Peace in my Heart by Rev. Teresa Stuefloten, M. Div., 12/28/2025

My topic today is Peace in my Heart.

I invite you to get a pen and paper to make notes to yourself as I talk. Then we will do a releasing ceremony at the end.

Today is the last Sunday of 2025, a good time to look back and reflect. 2025 was a tough year for many people. There has been a lot of seeming chaos in the United States, and in many places around the world. There have been wars and bombings in various places. There seems to be a great divide in politics, with people in the same family on opposite sides of the issues.

There are those who want secure borders, are fearful of an immigrant influx, and do not want to pay with their tax dollars to support others. Some feel their budget is tight and they need their money to support their own family. They want immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally to be deported.

On the other side there are those who feel we are one humanity and should be helping others who are in need. They do not want oppression. They support giving asylum to those who have had to escape for their lives, and providing food, shelter, and medical care for the poor. They are okay with paying for this with their tax dollars.

Immigrants feel scared, even if they are in the country legally. And, of course, there is the larger issue of the ultra rich contributing their fair share to the whole.

Is there a space where we can respectfully disagree, honoring the divinity in one another? There is a lot of anger on both sides. Some people have cut ties with their family over these issues. Others have agreed not to discuss these issues at family gatherings. Holding onto anger causes rifts in families. There is no peace in the heart for anyone when there is anger, hate and resentment for those who think differently. What is needed is love. God is love. Love is the only true Power. There is no true power in anger and hate. Only Love heals.

The Buddha said, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

Have you heard the story of Rapunzel? It is often seen as a story for children, but it has an important message.

“In the Grimm Brother’s version of the classic tale, the story of Rapunzel is a lot more, well, grim. A woman longs to eat rampion that grows in an evil witch’s garden. Her husband steals it for her because he wants her to be happy. The second time he goes back to steal the rampion, he is faced with Dame Gothel herself. The woman says he can take the rampion if he gives her their first born child. The man agrees, and leaves with the rampion.

When the woman gives birth to a baby girl, Dame Gothel appears and takes her away. She locks Rapunzel in a tower with no stairs or doors to escape from. She visits Rapunzel by climbing her hair and into the small window at the top of the tower.

When a prince discovers Rapunzel’s tower, he visits to listen to her singing. One day, he sees how Dame Gothel gets into the tower and decides to try it himself. The two meet and fall in love. They devise a plan to escape together, but Rapunzel tells Dame Gothel about it, and chaos begins. Gothel cuts off her hair and banishes Rapunzel to live in the desert.

When the prince comes to visit, Gothel pretends to be Rapunzel and surprises the prince. When she tells the prince what she did with Rapunzel, the prince jumps out of the window. He survives but is blinded by the thorns he jumped into. The prince roams blindly around the forest, only finding the desert years later. Rapunzel, along with the twins she had, lives in misery. The prince finds them by hearing Rapunzel’s voice. Rapunzel weeps when she sees the prince, and her tears give him back his sight.

The (Grimm Brother’s) story (is) way darker than the other versions of the story, but Rapunzel and the prince live happily every after with their two children.” (fostercuriosity.com)

There are ethical dilemmas in this story, similar to what is in the world. What has happened in the U.S. and around the world is that people have walled themselves in a tower of their own beliefs, thinking they are safe in that tower. Brick by brick, the walls of anger, hate, resentment and prejudice have been built by people falsely believing that there is not enough to share and wanting to keep what they have for themselves. Like the prince, we are blinded by our tightly held beliefs. It is Rapunzels tears of love that heal the prince’s blind eyes. The walls of those towers need to be torn down to allow the Light of Divine Love and Divine Peace to filter in and shine. Love heals.

Letting go of 2025, we need to take stock of the experiences we have had and what needs to be let go of in order for us to move into 2026 with an open heart filled with peace, the peace that passes all understanding.

What can each of us let go of as we leave 2025 behind and move into 2026? Ask yourself, “What no longer serves my highest good? What holds me back from moving forward?”

In the arena of politics and public policy, can we work toward what we would like to see implemented with love and peace in our hearts? Can we view those with differing opinions with compassion and an open heart? Can we work toward a kinder world that serves the needs of all beings without anger?

We may need to let go of people, places, habits, and ways of thinking that no longer serve our higher good. Sometimes these things feel familiar and safe, so we hesitate to let go. We get stuck in our comfort zone. We have to be willing to take a leap of faith and let go of what no longer serves our highest good.

Do you have recurring negative thoughts? Do you have self-doubt? Do you have limiting beliefs? Do you have fear of failure? Do you feel you are not good enough? These are bricks of the isolating tower that must be released.

Is there anything you can release that drains your time & energy? Are there things you do out of habit, obligation, etc.? These are bricks of the isolating tower that you can choose to release.

Holding on to what no longer serves us results in suffering for us and perhaps for others, too.

What we put out is what we attract, so if we put out anger, we attract anger. If we put out hate, we attract hate. If we put out resentment, we attract resentment. If we put out fear, we attract fear. Are you attracting things you do not want?

But if we put out love, we attract love. If we put out acceptance, we attract acceptance. If we put out kindness, we attract kindness. If we put out caring, we attract caring. If we put out compassion, we attract compassion.

