A Message from the Board President
Have you ever learned something significant about yourself unexpectedly? Has a personal insight ever suddenly awakened you in some way?
The other evening, I was catching up with a friend. She asked me what I’d been doing since the last time we spoke, and I mentioned seeing a new psychotherapist, reading some books, volunteering at the animal shelter and for the church, learning a lot in my new practice area at work, taking a cruise vacation, listening to podcasts for the first time, and keeping up with longtime daily workouts and meditative practices. We were recounting similarities, and I described myself as a productive person who “goes, goes, goes,” “does, does, does,” and “checks all the boxes.” My fitness tracker tells me that I get more than 100,000 steps a week; the default setting for typical users is 70,000. To say that I keep myself busy is probably an understatement.
It occurred to me in the call with my friend that this is no longer how I wish to be.
When I’m confronted with what I perceive to be an area of improvement for myself, I try to remember an idea that, for me, a song once captured. In Yoko Ono’s 1995 album, she wrote a song called Revelations in which she sang in pertinent part:
“Bless you for your anger; it’s a sign of rising energy;
Bless you for your sorrow; it’s a sign of vulnerability;
Bless you for your greed; it’s a sign of great capacity;
Bless you for your jealousy; it’s a sign of empathy;
Bless you for your fear; it’s a sign of wisdom.”
When I find an aspect of myself lacking and negative self-talk wants to judge harshly for it, trying to think about the corresponding positive side of that aspect helps to quell the unwanted imaginary critic hanging out on my shoulder. Like Ms. Ono said, anger can be passion; sadness can be emotional connection; want can be industry; etc.
In the moment of emotional intimacy with my friend, a light bulb went off in my head. Ambition has served me well in life. How does a disadvantaged child go from few prospects to prosperity? How does one reach the pinnacle of their career? Ambition—maybe productivity by another name—helps a great deal.
Yet this lovely chat with an old friend helped me to see that ambition too has its negative side. When one is constantly doing or producing, it’s easy to neglect the inner self, alienate teammates, and miss life’s intangible wonders.
For instance, during the cruise my husband and I recently took, one evening I stepped outside our stateroom onto the balcony and witnessed this sunset:
Then, after working out in the ship’s gym one morning, I noticed that we were coming ashore to Santa Catalina Island. The shoulder critic had me anticipating that inclement weather was going to ruin our time there, but look what I saw upon stopping on the ship’s deck outside the gym:
Had ambition gotten the better of me in these two moments, I might have been more concerned with making the next activity or meal (of which there was absolutely no shortage) rather than taking in priceless opportunities that truly nourished my soul.
Connecticut writer Robert Brault said, “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were big things.”
Here’s to slowing down, tuning out negative distractions, and appreciating the beauty that surrounds us if only we stop to look. In a word, breathe.
—Bob Rancourt
President’s Message Recent Posts
January 2026 Message from the Board President
As Unitarian Universalists, we often pride ourselves on our intellectual capabilities. While we recognize the interconnected web of all existence, we may not fully recognize the bodily chemical and biological dependencies. These hidden connections underscore our...
A Message from the Board President: Meeting the Moment
On a hike a few weeks ago I came across at strange creature that looked like half a moth at one end and nondescript at the other. Dr. Cameron Barrows explained the fascinating story to me.
When a moth emerges from the cocoon its wings are folded up and soggy. It quickly pumps hemolymph (insect blood) into the veins of the wings, blowing them up like a balloon. The wings dry in a few hours and then another magical process occurs: several chemical changes sclerotize the wings, cross-linking the proteins into a rigid matrix.
What does that have to do with the creature I saw? The poor guy didn’t get out of the cocoon fast enough. His wings hardened half way out and he died.
And what does that have to do with UUCOD? The world around us has changed. The rise of hate, bigotry, and authoritarianism is alarming. And, like the pupae, when the world changes we have to act.
Many in our congregation already act individually: volunteering for Street Medicine or at Galilee Center or other places, writing postcards, and so much more. And we have collective action like marching at rallies, food and formula and socks collections, Laundry Love, Share The Plate, and more.
But can we make a bigger impact? We propose to Meet the Moment by focusing hyper-locally to reduce harm caused by our federal government to the local immigrant community. We are meeting with front-line organizations, discussing their needs and our capabilities, to see how we can help and follow their lead.
It involves some soul searching – are we disrupters willing to put our bodies on the line, or would we prefer to generously help fund relief organizations from a safe distance, or something in between? In fact, Rev Ian is leading a class, Social Change Now, which is helping participants understand the roles in which they shine. (If you didn’t enroll in this series, do sign up for the next one.)
Stay tuned as we discern what it means for UUCOD to Meet this Moment, collectively, to reduce harm to local immigrant communities. We cannot be like the poor Sphinx moth. We must act, and once we start we need to sustain our bold actions.
