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Unity Center in western North Carolina |
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Unity Center in western North Carolina |
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Youth Education Corner |
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Spring 2008:
We are blessed. Our Unity Center is a mysterious and wonderful place. I come on Sunday, not knowing what I need, and it magically appears, delivered to me from the alchemical root cellars of Mother/Father Gods deep love for all life. It can be something I see, something someone says to me, a look, a thought, a conversation, a child. I gravitate to the children. Intuitively I know that they have a pure form wisdom and love, and that inspires me. At least once a Sunday my jaw drops and my eyes get very wide, for in those moments, I know I am in the presence of the Divine. For example, last week we took a survey. All the kids brainstormed their ideas of what they would like to do at Unity on Sunday. One little girl told how fun it is to build a fort. I could connect with that, because I too had many forts when I was little; tall grass forts, tree forts, under the root forts, cardboard forts, blankets over the table forts. While we were all excitedly sharing our ideas, my thoughts drifted ahead and I said, Weve been talking about what we can do with our hands. What about what we can do with our hearts? Just as I said that, one little girl said, We can build a fort! The timing of the words, as they collided, created one of those jaw-dropping, eye-popping moments for me, and I heard Spirit talking. In my head was a vision of a heart with a fort built around it. Next I thought how often we humans do that (and model it for our children); build a fort around our heart. The children had no idea why Miss Cameron suddenly become lost in reverie. I took a moment to share with them, about how those words came together magically for me and how that helped me think about how our hearts need healing, and that loving kindness and forgiveness, not just of others, but of ourselves as well, is what will bring the healing. Some were too excited or too young to understand, but I know many heard me. Perhaps in that moment, they got what they needed. I know I did. In our Sunday School, we plan for sharing, prayers, art, movement, play, nature, and oh yes, teaching. The adults are not the only ones doing the teaching at this mysterious and wonderful place! Our philosophy is to model and give our kids strong doses of Unity Principles, which are based on unconditional love, non-judgment and forgiveness. We learn not just from the teachings of Jesus, but also from many other Wisdom Traditions, finding common ground in them. So our children learn about love, compassion, forgiveness, patience, kindness, and other things that will give them wisdom and knowledge, such as the chakras-energy centers in the body; the four directions-which teach about being grounded & centered in the four centers & the wheel of the year; chi- the bodys energy force; art, music, dance, & fun. We think fun (for a child) is holy & we want them to have a big dose of it on Sundays. Miracles do happen My range is broad. My reach is wide. I started volunteering in the Nursery soon after we moved into the new church. Young children are the sweetest and friendliest humans around. Who wouldnt want to be with them? But I had an agenda. I wanted to look in their eyes and see if I could discern any clues about where theyd been before they incarnated. Surely there is an unconscious human mechanism that takes place at birth where we forget where we were before, or else why would we agree to stay. My theory is that we must forget, so we can begin anew, learning to love, remembering gratitude, expanding our consciousness. I thank Grace Singingheart for holding the energy in the Nursery on Sundays. We are looking for a volunteer to join her at 11:00am - this is a great invitation to spend time with a wonderful & wise woman while surrounded with precious little souls who are "fresh from God." They have much to teach us, and they need help to keep from bonking their heads. Duty called, so there was no lingering in the nursery for me. As cute as they are, (believe me, they are cute) my help was needed with older children. Cinda Dobss and I faithfully (with a deep breath for optimism) stood up for the Uniteens (Middle Schoolers) when no one else did. With this group I had some of the most powerful creative moments of my life! We made a giant collage banner for Martin Luther King and presented it to the congregation to the song Where is the Love? by the Black Eyed Peas. The Uniteens went on to choreograph & perform a beautiful dance to Joan Osbornes What if God was one of us? This group proved to be wise and powerful deep thinkers (once we reached down deep and found the loving tolerance to work with their mouthy exuberance.) Lately, I spend time with the Elementary age children (6-10 years), where Ive had the joy of working with Linda Walker and Tim Norwood as they lead these youngsters in meditation, movement, art, and play. The children come to know and love their adult sponsors. When Tim was away for a few weeks, he had tears of love spring in his eyes on return when Chloe told him shed missed him. We matter to them, and they matter to us. We are a family back there. Ive been with all the age groups, but the biggest life changing experiences have come out of my time with the YOU (Youth of Unity - high school). I'm incredibly grateful to Sue Hall and Steve Stanley for giving their time & presence as YOU sponsors. Teens have more to give than they are usually given credit for. Their room, filled with couches and heart-talks, is a place of unconditional love & understanding for them, an oasis amidst a fast & hard world of daunting realities. It is a blessed place for young people to come and share and heal their hearts, just like what happens in the Sanctuary with Chad. Unity is a truly wonderful and important place for all ages of our church family. Many of our teens attend the Southeast Region YOU Rallies offered 3 times a year. They raise funds to offset the cost and an adult sponsor must accompany them. The benefits of these rallies to our youth are incalculable! The theme of the last Rally (Nov 07) was Be the Eye, with this quote from Gandhi, Peace is not the absence of hard work and strife. Peace is having serenity in your heart while in the midst of hard work and strife. All of the workshops reinforced this truth. This is a message that really helps. The Rallies give our young people hope and inspiration for a positive life and world, and are all planned & given by the YOUers themselves. I was very impressed with their wisdom, creativity and ability. After this Fall Rally a miracle happened! 55 teens and 10 adult sponsors were headed back to Atlanta on our charter bus. It was dark as we pulled into a rest stop south of Macon, GA, and all 55 kids talking & dancing, crowded into the open-air facility. All the joyful noise felt like a last little Rally. Amidst our hoopla, a few of us noticed then talked to the black man sitting on the bench. It turned out he was in crisis. He and his wife set out from north Florida headed for Birmingham where their daughter was scheduled to have surgery at 7:00am the next morning, when their truck broke down. The tow company quoted him $80, and then charged him $180. He took what was left of the $250 he set out with and put his wife on a bus to Birmingham. Hed started walking. With no money, food, or anyone to call for help, his prospects looked grim. He started crying as he was telling us this and we put our arms around him and told him it would be ok. By this time, the YOUers had all been corralled back on the bus and we were ready to blast off. But we couldnt leave him there like that. Someone grabbed a hat & passed it back for a love offering for the stranded man. As the hat disappeared into the reaches of the dark, noisy, crowded bus, I knew we were the miracle that the man must have been praying for. My empathy was on overdrive as I imagined how he must have been feeling: a black man, alone, stranded, in south Georgia, with a worried heart. Karma was surely at work that night, especially since his sick daughter was awaiting healing in Birmingham, of all places, the starting point of the Civil Rights movement in the 60s. The hat returned to the front of the bus filled with fives, tens, twenties. Our YOUers were deeply caring and unselfish. We ran back up the hill and dumped the contents of the hat on the bench next to him. His face lit up with hope, Thats my bus ticket! He began crying again; we put our arms around him and reassured him, then we disappeared into the night. As we rolled down the dark highway, we talked about how we had been a miracle for the man, showing up like that. Then someone remarked thoughtfully that maybe hed been the miracle for us. We had been given the gift of showing kindness and compassion to help someone who was alone in a very dark and scary place. Miracles happen. This one was because of and in the presence of those bright and shiny people we call teenagers. Bless their hearts! Bless their hearts! ~ Cameron Ellison, YE Coordinator |
