September 28, 2014 - No Need to Wait

photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #271

“Christ's is the vision I will use today."

Many times in these past few days I've thought how much easier it is to see with Christ's vision when I'm home alone rather than when being bombarded by questions and noise. I've been judgmental toward others for many reasons. There was the man who opened our front door and shouted a question, without as much as a nod of thank you when he got an answer. Or the countless people who exclaim how great it is to find locally-made things, and then rush through the gallery without even looking at anything. I've found myself falling into the mindless rush of those who speak without thought. Then I grab onto the lifesaver of Truth which is always there waiting for me to notice, and I realize it doesn't matter what's going on around me. Does God wait for things to calm down before seeing the perfection inherent in all Being? As a reflection of divinity, I shan't wait either!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“This dual personality of the unseen and the seen, the spiritual and material, the eternal Christ and the corporeal Jesus manifest in flesh, continued until the Master’s ascension, when the human, material concept, or Jesus, disappeared, while the spiritual self, or Christ, continues to exist in the eternal order of divine Science, taking away the sins of the world, as the Christ has always done, even before the human Jesus was incarnate to mortal eyes.”

Science & Health Page 334:12-20

September 27, 2014 - Spiritual Vision

"It's All About the Leaves"
creation from Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #270

“I will not use the body's eyes today.”

During these times of shifting thought, many of us are frightened by the feelings and insights we are having. I love working with artists, and one of the reasons is that they fearlessly allow multi-dimensional energy into their experience. By the act of looking upon their palpably loving works of Art, I am guided to other ways of seeing. Their artistic expressions take me past the obvious into the ethereal. Every instance of this "seeing through the veil" brings us closer to our goal of seeing that way all the time. Slipping into the silence between thoughts, seeing past the obvious, listening within -- all this and more seeks our awareness. Listen, See, Be.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Spiritual vision is not subordinate to geometric altitudes. Whatever is governed by God, is never for an instant deprived of the light and might of intelligence and Life.”

Science & Health Page 215:11-13

September 26, 2014 - Your Face

ACIM Workbook Lesson #269

“My sight goes forth to look upon Christ's face.”

As we begin to understand our Oneness as the expression and experience of God, we realize that every time we look in the mirror or greet a friend or stranger, we're seeing the face of Christ. Jesus was here to teach us many things, but it all boils down to the Oneness factor. All the great prophets have told us the same thing: We are all the children of God. What a beautiful day it is seeing everyone in this light! Everywhere we are seeing people being inclusive rather than focusing on their differences and watching them multiply. I'm very happy for this lesson today, at a time when there are thousands of people in town who seem to want things from life which have nothing to do with peace. I vow to see the face of Oneness everywhere today!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The eternal Truth destroys what mortals seem to have learned from error, and man's real existence as a child of God comes to light.”

Science and Health Page 288:31–1

September 25, 2014 - One Cause

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #268

“Let all things be exactly as they are.”

Today's Course in Miracles lesson perfectly states the basis of Christian Science healing. The spiritual, metaphysical Truth is that there is no cause for anything unlike good, God, as God is the only Cause. Anything unlike God, good, can be challenged with divine authority. Erroneous thoughts of any sort are the same as a dark closet in a light room. When you open the door, the dark doesn't escape into the light. The light dispels the darkness. And so it is with our realization of the unrealities which seem so solid. When we open the door and acknowledge the Truth, anything unlike God, good, simply dissipates before the certainty of light. I needn't judge or condemn any seeming error. I need only acknowledge the Truth of how things are.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Human sense may well marvel at discord, while, to a diviner sense, harmony is the real and discord the unreal. We may well be astonished at sin, sickness, death. We may well be perplexed at human fear; and still more astounded at hatred, which lifts its hydra head, showing its horns in the many inventions of evil. But why should we stand aghast at nothingness?”

Science & Health Page: 563: 1-7

September 24, 2014 - Peaceful Possibilities

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #267

“My heart is beating in the peace of God"

Living the "peace of God" may seem like a fantasy to those who abide by the laws of materiality. Some think that in order to live this way they would have to be delusional, or sticking their heads in the sand, or denying reality in favor of wishful thinking. But many of us don't! When you know the Truth of being, put it into practice in daily life, and watch the demonstration of it bloom in your every activity, your "heart is beating in the peace of God". And that state of mind does more for the world than all the preaching we may be tempted to do!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“More effectual than the forum are our states of mind, to bless mankind”

Pulpit and Press, p. 87

September 23, 2014 - Mastering Belief

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #266

“My holy Self abides in you, God's Son.”

