, niece Dana and their respective spouses Laura, Paul, and Andy (plus my grand-niece Bindi). If you have enough relatives to stay with, you don’t wear out your welcome!!

The east coast trip brought more beautiful scenery. It’s cool seeing alligators by the side of the road in Florida. Hot Springs, Virginia, is a gorgeous, well-kept secret in Virginia matching historic buildings highlighted by the amazing Homestead Resort and Spa with verdant rolling hills and flower-carpeted mountains. Kiawah Island, South Carolina, is one big postcard. The town is carved out of the natural setting and the man-made aspects are groomed to perfection. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that you can take walks on the beach by the ocean either.

It was good to re-connect with my friend Nancy in Tampa whom I hadn’t seen in 25 years or so and to share deep personal time with my friend Keith in Atlanta. Total blast to jam a little with Ron, an old friend in Hot Springs, who is a world-class jazz drummer, and always good to spend time with my dear friends since college, Mike and Michele in Kiawah Island.

Perhaps I’ll write more about my time in NJ and trip to South Africa, where I now am, in a later posting but now I’d like to consider something I observed during the trip from Colorado to Florida and Florida to NJ.

I stayed with several friends and relatives during this journey and their homes varied from ultra-modern with all of the conveniences to VERY rustic where you wonder when part of the house is going to collapse. I found myself able to easily adapt to all circumstances and in a place of gratitude for being graciously hosted in each case. Moreover, I noted that each person lived in their home in an attitude of loving care and appreciation. It gave new meaning to me of, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

Personally, I have lived in a beautiful house decorated by my wife who was a professional interior decorator, a small simple home I decorated myself (simply but nicely I might add), and a room without running water and erratic electricity in a village in northern Ghana. VERY different abodes! What was common was my appreciation for what each offered and what I could offer into each one.

I’d love to hear about your experiences in this regard and what you value most in a home. Feel free to leave comments or submit a blog posting.

Larry Pearlman is a personification of the evolution in consciousness that recognizes that spirituality and the material world are not mutually exclusive. While working 32 years in corporate America, Larry also taught courses in “The Art of Creative Living” and served as a faculty member for “The Opening” – an 8 day experiential class in discovering your full potential. Larry hosted the radio show Evolution in Consciousness while living at Sunrise Ranch. He served in the Peace Corps in Ghana from 2007-2009. For more information, see his website.

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Post from: Sunrise Ranch

What Makes a House a Home

After the late snow in May, June in the valley is greener than ever! Flowers abound, birds are singing, and both residents and guests of Sunrise Ranch are enjoying watching the horned owl family in the trees next to the Dome!

Sunrise was proud to welcome back Neale Donald Walsch and Barbara Marx Hubbard for The Humanity’s Team Spiritual Leadership Award Ceremony on Memorial Day. Their event was hosted in our Dome and it was wonderful to hear both Neale and Barbara speak at the ceremony in which Barbara received the Spiritual Leadership Award.

The Ranch is bustling with guests, wonderful events, and new interns arriving.  Later this month we will be hosting our own Life Field Conference; in July we will be hosting the Thriving Community Program, and preparations are well under way for our hosting of the Arise Music Festival in August.

Our own David Karchere will be returning home later this month from Australia, where he and Maureen Waller are spending two weeks!  They have become quite the world travelers this year, presenting our EDL programs worldwide on several continents!

We have invited the world…and the world is coming! We hope that you’ll come visit and join us for one of these spectacular events this summer!

from your friends at Sunrise Ranch

Follow us on Facebook at Sunrise Ranch Spiritual Retreat and Conference Center

Permaculture Garden

Farm & Ranch

Our Nigerian Dwarf Goats playing and learning

Culinary Academy at Sunrise Ranch

Culinary Academy enjoyed a couple of guest speakers recently. Dr. Michael Gaeta had a great presentation on Nourishing the Body Temple. His class basically answers the question why we are farm-to-table. Mr. Jim Kaus, from Whole Foods market, stopped by to show us the various meat cuts fabricated from a whole side of local and sustainable pig. The students also had the opportunity to make spinach-asiago sausages from scratch!

