Good morning.

Today’s reading includes our acknowledgement of two principles from

The Spiritualist Church of Canada 

Principle 5…

Personal Responsibility for the Creation of Our Reality, through Thought, Word and Deed. 

And Principle 7…  

Eternal Progress Open to Every Soul

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Good Morning Everyone!

I recently read a book called The In-Betweens, 

The Spiritualists, Mediums and Legends of 

Camp Etna by Mira Ptacin.  The book is about a

small Spiritualist camp in the woods of Maine 

which first started in 1876.  Incredibly, this 

Spiritualist camp, along with others in the 

United States, continues to be in operation.  

I am going to start off with a poem from The In-

Betweens called “I Will” by Estelle Dudley.  It 

was first presented through Camp Etna’s

Pollyanna Club in November 1916.  Some of the language is 

quite different from how we speak today so you 

will have to listen carefully…

“I will start anew this morning with a higher fairer creed.

I will cease to stand complaining of my ruthless neighbour’s greed.  

I will cease to sit repining while my duties’ call is clear.

I will waste no moment whining and my heart shall know no fear.

I will look sometimes about me for things that merit praise.

I will search for hidden beauties that elude the grumblers’ gaze.

I will try to find contentment in the paths that I must tread.

I will cease to have resentment when another moves ahead.

I will not be swayed by envy where my rival’s strength is shown.

I will not deny his merit but I’ll strive to prove my own.

I will try to see the beauties spread before me rain or shine.

I will cease to preach your duty and be more concerned with mine.” 

I loved that poem immediately when I read it.  It 

made me smile.  I was struck by the fact that 

even 100 years ago, members of the Spiritualist 

church were stressing the importance of taking 

personal responsibility for our thoughts, words 

and actions.  I felt connection with these 

believers who had gone on before.

I thought that poem would be a good starting

point for my talk today.  Re-reading that poem, 

I went through a mental checklist and being 

totally honest with myself, thought, “Yeah, 

sometimes I feel fear.  Yeah, sometimes I am 

envious of others’ talents.  Yeah, sometimes I  

resent what others have.  And yeah, in all 

honesty, sometimes I am whiny according to my 

husband.”

Thinking more about that poem… while it 

coached me on how I was to think 

about what I do and don’t have 

in my own life, it lacked in the how. 

How am I to draw on Infinite Spirit, Divine 

Creator to change the quality of my thoughts, 

words and deeds?

Thinking back to the basics, in my daily life, I 

must make time for rest, proper diet, movement 

of my human body, joyful activities, connection 

with loved ones and meditation.  I do my best to 

make these activities the fundamentals of my

daily life. 

Add to these the importance of our community 

of support.  In The In Betweens, one of the 

Camp Etna mediums, Angie Welch was quoted 

and said about her being part of Camp Etna, 

“When I finally came back, I did it so I could 

continue to find out who I was, and now my role 

here is to be present.  When you come through 

the gates of Etna, you go into another world.  

Here at Camp Etna, time stands still.  The 

grounds are healing.  It is protected and we are 

building it back up to be protected.  Like right 

now, we have new people coming in, new 

mediums, younger ones, and they are coming in 

because they have found their people.  And 

maybe that’s the reason I’m here now; I’m here 

to help change the energy of this place.  There is 

a whole group of us right now doing it.  We are 

bringing in the new.”  

The big ideas I got from Angie’s quote are: 

Keep company with good people.  

Maximize the time you spend with people you enjoy.

Connect with others who radiate positivity and 

have similar interests.  

You will be energized and part of something 

special.

Even with following my daily life basics however 

and being part of our community, I still 

sometimes feel like I am NOT connected to 

Infinite Spirit.  When I feel disconnected and 

instead draw on my own energies, I am like an 

out of tune instrument and not a clear channel 

for Infinite Spirit.  My thoughts, words 

and actions lack the sincerity, lightness and 

joy only Infinite Spirit can deliver.   

So how do I draw on Infinite Spirit to give me 

the resources to lighten my thoughts, words and 

actions so that I can be a clear channel in this 

world?

First I acknowledge my own limitations.  While I 

am a spiritual being, I am living in a human body

and a very human world.  As a human, I get 

tired.  At times, I feel hurt or betrayed.  I may 

feel unfairly treated, I experience losses of loved 

ones or things that I treasure.  I sometimes 

worry about things I can’t control or that I might 

miss important decisions for my well being or 

the well being of others.  

When I have these human emotions and 

experiences, I find it hard to think, speak 

and act as the happy representative I should 

be for the Spiritualist Church of the Light, part of 

the Spiritualist Church of Canada.  I am 

tempted to judge myself for my human 

imperfections.

At times like these, I must make quiet time 

for myself, even if it is a quick stop in the 

bathroom.  Remember, me first, me second, me

third.  

Regarding my human imperfections, I am 

called to “love them” and be gentle.  Just as a 

parent would lovingly create safe space for their

child to feel and process their emotions, I am

called to create a loving and safe space for my

healing.  I place my hands over my heart, I 

breathe in and I breathe out.  I ask Infinite Spirit, 

Divine Creator of All that Is, to provide me with 

self healing.  Healing from Spirit and Angels is

available to me. 

I also received some guidance on this from a 

book called Your Life After Death by Michael G.

Reccia. Regarding my human imperfections, I 

say to myself “that area needs to change but it is

part of me and I embrace it.  In my quiet times 

and my meditations”, I breathe.  And “I bathe in 

love and Light” the parts of me I would see shift.  

I do not fear them.  I embrace and bathe in love 

and Light all parts of myself and I breathe.  

In this healing space where I do not fear

parts of myself that need to be released, 

Infinite Spirit helps me to release these parts in 

their right time, so that I can progress.  

We have the promise of Eternal Progress open 

to every Soul.  And I remember that I am 

timeless and eternal.  Creator can stretch my 

little two minute stop in the bathroom to give 

me the time I need to breathe and reconnect to 

Infinite Spirit, Divine Creator of All that Is. 

May Creator bless you all.  And I thank my 

guides for all the help I received with this talk.