The plains of Kansas can be rather bleak on an

overcast, freezing day in the dead of winter, but my

mind was on more important matters and my car was
purring along the freeway, comfortably warm inside.
That was twenty years ago and I was on my way to a
life changing adventure.
A few months earlier on a bright summer day in
Seattle, as I looked out past the hills to the mountains
on the horizon, sunlight dancing on the lake just in
front of me, I heard a still small voice clearly saying:
If you want to make anything meaningful with your
life, youll have to leave the city you love.
Youre right, God, I immediately replied,
instantly knowing the source of my guidance, Im
here for the wrong reasons. I loved the Pacific
Northwest, and my family and friends were an
important part of my reluctance to leave. But, I was
wasting my life, going sideways mostly, hardly on a
path that was Upward Bound, and I had been praying
for guidance and direction, willing to change, but not
knowing where to go or what to do.
Between that summer afternoon illumination
and this solo winter trek to the Heartland and Kansas
City, a flurry of events occurred propelling me to
fulfill the Divine Guidance I had received. I was
optimistic and faith filled, but still facing completely
unknown conclusions another hundred miles down
the road. I had applied for ministerial school, but
had no idea whether I would be accepted, and in any
case, needed a job and some income just to continue
living. I figured Kansas City was the best place to
seek employment; after all, I couldnt work
Issue # 31
YOUR ANSWER LIES WITHIN
Photo by Art Holt
UPWARD BOUND J* O* U* R* N* A* L