Top photo: Jim Kaus    Lower photo: Dr. Michael Gaeta and Culinary Academy students

Upcoming Events:

LIFE FIELD CONFERENCE – Thrive in the Rhythm of Life – June 27 – 29

Sacred temple dancing from Egypt, South America, Bali and India  *  Drumming  *  Yoga  *  Elixir Bar and Super Food  *  Lounge  *  Vendors  *  Fire Ceremony  *  Ancient Food Practices/ Permaculture  *  Lost Crystal Skulls  *  Laser Light Show  *  Dance Celebration  *  Star Gazing

Journey into sacred ceremony and ancient wisdom from around the world as we explore the primal bond that has sustained cultures throughout time and will propel us into a thriving tomorrow. Bring your drum for the drumming circle.   Register at www.LifeFieldConference.com

For a special Friends of Sunrise Discount of $50 off the regular price of the entire event, enter the discount code FRIENDS at checkout!  

Hope to see you here—it’s going to be fantastic! Delicious farm-to-table and organic meals are included. Accommodations can be booked separately.

 The Art of Living ~ June 30—July 7, 2013

A journey that will change the way you see yourself ~ This one-week retreat is open to seekers wherever they are on their path, who wholeheartedly want to engage with life and play a vital role to create an enlightened society. We will explore:

• Spiritual laws and principles that govern our life
• The vibrational healing modality of Attunement
• Heart-centered approach to life through practical spirituality
• Meditation and inner reflections
• Emotional intelligence
• Gratitude & Forgiveness
• Ecstatic Dance
• The Right Use of Power

The format includes a balanced variety of activities. Each presentation of theory is complemented by a time of personal exploration.

CLICK HERE for more information

 Thriving Community Program ~ July 8 – 12, 2013

This summer’s Thriving Community Program (July 8-12) allows you to live in an intentional community and discover ways to boost your career, business and relationships as you boost your whole community.

Our five-day Thriving Community program and think tank gathers community leaders from various intentional communities and opens the doors, hearts and wise ways of Sunrise Ranch. This is a rare and beautiful opportunity, in the cool Colorado Rockies, to learn from a community that has nurtured thriving for more than 67 years.

In this think tank for thriving, you’ll discover how happy happens.

This is the first time Sunrise Ranch is opening up to share all of its wisdom and ways.

These five-day programs include David Karchere, Peter McGugan, Foster Gamble, Chef Joel Navejas, Patrick Padden, Dr. Jane Anetrini and Maureen Waller as facilitators.

You’ll have time to explore the Sunrise Ranch community—from the permaculture gardens to the farm-to-table organic kitchen; you can also connect with the hearts of people who thrive here.

Don’t miss this open-door, open-heart opportunity to feel how a happy intentional community sustains itself.  CLICK HERE for more information and to register!…

CLICK HERE for more information

North American Tang Shou Tao Annual Conference
August 3 – 10

http://www.natsta.org/

The ARISE Music Festival at Sunrise Ranch – August 14-18, 2013

Activate / Reconnect / Interact / Synchronize / Empower

ARISE is a 5-day music and co-creative camping festival. With 5 stages, over 100 bands, DJs, presenters, artists, activists, theme camps and filmmakers, be prepared to immerse yourself into a co-creative wonderspace.

Theme camps give different segments of our creative community an open platform to share creativity. Villages, like our Hemp Village, allow for the mingling of like-minded souls, whether your interests are music, clothing, food, yoga, the subtle energies, visionary art, or kicking back with a cold or warm bevy.

We invite you to ARISE!  For more information and to register for the ARISE Music Festival  CLICK HERE 

SAVE THE DATE!

September 13th ~ Joel Salatin will be presenting at Sunrise Ranch

  Joel F. Salatin is an American farmer, lecturer, and author whose books include Folks, This Ain’t Normal; You Can Farm; and Salad Bar Beef.

Salatin raises livestock using holistic management methods of animal husbandry, free of potentially harmful chemicals, on his Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dabdiputs/

Please visit our Calendar of Events for more opportunities! Click HERE

 Sunrise Ranch Blog

Surge Protectors, by Jerry Kvasnicka
The vibrational current moving on Planet Earth is intensifying; there can be little doubt about this for those who are attuned to it. I believe a particular intensification occurred when we moved through the portal that opened on December 21, 2012. Though it didn’t bring, as some thought it might, some kind of instant apocalypse or series of cataclysms, I believe it did impact the collective consciousness of humanity in such a way that the human state of self-centeredness and materialistic orientation is now being phased out.  CLICK HERE to read more   

Fine Arts Program at Sunrise Ranch

Learn the Arts at Sunrise Ranch every Monday and Thursday evening

Sunrise Ranch is proud to announce our Fine Arts Program that frees the spirit and lifts the soul. Plein air classes also available on Saturdays.

