Strength is Something You Are

I keep the word "Courage" in the cup holder of my car. It's getting to look a little battered because it has been there ever since Rebecca Stoker posted each of the 12 Powers around Unity's sanctuary, office and halls a few years before the pandemic hit. I tore off the word courage. I call on courage so often that I want it in my eyesight every time I get into my car. 

The situations have varied. For example, I call on my courage to tell someone something they might not want to hear but that I need to say. I need to be sure of my feelings. I know to use a gentle, matter-of-fact tone of voice. My reward is often that I am heard and the other person and I find a solution that works for both of us. Another example was last June when I needed to remind myself I could drive to visit my mom in Illinois by myself. I can handle driving 6 hours one day and 7 the next. I can do it. The reward was a couple weeks with my mom.

This is from Unity's Advent booklet for December 27, 2019: Strength, Stability, Courage, Tenacity 

Affirmation: By the light of strength, I stand steady in the midst of shifting circumstances. I am courageous and tenacious.

From Unity's Booklet "How to Stay Centered, No Matter What" which includes essays on each of the 12 powers, I take this from the essay on Strength: Remember that strength is not something you have but what you are as an expression of God's divine presence.

And from Unity's Daily Word for this last March 19: Strength. I use my strength to stay the course when my attention wanes, maintain my endurance when I'm tempted to give up, and withstand my trials when it's easier to give in.

Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. - 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

I wish each of us to be Courage whenever we need it. Amen! And so it is!

~ Jean

P.S. I am in Illinois again right now. I drove to visit my mom for two weeks, knowing I could do it. 

Underlined Excerpts - March 2021

Periodically I go back through each page of the current Daily Word magazine and transfer my underlined excerpts from the booklet to my journal. Here are some of mine from March:

March 1: Free: I am made in the image and likeness of God. My soul is meant to soar.

March 4: Protected: No matter what is going on around me, I keep my thoughts focused on God. This gives me the perspective that outer conditions are temporary, and the presence and power of God is the only enduring reality. I am strong and wise and braver than I often allow myself to believe. (See my post on Strength Is What You Are.) No circumstance in the world or in my life is greater or more constant than God, and God is always as near to me as my heartbeat.

March 5: Renew: The sun always shines, even on the cloudiest days. The light of God is always within me even when I am not aware of it.

March 9: Intention: While it's true that I may not have control over what happens around me, I can claim dominion over what happens within me. I breathe deeply...

March 14: Energy: At the heart of everything I am called to do is the energy to do it.

March 16: Acceptance: Acceptance is my path to peace. In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other. - Ecclesiastes 7:14 

March 20: Inner Peace: I dwell in the peace of God. I have only to remember this by gently pausing, breathing, and remembering who I am.

March 27: Tranquil: Tranquility places me in harmony with the universe. Breathing mindfully, I envision each inhalation bathing every cell of my body in peace.

I know that different Daily Words touch each of us differently. I am sharing these trusting that what has touched me may touch you also.

Namaste

~ Jean

 Do you know what you love? Do you think it is important, what you love?

 Have you ever been asked what you love?  Have you ever wanted to list all the things you think are wonderful.  Do you share this part of yourself with others so you know them and they know you? It offers us all such an opportunity to know ourselves and others better.  Like it helps you know who they are and perhaps it even reminds you how much you love that too. Or perhaps it invites an appreciation that you did not have before.

As a designer, I ran into many persons, who hadn’t thought about it, or did not consider their own choices special.   They often thought it would be much more important that they like what the other guy likes because that other person is much more important.

I am saying these words because it was my experience often that many persons lacked value of their own choices.  And in my opinion, there may not be anything more important than living with or choosing what suits you best!

In my work as a designer, one time I arrived at a couple’s home and they told me they weren’t going to tell me a thing about themselves.  They instead, wanted to hear what I thought would be best for their home.  I immediately repaired with what I felt needed to be said, that by not knowing more about them or their loves, and wanderings, I could not possibly advise them appropriately.

And now in our movement forward at Unity in Asbury, it is very important that we know who you are, and what you want to see happening in the life of the church.  That way we’ll know choices to make, possibilities to include, preferences to consider. 

You see at our Community meeting next week we hope to find out about you, and what our next steps as a church might be.  Make us a list, or a vision board, or a description so we know what you hope for in the future.  We are definitely exploring whether to keep the present building, or be-come a church in a box, or rent another building or church.  We want to explore in terms of expenses, environment, details, and space, so please let us know your thoughts.  We will be listening carefully! And we want and need your opinion!

