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August Newsletter 2006 VIOLENCE AND WAR sustenance in the trials and tribulations of material life. Spirit Communication received by Y. Limoges Mankind misuses its most precious gift, that of freewill, and it wonders why so much vengeance, violence, destruction, and war ravages the planet. Have humans practiced the caring of each other regardless of race, ethnic origin, nationality, gender, or religion, or regardless of the many ways mankind tries to devise in dividing itself? You are all spirits before One Creator, each here upon the earth to do and be good, to yourself and to each other. You are all interconnected on this planet, what one does affects another, and another…You are here to put into practice the good resolutions you made prior to incarnating to help raise yourselves to be better morally and spiritually. But, due to the greed and lust for power of the few, the multitudes are forgotten and left to fend for themselves. This foments the seeds of desperation and hopelessness in those who are morally weak, causing many to lash out at any perceived oppressors. The unfortunate ones of the earth, instead of being offered the necessities of food, clothing, shelter, medical aid, and a way to earn a decent living with self-respect, at the very least they are neglected and, at the very worst, they are simply annihilated; in either case forgotten. They also do not receive the necessary spiritual nourishment their souls need for The social ills of this planet, in a situation when so few have too much and so many have so little, will continue to perpetuate the cycle of hate, violence and death that pervades this planet. Yet, mankind will learn through trial and error and through the laws of cause and effect. Once it has had enough of suffering, it will eventually change, but due to the low level of morality of the majority of beings on this planet, progress will be very slow. Yet, do not think that the spirit world stands idly by and watches this carnage with disinterest. The superior spirits do all they can to inspire good thoughts in mankind at propitious moments so it will take beneficial actions to avoid further disasters, and if we did not, things would be much worse. The law of progress must prevail and sooner or later this planet must change into one where there will no longer be hate, violence, or war. In the end, liberty, fraternity, equality, and love will then reign upon your world. So do not give up hope, do not become desperate, but pray for your fellow beings creating a more beneficial spiritual ambiance to make it easier for us to assist you all (from the spirit world) and in your every day words and deeds, help anyone you can who crosses your path in life. The Spiritist Society of Florida, August Newsletter 2006 Good or Bad Luck 2 Life is Hard But No One Is Ever Alone By Jacqueline Benenati A lot of people go through life blaming others for their misfortunes. It never seems to be their fault when bad things happen to them. They have excuses for everything and always feel as if they are unlucky. We need to realize that there is no such thing as luck (good or bad). The choices we make bring about their own respective results. Choose wisely and the results will be good. Choose poorly and so will be the results. God gave each one of us freewill. Generally, we cannot say that anyone MADE US DO anything against it. We are personally responsible for our actions. Whatever we experience is a direct result of those actions in the present or from our past. Hopefully, as we mature and learn to differentiate between good and what is harmful or wrong, our choices in life will be the correct ones. Work is the Law Spirit communication received by Y. Limoges Love is all around you, my friend! The Creator Sends out a Radiating Love for those who are willing to accept it within their souls! The Spirit Messengers assisting in accomplishing the Creator’s Work await your call as well! Don’t turn a deaf ear to these inspirations! Be receptive to the love that abounds in the Universe. Also, count the many blessings you have because there is always someone worse off than you. Yet, no one is forgotten, all have help from those invisible friends that you have in the spirit world. But you have been given freewill and if you do not listen to them, you have only yourself to blame! Open up your heart, to the love and inner peace you can truly feel amidst the trials and tribulations that are but brief moments in the infinite life of your soul. By Y. Limoges If we want something whether it be to buy a car, earn a college degree, lose weight and shape up our body, fix our house, try to gain someone’s affections, one thing is common to all – we must work for it, either through our job for wages, our efforts in studying, or discipline in what we eat and/or physical activity, changing our behavior, or through the sweat of our brow. It is not any different in bettering ourselves morally and spiritually. We must daily try to be a good person. And, our efforts will be rewarded – our souls will progress and this process will eventually put an end to our material existences of trials and tribulations. Work is a Law of the Universe! And, what grander work could there be than to reach the Creator! We can uplift your spirits and sustain you through trials, tests, and the missions you chose for yourself, knowing that if you are victorious your soul will have made tremendous progress in your present life. So lift up your eyes towards the Creator and reach out with your heart and mind to the spiritual sustenance you need and that we can give you, to help support with resignation all you must go through! (NOTE: If I had to name only one wonderful thing about knowing of the spirit world, it is the knowledge that there are so many spirits who want to help us, to inspire us, to console us, and to provide spiritual nourishment for our souls. Spiritists, take full advantage of this! Y.L.) The Spiritist Society of Florida, August Newsletter 2006 Awareness of the Principles of Spiritism 3 with ourselves, not all the time, for that is the most difficult part. By Y. Limoges I have found