Peace is a state of mind. We can feel the epitome of peace in the midst of turmoil. At other times, we may be in an oasis of stillness but, due to our tumultuous state of mind, be experiencing stress and upset. It helps me to know that we are all the "son of God". With this realization, I am able to see everything through the eye of divine Love. This is not to say that I'm always calm. Sometimes I forget I am the idea of God, and that everyone else is, too. At those times, who knows how I may be interpreting events! In a state of forgetfulness, I am at the mercy of material belief, being swayed by thought systems which were put in place long before my appearance in this world. But when I remember my holy Self, things appear differently to me. And there is peace.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“He that touches the hem of [the] Christ’s robe and masters his mortal beliefs, animality, and hate, rejoices in the proof of healing,—in a sweet and certain sense that God is Love”.

Science & Health Page 569: 11-14

September 22, 2014 - Gentleness

Mt. Timpanogos Goat
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #265

"Creation's gentleness is all I see."

Creation's gentleness is everywhere, but often is covered up by belief in harshness. More and more we're seeing animals showing us the way to being gentle with each other. In our realization of Oneness, we're beginning to understand that if violence is done to or by one, it's done to or by All. And we're allowing our thought to change from fear and anger to Love and gentleness. There may still be many people who want to stay with the old paradigm and say it's necessary for heinous acts to be committed. But there are more people everyday who realize the error of this and know it's possible for the lion to lay down with the lamb.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The new birth is not the work of a moment. It begins with moments, and goes on with years; moments of surrender to God, of childlike trust and joyful adoption of good; moments of self-abnegation, self-consecration, heaven-born hope, and spiritual love.” Miscellaneous Writings, 1883-1896, p. 15

September 21, 2014 - Unchanging Love

"Classic Car Parade"
photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #264

“I am surrounded by the Love of God.”

Some days I feel like a used car salesman -- only selling different things in an art gallery. "What do I need to do to put this lovely Van Hollow Pottery platter in your home??!!" Recently, I really had fun with this. There was a young woman from a nearby college town who fell in love with one of our outstanding Ashiko drums. I gave her a deep discount so she could take it home. The fun banter the customers and I had going on made for a delightful, Love-filled day. It's easy to get grumpy when things don't flow smoothly, and it's easy to be happy when they do. Recognizing that I Am surrounded by the Love of God makes it easier to stay on an even keel, because this Love is something which does not change.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The very circumstance, which your suffering sense deems wrathful and afflictive, Love can make an angel entertained unawares.”

Science & Health Page 574: 27-30

September 20, 2014 - Pure Sight

"Gallery Stroll in Eureka Thyme"

ACIM Workbook Lesson #263

“My holy vision sees all things as pure.”

When I first started greeting the public in my capacity as a gallery proprietress, there were many things people said to which I reacted negatively. If someone criticized the art, I would feel defensive. When people talked about politics and such, I would feel annoyed and perhaps angry. I see these things differently now. I find myself simply witnessing what is said in regard to our art and artists, with no feeling one way or another toward their comments. If someone wants to talk about their strong opinions, I smile and change the subject, with no worry about what they may think. If I happen to fall into old thought patterns, that's okay. I acknowledge what has made me uncomfortable and give a nod of gratitude for the ability to choose again.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“When we learn that error is not real, we shall be ready for progress, ‘forgetting those things which are behind.’”

Science & Health Page 353:22-24

September 19, 2014 - No Differences in Love

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #262

“Let me perceive no differences today.”

William Blake says it well: "I am in you and you in me, mutual in divine Love". I understand this to mean that the perfection we are learning to see as ourselves also is everyone else. I often tell people “We’re all in this together”, but I think I’ll change it to “We are all this – together!” I love the study of the Science of Being! Every day, every moment, revelations of thought bring me to a deeper understanding of how this Truth sets us free. I am learning what it means when I affirm that that God is Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love. It's a joy to expand thought to include myself in that definition, as a reflection of All that Is!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“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.”

Science and Health Page 469:30–5

September 18, 2014 - Secure Refuge

photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACiM Workbook Lesson #261

“God is my refuge and security."

