Happy Renewal!

art by Judith Ann Griffith

For many of us, the celebrations of Easter hold negative trigger words such as salvation, resurrection, crucifixion. When we look at the metaphorical meaning of those words, we can relax into an understanding which is different from the traditional storytelling about the murder of Jesus. I’m not going to delve into those interpretations as you all know them as well as I — perhaps better, depending upon your religious background. No matter what we have believed, we’re asked to put down the sword and pick up the flowers, carrying forth the light of forgiveness and recognizing ourSelves in the light of the Christ. I believe this is what Jesus was trying to tell us in his beautiful teachings. If you want some affirmative videos this Sunday morning, search on youtube for Easter/David Hoffmeister. Happy Easter everyone! May the bunnies bring you joy!

"Resurrection: Spiritualization of thought; a new and higher idea of immortality, or spiritual existence; material belief yielding to spiritual understanding."

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 592:9-11

To Judge or Not

In reading a Facebook private message sent by an old man-friend, I was extremely tempted to judge his words. While I’ve moved past what we had 30-plus years ago, he continues to bring up detailed summaries which I would rather not contemplate. I tell myself that I have better things to think about. This implies that he does not. That is a judgment. Every thought I’ve had about this communication feels unnecessary. As I sat and contemplated his words and my reactions, I realize that it simply is what it is. There is no reason for me to think about it as good or bad; it just is. Once again, I turn to the ancient Toltec wisdom as interpreted by Don Miguel Ruiz in "The Four Agreements": I will not make assumptions, and I will not take anything personally. I'm grateful to be learning to rely on divine Mind and release the circular thoughts of mortal mind!

“It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science and Health Page 467:9-13

Unspeakable Peace

PC: Aaron Springston

Although I know peace is a choice within my own self, I would love 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 used to seem impossible to avoid, but I don’t find it 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.

“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

Higher Cravings

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Quantum physics is helping us to understand that form isn't as solid as we've been told. With that understanding, it becomes clear how 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 rapidly shifting at this time. Let's not be afraid!

“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. ” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 258: 2-6

You May Be Right About That!

photo credit: Aaron Springston

I love Mary Baker Eddy’s advice to neither see, hear, nor repeat any imperfection -- no matter that our material senses indicate differently. It seems most people want you to join in their misery, so the goal of hearing and repeating only good becomes an interesting exercise. I find myself simply witnessing, without comment, while engaging in lots of smiling. A good friend taught me to say, "You may be right about that!" This is a good comment to make just before wandering away from the negative or combative person. I'm sure many think I'm daft, but that's okay. I often tell people I wake up in a new world every day, and this excuses many of my actions, as they think I'm addlepated and so forgive me -- or at least they don't push me for comments! Whatever the case, it's all right as long as I don't feel that uneasiness which comes from not living Truth.

“Let discord of every name and nature be heard no more, and let the harmonious and true sense of Life and being take possession of human consciousness.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science and Health Page 355:11-14

The Holiest Spot

photo credit: Aaron Springston

"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!

“The holiest of all the spots on earth is where an ancient hatred has become a present love.” A Course in Miracles

Vote!

Do you know anyone who doesn’t vote? I have been surprised to hear that some of my dearest, smartest friends haven’t done so in years. While this is disheartening, I find great solace in the fact that so many young people are now standing up and challenging long-held belief systems which have kept us tied to ways of living which no longer (perhaps never!) served us as a nation, as a world. Now, while momentum is flowing, is the time to encourage everyone to register to vote. If people say they can’t vote for all the obvious reasons, help them vote early at the court house, or obtain an absentee ballot if they’re out of town. Let’s keep our nation free by exercising our right to speak and vote!

“The elements and functions of the physical body and of the physical world will change as mortal mind changes its beliefs.” Mary Baker Edy - Science & Health Page 125:1-2

Purity of Thought

PC: Aaron Springston

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. The Disappearance of the Universe, a book by Gary Renard, speaks to these events and more. When we release our 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!

“The more material a belief, the more obstinately tenacious its error; the stronger are the manifestations of the corporeal senses, the weaker the indications of Soul.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 144:10-13

A Conscious Awareness of Good - March 23, 2018

photo cedit: Aaron Springston

We have a choice of  accepting 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 human 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 listen. Sit quietly, if you have a moment, or go about your business with an open heart and uncluttered thought. Let's live every moment in the conscious awareness of good!

“…Truth decapitates error, materiality giving place to man's higher individuality and destiny." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 266:4-5

Remembering Truth

photo credit: Aaron Springston

God Is; I Am. There really isn't anything else to say, but yet there is so much! We have questions which 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.

