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| Pat's Letters
Rev. Pat Campbell
 YEAR'S END 2006
Dear Ones,
Christmas came early this year at TVCRS. We are experiencing the gift of growth in all areas; from the junior church, the teen group, Science of Mind classes, and Sunday attendance. As a matter of fact, we are so full on Sundays, we have decided to add another service!
BEGINNING THE FIRST SUDAY IN JANUARY, WE WILL HOLD SERVICES AT 9:00 a.m. and again at 10:30 a.m. (junior church will be at 10:30). We will try it until Easter, then determine whether or not it will be permanent.
This is an exciting step in the evolution of our spiritual community, because it will allow even more people to learn how to change their thinking and change their lives. Why not give the people you love the gift of a new life experience by bring them to church some Sunday morning?
You could begin with our Christmas Eve service on December 24 which will also be our Holiday Candlelighting Service. Join me and all the ministers in this traditional lighting of the candles for the seven aspects of God. Bask in the warmth of friendship as, together, we allow our own Christ-light to shine. Enjoy music by Bill Barnes, Jack Ragland, and Natasha Ragland. It is always a beautiful service, with a meaningful message and inspiring holiday music.
There are many other exciting things happening this month and early in 2007. Please surf through this website for event information, dates and times.
From the bottom of my heart, I know for each of you a loving, prosperous, joy-filled holiday season and new year.
I love you all,
Rev. Pat
 Fall 2006
Dear Friends,
As I write this, the days have become more temperate and the nights are downright cool. Of course, it could change tomorrow. . . but for now, I am loving it, because heat and I do nor get along too well. There was a time when I would never, ever consider living somewhere that got over 80 degrees in the summer, let alone 100.
However, life has a funny way of showing up to challenge limiting ideas. If the weather had kept me from answering the call to become pastor of this church almost eight years ago, think of all that I would missed out on!
Fortunately my desire to be a minister outweighed my desire to keep cool, thank God. And my love of you, the congregation, outweighed my hatred of hot weather.
Of course I complained bitterly about the heat (and still do), but the most amazing thing has taken place over the last eight years. I have become use to it! I have adapted! I have been acclimated! I don't love it — but I can live with it and still thrive and be happy.
Ernest Holmes wrote: "Life can become a glorious adventure, increasingly filled with more of every good thing as we gradually or suddenly come to change our pattern of thinking so that it embraces more of those good things."
Are you allowing outside circumstances to keep you from doing what you love? Do you withhold experiencing life if the conditions are not just perfect?
How about trying that thing anyway? Maybe you won't like it and then you will never have to do it again. Or maybe you will love it . . . and adapt yourself to the circumstances.
Nature is filled with life forms that have adapted to their circumstances and thrived. Perhaps this difficult circumstance or condition is your opportunity to become more than you thought possible!
Blessings,
Rev. Pat
 Springtime 2006
Dear Friends,
Every week, I send a written copy of my talk to a relative of mine via e-mail. I think he enjoys receiving them; he always sends me thoughtful responses, with questions and comments about what I've written.
Recently, one of his comments to me was along the lines of: "Yours is such a positive teaching — very uplifting and inspiring. However, I don't see how Religious Science incorporates accountability into it's teaching. When I say accountability, I think of Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, or any other of those folks who do unspeakable injuries to others. In your talks, I don't read anything that suggests to me that there is any mechanism for being held accountable at the Divine level for such things.
I love being asked questions like this, because it gives me the opportunity to teach. My response back to him was: "Because we believe in the Law of Cause and Effect (which we consider God's Law or a Universal, Spiritual Law), we know that it will bring back to every one what they have done. It may not be apparent to others, but the Law will always respond accordingly. It is the quintessential "What goes around, comes around."
Ours is a teaching of self-responsibility and reliance on the Law. The beauty is, once we understand the Law and learn how it works, we can use it to create our lives the way we want.