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Winter, 2007-08: There is a Place for You at our Table
It is just past the time of year of the harvest. The thanksgiving for the harvest has just been celebrated and we move into the winter, a time of going within, with gratitude for all our blessings. The children are our most precious blessings and our harvest for the future. They carry within them the light and hope of a new day, one filled with light, love and compassion for all beings. At Unity, we reassure them that they are the light, as each & every one of us is the light, the Christ light, the light of mother-father God, the healing light, and the divine spark within. Our YE Sunday Gathering (Sunday School) has become a place of fun & spiritual refuge for young and old alike. I sense the volunteers (and staff) are nourished by their experiences here every Sunday. If you are the kind of person that wants to be a part of our youth Sundays, please approach me and lets talk. "There is a place for you at our table." This Sunday, Alice & Linda worked with our children practicing yoga poses and putting together a short but powerful presentation to give to the congregation in the service. With Alice leading and narrating, they demonstrated yoga with a message. It was a way for the children to give back to their families and caregivers a message of gratitude. They said "You are the sun, moon and stars to us, and we love you." Their first position was the Star position, then they moved into the half moon position, (stretching to both sides), and finally brought the sun up with the Sun stretch, shining forth their light with a great big smile! I think the congregation loved it! Back in the day, when my husband and I used to send our two little ones to Sunday School, and wed listen to Chad remind us (thankfully) that we are not humans having a spiritual experience, but rather spirits having a human experience, Id always thrill at seeing my kids come out and get up on stage for one thing or another. This was a way for the children to give back, just by shining forth their beautiful and precious selves. I feel it is a good thing to regularly get the children up in front of the congregation. I would love feedback on this, and if you have any ideas to share, Im all ears. On Dec. 16 at 1:30 we'll perform our Christmas play, and this year it is a DOOZIE! Cinda Dobbs adapted a script from a Conversations With God childrens book and has created the best Christmas play ever! Tim Norwood will direct the play, so it is guaranteed to be a showstopper! The message is for child and adult alike, so you' enjoy the play, whether or not you have a child in it. Plan to stay after the Potluck to catch the show. It is guaranteed to touch your heart and give you something to ponder. We've been merging our K & 1st grade group into the older groups out of necessity since we dont have anyone to hold the energy for us in that position right now. Speak with me if you are interested in spending some time with our 4-6 year olds (incredibly precious). I'm sure we can work out something to accommodate your busy life and nourish your soul in tender & loving ways. There is a place for you at our table. Grace Singing Heart, our wonderful Nursery caregiver, would love some company on Sundays. These tiny people, "fresh from God" and only 1, 2 or 3 years old, are incredibly entertaining and shine forth humanity at its finest. I remember when I started in the Nursery as a volunteer. Id just hit my early 40s and intuitively knew that there would be no more infants in my life. I didnt want another baby, yet there was a hankering in me to look deeply into the eyes of an infant and ask them where they came from what they remembered what forgetting they agreed to in order to incarnate on this learning plane. What I found were the cutest little beings who are working on the same basic things we are all working on; patience, sharing, loving, and dealing with fear & loneliness. In the Nursery they discover that the world can be a loving and calm, safe place. That it's ok to face their fears (of being separated from their source of security) and look around, play & be joyful, to share and learn to play together. Not many people realize that our Nursery is an oasis of deep wisdom. So if you feel the urge, there is a place for you at our table. From the Newborn to the High Schooler, our Unity Youth Family keeps the nurturing and spiritual growth of all our children in focus. I am about to embark on an adventure, escorting 4 of our High Schoolers to the SE. Fall Y.O.U. Rally in north Florida for a weekend. When you read this, well just have arrived back, all rosy with the remembrance that "We are divine!" What better gift to give teenagers stepping into a world fraught with challenges in the culture, environment and economy. With hope & a love of humanity fully conscious in their minds & hearts, they become strong & optimistic in outlook. They can make a difference! Youth of Unity Rallies draw attendance from the whole Southeast US Unity Churches, are carefully planned by a elected YOU officers, and are completely Youth led. This is very impressive and enlightening to adults, who may be used to thinking of anyone under 18 as a "child". We are conditioned to think of children as being secondary to adults, listening to adults, following directions from adults, learning from adults, as though it were a one way street. When teens are given the opportunity to be listened to, honored, and looked up to, they flower. This acknowledgement is rarely given to them. YOU Rallys give the teenagers an opportunity to be the leaders, the thinkers, the ones who are not only learning, but also teaching. The Rally itself is like a spiritual utopia where all are honored, loved and treasured. This is a glimpse of how the world can be a nurturing and accepting place with a focus on doing whats right. No one is left out, no one is judged, rather they reach out to each other and life long friendships are born. They are in their element and it is a positive and healthy interaction. Deep down, the youth want to make a difference, fight poverty, peruse and practice more respectful and balanced ways of living on the earth without continuing to injure the natural balance among plants, animals and the natural world. The teenagers are encouraged in their self worth, the value of unconditional love, non-judgment and forgiveness, visions of empowerment, healthy change and healing. Investing in these magical young people, as they mysteriously transform in their teenage pupas from children to the future grown-ups who step into their adult lives is one of the greatest gifts of time Ive ever had the opportunity to give. They are our hope for the world. Let us equip them for the complexities of mind and heart that they will face. There is a place for you at our table. Cameron Ellison, YE Coordinator |
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Fall, 2007: A word from the wee wise
Who are the wise among us, and how can we learn from them? Well, I think one of the deep wells of human wisdom is among the children. It spans all ages, and emerges in many forms. That is the fun of it, in recognizing the wisdom as it glints, flows, jolts and manifests in the proximity of our Unity children. At one time, Cinda and I opened our Childrens Church in a community circle, where we shared our names, lives, prayers, hurts, hopes and joys as we passed the talking stick. The prayers from the children were so pure and sweet. Sometimes, a child would offer a prayer for the world, or the suffering of others that would cause us to catch our breath, humbled by the purity of a childs heartfelt message. Cinda would tell the younger children that praying is like talking to God, and meditating is like listening to God. We would always take time in the circle to breath together, meditate for a few minutes and to offer our prayers. We create a space for our children to know themselves and others as Gods love and light, that that is what the divine spark is within them, and all of us. To be kind, to give love to one another in the form of a smile, a twinkly eye, being a good listener, being patient and generous, that these are the ways we share and know Gods love. Last week, I went to the children with a question. I wanted their words to appear in this article for the congregation to see. My question (inspired by one of the Unity band members) was: Finish this sentence. What the world needs now is Here are their responses.
