CFD Director’s Message 4.6.22

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“You live like this, sheltered, in a delicate world, and you believe you are living. Then you read a book, or you take a trip, or you talk with someone, and you discover that you are not living, that you are hibernating… Monotony, boredom, death. Millions live like this (or die like this) without knowing it. They work in offices. They drive a car. They picnic with their families. They raise children. And then some shock treatment takes place, a person, a book, a song, and it awakens them and saves them from death.” Anais Nin

     I hope that this spring has you experiencing some sense of awakening! Not all that awakens us is pleasant, but seasons will come that shake things up, nonetheless. Usually, the beginning of the month has me feeling inspired by the new theme, but I admit that it feels challenging to write about during a time when the fatigue of being 33 weeks pregnant has started to set in. Despite being physically tired, however, I do feel myself expanding and awakening in new ways. The shifts that my body is going through, for example, has helped me to consider what kind of self-care is needed.

     One way in which I have experienced this is through reclaiming a healthy morning routine. I am glad to say that I have been moving my body a little each morning through some short, but impactful home yoga practice. It’s amazing how shifting the routine of a day by carving out just twenty minutes for some type of spiritual practice can benefit a person, bringing a little more flexibility to the body and the mind. While Anais Nin mentions monotony as a form of hibernation, I wonder how mindfully constructing a routine through fulfilling spiritual practices may bring greater liberation.

     Are you one that believes awakening most often arises slowly from discipline and dedication or one that believes it is something that sneaks up on us and hits us like a ton of bricks? In my lived experience, both have been true – and that sometimes one leads to another. My hope is that whatever type of awakening you may be going through right now might lead to surprising growth.

     …I am here for you, just an email or a phone call away. I am now currently holding office hours in-person at UUFM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11am-3pm. I will continue to do my best to serve as a resource to our community, through connecting you to one another and of course, directly. Being a light in the lives of others is as important as ever, and I hope you will stay connected.

Macey Forsyth

Please consider joining our private Facebook group: UUFM Children’s Faith Development (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1404655806251029/). This group is intended for families and congregants who are involved in Children’s Faith Development. My approval of new members’ access to the information there is what makes the group a safe space for sharing. I will be sharing our weekly stories as Facebook videos on my personal page publicly and sharing them in the group, as well as short prayers and meditations.

Link to the stories: Our virtual Stories for All Ages are now available on the UUFM YouTube Channel. At least one new story will be available by Sunday, each week.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNwWkbABO6HpDlw5Po2TdQA?view_as=subscriber

April Dates

Children’s Faith Development

Youth Group