If this is interesting to you, consider taking one of the SOM classes being offered in May. Whichever you choose, it will sharpen your understanding of how life (and Law) works, and open up a world never before imagined!
Love,
Rev. Pat
 Holiday message, 2005
Dear Ones,
What I your favorite Christmastime memory? I have many, but probably the one I remember most fondly is when my parents gave me my very own Christmas tree.
You see, my birthday is Christmas Eve, and my folks always felt a little badly that I had to share my birthday with such a big holiday.
So one year when I was about 7 or 8, they gave me a little tree to decorate the way I wanted. When I came home from school, I would look up and see the lights shining from my bedroom window. To this day, the thought of it makes me smile.
Was it the tree that makes me feel all warm inside? Not really. It is long gone—turned into mulch forty-some years ago.
No, when I think back on that Christmas, I think about the love of my family to do such a thing for me; making my birthday feel special—even in the busy-ness of the season. For me, Christmas=Love.
For the first time in my ministry, Christmas falls on a Sunday this year. I often wondered what I would do when that happened.
Now I know. This is our first Christmas without our beloved mother, who made her transition this summer, and I will be spending it with my loved ones—my dad and the other members of my family at my brother’s home in Portland, Oregon.
Not to fear, however! We are definitely having a Christmas Sunday service this year, with our dedicated staff ministers — Rev. Ron, Rev. Penny, and Rev. Jim — doing the honors. Please come and experience the love of this holy-day, with you spiritual community.
Love,
Rev. Pat
 Fall message, 2005
Dear Friends,
By the time you read this, Autumn will have "officially" begun. It is my favorite time of year — school begins, football season kicks-off (Go Chargers!), cooler weather is around the corner, as are the holidays.
It seems to me that everything wakes up in the Fall — there is activity everywhere I look! After the long, hot days of Summer, people get interested in doing stuff again.
Nowhere is that truer than right here at TVCRS. We have all kinds of events, seminars, concerts, parties, and classes taking place here in the next few months. Browse this website to get all the comings and goings of our church.
Fall is the time of harvest, a time of gathering and sharing. From the leaves falling to the ground, to the squash growing on the vine, to the wheat being harvested in the field — this is the abundantly generous world in which we live. It is a time to celebrate the abundance that life has to offer!
Our congregation participated in the spirit of abundance recently when we gave to those whose lives were effected by Hurricane Katrina. We took an additional collection over two Sundays, and raised $2,800. We then added a portion of the church's tithe — to make a total of $4,000 sent to help those in need. Dr. Holmes wrote: "Praise and thanksgiving are affirmations of the divine presence, the divine abundance."
Thanks to all who gave so generously.
You have selflessly participated in the law of circulation, and you will reap what you have sown. Happy Harvest!
Love and Blessings,
Rev. Pat
 SPRING MESSAGE, 2005
Dear Friends,
Can you believe the show Mother Nature is putting on for us this Spring? I have lived in Southern California practically all my life, and I have never seen it so green.
And the flowers! I went to Death Valley a few weeks ago for the "once-in-a-lifetime" wildflower bloom. It was a sight to behold—the normally barren desert literally awash in color and growth. And the variety! We must have seen three or four dozen different types. Some are so rare they haven't bloomed in a hundred years.
What this tells me is that when the Universe wants to grow, it grows! And grows. And grows.
Our founder, Dr. Earnest Holmes, wrote: "All evolution (growth) is an awakening and development of a greater possibility, resulting in an unfoldment of an inherent potential."
Whether it is a wildflower blossoming for the first time in a hundred years, or a person who is waking up their inherent potential, it is happening all around us!
Never was that so true as here at TVCRS. We are experiencing tremendous growth! We are having record attendance on Sundaysand Science of Mind classes, and our Junior Church is literally bursting at the seams (57 children on Easter Sunday)! It is an exciting time to be a Religious Scientist in the Temecula Valley!