Out of the mouths of babes, who by the way, the future belongs to. We are only borrowing this space. Every week, I come to this Center to fill up on the love that these children have to give. Today, I held and comforted a small child who was sad and afraid because she was separated from her Mommy. She let me stroke her hair, hold her close and rock her, and she considered being soothed. I felt lucky to be there. She was precious. Today, I spent a few moments listening to a small boy tell me about something that had happened in his life, and he needed someone to stop and listen, because it was important to him to tell someone. Today, I hugged a teenager, who was on his way to the Apple Festival, (with other YOUers*) to bring the question to the public: Where is the LOVE? They took posters from one of our former performances to stage a public presence at the festival in Hendersonville. I was impressed with our budding activists, that they care enough about human rights to want to start a dialog and try and do something to bring change is admirable. (With adult supervision of course.) Today I received hugs, blessings, and amazing healing words from other adults in the Y.E. (Youth Ed.) We are blessed to be working with the Unity children. We are grateful for their little faces, hugs, stories and prayers that they show up with every Sunday. They are a pure wellspring of Gods wisdom among us. They are our garden. They deserve the most attentive, affectionate and generous tending that we have to give. If you open yourself and listen with your ears and heart, you will hear God speak, in her infinite knowing, through the children. Cameron Ellison, YE Coordinator |
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June 2007
Its been a whale of a spring! Both of our older youth groups, the Uniteens (11-13 year olds) and the Y.O.U. (14-18 year olds ), have swelled in rank. Yay! We love it! Both groups are supported by dedicated sponsors, who seem to relish showing up!
The Uniteens will present their Gandhi banner to the congregation in early June. Our experience will be enriched by a young, talented singer/song-writer from our own congregation whos written a song just for the occasion. While constructing the banner, the Uniteens learned & talked about Gandhi and the incredible qualities of love, patience, and hope he brought into the world in his place & time. Uniteens have completed three banners, on display in the Assembly Room, inspired by the book 10 Amazing People. Its been a great way to explore world issues like love, courage, and peace. This new group of Uniteens hopes to attend their first Rally weekend in Florida in November, with other Uniteens from the southeast. Watch for their fundraisers as they work toward their goal.
There is room for you to be part of the magic of YE! Our two-person teams serve 2 Sundays a month. A tape or CD of the service will be provided free to you. We appreciate and support our teachers with luncheons, training opportunities, and special events.
The Y.O.U. has a whole new crop of teens. A big shout-out to Mrs. Laughing Pants (our own precious Annmarie
E.) for being their dedicated sponsor. Shes been with them from the start, and a more wise and loving heart they could not ask for. Thanks to Dr. Sue for stepping up and giving us the added sponsor needed to support this large group of over 10 kids, when everyones present. What is truly a miracle and a blessing is these wonderful people who keep showing up to hold the space and energy for these burgeoning individuals that we know as our youth.
My eyes were opened to the amazing beauty of this age group when Cinda D. & I served as Sponsors for their Spring Rally. It was a long van ride to Atlanta for a lock-in, then a 10-hour, 55 passenger-bus ride to the Rally site in north Florida. Only the adventurous and splendid in heart need apply! After experiencing, not the bus ride, but the weekend retreat with hundreds of teenagers, I was a changed person (in a good way)!
The Southeast Youth Of Unity officers work year-round to plan and deliver three Rallies a year. These officers are YOUers themselves, and are elected at the Spring Rally annually. It is all youth-led. That was an eye opener for me.
This age group holds so much capability, wisdom and compassion that I never saw before. I was so busy (as a parent of teenagers myself) trying to keep the lid on the simmering pot of adolescence, I was missing the point. Rather than being a lid on them, I want to be a saucer under them. Its hard for a (seemingly know-it-all) parent of teenagers to stop talking, stop telling, stop finding fault, stop pointing out the dangers and weaknesses, and to just listen. It was a beautiful experience for me, and an awakening. The youth need support and encouragement. In a spiritually nurturing environment like Unity, where young people remember not to judge, remember to look with loving and truthful eyes, the flowering of our humanity is like a glimpse into the heart of creation.
There were small moments at Rally that seemed like sacred windows into the heart of God. There was a dual presence of innocent exuberance grounded by an abiding tide of deep wisdom, and it was coming from the youth! Adult sponsors were present as chaperones and facilitators if needed, but it was all done by the young people themselves, and they did a beautiful job. One YOUer from Atlanta, a beautiful dark-haired girl, took the stage and with softened lights, led a meditation she had prepared for the event. It was so moving and beautiful, it left me stunned. She spoke in her delicate and sure voice of spinning chakras, spinning, each in its pure, brilliant color. These young people are talented! They have so much to give, if given the chance.
The deep compassion that the YOUers, especially at these Rallies, have for each other is inspiring. I was seated with Cinda, my cohort & beloved co-sponsor, at the back of a gym full of chairs, waiting for the graduation ceremony to start, when I spotted a young looking YOUer (a newbie) sitting alone, two rows in front of us. I said to Cinda, Oh, look. Hes all alone. Im going to go sit with him. Cinda said, No, dont go sit with him. Its his journey. I immediately knew what she meant, and was grateful for the reminder. Meanwhile, sitting in the row in front of us was a group of older YOUers who were very relaxed and at ease with each other. I thought how comfortable they seemed in contrast to the younger one on the end of the row in front of them. Just as I was thinking this, the young woman in front of me reached over the 5 empty seats to the Newbie and started a talking. Tears started in my eyes. After a moment, the single teen came and joined the cool group in front of us (which had just gotten A LOT cooler in my eyes), and he was not alone anymore. Cinda looked at me and said See, if youd gone over there, that wouldnt have happened. Sometimes little moments can rock your world. This was one for me. The sacred is found in the ordinary.
Rally is a place for teens to gather and affirm the positive, retrieve love and bond it into each others hearts, to hug, laugh, cry, sing, dance, draw, write and listen. Its a wild ride for an adult sponsor, but well worth the effort! Seven of our YOUers will attend Summer Connection Rally in June at Warren Wilson College. Our chapter will help staff the registration table. Now that they are seasoned YOUers, they can be the ones reaching out their hand to those who are new, uncertain, vulnerable.
I can honestly say Thank Father Mother God for Unity and the YOU! My 17 year old son, Dylan, is a dedicated YOUer, along with Chad & Lyte's daughter Katie O'Shea. YOU was a nurturing and inspiring haven for mydaughter Carolyn, now thriving in the heady University environment, who experienced YOU along with Michael O'Shea, under the timeless wisdom of Tom Heald and other heart-strong sponsors.
These young people had the gift of having a Unity youth group to grow their eyes on the inner and outer world, to focus their heart on truth and love. They had something to hold on to as they approached their future in a world that at times must seem threatening and uncertain. Their YOU experience gave them the strength, heart and call to move through fear into empowerment, strength to go on and wisdom to do so with love in their hearts. It is a hard focus to maintain in the outer world. They talk of how hard it is to come back from Rallies. But once theyve been, they want to go to every one.. and they return with wise, full hearts. Mix that with the power of being a teenager, and there may be hope for the world yet.
~Cameron Ellison, YE Coordinator
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October 2006: Welcome to our Youth
Education page.
