Read how Don Weiss's relationship with Unity Church and God changed his life.

Justin:        
Welcome Don.  Thank you for sharing with us today.
 
Don:          
I remember consciously in college, making a decision that when I look back at my life, I wanted to be sorry for the things I had done and not for the things I had not done.  And it's been pretty true.  Only a couple of regrets I have.  And after college I got married and then two children came and then I had a couple years in Japan.  That changed my life.  The simplicity and the closeness to nature, and in addition, the intergenerational things; the next generation gets to stand on the shoulders of the previous generation.  I really believe that generatively, that's also been a theme of my life.  And so I'm marching along on my career path and a year in Germany and now two more kids so now I have four. 
 
After 17 years of marriage I got slammed in the face with a divorce.  And it was that which changed my direction.  The pain of not seeing my kids on a daily basis which caused me to seek counseling and in one of those sessions, the counselor asked who's at home.  I hadn't a clue what he was talking about.  But he knew that we were spiritual beings.  I didn't know that.  And so I sought that out.  First it was A Course In Miracles which happened to be at a Unity church and the wise leader - each meeting for four years she would say you're a loving child of God.  Hmm... that's fine.  I know Diane is but that's a nice saying for me.  But at the end of four years, I could say that and feel comfortable but I hadn't internalized that and then there was five stays of Benedictine Monasteries from two weeks to two months, and if you know the motto of the Benedictines, its treat each person as if he or she is Christ.  And that sounded okay.  You treat them kindly, you be good to them.  I had no idea that meant see the divinity in each of us. 
 
And fast forward to June of last year, I'm in my condo in Florida and I literally feel like I'm dying.  I get on the internet, the telephone and I rent a place in Sun City.  And one of the first things I do when I get here is I go to the yellow pages and I come through to find out what is the closest Unity church.  So the first Sunday here I come to Unity of Hilton Head.  It's nice.  I'll come back but Justin being the pastor that he is, the next Tuesday he knocked on my door.  I wasn't there but he left a note and there was the  book Discover the Power Within, Eric Butterworth.  That became my mediation guide for the next three months.  That was my really saving grace because I knew no one here.  I spent a lot of time alone but as I mediated and the Unity principals became alive and Christ's teaching became alive through the words of Eric Butterworth, that which we say each Sunday, there is one power and one presence in the universe and in my life, God the good omnipotent.  That became my mantra.  That became important; that I wanted to be the center of life.
 
And then I joined a small group and we're now using Eric Butterworth's book Discover the Power Within.  And from that group, I can thank one of the members for saying Jesus is my brother.  I can reach out now, put my arm around Jesus and see him as a brother. And another member said we're never separated from God.  Yeah, we're never separated from God.  It's not like Jesus but I'm never separated.  And that was part of it.  I never felt alone.
 
Anyway, the great discovery, the divinity is within each of us.  And another member of our group suggested let go, let God, and that's my challenge at this point.  I know there is a difference between the creator.  I always call God the creator; I was created.  Well, now it's co-creation.  But...
 
Justin:        
So you and God creating together.  So you've gotten to know that God loves you.
 
Don:          
I have.  The resources of the universe and I'm an expression of God; those are your words.
 
Justin:        
That's beautiful.
 
Don:          
And Justin is also a prophet for me by challenging and inspiring us each Sunday and he walks the walk and he models the talk.  So and in the words of Lilly Tomlin, you know, Edith who sat on that high rocking chair and said "it's the truth."
 
Justin:        
Thank you Don.  Please give him a hand. 
 
Don:          
It's the truth.


A Conversation with LIZ PETERS January 10, 2010

Justin Epstein:              
We have a friendly group, don’t we?  Helps us warm up this place, doesn’t it.  Well, I just want to welcome Liz Peters up here.  She has been coming to Unity for quite a while now and her son, Randall, who designed these beautiful flowers and candle holder, and he has been coming for a while, too.  So, we just wanted to ask Liz to share with us an experience of how her relationship with God and Unity has made a difference in her life.  So Elizabeth thanks for coming up here and being willing to share with us.  

Liz Peters:                     
Thanks for asking me.  

Justin Epstein:              
All right, why don’t you tell us a little bit of how God has been at work in your life?  

