mindfulness- the lorax

 Dear UU Parents and Guardians, 

It would be lovely if you could join us for our weekly gatherings! 

Here is what is currently being offered: 
*Sunday School *
Approximately: 30 minute program geared towards K-5 but open to all ages
Sundays at 11am
Please email me for the link

This Sunday is JULIE ENERSEN who will bring music into our online Sunday School group!!!

This summer you will find: Drag Queen Story Hour, Yoga with Maggie, and the

Pioneers Park Nature Center as well as guests from our very own UU
volunteer pool of caring adults. Each week is something different!

*Middle and HS Zoom *
Taking August off for a break and will resume in September

*Parent and Guardian Chat: *
The chance for parents and guardians to just get together and chat
Every other Thursday 8pm and every other Wednesday noon

Thursday 8/20
      Link: https://zoom.us/j/866583131     Password: lovemykids 

 Wednesday 8/26
      Link: https://zoom.us/j/474526337     Password: lovemykids    
 
NEW! Family Spotlight! 

In an effort for us to remember seeing faces, and to get to know one another better, I am going to spotlight one family each month in our church newsletter. 

Sign up HERE to participate

There's only a handful of spots, so grab yours while there's a chance!
No need to think about it now - just when it comes to the month of your sign-up and I will contact you again with the info. 
This information will show up in our UU newsletter, our email to parents, and perhaps our church 'social' facebook age. If you would NOT like for us to share this spotlight in any of those places please let me know.
I'll ask for the following:

1. A photograph of your family
2. Names of everyone and ages or grade levels of your children IF you feel comfortable doing so
3. A SHORT paragraph answering some of the following questions from your family as a whole, or from some of the individual members:
     1. What is your favorite part of being in our church community?
                Example:
                                We always look forward to the Soup Supper each year!
                                 or
                                Little Suzie loves the church potlucks the best

     2. What is a favorite experience or memory or what brought you to our church?
                Example:
                                 Timmy remembers Bruce Raymer teaching his
                                 classroom when they went outside to pick up trash
                                 around the playground and talked about our earth
                                 or
                                  Daisy remembers a Christmas Eve service when she
                                  sang Silent Night and met her friend Rosie for the first
                                  time
                                  or
                                  My wife and I brought our children to this church
                                  because I came for a meeting of the Wildlife Lovers of
                                  Lincoln and saw the rainbow flags. I looked at some of
                                  brochures Chelsea had put out about the program and
                                  it seemed like a great fit for our family

Community Art Project! 

Please color one or more of these coloring pages and then take a photo and send as a photo attachment to my email, or send to the church's address: 
Unitarian Church of Lincoln
Attn: Chelsea Krafka
6300 A Street
Lincoln, NE  68510
I can print and bring to your house if you don't have a printer

Coming of Age for High School Students:
Deadline to submit an email with interest is August 31st 
More information can be found here

New in September:
Look for emails from me which will start incorporating new themes: our connection with the services and the UUA through our Soul Matters Curriculum for families which can be done on your own time! 

*New Youtube links for this week!*

(((Congratulations to Molly on new baby Estrella! No music from her this week and Heather took a week off as well)))

Story with Ms Alexa: https://youtu.be/c8p0L6v-r1M

Chelsea's Meditation Video: https://youtu.be/A3llZ4xBtPU

Theme this week: Connection

Words from Sumi Loundon Kim:

Picture a fisherman's net with a jewel at the intersection of each node of the net. Each jewel reflects the image of all the other jewels in the net, including the image in other jewels that reflect it. like one of these jewels, we contain reflections of the world around us, and the world around us contains a reflection of us. This metaphor, known as Indra's Net, explains the 'empty' nature of self, in that no inherently abiding, autonomous self exists: self exists in relationship. 
As you engage in a movement or issue, you will begin to find others who have the same calling. This often happens naturally, but it is worthwhile to intentionally seek out others, for two reasons. First, collaborating with others amplifies our efforts by helping us build a strong coalition. We accomplish far more together than we do individually. Second, community is a strong antidote to fear. If fear results in feeling isolated, then it's friendship and belonging that contribute to reducing fear. When we are with others whom we trust, we feel safe, secure, and therefore more relaxed and joyful....It's important to know that you are not alone in whatever issue you choose to work with. Whether known to you or not, you have allies around the world. 

Reflection:  

This week, the book and meditation I do for the children is based around the book, "The Lorax" by Dr Seuss. I don't know about you but the above words from Sumi Loundon Kim stopped being about the trees pretty quickly. Remember the 'Onceler' in 'The Lorax'? A lonely person who holds onto the singular seed left of the Truffula tree? If you haven't read it for a while, 'The Lorax' is a HEAVY book! I started this lesson thinking I was going to talk about our 7th principle as we relate to nature, and the outdoors because I LOVE this time of year. However, I quickly started thinking about loneliness and community and our connection (or lack thereof) with each other. I also started thinking of the concept of 'renewal' which will be the theme for next month with our Soul Matters curriculum.

Today is day four of all my children being in childcare at Dimensions. This is the first time in 5.5 years that I have not had a baby with me or been pregnant...and we're in the middle of a pandemic. Loneliness set in around hour two of Milo being at childcare for the first time. However, I have been feeling lonely being away from our church community for many months now. Sumi's quote above that, "...community is a strong antidote to fear" hit me like a ton of bricks. Well, no wonder there is so much stress and angst and worry and doubt and sadness during a pandemic! We are often living in fear and feeling isolated these days. Nothing about this is easy. Even for those (like myself) who are introverts...I really like having the OPTION to have time with others. And so - here I sit - outdoors on the patio of The Mill for the first time in probably more than a year, while I work on my laptop. The closest person sits more than 10 feet away from me. Yet, I get to smile at those who walk by. I got out of my house. I am connecting in some way with other humans. I made a date this week to see my friend and do a tarot card reading for her. I did a video call with another friend. I sent photos of the grandbabies to my grandmother through email. There are ways we can stay connected, yet it takes the energy and effort to make it happen.

I often find my spiritual time in nature, taking photos, time to myself away from the kiddos. Yet, the other day while at the Rose Gardens, I felt lonely doing that for the first time. Our connection with the earth, with the trees, with the sun, and the sky....is beautiful...and there is a time for that. There is also a time when we crave human contact. If you are missing that, please reach out. I was feeling very 'Onceler'-ish this last week. It doesn't have to be that way. We can always plant a seed and watch and wait for it to grow. I am always up for a socially distanced cup of coffee, or a zoom call from my patio. Stay in touch, my friends. You are all dear to me. 

Discussion Questions:
1. Where does your sense of self come from? Can you define who you are? Is your identity static or changing? (Dang, Sumi, not going light on the reflection questions this week!)
2. Pick one other object, aside from a flower, and articulate how it is composed of other things. if any one of those things were removed, would it still exist as you know it?
3. How does the perspective of our interrelatedness counteract or work with states of fear?
4. In your own words, lay out a sequence in which your own mental, internal ecology has an impact on the ecology around you