“Virtues are our inner strengths, the content of our character, and the truest expression of our self. Respect, Integrity, Justice and Trustworthiness, to name a few examples. Values are culture specific, while virtues are universally valued by people of all cultures. Virtues are the common thread that unites humanity.” ~The Virtues Project

As noted in the quote above, virtues are universal. This fact allows The Santa Anita Church to teach the Barnhart School children regardless of their religious or spiritual beliefs. Each week a virtue card from The Virtues Project is discussed with the children. This month, Rev. Gina is asking congregants to pick the virtue card that will be discussed each Sunday.

April 7 – Caring is a Virtue
Caring is giving tender attention to the people and things that matter to us. It is being a compassionate witness, listening to another wholeheartedly and without judgement. We show that we care with thoughtful acts and kind words. When we do a careful job, we give it our best effort. We are not indifferent to things that matter. We care deeply about the principles we believe in. Caring is a sign of love. When we care for others, we notice how they feel and what they need. When we care for ourselves, we have more to give to others. Caring is a gift from the heart.

April 14 – Assertiveness is a Virtue
Assertiveness is speaking one’s truth with peaceful confidence. It is discerning the song we were given to sing and using our talents as a gift to the world. We have the courage to speak up for what we believe is right. We tell the truth about what is just. Assertiveness comes from knowing our own worth, and honoring the dignity of who we are. We stand on our own holy ground, and set boundaries without guilt. We never beg or make demands. We ask for what we need by making simple, positive requests. We treat ourselves with respect and expect respect at all times.

April 21 – Reliability is a Virtue
Reliability is being dependable. Others can rely on us to be responsible. We genuinely care about keeping our commitments. When we say we will do something, we do it in a predictable way without forgetting or having to be reminded. We avoid taking on too much, so we can give fully to what we choose to do. We finish on time. No obstacle can stop us from giving our best. When friends need us, we are there. We are promise-keepers.

The Virtues Project

Reverend Gina intended to use this month to focus on teachings from one of her favorite books: “You’ll See It When You Believe It” by Wayne Dyer. It’s one she has turned to over and over as a reliable source of inspiration for any occasion – but she’s always found that inspiration in a way which she’s known for and is rather unorthodox: she picks the book up, then flips through its pages until she feels an urge to stop. Then she looks at whichever page she lands on et voila: there’s the answer. She calls it ‘doing a blind-flip’ – and that’s exactly how she chose to approach this month’s talks. So join us each week as she – to paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson – gets her ‘bloated nothingness out of the way of the path of Divine circuits’ and lets God drive the teachings! Buckle-up, y’all! It’s bound to be an adventure!

March 3 – Synchronicity
With her first ‘blind-flip’ into Wayne Dyer’s “You’ll See It When You Believe It”, Rev. Gina recounts a story of synchronicity which turns out to be life-saving.

March 10 – Who Knows?
Continuing the month’s theme of taking another random book-flip into Wayne Dyer’s “You’ll See it When You Believe it”, Rev. Gina posits “who knows what will happen” when we release judgement and focus on the good stuff instead of the shadows cast by them.

March 17 – Guess!
Following the random book-flip theme for the month, it’s anyone’s guess as to what Rev. Gina will pull from Wayne Dyer’s “You’ll See it When You Believe it”. Tying the past two weeks together, we arrive at some very compelling evidence that the way to peace, to love, is through radical forgiveness and releasing judgement. Ultimately, we must realize we are all one. We are all God.

March 24 – Hosanna!
Exploring yet another area of Wayne Dyer’s “You’ll Believe it When You See It”, this week Rev. Gina explores the wonderful ability to move from learning from hindsight, through finding the lesson in the present, to getting out in front of things by tuning into our intuition. By doing so, we can see obstacles on the horizon and either avoid them altogether or treat them as opportunities for us to experience.

March 31 – Only Miracles (Easter Sunday)
Wrapping up her series inspired by Wayne Dyer’s “You’ll Believe it When You See It”, Rev. Gina discusses what some may deem as blasphemy – that we can perform the miracles Jesus did. But if one truly believes what Jesus said, how are we to deny the possibility?