ANOTHER YEAR

Another year is gone by, and another year is ahead of us. The latter one seems to raise our optimism, renovate our hopes, an opportunity to accomplish the things we have missed in the past year, and son on. The year that's gone can only serve as a reference. We should be thankful to God, Jesus, and all their hard-workers, including our guardian angels, for everything we benefitted from this past year. That includes their invisible help to make us get through so many difficult circumstances, which were part of our lessons (yo may call it trials or expiations as well). Needless to say that 2011 was not an easy year to the majority of people.

What's ahead of us, now? Well, God only knows, but we can certainly make some well-educated guesses on a few possible perspectives for 2012:

• Overall anxiety levels may continue high as no major improvements are foreseen for the global economy. The European markets situation seems to be headed to cause a large impact on most globalized markets. Unemployment is not projected to improve here in the USA, at least not as much as needed to provide relief (jobs) to the millions of people that are suffering, along with their families, for lack of an opportunity to make a living. 
• The lag between intelectual/techonological development level and the spiritual/moral development level will not close to a point where humans could feel better and safer. And this is just natural, as this is a slow process. Meanwhile, institutional crises may get further agravated (e.g. marriage), worldwide peace may not improve (e.g. Iran's nuke issue), etc.  
• The Mayan predictions for the end of the world by December 21st, 2012, may cause many unprepared people to "go nuts" about this possibility, particularly if new major natural disasters start to happen ahead of the December 21st.deadline. 
• For the Spiritists, the increased number of messages, lectures, and talking about the rapid approaching of the Planetary Transition time will just compound the issue of the Mayan Calendar. 
• No major or relevant changes in worldwide leadership is expected for next year, as far as I can tell, meaning no major improvements can be expected in macro policies that could ease the pain and hunger of so many around the world. 
• The Spiritist Doctrine will continue to be important to so many, as a consoler and educator, but it does not seem to have developed the power yet to trigger a pervasive new way of thinking and behaving that could significantly and positively impact moral levels. 

We could keep looking on other aspects of life and society, but that's not necessary at this point. What I think is important at this point is to look into this whole situation from a much higher level --- the spiritual level --- and try to make sense of it all. To start with, the desitny of humans and of the Earth is not out of control at all. The same force that keeps the whole universe in harmony is on top of our situation here on Earth. More than that, all the challenges and suffering are just the opportunity for each human to work on those areas affecting the development level of their spirits. It is also an invitation for humanity to get closer, more fraternal, develop a much stronger sense of solidarity, and, most importantly, strengthen faith in God.

It seems to me that 2012 will be a great mnoment for us to work on our evangelization, our faith, and our loyalty to God and Jesus. Let's keep in mind two basic and fundamental messages from them:

• Get to know the truth, and the truth will save you
• Without charity there is no salvation

HAPPY NEW YEAR
Gilberto
Dec 31, 2011


 

GREEN EXERCISE

Just 5 Minutes Of 'Green Exercise' Optimal For Good Mental Health

How much "green exercise" produces the greatest improvement in mood and sense of personal well-being? A new study in the American Chemical Society's semi-monthly journal Environmental Science & Technology has a surprising answer.

The answer is likely to please people in a society with much to do but little time to do it: Just five minutes of exercise in a park, working in a backyard garden, on a nature trail, or other green space will benefit mental health.

Jules Pretty and Jo Barton explain in the study that green exercise is physical activity in the presence of nature. Abundant scientific evidence shows that activity in natural areas decreases the risk of mental illness and improves the sense of well-being. Until now, however, nobody knew how much time people had to spend in green spaces to get those and other benefits.

"For the first time in the scientific literature, we have been able to show dose-response relationships for the positive effects of nature on human mental health," Pretty said.

From an analysis of 1,252 people (of different ages, genders and mental health status) drawn from ten existing studies in the United Kingdom, the authors were able to show that activity in the presence of nature led to mental and physical health improvements.

They analyzed activities such as walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding and farming. The greatest health changes occurred in the young and the mentally-ill, although people of all ages and social groups benefited. All natural environments were beneficial including parks in urban settings. Green areas with water added something extra. A blue and green environment seems even better for health, Pretty noted.

From a health policy perspective, the largest positive effect on self-esteem came from a five-minute dose.

"We know from the literature that short-term mental health improvements are protective of long-term health benefits," Pretty said. "So we believe that there would be a large potential benefit to individuals, society and to the costs of the health service if all groups of people were to self-medicate more with green exercise," added Barton.

