Union Sanctuary

Special points
of interest:

• Be Thankful
The Union Bell
V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 1 N o v e m b e r 2 3 , 2 0 0 8

• Be Forgiving

• Be Free
Thanks-Living!
• Love One Another

• Live with Gratitude

The good thing about an an-
• Affirm Yourself
nual ritual of Thanksgiving is
that it does remind us to be
grateful. But once a year is
not enough, and so I want to
take a look at how we can
bring an awareness of thank-
fulness into our daily lives,
making Thanksgiving a way of
life, or a way of “thanks-
living.”
Inside this The heartbeat of Thanks-
issue:
Living is being grateful for the
Gratitude 2 gift of life itself! Too often we
Appreciate 2 put off letting our hearts be
Sorrows glad until we accomplish some
Forgiveness 2 work goal, or until we find a
Forgiveness is 3
Freedom
life partner, or until we are ful for. He’d say, “Let’s rise
able to have a child of our and be thankful, for if we did-
own. Truly we need to set our n’t learn a lot today, at least
minds on the amazing and we may have learned a lit-
tle. And if we didn’t learn
even a little, at least we didn’t
get sick. And if we did get
sick, at least we didn’t die. So
let us all be thankful.”
Appreciating the gift of life!
Daily Gratitude is the heart of
Thanks-living.
marvelous gift of life. “There
is a Buddhist teacher in Thai-
land who would remind all of
his students that there was
always something to be thank-

Gratitude, Ac- 4
knowledgment,
and Forgiveness
A Thanksgiving History
World Faith 5
Calendar While there were times during President Lincoln asked our spoke of the wounds caused by
the early years of our nation’s entire country, north and south, the war, and he prayed that
Daily 6
history when various colonies to pause to appreciate the boun- peace would soon be restored to
Affirmations
would declare a day of thanks- ties of food still produced in the nation. I think it is signifi-
giving, Thanksgiving did not fertile fields. He asked all citi- cant that Lincoln chose a time of
become a true national holiday zens to observe the last day of great pain and sorrow to declare
until we were in the midst of the November as a day of Thanks- a day of Thanksgiving.
civil war. The year was 1863. giving and praise. He also
 P a g e 2
Gratitude
Gratitude is the heart of
thanks-living. It is one of the
essential elements of a deep
spiritual life. It is a founda-
tion that supports all ele-
ments of our spiritual life.
Gratitude helps us when we
hit hard times. It gives us
perspective. President Lin-
coln knew this when he asked
the whole country to gather
Gratitude is the sign of for Thanksgiving.
noble souls. –Aesop
Appreciate Sorrows
This being human is a guest
The weak can never
house. Every morning a
forgive. Forgiveness is
new arrival.
an attribute of the A joy, a depression, a mean-
strong. ness, some momentary
awareness comes as an un-
—Mahatma Gandhi
expected visitor.
Welcome and attend them
all:
Forgiveness
Peter came up to the
Forgive and be Lord and asked,
thankful
"How many times
should I forgive
someone who does
something wrong to
me? Is seven times
T h e U n i o n B e l l
But there are two difficulties
with gratitude. One is that in
order to be grateful we must
pay attention and be alert to
the good around us; but let’s
be realistic! We have a lot on
our minds and many time
pressures-- getting to work,
looking for work, taking care
of children, taking care of our
health—lots of duties and
responsibilities.
Even if they’re a crowd of
sorrows,
Who violently sweep your
house empty of its furniture,
still,
Treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the
enough?" Jesus answered:
Not just seven times, but
seventy-seven times! - Mat
18:21-22. (CEV)
At this time of year when all
are thinking of everything
they are thankful for, one
When do we have time to
remember to be grateful?
The way of gratitude needs to
be a spiritual practice— a
spiritual practice is any regu-
lar activity or plan that re-
minds us of our deepest aspi-
rations and highest values.
We need ways to remember
our gratitude, times struc-
tured into our lives when we
focus on our thankfulness.
shame, the malice, meet
them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever
comes,
Because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
~Rumi
thing often overlooked are
the things that need forgiv-
ing first.
Forgiveness and thankful-
ness are two flames of that
same fire.
V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 1 P a g e 3

