Jennifer Avalon

A few weeks after having communicated to Jennifer my appreciation of a couple of posts that I saw in alt.meditation, I started to receive in my mailbox (with quite a few other people), an essay from Jennifer every Friday, together with a few kind words and often lyrics of one of her songs. I find the essays well written and uplifting, laid out in easy to understand every-day words. I web here a few of these essays, taken at random. For the full collection, check Jennifer's own web page.

The Valley
3 April 1998

Picture life as a valley between two mountains. Within that valley is the soil that can grow Love, Hope, and Dreams. As we look upon our valleys do we like what we see? Is there room for more growth? You see, for things to grow in the valley of life it takes care, nurturing, and feeding. To get our valleys to be plentiful one cannot be afraid to get their hands dirty. The soil responds to hard work. If all we do is sit and watch, our valley becomes wild...undisciplined....and before too long overcome by weeds. If care is given, the weeds cannot grow because upon sight we can remove the danger.
The valley can be a strange place with its own set of rules, but to be good gardeners we must respect those rules, for as we plant seeds we must know that the climate and the environment can affect the growth. It's important that we share with each other knowledge of how to grow a greener valley, because all of our valleys are inter-connected. There are always people traveling through and in many cases leaving behind their thoughts and influences...sometimes good, sometimes not. The soil rewards those that plant well. It brings forth radiant colors that can been seen from miles away. To respect the soil, is to respect life. The Heavens provide the water that is needed in our valley....from it comes the rain that nourishes the green gardens and blossoming flowers. Without the clouds, even with hard work the flowers would stop blooming and before too long all that would be left would be dust.

If we are to enjoy the fruits of the valley, it takes a combined effort of earth, man and Heaven. Each one important to the health of the valley, for the fruit to be abundant. Heaven provides the sun and rain, the soil provides the foundation, and man provides the planting and harvesting. Yes there can be floods and catastrophes, but the valley can be repaired with the right amount of care and love.

Each day each one of us gets up in the morning and upon opening our eyes is the valley which we have created for ourselves. It doesn't have to be perfect...perhaps it never will be, but the work on the soil is important because from it good seeds can grow. There is work to be done everyday in the valley...sometimes it's hard, but by the end of the day, it feels real good to see the sun going down and the valley looking so much more alive.

Take the time to love,

Jennifer Avalon

It's important that we share with each other knowledge of how to grow a greener valley, because all of our valleys are inter-connected.

Accepting Joy
1 May 1998

How many of us have a problem letting our hearts and souls be replenished with happiness, security, contentment and joy? With so many roles we play each day in society it's so easy to put up the barriers and assume a defensive posture. Yes, we do have to protect ourselves but does that have to entail closing off the pathways into our hearts? A recent conversation I had with a friend touched upon these concerns. She told me that whenever she did something for herself that made her happy, quickly that happiness turned into doubt and then guilt. It was very hard for her to allow the full experience of joy to fill her heart. She actually believed she was not "worthy" of these feelings. Now my friend is a beautiful person....if that can happen to her, it must happen to many. Today in society we are so bombarded with negativism, it has become an accepted solution to many problems. It's so easy to give up and not try to improve a situation.

Joy and happiness are wonderful things...they give us energy to battle through troubling times. Everyday we fill up our reserve fuel tanks with energy...what kind of energy we put there is really our decision. Anger and fear provide negative energy....but for many of us there is no limit to the level of anger and fear we allow to fill our consciousness. It does matter what you think and feel. It does affect the quality of your life and others. Positive energy comes from laughter, love, hope, and peace. It puts you in a relaxed state to reflect and enjoy yourself and the world around you. Some find these feelings threatening, because it's so much harder to control a person who feels complete and loved.

Empowerment is one of the greatest gifts to give oneself. Joy and love are some of the positive fuels that will help you move forward and strive. Accept the things that you need to propel you into the existence that can be beneficial to your life. Let them fill your heart and soul....you can never have too much positive energy. Look around you, and look above...you may be surprised, the answers may be right there in front of you. Spread your arms and let it in.

Take the time to love,

Jennifer Avalon

Yes, we do have to protect ourselves but does that have to entail closing off the pathways into our hearts?

All we have is now
14 August 1998

Dear Friend,

Hope all is well in your corner of the world. As we look around this planet it is very easy to take a negative stance on what we see....bombings, hot weather, local problems etc. I believe our true power in life is taking hold of what is negative and transforming it into positive energy on a personal, spiritual, and global level. No man or woman is an
island. This week's essay deals with this topic. I call it "All We Have Is Now"....the power of the Moment. I hope you enjoy it. Have a peaceful and restful week-end.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The past is the past.....and no matter how much we worry and concern ourselves with what has already taken place there is basically very little we can do to change it. We can make amends, apologies and seek atonement for our acts but memories are etched in stone. The future stands before us like a blank sheet of paper, yet to feel one drop of ink. What are we left with? The given moment, where everything is centered and all our hopes and dreams exist.

So few of us focus on the so-called "now"....most of the time we are engulfed with our mistakes from the past and overwhelmed by what awaits us in the coming days. It doesn't have to be that way. The power for us is in the present...that is where we can truly make a difference in our lives. Like the championship sports team that wins the golden nugget, as they look back they see a string of victories that have led them to their moment in the sun. As we look towards the coming months the work we do today is our springboard into a fulfilling future. The first day that the championship team played its first game, the vision was firmly planted on the road towards the ultimate trophy. The link between the past and the future is the present. The present affects both, because the present becomes the past, and the present also sets the tone for the future.

