Autumnal Reflections

Fall is a time of transition where consciousness at all levels slowly but surely starts to turn it's focus from the external to an internal awareness.

Days become progressively shorter and cooler, except, that is, in places such as sunny California where due to the lack of ocean fog, the warmest part of the year usually occurs between Labor Day and All Hallows Eve.

Change is in the air, and the sensitive among us can feel it. Summer pastimes such as family vacations, trips to the County Fair or the numerous Street Fairs are becoming just fond memories, as the Earth rapidly approaches the second Equinox of the year, where day and night are once again, just for a fleeting moment, perfectly aligned and in balance!

In farming communities across the land, crops have ripened. It is here that seemingly everyone is active and ready to move forward.  But it's more. In metaphysical terms, it  is the true harvest time, for it is said that what was planted in the Spring will now come to fruition.

Our understanding deepens. Breathe In, breathe out. Become aware of the natural cycles that surround us. Nature is in essence, constant movement, an exquisite elemental dance of epic proportions.  

Inwards and Downwards we descend, as we enter this dark and mysterious season. Feel the womb of mother Earth calling. This is where we may allow ourselves to enter a place of profound peace and tranquility. For we are on the cusp of a time of rest, renewal and healing......

Blessed Be.     

Reverend Steve Waites, M.Th

Sacred Foundations, Inc.

Trustee, Instructor

Reverend Waites has spent a lifetime studying sacred geometry,

ley-lines and indigenous cultures and rituals.

Caring Neighbor August Asset of the Month

Young people experience caring neighbors

Newsletter Content

This document is designed to help adults throughout Silicon Valley develop materials and activities to promote the asset of adult role models. Newsletter Content The following text may be used in organizational newsletters. Please include the attribution at the end of the article.

The Importance of a Caring Neighborhood

Research shows that youth who reside in caring neighborhoods have higher grades, better self-esteem, reduced crime, and less drug use. And, caring neighborhoods are safer: a study of 343 Chicago neighborhoods discovered that in a caring community, youth experience less acts of school absence, graffiti, and violence. Other benefits of a strong neighborhood include a greater sense of community and easier conflict resolution among neighbors. A caring neighborhood creates a better environment for everyone regardless of age.

Unfortunately, in Project Cornerstone’s 2011 survey, only 52% of 4th-6th graders and 37% of 7th - 12th graders reported that they feel that their neighborhood is caring. To help raise awareness of this important asset, August is Caring Neighborhood month in Silicon Valley. The following discussion topics can help you work with young people to become aware of the ways that their neighborhood is caring and identify possible opportunities for improvement.

 • Which adults “keep an eye” on neighborhood kids when they’re playing outside to help keep them safe?

• Which adults and families in the neighborhood can you turn to for help in case of an emergency? Help your family identify a “safe house” on every nearby block where they can go if they need help.

• Which adults and families should you get to know better? How might you approach them?

• Are there any neighbors who might benefit from assistance such as a senior citizen who may need help with their yard work, carrying groceries, or taking their trash and recycling to the curb?

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s Asset-a-Month program. For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org.

Activities

For families: 

• Make an effort to get to know your neighbors, and help your children understand the importance of strong neighborhood bonds. Encourage your children to share toys or activities with other kids on the block.

• Invite another family to go with you when you walk your dog, or ask if you can join a family when they walk theirs.

• With your children, make a map of your street and write down names and a few facts about each neighbor.

• Volunteer to house- and pet-sit when your neighbors go out of town.

• Throw a neighborhood party! Invite everyone on the block for food, fun, games, and the opportunity to get to know each other better. Be sure to plan activities for youth of all ages.

For all adults

• Learn the names and interests of the kids in your neighborhood, and find areas that you have in common. Offer to teach a new skill or ask the young person to teach you.

• Let families know that your home represents a “safe house” where their children can come if they need help.

• “Check in” with children and youth who are playing outside, and help them stay safe.

