Success at last weekend's Tucson Festival of Books |
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A very busy and happy weekend! This photo gives just a little impression of the almost continuous activity in our booth. Kelly Woofenden and Michelle Chapin are engaged with booth visitors, and in the back of the booth, Christine Morey is face painting. Frank Rose's table is to the right where he is sharing his books and cards. The posters on the right hand wall and other eye-catching graphic art are new
this year, thanks to Sammie's energy and expertise.
Last summer we wondered if it was "worth it" to spend the money and time on a booth again. Well, after this weekend, we all agreed that it was, indeed! As anticipated, the new "deck" of task cards was a real hit! We sold 54 decks
and personally handed out over 400 individual cards to people inviting each person to do a simple activity to bring a little joy into life right then and there. Face painting also allowed us to interact for longer conversations with parents while they waited for their children. And speaking of faces, it was so nice to see people notice our booth name "ChooseJoyNow.org" and
come across the street with a curious smile to find out more.
Booth visitors were intrigued. Some said, "We can use these in our family meetings!" Another who works at Pima College said, "I want to see groups using these on every campus." A yoga teacher visiting from Iowa said, "I'll use these in my
classes to encourage and motivate people to practice mindfulness throughout the week."
One woman came up to the booth in something of a hurry on Sunday afternoon and said, "I'll take two decks!" As Kelly started explaining a little about them, she said, "My daughter and I stopped by yesterday. Later in the day we shared with each other the individual cards we had picked and had a great discussion about
them. So I came back to buy each of us a deck." It was a thrill to have a unique and intriguing booth and product that people were attracted to and appreciated enough to value and purchase.
In connection with our activities in the booth at the Festival of Books, last Sunday I started a new series on joy and happiness! The Lord wants everyone to be as happy as possible. With all the limitations and hardships of this worldly life, how are we supposed to achieve that
goal?
New Groups Forming for Spiritual Growth Tasks Three small groups are starting for this next series on "Spiritual Growth Tasks" using the new task card deck.
* Monday
evenings starting March 19 at 5:30-7:00 pm at the Ada Peirce McCormick Building on the U of A campus. Please contact me (Nathan) if you are interested in meeting there. * Wednesday nights starting March 14 at 6:30-8:00 pm in the Chapel, led by Frank Rose. * Thursday afternoons starting March 15 at 3:00-4:30 pm in the Chapel, led by me (Nathan). You can sign up by using the contact us form on choosejoynow.org. Or just let the leader know.
Thinking of you all with love and
respect,
Nathan
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UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AT SUNRISE CHAPEL
11 am Worship Service - Choose Joy Now #2 Happiness and Suffering No Meetings after church today
MONDAY 3/19/2018 11 am Tai Chi Basics Friendship
Hall 5:30 pm Spiritual Growth Group led by Nathan Gladish (at the Ada Peirce McCormick Building at 1st St. & Highland
Ave.) 6:30 pm Bereavement Support
Group WEDNESDAY 3/21/2018 9:30 am Worship Team meeting 6:30 pm Spiritual Growth Group led by Frank Rose (Chapel)
11 am Tai Chi Yang 24 3 pm
Spiritual Growth Group led by Nathan Gladish (Chapel) 7 pm Women's Group - Spiritual Growth
Topics: Contact Elise Gladish for location 11 am Worship Service - Palm Sunday!
12 noon Luncheon
Frank Rose at the Tucson Festival of
Books |
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We are indebted to Frank for his inspiration and creativity in authoring the tasks and the Spiritual Growth Program. Here he is ready to share his other works with the many people who stopped by to chat and connect. Afterwards, he said, "I had an absolutely wonderful time!" |
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The Amazing Tucson Festival of
Books |
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"Find out MORE at booth two-fifty-FOUR" Last weekend we had a GREAT time interacting
with hundreds of people, handing out spiritual growth task cards and promoting ChooseJoyNow.org and the Joy of Spiritual Growth. Other features of our booth: It was a real win-win to share the booth with Frank Rose. What a treat to see the faces of booth visitors as they made the connection. Some who came up to Frank's side of the booth because they knew him as an artist
and photographer had no idea that he had been involved with developing a spiritual growth program. Others who came to the ChooseJoyNow.org side were intrigued to meet the author sharing his latest work.
THANK YOU TO THE MANY PEOPLE WHO SUPPORTED THIS EFFORT! For over a year, many people put many hours of planning and development into preparing for this event and making it work so well. Congratulations to Sammie for her artistic graphic design work that makes the cards and advertising so appealing. Thank you to Christine for offering her amazing face painting,
which effectively drew young families to the booth. Thank you to Michelle from the Office of Outreach for traveling out from Bryn Athyn, PA to support our efforts. Thank you to Elise for overseeing the layout and displays of the booth and for all the behind-the-booth support. Thank you to Kelly for taking on the administrative tasks of
the Arizona Spiritual Growth Foundation and for leading the board and volunteers to this accomplishment. Thank you to Betsy and to Mike for volunteering in the booth. Thank you to Teresa and Judith for attending our board meetings and supporting us along the way. Thank you to Frank for all the support in achieving this milestone.
I am very proud of the work we accomplished this year! It really has been a year-long process since last March, and we're looking forward to continuing to develop the website and the program in order to serve
more people. Stay tuned for more developments and ways to help!
With love and respect, Nathan |
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Readings for Reflection on this Sunday's
topic |
A Prophecy of the Lord's Suffering
Isaiah 53:1-5
Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender
shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced
for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Jesus Predicts the Disciples' Grief and Joy
John 16:17-24
Jesus said to his disciples, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is
saying.”
Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child
is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."
How to Prepare for Heavenly Happiness
Heaven and Hell 360 - Swedenborg
The only way we can be formed for heaven is through the world. That is the ultimate goal by which every
affection must be defined. Unless affection manifests itself or flows into action, it is stifled, ultimately to the point that we no longer focus on our neighbor at all, but only on ourselves. We can see from this that the life of thoughtfulness toward our neighbor—behaving fairly and uprightly in all our deeds and in all our responsibilities—leads to heaven, but not a life of piety apart from this active life. This means that the practice of thoughtfulness and the benefits that ensue from this
kind of life can occur only to the extent that we are involved in our occupations, and that they cannot occur to the extent that we withdraw from those occupations. "Blessed is everyone who hears the Word of God and keeps it." |
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Helping people experience heavenly joy through spiritual growth www.sunrisechapel.org
nathan@sunrisechapel.org Office 520-298-1245
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