Unity of New Hope, July 31st

 Note from Ellen

       Last Saturday afternoon I returned home after spending the night with my mother and sister to find the house extremely hot.  I looked at the air conditioner unit and it was not working at all.  The temperature showed that the house was in the 90's and it felt very muggy and humid.  Sweat was pouring off of me.  I asked myself, "Why do repairs always need to be done on the weekends, at nights or on the holidays?".  I knew I had to get it fixed as it was very hot and my grandchildren are coming in a week.

            I called an AC repair company and waited for a call from the man "on call for the weekend".  Thoughts went through my head about how much this repair would cost.  Would a new unit be needed?  How much would that be?  Finally...a very young man came to the door and I immediately wondered if he was old enough to know how to fix the unit.  He went right to the unit and said that I had a blown fuse.  He replaced the fuse and the unit kicked on.  He said that the breaker had been pulled down outside.  He wondered why this had happened.  I asked him if raccoons could do this and he laughed and said that yes that was very possible.  And best of all the cost was reasonable!!!
          It felt cool for a while and then a wave of heat hit again.  It was not working!!! I felt a twinge of fear thinking that maybe he had not fixed the real problem.   I called and talked to the young man who had been out.  He was shocked that it was not working and he gave me some instructions.  He said the unit can overheat when it has been off so I turned off the unit and 45 minutes later I turned it back on and it began cooling down immediately.  It was fixed and has been running ever since.   
         I learned a lot from this experience.  I looked back and saw how easy it is to immediately jump to the worse possible outcome.  And I also saw how easy it was for me to get into a complaining mode about "why is this happening to me?".  In the scheme of things an air conditioner repair is nothing compared to other situations.  
         I have had other smaller things occur that reinforce for me that I need to begin looking for the best possible outcome for each situation that happens.  And to know that all things are working for a higher good.  I am also becoming very thankful for all the good that is in my life.  
        If you are facing a fearful situation in your life, begin to relax in the knowledge that God is in charge and let go of fears, worries or concerns.  Opening up to God allows good to appear.  Letting go and letting God sets in motion events that are miraculous. 
        On another note, I am talking on the subject of prosperity for the next month on Sunday mornings.  This Sunday I will be passing out a brochure on the subject of "unexpected income".  I have been personally amazed at how quickly unexpected income can materialize into my life.  I invite you to join me in an experiment involving this subject.
        Have a wonderful day and week!!!!

        Ellen Davis

 Enveloped in the healing energy of God's love, the earth and its people are transformed.  Love, piece and abundance fill every heart and mind.  Our planet is healthy, whole, and at peace.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

July 31st, 2008  11:00 AM Sunday morning service
The talks on Sunday mornings are based on the book by Catherine Ponder, The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity

Ellen Davis, Minister:  The Creative Law of Prosperity
Kathryn Kalahan - Music Director


Check out our website at www.unityofnewhope.org. Thanks to Denise Jackson and Lane Piece for being our webmasters.

Note from Ellen:  I am very thankful to Colleen Pierce for being the volunteer Administrative Assistant.


TOLL FREE PRAYER LINE
877-203-3917

Ev Harman, chair of the Chaplain program,  is headed for Africa for 4 months on August 2nd.  She will be in communication through email and a monthly column in our newsletter.  We see her enjoying this experience and coming back safely. Ev, you will be in our thoughts and prayers....Michael Longshore will take her place until she returns.


Mission Statement:
We at Unity Church of New Hope embrace the God Spirit within through prayer and meditation.

PROGRESS ON NEW BUILDING

 

View full size

Work is being done on the floors with the installation of carpet and tile.  The cabinets have been installed also.  And the plumbing and electricity is completed.  Work is progressing rapidly!!!  And the building is looking good!!!!

            

Bookstore
The Bookstore  looks great!!!    We have lots of new books and gift items.  Please stop by and let Lou, Carla, Pamela or Darlene know if there is anything they can order for you.

