MIDWEEK MESSAGE – December 3, 2025
Living in the now is a powerful spiritual idea. I believe in it, but it’s sometimes hard to practice, especially when expecting a big event.
This Sunday, I leave for Paris and other European destinations for three weeks. It is something I have been looking forward to for a while, and as the time approaches, I find it harder to put into practice.
I’ve spent a lot of time organizing what I plan to bring, including planning, reorganizing, adding, and trimming down. I enjoy doing that because, to me, part of the joy of the journey is in the preparation. That way, instead of feeling like it’s a three-week trip, it feels more like a four-week one. So, next week, I will be writing my message in Paris. Jusque-là. Au revoir!
Quote of the Week
“Always hold fast to the present. Every situation, indeed every moment, is of infinite value, for it is the representation of a whole eternity.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Happy Thanksgiving
One of the things I am most thankful for is each of you who receives these messages I have been writing for over 20 years. Sending these weekly messages is one of my greatest joys, but it wouldn’t be possible without you.
Whatever is going on in your life, remember that gratitude is a practice that expands our spiritual life and helps us remember that, no matter what life gives us, there is always something for which to be grateful.
As the Buddha said:“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful”.
Let us make every day a Thanksgiving Day. Have a wonderful and safe holiday.
MIDWEEK MESSAGE – November 19, 2025
I’m not sure about you, but I have noticed that there are some people I’d rather be with than others. Primarily, it is due to their attitude. There are people who always seem to have a positive, loving, and kind attitude; they speak words of love and show acts of kindness and generosity, and these attitudes are contagious.
I recently read that it said, “Attitudes are contagious, is ours worth catching?” I love this because it is true that we should focus on our own attitudes rather than others’. Do I have an attitude that attracts others or repels others?
Instead of criticizing others’ attitudes, I should focus only on my own. It helps to wake up in the morning, check my attitude, and if it’s not what I want to project to others, make an attitude adjustment.
I cannot do this alone. When I wake up, I need to connect with the God of my understanding to see if my attitude aligns with what I want to carry into the day. Then, I set my intention for the day ahead—to be the person God created me to be. During the day, if I find that my actions are not aligned with my intention, I need to ask God for help in adjusting my attitude so that they are.
Also, throughout the day, I need to remember that I only have to worry about my attitude, not yours. When I focus inward instead of outward, I can grow and become someone I would want to be around, and hopefully, someone others want to be with as well.
Quote of the Week
“People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.”
John C. Maxwell
MIDWEEK MESSAGE – November 12, 2025
Last weekend, I finally visited Newport, R.I. I had wanted to go for years, but it had just never happened. So, I was really excited to finally arrive and eager to explore this charming town.
However, as Robert Burns said in a poem, To A Mouse, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”Or as another saying goes, “If you want to make God laugh, tell It your plans.” It was not only raining but also accompanied by lightning and thunder. As a result, the night we arrived, we saw and experienced very little.
Fortunately, the next morning got off to a better start. There was an AA meeting right across the street from our hotel. The rain held off in the morning, and we were able to walk down to the wharf and explore the surrounding area. After grabbing lunch, we finally reached the Cliffs, which had been on my must-do list.
The weather was foggy, but there was no rain; instead, a fine mist was present. Walking along the cliffs is a wonderful experience with the ocean on one side and stunning mansions on the other. The mist made it seem even more magical. Then it began to rain, but we were determined to finish. As the rain fell, the fog thickened, and the water nearly disappeared into the fog. It was a spectacular sight.
What could have been a moment to complain, give up, and feel miserable became an opportunity to accept things as they are, find the good in them, laugh, and be grateful for what is.
When we combine acceptance with gratitude for things as they are, we not only experience new discoveries but also grow spiritually.
Quote of the Week
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”
Melody Beattie
MIDWEEK MESSAGE – Novemeber 5, 2025
Are you a person of integrity? What is integrity? According to Google, it is “Integrity in a person means they have strong moral and ethical principles and consistently live by them, even when it’s difficult or no one is watching. This includes being honest, trustworthy, and accountable, and their actions align with their values. A person with integrity is reliable, sincere, and behaves honorably regardless of external pressure or personal gain.”
