MIDWEEK MESSAGE – November 29, 2023

It is easy to have faith when life is going as we want it, but when you are in that space between what was and what is to be, it takes trust, more than faith, to get us through.

We can have faith in God or any other Higher Power we believe in, but it takes trust when you don’t know what lies ahead in the unknown. For me, trust is the ability to believe that whatever lies ahead, God has my back, and although it may be different, it will always be good.

One of my favorite sayings is, “God’s Will won’t take me, where God’s grace will not keep me.”  I often affirm that when in that space between the two trapezes of “past and future.”

It sounds great, but sometimes it is difficult until I remember to let go and surrender, knowing I only need to do what is the next right thing in front of me.  We can only live in this moment, and remembering that allows us to live our lives one day at a time – whether we like it or not!

Quote of the Week

“Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery of why we climb.”

Greg Child

MIDWEEK MESSAGE – June 28, 2023

IMG_0441Here I am in Kansas City, and I was at Unity Village on Monday! Returning here to a place that always makes me feel good is great. Twenty years ago, I graduated from Ministerial School at Unity Village, and 20 years later, I watched as new people graduated and were ordained.

Not only did I get to walk on the new extraordinary labyrinth, but I spent the day visiting some of my favorite people on the planet. One was my minister when I lived in Miami, which is why I am here today. Thirty years ago, after going to Unity for a short time, I stopped going. One Sunday, I was enjoying a lazy day in the pool on a raft when I heard a voice say, “Go to church.” Well, I didn’t want to go, so I ignored it. The 2nd time I heard “Go to church,” it was louder, but I was worshipping the church of sun and water and was quite content.

Then the voice said, “Go to church” even louder, so I jumped off the raft and screamed back. “Ok, I will go!” I showered, dressed, and unhappily trailed off to church. Unbeknownst to me, a new minister was there. When I heard her, I knew I was where I was supposed to be and that she was the reason.

It was a turning point in my life. That was 30 years ago, and I still consider her my minister. She holds a significant position in Unity now but is and will always be my minister and the individual who encouraged and guided me to be who I am today.

We never know what may be in store for us in life, and we may never find out if we don’t listen to the voice that is sometimes still and small, sometimes loud and persistent, and take the necessary action.

Quote of the Week

“Action is the foundational key for all success.”
Pablo Picasso

MIDWEEK MESSAGE – June 21, 2023

So often, we (or at least I) judge people, places, and things based on our initial introduction to them.  I am currently in Columbus, Ohio, and I wasn’t very impressed by the area when I first came here.  Mostly because I only saw one part of it, and it had been farmland that had been turned into developments which I find very visually dull.
 
But I have been exploring different neighborhoods and have fallen in love with the beauty I experienced. Sunday was a double treat because I discovered an area in Dublin that is so charming has natural beauty, and is architecturally interesting.  
 
I also enjoyed having a Virtua Reality experience for the first time.  For Father’s Day, we went to an adult playground where after donning a whole bunch of equipment, we partook in a battle in a world that looked like a video game.
 
I laughed a lot and found it surprisingly exciting, engaging, and fun!   That day, I learned that keeping some of our childlike qualities is essential.  
 
Quote of the Week
 
“To be more childlike, you don’t have to give up being an adult. The fully integrated person is capable of being both an adult and a child simultaneously. Recapture the childlike feelings of wide-eyed excitement, spontaneous appreciation, cutting loose, and being full of awe and wonder at this magnificent universe.”     
Wayne Dyer   

MIDWEEK MESSAGE – June 14, 2023

I am writing this from somewhere in Pennsylvania. I just finished driving through the beautiful Poconos, and as much as I would have liked to stop, I could not. (I have spent time in PA; it is a beautiful state with the historical draw of Philadelphia and the beautiful tree-covered Poconos.)

It was a great day for driving, with comfortable temperatures and fairly clear skies. It was a pleasant change after having gray skies due to the fires in Canada. The good news is that life, like the weather, is constantly changing, so if you are not happy with things as they are, most likely, in time, it will change, or unlike the weather, you can initiate change in your own life if you are not happy with the status quo.

If you are unhappy with life as you know it, you can ask yourself and your HP how to change things so they align with your needs and desires. Isn’t it great that we can make changes in our life without waiting for things to change on their own?

For that to happen, we need to take responsibility for our lives. That means being a co-creator with God in how our lives play out. Yes, things happen in our life that we can’t control or change, but we can always choose how we react to such people, things, and events.

How do we change our reaction to what life gives us? We say “Yes” to life by practicing gratitude and including our HP in our willingness to change what we can, no matter how difficult it seems.

Quote of the Week

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.”
Jim Rohn

MIDWEEK MESSAGE – June 7, 2023

Here we are in June, and I am in New England. Other than a few days, the weather feels more like fall than the beginning of summer, and I have been wearing sweaters – of all things!

Right now, the beauty in this part of the country is breathtaking – a combination of green and various colors. Yesterday I took a trip to Yale University. It was a wonderful afternoon looking at the majestic buildings mixed with the green trees, the parks, the energy of the place, and, best of all, some wonderful vegan options that one often finds at large universities.

Most importantly, I got out of a bit of the funk I had been in and found new experiences, places, and food that were spirit boosters. I learned years ago that when I am feeling less than optimum, I must decide to get out of my self-imposed prison and set myself free.

Years ago, I had a spiritual mentor who would ask me if I was a victim or a volunteer. Victims live life from the outside/in, blaming everything out there for whatever they perceive is wrong with their life. A volunteer takes responsibility for creating the life that they want.

