Unity in the Pines
A Christian Community Church
That Love Is Growing
The Freedom To Be Happy
By Reverend Liz
Petipren
What is
happiness?
Happiness is finding joy
in the work one has to do, and in doing it with praise and thanksgiving. Happiness is finding in each day a
priceless coin – newly minted from the hand of God – and spending it wisely, thoughtfully, yet freely too,
knowing that no day has ever been the same as any other, and none will ever be the same again.
Happiness is giving and
sharing. Happiness is receiving graciously also, for receiving well gives others a chance to share and know the
joy of bestowing gifts. Happiness is finding peace and contentment with what one has and is, yet forever
reaching forward. It is forgiving others and oneself. It is in knowing that God forgives and loves
unceasingly.
It is joy, not necessarily
pleasure. It is self-respect, not just self-righteousness.
It is being faithful, not
fanatic. It is remembering, not regretting. It is in loving deeply and understanding much.
It is in the believing
that there’s a divinity that shapes our end, and a kind Father who cares for us and wants for us only good. It
is the knowing that God is the only real power in our lives and that it is our privilege to turn to that power.
It is experiencing enough trails to make us strong and enough adversity to make us wise.
It is being loyal to those
who love and trust us. It is in loving even our enemies for hate hurts us more than anyone else, and love begets
love.
It is in being true to our
best self. It is in the laying down of each day with the thought that this day is over and
done with. Perhaps in some ways I under-achieved, but tomorrow I will try again, I will be better, do better,
for tomorrow, too, will be new-minted from the hand of God.
Happiness is all of this
and more than this, and it is possible for you, for me, for everyone, in this moment. We only need to turn our
thoughts to it, to accept it. As Lincoln said, “Most of us are about as happy as we make up our minds to
be.”
SERVICES FOR JULY, 2010
SUNDAY
July - 04 ………Rev. Tim
Sodergren
“Freedom In
Choice”
Music: Anneliesa Trethewey
& John Steffon
SUNDAY - Pot
Luck
July 11 ……Rev. Taylor
Stevens
“the Power In
Independence”
Music: Betty Ferrell &
Carole Belcher
Board Mtg.
SUNDAY
July 18 …….Perry
Stokes
“The Power of the Spoken
Word”
Music: Anneliesa Trethewey
& David Lucey
SUNDAY
July 25 …….Rev. Louise
Morley
“Knowing You are Rich Beyond
Measure”
Music: Kalimba
Yancey
Wednesday Evenings - Daily Word
Discussion:
July 14 - July 28 at 6:30
PM
Rev. Liz
Petipren
| 
