open it up and throw it away, thinking, “Nope, there’s no pearl there.” And you may throw dozens of pearls away not knowing how to find them. So, that’s the key to this inner journey too. Knowing where the pearl resides is one thing, but knowing what to do to reveal that pearl is another — to open up the nature of this creation, in meditation, so that the pearl, the soul, is truly revealed, just as you would have to feel or dig around in the oyster to find its pearl. So in our meditation we have to move through all the different elements of this physical creation that is ‘the shell’, we have to move through the physical, the emotional, the mental, all of it, in order to find the pearl, the soul, that resides within this body, this shell.

That is the quest. And it is a quest, a challenging journey. It is a very simple quest but it’s also a very challenging one. If you’ve ever tried to open an oyster, it is rather challenging. It’s not that you can just pull it open; it really is a challenge to pry that shell open so that you can see the inside. And that’s our consciousness as well. Our consciousness at this level is like a great shell — it is strong. And the ‘muscle’ that is holding it shut, holding it tight, is our mind — and it is very strong. And so if we go inside in our meditation to fight it, to try to open it up by prying or forcing it open, we’re in for a great struggle. But if we will go in and be patient, the ‘oyster’ opens automatically. When an oyster feels safe, when it feels secure, it will open in order to take in nourishment; it will just open automatically … you do not have to do anything but wait, be patient. And that’s how it is with this physical consciousness in this physical form. It’s better to sit in mediation and be patient and allow what is natural to take place, which is a gradual opening. But often times if we aren’t wise enough, if we aren’t attentive enough, if we don’t have a teacher that demonstrates the way to us, we will try to force that ‘shell’ open, we will try to force our way through the physical consciousness of ourselves — and sometimes we can actually do a lot of harm to ourselves rather than doing a lot of good in the sense of finding the spiritual essence of our own Divine Self. I’ve witnessed this in many different ways: by people getting caught up in the physic realms, by people ‘blowing out’ a chakra center not knowing what they were doing, and thus

VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1 MARCH, 2007

by Jim Gordon, President of ILM

HE PEARL AND THE SHELLTINNER LIGHT MINISTRIES JOURNALINNER LIGHT MINISTRIES JOURNAL

I recently came across a birthday card I’d gotten for my last birthday that really stood out in my mind. It contained a poem from Rumi that touched me deeply. The card had a picture of a big shell on

it, with a pearl in the middle of the shell, and the poem said, “Take the pearl and leave the shell.” And really, that’s the truth of this whole spiritual journey. It’s the quest for that pearl within the shell.

This body is the shell, the shell that dwells within the ocean of this creation. And this creation really is like a great body of water. It’s an ocean, and it’s deep, and at the deepest parts it’s quite dark. There’s very little light at these depths compared with at the surface and above. It’s all the watery worlds of the emotions, of the mind, of the imagination. And it is ever our quest in our experiential journey through these worlds, through these realms, to discover the “pearl of great price,” which is the soul — to truly come to the knowing of who we are as Divine. It’s a great journey. And so this one simple statement, “Take the pearl and leave the shell,” spoke so deeply to me because I’ve been on that search my whole life: to first find that pearl, and then to find a way to free that pearl from its shell so that it really does stand on its own. And the process by which this happens … it’s through our meditation.

The first step in the spiritual journey is to find the place where that pearl resides. Now we know where it does reside, even if it’s only a mental knowing. It resides at the “seat of the soul,” the “third eye,” the “spiritual eye center” inside and between the eyebrows. And then the next quest is to really discover the pearl within the shell. I don’t know if you have ever opened an oyster and begun to look for the pearl within the oyster, but if you crack open an oyster you don’t find the pearl right away. You don’t even see if there’s a pearl in there or not unless you feel or dig around in the meat of the oyster to discover if there truly is a pearl there. And if you didn’t know how to find that pearl you would

(BE STILL continues on page 3)

(from the talk, “Be Still and Know God” - 5/7/06)

I chose it as my primary activity to participate in … because it was a choice.

Meditation is not a ‘have to’. And please don’t ever make it a ‘have to’. Make it a choice that you decide to make, because when you begin to choose meditation, that’s the way for you to support yourself to awaken to the freedom of the realms of soul and spirit, and to detach yourself from the realms of time and space. There’s a big difference between simply choosing and ‘having to’, and the way to dedicate yourself to meditation is not by feeling you should do it, but by choosing to, wanting to. Even those things in your everyday life that you feel you are obligated to do, that you ‘have to’ participate in, whether it’s family, or a job — even with those primary things it’s much better to begin to find that place within yourself of choosing into those activities. Just that alone, of beginning to choose things in your life out of your own freedom, will begin to set you free spiritually. Spirit is free. There is no ‘have to’, there is no obligation or karmic debt in the realms of spirit. In Spirit, it is all a choice. Each action is the result of a choosing into an expression of what we want to experience.

So choose. Choose what you want to experience. Choose your expression, choose where you place your energy, your time, your focus. And if your focus, and your choosing, and your wanting, is to awaken to Spirit, to awaken to the Divine, to know yourself as Soul, to know God — then choose that, and then choose how much, how often, and in what ways, to move towards that experience. It really is your choice.

Please be aware that Jim and I are not here to tell you what choices to make. We are here simply to share with you our own choices and our own experiences, because these are the things that have been important to us. I really wanted, and still do want, to wake up to God in ever-greater fullness, and so I continue to make these choices as I’ve done for the last almost-twenty years now. I know that the choices I have been making have been serving me, have been working for me in getting what I want, which is the greater fullness of God’s Loving. And so, in the most practical sense, for these past many years I’ve made the meditation time my priority. My first priority. It’s how I begin the day.

by Brian Yeakey, Vice President of ILM

2

HOOSING MEDITATIONC

One of the things I’ve always wanted to do in my life is to really do Spirit, to really live that Loving inside. As we go through life in this physical

body, everything we do is actually an expression of that movement of Loving. This is true regardless of whether what we are doing feels bad or good, negative or positive. It’s all really a movement of Loving, of “God in expression,” because that is truly who we are — we are God in expression in every realm, in every experience, in every level of consciousness. Each of our lives is simply a movement of God in expression. If you, within yourself, can begin to find that truth of God in expression in everything, then your life simply becomes a matter of living your loving, of living that Loving which is the expression of creation. And that is the experience of Spirit.

