Heart Thoughts: Gratitude

Where do I start this update? It is with the Positive Pathways to Wellbeing event on Saturday, November 6. Time is running out for you to register to get a tune up for yourself. There are eight different practitioners offering their services for a minimal cost for 20 minutes.

Now moving to the wonderful service on Sunday where we welcomed in new members. We had folks that became members in 2020 and 2021 as well as just recently who had never had the opportunity to come before the community and be received into membership with a special service. In 2020 was Carol Holt, Betti Lu Lewis, and Sandy Watson. In 2021 was Janice Murphy, Randy Sweeting, and Gloria Herboldsheimer. In 2022 Abigail Adams, Nancy Sawyer, Macia Taylor, and Connie Troumbley.

To round out the morning we moved into our annual meeting which was well attended both in person and online. We said goodbye to three board members, Carolyn Sanford, Erin Conway, and Carol Holt. Each of these individuals brought so much to our board with their leadership skills. They will be missed. We welcomed three new members to the board, Barbara Kowalska and Matt Purinton, who have served on the board in the past, and our board chair Kim Cowperthwaite, for three-year terms and Jack Cole and Janice Murphy for one-year alternate positions. Once again, I can assure you that our ministry is in good hands.

At the meeting, we had a discussion regarding how you can help spread the word about Unity Center for Spiritual Growth through social media. Here are some ideas.

During the discussion about our finances, we ended the year in the red by about $5,700; however, we are looking at ways to remedy this going forward. Becoming a consistent giver is one of the ways you can help to make this possible. There are different ways to set up your consistent giving, and we have a document that will explain how to do it.

With so much to share with you already, I am going to be brief regarding the message on Sunday, as it is available for you to watch if you missed it.

We moved to Concept No. 5: Realizing that Gratefulness Is Your Most Creative Tool. Gratefulness is a perfect topic as we begin November, which is known as the “gratitude” month.

I shared a study done at the University of California, Berkeley on more than 1,000 people aged between eight and 80, which found that those who consistently practiced gratitude enjoyed a host of benefits.

They have five suggestions to help nurture gratitude for yourself and others as we head deeper into winter:

• Keep a gratitude diary
• Take a gratitude walk… “What am I grateful for in my life?” Some people take their gratitude walks with a partner, taking turns to share as they go
• Give thanks online… we have a gratitude group… you might want to jump on and share what you are grateful for…
• Practice everyday gratitude… actively thanking people who serve you; before going to sleep think of people you are grateful for…
• Focus on the positive… Nurturing gratitude works because it helps to give us a positive perspective.

Also, check out the website www.Gratefulness.org to learn more about gratitude and being grateful.

You are a blessing in my life,
Rev. Patricia Bessey