Announcement about Fall Program
The 7-week Fall Program at Unity Church is always a major event. This year we will be studying The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. 
Please let us know you are interested and we will "interview" you for a position on the delivery team.  I'm sure there is a job that will be perfect for you!
The Fall Program will begin in September with the always much anticipated Prayer Vigil and Labyrinth Walk.
Thank you!
Susan Keith


Make Pretty Committee
Still needs a Chairperson for this committee.  Please consider the opportunity to dream big and work hard. 

Landscaping Committee
This committee needs volunteers to assist with keeping the grounds looking attractive.  Please contact Dale Yeatts for information


Classes at Unity of New Hope

Sunday
SPIRIT QUEST
Facilitated by Lance and Mary Oliver
The Spirit Quest forum, much like the Round Table of old, places great emphasis on the importance of growing spiritually strong together. Spirit Quest is devoted to helping everyone empower themselves, through such things as: Meditation, Totem Animals, Huna, Sacred Space, Spirit Communication, Angels, Esoteric Studies, Reiki Healing, ect...

Spirit Quest is a truly open forum, that highly values equitable participation, mutual respect, and is dedicated to making our lives and those we touch the most fruitful they can be!

  Call Lance or Mary Oliver at 940-591-1494 for meeting times



Monday
YOGA
(each Monday at 6:30 PM)
Sue Greenwood , Registered Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist

This class is for all levels, anyone who wants to explore the breath and create space in the body.For more information or to schedule a private therapy session with Sue please e-mail her at su3f@yahoo.com or check out her website at www.sadhanayoga.org

MEDITATION MONDAYS
(each Monday at 7:30 PM)
Lane Pierce, Facilitator

Meditation is good for the mind, body and soul.  If you have never participated in a group meditation, it is something to be experienced.  Getting to know God is an urge and craving of all beings.  Meditation will help you make that connection.

This special program is supported through your love offering and the most important part is your participation. &n bsp;Come to the church or set aside the time and meditate with us from your home if you cannot make it in person.  Be a part of something bigger.
http://meditation.meetup.com/504/


Wednesday
Spiritual Discussion Class
(each Wednesday at 10:30 AM)
Ellen Davis Facilitator

VISIONING CLASS
(each Wednesday 7:30 PM)
Ellen Davis and Lane Pierce Facilitators
The Wednesday night visioning class has decided to begin planning for the second half of 2008.  The class is currently working on putting their goals in writing to correlate with the images in their books.

Visioning is all about dreaming, fantasizing, clarifying and energizing your life.  You decide what it is you want in your life and then begin to envision those things. By collecting and organizing images of items or important words you can surround yourself with images of who you want to become, what you want to have, where you want to live, or where you want to vacation, your life changes to match those images and those desires.  Between Ellen's commitment to the system of Visioning and Lane's commitment to goal setting there are many lessons to be learned in any one night of Visioning class.
This class is supported by love offerings.
A Vision Book is really an inventory of your desires - come stock your shelves.

Buddhist Meditation
Wednesday 7:00pm
Unity of New Hope now hosts a Buddhist Meditation night.  Feel free to come join in with them at 7:00 every Wednesday night. 

Update: Unity Church of New Hope, July 24th

 

Note from Ellen

  

            One night about 2 weeks ago, I woke up with my heart pounding.  I was hearing boards creaking in the house and other sounds that indicated that someone was in the house.  I lay in bed and wondered what to do.  After about 15 minutes, I determined with much relief that there was a creature in the attic.

            I knew I had squirrels in the attic and had been thinking for the last few months how to rid my attic of the squirrels.  But this sound was new.  My friend, Lowell, said the new sounds could be a possum.  He had seen a dead possum just down the street and after looking up information about possums, we learned that they like to nest in the attics.

            I did not know what to do.  The attic was becoming a haven for wildlife.  I enjoy and respect nature but I also did not want these creatures in my attic.  I had already talked to an exterminator about ridding the attic of squirrels and he said he could not do that. 

            Lowell came up with the idea of using a trap and then releasing the animals.  He bought a trap and brought it to my backyard.  He set it up with food and he waited a while before leaving for his home to see how it was working.  After a while, he shone his flashlight and made contact with a pair of bright shining eyes.  It was a raccoon!!! 

