Archive for March, 2009

A.R.E. Announces First Ever Online Virtual Conference – Edgar Cayce’s Body-Mind-Spirit Transformation:  Preparing for 2012 and Beyond

The Edgar Cayce organization is presenting their first ever virtual conference using innovative 3-D interactive technology from ON24. The conference, Edgar Cayce’s Body-Mind-Spirit Transformation:  Preparing for 2012 and Beyond, will feature experts on a wide range of body-mind-spirit topics. In addition to the presentations, the virtual community center gives attendees the opportunity to interact with individuals from around the globe.

The Conference explores ancient mysteries, perspectives on the afterlife, reincarnation, personal health, the wonders of the cosmos, the practical side of intuition, walking a spiritual path, vibrations as the underlying force of all creation, the Edgar Cayce information, and more. Speakers include:  Kevin J. Todeschi, Lynn Sparrow Christy, Mary Roach, James Mullaney, Henry Reed, Dr. Norman Shealy, Tom Baker, Wendell Beane, Shigeru Mitsuda, Robert J. Grant, John Van Auken, and John Holland.

According to Conference Manager Allison Parker Hedrick, “This is such an exciting time to live in, as we approach a coming new era of transformation. This on-line conference format will allow the work of Edgar Cayce to reach the greater global community, and touch the lives of seekers who might never have an opportunity to visit us here in Virginia Beach–but still experience the sense of community and fellowship that attendees enjoy here at A.R.E. Headquarters.”

The Body-Mind-Spirit Transformation:  Preparing for 2012 and Beyond Conference is scheduled to begin on May 8, and will remain available to all attendees until November 7, 2009. The one-time admission fee is $199. To register or learn more, visit EdgarCayce.org/virtual

More about the A.R.E….

Edgar Cayce founded the non-profit Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) in 1931, to explore spirituality, holistic health, intuition, dream interpretation, psychic development, reincarnation, and ancient mysteries—all subjects that frequently came up in the more than 14,000 documented psychic readings given by Cayce, who died in 1945. The mission of A.R.E. is simply to help people around the world change their lives for the better through the ideas and information found in the readings. The Virginia Beach headquarters is a popular site for locals and tourists with free daily lectures, a health center and spa connected with the Cayce/Reilly School of Massotherapy, an extensive metaphysical library, a meditation garden, a labyrinth, and a bookstore and gift shop. A.R.E. also maintains an affiliation with Atlantic University. Through its many programs, services, publications, and membership outreach, Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. provides individuals from all walks of life and a variety of religious backgrounds with tools for personal transformation and healing at all levels—body, mind, and spirit.

For more information about Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E., visit EdgarCayce.org

Over the years, I’ve compiled a list of movies that inspire and entertain and are sure to stimulate great discussion, whether you gather with a group of like-minded people to watch and discuss or cuddle up with a significant other to share two hours of inspired and thought-provoking moments.  With Summer around the corner, it’s a good time to stock up on movies and host a movie night once a week with friends and discuss universal mysteries under a star filled sky….

Next time, I’ll bring my top list of Paranormal Movies, Chills, Thrills and Mysteries Galore!  Without further ado, here’s my Best Metaphysical Movies List….

Kala’s Recommended Best Metaphysical Movies List

(In no particular order…)  Defending Your Life, What Dreams May Come, Powder, The Matrix Series, GroundHog Day, Ghost The Sixth Sense, Heart and Souls, Patch Adams, Field of Dreams, What the Bleep Do We Know, The Fifth Element, Star Wars Triology, Pay It Forward, The Bucket List, Dogma, GhostBusters 1 & 2, I Heart Huckabees, Peaceful Warrior, Heaven Can Wait, The Butcher’s Wife, All of Me, City of Angels, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Harry Potter Series, The Golden Compass, The Last Mimzy, Meet Joe Black, Michael, A MidSummer Night’s Dream, Phenomenon, Practical Magic, Somewhere in Time, StarDust, DaVinci Code, The 10th Kingdom, Chocolat and a personal favorite, cause there aint’ nothing more spiritual than the blues… watch Blues Brothers 1 & 2.. For more serious discussion, consider The Power Of Myth with Joseph Campbell. I also can’t resist adding some favorite TV shows, including: Babylon 5 – The Series, *   Charmed – The Series * and Buffy The Vampire Slayer – The Series

