What are you thankful for?  On Saturday, Dr. B shared with us her A – Z process of gratitude.  Every morning, on her way to work, she goes through the alphabet thinking of people, situations and things that she is grateful for.  So last Saturday, during our Surprise Abundance Leadership Workshop, we spent some time making three different lists.  I encourage you to try this and see how it begins to shift your own personal energy.

1.  List names of people (A – Z) that you are thankful for.

2.  List things (A – Z) that you are thankful for.

3.  List things (A – Z) that have to do with your job that you are thankful for.

You will become amazed at the people’s faces, objects and situations that begin to flood your mind.  Some of them may even be things you have not thought about in years.  Gratitude is a spiritual practice that seems to shift our attitude’s about our own lives.  When I am able to sit in the quiet for a few moments and allow these types of thoughts flow, my whole vibration starts to shift.

I have such fond memories from my childhood around Thanksgiving.  I think it may be because it was such a very different holiday – one that did not involve gifts or spending lots of money.  What it did mean was that my family would come together and enjoy each other’s company.  As my parents have aged, I find that I look forward to those times when we can just come together and share a meal and talk and share how our week has been.

What seems soo glorious to me is that we have that same thing as a spiritual community.  Those of you who were a part of our service last Sunday morning had to have felt it.  If you haven’t been to visit us in a while, you must come see.  We have our sanctuary set up with many tables and chairs, along with a few rows for those who want to sit in that way also.  Before our service began, I sat back in the sound booth and just observed the chatter and the energy and the sharing that was taking place at tables where people were sharing coffee and a sweet roll and just enjoying each other’s company.  There was truly a sense of love and family in the room.

If you have been looking for that type of spiritual community – as my friend Rev John McLean says, “Do your soul a favor,” join us for our 11:00 service.  This Sunday is homecoming.  The entire service is one of praise, thanksgiving, songs, sharing and great great joy.  I for one can’t think of anywhere else I would rather be.  The music will transform you just through listening, tapping your feet, clapping your hands or standing and singing along.  And of course our Thanksgiving feast will happen right after our service.

If that is not enough to turn your head, listen to this.  We will have John McAndrew, Mama’s Gotta Sing, Voices of Unity, and our own great Praise and Worship Team performing awesome music after lunch.  You definitely will feel the gratitude and then blessings just by showing up and being there.  I hope to see you on Sunday.   Love Rev. D.

What does Success Mean to you?  It seems to me that the chaos that is so prevalent in our world today just might be the beginning of a brand new message in regards to success.  Our world for so many years has focused on success in the way of bigger houses, bigger cars, more money, lots more things, only eating at the finest restaurants, wearing  just the latest fashions and making sure that we cultivated the right friends to get us to the top…..wherever that illusive place was in our minds.  I don’t know about you, but I have known persons who have striven to live in that way who later in life talked about all the things they had wished that they had realized along the way – especially when they got to the point in their lives when none of those material things really mattered anymore.

Over the last two months we have been singing a song during the offering with the words, Sailing on the Sea of Abundance.  And I have been asking myself, is that really where I am sailing or am I continuing to sail on the Success Syndrome.  The Success Syndrome is that ship that continues to pull us away from the flow and into a life that may be about working two or three jobs just trying to keep up or working just because of the money, not because it is a passion of the heart.  Is that truly Abundance?…..no matter how much money you are receiving?

There is a quote that has for quite sometime been near and dear to my heart.  I have this quote in what at Pennington Elementary School we have deemed “The Peace Corner.”  It is a place that I created in my room for students, teachers and staff to come at any time of the day and have a moment, an hour or longer of peace and solace.  In that corner are many things.  A couch, a chair, an ottoman, a microwave to warm or cook some food, a coffee pot and a tea pot to assist in creating a space for 2 or more to share time together – an emotional chart and a selection of books and magazines that assist everyone in shifting those thoughts that might be standing in the way of peace.  Several other things in that corner are certain quotes, some on a bulletin board and other framed that seem to mean something either to me or others who have spent time there.  One of my favorites has been attributed to Emerson, although there are many citings that say he did not write this.

I personally don’t care who wrote this, it speaks to my personal beliefs around success.  Read it every day at least one time until Sunday and see when happens to your own energy flow.

“To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people, and the affection of children; to leave the world a better place, to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived……This is to have succeeded.”        LUM  IW   denise