            After he left, I went to bed and woke up at 3:30.  Curious to see what was happening with the trap, I shone a flashlight on the patio and was shocked to see 2 large raccoons and about 6 smaller ones.  I did not have just one raccoon but a family of raccoons!!!  They were circling the trap and being very careful. 

            The next morning I got up expecting to see a trapped raccoon.  The food was gone but there was no raccoon.  I began researching information about raccoons on the internet and found out that they are very clever and intelligent.  They are omnivorous and can travel up to 15 mph.  Many people have them as pets.

            The next night I covered the back part of the cage with a towel and sprinkled food in a line from the front of the cage to the back.  The next morning I got up and saw a small raccoon in the trap.  It was so cute!!!  My heart went out to it.  I called the Denton Animal Control and they said they would pick it up but someone would have to be at my house.  I learned that they even lease out cages for people.   I had to be at church so I called Lowell to see if he could meet the animal control.

            Lowell later called me and said that I had not trapped just one raccoon but 2.  He also said it was "love at first sight" for him for those 2 little raccoons.  He fed them food and water.  He decided that he would keep them if the animal control planned on euthanizing them.  To his relief the man said that they would be "relocated". 

            Last night 2 more small raccoons were trapped.  I figure that there are about 4-5 more to go.

            Learning about these raccoons has extended my awe and awareness of the variety of wildlife that is all around us, even in the city.    What started as an irritating problem for me has turned into an entertaining learning experience and I am marveling at the uniqueness of nature.  Not only is there a variety of wildlife but also there is a variety of plants and yes…a variety of humans.  Learning to live in harmony with all of God's creatures is a challenge but there is always a way to work our way through any challenge we may have.

            If you have a challenge in your life, look at it as a learning opportunity.  Open up to solutions and know that you will look back at the experience as an awakening for you.  With God, all things are possible.

View full size

The latest 2 raccoons....4 more to go..

Enveloped in the healing energy of God's love, the earth and its people are transformed.  Love, piece and abundance fill every heart and mind.  Our planet is healthy, whole, and at peace.

See you Soon,

Ellen           

________________________________________________________________________________________________

July 27th, 2008  11:00 AM Sunday morning service

Ellen Davis, Minister:  The Vacuum Law of Prosperity
Kathryn Kalahan - Music Director


Check out our website at www.unityofnewhope.org. Thanks to Denise Jackson for being our webmaster.

Note from Ellen:  I am very thankful to Colleen Pierce for being the volunteer Administrative Assistant.


TOLL FREE PRAYER LINE
877-203-3917

Ev Harman, chair of the Chaplain program,  is headed for Africa for 4 months.  She will be in communication through email and a monthly column in our newsletter.  We see her enjoying this experience and coming back safely. Ev, you will be in our thoughts and prayers....


Mission Statement:
We at Unity Church of New Hope embrace the God Spirit within through prayer and meditation.

PROGRESS ON NEW BUILDING

 

View full size

Work is being done on the floors with the installation of carpet and tile.  The cabinets have been installed also.  Work is progressing rapidly!!!  And the building is looking good!!!!

            

Bookstore
The Bookstore is open for business.    We have lots of new books.  Please stop by and let Lou, Carla, Pamela or Darlene know if there is anything they can order for you.

Announcement about Fall Program
The 7-week Fall Program at Unity Church is always a major event. This year we will be studying The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. 
Please let us know you are interested and we will "interview" you for a position on the delivery team.  I'm sure there is a job that will be perfect for you!
The Fall Program will begin in September with the always much anticipated Prayer Vigil and Labyrinth Walk.
Thank you!
Susan Keith


Make Pretty Committee
Still needs a Chairperson for this committee.  Please consider the opportunity to dream big and work hard. 

Landscaping Committee
This committee needs volunteers to assist with keeping the grounds looking attractive.  Please contact Dale Yeatts for information


Classes at Unity of New Hope

Sunday
SPIRIT QUEST
Facilitated by Lance and Mary Oliver
The Spirit Quest forum, much like the Round Table of old, places great emphasis on the importance of growing spiritually strong together. Spirit Quest is devoted to helping everyone empower themselves, through such things as: Meditation, Totem Animals, Huna, Sacred Space, Spirit Communication, Angels, Esoteric Studies, Reiki Healing, ect...