We welcome children of all ages to our church. The youngest (1-3 years) play in our nursery with Monica and Grace for the 11:00 Service, while the teenagers (Uniteens and YOU) start out in their rooms with their sponsors Cinda and Annemarie. Our children from Kindergarten to 5th grade now start in our Assembly room, singing with Linda and Richard. We no longer start our Sundays in the Chapel. We enjoyed that, but now we are trying something different. Bring your little ones back to the YE Assembly room where we gather in circle and warm up with singing. We are working toward performing some of our songs for the congregation. So you will see us soon. The Uniteens (our middle-schoolers) have finished another banner, this one is for Gandhi. We have found a talented congregation member to write an original song to help us present the banner. Look for our announcement at church for when our presentation will be. Its going to be a knock-out, so dont miss it. The Y.O.U. (our high-schoolers) will be attending their Fall Rally in November. Well drive them down to Atlanta where they will spend the night with the Atlanta Unity YOU at a Lock-in the night before taking a charter bus to the North Florida location for the Rally. At these events, the teenagers are assigned to a "family group". They share mini-seminars with in frequent meetings with a sponsor. Our YOU will be sheltered in cabins with others from Unity Churches across the South East region. They will enjoy specially planned events, a talent show, a bonfire with dancing, meals, an Angel Wash where they all bless each other with affirmations. They bless everything! It is an uplifting experience for children at this age and invests them with hope and love at a time where they really need it. They come back glowing and filled with positive energy. Yay! Thank you for supporting our bake sales and car washes that help fund this trip. Our Elementary age children have been enjoying fun events filled with art projects, visiting animals and teachings filled with wisdom. A special thanks to the family that brought the Collie puppies. That was a big hit and we learned a lot about the gentle qualities of this special breed. At Unity, we create a fun and loving environment for our children. We offer them support and instruction in the Christ Consciousness centered message taught by our Rev. Chad OShea. We also allow space for the children to teach us, their mentors. Children have a tremendous amount of love and wisdom to share with us as well, so it is a two way street. They need people to be there for them that appreciate their unique humanity and that treat them with wonder, love and respect, with a big dose of light heartedness and humor mixed in. I always end up leaving on Sunday feeling a thousand times better than when I arrived. That feels great! See me if you want a piece of this. Theres plenty to share. ~Cameron Ellison, YE Coordinator |
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June 2006:
Unity-In-Community
You may ask yourself What does this cute phrase Unity-In-Community really mean? Well, community includes you, me, and all those other atoms were floating around in. The dictionary gives a great definition for Unity, The condition of being united into a single whole. Yes, all people united as one in action or vibrating for the benefit of the whole. In other words, Unity-In-Community is a vehicle allowing our youth to transform their environment in the direction of love, compassion, and service. O.K., O.K. You may ask yourself What does this have to do with me? Good question. At first nothing. Then, one of these days your heart is going to hear the invitation to participate in one of our Unity-In-Community projects called Adopt-A-Street, Visit-Our-Neighbors, Give-A-Hand-Up, or one with your name written all over it. Thats right, you may create your own project and invite the Unity-In-Community youth to transform it with you, for example see Help-Those-Who-Help-Themselves below. FOLLOW-UP Projects:
~Richard Porter, R.E.P. for ages 7-9 We had a great turn-out in Youth Ed for Friendship Sunday! And lots of fun bouncing in our MoonWalk. Thanks for your participation! Our younger age group, the Kindergarteners, have a great time every Sunday. They enjoy a Unity Lesson that involves coloring. Then they have a snack, and weather permitting, off to the playground. With those little ones, it is always great to have an extra pair of adult eyes and hands. Come on out and play with us. ~Cameron Ellison, YE Coordinator |
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April, 2006: Our Sunday School children are finding ways to help the earth, honoring that they are a part of it. Thank you, Richard Porter, for giving such loving support to these 7-10 year olds by facilitating their creativity. Richard has designed a Unity In community program for our elementary age children. Here are some of the projects they are actively working on . Adopt-A-street
Visit-Our-Neighbor
Give A-Hand-Up
Our younger age group, the Kindergarteners, have a great time every Sunday. They sit around a table, enjoy a Unity Lesson that involves coloring. Then they have a snack, and weather permitting, off to the playground. With those little ones, it is always great to have an extra pair of adult eyes and hands. Come on out and play with us. Prepare yourselves! Soon the Uniteens (6th, 7th and 8th Graders) will present their fourth banner from the inspiring book Ten Amazing People. Our banner will honor Ghandi, and it is shaping up to be beautiful. Bring the family out and bring friends & neighbors too, for the Unity Friendship Sunday on April 30. For the small children, we are having a Blow-up Moon Walk with four different places to explore! We also extend an invitation to the High Schoolers in our Community to come see what our Y.O.U. (Youth Of Unity) group has to offer, and to meet our new YOU Sponsor and Mentor, AnnMarie. We are here to nurture old friendships and to enjoy new ones. ~ Cameron Ellison, YE Coordinator |
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February, 2006:
Working with children is good for you! Children will ground you. When youre feeling like your life is the inner wall of the tornado, check this out. Driving into Unity reminds you to let go of your daily pressures, even if only for a few hours. It is safe to put them down. Entering the building, you might smell sage. (That Sunday School teacher is at it again.) Music draws you into the chapel where comfy seats await you. This is my Sunday ritual. Delivering myself to a place where I remember it is all sacred. But it is not until you look into the face of a child that you feel the wonder of it all. Children will let you soar, and they will also ground you. That sounds like therapeutic dose of energy to me. Children need you to be with them, now. They are trying to communicate, and no one will settle down long enough to listen. Listening to a child requires you to release your need to rush on. We have a Circle where the adult volunteers and the children sit after we leave the Sunday service. There is always a beautiful and meaningful centerpiece to our circle. Here the children have a voice. They speak of their gratitude, their fears, offer their prayers for grandparents and pets. They also listen to each other. We all take time to breath and meditate (mini version). There are wise teachers in this circle. We are blessed. The beauty of the circle is that everyone is welcome, and everyone is equal. This is an oasis for the children. The prayers of these kids are so sweet. Sometimes they are thoughtful and deep. It is a powerful, healing circle, and the children are the focus. They are awesome. They are divine. It Takes a Village (or Inspired Community) to Raise a Child And we have some incredibly enlightened children who would love to receive the blessing of your divine presence. This is one of the best kept secrets in our congregation. It's the opportunity to be a powerful, positive and purposeful influence during such an important phase of a soul's journey. ~ Cameron Ellison, YE Coordinator |
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October, 2005:
The cool promise of winter flies in on the winds of fall. Our children sense the approach of the holidays, and all the fun that they bring. This summer, our Unity children have quested in many directions, learning about their own divinity and the wisdom traditions that are their legacy. Our upper elementary children completed their Happy Birthday Universe unit, a cosmic curriculum for children. As we experienced the unfolding of the known Universe as a unified, interconnected, and interdependent whole, we saw ourselves as part of the whole, and our interdependent relationship with others and all there is. Never missing a chance to have fun, the unit culminated in a full-blown birthday party with cake, candles, ice cream, balloons and singing! Whats next for our upper elementary children is the School for the Magical & Mystical, Lumindorf. This curriculum, created by Diane Venzera, licensed Unity teacher, is based on the Truth principles found in the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling. We are extending invitations!
