... Happy Thanksgiving!

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1 ... Yesterday our Wednesday Morning Book Group looked out the west windows at the brilliant golden leaves of the gingko tree shining back at us. We couldn t resist. We all walked outside and circled that wonderful tree. Holding hands and looking upward through the branches to the blue sky above, there were no words to describe the peace and awe that settled over us. What came spontaneously to each of us was simply, Thank you. Thank you, gingko tree, for sharing your glorious presence with us just by being and doing what you came here to be and do. Thank you, Mother Earth, for nurturing this beautiful expression of Life. Thank you, Divine Mind, for giving to our earth the amazing Idea of the gingko tree. Thank you, Loving Presence and Power of Good, for a sacred moment of awareness of our oneness with all that is. We are grateful, so very grateful. Meister Eckhart, a Christian mystic from the Middle Ages, was so right when he said, If the only prayer we ever said was Thank you, it would be enough. Here is the invitation I extend to you this month that we become living expressions of thankfulness each day. It is so easy to fall into mental habits of negativity. The needs of the world are so overwhelming. That is why we call on our spiritual practices to help us look at the bigger picture. I mean, the really BIG picture! The picture of our entire planet and all of us on it people, plants, creatures, rocks and rivers living in harmony. We are called by a loving God to claim our divinity; to honor each person as God s beloved; to grow in spiritual understanding; and to transform our world through service. Together, we create a community that reflects God s love. Remember, what we focus on with energy grows. What do you desire and imagine life on Planet Earth to be? Let your spiritual practice be to focus on that at least once every day this month. Expand those thoughts by bringing them closer to home. What are you imagining for your neighborhood, your spiritual center (that s us at Unity!), your family, yourself? Give thanks for these positive visions already accomplished as you give them conscious energy every day. See if you feel any different at the end of the month. Who knows you may never want to stop this practice of visioning with a thankful heart! This is why Unity is here: to invite people to join us on this positive path for spiritual living. It is no small thing to bring positive (affirmative) prayers into our own lives and the world right now. You are helping to transform lives through spiritual growth, starting with your own precious life. Thank you, each one of you, for your commitment to seeing and being peace right where you are. And when we all come together... well, we become a radiating center of Love s energy. Our light beckons others in to discover more of the warmth and light of Divine Love for themselves. Thank you for helping Unity to continue to be a welcoming place where people can connect with God and one another. In this month of Thanksgiving, I give thanks for you! Happy Thanksgiving! Cheryl Unity Spiritual Life Center is a community that love is building. Our mission is to experience God s love, to express God s love, and to be God s love in action.

2 Transforming lives through spiritual growth A Course in Miracles - Book Study Every Monday, 11:00am - 12:00pm (please be on time, so we can start on time) We are now reading: The Disappearance of the Universe by Gary Renard. This book is a modern approach/explanation of the ACIM. The ONENESS BLESSING is offered here at USLC! Sunday morning downstairs in the library from 9:45 to 10:15 am. All are welcome to receive the blessing. Unity Spiritual Life Center 401 S. 8th Avenue -Yakima WA Come check out the Imagineers We want to hear your ideas! The 2nd Tuesday of each month, from 5:30 6:30pm, we will gather to listen, discuss, and brainstorm ideas people have for our spiritual community. Do you have ideas for a fundraiser, decorations that might really add to our décor, ideas about the website or newsletter, a different way of distributing information, or something else entirely? We want to hear it! Any and all ideas are welcome! All ideas will be documented, discussed and either tabled for further discussion or we ll implement the first step. You don t have to join the group, but you may want to come often to hear the ideas being brought up. The next meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 14th at 5:30pm. Dial-A-Blessing: Website: UnityYakima.org Minister@UnityYakimaMail.org Office: Chris@UnityYakimaMail.org Sunday Celebration - 10:30am This class meets every Wednesday from 10:45-noon. Beforehand, from 10:20-10:45am, there is quiet meditation with music in the sanctuary. Office hours - 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Minister..Rev. Cheryl Rohret Music Director..Sylvia Holtman Adm. Assistant.Chris Roybal Newsletter...Chris Roybal Starting in November: Light Warrior: Within the Light, No Shadow Can Exist ~by Kyle Gray Board of Directors Lori Fisk-Moss Patrick Graham Marilyn Holloway Marilyn Freed Sharon Hamson Susan Martin Youth Education Teachers: Chaundra Ambrose Teens Dawn Fulton Children DRUMMING CIRCLE IS BACK!! Saturday, November 18th - 2:30-4:00pm All experience levels are welcome and we have extra drum! *Children 10 and older are welcome, must be accompanied by an adult. Support Groups that meet at Unity Alcoholics Anonymous: "The Early Birds Everyday - 6:30am & Sisters in Sobriety closed women's group - Thursdays - 6:00pm Al-Anon: Steps to Recovery Every Wednesday 5:30pm

