Happiness: What Is It Good For? #1

Several of our members attended the kickoff of the Houston UU Lay Theological Institute’s first program “What Moves Us” with Rev. Thandeka. At the first session they learned about Hosea Ballou (Universalist Minister and great contributor to our movement). Ballou suggested that all our human actions are done in an attempt to increase our happiness. I’m not sure what else participants learned, but I saw a couple people in the parking lot who had come from the event, and they sure seemed to be filled with a joyous spirit!

I felt that same joyous spirit in worship the next morning. Are we becoming a feel-good religion? Does emphasizing happiness make us selfish, or does it help us grow spiritually?

Often religion and church members can become obsessed with correctness; getting it right, being right, not doing anything “wrong,” etc. The result is a seriousness that causes us to live in our head. Trained to ignore or degrade our own impulses, we surely lose faith in the joy and goodness of living. As A Course In Miracles asks, “Would you rather be happy, or would you rather be right?"

This doesn’t mean that happiness is the only appropriate response to living. Personally, I have found that many of the greatest lessons in my life have come by showing up through some difficult times. Prioritizing happiness doesn’t mean making it “wrong” to be unhappy!!!

In fact, the most useful way I’ve learned to increase my ability to bring joy and happiness into living has been learning to bring acceptance to myself when I am not happy. When I can approach myself with compassion, I find the reason for my emotional pain, and often have gratitude for what I’ve discovered.

If you were to express unhappiness, would you prefer someone to tell you what you should do, or would you prefer to be met with acceptance? This week become an observer, notice how people respond to expressions of unhappiness. Do you find that people advise, console, and try to convince people that their reason for being unhappy is wrong?

Experiment. Next time you hear someone express unhappiness (including yourself), notice if you habitually rush to “fix it.” Curb this impulse. Try listening with curiosity. If you think you hear the reason for the unhappiness, watch to see if the impulse to fix it reappears. Now, “don’t just do something, sit there!” Imagine meeting them with acceptance. Imagine having enough confidence in them to trust that they are their own best expert on what they want. Try this approach on yourself, too.

Let us know what you find. Post responses to my blog at nwcuuc.org

Happy Journeying to you!

Rev. Phil Schulman - minister@nwcuuc.org
Comments are welcome on this, and other articles, at Rev. Schulman's blog.

Hello from your President!

February, for such a short month, sure was full of events! I look forward to what March will bring us…

Our Vice President, John Hammer, and I attended Dwight Brown Leadership Event with our minister this summer. I was also fortunate enough to be able to attend the Fall Conference a few months later, as well. In both places, I learned that size is not the critical piece in what makes a congregation strong and vital. Size doesn’t matter! There are many other, more important factors.

As the Board and members at the All-Committee Meeting saw on a video at the last meeting, we already have many of these critical components in place. We will be reviewing these as a congregation on Sunday, March 21, at noon. Come and celebrate!

Our Sundays are wonderful, and NWCUUC has even more to offer. This newsletter is full of ways you can grow spiritually, do good deeds, and yes, have fun together! More information is available at church. Read the newsletter and find the group (or groups!) that interest you.

Many NWCUUC members requested, at the year-end Congregational Meeting, that the Board hold quarterly meetings to report to the congregation. Our first meeting will be held on March 14, at noon. On behalf of the Board, thank you for your support and interest in wanting to know more! Remember that the monthly Board meetings are always open to any who would like to attend. These meetings are now held on the third Saturday of every month, at noon.

When I look around at our congregation, I am optimistic about our direction in the months, years, and decades ahead!

See you on Sundays,

Tracy Cook - president@nwcuuc.org

What would a fully funded church look like? View this video of a small congregation in Rhode Island that grew successfully over five years with the help of an energetic minister and focused warmth, welcoming, and planning. This is one church that was recognized at a General Assembly for becoming a "Breakthrough Congregation."

http://www.uua.org/videos/index.php?movie=ga2009/0906_btc_southcounty.mp4

We have the energetic minister, the warm congregation, and the will to grow and provide the beloved community of Unitarian Universalism to more of the 300,000 folks seeking such an experience in northwest Houston!

Shall we go for becoming a Breakthrough Congregation?

A couple people have asked why they should attend the All-Committee meeting on the third Saturday of each month, so I imagine a few others share this question. This meeting is where the leaders of the church get together to do the work of the church. If you consider yourself a leader, then this is where you can have the most positive impact.
What if you just want to help with a little piece of the work? Attending the meeting will let you be among the first to know about work that needs to be done and allow you to pick those tasks that will give you the most fulfilling experience of service. Don’t feel like you need any more work to do, or that you have been attending long enough to help determine what work is critical? We still value your opinion. Often, the newcomer will question why something is done a certain way. At times there is a very good reason for doing it “the way it has always been done”. When that is the case, we can all learn something from the explanation. When there isn’t a good reason, it allows us to look at the task in a new light and try to find a better way. We should all be thinking of better ways to meet the needs of our congregation and our community. It’s one of the many ways that we may grow together.
As always, I welcome your questions and comments. I look forward to working with everyone to make our church as successful as I know that it can be.