SPIRITUAL LESSONS FOR YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH
somewhere else and still attend ministerial school
there too.
All the way from Seattle, I was aware that a
winter storm was out in front of me heading east and
another was brewing on the Pacific Coast ready to
fill in my tire tracks. I seemed to be encased in a
calm weather bubble the whole way, making driving
easy and providing what I like to call windshield
time to contemplate a variety of thoughts. One such
thought stuck out in my mind. I was eager to get to
Unity Village because I wanted to find out whether
Unity had a position on some hard issues, like right
to life vs. freedom of choice, or euthanasia, or the
death penalty in criminal justice. I tried to make my
own determination about which end of those
spectrums I favored and whether my views would be
in accordance with Unitys positions. I couldnt
figure out why I hadnt heard anything on these
subjects, either in church services or in their
devotional literature.
About then I caught up with the snowstorm that
had slowed its pace to a crawl, and the rest of that
day my focus was completely concentrated on road
conditions and being able to safely arrive at a
friends house before night fall. My contemplation
would have to wait.
Arriving safely that evening, my attention was
diverted to new friendships of the small welcoming
group, and settling in. Once again there was a flurry
of events, meetings, interviews and news of an
opening I hadnt dreamed could be possible, that
captured all my attention. And, in what seemed like
an overnight development, I was hired as the
Editorial Director and accepted in the Ministerial
School program at the same time.
I hadnt forgotten my question, however, and
soon had an opportunity to ask for an answer. What I
got was both a surprise and a disappointment; it felt
like avoidance of the question and a rather pathetic
response. It took quite a while for me to comprehend
and embrace the answer fully.
The answer lies within, I was told. We each
must seek and find our own answers to this and every
other important question.
What a cop-out! I wanted someone in authority
to tell me the answer so I would know how to
respond if-and-when I was asked the same question
later. What do they mean, the answer lies within
each one of us? Oh, I was well aware that there is a
simple process of praying and meditating and being
open to that still small voice but this was a question
that was bigger than my personal stuff, it was
monumental by comparison and it required a
monumental reply.
Jesus neither condemned nor condoned the
actions of others, they said. Take the example of
the woman accused of adultery. The scribes and the
Pharisees brought her to Jesus and said the Law of
Moses demanded that she be stoned to death. What
do you say, they asked? Let him who is without sin
among you be the first to throw a stone at her, Jesus
replied. One by one they all left, beginning with the
eldest, leaving the woman alone with Jesus. To her
He said, No one has condemned you...neither do I;
go and do not sin again.
In calling for the elders to contemplate their own
sins, Jesus was asking them to reflect and pray about
their own lives, asking if they were worthy of passing
such a severe judgment and taking on the action of
executioner. For the few who might have believed
themselves to be free of any previous sin, the thought
of stoning this woman very likely would eliminate
their virtue, and not wanting to take a chance, they
passed the judgment onto the others. For the rest, a
quick review was sufficient to recognize that none of
their lives were above fault. For everyone, however,
it was the act of turning within in prayer that led to
the inner guidance and a peaceful solution.
As for my mentors, Go into the silence and
pray, they told me, and wait for your answer.
Sometimes the answer comes when you least expect
it, but youll know when it comes, and youll know
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that it is the right answer for you.
The Schools executives went on to explain that
every single day, in the hundreds of calls they
receive in the Silent Unity Prayer line,* people ask,
even demand, advice on the problems they face,
wanting someone else to solve the problem for them.
The people at Silent Unity are trained in prayer and
their soothing voices and calm demeanor have
comforted and lifted more people than you can
count. Reports of miracle healings arrive every day.
But, they are not trained psychologists, medical
doctors, financial advisors, lawyers or therapists and
to give someone what might seem to be helpful
advice would be inappropriate. Helping callers get
calm and guiding them to use the one resource that
has all the answers for every situation and condition
is the most powerful gift that can be given. Prayer is
the answer, whatever the question.
I thought about what I had been told, but was
reluctant to discuss my negative feelings about the
answer I had been given because I didnt want to
show my ignorance or find that I was all alone in my
reaction. Finally, one day it dawned on me that I
understood how correct the answer was all along. I
remembered that sunny afternoon in Seattle and the
Still Small Voice that gently redirected my life and
realized that was exactly the same thing. The
answer is within you.
I had prayed for guidance to redirect my life, to
find fulfillment, to begin again with something
meaningful, to be of service, to do something
worthwhile and to make some kind of contribution
that would make the world just a little bit better than
I had found it. I certainly received my answer to
prayer, that guiding voice came from somewhere
deep inside me, and the world had jumped through
hoops, turning events into wonderful opportunities,
and opportunities into practicality; travel,
accommodations, employment and scholarship in a
little more than 90 days. My answer definitely came
from within me in direct response to my prayers and
my quiet time of meditation. If it worked for me, it
would work for anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Over and over throughout the Bible we are given
that same message, repeatedly. Ask and it shall be
given, seek and you shall find, knock and the door
shall be opened, (Matt 7:7). Whatever you pray
for, believing, you shall receive, (Matt 21:22). And
on it goes.
It explains why we dont take official
positions, whatever the subject, because the answer,
the correct answer that is, could be different for
every individual concerned, and its not my place or
the denomination I represent, to dictate what that
position should be. Only God knows for sure and the
answer thats right for you is yours for the asking.
Eventually I was able to have a conversation
with a trusted friend exploring the subject of our
inner guidance. The supposition was made that in an
ego frame of mind or an attitude of hatred and
bitterness, what might seem like guidance could
actually be a disaster in the making. That stopped us
for the moment, but once again the answer lay in the
mind-set of the person asking for guidance. God
doesnt give us evil answers to our questions, but its
up to us to get out of our ego state, set aside our
prejudices and honestly seek a Divine solution. If we
take just a few moments to get centered and follow a
few simple steps we will quickly reach a place of
higher consciousness where we can connect with our
Divine Source.
There are no hard and fast rules or a process that
must be followed to the letter. It is simple, logical,
and easy.
I begin by finding a place where I can be quietly
alone and sit undisturbed for ten minutes to half an
hour. I like a comfortable chair in the den, but a solo
walk in a park or on a beach works just as well.
Automatically, I relax and take a long deep
breath, becoming aware of the life giving air passing
through my nostrils, and feeling it fill my lungs and
chest; then the physical release of my tensions as I let
U P W A R D B O U N D J * O * U * R * N * A * L
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*Silent Unity Prayer line: 1-800-669-7729 day or night
4
the air slowly return to the atmosphere around me.
Peace, be still, I often say, or Into Your Presence,
Lord, would I enter now. Another breath and I
begin to feel that everything is going to be just fine.
Then I find myself saying something like, Not my
will, but Yours, God. I release all my fears,
judgments and expectations.
Thats called Relaxation and it is step one.
Step two is Conversation or more appropriately,
bringing my stuff to the table. I like to talk with God,
as though it is someone who loves me and is patiently
willing to hear me ramble on. Its a quiet
conversation, words softly spoken; raising questions,
wondering about possibilities or admitting Im
clueless about the next step...just willing. I remember
past conversations and express my gratitude for being
able to talk about it and for the way it turned out.
Sometimes this Conversation can go on for 15 or 20
minutes, but most often it is only five or six minutes.
Then things get quiet. Its step three,
Contemplation. There is no need to speak another
word, Ive said all I need to say. And through past
experience I have learned that God is way ahead of
me. God knew everything I was going to say before I
ever said it. I just needed to express it to get it off my
chest. And I also know that my answer will come as
soon as Im ready to hear it. It could be immediately;
sometimes I get the answer before I
can finish asking the question.
That part of the prayer process is the
fourth step called Realization,
because in most of my prayers I
have received some level of
knowing. And then sometimes I
get the still, small voice a few days
later when Im driving my car
quietly through the countryside.
Even so, it comes and I know it will,
so I just rest and enjoy the quiet for a
while. When I feel the nudge, I
begin the process of returning to a
more earth bound consciousness and
turn my attention to the fifth and final step,
Thanksgiving. It begins with returning my
conscious awareness to my breathing, similar to the
deep, slow breaths I used at the beginning. In my
mind I start speaking words of gratitude, giving
thanks not just for answered prayer, but for the
opportunity to have such a special time apart from the
world, surrounded and enfolded in Gods loving
presence. It has been a special time, given just for
me, and I feel very privileged to have had the
experience. God doesnt need my words of
appreciation, but I need to feel and express them.
And so it goes. My desire to be part of an
official position, to have someone telling me what my
attitude should be, or for my need to be right and to
tell others what they should do or should believe, no
longer influences my thinking. My job is not to tell
you what your behavior should be, its simply to help
you understand how you can get the answers for
yourself that are appropriate for you...and perhaps for
you alone. If I have been able to find my answers
from the still small voice within, I am confident that
you can and will as well. The next time I start
pontificating, youll do me a big favor if you remind
me Your Answer Lies Within.

