LOVE

THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT
December 14, 2014

Meditation on Love

More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. As He grew in wisdom and stature, He began to tach so that others might follow His example. Today I humbly honor Jesus by accepting His instruction to love others and myself unconditionally. Putting away all thoughts of past errors or mistakes. I allow the loving Christ nature to be born anew in me. I center my thoughts on the Kingdom of Heaven, a consciousness of wholeness and holiness. I was created in the image and likeness of God, and I now accept the truth of who I am. I live in the presence of unconditional love, and the unconditional love of Christ lives in me.

"Love one another"  --- John 13:34



**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

This Quiet Place
by Rev. Dorothy Pierson

I came to this quiet place
And found You waiting for me, God.
I hadn't heard You call,
I had no seeming need at all.
But I just felt guided to be still...
And here You are!
My heart is open to Your will,
Speak to me, God,
For I am listening within myself,
I hear You in my mind,
A kind of moving as in the quiet of a forest,
Pleasant sounds, soft and whispering
To my heart.
In this place apart, O God,
Thank You for the peace I feel,
The sure knowing that You are here.
And real, and that we are one
In this quiet place.

"And they shall name Him Emmanuel, which means, 'God is with us.'"  --- Matthew 1:23

**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

What Makes Christmas Real?
by Tom Baker

     I have had one miracle attributed to me. I don't actually think I performed the miracle but, as I said, it was attributed to me.
     It happened my second year as a priest at midnight Mass. I was giving my sermon and a baby began to cry. Usually when this happened I would keep talking, turning away from the crying. The mother (or the father or the older sister in a big Catholic family) would get the hint and leave. But this mother and child were stuck in the middle of the pew, in a packed church. She was going to sit the screaming out.
     This child was loud. So I stopped, and remembering that it was Christmas Eve, said, "Tonight, I love the crying of this child; it reminds me that 2,000 years ago the crying of a child was the voice of God --- maybe it still is.'
     And just like that the child stopped crying. And there was a hush in the church that was a hush beyond quiet, it was the feel of people listening to silence. Then people, chuckled. And afterwards they proclaimed it a miracle.
     But what I remembered was the hush. That moment so quiet and bright and still that you might hear the music in light or appreciate the voice of God in the cry of a child.

"May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in all ways."  2 Thessalonians 3:16

**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

Monday, December 8, 2014

The King and the Painting
by Catherine Marshall

     There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artist tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.
     One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought it was a perfect picture of peace.
     The other picture had mountains, too, but these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest in perfect peace.
     Which picture do you think won the prize? The King chose the second picture, explaining that peace does not mean being in a place where there is no noise, trouble or turmoil. It means being in the midst of all those things, and still feeling the serenity that is always in your heart.
     That is the real meaning of peace.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 
--- Matthew 6:21

**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

PEACE

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT
December 7, 2014

Meditation on Peace

All possibilities for peace and prosperity are available to us as we release old patterns of behavior and overcome thoughts and actions that have divided us in the past. The Christ is born anew in our hearts and in our world. We greet these new days with hope and love, trusting that our world leaders are being guided toward the highest good for all. The power of our hearts united is invincible. We move forward with the confidence, hope and strength borne of faith. The Christ is awakened and renewed in us, and we trust Spirit to lead us into bringing about a new world vision of peace.

"To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace." ---Romans 8:6

**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

I'll Try Once More
By Rev. Dorothy Pierson

I turn myself over to You, Father,
But then I take me back!
So sincerely I abandon my will to Yours
And walk out on the water.
But when my feet get wet
And I feel the sway of the moving sea,
I take myself back fearfully
And climb into my self-willed boat
To steer back to the shore.
Would that I could stride out on the sea
Like, He Who traveled Galilee!
Will my faith one day be buoyant as His?
I turn myself over to you again, Father
I'll try once more!

"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you --- you of little faith?" --- Matthew 6:30

**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

TIME TO TESTIFY (Faith In Our Father)