The practice of meditation is simply the means by which we can begin to awaken to the direct knowing of what that is. And so one of the things I did as I began my spiritual journey in this life, in order to awaken to Spirit, was to form my life around the meditation practice. We’ve often heard Jim say, “Make God first and God only.” And so I took that to heart. I realized that in all of Jim’s sharings, he stresses that in this physical existence the meditation practice is the most direct way we have to awaken to the Divine. And so I began to form my life, in a concrete and practical sense, around the meditation practice as the core activity of my day.

We have twenty-four hours in a day. And so there’s the matter of scheduling meditation into one’s day. But really it’s not just scheduling. Scheduling is a way in this modern day and age by which we organize our lives. But what is it that we really are organizing? To me, we are organizing those activities, those expressions, which we choose to participate in. And it’s important for us to do that, to choose. All the choices that we make in this life serve our experience — they form the expression of who we are. And so as I began this journey on the path of meditation, on the Path of Sound and Light, I began to look at the activity of meditation as my priority, and

(from the talk, “Returning Back To God” - 11/19/06)

(CHOOSING continues on page 3)

I have done my meditation practice at all different hours of the day; I’ve tried virtually all twenty-four hours. I have experimented with the different times of day in order to find what would best serve me and support me, and after experimenting with it I’ve found the early hours of the morning work best for me. And so that’s what I do. I start my day with the meditation. But I kid you not, whether from 1:00 am to 1:00 pm to 1:00 am again, it doesn’t matter what time you do it. Early morning is just my choice. It doesn’t matter when you do it; that is up to you.

And so, here is my main point: meditation is not a ‘have to’. It is a choice. If you want to awaken to the Divine, to the knowing of who you truly are as a Divine Spark of God, this is simply a really good way to do that — the best way that I have found.

PRESENTED BY BILL STRATTON IN AUSTIN, TEXAS:For additional information, call Bill at 512-218-1995.

I NNER L IGHT M INISTRIES

(ILM Calendar continues on pages 4 - 9)

I L M

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Each class includes spiritual teachings, practical exercises, group discussion, and meditation. Jim and Brian help participants to become

more deeply aware of the Spirit within. No charge.

EEKLY CLASSES: Jim and Brian’s weekly class is held on Sundays, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm at the ILM Center, Franklin Sq. Bldg, 3724 Jefferson, Ste. 100.

PRESENTED BY JIM GORDON and BRIAN YEAKEY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS:For additional information, call 512-306-1056.

W

CALENDAR

OING WITH GOD II:

CLASSES & PROGRAMS: SPRING - SUMMER ‘07

G

getting stuck, getting caught up, and having physical, emotional, and mental disorders set in because of the disruption of this ‘blown out’ chakra center and what it causes: the chaos, the disturbance in the physical consciousness.

And so it’s better, rather than trying to ‘force our way’ into heaven, rather than trying to force our way to that place where the ‘pearl’ resides within us, to be patient, to do our gentle Sound and Light Meditation, allowing the Loving to assist us in opening this shell of our consciousness so that the Truth of who we are as Soul can really be revealed. Loving is the key to all things; Loving is the way by which we do find ourselves as Soul, and through our meditation we do find that River of Loving that will take us back into the Truth of ourselves and find our ‘pearl’, our soul, and God.

This workshop will continue the exploration of our individual focus of Loving in our daily world from the place of Loving and Light that is, and the expansion of this consciousness of Loving into our lives. It is about being present with our own Divinity. We will begin the class by listening to an ILM meditation CD, followed by discussion and experiential exercises. This class is open to everyone, and participation in the first GOING WITH GOD class is not required.

APRIL 22 Sunday, 2-4 pm ILM Center No Charge

by Jim Gordon

BE STILL

(continued from page 1)

by Brian Yeakey

(continued from page 2)

CHOOSING

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Austin, Texas: at Red Corral Ranch Renewal Center

Wimberley, Texas

Thursday, March 15 at 6 pm thru Sunday, March 18, 2007 at 1:30 pm

Kalamazoo, Michigan:at Yarrow Conference Center

Augusta, MichiganThursday, April 26 at 6 pm

thru Sunday, April 29, 2007 at 1:30 pm

COST: Single Occupancy – $350Double Occupancy (per person) – $275

If you would like to sign up for this retreat go to the ILM website (ilm.org)

or contact ASAP: Laura Doggett at 512-306-1056.

COST: $275 per person(double occupancy)

If you would like to sign up for this retreat please contact:

Steven McAfee at 260-485-2167.

facilitated byJim Gordon and Brian Yeakey

PLEASE NOTE NEW LOCATION:

and

Experiencing The Divine –A Meditative Retreat

Experiencing The Divine –A Meditative Retreat

For further information regarding these events please contact Steven McAfee at 260-485-2167.

ILM presents:

in Ft. Wayne:

To schedule appointments with Jim or Brian please call Steven McAfee at 260-485-2167.

INITIATIONS and APPOINTMENTS

INITIATIONS and APPOINTMENTS

QUESTION & ANSWER SESSIONwith JIM GORDON and BRIAN YEAKEY

TIME OF EVENT: 7-9:30 PMAT UNITY CHRIST CHURCH, 3232 CRESCENT AVE, FT. WAYNE

DONATION

in Kalamazoo:

in Michigan and in Indiana

QUESTION & ANSWER SESSIONwith JIM GORDON and BRIAN YEAKEY

TIME OF EVENT: 7-9:30 PMAT UNITY CHRIST CHURCH, 3232 CRESCENT AVE, FT. WAYNE

DONATION

In Kalamazoo: May 1-May 5In Ft. Wayne: May 7-May 27In Kalamazoo: May 1-May 5In Ft. Wayne: May 7-May 27

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Jim and Brian will be available for appointments, and for initiations for those who have been approved.