God bless you,
Amen
U P W A R D B O U N D J * O * U * R * N * A * L
A Christmas Story...
December is a time of joy and celebration, and I invite you on a mystical voyage in your imagination. Relax, let
us see Christmas in a new light.
Christmas Eve. Outside winter has set upon the land, a soft, light blanket of snow freshly covers the
evergreens and the lawns and the roof-tops in the neighborhoods. The shops are sparkling with bright and
colorful lights, signaling the festiveness and the glitter of the season. Horse drawn carriages glide along the streets,
with couples sitting close together beneath the warming blankets of wool and fleece, while the melodies of
Christmas music drift through the crisp night air.
It's a time of merriment, laughter, and family gatherings. It's a time for traveling, to be together with family and
friends. A frenzied time of shopping, and wrapping, and decorating your home. But it's also a fire in the fireplace
and a mug of spiced cider; candles flickering on the mantel reflected in the silver and gold ornaments hanging on
the tree. It's a time of gift giving, of thinking of others more than yourself. It's a time to love and forgive, and be
filled with joy and peace, like no other time of the year...a time of joyful celebration.
And yet, on that night two thousand years ago, in a little town called Bethlehem, the people in the inns, on the
streets, and in the homes were not celebrating, for they were unaware there was anything to celebrate; they were in
a state of anxiety about the roman census. There were no festive lights filling the town, or happy carolers singing
joyous songs; just a few torches anchored to the corners of adobe-clad buildings, casting flickering shadows on the
nearly empty streets, and in the clear but moonless sky, darkness abounded.
As the night progressed, people began to settle down on their straw filled cots, children nestled together to
share their warmth with each other while a small dog curled up at their feet; in the window the cat, waking up for
the night, sat watching the path below. The conversation between mother and father came to an end and they too
began to settle down for the night.
Out on the edge of town a young man walked beside the donkey which carried his very pregnant and beautiful
young wife, along with a small bundle of their clothes and other simple possessions. This was the end of their long
journey, but the hour was late, and the inns were now full.
All was quiet and the couple who had arrived too late for a room, made themselves as comfortable as they
could in a shed that they shared with the resident farm animals. Together they gathered fresh straw and covered it
with a small clean blanket they had carried just for this occasion. The mother-to-be prepared to give birth; her
husband kneeled at her side.
One by one in some of the dwellings -- an elderly woman here - a couple together next door, and a man down
the street -- all lay awake in the silence of the night, with a growing sense of God's presence, stronger than it had
ever been before. What was the feeling? Anxiety of the unknown? Yes, a little, but somehow more a growing
sense of peace, of harmony, of greatness, of expectation, of wonder ...of Light.
In the sky overhead three stars that had been getting closer together each night for the past week, came
together now as one, illuminating the sky and the earth below with a light brighter than a full moon, yet softer than
dusk. It was as though the light of the bright star cluster brought with it a special quality, a warmth, and a sense of
contentment, a knowing.
Silently, other individuals became more alert to a clearness in the air, a great sense of awareness and
anticipation. Laying in their darkened rooms, their eyes focused through their open windows, one-by-one they
were drawn to rise from their beds and stand in silent awe, to close their eyes, their attention going deep within
their own inner being, to a place they had never been before, and yet a place they now realized had always been
there for them.
This was a special moment, a moment of magnitude never experienced before and available only to those who
had entered into the silence in peace and with expectation.
For down the street and around the bend in the little dirt road, in a shed only a hundred paces past the last
building at the edge of town, human-kind was at the point of transformation. In this little manger only blocks
away from the people held deep in their inner silence, the baby Jesus was born into the world.
And in the silence, in the hearts of all who listened, the Christ Spirit was born ... And it was good.
"and unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior, who is Christ the lord."
And so it is. Amen.
M E D I T A T I O N
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Perhaps nothing has come to symbolize Christmas like a living room decorated with a tree and
colorful stockings hung on the mantel. Its a celebration filled with bright colors, merriment and family
gatherings. With all its Christian religious significance, it has also become a universal coming together
of all kinds of people and a myriad of beliefs. When Jesus said we should love one another, perhaps
he was asking us to carry our Christmas feelings of oneness into all the other days of the year as well.
Thank you God, for such a rich reminder of Your presence all about us, all the time.

