What does peace mean to you? It can mean peace and quiet just to hear myself think! Peace can mean no more arguments or disharmony in the home or workplace. Peace could mean relief from noisy neighbours. Of course, we may be yearning for peace in the world – all of us learning, finally to get on with each other. Peace has many meanings. Yet, as many of you have heard me say in the past, peace begins with us. If we want peace in the world we begin with peace in ourselves – and this can be hard, especially when we find ourselves caught up in the turmoil of human living. Like me, you may have a busy mind that, by itself, can become agitated, focused on a problem or event, and just will not switch off (especially at night time). Sometimes anxiety about something can take over, and before I know it, my energy is lost down a rabbit hole that is not of my spiritual choosing. Either way, I am no longer experiencing peace. So, what do I do about it? Over the years, I have learnt some techniques: using my breath to still my mind, body work to get re-centred and out of the automatic thinking mode, being in nature and practising the silence in meditation. My ongoing journey is to keep practising them, keep re-tuning to Spirit, remembering I am spiritual as well as human. Yes, there are times when peace seems beyond me and it takes a little time to move through the turmoil. Yet as soon as I remember there is a part of me not impacted by human struggle, which we call the Christ within, I can step back and tune in once more. Anything we can do to help us reconnect is vital. Do you have specific tools you use? This is my focus right now, as we are busy preparing for our April online workshop, “The Path to Inner Peace.” We will ask these questions, share tools to help us and share meditations to encourage the stillness. As we move into spring, and enjoy the flowers, warmth and fresh greens of nature, let us also commit to reconnecting with the peace that is within us. You are also very welcome to join our online workshop – it is by donation so you choose the amount you wish to pay. Be part of a day that helps us be the peace we want to see in the world.
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For me nothing quite nourishes my soul more than a walk in the woods. Forest bathing I think they call it. As I head inward the sound of the road fades and all I can hear is the birds happily chirping. The trees of green envelop me and my to-do lists and worries no longer hold the importance that they had on the drive over. I feel free. I feel that I am within touching distance of the Divine. I notice flowers and insects and details that evade me during my normal working week. I feel peaceful. My connection to all that good and perfect is renewed.
Sometimes I even take off my shoes and socks and tread the Earth barefoot, a practice called Earthing. It is important in my personal practise to synchronise my emotional and spiritual energies with my physical body. Afterwards I breathe deeper and feel less anxious. This is the gift I give myself this week. The gift of feeling grounded, anchored to this magical place, long after I leave. Stefanie Bridges Unity Office Administrator I do not think I have ever cut away so much deadwood in one year. The photo now would show a big gap in the middle of the shrub. It is almost shocking to see because of course, I want it to look full and beautiful. However, in cutting away the deadwood, I found so much potential new growth waiting to burst forth as little tiny buds, which I would not otherwise have seen and potentially would not have grown.
To me this is a real metaphor for life. We carry a lot of ‘deadwood’ around with us. Old, outdated belief systems, habits, situations and sometimes people that have run their course. Yet we often continue to carry them with us, not even realising they are no longer relevant or helpful to anyone. When we realise we have been carrying all of this around and prepare to let it go, it can feel like a huge hole in our lives. We may ask, ‘What do I do now?’ or, even more importantly, ‘Who am I?’ Yet this is a powerful moment in our lives. We have made space for something new, something that we would not have experienced if we had not cut out that deadwood. Further, this ‘newness’ has the potential to be beautiful and profound for us. Right now, as we move through Lent, we are using Unity‘s Lenten booklet to let go of something different every day. I joked at the beginning of the season, that if we were able to let go of everything listed, we would rise up like angels, so light would we be. Yet really, this is no joking matter. It is true. How much are you carrying around with you today? How much are you holding onto something or someone that feels like a dead weight, restricting and limiting you? Can you find a way to recognise that which you no longer need and let it go to its good? Something I really