Rise and Shine
Reclaiming Our Rightful Place
“RISE AND SHINE is a call to every spiritual seeker to do the work that is ours to do. Rev. Ann Marie weaves together keen insights lifting us higher in consciousness and stories encouraging us to fulfill our destiny as “lights of the world.” Chapter by chapter, revelation by revelation, life story by life story, we are not only called to rise and shine; we are shown the way to a life of practical spirituality. “
–Jim Rosemergy, minister and author “The Watcher,” “The Third Coming.”
A metaphysics primer! In this book of accessible wisdom, complex concepts are explained simply by author/teacher/minister Ann Marie. What you can comprehend, you can embody.Rev. Linda Martella-Whitsett, VP Unity Prayer Ministry at Unity World Headquarters, author Divine Audacity
Rise and Shine
You can live in the conscious experience where satisfaction and fulfillment are delightfully evident
An inner flame burns brightly at the core of each of us, along with an inner voice of wisdom that gently nudges us to course correct when we’ve made choices to live in an unhealthy/unloving manner.
There is an old Hindu legend that tells the story of a time when all men were gods, but they so abused their divinity that Brahma, the chief god, decided to take it away from men and hide it where they would never again find it. Where to hide it became the big question.
When the lesser gods were called in council to consider this question, they said, “We will bury man’s divinity deep in the earth.” But Brahma said, “No, that will not do, for man will dig deep down into the earth and find it.” Then they said, “Well, we will sink his divinity into the deepest ocean.” But again Brahma replied, “No, not there, for man will learn to dive into the deepest waters, will search out the ocean bed, and will find it.”
Then the lesser gods said, “We will take it to the top of the highest mountain and there hide it.” But again Brahma replied, “No, for men will eventually climb every high mountain on earth. He will be sure some day to find it and take it up again for himself.” Then the lesser gods gave up and concluded. “We do not know where to hide it, for it seems there is no place on earth or in the sea that man will not eventually reach.”
Then Brahma said, “Here is what we will do with man’s divinity. We will hide it deep down in man himself, for he will never think to look for it there.” Ever since then, the legend concludes, man has been going up and down the earth, climbing, digging, diving, exploring, searching for something that is already in himself.
Humankind continues to search to uncover this best kept secret, bypassing the Presence of the divine right within itself! It’s time for us to wake up from our ages-old sleep…to Rise and Shine our inner light as we reclaim our spiritual nature and return to our rightful place.
Ann Marie Acacio
Born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, PA, Rev. Ann Marie Acacio, with the support of her husband Bob and other interested Unity friends, began the first Unity ministry in NE Pennsylvania in September 1979. She felt blessed to celebrate the ministry’s 40th anniversary with them in 2019.
Ann Marie graduated from the Advanced Training program in Unity School of Christianity in 1983 and was licensed as a teacher of metaphysical studies by Unity Worldwide Ministries in 1984.
She continued to serve as Spiritual Leader and was accepted into the then-newly-created Field Licensing and Ordination Program at Unity in 1992, culminating in Ordination in May 1996.
She served on the Board of Unity Worldwide Ministries, Eastern Region for 10 years, including four years as president before her retirement in 2006. She served on Community of Inter-Faith Action (CIFA) and was a member of the Wyoming Valley Interfaith Council for 18 years, acting as president for six years.
Ann Marie has served in prison ministry for over 30 years and as Chaplain, conducting Chapel Services at various nursing and retirement homes. After retirement as senior minister of Unity Church in Wilkes-Barre, she started a wedding ministry in NE Pennsylvania, which she has now re-established in central Florida, since moving to The Villages.
She is also a certified Life Coach and Group Coach, having graduated from the Academy for Coaching Excellence in 2005.
Rev. Ann Marie and her husband, Bob, will celebrate 58 years of marriage in August 2021 with their three adult children and their spouses, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Her passion is (as she puts it) “being an itinerant teacher like my good Jewish friend, Jesus!”
She considers herself most blessed and very grateful!