We have lots of activities this Spring to encourage your growth, enlighten your mind, expand your consciousness, and enliven your sense of fun! Look through this website for info on all the happenings!
Blessings,
Rev. Pat
P.S. Thank you for your continued financial support, even when you are unable to attend. We are 100% supported by the generous donations of our members and friends. Thanks for believing in what we are doing!
Fall message, 2004
Dear Friends,
Can you feel it? Change is in the air! There is a feeling of anticipation, of newness, of freshness. Students are back in school, football season has begun (thank God), the fall season of television is in full swing, and the holidays are around the corner.
Autumn is my favorite time of year. It seems so full of promise. It is a time of harvest and bounty. A time to celebrate the fruits of our efforts.
This is definitely true here at TVCRS. There is such a feeling of bounti-fulness! Our Sunday attendance is booming, our junior church is bursting at the seams, our teen group is blossoming, and our Science of Mind classes are inspiring dozens of students.
Just as the church is reaping what we have sown, so too are you. What you are experiencing right now is a result of the seeds of thought you have planted. If you want a different experience, plant different seeds. We are here to teach you how.
This Autumn brings many opportunities to learn, grow and have fun — through workshops, classes and social events. Look through the current events and classes pages in this website to find what is happening here at TVCRS for the next few months!
Blessings and Gratitude,
Rev. Pat
 Summertime Message, 2004
Dear Friends,
We have just celebrated our nation's birthday. All across this great land, people were free to stand up and say, "I'm proud to be an American! I'm proud for what my country stands for! I love my country!"
And what is so great about being an American, is that I can also stand up and say, "I may not agree with everything, but I'm proud to have the right to say I don't agree with everything." If I don't agree with something I have lots of recourse. I can sign a petition, I can write a letter to the president or my congressperson, I can march in a protest, I can vote!
For many of us, that is part of what makes our country so exceptional — our right to have and voice an opinion, even if it's unpopular or different from the norm. We are free to think for ourselves.
Do we appreciate how rare that is? Do we realize what a gift that is? Let us not take it for granted.
Let us practice tolerance of another's views or beliefs. After all, what if people were intolerant of the views and beliefs we hold as Religious Scientists? What if we were not free to worship our God the way we choose? Shouldn't we give the same consideration to others?
Let us embrace each other's differences. This country would be rather dull if everyone looked, thought, and acted the same. Let us celebrate the richness of the tapestry of our nation.
Let us choose to see the divine in all things. We may not understand them, like them or want to hang out with them — but we can choose to see the divine pattern within them.
When we can get to that place — now that's freedom!
Blessings and Gratitude,
Rev. Pat
"Let us choose to see the divine in all things."
 Springtime Message, 2004
Dear Friends,
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.
William Shakespeare. 1564–1616 - "It was a Lover and his Lass"
Dear Friends,
Don't you just love spring? Everything is waking up or coming to life - the trees are re-leafing, the flowers are blooming, the days are longer, and creatures of every description are being born. We even "spring" our clocks ahead to allow more sunshine into our lives. We feel alive, awake, and alert!
Spring has definitely sprung here in the Temecula Valley Church of Religious Science. We are settled into our new church facility and loving it! We have lots of programs and classes during the week, and our Sunday attendance is excellent. We have so many kids each week, it feels as if we've outgrown our Sunday-school classrooms already!
That is the beauty of rebirth and resurrection. After the challenges and unexpected expenses of our move, we have emerged strong, focused, and definitely on-track. It is a wonderful time to be part of this loving and enthusiastic church community.
Make sure to bookmark this website to check on all the great events and classes coming up each month. There is something for everyone!
Love,
Rev. Pat
Guard well the garden of your mind. It is God's garden of your soul. It is your garden wherein may grow your fondest desires and hopes, blossoming into fulfillment. Watch carefully, then, this garden of your soul. Plant there only seeds of happiness, of joy, of peace, and of goodwill.
-Dr. Ernest Holmes, This Thing Called You.
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