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On The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show, I’ve had the opportunity to interview Dr. Walter Semkiw to discuss his research on reincarnation. The author of Return of the Revolutionaries: The Case for Reincarnation and Soul Groups Reunited, his work has been featured on CNN and cited in Newsweek. Semkiw founded the Institute for the Integration of Science, Intuition, and Spirit (IISIS), dedicated to researching reincarnation and related phenomena scientifically and promoting the social transformation that objective evidence of reincarnation will bring.  His research discusses reincarnation and past life cases are reviewed which demonstrate that from lifetime to lifetime, facial features, personality traits, passions, aptitudes and linguistic writing style remain consistent. People are also shown to incarnate in karmic soul groups and many times married couples come back together, which explains the phenomenon of “love at first sight.”

To listen to this interview on Explore Your Spirit, click here: http://exploreyourspirit.com/Media/shows1.shtml#SEMKIW

For those of you on the East Coast, Dr. Semkiw will be speaking at Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. (in Virginia Beach, VA) Annual Easter Conference, Reincarnation, Resurrection, and Renewal from April 10-12, which celebrates the eternal nature of the soul with ground-breaking research into proof of reincarnation.  Admission fee is $245, with special discounts for A.R.E. members, seniors, and full-time students.

For more information:  contact the A.R.E. at www.EdgarCayce.org/conferences

Spring Equinox is a three-day cycle of celebration, where we take the wisdom gained from the Fall Equinox (focus period of self-introspection and reflection) and turn this knowledge into creative action. The process of understanding the meaning of our past experiences allows what we’ve learned to regenerate into wisdom, which is reborn within us and enhances who we are. By doing this, we honor the people and experiences who impacted us on our path, and in honoring these things, we make them sacred and of great personal value.

We can not fully understand what we have not experienced. Thus, the journey of life is one of answering the questions, Who Am I and Why Am I Here.  Through the action of applied knowledge and experience, we develop the inner wisdom to answer such questions.

What is most important to reflect upon during this time is that in life, events happen, choices are made, and actions are generated. We cannot change that which has passed, but we can be renewed through the wisdom of these experiences. Life can present us with great tragedy and joy.  During these times, we can bloom with wisdom and insight, which lead us to find new directions, explore new lessons learned and regenerate into further growth.

On Spring Equinox, these carefully planted seeds from the Fall, can now bloom into new life for each us, and we can begin again.

It is with this knowledge, that we can change our future. This is created by refocusing our attention on what we truly want to manifest and then actively creating the right atmosphere and attitude to bring it to fruition. Spring reminds us of our ability to be reborn and this is one example of  the greatest gifts we were given here on earth, which is the energy in nature.

We can connect with nature to assist with our growth and development. Ancient schools taught how to observe the powerful events occuring in nature to connect with the energy here on earth (below) with the energy from the higher planes (above). This act brings forth the balance and growth of the As Above So Below teachings.  A series of rituals were created to assist students in connecting with each powerful and sacred festival of the year.  Some of these rituals have been adjusted for modern life, such as in ancient times, there were pools where students went to purify in the water each evening, rather than showering as we do today.  The Equinox consists of two parts, the outward celebration and the inner rebirth.

Presented here are activities you can do on each of three days of the Equinox, to release the energy within you as well as connect with the energy of the Equinox….

The Eve of the Equinox:

Reflect upon the seeds (thoughts and goals) you planted during the Fall Equinox and New Year. Consider the lessons and experiences of the past six months and decide what is hindering progress with your goals.