3 Sunday Celebration Service As we move toward completing our study of Finding Peace through Spiritual Practice by the Interfaith Amigos, we are so grateful for the work these three faith leaders have done to open minds and hearts across their established faith traditions and beyond. We ve found each of them speaking often in terms of Oneness and interconnectedness. There have been so many places where those of us in Unity have found ourselves right at home in their discussions. We all belong to each other! May the wholeness of our universe sink so deeply into our awareness that we cannot help but respond in joyous thanksgiving. Let that be how we conclude this bountiful month of November November 5 Let Peace Prevail in Us Peace is what we all desire. However, two things seem to get in the way of us living in harmony: fear and the violence fear engenders. What spiritual practices can help to diffuse our fears and stop the violence? There is no one, pat answer. However, we can start by consciously acknowledging our fears and then consciously choosing how we will respond. When peace prevails in us, the world around us will begin to vibrate at a higher level of consciousness. Shall we test this out together? November 12 Never Give Up on Love Love is our spiritual Ground Zero. It s where everything begins. So, whenever we are tempted to give up on finding peace, it s probably an indication that we need to center ourselves to ground ourselves in the Source Energy of Love. When we get back in touch with this Source, our lives are renewed. The actions which come from hearts renewed by Love have a positive impact not only on us their impact ripples out into infinity. All because of Love. November 19 Everyday Peace Pilgrims Every spiritual practice we have learned about from the Interfaith Amigos is meant for us ordinary (yet also quite extraordinary!) people to use as a way of bringing peace into our own lives and our world. These practices are meant to be everyday reminders for us, helping us to remember we are not alone as we are walking the path of peace. Together, we are spiritual adventurers sharing spiritual sustenance on this sacred journey called Life. Let us greet each one we meet, friend and stranger, with respect and compassion, saying: Shalom. Peace. Salaam. November 22: Interfaith Thanksgiving Eve Service 7:00 pm at St Paul Cathedral Chapel November 26 Thanksgiving as a Spiritual Practice Guest Speaker: Marilyn Freed In the US, Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. But thanksgiving and gratitude are transformative Spiritual practices that can heal any situation, no matter what is going on or how challenging the circumstances. We can always find something to be grateful for. Let s investigate how we can use this in our daily lives for our own spiritual growth.

4 Saturday, November 11 1:00 3:00pm Cost: $25 We are so excited to have Eddie here! He was booked solid but agreed to make a quick detour here to Yakima! Space is limited to 15 people and 2 couples (which would share one affirmation). There have been many wonderful stories of healing, prosperity and transformations coming from the musical affirmations he helps you create; and his upbeat, jazzy style makes it so much fun! Don t worry, you don t have to sing in front of people, he ll do that for you Registration Deadline is Nov. 14th. Sign up today while there is still spaces available! Dessert FUNraiser In November we will have homemade desserts that you can special order from our wonderful bakers here at Unity! Homemade pies, cakes, cookies and more! Watch for the sign up sheets!

