Below is a message from our Spiritual Director and Practitioner, Yvonne Cones, RScP.

I have been a Practitioner since 2005. I was President of the Science of Mind (SOM) Core Council in San Antonio when I decided to work towards becoming a Practitioner and after completing my Practitioner requirements, I taught SOM classes, as well as Dream Interpretation classes. I was twice co-chair of the management team that organized a large Rummage Sale fund raiser for Creative Life Spiritual Center. I have participated in Youth Programs by reading stories to children, been the Queen in a ‘Tea with The Queen’, presentation for the Youth, given a special Wednesday night talk, and sang with a Practitioner singing group called the The Practettes who performed popular spiritual music.

I have also been a frequent speaker in several other Spiritual Centers in Houston and surrounding areas. I became a Practitioner because I felt the need to expand my knowledge and to delve deeply into spiritual connection. For some years I have been the Spiritual Leader at CSL Houston. This is both a privilege and a blessing. I get so much from this group of people, they are a loving, generous and positive congregation! We moved into a much better space recently and this has made a big difference to our center. We were able to help Harvey victims along with Unity of Houston, Rev. Michael Gott’s church. We help several worthwhile charities too and are in return blessed by donations from other groups.

In my free time I serve as President of Shepherd Chamber of Commerce; President of the Friends of Shepherd Library; Secretary to Coldspring Chamber of Commerce and I am serving for a third term on Shepherd City Council. I am also a board member on the San Jacinto County Historical Commission and am publicity liaison for both our county’s Women’s League and Garden Club.

I write a weekly piece for the local Community News and the San Jacinto News Times. I found getting involved in volunteering was the best way to meet people and find my way around, once I moved to this small town on the edge of the National Forest. I like to garden, read and travel when I have time!

Centers for Spiritual Living supports the positive transformation of both our personal lives and the world itself.

At Centers for Spiritual Living, we teach people how to have a personal relationship with God. When we are deeply connected with Spirit, other areas of our lives fall into place — we can do more for others, be better stewards of the Earth, and bring more peace and harmony to the world.

What We Believe – Our Guiding Principles

We believe that the universe is spiritual and has intelligence, purpose, beauty, and order. Our beliefs are in harmony with all the world’s great spiritual teachings, and we honor all paths to God. Whether we call it God, Spirit, Energy, or Universal Intelligence, we are ever conscious that all people, places, and things emanate from this Universal Intelligence that is within us and all around us.

You and God are Inseparable

We believe that God is a Loving Intelligence, operating in and through all life, never separate from anyone or anything. Through study and spiritual practice we come to understand our oneness with this indwelling Divine Presence. We teach and practice a way of life where we can all learn how to live in accordance with spiritual principles. These principles, which we call the Science of Mind, are as reliable as the laws of physical science. We believe in Cause and Effect and teach that “It is done unto you as you believe.” In essence, your thinking and your expectations create your reality. By studying and applying spiritual laws, you can change your unconscious beliefs and create improved conditions in your life.

Be a Part of an Inclusive Community

Centers for Spiritual Living teaches a New Thought philosophy that incorporates affirmative prayer, meditation, healing, visioning, and other spiritual tools to help you lead a spiritual life, think positively, and love deeply. As a member of our community, you’ll find the spiritual tools to transform your personal life and make the world a more peaceful, harmonious, and prosperous place.

The New Thought tradition dates to the 1880s and has its roots in the Transcendentalist Movement of the 1830s. New Thought has an enduring and respected legacy that includes luminaries such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emma Curtis Hopkins, Phineas Quimby, and Walt Whitman. Some of the better known authors today whose writings represent our teachings are Michael Bernard Beckwith, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Byron Katie, Caroline Reynolds, and Eckhart Tolle, as well as many others.

Our teachings incorporate the ancient wisdom of all the spiritual traditions through the ages. People of all spiritual paths Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, New Age and others are welcome in our communities.

Affirmative-Prayer is a specific prayer technique taught by Dr. Ernest Holmes, founder of the United Centers for Spiritual Living. It is a five-step scientific method, designed after Jesus’s teachings; when you pray, pray believing. This type of prayer is based on the Principle of Oneness; that there is no separation between you and Spirit, God, Source, Divine Mother, call it what you will. This is not the stereotypical form of prayer in which people are found making demands, pleas, or begging to a distant, far-off ‘God’ who may or may not answer!