~ Rod Belshee, UUCOD Board President
Introducing our New President, Rod Belshee
It occurs to me that many of you joined the church recently (yay!) so I thought I’d use this message to introduce myself.
Actually this is a thinly veiled attempt to get you to share your stories! Now that most of you are in the Breeze Directory, did you know that you can share your story? Much like the snippets that new members share in the newsletter when they join, everyone can share a couple of paragraphs on whatever they consider meaningful in their lives.
So here’s My Story, clipped from Breeze. It just includes tidbits – to learn more let’s talk, and you can share your story too.
My first sixty years were in Portland Oregon, raising two sons and working in the tech industry. In 2002-2003, Fran and I took two years to backpack around the world, mostly in Asia, shifting to a more spiritual and cultural focus, including studying Buddhism. Then I took up long distance hiking (over 10,000 miles so far) and became a naturalist. I feel most at home when outdoors (I even sleep outside on the deck). I have always been a volunteer somewhere, earlier in Boy Scouts and now at UUCOD.
While I live in the forest of Idyllwild, my community is UUCOD. I started attending UUCOD in 2014 and have served in a number of positions. I like to improve things, so have led the efforts to add solar, the Sacred Grounds, the A/V and streaming system, and other stuff. I find purpose and community in helping out.
What is your Story? Log into Breeze, click on My Profile, click on My Story and start typing. As more folks add their stories we can learn more about each other.
Family Connections and Seeing that You Can’t Go Home Again
Thomas C. Wolfe (1900 – 1938), who once said he wrote a book to forget it, was a North Carolinian originator of the autobiographical fiction genre and is credited with coining the term “you can’t go home again.” Awaiting the connecting flight to North Carolina, I go...
The Dog Days of December
"The decisions—to volunteer at the shelter and to keep rather than turn in a stray dog— have been some of the better decisions of the year. Working with, caring for, and simply loving and petting these dogs got me out of the troubles of the day" Perhaps the morning...
The Hustle and Bustle of Church
Have you noticed the uptick in attendance? Wasn’t it nice catching up with everyone and celebrating our 65th birthday? Did you see all the prospective new Members taking their orientation classes? Are you looking forward to representing UUCOD at the 39th annual Greater Palm Springs LGTBQ Pride Parade and cutting loose at the annual service auction in the next couple weeks?
This time of year always seems to bring the hustle and bustle of church.
Let the New Church Year Begin
It’s the end of September, snow birds are returning, church seats are filling up, groups are re-assembling, and the new church year begins. The new Board—constituted by two new Members and one re-elected Member—has now met twice and taken some actions of which to be aware.
Look at how full the church calendar already is! One occasion of which to take note is our 65th birthday on October 13. The first Church Council follows on October 19, and then November brings the Pride Parade on the 3rd and our annual service auction on November 8 and 9. New Members are celebrated on November 17
General Assembly 2024 Is in the Books
From June 20–23, more than 3,400 Unitarian Universalists from around the country and world gathered and attended this year’s all-virtual UUA General Assembly, GA is the annual gathering of UUs, where, in addition to conducting official business of the UUA, they join in community, explore the faith’s theological underpinnings, and emphasize the UUA’s mission, values, and principles. GA 2024 had 2,757 credentialed delegates from 734 congregations in fifty states; Washington, D.C.; Canada; the U.S. Virgin Islands; Mexico, France, and the Philippines. Five UUCOD leaders represented the church: Rev. Riddell; Walter Gendell; Linda Savard; Jane Zaun; and me. This year’s theme was “Love Unites, Stories Ignite,” meant to celebrate the profound impact of love as a binding force that transcends boundaries and divisions.
Open to Change
In some climates, where seasons change, “April showers bring May flowers.” Reportedly, April, the name of the month, originally takes its name from the verb “to open,” as in the season when flowers and trees begin to open. Perhaps it’s no surprise then that April brings Earth Day, on the 22nd.
As we usher in the opening season, are we open to change? Do we encourage enough spiritual growth? Have you transformed lately? Do you value transformation? Rev. Riddell will be asking us to consider transformation this month in his Sunday messages:
President’s Message: Along This Yellow Brick Road of Life
One nice part of the holiday season is the re-airing of classic films associated with the holidays. From Miracle on 34th Street, It’s A Wonderful Life, and Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, to Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Elf, these feel-good motion pictures can stir warm memories and remind us of our family, friends, and the hope and love in life.
Another one that popped up the other day is the all-time great The Wizard of Oz, the “most seen film in movie history.” It’s rich in many themes, but perhaps the transformation of the scarecrow, tin man, and lion is most prescient as we trudge along this yellow brick road of life.