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By exploring our own inner world, and applying spiritual principles to our inner experience, we’re better equipped to meet the world beyond us. The inner edge shapes the outer one.

While the calendar year may turn over and is cause for celebration, practically speaking, the new year is just a continuation of what came before. And yet, after all the festivity and celebration that December holds, January ushers in a welcome quiet.

As we close out the year, we also close our December theme of Celebration. And, what a month it’s been! From Jingle Jam to Solstice and Christmas Eve services, it's been a magical season. And, when it's hard to find the light, amidst the festivity and celebration, we have tools to help us do so.

As we approach the Winter Solstice, we enter the darkest season of the year, at least by the calendar here in the northern hemisphere. And yet, everywhere we look, there's light. It's a curious and meaningful contradiction: when the days are at their darkest, we're called to make our own light.

Whatever this time of year holds for you, whether it’s celebration, contemplation, tenderness, or all of the above, I hope we can all embrace both/and and hang the lights up high. Little things matter.

Remember to find joy, even when just in moments. Joy helps us sustain and regenerate gratitude.

Gratitude isn’t just a nice idea. It’s a choice that shapes how we experience life.

On Sunday, Rev. Michael Auch invited us to look at gratitude as a spiritual power, something that can change us, along with the world around us. Sure, saying ‘thank you’ is one way to express gratitude (and sometimes, a simple thank you is enough). But the practice of gratitude is so much more. Science shows that feeling grateful changes us neurologically. It strengthens our well-being, nourishes our relationships, and can even open our minds to new possibilities. Gratitude

Rev. Dr. Larry King’s Sunday message, Grateful or Expectant , reminded us that being grateful for ALL our experiences can help improve our everyday lives. In Science of Mind, the fourth step of our five-step affirmative prayer is gratitude: we express thanks for our inherent good, the good that surrounds us, and, the good we expect.   That last part, the good we expect, was the focus of Larry’s talk – future-focused gratitude. I’ve learned that Spirit doesn't know something h