According to Dr. Ernest Holmes, “…treatment is the time, process and method necessary to the changing of our thought.” In its simplest explanation, treatment is affirmative prayer. By using a five-step formula, we are able to change the state of our thoughts so that we recognize the attributes of God, unify ourselves with those attributes, realize that our desired outcome is at hand, give thanks, and let God take over. Spiritual Mind Treatment is a powerful process that shifts our consciousness so that we can accept the good that is already present in our life.

Science of Mind uses a five-step affirmative prayer called spiritual mind treatment. The five steps are:

1. Recognition—know that God is all there is.

Remind yourself of the nature of life/god/spirit. This is the main ingredient in affirmative prayer: recognition. You must know what the nature of God is before going further. If, for example, you used to believe that God was an angry, vengeful God, now is the time to remind yourself of the greater truth. Remind yourself of the lawful and loving nature of God.

2. Unification—know that you are one with God.

Remind yourself that you come from life/spirit/god. If God exists and is everything good and wonderful, but you’re on the outside looking in, why even bother to pray? Remind yourself that God is the source and Creator of everything, including you, including your desire. This is another crucial ingredient in affirmative prayer.

3. Declaration—state your word for the circumstance you want to manifest.

Know life already is the thing or experience you want. If you can desire it, imagine it, picture it, it must exist in Mind. Otherwise, where did you get the idea? Remember, the first premise of Religious Science is there exists a fundamental Unity. There’s no place other than Mind to get your idea. For a truly effective prayer treatment, you want to keep contemplating spirit’s nature as your own; when you have an inner feeling of “YES!”, that’s when the realization arrives. When you open your eyes, your desire may not be sitting on the floor in front of you, but don’t be fooled…Mind is already at work unfolding it. If doubts arise… Don’t just turn away. Face them! Speak the truth about what you are fearing will or will not happen…for example, if you feel that you could never afford a new car, you might say, “Infinite Mind has given me this desire and along with it everything I need to let the power of law flow through me, manifesting my desire in perfection and joy. God IS supply; God IS wealth, so there is nothing to fear…because God is right where I am”.

4. Thanksgiving—give thanks for your word being acted upon by the Law of mind.

Know what you desire is yours. It is important to give thanks, because it acknowledges already having received the thing you desire. God doesn’t need your gratitude, however, to be fully aligned with the laws of the universe, you need to feel the feeling of gratitude. This is the “already having received” attitude which adds fuel to the fire of your affirmative prayer. This is why you have to know how you would feel if you had what you want right now.

5. Release—“And so it is!”

Letting go is a crucial step. When you’re done, your mind should be at peace, clear, unafraid, and watchful for signs of your desire showing up without becoming obsessive about it! LET the Law work through you and make your desire a physical reality! Remember, it isn’t about ‘getting’; it is about ‘letting’.

Of special note: While there are steps to follow, or ingredients to include in any affirmative prayer, also known as spiritual mind treatment, they don’t have to come in any particular order; there’s no need for them to follow a rigid pattern. The point is to build a consciousness which is whole, automatically creating the experience you’re desiring. This is all about engaging your mind, heart, and being with the creative power of the universe. How you get there is not all that important. This method does work, but it’s only the means to the end. Religious Science isn’t about a method; it’s about a more profound connection with Spirit.

There is no beseeching to or urge to compel an outside entity in spiritual mind treatment. As Ernest Holmes states in The Science of Mind:

Effective mental treatment is propelled by a consciousness of love and a realization that the Creative spirit is always at work….A treatment should be given in a calm, expectant manner and with a deep inner conviction of its reality, without any fear or any sense that the human mind must make it effective. The work is effective because the Law is always in operation.

All services for CSL Houston are virtual.  For more information email us at [email protected]

Sunday Service:
10:45 – Virtual session opens

11:00 – Service starts

12:00 – Service concludes

Prayer Group meets every week. All are welcome. Email us to confirm day and time ([email protected]).

The Center offers a convenient way to ask for spiritual support: online prayer requests. Your prayer request is sent to our prayer team, who are here to support and serve you.

