Love Letters

November, 2003

It is impossible for me to put into words the gratitude I feel for you all. This church has helped us in so many ways. I give thanks this year for my running car, the wonderful gift of the Daily Word, and wonderful Truth classes that have been made available to me. My family is loved and welcomed here, and my daughter sees the entire congregation as her own extended family (or is it "fan club"?)

Since I was led here a year and a half ago, my life has changed completely. Everything may not be "zippedy doo" all of the time, but at least my outlook stays that way. And it's only getting better. If there were words to express what that's done for me, I would sing it from the mountain tops! In the meantime, I will continue to thank God for the beautiful Spiritual Home He has made for us here on this earth plane. And I will continue to be a beacon of Love in the World, as I have learned that's what a Unitic is!

In Thanksgiving,
Amanda L. Trancoso (Asheville NC), 11/27/03

May, 2001

Chad,
It was a pleasure to celebrate Mother's Day with you & your church family. As a loving couple, we appreciate the harmony that your & Lytingale's union brought to the service.

The Christ Spirit in your church touched our hearts & filled us with love & appreciation for our Moms & the entry they provided us into this human experience.

What a lovely facility the Unity Center is-we look forward to our next visit & seeing the progress in the grounds & garden.

We attend the Unity Church of Raleigh. We welcome anyone visiting this area to our church home.

God is good, all the time!

Margie & Doug H. (Raleigh. NC)

~November, 2000

I have enjoyed the Unity News and Views Newsletter for over a year. I couldn't find any more original, inspirational, or spiritual material anywhere else. I love the fact that Unity finds inspiration from life and its sources...

In October, I attended my first in-house Unity meeting. It was truly beautiful in message and the people seemed to have a glow and radiance that was surely inspired from Rev. Chad's fine messages. I also bought a tape by Lytingale, 'Inspirations'. I was stunned by the talent, inspiration, and originality of this great, exceptional music. My favorite songs are 'Feed the Hungry' , and 'It's So Easy'. All songs are truly blessed by a high inspiration and rare talent.

As someone else has said, 'I'm not sure about the preferences Rev. Chad talks about' but I know my preference is Unity of Arden [now Fletcher].

I am with you in spirit because there is so much good flowing out of your messages and service. It is, indeed, an oasis of love and light in a world that needs it so badly. I will be with you in thought and every way I can.

~ G. J. (Williamsburg, KY)

Greetings to Unity Center and Lytingale and Rev. Chad,

I found Unity Center for the first time today, November 1st. I live near Johnson City, TN, just over the mountain from Asheville; however, I am a recent "returnee" to the mountains. I have spent the last several years in Gainesville, Florida, where I attended Unity of Gainesville.

I am writing because I want you to know that I left Arden today in a stunned state of mind. I truly believe I had a "religious" experience with the Unity "show." In fact, as I drove into Asheville, tears were streaming down my face and I felt as if my total energy had been consumed and then replaced at Unity Center. I was emotionally exhausted to the point of being physically sleepy, yet, at the same time, I was buzzing with a new energy. It was great.

I'm not totally clear about the preferences idea Rev. Chad referred to today, but I can assure you that Unity Center certainly fulfills my preferences, whatever they might be.

For the past few years I have been awakening to my spirituality in ways I never thought possible. And there have been a succession of miracles to accompany that awakening... way too many to list here...miracles that have involved people, events, and "coincidences" (yeah, right) that have conspired to get me here where I am today. I suppose they've always been there, it's just that I am more aware of them now.

Anyway, I just wanted to say "thank you" for a wonderful experience. The music, the people, Rev. Chad...It was all amazing beyond anything I was prepared for. I will be back! And soon!

Dear Lytingale,
I enjoyed visiting with Chad, yourself and all of the other wonderful spiritual beings. The harmony and flow that I have seen within the walls of your arena of worship is truly an oasis to my own spiritual walk with God. For years I have struggled to express my own beliefs and lessons in life. Feeling at times that there was no such place to worship openly and in perfect love...In praying for the hope of meeting others that also felt in a similar way, my journey has taken me to many different places...and my feelings concerning Asheville are simple...the God of our universe speaking softly to all of our hearts, gathering together so many different and yet similar souls. I truly shared a wonderful time with all of you....and I look forward to many more meetings and encounters in the near future...love and peace from the heart of a wolf... thanks.....ForestWolf

Dear Chad,
A few Sundays ago, you showed the congregation a dandelion in its various phases of growth. Up to that Sunday, I had always been rather sure of my lack of prejudices of any kind. Well, on that following Tuesday, I was taught a lesson I'll never forget. And as I became aware of what was happening to me, your DANDELION showed up big as life!