Spirit Quest is a truly open forum, that highly values equitable participation, mutual respect, and is dedicated to making our lives and those we touch the most fruitful they can be!

  Call Lance or Mary Oliver at 940-591-1494 for meeting times



Monday
YOGA
(each Monday at 6:30 PM)
Sue Greenwood , Registered Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist

This class is for all levels, anyone who wants to explore the breath and create space in the body.For more information or to schedule a private therapy session with Sue please e-mail her at su3f@yahoo.com or check out her website at www.sadhanayoga.org

MEDITATION MONDAYS
(each Monday at 7:30 PM)
Lane Pierce, Facilitator

Meditation is good for the mind, body and soul.  If you have never participated in a group meditation, it is something to be experienced.  Getting to know God is an urge and craving of all beings.  Meditation will help you make that connection.

This special program is supported through your love offering and the most important part is your participation. &n bsp;Come to the church or set aside the time and meditate with us from your home if you cannot make it in person.  Be a part of something bigger.
http://meditation.meetup.com/504/


Wednesday
Spiritual Discussion Class
(each Wednesday at 10:30 AM)
Ellen Davis Facilitator

VISIONING CLASS
(each Wednesday 7:30 PM)
Ellen Davis and Lane Pierce Facilitators
The Wednesday night visioning class has decided to begin planning for the second half of 2008.  The class is currently working on putting their goals in writing to correlate with the images in their books.

Visioning is all about dreaming, fantasizing, clarifying and energizing your life.  You decide what it is you want in your life and then begin to envision those things. By collecting and organizing images of items or important words you can surround yourself with images of who you want to become, what you want to have, where you want to live, or where you want to vacation, your life changes to match those images and those desires.  Between Ellen's commitment to the system of Visioning and Lane's commitment to goal setting there are many lessons to be learned in any one night of Visioning class.
This class is supported by love offerings.
A Vision Book is really an inventory of your desires - come stock your shelves.

Buddhist Meditation
Wednesday 7:00pm
Unity of New Hope now hosts a Buddhist Meditation night.  Feel free to come join in with them at 7:00 every Wednesday night. 

Update: Unity of New Hope, July 10th

Note from Ellen

Yesterday morning I got out of bed feeling exceptionally good.  I enjoyed my morning walk and finished in time to get my car over to a car shop to be inspected.  I had been having problems with a "check engine" light and finally after a great deal of effort by the car repair shop, the problem had been solved and I was set to get the inspection done.

As I was sitting in the car inspection waiting room, I thought about how good I was feeling and it reminded me of the Unity affirmation "Nothing can disturb the calm peace of my soul".  I made an inner note not to ever let anything disturb me and I realized anew that it is always a choice we make about how we react to life's events.

The car inspection went smoothly and I opened up my purse to pay and there was no wallet.  I always have my wallet in my purse and I began to feel panic and fear.  I could not have the car without paying for it so I went home (fortunately only 6 blocks) and searched everywhere for my wallet.  There was no sign of it anywhere.

I walked back to the shop with a check but they could not accept it without a photo ID.  I asked if I could have the keys to search the car for my wallet and very reluctantly they let me search the car.  I looked all over the front seats….no wallet.  By this time my fear of losing the wallet was mounting.  I had just put my life together after the purse-snatching incident in March and just could not face having to go through all of the process of replacing cards, etc. 

I spotted a tote bag in the back seat and looked in it and THERE IT WAS!!!.   How did my wallet get in my tote bag?  I can't remember putting my wallet there but I felt extremely joyful and extremely thankful.

After getting home, I began to reflect on the ups and downs of my mood and emotions.  Just after deciding that I would not let anything affect the "calm peace of my soul", I went through a crisis and allowed myself to give into fear and panic.  This experience revealed to me just how easy it is to give in to outer circumstances in our lives.

I have learned several lessons from this experience.  One is that I need to focus on one thing at a time.  I tend to be doing things while thinking of something else.  My thoughts and actions need to match.  I also need to refocus on the idea that it is a choice on how I react to events and to remember to keep centered in tranquility, peace and love. 

