"I FAIRLY SIZZLE WITH ZEAL AND ENTHUSIASM and spring forth with a mighty faith to do the things that ought to be done by me." Charles Fillmore said this when he was 94, and he lived another three years.

Who wouldn't want to live to the nice age of 97 and be filled with that kind of enthusiasm, health, and vigor? I believe we all desire a long life, as long as we can still have a high quality of life. From what we know of Charles Fillmore, he did enjoy a good quality of life until the day he made his transition in 1948. As he was making his transition, it is reported that someone asked him what was the most important thing he could share with those around him. He said, "Christ in you, the hope of glory," quoting the Bible verse found in the book of Colossians.

No one would doubt that the spiritual work that Charles and Myrtle dedicated themselves to had a major impact on their health and well being. It may surprise you to know that they also changed their diets, became vegetarians at a time when it was really unusual, and exercised by walking every day. They learned the value of the holistic approach - treating mind, body, and spirit. They decided to make necessary changes to heal their illnesses, improve the quality of their lives and grow spiritually. The results were astounding to everyone who knew them. These are changes that we all can make to improve the quality and length of our own lives.

I believe that we all have the same Plan A: to live productive, high-quality lives until that time when we simply go to sleep and slip peacefully into our next experience in life. But what if there are challenges involving illness? What can we do to prepare ourselves for Plan B?

We can continue working on our spiritual life, because we know that when we are free of anger, resentment, and negative emotions, we are healthier in body, mind, and spirit.

We can also plan ahead and make our choices about how we wanted to be treated if we're faced with a serious, terminal illness. We can let our families and close friends know of our wishes by creating living wills and health-care surrogate forms in case we are incapacitated. In our bookstore we have a booklet, Five Wishes, which includes a place to record the following information:

• The person I want to make care decisions for me when I can't
• The kind of medical treatment I want or don't want How comfortable I want to be
• How I want people to treat me
• What I want my loved ones to know

Additionally, Sheryl Norton (Tampa Unity member, paralegal, and notary) has offered her services to help create simple wills, living wills, powers of attorney, and health-care surrogate forms. These services are all provided for a love offering to Tampa Unity. I wish for you and myself a high-quality long life and the opportunity to slip painlessly into our transitions and our next experiences of life. Even if we are fortunate enough to have this experience, we still need to plan ahead.

Death and taxes are inevitable and both require planning. Don't wait to let your wishes be known to your family members and your close friends, but take the time to plan ahead with the proper documentation. You're worth it, and your family won't be left to guess what you would have wanted. Spring forward with zeal and enthusiasm to do that which you ought to do!

Love & blessings,

Rev Debbie

OMG!! IT WAS THE S.E. REGIONAL SPRING Y.O.U. RALLY!  What an incredible experience to attend this rally and witness some of the most wonderful teenagers in the world. Collectively, these teens blessed the world with more than 3,000 service hours in the past year. I was so inspired by their service hours and their numerous awards, scholarships, activities - and how they love and appreciate each other. These Y.O.U.'ers truly demonstrate the goal of our Association of Unity Churches: "Creating a World That Works for Everyone." 

Even though I was a "newbie," I was blessed, inspired, and spiritually fed by our Y.O.U.'ers. Thomas Moore was absolutely correct when he offered the following advice: "If you are looking for joy and meaning in your life, spend time with children." Their actions prove they are far from being children; they are now young adults with very bright futures who need our continued and increased support.

IT TAKES A VISION AND DETERMINATION. At Tampa Unity, we are fortunate to have a dedicated Visioning Team. This group of nearly 30 Tampa Unity supporters, (including five new volunteers) gathered together on a Saturday morning in March to revisit and revise existing plans for the various committees to which they belong.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with our process, the Visioning Team meets in August each year to 'envision' what actions would be valuable in supporting Tampa Unity in its mission to serve our congregants.

Currently, there are seven areas of focus:
Children & Family Council
Church Growth
Facilities
Grounds
Music Ministry
Pastoral Care
Volunteers

Some of the efforts that have already been completed this past year include the awesome playground for our youth, beautiful new robes for the choir, a new sound system in the church, our newly remodeled bathrooms, and a beautiful new pergola - just to name a few!

On March 9th, the teams met first as one large group to discuss the purpose of the meeting, the value in identifying key relationships necessary between our groups to drive success, accomplishments to date, the impact of completed efforts, and challenges we have in communication or implementation.

For the next 90 minutes, groups worked individually to revise existing plans and determine 'next steps' to complete all desired actions by August 2008. The groups then presented their decisions to the collective group for discussion.

Most important to note is that these groups could have easily just accepted responsibility for the remaining items on their lists from August 2007. Instead, they generated nearly 50 NEW action items, all of which they are willing to complete by August 2008! Now that's dedication and commitment!

We owe each and every one of these folks on the Visioning Teams our gratitude for their willingness to commit their time and energy to the worthy projects that help make Tampa Unity a spiritual home we can all be proud of and benefit from.

