An Invitation to Share

George Sifri MD

Description

A book that uses questions, exercises, and real-life stories to guide readers to discover and to cling to spiritual truths that give peace in the midst of turmoil.
When we take the time to reflect on our life experiences in a setting of stillness, we find ourselves opening our hearts and minds to the unseen. We begin to better understand our spiritual journey, to feel more connected with love, and to sense a oneness with the universe. We come to see meaning and beauty in our experiences and to hold sacred our individual truths.
As we continue along this path, we develop an increased awareness of who we are and why we are here. We move into a limitless world of peace, joy, and love.
An Invitation to Share is meant to help readers with such an undertaking by leading them back to their own truths through questions, exercises, and accompanying true stories. By identifying, embracing, and living our truths, we come to follow our own path to peace ... we come to lead richer, more fulfilled lives.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Awareness
• Appreciation
• Spirituality
• Energy
• Truth
• Énergie
• Religion
• Empowerment
• Love
• Spirit

Informations

• Publié par: Archway Publishing
• Date de parution: 07 novembre 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781480834095
• Langue: English

Extrait

Also by George Sifri
A Path to Peace
In Stillness









An Invitation to SHARE
The Companion Guide to A Path to Peace


George Sifri, MD with Contributions by David Sifri









Copyright © 2016 George Sifri, M.D.
David Sifri

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.




Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.archwaypublishing.com
844-669-3957

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-3407-1 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4808-3408-8 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-4808-3409-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016913122



Archway Publishing rev. date: 11/04/2022












Her appreciation arose from the depths of her being
Her prayers were offered with tenderness and innocence

Her faith was rich with mystical wonder
Her truth tempered by a loving heart




Thanks for everything, Mom
I love you















It is through the sharing of our most personal spiritual experiences that we will come to fully appreciate the beauty of the divine within and around us. For each of us has a sacred and meaningful piece of the puzzle.



CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction
It All Begins with Awareness
CHAPTER 1 Can We Be Spiritual and Not Know It?
CHAPTER 2 What Is Spirituality?
CHAPTER 3 Spirituality Is a Feeling
CHAPTER 4 We Need to Find Our Own Spiritual Path
CHAPTER 5 We Foster Spirituality through Appreciation
CHAPTER 6 Spirituality Amid the Joy of Laughter
My Path to Peace
CHAPTER 7 On the Wings of Love
CHAPTER 8 The Power of Spirit
CHAPTER 9 The Story of My Journey
Quieting the Noise
CHAPTER 10 Spiritual Love Beckons; We Need Only Listen
CHAPTER 11 Trust Your Intuition
CHAPTER 12 Ask Yourself, “Is This Thought Love-Based or Fear-Based?”
CHAPTER 13 Fear Is an Opportunity
CHAPTER 14 We Quiet Our Fears through Trust
CHAPTER 15 Does Spiritual Love Judge?
Peace through Love
CHAPTER 16 We Must Learn to Love Ourselves
CHAPTER 17 Guilt Remembers
CHAPTER 18 True Love Begins with Self-Love
CHAPTER 19 The Unloving Actions of Others Are Not Personal
CHAPTER 20 When We Look for the Best in Others, We Find It
CHAPTER 21 Reaching Out
CHAPTER 22 Love Is Present in the Now
Connecting with God
CHAPTER 23 We Are One with Nature
CHAPTER 24 We Connect through Feelings
CHAPTER 25 When We Feel Unease, It Is Time to Reconnect
CHAPTER 26 The Intimate Connection of Prayer
Find and Express Your Truths
CHAPTER 27 Life Gives Us the Opportunity to Express Who We Are
CHAPTER 28 Live Your Passion
CHAPTER 29 Tell the Universe Your Truths
CHAPTER 30 Give What You Would Like to Receive
CHAPTER 31 Empower Yourself and Others
Staying Connected through Adversity
CHAPTER 32 Pain Is Not Suffering
CHAPTER 33 Grief Is a Feeling of Separation from Love
CHAPTER 34 Forgiveness Is Love
CHAPTER 35 Be True to Yourself
CHAPTER 36 Courage Enables Us to Soar
CHAPTER 37 Our Spiritual Journey Is Just Beginning
Surrendering to God
CHAPTER 38 Somewhere … A Miracle Is Unfolding
CHAPTER 39 Beyond the Ephemeral
CHAPTER 40 Embarking on a Mystical Journey
CHAPTER 41 Reaching for the Summit By David Sifri
CHAPTER 42 A Ray of Light Pierces the Darkness
CHAPTER 43 And the Truth Shall Set You Free By David Sifri