desire to let go of, is people pleasing. It can still have an unconscious hold on me, which then creates resentment, frustration, limitation etc. My response is to breathe through this quality and associated feelings, to free myself and everyone else as well! In its place, I claim and know strength, authority and wisdom. For when we let go, it is important to remember that we must claim something positive and empowering in its place. Otherwise, the old feelings and habits return multiplied. As explained in the parable in Matthew 12: 43-45. There is a quote by Lao Tzu: In the end, the treasure of life is missed by those who hold on and gained by those who let go. This Lenten season, I encourage you to join me in letting go of the old ‘deadwood’. Look for the new growth that may have previously been hidden, but is waiting to bloom and grow in you. Claim it, feel it, give thanks for it. For there is untold treasure waiting for you and our world. I invite you to break free of limitation and know the full potential that is bursting forth through you this year. Many of you have heard me say that letting go and letting God be God in any given situation, or person, was one of the big revelations Unity gave me when I first came, over 20 years ago. It has become a lifelong daily practice. For I have come to see how hard the mind wants to hold on. When we hold onto negative repeated thoughts; when we hold onto resentment, bitterness, shame, guilt – all these big emotions, we feel depleted of energy, our bodies get as tense as our minds and our whole energy system is blocked. We cannot see a way forward and we often slip further into depression and despair. In a way, this is rather like algorithms on the internet, which can lead us deeper into the dark side of life. We end up feeling lost; separate from our Source of love and energy, God. We forget who and what we are – spiritual beings having human experiences. What are we to do? We let go! Our minds may say – let go, you must be kidding, this is their fault, or even all my fault. Unconsciously we hold onto negative thoughts or feelings, thinking this will bring forth a resolution and it rarely does. We remain stuck and our energy blocked. Now for a simple exercise … Imagine something you have been holding onto. How does it feel in your body and heart? Check in … do you want to continue this way or would you like a new experience? Where is the tension in your body? Can you breathe into the tension and feel it ease away through your breath? If you can you will feel freedom and release. Now give yourself permission to let the associated negative thoughts go – see them drift off away from you. Any negative energy that has held you down, let it simply flow through you – stop holding on, just let the energy flow. How does this feel now?
If you would like to experience being guided through these techniques, we will practice them at our April online workshop, sharing the challenges and results together. Let us give ourselves permission to open our hearts and be set free. Rev Kimerie Mapletoft Director Silent Unity and Daily Word UK Michael Singer, author of The Untethered Soul and published in Unity Magazine, writes about this. He writes about ‘the maniac’ that lives inside our heads – these thoughts that dictate, criticise and chatter away. Truthfully, when I read that statement it made me laugh. To help us find some distance from this experience, he says to imagine these thoughts as a person outside of us. How would you respond if you sat next to someone who does not stop talking! Well, you wouldn’t keep sitting there for one thing. Yet we sit with the incessant thoughts that keep us stuck in our heads and out of the silence. To my thoughts, I now say, with love and laughter – enough already. This is done! So how do we switch off from this incessant chatter? We learn to recognise that we are not these thoughts. We are the witness, the observer, who notices the thoughts. The thoughts are a product of our personality. The silence is where we access our spirituality and the beauty, power, love and grace that is God. Indeed, we can only truly experience God in the silence. I invite you to start noticing your thoughts as the witness, the Self that is beyond thought. As we learn to detach from our personality-driven thinking, we make space to know our divinity – this is the power of being in the silence. It is why Unity teaches it as a core practice. I know how important this is for me right now. This is why Silent Unity will be leading a one-day workshop on Zoom entitled, “The Path of Peace” and I will be leading a meditation class, all designed to access this glorious silence. Are you interested in exploring this further with us? Click through to the website for more details. Today, let us each commit to start the practice of being the observer of our thoughts, not the victim of our thoughts – now there is a challenge I set myself too! Rev. Kimerie Mapletoft Bad noise is everywhere, mostly masquerading as good noise. After all, we ‘need’ to keep in touch with the news don’t we? We ‘have’ to listen to that ghastly music on the phone as we hold for the customer service we are seeking. And it’s only polite to listen to that person moaning about the state of the world after church or at the coffee morning (worse if it’s a relative who whinges at you regularly and has no interest in solutions!). The trouble is, we learn very early to drown out both Spirit and our own needs and desires in that noise. We will involve ourselves in ‘busy work,’ which is an alternative version of bad noise; we will binge-watch a TV show we or spend half the day on social media. Bad noise is very clever; it is an archetypical form of resistance. Resistance to what? To that still, small Voice inside that speaks only for our own good and happiness and which will suggest our taking the road less travelled; our road, not anyone else’s. Did you know that the algorithms in websites like YouTube are set so that if you follow on from one video to the next, the system will show you steadily more and more negative stuff? That’s because the creators of the algorithm know that human brains are wired like Velcro for fear and Teflon for happiness. We still think there’s a sabre-tooth tiger out there waiting to eat us and we naturally seek out any cause of fear that we can find so we can protect ourselves. Is this healthy? Not really! What’s the solution? Ah, that’s the difficulty, because the solution requires discipline and bad noise is just the opposite of that. Grace flows to every being in the Universe, naturally. It cannot be deserved; it goes to everyone. But you can tell the people who have blocked it off and those who are open to drinking this Divine benediction. The latter are the happy ones. Yes, they have their issues too but their base station is peace of mind. Today, allow yourself the discipline of taking just two minutes of saying, ‘I am open to Grace. I am willing to receive’ and see what happens…. You may well be amazed. Rev. Maggy Whitehouse Yet as a minister, I also witness how much stress and concern people are experiencing right now. Many feel overwhelmed, fearful even, as much as others feel the newness of which we spoke. So what is ours to know and do in this moment? How do we respond to both experiences? As I check in with myself, again I am reminded about the importance of giving to ourselves – giving ourselves time to rest, relax, have fun, be in nature, sing, dance, be ourselves, meditate and pray. This helps us refocus our attention, instead of responding to external pressures, which push us to constantly take and get more: more stuff, more money, more work. For me now, life is not about getting, it is about giving. This pushing and striving often brings more stress – it is not natural to live this way for very long. I know, because I have pushed and pushed myself. Now I recognise it is time to simply be and receive, to be able to give more fully. Therefore, this month, again, I invite us to recognise the importance of giving time, space and energy to ourselves. As we make space for God, for our divine selves to shine, we experience the fullness of Spirit. Divine grace manifests, bringing forth our good without pressure or force – it is a natural result. To help us with this, our Lent focus (which begins 14th February) is all about releasing and letting go of states of consciousness that block our good. As we do, we are able us to receive God’s grace as infinite love, wisdom and potential. Every evening through Lent, we will hold a meditation, free and open to everyone, focusing on the particular quality the Lent booklet invites us to release, like resentment, blame or the need to be right (that is a big one). It truly is a freeing experience. You are warmly invited to take part with us – it is a gift you give to yourself. To enable us receiving this gift of grace, so vitally important to our mental, emotional and spiritual health, we are delighted to welcome Rev. Maggy Whitehouse, who is leading a Saturday workshop, “Drinking in the Divine” February 17th on Zoom. Maggy’s focus is all about releasing the blocks to our good so that we may receive divine grace as our birth-right. She has some fabulous meditations and exercises to share with us, all for just £35 (concessions offered). As you can see, we are beginning this year in a very positive way. Join us, release the blocks to receive the flow of divine grace as infinite love, wisdom and potential. Now we are able to give the world, and all its inhabitants, that which we all truly need – we find now that we are all blessed. We directly experience – as we give, we receive. So why did that rainbow stop me in my steps? Transporting me magically into a little girl filled with awe and wonder. Perhaps the rainbow still has magic to teach us.
