A Note From Anne

Dear ,

Today, December 24, 2013, would have been my mother's 89th birthday. We had a double holiday on Christmas eve, to celebrate her birthday and the season. What a cool idea: not just a holiday, but a double holiday. Here's a picture of my mom. She would love to see you happy and beaming for Christmas, so think of her as a Christmas angel sending love, energy, courage, and joy your way.

Anne Sermons Gillis' Mother
Ernestine Keel Sermons

I wrote this poem 25 years ago. I would always read it on the Sunday before Christmas to my EZ Disciples in Memphis. I hope you enjoy it as much as they did. Mom loved it.

EZosophy Christmas Poem
Reading cadence: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Twas the day before Christmas and all through our innards,
Anticipation was growing, for me and my mentors.
Our consciousness was raised to an all time high
'Cause we knew that the Christ mind would soon be nigh.

Our hearts' lights were shining, our faces were cheery,
No room in the mind for thoughts that were dreary.
And all of a sudden, there arose the mind chatter
That said we were stupid and that we didn't matter.

The voice of the ego had popped up again
And said we were guilty and all born in sin.
It ranted and raved and caused such a fuss
That we doubted our Christ minds to the point that we cussed.

On guilty, on sleazy, on dummy, on lazy,
The ego drove our minds 'til we felt sort of crazy.
Then, depressed and deflated, we sat in a heap,
With all our enlightened thoughts going to sleep.

We started to pray, we started to ask
For a different perception, for freedom at last.
Forgiveness was offered and innocence too.
And before we all knew it, our Christ minds renewed.

In one holy instant our knowingness came,
And we felt the presence of Christmas again.

Excerpted from Anne's book, Offbeat Prayers for the Modern Mystic, © 1998.

Have a great week and remember that it's time to take it EZ.

Merry Christmas.

Anne

  Christmas Greetings

Christmas is Thursday, December 25, 2013, and even though many people are from other religions in this country, it's easy to get drawn into the magic of the season, no matter the reason. Please enjoy these EZosophy Christmas songs and have a wonderful holiday.

Happy Mind
Tune: Jingle Bells

A day or two ago I thought I'd lost my way,
But then my ego disappeared and I began to play.
I heard my happy thoughts and felt a great big smile,
And then my ego jumped back out and acted sort of wild.

Oh, ego thoughts, ego thoughts, ego ain't the way
to have fun in a safe, healed mind that does not want delay.
Oh, ego thoughts, ego thoughts, ego ain't the way
to have fun in a safe, healed mind that does not want delay.

Playing with my friends on this most important day,
I feel my courage jump right in and I just want to say,
I like you very much and hope you always know
that I'll love you no matter what, through wind and rain and snow.

Just happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy every day.
I make choices with my mind in a very helpful way.
Just happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy every day.   
I make choices with my mind in a very helpful way.

Hark, the Harried Angel Sings (for Codependents)

Hark, the harried angel sings, Two more days and I'll have wings.
If I'm good and help you out, I'll get wings, without a doubt.
If I'm nice and do not fuss, if I help clean up the dust,
If I make my presence bright, I'll be one of God's true lights.
Hark, the harried angel sings, Two more days and I'll have wings.

Hark, the harried angel sings, I'm so tired of doing things.
I'm so tired of being good. I am tired of all those shoulds.
I just want to take a rest. I just want to be the guest.
I am tired of all this stuff. I am feeling mighty rough.
Hark, the harried angel sings, Two more days and I'll have wings.

Hark, the harried angel sings, Two more days and I'll have wings.
I gave up my heavenly chores. It won't be hard any more.
I gave up being nice. I gave up the heavy price.
No more sacrifice for me. I am feeling very free.
Hark, the Happy Angel sings, Now I have my holy wings.

Silent Minds
Tune: Silent Night

Silent Minds, Holy Minds, Thoughts of Light, Give us peace.
Heavenly states of consciousness. Innocent states of love and bliss.
Christ is born in our hearts. Christ is born in our hearts.

Abundant states of consciousness. God, our source, Gives us all,
Life and health and peace of mind, Joy and fun and plenty of time.
We are blessed by our source. We are blessed by our source.

We are love. We are peace. We are light. We are joy.
We are gifts of love itself. Bearing light and sharing wealth.
Christ is present within. Christ is present within.

It Came Upon My Mind to Clear
Tune: It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

It Came Upon My Mind to Clear Those pesky thoughts of doom,
to cancel all the shame and guilt, and give God's love more room.
A good thought here and good thought there, an affirmation or two,
and I can join with my Holy mind and keep love shining through.
Let joy ring out in all my thoughts and then my mind will sing,
and peace within will come at last and I can have my wings.

I thought my mind was doing fine. I loved my inner child.
I loved my neighbor as myself and had stopped acting wild.
But then the bottom fell out. I acted like a jerk;
projected fear and blame on friends and focused on their quirks.
The ego thoughts were rampant; the holy thoughts were gone;
and I forgot my sacred self, felt lost and all alone.

I wanted to find a way to restore love and light,
to sing with angels' heavenly choir and sleep real good at night.
I prayed, affirmed, and asked for peace in every way I could.
Then love came down and pulled me back and transformed ego's shoulds.
A flash of light, the sound of joy came flooding into my mind,
and love's pure innocence took my thoughts and I was no longer blind.