A special thanks to all of you who were able to attend, and to those who maintain their support of the various entities even when they can't attend. Your hard work shows up in so many ways, and it is an honor to serve you in this capacity.

The next Visioning Team meeting is scheduled for Saturday, June 21, from 9 am to 1 pm. See me for more information.

Nancy Mercurio

IS IT SUMMERTIME ALREADY? The Youth Education Program at Tampa Unity is gearing up for the summer. Come join the fun and be a Summer Sunday School Teacher. Every summer, after dedicating themselves to our children throughout the year, the regular teachers take time off. This is made possible by Summer Sunday School teacher volunteers who joyfully come forward to support our children.

Summer Sunday School teaching is fun and rewarding. It's a minimal commitment and a great way to see if you might be interested in teaching next Fall. Applications are available in the Youth Ed Area; see Jean Wynne for more information.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Summertime is beach time, and at Tampa Unity's Vacation Bible School, we are having a beach party! We will be "surfing through the scriptures" June 9 through 13, 9 am - noon. All week, children ages 3 to 13 will study the "Beach Be-Attitudes": Be Obedient, Be Kind, Be Forgiving, Be Bold, and Be-lieve. There will be music, games, crafts, snacks, story lessons, and lots of fun!

Volunteers are needed to staff the program; please see Jean Wynne for more information. Registration is April 6 through May 11. There are only 36 spaces available, so sign up early. Love offerings are greatly appreciated.

VOLUNTEERISM IS RAMPANT...
  VISIONING IS HAPPENING...
   TITHING IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH...
    COMMUNITY IS BUILDING...
     TAMPA UNITY IS BEING OVER RUN WITH UNITICS!

What should we do; how should we handle all of this?

Your board is hard at work, just keeping up with all the happenings in our wonderful church. Each of our board members has volunteered to be a Liaison to a Committee and/or Visioning Team. And we have all agreed to use the board as the hub of all the teams to keep our Visioning Team Captain aware of any overlapping visions.

Our "Board Angel on Duty " (BAD) project has been very successful. Each Sunday, one of our board members acts as the "go to" person for the Ministers, the church staff, and the congregants. I don't think any of us ever realized the amount of work that needs to be done on Sunday mornings, so we are very happy to be helping out.

This year's board is reaching out to all of you in our community to become more active owners of Tampa Unity Church. Those of you who are already involved in the community, thank you! And for those of you who have not taken that leap of faith, we invite you to do just that.

This Church is fully supported by all of us in the community. That means work-wise as well as financially. Our Church tithes back to Unity Village and also does outreach into our community on a regular basis. On top of that, we have church facilities to maintain and congregants' needs to tend to. All of this requires your help as a member of our church.

Whatever this means to you, listen and act. If you are unsure or don't know how to get started, speak to our Volunteer Coordinator, Carol Ferguson, or a member of the Volunteer Action Committee. Or approach a board member or one of our Visioning Team Captains. We need you, we welcome you, and we know that you will receive so much more than you give.

Our community is growing by leaps and bounds. We welcome all input from all of you on all matters, and we thank all of you who help make Tampa Unity the Church that it is.

Dr. Scott Barry is the President of Tampa Unity's Board of Trustees.

DUST OFF YOUR TRUMPET, WARM UP YOUR VOCAL CHORDS, PUT ON YOUR TAP SHOES! It's time for the Tampa Unity Talent show!

Last year's show was an incredible event with amazing singers, including the fabulous Marguerite Bennett (who is currently starring in the Tampa Bay Performance Center's production of Hats). The show also gave us Tampa Unity's first experience with the immense talent of Omar Almodovar, who went on to amaze us many more times this last year.

Other acts included solo violinists, comedy acts (including a skit from the choir and the "mystery" appearance of Nancy and Jeff, who are amazingly good at playing nerds!) and many other wonderful performances.

So here we are, rapidly approaching the 2nd annual show, which will be on a Friday night in May. We are tremendously blessed to have Pat Fenda and her multiple personalities returning as our emcee. Now it's up to you to let your light shine. Sign up in Fellowship Hall; no audition necessary!

Come on, you know you want to! Your audience awaits. For more information contact Thalia Potter at tpotter@earthlink.com, or talk to me or Tanya when you see us at church.

Earlier this year, our Licensed Unity Teacher, Mary Riley, was called back to the Unity Center of Vero Beach, on the east coast of Florida.

Many of you experienced her inspirational SEE classes. She also worked extensively with our Chaplain program. We bless her, we love her, we truly appreciate her, and we behold the Christ in her.

Mary writes:
It was not a vision on the way to Damascus like Paul's. But like Paul, I have had many signs and confirmations - and quite a dream! - that I needed to return to Vero Beach. There has also been much prayer over it all. Although I lived there for 16 years before I moved to Tampa, this is a new adventure. It will include learning many things and expanding my God ministry. I'm excited about my leap in faith, but I will really miss Tampa Unity and the many people I love.

How can words ever explain a grateful heart? My four years with all of you has been a period of personal growth and inspiration such as I have never experienced before. So many of you will forever be in my heart. You have prepared me for my future spiritual journey.

