JANUARY NEWSLETTER 2023 THE BEGINNING & END OF A YEAR A PRAYER Dear God, Lord of Time and Eternity, yours is today and tomorrow, the past and the future. I want to thank you for everything I received from you, everything from the last year. Thank you for life and love, for the flowers, the air and the sun, for joy and pain, how much was possible and for what could not be. I offer you what I did this past year, the work that I was able to do… I present to you the people that throughout those months I loved, new friendships and old loves, those closest to me and those who are further away, those who gave me their hand and those whom I was able to help…with whom I shared life, work, pain and joy. But also, Lord, today I want to ask your forgiveness, I’m sorry for time wasted, for money badly spent, for useless words and wasted love. Sorry for empty works and jobs badly done, and I am sorry for living without enthusiasm. Also, forgive me for my prayers that, little-by- little I have put off…until now, which I come to offer you. For all my forgetfulness, carelessness and silence, again, I apologize… A New Year has started and I stop my life before the new calendar still unopened, and, I present to you these coming days that only YOU know if I will get to live them. Today, I ask you for peace and joy for me and mine, strength and good judgement, clarity and wisdom. I want to live each day with optimism and kindness, carrying everywhere a full heart of understanding and peace. May you, close my ears to all falsehoods and close my lips to lying, selfishness, scathing or hurtful words. Instead, open up my being to all that is good, may my spirit only be filled with blessings… Fill me with goodness and joy, so that those that live with me or come near me… may find in my life, a little bit of YOU. Amen. (From http://www.leonismoargentino.com.ar presented by the Editorial Staff on 12/29/2017 of the Group Villena Association of Spiritual Studies, Alicante, Spain; website www.amorpazycaridad.es and translated by Yvonne C. Limoges.) We send heartfelt sentiments of fraternal love & best wishes for good health & peace this New Year to all! Spiritist Society of Florida 2 Spiritist Society of Florida, January Newsletter 2023 A SPIRITIST POINT OF VIEW Inspirationally received by Yvonne Crespo Limoges A person can get extremely depressed by what we see all around us on this planet… all the injustices, tragedies, poverty, violence, war… the myriad of terrible things that happen on a daily basis. However, as Spiritists we know all these circumstances involve imperfect spirits at different levels of moral, intellectual and spiritual development engaged in different learning experiences and each, individually and as a collective, are experiencing spiritual “growing pains” (the sufferings), in order to learn and evolve. Sadly, it takes many a trial and error through many lifetimes to proceed down a road where love and charity is in our hearts, which will result in a smooth and wonderful pathway in life. Most of us let our laziness, short-sightedness, selfishness and pride guide our choices, and this results in harm, to ourselves and others, and we plainly see the awful results around us. As Spiritists, we also know these unpleasant situations are only temporary. Each spirit has an eternity and will eventually learn, sooner or later, that thoughts and actions that are love-based are the better way. Good begets good, but unfortunately, so many lessons have to be learnt the hard way. When as adults, we see children fussing and bickering amongst themselves, sometimes even coming to blows, we try to let them work it out if we can, knowing it is better if they learn how to get along it is better that way, especially for the next time. And, so it is with all the spirits living their life on this planet, as in their many lives before and after, each will learn eventually, how to get along with each other. Each will learn the sentiments of LOVE in all its manifestations. However, with these “children” (imperfect spirits), the Creator never leaves them alone (just as parents keep an eye on theirs) and they are provided protector spirits to watch over and guide them. We, the “children” on this playground we call planet earth, still have so very much to learn. JUST BREATHE Written by Julie L. Harper On Earth, humans are inundated with noise, bombarded with sensationalized news, tempted by greed, poisoned by chemical toxins and by jealousy, distracted by illusions, subjected to others over reaching expectations or control, and much, much more. Such may be likened to a hamster on a treadmill expending a lot of energy in a run that goes nowhere, except to levels of stress and illness. Many people become so busy navigating the constant stream of worldly matters that taking time to stop seems unproductive or unimportant. Yet, our true path to happiness depends on doing just that. We experience wellness in stillness and meditation. Let the outer noise and concerns go and just breathe. When we go inward to connect to one's self, to one's spirit guides, and most importantly to the Creator, we can find support, truth, and balance. Calm is then experienced as well as love, gratitude and happiness simply by sitting in the power of being. This approach is a natural way that is not coerced, forced, or imbued with limitation. Ancient prophets have taught that the inner spiritual realm is the path to the peace that brings true happiness. When is humankind at large going to trade the modern ways of walking rough superficial roads for being in the calming flow and ease that exists along a loving spiritual path? When will humankind learn, as the ancients knew and taught, that there is an easier, happier way? Attainment of all that is truly meaningful can begin by an intentional loving breath. 