• Establish an emergency contact list for neighbors so that everyone can be reached in case of an urgent matter.At

• Volunteer to pick up a neighbor’s children from school or programs.

• Treat neighbors of all ages with courtesy and respect.

• Attend a game, play, or event in which a neighborhood youth is participating.

• Be aware of graduations and other major events in children’s lives.

• Create an email list or online group for neighbors. This is an easy way to share announcements, invitations, plans, and concerns.

• Support local youth in their fundraisers. Even if you don’t care for cookies, candy, wrapping paper, or the other items that the children are selling, your support of their activities shows that you value their goals and efforts.

At School or in Youth Programs

• Schools, religious organizations, and youth programs can help create a sense of community in the neighborhood. Visit with your immediate neighbors to help them understand your programs and enlist their help in keeping children and youth safe.

• Hold events for the neighborhood, such as a Halloween carnival or ‘open house’ with children’s activities. Neighbors can learn about your programs and visit with each other.

• Develop a service project where youth in your programs volunteer in the nearby neighborhood, such as picking up litter or assisting the elderly with chores.

• Discuss ways that youth can create a caring community in their own neighborhoods.

Resources

• National Night Out is an annual event involving citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials from thousands of communities in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno.

• The National Neighborhood Watch Program pairs neighborhood groups and law enforcement to work together to create safe communities. For more information, visit http://www.usaonwatch.org/ 

• Ian Chamandy of Portland, Oregon has created a detailed manual titled “How To Throw A Great Street/Block Party And Transform Your Neighborhood Into A Tight-Knit Community,” which covers a range of activities before, during, and after the party that ensure a successful event. To view the manual, visit http://www.streetparty.net/ and click the link to download the manual.

About the Asset-a-Month Program

The goals of the Silicon Valley Asset-a-Month program are to help align adults throughout our diverse community in their efforts to promote positive youth development by fostering developmental assets. For more information about the Asset-a-Month program, contact Project Cornerstone at (408) 351-6482 or info@projectcornerstone.org.

Reverend Felecia Mulvany, D.D.

President, Sacred Foundations, Inc.

revmulvany@sacredfoundations.net

www.sacredfoundations.net

877-877-4275

Reflections upon the Season of summer

Summer usually associated with south and high noon within the context of the Medicine wheel, is normally viewed as the season of maximum growth, when all that is within the natural world comes to fruition, ripens and fulfills the promise first realized with the onset of Spring, which in itself was the time of new beginnings and fresh opportunities.

The festival of Summer Solstice or the longest day marks the pinnacle of the outward expansion of  life-sustaining energy, where we may choose to flow effortlessly and collectively into a period of completion and reflection thus gaining an understanding of our achievements within the sacred web of life.

Traditionally if we look back at European tradition, we find the first half of the season from April/May onward involved the intense labor of tending the crops and farm animals, working in the fields and orchards; all of which would hopefully be rewarded by a bountiful harvest.  

Therefore Midsummer day was welcomed as a chance to celebrate the blessing of the Sun God and more importantly kick back, relax and have fun, with such activities as Midsummer Bonfires, dancing in the streets, village fairs and various sporting events.

Nowadays, even though many live in cities we can still honor this event and the healing power of our nearest star by going out into nature during the long warm evenings, to enjoy hiking, biking or just strolling around the neighborhood and becoming one with the energetic flow and empowerment that surrounds us.  

As a heads up:- Just remember, sun screen and plenty of water may be a requirement, depending upon your specific circumstances and time of day!!

Reverend Steve Waites, M.Th

Sacred Foundations, Inc.

Trustee, Instructor

Reverend Waites has spent a lifetime studying sacred geometry,

ley-lines and indigenous cultures and rituals.

Springtime Meditation

God and Goddess of creativity, giver of life renewed, surround this sacred space in your divine love and protection.

The earth is reborn in spring time, buds burst forth with new life, as the Sun reaches higher into the sky.