After the rain, if you are lucky, you will see a rainbow. A reminder of God’s presence in stormy times. Throughout history the rainbow has been recorded as a sign of the magical. A good omen. A symbol of positive things to come. In Norse mythology, the rainbow is the Bi-frost, a magical bridge that links the realms of man and gods. In ancient Greece, rainbows were the personification of the Goddess Isis, a messenger between Heaven and Earth, her presence was also seen as a sign of hope. In Judaism and Christianity the rainbow is a sign of the covenant between man and God, and a reminder of Divine manifestation in the physical world. Interestingly in Hebrew the word for rainbow is the same a bow, this is commonly interpreted as the bow without the arrow, seen as a symbol of mercy, an arrowless bow is not a threat. “I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” Genesis 9:13 The Kabbalah tree of life and the eastern chakra system align colours with specific areas. A spectrum of shades, where all are equal as well as having individual spiritual gifts and meanings. The term spectrum and the symbol of the rainbow has been adopted in modernity to show support and celebration for the LGBTQ community, reminding us that every individual is a perfectly unique conduit of love. So as I go about our world today, I will remember the rainbow, its magical band of colours, and its ability to show up just when we need a reminder that God works in mysterious ways. “For every storm, a rainbow; for every tear, a smile; for every care, a promise; and a blessing in each trial.” Stefanie Bridges Unity office administrator Guest Post: Licensed Unity Minister, Rev. Ildiko Kudlik, introduces her new Youth and Family Ministry in Europe. When I was a child, I did not have much say in my upbringing and my education. Adults around me decided everything for me. The kind of individual I was did not matter, it was all about being moulded to become part of the grey mess of invisible people. My family’s and educators’ main job was to make sure that I would fit in. Throughout my career, I have worked with children from different cultures as an educator. I have also worked with their parents. As a result, I have created and run different types of educational programs around the world discussing with parents and educators how to raise children and young people in a way that respects their unique individuality and involves them fully. When I started training at Unity to become a Minister, I knew that I would want to work in Youth and Family Ministry. As a minister in training, I soon learned that in mainstream education, there is one very important element missing: we do not seem to consider the ‘God element’. We train kids to be clever and how to be successful in the world, but we often forget to invite them to realise who or what lives in the core of their being. There is not true happiness without being able to connect with the source of All that we call the Divine Presence in Unity. It soon became my mission to engage as many children and parents as possible in realising and embracing our Divinity, as the source of our genuine sense of satisfaction in Life. The never ceasing Divine Presence that embraces us just as we are at any given moment in time, is the highest form of Love. Every child should know that s/he is Loved no matter what. Rev Ildiko Kudlik, Licensed Minister, Europe Does this sound exciting to you? Would you like to help build and grow this new Youth and Family Ministry? If so, continue reading below.
The main purpose of the UNITY Youth and Family Ministry is to foster Divine Creativity in youth – so they can create a life that is in alignment with their deepest selves and the Divine. This enables collaboration with the Divine in parenting, giving parents the tools to support their youngsters. The online UNITY Youth and Family Ministry will be available to any child, teen, or youth and their parents across the UK and European time zones. The main activities of the UNITY Youth and Family Ministry are:
· to support both parties to gain deeper awareness of themselves and the Unique Divine Presence in them by using creative and artistic tools · to educate parents to use creative Divine ideas in raising and supporting their children So, why am I writing this post apart from introducing you to our great plans? It is because I would like to ask for your support. I am endeavouring to create a spiritual centre that will host the UNITY Youth and Family Ministry. I need a Board of Directors who will serve the Ministry to ensure that our work is aligned with UNITY’s principles. Are you interested in joining me on the Board and journeying with me on this project? Please get in touch with me at the contact details below. Finally, I seek financial support so we can put down the foundations and run the Ministry until it becomes self-sufficient. If you are open to help financially support this ministry, please get in touch with me at the contact details below. My hope and dream is that I can make a difference in people’s lives by offering meaningful and Spirit-led teachings and guidance to the members of our Centre. Thank you. Abundant Blessings to you all, Rev Ildiko Kudlik European Youth and Family Lead Co-ordinator info@ildikokudlik.com +4407579814206 +36204648788 Is Unity providing a space for you to know God more fully in your life, as a personal experience of health, abundance, connection, loving relationships?
If so, would you like to dive more deeply into learning and applying more of Unity’s practices that can bless us and enrich us? An important part of Unity is education. As we take on something new, something helpful and inspiring, every part of our life is changed. This was my experience when I came to Unity. I did feel like I was coming home – that I had found a place where I fitted in and felt very comfortable with the teachings. Yet I have also been encouraged to take on a deeper journey of freedom and fulfilment. I have changed and grown in understanding, and, I pray, in the way I live and respond to those around me. Being in Unity has been a life-changing experience, for which I will be eternally grateful. Would you like to experience this? We have an abundance of free resources on our website for you to explore. Another way is to take part in our education programme. We are about to re-run the foundation class within our SEE (Spiritual Education and Enrichment) programme. It covers two of Unity’s fundamental books, Lessons in Truth, by H Emilie Cady, and Discover the Power Within You, by Eric Butterworth. These two books have the ability to change our lives. If you are interested, you can find out more details here. Be assured that, whatever the year ahead is calling for you to be and do, all of us at Silent Unity prayer ministry and Daily Word UK headquarters, are here for you. Never hesitate to reach out – for it is in this act that we find the support, help and companionship we seek . Together, we learn and grow; serve and are served. |
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