<p> The Alliance of Divine Love Newsletter March, 2016</p><p>National Office: 828-388-2102</p><p>Your Monthly ADL National and Chapter News</p><p>Each month, the Alliance of Divine Love updates you with information about the activities of the ADL, both from the national perspective and from those of the individual chapters, including submissions for publication by our ordained ministers and students.</p><p>Co-Founder Rev. Dr. Barbara Selwa "title" April, 2016 Dear Ones: Your loving sister, StAOR</p><p>President's Message: Rev. Jo Ann "Elf" Pessagno Dearest fellow ministers, Love and hugs,</p><p>Elf</p><p>Report from the National ADL Office by Rev. Pamela Meyer Crissey and Rev. Analisa Domenica Yours, in the greatest degree of love, Pamela and Analisa ADL National Office 707 Brooklyn Ave. Hendersonville, NC 28792 NEW PHONE NUMBER: 828-388-2102 "title" Rev. Randy Fillmore, ADL National Ombudsman Blessings along the path. Rev Randy Fillmore</p><p>...</p><p>CHAPTER REPORTS</p><p>Carolinas Chapter Dear Lovely Fellow Seekers :) President: Rev. Dona Menz V.P.: Rev. Ann Keesler Treasurer: Rev. Pam Crissey Secretary: Rev. Candace Lewis</p><p>The Florida Chapter In love and light, Rev. Dr. Bonnie Barnes-Kelley Rev. Dr. Stephanie Josephs, President 47-421-3352. [email protected] Rev. Dr. Bonnie Barnes-Kelley, Co-Vice President 352-213-5378 cell, 352-336-5410 home. [email protected] Rev. Lindsay Babich, Co-Vice President 561-596-2727. [email protected] Rev. Dr. Ann DeCoeur, Secretary 954-675-7592. [email protected] Rev. Blanca Ibenia Aguilar, Treasurer 954-326-1173. [email protected] Rev. Al Byrd, BOT, one-year term 407-249-7247. [email protected] Rev. Coleen Haney, BOT, two-year term 561-6862. [email protected]</p><p>Heartland Chapter No news to report at this time. President: Rev. Mary Gibson McCoy, V.P.: Rev. Gregory L. McCoy, Secretary: Rev. Dr. Kara Hawkins, and Treasurer: Rev. Marci Reardon Mid-Atlantic Chapter No news to report at this time. Tennessee River Valley Chapter No news to report at this time. President: Rev. Eve Robinson 423-794-9376 VP: Rev. Janet E. Busvek Secretary: Rev. Lisa Gilchrist Treasurer: Rev. Kay McClain-Davis Past President, Rev. Dr. Linda Marie Nelson</p><p>Your Board of Trustees Please feel free to email or call us with your concerns or suggestions. Rev. Dr. Jo Ann "Elf" Pessagno, President - 301-204-2525 Rev. Dr. Wanda Beebe, Vice President - 423-718-3757 Rev. Shellie Enteen, Secretary - 864-877-8450 Rev. Charlotte McGinnis, Treasurer - 828-697-1556 Rev. Dr. Linda Marie Nelson, 615-653-5387 Rev. Lorri Gliner, 561-313-8725</p><p>Your Chapter Presidents Rev. Dona Menz, Carolinas Chapter - 828-808-2984 Rev. Michael Tobolski, Mid-Atlantic Chapter - 540-657-4324 Rev. Jane Gray-Ford, Florida Chapter - 561-827-3319 Rev. Mary McCoy, Heartland Chapter - 816-737-5979 Rev. Eve Robinson, Tennessee Chapter - 423-794-9376 Ministers' Submissions</p><p>Wake Up! A Call to Action Tanya Tiger, Student Minister Tanya Tiger, LCSW, is a creative and fiery soul who dreams of a world where everyone is free to be their authentic selves. In addition to being a wife, mother, social worker, and writer, she is in the process of becoming an inter-faith Minister through the ADL. Tanya decided to pursue this path after the unexpected death of her youngest daughter, Kristin, in 2014. It was in her darkest hour that she vowed to live in her daughter’s honor and carry on her legacy of Love. Through writing, Intuitive readings, and counseling, Tanya strives to be of the highest service to the Divine and to manifest the Greatest Degree of Love in all that she does. It is Tanya’s heartfelt hope to inspire people through her writing and to show that strength can be found in vulnerability, that a person can survive the worst kind of pain, and that there is always a choice when we are faced with tragedy. --- There is a great unfolding happening right now. Anyone who is paying attention, or has accessed their gifts, can sense the shift that is taking place. I almost said “beginning to take place” but this has been in the works for some time. I am not sure why this Awakening is accelerating now, only that it is, and I am being called by “Big D” (my pet name for the Divine Source) to be fully present and participate. There is no sitting on the sidelines this time around. I’ve never been one to feel “powerful” or like I could really “change the world” and maybe that’s part of the problem… very few people do feel like they can have any significant impact on the world around them. I’m beginning to see that the secret, if you want to call it that, is that each one of us has the power to make changes but when we come together we create waves of change… a positive force to be reckoned with. Recently I was made aware of the role I am to play in this “Awakening”. I have been asked to utilize my gifts as a counselor/healer, artist/writer and Interfaith Minister/Priestess to effect change. I am being asked to guide others so that they may find the path best suited to their purpose in this lifetime. I am being asked to help others find their own, personal, and unique connection to the Divine. I am being asked to do all of this because, in order for people to change the world, they need to feel like they can and they need to know that they are supported in their endeavors to do so. The end result of this ‘unfolding’ is going to be beyond beautiful. It is truly sacred and