Each day truly is a new day...if you faltered yesterday, you can start anew today. Your dreams are not over, just merely delayed. Embrace the moment, it can change your life.

Take the time to love,

Jennifer Avalon

The power for us is in the present...that is where we can truly make a difference in our lives.

DEFLECTING
15 May 1998

Each morning we rise, gather our thoughts, and prepare for the day ahead. We shower, select our clothes and head off to the breakfast table for the nourishment that we need to start our day. We search for ways to shake off the sleep that clouds our eyes...it could be the morning newspaper, or just a casual conversation with a loved one. What we truly are going through is the preparation for what awaits us outside the front door. Upon opening that front door, at any given moment we can be bombarded with positive or negative forces....so each morning we start to select the armor that we need to fight the battles of the day.

We live in a world of all different kinds of people, with each one choosing how to look at a given opportunity or problem. Recently I had an interesting conversation with a friend where she told me a story that troubled her. She was waiting at the bus-stop on her way to work. It was a rainy day so there were about three or four people in front of her in line. As the bus stopped to let passengers on my friend wanted to board the bus as quickly as possible so she wouldn't get wet. Suddenly the busdriver said to her "Stay out there on the curb". My friend replied "Could you please let us on the bus so we can get out of the rain?" The busdriver answered "I don't really care if you get wet...that's not my problem." In the busdriver's mind he had his own system for how people should board and exit his bus. The passengers waiting to get on the bus had no idea what was going on. After a little commotion all safely boarded the bus. My friend could not shake the thoughts of how she had been treated by the busdriver. I met her shortly before she entered her place of employment, and she said to me "This has just about ruined my whole day." She was shaking with anger. Upon hearing the story I replied "Every morning each one of us go about our day...the chances of everything going according to plan every time is close to impossible. To expect it is not being realistic." All of a sudden a look of relief came over her face...her expectation and the pressure she had put on herself had been lowered. She said to me "Thanks for listening...I guess I may have blown things out of proportion."...and I replied "Don't we all?"

Most of us wear all kinds of armor everyday to deflect the arrows that are shot at us. There is tremendous strength in having the right outlook and protection against the forces that try to hurt us. Yet sometimes because of how we react to things the forces can be internal. There are many things we don't have any control over....but our outlook and determination to fight on, that we do have a say in. Deflecting those arrows that seem to strike at the worst moments is one of the keys to finding inner peace and happiness. It's so important that we find and maintain the love and compassion within us, which really can give us the strongest armor of all. That is why in life you can never have too much Love and too much Tranquility. It may come from prayer, a loved one, or a close friend. Wherever the source, breathe it in...our bodies and souls cannot get enough.

Take the time to love, fellow warriors,

Jennifer Avalon

Every morning each one of us go about our day...the chances of everything going according to plan every time is close to impossible. To expect it is not being realistic.

Real Love
8 May 1998

We've all experienced emotions from people under the disguise of Love. As children, many of us were chastised, sometimes as we were told "This is for your own good." Well, in many cases it is left up to the discretion of parents and loved ones to decide what discipline is needed and under what circumstances it applies. Some parents do a wonderful job...they provide the foundation and atmosphere needed to stimulate growth and personal well-being, but others, I'm afraid, as many of us know, have no idea how to raise children. In our society we learn from experiences....the giving and receiving of Love in life is something that we accumulate along the way. If the Love is positive it sends us off on a path that can be both rewarding and enlightening. If the disguised Love is negative, we enter a doorway of abuse and torment. These are the two main roadways we travel upon in life. As we continue on our journey, depending on the roadway traveled the weather either becomes clearer or stormier.

As we enter adolescence our exposure to Love expands. Many of us fall in and out of Love throughout our teenage years...those memories, for myself included, are carried with us all through our lives. All of these experiences are stored in memory banks within our minds...they are the pool of knowledge that we draw on to decide what is Love and what isn't. As we continue on our journey we constantly add and subtract to these files of memory...to better understand, from our perspective, what we truly are experiencing. This is all a wonderful picture if the knowledge and Love is powerful and positive. But problems start to arise with each successive negative experience. Our minds start having difficulties differentiating between the good and the bad. Therein lies, for many of us, the greatest challenge of life....how to learn from our experiences, retaining the positive and learning not to repeat the negative. This becomes more and more important as we evolve into developing new relationships and starting families of our own. The student becomes the teacher. Each teacher imparts knowledge from their own experience.

If we look at our cities, states, and countries many of the problems that exist have been brought about in one form or another by the lack of Real Love. Pockets of people searching for reasons why they feel in pain and alone. Their anger and sadness convinces them to strike out at the society that they feel has abandoned them. Yes there are rules and laws we all have to learn to live by, but a wounded heart has a hard time hearing any message. Take care of those you love, offer help when needed, give from the heart. This is how the seeds of Real Love are planted. You know, not only are germs and disease contagious....but the spores of Real Love can travel far and wide....across many borders and boundaries. In the words of John Lennon, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one....I hope someday you will join us, and the world will live as one."

Take the time to love

Jennifer Avalon

Not only are germs and disease contagious....but the spores of Real Love can travel far and wide....across many borders and boundaries.

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