Ask yourself — What important seeds of truth need to be revealed this spring, in order for me to truly know myself and step into my power-ful being?

It’s time to awaken from your period of hibernation, inactivity and self-introspection and put these thoughts and plans into action!

To awaken your higher self and activate your growth cycle, begin the Equinox ritual by taking a shower. As the water flows over your body, imagine all negative energy being removed and washed away from you. As you dry off, visualize white light around your body and say out loud, All That Happens, Happens for Good – Divine Energy is working through me now!

Day One of the Equinox:

It’s time for Spring Cleaning. Clean your house and remove clutter. As you clean each room and the items in it, do so with reverence and appreciation for the abundance in your life. Cover your home in loving energy as you clean, picturing you and your loved ones in each room, feeling happy, content, joyful and relaxed. By this evening, you are ready to smudge each room with white sage to purify and cleanse each room. End the day with the shower and ritual from the equinox eve.

Day Two of the Equinox:

This day is what people refer to as “Equinox Day”, It is the day to Celebrate Rebirth, Renewal and Abundance. It is a time to toast to plans of action and growth, ie, “a garden in bloom”!  Celebrate with rituals including creating and sharing Equinox baskets with loved ones and friends.  The day culminates with dinner to celebrate renewal, rebirth and the magic of the seasons and life and all the wonder it brings, along with sharing  dreams being brought into fruition this year.  This is a powerful day to put plans into action.

In ancient times, this was celebrated with an outward and inward celebration:

Exoterically – people celebrated with  egg hunts, (a symbol of the earth and rebirth), by giving and decorating with bunnies, (a universal symbol of fertility for both body – act of creation with birth and mind – turning thoughts into fruition) and by giving baskets, (a symbol of abundance).  A special dinner with family and friends is also common to celebrate the return of Spring and renewal.

Esoterically -  people act on the seeds (goals) that they planted during the Fall Equinox. Now is the time and opportunity to step forward and create oneself anew with the tools of Gratitude, Abundance and Creativity.

Day Three of the Equinox:

May is around the corner, which brings the celebration of the Divine Feminine. This is the time to emerge from Introspection and Self Observation, into Spring Renewal and Focus on Action, Creation and Celebration. The Equinox is a time to focus on a balance of exoteric and esoteric, and introverted and extroverted events.

Suggestions to activate your creative side and bring new perspective and balance include:

Planting flowers in the garden, taking on a new creative project (preferably something new you have not done before), decorating your home; saying thank you to the Universe for the Abundance of OPPORTUNITY in your life, accepting new challenges in order to grow and step closer to your goals, embracing the future; and spending time with people in your life who will encourage you with your dreams and aspirations.

The Spring Equinox is a great time to jump start your goals. Now is the time of Action! It has never made sense with the Julian calendar, that one would create new year resolutions in the dead of winter on January 1st.  Your dreams were planted as seeds of thought in the Fall and now is time to tend to your garden and bring forth beautiful blooms of creativity.

Decide Now what actions you will take immediately and where you wish to be and proceed from there.

Wishing You Great  Love, Abundance and Creativity,
~Kala~

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More about Kala Ambrose….

Kala Ambrose is a noted author, intuitive, inspirational speaker and talk show host. Her thought-provoking interviews on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show www.ExploreYourSpirit.com are enticing listeners to tune in around the globe! Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she entertains listeners around the world as she speaks with World Renowned Authors, Artists, Teachers and Researchers delving into Metaphysical, Spiritual and Paranormal Topics as well as New Discoveries in the Scientific and Spiritual Arenas.

When not on the air with the show, Kala shares teachings from the ancient temples of Egypt. Her book, 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled delves into the mysteries of ancient Egypt and Greece and explains the Mystery Schools and their wisdom teachings.