3 Spiritist Society of Florida, January Newsletter 2023 A MEMBER PUBLISHES A BOOK Julie L. Harper AUTHOR’S NOTE By Julie L. Harper As the author of The Spirit Of Life, I am honored that it is presented in this month's newsletter for reading consideration. This book would not exist had I not first attended the Spiritist Society of Florida nearly two decades ago. It was then that I discovered that my beliefs had a name and an entire foundation of a scientifically-based philosophy called Spiritism. I found my spiritual home and family. And it was here that my propensity to write, was and is, encouraged and nurtured along with my spiritual and personal growth. The Spiritist Society of Florida's Newsletter formerly published many articles that I submitted in the form of spirit communications and inspirationally received spirit expressions.  The Spirit Of Life was born out of a spiritual nudge to compile the writings and to also include heartfelt prayers and new articles of affirming personal accounts. This book naturally evolved as a spirit collaboration. The book's purpose is to share with fellow Spiritists, but also to reach a wider audience beyond the reaches of the newsletter in order to allow people of varying faiths, an opportunity of perhaps new considerations. In any case, the premise and hope for The Spirit Of Life is to encourage acts of love, deeper faith, and hope to many.      BOOK REVIEW Written by Yvonne Crespo Limoges Many people say they are more spiritual than religious nowadays and of these people, many believe in the same ideas: a Higher Power, that we have a soul/spirit, in the faculty of mediumship, that there can be communication with spirits of loved ones no longer in the material world, in the concept of “karma” and in reincarnation. All these concepts are contained within the spiritual science and moral philosophy of Spiritism and the ideas in the above book align with the Doctrine. It is positive-minded and inspiring! It relays thoughtful spiritual insights, explains divine moral laws, contains beautiful prayers as well as personal stories of resignation and compassion, and all in an easy, readable manner that educates while being uplifting and encouraging. I highly recommend it! HOPE - A FORCE OF LIFE Written by Gloria Quel Faith is the confidence that man has in his destiny, having a reasoned faith that illuminates the path we have to travel, and gives us the willpower and 4 Spiritist Society of Florida, January Newsletter 2023 strength necessary to overcome even the greatest obstacles that we may encounter throughout our journey on earth. Hope is a feeling that drives the spirit in what we want or aspire to, seeming possible to achieve it. Hope often serves as a moral foothold so we do not become discouraged, so we do not lose our serenity, or lose sight of what we wish to achieve. Hope is one of the most positive and constructive feelings that a human being can have. It helps us to walk the path that we have traced out, when living in the material world, with patience and confidence. In today's society, with so much technology, we live so swiftly, there is little room for hope when everything we want is achieved by pressing a button, getting it instantly and feeling that time is passing so fast and we have to take quick advantage of it to get the things we need or want. We may even establish superficial relationships, which do not satisfy us. Or, we go along without valuing anything we have or what surrounds us. The moment something fails, when plans do not go as we wanted it to, pessimism arises, doubts come, even despair and skepticism can grow within us. If we expect nothing, there is no possible disappointment. What you have to understand is that it is not bad to fall in the fight, but we need to be able to get up and try again. Our life is imperfect, because we are imperfect and we have a lot to work on, to improve ourselves. We must never get tired, in this intimate war that we have with ourselves. In these battles we fight, we can find two enemies that can do us a lot of damage, pride when we are doing well and despair when things are going badly. The latter being the worst, because whoever despairs has already lost half the fight, and the shadows begin to grow within oneself, making it more difficult to overcome the obstacles, struggles or tests that we are encountering. We always have to take a first step, to reach the end of the path that we have traced, and it is better to take those steps with discipline and willpower to avoid the rocks, or the ups and downs, that irresponsibility can cause us, due to not having clear ideas of where we want to go. Discipline is responsible for the success of all high achievements, willpower being the motor that helps us to achieve them. In this way we manage to change, making ourselves better, awakening internally the love that will guide us along the path of goodness… Faith is an innate feeling that one has in our future destiny. Hope is a feeling of waiting for good things to happen in the future, and with that hope we can more easily await tomorrow. (Article dated 01/18/17 from the Group Villena Association of Spiritual Studies, Alicante, Spain; website www.amorpazycaridad.es and translated by Yvonne C. Limoges) ************************************** Edited by Yvonne Crespo Limoges, Director E-mail: ylimoges@aol.com Spiritist Society of Florida (est. 1982) 5042 22 Avenue North St. Petersburg, FL 33710 Website: www.spiritistsocietyfl.com