Christmas Ice sculpture at the Gaylord Palms Hotel in Orlando, near Disney World,
December, 2006. Photo by Art Holt
Words to live by: We are guided by our knowledge
that our thoughts and words create our reality. Let us acknowledge
another word that will impact our lives in wonderful ways if we give it
its proper due. The word... Opinion
What is your opinion? We all have them. Some
people express theirs frequently, others keep them to
themselves. While we tend to think of peoples
opinions as expressions of criticism, we need to be
aware that we have positive opinions of support, of
faith, of friendship and trust as well. We also have
political and religious opinions, financial, legal,
medical, scientific and literary opinions...and more.
All of our opinions have an effect on our lives.
Why? Because they are an expression of our beliefs.
You can actually tell a lot about a person when you
listen to their opinions because they are also revealing
what they believe to be true, whether it actually is or is
not. It also appears that the more vocal a persons
opinions, the less likely they are to listen to or entertain
a differing perspective. Because to do so means they
would have to give up an error belief.
As parents we need to know that our opinions
become our childrens beliefs, at least until their
rebellious teen age years, when our opinions meet a
brick wall as they reject almost everything we say,
searching for what is meaningful to them. Still, when
all is said and done, the positive opinions we have
instilled in our children when they are young will carry
them through and help build their character as adults.
As a minister I realize that virtually all of the things
I have written in the past 30 issues of Upward Bound
Journal are my Spiritual opinions. I would love to think
that they have been helpful in your understanding of
your Spiritual nature, and I hope that some of them
have caused you to question both my opinion and your
own understanding. Most of all I hope they have been
more of a contribution than an hindrance.
Our of our most valuable freedoms is the freedom of
expression. So when you express your opinions please
remember that others need to have the same freedom to
express theirs as well.
But, thats just my opinion.
Art Holt

U P W A R D B O U N D J * O * U * R * N * A * U P W A R D B O U N D J * O * U * R * N * A * U P W A R D B O U N D J * O * U * R * N * A * U P W A R D B O U N D J * O * U * R * N * A * L LL L

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A Unity Publishing Ministry
Rev. Arthur Holt,
Unity Minister








Dottie Holt,
Licensed Unity Teacher

Upward Bound of Unity, Inc.
10870 SW 71st Circle
Ocala, FL 34476
Phone (352) 861 - 5518
Email: UpwardBoundRev@aol.com


Upward Bound Journal
is a Unity publishing ministry based on Biblical
teachings and dedicated to writing and presenting
spiritual, inspirational, and metaphysical principles
which empower people to enrich and transform
their lives.


For more information about Upward Bound check our
website: www.upwardboundjournal.com.

Issue # 31
Upward Bound Journal is of Upward Bound of Unity,
Inc.





Member: Association of Unity Churches International, SunCoast
Unity Ministers Association, and affiliated with: Unity School of
Christianity and Silent Unity, publishers of Daily Word.
Upward Bound of Unity, Inc. is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3), charitable
corporation sustained entirely by your tax deductible gifts.
Thank You for Your Support
Sometimes we take a spiral path on our upward bound journey, with unexpected twists and
turns, challenges as well as opportunities. So it pays to keep our faith and trust that God has a
plan for each one of our lives that is not only unique, but far better than anything we could ever
imagine for ourselves.
We pray you are and will continue to benefit from our Upward Bound Journal. Its only
through your support that it is possible to continue on with our publishing ministry. Our
wish is simple, to provide an electronic copy like this to everyone who would enjoy it, where
ever the internet goes. Please help whenever you can.
Richest blessings, Rev. Art & Dottie Holt
[ ] Enclosed is my donation ($ _____) to help sustain the Upward Bound publishing ministry.

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