Back to School

It's almost back-to-school time.  I can feel myself getting excited, just as I did every year at this time of year when I was in school.  When August comes and the evenings start getting cooler and the cicadas can be heard singing their song in the trees, I am catapulted back to my youth when back-to-school time meant another year of new adventures in learning.  I couldn't wait to purchase my new school supplies and organize my notebooks.  I couldn't wait to get a new outfit for the first day of school and to find out who my teacher would be and what other children would be in my class.  I can't think of another time, other than Christmas of course, that brought me such joy as a child.  And even as an adult, when I am no longer a student in that back-to-school world, this time of year has me giddy with anticipation.  I am excited for my children (more excited than they are) as they embark on their new school year full of learning adventures.

Even though I am not enrolled in a formal school program right now, I still like to take advantage of organized learning opportunities that help me grow both spiritually and intellectually.  Right now I am participating in the Financial Peace University (FPU) course at Unity. This 9-week course, complete with video lectures, workbook exercises, and homework assignments (all things I love about school!) is designed to give participants some solid, down-to-earth information about managing their money.  I am enjoying the structured learning atmosphere, but more importantly I am gaining some valuable life skills about budgeting, saving and investing that are already beginning to improve my financial health significantly.  I have always said that this is the lifetime in which I am going to finally learn to master money.  Financial Peace University is just what I have been searching for.

Someday soon I would like to get back into a formal education program.  I have been thinking about pursuing a master's degree in Public Administration, which would enhance my work in the nonprofit world I care so deeply about.  For now, I'm content to live vicariously through my children during this magical time of year.  Who knows, maybe I'll make a tradition of buying myself some new office supplies and getting a new outfit at the beginning of September, just for old time's sake.  I hope that I will always feel connected to the joy and excitement of back-to-school time.

~REBECCA

I insist ... on Peace, Childlike Wonder and Trust

I woke up Wednesday out of sorts with everyone and everything – from the mosquito bite on my elbow to my sore right foot. Then I read about Inner Peace (DW 7/27/2016). “Peace, be still” says Jesus to the wind (Mark 4:39). I say “Peace, be still” to the extreme heat and humidity of this summer.

And so I do what I can do. I insist on keeping my Childlike Wonder (DW 7/25/2016) at our alpacas – mom, baby and aunt – and the chickens with their sweet murmuring in their roost for the night and the bleating goats rubbing against my leg wanting pets and treats as they go into their safe enclosure for the night and my dogs who give me their unconditional love and trust day in and day out.

A juvenile red tail hawk is practicing hunting and soaring over our alpaca field. A ruby-throat hummingbird is stopping by our feeder for nectar. The wildflowers are blooming in the pots on our deck – we have zinnias, marigolds and daisies. Tiny spotted fawns are cavorting in our woods accompanied by their moms and aunts. I am picking several tomatoes each day from our deck garden.

The nature all around me feeds me like nothing else.

Today I read about Trust (DW 7/29/2016):

Trust and joy are linked within me, resulting in answered prayer. What can I do right now, in the midst of whatever is facing me, to raise my spirits? I engage my cheerful nature with a sense of optimism about a positive result. I begin by trusting that all things are working together for my good – in my life and in the lives of all those I care about.

I also insist on remaining optimistic no matter what is happening. I trust that the doctors and nurses have gotten Stanley on the road to recovery, that the transplanted liver is doing its work, that he gets to be on “normal” kid formula and that he gets to go home soon.

I trust that my mom, soon to be 91, is staying safe in the extreme heat in the Chicago area.

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid. Psalm 56:4

Peace. All is well.

~ JEAN

What's next for me?

Several recent Daily Word meditations (in italic) have been speaking to my question:

One of my stepson's alpacas had
a baby on Saturday.
This adorable baby is about
1 hour old.

Friday, July 1: Serendipity: Looking back I now see serendipitous events. Serendipity is defined as “finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.” These things might include how I found my friends, job, church or the town in which I live.

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. – John 1:16

When I married my husband almost 14 years ago, I moved from my home in Illinois to his home in New Jersey – in particular, to Union Township onto an almost 100-acre farm. Who knew I’d actually live in a park with animals? Well, it feels like one anyway. Plus I found the Friends of the Hunterdon County Library when looking for a place to volunteer and Unity Spiritual Center when looking for a place to grow spiritually.

Saturday, July 2: Stepping Stones: No matter what my goals and dreams may be, I trust God to guide me in the right direction. Challenges in my life serve as stepping stones toward my good.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. – Proverbs 3:6

As Rebecca and I brainstormed about the subject of our blog, stepping stones on our spiritual paths seemed to be the right idea. So this Stepping Stones Journal came into being. This Daily Word meditation fits our purpose for this blog so well.

