Namaste Beloved Friends,

This week, Jeremiah's 1st-2nd grade class performed their own musical play, "Life Is A Gift". It always amazes me to watch creativity conquer chaos ... the kids got to pick their characters and we made up a play that truly touched hearts. I started the process as a prayerful answer to my assessment of a dismal lack of creativity in his class. Jeremiah's teacher, Mrs. Tone, often looked like the wind had her hair blowing straight behind her but she really rallied to the cause. We ALL had an amazing amount of growth. Today, she called me so I could hear the kids singing some of the play songs as they were working at their desks. The joy rings on! Yes!
The theme of the play was that everything is a gift and they opened and closed the play with these lyrics set to the tune of "Simple Gifts"; "Some gifts are simple, some gifts are not. Some gifts are free and some store bought. There are lots of ways to give, here's just a few. The best gift we know is the gift of you. I'm a gift and so are you. We all give to the world, it's true. Everything we do, every girl, every boy ... we can give the whole world the gift of joy!" 20 voices sang it loudly with cheer and the joy vibration in the room, the school, and the planet went up ... even just a little. I've also been singing and ringing bells with lots of little ones this season who light up and vibrate joy at the sound of one little word ... Santa. Who would Santa be without gifts? It is in the giving and the magic that Santa is the gift. This week, on December 6th, people in many parts of the world celebrated St. Nicholas Day ... children put out their sock or shoe and found it filled with treasures. Ah the gift of giving and the gift of joy.

In the midst of this bustling joy filled week, I received the news that a young friend had died. Jeremiah had run the Labyrinth with him and their other pals many Sundays at SLC and he had been part of our recent Family Faith In Action group at Spiritual Life Center. I prayed a lot and asked advice about how to tell 6 year old Jeremiah that his young friend, 5 year old Mateo would not be here any more. I told him how bodies die but spirits never do and how Mateo's spirit would always be with us. After Jeremiah asked how he died, I told him what I knew and how I believe there are no accidents; that there is a plan - God takes our souls when our purpose has been filled, no matter what our age. My amazing 6 year old angel teacher then said, "I think God made life like a board game .... you never know when you'll land on the square that says, 'Go home'. Well,  it's really more like back to start and your heart goes into another body and it just keeps going around the board of life ... different times, different bodies, over and over ...." He went on with the board game analogy for a bit, wondering if God rolls the dice every year on your birthday and then he paused and asked, "Well, I guess his dad feels really sad?" We talked about that and then I asked him if he felt sad. He said some of him was sad and he didn't want to talk about any more. Less than 2 hours later and more than 2 hours before his bedtime, he was falling down tired. He was still tired after 12 hours of sleep and in our morning prayers, he expressed some of his sadness. He said today at school felt like 20 hours. For all of us, it is a process and a journey when we lose a friend. With the sadness & loss, Jeremiah and I both have a sense of peace and gratitude that Mateo's light still brightly shines in our hearts, in this world, and in any other place his Spirit is now... We also have great love and compassion for Gill, Mateo's dad, and immense gratitude for the Love & support given him this week by the Spiritual Life Center Angels. Gill was responsible for tethering our Tree of Life the kids made during Family Faith In Action. May you continue to be cradled in the Love of Angels ...

Click here to see the "Tree Of Life".

I offer you 12 thoughts of Christmas ... Christmas Carols, that is, and instead of a partridge in a pair tree, my true love gave to me ... Infinite Possibilities! The 12 traditional carols with lyrics and very basic acapella recordings are on line ... so sing, sing, sing! It's not too late in the season to learn a new carol! And let's face it, most of us need to look at the words year after year so just look at new words ... New Thought words and sing, sing, sing! Try this to the tune of God Rest Ye Marry Gentlemen: "God bless ye merry families, come gather 'round and pray. Remember, Christ our way-shower was born on Christmas day to show us how we all can live a peaceful, loving way … Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy! Oh tidings of comfort and joy!"
I hope you'll try singing these wherever you are preferably in a circle with others but even in the shower! If you are in the Sacramento area, circle up with us next Saturday, the 16th! See below... On one final note of bringing these songs to life and consciousness ... Alice Parker in 'Prayers Of Those Who Make Music' says ..."A song does not exist until it is sung, or re-created, by a human voice. Every incarnation is different, and no one sound is the only right one. This is a paradox. A page of music seems to present a finished product, yet it contains no sound. (Hold it up to your ear: Can you hear it?) The song doesn't live until it comes off the page and resumes its natural state as sound. The page can no more substitute for living sound than a recipie can for edible food."

Sing New Thought Christmas Carols!

We have a playful & prayerful Community Circle set for next Saturday, December 16th!
Calling All New Thought Families! Circle Up! All Ages Welcome!!

LifeWorks, 3009 F St., Sacramento
Saturday, December 16, 2006
2:00-5:00 Option to continue into the evening ... we can order pizza!
*Sacred Candle Light Sharing Circle
*Sing New Thought Christmas Carols!
*Snack on Yummy Munchies & Treats!
*Make Fun, Festive Crafts! 
We will have open time to meet, mingle & be merry with snacks, crafts, and outdoor play space (weather permitting) for the kids (kid activities ongoing). Our structured circle activities will be approx. 3:00-4:15 as follows: 3:00 Christmas Carols & 3:45 Candle Lighting
A big hug of gratitude to Anna Maria & Greg Plank for their LifeWorks space! (And a prayer request for Anna Maria's health ... send her light & love! We treasure your gift of life!)
We encourage you to circle up wherever you are this season with family, friends, community ... let the power of the circle feed your joy, strengthen your connections, and empower your soul. Hold hands and pass the heartbeat ... we are all one. Sing as one. Let each heart in the circle be heard, let each voice express gratitude or anything else as they light a candle. We truly are a circle. Again from Alice Parker, "We are each alone. Can we all be united by the power of the song? As the first, often faint sounds come from my throat, I'm beginning to spin a web connecting me to the group, and my whole effort is to get connecting threads coming back from them. As the song builds, the thread becomes line, a rope, a cable, a bridge- and finally, there is no division. We are all one in the song."

Come to our Community Circle!

Here are 12 more thoughts of Christmas that celebrate the gift of life. Think of them as free gifts we have to give to ourselves and each other every day, every season...
12. Smile ... At a stranger, at a loved one, at yourself in the mirror.
11. Breathe ... Take a deep breath ... especially when stressed!
10. Think ... Make thoughts kind, loving, joyful, positive!
09. Words ... Speak kindness, love, care, encouragement...
08. Pray ... Bring Peace to yourself & others through prayer.
07. Believe ... In the magical & mystical possibilities of life! Believe in yourself & others!
06. Remember ... Share your good memories with your children. Let the gift of good memories keep your heart warm.
05. Forget ... The pain or "wrongs" ... they too have been gifts.
04. Forgive ... The pain you can't forget.
03. Dream ... Of all that brings you Joy. Then, live the dream!
02. Play ... Dance, skip, sing, laugh & live your playful joy!
01. Time ... Perhaps your greatest gift to yourself, others, God. Take time. Give time. Let someone know they are loved by being fully present. Your presence is your greatest gift. Thank you for sharing your presence here with me in this moment. Life is a gift and so are you! May you live and give fully, joyously and aware that our precious gift of life can stop on the square that says, "Go home" at any time ... Namaste, Love, namaste.

In This Issue: