NEWSLETTER EWSLETTER NNER L IGHT M INISTRIES N IINNER LIGHT VOLUME 16 NUMBER 1
MARCH, 2005
S PIRITUAL INTERVIEWS by Jim Gordon, President of ILM
A
s I look to the present moment and continue to step forward into what is next, I am ever referencing to my past experiences to see what I have learned and what I can bring forward and apply to this moment. I learned many years ago how important it is to build a strong foundation upon which to construct the ‘structure’ of one’s life. Recently, I have been very aware of this action of building a foundation upon which I am expanding into new activities and new ways of living my life. When I was 16 years old, I was working on a ranch and the owner decided to build a new barn. When we began the work, the first thing we did was to prepare the ground upon which the new structure was going to stand. We then began the work of laying in the foundation. I learned as we went along that this is a very important part of the construction. If we’d put in a foundation that was not level, that was not strong, and that was not sitting on a firm supportive base, then the barn we were building would have had structural problems that would appear in the future and undermine the integrity of the structure. So we spent a lot of time preparing the base and foundation before we ever started raising the barn. In 1967 I began to do my spiritual service in the world, and again I was told to build on solid rock and to build a strong foundation — this time in spirit. Then whatever came forward in my life, I would know that my base and my reason for doing would stand strong and sturdy. Now, as I look back over the years at how I have put together ILM, and I look at the spiritual action and service that has come forward, I know that the foundation I built upon is on rock — sturdy and sound. Today there are changes that are taking place in ILM, and I can see that the foundation laid so many years ago, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is sound and strong. One of the big changes in ILM is the action that started in 2003 of initiating into the meditation practice of Sound and Light. With this action coming forward many other
changes have come into being as well. One is the action of me taking better care of myself: giving myself more time to meditate, taking better care of my body through exercise and nutrition, and having others come into ILM to help me in getting things done. And so besides having Tom Beaver, Laura Kesten, and Steven McAfee on staff, we now also have Brian Yeakey, Bill Stratton, Laura Doggett, Jaden von Behren and Steve Bratsch all helping and working in ILM. Another action that came forward was for me to end my counseling work that I had been doing with people since 1967. Through my own meditation the Holy Spirit has made it clear to me that it is now time for me to focus on the many who are coming to ILM for initiation into the inner spiritual meditative path, rather than focusing on the outer lives of individuals in counseling. This change has been a bit of a challenge, for I love people so much and enjoy sharing with them from a spiritual place that they might better understand their lives. I have seen how spirit has helped so many people through the counseling work that I have done with them over the years. And so it was challenging to do what the Holy Spirit directed. Recently, however, it has been laid out for me why this new action on my part is necessary, and it is very clear to me that this phase of my service has come to completion. As ILM moved forward in initiating people, I asked Brian Yeakey to step forward and continue the counseling work I had been doing. He has been doing counseling work with people since January 2001. He has performed a wonderful action of service and has assisted many people over these last four years. As Bob Dylan said in one of his songs, “The times they are a changin’.” And this is true for Brian as well as myself. Brian and I have now been asked to hold a focus of loving and service for those who are drawn to initiation. This means serving those initiates, intended initiates and seekers interested in finding out more about the spiritual, inner path of meditation. With this awareness coming forward from the Holy Spirit, to be more available in this way, we have realized that change is once again taking (INTERVIEWS continues on page 3)