Monday, July 4: Freedom: Just as my past has led me to this place and time, every good thought and heartfelt prayer is leading me to a life without boundaries. God is right here with me, loving me, comforting me and guiding me to what is best for me now and tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 5: Divine Order: When I need to make a clear decision, I turn my mind from outer distractions and affirm with confidence: divine order. This affirmation of truth serves as a reminder that God is in charge….through affirmative prayer, my way is made clear.

Sunday, July 10: Faith: I have faith in God’s perfect plan for me.

There have been quite a few meditations recently that remind me to listen, not to judge or limit my thinking of what is possible for me, to make each day count and enjoy the unfolding of my life day by day.

 Sunflowers galore!
Can't have a better view
outside my bedroom window.

Friday, July 8: Rest: Singers take advantage of rests written into the music to catch their breath. Travelers use rest areas along their journey to take a break. A simple Thank You, God reminds me of the source of my strength and peace. I find the strength to continue because I have taken time to rest.

Tuesday, July 12: Nonresistance: I focus on the idea of nonresistance – an acceptance of what is minus labels or condemnation. Through the practice of nonresistance, I learn to receive gifts in every experience.

I no longer beat myself up when I sit down to read, play a game or watch a TV show. My to-do list will be waiting for me when I’m ready. Talk about freedom – I am free to be content with myself. I don’t compare myself to anyone else and their levels of activity. I am content with what is. My guidance system is alive and well and I say a simple “Thank You God” regularly.

Thursday, July 14: Success: My accomplishments may not equate to someone else’s idea of success. My success begins with faith – in God and in myself. I have faith that I am being divinely guided toward the right path….Each achievement is part of God’s plan for my life…

Monday, July 18: Divine Awareness: If I am struggling with a difficult situation or decision, I let go. Doing so, I shift from striving to believing, knowing that answers will come. I give thanks in advance. I wait. I listen. I receive.

Wednesday, July 20: Guidance: Just as a map or GPS guides me to a physical destination, I have an internal guidance system that directs me to my right and perfect path…. I trust that I am on the right path. As I follow the guidance from divine wisdom, I fully express my highest and best self.

And again today, this meditation reminds me to trust and be content that I am on the right path. It’s funny/weird that I need to be okay with dealing with today and possibly tomorrow and let the future unfold as it will. But that’s what I am doing – be it the health of little Stanley or my job or my writing.

All is well.

~ JEAN

Insight Timer

A year or so ago, I discovered a free app called Insight Timer to help me with my meditation practice, and I wanted to share some information about that app here for anyone who might be interested.   Insight Timer is available for both Android and I-Phone smart phones.  It can be downloaded through Google Play (for Android) or I-Tunes (for I-Phone).  My favorite feature of this app is the meditation timer, which allows me to specify the length of my daily meditation in minutes and provides interval bell sounds of my choice to keep me on track for the duration of each session.  I also recently started using the guided meditation feature which consists of a library of over 1,800 guided meditations on topics like gratitude, forgiveness, letting go, self-compassion, and stress relief.  

Insight Timer connects users with a worldwide community of meditators.  It offers a number of different discussion groups, provides a message forum for sharing with like-minded individuals, and displays a map showing all of the people (symbolized by dots) using the app all over the world at any given time.   There is a journal feature for recording thoughts and insights gained during and after meditation.  There is also a feature which keeps detailed stats and milestones for tracking growth and progress of one's meditation practice..

The overarching goal of the folks at Insight Timer is to help the world reach 10,000 years’ worth of collective meditation - with the idea that meditation can be instrumental in promoting world peace.  The app is offered for free.  If you would like help with downloading this app onto your smart phone, contact me at the Unity office and I will be happy to assist you.

~REBECCA

Best Laid Plans

I had it all figured out.  I have three children who will be ready to go off to college in the blink of an eye, and six months ago, in a flash of brilliance, I realized that if I could land a job at Rutgers University I would be able to send all three of them through school AND earn my master’s degree at no cost.  Genius!  So I started sending my resume to Rutgers for every office admin position that popped up on their employment website.  My thought was that I could work full-time at the university, put in 10-12 hours a week at Unity, and start taking graduate courses in the fall – no problem, right? But thirty resumes and five months later I hadn’t received a single reply from Rutgers.  I even applied for a job at Raritan Valley Community College but was informed several weeks after my interview that they had hired another candidate. 

I have recently decided that if I want something it’s up to me to go after it.  I understand all about prosperity consciousness, but as far as I'm concerned, God is a BE-er, not a DO-er.  I have to do the DOing, while God does the BEing.  I can have what I want, and God is behind me 100 percent.  But taking action to make it happen is up to me.  So I said to myself, “I am in no real hurry – I can wait – I’ll just keep sending resumes to Rutgers, and eventually something will stick.” 

Then one day, a thought came to me out of nowhere.  “Maybe this isn’t going to look like you thought it was going to look . . . maybe instead of a 35-hour/10-hour split, this is going to be more like a 20-hour/20-hour split.”  I interpreted this to mean that maybe rather than looking for a full-time job and reducing my hours at Unity to 10, what I might actually be looking for was another part-time job and to reduce my hours at Unity to 20.  At the time I knew that this was a significant mental shift.  In fact it felt like the idea, as mundane as it seemed, had come from somewhere other than me.  Now the field of possibilities had expanded, and I began to consider new part-time positions.  

