A Foretaste of Eternity

Love heals. We hear this so often, it's probably become somewhat of a cliché. We may think that nothing can heal the ills of the world, much less something as intangible as love. What if love were the most powerful force in the universe? Not just an emotion called love, but an omnipotent, gentle presence which is a synonym for Source. What if experiencing this Love was sufficient to heal every thought of evil or sickness or misery which has ever been imagined? Then we'd all be lining up to get some of this stuff, don't you think? And it's even easier than that. We need but get out of our own way to see what has always been there. Love heals.

"One moment of divine consciousness, or the spiritual understanding of Life and Love, is a foretaste of eternity.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 598:23-25

Maintain Your Dignity

I’m reading “The Nickel Boys”. While this is not exactly a light read, it is an important, interesting, well-written one. Colton Whitehead has written a novel which takes us into a world I do not know. Although I’m only 30 pages into this book, I was stopped in my tracks by a quote from Martin Luther King. The main character is working in a tobacco shop where children often steal candy and comic books. The proprietor allows this because he says if he called them on it, their parents would be too embarrassed to shop in his establishment. He has told Elwood to allow them to take things, as he thinks of it as a promotion. This doesn’t sit right with Elwood, and at first he can’t understand why. But a quote of Dr. King’s brings it into focus for him: “We must believe in our souls that we are somebody, that we are significant, that we are worthful, and we must walk the streets of life every day with this sense of dignity and this sense of somebody-ness.” Elwood comes to the realization that to do nothing about the kids stealing was to undermine his own dignity. I think that’s the position we the People are in today. To do nothing is to undermine our own dignity. I urge you to listen to your own inner guidance, your soul (if you will), and do whatever it takes to maintain your dignity. Namaste...

"Is it not professional reputation and emolument rather than the dignity of God's laws, which many leaders seek? Do not inferior motives induce the infuriated attacks on individuals...?" Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 236:6

Helpless/Helpful

photo from Christian Science Monitor

I read an article about an English woman who loved animals so much she moved to Australia so she could be near and work with them in the wild. Then the fires came and millions were killed and maimed. Her house burned down, but that didn't bother her too much. It was sadness about the wildlife which sent her into depression. She thought of going back to England, but knew she would still be sad and feel helpless. So she began to save wallabees. She's been doing this for months and helps other people who are despondent over losses of various kinds due to the horrific fires. Reading this woman's story caused me to think back to people I know who have had traumatic events in their lives. I can only think of one who has become solitary and angry at the world; the rest have found ways to help others -- usually in the way their trauma occurred. There are many avenues we can take to help others in this life. Let me never become complacent...

"Creation is ever appearing, and must ever continue to appear from the nature of its inexhaustible source." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 507:28

Involved or Committed?

photo credit: Jerry Dupy

As long as we believe that there is something more important than healing our mind, we will never find peace. This is an idea I heard on a Course in Miracles video. It goes hand-in-hand with the homily given at a church where I provide musical accompaniment. Father Joseph, a young Nigerian priest who serves three congregations in our area, began his message by asking if we knew the difference between being involved and being committed. He then told us if we were having a breakfast of eggs and bacon, the chicken would be involved, but the pig would be committed. While getting a laugh from the congregation, it made his point clear: If you’re not giving 100%, you’re not committed, but merely involved. There are a number of issues in the world which we are involved in, but it's difficult to be committed to something which is far away from your home. And it's overwhelming to think of all the things which need our help. If that is true for you, too, pick something in your town, in your neighborhood, in your backyard, and be committed today! Let's sweep our own porch and our neighbor will want to do it, too. It grows exponentially, don't you think? 
"Legally to abolish unpaid servitude in the United States was hard; but the abolition of mental slavery is a more difficult task. The despotic tendencies, inherent in mortal mind and always germinating in new forms of tyranny, must be rooted out through the action of the divine Mind." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 225:22-28

Highest Ideal of Freedom?