I don’t know about you, but integrity is a trait I think we all hope to possess. It’s helpful to understand integrity by examining someone who embodies it. A Bible character who demonstrated integrity was Joseph, from the book of Genesis in the Old Testament.
We can see that integrity is present in every part of his life. Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him, so they sold him into slavery, and Joseph began a life of hardship in a foreign land. However, Joseph had a strong faith in God and consistently lived with a deep trust in God, while also staying true to himself.
In Egypt, his integrity earned him a trusted role in Potiphar’s household. However, he was later imprisoned on a false charge after refusing Potiphar’s wife’s advances. Even while in prison, Joseph’s honesty allowed him to oversee other inmates, and eventually he gained the Pharaoh’s favor. The Pharaoh rewarded him and appointed him as one of his top advisors.
His integrity was clearly shown when he later forgave his brothers, opting for reconciliation instead of revenge, thus demonstrating a lifelong dedication to his faith.
When life is free of challenges, it’s easy to act with integrity. However, when hardships come, they reveal who truly lives with integrity. All the people I genuinely respect—whether famous or not, alive or deceased, well known or not—are people of integrity. I admire their integrity, and I pray to live like them with integrity in everything I do. I believe that if I do this, my life will be well lived.
Quote of the Week
“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”
Bob Marley
MIDWEEK MESSAGE – October 29, 2025
This past Sunday, I led a service at the Unity Center of Pittsburgh called “Stump the Minister.” It was an opportunity for people to ask me questions about Unity, spiritual topics, or myself. Some of the questions asked are things many of us wonder about in our own minds.
One of those questions was, “If God is good, why is there evil in the world?” My answer then and now is what I believe.
I believe that God is good, but human beings are often not. I believe that every person has moral, ethical, and spiritual laws and codes that guide us in how we live. Some people live in accordance with these, while some do not. When individuals do not, their lives often become filled with anger, hate, selfishness, dishonesty, and similar traits. Such people often avoid taking responsibility for their actions and instead blame others.
So, how can we make sure we live according to these moral codes and laws? One way is to connect with the inner voice that guides us. When we align with Divine Mind, we are led to follow these codes and laws.
To live in harmony with the world around us, as God intended, we must return to the principles given to us by our Higher Power, such as love, kindness, compassion, gratitude, and abundance.
To achieve that, we must spend time in conscious contact with God. In doing so, we become a force of good, a ray of light in this world.
Quote of the Week
“We create that bad among ourselves. We create it; then we try to call it the devil, Satan, or evil. But man creates it. There is no devil. Man creates the devil.”
Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA
MIDWEEK MESSAGE – October 22, 2025
Sometimes life can be difficult. It may seem like some people are lucky while others are not. But at some point, most people face challenges. I believe it’s not about luck but just a part of life. Still, I also think we are not defined by what happens to us but by how we respond.
I believe we exist from within, meaning the quality of our life relies not on external things but on what resides inside us. That is why some people allow life’s difficulties to shape who they are and how they respond, while others don’t let life’s challenges define them.
Such individuals can “walk through a storm,” yet they do so with dignity and grace. They continue to trust and believe in a loving God, keep serving anyone in need, and live life not filled with self-pity and anger but with a heart that consistently shows love and compassion despite their own pain.
I am blessed to know such people in my life. Even though it may seem they’ve been dealt a bad hand, they refuse to let it define them. They have been the greatest teachers, not by words but by how they live their lives.
Recently, a friend of mine lost her son. She had also previously lost her daughter. For many people, burying two children would be heartbreaking, yet my friend refuses to let life defeat her. Yes, she experiences moments of sadness, pain, and some anger, but what stands out to me is that she doesn’t allow those feelings to stop her from moving forward. She continues to trust in a loving and good God. When she faces dark times, her strength inspires everyone who knows her to do their best with their lives.
I believe these people are angels, and their challenges and how they handle them inspire others to believe they can do the same. What determines the quality of our lives is how we navigate life’s rough patches. We do not let our losses, injuries, or pain define us. We are more than that. We are created by a Creator who loves us, and by continuing to recognize that, even despite life’s setbacks, we too become an inspiration to others in our lives.
Quote of the Week
“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.”