The love of God had pulled me out and taught me how to sing.
It kept me safe and far from harm, clutched tightly in angels' wings.
A sane thought here, a sane thought there, the holy mind marched on.
Now I can rest and feel God's love 'cause I have found my home.
There's peace inside where stillness lies, there's joy deep within,
and I am blessed many ways with abundance, health, and friends.

Tune: We Three Kings

Change your thoughts; yes, turn on the light.
Keep the faith and things will be right.
Inner knowing gets you going
Toward the truth that sets you free.

Ego's world can get you down,
Kick your butt and make you frown;
Keeping you waiting, eradicating
All the good that you have known.

Take your mind and let it be
Filled with great prosperity.
Christ's love shining,
No denying, life is full of mystery.

Excerpted from Anne's book, Offbeat Prayers for the Modern Mystic, © 1998.

  Quotes

"Stars can’t shine without darkness."
  – Unknown

"We are all angels, needing one another.”
  – Karen Drucker

“At Christmas, all roads lead home."
  – Marjorie Holmes

  Houston Theosophical Society

Anne Sermons Gillis currently serves as the president of the Houston Lodge of the Theosophical Society.

Meetings are held on the first and third Saturdays at 10 AM Central Time in Houston, Texas.

For more information visit The Houston Lodge or visit our national organization at http://www.Theosophical.org.

We encourage our members to live a life in service to humanity, in stillness through mediation, and in study of ancient wisdom.

  Anne's Books

Standing in The Dark

EZosophy Book

Offbeat Prayers

Click here to see all three of Anne's books

  What is EZosophy?

Click the graphic above to find out.

NOTE: If you are viewing this on a cell phone, be sure to scroll to the right to see the other column.

  Anne's Services

  Schedule Anne

You may reach Anne by phone at 281-419-1775 or click the button below to contact Anne by email. Anne is also available to officiate at weddings and funerals.

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  Anne's Schedule

January 6, 2014
Mon., 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Purpose and Meaning Group.
Anne speaks on the Ego and EZosophy.
The group meets at the Unity Church
25250 Borough Park
Woodlands, TX 77380
No charge
J. D. Messinger is the facilitator.

January 28, 2014
Tues., 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Life Changing Insights with Dr. Alan Simberg
Listen to Dr. Alan Simberg interview Anne Sermons Gillis. The show starts at 3 PM and Anne will come on at 3:30 PM. Click here to listen online.

February 6 and 13, 2014
Thur., 1:00 – 3:00 PM
"EZosophy"
Lone Star College ALL Program
Kingwood Campus
20000 Kingwood Drive
Kingwood, TX 77339-3801
281-312-1600

February 9, 2014
Sun., 11:00 AM
"Strength"
Unity Church of Practical Christianity
15920 Piper’s View Dr.
Meadow Community Association
Webster, TX 77598-2550
281-520-4047

February 19 and 26, 2014
Thur., 10:00 – 11:50 AM
"EZosophy"
Lone Star College ALL Program
Montgomery Campus
3200 College Park Drive
Conroe, TX 77384-4500
936-273-7000

March 4 and 7, 2014
Tue. & Fri., 10:00 – 11:50 AM
"Alive, Awake, Aware"
Lone Star College ALL Program
Montgomery Campus
3200 College Park Drive
Conroe, TX 77384-4500
936-273-7000

  Health Tip: Skip Styrofoam

Skip Those Styrofoam Cups

Want a hot drink, some luscious hot chocolate, maybe some wassail? Don't reach for that Styrofoam cup. It's light, it keeps your drink hot, but it's toxic. When the heat combines with the cup, it releases styrene and bisphenol-A into your drink. It also releases chemicals when it gets wet and when it comes in contact with your takeout food. As long as you don't use it for food, you might be okay, but the disposal of Styrofoam wreaks havoc on our eco systems. When it goes into our landfills, it breaks down and ends up in our water supply.

If you stopped all contact with Styrofoam, it will still take years for these toxins to leave your body. One might think that if a chemical was dangerous, it would not have been approved by the EPA. The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 has not been overhauled since its inception. Only 200 of over 62,000 chemicals were tested by the EPA when they started the testing, because the other chemicals were considered safe. They went untested out into the public for consumption. We are swimming in untested toxic chemicals daily. There are new products coming on the market every day and if they are not tested within 90 days, they are allowed into the market without knowing the long term effects. Free enterprise again trumps public safety.

When styrene and bisphenol-A enter the body, they end up in the fatty tissue where they can cause nervousness, fatigue, sleeping difficulties, and blood abnormalities. When the toxins build up in the body, the effects can include breast cancer, prostate cancer, and male sterility.

People say, "You have to die of something" as if that means we should not take care of our bodies because they aren't permanent anyway. I try to stay away from toxins, not so much to extend my life, but to stay healthy in the moment. Quality of living is best supported when we learn the hazards in living in a high tech world. Once informed, we can make educated choices about our health. Be kind to yourself, your family, and the planet – reach for that china cup, pottery mug, or glass cup – it's better for your health, good for the planet, and less expensive. I think it's an easy choice.

  Anne Talks

"Living the Easy Secret" (1:37)

"Anne Sermons Gillis Interview on Manifestation" 3-part series (9:30; 9:51; 7:41)

"Breathe: Surrender: Living in the Present" (14:27) Guided breathing practice

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Editor/Publisher: Charles David Heineke of TheDoorway.org.