 Love,  Denny Daikeler

Pass It On - Part 2

Coincidentally (I know - there are no coincidences) last week I received a mailing from Silent Unity calling me to Pray It Forward. Here's the link to the article How to Pray It Forward | Unity

A couple excerpts from the article follow: The first one speaks to me especially. 

“Prayer makes no demands concerning time or location. Right where you are, at your place of business, on the street, in the home, you can pray and pray effectively.”

I keep Unity's Daily Word magazine on my bathroom counter so I read the message of the day when I wake up each morning.  I do not have a set scheduled prayer and meditation time every day; instead I find myself sending out prayers at seemingly random times. Like when I think of a friend who is having a cancer treatment. Like when I think of our world. Like when I'm starting on a cross country drive to see my mom. Like when I know a friend is meeting with her doctor for a health checkup. Like when I am so grateful for this beautiful day.

I love these next paragraphs because it reminds me that it's not my responsibility to change someone else. It is my responsibility to see everyone as whole and complete as they are (including myself).

“Our prayers do not change other persons,” wrote Hypatia Hasbrouck in Handbook of Positive Prayer (Unity Books, 2005). “Other persons may seem to change when, through prayer, we change our perception and understanding of them.”

Rev. Linda Martella-Whitsett, vice president of Unity Prayer and Practice, says ... “This means that instead of worrying about them or with them, we clear our mind and get in touch with our innate strengths and capacities,” she says.

 

“Centered in this clear state of mind, we can see the truth about them and their life—that they, too, have all they need within them to respond in the healthiest way to the conditions they are praying about.”

Passing it on applies to a lot, doesn't it! Share if you like (jeaprojects@gmail.com)

~ Jean

Pass It On

Do you remember the movie Pay It Forward (released in October 2000)?

Here’s the storyline: Young Trevor McKinney, troubled by his mother's alcoholism and fears of his abusive but absent father, is caught up by an intriguing assignment from his new social studies teacher, Mr. Simonet. The assignment: think of something to change the world and put it into action. Trevor conjures the notion of paying a favor not back, but forward--repaying good deeds not with payback, but with new good deeds done to three new people. Trevor's efforts to make good on his idea bring a revolution not only in the lives of himself, his mother and his physically and emotionally scarred teacher, but in those of an ever-widening circle of people completely unknown to him. Written by Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

Loving the concept, right after I saw that movie the winter of 2000-2001, I remember one instance where I paid it forward. I was driving into a state park in Florida and paid my entrance fee and the fee for the car coming in behind me. I had hoped to remain anonymous not realizing that this particular park had only one parking area. The family followed me in and thanked me when we had parked.

I still love the concept and it came back to me 21 years later this March when I was feeling anxious and completely incompetent getting appointments for the Covid-19 vaccine for my husband and myself. In my previous post, I shared that I stopped communicating with anyone. Not hearing from me, a friend emailed me on March 2 with this simple message: Have you been successful getting a vaccine appointment? I have some ‘tricks’ for two pharmacies if you need them.

I didn’t bother to email her, I picked up the phone and called her immediately. We talked for a while about how some of the pharmacies are posting appointment dates and then she offered to try to get us appointments that night, a Thursday, if I sent her our information. I did and then I began to hope but also try to be realistic (I didn’t even tell my husband about the chance). That night around midnight when I was already asleep she had success. First thing Friday morning I checked my email and there was a message from her hoping she had succeeded. She had! There was also an email from Rite Aid Pharmacy confirming our appointments for the next Tuesday. I was ecstatic and so grateful. Only later that day did I notice that I was also feeling incredibly peaceful, something I hadn’t felt in a while.

Tuesday came and we both got our first shots of the Pfizer vaccine (the 2^nd shot to be three weeks later, same weekday and time). Right after that shot I thought of friends who might be feeling as anxious as I was to get an appointment for the vaccine – especially those in my age group and a young teacher friend. I began to email and telephone them. Many had already been vaccinated, some had not. My first friend continued to send me more hints for getting appointments and I kept forwarding them to anyone who still needed shots.

On March 15, one friend texted this: “You’re my hero! I have an appointment for the vaccine at Walmart next week. Thank you very much!”

My teacher friend had her first shot on March 16 and the second is scheduled.