Thank you for your time,

John Hammer - programcouncilchair@nwcuuc.org

 The February 13th workday was largely devoted to planning future projects including deploying our signage at the Hwy. 6 marquee, converting the sauna to a massage room, and addressing climate control issues. I expect by this time most of you have seen the new photo exhibit. Thanks to Cheryl Perry for organizing this and to those of you who contributed the wonderful pictures. Thanks also to Susan Berg, George Cook, David Cook, and William Cook for their help on workday. The next workday will be March 13th.

Thanks,
Tom Parker - buildingandaesthetics@nwcuuc.org

Projects for the Homeless

Our church hosted the Community Forum on Homelessness in West Harris County on Thursday, February 18. The turnout was small but mighty. Thanks to the efforts of Kim Wickwire, invitations were mailed to 50 churches and other organizations in the area, and a pastor from Church of the Nazarene attended. We had several speakers, including Kevin Taylor of The You Matter Project, Lyn Storm, Director of Fort Bend Family Promise, a staff person from Texas Impact, a representative from Northwest Assistance Ministries as well as her colleague who directs their Interfaith Hospitality Network, and Bob Long of the Montgomery County Homeless Coalition and who was instrumental in our Welcoming Congregation journey. Rev. Schulman facilitated the event.

Several ideas were discussed, including working on creating a Harris County Homeless Coalition to organize and better distribute the current services and relief offered by various groups. Another idea is to organize a group to visit Haven for Hope in San Antonio, a multi-acre facility that will have all homeless related services in one campus. Morgan from Texas Impact recommended contacting state representatives soon to urge that services not be cut for the state agency that received $41 million from last year's Economic Recovery Act, which is being used for rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention.

Many homeless persons are veterans and up to 30% of homeless teens are youth who have revealed to their parents that they are not heterosexual and have been kicked out of their homes because of their sexual orientation. Another important fact is the huge number of hidden homeless persons who are staying with friends and family because they cannot afford a home or apartment on their own.

The February 12 Happy Hands Intergenerational event to support The You Matter Project monthly lunch distribution to the homeless was a great success! About 15 people of varying ages met at the church with Kevin Taylor to decorate paper sacks with hearts and positive thoughts and to make sandwiches and pack lunches. It was great to see several of our children and youth participating in this work. In just one hour, 100 lunches were made and packed, and a good time was had by all.

On February 13, a small caravan left from our church to deliver the lunches in downtown Houston. Two of our children were able to learn a lot that morning about the difference between what privileges and comfort they have that others don't. We invite the congregation to look for more of these events in the future to support The You Matter Project. You can see pictures and a short video of the Happy Hands event as well as the delivery on the Facebook Page of The You Matter Project.

AIDS Walk Houston

Please consider supporting NWCUUC member Cheryl Perry in her efforts to raise money for this good cause. To make a contribution to her team, go to http://www.aidswalkhouston.org, click on Join a Team, and look for Center for AIDS, which is Cheryl's team. The walkathon will be on March 14, so please donate by then if possible.

Justice Sunday and The Big Squeeze Get Together

Justice Sunday is observed annually by many UU congregations at the end of March. There will be a potluck gathering in the mid-afternoon on Sunday March 28th at a location to be announced to hear a national audio presentation on economic statistics and strategies for blue collar and white collar workers in these tough economic times. The presenter is Steve Greenhouse, a New York Times journalist, and the material is based on his bookThe Big Squeeze. It can be ordered through our Amazon online link, with a percentage returning to the church. If interested in attending the Get Together, contact faithinaction@nwcuuc.org. Also see http://www.uusc.org/get_together.

Dana Ashrawi - faithinaction@nwcuuc.org

During the month of March we will be exploring the 6th Principle, "The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all." 

A few months ago the children wrote letters to leaders of other faiths. During February we received and shared the responses we are receiving. There are other groups to contact if they are interested. If you would like to be involved in our Religious Education Program please contact Beth Hammer.  If you have a special story related to one of our seven principles please contact me, so we can work on including it within our program.

Beth Hammer - ChildrensRE@nwcuuc.org

Former UU World Magazine Editor Tom Stites Wins 2010 We Media Game Changer Award

A journalist and entrepreneur with a passion for democracy, Tom Stites is changing the game through his vision as president of the Banyan Project. Banyan aims to strengthen democracy through the Web using techniques that serve, engage and give voice to the civic energy of the less-than-affluent everyday citizens who are at best ill-served by mainstream journalism. Tom has brought together a group of 27 senior journalists, academics, Web developers, sociologists and researchers, business and financial strategists, and advocates for strengthening democracy to complete this project. After three years of conceptual work, Banyan is now seeking funding for software development and for launching three pilot community sites that they expect to publish under the brand name of NewsCoop.org. Thanks to any of our readers, members, and friends who responded to requests to vote for Tom in this annual contest. For more information, see http://tomstites.com and http://banyanproject.com. Photo by John S. Merce.

