"GOOD DOES NOT BECOME BETTER BY BEING EXAGGERATED, but worse, and a small evil becomes a big one through being disregarded and repressed. The shadow is very much a part of human nature, and it is only at night that no shadows exist. " - Psychology and Religion: West and East, written in 1937 by Carl Jung.

Most of us are familiar with Carl Jung's work on the "shadow side" of human beings. This shadow has been called the dark side, alter ego, evil twin, lower self, repressed self, and even Satan or the devil. We all remember Flip Wilson's funny alter ego and her admission of "the devil made me do it." Even Jessica, the female cartoon character, said, "I'm not really bad; I'm just drawn that way."

I believe that to really be authentically who I am, who God created me to be, I must also be very aware of my "shadow side." What does this mean to me and how does becoming aware of my shadow side help me in my quest for wholeness? I can't experience wholeness until I live in integrity with myself. I must be aware of both sides of my personality: the good and the shadow part of me.

About eight years ago I attended a workshop facilitated by Maria Nehmeth, PhD, author of The Energy of Money and Life's Energies. It turned out to be one of those defining opportunities for me to see more of myself than I had acknowledged previously.

I had always thought of myself as a "peace-maker." Although I often am the one to make peace, I also learned of my basic assumption, basic nature, . . . ok, well, my shadow side. My basic assumption in life is based on fight, not flight - not freeze, but fight. A fighter is the direct opposite of a peace-maker, yet I am both. Just like this story of the Native American Indian grandfather:

A Native American Indian grandfather in a conversation with his grandson told the story of the two wolves. "Within every person there two wolves, one good wolf and one bad wolf, and they are always fighting each other." His grandson asked the question, "Which one wins?" Grandfather answered his grandson, "The wolf you feed."

We can't know which side to feed until we become aware that we have a shadow side. This is not something we can affirm and deny away. We must know in our hearts what Debbie Ford wrote about in her book The Dark Side of the Light Chasers, that we do have a dark side and we need to integrate it into our whole self. How do we know the nature of our shadow side? Debbie Ford offered the following exercise:

To expose your hidden qualities, create two lists. Make one list of people you admire and the qualities you see in them. Next, make a list of people you don't like and the qualities they have that make you really angry and upset.

They may be people you know personally or people like Gandhi or Hitler. What qualities do you most admire and what qualities upset and make you angry? You get the picture: it's the mirror image. We can't see something good or bad in another unless we have those qualities, as well.

Make a conscious choice about which of your internal wolves you will feed, and you will find yourself on the path to wholeness. Prayer and meditation is how I feed my peace-maker; meditation reduces tension and allows me to be more of who God created me to be.

Love & Blessings
Rev. Debbie

I AM WRITING FROM THE LIBRARY AT UNITY VILLAGE. There are eight choir members here for the "Sound Connections" music conference, and they are all having a great time. There are workshops about singing, writing, playing instruments, composing, managing, and anything else a musician would want.

All of this is secondary, however, to the theme that runs through all the activities here. This is sacred ground, and every time I am here, I find that I am lifted up simply by being present in this space. The architecture is beautiful; the woods, pristine; and the people - the conference participants as well as the employees - are friendly and accepting.

Still, this does not explain the sense of peace I feel while at the village. I can only guess at what it is. Perhaps through the years, the multitude of people gathering at this place to drink of the spirit have left a resonance. Perhaps the souls of Charles and Myrtle Fillmore still look over, their spirits still lingering in the rose garden, walking through the halls of the buildings of learning; maybe they still sing from the bell tower, run through the fountains.

We are all so grateful to be here, and when we return, our spiritual energy will bless Tampa Unity, just as the new music we sing will fill the sanctuary.

See you Sunday,
John McEwen

WE ARE COMING TO THE END OF A VERY BUSY YEAR AT TAMPA UNITY. The community of our Church is growing in leaps and bounds, and with this comes more activity.

With the closing of our Church's fiscal year at the end of September, we say goodbye to some members of our board and welcome new ones. It's always a time of change, and although change is good, it has never been one of my favorite things.

On Sunday, October 26, we will have our Annual Meeting. This meeting is facilitated by the board and is a great opportunity for all of our members to come together, receive the details of how the church is doing, ask questions, and give input to the board.

We will be discussing our annual budget, all of the activities of the year, and the most important thing: voting in new board members. You, the membership, are responsible for selecting the Board of Trustees to represent you.

