common ground
February 2012 Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 8 
 February Newsletter
 Embracing Humanity & Expressing Divinity
In This Issue
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 A JOYFUL AND ABUNDANT LIFE
 You Can Have It All

During the month of FEBRUARY Reverend Glenda and Reverend Judy will help us stretch into realization that we are surrounded by a divine Presence which is the constant Source of an abundant flow of creative activity of the Universe.

They will help us come to understand that a truly prosperous life is not so much a condition in life as it is an attitude toward life; the starting point of which is accepting responsibility for our own thoughts.

Eric Butterworth, author of Spiritual Economics, tells us the ideal, of course, is to think the kinds of thoughts that lead to the kinds of conditions that we want to see manifest in our lives.

Dealing consciously with everything that is happening in our lives creates the ongoing experience of abundance and brings the deepest, purist expression of our lives into visible form.

Abundance is not about getting what we want. True abundance is a sense of fundamental well-being, a basic trust in life, that can sustain us beyond longing and accumulation of goods.

A joyful and abundant life lets go of anxiety, knows that everything we need is woven into the fabric of existence, and opens to the grace of the ever-present energy that God is.

True abundance is trust in the basic beauty and blessedness of life


We invite you to join us at Common Ground every Sunday for our 10:30 am inspirational service.

Resources include:
  • Spiritual Economics, by Eric Butterworth
  • Alchemy of Abundance, by Rick Jarow
  • You Can Have It All, by Arnold M. Patent

    These titles are available in the Book Boutique. (Quantities Limited)


    Sunday Morning Inspiration Service Weekly:
    10:30 am


    Kids' Enrichment Program available during service for infants through 5th grade

    Talk titles for February

  • February 5: Life More Abundant
    Melissa Lewis, guest vocalist
  • February 12: Self-Love and the Mirror Principle
  • February 19: Having Does Not Require Holding
  • February 26: Father Leo Booth, Associate Minister, Guest Speaker

    Watch Recent Talks On Video

    Robert Fields: Appearing Every Sunday in February




    Thank You for Your Generosity!
    Common Ground is solely supported by the gracious offerings of its spiritual community and friends.


    2011/2012 Newsletter Archives

     


  •  FEBRUARY CLASSES & EVENTS
     Sunday Morning Inspiration Service 10:30 am

    FEBRUARY SPECIAL EVENTS
  • DANIEL NAHMOD LIVE ~ 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, February 1 & 15, 7:30 to 8:45 pm ~ $10 per person
  • THE ENNEAGRAM OF TRANSFORMATION: Setting Ourselves Free ~ with Lisa Morrice ~ Thursdays, February 2, 9, 16 & 23 ~ 7 to 9 pm ~ $20 per session
  • COMMUNITY APPRECIATION EVENT ~ Sunday, February 5 ~ 11:30 am
  • SPIRITUALITY & RECOVERY CELEBRATION, presented by Father Leo Booth and Team ~ Sunday, February 26, 7 to 8:30 pm

    KID'S CALENDAR
  • Kids' Enrichment Program ~ ages infant thru 5th grade ~ Weekly, Sundays, 10:30 am

    OUTREACH
  • Mercy House ~ Emergency Cold Weather Shelter Program ~ Team Project ~ Sunday, February 12, 5 to 8 pm

    FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
  • RECYCLE SUNDAY ~ Third Sunday of the Month, February 19
  • Local Certified Farmers' Markets

    ONGOING
  • Eckhart Tolle Book Study ~ Power of Now ~ Fridays, Weekly,12:30 to 1:30 pm ~ Love Offering
  • Reiki Healing Circle ~ Tuesday, February 28, 7 to 8:30 pm ~ Love Offering (PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO REIKI CIRCLE ON FEBRUARY 14TH, VALENTINE'S DAY)
  • Women's Wisdom Circle ~ Tuesdays, February 14 & 28, 10 to 11:30 am ~ Love Offering

