Interfaith Spirit Quest

Kuroshio Sea - Gorgeous Aquarium Video and Music

Beautiful, ...no spectacular video filmed in HD at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan.  Click on the arrows in the lower right hand corner of the video for full screen.  It almost feels like you're right there.  Enjoy!

Give video a few seconds to load for optimum playback.

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

Would you like to have an image from the on your desktop?  Download the big fish tank wallpaper on Flickr.

Guardians of Being - New Book by Eckhart Tolle due out Sep - Oct 2009

Do you like Eckhart Tolle?  He has a new book coming out in September or October of 2009 called "Guardians of Being", with illustrations by Patrick McDonnell.

“Everything natural, every flower or tree, and every animal have important lessons to teach us….”     Eckhart Tolle

Pre-order the book here:  Guardians of Being

Guardians of Being book description: 

"This wonderfully unique collaboration brings together two masters of their fields, joining original words by spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle with delightful illustrations by Patrick McDonnell, the creator of the acclaimed comic strip MUTTS. Every heartwarming page provokes thought, insight, and smiling reverence for all beings and each moment.

More than a collection of witty and charming drawings, the marriage of Patrick McDonnell's art and Eckhart Tolle's words conveys a profound love of nature, of animals, of humans, of all life-forms. Guardians of Being celebrates and reminds us of not only the oneness of all life but also the wonder and joy to be found in the present moment, amid the beauty we sometimes forget to notice all around us."

Thinking, Feeling and Doing = Better Chance for Success

What often holds us back in life sometimes is our inability to incorporate these three qualities into our being: 

Thinking - Feeling - Doing

Thinking, feeling and doing are critical thinking skills.  Some of us think and do, some of us feel and do.  Some of us DO and then think - you know 'shoot first, ask questions later'!  (guilty) :) Sometimes, things get done this way, but positive, long-lasting progress is most likely to occur when we think, feel and do.  So...it's not think, do, feel (you'll just feel bad).  It's not do, think, feel (you'll just wonder what happened).  It's think, feel and do, the feeling is anticipated in advance of the doing which creates the possibility for the best outcome.

Thinking is the practical way to approach a task, being happy or content (or some other positive quality) with the expected outcome is the feeling element necessary for success, and of course 'doing' is the implementation, or action, of the thinking and feeling. 

Adding feeling to our thinking and doing may also be considered the spiritual element, for unless this 'feeling' element is of a higher nature, nothing good is likely to come of it ultimately.

    "The fundamental method of acquiring knowledge is observation, or watching.  We watch our thoughts and feelings to know what goes on in our own minds; we watch the actions of others to draw conclusions concerning their thoughts and feelings."  E.W. (E. W. Scripture aka Edward Wheeler)

We must become more aware of what we're doing by observing our own actions and thought processes.  Are we really considering the consequences of our actions?  Do we care?  Are we content with the outcome and do we understand it's our own personal choices that cause the outcome?  Do we feel good about the outcome?

All together now.... Think, feel and do.  :)

Thinking (Critically) (Wisdom)

Feeling (Analytical) (Spiritual)

Doing (Action) (Progress)

This post was written in response to an article by Annette Hennekens - the original post can be viewed here: You Are A Spiritual Being Having A Delicious Human Experience

Interfaith Spirit Quest

The book advertised above, Thinking, Feeling, Doing, written by E. W. (E. W. Scripture aka Edward Wheeler) in 1895, is an out of copyright book and may be read online or downloaded for free on the Internet at this link:

Thinking, Feeling, Doing - PDF Download

Thinker's Guide to Analytic Thinking, by Linda Elder and Richard Paul:  This guide focuses on the intellectual skills that enable one to analyze anything one might think about - questions, problems, disciplines, subjects, etc. It provides the common denominator between all forms of analysis.

For the Analytic Thinking book advertised above, more information about Critical and Analytical Thinking Skills may be found on this fascinating website: 

Critical Thinking

 Thanks for stopping by! Have an inspirational day!

Best Kept Secret: World invited - Wisconsin Writer's Conference - Aug 23-28, 2009

What:  Wisconsin Writer's Conference

When:  August 23-28, 2009

Where:  Green Lake Conference Center in Green Lake, Wisconsin

Call:  920 294-3323

You've heard about those little best kept secret events and locations, right?  Well this is one of them, and just remember, you heard it here first! 

Do you like to write and relax? Would you like to spend a week with other writers in a gorgeous, peaceful setting on a beautiful Wisconsin lake learning and talking about writing? Fiction, non-fiction, inspirational, spiritual, humorous, song writing, and more!  And because this is Wisconsin's best kept secret, you'll be able to get quality time with the workshop and seminar presenters - even breaking bread with them at breakfast, lunch and dinner!  This is simply a must attend event for any English speaking writer anywhere in the world. 

If this appeals to you, then please plan to attend.  I will be attending and instructing a class for this Wisconsin Writer's Conference at the Green Lake Conference Center in Green Lake, WI from August 23-28, 2009. This is a week long event (Sun-Fri) designed to teach you how to improve your writing skills. You don't have to attend for the entire week, you can attend for just a day if you like. 

Take a mini vacation in this lovely, gorgeous, peaceful, jewel of a setting right on the lake! They serve fabulous meals in a gorgeous Dining Hall overlooking Green Lake - every meal is a buffet, plus snacks - no weight loss this week!

This event is billed as a Christian Writer's Conference - but is open to anyone who likes to write!  The workshops and seminars get right down to business.  The presenters come from a variety of backgrounds.  In the mornings and evenings, there are optional worship sessions to attend. 

There are panel discussions with the presenters in the evenings and a writer's banquet on the final night.  As I recall from last year, the workshops are designed to inspire a story or two out of you, which may then be presented at the writer's banquet, and there are awards/rewards/recognition.

Here are some of the afternoon classes scheduled for the week:

• Marshall Cook – Marketing Shorter Nonfiction Submissions; Marketing Longer Fiction & Nonfiction

• Sheila Hansen, Interfaith Minister (yours truly) - Writing on the Internet and Making It Profitable

• Rebecca Irwin-Diehl – Writing Dramatic Dialog

• John Lehman (highly recommended - I took his non-fiction workshop last year and it was top quality) - Brochures, Newsletters, Ads & Business Letters: How to Write So Readers Respond

• Mary Pierce – Humor Writing in a Memoir Style

• Carol Pierskalla – Writing for & Working with Older Adult Writers

• Cindi Umstadt & Laurie Wallace – Song Writing & Publishing

• Cassandra Williams – Writing Opportunities with National Ministries, ABCUSA

• Beth Ziarnik – Designing Your Own Web site; Writing for Anthologies

There will also be week long workshops held in the morning - you choose one class for the week. There are writing workshops on Fiction, Poetry, Non-Fiction, Inspirational, Curriculum, and Publishing.

(The above photo is the view of the Lakefront from the Dining Hall.)

For more details - see the PDF brochure flyer here:  (please give it a few seconds to load)

http://glcc.org/glcc/files/conferences/Christian%20Writers%20Conference%202009.pdf

You can also visit www.glcc.org and select 'conferences' and then look for the Christian Writers  Conference from August 23-28, 2009.

Call the Green Lake Conference Center to make a reservation at 920 294-3323.

Please let them know you were referred by InterfaithSpiritQuest.com !  Thanks for stopping by!