Kala lectures on Esoteric Teachings, Ancient Myths, Developing Business Intuition, working with Auras, Chakras and Energy Fields, Dream Interpretations, and Wise Woman Wisdom (also known as the Divine Feminine). Kala’s Guided Meditations CD’s have just been released with Spirit of Hawaii, Egyptian Mystery Temple and Tibetan Mountain Journey. She is currently working on her next book. Kala is available for radio, television and print interviews, as well as a lecturer for conferences and events.

We used to go on vacations in order to ‘vacate’, to empty out our built up stress, our ‘backed up’ clogged up energies. We’d plop ourselves on the beach just ‘vegging’ and often using alcohol to force our bodies to relax. This is the old model that we are shifting out of. And then there came an ‘Eco Travel’ trend, or ‘Adventure Travel’ with mountain biking and ‘ziplining’ or white water rafting.  All fun and energizing. But we still weren’t able to ‘Be still and know That I Am God’ – we still weren’t able to truly relax and receive. So the pendulum swung from total ‘vacating, vegging out vacations’ to ‘Adventure Activity Vacations’- strenuous physical activity Adventures. As with all polarity paradigms the pendulum swings between the oppo-sites and eventually finds center balance.

Now there is a new balance emerging – the best of all worlds’ type of travel coming forth- Eco Spiritual Travel – where enjoying, caring, appreciating the Natural World – being in touch with Mother Nature combines with personal Spiritual growth & a rejuvenating, relaxing vacation. Is it ‘Work’ or ‘Play’? We also used to have very distinct boundaries between ‘work’ & ‘play’. We had to ‘work’ in order to save up enough $ and time to ‘play’ or ‘take time off’. This model is also starting to melt, blur and merge into something new where work & play are joining into something new. The new model is becoming more of – just Being. We are working-playing-being-doing all together at once. Perhaps we will outgrow the word ‘work’ and we will come up with a new word – or perhaps no word. ‘No Pain, No Gain’ is the old Model.

When we started doing ‘workshops’, retreats, awakening seminars – we were still under the old model of ‘no pain, no gain’. We felt in order to get something out of our ‘workshop’ there had to be some ‘pain’ involved. We had to get up early, spend most of the day in our ‘work’ shop with short breaks for food – and with very little time left over for just fun. These models were the right stepping stones at the time – at least we were ‘working’ on our Selves and not for someone else. But now things are moving towards more merging- unifying ways of being & doing in our lives. What if we can combine Fun, Relaxing & Play with personal Awakening &  Spiritual Growth? And how about we add contributing to the health of the Planet and the Ecosphere to that? This is a ‘light bulb moment’ when we see it –a win-win-win for everyone and everything involved. The old model of ‘if it’s good for me it tastes bad or is hard and no fun’ or ‘if it’s fun it has to be either illegal, immoral or fattening’ – those days are leaving.

Eco Spiritual Travel – is travel where you go somewhere you really enjoy, can really feel good in body, mind & spirit and enjoying Nature-Mother Earth- the Eco Sphere. Part of your ‘vacation’ may be to lie on the beach in Kona, Hawaii but not for all day for days on end. That’s like eating too much cheesecake! Instead your day might look like this – you may get up leisurely around 8-9am, enjoy the open air restaurant breakfast – an hour after breakfast you join your Spiritual Retreat Seminar being conducted under the palm trees . You do some breathing meditation and learn to feel your Inner Body more fully. After these simple timeless spiritual exercises & some social interaction time with likeminded new friends you have free time to swim with turtles, go into town to shop, or read a book in the hammock, go visit a Kona coffee farm or snorkel on the reef. Then in the late afternoon you meet back up with your retreat group and you go for short drive to a protected bay and swim with wild dolphins carefully respecting the dolphins’ natural boundaries. Then a Sunset meditation at an ancient Heiau – temple area where you can feel the ancient rhythms of true old Hawaii. And back to the resort for evening dinner overlooking the protected lagoons, watching the turtles swim below you. Private time, beach time, group spiritual time, dolphin time, sunset time, food time, hammock time… true en-join-ment.