Jim and Brian will be available for appointments, and for initiations for those who have been approved.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007 Tuesday, May 8, 2007

QUESTION & ANSWER SESSIONwith JIM GORDON and BRIAN YEAKEY

TIME OF EVENT: 1:30-5:30 PMAT UNITY OF KALAMAZOO, 1204 WHITES ROAD, KALAMAZOO

DONATION

Saturday, May 5, 2007

QUESTION & ANSWER SESSIONwith JIM GORDON and BRIAN YEAKEY

TIME OF EVENT: 1:30-5:30 PMAT UNITY OF KALAMAZOO, 1204 WHITES ROAD, KALAMAZOO

DONATION

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Sunday, July 8, 2007

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Sunday, July 8, 2007ILM presents: in Hawaii

For further information regarding this eventplease contact: Nadine Ferraro at 808-988-7509.

TIMES OF EVENTSSHARING AND MEDITATION: 10:00 am-12 noon

Lunch breakSHARING AND Q&A: 1:30-5:30 pm

MEDITATION & SEMINARwith JIM GORDON and BRIAN YEAKEY

MEDITATION & SEMINARwith JIM GORDON and BRIAN YEAKEY

TIMES OF EVENTSSHARING AND MEDITATION: 10:00 am-12 noon

Lunch breakSHARING AND Q&A: 1:30-5:30 pm

Some members of our Hawaii community:

Please watch for more information about other events in Hawaii.

WHERE: The Hilton Hawaiian Village, 2005 Kalia Road, Honolulu, Hawaii

Hibiscus Suite, Kalia TowerThe Kalia Tower is the first one on the right as you drive into the hotel grounds.

For parking, take first right just past the Tower into a large parking ramp. Parking will be provided by ILM.

DONATION

WHERE: The Hilton Hawaiian Village, 2005 Kalia Road, Honolulu, Hawaii

Hibiscus Suite, Kalia TowerThe Kalia Tower is the first one on the right as you drive into the hotel grounds.

For parking, take first right just past the Tower into a large parking ramp. Parking will be provided by ILM.

DONATION

ILM.org — the INNER LIGHT MINISTRIES WebsiteYou don’t have to be in Austin to attend the Sunday classes!

ILM.org is being offered to share the basics on ILM, an organization dedicated to teaching The Path of Sound and Light, and to enable everyone interested to purchase ILM books, tapes and CDs online.

It is now simpler and faster to gain access to:* Audio versions of ILM’s weekly Sunday Morning Classes in Austin, Texas* All past and present ILM Newsletters* Information on ILM Initiation into The Path of Sound and Light* Online registration for some ILM workshops and retreats

There is also a special section for ILM Initiates Only.

AND ... you can now download the talks from the audio section.Some of the talks in the audio section that you can listen to are:

“Celebrate You As The Child Of God”“Living The Holy Day From Within”

“Spiritual Family”“GOD Is The Answer”

ILM.org — the INNER LIGHT MINISTRIES WebsiteYou don’t have to be in Austin to attend the Sunday classes!

ILM.org is being offered to share the basics on ILM, an organization dedicated to teaching The Path of Sound and Light, and to enable everyone interested to purchase ILM books, tapes and CDs online.

It is now simpler and faster to gain access to:* Audio versions of ILM’s weekly Sunday Morning Classes in Austin, Texas* All past and present ILM Newsletters* Information on ILM Initiation into The Path of Sound and Light* Online registration for some ILM workshops and retreats

There is also a special section for ILM Initiates Only.

AND ... you can now download the talks from the audio section.Some of the talks in the audio section that you can listen to are:

“Celebrate You As The Child Of God”“Living The Holy Day From Within”

“Spiritual Family”“GOD Is The Answer”

(ILM Calendar continues on next page)

PRESENTED BY LAURA KESTEN:For additional information, call Laura at 512-266-9400 or 512-658-4117 or email: LSKestenB@aol.com.

I NNER L IGHT M INISTRIES CALENDARI L M

TORIES UNTOLD:S Jim and Brian talk about Loving, Acceptance, and Forgiveness in every talk they give. In STORIES UNTOLD, through our writing, we first-handedly get to practice and experience Loving, Acceptance and Forgiveness in the events of our lives, letting go of the past so that we can open more fully to the Divine. As a bonus, the process of writing also prepares us in the present, as well as laying a foundation for the future, keeping us more aligned and in the flow of God’s Loving. These weekends are magical! Try it for one weekend and see for yourself. No experience necessary! You just have to show up!

ILM COMMUNITY OVIE NIGHTS: M Join Tom and Laura at their new home at Mansfield Dam on the 1st Friday of every month to watch a movie with a spiritual message. If you have a favorite movie that speaks to you, we’ll add it to our list. Come early (6 pm) and have a fresh bowl of homemade soup and slice of Great Earth bread. Movie starts at 7:30 pm. Everyone is welcomed. Bring nothing but your beautiful self. No charge.

MAR 2, APR 6, MAY 4, JUNE 1, JUNE 29, AUG 3

TEXAS: MAR 10-11, MAY 12-13, JULY 28-29, SEPT 15-16, NOV 10-11 DonationStories Untold-Texas will meet at Tom and Laura’s home: 14618 Mansfield Dam Ct., #16

MICHIGAN: APR 20-22 Yarrow Conference Center Augusta $125 INTENSIVE JUNE 16-23 Saugatuck $325

AUG 24-26 (GilChrist), OCT 19-21 (Yarrow), NOV 30-DEC 2 (GilChrist)

Check out our recently updated http://www.ILM.org today!7

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ILM OMMUNITY NIGHT:

PRESENTED BY STEVEN MCAFEE, MIDWEST COORDINATOR:For additional information, call Steven at 260-485-2167.

More fun community nights are on their way! Please RSVP a week ahead so we can plan appropriately.

