"In all men the mind has leadership over the body-with respect to health, to sickness and to everything else!"

Antiphon

Ancient Philosopher

This past Sunday, I checked in with my congregation to see how they did with our 7-day mental diet. You might remember that we agreed that we would not dwell on negative thoughts but instead try to catch ourselves in the midst of our negative thinking and think of something we are grateful for instead. We were to try to focus on positive, constructive, optimistic and kind thoughts so that we could eventually develop a pattern of positive thinking.

As we might suspect, some of us had an easier time of it than others. One congregant stood up and said, "I felt like I had been given a 'get out of jail free' card." Yes, it can be quite depressing when you spend the majority of your time and energy thinking negative thoughts, and you are held in bondage, but it is of your own making.

One of my clients suggested that because he started his day off in a negative way, that today was lost but he would try again tomorrow to think more positive thoughts. I reminded him that this is a moment by moment, day by day process. Rather than calling this day a loss, we begin again right where we left off. I suspect that you never get it done because we are always going to have negative thoughts coming in our direction. It is a matter of paying attention and being vigilant. Soon it will become natural to think more positive thoughts than negative ones.

The important thing is to realize that we are creating our very life with the thoughts we think. It is so simple. The more negative thoughts we think, the more negative our experience and our life. The more positive our thoughts, the more positive our experience.

Personally, I'm going to continue in this exercise because my life is getting more joyful every day. My gratitude list is getting longer and longer, and there are more things in my life to be grateful for. The great gift in all of it is that we become conscious of what we spend the majority of our time thinking about. After all, our thoughts are things!    

In loving gratitude,    

Rev. Karen Wylie

Gratitude and Thanksgiving

Did we have fun with our guest musician, Cindy Kalmenson, this past Sunday! She delighted us with her wonderful music, singing some of the songs she's written. It was fun to see Cindy and Patricia sing together. Cindy is pictured below letting her creativity shine!

We are also grateful for a new addition to our congregation, Darrell Deerborn. Darrell plays many instruments including the didgeridoo, harmonium, and the single and double flute. He plays for our meditation service and also facilitated a wonderful and well attended sound healing workshop after service. We expect to hear a lot more from Darrell this year.

New Winter Class

Rev. Karen will be teaching a 10-week accredited foundation class on the principles of the Science of Mind, "Tools for Spiritual Living." Whether you are just beginning with our center and interested in learning more about the teaching or you are interested in eventually becoming a practitioner, this class is for you. The Symphony of Life Education Ministry has created an accredited program of classes which will take you through to licensing as a practitioner if that is your desire.

Join Rev. Karen for 10 weeks of self-discovery and revelation within an experiential format of lecture, discussion, sharing and process. The class will be held on Thursdays beginning January 26, 2012, from 7-10 PM. The registration fee is $50 payable upon registering. The tuition is $125 (payment plans are available). The required textbook for the class is The Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes. The book is available in our Symphony of Life bookstore or through Amira Webster, (805) 701-1327. Contact Rev. Karen (805) 640-3743 to sign up now for this adventure with other like-minded individuals in a safe, supportive environment. This is a powerful first step in discovering your true self!

Spiritual Cinema Night

Join us on Friday, January 27, at 7 PM, at Casa de La Luna, 710 S. La Luna Avenue, here in Ojai, for our free feature of the month entitled "I AM." "I AM" is joyful, profound and surprising. Filmmaker Tom Shadyac narrates what the New Yorker called, "his own fall from, or perhaps into, grace." As our guide, Tom confronts the most serious crises humanity faces and reveals transformative solutions. With wit, empathy and compassion, he finds and exposes our deep interconnections and oneness. Admission is free, thanks to the generosity of Casa de La Luna Retreat. For more information, contact Leslee Goodman, (805) 625-1031.

Lasting Love Made Easy - The Greatest Love Event Ever in Ojai!

The Symphony of Life is sponsoring another great event, "Everything singles and couples really need to know about great relationships," Sunday, February 12, 2012, a workshop with Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks, 2-5 PM with a book signing from 5-5:30 PM. This event will be held in the Matilija Auditorium, 703 El Paseo Road, Ojai 93023. Tickets: $30 prepaid; $35 at the door. Tickets are on sale on line at www.solsc.org, at Contempo Hair Salon, Soul-Centered, a metaphysical shoppe, and at the Symphony of Life Spiritual Center, all located in Ojai, or by mail addressed to the Symphony of Life Spiritual Center, P.O. Box 322, Ojai, Ca. 93024. This is a great price for a fabulous event!

Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks  

Creative Adventures Winter Program

Our deep and profound thanks to Rev. Will Castagna and Rev. Marilyn Miller who facilitated our youth 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.  

Volunteer of the Month for January

I am so happy to announce the Volunteer of the Month for January. Christine Prideaux has served on our Board as Secretary and has stepped up so many times to be team leader on several events over the past few months. She was team leader for our Ojai Day Hugs and Kisses Booth and most recently was the team leader for our Interfaith Service at Meditation Mount. She also serves as a greeter and works in the youth program one Sunday a month. In every way, Chris exemplifies what it means to be in service to God. I am so grateful to have Chris as a part of our spiritual community. We are blessed by her presence. Please make it a point to express your gratitude to Chris for being such a wonderful example of service in action!

Christine Prideaux

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