A challenge for policy makers is that policy recommendations on physical activity are easily stated but rarely adopted widely as public policy, Pretty noted, adding that the economic benefits could be substantial.

Policy frameworks that suggest active living point to the need for changes to physical, social and natural environments, and are more likely to be effective if physical activity becomes an inevitable part of life rather than a matter of daily choice.

Source:
American Chemical Society

Copyright: Medical News Today

BE HUNGRY TO HELP THE HUNGRY

“Make us worthy, Lord, to serve those people throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them through our hands, this day, their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give them peace and joy”. - Mother Theresa of Calcutta 

Where is the world headed to? There are too many answers to this question, because human beings, in general, tend to look at this issue from its own perspective which is highly influenced (or controlled) by the egocentric views of each human being, or group of. Unfortunately, most of us are all raised to believe that the world is divided into winners and losers, and to realize our “American Dream” (or something equivalent to), and that normally implies in our minds being better of, or beat, our neighbors in the material world. Immediacies are generally taken as priority over longer term goals, because we can’t lose any battles as we move on as that could be perceived as a sign of weakness. We all have, though, one thing in common: we all search for happiness. Happiness is the ultimate aspiration of humanity. The level of pride and selfishness, though, make us understand happiness in many different ways. Most people still believe that joy can bring happiness, and that most joy can be “purchased”. Actually, for these people, this is “true”. They can find happiness in a new car, dining out, titles, power, and other innumerable ways in their earthly lives. On the other hand, not enough people can see that happiness, to be stable and long lasting, must be something that needs to satisfy our spiritual aspirations, therefore it must be acquired in a way that add value to our souls.

Why did I start this article with that question on where the world is headed to? Well, this question seems to be very relevant at this particular moment, where the media is so filled with bad news that makes us wonder if we are at the verge of an inconceivable situation.  At the heels of such bad news come statistics showing a consistent and persistent growth in poverty. The census of the United States, just published, revealed that, in 2010, we had around 46 million people in this country that live before poverty line. That means an increase of about 6% versus the year before. This includes an increase of 11.5% in the number of suburban residents that lived below the poverty line. As an expected domino effect of this, the hunger issue gets magnified. Reports tell us about a substantial increase in the number of people knocking the doors of the many food pantries around the country.

Let’s now read once again the introductory quote to this article, from Mother Theresa. Based not only on the above quote, but on so many other quotes she left for us as profound messages, we can say that Mother Theresa was “hungry” to help the hungry. She was asking God’s mercy to all poor and hungry people by making us conscious that, to be “worthy” of God and true happiness, we need to have compassion and do charity with love.  The world would be much better if instead of being seen as divided between winners and losers, it would be seen as divided into those that need help and those that help the needy. And that would get us closer to God, as we would be complying with His first commandment: “To love God above all, and our neighbor as we love ourselves”.     

St. Francis made it clear to us: “It is in giving, that we receive”. If it was the other way around, meaning that selfishness could bring happiness, than the Divine Laws would be at jeopardy. So, let’s hungry to help the hungry! The Bezerra de Menezes’s food pantry is one of the many ways we could help so many desperate people looking for so little.

Gilberto

Oct 3rd, 2011

  

   

        

ADD A LITTLE VALUE TO YOUR SOUL... EVERY DAY.

Add a little value to your soul... every day.

As we all have heard, "without charity, there is no salvation".

Therefore, adding value to our soul means: do charity.

No wonder why, since the first Divine Law tells us to

"love our brothers like we love ourselves".

 

The question  886 of the Book of the Spirits, clarify what charity means:

-- it means "BIP", that is, benevolence, indulgence, and ("Perdon") forgiveness.

These are also big virtues, though, that need to be worked on constantly.

We all have those virtues already developed to a certain extent,

meaning that we all can practice charity, even at the risk of failing sometimes.

 

Moving from theory to practice, now. My ideas are derived

from my interpretation of the Question 919 of the Book of the Spirits.

First, how do we better our BIP virtues? Better yet, have we been

working on a regular basis to improve our BIP virtues? 

So, paraphrasing St. Augustine, let's ask this question to ourselves:

 

- What have I read today (books, magazines, Internet, etc) that

made me reflect on my values, my routine, my actions, 

and my moral improvement opportunities?

 

- Have I spent my day wisely, as far as how I allocated my time to

actions and things that brought me joy while improving my BIP virtues?

 

- Have we thought of those we know are in need of help?