MAR 3, MAY 19 MUSIC NIGHT! 7 pm Steven and Anita’s home Ft. Wayne No charge

UESDAY CLASS SERIES:

“ NNER STUDIES:”

(Calendar continues on next page)

Steven offers a series of weekly ILM classes in Ft. Wayne on Tuesday nights from 7-8:30 pm at Unity Christ Church. Each series focuses on a specific spiritual topic and runs from 4-5 weeks in length. Some of our recent topics have included: first century Christianity and the “lost books of the Bible,” and the mystical inner path in sacred scriptures. Please call Steven for current information.

UNDAY SERVICES: Steven frequently serves as a guest speaker for various churches and spiritual groups in the Fort Wayne area. If you would like him to speak to your group, please call to make arrangements. The following are presently scheduled.

APR 1, APR 8, MAY 6, JUNE 3 11 am Brigade of Light Ft. Wayne Donation

I NNER L IGHT M INISTRIES CALENDARI L M

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S

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“ ESUS AND JAMES - THE UNTOLD STORY” RETREAT: J This retreat will focus on the ministry of Jesus and his brother James who became his successor after his death. We will share historical information about the real role of James in the early “Christian church,” and show textural indications that they were both spiritual teachers of the Path of Sound and Light.

JUNE 28-JULY 1 Thurs. 6 pm-Sun. 10 am Seasons, Fetzer Institute Kalamazoo, Mich. $225/person

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ESUS – TEACHER OF THE INNER WAY:J

ASSOVER SEDER DINNER:P Please join us for an evening of delicious food, beautiful candlelit décor, and inspirational sharing. We will recount the story of the liberation of the Hebrew people from bondage in Egypt, and share its symbolism about the path of soul liberation from bondage in the realms of matter. You MUST register by March 20th to take part in the evening, as there is a great deal of planning and meal preparation involved. Seating is limited, so register early.

APR 3 6:30–9:30 pm Unity Christ Church Ft. Wayne Donation

This is a new year-long study program. The following events are open only to those already enrolled in this year-long program. For information about our year-long groups, please contact Steven.

WORKSHOPS: MAR 4, APR 1, MAY 6, JUNE 3, JULY 1 2:30-5:30 pm Brigade of Light, Fort Wayne Donation

The morning session will present the perspective that Jesus was teaching an inner, meditative path to God. We will look at both Biblical and non-canonical texts that support this view. In the afternoon session, we will explore the inner teachings in more depth and will have a question and answer session. Lunch will be provided. No advance registration is necessary.

JUNE 10 11 am-4 pm Lakeshore Interfaith Institute Ganges, Mich. Donation

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Community ILM Seminars and Events Worldwide•

OVIE NIGHT:

I NNER L IGHT M INISTRIES CALENDARI L M

S

Share in a one-hour meditation and fellowship opportunity on:Monday evenings from 6-7:30 pm in Manoa Valley, Honolulu, Hawaii

Bring friends ... newcomers are welcome. No charge.

M

TUDY GROUP:

Let’s have a fun, enjoyable evening with ILM friends, watching favorite movies having a spiritual message. Welcome all — yourself, friends and family members!

2nd Tuesdays 6:15 – 8:15 pm Judy Richards, 4715 Thistle Mill Ct. No charge

ILM ACTIVITIES in KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN: Please contact Carolyn Dailey at 269-327-6851 (or email carolee12@chartermi.net) or Penny Miller at 269-664-3577 (or email pmiller@mei.net) for more information on the activities below.

APE SEMINARS:T•

Each evening will consist of a short meditation and the listening to a CD or tape by Jim Gordon and Brian Yeakey. Join us in sharing the path of Loving and awakening into Spirit. All are welcome. Our ILM seminars are at 42A Montpelier Grove, London NW5, on the following dates.

Sundays at 4 pm: APRIL 1 & 22, MAY 20, JUNE 10 & 24, JULY 15 No charge.

T

ILM SEMINAR in LONDON, ENGLAND:Please contact Nanna Brinker at 0207 485 0699 for directions.

•

APE SEMINARS:

ILM SEMINAR in LOS ANGELES:Please contact Victoria Eng at 310-980-2224 to RSVP before coming.

•

T APE SEMINARS:

ILM MID-WEEK SEMINAR in AUSTIN:Please contact Randy Bass at 512-569-1992 in advance before coming.

•

Please be aware that new programs are often scheduled after this calendar goes to press, and, in rare instances, published schedules may have to be altered. For current information on any event or series, please call the presenter or contact person listed with the program. Thank you.

APE SEMINARS:T

A midweek tape seminar is being created in Austin, Texas for those who are unable to participate in Jim and Brian’s regular Sunday classes. The format will be the same as on Sundays, although the meditation and talk will be on CD. Please call in advance — even if it’s just an hour or two before.Wednesdays 7-8:30 pm Randy Bass’s home – call for directions No charge

This group supports our spiritual growth with a group meditation, and the study of ILM books, CD’s or tapes. Come join us for an enriching experience of growing in our loving.

1st & 3rd Tuesdays 6:15–8:15 pm Judy Richards, 4715 Thistle Mill Ct., Kalamazoo No charge

The focus of each evening is on spiritual awakening, and on supporting one another in experiencing and sharing greater Loving within ourselves and with others. These seminars will be held from Wednesdays 5:30-7 pm at Victoria and Willard Eng’s home in Beverlywood on the following dates.

MAR 7 & 21, APRIL 4 & 18, MAY 9 & 23, JUNE 6 No charge

ILM SEMINAR in HAWAII:Please contact Nadine Ferraro at 808-988-7509, or 551-3123 (cell) for directions.

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NEW CD – THE LIVING LOVING ESSENCE

ORDERING INFORMATION: These CDs are $10.00 plus $3 postage and handling per order (not per item). Checks may be made payable to INNER LIGHT MINISTRIES and sent to: ILM, P.O. Box 164332, Austin, Texas 78716-4332. Or you can go to our website ILM.org to order (see page 7).