Our Uniteens, the middle-schoolers, have completed a third banner! This one also graces our church hall, and is devoted to Mother Teresa. Our presentation of this banner is scheduled for Oct. 16, at the end of the second service. Dont miss our special event! Who will be next from our wonderful book Ten Amazing People? The Uniteens have chosen Mahatma Gandhi four our next banner, so look for great things from them! The Uniteens are also working hard to raise funds. There are three directions our funds are going: 1)Tsunami victims (over $900 sent last spring to Doctors Without Borders); 2)Armelina, our little girl in the Philippines that we sponsor; and 3)saving to pay for 6 of our Uniteens to go to Fall Rally this November, in Florida. We are excited! Our precious Kindergarteners are busy learning about their bright Christ Light within! Each Sunday, they gather and learn about another Virtue through read-alouds, coloring, talking, playing and snacking. They participate in our group Circle at the start of our Sunday School, and their prayers are often the deepest and most tender. What a blessing our children are! They range from pint size to adult size, and they are the future. We are in good hands. Blessed be! If you would like to be part of this magic, there is room for you. Our two person teams sign up for a trimester, serving two Sundays a month. A tape or CD of the service will be provided free to you. We appreciate and support our teachers with luncheons, training opportunities, and special events.
We have a great time celebrating our Youth and we welcome your ideas & service. See me on Sunday or put a note in my box in Janas office. We await you!
~ Cameron Ellison, YE Coordinator |
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June 2005: Let all the children gather together at Unity. Let their innocent spirit pour over us like a balm. What to do with those children who are not so serene? Well, children who are having trouble being where they are need our compassion the most. At Unity, the adult helpers and volunteers learn from the children as the children learn from the grown ups. It is a symbiotic exchange, and we fill up our hearts with each other. Our usual routine has been working great for us. We start in the service, and then go to our large circle in back to focus on the theme for the day, and then we break into our age groups in our classrooms to share more closely. Last Sunday, our theme was Wisdom. We handed out affirmations and talked about what they meant to us.
To explore Wisdom, we used affirmations and a Bible quote from Matthew 7:2, With what judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. The children were able to understand the wisdom in this quote, and related it to the Golden Rule, Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. We close our circle with prayers and deep breathing. The prayers of the children are on the hall bulletin board, written in on the honey bees. Walk down there and have a look. Childrens prayers are dear. When we go to our classrooms, the groups are smaller and individual lessons are shared. In the K-1 classroom, we explored the idea of wisdom by reading a story about a wise owl, and coloring an owl picture. In upcoming Sundays, we will explore the concepts of Love, Faith, and Imagination with affirmations, a Bible quote, a story and an activity or art project. All classes are supported with prepared lesson and materials. If you would like to be part of this magic, there is room for you. In fact we have some vacant spots leading the Kindergarten class, and the Elementary age group, up to 5th grade. Our goal is to maintain two person teams who sign up for trimesters, serving two Sundays a month. Each teacher will (optimally) have an assistant so there are two grown ups in the room. A tape or CD of the service will be provided to you. We appreciate and support our volunteers with luncheons, training opportunities and special events. This year, our former Board President, Brad Swift and his wife Ann are offering a wonderful gift to YE volunteers. In an effort to attract and reward Youth Ed teachers. Life On Purpose Institute, Inc. is offering a FULL SCHOLARSHIP (valued at $450) to Living the Fulfilled Life Foundational Program (LFLFP) to any qualified person who steps forth to become a Youth Ed teacher & who commits to holding that position for at least 2 of the 3 trimesters of a year. If you're interested, let us know and well get you started. LIVING THE FULFILLED LIFE FOUNDATIONAL PROGRAM (LFLFP) - In this 12-session teleclass series, you will experience the transformational Life On Purpose Process while clarifying your life purpose & learning how to live true to it. Learn about this premier program that has brought clarity of purpose to many peoples lives: lifeonpurpose.com This summer we will have a wonderful curriculum Happy Birthday Universe that focuses on our uniqueness and our interconnection with every other atom in the universe. Cool! We will swoop into fall with the wonderful Lumindorf curriculum, created from the Harry Potter series of books. We follow Harry Potter through his unusual and sometimes difficult spiritual journey, and learn of a higher use for our own powers. The events in Harrys life are metaphysically interpreted. Lesson plans and prepared materials will be provided for each class. Fun! Come join us on our magical mystery tour of youth spiritual education. You too may learn something new! ~ Cameron Ellison, YE Coordinator |
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April, 2005: Its not hard to be with children in spring. The newest ones to the world embody the season. A precious seven year old wrote "everyone one is pretty in their heart." That had me smiling for days. I marvel at the simple truth observed by this child, and I feel for the hearts that dwell in the shadow of darkened skies. It is the dear young hearts who realize the newness and beauty of life. Spring brings us renewal of life. Sap flows into buds and seeds send out tender footfalls. The earth has come to a point in her tilt where the suns rays fall more directly on our faces. The Spring Equinox is a place in time that has been noted and revered for as long as humans have been conscious. In the cycle of birth, growth, harvest and death, Spring is the phase of birth. At this time of year, the children are in their place on the wheel of life. The young among us are the closest to Father-Mother God. It is an honor to be with the children of Unity. Whether they are teenagers preparing to enter young adulthood, or young ones with glad, open hearts turned to us for nourishment, they have much to teach us. Let us have the eyes, ears, hands and hearts to hear them. In our Youth Education Department - our Spiritual School - at Unity, we offer teachings to the children. We also create an environment where the children can find their own voices, and share with us what they are feeling and experiencing. My most treasured time each Sunday is when, in Circle, we take time to share our prayers. The prayers of the children are the most pure and powerful. It is a place and time of great wonder as we hear small voices struggle to find the words to express their love, their concerns, and their wisdom. Over the next few months, our children will be having fun learning with wall painting, sidewalk chalk drawing, finger painting, card making, banner making, reading, drawing and singing. What promise the spring holds for all of us. There is room for you in our circle. Come play! ~Cameron Ellison, Youth Ed Coordinator |
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Where is the Love??? ~March 2004
