July, 2004 Calendar In This Issue: Men's Retreat Reflections Surviving Spouses Need Support and Friendship, Not Advice Let's Put a Little Magic Back Into Our Lives The Historic First St. A's Rummage Sale St. A's Goes to the Beach on the 4th of July! Columbarium Construction Begins St. A's Goes to the Mountains October 1-3, 2004 The Energy of Money … and People! "I Believe in the Communion of Saints …"

by Ann Mohr

Many of you may remember the inspiring talk given by Laurie Hutzler several years ago during one of our stewardship campaigns. In it she referred to a book she had read called The Energy of Money: A Spiritual Guide to Financial and Personal Fulfillment by Maria Nemeth, Ph.D. (Available in the St. Augustine Bookstore) Laurie's personal experience inspired me to read the book.

The Energy of Money takes the reader step-by-step through a process designed by the author to honesty deal with the wide range of emotions surrounding finances and develop new attitudes towards managing wealth. At the end of each chapter, the reader is encouraged to go through both spiritual and practical exercises that really give the lesson meaning.

In my own personal experience, I read this book because I realized that I kept facing the same challenging financial issues over and over again. I wanted to break away from my own repetitive behavior and this book gave me the tools to do so. During the course of the process, I experienced several `Aha!" moments which have dramatically changed my attitude towards money and how it ties in to my own feelings of self-worth.

It is well done and effective but, unless one is really self-disciplined, it can be too easy to put the book down or put off exercises that might be uncomfortable until later … sometimes much later! Therefore the format easily lends itself to group participation and so Rev. Joyce Stickney will be offering a class on the subject of The Energy of Money this coming fall during the adult education hour, 10-11am on Sundays beginning September 19th. Because we have so many terrific people here at St. Augustine, I expect that the energy of the people participating will strongly enhance the learning experience and make this a meaningful class for anyone attending. Our relationship with our finances affects all our other relationships including those with other loved ones and with our Lord.

"Money is congealed energy, and releasing it releases life's possibilities." (p. 17). Please sign up on the patio if you are interested in being a part of this class and so that the bookstore can order sufficient copies of the text. So keep your calendars open and I will look forward to seeing everyone in the fall … Have a great summer!

Copyright © 2004 St. Augustine by-the-Sea