An excerpt:

ILM Meditation and Talk On CDILM Meditation and Talk On CD

n that divine fl ow there is nothing you have to do,there is nothing you have to be,there is nowhere you have to go,

because you already are.In the divine “is-ness”

you are there now.And in that is-ness

there is nothing for you to be,or do, or go and accomplish,

but rather just be in the fl ow of Loving;let yourself be in that fl ow

as one with God.– Jim Gordon

I

In this packet you will fi nd ILM’s book LOVE AND LOVING,the CD UNDERSTANDING THE ‘INNER’ PATHWAY,

the CD LOTUS MEDITATION,ILM’s brochure INNER LIGHT MINISTRIES GUIDELINES

FOR INITIATION AND INITIATES, and a copy of our latest newsletter.

All of these materials were selected to give a newcomera good understanding of who we are and what we’re about.

If you would like an Introductory Packet for yourself or someone else, just let us know.

Call us, email us, or write us! Feel free to take a look at our website too: www.ilm.org

(more information on page 7). We are happy to do what we can to assist you

on your spiritual journey.

Blessings of Peace, Joy and Loving To You!

Jim Gordon, Brian Yeakey, and The ILM Staff

Welcome to Inner Light Ministries!Introductory Packet

God is ever with us, walking with us every step of the way through our lives. God is joyful, loving, accepting,

allowing, all the way through; while we on the other hand are crying, we’re in pain, we’re feeling separation, we’re longing for things in this creation. While we’re doing all these things, God is ever joyfully walking with each of us, knowing that with every step we’re getting closer to the return; with every step we’re finding greater fulfillment for why we came into this creation; with every step each of us is coming into the greater knowing of ourself as the creative loving being that is Soul.

And one day there will be that step — and God knows it even if you don’t — where you will step forward in meditation through that “tenth door” (the “third eye center”), and then the greater

Excerpt from THE TENTH DOOR:

journey begins … the Journey Home. That journey is an easy journey, a loving journey, an amazing journey; for on that journey, that inner journey, you will know God’s love, and you will know a greater sense of freedom than you’ve known while you’ve been in the physical body. – Jim Gordon

THIS CD IS NOW AVAILABLE:

THIS CD WILL BE AVAILABLE IN MAY:

THIS CD WILL BE AVAILABLE IN JUNE:

New ILM Meditation and Talks On CDNew ILM Meditation and Talks On CD

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(CD Ordering information – see page 10.)

The question is: “To be, or not to be.” That is the question. And in truth that is the question that we are all here

contemplating in life ... To be or not to be? Rumi put it this way, “Wake up. Wake up and don’t go back to sleep.” It’s the exact same statement. It’s wake up — “be.” Or go back to sleep — “not to be.” And the question is ... what are you choosing to do? Are you choosing to wake up? Are you choosing to be present? Are you choosing to look inward and upward towards the Lord? Or are you choosing to look downward? Choosing to go to sleep? Choosing to be a part of this creation, and live in separation from the truth of that beingness that we can wake up into if we choose to? – Jim Gordon

Excerpt from TO BE OR NOT TO BE:

To know thyself — to claim, to acknowledge the Divine within. And the more you claim and acknowledge that,

the more the power awakens, the more is revealed to you, and the more you know that. And the more you know that, the more you choose. So simply keep choosing, and in the choosing it’ll continue to awaken. It’s a very simple process of you choosing and then allowing that choice to now come back to you. You loving God and allowing God to love you. You choosing God and allowing God to choose you. It’s a very simple process. It’s the circle of Loving. – Brian Yeakey

Excerpt from LOVING WHO YOU ARE:

This was the 7th year that ILM Austin members had the opportunity to participate in our service project, Coins for Kids. This experience always touches our hearts and reminds us to thank God for all our blessings. Every year brings a new aspect of sharing and spreading love and kindness to those in need. This year we enlisted the help of the Girl Scouts for wrapping presents. What a wonderful way to get more of the community involved in spreading the joy of Christmas! This year the ILM Austin community purchased Christmas presents for almost 200 children. We also provided 10 families with Christmas dinner. – Laura Doggett

Coins for Kids was once again great fun, and a kind service for a hard-working family that had run into some tough times this year. On November 27, 15 ILM-Ft. Wayne Shopping Elves (and two Junior Shopping Elves!) gathered to don the elf hats and select gifts for this family of six. Then, on December 14, another 17 Wrapping Elves appeared to help wrap up some of the prettiest packages you’ve ever seen. All of the gifts were delivered just in time for Christmas morning joy. Our hearts were fi lled as we made Christmas special for a local family in need. – Anita McAfee

This December some ILM members in Hungary did our fi rst Coins for Kids project with great success for 24 kids from an orphanage in Budapest. We did things a bit differently, since the presents were all donated from a local company. We used the coins we’d collected throughout the year to organize programs for the children. It was beautiful. – Ildikó Kudlik

Austin:

Ft. Wayne:

Hungary:

oins For KidsC

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ILM Events of 2006Austin - Retreat, Coins For Kids, Christmas Party:

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ILM Events of 2006 continued

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Midwest - Retreat, Coins For Kids, Music Night, Potluck and Christmas Party:

A EDITATION EXPERIENCE

more than anything right now? I want to know how to make that water down there beneath me so ‘solid’ that, if I go back down to it, I won’t be able to go through it; I’m just going to stand on it.” And he said, “Oh, so you want to anchor yourself in the soul realm, do you?” And I said, “Yes. If that is what it is, I want to anchor myself in soul.” And he said, “Then wake up. Wake up and get to know the Divine that you are. Wake up and live the Divine that you are as much as you can in any given moment. Wake up and remember to look up and know that that is the Truth of who you really are. Look up and live the Truth of who you are.”

“And the more you do that each day,” the teacher continued, “the more you will anchor yourself in the realm of soul, in the Truth of who you really are. And then that’s the place from which you will be living your life from now on. Once that happens, you’ll have anchored yourself in the realms of soul and spirit, and the surface below, which was so ‘liquidy’ that you could sink back into it, will become solid at the surface, and that will be a solid foundation upon which you will be able to stand and from which you will just go higher. And even if you look down, you will not sink below the surface because you will now be standing on solid ground … and that solid ground is the ground of Loving that is the Spirit, that is the Soul that you are.”