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Have you ever dreamed you could fly? My favorite freedom dream is one of running fast, sometimes leaving the ground and floating in mid-stride. Although I haven't had this recurring dream for some time, I can still feel the perfection of it. As I watch people dance and use their bodies in other life-affirming ways, I marvel at the beauty and grace expressed in these activities. Just as physical boundaries are broken and new records set, there is more to come in this so-called physical existence. We are learning of the limitlessness of God's ideas, of which we are One. What is your highest ideal of freedom?

“Freedom cannot be learned by tyranny of any kind, and the perfect equality of all God's Sons [people] cannot be recognized through the dominion of one mind over another.” A Course in Miracles 

"This mortal is put off, and the new man or real man is put on, in proportion as mortals realize the Science of man and seek the true model." Mary Baker Eddy -Science & Health Page 408:22-26

Let It Go!

As someone who insists she lives by the non-attachment principle of "the glass is already broken", I'm rather hesitant to admit I have suffered angst over giving up my 22-year-old automobile! Last fall, my ever-dependable 1998 Honda Odyssey gave up the ghost. I couldn't stand to let it go at that time, and so it has sat out in front of my house for far too long. Today, I allowed our mechanic to take it away. It was like losing a family member. I remember the day my young sons and I bought it and brought it home. It perfectly suited our kid-oriented lifestyle and it was wonderfully comfortable -- perfect for us. On our way home the first evening we had it, we saw tire tracks leaving the road and a car's headlights in the tall brush. Of course, we stopped and aided the two women and children who were rather hysterical following their accident. One little boy was bleeding from a stomach wound and I wrapped him in a blanket we had in our new vehicle, sat down with him on the ground, and proceeded to sing a Mary Baker Eddy hymn to him: "Oh, Gentle Presence, peace and joy and power. Oh, Life divine that owns each waiting hour." As soon as the authorities came, we got into our new vehicle and came home, leaving our blanket wrapped around the calm child. I've often wondered what that family thought of our appearance and disappearance! Whatever the case, that was the beginning of two decades of trouble-free service from the vehicle I owned for 1/3 of my life! Good times...

"Who that has felt the loss of human peace has not gained stronger desires for spiritual joy? The aspiration after heavenly good comes even before we discover what belongs to wisdom and Love. The loss of earthly hopes and pleasures brightens the ascending path of many a heart. The pains of sense quickly inform us that the pleasures of sense are mortal and that joy is spiritual." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 265:23

Thought Expands Into Expression

"County Road"
painting by Carol Dickie

Today was a day of talking with friends, and it's been fabulous. First thing this morning, I had a long email from a woman I love, one who was an artist at the gallery I ran. She is a skilled writer and I saw every story she told me about her daily life and things in her past (of which I had no clue)! Then I got a snail mail letter from another artist friend who describes herself as "the cut and paste queen of the geriatric set" (and she doesn't mean computer, because she doesn't have one). This quirky and fun friend wrote to me on a page from a coloring book, on which she had intricately filled in the beautiful design. Then I touched base with a nonagenarian whom I met a few years back over the bridge table. She told me of falling out of bed and breaking something, asking if I knew of anyone who might help her with household chores and, she honestly told me, to visit with her. So this prompted me to call another old friend whom I thought would enjoy this task. Then I called someone I've known for almost 40 years, whom I was hoping to help sell some furniture, and while we were chatting, a carpenter I had called stopped by to check out my needed repair. While he was here, a friend stopped by to drop off some clothing she had cleared out of a closet. After she left, the carpenter and I sat down to visit in the carport and he told me of his oldest daughter's problems stemming from Aspberger's and loneliness. In the process, he told me many things I did not know about him. Life is so very rich, and I appreciate each moment in this wild world. But today, it seemed as though all the energies in the universe conspired to bring me happiness. And I am thankful...

"Eternal Truth is changing the universe. As mortals drop off their mental swaddling-clothes, thought expands into expression. 'Let there be light,' is the perpetual demand of Truth and Love, changing chaos into order and discord into the music of the spheres." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 255:1

Escaping From Your Thoughts

Contemplating the Moab
photo credit: Aaron Springston

It is estimated that we have more than 50,000 thoughts every day. As I heard Wayne Dyer tell us in one of his outstanding talks, the problem with this is that the thousands of thoughts we have today are the same ones we had yesterday! Waking up from the circular thinking in which we are trapped requires an honesty we’re not accustomed to practicing. I know habitual thought is not an easy habit to break, but the desire to do so is the first step. Just like changing any behavior, you have to want to change or you never will. How can we begin to think differently? We can’t simply stop thinking, but we can exchange the trivial musings for substantial ideas. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” As I go through this day, I’ll often ask myself: What would Eleanor think? Namastè, each and every One! 