I am very excited to share with you during the Annual Meeting all of the great things that have happened this year. We are counting on you to join us and be a participant in this important annual event. As Tampa Unity is growing, the central core of people actively involved in the visioning and activities of the church is also growing. Please accept my personal invitation to be a part of that. The closer we all are, the greater the community ( if that is even possible ).

For those of you who are very involved in the Church, thank you for your support and service; we appreciate you. For those of you who are not personally involved, you are missing out on one of the most fulfilling things you can do for yourself.

I challenge each and every person who attends Tampa Unity to get involved and volunteer on at least one committee this year. Experience what a great feeling it is to give of yourself and how great the rewards are!

I will see you on October 26th,

Dr. Scott Barry
Tampa Unity Board President

ON THANKSGIVING MORNING, KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR TV TO SEE SOME FAMILIAR FACES from Tampa Unity marching through Herald Square as part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! Six of our members will strut down Broadway as part of the Greater St. Petersburg Area Second Time Arounders Marching Band - a 500+ member adult marching band made up mainly of folks who were previously in their high school or college marching bands.

"It's great fun to relive band memories while working with such fantastic people. I started playing in band in the 5th grade and have always dreamed of marching in the Macy's parade, so this is a dream come true," says Jennis Thomas, who has taught the band for 20 years and also marches as one of the drum majors.

Be on the lookout for Bruce Hall (on snare drum), Sharon Hall, Shelia Hensley and Fern Kinion (all in the National Flag Pageant), and Nancy Mercurio (in the Rounderettes - a dance and drill team that will give the Rockettes a run for their money!), along with drum major Jennis. Jeffrey King is making the trip as a member of the behind-the-scenes support staff.

Each year over 500 marching bands apply for a spot in Macy's parade, and each year only ten bands are selected! The 'Rounders got in on their first attempt and are very excited to represent the Tampa Bay area.

In addition to marching in the parade, the band and supporting friends - about 850 people in all - have lots of sight seeing planned and will come together for Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday night. They'll eat and watch a replay of the parade on big screen TVs; then a live band will kick things into high gear to celebrate their accomplishment!

AT THE BEGINNING OF 1999, A COMMITTEE WAS FORMED TO WRITE A ONE-PAGE HISTORY OF TAMPA UNITY. This history was included in the national Unity book, which many of you have likely seen on the coffee table in Fellowship Hall. During one of the meetings Rev. Allen said, "It sure would be nice if we had a website address to include on our page." And on May 25th, 1999, the Tampa Unity website was born. All of these efforts have paid off - and paid off in a BIG WAY! In the beginning, we were lucky to get 25 hits per week; today our website gets 800 to 1000 hits per day, and we have 5 to 20 'new' visitors daily. Our weekly newsletter (Constant Contact) is emailed to over 300 loyal readers, and many people now listen to our sermons via our Podcasts. Our donation link allows them an opportunity to support our mission remotely.

Our website is designed to be a reflection of our church and is just one of the many ways we communicate with our congregation. However, in today's technologically advanced age, our website is also the portal that allows us to touch the hearts, minds, and souls of people all over the world.

We will never know how many people are spiritually touched by our website, but we can be comforted in the knowledge that we are making a difference in our world by touching one heart at time via the web!

Many Cyber Blessings,
Jeffrey King

A BIG THANKS TO DEBBIE MOSS FOR SUGGESTING THAT I ATTEND GREG BAER'S WORKSHOP!

Several years ago, I was feeling very empty and could not figure out the reason. Although I have been called "The Queen of Self Help" because my book collection fills up a room, I was still searching for more answers and explanations in my spiritual journey.

Real Love by Greg Baer changed my way of thinking, which in turn changed my life. I no longer have a constant empty feeling inside of me. I had settled for "Imitation Love" for so many years and wondered why this quick fix never lasted.

The manner in which Greg Baer presents information is up-close and personal. He made ideas and concepts a reality for me.

I no longer allow myself to settle for people, things, or situations in my life that are imitations. I realize I deserve "Real Love" and, with or without it, I am still a complete person.

This realization has filled my emptiness and illuminated my path, and I am ever so thankful. I strongly recommend this seminar for anyone interested in self discovery as well as enjoying a great guest speaker who can share in such a giving manner.

by Merrilee Weinman

SPIRIT EXPRESSING, THIS YEAR'S FALL PROGRAM, CONCLUDES WITH A BANQUET ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, at Matheos Hall, 409 S. Old Coachman Road, just across the Courtney Campbell Causeway in Clearwater. This year's program has been especially exciting because we've teamed up with First Unity Church of St. Pete and Clearwater Unity to study Robert Brument's A Quest for Wholeness .

