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Wednesday Meditation: 7:00 PM Table Talk Thursday: 12:00 PM Sunday Service: 10:45 AM Sunday Social: 12:00 PM
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| | | | Our
WINGS group met in the UCC Cafe on Tuesdays for many years. Now that
we're sheltering in place, the group really misses sharing their
inspiring weekly studies.
Since our WINGS group leader, UCC Certified
Truth Teacher, Cynthia Mackey, began to send out weekly emails to the
group, we asked if we might share her messages with our entire email list so that more people could enjoy
them.
You're very welcome to send questions or positive comments to
Cynthia at: info@unityofclearwater.org. |
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Hi Everyone,
When we moved to our home in 2002, I left a home I had lived in for 18 years. There was a 12X20 storage building in the back that had my husband’s and my collection of “stuff” from many life experiences. So, we sold, gave away and threw away about fifty percent of what we owned. We were proud and happy of our great accomplishment. Fast forward eighteen years and, no, I don’t want to move again, but we seem to have accumulated a whole other collection of stuff. I want to buy some new furniture for my loft and rearrange it a bit to make it more comfortable for all of us, but there is too much stuff!! So, imagine my delight when both yesterday and today the Daily Word was about letting go and release.
Yesterday’s Daily Word reading, which was titled “Let Go, Let God” was quite appropriate for the way things are right now. “Each day is filled with happenings that I may or may not like. If I let what’s going on outside determine how I feel inside, it will be hard to find peace. When I let go and trust life’s perfect unfolding, I am no longer swayed by experiences, whether good or bad.” Oh, if I could attain that on a daily basis, how much more peaceful and happier I would be. I have also found that I can be quite distracted by what is going on in the outside world and have my attention taken off of something I really want to do. So, when I read today’s reading, it brought it full circle for me.
Today was all about release. It began with the idea that my outer clutter may be an indication of an inner clutter of thoughts and feelings that no longer serve me. This led me to Dr. H. Emilie Cady and her book, Lessons in Truth. I was drawn to the chapter titled “Denials.” It is important to note that Dr. Cady is not talking about denial in the sense of refusing to face up to a truth. She is talking about denial in the sense of denying that outer circumstances have the power to control our happiness or our sense of joy. She reminds us of this in this chapter and throughout her book. She states on page 45 and 46 that, “God is the total of all of the good in the universe and that there is in the mind, which is God, a perpetual desire to pour more of Himself – the substance of all good things – through us into visibility, or into our lives.” So, the carnal mind or “mortal mind” mind may report misinformation to us from the external world and cannot necessarily be relied upon. That is what Jesus was referring to when He said that if anyone wants to “follow Me,” they must deny themselves. He did not mean live without outer comforts. He meant that we must deny our attachment to intellectual rationalizations and conclusions based on outer opinions and selfish desires. Instead, we are to rely on our inner Divine Self, which is the place of Love in our hearts -- love for ourselves and love for our fellow travelers. So, when I am thinking critically of myself or others, I am not in that place of love and that is when I am usually quite unhappy.
I am sure I could make a list of many outdated and outgrown thoughts, attitudes and opinions, but really, I just want to be on the look-out for them when they pop up. I will recognize them because they will not be happy thoughts. They will be critical thoughts and painful thoughts. Those are the thoughts I want to “deny” so I can make room for new and loving thoughts. Just like in my loft upstairs – I can sort through the outdated and outgrown stuff to make way for some new furniture that will be more comfortable and serve our family’s needs of today.
I received some wonderful notes last week from several of you and I really appreciate all of them. Please wear your mask around others and stay well. Continue to support our Church with your tithes and prayers and, as science will reveal, our prayers are sure to be answered with good outcomes and we will be able to gather safely in person again. Until then, declutter your minds from those old beliefs and maybe you might even get rid of some “stuff” as you go along!
Peace and Love,
Cynthia |
| | | Your Weekly Affirmation:
WE NOW AFFIRM HEALING IN MIND, BODY, AND RELATIONSHIPS AS WE DWELL IN THE WORD OF SPIRIT: “BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.”
THANK YOU, GOD! |
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