“This mental fermentation has begun, and will continue until all errors of belief yield to understanding. Belief is changeable, but spiritual understanding is changeless.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 96:22-24

A Secure Adventure

"Grotto Spring" - PC: Aaron Springston

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. 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.

“Citizens of the world, accept the ‘glorious liberty of the children of God,’ and be free! This is your divine right.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 227:24-25

Living Love Out Loud

photo credit: Aaron Springston

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. 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; they 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. We’re living love out loud, proudly!

“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.” Mary Baker Eddy - Miscellaneous Writings, 1883-1896, p. 15

Peace or Turmoil

photo credit: Aaron Springston

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.

“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”. Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 569: 11-14

Peace in Action

photo credit: Kailey Jones 

Living a peaceful existence may seem like a fantasy. Some may think in order to live this way they would need to be sticking their heads in the sand or, perhaps, denying reality in favor of wishful thinking. I’ve mentioned many times how much my children and pets teach me, and I love seeing them continuing to do so! My son, Aaron, recently was vacationing in Japan following a working trip to South Korea. On his last night there, he broke his ankle. In listening to his description of getting home, I was struck by how calm and peaceful he was through the whole experience. He went so far as to say it may be the best way to travel, as everyone was so helpful as he rode in a wheelchair, zipping through customs and other time-consuming airport activities. I love seeing peace in action!

“More effectual than the forum are our states of mind, to bless mankind” Mary Baker Eddy - Pulpit and Press, p. 87

Seeing Past the Obvious

Ken and Sandy Starbird - pc: Judy Rhodes

During these times of shifting thought, many of us are frightened by the feelings and insights we are having. I loved working with artists on a daily basis, one reason being how 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.

“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.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 215:11-13

Peace is a State of Mind

I've heard it said that the older we get, the less things bother us. In earlier years, when I was bothered by everything, it seemed impossible that this could be so. While it seems to be true now, I see plenty of people riper in years who are much-bothered all the time! My conclusion is that peace is a state of mind. As we cultivate an awareness of the presence of Love within ourselves, it becomes natural to turn to that gentleness in times of seeming turmoil. This peace is always there, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. Today I look forward to relishing its gentle presence every moment.

“Mind demonstrates omnipresence and omnipotence, but Mind revolves on a spiritual axis, and its power is displayed and its presence felt in eternal stillness and immovable Love.” Mary Baker Eddy - From Retrospection and Introspection Page 88-89

Scatter Joy

photo credit: Aaron Springston

I saw a movie in which a character was hit in the head, had a blood clot, and became happy all the time. Since happiness cannot be contained and overflows with no expectations, wonderful things began to happen. He ran a very large, profit-oriented company which had always catered to the prospering of the business, not the contentment of the employees. After he became happy, he built a daycare center, gave everyone raises in salary, and began to see money as a tool rather than a goal. Then his children became angry because the company wasn't making as much money and they were afraid. While he recognized what was important in life, his children wanted him to go back to his money-based way of living, fearing they wouldn't have enough. He was living Love; they were living fear. We see it every day, don't we? I vow today to support every act of Love-based living I see. While we can't set out to eradicate fear, we can scatter joy and happiness, and watch Love blossom.

"As human thought changes from one stage to another of conscious pain and painlessness, sorrow and joy, — from fear to hope and from faith to understanding, — the visible manifestation will at last be man governed by Soul, not by material sense." Mary Baker Eddy quote - Science & Health Page 125:12-16

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A universal shift in thought is upon us and we're each feeling it in our own way. The understanding that our true identify is spiritual, and that we aren't bound by any material beliefs, is bringing us to a tipping point in thought. Mass media and collective human consciousness tell us what to expect from material laws of cause and effect. Just think about how many things have been "proven" untrue which we learned as "fact" at some point. We can laugh when we see old advertisements proclaiming that lard makes families happy, or that cigarettes are good for you, but many of us are frightened by giving up the crutches we have relied on for years. Today I will notice the appearance of long-held beliefs telling me what is good and bad for me. I'll let them go and listen within for Truth!

“Laws of nature are laws of Spirit; but mortals commonly recognize as law that which hides the power of Spirit. Divine Mind rightly demands man's entire obedience, affection, and strength. No reservation is made for any lesser loyalty. Obedience to Truth gives man power and strength. Submission to error superinduces loss of power.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 183:19-25

Direct Connectedness

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Physicists tell us of a perspective called quantum entanglement, in which particles separate yet remain connected, reacting to stimuli in the same way even though they no longer occupy the same space. In a book by Dan Cowan, Mind Underlies Spacetime, he explains, "...this direct connectedness occurs because each real entity is already everywhere." How perfectly this explains Oneness! This omnipresence is our perfect identity, without boundaries. We are free!!