Liz Peters:                     
From the beginning.  

Justin Epstein:              
Two minute version.  

Liz Peters:                     
You stop me when I should.  Seventy-five and a half  years ago, my mother was not able to have me.  Three years into labor so it had to be a caesarean, so that long ago, a caesarean was quite a thing.  So, I was in the nursery for one month.  God started me right there.  I learned to love everyone and to meet no stranger, and my life has continued that way.    Growing up then in my young age, we never went to church, but there was always a Bible around.  Then, when I was 9 years old, I was walking down a dirt road toward a railroad and I had Pete, my dog, with me, and as I went down, Pete was already in the woods, not with me, and I said, “God, if you are there and you love me, have Pete come out of the woods and let me know and be with me”.  Pete came right out of the woods, jumped up on my leg, and went back into the woods, and I thought, “whoa”, so that was then. 

Then, when I was 12 years old, I went with a neighbor to a country church and went to the front and asked Jesus to come into my heart and to give me the Holy Spirit also.  So, in my young life growing up then as a young woman, I taught Bible School and Sunday School, I don’t know if they still have that, but I tried all kind of churches, Holiness uh huh, the women had to wear long sleeves, no wedding ring. Nazarene uh huh, Catholic I visited uh huh, the Methodist and Nazarene, whatever.  So, that was 27 years ago. 

Then, I came here and I had been involved in no church, but I always had the Daily Word I think ever since it started being published. Once, I went out on a property and a dog came running up to me to grab me, snarling, and everything, and my angels which God gives you guardian angels, said stand still.  I didn’t even want to breathe.  I stood still. That dog continued to run circles around me, snarling, and everything, probably five or more minutes I stood there, but God had given me the angels.  Pretty soon, the dog just went off and that’s another thing. Another thing about God, I will be in the back and I will see around the corner of a house and a chameleon will come around and look right at me.  It is God saying hello.  There will be a hummingbird just be right in front of me, just, it is God.  I say, “Hello God”.  I’ll go walk past a tree in back and a squirrel will come around and look right at me and I’ll say, “Hi God”.  God is always talking to me in all kinds of ways. Now, this is something when I can go to the next dimension, when I can cross over.  I wrote this and put it in a file for my children to read in about 1985.  “He is good enough to us to live within and we feel his presence always when he is our priority.  No matter what we are doing, we feel his presence.  If not, we need to talk with him in mind and heart when we are quiet, sitting, walking, and we will become more aware of our daily living course.  Two kings live here on earth, good and evil. They will always battle over us, but don’t be anxious or fear.  Belong to him in all things and needs will come through him”.   

Now, my son started coming here a long time ago, and I thought, “Well, 27 years, I’ll give it a try, I’ll go see what it’s like” and I learned that you can be free to think the way you want, think about the scriptures the way you want to, think about God, Jesus, your angels the way you want to because God has sent you a messenger, Justin.  

Justin Epstein:              
Thank you, Elizabeth.  Please give her a hand.  Thank you.  You can tell from her sharing how much she loves animals and she is a great modern St. Francis with the animals so thank you, Elizabeth. 

VALERIE PALMER
My spiritual journey began at the age of twelve when I was baptized, immersed in a Baptist church in Salem, Massachusetts.  I’ve had questions ever since that occurred. (laughter).  I have zigged and zagged all over the place.  I have taken courses in religions of the world.  I have read endless books.  There was a poem called “The Hound of Heaven,” and I can’t remember a lot about it except that phrase; I feel as if the “hound of heaven” has been after me most of my life.  I have never given up looking into this spiritual journey in my time here on earth.  I became a Unitarian in Philadelphia 25 or 30 years ago.  It was wonderful but there was a lot of brainwork.  And when I came here to Hilton Head, the “missing link” was Unity.  The “hound of heaven” nudged me to this wonderful place.  My first visit at Unity, they sang “Surely the Presence of the Lord is in this place.” Tears.  Why, I don’t know.  Then, “Here I am Lord.”  More tears.  Well, I kind of figured it out in a small way.  The longest journey that any of us would ever be on is the 19 inches between the head and the heart.  Unity is that “missing link” as Gwen so nicely put it.  It’s that journey of how we feel; the intellect can’t do it.  I am on this wonderful journey.  Thanks to Unity, I am very blessed. 