We choose how we go through our life experience.  Why not choose to enjoy it?

The next 2 months I will be doing my Sunday morning talks on prosperity as taught by Catherine Ponder. 

See you soon!!!

Ellen



July 13th, 2008

Ellen Davis:  Prosperity
Kathryn Kalahan - Music Director


Check out our website at www.unityofnewhope.org. Thanks to Denise Jackson for being our webmaster.

Note from Ellen:  I am very thankful to Colleen Pierce for being the volunteer Administrative Assistant.


TOLL FREE PRAYER LINE
877-203-3917


Mission Statement:
We at Unity Church of New Hope embrace the God Spirit within through prayer and meditation.

PROGRESS ON NEW BUILDING



The expansion is still going strong.  New doors were installed this week in the sanctuary that open into the Fellowship Hall of the new building.

              ee CLEF NOTES ee

                                                                   View full size
"The perfect is the enemy of the good"

(from Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart:

Thirty-fiveThings You Need to Know Now

by Gordon Livingston, M.D. 2004)
 
                                                      
                                                       The quote above is a chapter title in one of my favorite books. Init, Gordon Livingston talks about the control implicit in perfectionism. Perfectionists, says Livingston suffer from an "illusion" of control and "tend to be demanding of themselves and others". He asserts that the same obsessive attention to detail and perfect performance that can be an asset in some work environments can spell disaster in relationships. The "paradox of perfectionism", says the author, is that in some settings, especially intimate relationships, the only way to gain control is to relinquish it.
 
                                                                                            Now maybe this is a stretch, but consider the relationship you have with Spirit. Doesn't Unity teaching encourage us to relinquish our ego-based control? Don't we often hear some variation of "Let Go and Let God" repeated in our literature and Sunday messages? It occurs to me that Spirit is ready, willing, and able to lead us to joy, but is sometimes blocked by our insistence on churning out our own rigid version of perfect performance. Sometimes it takes courage to allow the relaxed vulnerability necessary to laugh, to sing, and to love. I recall a hypnosis demonstration in which I was a participant. We were guided to a relaxed altered state before receiving the suggestion to laugh. What was amazing was that although we were aware of being on display, the laughter we emitted was deep, rich, and spontaneous. I felt as though I was "being laughed" – it was that easy. Our laughter produced contagious laughter from the delighted audience and for nearly a full minute we all enjoyed ourselves immensely.
 
                                                                                            Music shares with laughter the quality of being able to facilitate enjoyment. In clinical settings with a variety of therapeutic modalities, other therapists sometimes envy music therapists as patients regale them with tales of the good time they had improvising, creating, and/or performing music.  Ronald Borczon in Music Therapy: A Field Work Primer, (2004) writes, "When you provide an environment in which joy is experienced, you are giving a rare gift…lacking in many clients' lives".
 
                                                                                            Another chapter in Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart is entitled "Of All the Forms of Courage, the Ability to Laugh is the Most Profoundly Therapeutic." This statement reinforces the assertion that laughter is a risk form; and music performance, which requires a similar kind of courage, also provides profound therapeutic value. Whether laughing or music making it is difficult, if not impossible, to get to the genuine joy when you are busy monitoring your "performance" in order to control the response of others. If you're worrying about whether you are laughing too loudly or about your pitch control or vocal quality being judged, you are not having a good time.
 
                                                                                            You are hereby encouraged to deepen the relationship you have with Spirit by adding joy to your life, simply by laughing out loud and by risking some kind of music performance. You may not wish to stand on stage and sing at the top of your lungs, but you can do so in the shower and in your car without judging yourself, or with "safe" friends at a Karoke venue. I hope you will allow yourself to mimic one of the participants in the 2004 Singer Wannabe workshop who stated, "my goal"…in risking this public singing experience… "is to let 'er rip!"
 

Wishing you the joy of Love, Laughter, and Song, Kathryn





Bookstore
The Bookstore is open for business.    Please stop by and let Lou, Carla, Pamela or Darlene know if there is anything they can order for you.


