Author: North Coast BBQ

When the Great Holiness
Divided its being
From one powerful greatness into two,
And then, in their lovemaking
Became one again,
Their passion rang out,
Over and under and through
All that was,
Proclaiming wordlessly,
Unendingly,
Through all the fathomless ethers,

“Let there be light and let there be darkness;
Let there be seemingly solid form
And formlessness;
Let there be soaring heights and places
Lower than low.

“Let there be bitterness and sweetness,
Weakness and strength,
Joy and sorrow,
And let there be all manner
Of essences
And differences.

“And then let all of these,
Our dearly beloved children,
Each of whom we have made
In our own separate yet united image,
Love one another
As we love,
Creating new life,
New pairings,
New wonders,
Entirely out of unity and oneness,

For the sake of all,
Forever,
And forever,
And for ever
In constantly expanding joy!”

Why then, you ask,
Has darkness lost favor with humankind,
Left out in the cold,
Unloved and misunderstood,
Distorted through condemnation
And neglect?

Why is the only
Accurately remembered portion
Of Divine Mother and Father’s
Impassioned proclamation
So often only the one tiny,
Out-of-context fragment,
“Let there be light?”

Where have the ancient scrolls
That reveal the sum total
Of those unspoken words
Been hidden?
And when will they be found?

Could it be that they await discovery
Within us?

Could it be
That we are in the process
Of finding them again,
In all their radiant wholeness,
Even now?

Laurie Hoff Schaad 8-19-21

A conversation with Eva Manderson, Director of Childcare Resource & Referral (Northwest
Regional ESD)

January 2026

This Q&A is based on an interview with Eva Manderson, Director of Childcare Resource &
Referral (Northwest Regional ESD). Listen to the full interview at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9cII1jp5aE

Social Media Superstars:
Who doesn’t love images of cats and kittens on the internet? If you love cats and are an avid social media user, we could use your help!  Whether posting our delightful kitties seeking forever homes, sharing important cat care tips or creating some buzz about an upcoming event, use your posting prowess to help United Paws reach out to thousands of potential adopters, donors and cat enthusiasts via Facebook, TikTok & more.  

Adoption Application Reviewers:
Adoption is the name of the game! There is nothing as satisfying as being a matchmaker for humans and felines, and it all starts with the adoption application.

Photographers/Videographers:
Handy at using that smart phone camera?  Love interacting with impossibly cute kittens and wonderful cats? Come capture the photo/video that opens the door to a loving forever home for our adoptable kitties! 

Whether you shoot with a smart phone or your digital Nikon or Canon, what matters most is capturing the marvelous personalities of these gorgeous felines.  Most often, it is an image that first grabs a potential adopter’s attention and draws them into reading more.  Once they learn how amazing that kitty really is, they hit the link to our Adoption Application!

Interested to learn more? Drop us a line at volunteer@unitedpaws.org or message us on our Facebook page.