       
                         Faith In Our Father

     "You have 12 new messages, 3 saved messages. First message... from phone number 505, 769, 0982... received . May third at six fifty - seven a.m.... 'Hello? Dejon? This is your dad. I'll need a ride to the hospital today. (pause) If you can. Okay? Okay, I'll see you." To replay this message press 4.. to erase, press 7... to return this call, press 8... to save, press 9... for more options, press 0."
     Had I not received and responded to the messages my dad would have died. But even taking him to the hospital, what seemed to be a simple case of my dad being anemic and needing a blood transfusion transpired into something much worse.
     It all began  just two weeks after I had moved back to my hometown. After unpacking and finally getting settled into my trailer I set out early one Monday morning in search of employment and a new start in my hometown.
    It was almost noon so I decided to go home, eat some lunch then continue putting applications everywhere. I forgot to carry my phone with me that morning so when I looked and noticed I had messages, my first thought was somebody was already contacting me for a job interview. After all, I hadn't been back in town very long and nobody knew I was in Clovis so I didn't think it could be anybody else calling.
     But after the third voice-mail I received from my dad, I knew something must be seriously wrong. My dad wasn't one to just pick up the phone and call people and he was a very independent man, so to hear that he needed a ride to the hospital caused me to worry and fear the worst.
     I rushed to my dad's house and fortunately he left the front door unlocked. I entered and went straight to his bedroom where he was laying asleep. I gentle shook him to wake him and tell him I was there to take him to the hospital. I told him I would wait in the living room while he gets dressed then we would leave.
     I was sitting in a chair that faced the long hallway leading to the bedrooms. As soon as my dad came walking up the hallway I knew immediately what was wrong with him--- he was anemic. I struggled with it years earlier so I knew the signs and I understood what my dad was enduring.
     After rushing him to the emergency room, he was admitted into the hospital to receive a blood transfusion. The first two days seemed to go well and he was to be released the third day. But when the next day came, they didn't release him because they said his blood count was low and they had to give him yet another blood transfusion. 
     Then finally after a week in the hospital, the doctors decided something was seriously wrong with my dad. Apparently, he was bleeding somewhere and they couldn't find out where so they advised that we should transfer him to another hospital where he could receive better treatment. So we transferred him to Lubbock, Texas which is about 180 miles from our hometown of Clovis, New Mexico.
     After the transfer, the next day, the doctors from Lubbock told me my dad had a gall bladder the size of a baseball and that he would need surgery to remove it. After the surgery, my dad seemed fine but the doctors would not release him. The doctor kept giving my dad test. Yet, every time we would ask about the test results the doctor replied, "I don't know. I haven't seen the results yet." then he would rush off.
     We would pray over my dad and it seemed like he was getting better so we were confused why the doctor refused to release him. I could see the work our Heavenly Father was doing on my dad. We saw how my dad's attitude was better, his health was definitely improving.
     After three weeks, I'm beginning to get very upset with the doctor. I had a strong faith that our Heavenly Father was healing my dad, it was very obvious when we prayed over him  and we had hope that he would be released soon. Although, when we had to leave the hospital to drive back to Clovis to tend to animals, get the mail, catch up on bills, etc. unknown to me, the doctors would take my dad out of his room and run tests on him. Every time we returned to the Lubbock hospital, he looked in worse shape that he did before we left. He always looked as if somebody had beaten him up.
     I then realized that the only way my dad was going to heal is if I got him out of that hospital so the doctors couldn't continue to interfere with the healing process that our Heavenly Father was doing.
     Finally, one day after returning from Clovis and once again seeing my dad in worse shape than before we left,  I demanded they stop all the testing. I explained to the doctor that whatever testing they were doing it was more harmful to my dad than if they just left him alone. The doctors explained to me that as long as my dad was in the hospital under their care and did not have a DNR (Do not resuscitate) active, then it's their responsibility to take the tests to try and find the problem. This angered me and I quickly reacted by requesting they put a DNR on my dad. We then began making arrangements to take him home and place him in hospice care.
     The doctor seemed upset and told me that my dad would never make the drive back to Clovis. But my faith was so strong that I knew my Heavenly Father would allow my dad to get home and if it be His Will to take my dad, at least he would pass away peacefully at home where he wanted to be.
     When I told my oldest sister what the doctor said, she agreed with him. She told me that once they disconnect the IV from my dad then the clock will start ticking. This infuriated me. I just thought to myself, "Where is your faith?" I also became fearful because of my ignorance in the medical field I was a bit worried that they just might be right.
     As my sisters and my nephew left the hospital ahead of us so they could be at the house when hospice staff arrived to set up the bed before the ambulance brought my dad home, I stayed behind at the hospital with my dad. I was P.O.A. (Power of Attorney) so I had to wait for the paramedics to arrive to sign the necessary release and transfer papers.
     During that time, I prayed again. I prayed hard asking my Heavenly Father to let me be doing the right thing. I asked God that if it was time to take my dad to at least wait until he was home. I asked my Heavenly Father to grant my dad's final wish to allow him to die at his home. Then I felt a great sense of peace and calm. After my prayer, I woke my dad and told him he was going home.
     My dad hadn't really spoken to us in about three weeks. My guess is that he was upset because we didn't get him out of the hospital sooner, after all, he was asking to go home just right after the surgery. But at that very moment, he opened his eyes  and asked, "What? What was that?"
     And I held his hand and said, "Dad, the ambulance is on it's way. You're going home dad. We're getting you outta here."
     My dad squeezed my hand as hard as he could and said, "Thank you, thank you. God bless you." and a tear rolled from the corner of his eye as he flashed me a smile.
     When the ambulance arrived and I signed all the necessary paperwork, the paramedic asked me for directions where to take my dad then told me I could leave and meet them at the house. 
     The drive to Clovis was so emotional. I constantly prayed for my dad to at least make it home and to know he was home yet, doubt would try to overcome my faith. I kept hearing what my sister and the doctor said about my dad never making the trip home alive. Yet, my strong faith in my Heavenly Father refused to believe what my sister and the doctor said. I knew that if it be my Father's Will then He would allow my dad to arrive home alive. I knew my Heavenly Father was faithful in His promises to us and He has always promised that if we had faith the size of a mustard seed then it shall be.
     My faith won. Not only did my dad arrive home alive but his health also improved. He lost all the swelling from the edema, (when he was released from the hospital he was the size of the Good Year blimp man they used to advertise).  He was able to walk, eat on his own and he was talking more. He lived six months longer than the doctors gave him.
     It was my strong faith in my Father --- my Heavenly Father, that kept my dad alive. Oh, and all those tests the doctors were taking, I discovered after I retrieved the medical records that the tests were taken because my dad has so much wrong with him internally and the doctors kept taken tests because they couldn't understand how my dad was even still alive. 

