Values-Based Spiritual Living

It's a brand new year filled with possibility. Many people set intentions and goals for the year. Some make vision boards. Others set off following a yearly journal or a program.

This year, to guide our Sunday Services and collective awakening, our Center has chosen an interactive journal called Values-Based Spiritual Living, inspired and created by Rev. Dr. Edward Viljoen, senior minister at the Santa Rosa Center for Spiritual Living. In the introduction Edward writes:

"This interactive journal offers you weekly opportunities to reflect on the values of our community and how they relate to your spiritual life."

Each month, the journal focuses on a spiritual value, offering writings and journal prompts designed to explore the value more deeply each week. Dr. Heather will be basing many of her talks this year on the ideas presented in the journal, sharing her perspective as we move through the year. The journal is a wonderful tool designed to empower the weekly message within each individual's life, providing a pathway to incorporating it into our own life and experiences.

Edward continues in the introduction:

"As we explore the values of our spiritual organization together in 2017 and write about them in this journal, it is my hope that you will get clarity on your own values, integrate them more strongly into your thoughts, and allow them to shape your words and deeds."

We invite you all to join us in this journey and exploration of spiritual values. The Interactive Journal is available to you...FREE..simply click here. We ask that you reproduce it only for your own use. Also printed copies of the monthly writings will be available in the Sanctuary every month.

A Head Start on 365 Days of Inspiration!

I just picked up my copy of "365 Days of Inspiration: Joyous Living Journal" by Petra Weldes and Christian Sorensen, and I am so excited! Seriously. It may seem a little odd to get worked up about a book of daily inspirations/quotes. After all, don't most of us have at least a dozen of them floating around our homes, cars and offices? If you've seen one, you've likely seen them all - the formula doesn't vary much...

This book, however, is special... Perhaps that is why Dr. Heather selected it as the book to take us through the year.

From the carefully selected monthly themes, that seem to flow effortlessly into each other, to the daily quotes, the book is well-aligned to the Centers for Spiritual Living philosophy. Considering the rather broad chorus of voices the authors assembled for the daily quotes, (ranging from Ernest Holmes to Friedrich Nietzsche, Mae West and Lao Tzu) it was refreshing to note the harmony that resulted from that combination.

I particularly love the Contemplation/Reflection prompt at the end of each daily message. It is an opportunity for the reader to reflect on what has been presented, to go within and see what bubbles up. A small space is allotted on the page, but Dr. Heather made the brilliant suggestion of using a separate journal to write your daily response. I love this idea. I allows you to share this book with family members without worrying about sharing your private thoughts, and it preserves the book in case you want to visit the pages again in a few years.

Though the passages are brief, if you open yourself to the process, and take a few minutes each day, the act of journaling can have powerful results.

Anyway, the bookstore just received another shipment, so they are well-stocked. I encourage you to stop by the Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley and pick up your copy while they still have them.

I look forward to hearing Dr. Heather's insights each Sunday as she goes through this journal, and I look forward to revealing my own. It is going to be an amazing year.