 

Needless to say that when we decide to ask the above type of questions

to ourselves, it indicates that we have already positively answered one basic

question:  - Do I want to progress morally and spiritually? or, borrowing the

line of Leon Denis, do I want to improve the value of my soul?

 

Now that we have gone through this exercise, we should be ready

to wake-up tomorrow morning with one thing in mind: do a little thing for

someone, our families, or our community that will add value to my soul.

Then, let's make this a mindset, so everyday we wake up with such

an objective ingrained in our thoughts and actions, I mean, fully

internalized, so that we just naturally pursue this objective in everything we do.

It is in giving that we receive, and that's how we will increase the value

of our souls.

 

Gilberto

16 Sept 2011

ONCE-IN-A-LIFE TIME EXPERIENCE

The other day I woke up with something completely different in my little mind, maybe as a result of the adventures of my soul while I was sleeping. That something was the realization that we all will experience death. Hold on, it is not that. I am talking about the process of death, i.e. a transition from a state to another that only occurs once each incarnation, but that feels like a true once-in-a-lifetime experience since we would not remember (I think) our last transitional experience. Wow... how would that look like? How would that feel like? I mean... that transition that might be either short or long to different people. Have you ever experienced one of those nights when you wake up in the middle of it and can't remember where you are for a few moments? Now imagine yourself waking up and that feeling of not knowing where you are is no longer just a brief one. How will you react to that? Very calmly, or with desperation? What would you first notice when you look around? Humm... now this thing starts to get complicated, because you may wake up in a place that does not look as warm and good as your today's room. But let's say you look around and find yourself in a pleasant place, except that your mind goes crazy trying to remember how you got there. The door opens, and somebody welcomes you. You then start to ask questions like... where am I? Where is my family? Who brought me here? No answers that will satisfy you as they don't want you to have a heart attack, I mean, a breakdown followed by unnecessary reactions that won't help you. 

Ok, you got the picture. Now let's look at this from a different perspective. Let's say we know enough, thank to the Spirits Doctrine, and you quickly realize that such a major "relocation" must have to do with your return to the Spiritual World. And you know that such a transition can feel like the successful ending of your long search for happiness. Magically, your body is not a big weight anymore, and that pressure in your chest (anxiety, fear, depression, and other type of feelings that made you so frustrated) is gone. You feel so light! You look through the window, and everything seems to have reached such a harmonized state that it immediately invades your body in the form of a blessing energy that makes you even lighter. Ok, you are now living those transition moments that I called a one-in-a-life-time experience, and you don't want it to be just a dream. You feel realized. 

Let's now call it a different name: a Divine Moment that, in fact, may last longer that you would expect. The question then becomes "how can I ensure I will actually have that kind of Divine experience", since such a Devine Moment is not for everyone, but only for those that have earned it. All the rest will go through experiences that will range from Less-than-Devine Moments to moments of unbelievable darkness and suffering. Worse yet, the latter type may last very long. 

I'll let you think about how best to answer the question from the previous paragraph. Needless to say it is a matter of preparation while still living. And the preparation should be made from the time one first decides it makes sense to do them.

I would love if you could share your thoughts with me and everyone. 

Gilberto

Aug 18, 2011

     

A GRANDE TRANSIÇÃO E O GRANDE DESAFIO

Nos foi dito sobre os espíritos presentemente encarnados na Terra,
Que estão tendo a sua última oportunidade neste planeta ainda de provas e expiações.
Nem todos esses espíritos conseguirão o progresso moral necessário para encarnar
num mundo novo, para eles, o mundo de regeneração.
Será que este conceito se aplica à maioria dos espiritos encarnados no momento?
Os espíritos mais atrasados estão se enfrentando com o desafio de vencer maus institintos talvez
ainda muito arraigados, e num ambiente (mundo) capaz de submeter as suas determinações a testes
bastante fortes (como que o se avanço requerido desses espíritos fossem muito grandes para
poder merecer reencarnar no novo mundo).
Similarmente, os espíritos já mais evoluidos mas ainda em provas finais por aqui, também enfrentam
a grande dureza dos testes de determinação de um mundo conturbado pelos desatinos dos espiritos menos evoluidos.
O orador espírita Marcel Mariano nos fez uma colocação que não sei se reflete suas conclusões pessoais
ou se tal informação foi trazida a nós pelo mundo espiritual. Disse ele que os espiritos que já perceberam que vão daqui para um mundo pior, já que não lograrão seu lugar no novo mundo (que vai ser aqui mesmo), estão fazendo como aqueles cujas casas foram ou estão sendo retomadas pelos financiadores ("foreclosure"). Ou seja, já que vão ser despejados, tentam destruir a casa que lhes abrigam como num
ato de rebeldia que afeta aqueles que ficarão com a casa deles (exemplo meu). É o "leva, mais voce vai ter sofrer também".