That meditation experience points out what we want to do here. We want to anchor ourselves in the soul realm so we know that, no matter what the lowest part of creation is that we’ll ever go to, when we leave this physical body the soul realm will be where we go — if we haven’t anchored ourselves even higher.

I hope this makes some sense, and I hope that it gives you some inspiration in how to live in this world more quietly, to not get so caught up in the movement of the chaos — because I think you’re going to witness a lot more chaos on this planet over the next few years if you haven’t already noticed that. So allow yourself to live in that centeredness of loving, in the midst of whatever chaos may come into this creation, and don’t get so caught

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In a meditation I had recently, I found myself in the ‘waters’ of this creation. As I was moving through these waters, I was very close to the surface — the surface was like the ceiling is in

a room, and for some reason I couldn’t get to the very surface to go through it and break through to the ‘air’. Then all of a sudden I saw a hand reach down. I looked at the hand, I watched it for a minute, and it didn’t do anything. It was just sitting there in the water. It wasn’t reaching down towards me and it wasn’t moving around trying to get my attention. It was just there. And I looked at it, and looked at it, and I finally said, “Oh, that’s right. I’ve got to reach up. I’ve got to do something. I’ve got to be in action.” And so I reached up and I took the hand, and the hand lifted me above the water — and there was a spiritual teacher standing on the surface of the water. He held my hand so that I was standing upon the water as well, standing above this creation, and also looking up. As I looked up, we began to rise up; we began to rise up higher and higher above the surface of the water, above the surface of this creation.

But then, I got distracted. I saw a glimmer of light on the surface of the water below me, and I looked down to see what it was that I saw. It was just the reflection of the greater Light of God above, but it was so bright that it drew my attention, and I looked down — and as I looked down I began to go down, down, down, and I was drawn back into the water. As I began to sink below the surface again, I could feel the waters of this creation starting to take over again, and I realized something — I was looking in the wrong direction! All I had to do is keep looking up, keep looking up to my True Source. And I remembered that I’ve got a great reminder, the unspoken Name of God I was given at initiation, and that all I have to do is hold my attention on that, and be in loving with that, and I’ll again rise back above all that is this creation. And so I did. And as soon as I began to move back up in my focus, I was once again holding onto the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit was holding onto me, and I began to rise again.

And as I began to get above the surface of the waters again, I said to the teacher, “You know what I want

(from the talk, “Be Still and Know God” - 5/7/06)

Simcha and I have both invested many hours of time together practicing his disciplines: learning and following the commands; learning to understand each other; coming to trust one another. He knows that I do not boss him around to display my power over him. Rather, I use commands to help him stay safe and to get him what he wants — like a free romp in the snow. His discipline has led to his freedom. His willingness to pay attention and follow what he hears (from me) has led to him having more freedom of movement and more doggie opportunities than most other dogs in our area. The discipline itself was not always easy, conveniently timed, or fun for him. But as he began to see the rewards of it, he began to participate in our training sessions more enthusiastically. The discipline itself became enjoyable.

Cocoa, on the other hand, has not yet invested the energy into such discipline. He knows many of the typical commands — “come,” “sit,” “stay,” and so forth. He follows them when it suits him … but, not when it doesn’t. He is not constant in his obedience. So, in the short term, he does have a kind of ‘freedom’ — the freedom to disobey. But in the long run, he loses the privileges that would enable him to do what he really wants — run freely, sharing with the other dogs in our neighborhood with no restraints or leashes. His lack of discipline has kept him from the freedom he wants.

So, I began reflecting upon myself. I began to see how some of the freedoms I do not have are precisely because I have been unwilling to take upon myself the disciplines that lead to those freedoms. If I want my body to have more energy, well-being, and health, I need to take on the disciplines of eating and exercising well. If I don’t, I am not likely to enjoy the physical freedom that I want – like feeling good and staying healthy. If I want to have more money in my savings account and less credit card debt, then I must exercise the discipline of restraining my spending. If I want my car to be clean and orderly, I need to have the discipline to clean it.

The same is true with my spiritual endeavors. I cannot tell you how many times over the years I have said (or heard others say) that I want the kind of spiritual experiences that Jim and Brian have. Whenever I have expressed such desires to Jim, his response to me is always, “How much are you meditating?” Meditation is the discipline of self that leads us to the freedom of Self that we long for. It is in

by Steven McAfee,ILM Minister

REEDOM AND DISCIPLINE

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Today was our first real snow of the season, and Simcha, our golden retriever, couldn’t wait to get me outside to play in it this morning. Simcha LOVES snow! After we

had romped a while, and after he had fetched the tennis balls a zillion times, we came across one of our neighbors returning from a walk with his chocolate lab, Cocoa. Cocoa is a couple of years younger than Simcha and is one of his good friends. This was Cocoa’s first experience with snow, and like Simcha, he reveled in it! And, as the dog-lovers among you know, the only thing better than a romp in freshly fallen snow for a lab or retriever is another lab or retriever to romp in it with. So, the dogs were eager (there’s an understatement) to play together.

When Simcha and I walk our neighborhood, I walk him off leash, as he is very obedient and trustworthy. But Cocoa, being younger, is not yet as disciplined and is still kept on a leash during his walks. So, while he wanted to run and frolic freely with Simcha, he could not. After Simcha’s long walk, we went back to see Cocoa in his fenced-in yard. While I watched them playing inside the fence, I thought of how much more fun it would be for Cocoa to play beyond the fence.

Simcha was free to enjoy the snow everywhere, but Cocoa was not. His experience was a much more limited one. Why? Simcha and Cocoa both love playing, and they are both sweet dogs. What gave Simcha the freedom to do what he loved, and what prevented Cocoa from doing so? It’s simple: Simcha is obedient; Cocoa is not.