About The Authors



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
“How does one ask a good question?”
This was largely the topic of my daughter’s college honor’s thesis.
Although by Suzanne’s senior year I had been working on An Invitation to Share for approximately ten years, her exploration of this area was pivotal in helping me to gain a greater understanding of how to ask a meaningful question. As we shared our thoughts and experiences with one another in a setting of wonder and excitement, I came to better appreciate the potential within this marvelous tool.
So I offer my thanks to this passionate girl who inspires me with her energy, courage, and insatiable curiosity.




Love ~ Truth ~ Faith
INTRODUCTION
An Invitation to Share is written with the intention of leading readers back to their own truths. It is composed of questions (reflections) and exercises (suggestions) along with some accompanying true stories. Please feel free to focus on those aspects of the guide that you find most meaningful.
Some of the questions and exercises in the various chapters are similar. This is by design.
I believe our world is more interesting when we share our thoughts and experiences with one another. This guide is intended to lend itself to such interaction if the reader feels so inclined.
Please note that the words God, the divine, the eternal, and spirit are used interchangeably throughout the text.

With love and peace,
George Sifri













We walk along a path
Guided by our intuition
Wondering what lies ahead

As we rest for a moment
We ponder the meaning of life
Only to find that
The truth lies within



PART I
It All Begins with Awareness



CHAPTER 1
Can We Be Spiritual and Not Know It?
We often meet people who exude love but do not consider themselves to be spiritual. This provides us with the opportunity to reflect on how we individually view and define spirituality.
REFLECTIONS
1. Do you consider yourself to be a spiritual individual? How would you define such an individual?
2. Can you describe some of the most spiritual people you have ever met? What separates these people from other individuals?
3. How do your values/beliefs affect the way in which you live your life?
4. If we are all a part of the divine, are we all spiritual? Consider this question as you read the following story.

Surrounded by steam, I slowly lowered myself into the bathtub. I allowed myself to drift as I sank into the enveloping warmth and wetness.
The bathtub was bordered on three sides by twelve inches of off-white tile rich with grayish-golden streaks. A one-inch ribbon of rectangular tiles accented by elevated braids ran midway through the tiles, adding a softness to the coldness of the surface.
On one corner of the ledge that encircled the bathtub sat a brightly burning, ten-inch white candle. The bathroom blinds were closed, the candle providing most of the light in the room.
As I watched the candle closely, I noticed the flame constantly changing shape and intensity. It would flicker from left to right, brighten and dim, and take on multiple shapes and sizes, all within a span of seconds. When I looked at the tiles around the candle, I could see a slightly clouded reflection of the flame, wavering like the original but lacking its definition—the detail in the elevated tiles further obscuring the flame’s reflection.
I also noticed that the light radiating onto the tiled wall never fell below the level of the flame itself; the thick wax of the candle eliminated the transmission of any of the fire’s nuance to the surrounding tile. Yet as I gazed directly at the candle, I could see the light from its flame penetrating its wax, causing the top third of it to appear brighter—allowing me to see farther into its depth.
With time, I came to see the burning candle as the light within each of us and the surrounding tiles to be the universe. As we look toward the universe, we see the reflection of the light on the tiles. Although an image of the candle can be glimpsed from this perspective, the true splendor of the flame cannot. The light is less intense outside the candle. There are more shadows.
On the other hand, if we look directly at the candle, we are able to appreciate the flame itself: its striking array of colors, its wavering height, the mystical nature of its fire, the peacefulne