In December, 2007, Rev. Ron Fox, minister in Peoria, Arizona, wrote the following for the magazine, Science of Mind.  I was deeply moved by his words and would like to share them with you this season. 

In the coming season we will ‘….celebrate the birth of Jesus, whom we recognize as a highly enlightened teacher [and in Unity as our Wayshower] who was in touch with his humanness and his divinity.  While many of us will celebrate by sharing gifts and meals, there is a deeper meaning to this time.  It is a reminder that we can allow our Christ nature to be revealed.  Ernest Homes wrote,"
Let us no longer think of the traditional birth of Christ numbering the years backward.   But let us rather bring those years forward into our own experience and permit the new birth to take place in our consciousness.”

Years ago I read a story by Kathleen Crabtree about a significant Christmas in her life; it was the year her dad took her to a place where they gave gifts and shared Christmas with a group of less fortunate children.  She wrote, ’ To make Christmas a little better for someone who  couldn’t afford it was like nothing I had ever experienced.  It was a first Christmas for me in many ways.  That Christmas I had asked of riches that I might be happy, but I was given poverty that I might be wise.’ 

In this coming season, ‘...we can look at the life of Jesus and know he was not the great

exception but rather the great example.  And  we can recommit ourselves to bring peace, joy and compassion everywhere we are.”

During this holiday season, we have many opportunities to give thanks and to share in the love and abundance with which we are blessed ~~

1) The week of November 13th is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week and the Frederick Interfaith is sponsoring Sunday dinner at the Soup Kitchen.  Unity has signed up to bring 4 pies (any flavor) — if you would like to provide one of those 4 pies, please contact the church office.

 

2) Carole Kirby has agreed to coordinate our Christmas Angel Tree again this year.  She will be setting up the tree and providing instructions for gifts for each family/child.  Last year we ran out of angels—this year Carole is planning to have more.

 

3) The Cold Weather Shelter will be needing volunteers as well as travel-sized toilet items, packages of socks and adult underwear, cleaning supplies, instant soups and lunches, paper cups, coffee, creamer, sugar, just to name of few things.  For the complete list of needed items check out this website:  Linton Cold Weather Shelter

 

4) Habitat for Humanity in Frederick County is working to complete the duplex on
Madison Street in time to have Deborah Gilbert in her new home for the holidays. 
Donations of time, materials and money will help this effort.  For more information of what is needed check out this website:  Habitat for Humanity for Frederick County  

These are just four suggestions.  I know that there are many more ways we can share with our community.  Let us reach out this year when there are so many in our community who  may be finding it difficult to see the good that surrounds them.  Those whose names we may know and those whose names we don’t know—whatever their need, let us affirm their best and highest good and let us move our feet as we pray. 

From Charles Fillmore in Prosperity ~~~

“In this age, when we have so much, more is required of us, even to the giving of ourselves with all that we are and have.  This privilege carries immeasurable benefits with it, for it looses us from the personal life, unifies us with the universal, and so opens our inner and outer life to the inflow and the outflow of  the life, love, bounty and grace that is God.”

May this holiday season bring you love, joy, peace and abundance!!!

Blessings,

 Toni