“Expanding Vision Through Creative Expression” teaches beginners and experts alike the process and techniques for creating expressive works of art. With a newly renovated building created as an art studio for this program, Sunrise Ranch has decreed Studio A as a home for which fine arts can be birthed in a sacred space. Classes are now being held every Monday and Thursday, from 7-9:30 p.m. These classes are led by Bob Ewing, Sunrise Artist-in-Residence, and local professional artist Dave Holman. The maximum number of students that Studio A can hold is 12, so reserve your spot as soon as possible to guarantee participation. For additional information please see our web page  http://sunriseranch.org/arts/learn-the-arts/ or contact Bob Ewing (970) 443-4402 or Dave Holman (970) 391-0982. You can also e-mail Bob  at bewing@emnet.org

 

Photos: top – painting by Maggie Mae Kennedy, bottom – painting by Saara Ullery

 

 

 

AROUND THE RANCH

 

Dave Holman,  Saara Ullery, and Bob Ewing at a recent art show at Sunrise Ranch

 

Steve Farrell and Neale Donald Walsch at The Humanity’s Team Award Ceremony

 

 

Spiritual Leadership Award winner Barbara Marx Hubbard, speaking in The Dome

June flowers blooming all over Sunrise Ranch!

Sunrise Ranch from Green Ridge 

Canal flowing into Green Ridge Glade Reservoir

Sunrise Ranch Youth 

http://sunriseranch.org/arts/camp-sunrise/

 

Emissaries of Divine Light (EDL)

Excerpt from The Pulse of Spirit: “I’ve been thinking specifically about intensity over the last few days. There is no question about the fact that we are living in a time of intensity—there is no rationalizing that one away. It’s very apparent with the strange weather patterns. The many tornadoes recently in Oklahoma were unprecedented in historical memory.”    Click HERE to read more

<— click to “Like” our “Pulse of Spirit” Facebook Community Page

How to visit or get involved at Sunrise Ranch:

Convenient to Denver International Airport, yet far away from the bustle of daily life, Sunrise Ranch is a conference and retreat center located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Drop in and visit! Tour our garden, walk the labyrinth, sit by the pond, watch the animals, have a meal & enjoy the scenery. Please call and let us know you are coming—Toll free: 877-786-0078 or direct: 970-679-4200.

Attend a Sunrise Ranch community event, class or retreat. To view our calendar – click HERE

• Concerts in our beautiful Dome
• Dances of Universal Peace – A form of circle dances designed to bring the experience of prayer from many world traditions into the body, voice, heart and spirit. Offered first Tuesday of each month.
• Transformational Evenings – We have a rotating schedule of open Wednesday evening enlightening events.
• Creative Arts Classes – A variety of classes—journaling, plein air art, yoga and more
• Attunement Session – Attunement is a sacred healing art and spiritual practice.
• Sunday Services – Held every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. in the Dome Chapel at Sunrise Ranch. (Visit us LIVE streaming online every Sunday at 11am Mountain Time)

Sign up for a retreat or workshop held at Sunrise Ranch—many gifted teachers, presenters and facilitators hold their events at Sunrise Ranch, including programs in Personal Growth, Spiritual Life, Healing and Wellness, Sustainability, and Creative Arts!

Plan your own retreat/workshop at Sunrise Ranch—Convenient to Denver International Airport, yet far away from the bustle of daily life, Sunrise Ranch is a conference and retreat center located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Whether you’re planning a Colorado personal retreat, wedding, board retreat, or workshop, we have the ideal venue for you! * Variety of Meeting Spaces – Comfortable Accommodations – Affordable Rates – Delicious, Wholesome Meals – Attractive Amenities * You will be offering your event as part of a powerful, internationally known, rapidly expanding program. Your participants will enjoy an unmatched atmosphere that deeply enhances their experience. All of this AND easy on your budget. Truly a WIN-WIN situation!

Residential programs: We offer four unique opportunities to participate in residential programs, including Full Self Emergence, Culinary Academy, Integrated Holistic Agriculture, Garden Internships, and Permaculture Work/Study, for periods ranging from a week to eighteen months. Sunrise Ranch Spiritual Retreat Center has programs that empower personal transformation and world service; conference facilities for leading-edge organizations; opportunities to participate in our 350-acre ranch and farm; connection with like-minded people in this multifaceted spiritual community. Sunrise Ranch is the headquarters for Emissaries of Divine Light, a global spiritual network.

