With Gratitude and Thanksgiving

I can feel the autumn in my bones these days.  The changing colors of leaves that drop and crunch under my feet, releasing that bittersweet smell of changing seasons.  At Shalom Mountain, I can also feel the changing seasons as we are immersed in the task of clarifying and developing  the structures and community of people who are holding and serving so deeply our beloved Shalom Mountain. 
The process for me has been one of both moments of excitement and possibility and also moments of confusion and fear.  I so fiercely want to protect her that sometimes I hold too tight and sometimes I struggle to see the way forward.  And yet, the seasons themselves continue to turn the wheel on their own time.  Shalom also is embracing her own evolution and as I watch her changing leaves and see her strong and steady trunk and branches, I know that I am, as we all are, an integral part of who she is and who she is becoming as we face into the coming season.
One of the changes that we have at Shalom Mountain are new faces and presences in the residential community.  These souls have come to serve the Mountain at this time and they bring with them many gifts of time, energy and skill and much commitment to the service of Shalom. To give you the opportunity to get to know them a little more, we are featuring them in this issue of Mountain Matters.

Many blessings to each of you as you turn the wheel this autumn!