    VENUE EVENTS
  • Intuitive Tarot Class ~ Tuesdays, February 14 & 28, 6:30 to 8:30 pm ~ $20 per person
  • Orange County Spiritualist Gathering, with Medium Kathleen Vance ~ Wednesdays, February 8 & 22 , 7 to 8:30 pm ~ $10 suggested donation
  • Intenders' Circle & Conscious Enterprise, facilitated by Judith Freyer & team ~ Thursday, February 9, 7 to 8:30 pm ~ $5 suggested
  • Development 1: Developing your spiritual path & intuition, with Bob Lewis ~ Saturday, February 11 , 9:30 am to 12:30 pm ~ $20 per person
  • Development 2: Advanced students in spiritual and psychic awareness, with Bob Lewis ~ Saturday, February 25, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm ~ $20 per person
  • LightLovers Studio, Readings & Energy Balancing, with Suzanne Banken & Team ~ Saturday, February 11, 2 to 4 pm ~ $20 per session
  • Own Your Divinity, with Suzanne Banken~ Thursdays Weekly ~ 7 to 8:30 pm ~ $30 per person
  • Yoga, with JAL Luzardo, Fridays, February 3, 10, 17 & 24, 7 to 8 pm ~ Donation

    Be sure to look for updates and details of activities in weekly email notices.

    Ongoing weekly classes continue as scheduled. Check our At-a-Glance Calendar for information.


     


  •  GIVING MADE EASY
     Abundantly Blessed and Multiplied

    The spirit of generosity that supports, sustains and expands Common Ground at all levels is deeply appreciated.

    Reverend Glenda and Reverend Judy express great gratitude for every gift in every form, knowing absolutely that these gifts return to the givers blessed and multiplied abundantly.


    Opportunities to be of service, provide Sunday hospitality, support Outreach efforts, participate in special events, and bring forth creativity are always available to those who wish to give in any of these ways.

    For those who also give through financial means, an effort is being made to keep up with current trends. Several new options to simplify financial giving are being introduced at Common Ground during the month of February.


    Many of you have made worthwhile suggestions for ways to make it more convenient and easier to give financial support.

  • You would like giving envelopes to identify cash offerings
  • You no longer carry a checkbook and would like an easy way to use your debit/credit card when you give your offering during service
  • You would like to pay via on-line banking
  • You would like to make regular automatic payments from your bank account via electronic funds transfer

    Common Ground says "Yes!". Plans are currently in process to implement your suggestions.


    A new informational brochure will be available to explain the various Giving Made Easy options and answer frequently asked questions. Look for new signage in the Gallery which will identify the location of giving envelopes, credit/debit card forms, and Auto-Give forms. Your feedback is appreciated.

     


  •  FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
     Green Tips of the Month

    There's a lot to be excited about this month; there's Groundhog Day, Valentines Day, and even the bonus 29th leap year day.

    However you celebrate in February, see if you can find a few ways to make greener choices.


  • Don't forget organic chocolate and organically grown flowers for your special Valentine.
  • Before making an impulse buy, think about it for a week. You may save money and may not buy a product you really don't need!
  • Spring is coming soon! Start planning what non-GMO (genetically modified organism) seeds you would like to use this year or which CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) you will be joining.
  • Have a bunch of old stuff laying around the house? Consider donating it to Common Ground's Annual Spring Yard Sale.
  • Plant a tree this spring! Not only is this good for the soil, for the air you breathe, and for providing shelter for animals, it also helps reduce global warming!
  • Tax time is upon us! Save paper and efile this year! Also, store your backup in an electronic format in two places, just in case!

    The above tips have been taken from A Million Ways to Go Green

     


  •  BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS
     Abundance Multiplied

    Merriam-Webster defines books as: something that yields knowledge or understanding.

    Common Ground's founding ideas place emphasis on:
  • Embracing wisdom teachings of different spiritual traditions
  • Being a teaching-learning center
  • Engaging our hearts, our minds and our senses
  • Exploring the good, the true and the beautiful
  • Learning practices to support us in our human journey
  • Growing in spiritual awareness ~ body, mind and soul

    Books offer an important avenue to explore these ideas as well as a way to learn about and gain understanding of the complexity of human experience.

    Books are available at Common Ground in three distinct ways.

    1. For those who are interested in purchasing new editions to build a personal library, Common Ground's Book and Gift Boutique is the perfect place to begin. It carries a well-rounded inventory of recent releases and time-honored classics. Typically books are available at a discount.

    2. For those who are interested in a 'library' experience, thanks to the generosity of the spiritual community and its friends, Common Ground houses an extensive Lending Library filled with books representing a wide range of genres. An honor system is in place for those who wish to check out books to take advantage of this awesome resource.

    3. And, beginning in February, due to the large number of duplicate books being donated to the Lending Library, a new Used Book Cart will be available for those who are interested in purchasing used books at a fraction of the cost of the originals. Books may be purchased for $2.00 each.


    Common Ground welcomes book donations at any time.