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Post from: Sunrise Ranch

Summer at Sunrise

submitted by Jerry Kvasnicka

The vibrational current moving on Planet Earth is intensifying; there can be little doubt about this for those who are attuned to it. I believe a particular intensification occurred when we moved through the portal that opened on December 21, 2012. Though it didn’t bring, as some thought it might, some kind of instant apocalypse or series of cataclysms, I believe it did impact the collective consciousness of humanity in such a way that the human state of self-centeredness and materialistic orientation is now being phased out. This intensification has its power source in unconditional love, and it is as if an electrical charge from this source is being shot into the body of mankind.

This surge of love energy, which reportedly has raised the vibrational rate of the planet from 8 cycles to 11, has sent human beings scrambling for what could be called “surge protectors”—ways to somehow cope with or drain off the increase of current. Surge protectors are very useful for protecting electrical equipment such as computers and television sets from the potentially damaging effects of electrical power surges. But when their equivalent is installed in human consciousness to somehow fend off or delay the intensification of love current, the ultimate result will be far more damaging to individual and collective consciousness than if the current is welcomed and creatively released. Love is an irresistible force, and while a surge protector installed in consciousness may seem to temporarily block the current, providing momentary relief from the pressure, love will ultimately surge through, destroying the protector and possibly the person.

What are some of the surge protectors that are being increasingly used these days in attempts to defend embattled egos and dysfunctional patterns of living from the surging current of the truth of love? Alcohol and drugs are tried and true surge protectors that have been used by human beings for centuries to provide momentary relief from the pressures of life. Not only are illicit drugs being widely used these days but prescription drugs are increasingly used to numb the senses and induce temporary states of euphoria. Obviously if drugs and alcohol are used to the point of addiction, the flow of life is not only diminished, it could be ended entirely.

Also vacations that offer the chance to “get away from it all” continue to be popular surge protectors. Need relief from stress? Can’t handle the intensity of life? Take a Caribbean cruise! Of course, given their recent track record, boarding a cruise ship these days may bring an “adventure” at sea that is not only unpleasant but even life-threatening!

As an avid listener of radio talk shows, I’ve noted an intensification of complaint and castigation on the part of talk show hosts, both on the right and the left, and the level of “discourse” in the U.S. Congress has reached new lows of accusation and blame. Yes, politics remains one of the most popular surge protectors. Planetary intensification has brought with it a proliferation of human problems—a worldwide economic crisis, climate change, deforestation, species extinction, poverty, disease, terrorism, etc.—and with this has come an avalanche of political activity. The illusion that politicians and government bureaucracies can solve these problems acts as a surge protector for increasing numbers of people, particularly activists who pour themselves into political causes with tremendous fervor. All of this activity only addresses symptoms and drains off energy that could otherwise go toward addressing the fundamental cause of the whole human condition.

Religion has for millennia remained the most popular surge protector of all. Religious beliefs can do nothing other than block the surge of life that is seeking to come through human hearts and minds. Those who adhere to a particular religious faith say in effect, “God (the creative power of the universe) needs to be accessed through my beliefs, my doctrines, my creeds, my symbols, my holy books, my rites and rituals, my churches, mosques, synagogues and temples, etc. in order for it to be fully valid.” But when the current of unconditional love is forced to move through these filters, these surge protectors, the power is substantially reduced, and when religious extremists resort to violence to impose their version of faith, the energy of love is channeled into death and destruction.

One of the most pernicious notions common in such religions as Christianity and Islam is the belief that life on earth is a mere dress rehearsal for a heavenly afterlife. Of course the exact opposite is true. We did not incarnate on earth in order to get out of the earth into some imaginary heaven; we came to bring the beauty, wonder and glory of heaven into the earth. Right here in this physical dimension, in human forms of flesh and blood, is where unconditional love is to be embodied. As the love current increasingly surges on earth, those who continue to insist that life on earth is simply a prelude to life after death will be hard-pressed to maintain this surge protector.

Relationships, when they generate such things as anger, resentment, possessiveness and dependency, stifle and divert the energy from Source. Other popular surge protectors include comfort food (this may account in part for the continuing rise in obesity), body work and assorted weight-loss programs (e.g. “The Biggest Loser” on NBC TV and fitness programs like “Insanity” and “The Brazilian Butt Lift”), obsessive interest in sports either as a fan or participant (here in the Denver area we have “Bronco mania”), and, yes, even war and terrorism. The latter are invariably justified as defending a religion, a country or some political cause, but they are actually serving as a shield or protector from the intensified current of life, which wants to be expressed in a creative and integrating way rather than a destructive way. An absolutely stupendous amount of potentially creative life force is deflected or drained off in this way.