It's easy to feel my security comes from physical things and my refuge is my home. I feel so safe and happy and often find myself expressing gratitude out loud for the peace and comfort I find here. To say that "God is my refuge and security" is, I feel, saying the same thing, but even more expansively and inclusively. As I learn to trust what is invisible to the human eye but palpable deep within mySelf, peace becomes possible no matter what the circumstance. Of course, it's easy to forget and become caught up with hectic circumstances in daily life. But the process of discovering Truth is an adventure which is never-ending. That's why I love it so much! No matter how much I come to know, there is always more.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Citizens of the world, accept the ‘glorious liberty of the children of God,’ and be free! This is your divine right. The illusion of material sense, not divine law, has bound you, entangled your free limbs,

crippled your capacities, enfeebled your body, and defaced the tablet of your being.”

Science & Health Page 227:24-29

September 17, 2014 - Experience and Expression

"Aaron"
photo by Nick Franchi

ACIM Workbook Lesson #260

“Let me remember God created me.”

I Am the experience and expression of God. We are learning what that means and it's a wonderful adventure! For too many years, high officials of churches have tried to tell us that we are mortal sinners and the only way we can gain favor with God is to go through them, performing odd penances and other rituals which I feel certain have nothing to do with the Oneness we are embracing. God Is; I Am. There really isn't anything else to say, but yet there is so much! We have questions that seem unanswerable, but perhaps that's because we have been told there are many things we must simply accept because we can't understand. Through the study of divine metaphysics, we find there are no unanswerable questions. In this remembering, I find there are no dead ends where I must simply "believe", relying on blind faith alone. God is as close as I am to myself, and all answers lie within, available for the asking -- and, most importantly, for the listening!! Remembering what is true leaves me with a wonderful peace. I am most grateful.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Infinite Mind creates and governs all, from the mental molecule to infinity. This divine Principle of all expresses Science and art throughout His creation, and the immortality of man and the universe. Creation is ever appearing, and must ever continue to appear from the nature of its inexhaustible source. Mortal sense inverts this appearing and calls ideas material. Thus misinterpreted, the divine idea seems to fall to the level of a human or material belief, called mortal man. But the seed is in itself, only as the divine Mind is All and reproduces all--as Mind is the multiplier, and Mind's infinite idea, man and the universe, is the product. The only intelligence or substance of a thought, a seed, or a flower is God, the creator of it."

Science & Health Page 507:24-6

September 16, 2014 - Pure Eyes

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #259

“Let me remember that there is no sin.”

In these "remember" lessons, I have been making an effort to forgive myself the things I continue to feel guilty for and about. There are only a few, but they recur in thought like the moon making an orbit. Today while talking to a friend, she told me how it took her a long, long time to forgive someone who accused her of terrible things years ago. After we finished talking I wondered if we ever truly forgive as long as we remember the occurrence. I have a feeling that some day I won't remember these things I hold onto today, they will simply be gone from thought because God is "of purer eyes than to behold iniquity", and I'm a reflection of that perfection. 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Question: Is there no sin?

Answer: All reality is in God and His creation, harmonious and eternal. That which He creates is good, and He makes all that is made. Therefore the only reality of sin, sickness, or death is

the awful fact that unrealities seem real to human, erring belief, until God strips off their disguise. They are not true, because they are not of God.”

Science & Health Page 472:23-30

September 15, 2014 - Emptiness Filled

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #258

“Let me remember that my goal is God.”

Many of us have gone through life feeling that something is missing; that there's an empty place which can never be filled. When we discover that it's not something lacking in us, we get very excited! This mind training, which is spoken of in today's lesson, is not a system of mind control, it's not hypnotism or cult-like obedience -- on the contrary! We train our mind to recognize and release all the "senseless aims ... and pointless little goals" which have become life practices and learned behaviors. The insights and answers which appear in our lives through spiritual awareness are often thought of as serendipitous, which implies an element of luck. This is yet again something we have made up to explain the inexplicable. But spiritual sense needs no explanation! A mere glimpse through the eye of Spirit is enough to convince us of our true Identity.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Spiritual sense is a conscious, constant capacity to understand God. It shows the superiority of faith by works over faith in words. Its ideas are expressed only in ‘new tongues;’ and these are interpreted by the translation of the spiritual original into the language which human thought can comprehend.”

Science & Health Page 209:31-4

September 14, 2014 - My Purpose?

Utah Sunset
photo by Nick Franchi

ACIM Workbook Lesson #257

“Let me remember what my purpose is.”

What is my purpose? I'm sure we were taught as young children to have goals, to want to "be" something, to have a life plan. I never did very well at that, and I'm sure many of you didn't either. It never felt right to decide what should be and then do everything possible to make that happen. So when I'm told that my purpose is to discard all my beliefs and listen inwardly, to allow myself to know God and have that as my one goal -- well, I'm just delighted!! My purpose is to know God, and thereby to know myself as an expression of divine Mind. I want to understand what it means to be animated by Spirit, led by Soul, guided by Principle, and to shine forth with Life, Truth, and Love. What a lofly, yet simple, goal! One thing have I desired ...