    Common Ground's Lending Library will be dedicated to the memory of Dr. Cordell Svengalis, Ph.D, who passed away on Thursday, January 5, 2012.

    Cordell was a high school teacher, college professor, state level educational consultant and school district administrator. He was the author of two books and numerous monographs and articles on educational topics. His areas of professional expertise included history, government, geography, computer science and teacher education. After a long and distinguished career in the Midwest, he moved to California and started a small publishing company.

    Cordell was in covenant with Common Ground, served in key leadership on its Advisory Team, and was a loyal friend and member of the spiritual community. His presence will be missed.


     


  •  FYI
     Attention to Details

  • Common Ground now has Hearing Assistance available in the Sanctuary on Sundays. Currently, all receivers are spoken for. Please let the sound technician know if you would like to have a receiver ordered for your use.

  • Sunday Hospitality is sponsored each week by various individuals. There are currently several Sundays for which no one has made a commitment to bring refreshments. Please sign up if you are willing to serve your community.

  • Year-end contribution statements were provided during the third week of January 2012 to those who made charitable contributions to Common Ground during 2011. Please advise if you did not receive your statement or if there are discrepancies.

  • Common Ground recycles plastic and aluminum to support a portion of monthly rent. Please participate by bringing your recyclables on the third Sunday of each month.

  • By Spring 2013 Common Ground intends to find the perfect permanent location to house its spiritual community. Please hold this intention in prayer and open to possibilities that may come into your awareness.

     


  •  PRAYER & MEDITATION
     Prayer For Abundance

    Accepting Abundance

    Today, I accept God's gift of abundance.
    Today everything that I AM and have, that is Good, is increased.
    I identify everything I do with success.
    I think affirmatively.
    And with all my prayers, I accept abundance.
    Whatever I need, whenever I need it, wherever I need it, for as long as I need it, will always be at hand.
    I no longer see negation or delay or stagnation in my undertakings.
    Rather, I claim that the action of the Living Spirit prospers everything I do, increases every Good I possess and brings success to me and everyone I meet.
    Everything I think about and do is animated by the Divine Presence, sustained by the Infinite Power, and multiplied by the Divine Goodness.

    Amen


    By Emmet Fox, (1886-1951)
    One of the most influential New Thought authors of the 20th Century




    Life is prayer at Common Ground.

    If you need comfort and inspiration please visit our website and click on Prayer.


    Those needing prayer support are invited to make Prayer Requests on-line at info@embracehumanity.com or by placing a request in the prayer box in the Lobby.

    There are no fees for prayer at Common Ground.


     


     TITHING 2012
     As We Give, So Shall We Receive ~ Common Ground is truly blessed and in turn becomes a blessing in the world

    Common Ground reaches out to the global community through our spiritual practice of conscious giving.

    Giving back to the world is an important aspect of our mission and vision. A balanced integral approach is reflected in conscious selection of 501c3 qualified programs and institutions to which Common Ground provides tithes each month.

    Recipients of Common Ground 2012 tithes include: IONS (Institute of Noetic Sciences), advancing the science of consciousness and human experience to serve individual and collective transformation; Kiva, empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty; Disability Rights California, affirmatively addressing the needs of the traditionally underserved and underrepresented disability community; Project HOPE School, (Homeless Outreach Program in Education), helping children without permanent homes transition into the mainstream educational system; Walking Shield, helping to improve the quality of life for American Indian families; Direct Relief International, supporting the immediate medical needs of earthquake victims in Haiti; Direct Relief International, supporting the immediate medical needs of earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan; and, Get on the Bus, serving as a conduit to assist children in crossing barriers that separate them from parents in prison.


    The organizations to which Common Ground tithes are meaningful programs where people from the spiritual community and its friends are already serving with heart and hand, and supporting with time and treasure.

     


     UPCOMING 2012 EVENTS
     Mark Your Calendar Today

    CURRENTLY SCHEDULED:

  • Melissa Lewis, Guest Vocalist
  • Teri Wilder, Guest Vocalist
  • Daniel Nahmod, Sunday Inspiration ~ Music as Message
  • Easter
  • Mother's Day
  • Teri Wilder, Guest Vocalist
  • Father's Day
  • Eighth Anniversary Celebration: November 9

     


  • Common Ground is a Teaching-Learning Center

  • where people bring their very souls
  • where people grow one another by sharing what they know
  • where people learn spiritual practices to support them in working with the complex possibilities of today's world

    May you bring the deepest, purist expression of your life into visible form