Two Ways To Be Fooled

A quote from Soren Kierkegaard: “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true." For me, social media is a way to keep up with loved ones who are far away, people close by, and cool happenings in town or otherwise. Of course, it is also the avenue for conspiracy theories and purveyors of horrid happenings. I truly believe most folks think they are helping others by warning them about trouble. The same holds true on the national level, when people warn us that Tom Hanks is a pedophile or that Hillary Clinton drinks baby’s blood. Hence, I come back to the sentiment in the Kierkegaard quote often: Am I being fooled by believing or not believing?? It has always seemed to me that truth just feels true. But with so much misinformation going around in everyone's heads, I think it's easier to be pulled into swirling, chaotic thoughts now than it used to be. It's rather like an approaching storm with its electric, exciting expectancy: will it be beautiful and cleansing or are we going to Oz? Hum...

"Science only can explain the incredible good and evil elements now coming to the surface. Mortals must find refuge in Truth in order to escape the error of these latter days. Nothing is more antagonistic to Christian Science than a blind belief without understanding, for such a belief hides Truth and builds on error."
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 83:6

“The idea for today simply states a fact. It is not a fact to those who believe in illusions, but illusions are not facts. In truth there is nothing to fear. It is very easy to recognize this. But it is very difficult to recognize it for those who want illusions to be true.”
—A Course in Miracles W-48.1:1-5

Giving Your All

Night-Blooming Cereus

Photo by Don Matt 

“Restraint is a very good partner to indulgence.” Hearing Nigella Lawson say this on The Great British Baking Show struck a chord deep within, as my tendency to overindulge is legendary in some circles. Not only with hedonistic pursuits, but when beginning a serious study of divine metaphysics in the 1990s, it was an all-encompassing lifestyle change. This was necessary to fill the gaps left by less-than-stellar practices which had come before. After children were grown, opening of an art gallery in our small tourist town offered an outlet for living the Love which was being realized in daily living. Everything was centered around promoting and growing that beautiful business, and it would still be in operation had life’s circumstances not stepped in. But back to the original quote from a great chef — restraint and indulgence are a beautiful pairing. I appreciate this wonderful baker who doesn’t need to eat everything she creates!

“Indirect proof of truth is needed in a world made of denial and without direction. You will perceive the need for this if you realize that to deny is the decision not to know. The logic of the world must therefore lead to nothing, for its goal is nothing. If you decide to have and give and be nothing except a dream, you must direct your thoughts unto oblivion. And if you have and give and are everything, and all this has been denied, your thought system is closed off and wholly separated from the truth. This is an insane world, and do not underestimate the extent of its insanity. There is no area of your perception that it has not touched, and your dream is sacred to you. That is why God placed the Holy Spirit in you, where you placed the dream.”
—A Course in Miracles T-14.I.2:1-8

“Let the slave of wrong desire learn the lessons of Christian Science, and he will get the better of that desire, and ascend a degree in the scale of health, happiness, and existence.”

—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 407:17-20

Truth is a Deep Kindness

Photo from Aaron Springston

“Truth is a deep kindness that teaches us to be content in our everyday life and share with the people the same happiness.” 

—Kahlil Gibran

“You do not recognize the enormous waste of energy you expend in denying truth. What would you say of someone who persists in attempting the impossible, believing that to achieve it is to succeed? The belief that you must have the impossible in order to be happy is totally at variance with the principle of creation. God could not will that happiness depended on what you could never have. The fact that God is Love does not require belief, but it does require acceptance.It is indeed possible for you to deny facts, although it is impossible for you to change them. If you hold your hands over your eyes, you will not see because you are interfering with the laws of seeing. If you deny love, you will not know it because your cooperation is the law of its being. You cannot change laws you did not make, and the laws of happiness were created for you, not by you.”
—A Course in Miracles T-9.I.11:1-9

“Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 57:18-21

Common Ground

This has been a beautiful day, which marks the ending of a wonderful week, visiting with grandbabies and their dad. Today was fun, with old friends stopping by to visit and a sunset visit to a friend’s buffalo ranch. The words from an old Beatles song have been going around in my mind for most of the day: I get by with a little help from my friends. While visiting with a woman who was like a second mother to my boys, I realized what a bond of friendship we share — even all these years later. We don’t see each other regularly, but when we’re together it’s still a closely-bonded relationship. A long term ex-husband was here and although we disagree on almost every topic you could choose, we still have a couple of points we can agree on: grandsons. These are common denominators, no matter what transpired between friends and family in the past — or the so-called future! So friends, I leave you with this thought: We’re all in this together! Namaste …

