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From the Introduction

The call to awaken has been sent. The saints and sages who walked this earth in previous centuries beckon us to enter into greater awareness of our lives and how we are living them. They encourage us, by their example, to explore and deepen our relationship with the Divine. The call is still being issued today by visionary men and women who boldly speak of abandoning old ways of being, to live authentic Spirit-filled lives. God Itself whispers (and sometimes shouts) for us to wake up and pay attention to who we are, what we honor and where we are going. To remember our divine nature and capabilities. To align ourselves with a sacred calling.

“The call” comes when we have an awareness, a sense that a veil is lifting to show us ourselves as we are and as we can be. It is a call you have most likely already received, because the act of reading this book, of holding it in your hands, is part of that process. It may be a feeling of dissatisfaction with what is or is not, a desire to know more than what is visible to your eyes. It is what my mentor, Sue Patton Thoele calls, “a deep and holy hunger.”

The Divine encourages us to begin the journey inward. This is a most daunting task because for too long we have been taught that the answers we seek are outside of ourselves. With this teacher, that seminar, those books. To believe that all the answers we search for so painstakingly are found inside of us seems a ridiculous notion, for what could we possibly know? We are ordinary people struggling with Universal Truths. Surely, the solutions to our dis-ease are out there somewhere! Nothing could be further from the truth.

Within each of us is a small, divine spark, a glimmer of God Itself. By spending time with and nurturing this glint of divinity, our spirit, we come into greater contact with the Transcendent, deepening our relationship, engaging in communication and communion. Through our inner journey, we come to know ourselves within a sacred framework, and in so doing, experience first-hand the presence of our Source.

In this book, Awakening the Spirit Within, I offer reflections on 10 keys that will unlock the doorway to your spirit, delivering you to the portals of God’s own heart. These 10 keys are ways of seeing and being in the world, forming the core of a daily spiritual practice and lifestyle. They serve as stepping stones on the inner pathway which leads to self-realization, and, if we hold true to where they lead, God-realization.

The ponderings I offer you are randomly delivered throughout this text. There is no order or sequence to their presentation. I suggest that whenever you are moved to seek guidance, haphazardly choose a page to peruse, knowing you will be innately guided to the one you need at that exact moment. If you seek deeper insight into one of the 10 keys specifically, the index at the close of the book can indicate where to find it throughout the text. Allow your inner guidance system to lead you through these musings. It will take you where you need to go.

And so the call has been issued. Will you come forward and discover who you are and who you are not? If you choose to answer the summons, that loud knock on the door of your heart, be prepared to risk all you hold dear. You will leave old life ways behind, embarking on a bold, new journey to awakened living. My prayer is that the words penned here in this little volume will provide sustenance for your journey, food for your soul, and the courage to go the distance. Spirit awaits.

Abundant Blessings,

Jan Forrest

March 2000