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Do you ever think about what brings added depth and meaning to your life? I believe this is an important question to stop and reflect upon, from time to time.
It could be the ability to earn money and support yourself and your family; build a place in society; be creative; experience fulfilment; supporting our local communities; the giving and receiving of love with family and friends. All of this, indeed, every aspect of our lives, is enhanced when we follow a spiritually led path. This is what, for me, Unity offers – a place to learn and grow spiritually; a place where I experience deep love and friendship; a place where I am safe enough to recognise what qualities (beliefs, ideas or responses) I have carried which I can now let go of, knowing they no longer help me in my quest for greater depth and meaning in my life. For me, this also means a deeper connection with the One we call God. Unity helps us know freedom from the thought – I am only human – to experience we are so much more than that. How do you experience Unity? Would you like to experience us more? Perhaps you have been thinking that you would like to take part in our events, whether online or in person, but haven’t yet done so. Well, we would love to meet you. Our focus is to provide a safe place, where all are heard, accepted and encouraged to know that we are all so much more than our limited human-only thinking. A place to grow and thrive. A place which helps us know we can love and be loved. A place of friendship and community. This is a warm invitation to join our online workshop this month and come and meet us as we travel around the country and offer our tools of affirmative prayer and uplifting ideas shared through Daily Word. Further, if you have any thoughts about how we could serve you better – new ways in which to connect with you – do let me know. One thing I know, it is through service and working within our prayer ministry for over twenty years, that has enabled me to grow and thrive and be a healthier, happier, more confident person. Unity has provided this space for me – it would be amazing if Unity provided that space for you. And if it has, do let me know this as well. It would be fabulous to share with our Unity community, how you have been served, supported, uplifted and empowered, through Unity.. Rev Kimerie Mapletoft Director Unity
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I write this just a month away from my wedding and when you read this, it will literally be days away. Despite the busyness and constant drain on my normally perky and enthusiastic energy; despite the menu rigmarole and what we will eternally refer to as “quiche-gate” ; and despite two family’s worth of emotional baggage and uncommunicative wheelchair accessible restaurants, I do feel relatively calm. Non-resistance. This is my mantra. Whatever is thrown at me now, I shall endeavour to respond and not react. I am very grateful for the tools and techniques, experiences and energy that Unity has brought into my life. Making me a better partner and a better friend. I move through this time with the energy of trust. The last 16 years together, growing, loving, triggering and pushing each other’s buttons, and still respecting each other’s journey. That is the true meaning of our commitment this week. Not flowers or pocket squares or lavender scented fudge. I release the need for it to be perfect and embrace acceptance of what is. My commitment to this attitude is immediately tested when I accidently set fire to one side of my hair this morning. Non-resistance. This is my mantra. I can only assume that this bride to be must look better this way! Stefanie Bridges Unity UK Financial Administrator  Each day through Lent, we have been encouraged to recognise and let go of various ideas, feelings or beliefs that have been holding us back and dimming our light, to reconnect with our beautiful, radiant Christ Self within.
Sometimes we can do this easily – we recognise the thought or idea and can let it go. I often experience this as a visceral feeling of relief – I have been set free, which is powerful indeed. In my experience however, when it is a long-held belief or deep-seated feeling, that is not so easy to release. It takes repeated practice as we learn new ways of responding and being, alongside patience and compassion with ourselves. Sometimes, feelings can arise and take us over, so that we find ourselves stuck, perhaps even in a downward spiral. It is important, at times like this, not to make the experience wrong or push it away. Instead, we can use this as an opportunity to ask for help and support, by connecting with others in prayer and call the Silent Unity prayer line. Connecting with one of our prayer volunteers, who responds with compassion, understanding and faith in God’s presence in the midst, helps us know we are not alone. Instead, praying together, we can know God as love and healing is with us and working through us, enabling us to experience our way through to freedom. If ever you find yourself in a challenging or difficult situation/experience, Silent Unity is always here for you. To help you through the hard times and celebrate the good times. Our prayers are always confidential and faithfully continue for thirty days. You are also welcome to join us on Zoom and share our prayer meetings each day. This experience of united prayer builds a sense of family, love and support. We are strengthened and empowered to live happy, healthy lives. Prayer changes us. Let our united prayers support you and return you back to your beautiful, radiant Christ Self. "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit." John 15:7-8 Rev Kimerie Mapletoft Director of Silent Unity and Daily Word UK Have you ever found yourself praying for an easy life? Rather like Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane – take this cup from me. Yet Jesus almost immediately repudiated this by adding, not my will but thy will be done.
It can feel like the hardest thing, surrendering into God’s will, as so often we think that God’s will for us will be different from our own. Yet the divine in us, our Tue Self, is already in alignment with Divine will – that inner desire, nudge, or knowing, is Spirit seeking to express through us. Thus, when we pray for an easy life, we are getting in the way of Spirit flowing through us. We are potentially blocking our good. Of course, our egocentric minds believe they know best. They definitely shout the loudest! Further, no one wants to experience a hard life full of struggle and pain. Yet that is not God’s will, or desire for us. Instead, it is that we fulfil our potential, to live creative and loving lives, just as you, I am sure, also want for you. And truthfully, we do that by facing the hard times with God at our core, becoming stronger, clearer, confident and alive with Spirit. So how about, instead of praying for an easy life, we pray to stay open to God’s will; affirm strength and guidance; that we listen for and be receptive to Spirit-nudges, that may take us out of our comfort zone, but are only here for our good. My prayer for all of us is that we know God more fully, let God be the light within which guides and strengthens us, the love that connects us and the life that energises us, so we can be the blessing in the world we came here to be. "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want." Mt. 26:39 Rev Kimerie Mapletoft Director of Silent Unity and Daily Word UK  “Turn to the other side of your nature. You are both human and divine. There is that in you that can never be hurt, that is always poised and peaceful, that knows your spiritual unity with God and knows no-one can take your good from you” – ERIC BUTTERWORTH, from Discover the power within you.
Some days when I am anxious, I can’t face making dinner or cleaning the bathroom. So I go to the kitchen, and I lay out the chopping board and the onion and then I just walk away. I take a cloth to the bathroom, and I just polish one tap. Because I know I need to keep moving. Even when it’s hard. Doing that one tiny thing is me rising up and reclaiming my power. Yes, I have anxiety, but I also have other parts of me too. Those who deserve time and nourishment. It is for those parts of me that I write this. Plurality of causes. Anxiety is both response and symptom but not cause. The development of an anxiety disorder can be caused by multiple factors. Personality type, behavioural conditioning, biology, life experiences, lifestyle, diet and overall mental health. For a “sensitive” person, who feels empathy and emotions deeply it is easy to be influenced negatively by outside energy, but, it is also true that this sensitive person will also experience joy and beauty in the world more easily and deeply too. What first appears to be a weakness can be looked at as a superpower. Worrying in its evolutionary and biological capacity has arguably been advantageous for humans. Awareness for survival in a wild world was necessary. A fantastic application to outsmart a mountain lion but with new threats like nuclear wars, mortgage rises and global warming, anxiety can become a burden. So, with the awareness of what can happen if anxiety becomes the only running programme within the body. How do we awaken the other parts of ourselves? Where attention goes, Energy flows. I purposely plan into my days and weeks, healing activities which nourish the parts of myself that I want to see more of. The artist, the chef, the lover, the wild fierce woman who would fight a bear for her children. She’s in there. I just need to shift my focus and call her forward. ‘…for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline’ – 2 Timothy Ch 1 vs 7 Stefanie Bridges Unity finance officer |