We are one with all expressions of life. We are always evolving as we live in harmony with spirit as our source. We respond to the internal call to know the expansiveness of who we truly are -- one with the Divine and all life. We feel it; we believe it; we live it and we share it.
The Center for Spiritual Living Greater Dayton (CSLGD) works to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the community through offering education and experiences aligned with the teachings of Science of Mind, sponsoring community building activities and engaging in sacred activism within our local community.
CSLGD is a community offering compassionate support as we learn to love regardless of conditions. We each come from many faith backgrounds, and through the teachings of Science of Mind and Spirit, we learn, grow, and heal. As we discover the Higher Power within, we manifest our best lives and create a world that works for everyone.
Hi, I'm Lenza Smith. I am the spiritual director at the Center for Spiritual Living, Greater Dayton Teaching Chapter. Here is a little bit of background, how I got here. I grew up in Independence, Missouri. Lee Summit, not too far away, is where Unity is. I was introduced to New Thought Unity when I was younger. I enjoyed it. I traveled across the country and lived in a lot of different places. Wherever I went, I'd look for a new thought center. Occasionally, I found a Science of Mind center, and sometimes I found Unity. When my daughter was six or seven years old, we visited Canada across the border from northern Idaho where we lived. We were in a metaphysical bookstore. There were maps on the wall, including a beautiful map of the United States with a dove superimposed across the whole United States. Looking at that, I thought "Where is the heart of that dove?" I noticed that the heart of the dove was right above Dayton, OH. I called my daughter over and said, "Oceana, one day we are gonna live in Dayton, Ohio, because it's the heart of the dove." She gave me a look, like kids do. So, many years later, we ended up in Dayton.
I was looking for a new thought center because I wanted to go to church. I went into a metaphysical store, and I asked where the new thought church was. The proprietor gave me the address of this place. It was a Science of Mind, Ernest Holmes church. I started taking classes, and I found that I related more to Science of Mind stuff than I did to Fillmore stuff and Unity. I was more attracted to it, and it made more sense to me. It was very detailed. It was very easy for me to understand and follow through with. I decided that I wanted to become a practitioner. There would be tests and oral exams and something like 3000 class hours. I like learning, but It was quite a bit of work. Fortunately, my classmates and I made study groups so we could study together. I felt really called upon to see the truth, do prayer, listen to spirit. It's very important. I know that prayer works. What we teach here is affirmative prayer. That is very powerful. I've always known that. I have always used prayer. This is one of the reasons I'm still here and doing this.
There was a time that I was working with teenagers. I love that a lot. They're pretty interesting. And I happened to have all boys, right? And I was trying to think what to teach them and what would be helpful for them. They were into sports. They were football players. So, I taught them to meditate. I taught them to really get into that deep state of meditation. What I was explaining was that when they do sports, they have to get into a zone. When they get into the zone, they are really doing well. They are going to make that goal, or whatever they are trying to do. I phrased it like that. Pretty soon, I had a whole class of football players coming in to my Sunday school, and I was teaching them all how to meditate. They really enjoyed it. I showed them how they could use it with their schoolwork and with anything in their life, as well as sports. My goal was to teach them the value of meditation. I thought that was a worthwhile thing to do.
Your Board of Directors manages the affairs of the Center, with particular emphasis on business and financial affairs. Feel free to contact anyone listed below if you have any questions, concerns, and/or ideas. We will be glad to discuss them with you and insure that they are addressed. We are your representatives and we want to support you.