profound. It is an honor to be alive right now and to be a part of it all. I am not alone in this venture… far from it. There is a tribe out there… a network of Souls who are tuned into the same “frequencies” as me. They are being asked to complete tasks as well. Some may be tapped to perform the same function as me, while others will be tapped to provide something that only they can offer this world. We each hold within us a sacred and special gift. It has been ours since birth but it can only be made manifest when we truly believe in ourselves and our abilities. It begins and ends with recognizing our worth. Society has led many to believe that they do not deserve anything better than what they currently have. Some are told that they don’t even deserve the little they do possess. In the most appalling situations people are told that they don’t even deserve to exist. Many cultures have been confronted with images of opulence. They are then made to believe that this level of luxury equals true success and THAT is what they should strive to achieve. Many attempt to do so at the expense of their Souls. People are then forced onto sides of “have” and “have-nots”. We are told that we must battle one another to prove who is more worthy and deserving of happiness. If only we could take a step back and see that it is all an illusion. I am by no means saying that poverty, starvation, genocide, murder, etc. are not occurring… of course they are. To pretend otherwise is to be blind. These atrocities are the physical manifestation of the negative emotions created by the illusion of separateness. If we took a moment to stand back we would see that, at the core of every human being is a simple desire… to be happy and to feel fulfilled. People adopt as many definitions of Happiness and Fulfillment as there are stars in the sky. Each person holds their idea of happiness and fulfillment in their hearts and they begin life with the goal of achieving those basic desires. Some begin life with very little and start by seeking shelter and food. A roof over their head and food in their stomachs would equal happiness and fulfillment for them, at that moment in time. Over time, their definitions expand to incorporate visions of stability, employment, enough money to send themselves and/or their children to school. With even more time their vision expands beyond basic needs to include dreams of pursuing their passions, such as art or traveling. There are those who start off with a bit more in life and their definitions of happiness and fulfillment begin with big dreams, such as becoming president or making the world a better place. For every person, there exists a unique definition of happiness and vision for a life of fulfillment. Problems arise when people who are born into poverty, or an oppressive culture, are told either plainly, or subliminally, that they are not worthy of the things that would make them happy or fulfilled. While the Soul is resilient and strong beyond measure, the human psyche is not built to absorb messages like that… it turns on itself or on others leading to inner- and outer-conflicts. These conflicts may lead to addiction, depression, aggression, and even a life of crime. All of these only serve to reinforce the idea that they are not worthy of happiness and fulfillment. If they had been given a chance at the start… if someone had stepped in and said, “yes, you are worthy of happiness and fulfillment, let me show you the way”, how different their lives might have been. Keeping in mind the idea of offering someone the message “you are worthy”… a way to immediately bring some positive change into our lives begins with our daily interactions with people. A smile or nod of acknowledgement can go a long way. Never underestimate the power of making someone feel “seen”. So much healing could be done, and so many misunderstandings prevented, if we would just take the time to see past what’s on the surface to what is really going on within the people around us. If we could pause long enough to see the pain when someone, seemingly from nowhere, lashes out at us, rather than the illusion of anger… If we could take the time to see the sadness in the person who seems aloof and withdrawn, rather than assuming that they believe themselves to be “too good for us” or just plain rude… If we could see the numbness and disillusionment, caused by years of hardship and a lack of love, in the eyes of the woman who sells her body or the boy who slings drugs on the corner, rather than assume that they chose that life or they “must have done something to deserve the life they’re living”… we could have such a powerful and positive effect in the lives of so many. The power to change the way things are belongs solely to each individual. When we take a moment to expand our perspective, to remember a time when we hurt another because we were hurting, or a time when we closed ourselves off because it hurt too much to put ourselves out there, we are allowing acceptance and connectedness to occur. We are making room for humanity to become what it was always meant to be. That is to say, humanity as a whole is inherently flawed, not because it is how we were created but, rather, because it is the reality we have created for ourselves. We have brought to life our own fears, our own demons, and our own worst nightmares. We run away from tragedy and poverty as if it is