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Jesus urged the commandment, Thou shalt have no other gods before me," which may be rendered: Thou shalt have no belief of Life as mortal; thou shalt not know evil, for there is one Life,-- even God, good. He rendered "unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." He at last paid no homage to forms of doctrine or to theories of man, but acted and spake as he was moved, not by spirits but by Spirit."

Science & Health Page 19:29-5

September 13, 2014 - One Goal

photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #256

“God is the only goal I have today.”

It may seem simplistic (and perhaps impossible) to state that I'm only going to think about God today. But when I analyze this thought, it's pretty inclusive! If it's true that God is All, that God is synonymous with Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, and Love -- as Mary Baker Eddy declares -- then how can we do anything other than think of God?? When seeing ourselves as a reflection of God, embodying all these attributes of God, it becomes easier to see ourselves as the consciousness of all good, from which nothing need be added nor taken away. What effect can there be, what end result can occur, other than a realization that God is all there is? And so it will be easy to attain this goal today, because nothing else exists!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“There is but one primal cause. Therefore there can be no effect from any other cause, and there can be no reality in aught which does not proceed from this great and only cause.”

Science & Health Page 207:20-22

September 12, 2014 - Perfect Peace

"Melonlight Dance sStudio"

ACiM Workbook Lesson #255

“This day I choose to spend in perfect peace."

There's a delightful new business in our little town: Melonlight Dance Studio. These talented people have moved here from Colorado and chose our town after driving through it in the middle of the night. They say they felt such peace and love in that first drive-through that they immediately began to look for a way to move here with their fun enterprise. Tonight, they showed us just how much fun they're bringing to us! We experienced Dancing With the Eureka Stars. Wow!! They found ten well-known residents with little to no dance experience and put on a show with them that will go down in history as one of our most fun events ever!! Seeing an auditorium full of people who are in love with our town and each other was so inspiring. Everyone who witnessed this "happening" will be going to sleep with a smile on their face. When I open my eyes in the morning, I look forward to spending a few moments dwelling in perfect peace. Choosing to keep that feeling -- priceless!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Japhet (Noah’s son). A type of spiritual peace, flowing from the understanding that God is the divine Principle of all existence, and that man is His idea, the child of His care.”

Science & Health Page 589:8-11

September 11, 2014 - A Sure Result

"Moon Over Utah"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM  Workbook Lesson #254

“Let every voice but God's be still in me.”

"Let's set our intention for a good result!" These were the unexpected words I heard over the telephone while working with a tech person in a far-away country. At their best, these encounters can be stressful, so I was particularly delighted to hear this! And it has stuck with me.  I find this thought helpful in assimilating today's topic. . Telling ourselves that we want to still all voices other than divine Mind, but not really knowing what that is, can be confusing and perhaps frightening. So I choose to set the intention for a good result, without dictating what that result might be. This eternal, all-knowing Mind which I will listen for will show forth in Life, Truth, Love. Neither do I know how this will happen, nor do I want to. Trusting as the plants trust the sun to shine on them is my goal. I know nothing and everything. As nature flows, so may I.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Nature voices natural, spiritual law and divine Love, but human belief misinterprets nature. Arctic regions, sunny tropics, giant hills, winged winds, mighty billows, verdant vales, festive flowers, and glorious heavens,--all point to Mind, the spiritual intelligence they reflect. 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.”

Science & Health Page 240:1-9

September 10, 2014 - Reflecting Good

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #253

“My Self is ruler of the universe.

Every day's lesson is leading us to the same end. We are learning that we have a choice. We can accept ourselves as limited humans, or we can learn to recognize ourselves as spiritual beings. How does this recognition come about? By continually turning away from the material picture and knowing spiritual truth. It's easy to fall into the ego's trap of looking at the mortal situation and trying to turn it into something spiritual. And we, with our material thinking, cannot do anything but that. So let's stop analyzing and simply know a truth -- any truth which allows our mind to be cleared of the temptation to analyze and fix. Two times two equals four might work for you, but I prefer something like this: "I Am the infinite reflection of divine Mind". Whatever truth comes to you, clear your thought and then give it to God, if you will. Sit quietly and listen if you have a moment, or go about your business with an open heart. Let's live every moment in the conscious awareness of good!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The pains of sense are salutary, if they wrench away false pleasurable beliefs and transplant the affections from sense to Soul, where the creations of God are good, "rejoicing the heart." Such is the sword of Science, with which Truth decapitates error, materiality giving place to man's higher individuality and destiny."