The moment you decide to seek a greater experience, the healing begins. Complete the online prayer request form below. Know that your prayer request and any personal information will be kept entirely confidential.

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Sock Drive!   

(December 2021) 

Thank you to all who contributed out our sock drive!  What a wonderful joint project the The Home Church.  Over 700 pairs of socks were collected and distributed to Bay Area Turning Point and the Lee College Student Resource and Advocacy Center. 

Spiritual Principles and Practice Class

(July 2021)

Our first official Center for Spiritual Living Houston class was a great success!  Thank you Yvonne Cones, RScP for your spiritual leadership.  Congratulations to our completers: Rosita Hogan, Dianne Menard, Brian Orr, and Mary Scheible.  And thanks to Douglas Hord, RScP, for helping make the virtual event a great success.  Way to go!!

Happy New Year!  CSL Houston Survives and Prospers Remotely!

(January 3, 2021)

Journey Into Happiness – Julia Hanson (Facilitator)

(October 13, 2019)

With Julia as our amazing facilitator, CSL Houston was proud to host our first Journey Into Happiness training.

In these times of accelerating change, both individually and collectively, it is important we discover the stillness within that can anchor us while the storm outside rages.

The Journey Into Happiness takes you on a journey to access that deep stillness within. This journey leads to profound shifts and transformation.

Congratulations to Douglas Hord, RScP!

(August 18, 2019)

For the past year, Douglas has been instrumental at our Center as a member of our Board, a regular speaker, and countless other acts of support.  About a year ago and with encouragement from many, he decided to renew his practitioner’s license.  After lots of prayer, support from Rev. Patty, and a good score on the exam, it’s now official!  We welcome Practitioner Douglas Hord to our Center! CSL Houston is blessed to have Douglas as a member and now as one of our contributing practitioners. Congratulations, Douglas!

Happiness Meditation with Rev. Patty Rumpza

(April 28, 2019)

What a wonderful meditation!  Rev. Patty led us through a Happiness Mediation based on the teachings of Sri Amma Bhagavan. known for creating a space for greater peace, happiness, and the healing of hurts in family relationships. Rev. Patty is the Spiritual Director for CSL Grand Junction in Colorado and a very good friend of CSL Houston as our sponsoring minister. She never disappoints–bringing a lesson filled with her unique passion and Love! 

Our Beautiful Glass Emblem

(January 2019)

Thank you to Deborah Bradford for the donation of this beautiful glass Science of Mind emblem–a treasure that originally was displayed at the First Church of Religious Science Church in Houston which closed over a decade ago.  After being in storage for years, we finally found the perfect spot in our Center.  Thank you Rosita Hogan for having the foresight to include a space in the transition to our new location and to Douglas Hord for finding the right people to install!

A Gift of Music

(October 2018)

CSL Houston now has this beautiful piano!  Thank you to Ike and Rosemary Coffman for the donation which is a perfect fit for our Center.

Art Donations to the Center

(June 2018)

CSL Houston is honored to accept this beautiful artwork from Yvonne Cones, RScP. These are pieces from her late husband Temperley Newton who passed in 2004. The paintings are part of a series of meditative works that he did when he became interested in Science of Mind teachings.

Temperley had a great reputation, working in England as a decorative artist in Princess Diana’s country home, Althorp. He did specialized finishes, creating pieces resembling different kinds of marble or wood, and often used gold and silver or platinum leaf. He was also an artist, working in oils on many kinds of paintings. One of his meditative works was donated to CSL San Antonio with many other paintings hanging in homes around the world.

Our gratitude to Yvonne.

Summer Osbourne

(May 2018)

Imagine if Adele, Carole King, and Joss Stone had a love child… it would be Summer Osborne. Music is often described by genre, but Summer cannot be put into a category. She is a symphonic smorgasbord. Her music can loosely be described as folk soul, acoustic rock, and piano R&B… but you will hear glimpses of jazz, blues, and comedy. She writes and sings real music about real life, and every show is an emotional experience. It is the evolution of the soul – one song at a time.

CSL Houston is privileged to have Summer as our guest speaker and performer.  We look forward to her next visit.

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