contagious. We shy away from anyone “not like us” because we have been taught that different equals “bad” or “wrong”. We have allowed ourselves to be cordoned off from one another. We have bought into the lie of “not enough to go around” so we hoard resources while others starve, freeze, or die of thirst. We blame one another for the conditions of this world but never turn the blame on ourselves. We are all guilty by association because we have stood by and done nothing. Many, including myself, have talked a good game but when it came time to act… we didn’t. Personally, I cannot continue existing in this world, turning a blind eye to what is happening. I choose to be awake. I choose to stare the pain, the ugliness, and the mass-illusions in the face and tell them that their time is running out. They are no longer welcome here. They are not needed nor are they wanted. I will stand my ground and I will show them that they no longer hold power here. The Love I feel, and the hope I carry in my heart, are far stronger than the fear that permeates the air. I believe that things can change for the better. If every person born into this world was instantly shown Love, patience, compassion, and forgiveness… if they were provided stability and a roof over their head, food to eat, clothes to wear, and a way to support themselves… if they were told that it is their Divine right to be happy – but never at another’s expense… can you imagine the beautiful world we would create? Every person would have a place. Every person would be free to discover, and then live, their purpose. Every person would be provided the same opportunities as every other person. Ideas would be shared rather than hidden and fought over. Great masterpieces of art, music, and writing would be created and shared with the world, openly. People would want to share their gifts with others, to teach them and guide them so that they too could hone their skills and pass them on. Generation after generation would honor the ones that came before and the ones who will follow. People would strive not just to maintain the status quo but to expand, make better, and connect rather than to divide what is discovered and created. Trust would be innate because we would all recognize the importance of our connection to one another, to the Source, and to the planet. We would exist as a World Tribe rather than separate islands in space and time which compete to be better than the rest. We would be unified and stand as one, triumphant. This may seem like just a vision of an idealistic dreamer, and maybe it starts there. But, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is possible and it’s vital to our survival as a species. The world is changing. People are “waking up” to the realization that reality does not match the illusion we’ve been sold. When one of us hurts, we all hurt. When one of us is victorious, we all experience victory. When one of us wrongs another we are both the victim and the perpetrator. We may each live individual lives but there is no denying that we are all connected. Just look at the impact of the stock market or politics, no matter the nation of origin. When a ripple happens in one place it is felt everywhere. How many of us turn off the news because we don’t want to see stories of people being slaughtered or children starving? How many go about our days without ever giving a thought to the numbers of species disappearing from the planet every day? How many people eat and drink without giving a moments consideration of what they’re putting into their bodies, the sacrifices made to provide that sustenance, or the people out there who don’t have anything to eat? Eventually you realize that the problems don’t go away simply because you turn the TV off or ignored them. In fact, the opposite tends to be true. The problems get bigger, the voices louder, and the cries for help keep coming. So, if not now, when? If not us, who? Right now exists a tribe of people who feel this message in their bones. It is time to tear down the walls that separate us. It is time to dissolve the illusions we’ve been fed. It is time to come together, as one united force, in the name of Love and for the sake of humanity. We are all worth saving. We are all worthy of Love. We are all deserving of a life of happiness and fulfillment. We are not alone! Every Soul on this planet needs to hear that message... “You are not alone!” What kind of world do you want to live in? Now, what are you willing to do to make it a reality? Change begins with you, and with me, and with every beating heart out there. I’m ready to take a stand. Will you stand with me?</p><p>THE SKY PICTURE, April 2016 by Rev. Linda Bender</p><p>TABERNACLE OF THE STARS By Rev. Joy "Aphrodette" Gambon, ADL (For more detail for each sign – visit my website at www.aphrodette.com) Oh how the beauty of the stars, the movements of the planets and Lights and the revolution of the Earth has mystified man through the ages! How blessed are the wonders of Creation.</p><p>APRIL OVERVIEW LUNATIONS</p><p>Submission Guidelines Speak from your heart. Speak your truth. Tell us a story or an experience. Write a poem. This is your place, your time, to shine! Enjoy! PLEASE SEND ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO: ADL National Office The Alliance of Divine Love, Inc. 707 Brooklyn Ave., Hendersonville, NC 28792 New Telephone 828-388-2102</p>