Uma amiga escreveu ontem no seu mural do Facebook algo assim: "Estou tão cansada de viver no meio de gente negativa. Por que as pessoas são tão grosseiras e reclamam de tudo? Por que atualmente elas não apreciam nada na vida? Triste...".   Bem, este comentário, no meu ver, tem muito a ver com o que eu estava escrevendo acima. Pense na forma como somos tratados em quase todos os lugares que passamos no nosso dia a dia. Como somos tratados pelas atendentes em consultórios médicos? E, depois, pelos médicos? Como somos tratados pelos vendedores de seguros, carros, lojas departamentais? Não é mais fácil perguntar onde que somos tratados com respeito, ou seja, as exceções?

Bem, mas não vamos nos perder na análise. Não é uma questão de pais que não souberam criar seus filhos. Tudo tem a ver com o nível espiritual da maioria. Voce já se perguntou "como ele teve coragem de fazer tal coisa?". Pois é. O caso é mais profundo. A incapacidade moral ofusca a intelectual de tal forma, que o nível educacional não se traduz nas virtudes que denotam amadurecimento espiritual.

Pelo menos, vamos ficar preparados: para os "melhorados", o esforço do exercicio da paciência, tolerância, solidariedade, empatia, caridade, e outras tantas virtudes tem que ser redobrado.

Gilberto
Ago 5, 2011 

A Psicologia e o Espiritismo/Psychology and Spiritism

(See English Version below)

Joanna de Angelis já escreveu, através de Divaldo P. Franco, 14 livros em sua "Serie Psicológica". Não conheço nenhum outro autor espiritual de grande penetração entre os estudantes espíritas que tenha dedicado tanto tempo e trabalho para unir essas duas "pontas" tão importantes -- a psicologia e o espiritismo --.  Obviamente, no mundo dos encarnados, são raros os casos de estudos sobre a psicologia humana que faz alguma menção ao lado do ser espiritual.  Em um de seus livros, Joanna de Angelis exclarece o seguinte:

“O Ser real é constituído de corpo, mente e espírito. Dessa forma, uma abordagem psicológica para ser verdadeiramente eficaz deve ter uma visão holística do ser, tratando de seu corpo (físico e periespirítico), de sua mente (consciente, inconsciente e subconsciente) e de seu espírito imortal que traz consigo uma bagagem de experiências anteriores à presente existência e está caminhando para a perfeição Divina.”
----------------------------------------

Joanna de Angelis has already written, through Divaldo P. Franco, 14 books of her "Psychological Series". I am not aware of any other spiritual author with high acceptance among spiritism students that has devoted so much time and effort to close the gap between these two points: psychology and spiritism. Obviously, in the incarnate world, there are only rare cases of studies that mention the spiritual side of human beings. Joanna de Angelis offered the following clarification in one of her books: 
.

"The [human] "being" is actually constituted of body, mind, and spirit. Therefore, a psychological approach to be truly efficient must take a holistic view of this "Being", considering its body (physical and perispiritual), its mind (consciousness, unconsciousness, and subconsciousness), and its eternal spirit which brings the baggage of all previous experiences to the present experience, and which is in its journey to Divine perfection".    

Gilberto

Aug 4, 2011

O ARREPENDIMENTO E O REMORSO

Arrependimento e remorso, duas palavras que se confundem, mas que expressam sentimentos opostos. Enquanto o arrependimento leva a atitudes positivas de renovação interior, o remorso gera atitudes negativas de condenação a si próprio. Se o arrependimento ...induz à busca de mudança de atitudes e correção do próprio erro, o remorso cria na alma sentimentos de revolta, de culpa, de amargura, de anular-se interiormente. Se o arrependimento leva a um crescimento interior pela fé que o inspira, o remorso leva à negação de si próprio pela falta de fé que lhe traria força e coragem para uma busca de renovação. Pelo arrependimento,​ o homem aprende a não mais cometer o mesmo erro. Pelo remorso, ele se entrega a situações de desespero, que podem levá-lo à depressão, à loucura ou até mesmo a atentar contra a própria vida. O arrependimento gera satisfação na alma ao reconhecer em si mesmo as imperfeições de que todos os seres humanos são suscetíveis, mas com a certeza de que poderá melhorar. Pelo remorso, porém, o homem nada percebe além da sua própria dor.

