Fall 1993

SOME ENDINGS, MORE BEGINNINGS

At the writing of this newsletter we have just had the first frost of the season. It was a
hard one and we're not sure if the late blooming tomatoes will survive. Not to worry! The garden was bounteous this year thanks to the never ending energy of Jack toiling in the dirt and to the help of many other hands. Our cook for workshops, Linda Craner, has been creating great vegetarian dishes for our workshops from the garden fare.

As the frost comes and the sun sets earlier each night, we look upon new beginnings. The Fall always seems to be the "start" of the year. For participants at Tesserville, we have been exploring The Days of Awe - the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipper - a time of return, remembrance and moving on. For all those in tune with the ancient Jewish calendar, Happy 5754!

Here at Tesserville we are also creating some new beginnings. As reported in our last newsletter, the workshop is under way for renovation. Vince and Meadow Woodworks are busy renovating the space into a comfortable counseling room. Jack will be using this space for sessions, freeing the Farm House from sessions taking place in the living room. We are very excited about this new beginning and we're hoping everyone who had to be aware of session in the Farm house will also be pleased. Since that space has always been called "the Workshop" it probably will continue as such. Maybe we should have a contest to name that space? Maybe not.

Not a total beginning, but certainly a direction we see ourselves moving in, is more individual retreats. Many people recently have been requesting private retreat time at Tesserville. We see this as a wonderful way for the facility being used to its fullest capacity. Folks can come for 1-5 nights depending on availability. A person might stay just to have a private time and experience the beauty of Tesserville or schedule sessions with Jack, Fred or Donna. If you are interested in creating "sacred time" for yourself please contact the Center.

We use the phrase "sacred time" because with the Fall, this is usually one of the busiest times of the year for people. We at Tesserville are always encouraging people to make time for themselves for prayer, creation and renewal. We believe these retreats are a vehicle for this to happen. We see the direction of the retreats being such a vital and new part of the structure of things that we are even planning to add to our name! With the new brochure the plan is for our name to be: "IAM Counseling and Retreat Center".

This brings us to the update on the brochure. Since all of our past and current clients know what Tesserville is about, we found that is was not cost effective to send out a brochure that contained our "philosophy" and the kinds of programs we offer every year. This year we are creating a brochure that has all this information in it that will be sent to new interested people.

HOW TO BE AN ARTIST - Writer: Anonymous, Submitted by: Peggy Rezak

Stay loose. Learn to watch snails. Plant impossible gardens. Invite someone dangerous
to tea. Make little signs that say yes! And post them all over your house. Make friends with freedom and uncertainty. Look forward to dreams. Cry during movies. Swing as high as you can on a swing set, by moonlight. Cultivate moods. Refuse to "be responsible". Do it for love. Take lots of naps. Give money away. Do it now. The money will follow. Believe in magic. Laugh a lot. Celebrate every gorgeous moment. Take moonbaths. Have wild imaginings, transformative dreams, and a perfect calm. Draw on the walls. Read everyday. Image yourself magic. Giggle with children. Listen to old people. Open up. Drive in. Be free. Bless yourself. Drive away fear. Play with everything. Entertain your inner child. You are innocent. Build a fort with blankets. Get wet. Hug trees. Write love letters.

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
PRAYER FOR MY INNER CHILDREN
By Anne Jordan
July 25, 1993

To My Inner Children, who were always vulnerable
and seldom able to be safe,
I offer you the gift of protection.

To the Shattered Child,
I offer you understanding.

To the child who went deaf,
I offer you quiet voices, soft steps, sounds of
nature, music or just solitude without threats.

To the Story-telling Child,
I offer time for expression, again.

To the hidden Mystical Child,
I offer the gift of visibility, acceptance and trust.

To the confused frightened one,
I offer the gift of processing new information.

To the emotionally shamed Child,
I offer the gift of feeling all feelings
without the restriction of criticism, fear
or manipulation, ridicule or violence.

Sad one,
I offer you the gift of tears.

To the Child of conformity,
I offer you gift of risk taking.

To the Child of neglect,
I offer you enough attention.

To the Hyper Vigilant Child,
I offer you the gift of relaxation in the present moment.

Unwanted Lost Child,
I offer you love and a permanent home.

Untouchable One,
I offer you the gift of connections.

To the Battered Child,
I offer you the gift of consideration and nurturing touch.

To the Child of Guilt,
I offer you relationship with Jesus.

To the devastated Hopeless One,
I offer the gift of hope and new beginnings.

Shy, Modest, Silent Child,
I offer you the gift of your space,
confidence and the ability to say no.

To the Child who looses her breath,
I offer you the gift of coordination and reassurance.

Day after day I cope with your pain stored in the body.

Lord, I need your help with my Inner Children. I need you to
intercede with special blessings. I need the gift of acceptance
and most of all the ability to trust in myself again, in order to
restore inner harmony and relieve the tensions.

I thank you Lord that you have heard my prayer and answered me.

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