All things are young, playful and full of promise as we ask that the warm breezes of renewal and rebirth empower us

Go within to uncover the quiet moments of grace and solitude as we breath into our very essence the spirit of this new season which holds so much promise for growth and understanding.

With this understanding,  We ask that our hearts be open to the beauty of creation and our minds be empowered with the awe and wonder that is our birthright and inheritance here upon our blessed mother Earth.

  

Blessed be.

Reverend Steve Waites, M.Th

Sacred Foundations, Inc.

Trustee, Instructor

Reverend Waites has spent a lifetime studying sacred geometry,

ley-lines and indigenous cultures and rituals.

Reflections upon the season of Spring

Photograph by Reverend Steve Waites, M.Th

This is a good time for purification, which can be realized in purely practical terms as spring cleaning or taking the opportunity to remove the accumulated clutter from our lives. For now is the time to move forward into the bright new future of expanding possibilities.   

Spring is an intimate season, with the culmination of creative energy occurring at the equinox, the time where, for just a fleeting moment, day and night are of equal length.

We are reminded that spring fever is upon us, as the cycle of seasons which is forever in motion allows the goddess of nature to spread her green cloak across the land and heal the damage wrought by the Winter.

A magical transformation takes place, as the trees sprout new leaves and blossom, new grass breaks forth into a magnificent carpet of emerald green and everywhere flowers produce a riot of color, thus celebrating the renewal of life.

Reverend Steve Waites, M.Th

Sacred Foundations, Inc.

Trustee, Instructor

Reverend Waites has spent a lifetime studying sacred geometry,

ley-lines and indigenous cultures and rituals.

Service to Others - April Asset of the Month

Young people serve in the community one hour or more per week.

This document is designed to help adults throughout Santa Clara County develop materials and activities to promote the asset of adult role models.

Newsletter Content

The following text may be used in organizational newsletters. Please include the attribution at the end of the article.

The Importance of Service to Others

Community service, volunteering, and service learning do more than allow youth to help the community—these activities also provide youth with the positive experiences, relationships, and connections that help them thrive. Research shows that the developmental asset of service to others results in higher academic performance, increased self-esteem, reduced incidence of depression, better problem-solving skills, and increased community involvement as an adult.

Unfortunately, most youth in Santa Clara County don’t participate in significant service to others. In Project Cornerstone’s 2011 survey, 32% of 4th-6th graders and only 47% of 7th-12th graders reported that they serve in the community one or more hours each week. To help raise awareness of the importance of this developmental asset, April is Service to Others month in Silicon Valley.  One reason that youth may not serve is the perception that their assistance isn’t welcomed—a Gallup poll found that adolescents were four times more likely to volunteer and help out in the community if they were asked, but only half of a national sample of youth reported that adults asked them to help out. Youth gain the greatest benefit from service programs that enable them to “do” instead of observe; to work with supportive adults; to demonstrate responsibility, to explore their own interests and ideas, and to reflect on the meaning of their activities.

The following discussion topics can help young people recognize the value of service to others and identify new kinds of service opportunities:

• Ask a young person to complete this sentence: “One way I’d like to change the world is…”

• What are some needs or problems that you see and are concerned about in the community? What do you think can solve these issues? What can you do to get the ball rolling?

• If you had to commit one year after high school to performing service in your own community, elsewhere in the United States, or abroad, where would you go and what would you choose to do?

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s Asset-a-Month program.

For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org.

Activities

For families

• At mealtime, share your recent community service activities with your family.  This discussion demonstrates that your family values service, enables you to role-model community service, and opens a discussion about ways to help in the community.

• Serving others doesn’t always mean taking on a big commitment—it can be as simple as picking up litter in the park, helping an elderly neighbor unload their groceries, or bringing a meal to a sick neighbor.

• Have a family meeting to consider the idea of a family service project, and make sure that everyone participates regardless of their age. Have everyone list their volunteer activities to see if others are interested in helping, and talk about additional causes that each member would like to support.