Robert Louis Stevenson
MIDWEEK MESSAGE – Ocober 15, 2025
When you hear the word “prosperity,” what comes to mind? The dictionary lists related words like wealth, success, profitability, affluence, and opulence. In Unity, we often see prosperity as being abundant.
So, what does abundance mean? It refers to a very large or overflowing amount of something, indicating plentifulness, sufficiency, or even excess. For me, abundance means so much more. It is a rich, fulfilling inner life characterized by peace, joy, love, and a deep connection to God or the universe, rather than material possessions.
It signifies the “abundant life” Jesus spoke of, characterized by gratitude, trust, and generosity, along with the understanding that one has everything necessary for spiritual and personal growth.
Using that to explain abundance, I have found that people who genuinely live from such abundance usually have fewer possessions. What they do have is a deep connection to God, gratitude for what they possess, trust that they will always be okay, and a generous spirit.
One of the biggest fears many people have is financial insecurity. That means that even if they have the things they need, they live in fear of not having enough. When we have that fear, we can never truly feel satisfied because the fear of future scarcity takes away our joy and gratitude in the present moment.
However, when we truly believe that the Source of all we need is God and trust that Source to provide us with what we need (not necessarily what we want), we live and breathe in an abundant Universe, and the fear of financial insecurity is never a barrier to our joy and freedom.
Quote of the Week
“Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.”
Henry David Thoreau
MIDWEEK MESSAGE – October 8, 2025
Recently, I came across a simple method that predicts our destiny and the way our lives unfold, aiming to transform us into productive beings through our hopes, dreams, and desires.
A is for our attitude, how we perceive life. Years ago, a therapist told me that I had a choice in how I viewed life and that it shaped my experience because we see life from the inside out. I thought I had no choice, but through the spiritual path I have followed, I’ve realized I do have a choice.
We can choose to focus on the good in life and be happy, or dwell on the dark side and remain angry, sad, and overwhelmed by self-pity. To truly enjoy life and appreciate each day, we need to maintain a positive attitude.
B stands for behavior, which refers to how we act and what we do in our daily lives. We can choose to be kind and loving, serve others, and let gratitude be the main motivation behind our actions. In other words, it’s not just about saying we’re grateful while being driven by ego and consumed by selfishness. It is about gratitude in action—being kind, loving, nonjudgmental, and forgiving.
When we intentionally choose to live with A and B guided by the God within us, rather than our ego, we experience positive consequences (C).
These consequences can bring happiness, reward, and a carefree attitude. If our A and B are negative, we find ourselves living a negative life, never satisfied, and pushing others away through selfish actions.
Which road do you want to take in your life? Picking the right one is as simple as A, B, C.
Quote of the Week
“Our lives are fashioned by our choices. First, we make our choices. Then our choices make us.”
Anne Frank
MIDWEEK MESSAGE – October 1, 2025
I often say that I hope I never stop growing because if we are not growing and moving forward, then we become stagnant, and when that happens, we become like the Dead Sea because we have no inlet or outlet. I know I am growing when I am continually surprised by new insight into myself.
For years, I told the story that I had been an atheist before I started my spiritual journey. However, I recently realized that I had made a conscious decision not to believe because God was cruel and could not be trusted.
I believed that God would punish me for my wrongdoings, and it felt like I was always doing something wrong. It wasn’t until I reached a deep point of despair that I surrendered to “whatever” that I started to understand a God of love and compassion. That night, during my spiritual awakening, I discovered a God who was not judgmental, a God who cared about me, a God who only wanted my best, but led me toward my greater good.
The other day, I heard a speaker say that instead of inviting God into my life, I should invite myself into God. You see, when I ask for God’s will to be done in my life, what I’m often really asking is to get what I think I want.
Therefore, when I ask to align with God’s will, I open myself to accepting and appreciating whatever God’s plan for me is, knowing that ultimately it is for my highest and greatest good. It always surprises me that when I follow God’s will, I begin to see and acknowledge the good in my life rather than the negative.
I am grateful for an open mind and heart, which help me realize I do not know everything, allowing me to be teachable and grow in this school we call life.
Quote of the Week
“Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world.”Ramana Maharshi