These are just a few of the more commonly used surge protectors that are increasingly being used in these days of intensifying love current. You may have your own favorites, I have mine. Some are very subtle, creeping unawares into everyday behavior as well as the thinking process, emotional reactions and patterns in the subconscious mind. They all serve, either consciously or unconsciously, to protect and preserve individual human egos and the barren and worthless state of human self-centeredness on earth. As suggested earlier, these surge protectors may seem to work for a while but ultimately will be blown away by the irresistible surge of love. Why would I try to hold on to them and risk being destroyed along with the protector?

So “bring it on!”  And why not? The power surge is coming from me and you! From the unconditional love at the core of our being. We are the power source! We came on earth to disseminate this power. So why in the world would we want to protect ourselves from it? The impulse to protect can only come from a residue of identification with a fabricated separate self, the human ego. Let that go and there is no further reason to maintain any surge protectors.

If anything is being called for in these days of mounting intensity, it is total openness to this surging current, radical availability to unconditional love at the center of my being and yours. This may require some self-examination to determine where surge protectors may still be operative in one’s own consciousness and life-expression. If any are located it is wise to take whatever steps are necessary to let them dissolve before they are forced out by the irresistible movement of love. Surely it is time to come fully into the present moment, letting go of all the beliefs, traditions, addictions, assorted attachments, all the human wants and desires that would in any way impede the surging cosmic energy of love that is even now transforming the world and making all things new.

Jerry Kvasnicka, a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, has had a varied career as a youth minister, a radio news reporter, a writer and editor for several magazines and journals and a custodian with the Loveland, Colorado school district. Jerry currently edits and writes for the spirituality section of the online magazine The Mindful Word. He has lived at the Sunrise Ranch spiritual community in Loveland for twenty-five years. He can be reached at jerry@themindfulword.org.

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Post from: Sunrise Ranch

Surge Protectors

Post from: Sunrise Ranch

newsletter

What could be more glorious, more full of beauty and wonder, than spending all or just a part of the month of May on Sunrise Ranch in Eden Valley, near Loveland, Colorado? I’m reminded of the opening words of a song that I sing frequently, especially at this time of the year: “The mist of May is in the gloamin’ and all the clouds are standin’ still, so take my hand and let’s go roamin’ through the heather on the hill.” Well, we may not have heather on our hills here, but we do have fields of wildflowers on Green Ridge and shadows that play on the rimrock as the sun sets. And as for song, what can match the lyrical tones of the many meadowlarks that inhabit our valley?

If there is any time of year when magic is in the air, it is now: the magic of a blossoming flower, the magic of a tree with new leaves, the magic scent of freshly-mowed grass, the magic of life with all its surging energy and newness. But there is nothing as magical as human beings sharing unconditional love in a setting whose very nature draws forth and nourishes this sharing. Sunrise Ranch is such a setting, offering a rich menu of programs and activities in which bodies can renew, minds can engage and hearts can blend.

It is a glorious time to be alive. There is even more magic that could emerge in this beautiful valley and we would be delighted if it came from you!

Blessings in the magical nature of life,

Jerry Kvasnicka, Sunrise Ranch

Upcoming Events:

Worldwide Coordinating Director of Humanity’s Team, Steve Farrell, discusses the principles of oneness with Spiritual Leadership Award recipient, author Barbara Marx Hubbard, during a recent interview. She is being honored for her contribution to mankind’s spiritual evolution.

Spiritual Leadership Award Ceremony

Memorial Day, Monday, May 27th from 6-9:30 pm

Join us as Humanity’s Team Global Council and Founder Neale Donald Walsch celebrate their 10th Anniversary by presenting Barbara Marx Hubbard with the Spiritual Leadership Award. Click HERE for more information and to register.

Barbara Marx Hubbard is internationally renowned for her books, speaking tours, and work in promoting the concept of “oneness” among all humanity. Steve Farrell, worldwide coordinating director and Council of Trustees member of Humanity’s Team said, “Barbara Marx Hubbard has dedicated her life to helping humanity awaken itself to a sense of oneness. She is an absolute wonderful model for oneness.”