I have found that occasionally, I can sink into victimhood without realizing it. Although that happens, I still can, with the help of Spirit, go within, correct my error in thinking and find the many things in my life I have to be grateful for.

What are you grateful for?

Quote of the Week

“Gratitude is the ability to experience life as a gift. It liberates us from the prison of self-preoccupation.”
John Ortberg

MIDWEEK MESSAGE – MAY 31, 2023

So I made it – I am now in Connecticut – 5,000 miles and 20 states later. It seems like a dream now and in the distant past. During the trip, I saw some beautiful parts of our country, but I also met some wonderful people along the way.

Traveling alone allowed me to be willing to connect with others more than when I traveled with Christopher. I met some lovely people in unexpected places.

Between Utah and Arizona, I was staying in a motel in the Navajo Nation, and there was only one place to eat other than a Macdonald’s. I could not find anything to eat on the menu, and upon learning I was vegan, the waitress told me they had a plate of veggies and rice and assured me there would be enough food for me to eat so I did not have to get the side salad I also ordered. She seemed genuinely concerned with my well-being and took the time to make me feel welcomed and appreciated, although they were very busy.

On the other side of the US, I stopped at a rest area on the New Jersey Garden State Parkway which was very large and crowded. I only had my phone and was buying a drink when the cashier informed me that Apple Pay was not working. I said I would go to my car to get my card and be back.

The woman standing behind me offered to buy my drink and some popcorn. People often say that people in the NY metro area are not friendly, but that woman was undoubtedly kind and generous to me.

I think too often we hear about the bad things people do because it makes better news (or so the media thinks); however, I believe the world is filled with much goodness, and when we see the good in others, we find it, wherever our travels may take us.

Quote of the Week

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
Aesop

MIDWEEK MESSAGE – July 3, 2019

Happy July 4th!

Happy Freedom Day! Tomorrow is a day to remember, and appreciate, the freedom that we have in our country – but even more so, the freedom that we have as individuals.

Not just free in the sense of politically or physically, but free to be all that we were created to be – if we choose to do so. Ask yourself – am I free? Free from fear, worry, discontent, and self-pity? For some the answer might be no.

Usually the cause of this, is living our lives based on others expectations, or in reaction to others actions. We have failed to take responsibility for building the life we want.

We work jobs that don’t satisfy us, relationships that don’t support us and activities that don’t nourish us. We live in bondage to, not only what is done to us, but by our own limited thinking.

This July 4th, I challenge you to break out of the chains of bondage to find your authentic self and be free – free to be as God created you to be. Free to stop being a victim in life and understand that you are really a volunteer – that it is you who determines what you are volunteering for.

Quote of the Week

“Freedom in the oxygen of the soul.”
Moshe Dayan

MIDWEEK MESSAGE – July 11, 2018

Summertime!

It’s a time for many to take off on vacation and journey to some exotic and not so exotic places. In summer, it seems everyone is going somewhere.

In Truth, we are all going somewhere even if we never leave our home. The journey we are all on is called Life. This journey is one filled with rocky roads, mountains to climb, valleys to pull ourselves out of, and rivers to cross. It is, also, filled with smooth easy roads, beautiful meadows alive with with many colors, and the grandeur and peace of the ocean.

So how do we traverse the roads that are not always the kind we would chose for ourselves? Well, we do not lose faith by trusting that things will be better, and we keep on trudging.

When we decide to live the life full of adventure, we do not avoid paths that may seem rough and challenging. We make the decision to keep moving forward. Once we do that, we can truly discover all the gifts this Life has to offer us.

Quote of the Week

“A ship is safe in harbor but that’s not what ships are for.”
John A Shedd

MIDWEEK MESSAGE- March 28, 2018

Happy Easter and Happy Passover!

Whether you celebrate one or the other, or maybe you celebrated the Spring Equinox, Spring is a time when new life is breathed into the plants, trees, flowers, and most people.

Spring adds new life and new beauty to all that is. It’s a time of hope – the weather becomes more pleasant, the days begin to get longer and it is hard to be outside and not notice the wonderful colors and aromas of all that is around us.

So often we are so focused on ourselves – our challenges and our difficulties that we miss spring if we do not look around and see how amazing our earth truly is. When we see trees that appeared dead sprouting new life, we are reminded that no matter how much we may want to control our lives – there is a Higher Power, so Perfect, that It created a world that works for all.

This Spring, take some time to look around, to be grateful, and allow your spirit to soar!

Quote of the Week

“Despite the forecast, live like it’s Spring.”
Lilly Pulitzer

MIDWEEK MESSAGE – August 23, 2017

Years ago, Shakespeare wrote, “To Thine own self be true”. That is as true today as it was then. It seems easy enough – just be yourself, but so often we are faced with peer pressure, parental pressure, societal pressure, media pressure – the list goes on and on.

In an effort to become what others think we should be we often sacrifice the very thing about ourselves that make us unique and special. We are all special, we are all unique, and we are all created by our Creator who does not make junk.

The next time you try to change yourself to be like someone else, remember that God did not create any two snowflakes a like. How boring would the world be if all the flowers looked the same, if every tree looked like every other.

We do not have to be like anyone else but ourselves. Just try to be the best you can be – that’s a job which is, in and of itself, challenging enough!

Quote of the Week

“Courage is being yourself every day in a world that tells you to be like everyone else.” Anonymous