 Science & Health Page 265:31-5

September 9, 2014 - Our Identity

"Eureka Thyme"
photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #252

“The Son of God is my Identity."

The gallery I choreograph has been open for ten years, and we're looking forward to celebrating all its splendor next month. The entity called Eureka Thyme is a product of every artist whose work has been represented by us, along with every appreciator who has walked through our doors, and anyone who loves local art in our quirky tourist town. Its identify is a clear reflection of the Love which comprises it. This is a good definition for our identity, too!  So when I think of "my identity", I won't think of my name or all the other indicators. I'll ask to know my true identity as a reflection of God.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Identity is the reflection of Spirit, the reflection in multifarious forms of the living Principle, Love."

Science & Health Page 472:20-22

September 8, 2014 - One Thing

"Utah Early Fall"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #251

“I am in need of nothing but the truth."

How reassuring it is to know I need nothing but the Truth! All worry and anxiety disappear when I'm not chasing something illusive which I can't quite name. Oh, sure, we may put lots of names on these things we seek in good faith, totally believing they will bring us the happiness we crave -- names like success, fame, marriage. The list of personal fulfillments desired can be quite long. We are even encouraged to make lists of these goals, to create affirmations surrounding them, to hold them in thought until they become realities in our existence. At this point, I must quote a Bible verse: "Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and all these things shall be added unto you." And this kingdom is found within, in the understanding and acceptance of our Source.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Dost thou ‘love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind’? This command includes much, even the surrender of all merely material sensation, affection, and worship. This is the El Dorado of Christianity. It involves the Science of Life, and recognizes only the divine control of Spirit, in which Soul is our master, and material sense and human will have no place.”

Science & Health Page 9:17-24

September 7, 2014 - Supernatural or Supremely Natural?

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #250

“Let me not see myself as limited."

Thinking of ourselves as unlimited contradicts everything we've been taught. Many of our first memories are of being told to be careful or else something dire will happen. Quantum physics is helping us to understand that form isn't as solid as we've been told. With that understanding, it becomes clear that many limitations we've placed upon ourselves are nothing more than beliefs in material laws. Limitations are discarded when an athlete breaks a record in the Olympics, or if someone performs a seemingly-impossible feat like lifting a car off of trapped loved ones. We've all heard people tell tales we think of as supernatural, such as falling great distances and feeling as though they landed on a cushion, or so-called incurable diseases disappearing. The first Wayne Dyer book I read was "When You Believe It, You'll See It!" I was so excited to see that mainstream thought was shifting! Now, I'm not suggesting we exchange one human belief for yet another, but that we look to divine Mind to tell us the truth of our being and that we allow ourselves to be led in paths we wouldn't have considered otherwise. Thought is shifting so rapidly at this time! Let's not be afraid to listen.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“It would require an infinite form to contain infinite Mind. Indeed, the phrase infinite form involves a contradiction of terms. Finite man cannot be the image and likeness of the infinite God. A mortal, corporeal, or finite conception of God cannot embrace the glories of limitless, incorporeal Life and Love. Hence the unsatisfied human craving for something better, higher, holier, than is afforded by a material belief in a physical God and man. ” Science & Health Page 257: 30-6

September 6, 2014 - Love Stories

:Moab, Utah"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #249

“Forgiveness ends all suffering and loss."

I love the stories I hear every day in the gallery: A 68-year-old woman celebrating a first marriage to a man she's been friends with for 15 years. A woman who is dying of cancer and just bought beautiful red shoes to wear to her impending chemotherapy (which she described as throwing a bucket of water at a forest fire). A child-like middle-aged man who spent quite some time telling me about Sheldon on a TV show called The Big Bang Theory. A woman who gave away her home and all her belongings to her children and moved to a remote area in the woods, riding and tending to horses and building a rustic cabin while living in a small make-shift abode. Her friends all think she's lost her mind; I think she's found it! People share the most astonishing things with me! I'm so happy to not be afraid to laugh in the face of death, cry happy tears with stories of romantic weddings, giggle along with childish tales, and cheer on a woman brave enough to follow her dream!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“God fashions all things after His own likeness. Life is reflected in existence, Truth in truthfulness, God in goodness, which impart their own peace and permanence. Love, redolent with unselfishness, bathes all in beauty and light."

