We all–or most of us–are aware of and thankful for those greater blessings in our lives: the raise or promotion at work, the good news from the doctor, that sale price on just what you were looking for. But, some of us, due to our busy lifestyles, may be less aware of the “Ladybug Blessings” that occur throughout our day! That car that stalled in front of us at the light, unbeknownst to us, saved us from an accident three intersections down the road, perhaps! Or, catching that cup that we accidentally knocked before it spills our coffee! This week, we are invited to be aware, moment to moment, of these little blessings, and to give thanks for them, AND for those little things, even, that may not LOOK like blessings, simply because we don’t see the whole picture! In giving thanks for the little ones, we open up the way for the larger blessings to come into our lives!!

Life is metaphysical! However,, Spirit manifests THROUGH the physical, and in observing with an eye to that, we can learn a lot about ourselves through nature. The sunflower is a wonderful example: it always is turned, facing the sun, and follows it throughout the day, returning its face to the east, during the night in anticipation for the morning sunrise. If it is a cloudy day, the sunflowers turn toward EACH OTHER! We, too, can be as such; turning towards God, the LIGHT, and following throughout the day, receiving that life energy, that love, and ALL that we need. In our times of “darkness,” we can turn to each other, and raise each other, through that indwelling Light and Love that we ARE.

Unity’s White Stone Ceremony is based on Revelation 2:17, in the Bible, which states: “To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone, with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” As we start this New Year, we each receive a white stone, on which we will write our OWN “new name.” To be noted: In Biblical times the “NAME” of anybody/anything also represented their/its character, or nature. As you “name” yourself, anew, you are setting in motion new ideas, new states of consciousness–a NEW YOU!

While most of us may think of freedom as having come THROUGH the flames, in truth, it CAN be the flames, themselves, which GIVE us our freedom! One of the Twelve Powers, taught by the Fillmores, is RUNUNCIATION! The most FREEING use of RENUNCIATION is FORGIVENESS! True forgiveness, does not  make “okay” the actions of another–one of the biggest mistaken beliefs we hold, as we hold onto resentments. Rather, forgiveness DENIES that the actions of others has ANY power over us! Another act–and a most important one–is to forgive OURSELVES! We did the best we could do at the level of consciousness we had at the time. Our Burning Bowl Ceremony gives us a physical example of the COMPLETENESS of Renunciation, as we watch our denials, written on a piece of paper, be dissolved into nothing in the fire! We are FREE, to move ahead in the consciousness of our Oneness, with The Most High!