Journey into sacred ceremony and ancient wisdom from all over the world as we explore the primal bond that has sustained cultures throughout time and will propel us into a thriving tomorrow.

Register at www.LifeFieldConference.com…For a special Friends of Sunrise Discount of $50 off the regular price of the entire event, enter the discount code FRIENDS at checkout! Hope to see you her—it’s going to be fantastic! Delicious farm-to-table and organic meals are included. Accommodations can be booked separately.

Highlights include:

Sacred temple dancing from Egypt, South America, Bali and India
Drumming
Yoga
Elixir Bar and Super Food Lounge
Vendors
Fire Ceremony
Ancient Food Practices/ Permaculture
Lost Crystal Skulls
Laser Light Show
Dance Celebration
Star Gazing

Activate / Reconnect / Interact / Synchronize / Empower

ARISE is a 5-day music and co-creative camping festival. With 5 stages, over 100 bands, DJs, presenters, artists, activists, theme camps and filmmakers, be prepared to immerse yourself into a co-creative wonderspace.

Theme camps give different segments of our creative community an open platform to share creativity. Villages, like our Hemp Village, allow for the mingling of like-minded souls, whether your interests are music, clothing, food, yoga, the subtle energies, visionary art, or kicking back with a cold or warm bevy.

We invite you to ARISE!  For more information and to register for the ARISE Music Festival  CLICK HERE 

Join us at Wanderlust Colorado! July 4-7

It’s almost time to unleash a continental dose of prana upon our entire community! Wanderlust 2013 offers the perfect mix of yoga, music and nature at Copper Mountain Resort.

Click HERE for more information

 Thriving Community Program 

This summer’s Thriving Community Program (July 8-12) allows you to live in an intentional community and discover ways to boost your career, business and relationships as you boost your whole community.

We all know that big business and big government won’t take care of quality of life in your community, and this program offers you the ways that whole communities thrive. This is a perfect way to explore Sunrise Ranch and to see and feel how communities thrive.

These five-day programs include David Karchere, Daphne Bramlett, Robby Robbins and Peter McGugan as faculty.

You’ll have time to explore the Sunrise Ranch community—from the permaculture gardens to the farm-to-table organic kitchen; you can also connect with the hearts of people who thrive here.

Don’t miss this open-door, open-heart opportunity to feel how a happy intentional community sustains itself.  CLICK HERE for more information and to register!…

 

Please visit our Calendar of Events for more opportunities! Click HERE

 

Fine Arts Program at Sunrise Ranch

Learn the Arts at Sunrise Ranch every Monday and Thursday evening  Sunrise Ranch is proud to announce our Fine Arts Program that frees the spirit and lifts the soul. Plein air classes also available on Saturdays.

“Expanding Vision Through Creative Expression” teaches beginners and experts alike the process and techniques for creating expressive works of art. With a newly renovated building created as an art studio for this program, Sunrise Ranch has decreed Studio A as a home for which fine arts can be birthed in a sacred space. Classes are now being held every Monday and Thursday, from 7-9:30 p.m. These classes are led by Bob Ewing, Sunrise Artist-in-Residence, and local professional artist Dave Holman. The maximum number of students that Studio A can hold is 12, so reserve your spot as soon as possible to guarantee participation. For additional information please see our web page  http://sunriseranch.org/arts/learn-the-arts/ or contact Bob Ewing (970) 443-4402 or Dave Holman (970) 391-0982. You can also e-mail Bob Ewing at bewing@emnet.org

 

 

 

AROUND THE RANCH

Signing of the Arise Festival contract by Paul Bassis (Arise) and David Karchere (Sunrise Ranch)

 

Hard at work!

 

 Sunrise Ranch Youth Programs

Counselor-in-Training program at Sunrise Ranch  Do you know any students, ages 14-16, who would like the opportunity to participate in Camp Sunrise, while offering their leadership abilities and learning what it takes to be a camp counselor? They will have all the fun experiences of being a camper, with additional opportunities for developing qualities of leadership. There will also be some specific activities just for Counselors-in-Training. Camp Sunrise gives children ages 8-17 the opportunity to experience their joy, creativity and unique gifts in a positive, safe and nourishing environment.  Campers connect with each other and with the natural world around them through fun activities: overnight camping in tents, hiking in the foothills of the Rockies, gardening, farming, permaculture, performing arts, a culminating talent show, team-building games, sports, swimming and water play, arts and crafts, campfire, stargazing, and field trip.  There is a deposit required to secure your spot(s), so for additional information visit http://sunriseranch.org/arts/camp-sunrise  or call 877-786-0078 or 970-679-4200 to make a deposit or partial payment.