En-join-ment = the new model is that when we truly en-joy we are ‘In Joy’ – en‘join’ing back up with God, reconnecting with our own Spirit. The old model is that we can only reach ‘God’, ‘Salvation’, ‘Nirvana’, ‘Enlightenment’ through pain, struggle, sore backs from meditation postures, having to ‘sacrifice’, fighting our minds to be ‘quiet’, “It’s in our Pleasure we find our Treasure.” Do flowers not en-joy opening into blooming? Do trees struggle? Does the Ocean have to ‘work’ when its waves move? Do Birds effort and huff and puff when flying? Isn’t this effortless flow perhaps what St. Francis was pointing to when he quotes – “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow – they neither toil nor spin – and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”  What is a flow-er? Maybe the Angels of Language left clues for us – a flower is a Flow-er, a flow of God-Spirit Energy erupting into our world to remind us to also surrender to this Flow of God-Source.

Sound too good to be true? To be able to relax, have fun, have pleasure all while Spiritually Awakening, respecting Mother Nature, and contributing financially to a group providing sanctuaries for animals? It’s happening now. These Eco Spiritual Vacations are a growth segment of travel for the future. They are here and available now. Small, boutique operators are creating truly connecting, spiritual experiences for small groups of travelers all over the world – that feed the travelers and the whole Eco Sphere – Mother Earth at the same time. “It’s not either/or — it’s both and more!” OSHO.

So why not make your next Vacation an ‘Eco Spiritual Travel’ Vacation – and feed your Self, re-connect with your Spirit while en-Joy-ing Nature-Mother Earth-the Eco Sphere.

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Listen to Kala’s interview with Tobias Lars on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show here: http://exploreyourspirit.com/Media/shows4.shtml#LARS

More About Tobias Lars:
While attending undergraduate school Tobias Lars had an awakening experience where the energy centers of the body opened up and spontaneously reactivated ancient yogic energy practices. This happened without any work. The Yogic ‘Asanas’ – the postures came back to the conscious awareness and he felt other lifetimes of practicing yoga. As he did each posture they felt like a key unlocking energy grids in the body that had been previously locked and these energies were then released and flooded through the body. These powerful effects were undeniable to his young western scientific mind. That started a 25 year journey of spiritual study. Tobias spent time in India with a master teacher, studied shamanic practices with Native American free beings, heart centered Tantra, ego confrontation, the path of divine romantic love and with the help of a mentor opened back up to the energies of the nature kingdom of Pan and the Devic Kingdom. During this time Tobias Lars also received a Masters Degree in International Business and founded ventures in international business. A few years later another series of ‘wake up calls’ came through business ‘failure’, divorce and bankruptcy. He next spent a period of 5 years away from the day to day world going through another level of awakening of the soul.  Much of what he believed and thought he ‘knew’ – especially ideas of what spirituality really was – and what was previously held as reality, was transformed-exploded-shifted.  More info at: www.spiritravel.com

Across The Threshold: Creativity, Being & Healing is an interdisciplinary Conference bringing together  scholars and practitioners from scientific, creative, and  mystical disciplines to explore and share transformative paths leading to integration of mind, body and spirit.

Acknowledging the complex interrelationship of mind, body, and spirit is a step towards empowered and enlightened healing of ourselves, our relationships, and our environment. We are physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual beings, and the interplay between all these parts of ourselves affects our quality of life moment-to- moment — our ability to synthesize ideas and knowledge; to develop our intuition; to imagine and create; to heal.
The Conference, to be held on March 19 – 22nd, 2009 at Duke University and at the historic Hayti Heritage Center in Durham, North Carolina, is designed to be a stimulating blend of the experiential and theoretical, including:

• Keynote address by Bradford Keeney  

Listen to Kala’s interview with Bradford Keeney

on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show

• Keynote performance and workshop by  Vincent Mantsoe

• Participatory art installation with Cici Stevens, Workshops, Panels and Paper Presentations, Opportunities to share meals, network, and relax and a special pre-conference 1⁄2-day workshop with Bradford Keeney

For more detailed schedule information and to register,

visit www.duke.edu/web/threshold

I wrote the book, Practicing Conscious Living and Dying, of which Peter Samuelson’s wonderful story is an excerpt, after experiencing my own “awakening,” which occurred during the final stages of my mother’s life. During this period, I came to realize how precious life really is and how learning to live with a sense of purpose and meaning gives us the opportunity to become our most authentic selves. I became fascinated by compiling a collection of real-life stories of people who were making a positive difference in the world, through being touched by the magnitude of death, and showing how their examples can help us all discover how a life of service not only benefits the recipients, but also provides the donor with an untold, unimagined treasure chest of personal value.

Peter’s Story
Not life, but good life, is chiefly to be valued  — Socrates

Through meeting Sean, a young boy dying from an inoperable brain tumor, Peter Samuelson experienced an epiphany that would change the course of his life forever. He became Sean’s friend on the last part of his earthly journey, and this gesture opened the floodgates of his heart.

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Peter
I stumbled into working in the film business and gradually, I began to get the breaks, and started to find success as a producer. My movies did well. I produced Revenge of the Nerds and Turk 182, and then I partnered with my brother, Marc, and made Arlington Road, Wilde, Tom and Viv and other films, which gave me a sense of creative accomplishment as well as an income. But I had a nagging realization that the all-encompassing and mostly self-absorbed studio mentality left a void in my life. I think that you can go nuts as a film producer and I see it happening all the time in this business.

I had no idea of how to fill this void, but everything changed by fluke in the fall of 1982, when I had a conversation with my cousin, the actress Emma Samms. When Emma was still living in London, she had lost her brother, my cousin Jamie, to an awful disease called Aplastic Anaemia. While visiting Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital later, she had come to know and befriend a young boy, Sean, who was fighting an inoperable brain tumor. She told me about him, saying:

Sean is such a brave and remarkable young kid. He’s gone through so much in his young life, but he lights up when he tells me about his secret longing to visit Disneyland before he dies. I really wish there was something I could do to make his wish come true. I know what a difference this trip would make to him. Unfortunately, there’s no way his mother could afford for him to go.

As Emma related the story to me, I was moved. It reminded me of one of the most devastating memories of my teenage years, when Jamie had contracted his illness and ultimately died. I said to Emma, “Let’s make Sean’s dream come true. Let’s arrange to fly him and his mother over and make the dream a reality.” Shortly after, Sean and his mother arrived in Los Angeles. We couldn’t find a hotel that would accommodate such a sick child, so I moved them all into my condominium, including Emma.

It was wonderful to see how Sean rallied, despite how far advanced his illness was. There was a look of wonder and excitement on his face, as we visited Disneyland and all the other attractions. We even borrowed a helicopter and pilot, so that he could see Los Angeles from the air.

For a while time stood still. Sean’s illness faded into the background, and I think that for the first time in a long while, he got to experience feelings of pure joy. The trip also had a domino effect. Sean’s mother began to relax, and found great enjoyment in watching her son having so much fun. It was touching to see how happy this made Sean. Sean returned to London, and died a few weeks later. I experienced a very complex set of emotions after his death. I felt enormous sadness, because I had been privileged to share such an incredible experience with him. But we had all been preparing for the inevitable, including Sean himself, and there was a good feeling knowing that we had crammed so many unforgettable moments into his last days. I also knew that his mother had been blessed with the most precious gift. She had memories of her son laughing and transcending his illness.