“The admission to one's self that man is God's own likeness sets man free to master the infinite idea.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 90:24-25

I'm a Dreamer

"Imagine" by John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today... 

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace... 

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will be as one 

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world... 

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will live as one

“Love is priestess at the altar of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 454:21-23 

Uppercase Living

Thailand - PC: Aaron Springston

Today I pay tribute to all of you who practice Uppercase Living! If you're been reading these writings for a while, you may remember that a dear friend of mine wrote an essay by this title years ago. In that writing, he inspired me to think of living as Living, loving as Loving, and to examine all my activities to see if I'm taking them to the level of uppercase-ness. Every day I witness people living Life, feeling Love, helping others to see Truth, and leading grand and noble lives. Each time we leave pain behind, looking past the illusion of ugliness and grasping beauty, we are experiencing Uppercase Living. When we refuse to repeat gossip or anything unlike Good, we are raising the bar for everyone. What we experience, everyone experiences, by virtue of the One consciousness which we share. Give yourself a pat on the back and be proud of your accomplishments!  Mazel Tov! Namaste! Woo-hoo!

“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 264:25-27

Expect Joy!

I have a friend who visits our town once a year with the intent of experiencing joy in every activity. He lives in Los Angeles and often tells me how much more fun our town is than his big city. I'm sure this is a matter of perception, but he brings something unusual with him when he comes to our town: pink nylon gowns and robes. He enjoys wearing these items and wanted to do so in public. After checking around on the internet, he found that Eureka Springs, Arkansas is one of the most accepting places in the country and so he visits us and enjoys expressing himself in a unique way. Although I don't know him in his natural habitat (so to speak!), I know he wakes up every day in our town expecting nothing but happy things and joy. And he receives them! Here's to everyone who is willing to live and love and allow themselves to express joy in whatever manner they are led to do so!

“We must form perfect models in thought and look at them continually, or we shall never carve them out in grand and noble lives. Let unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, health, holiness, love—the kingdom of heaven—reign within us, and sin, disease, and death will diminish until they finally disappear.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 248:25-32

Feeling Superior Over a Belief

photo by Jerry Dupy

There are many situations which bring on knee-jerk reactions which I think of as "holier-than-thou". For instance, if someone is rude or mean, we may feel superior in our kindness to them. When politicians or others in the public eye display ignorance (lack of knowledge), we can easily have a sense of self-righteous judgment. These situations remind me that we are all One and no one is more special or learned or enlightened than another. It's simply a matter of what we're willing to see. I will admit I'm a food snob. There are numerous things I don't eat and it's always interesting to watch how I try to impose my beliefs on others. It is yet another example of feeling superior over a belief. Eckhart Tolle often puts things in perspective for me and he did, once again, when he was asked if we should be vegetarian. He said it was purely a personal preference, and if we had strong opinions about this we should remind ourselves that the Dalai Lama eats meat and Hitler didn't! Namaste'~~~

"One infinite God, good, unifies men and constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfills the Scripture, "Love thy neighbor as thyself;" annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry,--whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 340:23:30

Footprints of the Past

Someone posted photos on Facebook of our 10th class reunion in 1980. I was reminded of this statement from A Course in Miracles: “The past is over. It can touch me not." In my observations of these get-togethers, everyone seems to be pretty much the same as they always have been. The mean girls are still that way, the flirty girls are still flipping their skirts, and the cool kids are still hiding their feelings. While I've always enjoyed these gatherings, I tend to either wander away with an old friend or, perhaps, drink a bit too much and ask the cowboys to dance. I love this ACIM quote: “Unless the past is over in my mind, the world must escape my sight." I want to live in the present, in a world full of divine Love and Truth. Reliving illusions can be fun, much like watching a movie. But I'd rather wake up in a new world everyday, excited about the adventures it holds!