A Conversation with CAROLYN HUBERS
Carolyn Hubers:
When I heard Linda Archinaco and then I heard Valerie's piece about their lives I thought, “Wow, I'm not going to have too much to say because my life before now has been pretty traditional.”  I was raised in a Prebyterian church and when Sunday came it was not Sunday unless you went to church.  **** I was always looking around for something because I knew something was out there and I knew that sometime I would discover it.  So I only want to share some “aha” moments that I had.  So one “aha” and you know aha is I get it, I finally get it.  Is I've been reading Eckhart Tolli's book, A New Earth.  And in the section about inner purpose, I had the “aha” moment.  He uses your breathing -

Speaker: Its a great chapter. 

Carolyn Hubers: 
You use your breathing as a metaphor for your life.  And when you are breathing in you are accumulating.  So you accumulate part of your life, a lot of things, a lot of good things and sometimes not necessary things.  And sometimes stuff.  But when you are breathing out you are releasing.  So its like let go, and let God.  And that was profound for me because I realized that I could be open to this, open to the joy and people and wonderful blessings of knowing God.  So now I try to spend more time breathing in, not that stuff, but breathing in more of the spirit and God. 

The second thing came about when we were doing our discussion that we had in Sun City.  So we had a piece that was in one of the chapters, I don't remember which one, yea.  And that which you are seeking is seeking you.  “Aha.  I get it.”  Because I had been looking and you don't have to sometimes look so hard.  Sometimes things find you.  I found that I love to dance, I never did much dancing. I found the sacred circle dance which has really fed my soul and opened me to the message of the universe.  And the second thing is I was looking and I needed to find something and I realized that I didn't find humanity.  Humanity found me.  So I'm happy.  I'm really filled with joy and gratitude that I can share the next part of my spiritual journey with you all. 

A Conversation with RONA FRENCH
Rona French:      
I like to write things on my mirrors at home to keep me centered and in spirit and at an ego.  With ego, I found that now I get a little fever if I'm going into ego.  I get a little fever and it dissipates I catch myself and get centered. 

Justin:        
You mean you get a little warm? 

Rona French:       
I get a fever over my face and head.  Yea, but anyways I love words and I love quotes and I love inspiring people.  My favorite is you must be the change you wish to see in this world, Gandhi said that.  I used to take that in a little bit of a co-dependent way.  I needed to save the world or save my family or whatever.  I can save no one but myself, with God's assistance.  And so being centered, the Power of Now is a powerful book for me because it helped me be centered in the now and notice my little fever from getting off balance.  I had six years, two adult children.  My daughter is the teacher and my son is an iron worker.  I was married for 21 years and that was great but now I am here on my own.  I am a free spirit.  I'm a bit of a gypsy.  You know, I like change.  I like to learn.  I love meeting new people.  I had to push through a lot of shyness.  I realize that shyness is actually an ego thing for me.  So I had to push through that.  So if  I'm a little aggressive and I come over and give you a hug or talk to you understand I am pushing through my own stuff, okay.  Particularly, but that's okay you don't have to hug back.   I love the course on miracles because I believe that God is only love and I see that in everyone's eyes.  I love to dance and a friend once said to me, “You shouldn't go to those night clubs.  You know, there are a lot of spirits in there and all that.  I haven't met a spirit in there I don't like, so.  It's how you see the person, right?  And what I see is the joy.  I love dancing.  I did ballet and several forms of dance through out my life.  The fun stuff when I was young was being in the basement with my brothers, my four brothers, dancing to the jukebox.  We had challenges in our home.  That was a joyful thing for me and I carried the dance with me and the song and I really love that,as Carolyn knows. 

 So I see joy when I go and do my little dances.  Anyway, I'd like to conclude with this, this is from Emerson and this is pretty much how I strive to live my life, pretty much how, “To laugh often and much.  To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children.  To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends.  To appreciate beauty.  To find the best in others.  To leave the world a bit better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.  This is to have succeeded.”  So I'm still working on it. 

Justin:        
I love that quote.  Thank you, Rona.