"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

Anais Nin

I am grateful to be living in this paradise called Ojai. I can feel the crispness of Fall coming upon us. We welcome the beauty of the change of seasons.

I love the above quote. It is the story of change. In our growth and expansion, we are constantly becoming more like our true selves. We have to let go of the old in order to receive the new and sometimes it does feel very risky. This process of letting go takes place many times throughout our lives as we move from one phase of living to another. We must say goodbye to what was. Sometimes it's painful and sometimes, it's just tenderly sweet...a moment's sadness at leaving the old behind, knowing that you can never go back to what was. This is the nature of our living...the beginnings and the endings. All are important and all are essential for growth to occur. Rather than regretting that something is over, it's good to appreciate what you have had and then look forward with excitement and anticipation to what is coming next.  A new day; a new you!

From our human perspective, one thing will never change and that is change. In our spiritual life, however, we experience the changeless.  God, Love Intelligence, Infinite Spirit, or whatever you want to call It, is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. It loves us unconditionally, and that love never wavers no matter what. Being anchored in the changeless makes living in the changing nature of our human experience easier. We are strengthened and empowered in our connection to the Infinite and we then have dominion over what is going on outside of us. We focus on what is good which brings more good into our lives. From the perospective of the divinity within each of us, life is a beautiful process; and like the butterfly, we are grateful to finally break free from that which has constrained and constricted us.

In peace and love,    

Rev. Karen Wylie

Special Guest Appearance 

Our New Membership Directories are Here!

The first-ever membership directories for the Symphony of Life have finally arrived. If you had your picture taken for the directory, yours is available for pick-up. We will be handing them out again this coming Sunday after service. We are very proud of our first and finest membership directory which is in full color and is absolutely beautiful! If you did not make the pages of this one, it is not too late to sign up for membership in the Symphony of Life. We are a growing and expanding center, and there is vibrant, joyful, new energy all around us!

Volunteer of the Month

Our Volunteer of the Month for the month of October is Robert MacNeal. Robert has been front and center in service to the Symphony of Life many, many times in numerous ways. Most particularly, Robert is a chef extraordinaire, and we appreciate his delicious food which he always prepares with loving care. Robert is also serving as an Advisory Member on the Board of Directors for our center. We are so grateful and thankful to have Robert as part of our congregation!

Robert MacNeal 

Memorial Service

Please join us at 12:30 this Sunday, October 2, right after service in our sanctuary as we come together in memory of Theresa Stafford's dad, Tom Stafford. Your loving support on that day will mean a lot to Theresa.

Theresa Stafford 

Ojai Day 

The Symphony of Life will be participating this year for the first time in the Ojai Day event on Saturday, October 15, which will be held in Libbey Park. We will have a booth where members from the Symphony of Life will be handing out hugs and kisses (of the Hershey variety) to visitors who come by. We will need lots of help in setting up and taking down the booth and in serving at the booth for some portion of that day. It will be lots of fun. The team leader for this event is Chris Prideaux. Please call her at (805) 415-3361 to volunteer your services, or you can go on-line to sign up for a certain time slot at http://signupgenius.com/go/symphony6.    

Symphony of Life Book Club

Our Symphony of Life Book Club will be meeting at 6:00 PM on Friday, October 7, at the home of Tiese and Bob Quinn, 701 Foothill Road, Ojai 93023, to discuss our latest book, Pavilion of Women, by Pearl Buck, and to make the selection for next month. The meeting is a potluck so bring food to share. It is open to everyone. For more information, contact Tiese Quinn, (805) 272-8300.  

Creative Adventures Summer Program 

A deep and profound thank you to Steve and Bonnie Weed who facilitated our children's program this past Sunday.

We welcome children 3-11 years of age to enjoy prayer, story telling, visual arts projects and/or music and movement. Our program is enriching and appropriate for young people regardless of their religious backgrounds. Please call Rev. Marilyn Miller, (805) 640-0498, if you are interested in assisting with the children.

Special Request

We would like to start making CD's of our service. If you, or someone you know, would be interested in helping us with that project, please give Rev. Karen a call at (310) 968-8928. We know you are out there!

Open Invitation  

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