Excerpt from The Pulse of Spirit: “Let love radiate without concern for results. This is the purpose for our being. That purpose includes many other things but, in the end, all those other things come to focus in this one thing: letting love radiate without concern for results. That is a picture of unconditional love, which is the foundation and the basis for every true spiritual teaching that ever was. We call it unconditional love because it means nothing if it is conditional. If love is conditional, it is buying and selling.”    Click HERE to read more

<— click to “Like” our “Pulse of Spirit” Facebook Community Page

How to visit or get involved at Sunrise Ranch:

Convenient to Denver International Airport, yet far away from the bustle of daily life, Sunrise Ranch is a conference and retreat center located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Drop in and visit! Tour our garden, walk the labyrinth, sit by the pond, watch the animals, have a meal & enjoy the scenery. Please call and let us know you are coming—Toll free: 877-786-0078 or direct: 970-679-4200.

Attend a Sunrise Ranch community event, class or retreat. To view our calendar – click HERE

• Concerts in our beautiful Dome
• Dances of Universal Peace – A form of circle dances designed to bring the experience of prayer from many world traditions into the body, voice, heart and spirit. Offered first Tuesday of each month.
• Transformational Evenings – We have a rotating schedule of open Wednesday evening enlightening events.
• Creative Arts Classes – A variety of classes—journaling, plein air art, yoga and more
• Attunement Session – Attunement is a sacred healing art and spiritual practice.
• Sunday Services – Held every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. in the Dome Chapel at Sunrise Ranch. (Visit us LIVE streaming online every Sunday at 11am Mountain Time)

Sign up for a retreat or workshop held at Sunrise Ranch—many gifted teachers, presenters and facilitators hold their events at Sunrise Ranch, including programs in Personal Growth, Spiritual Life, Healing and Wellness, Sustainability, and Creative Arts!

Plan your own retreat/workshop at Sunrise Ranch—Convenient to Denver International Airport, yet far away from the bustle of daily life, Sunrise Ranch is a conference and retreat center located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Whether you’re planning a Colorado personal retreat, wedding, board retreat, or workshop, we have the ideal venue for you! * Variety of Meeting Spaces – Comfortable Accommodations – Affordable Rates – Delicious, Wholesome Meals – Attractive Amenities * You will be offering your event as part of a powerful, internationally known, rapidly expanding program. Your participants will enjoy an unmatched atmosphere that deeply enhances their experience. All of this AND easy on your budget. Truly a WIN-WIN situation!

Residential programs: We offer four unique opportunities to participate in residential programs, including Full Self Emergence, Culinary Academy, Integrated Holistic Agriculture, Garden Internships, and Permaculture Work/Study, for periods ranging from a week to eighteen months. Sunrise Ranch Spiritual Retreat Center has programs that empower personal transformation and world service; conference facilities for leading-edge organizations; opportunities to participate in our 350-acre ranch and farm; connection with like-minded people in this multifaceted spiritual community. Sunrise Ranch is the headquarters for Emissaries of Divine Light, a global spiritual network.

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Magic Is in the Air – May 2013 Newsletter

by Jessica Benes

Sunrise Ranch is not-for-profit retreat for spiritual development, self-actualization and learning about authenticity and transparency. “People can relax and let loose from the grind and get deeper into workshops they’re coming for,” said Robbie Robbins, director of program development.

To view the rest of the article, click here.

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Article in Loveland Reporter Herald – April 29, 2013

It occurs to me that the world can use a refresher on what love is and what love does. The deeper I open to love I find that it demands more of itself in feeling, knowing and action. It seeks itself out in the next most powerful way and true way. It will take the lead of our experience if we let it.

Love opens, explores, delves deeper, is not satisfied with assumptions and can turn everything inside out—mind, heart and body—in a moment of deeper recognition. Love wants nothing, is utterly free and can be completely relied upon.

True love between people means “no matter what.” Whatever comes, whatever thought, feeling or action trips along our path, we know that we are together in holding it—together. This kind of unconditional love is definitely what changes the world–powerfully, magically and instantly… As we hold this kind of love for and with each other we are changing the world one incredible moment at a time.

My heart is devastated with love, broken free again and again with the wonder of this love that I have within me, and the deeper that I let it run through me with other people, no matter what, the more intense and awe-inspiring my life becomes and the more free it is truly in the arms of God.