That is not a popular word these days in our culture, “obedience.” It seems to imply being subservient to another. That is what you will find if you look it up in the dictionary — “submissive to the will of another.” In fact, that definition does apply in this case: Simcha is obedient to me. But if we go a little deeper and look up the root, “obey,” we find it comes from Latin, “oboedire,” which is a composite word consisting of “ob” — “toward,” and “oedire” — “to hear.” It literally means that we “go toward what we hear.” We listen and we follow. That is what it means to obey. Simcha listens to me and he follows. His doing so is what keeps him safe. His constancy at doing so is what makes him trustworthy. (FREEDOM continues on page 19)

of Lake Travis. The following day, less than a month after reading the blurb of a condo for sale, we put a bid on a house … with a lake view.

It would be another eight to ten weeks before the house was finished. Brian asked me if it was hard to wait, and I remember checking that question out inside before answering, “No, not really. It just feels like we live in one house and soon we’ll live in another. He said, “But just think, you’ll be driving less; you won’t have that big house to take care of; you’ll have more restaurants and shopping near by.” As he was saying this and I was agreeing, I was also feeling like I didn’t want to make one place better than the other and so I added, “We’ll just have a different experience now.” He smiled and said, “That’s when you know you’re truly moving in the flow of Spirit, when you’re at a place of neutrality.”

But our story doesn’t end there. There were many house-hoops to jump through. Living in Spirit doesn’t mean there aren’t hoops to jump through; staying neutral with each is the key to staying “in the flow.” One of the biggest hoops was signing a contract for a new house before selling our old one — meaning there were multiple loans to pay in the meantime, both the mortgage on the old house as well as the new one. And yet, this action totally felt aligned with Spirit, even though our realtor had told us that because our old house is a log home it could take a year to sell and also would be hard for a buyer to finance. The realtor said, “Let’s look for a quick cash sale.” I asked, “Cash? Does that happen?” He said, “It does, not often, but it can happen.”

Another big hoop was obtaining loans for the new house, not just a permanent mortgage but also an additional temporary loan making the new house 100% financed until the old house sold. Our mortgage broker, who had initially told us it would be no problem getting multiple loans for the new house, was now saying otherwise. So, Jim and Brian referred us to a bank that, with Tom’s relentless persistence, creatively got us the loans.

With each hoop, Tom and I continued our inner dialogue with Spirit, making sure we were still aligning ourselves with every step. Whenever I’d get a twinge of anxiety about selling our old house, I’d gently remind myself

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by Laura Kesten,ILM Minister

IN OD’S TIMINGG

In May 2006, I teased my husband, Tom, by reading a description of a lake-view condo for sale in Austin. Tom had lived near water most of his life, but when we moved to Texas

we bought land out in the country thirty minutes from Austin and far away from any lake; it was no secret that Tom missed the water. With our daughter, Cally, now in college, neither Tom nor I felt attached to our house or to the land anymore, but we had agreed we’d wait until she was out of college before we made a move. However, Jim Gordon and Brian Yeakey kept putting bugs in our ears: this is a good time to buy; you don’t need that big house any more now that Cally is in college; wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to drive so far to go into town?

So, just for fun, I Google-searched lake-view condos in Austin, and to my surprise, several popped up. That’s when I read one condo’s description to Tom. For the rest of the evening we looked at every condo and every house that had a lake view.

Within a couple of weeks, we had our old house on the market. Each day we’d ask Spirit if this was still what we were supposed to be doing, and each day, we continued to feel the affirmative flow of Spirit.

We viewed a few properties and became interested in one in particular, at which time we asked Jim and Brian to have a look. Although the condo had an awesome view, Jim shared several things he was concerned about. So Tom and I slept on it, trying to figure out if we could fix those things that were of concern or if we should just move on. By the end of the week, we had learned that that condo complex had a restriction of two small pets (we had four, including two large dogs). That was that.

The following weekend, while Tom and I were out of town, we received an excited voice mail from Jim. He said, “We found your house!” When we returned, Jim and Brian took us to see ‘our new house’, a “spec-house” which was still being built. When we first walked in, we immediately saw the panoramic view (GOD’S TIMING continues on page 19)

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by Bill Stratton, ILM Minister

kept choosing back into the Loving and back into my inner focus at the third eye by either chanting “Ani-Hu,” (a chant we are taught in ILM) or by saying, “I am the Living, Loving Essence of the Lord” (an affirmation from one of Jim’s talks). Through this focus I began to feel rejuvenated and filled with Light. I also experienced what I would say was surrendering to God’s Loving Embrace and letting go of controls. With that experience there was a ‘knowing’ in my driving ... perhaps an intuitiveness, as well as an allowing, an acceptance and forgiveness that seemed to have an energy of its own as I drove home. At some point along the road I became aware of a past hurtful event that seemed to be related to something that happened earlier in the evening. Almost as quickly as that picture of the past entered into my thoughts, I moved into forgiveness and simply let go of that memory. As a result I experienced a sort of healing within myself that seemed to come out of nowhere except for my being present with “That which Is.”

I arrived home and went in and played back messages from my answering machine. One of the messages was from two friends who were planning on coming over the next evening. They asked if we could watch the Barbara Walters Special, “Heaven: Where is it and how do we get there?” I chuckled because my immediate response within was, “Wasn’t I just there? Wasn’t I just experiencing heaven?” I realized I had experienced another reality, that of, “As above, so below.” I had moved into creating “heaven on earth” for myself in those moments of focusing at the third eye.

As I sat down to write down these experiences I recalled one of the quotes from Jim Gordon that I used as a goal in the SANCTUARY class:

“When you begin to live in the movement of the Audible Life Stream;

that Sound Current, that voice of God that is calling you home,

begins to lift your Soul upward, and you begin to liberate your Soul;

and a wonderful thing happens at this level. Because this is the level of reflection

and the reflection of Liberation is Freedom,

IVING IN THE LOVING

One evening after an ILM staff Christmas gathering I drove home with the intent of staying in the loving energy that was present with me from the events

of the day. I turned my focus to the “third eye” where I experienced the energy to be concentrated, as I kept my attentiveness on the road. With that simple focus, I continued to be in the blessings of the celebration … and I experienced a wonderous sensation: I felt the Unconditional Loving, I saw the Divine Light within, and I experienced being present with Spirit. I was moving in an inner and outer flow that was ... simply stated ... an experience of Grace and ease.