“As the crude footprints of the past disappear from the dissolving paths of the present, we shall better understand the Science which governs these changes, and shall plant our feet on firmer ground.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 224: 4-7  

Veritable Ideas or Illusions?

photo credit: Gerry Toler

A friend made a passing comment pertaining to the erroneous thought we glom onto in daily life. He said that once you hear something, it's a part of you -- a part of your consciousness, if you will. I certainly know how difficult it can be to release any thought -- whether I have decided to think of it as truth or rumor. He is so right that once it's in you, it's difficult to let out -- but not impossible! The key to this release is realizing what you are. As long as I see myself as a material human, a victim of passing thought and circumstance, then, yes, it is difficult, even impossible, to release. When I start to glimpse that I am not this body, that I am Idea -- an Idea of God! -- then, and only then, am I freed from the bombardment of daily illusions and the lies of material sense. Looked at from this perspective, my goal is not to release anything, it is to understand my Being as an expression of divine Mind, an emanation of divine Love, the experience of divine Life! I will not think of this as an impossible task, but as a reachable Truth.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“How are veritable ideas to be distinguished from illusions? By learning the origin of each. Ideas are emanations from the divine Mind. Thoughts, proceeding from the brain or from matter, are offshoots of mortal mind; they are mortal material beliefs. Ideas are spiritual, harmonious, and eternal. Beliefs proceed from the so-called material senses, which at one time are supposed to be substance-matter and at another are called spirits.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 88:9-16

A Present Possibility

I once thought of writing a book called The Celibate Marriage. My son assured me it would NOT be a bestseller! Many things inspired my thoughts on this subject, and some of them came from reading The Beloved Prophet. The subject of this book is the life-long relationship between Kahlil Gibran and a woman named Mary Haskell. When he passed on, she was peacefully smiling while greeting the grieving people at his funeral. No one understood how this could be. At one point, she quoted words he had written to her during their platonic love affair: "You listen to so much more than I can say. You hear consciousness. You go with me where the words I say cannot carry you." She didn't experience intense grief because she knew the love they shared still existed; it had always been experienced in thought rather than physical expression. She understood what we are learning about the true reality of our Being.

“Take heart, dear sufferer, for this reality of being will surely appear sometime and in some way. There will be no more pain, and all tears will be wiped away. When you read this, remember Jesus' words, ‘The kingdom of God is within you.’ This spiritual consciousness is therefore a present possibility.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 573:28-2

Exceeding Expected Outcomes

photo credit: Arthur Bruno

Throughout the ages, we've been given hints as to unrealized possibilities. As attested by powerful mythological and fictional characters, we have longed for the ability to change what seems to be the reality of situations in and around our personal existence. The world tells us that we are victims of circumstance, with life experiences being changed by the whim of happenstance. Every time we hear a story telling of something we think is impossible, but which contains an outcome so beautiful we wish and hope it could be true, let's contemplate the fact that there are no limits. Who knows what we're capable of doing? We seem to exceed expected outcomes in every avenue of existence. Wasn't it said that running a mile in less than four minutes was impossible? Today I set free any thought of limitation, any assumptions I may have as to what's what, and by doing so open the door to new sight.

“Truth never destroys God's idea. Truth is spiritual, eternal substance, which cannot destroy the right reflection. Corporeal sense, or error, may seem to hide Truth, health, harmony, and Science, as the mist obscures the sun or the mountain; but Science, the sunshine of Truth, will melt away the shadow and reveal the celestial peaks.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 299:24-30

Freed From Conflicting Wishes

photo credit: Aaron Springston

In the realm of the material world, we often have conflicting wishes concerning events. When someone in our immediate family has a problem, we tend to think of it as our own. We have been conditioned to think we can fix others, and if we don't try, we fear people will think we don't care. Then we're thrown into a quandary of feelings: love for our family, perhaps embarrassment over their actions, worry about what will happen to them, concern over what others will think -- the list can be endless! When we are able to release these feelings and see everyone as the spiritual creation they truly are, we begin to let go our sense of personal responsibility, while affirming their goodness as a reflection of divine Love. Before we know it, we're thinking something wonderful about them when they come to mind, and we're free from the conflicting wishes born of material sense.

“We cannot serve two masters nor perceive divine Science with the material senses.” Mary Baker Eddy quote: Science and Health Page 167:11-12

Heaven Within

"Montana" PC: Heather Peters

Why would we fear to look within? Why would we fear seeing our true self? I think it's because we believe all the little horrible things we've done in our lives are what we'll be looking at. Perhaps we feel that to look within would involve some sort of life review which would require us to answer for every supposed sin we've committed. But what if we're looking within at our pure and perfect Self, as we are created by divine Love? And what if, after we find what we've forgotten, we allow it to come forth and live with us? In the process, we truly forgive ourselves for all of it, allowing thought to stay on the good and the true, releasing guilt and fear, living only in Love. What if ...

“When speaking of God's children, not the children of men, Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is within you;" that is, Truth and Love reign in the real man, showing that man in God's image is unfallen and eternal."Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 476:28-32