I notice that the “no matter what” part is the most incredible in its ecstatic remembrance. Things come up, but as I stretch deeply into a place that knows no wrong for this situation my heart opens and my thoughts move in alignment with that love, making creation possible in a situation that would otherwise have been a stopping point of some kind. Breakthroughs like this, when the world seems to be telling you that you can’t love in this situation and you say, “Yes I will, yes I am loving no matter what,” are portals for a cosmic design to enter in all at once.

Unconditional love that comes from an ever deeper place in me is the means by which I know that I am a magical instrument of transmutation and creation in this sphere of things. This takes real attention on where love is finding its focus in my life. What am I looking at and what are my energies moving toward? Is it coming together or is it random in emergence? True love is not a surprise; it is a marvelous and astonishingly beautiful foundation in my life that finds itself ever directed at its focus for greatest manifestation. True love only wants to manifest truly and abundantly in my experience. It wants to come together in truth, in reality, not just in imagination. It wants this humanity to know its magic and creative potential.

Daphne provides oversight for Sunrise Ranch Program Development, Guest Services and Human Resources and is a member of the Sunrise Ranch Executive Group. She loves speaking, singing, writing and coaching about the opportunity that we have in each moment to deepen our awareness of our own true Presence and create a world that reflects that pristine inner beauty.

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Love Within Us and Between Us

LOVELAND — A small herb garden and plentiful grove of fruit trees sit just steps from the kitchen, easily accessible and vibrant in the crisp light of early spring. Rivulets of water escape from under mounded snow piles and muddy the sandy garden soil. In such a serene setting, nature speaks emphatically. Chef Joel Navejas, executive chef of Farm to Table Culinary Academy, has been listening, and says the message is driving his dream.

In a valley a few miles west of Loveland, on the 400-acre Sunrise Ranch, Navejas is heading a new cooking school that teaches harmonious interaction with food. He hopes to help established chefs and those beginning their cooking careers to rethink their connections with food, and to get their hands dirty in the process.

“We actually get a chance to interact with food throughout its life cycle,” Navejas said. “We know exactly how the food is grown. We’re harvesting directly to the kitchen and we’re making a meal the same day the food is harvested.”

The academy will take advantage of the bounty of the ranch, including grass-fed beef, organic vegetables, pastured poultry, eggs, fruit and grains. Culinary students, with the help of resident Sunrise Ranch community members, will help steward the land and animals, and in that way, Navejas said, become more conscious of the natural cycles of life.

“We’re focusing on our carbon footprint,” Navejas said, “getting away from the industrial complex and GMOs (genetically modified organisms) completely.”

For Navejas, that purposeful move is all about lifestyle and health. As a 10-year-old, he worked on huge farms as a migrant worker harvesting potatoes in Idaho and Oregon. “They’d dump chemicals on those fields,” he said. “We didn’t think much of it then; it was part of the job.” Later, he moved to San Francisco to attend California Culinary Academy and said he began to see how important GMO- and pesticide-free foods are as part of a healthy lifestyle. He frequented fruit stands and met with local farmers, using as much local produce as he could in his recipes. “The things you put in affect how you are and feel,” Navejas said.

In Colorado, Navejas worked at Biaggis in Loveland, opened both Rustic Ovens and cooked at Crown Pub in Old Town. But his time as executive chef at Whole Foods provided the “big piece,” for him, he said. “That’s where I got my food education. And now I’m coming full circle,” he said, “putting my hands back in the soil.” Navejas, who has been executive chef at Sunrise Ranch for eight months, is working toward accreditation for the new school, which he says will probably take two to three years.

The six to eight students of the inaugural class of the academy will learn how to make dishes that follow the offerings of the seasons, according to Navejas. They’ll also learn traditional skill sets and food presentation, as well as how to cook with various fresh produce to preserve nutrients and maximize flavor.
“We already have four students, and we’re still accepting applications,” Navejas said. The hands-on curriculum, which runs seven months from April through October, costs $3,500; more for housing onsite.

Gary Goodhue, a member of Sunrise Ranch community and kitchen worker, said the recipes are far from ordinary. “There’s an amazing array of culinary cuisine, from all around the world — there’s Mediterranean, Asian, Caribbean and African. The diversity of cuisine that can be created while still maintaining a healthy style of food is just incredible.”

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Farm to Table Culinary Academy at Sunrise Ranch