Announcement about Fall Program
The 7-week Fall Program at Unity Church is always a major event. This year we will be studying The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. 
Please let us know you are interested and we will "interview" you for a position on the delivery team.  I'm sure there is a job that will be perfect for you!
The Fall Program will begin in September with the always much anticipated Prayer Vigil and Labyrinth Walk.
Thank you!
Susan Keith


Reclaim Your Life Seminar
Lane Pierce will be presenting this seminar again on July 18th and July 19th.  Lane had tremendous positive feedback after the class in March.  This is a powerful two day class concentrating on Your Prosperity and Your Ability to Manifest what you want.  This class is priced on a Love Offering Basis.  Contact Lane Pierce at 972-809-6680 or Colleen Pierce at 972-837-6240 for information.

Make Pretty Committee
Still needs a Chairperson for this committee.  Please consider the opportunity to dream big and work hard. 

Landscaping Committee
This committee needs volunteers to assist with keeping the grounds looking attractive.  Please contact Dale Yeatts for information


Classes at Unity of New Hope

Sunday
SPIRIT QUEST
Facilitated by Lance and Mary Oliver
The Spirit Quest forum, much like the Round Table of old, places great emphasis on the importance of growing spiritually strong together. Spirit Quest is devoted to helping everyone empower themselves, through such things as: Meditation, Totem Animals, Huna, Sacred Space, Spirit Communication, Angels, Esoteric Studies, Reiki Healing, ect...

Spirit Quest is a truly open forum, that highly values equitable participation, mutual respect, and is dedicated to making our lives and those we touch the most fruitful they can be!

  Call Lance or Mary Oliver at 940-591-1494 for meeting times



Monday
YOGA
(each Monday at 6:30 PM)
Sue Greenwood , Registered Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist

This class is for all levels, anyone who wants to explore the breath and create space in the body.For more information or to schedule a private therapy session with Sue please e-mail her at su3f@yahoo.com or check out her website at www.sadhanayoga.org

MEDITATION MONDAYS
(each Monday at 7:30 PM)
Lane Pierce, Facilitator

Meditation is good for the mind, body and soul.  If you have never participated in a group meditation, it is something to be experienced.  Getting to know God is an urge and craving of all beings.  Meditation will help you make that connection.

This special program is supported through your love offering and the most important part is your participation.  Come to the church or set aside the time and meditate with us from your home if you cannot make it in person.  Be a part of something bigger.
http://meditation.meetup.com/504/


Wednesday
Spiritual Discussion Class
(each Wednesday at 10:30 AM)
Ellen Davis Facilitator

VISIONING CLASS
(each Wednesday 7:30 PM)
Ellen Davis and Lane Pierce Facilitators
The Wednesday night visioning class has decided to begin planning for the second half of 2008.  The class is currently working on putting their goals in writing to correlate with the images in their books.

Visioning is all about dreaming, fantasizing, clarifying and energizing your life.  You decide what it is you want in your life and then begin to envision those things. By collecting and organizing images of items or important words you can surround yourself with images of who you want to become, what you want to have, where you want to live, or where you want to vacation, your life changes to match those images and those desires.  Between Ellen's commitment to the system of Visioning and Lane's commitment to goal setting there are many lessons to be learned in any one night of Visioning class.
This class is supported by love offerings.
A Vision Book is really an inventory of your desires - come stock your shelves.
Buddhist Meditation
Wednesday 7:00pm
Unity of New Hope now hosts a Buddhist Meditation night.  Feel free to come join in with them at 7:00 every Wednesday night. 

















**************
Get the scoop on last night's hottest shows and the live music scene in your area - Check out TourTracker.com!
(http://www.tourtracker.com?NCID=aolmus00050000000112)