One of the exercises that I’d been focusing on in my class, SANCTUARY, which was created to assist people on a daily basis in staying in the energy of being in a retreat, was to move through the day keeping the meditative energy present by focusing at the third eye. Jim and Brian have often talked about this in their classes, and it is something that I have practiced through the years. Over a year ago Brian talked about how he ends his guided meditations with the focus at the third eye so that there would be a greater experience of continuing to live in the Divine Presence of Loving throughout the day. In that way we can go through our day putting God first in everything we do.

So ... back to my story ... as I got onto the freeway and drove down the road a bit I realized that I was experiencing the drive in a very different way. Even though it was very close to Christmas all the drivers seemed to be driving at a normal speed. “What happened to all the last minute holiday shopping traffic?” I thought. I noticed that I was driving under 65 and pleasantly going with the flow of traffic. Earlier that day the flow of traffic was much faster and there was the occasional driver pushing his way forward beyond what everyone else was doing ... and, during that earlier drive, my focus was not at the third eye.

And so, I kept this Loving focus all the way home, and even though my mind wandered to other things, I

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(IN LOVING continues on page 19)

to the healing of the past, it was as if Grace had been extended through my focus at the third eye, and in that way I allowed God’s Blessings in, and I experienced my inner and outer world changing — becoming more peaceful, joyful, and more aligned.

Isn’t it wonderful to know and to experience that we can create “heaven on earth” and live that fully, and that we don’t need to go anywhere to be with God, but to simply focus inward and allow God’s miraculous Loving in, and in that way experience being in the Divine Presence. And, isn’t it wonderful to know how simple it all can be.

IN LOVING

(continued from page 18) by Bill Stratton

For me this unfolding story allowed me to experience Spirit at greater levels; by choosing to live in the flow of Spirit rather than in anxiety, I truly was able to “Let go and Let God.” That is God’s ‘cash offer’ to us — if we turn our lives over to Him, He comes through with something even better than cash, that is, with the flow of Spirit.

that it’s not up to me what happens; it’s in God’s hands, and in God’s timing. Three months after moving into our new house, our old house sold! And it was a cash offer!

by Laura Kesten

GOD’S TIMING(continued from page 17)

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by Steven McAfee

FREEDOM(continued from page 16)

you begin to find greater Freedom in this world, and you live a life Free

rather than trapped and caught up in reaction.” — Jim Gordonfrom the talk “HAVE NOTHING BETWEEN YOU AND THE LORD”

The whole drive home was simply a loving experience of freedom. From experiencing the Loving Light within

the willing discipline of our personality that we discover the freedom of Soul. This meditation discipline is simple, just like Simcha’s: above all other voices, listen for the sound of that One Voice we know and trust. What we hear, we follow. The more consistently and willingly we follow, the greater freedom we find.

I did not train Simcha to restrict him and make him more miserable. I trained him so he could have the freedom to be with us, to share our friends, our travels, our home, and our life together — to have the best life he could possibly have. Our spiritual teachers are not training us to restrict us, but quite the opposite: to lead us into a life

more abundant than we even imagine. Here is the basic training in a nutshell:

“Come!” – come to where I am (in Soul)“Sit” – sit down and pay attention inside (meditate)“Stay” – do not get distracted and run off after things; stay focused within“Drop” – release whatever you are holding onto “Leave” – once you’ve dropped it, don’t pick it up again

Our obedience is not to another. It is obedience to our own true self, the Soul within us. To hear its voice, we must stop and listen. The better we listen, the more we are let off the leash to run freely throughout the kingdom.

up in it. Don’t get so caught up in self-righteousness that you’re going to ‘make it right’, that you’re going

by Jim Gordon

EXPERIENCE(continued from page 15)

to get it quiet, you’re going to make it peaceful. Allow the chaos to do its own thing, and allow your soul to do its own thing, which is to complete its journey here, learn its lessons here, and focus on God from here up, in order to return to the “true home” from which you came. That’s my simple message for today.

is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching spiritual awakening through an inner practice of meditation. This meditation practice is an inner path through which the soul transcends the physical realms of creation to its true home in the spiritual realms within the heart of God. In spiritual teachings and literature this inner path is often referred to as “The Path of Sound and Light,” “The Path of The Holy Spirit,” “The Path of Love,” or simply as “The Path” or “The Way.” ILM offers initiation into this meditation practice enabling one to fully experience this inner journey of awakening.

To provide support for those individuals interested in this path, Inner Light Ministries offers numerous publications, materials, programs, and services, which encourage devotion to God and support a life-long practice of prayer, meditation, spiritual study, and service.

INNER LIGHT MINISTRIES JOURNAL

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Inner Light MinistriesEditorial and Publishing Office

P.O. Box 164332Austin, Texas 78716-4332

Phone: 512-306-1056

ABOUT ILMINNER LIGHT MINISTRIES (ILM)

Main Office: Jim Gordon, P.O. Box 164332, Austin, TX 78716-4332; Financial Office: Tom Beaver, P.O. Box 1086, Dripping Springs, TX 78620; Midwest Office: Steven McAfee, P.O. Box 5139, Fort Wayne, IN 46895

INNER LIGHT MINISTRIES JOURNAL

ILM:

Meditation

“Meditate everyday to God.That’s our own mini-retreats. That’s how we open the door

for ourselves everyday so that we can carry that into the day

and truly see every physical opportunity,

every person we meet, as another opportunity

to open that door of Loving, to be in that place of vulnerability.”

— Brian Yeakeyfrom the WAKING UP IN SPIRT RETREAT

Meditation

“Meditate everyday to God.That’s our own mini-retreats. That’s how we open the door

for ourselves everyday so that we can carry that into the day

and truly see every physical opportunity,

every person we meet, as another opportunity

to open that door of Loving, to be in that place of vulnerability.”

— Brian Yeakeyfrom the WAKING UP IN SPIRIT RETREAT