“Cultivating peace in our hearts requires awareness of wherein the heart lies.”

Article by Mary Bea Sullivan

Unity Center for Peace in Chapel Hill, North Carolina ends each service with congregants reaching across the aisles to hold hands as one large, winding, human chain belting out, “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be … ” Years ago when I attended these services, singing this song was the highlight, a culmination of community grounded in personal responsibility for creating peace.

Recently I was visiting Park City, Utah, and attended a service at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.  The service ended in much the same way … joyful voices joined, raised high with the intention to be a peaceful presence.  The universal message ringing true for two very different congregations on opposite ends of the country.

Like many moments in the pews, we can choose to leave the meaning in the building, or, we can choose to carry the meaning out into the world.

So, how can we cultivate a sense of peace?  There is so much to this question!  My focus today is … our awareness of the moment when we become reactionary. Read More »

Article By Kevin L. DeWitt

The idea of “enough.”  It’s one of the most important concepts in our lives.  Often we want more than we have now.  I have been guilty of it most of my life.  I still am … however I am working on it.

More money, more toys, better furniture, a bigger/better house, more or better cars, more clothes, more success …

And what happens when we get more?  Mostly we aren’t satisfied.  There are ads for new cars (“we’ll even make your payment if you lose your job”!), new computers, new cell phones, new clothes.  There are entire television channels dedicated to selling you more stuff or to making you think what you have is not good enough.  It’s impossible to satisfy that hunger for more, because our culture is not satisfied with what we have.  We are wired to want more.

Ask yourself how much is enough.  How much do you need in order to be satisfied? I suggest that the answer is that most of us (including me) already have enough … possibly more than enough.

So … what does “enough” mean? Read More »

Article by Dr. Les Hollon, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church

Reconciliation is a ministry of hope. When what once was together has been broken apart, we ask, “Can it ever be brought together again?”

The Apostle Paul was captivated by the hope for a new humanity through individuals being reconciled with God through Christ; people made new in Christ to carry forward the ministry to others by being ambassadors of reconciliation.

Such was the case when an unthinkable tragedy occurred in the fall of 2006 as five school girls were murdered in the Amish community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania.  Later that year, Beliefnet, the nation’s leading religious and spirituality website, chose the people of that community as the most inspiring person/s of 2006.

Why?  Because, as Beliefnet’s CEO said, “The first thing they did was bring food and comfort to the family of the killer.  Second, one of the little girls reportedly offered to be shot first, hoping to save other lives … They were living their faith and exhibiting values we all wish we could live up to - personal commitment to forgiveness.”  Forgiveness - the seemingly impossible - had been shown to be possible. Read More »

Article by Kevin L. DeWitt

Regardless of current events and the pundits who want us to feel otherwise, I believe we all have reasons to be optimistic.  In fact, the most important reason to be optimistic might be just be for the sake of it. Read on, and tell me if you agree:

The concept of positive thinking has been around for centuries and there is a good reason for this. It works.  If you are a person who has a habitual “glass half empty” thought pattern, your glass probably is half empty.  The good news is, you can change your thinking and it will change your life.  It’s not as difficult as you might think, but, first, you must be willing to try. Read More »

Article by Dr. Les Hollon, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church

Several years ago I determined to write my own definition of success, with the intention that this definition would serve as my daily standard … and that at my life’s end it would be the standard to determine how well I had lived my life.

The definition: Success is being all the person God creates me to be and to do all that God calls me to do.

Each evening as I prayerfully go to bed, I ask, “Am I? Did I?”  Then I pray, “Lord teach me from my failures and I thank you for Your successes in which You let me share.”

What is your definition of success?  How you answer that question determines also how successful you are in releasing your God given uniqueness.  Your uniqueness is God’s provided pathway for you to be successful. Read More »