 

(Autor desconhecido).

 

THE THREE OF YOURSELF

When we say things like  "I want to be happy", "I am not happy", "I am sad today", or "I am suffering from such pain...", who are we referring to? I know this question seems funny, but I invite you to think about it for a minute. 

Does the spirit suffer from physical pain? If not, then, when we are "suffering from pain", it is our body that does, not our spirit. So, there is difference between "suffering" and "unhappiness". Similarly, when we feel sad we implicitly mean that that are moments when we are not sad. Could our million-year eternal self be so vulnerable to daily disappointments? Or be so enthused about eventual and short-lived moments of joy? To make things even more complicated, when we say "I want to be happy", are we thinking about our day-to-day terrestrial life, or do we want our spirit to be happy and keep this happiness throughout our lives? 

Maybe, by now, you agree that the question posed at the beginning "who are we referring to?" is not exactly funny. But the solution for this little puzzle is actually very simple. I will, however, comeback with the final part of the story a little later. First, I would like to hear your thoughts about the above. Feel free to send them in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. 

Talk to you soon. 
Gilberto
July 15, 2011    

LISTENING TO OTHERS WITH A SPIRITIST MIND

This last Sunday (June 12th), I had the opportunity to listen to a keynote speaker who was addressing graduate students in their commencement event. This speaker was a woman with a long list of academic titles, plus a solid field experience, including scientific research. Her voice, energy, and message hit us all very strongly, and must have caught everybody's attention. I want to comment on two great elements of her speech, which I believe could well be translated into lessons spiritists could take home and think through them as we work on our own spiritual and moral transformation. 

We, as a group, can lit the way

Each of the graduate student sitting in the room was compared to new "light" that, when close together, may have the power to illuminate the way for an entire generation. This immediately led me to think of our work at the Spiritist Center, and to think of all the others at work in so many other Centers. The outcome could be wonderful if more and more "new spiritists" are "formed" every year, and if the number of spiritists keeps multiplying indefinitely. Then, think about using the logic of that keynote speaker: each new Spiritist is a new light, and, if they march together on the spiritualization of people, their power would light up the world, eventually. I will let you figure out how we (spiritists) have been doing in terms of lighting up the road, but we can't argue against the power of group work.

The way to achieve goals in this life

The speaker talked about a few steps that it might take to get things accomplished, and to meet our goals, or the goals of society: connection; determination; purpose; and action. In her example, she mentioned the need to connect with nature, because nature is a fundamental part of and plays a fundamental role in this world. And nature is also a creation of God, therefore it comes from the same source we come from. The speaker then reminded everyone that "we do have the power", as she elaborated on "determination"; we just need to leverage that power we have inside us. Under “purpose”, the idea was that we need to understand the process and have a plan that will support our way to goals. Finally, she moved on to “action” --- and this seems to be self-explanatory.

Now, let's think about "spiritual assistance", the service we offer on Wednesdays in our Spiritist Center. Here is how I would briefly translate the four steps the speaker talked about:

1. Connection: We need to empathize with the persons looking for assistance. That is, establish that heart-to-heart connection, which, per se, will help the needy quite substantially, as they feel heard, understood, and not alone.

2. Determination: Let's try and help with one clear mindset: Yes, we can help, and more so when we think of ourselves as a group of "lights", as discussed in the prior topic.

3. Purpose: yes, we can have a meaningful purpose. In other words, we can keep studying and improving our understanding on how Spirituality provides assistance to the needy, and how we can constantly improve the way we might serve as instruments of their blessings.

4. Action: nothing can stop us, the workers of Bezerra de Menezes, when we work along the lines of what Saint Exuperry (Overnight Flight/Voo Noturno) taught us: "Love is not looking at each other's eyes, but all looking ahead in the same direction".

Thanks for your attention. I thought I should share with you these enlightening moments at the commencement.

God bless you all

Gilberto

June 13, 2011

      

BEM AVENTURADOS OS.....

Caros amigos,
No nosso estudo do evangelho de ontem revisamos o item #4, Capitulo XX, que é uma mensagem do Espírito Erasto, intitulada "Missão dos espiritas". Tal mensagem incentiva e fornece sólidas razões para os espiritas não pouparem esforços na disseminação da Verdade de Deus, que Jesus nos ensinou e exemplificou, e os Espíritos nos ajudaram a melhor entende-la. Em um determinado parágrafo, Erasto diz o seguinte: "Ide, pois, e levai a palavra divina: aos poderosos, que a desdenharão; aos sábios, que dela pedirão prova; aos pequenos e simples que a aceitarão, porque é principalmente entre os mártires do trabalho, esta expiação terrena, que encontrareis o fervor e a fé".  E, proseguindo, Erasto esclarece: ". . . pois estes receberão, com cânticos de agradecimento e louvores a Deus, a consolação divina que lhes oferecerdes; e, baixando a fronte, agradecerão pelo quinhão de aflições que a Terra lhes reservou". 

Tal como quando Jesus falou "Bem aventuados os pobres de espírito....", aqui Erasto se refere aos "pequenos e simples". E nesse caso, o Espírito faz um contraste com aqueles que pensam deter o poder, ou pensam "saber tudo".  Lembremos aqui dos momentos finais de Jesus, que numa dor inimaginável, nos demonstrou a verdadeira submissão aos designios de Deus. Juntando os pontos, felizes aqueles que têm a humildade de aprender, aceitar, e carregar a suas cruzes até o fim, com resignação e fé. 

Gilberto
Junho 1, 2011

Wanna be happy?

Hi fellows,
The Time magazine of this week brings in an interesting article about optimism. On the positive side, optimists are bound to be bigger achievers than pessimists, as they might be willing to take those extra-miles that it takes to go places the pessismist won't ever go. It is all about "positive psychology", a recent theory that has been gaining some momentun in the psychology world. Below the surface, though, there might lie some risks. As the article says, optimists are, in general, not always realistic. That means that the over-optimists may distance themselves far enough from reality to fall in to major disappointments and its possible consequences. Not a major risk, just needs to be watched! Especially, those with kids need to stay put and prevent future problems. 

As I was digging into the links suggested by the article, though, I came accross another article that talkes about "20 ways to stay happy". They are all good, and you can retrieve them from  http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1631176_1630611,00.html?artId=1631176?contType=article?chn=specials. One of these 20 ways has to do with spirituality level. In this regard, the article says: "Survey after survey shows that people with strong religious faith — of any religion or denomination — are happier than those who are irreligious. David Myers, a social psychologist at Michigan's Hope College, says that faith provides social support, a sense of purpose and a reason to focus beyond the self, all of which help root people in their communities."

Gilberto
June 01, 2011 

WHAT A GREAT PARTY!

Yesterday (May 20th), I participated in the annual luncheon promoted by SVS - Seniors Volunteers Service, an organization I work for as a volunteer. I want to share some information about this organization with you all, because I felt so moved yesterday listening to the accomplishments of SVS, and to some very touching testimonies that managed to bring tears to so many eyes. Some statistics presented were very scary; for example, 15,000 school-age children in Broward face the situation that one of his/her parent is presently incarcerated. Also, it may further encourage us, the volunteers of BM, to keep our hard work to the benefit of so many families and individuals.

SVS has several wonderful programs, and counted on the help of 1,004 volunteers last year. Their key programs are:

• Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) --- under this program, SVS matches the interest of volunteers with nonprofit organizations seeking assistance. Last year, 698 volunteers provided 79,640 hours of service working with 70 organizations;
• Foster Grandparent Program --- volunteers provide support and service to children and youth with special needs in a variety of settings (tutoring, mentoring, nurturing, and such). 205 Volunteers contributed with nearly 145,000 hours working with 3,690 children last year.  
• Dropout Prevention Program ---  volunteers from the Foster Grandparent Program (above) help children in danger of academic failure in elementary and middle schools.
• Senior Companion Program --- Volunteers provide in-home, supportive, individualized services to home bound, frail elderly and adults with disabilities. Volunteers help their clients maintain their dignity and independence. Last year, 101 volunteers helped 473 elderly and home bound adults, involving 78,067 hours of work.
• Respite for Caregivers --- a program that provides in-home respite by senior companions to relieve caregivers of older adults.
• Executive Senior Corps of Broward -- a program that utilizes retired executives to help nonprofit organizations improve its effectiveness and efficiency.

SVS is not a religious type organization, and its budget is not as big as you might think. However, a limited number of born-to-help employees make all this happen. 

Thank God, for SVS and many other organizations of this type that are there to work on the first and most important of the Divine's Laws.

Gilberto
May 21th, 2011

A LIÇÃO DO FOGO

Um homem, que assiduamente comparecia às reuniões de um grupo de estudos, sem comunicar a ninguém, deixou de participar das atividades coletivas.