Forgiveness is Freedom
Many people believe that for-
giveness is like telling the person
who caused harm that "it is OK".
That is why a lot of people are
uninterested in cises". I read about forgiveness. I
forgiveness. spend time with people who
To be Free is
I believe that for- forgive.
to Forgive.
giveness is giving As I do this, I am less restricted
up the desire for by what happened in the past. I
revenge. I see for- am more free to enjoy the pre-
giveness as the act of moving sent and create a new future.
away from playing the powerless
role of victim.
To be consistent with that belief,
I regularly do "forgiveness exer-
Always forgive

your enemies—

nothing annoys

Gratitude, Acknowledgment, and Forgiveness them so much.

-Oscar Wilde

While we should be enthusiastic
about forgiveness, we should
also be enjoying Gratitude. Be-
gin by writing 50 things that you
are grateful for, and in doing so
you will discover that you have
many blessings in your life.
Having forgiven people for the
way they have impacted us in Now I can thank each of those
our lives, we can also now be people and acknowledge them
grateful for how we have grown for contributing to my strength
and learned from those experi- and wisdom.
ences.
I used to be bitter and resentful
about much of what happened in
my past.

World Faith Calendar

In a world of so much color and The NCCJ InterFaith Calendar is Judaism
flavor, perhaps the answer is to a 14” X 22” full-color, fourteen- Sikhism
create a calendar of holidays month, wall calendar and high- Zoroastrianism
lights the following communi-
that we celebrate throughout the
ties: TO ORDER: Contact
year. This calendar is full of rich American Indian the Chicago Regional
traditions, color, stories, and Christianity
Office of NCCJ -
most of all connections - bonds Bahá´í
Buddhism 800.311.9823 or
with your heritage, world, self
Hinduism email: chi-
and the friends and families you NCCJ Interfaith Calendar $18.00
Islam cago@nccj.org
love. –Mallika Chopra
Jainism

Union Sanctuary
430 Azalea Drive
Stockbridge, GA 30281
Phone: 678-689-5362
www.unionsanctuary.org
We are One.
www.unionsanctuary.org
Daily Affirmations for the Week
by —Patricia J. Gentry, RScP
Sunday, November 23
I allow the infinite abundance of
the Universe to flow into my ex-
perience today and every day. I
contemplate the bounty of God
and I accept more and more good
into my life.
Monday, November 24
Today, I release all fear and know
that all I need to achieve peace
and right action is already mine.
Tuesday, November 25
Today, I see the indwelling pres-
ence that animates all things. I am
a part of the great Energy that is
the one source of all being. The
One Mind is my mind.
The Union Sanctuary (US) is a non-profit organization
composed of men and women who have come from
many different walks of life, religious institutions, and
cultural backgrounds that believe in the transcendence
of dogmatic loyalty to scripture to achieve levels of
spiritual understanding that go beyond all boundaries
to the doorstep of Supreme Identity. The Union phi-
losophy is centered in the common truth of many eso-
teric faiths. The US embraces the ULC philosophy of
“do that which is right” and welcomes anyone, no mat-
ter their spiritual background, who is willing to enter
into congregation with others of diverse faith and find
Union together as one voice.
We believe in the unity of mankind. We believe that all
religions that are built upon positive foundations offer
some common truth when separated from the dogma
and rhetoric of socio-cultural prejudice. We believe that
we are all equal in the eyes of God no matter whom that
God may be in the eyes of others. We believe in the
positive and negative forces with which we all struggle
in the daily unfolding of our lives. As smaller parts of
the greater whole, we believe in the miraculous happen-
ings of the Supreme Identity of God.
Wednesday, November 26 Saturday, November 29
Today, I open myself to be nour- I realize that the great source of
ished by the beauty in life. My my nourishment is the body of
thoughts blossom and bear fruit. God. All that sustains me comes
from the One Life in which I live
Thursday, November 27
and have my being.
Today I celebrate the pure joy of
being alive. I fill my heart with the
Divine Presence and live in spon-
taneous thanksgiv-ing and har-
mony with all life.
Friday, November 28
The Mind within me has no limita-
tion in time and space. All that I
need comes to me in time and on
time from the eternal source.
Daily Guides for Centered Living