“With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 469:30-5

“You respond to what you perceive, and as you perceive so shall you behave. The Golden Rule asks you to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This means that the perception of both must be accurate. The Golden Rule is the rule for appropriate behavior. You cannot behave appropriately unless you perceive correctly. Since you and your neighbor are equal members of one family, as you perceive both so you will do to both. You should look out from the perception of your own holiness to the holiness of others.”
—A Course in Miracles T-1.III.6:1-7

A Day at the Museum

Art of Yayoi Kusama 

Crystal Bridges Museum Art Trail

“Great art picks up where nature ends.” This quote from Marc Chagall is a perfect statement to describe Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The architecture melds with the natural beauty surrounding it in ways which take your breath away. My sons and grandsons were the perfect companions for a day at the museum today. Watching the wonder in the children’s eyes and feeling the joy in my heart — What a day! And I am grateful …

“See how life springs up everywhere! The desert becomes a garden, green and deep and quiet, offering rest to those who lost their way and wander in the dust. Give them a place of refuge, prepared by love for them where once a desert was. And everyone you welcome will bring love with him from Heaven for you. They enter one by one into this holy place, but they will not depart as they had come, alone. The love they brought with them will stay with them, as it will stay with you. And under its beneficence your little garden will expand, and reach out to everyone who thirsts for living water, but has grown too weary to go on alone.”
—A Course in Miracles T-18.VIII.9:2-8

“The floral apostles are hieroglyphs of Deity. Suns and planets teach grand lessons. The stars make night beautiful, and the leaflet turns naturally towards the light.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 240:6-9

United By Empathy

Dan Rather’s book, What Unites Us, takes us on a journey. He is old enough to remember what life was like in the aftermath of the great depression, times before we had government programs to help people in need, along with the suffering which was thought of as normal. When someone lost their job, it felt like death, because there was not another job to be found. Neighbors would do what they could for each other, and when little Dan asked his mother why they were helping the people across the street (thinking perhaps it was pity which inspired his folks to give) he was told it wasn’t because they felt sorry for them, but because they understood the feeling of being in need. He writes of empathy building community. In the last three decades, I’ve watched our little town band together to help people in every kind of need that you can imagine. I have been the recipient of that kindness more than once, and it has built empathy within me, too. When we don’t blame people for their misfortune, we don’t judge their circumstances, but simply meet their need, whatever it may be. It seems so simple, and it is a beautiful thing to watch in action. I wish everyone in our country could read or listen to this book by Mr. Rather. Good will multiplies exponentially, don’t you think? Let’s go forth and multiply!

"Do we love our neighbor better because of this asking? Do we pursue the old selfishness, satisfied with having prayed for something better, though we give no evidence of the sincerity of our requests by living consistently with our prayer? If selfishness has given place to kindness, we shall regard our neighbor unselfishly, and bless them that curse us, but we shall never meet this great duty simply by asking that it may be done. There is a cross to be taken up before we can enjoy the fruition of our hope and faith."
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 9:6

“A miracle is a service. It is the maximal service you can render to another. It is a way of loving your neighbor as yourself. You recognize your own and your neighbor’s worth simultaneously.”
—A Course in Miracles T-1.I.18:1-4

Peace or Chaos

My grandchildren are presently visiting and it is a joyful time in our lives! Having not seen my son and his family for a year-and-four-months, this is particularly wonderful. Many of these daily writings are centered around peace, with a tendency to reiterate how it is found within yourself, no matter what craziness is swirling around you. It’s quite easy to be peaceful when living alone and having almost complete control of your environment. Add to the household a two- and four-year-old, then check out your peace barometer! It’s not easy being a parent, and some people take to it more naturally than others. Some feel the loud, high-pitched voices are an icepick in their ears; others can look at the little angels and see just that, no matter what. Bottom line, it’s easy to be calm on a mountaintop by yourself; the test is when you are interacting with people. Whatever you’re doing, there is always an opportunity to express more Love — with a capital “L”!

“Learn to be quiet in the midst of turmoil, for quietness is the end of strife and this is the journey to peace. Look straight at every image that rises to delay you, for the goal is inevitable because it is eternal. The goal of love is but your right, and it belongs to you despite your dreams.”
—A Course in Miracles T-12.II.5:5-7

“Spiritual living and blessedness are the only evidences, by which we can recognize true existence and feel the unspeakable peace which comes from an all-absorbing spiritual love.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 264:24-27