My journey with Unity of Port Richey first began approximately 9 years ago when I came to a Esther Hicks/Abraham class at the church given by Reverends John and Lauren McLaughlin. I then started coming to Sunday services off and on with Naomi Synodis. I felt welcomed and at ease. No pressure. Even if I missed a few weeks, I was always welcomed back with open arms. That is why my favorite song is our opening song, Come On In, Welcome Home, You are Loved, You Belong Here Now. It's a tune that sticks with me throughout the week.
My favorite Bible verse is "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life". (John 3:15, 16 ASV). To me this is an assurance that God loves us, no matter what. It helps me when times get tough to remember that things always work out for me.
I really like the Unity affirmation I AM because it is so simple and a person can use any word to create an affirmation. When doubt creeps into my mind and I go to my affirmations and prayer, this can clear it by focusing on the positives rather than the negative. I pray mostly at night before I go to sleep, but I've learned to talk to God all the time.
To start my day I will write a Unity prayer on my book at work every day. My focus for the year is The 5 Agreements by Don Ruiz. Reading inspirational books helps me to stay spiritually centered and strong. In addition, movies about Faith, Friends and Family are inspirational to me, such as Steel Magnolias. Walking outside, painting and swimming will also connect me with God.
Last year I attended the study groups for the books, The Gathering and The Lazarus Blueprint. They had a profound effect on my life by helping me to clear the junk out and to learn to reevaluate life and focus more.
I am most grateful for where I am right now in my life. I had a very rough breakup with my fiancé four (4) years ago and it has been a challenging road back and I am so grateful for the tools Unity gave me to move forward. When I listen to another person sharing their same experience, I tell them to feel the emotion. There is a reason it happened and you are going to get through it.
Melissa Freeman