So many have participated via the Sunday Lessons and Home Study Groups; now it's time to celebrate with a gala event! There will be great food, great music, entertainment (including Denise Hall's Comedy Hypnosis show!), dancing, a silent auction, and a lot of Unity-in-Unity sharing with our fellow truth students from First Unity and Clearwater Unity.

CHILD CARE IS AVAILABLE HERE AT TAMPA UNITY: Parents, you can leave your children in the loving care of our Youth Education Director, Jean Wynne, while you take in the festivities. They will enjoy pizza, snacks, and activities. Tickets for this big event are $27.95, or $55.00 for two, which includes food and festivities. Childcare is also included!

SILENT AUCTION: There is still time to get involved by donating treasures or talents to the silent auction. For example, Leslie Atkins has already offered an hour of professional interior design consultation. Scott Barry and Vinnie Zeoli have offered their beautiful new Ashville cabin for a North Carolina mountain get-away weekend, and Mark Scaglione will guide a fishing trip. Get creative, open yourself to divine ideas, and let's make this silent auction fund- and fun-raising!

Contact Bob Serneels: rjserneels@gmail.com with your silent auction items.

Tampa Unity is now a host site for SHARE Florida, and here's how you can benefit! The Basic Package is $18, but you can order any number of the Basic, Select, or Special items. For all the available items and prices, check out each month's "menu" at the SHARE display in Fellowship Hall. There is a minimum order requirement of $6.00, but there is no maximum.

Our SHARE team takes orders on Sundays after each service. Once you've looked over the month's "menu" and decided what you want, just fill out an order form in duplicate and pay in cash.

We ask you to pay in cash and in advance because there are thousands of people in hundreds of sites around Florida who order each month, so depositing cash speeds up the process. Once all the orders are in, the SHARE food brokers can immediately start "volume power-buying" - getting the best deals of meats and fresh produce for our members.

The great food packages are distributed once a month, on D-Day - usually the fourth Saturday. When you order, you'll receive a receipt that includes a list of what you've bought, along with the D-Day date and pick-up time.

You'll be contacted during the week before D-Day to remind you to pick up your food that Saturday. Just come to Tampa Unity between 10:30 and 11:30 that morning, present your receipt, and pick up your package. It's as easy as that! You can also sign up that day for the next month's package.

If you have additional questions or want more details, talk with one of our SHARE Team members on Sundays in Fellowship Hall, or contact me at unityvolunteers@aol.com.

Here's to good eats!
Carol Ferguson

ORDAINED UNITY MINISTER EDWENE GAINES VISITS TAMPA UNITY ON NOVEMBER 2 for the Sunday talk at both the 9 and 11 am services. You won't want to miss her inspired words on prosperity and abundance.

Stay on after the service for a fabulous lunch presented by the Spanish Ministry - remember how good the food was at their last lunch! - followed by Rev. Gaines Prosperity Plus Workshop at 1:30 pm.

Rev. Gaines, author of The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity, a Simple Guide to Unlimited Abundance, is the owner-director of Rock Ridge Retreat Center in Valley Head, Alabama. An ordained Unity minister since 1979, she is also president of the Masters' School and has trained over 400 Master Prosperity Teachers. She travels approximately 250 days a year presenting Prosperity, Commitment and Riches, and Honors workshops. In 2006, she was honored by the International New Thought Alliance with the Torchbearer for New Thought Award.

Rev. Edwene Gaines has committed her life to "the transformation of the abundance consciousness of Planet Earth." Her definition of prosperity is full health, perfect relationships, satisfying work, and "all the cash you can spend!"

The points covered in the workshop will be tithing, goal setting, forgiveness, and finding and achieving your divine purpose. Edwene guarantees that "it will transform your life if you are teachable."

Join us on Sunday, November 9, as we welcome Rev. Edwene Gaines to Tampa Unity. The workshop is presented solely on a love-offering basis.

SINCE AUGUST 2005, VISION TEAMS HAVE BEEN MEETING AS ONE LARGE GROUP AND AS INDIVIDUAL GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, developing plans that support Tampa Unity's mission. Areas of focus include Children and Family programs, Church Growth, Facilities, Grounds, Marketing, Pastoral Care, and Volunteer efforts.

Highlights: Our efforts have

• Tripled attendance in our youth education and manifested a playground;
• Created our pastoral outreach with the addition of Chaplains, classes, prayer lines, meals for those in need, and homebound spiritual support;
• Inspired social opportunities for congregants, such as our Singles Group and USA (Unity Social Activities);
• Developed a volunteer initiative to manage benefits offered to congregants, including Go Green and SHARE;
• Incorporated sermon podcasts and a calendar of events on the website;
• Transformed Fellowship Hall and remodeled our sanctuary and bathrooms;
• Enhanced the beautification of our grounds, including the fountain and pergola; and
• Driven the redesigning of our image, logo, and spiritual marketing message.

