Practice Makes Permanent
Several years ago, a need opened for a song-leader at our church in northern California. I never had a desire to stand in front of a room full of people, by myself, to sing. (Choir, yes. Song-lead, NO!) I could speak all day, but sing? My insecurity around using my voice that way troubled me. Yet, Spirit, in its wisdom, relentlessly tapped on me until I caught the vision and said yes.
We have heard the adage, “Practice makes perfect.” The elderly gal who offered to coach my fledgling song-leading adventure corrected my thinking about this particular phrase. She said, “Practice doesn’t make anything perfect. It makes it permanent.” Over time, she corrected my many wayward thoughts, habits and beliefs about singing alone in public, about diaphragmatic breathing (including making me hold a chair while simultaneously singing and walking around the sanctuary), about the mechanics of song-leading, and other musical endeavors. A former roller derby champion, she was a formidable coach, even well into her eighties.
Our themes for each month in 2026 include one of Unity’s Twelve Powers, and as you know, this month focuses on the Power of Imagination. Already inherent in our being, we are constantly using the Power, or capability of Imagination all the time. We may not be using it effectively and consistently, though. If we feel “stuck” about something, are uncomfortable with change or get easily frustrated when things don’t go our way, we are not using our Power of Imagination effectively. If we can only see the worst possible
outcome or constant negative “what if” scenarios, we might not be using the Power of Imagination successfully.
I hope you will join us in person or online as we gather this Sunday, to discover the how to consistently re-frame our negative states of mind into the creative, problem-solving innovative thinkers we came here to be! Let’s make our perfect Imagination practice permanent!
Blessing you abundantly,
Rev. Eileen