The Uniteens took on the quest to find it. The song "Where Is The Love?" from Black Eye Peas motivated the kids to look around and find who gave of themselves in a way that expresses love. As the words of this song (see below) reflect the world we live in, in language that kids relate to, they wanted to share it with their church family, to touch hearts of all ages, and share a part of themselves. I'm sure some folks had an opportunity to check out their preferences. Were you judging the music? Could you even listen to the words of the song? Our Uniteens gave of themselves and it came directly from their hearts. This song taught them so much. It taught them that they have a voice, they have a right to be heard and it pushed them to investigate who has made a difference in this world. It made them questions why things are the way they are, to ask questions like: Why do people make choices that hurt others? What can we do? Do we even have any power to make changes? This is pretty important stuff for a 12 or 13 year old. In their search they found ten amazing people and this has been amazing for them. They've seen how people show love and how they dedicate their lives to others. They have seen how the love was so strong in Jesus and how all of these people were similar. The ten people who have inspired them are: Black Elk, Dorothy Day, Mother Theresa, Thick Nhat Hanh, Janusz Korczak, Desmond Tutu, Martin Luther King Jr., Albert Schweitzer, Mahatma Gandhi, and Malcolm X. They made banners of these inspirational people to share what they learned with our entire church family. You may have been inspired by the song, or you may have turned your cheek, but for these Uniteens it opened mind, eyes and heart, seeing compassion in progress and the making of heroes in their lifetime. What better heroes for your children! So, where is the love? We asked each other and here are our words:
These responses were gathered from the congregation:
Thank you for supporting our Uniteens! ~ Cinda Dobbs and Cameron Ellison, Uniteen teachers Where Is the Love? ~ song written by Black Eye Peas
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December 2003
According to the Gallup polls of the last decade, over 85% of parents believe that the home is the most important influence in the religious and spiritual development of a child. Only 10% of the parents felt that the church was the most important and only 2% felt that the schools were most influential in their childrens spiritual development. What transpires in our homes is critical to the needs of children, according to these parents. It appears that most parents are willing to acknowledge their responsibility to provide this training for their children. The holiday season is an opportunity to continue to give our children this gift. Each Christmas season, the media presents a barrage of new products we can consider for our gift-giving on Christmas Day. On Saturday mornings, our children are deluged with new, electronic games and toys to make their lives more exciting. As parents, it is often difficult to choose which new item to give as a gift. Guilt often forces us into trying to keep up with our neighbors, to make sure our children are not left out in our efforts to provide all the material goods we can possibly afford to make their lives more meaningful. However, we might consider what it is our children need that will last for many years to come. In our family setting, we can provide our children with gifts that will last, provide enjoyment and reflection in years to come, and allow them to know that during their growing years they were loved and valued as human beings. Have you considered a larger dose of a sense of family, tradition, security, and spirituality? The cost can be measured only in time spent to help them develop these senses, but the gift might last a lifetime and hopefully continue on to the next generation. A sense of family is a strong tie that binds us to those we love. Yet today, we are faced with responsibilities as parents that divide us from our family life. We must hold jobs outside the home, provide for careers by becoming active in the workplace and community. We are constantly bombarded with tasks that keep us away from one another during the course of the week. It is the quality of time we spend with our family that gives us a strong sense of family. It is the holiday season that offers us the time to build on our sense of family. Cherish this time together! Children must cope with so much more than we did when we were young and they need a sense of security. With so many choices and opportunities - but without guidance - they become confused and lost in the maze of growing into adulthood. Parents who can give their children a sense of security that helps them to make good choices and provides the knowledge that they will be there to help them unravel lifes puzzle, will raise children better equipped to handle life as adults. This Christmas, we can expose our children to a spirit of giving and sharing that minimizes the commercial meaning of receiving. To give these gifts to our children takes a lot of patience, perseverance, and strong adherence to those beliefs of love and faith we know to be worthwhile as adults. Christmas is a wonderful time to enjoy children, family, and the traditions we have shared in our families. When our children are grown, perhaps their gift will be to share with us that all their Christmas gifts were special to them as children, but that they sensed most our love, security, family, tradition, and faith. Our Annual Christmas Pageant will include two special presentations and music. Our first play, Gods Little Snowflake, follows a tiny snowflake named Star-Flake as she falls from the sky and learns on her journey that she is a special part of Gods creation. Our second play, The Two Innkeepers, offers a traditional Christmas message with two neighboring innkeepers trying to keep one of their inn rooms available for the arrival of a king. Be sure to attend... ~Leah King, YES Coordinator |
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December, 2002
Our most important endeavor as parents is to nurture our childrens spirituality. Children are spiritual beings & they naturally have what so many of us spend our adult years trying to get. If we recognize, honor and nurture the innate spiritual connection in our children they may never have to lose it. We work so hard to give our children every material advantage that we may overlook the very basis from which comes their self-esteem, values and acceptance. We short change kids by thinking that they need fancy high-tech toys, video games and television, when in fact, these things can stifle a child's imagination, their natural creative spirit, the magic! As an adult, this loss of magic leads us on a search everywhere for happiness, peace and contentment. For children, the magic is in the simple and the ordinary. We can catch some of this magic from our children when we engage with them in their magical journey. I cannot count the many times a "moment" in my day was transformed when Christopher invited an imaginary friend to lunch, or included me in his play! Children share their joy without effort and making magic out of the ordinary is fun! A lot of fancy toys and a playroom do not necessarily equal joy. Children will play with sticks, boxes, pots & pans, a bed-sheet, and an assortment of other ordinary items. How many times have we seen children receive a large toy, only to gain more enjoyment out of the big box that it came in? The ordinary becomes magical when a child is allowed to respond as he wishes to his environment. Try the following ideas to make some magic:
Enhance your child's joy, support it and catch it! A lot of magic takes place in our Youth Ed department every Sunday morning. Its a great place to experience a childs joy and is it ever contagious! Leah King, YES Coordinator |
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October 2002
Dear Unity Family,
Autumn has always been my favorite time of the year... cooler days, the glorious colors, pumpkins and hay, apples, soups... the list goes on! Autumn also ushers in one of my favorite holidays - Thanksgiving! As I reflect upon the people in my life that I am thankful for, children always top the list (my own and those who make up our Unity family) and those who give of their time and talent to enhance the lives of our children. I want to express my personal note of gratitude and love to each and every one of you that have been a part of our YE experience. It is because of you that our Sunday morning program is a success, and each one of you brings such important and appreciated qualities and gifts to me and to our children. I am blessed because you are in my life! We have a great new team of REPs who are lighting up our Sunday mornings. The children, as well as the adults, are really enjoying our new curriculum based on the Harry Potter books called Lumindorf. We began our Prayer Project - thank you to all the adults who have chosen to participate in this and pray with and for their child-prayer partner. The prayer we will use this month is the following by St. Francis. The children will be encouraged to memorize parts of it.