I am so grateful for the help from my friend and it felt GREAT passing on her tricks and hints to everyone I could think of. Paying it forward feels amazing.

I welcome hearing from anyone who would like to share their Pay It Forward story. (jeaprojects@gmail.com)

~ Jean

P.S. The last I heard from my first friend, she has signed up 11 people so far. How great is that!

Image: maine.gov

“Outer Conditions are Temporary”

Welcome Back – Glad to be Back

Dear Unity Friends, I wrote occasional blogs for Stepping Stones Journal with Rebecca Stoker while I was working part time at Unity Spiritual Center. When I left employment at Unity in December 2019, I also stopped posting blogs.

I loved the challenge of noticing what was happening in my life that might be helpful or interesting to share with someone else. It’s been over a year since then, and what a year it has been!

USC Touchstone, a new blog, was introduced by Rev Carmela and Denny last September. While I was reviewing 2020 and making resolutions (yes, I do) for 2021 I realized that I wanted to get back into contributing. It took a while to start writing again. This is my first contribution. My intention, as before, is to share something every week.

Caring comments are welcome: jeaprojects@gmail.com

“Outer Conditions are Temporary”

I have been in the dumps for days - on the verge of tears, not in the mood to talk to or communicate in any way with anyone. I felt completely apathetic about everything except when I hated everyone and everything in my life. When I was feeling that way about my nearest and dearest, I knew this was about me, not them. Then it dawned on me that I was depressed.* Maybe not clinically depressed and not suicidal but depressed nevertheless. It felt really bad. I felt really bad.

Focusing on the stressors in my life is a spiral to the dumps. Some of these include the isolation because of Covid-19, having a brand new puppy that needs lots of training, always tired (a new puppy interrupts sleep and not sleeping well is a symptom of depression), frustration trying to get vaccine appointments for my husband and myself, frustration not being able to visit my 95 year old mom in Illinois. There is a long enough list, probably like everyone else.

So what was I going to do about it? The first slight lightening was when I named it. But that wasn’t enough. I still needed to know what else to do, how else to be. I called on some of my spiritual practices: don’t take anything personally and don’t make assumptions. Let go Let God and Golden Key the situation. Turn it over to God. Life comes to Pass, this too will pass.

I wondered who to call: a friend who is a therapist, one of my sisters, my former Minister. I didn’t call any of them. I wrote in my journal. Going it alone is typical. Then I Googled what to do about it. There were plenty of articles about identifying what I was feeling and also what to do about it.

I started listing recommendations in my journal:

      1.       Reach out to other people.
2.       Get moving.
3.       Eat a mood boosting diet.
4.       Find ways to engage again in the world.
5.       Practice relaxation techniques every day.
6.       Care for a pet.
7.       Spend time in nature.
8.       List what you like about yourself.
9.       Take care of a few small tasks.
10.   Challenge negative thinking.

At that point I was copying so much that I decided to download the whole article. Its title is “Coping with Depression” on Coping with Depression - HelpGuide.org. Please note that if you or someone you know is in crisis or is in danger, see resources here Get Help - Depression Solutions.

The recommendations that worked the best for me were to reach out to others, to get moving, to spend time in nature, and to challenge negative thinking (see Daily Words below). I’m better now though I continue to use many of these recommendations. Plus I am lifted up by warmer, sunnier weather and I am so grateful to a friend who was able to get both my husband and me Covid-19 vaccine appointments.

Two recent Unity Daily Words were helpful too:

Faith. “Sometimes…an obstacle feels too big to surmount…I feel discouraged when I start believing more in problems than possibilities. At those times when I need to rekindle my belief in myself…Faith is my power to believe, which leads me to know I can do all that I set out to do.”

Protected. “No matter what is going on around me, I keep my thoughts focused on God. This gives me the perspective that outer conditions are temporary, and the presence and power of God is the only enduring reality.”

When I read those words I do my best to take them to heart, to breathe and to believe I am truly protected.

I wish the same for each of you. With love,

~ Jean

* I have felt this way at least twice in the past, many years ago both times but did not identify what I was feeling. I was working full time then which helped divert me from my feelings. I muddled through one day at a time. All those years ago I didn’t have Unity teachings in my life nor the many resources I have gained from Unity classes and book discussions. Fortunately I do now. Thank you, Unity!

Images: usatoday.com and retrocitycycles.com