Some time later, I was having lunch with a business acquaintance from HBO named Steve Ujlaki. Halfway through the lunch, we ran out of business to discuss, and Steve said, “So what else is going on in your life?” I replied, “Well, the strangest thing happened to me, there was this little boy…”

I told him the rest of the story and, as Steve listened, he broke down and wept at the table and suddenly, I felt this tremendous surge of energy flow through me; it was almost as if I had been struck by lightning. The experience with Sean had been so powerful for me, but now I realized that the story could also have a colossal emotional effect on someone else. I left the lunch feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of what had taken place,

One morning, a short time later, I woke up and knew that I was being called to start a children’s charity for kids like Sean. It was conceived initially as an organization that would grant seriously ill children their wish. Although I had no doubts about the validity of this mission, I asked myself, “How on earth am I going to do this? I’ve got no idea how to launch a charity.” Then I thought, “Well, I have skills as a film producer, and I’m used to working against the odds, so I can use these same skills to make this project work and get it off the ground.”

I recognized that I would need a lawyer, an accountant, a publicist, a fundraiser, and someone who knew all about hospital policies. I spent the rest of the day calling everyone that might help, and arranged a meeting for that afternoon. We all met in the Interscope boardroom; I stood there and told them about Sean and how I believed that we could make something similar happen for other seriously ill children. Everyone listened to what I had to say, and there was complete silence in the room. Then the most amazing scene took place, as they all agreed to my proposal and that was just the beginning!

Fate was definitely taking a hand in my life that day. Previously, I had gone out on a date with a lady who was accountant, and I had asked her to the gathering. When the lawyer asked, “What are we going to call this organization?” She replied, “You remember the children’s rhyme that goes Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight?” We all nodded, and she added, “How about calling the charity Starlight?” We all agreed that this was the perfect name. You could say that the meeting was our second date, because we fell in love and have been together ever since. She became the first treasurer of the organization.

The Starlight Children’s Foundation has grown into an international nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for seriously ill children and their families. The charity just snowballed, and we can now serve over 2.5 million children every year, on an annual budget of around 40 million dollars. We have chapters and affiliates in Japan, Australia, Canada, the U.K., and right across the United States. It is a colossus!

As Starlight began to flourish, I started to see that there was far more we could do for seriously ill children. One day, I was visiting the County-USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. As I walked through the facility, I came across a child’s room, and the only source of entertainment was an old black and white television mounted on the wall.  I asked the nurse, “How’s this child in traction meant to change the channel?”

“I’ll show you,” she replied. She went over to a corner in the room and brought out a seven-foot long bamboo pole that the child was supposed to use to watch another program. “Surely we can do better than this?” I said to myself. And, with the help of Michael Milken, I invented Starlight Fun Centers, which are composed of entertainment centers set in portable carts that can be rolled onto a child’s bed. Then I thought about the children lying in bed all day with nothing to do, and thought it might be possible to formulate some unique programming that would keep them amused and stimulated.

As I mused over this idea, I decided that we needed to expand our Mission to develop this kind of programming and I knew that we would need a powerful ally in our corner. Kathy Kennedy, one of our first board members, managed to arrange for me to have a meeting with Steven Spielberg. When I arrived at his office, his assistant said, “Be brief, and get right to the point.” She added, “Mr. Spielberg can only give you fifteen minutes of his time.” I felt totally intimidated! However, my fifteen minutes turned into over two hours and Steven was totally engaged, as we kicked ideas around for what we called Starbright. Then he said:

“I think it’s an incredible project. Count me in. How can I help?”

I replied, “I think you would be the perfect person to chair Starbright and help recruit experts for the board. We also desperately need a financial contribution.”

“How much do you want?” Steven asked.

At that moment, a voice that sounded like mine, but came from an unknown source deep within me, uttered the words, “Two and a half million dollars.”

“You’ve got it,” said Steven.