Leah King, YES Coordinator |
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The Chinese Bamboo Tree & Youth Education You're probably wondering what a Chinese bamboo tree has to do with our Youth Education department! Actually, the bamboo tree is a wonderful example of life, patience, and responsibility. The Chinese bamboo tree is encased in an extremely hard seed. When planted, the seed must be watered and fertilized for five years before it ever breaks through the ground. At any time during those five years, if the water and fertilization stops, the tree will die in the ground. But, after its fifth year, the Chinese bamboo tree will grow ninety feet tall in six weeks! So how is this tree an example of our Youth Ed program? In order for the bamboo tree, our lives, and yes, our youth, to become who and what they are capable of becoming, we must have the patience to know that all is in Divine order. We must accept our responsibility to nurture and fertilize, and be the role models for our youth. We must be the ones to show them personal responsibility by bringing them to their own spiritual fertilization every Sunday. Unity Center's Youth Education Department invites our Center's adult members to serve as role models and mentors for our youth, providing them with the opportunity to grow and experience their limitless potential. Whether we are parents or not, we adults are facilitating the growth of beings even more spectacular than a bamboo tree. Come join us as we plant the seeds, fertilize and nurture, and watch the love, the ideas, and the spirit of our youth grow! Leah King, YES Coordinator |
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April, 2002 Dear Unity Family,
All children want love and acceptance, no matter how old that child is! As one learns the art of giving and receiving the love energy, they come from a 'softer' place. Love is the highest frequency that can be shared. When a person tunes in to love, the lower frequencies fade out. Listening is how we create space for others to show up and be their true selves and gain insight into their true being-ness. All the children in our lives deserve to be heard. When a child speaks to us, how many times do we really hear what it is they have to say? In fact, how many times do you, as an adult, feel you are heard? The word listen as defined by Webster's means to "make a conscious effort to hear; to attend closely to". True listening is hearing the heart of what someone is saying rather than just the words. We cannot truly listen to someone if we are busy evaluating their words, thinking about what we are going to say in response, or making judgments about them based on what we are hearing. When you hear someone's heart, you are having true and genuine communion with that person. Many times we are nodding our heads when a child speaks to us, but we have not really heard what they have to say. Real listening includes the idea of respect to the person who is speaking. Little children are fresh from God and contain a simple, yet Divine, wisdom that we, as adults, need to hear. Do any of us really know what we are capable of if we had been born in someone else's shoes? I have read that Hitler's father beat him until he cried, then beat him until he was numb. Of course, his father had been beaten as a child as well, and his father before him. In the months following the tragic deaths of the five children at the hands of their mother Andrea Yates, there was much discussion about how she could have done such a thing, where was the husband, didn't anybody know how ill she was, and so on. There are most likely women every day suffering from postpartum depression or mental difficulties that have a passing, or lingering, horrible thought of hurting their child, but they would never think to discuss it with anyone for fear of having that child taken from them and from the social stigma that would result from confessing such a thing. That's a tragedy! Many perpetrators were themselves victims of abuse. This creates a vicious family cycle of the same behavior. How does it stop? Allowing honesty is the beginning of healing any relationship. At some point, prisons could be turned into healing centers where human beings can finally have the opportunity to get the love and attention they never received early in their lives and are still hungry for. Can you imagine it? The dark side is only dark because it is hidden. Once it is brought out into the open, it can be understood and changed! Darkness equals self-ignorance... that's it. The continual fighting in the Middle East is reflecting the idea that no one is being heard. When no one is heard, warring, fighting and violence is the outcome. The world we live in can only be changed when people are willing to hear, see and feel from another person's perspective. By taking the time to hear the children around us, we are actually discovering our own freedom, our own heart. If we take time to pay attention to the wisdom of the children in our lives, we can actually tap in to our own true and natural self. Let's envision a world where every person can sit down at the table of peace and reconciliation and share the depths of their soul without judgment. Leah King, YES Coordinator |
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Y.E.S.= Youth Exploring Spirituality Wanted: "Reasonably Enlightened Persons"! R.E.P.'s Make a Difference in the World! Opportunity for Fun & Love! We are looking for loving beings to share their time & energy with the children for a Semester, from Sept thru Jan and/or Feb thru June, as part of a Team of 3 REP's. Each REP teaches 2 weeks on and 1 week off. On the first Sunday of every month, right after service from 1-3, each team plans their program for the next four weeks. Training & Materials provided. You receive a free tape of the service on the days you teach, a 20% discount from the Bookstore, and you are treated to a Brunch at the end of the Semester. But honestly, the best perk is that you have a chance to be a meaningful part of a human being's life. Call the church. |
In January our power word is Faith. It is the corner stone upon which all else will work. The color is Deep Blue. We have heard that faith is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," but what does that mean? It means that faith is the Christ-power within us that enables us to translate the invisible into the visible.... Divine into our three-dimensional world! Faith establishes our reality for us. It is our great affirming faculty. Consider the faith of the Little Engine Who Could as he climbed the dark mountain, and began chanting as he struggled, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can," and then, despite the hardships that the mountain gave him (the appearances) started gaining confidence and greater faith saying "I know I can, I know I can, I know I can"! The engine's reality became that of getting over the mountain and carrying out his mission. During this month we affirm "My faith makes all things possible" and "I can do anything through faith." Yes!! |
Love is our Power Word, and our color is Pink. Our disciple is John the Beloved. Jesus gave 2 commandments: "Love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... and love your neighbor as yourself." We have these words on our walls downstairs. Help us make them a part of your child's life. They can identify with love by saying "I am child of love. I reflect a rainbow of forgiveness." Last month the children participated in an intergenerational service about love. I asked them to fill in the blank after "Love is..." Here are some of the replies: "A circle of all the people"..."Having faith in a friend"..."It feels like the mother loves"... "All the kids in the universe forever and ever and ever"... "Means you can find good in everybody"..."Being kissed by a parent"..."Here". We will be finishing up our lessons on prayer, and beginning "What you sow, you will reap" (Until you accept grace) |
March brings our friend Spring to us, and we will begin studying the history and story of Easter. Our Power word is Strength. Our spiritual gift of strength comes from a place of inner stillness. This is much different from the way our children are taught to think about strength. Instead of coming from force, exertion, or pressure, we come from a place of quietness and conviction. We are aligned to our truth with our bodies, minds, feelings, and spirit. This isn't a real easy concept for children to embrace, but we know you will help. Mahatma Gandhi is a real life example of a power man who touched the lives of many by his inner strength. Andrew is the disciple who represents strength, and our color is spring green. |
April is the month for Good Judgment! Using judgment is not about passing judgment against anything, or criticizing; its about choice. We want to teach children that personal choices determine the course of their lives. They have the ability to make decisions and those choices have a cause and effect; therefore, it is important to use good judgment when making choices. The color is yellow, like the sun that shines on our spiritual path of divine truth and love, and casts a shadow on the path of hatred and wrongdoing. Along with the power word of Good Judgment, we will be tying in the attributes of Courage and Faithfulness. We will concentrate on our connection to nature and the environment during the month of April. We must use our Good Judgment to help preserve our resources and act in environmentally responsible ways doing things like recycling and composting. |
May is the month of Power we are Power transformers! God is the Power source and we can learn to utilize this Power to transform our body and our environment; we can become masters of our feelings and how we think. There is Power in the spoken word, there is Power in forgiveness, and there is Power in prayer. The color for May is purple think royalty! Kings have dominion to rule their countries we have the dominion and Power to rule our thoughts and behaviors! Along with Power, we will be talking about the attributes of Helpfulness and Idealism. |