I teach German at both a High School and an Elementary School. Because I have only been at the Elementary School since this past August, I am not familiar with all the staff. On that infamous Tuesday, the school was doing a fundraiser, and everyone who contributed 50cents or more was allowed to wear a hat (a big reward in school!) Not knowing about the fundraiser, I showed up without a hat. As I was signing in at the front desk, and the secretary was commenting on mylack of a hat, a woman approached me, and with a smile told me she could make me one in a jiffy. I had never spoken to her, but had noticed her in the hallways as a rather stout, plainly dressed woman who I assumed to be a teacher's aide or office worker.

She appeared ten minutes later in the teacher's lunchroom and presented me with a fabulous hat she had just made. It was like a crown for the Queen of Hearts - made of yellow, green, blue, and white felt and construction paper. We were all delighted with the hat, and I quickly donated 50 cents! Then came the blow! As she left the room, she turned to me and said: "Mrs. F., you'll be coming to see us at 12:30, right? The kids are really looking forward to your visit." I nodded and said, "Yes, I'll see you in a little bit."

When she'd gone, I asked the other teachers who she was. They said that Ms. M. taught the mentally retarded (I think they call it "challenged" now) children, together with Mr. G. A big red light flashed on in my mind. I had made arrangements with Mr. G. to teach his students a German song and dance. Never had I imagined Ms. M. also taught these children!

It got even better! As we were singing and dancing, I commented to Ms. M. how quickly the children were learning the German words. Ms. M. told me, "We often use classical music to help them learn. My favorites are Mozart and Beethoven; they're the composers I grew up on." At the end of the lesson, when we were all excited and hot from singing and dancing, she presented us with fresh lemonade, made by her mother for my visit. As I left, she told me her dream was to go to Germany to see King Ludwig's castle at Neuschwanstein - pronouncing the name of the place with a beautiful German accent! Her children made beautiful Thank You cards for me that I found the next day in my mailbox.

Thank you for guiding me toward greater self-awareness with that lovely flower. I have learned not to be tempted to judge a person by his/her appearance! And I will always look at all the dandelions in my garden and think of Ms. M. She is now a lovely flower in the garden of my life.

"Spiritual instead of Religious"

"Why This Unitic Makes The Drive"

For the first time in my life, church is truly a spiritual/GOD-filled experience. These are powerful words; and heartfelt.

I think back with somewhat bitter-sweet memories of Sunday mornings of my youth and early adulthood.  Mom "making" my sisters and I get ready for church. The best way to sum up what I felt it to quote Shakespeare's All the World's A Stage, "....With Shining Mourning Face, Creeping Like Snail, Unwillingly To School." Only in this case it was church.

And later in my early adulthood, going to church, with regularity, yet with a feeling of "I'm doing this because I've been raised to know it is the right thing to do." Not necessarily because I wanted to.

Everything changed when I experienced UNITY. Yes, UNITY is a life changing experience. The presence and power of GOD is almost overwhelming within these "four walls." I felt a hunger to know GOD, and change my life as I had never known.

Also, after many times of reading and studying the BIBLE, cover to cover, I felt as if I was really hearing the words for the first time. And definitely feeling I was understanding them and knowing they had relevance to me.

UNITY is a spiritual bridge from one week to the next. An opportunity to listen, understand, and apply GOD's teaching to mistakes made the week prior; with hope of avoiding them in the week to come.

UNITY is plugging into a spiritual outlet, with Chad as the master electrician. Ever there, ever teaching....

When church becomes a guiding force in ones life; an experience that draws you to it again and again, it is truly what it is meant to be.

Our trip up the mountain is about 1 hour 15 minutes each way. It wouldn't matter if it were 3 hours each way.

UNITY is turning your face, your heart, your spirit to the light... UNITY is GOD's love expressed on earth.