Depois de algumas semanas, um integrante desse grupo decidiu visitá-lo.

Era uma noite muito fria.

O visitante foi encontrá-lo em casa. E o achou sozinho e  sentado diante da lareira.  Onde o fogo estava brilhante e acolhedor.

Adivinhando o motivo da vinda do visitante que chegara, o dono da casa lhe deu as boas vindas,  e aproximando-se da lareira lhe ofereceu uma cadeira grande em frente ao fogo e ficou quieto, esperando.

Os dois homens somente admiravam a dança das chamas em volta dos troncos de lenha que queimavam.

Depois de alguns minutos,  o visitante examinou as brasas que se formaram e cuidadosamente escolheu uma delas.  A mais incandescente de todas.    

E afastou-a para longe do fogo.

Sentando-se novamente o visitante permaneceu silencioso e imóvel.

O anfitrião prestava atenção a tudo, fascinado e quieto.

Dentro de pouco tempo, a chama da brasa solitaria diminuiu, até que após um brilho momentâneo, seu fogo se apagou em um instante.

Em pouco tempo, o que antes era uma festa de calor e luz, agora não passava de um preto, frio

e morto pedaço de carvão recoberto de espessa camada de cinza.

Nenhuma palavra tinha sido pronunciada desde a protocolar saudação inicial entre os dois amigos.

Levantando-se  para ir embora,  o visitante movimentou de novo o pedaço de carvão já apagado, frio e inútil, recolocando-o no meio do fogo.                                             

Imediatamente o pedaço de carvão incendiou-se na chama alimentada pela luz e o calor das labaredas dos outros carvões em brasa ao redor dele.

Quando o visitante se aproximou da porta para ir-se embora, seu anfitrião lhe disse:

Obrigado pela sua visita e pelo belíssimo e silencioso sermão...                                                                                                      

Retornarei ao grupo de estudos que muito bem me fez.

Reflexão:

Aos membros de um grupo vale lembrar-lhes  que eles fazem parte da “chama” do grupo

e que longe dela perdem todo seu brilho.

Aos amigos de um grupo vale a pena sempre lembrar-lhes que eles também são responsáveis por manter acesa a chama da amizade entre cada um dos seus membros e de promover a união entre todos eles, para que o fogo seja sempre realmente forte, eficaz e duradouro.

(Autor não identificado)

EL EVANGELIO EN EL HOGAR

¿Que haces para proteger tu casa contra los ladrones? y contra los huracanes se vives en Florida?
¿Y lo que haces para proteger tu casa, principalmente a tus entes queridos que ahí viven contigo, contra las vibraciones negativas y las malas influencias espirituales?

El último domingo, en el Centro Bezerra de Menezes-Miami, hablamos al respecto de la importancia e de los beneficios del culto del evangelio en el hogar. Empezamos por recordar a todos que el primero Evangelio en el Hogar (EEH) fue implantado en la casa de Pedro por nuestro Maestro Jesús. Es decir que tal práctica no fue inventada por los hombres, pues que si vino de Jesús, entonces hay que tratarse de un acto divino. Jesús aprovecho la oportunidad para también hablar de la importancia del hogar en el desarrollo moral de los hombres, pues que es en el hogar donde se encuentra la escuela más importante para la felicidad de la humanidad. En hogar se enseña y se desarrolla las virtudes superiores, tales como el amor, la caridad, la compasión, la humildad, la solidaridad, la fe, la esperanza, y otras de igual importancia. 

El culto del EEH establece una fuerte conexión del hogar con los espíritus amigos, los cuales se quedan siempre en el aguardo de una oportunidad de ayudarnos. O sea, que nos pongamos en sintonía con la frecuencia vibratoria de las fuentes sublimes de donde recibimos las energías que necesitamos para nuestro equilibrio emocional, además de inspiraciones que nos van a servir de guía en nuestros desafíos diarios. 

Que la paz de Jesús este con nosotros siempre.
16 Mayo 2011

CAMP ERIN - BEREAVEMENT WEEK-END

Hello friends,
It is Monday, 5/2/11. This last weekend (Friday/Sunday) I spent two and half days in Camp Erin, Homestead, FL, where about 50 kids from the Miami Dade area were offered a free program designed to help them overcome the pain of having lost someone they loved. Some have lost a mother, a father, a sister, a brother, or others in the family that they miss. The age of the kids ranged from 6 to 17 years old. This is fully packed program where the kids are able to express their feelings in several different ways, while also enjoying sports and other recreational activities. I was the "Big Buddy" of 3 kids, 11 years-old (two other kids of my group did not show up).  
All those kids have something in commom: they have lost someone, and for most of them it is very diffilcult to talk about that without getting emotional. Some cases involve suicides and homicides. Some of the kids will eventually overcome grieving, and some will have difficulties to do it because of the circumnstances of the loss (may have been traumatic to them, like suicide).

