How Cool Is That!

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How Cool Is That!

“How cool is it that the same God who created Mountains & Oceans,& Galaxies, looked at you & thought the world needed One of You TOO!”

 I don’t know whose quote that is, but it certainly made me stop and smile. It also made me think about that concept for a while. Imagine a world where we all believed that God thought that the world needed each one of us. Imagine if we all believed that. Imagine that this same concept applies to every single molecule of creation as we know it.

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She Was Beautiful

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She Was Beautiful

"She was beautiful, but not like those girls in the magazines. She was beautiful for the way she thought. She was beautiful for the sparkle in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful for her ability to make other people smile, even if she was sad. No, she wasn't beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful deep down to her soul." F. Scott Fitzgerald

I saw this quote, and it drew me in. I wondered how many of us really look at each other. Do I even take the time, when I look people in the eye, to see who they are, how they are, or even gather them into my heart? We human beings are a strange people. Somehow we get into worrying so much about ourselves that we forgot that we came to be who we are by caring, communicating, meeting, playing, working, believing, and being with each other. Then, I look at the city, county, state, country, and world, and I think to myself, why am I surprised that peace seems all but impossible?

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Women of Integrity

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Women of Integrity

On the International Day of Women, I reflected on the women who have gone before me and helped make me who I am. I don’t want to write about the women who were famous “first” women or those who fought for and won rights for women. I know I owe them gratitude for a multitude of rights that I take for granted. I won’t even write about my mother and my grandmothers, or this article would get much too long. Instead, I would like to remember those “other” women who touched my life and formed me.

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TEN THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY TO LIVE INTO OUR UCH & UCC VALUES

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TEN THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY TO LIVE INTO OUR UCH & UCC VALUES

1)   Make Time for Our Still Speaking God. God wants to be in conversation with us. There is grace to be found, especially when things are chaotic. Pray and meditate each day. Pray for our Nation and our Nation’s leaders. Pray for Rev. Jeanne and the Council. Pray for the Care Team and for God to show up in your life and give you strength. Come to Soothing Sanctuary.  Talk to God about what you are being called to do and how you can make a difference. Creating a daily prayer practice is an act of Social Justice.

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Hayward Day Labor Center Closes

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Hayward Day Labor Center Closes

After serving Alameda County laborers for almost ten years, the Hayward Day Labor Center had to close on January 31, 2017. The Day Labor Center (DLC) lost its fiscal agent and, due in part to cash flow problems caused by how grants are awarded and when they are paid out, it could not find a new fiscal agent. This is a great loss for Southern Alameda County and Hayward in particular. Some statistics based on a report by Gabriel Hernandez, the director, follow.

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Seasons

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Seasons

  The cold days of Winter are here. You don’t need to look out the window or watch the evening news to know that a dark cloud has fallen over our beloved community. Just down Mission Blvd. in Union City the Meyers Garden at Dry Creek remains dormant in the brisk breeze. But even with the chill in the air we can take comfort in the promise that Spring can’t be too far behind.

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Sittin' On The Dock By The Bay

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Sittin' On The Dock By The Bay

Sandy and I occasionally take our daily walk at Marina Park at the San Leandro Marina where the spectacular beauty of the bay reminds me how lucky we are to live in the Bay Area. It’s particularly true at this time of year when hear about the East Coast getting hammered with freezing temperatures and blizzards. Here the smooth blue Bay waters, encircled by rolling green hills and the view of San Francisco is right out of a scene of Dorothy’s Emerald City.

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While We Wait

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While We Wait

Waiting for the expected, no matter what it is, does not come easy for us.  We wait for the rain, and when it arrives, we want the sunshine.  We have the sunshine, and wonder if it will ever rain again.  Sometimes we ponder a memory and say, “Oh, if only I had appreciated it more when I had it.”  Perhaps the wisdom to gain from this experience is that NOW, while we wait, is also the time to appreciate what we do have.  As we approach the closing of Advent, what have you dreamed for during this time?  What have you needed?  What have you hoped would happen?

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