My new address is
6885 20th St., #312, Vero Beach, FL 32966 or
email: maryriley13@hotmail.com

I can just feel the love and encouragement from each of you and my door is always open. Love and many blessings to each of you.

DO YOU NEED SPIRITUAL SUPPORT?

May we pray with you or for you? How may we support you spiritually? The Pastoral Care Team wants to lend our support to you when you feel challenged in body, mind, or spirit. We joyously offer the following support:

• Prayer by a prayer-team volunteer is offered after services, in the Library.
• Prayer requests cards are in the pew holders; fill one out if you have a prayer need, and place it in the prayer box in the Narthex. A prayer-team member will hold you and your prayer need in their prayers every day for two weeks. We then send your card to Silent Unity where it is held in daily prayer for another 30 days.
• If your need is urgent, please call 813-870-0731, ext. 301; leave your prayer request and, if you would like to be called, your name and number. Someone will call you, pray with you, and add your name to our prayer team's weekly prayers.
• Need a quick spiritual pick-me-up? Call our prayer line at 875-0102 for a recorded inspirational message.
• Our Care Team can help with those who have been in the hospital and might need meals or other support.

The Pastoral Care Council also needs your help. We need volunteers to

• be a member of our prayer team
• be an elder-care support-team member
• donate greeting cards for the home-bound
• participate on our Care Team

MARCH WAS AN AWESOME MONTH FOR ME. I spent the first week in Melbourne, taking classes to further my journey to become a Licensed Unity Teacher.

Rev. Paul Hasselbeck was one of my instructors. He has written two books that I feel are worth sharing with you. Point of Power presents practical Metaphysics to help you transform your life and and realize your magnificence. His newest is Get Over It - the Truth about what you know that just ain't so! Rev. Hasselbeck was kind enough to sign the books that we are offering the Bookstore.

John Welshons' newest book When Prayers Aren't Answered is in the bookstore at 20% off. Be sure to check out his workshops on April 20th and 21st. Thank you for your support of the Bookstore, and remember: if you plan to order anything from Amazon, don't forget to go to www.unitytampa.org, click on the Bookstore, go to bottom of the screen, and click on Amazon. Tampa Unity will receive 5% of anything you order!

Clara McLaughlin

Recycle ink cartridges and cell phones in the bookstore. Helping the environment adds up for Tampa Unity!

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS of Hillsborough County recently announced the establishment of the "Sydney and Thalia Potter Civic Leadership Award." Created to recognize and honor Sydney and Thalia's tireless commitment to good government, protection of the environment, and community activism, this award will be presented to the Potters at the League's Lifetime Achievement Award Luncheon on April 11, 2008.

Dear Rev. Debbie,

Thanks so much for creating the CD Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace, with the two different guided meditations. The St. Francis prayer and teachings have been a favorite focus of mine throughout the years. The combination of your voice and John's music create a healing meditation that blesses us all. I have listened to them every day since I started the program because your words have truly been able to calm me down and help me enter the sacred spaces of my soul. 

I am so grateful to be back in the Tampa Unity Family and feel that you, Rev. Allen, and all of the Tampa Unity members and staff have created a wonderful spiritual sanctuary for all of us to dip in to. Keep on creating your wonderful meditations. You and John make a good team for God/Goddess to speak through. 

With much love,
Jen

Make Me An Instrument CD's are still available in the bookstore.

I FOUND A PHOTO IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX. This was not a picture from my life or the life of anyone I have known. The box was destined for the dumpster. It held papers and miscellaneous items: the flotsam and jetsam of a life gone by.

This photo had nothing to do with me. It came into my possession in a random way. It was small, perhaps 2 by 3 inches with ragged edges, a black and white snapshot. Mine now, to ponder and to own. Like a voyeur, I studied the small photo, looking for clues, the who, the where, the why. It offered few: a man, a car, a cobbled street, a fence, and buildings beyond - a moment captured.

The photo was creased, preserved without the benefit of frame or album. Someone kept this picture for a very long time and when all their worldly papers, the papers that defined their existence in this life, were reduced to but one box, this photo was there, perhaps forgotten, perhaps not.

Old photos are so fascinating, especially when you have no connection to them. Each trivial detail becomes important, like a mystery to be solved. I have read that digital photography is the beginning of the end for a special art form: the random snapshot. With digital files it is too easy to pick and choose perfection. No more stacks of unwanted, blurry, poorly composed pictures that quite often hold a treasure trove of accidental detail in the background. Digital files hold few surprises.

This could be true, though I continue to be surprised at what turns up on my SD card, especially when my eight-year-old daughter has been at the shutter! And then there are those trigger-happy accidents of my own. I do not delete them frivolously, those hapless images. I keep a few.

I'll keep them like I'll keep the snapshot from the box, though it wasn't originally intended to be mine. I'll put it with the other antique photos that have come my way from garage sales and thrift stores, sepia moments from another time, just a bit of someone else's life, now part of my own.

Janet Stanley