One theme well explored in the program is our "connectedness", in the sense that we are all connected, even with those that are no longer living with us, and that we will meet our loved ones again one day. It is interesting to notice that when men come accross some situations they can't possibly handle they revert to God and surrender the issues on His hands. That is the case of "life" -- men and science have no definite control over it.  But it also happens in many other cases; for exemple, with substance addicted people (alchool and other drugs). Their lives come to a point where they have to surrender themselves, and accept the fact that only a "higher power" can help them as they feel completely hopeless and helplesly unempowered. The support group programs that exist to help these addicts, like the AA (Alcoholics Anonimous), have a great deal of faith and spiritualism as the base of their programs. An "AA" meeting also ends with the Lord's Prayer.

It would be great if most people did not have to "hit bottom" in this life to turn their eyes to God.

Gilberto





 

WELCOME!

Friends,
You may have received an invitation, via Facebook or e-mail, to visit this blog. We are still in a testing phase, better yet, on a learning curve figuring out how to use this tool to convey to readers studies, messages, and other information that might be helpful to them.
This Blog is an initiative of BM Spiritual Center, of Miami, of which I am a member and a worker.
Thanks for visiting this site.We should be up to speed soon.
Fraternally,
Gilberto


Amigos,
Creo que recibiste una invitación vía Facebook para chequear este sitio de blog. Estamos todavía testando y aprendiendo como mejor utilizar esta herramienta importante de comunicación, llevando estudios, mensajes, y otras informaciones que puedan servir de ayuda.
Este blog es una iniciativa del Centro Espirita BM, de Miami, que es un movimiento espiritualista de lo cual soy miembro y también trabajador.
Gracias por visitar este sitio. Esperamos estar mejor capacitados pronto.
Fraternalmente.
Gilberto
  

Easter is behind us. Let a new life begin...

Some celebrate Jesus Christ's birth on Dec 25th, and
some also celebrate His Resurrection during Easter Holidays.
Some think through His teachings, and some question the meaning of His parables.
Some pray for and faithfully seek His assistance, and some take if for granted.
Some understand His mission and help Him accomplish it, and some prefer the receiving side.
Some follow His pathways hoping to meet Him one day....
Some believe that the Earthly journey is all we can expect.

As we all evolve spiritually, we may keep our minds open....but let us also remember:
- the world has never been the same again after that Sermon;
- no prophets brought new transcendental knowledge after Him; and
- no one else has unveiled a new road map to the Kingdom of God after that Easter.

Be in peace. Amen.

Señor!

Señor,

QUE MI FE SEA MAS GRANDE QUE MIS PROBLEMAS

QUE MI CAPACIDAD DE DISCERNIMIENTO SEA MAS PODEROSA QUE LA COMPLEXIDAD DE MIS DESAFÍOS

QUE MI MENTE SEA TRANSMISORA DE VIBRACIONES POSITIVAS Y DE LAS MEDICINAS ESPIRITUALES NECESARIAS A MI PRÓJIMO

QUE MI AMOR SEA LA LUZ QUE VA A TRAER LA RAZÓN QUE VENCERÁ EL ODIO

QUE YO NO BUSQUE SER EL VENCEDOR, PERO NADA MAS QUE AQUELLO QUE INDICÓ EL MEJOR CAMINO...

QUE LA VERDAD SIEMPRE PREVALEZCA EN MIS MOMENTOS DE INCERTIDUMBRE

QUE MIS OÍDOS LOGREN DISTINGUIR LOS SONIDOS DEL VERDADERO SENTIMIENTO EN CADA SENTENCIA…

QUE EN MIS MEDITACIONES YO SOLO PENSÉ EN LOS BENEFICIOS DE LA FE Y DEL AMOR AL PRÓJIMO, Y NO EN SU JUZGAMIENTO

Y QUE MI OJEAR INSPIRE CALMA, CONFIANZA, SEGURIDAD, FE, Y ESPERANZA PARA TODOS AQUELLOS QUE ME BUSQUEN.

                Psicografiado: Santa Maria (MG) 25 de marzo de 2007