Matthew 5:44 says, “But, I say to you, Love your enemies, bless anyone who curses you, do good to anyone who hates you, and pray for those who carry you away by force and persecute you.”

In order to move into 2026 with peace in our hearts we need to let go of any fear we are carrying about the political situation. We need to let go of anxiety. We need to embrace our True Power, the Power of Divine Love. We must embrace the power of kindness, caring, compassion, acceptance, and Love.

2 Corinthians 13:11 says “…Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

Tell yourself, “It is okay to let go of fear. It is okay to let go of what holds me back.”

We are liberating ourselves when we let go of what no longer serves us.

If you have limiting beliefs about yourself, you can tell yourself, “You are strong. You are capable. You are worthy of happiness.”

Jude 1:2 says, “Mercy and peace, with love, be multiplied to you.”

In the story of Rapunzel the bricks of the tower were keeping her imprisoned. What is keeping you imprisoned in your tower? A familiar phrase from the story is, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.” The phrase “let your hair down” means to relax and let go. What can you let go of that will allow you to relax and enjoy 2026?

The prince is easier for Rapunzel to pull up with her hair than the witch is. Loving, kind, and peaceful thoughts are lighter and easier to carry that hateful, resentful, and unkind thoughts.

Galatians 5:22-23, 25 says, …the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control… Let us therefore live in the Spirit, and surrender to the Spirit.”

What can you release that no longer serves you? Many people start by releasing possessions that no longer serve them. Things that have not been used in a long time, things that have no sentimental attachment, things you don’t even like, clothes you no longer wear, things you have too many of, etc. This is a good starting point for letting go, but we have to go deeper than possessions. A year after my husband’s passing I have been releasing his clothing. I have taken them to the local Catholic Church that has a program to give clothing to those in need. But some items of clothing have sentimental attachment, so I have allowed myself to keep them for now. Perhaps they will be released in the future. In this process I have also released some of my own clothing that I have not worn in a long time. Letting go of clothing that is not needed is a gift to those who do need clothing. But it is only a start. What else can we let go of?

We attach so much meaning to the physical body, how it looks, the name we are called, our preferences that we define ourselves by, and our job, or our status as retired. If our body has what we consider to be flaws, disabilities, or signs of aging, we can get upset. If we could only let go of judgment of the physical body and appreciate it as our temple of awakening that carries us through this physical lifetime. If we could only understand that all of this is temporary, only part of this one physical lifetime. We have been here before with other names and identities. Our real True Self is our Soul. Can we let go of judgment of the body?

The name we attach so much importance to is only the name our parents gave us that we are called by in this physical lifetime. It is a temporary name. When you leave this physical realm, you will probably have another name. My name is Teresa and when I am asked my name for something a person is filling out for me I am often asked if my name has an H. It does not, but I often respond with, “I don’t know where they got that H?” Well, there are other Theresas with an H, and they probably like it that way. I don’t have to be annoyed with the question. I can just answer “no” without additional comment. I can release irritation.

The Truth is that your name is “Beloved.” You are God’s Beloved. Your name is “I AM.” Your name is “I am that I AM.” You are a Divine expression of Love, one with God.

What have you thought of so far that you are willing to release to go into 2026 with an open mind, freedom and peace in your heart? Each thing you are willing to release is a brick in the tower of imprisonment and isolation that you are tearing down. Let go of false beliefs. Let go of negative emotions. Let go of possessions that weigh you down. Make a commitment to let go of anger and repair broken relationships. Release relationships that tear you down. Are you willing to release anger and fear? Are you willing to release guilt and shame for prior mistakes? Are you willing to forgive yourself and let the mistakes go? Are you willing to forgive people who you believe hurt you and let it go?

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of good discipline.”

We are going to play the song “I Release What No Longer Serves Me” by Rev. Donna Michael from her album “I Feel Joy”, and while the song is playing, write down all that you are willing to release in order to go into 2026 free, with peace in your heart.

Play Song…

Now look at your list of things you are willing to release. Each one of those things is a brick in the tower of isolation, fear and judgment that you have built. Beginning at the top of the tower, begin throwing down each brick, one by one, see yourself dismantling the tower of anger, judgment and fear that you have built… Layer by layer, release all that no longer serves your highest good… Release all of the illusions… Release all of the negative emotions… Brick by brick, release all of the self-judgment and self-condemnation… Release all judgment and condemnation of others… Keep tossing the bricks down until the entire imprisoning tower is just a pile of rubble, a pile of nothingness… Now close your eyes, take some deep breaths and listen…

I am free… I am free from all that was holding me back… The tower of imprisonment has been torn down… I am free to move into 2026 without carrying burdens from the past. All of that has been released… I am free to live from my Soul… I am free to live a life of Divine Love, seeing the best in myself and in others… I am free to live with peace in my heart… I am free to be kind, caring and compassionate to myself and to all others… I am free to live a life of abundance, Divinely supplied with all I need in every moment, as I share my blessings with others… I am free to live a meaningful life, serving in the highest way… I am free to be a blessing… My name is Beloved… My name is I AM… My name is Love… And so it is…