For all adults

• Create youth-oriented volunteer opportunities that are diverse in the amount of time, energy, and expertise required. To make sure that youth get the most out of the experience, provide adequate training and make sure that the youth understand how their efforts will make a difference.

• When seeking volunteers, don’t just reach out to the high-achieving youth in leadership programs! Young people from all backgrounds deserve the opportunity to experience the benefits of service.

• Be sure to affirm and recognize the efforts of all the youth who serve. 

At school or in youth programs

• Service learning programs that link educational or program objectives with opportunities to address real-world issues are a proven strategy for increasing developmental assets. Resources to help get started with service learning programs can be found in the “Resources” section below.

• Start a service club for youth! Work with the group to identify a list of causes that they care about (e.g., animals, education, environment, creating safe places for youth to hang out, health care, disaster relief, homelessness, peace, etc.) and identify ways that they can help. Help the youth research the need,

define goals, create a plan (being sure to consider the potential needs and feelings of the recipients), and implement their service ideas. Be sure to guide the youth in reflecting on their experience at the end of the project.

• You can also create service opportunities for youth within the school or program itself. Work as a group to list needs that youth have observed at the site, like picking up litter or refereeing games for younger children, and ask youth to choose which needs they’d like to address. If their choices require the permission of other staff members, have the youth choose a team of representatives to present their offer to the person in charge, and coach them on how to make their presentation.

Additional Resources

• The Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley’s Santa Clara County Youth Volunteer Guide provides a comprehensive list of service opportunities for youth 12-17, arranged by areas of interest and kind of service available. The guide includes coaching for youth on what to say when they call an agency for information or visit the site for a volunteer interview. For more information, visit http://vcsv.us/youthguide.shtml.

• A wealth of information about service learning is available at Search Institute’s “Service Learning and Asset Building” Web page at http://www.searchinstitute.org/content/service-learning-and-asset-building.

Resources include a free guide to service learning in community-based organizations as well as fact sheets, resources, and links to information from national service learning organizations.

About the Asset-a-Month Program

The goals of the Silicon Valley Asset-a-Month program are to help align adults throughout our diverse community in their efforts to promote positive youth development by fostering developmental assets. For more information about the Asset-a-Month program, contact Project Cornerstone at (408) 351-6482 or info@projectcornerstone.org.

Reverend Felecia Mulvany, D.D.

President, Sacred Foundations, Inc.

revmulvany@sacredfoundations.net

www.sacredfoundations.net

877-877-4275

March Multifaith Calendar

Multifaith Calendar
MARCH 2019

2 Nineteen Day Fast begins*—Baha'i
3 Meatfare Sunday - Orthodox Christian
   Transfiguration Sunday – Christian
4 Maha Shivaratri – Hindu, Hare Krishna
5 Shrove Tuesday - Christian
6 Ash Wednesday - Lent begins- Christian
10 Cheesefare Sunday—Orthodox Christian
11 Clean Monday - Great Lent begins - Orthodox Christian
17 Orthodox Sunday - Orthodox Christian
St. Patrick's Day - Christian
19 St. Joseph's Day - Christian
20 Equinox
     Ostara - Mabon * - Wicca/Pagan Northern and
     Southern hemispheres
     Nowruz (New Year) * - Persian/Zoroastrian/Baha'i
     Holi (Festival of Colors)/ Gaura Purnima —Hindu
     Ta’anit Esther -- Jewish
     Purim * - Jewish
21 Hola Mohalla - Sikh
     Magha Puja Day (Sangha Day) – Buddhist (Thailand,
     Lao, Cambodia, Burma, Sri Lanka)
25 Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Christian
28 Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zarathushtra) ** -
     Zoroastrian

Sacred Foundations, Inc.
Spiritual Center and School of Divinity
www.sacredfoundations.net

Spiritual Gatherings & classes held at
Laughing Giraffe Therapy Center
100 O'Connor Drive #14, San Jose CA 95128
See schedule & RSVP at www.meetup.com/Sacred-Foundations-Inc