I left the meeting knowing that we had all the backing needed to succeed in this new activity, which would creatively bring so many rays of sunshine into the lives of sick children.  I get enormous rewards from my involvement in this kind of work, because I get to see the results of trying to make a difference in the lives of these children. My belief is that we can all make a contribution in trying to make the world a better place. And through choosing to become involved, we also lift ourselves up and build our own happiness. Of course, it’s not all plain sailing. There’s the constant stress of never having enough money, volunteers, or time, and there is always so much more to be done. Through becoming involved, I have learned of some truly shocking statistics:

In America, a million children at any one time are in foster care, institutions, or on the streets. Over 1,000 children die every year through abuse or neglect, and an average of 1,690 children are sexually assaulted each week. One in six children lives in poverty. I was horrified and deeply upset at this state of affairs. And then I became angry, and wondered what could be done to improve the situation. It seemed an enormous task, but I established a new organization called First Star, whose mission it is to improve the life outcomes of America’s abused and neglected children. Our vision is to provide quality and compassionate care for children in every aspect of the system. In this, the richest nation in the world, how can we do anything else?

Maybe the force of a higher power is working through me, and perhaps Sean was an angel delivering a message. I just don’t know the answer to that. But what I do know is that Sean was a courageous, wonderful human being and I wanted to help him. From the day I met him, there was no turning back. My life was changed forever. I do believe that there is a force in the hearts of people that can bring about our highest aspirations for civilization. We all have a role to play. When the call comes – it heralds an opportunity to search deep within ourselves to find compassion, love, and charity, and to manifest these qualities out into the world.

I know my wonderful staff and volunteers all feel the same way. They each have a purpose, and are of great intrinsic value, because they create some joy and offer help to those who need it. What could possibly be more rewarding?

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An excerpt from the book, Practicing Conscious Living and Dying, published by O Books www.o-books.net  Annamaria Hemingway MA (ABD) is a writer, spiritual counselor and member of the International Association for Near-Death Studies www.practicingconsciouslivinganddying.com

Annamaria’s interview with Kala on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show can be heard here: http://exploreyourspirit.com/Media/shows3.shtml#HEMINGWAY

Would you like to know how to consciously change the energy in your home,  just in time for the Spring Equinox?   Read my article in this month’s Kinetics Magazine on page 16 where I offer four steps to spring clean and charge your home with new energy!

Dannion and Kathryn Brinkley are the publishers of Kinetics Magazine. Their magazine is dedicated to creating a catalyst for Spiritual Sustainability.  Dannion and Kathryn have been guests of The Explore Your Spirit Show as featured here: Living Lightheartedly and Saved By the Light

Kinetic’s Magazine also featured my book, 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled as the Editor’s Choice for the March 2009 issue.

Have you read the book, The Two Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Mothers and Fathers Are Going Broke by Elizabeth Warren? Warren, a Harvard law professor, reveals how families lived in the 1970’s, in comparison to how they are living now. The results will shock some and surprise others including the revelation that many believe that they are spending more on luxury items in this decade, whereas the study shows that double income families of today are spending more on necessities such as health care, education and other essential items  The danger of losing it all becomes more apparent as Warren explains that in the past, should the breadwinner fall ill or be laid off from work, the other parent could pick up the slack and help out the family, whereas currently households are reliant on both incomes and still not making ends meet in many cases.

The current economic situation is a reminder to practice introspection and self-observation regarding lifestyle choices as well as evaluating the costs of living expenses.  Elizabeth Warren’s book provides credible and informative facts including the need for universal changes such as the public school system and with credit companies.  In addition, the book offers straight forward talking points providing families with information to consider making financial changes of their own.

A You Tube video is available featuring Elizabeth Warren as she speaks on this topic here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akVL7QY0S8A&feature=related

What are your thoughts about the economy and what’s occuring at a national, state and your home town level?  Have you found a creative way to manage during this time?  Has the economic situation reminded you of the pleasures of the simple things in life and the importance of family and time spent with friends?  Will you change the way you live?  Drop us a line and let us know your thoughts about the economy…