Update: Unity of New Hope, July 3rd

    NOTE FROM ELLEN

I arrived back at church on Tuesday and am getting back into the flow of things and it feels like I have been gone for a lot longer than 2 months.  What changes have happened!!!  The most obvious change is the new building.  How wonderful to have all the extra space!!!  And it makes the church look more complete and beautiful.  We are finally able to have the space we need for classrooms, bathrooms, receptions, etc. 
And the prayer room is now up front with a sofa and 2 very comfortable chairs.  It is very serene and peaceful---perfect for quiet reflection and prayer.  The printer, file cabinets and other office equipment are located right next to my office.  It felt different to walk just a few feet away to get things out of the file cabinet. 
We are all so blessed to have a beautiful place to come together and connect to the presence of God and learn more about our spirituality through personal interaction and classes. 
I know that the economy is on everyone's mind.  When the economy becomes uncertain, I always remember my first Unity book written by Catherine Ponder in which she worked in prayer with business owners who were going through a recession.  They met weekly in prayer and saw all kinds of improvements and prosperity in a time of depression.
This book changed my life and was the impetus for me getting into Unity.   I think it is time to relook at it so I will be doing a series of talks from it during the next 2 months. 
Have a Happy 4th of July!!!!  See you very soon!!!! 

Ellen


Sunday services at 11:00 AM

July 6th, 2008

Ellen Davis:  Celebrating Freedom
Kathryn Kalahan - Music Director


Check out our website at www.unityofnewhope.org. Thanks to Denise Jackson for being our webmaster.

Note from Ellen:  I am very thankful to Colleen Pierce for being the volunteer Administrative Assistant.


TOLL FREE PRAYER LINE
877-203-3917


Mission Statement:
We at Unity Church of New Hope embrace the God Spirit within through prayer and meditation.

              ee CLEF NOTES ee

                                                                   View full size
"The perfect is the enemy of the good"

(from Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart:

Thirty-fiveThings You Need to Know Now

by Gordon Livingston, M.D. 2004)
 
                                                      
                                                       The quote above is a chapter title in one of my favorite books. Init, Gordon Livingston talks about the control implicit in perfectionism. Perfectionists, says Livingston suffer from an "illusion" of control and "tend to be demanding of themselves and others". He asserts that the same obsessive attention to detail and perfect performance that can be an asset in some work environments can spell disaster in relationships. The "paradox of perfectionism", says the author, is that in some settings, especially intimate relationships, the only way to gain control is to relinquish it.
 
                                                                                            Now maybe this is a stretch, but consider the relationship you have with Spirit. Doesn't Unity teaching encourage us to relinquish our ego-based control? Don't we often hear some variation of "Let Go and Let God" repeated in our literature and Sunday messages? It occurs to me that Spirit is ready, willing, and able to lead us to joy, but is sometimes blocked by our insistence on churning out our own rigid version of perfect performance. Sometimes it takes courage to allow the relaxed vulnerability necessary to laugh, to sing, and to love. I recall a hypnosis demonstration in which I was a participant. We were guided to a relaxed altered state before receiving the suggestion to laugh. What was amazing was that although we were aware of being on display, the laughter we emitted was deep, rich, and spontaneous. I felt as though I was "being laughed" – it was that easy. Our laughter produced contagious laughter from the delighted audience and for nearly a full minute we all enjoyed ourselves immensely.
 
                                                                                            Music shares with laughter the quality of being able to facilitate enjoyment. In clinical settings with a variety of therapeutic modalities, other therapists sometimes envy music therapists as patients regale them with tales of the good time they had improvising, creating, and/or performing music.  Ronald Borczon in Music Therapy: A Field Work Primer, (2004) writes, "When you provide an environment in which joy is experienced, you are giving a rare gift…lacking in many clients' lives".
 
                                                                                            Another chapter in Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart is entitled "Of All the Forms of Courage, the Ability to Laugh is the Most Profoundly Therapeutic." This statement reinforces the assertion that laughter is a risk form; and music performance, which requires a similar kind of courage, also provides profound therapeutic value. Whether laughing or music making it is difficult, if not impossible, to get to the genuine joy when you are busy monitoring your "performance" in order to control the response of others. If you're worrying about whether you are laughing too loudly or about your pitch control or vocal quality being judged, you are not having a good time.
 
                                                                                            You are hereby encouraged to deepen the relationship you have with Spirit by adding joy to your life, simply by laughing out loud and by risking some kind of music performance. You may not wish to stand on stage and sing at the top of your lungs, but you can do so in the shower and in your car without judging yourself, or with "safe" friends at a Karoke venue. I hope you will allow yourself to mimic one of the participants in the 2004 Singer Wannabe workshop who stated, "my goal"…in risking this public singing experience… "is to let 'er rip!"
 