in my study of Spiritism and in observing the behavior of other Spiritists and myself throughout these many years, that we each are at different levels of comprehension and belief, and even more so how these affect our actions. As we learn the principles of the Doctrine, we use our intelligence and come to accept the belief because it makes sense to our reason. So, we can say then at this point we have, at the very least, a basic knowledge of Spiritism. Therefore, it appears to me that most Spiritists are (and I am definitely speaking of myself as well) are generally only at a level of awareness of the responsibilities required by the knowledge and belief of Spiritism because putting its principles into practice on a continuous and daily basis, I believe, is the beginning of the next step in the process of our soul’s moral and spiritual evolution. We may have one foot on that step, but now we must strive hard to raise the other! Spiritists Stay the Course! Yet, although we may understand and accept its principles, now we must discover whether we truly believe it within our hearts. There is a difference because just because we understand something if we don’t honestly believe it in our heart and soul, it will not entirely sustain us when we truly need it. If there is any doubt whatsoever within us during times of crisis, solely having the knowledge of Spiritism will not provide the spiritual nourishment to uphold us and give us sufficiently the strength we need during the many difficult times we may have in our lives. If we understand the Doctrine because it makes sense that it is true and we sincerely believe and have strong faith in the moral and spiritual laws that Spiritism teaches us, we must finally put our knowledge, belief, and faith in Spiritism to the test, by trying with all our might to put these into practice. This means accepting our lot in life without murmuring, undergoing our trials and tests with calm resignation, sustaining ourselves through prayer, not doing any wrong, and doing all the good in the world we possibly can. So, are we all putting both knowledge and belief fully into practice? If we are being honest Spirit Communication by Y. Limoges Psychic phenomena and the faculty of mediumship are realities to Spiritists. More and more people are also starting to believe in these things and those who don’t, let them keep investigating. So then, what does Spiritism have to offer? It offers the moral philosophy behind the phenomena. The world is in transition and there is much upheaval and suffering. Only the concept of reincarnation can provide the how, why, and reasons these situations occur. Only the moral philosophy “Spiritism” teaches can fully provide the just cause of these events, can provide the consolation that people seek, and the hope that things can and will change for the better. Let the investigators continue to prove scientifically what Spiritists already know as fact. Spiritists spread the knowledge of the whys and wherefores of life…but do it gently, caringly, and with the utmost humility. People are hunting and seeking for a beacon of hope out of their miseries and Spiritism is the key to opening the door that will let in the light leading to their salvation. The Spiritist Society of Florida, August Newsletter 2006 From Kardec’s The Spirits Book, Chapter VI Question 742. What is the cause that impels man to war? Answer from the spirit world: “The predominance of the animal nature over the spiritual nature, and the desire of satisfying his passions. In the barbaric state, the various peoples know no other right than that of the strongest; and their normal condition is, therefore, that of war. As men progress, war becomes less frequent, through avoidance of causes which lead to it; and when it becomes inevitable, they wage it more humanely.” Question 745. What is to be thought of him who stirs up war for his own profit? Answer from the spirit world: “Such a one is deeply guilty, and will have to undergo many material existences in order to expiate all the murders caused by him; for he will have to answer for every person who has been killed for the satisfaction of his ambition.” FOR THE SOLDIERS “The hour for Spiritism has arrived. During these trying times we are going through, this doctrine brings consolation and hope to grieving souls, the many who cry for the loss of their dear ones, and also all those whose children are still on the front lines of battle, those beloved sons and daughters to which we have cared for with such solicitude and for who now we have feelings of apprehension and dread. It is inconceivable the pain of oppression that is undergone by this and that requires the necessity of moral relief. All the nations that are now fighting for liberty in the world, for the rights of the weak and for justice, have seen the birth and blossoming of their young brought down by 4 violence, and these cruel loses reverberate in profound and painful vibrations within the hearts of our own families. Never has humanity had the greatest necessity for a doctrine that bestows support and gives courage in these tragic hours. Spiritism offers a ray of light to all souls darkened by sadness and desperation. It extends a consoling balsam over all wounds.” (From the book The Invisible World and the War published in 1919 and written by Leon Denis a fellow Frenchman who knew Kardec and was a great believer, disseminator, and writer of Spiritism – excerpt translated and edited from the Spanish by Y. Limoges) We pray for all those in suffering in our world, for we are ALL the children of ONE CREATOR. And, we pray for peace on earth! ************************************** Newsletter edited by Yvonne Limoges E-mail: [email protected] Spiritist Society of Florida 5042 22 Avenue North St. Petersburg Florida 33710 Website: www.spiritistsocietyflorida.com The Advanced Study Group of Spiritism www.geae.inf.br/en/ (The above important Website, in the section on “resources” and then click “electronic books” are all the books on “Spiritism” based on the responses from the superior spirits and compiled by French Educator, Allan Kardec, called the Codifier of the Spiritist Doctrine.)