5 Financial Report October Operational Income: $14,067 Planned Monthly Income: $9000 Expenses: $13,390Planned Monthly Expenses: $9000 YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Unity Spiritual Life Center of Yakima is prosperous. We are self-supporting through our own voluntary contributions and we invite you to share and be a part of our abundance. Thank you, thank you God! If you have any questions about the finances, you can call Chris in the office and make an appointment anytime. We gratefully share what we receive! Unity believes in the spiritual practice of tithing. As we share our income with others, we also generously receive. In October, we tithed 10% of our total income to: Unity Worldwide Ministries, Unity NW Region, Yakima Food Bank, Sunrise Outreach and Silent Unity Saturday, November 11 Christmas Outreach Everybody enjoys watching the chairs in our sanctuary fill up with teddy bears which we hug and fill with love before sending them out to children in our community. We d like to get started early. Bring in new bears and we ll fill them with love! We also need to decide where they re going this year and a family (or two) to help for Christmas. If you have suggestions, please contact Rev. Cheryl. Office closed on Friday 85th Annual Meeting - Dinner & Auction We all had such a wonderful time at this years Annual Meeting! The Silent Auction raised over $700!! Thank you for joining us and for your generous support!

6 Meet Our New Board Members! Patrick Graham I'm Patrick Graham. I was recently elected to the Board of Directors and am submitting this brief statement so you can get to know me a bit. I was born 75 years ago in Puyallup and grew up in a Roman Catholic environment in Tacoma, and later at Saint Martin's High School and College in Lacey, Washington. In 1962 I tried out monastic life in the Benedictine Abbey there, but found that, after a year and a half, I wouldn't make a very good monk. I enlisted in the Air Force and became a Chinese Linguist. I served overseas on Taiwan and at DaNang Air Base, Vietnam. After I was discharged I went back to school at the University of Washington, obtained a B.A. in Social Welfare, and a masters degree in social work. My wife, Mernie, and I met during the time that I was working on my bachelor's degree. After my masters program was completed, we moved and I worked for many years in California, providing supportive services to people who have developmental disabilities. I retired 12 years ago and came to Yakima, via Grants Pass, Oregon, almost 2 years ago. When I was a kid, my dad's mother always had The Daily Word booklets sitting around, and I picked them up many times while visiting with "Granny." I became interested in alternate means of spiritual growth through various tests and trials that seem to impact the lives of us all. I have become aware that I am a spirit having a human experience, and Unity is the path that most closely parallels my own. All of the basic principles of Unity vibrate with the principles on which I have based my life. I feel that the "family" I have at Unity provides the support I need to achieve the greatest spiritual growth for me in this life. Sharon Hamson... We found Unity six years ago; we were at a Barnes & Noble in Tri-Cities looking through the New Age section. A woman approached us and said that if we were interested there was a Metaphysical Fair going on that was sponsored by her church. I asked about her church and said that I wished we had something like that in Yakima she said that there was and it was called Unity. We ve been attending ever since! We (myself, husband, and Mom) moved to Yakima over six years ago. We came from Fairbanks, Alaska where I lived for 42 years I was born in Seattle. I worked for Bureau of Land Management / Alaska Fire Service for a combined 32 years before transferring here and working for the Bureau of Reclamation. I retired in March of this year. I have been married to James Gentry for almost 12 years. I m looking forward to serving on the Board; I bring a desire to serve and share my time and talents. Sunday, Nov. 5th

7 The Mystery Team is off to a wonderful start! We had a great first meeting, better than I had imagined with a great turnout - Sandy Bullock, Lori Warnick, Janet Hattrup, Marilyn Holloway, Carmen Quesnell, and Anna Marie Dufault. I am very excited and think this will bring what I hope is a lot of fun and mix things up in a good way. We came up with some great ideas for our Mystery Sunday, which by the way starts this month! Get ready for some shenanigans! Mystery Team ~Lisa Kane Coming Up... Sunday, Nov. 26th after service we ll be decorating our Center for Christmas! Sunday, Dec. 3rd Connection Groups Celebration & All Church Potluck!

8 401 S. 8th Avenue - Yakima WA If you do not want to receive this newsletter, please mark the box and return to your letter carrier We re on the Web: Sent with love and blessings to: November Affirmations: Inner Peace: I center myself in the presence of infinite peace. Guidance: I follow my guidance with faith and gratitude. Healing: I give thanks for the life of God within that heals and renews my body. Prosperity: I am a steward of divine abundance. I give and receive with gratitude. World Peace: I follow Jesus example and express goodwill to all.