Wishing you the joy of Love, Laughter, and Song, Kathryn



The next UNITY OF NEW HOPE BOARD MEETING will be held June 26th. 


PROGRESS ON NEW BUILDING
The expansion is still going strong.  Oh, the smell of fresh paint!  
Check it all out this Sunday.
Bookstore
The Bookstore is open for business.    Please stop by and let Lou, Carla, Pamela or Darlene know if there is anything they can order for you.


Announcement about Fall Program
The 7-week Fall Program at Unity Church is always a major event. This year we will be studying The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. 
Please let us know you are interested and we will "interview" you for a position on the delivery team.  I'm sure there is a job that will be perfect for you!
The Fall Program will begin in September with the always much anticipated Prayer Vigil and Labyrinth Walk.
Thank you!
Susan Keith


Reclaim Your Life Seminar
Lane Pierce will be presenting this seminar again on July 18th and July 19th.  Lane had tremendous positive feedback after the class in March.  This is a powerful two day class concentrating on Your Prosperity and Your Ability to Manifest what you want.  This class is priced on a Love Offering Basis.  Contact Lane Pierce at 972-809-6680 or Colleen Pierce at 972-837-6240 for information.

Make Pretty Committee
Still needs a Chairperson for this committee.  Please consider the opportunity to dream big and work hard. 

Landscaping Committee
This committee needs volunteers to assist with keeping the grounds looking attractive.  Please contact Dale Yeatts for information


Classes at Unity of New Hope

Sunday
SPIRIT QUEST
Facilitated by Lance and Mary Oliver
The Spirit Quest forum, much like the Round Table of old, places great emphasis on the importance of growing spiritually strong together. Spirit Quest is devoted to helping everyone empower themselves, through such things as: Meditation, Totem Animals, Huna, Sacred Space, Spirit Communication, Angels, Esoteric Studies, Reiki Healing, ect...

Spirit Quest is a truly open forum, that highly values equitable participation, mutual respect, and is dedicated to making our lives and those we touch the most fruitful they can be!

  Call Lance or Mary Oliver at 940-591-1494 for meeting times



Monday
YOGA
(each Monday at 6:30 PM)
Sue Greenwood , Registered Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist

This class is for all levels, anyone who wants to explore the breath and create space in the body.For more information or to schedule a private therapy session with Sue please e-mail her at su3f@yahoo.com or check out her website at www.sadhanayoga.org

MEDITATION MONDAYS
(each Monday at 7:30 PM)
Lane Pierce, Facilitator

Meditation is good for the mind, body and soul.  If you have never participated in a group meditation, it is something to be experienced.  Getting to know God is an urge and craving of all beings.  Meditation will help you make that connection.

This special program is supported through your love offering and the most important part is your participation.  Come to the church or set aside the time and meditate with us from your home if you cannot make it in person.  Be a part of something bigger.
http://meditation.meetup.com/504/


Wednesday
Spiritual Discussion Class
(each Wednesday at 10:30 AM)
Ellen Davis Facilitator

VISIONING CLASS
(each Wednesday 7:30 PM)
Ellen Davis and Lane Pierce Facilitators
The Wednesday night visioning class has decided to begin planning for the second half of 2008.  The class is currently working on putting their goals in writing to correlate with the images in their books.

Visioning is all about dreaming, fantasizing, clarifying and energizing your life.  You decide what it is you want in your life and then begin to envision those things. By collecting and organizing images of items or important words you can surround yourself with images of who you want to become, what you want to have, where you want to live, or where you want to vacation, your life changes to match those images and those desires.  Between Ellen's commitment to the system of Visioning and Lane's commitment to goal setting there are many lessons to be learned in any one night of Visioning class.
This class is supported by love offerings.
A Vision Book is really an inventory of your desires - come stock your shelves.
Buddhist Meditation
Wednesday 7:00pm
Unity of New Hope now hosts a Buddhist Meditation night.  Feel free to come join in with them at 7:00 every Wednesday night. 

















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