Happy New Year!

The last day of 2011! The CSLCV community began our release of this year earlier this week at our Recharge on Wednesday service. One of the points I made was something I learned from another CSL minister many years ago.

"Release" of the old is not just about all the things in our lives during the past year that we judged as "bad." Rather, true release of the past is release of ALL of the past - that which we judged as "good" as well as that which we judged otherwise.

Fond memories of the past can stop us from having a satisfying present and future just as much as the memories we have of pain and suffering IF we allow those memories to set an unachievable standard. This weekend we will have two opportunities as a group to release the past and embrace the future.

First, this evening, Saturday, December 31, at 7:00pm is the Traditional Unity New Year's Eve Burning Bowl Service at Unity of Harrisburg. Then on Sunday, January 1, 2012, at 10:00am we will meet again at Unity for our first Sunday service of 2012.

My talk is Looking Ahead - 2012 is Here! This service will be the kick-off for our journey into the basic principles of Science of Mind over the next four weeks. I am offering this basic New Thought series to help the Unity congregation align with the principles upon which their church was founded, which will provide a firm foundation as they seek their next pastor.

I was delighted last Sunday to announce that the board of trustees at Unity has asked me to stay on another month as the guest speaker on Sundays, which I accepted! I am already planning those service with our music director, Kate McCutchan, to continue our efforts in producing a flowing service of love, support, laughter and empowerment each and every Sunday.

Yes, there is much to release from 2011, including fond memories to savor and in which to delight. Some would have us believe that 2012 will be scary and unsure (if you choose to believe the media!), but for those of us grounded in Principle it provides a clean slate for a future filled with joy, peace and wonderment. Which, not so coincidentally, is the same opportunity we are given by Spirit each and every second of each and every day.

From my family and me to you and yours, Happy New Year!

In Spirit, Truth and Playfulness,

Terry

Using Our Voice

I am often asked by my husband, “You know that was your out loud voice, right?” I have tried to learn over the years to put my brain into gear before putting my mouth into motion, but every so often I just get the order confused.

Using our out loud voice for our inside thoughts happens when we tell the truth without a filter or at least our truth at that time. What would it be like if we all told the truth consistently? Children and very old persons are the best examples of simply “telling it like it is.” Both groups often speak with no filter, ignoring social norms and acceptable behavior. The truth of their sayings can be jarring, but the essence is pure.

Common courtesy and decorum are two reasons most cited as to why we do not speak our minds. A more honest reason would be that we do not want to deal with the consequences of telling the truth. It is easy to soft pedal the answer, skirt around the issue, or refuse to commit one way or the other.

Speaking our mind and making a decision is the only way to move forward in life. The Rev. Dr. Raymond Charles Barker once wrote about people “who do not know what to do or do not know what they want.” His opinion was that what they were really saying is that they “are too lazy to determine [their] own experience or think another person is better equipped to determine [their] good.” Dr. Barker used his out loud voice a lot.

Using our voice for making a decision and telling the truth is a way for us to free ourselves from the shackles of indecision and frustration. If there is an ongoing issue in your life, take some time to decide what you want to do about it. If you do not know what to do, remember the words of Dr. Barker and give me a call to talk…

In Spirit, Truth and Playfulness,

Terry

"No" Is a Complete Sentence

I have very few friends or acquaintances that are not over-scheduled or stressed-out because of the demands they have put on themselves. Like attracts like, so I too fall into that category more often than I would care to admit.

Please note that I did not blame this on the demands placed on us by others, but rather those that we place on ourselves. We have only ourselves to credit with being too busy, even if it was at the insistence of someone else that we do something. Why? Because we said “yes.”

We frequently say “yes” because we cannot think of a convenient, believable or acceptable reason why we should say “no.” How about “I do not want to do that” for starters?

“No” is a complete sentence. I am usually amused, sometimes annoyed, by people who respond negatively to a request I have made, only to follow their answer with a litany of reasons or excuses why they cannot comply. Personally, I do not need your reasons or your excuses. I hope you are unable to fulfill my request because you have something even more wonderful and exciting to do. Good for you!

If you do not want to do something someone else asks of you, please say “no.” Not, “No, because…” Acting out of obligation instead of willingness does not encourage clarity; neither does making excuses that sound like our own personal pity party. When we agree to do anything we do not want to do we muddy the energy around us. Instead of enjoying the task, we experience an underlying, nagging feeling of resentment. Why not respectfully decline and allow someone else who wants to fulfill the request be given the opportunity to serve?

Just for part of today, think carefully before you answer “yes” to something you do not want to do. Weigh the outcome, take a deep breath, and then answer from your heart. If you can say “no” without anger, resentment or attitude you will find a freedom you have not experienced up until now.

In Spirit, Joy and Playfulness,

Terry