".......let us come with thanksgiving also, for a thankful heart is in harmony with life."

Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

Yesterday in the United States, we celebrated Thanksgiving Day. It is easy for me to speak of giving thanks, for I am in a constant state of appreciation for my life and its many blessings. Expressing gratitude is a daily spiritual practice. I am grateful for many things that are often taken for granted or that go unnoticed.

As students of truth, we know that our happiness and fulfillment are not dependent on the appearances of the material world. To be in gratitude and thanksgiving is a decision we make in each and every moment.   How am I feeling? What am I choosing? What a novel idea to think that our happiness is not dependent upon what someone else does or says or some outer circumstance. It is a decision we make.

You can make a decision to have the best holiday season ever simply by choosing it. Happy is the generous, open heart! Today and every day may we all experience heaven on earth by living in conscious appreciation of all the many gifts we have.

Our affirmation for the day: Today I lift my heart in gratitude and allow the love I am to express freely. I am a giver and receiver of God's bounty!

In loving gratitude,    

Rev. Karen Wylie

Spiritual Cinema Night

Our spiritual cinema night last Friday was very successful. The chairs were filled, the movie "Happy" was excellent, and everyone expressed gratitude for an uplifting evening of inspiration. Our intention is to show our film on the last Friday of the month. We will be skipping the month of December due to the holidays and will resume in January. Our next film will be shown on Friday, January 27.    

Sacred Service Saturday

Thank you to all the Symphony of Life Beloveds who showed up at the Krishnamurti Foundation on Saturday morning for our Sacred Service event. We had a wonderful time working and playing together. Rick Ricksen captured some wonderful photos of our orchard antics! Check out the pictures below.  

Annual Congregational Meeting 

Our Annual Congregational Meeting will take place in the sanctuary on Sunday, December 11, right after our regular church service. Afterwards we will be serving chili, cornbread and hot fudge sundaes. There is one Board position which we will be filling this year. If you are interested in joining the Board of Directors of the Symphony of Life Spiritual Center, please see one of the members of this year's nominating committee: Rick Ricksen, Tiese Quinn or Rev. Karen Wylie.

Interfaith Christmas Eve Service

The Symphony of Life will celebrate Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24, at Meditation Mount again this year. We will be offering a joyful, love-filled Interfaith Service at 7:00 PM followed by an appetizer and dessert potluck social. Bring your favorite appetizer or desert to share. Celebration, music, readings, and fellowship! Invite your family and friends! All faiths are welcome.

Symphony of Life Book Club

Our new book club selection for the month of November is The Heart Mender - A Story of Second Chances by Andy Andrews.   Start reading now so you'll be ready for our next meeting on Friday, December 2. We meet at 6:00 PM and our meetings are a potluck so bring a dish to share. All are invited to join in at any time. Contact Peggie Williamson at (805) 640-2450 for more information.

Teachers/Facilitators for Our Youth Program

We would like your help in our Youth Program even if you can only help out one Sunday a month or every couple of months. We have such a variance in the ages of our children in the program....often lots of babies.....and older children as well. Our children are important to us, and we want to provide a wonderful experience for them. We need your help!

Also, if anybody out there in newsletter land has a baby gate, we would love a donation for use in our children's area.

Volunteer of the Month for November

Birthday Babies for November

Our birthday babies for November are Rev. Jeannie Fitzsimmons and Steve Weed. They are pictured below with Rev. Marilyn Miller and Todd Chandler.

Steve, Jeannie, Todd, Marilyn

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  

New YouTube Video 

Check out the home page of our website to see our YouTube Video!

Visit our SOLSC Website

Please go to www.solsc.org to visit our community website.

Visit SOLSC Facebook

A DOCUSERIES CALLED "STARVING SECRETS" is scheduled to air on December 2nd on the Lifetime TV Channel, right after America's Most Wanted. One of our congregants has a daughter who has been in treatment and is in recovery from Bulimia. She wants everyone to know about this series which she feels was tastefully produced and is beneficial for anyone dealing with a similar problem.  

THE 21ST ANNUAL HOLIDAY BASKET BRIGADE is here again! It will be held on December 4, 2011, at 1:30 PM. The group will meet in the lobby of the Ojai Valley Woman's Club. Feel the true spirit of the holidays! Bring joy to the lives of others by helping acquire or buy holiday food and/or gifts and then helping to anonymously deliver them door-to-door as a surprise to low-income families or seniors. Here's your chance to deliver gifts like Santa! Your tax-deductible donation makes this great event possible. (100% of donations go to recipients.) Please consider helping to purchase food/gifts or discuss funding or arranging for a particular item for each family/senior. To contribute or for more information, contact justine@justinewynn.com , (805) 640-5148. Also, you can check out http://holidaybasketbrigade.shutterfly.com to find out more about the Basket Brigade.