The Power Word for June is Imagination. The color is light blue and the disciple is Bartholomew. Through the wonderful gift of imagination, we are able to take our unformed ideas and thoughts and put them into form. We determine the shape, color, and direction of our thoughts. We want to teach our children that ideas are first created in the mind and then we use the power of our imagination to to work with them and give them shape. Through the month we will look at understanding our dreams, how to use visualization to manifest things in our lives and learning to use our imagination as we pray. We will be incorporating the virtues of trust and love along the way. The color for imagination is light blue and a great symbol is the clouds. One of my favorite past times with my children has been to lie on the ground and look up at the clouds and, using imagination, see the clouds take different forms of things. Imagination is an expression of creativity, and if we are made in the image and likeness of God, then we are creators. Someone once told me that we are the most like God when we create. So play some imagination and creation games with your child this summer. Have them create in their minds an imaginary town. Who would live there? What would the topography be like? the schools? the food? the clothing?, etc. Or acquaint your child with herbs and spices, and let them imagine how they would taste in a rice or pasta casserole, and let her add them. Let her make sandwich or salad combinations according to how she would imagine them tasting together. If our kids can do it for ice cream sundaes, they can do it for veggies too! Play a game while driving in the car where someone starts a story, and then another person adds a piece, then another piece, then another. Story telling may even increase intelligence. Talk to your child about the kind of world he/she would like to live in, and then discuss what part he/she might play in its expression? I'm certain that you can IMAGINE lots of ways to use IMAGINATION in your lives! |
In July we work with the power of Understanding. When we see ourselves, each other, and our world more clearly, we understand. The ability to see the outer things in our world through the inner realms of the Spirit requires the use of understanding. When we are truly seeing clearly, we are beholding the Christ in all things. To understand someone is to love him. The color for this power word is gold and a great symbol is a key. When the Christ in me unlocks the Truth, I understand. One important concentration in July will be how we use our understanding to access all twelve powers in a balanced way. In the plant kingdom, each seed carries the instructions that designate what the tree, flower, weed, or vegetable is meant to be. When we look at an acorn, we know that it will grow into an oak tree because that is the template that is encoded within the seed. The same holds true for human beings. We are imprinted with the twelve special powers that, when used appropriately, can provide tremendous growth and balance as we progress towards our ultimate potential! We celebrate the twelve powers of faith, will, order, power, love, strength, release, life, enthusiasm, wisdom, imagination and understanding!! July's color, gold, is like the Golden Rule. The disciple is Thomas. We have the Golden Rule as it is spoken in many of the world's religions, and we always share it at this time, creating a sense of Oneness in our diversity of religions and regions. Teaching the Golden Rule also teaches the law of sowing and reaping. That which I put out in the world, will come back to me. We also discuss ways of looking at conflict with understanding. The kids bring in the conflicts, and then we all discuss how we could see it from understanding eyes, and what choices we could make from that viewpoint. It is hard for anyone to understand meanness in the world. We will remind them that they can always pray for help in understanding why things happen, and in knowing the best choices to make in any situation. |
The color is Silver/Gray and the disciple is Matthew, which means "Gift of God". Free will is definitely a gift from God. A Course in Miracles tells us that God's will for us is perfect happiness. |
September's Power Word is ORDER. In the three dimensional world we have time and space, but in the higher realms we have Order and Being. Order is a higher octave of time. The color is dark green, a mature green. |
Our October power word is ENTHUSIASM! Its the power that generates a zest for living! This unseen force is generated from within and is responsible for our desire to explore and participate in the world around us. Its the force that motivates us to go forward in life filled with vitality and interest. Every person was born with an unlimited supply of this ingredient! Combined with the power of order, it helps us attain our goals and not deplete our energies needlessly. Being enthusiastic is one thing; knowing how to use it wisely is something else! With all the pumpkins around this month, it is easy to remember the color for enthusiasm Orange! Good symbols that help us remember this power word are the smiling face and the sun. We can affirm I sizzle with enthusiasm and My smile radiates Gods energy! |
The power word for November is ELIMINATION! Elimination is our ability to say NO to that which is no longer useful or helpful to us in our lives. Through this ability we are able to let go of negative thoughts, beliefs, feelings and conditions that we have previously allowed to lodge in our consciousness, in our bodies, or in our affairs. They may even have served a useful purpose for us in the past, but now they are no longer needed. We can use the space that they have occupied to develop the fullness of Spirit! Its a wonderful month to think the color Russet! Were surrounded with the color outdoors as the leaves work their magical transformation in color. Symbols to help us remember elimination are open hands, wings and the butterfly. Helpful affirmations are, I release, let go, and let God and I release my fears and welcome my good. |
December's Power Word is LIFE. It is symbolized by the color Red. A great thought to practice is Jesus's promise, "I come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." This month we celebrate the birth of Jesus. It's a time of joy and sharing and giving gifts. Life is God's gift to us. What a great word to reflect on during this busy month! It's not just about adding years to our lives but adding life to our years. It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season and forget how this season can add life to our years. The opportunity to serve others, to share with others what Spirit has provided us with, to share the beauty of the Christ in all we do. These are the important things. The material gifts we give, and get, will soon be forgotten, but we remember the special deeds done for others, or done for us. We have been given the gift of life, how we value and appreciate this gift is expressed through the fullness in which we live it. Consider this wonderful statement about youth and LIFE from Samuel Ullman's famous "Youth": "Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips, and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up on enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Whether sixty or sixteen, there is in every human being's heart the love of wonder, the sweet amazement at the stars and the starlike things, the undaunted challenge of events, the unfailing childlike appetite for "what-next", and the joy of the game of living. You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fears; as young as your hope, as old as your despair." As we celebrate the birth and life of Jesus during December, remember to celebrate your own life and concentrate on adding life to your years! Give your gift of you to others! |
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"One hundred years from now, |
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Children seldom misquote you. |
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Watch what you say!...
I took Allison to the doctor for her 2-year-old check-up. They had her do coordination tests, like stacking blocks, and they watch and see if they walk properly.
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Ha-Ha Halloween What is Frankensteins favorite waterway? ~ The Eerie Canal.
What is a baby ghost's favorite game? ~ Peek-a-boo!
What is Dracula's favorite coffee? ~ De'coffin'ated!
What is a ghost's favorite ride at the midway? ~ A roller ghoster!!
Why did the Mummy keep his Band-aids in the refrigerator? ~ He wanted to use them later for cold cuts!!
What was the Mummy's favorite type of music? ~ Wrap!
Why didn't the skeleton dance at the party? ~ He had no body to dance with.
What is a vampire's favorite holiday? ~ Fangsgiving.
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What do you get when you throw an orange rock into the Red Sea? ~A wet rock
Did you hear about the man who stayed up all night wondering where the sun went? ~ It dawned on him.
What does Tarzan sing at Christmas? ~ Jungle Bells
Why do birds fly south in the winter? ~ Because it's too far to walk.
What do you get when you cross a mutt and a poodle? ~ A muddle!
What do you get when you cross a cow and a pogo stick? ~ A milkshake
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| Why God made Moms -from by 2nd grade school children How did God make mothers?
What ingredients are mothers made of?
What kind of little girl was your mom?
Why did your mom marry your dad?
What's the difference between moms & dads?
What does your mom do in her spare time?
What would it take to make your mom perfect?
If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
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The "Cost" of Raising a Child |
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The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with
$160,140 for a middle-income family.
What do you get for your $160,140?
For $160,140, you never have to grow up:
For $160,140, there's no greater bang for your buck:
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God. You have the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever and love them without limits, so that one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. Money well spent, don't you think? ~ author unknown
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