Science & Health Page 516:9-13

September 5, 2014 - Eternity

"Utah Salt Flats"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #248

“Whatever suffers is not part of me."

The words, "Whatever suffers is not a part of me" could be taken as an unfeeling, heartless statement.  I don't see it as  denying the feelings we have in favor of a hardness which excludes emotion. On the contrary! I see it as an expression of pure Love which allows us to pass through illusions into the reality of good, God. The passing of a loved one may be difficult in many ways, but I really think the myths we have concocted surrounding death do more harm than good. We tell children they'll see grandma in heaven. We say things like, God took her to be with him because she was so good. What lies we tell ourselves in the name of kindness! As we begin to understand divine reality, we are able to let loose the stories we tell ourselves in favor of the Truth which sets us free. I'll always remember reading "Beloved Prophet", the story of Kahlil Gibran and the woman who loved him. She sat at his funeral with a peaceful smile on her face. When asked why she wasn't upset, she responded that she had never felt closer to him. What a lovely realization of Oneness and eternity!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“A blundering dispatch, mistakenly announcing the death of a friend, occasions the same grief that the friend's real death would bring. You think that your anguish is occasioned by your loss. Another dispatch, correcting the mistake, heals your grief, and you learn that your suffering was merely the result of your belief. Thus it is with all sorrow, sickness, and death. You will learn at length that there is no cause for grief, and divine wisdom will then be understood. Error, not Truth, produces all the suffering on earth.”

Science & Health Page 386:16-25

September 4, 2014 - Forgive and See

"Utah Fall"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #247

“Without forgiveness I will still be blind."

Do you have an incident from childhood which has stayed with you, perhaps even affecting the way you live today? I know someone who, as a young child, caught her mother in a compromising position with a man other than her father. She refuses to marry. I know a man who found his father dead from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. His whole life is a series of dramatic events which he blames on that incident. I'm sure you know many stories, too. This Disappearance of the Universe, a book by Gary Renard speaks to these events and more. When we let go of beliefs, we can turn loose our history, also. I love hearing stories of people who live through horrendous-seeming events and remain not only happy but proactive. This thing we call forgiveness isn't some sort of divine pardon, but a yielding within ourselves to purity of thought, without the impediments of holding on to memories of wrongdoing, resentment, and pain of all sorts. This yielding includes the release of things which we think have been done to us and things we think we have done to others. So let's choose again, rest in Love, and go forward, with joy!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Sin was, and is, the lying supposition that life, substance, and intelligence are both material and spiritual, and yet are separate from God,”

Retrospection and Introspection (p. 67).

September 3, 2014 - Chainmail of Love

ACIM Workbook Lesson #246

“To love my Father is to love His Son."

"Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you." This Mary Baker Eddy quote is one of my favorites, which I've always thought of as meaning that the human hatred others feel cannot reach me when I'm wearing the armor of divine Love. I now see that it includes the hatred I may feel toward others, also. It's very easy for me to think that I don't hate anyone or anything. Actually, it's a word I have pruned from my vocabulary and simply do not use. BUT if I am irritated by another's actions or words, or if I replay a past situation in my mind which caused anger in the past, or if I allow criticism to gnaw at me and I think of retaliatory statements which could have been said -- isn't that human hatred? Wearing this cloak of Love calms these nagging feelings and thoughts. I know that if I'm wearing the protection of Love, hatred cannot enter from inside or out!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"God is universal; confined to no spot, defined by no dogma, appropriated by no sect. Not more to one than to all, is God demonstrable as divine Life, Truth, and Love; and His people are they that reflect Him -- that reflect Love."

Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896 Page 150

September 2, 2014 - Unspeakable Peace

ACIM Workbook Lesson #245

“Your peace is with me, Father.  I am safe."

Although I know that peace is a choice within my own self, I really want to share it with everyone, everywhere. It has taken quite a while to grasp the concept that the only thought I can change is my own. After spending years trying to change thoughts and actions of  husbands and friends, I think it was my children who finally taught me the meaning of Oneness. I could watch the mood of the household change with my emotions. Holding to peace within myself is all I can do. Jumping on the bandwagon of resentment and other negative emotions can seem impossible to avoid, but it doesn't seem as difficult now to simply witness these things without becoming a part of them.  While I can't change what anyone else is thinking or feeling or experiencing, I can adjust my vision of reality. Every thought is important! We are all in this together, in every way, at every moment. Today I will make an effort to see everything through the eyes of Love.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“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.”

Science & Health Page 264:24-27