Bible Belt getting stretched in Nashville --By Ray Waddle, Religion Editor, The Tennessean (April 2001)

"… [A] slow, steady and almost imperceptible transformation is occurring along "The Corridor," and this change has been previously overlooked. Since 1965, and especially since 1990, immigrants have begun to settle in this region, bringing their culture and their religion with them. … Immigrants have joined existing spiritual communities or have founded their own along "The Corridor."

Their presence is so pronounced that many have begun to ask if the region can still be labeled the Bible Belt. … The April 1, 2001 Tennessean article includes a list of the religions mapped so far. To that list can be added … A thriving Jain community with over 200 members, but with no local temple … Romanian Orthodox Church – the only one in Tennessee … Ethiopian Orthodox Church – the only one in Tennessee."

--The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Six Buddhist communities. Five Jewish congregations. Five Islamic mosques. A Baha'i center. A Hindu temple and a Hindu ashram, or teaching abode. Plus assorted Sikhs and Jains.

All are world religions that call the Bible Belt home in Nashville.

Desiderata –by Max Ehrmann, 1927

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Edgar Cayce on Reincarnation

Cayce says that "I AM who I am" is the Creator, the first cause of manifestations, and that what life is about, is to get worthy of and companionable to the "I Am" within. The essence of a form is its spirit entering into cause, principles, and essences as the result of one or more impetuses from the Source.

During forty-three years of his adult life, Edgar Cayce (1877–1945) gave more than 14,000 psychic dissertations, called readings, on a variety of subjects. In 1901, at the age of 24, Edgar Cayce gave the first reading for himself, diagnosing a health condition, but it really wasn’t until 1923 that the subject of reincarnation was explored in a reading given to a printer from Ohio. (Interestingly enough, the concept had been mentioned in a prior reading given as early as 1911, but no one among Cayce’s associates was familiar with the idea, so the reference wasn’t recognized as such for decades.) The printer had already obtained successful readings for two members of his family when he asked for a horoscope reading. Toward the end of that reading [5717-1] the sleeping Cayce spoke the curious sentence: “he was once a monk.”

That statement opened the door to a whole new area of research and investigation – the topic of reincarnation.

Thinning Carrots and the Art of Discernment --by Miriam Mason Martineau

Sunday afternoon, with an hour to spare, I wander to the garden to thin some baby carrots - those wee beginnings of carrots, just tufts of green really - so as to create more space for the few I leave to fully grow and flourish. The sun is warm on my back as I get busy with this task that takes focused attention: one pull too many and a whole potential carrot is gone!


As I make my way down the rows slowly and carefully, I notice the challenge I face every time I perform this gardening task: To enable a few to thrive I need to pull out a lot of others and the thicker I originally sowed, the more I have to yank out. I don't like yanking out baby carrots, even if my logical mind tells me they're just tiny carrots and my gardening experience knows that if I don't do this, none of them will do well. As I go about the task, I wish I hadn't planted quite as thickly to begin with. I also try to figure out which ones look strong and healthy (those ones I leave) and I pay attention to spacing them evenly, so that each one left has enough soil and light to grow in.

From Daily Om: The Most Fulfilling Road; Finding Your Next Step in Life

It is when you are willing to listen to yourself

and be fearless

that figuring out your next step becomes easy.

Our lives are made up of a complex network of pathways that we can use to move from one phase of life to the next. For some of us, our paths are wide, smooth, and clearly marked. Many people, however, find that they have a difficult time figuring out where they need to go next. Determining which “next step” will land you on the most direct route to fulfillment and the realization of your life purpose may not seem easy.

Daily Om: An Invitation to Love; Angel Meditation

Last night at our regular meditation, we practiced "No Head Meditation," and enjoyed an angelic presence as we invited our hearts to open and act as our eyes, ears, and head.  Thanks to Daily Om for this beautiful article that coincides with what we experienced.  Namaste! 
--ACOF Administration

From Daily Om:  A meditation with your angels can provide a new gentleness into your normal meditation routine

Though your host of spirit guides encompasses many diverse beings, all of which willingly watch over you, meditating with angels can be a uniquely insightful experience. The angels stationed at your side are both powerful and knowledgeable—they possess a limitless understanding of your needs and desires, your strengths and weaknesses, and your purpose. However, angels take an active part in our lives only when invited to do so. Meditation allows you to make contact with your angels and lovingly request that they participate actively in your day-to-day life.

What Color is Your Sky? --by George Anderson

I've watched George Anderson for years, and I know he's one of the most gifted mediums one could encounter.  In our own group we have a few people who are missing their loved ones right now who have crossed over.  For them, I offer this video and article of and by George Anderson.  May you have comfort!  -ACOF Administration

George Anderson's Website: http://www.georgeanderson.com/

Perception is a funny thing--what we see is not always what we get. Take the sky, for instance. It's easy enough to look upward and see a clear blue sky. A least that's what we think we see. I remember, as a student at Our Lady Of Perpetual Help High School, when we were herded into the gymnasium to watch the Apollo 11 crew launch its way into the sky. I remember watching the sky go from light blue, to deep blue, to black as the rocket propelled itself toward space. That's when I began to realize that the sky may not, in fact, be blue at all. It's only our perception, from where were are standing on the earth, that makes it blue.

I find myself thinking back to that revelation whenever I speak to people who are bereaved. Their world is a matter of perception, at least to me. They know I speak to the souls, they know the souls speak about their beautiful world, and yet, to the bereaved, they are gone. What I perceive as blue, they perceive as black. No matter what we are told, no matter what we come to understand, the loss of a loved one is a loss to us. But are we looking carefully enough at the concept of loss, or are we so grounded on the earth that we can't see from another perspective that what we know may not be all we understand?

Savor Your July 4 Celebration: The Practice of Mindful Eating --by Thich Nhat Hanh and Lilian Cheung, D.Sc., R.D.

Eating is often the focus of our July 4 celebration. Yet, most of us tend to eat mindlessly most of the time, missing the joy of savoring delicious food prepared with much heart and hard work.

Let's focus on how to eat mindfully so that we truly enjoy our food and eat with compassion and understanding. Mindful eating means simply eating or drinking while being aware of each bite or sip. You can practice it at any meal, whether you are alone in your kitchen or with others in a crowded restaurant. You can even practice mindful drinking when you pause to take a sip of water at your desk. Mindful eating allows us to fully appreciate the sensory delight of eating and to be more conscious of the amount and nature of all that we eat and drink. When practiced to its fullest, mindful eating turns a simple meal into a spiritual experience, giving us a deep appreciation of all that went into the meal's creation as well a deep understanding of the relationship between the food on our table, our own health and our planet's health.