Matthew 19:26 - But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." 

Mark 9:23 - Jesus said unto him, "If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth."  

Mark 10:27 - And Jesus looking upon them saith, "With men [it is] impossilbe, but not with God: for with God all things are possible."

Luke 1:37 - For nothing is impossible with God.

Luke 18:27 - And He said,  "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." 

Matthew 17:20 -  And Jesus said unto them, "Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." 

Genesis 11:6 - And the LORD said, "Behold, the people [is] one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do." 

Hebrews 6:18 - That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
By Martha Smock

God can help and can heal any condition or situation, no matter how frightening or distressing the appearances. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." (John 14:27) "I am with you always." (Matthew 28:20)

If you are concerned or disturbed about something, say these words of Jesus over to yourself. Say them and listen to them. Think of the living, loving Christ speaking them to you, through you.

Let not your heart be troubled by sickness. The Christ is within you as healing life. There is nothing to fear, for with God all things are possible; with God there are no incurable conditions. The Christ is saying to you now, "You have been made well!"  (John 5:14)

Let not your heart be troubled by injustice or unfair treatment. Give everything over to the loving Christ and know that this Spirit is able to make all things right. Hold fast to your faith in God, to your faith in the good, and keep your heart and mind open to be forgiving, loving benediction of the Christ. You are beloved of God; you are one with the Christ. You are surrounded and enfolded by perfect peace that the world cannot give, the peace that is God's gift to your heart, mind and life.

"Jesus turned and seeing her He said, 'Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.' And instantly the woman was made well." --- Matthew 9:22



**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

Monday, December 1, 2014

Help Thou Mine Unbelief
By James Dillet Freeman

Faith is not an abstraction, it is an attitude towards life, a feeling about life. It does not come out of signs and miracles or any outward happenings so much as out of inward growth.

If you cannot believe in much, then believe in the little that you can. Start where you are and grow. What seed can have a foreknowledge of the tree it will become? Waht thorny bush can prophesy the rose? What worm can tell of the butterfly? Faith grows.

If you find yourself deploring how little your faith is, think how far you have come with the little faith you have. As you climb a hill, it is sometimes well to look back to see how far you have come instead of always looking at the insurmountable heights ahead.

Sometimes, you may have more faith than you imagine, and when you need it, you will find it there within you.


"Therefore, let all who are faithful offer prayer to you, at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them."   
--- Psalm 32:6

**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

FAITH

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT
November 30, 2014


Meditation On Faith

Setting out on her journey, the young Mary may not have been sure where she would stay or how she would give birth, but Mary had faith that God would provide. I may not always know how things will work out, but faith sets my feet confidently on the path to my good. With each step I affirm God's strength within me and God's wisdom guiding me. My faith in God's power is greater than any fear or doubt. When I am uncertain, I quiet my thoughts, knowing the still, small voice within will direct me. 

God's desire for me is only good. In faith I move confidently in the direction of my good.


"Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name." --- Psalm 32:6


**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

ADVENT (INTRODUCTION)

Although Christmas memories reflect specific times, people, and places, Christmas is a feeling more than an event. It is a special warmth and glow that fills our hearts this time of year.

Yet Christmas can also be a tender time, especially for those who are grieving, struggling or alone. These stories and sentiments should remind us that no matter what is happening in our outer lives, we can find the Spirit of Christmas within. We need only breathe into the present moment, turn our attention to the Christ Presence, and feel our oneness with all of life. Simple acts of kindness, both given and received, can bring us home to the truth that we are never alone.

May Faith, peace, Love and Joy be alive in your heart this Advent season, as together we celebrate the coming --- and the arrival --- of the Christ Light in our world. You are blessed and you are a blessing!

**** Excerpts from Unity's Advent 2014 "Christmas in My Heart" Booklet

Unity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, supported primarily by freewill offerings, including planned giving. To give a donation, please visit www.unity.org/donate. Or for other useful resources you may visit www.unity.org

INSPIRATIONAL STORY (The Black Dot)

A small town Chamber of Commerce invited a speaker to address it's annual dinner. The community's economy was bad, people were discouraged and they wanted the motivational speaker to give them a boost.

During the presentation, the speaker took a large piece of paper and made a small black dot at the center with a marking pen. Then she held the paper up before the group and asked them what they saw.

"I see a black dot," a person quickly replied.

"Okay, what else do you see?'

Everybody looked and many joined in agreement, "A black dot."

"That's good. Do any of you see anything else?" the speaker asked.

After a few minutes of silence, many people in the audience shook their heads and a few answered, "No!"

"What about a sheet of paper?" Asked the speaker. "I'm sure all of you can see the paper, am I right? But you all have chosen to overlook it.'

The audience was stunned and some felt embarrassed.

"In life, we also tend to overlook and take for granted many wonderful things that we have or memorable events. We spend too much time focusing our attention and energy on small, dot-like failures and disappointments. The so called 'problems' that we have are usually like the black dot on the paper. They are small and insignificant if we can widen our horizon and look at the whole picture."

Examine yourself and how you see things. Are you one of the people who focuses your attention and energy on dot-like problems?

I AM CHURCH

Hello,
My name is church.
I'm sure you have heard a lot about me. I have no shortage of critics, Perhaps you have heard that I am boring, shallow, cheap and a waste of time. Perhaps you have heard that I am full of hypocrites, clowns, greedy people and the self-righteous.

Maybe you have visited me before and discovered horrible music, passionless singing, dry preaching and rude congregants. Or maybe right when you needed me I was too busy, too "righteous", too broke or too blind.

Maybe you joined me and found I was distant, demanding, dull and preoccupied. Or maybe you tried to serve in me but were caught off guard by business meetings, committees, teams, debates and bureaucracy.

Maybe you left and you were surprised that nobody called, cared, noticed or invited you back. Or perhaps your experience has driven you to speak negatively about me, swear to never come back to me, proclaim that no one needs me or maybe you believe that you are better off without me.

If this is true, if your heart resonates with this, I have something to say to you: "I'm sorry! I made a huge mistake and I was wrong. Please remember, my name is Church. It isn't perfection. It isn't flawlessness. It isn't completion."

"My name is church and I welcome the hypocrite, the dry, the self-righteous and the shallow. I welcome the sincere, the passionate, the forgiving and the selfless. I cannot shut my doors to the people who in the past have made you angry, uncomfortable, impatient or self-conscious."

"But I can apologize for the fact that you may have been burned by me and I hope that someday, maybe, you will forgive me and come back."

Love,
The Church.
--- author unknown

INSPIRATIONAL STORY (Keep The Fork)

A woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three months to live. She asked her Pastor to come to her home to discuss her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral, what Scriptures she wanted read and which outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Then she said, "One more thing... I want to be buried with a fork in my hand."

The pastor was surprised and she must have noticed the puzzled look on his face.

She explained to him, "In all my years attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably say to everyone, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite time of the dinner, because I knew something better was coming, like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie --- something wonderful. So, I want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and wonder, 'What's with the fork?' Then, I want you to tell them, 'Keep your fork because the best is yet to come.'"

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he told the woman goodbye. He realized she had a better grasp of Heaven than he did because she knew something better was coming.

At the funeral, when people asked him why she was holding a fork, the Pastor told them of the conversation he had with the woman before she died. He said he could not stop thinking about the fork and knew they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.
"Keep the fork. The best is yet to come."


"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.' --- Revelations 21:4