On Saturday, September 6th, we met to close out completed items and develop our plans for the 2008- 2009 season. As always, we agreed to improve upon our efforts. This year, team leaders will meet separately and subgroups will meet more frequently. Although you may only hear about our meetings a few times during the year, 40 of us are actively serving behind the scenes, working to make Tampa Unity a place that benefits our congregants and our community.

We need more volunteers for two committees with large initiatives: Children & Family and Facilities.

If you are interested in participating, please see me or email me at nmercurio@leadershiptrainingsys.com.

A special thanks to all who have served to date! Your work is visible to all!

Nancy Mercurio

ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9, WE WILL CELEBRATE 80 YEARS OF TAMPA UNITY. There are many ways you can participate!

Send in Your Pictures. Were you or a family member married at Tampa Unity? Maybe you have photos of the choir, the Y.O.U., or other groups from many - or just a few - years ago. We are collecting images of Tampa Unity's past for use before and during the celebration. Bring your photos into the bookstore to be scanned or e-mail digital files to staff@unitytampa.org. All photos will be returned, so include identification and contact information.

Send us your stories about Tampa Unity. We've been here 80 years, so there's a lot to tell. Do you remember the church on North B Street? Do you remember Ruby Wagner or Clara Bell Williams? Tell us about it. Even if your stories don't go back that far, inquiring minds still want to know!

Get ready to party! Join us on Sunday, November 9, for a special Sunday service and afternoon party. Among the specially invited guests will be former Tampa Unity minister Ross Goodman.

Choose your favorite decade and come in costume! We'll have plenty of food, games, awards, balloons, music, and a wonderful family-oriented fun time. Watch for more information on the TU Website, Sunday Bulletins, and Constant Contacts.

Yes, you can help! Contact Awilda Lopez-Cepero at 813-240-3695 or www.gcandmservices.com to offer your services. You can also get in touch with Leslie Atkins at 813-948-3438 or LJeanneAtkins@aol.com.

I HAD THIS URGE TO CLEAN OUT MY CAR. I was driving a dumpster instead of a Honda.

I gathered what was left of the circulars and catalogues, the glossy postcards proclaiming half- price sales and never-to-be-repeated offers. I collected the unused ketchup packets and crumpled napkins. I turned to toss them into the waiting Rubbermaid trashcan, and...Yikes! Something was lurking in the shadowy depths of the can.

It was big (for a rat?) and grey with a long tail and a snout full of teeth. It was stiff - dead? I jiggled the can with my foot and suddenly it uncurled itself to sit on its haunches and peer up at me with small, shiny eyes. It was a possum! But, it was small (for a possum). It was a baby possum, trapped in the bottom of the trashcan.

I wondered if it was hurt. It was so little - half the size of a cat.

I put a lid on the trashcan. I phoned a veterinarian office I knew of that had a wildlife specialist. The young woman's voice on the other end of the line was reassuring. She said to bring it in. They would check it out before releasing it into the wild. She said to put it in a shoe box and not to worry, "Possums don't bite - just pick it up by the tail."

"Great!" I thought, "Possums don't bite and I just purchased shoes."

I filled the shoe box with newspaper shreds. Just in case, I slipped on my thickest pair of oven mitts. I approached the can. I wondered if the possum would be playing possum. It wasn't. It eyed me with suspicion. Tentatively, I stretched my oven-mitted hand towards the depths of the trash can. The creature barred its very tiny, very sharp teeth and hissed. It curled its tail protectively beneath itself.

I needed a different approach. I considered hoisting the entire trashcan into the back of my mini-van. Too big, too smelly.

I decided additional protective clothing was in order. I donned my terry cloth bathrobe. I found safety glasses on the tool bench. I tucked the robe's sleeves inside the oven mitts. I looked ready to work inside a nuclear power plant.

Slowly, I tipped the can towards the shoe box. I used my heavily mitted hand to guide the reluctant possum into the box. It did not bite! I secured the lid with rubber bands. I looked through an air hole. A beady, black eye looked back. It did not appear pleased.

I felt a bit guilty. I was not happy about displacing the little animal, even if it was to a better home. I drove to the vet's office. I was glad, when I got there, that I remembered to remove my bathrobe before I walked in with the shoe box.

by Janet Stanley