Not long after that, I saw an ad on monster.com for a part-time office admin position at a local synagogue.  “What?” you say?  “A synagogue?  How did we go from Rutgers to a synagogue?”  Well, quite honestly, I have no earthly idea.  But for some reason I felt compelled to apply for the job, and within a day of submitting my resume, I had received a call from the Rabbi.

After my interview at the synagogue, I just knew I had gotten the job.  And for some reason, beyond every reasonable explanation, I felt compelled to accept it.  “Okay, so apparently this is the direction we’re going?” I said to God.  And God said, “Yes.”  So now I work 20 hours a week at Unity and 20 hours a week at a synagogue.

The older I get, the more tempted I am to think that I am squarely in control of my life.  That God doesn’t really play as big a role in the events of my life as my starry-eyed younger self used to think.  But there is no question in my mind that something larger than myself has led me to this new job at the synagogue.  And there is also no question that the purpose of my working at the synagogue is to enhance my work at Unity.  So apparently this is the direction we’re going now.  Not only can I live with it, but this strange turn of events has somehow renewed my faith.  For the first time in a long time, I'm excited to see what Spirit has in store for me. 

~REBECCA

Creature Comforts

I don’t consider myself a pet person.  I don’t particularly enjoy cuddling with furry creatures, and most of the time I feel like I barely have the wherewithal to sufficiently care for myself and the other humans in my charge, let alone members of various other species.   But I do have two cats, and every once in a while, one of them teaches me a valuable lesson.  Like yesterday, for instance - by some miracle, I found myself at home alone, as all three of my children and my husband had accepted last-minute social invitations and were out of the house for a couple hours.  In my normal Type-A fashion, I took this to be the perfect opportunity to complete every ounce of the housework I hadn’t gotten to earlier in the day.  So I set about doing chores, but I quickly became tired – it had been a long, long day - and eventually I decided, reluctantly, to sit down and rest with a cup of tea and an episode of one of my favorite television programs.  I am not exaggerating when I say that this was the first time I had sat down to rest all week.  

No sooner had I settled on the sofa and laid a blanket over my legs than Macy, the older of my two cats, came crawling up onto the sofa and plopped herself down on my lap. Macy is a gorgeous, striped brown and black Bengal cat with beautiful green eyes and a whole host of neuroses – one of which is that she doesn’t like to be touched.  Usually any time we reach out to stroke Macy’s fur, she recoils and slinks quickly away.  She spends most of her time hiding in our basement or in the darkness of our linen closet.  So for her to feel comfortable enough to approach me, first, and then to sit on my lap is significant.  After a few minutes of allowing her to get settled, I slowly reached out to pet Macy’s head.  At first she winced, but then she allowed me to stroke her head and then she allowed me to scratch behind her ears and to pet her back.  She closed her eyes, and I could tell from her stillness and from the weight of her body on my legs that she was finally relaxed - and so was I.  

I felt like Macy was giving me a gift in that moment.  I had finally allowed myself to be still and the result was a beautiful, peaceful exchange of energy that left me feeling spiritually nourished and completely at ease.  I wondered to myself, what other blessings would come to me if I would just allow myself to be still?  

~REBECCA

Putting it into Practice

I just finished volunteering on the Friends of the Hunterdon County Library Used Book Sale - Their 20th, my 14th. It was a terrific opportunity to use my spiritual principles. I read the Daily Word every morning before I went to volunteer and they were great. Yet when I started to journal about my experiences, when things got tense, somehow many of my principles went out the window. I realized that I had been triangulating (talking to one person about another), complaining and criticizing.

It wasn't all bad. I like to encourage other volunteers and tried to be upbeat and positive - especially when we were still wondering if we would get all the books sorted - there were many thousands of books donated to the sale.

Nevertheless, I have something to work on. The best thing for me to do when I notice I've let down on my principles is figure out how I can do better next time or, in this case, next year. I carry a box - Jean's box, each day to the volunteer site. I keep pens, scratch paper, a box cutter, phone numbers I might need, a painter apron, a calculator and a bunch of other things in that box. It's my traveling supply center. I decided that I need to put something in that box - taped to the top perhaps - that will remind me, from the first day, to use my spiritual principles.

I haven't decided yet what that will be - a photocopy of the five Unity Principles perhaps, a copy of the Four Agreements perhaps. I haven't decided yet. But ... I will put something there now when I'm thinking about it so that when I open my supply center box next April, the first thing I see will be that reminder of how I want to show up each and every day.

I love our Unity principles and especially the fifth or action principle: Through thoughts, words and actions we live the Truth we know. And that is what I intend to do out in the world.

~ JEAN