The "Circle of Life" is a new article in our monthly newsletter. If you have an event you'd like to let the congregation and friends know about, send your news to newsletter@nwcuuc.org with "Circle of Life" in the subject line, by the third Saturday of the month if possible. If something urgent occurs between then and the last few days of the month, go ahead and send an email and if there is time the item will be included.

Bil Cusack was in the hospital for a procedure called Pneumatic (balloon) dilation on Friday February 26. We wish him well in his progress after the procedure.

Free money from iSearch and iGive!!!

Remember that it is completely free to join iSerach and iGive! Just go to iGive.com and select Northwest Community UU Church as your organization. Then search, browse, and shop as usual! Each time you shop, NWCUUC gets a percentage of the sale. There are now almost 1,000 different online vendors offering donations.

More deals of the month are listed online! Go check them out at http://www.iGive.com.

• TurboTax.com will donate 6% to NWCUUC
• L.L. Bean, who usually donates 0.4%, is currently donating 2%
• Avon is currently giving 3.2%
• There are also several “freebies” listed online, as well

• Amazon.com – Browse as you would regularly browse. Make a wish list of your items, not a cart. When you are ready to place your order, go through the amazon.com link on our nwcuuc.org web page. It will time you out if you take too long, so it is important to create the wish list before connecting through our link! By doing this, you get wonderful books, movies, and music. And our church gets a check for a percentage of the sales. Remember, you can buy books, music, even food!

Remember that neither of these programs cost you any money to register. All are based on your normal shopping, no extra purchases.

• Turn your used printer cartridges and phones into cash! We have signed up with Cartridges for Kids to receive money for recycled items. The box is just outside the sanctuary with the recycling arrows to identify it. Allowed items include: cell phones & PDAs, video games & consoles, laser & inkjet cartridges, digital cameras, DVDs in their cases, laptops, GPS devices, iPods, and calculators. Include product cords when possible.

Tracy Cook - fundraising@nwcuuc.org 

Soup, Glorious Soup!!!

Thank you very much to Jen Bosch for bringing such a beautiful salad and fresh veggies this month! I love fresh peppers. And also to Pam Cox for the fresh breads. Did you try the butter spread? It was made with olive oil. Hm, I may have a new fave...

Our next Souper Sunday event will be on March 21. We had three soups this time, and that was not enough! So I will be looking for more volunteers on this one. Do you want to share?

 So you want to bring a soup for Souper Sunday?

Several people have volunteered to bring soups in the past. And more people have asked me what to do if they would like to share. That is wonderful! Here’s what to do if you would like to bring a soup for Souper Sunday.

1. Decide what soup you are going to bring! Many people have shared family favorites. Share something you love. Plan on feeding 10-12 people.
2. Sign up for a date that is good for you. This should be fun! Do not sign up for the weekend of your child's soccer tournament, or the day your in-laws arrive.
3. Purchase your ingredients and keep the receipt! You can use this as a donation to the church, and you will receive credit for tax purposes. But only if you have the receipt!
4. Make your soup. If you can, make the soup Saturday. Then all we have to do is heat it up on Sunday. I will stir and monitor during the service. Some people bring their soups in crock pots. If you choose this way of reheating, please start the pot at home as you are getting ready for church. Or, arrive by 9:30 and start it early here.
5. When it is time to eat, you have a free lunch for you and your family! Enjoy the praise from your fellow NWCUUC folks. And share the story of your soup! Is this Grandma Stubbs' best beef and bean soup? Did you experiment with different ingredients until you got it just right?

Thank you, in advance, for contributing to these Souper Sundays. Whether you contribute a soup, a hearty appetite, or clearing tables, your support is greatly appreciated! 

Tracy Cook - fundraising@nwcuuc.org

We are now accepting items for NWCUUC’s Annual Garage Sale! Our annual garage sale will be held Saturday, March 27, 2010. We are accepting donations every Sunday through March 20, 2010. We are available to meet you at church at a different time if Sunday is not convenient for you. Please contact Beth Hammer at beth.hammer@earthlink.net or Kim Wickwire at tawanda928@gmail.com to arrange an alternate drop off time. If possible, large items should be kept at your home until the week of March 21 as we don’t have storage space available for them. And as always, please do not bring broken and/or non-repairable items. We will be accepting gently used clothing again this year as well. We also need volunteers to work the day of the sale. Everything will be priced, and organized beforehand, but volunteers are needed to work the actual garage sale. Please bring your garage sale donations to Selcoe Hall in bags or boxes.

Our congregation is planning for another Memorial Day Weekend retreat in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. The location is again going to be the UU retreat and conference center near Kerrville, U-Bar-U. Pencil it onto your calendars now, and look for more information to be coming your way. Talk to Tracy Cook at church for more information.