“My angels are exalted thoughts, appearing at the door of some sepulchre, in which human belief has buried its fondest earthly hopes. With white fingers they point upward to a new and glorified trust, to higher ideals of life and its joys.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 299:1-11

Uppercase Living

photo from my son's wedding

[in the past 9 years, I have repeated this "daily" 4 times. It bears a 5th!] 

Today I pay tribute to all of you who practice Uppercase Living! If you've 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

Freeing the Light

Zion National Park
photo credit: Aaron Springston

I watched a documentary entitled "Queen of the Sun" which asks us to examine what bees are telling us. Bees are the epitome of Oneness. They are a perfect metaphor for the value of community and working together. Their current colony collapse also shows us what happens when our true being is denied. As humans, we have been manipulating all of nature for our own needs. Part of our awakening is the realization that we've been doing many things for the wrong reasons. We've allowed greed and self-importance to take the place of joy and peace. We have learned to fear nature in the oddest ways. Recently a ban on beekeeping was reversed in New York City. Through education, people are finding there is nothing to fear. By opening ourselves to the purpose of each and every creature, we discover we all have a place and a reason for being. To fulfill this purpose brings peace and joy to all. Every crisis we see around us in this material existence has something to tell us when we open our heart to hear. It was stated in this film that pollen is materialized light; that this light is freed in the blocks of honeycomb; that we again free this light by making candles. The freeing of light is cumulative with the bees, and we can experience the same thing as we express the light and peace and joy within ourselves.

“Moral and spiritual might belong to Spirit, who holds the "wind in His fists;" and this teaching accords with Science and harmony. In [the] Science [of the Christ] , you can have no power opposed to God, and the physical senses must give up their false testimony. Your influence for good depends upon the weight you throw into the right scale. The good you do and embody gives you the only power obtainable." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 192:17-24

Taste of a Nation

I love cooking shows, and there are some very innovative ones these days. I’m watching one called Taste of a Nation, where Padma Lakshmi travels around the United States, meeting immigrants and visiting with them in their homes and restaurants. The first show was from El Paso, and it spoke frankly about the immigration problems which have not been solved, but rather multiplied in these last few years. It was heartening to hear everyone supporting each other, no matter what their particular conservative or liberal leaning is. Hearing about people’s lives and watching them cook is so much fun! I love how they bring new ideas for my kitchen, and a knowledge of their heritage, both in their cooking and other things. It’s a wonderful way to be an "accidental tourist" and to visit other cultures from the recliner. Ah — life is good. Sending a big hug to you today. Have a fabulous time today!

"Beauty, wealth, or fame is incompetent to meet the demands of the affections, and should never weigh against the better claims of intellect, goodness, and virtue. 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 

Lay Down Your Arms

Mt. Timpanogos Goat - photo Aaron Springston

Although I am not actively "doing" the Course in Miracles workbook lessons this year, I love it when someone points one out to me. Lesson 170 was brought to my attention by a dear friend who mentioned how pertinent it is to the happenings we're witnessing. It's topic, or focus is: "There is no cruelty in God and none in me." The first sentences my eyes landed on were: "It seems to be the enemy without that you attack. Yet your defense sets up an enemy within; an alien thought at war with you, depriving you of peace, splitting your mind into two camps which seem wholly irreconcilable." Wow! Isn't this what we're all doing right now? We can look at the world and say to ourselves that someone is trying to start a civil war, splitting us into camps and baiting us to attack. But can anyone really do that to us? We have a choice! To quote once more: "You make what you defend against, and by your own defense against it is it real and inescapable.  Lay down your arms, and only then do you perceive it false." Here is the lesson in its entirety:

Lesson 170 from A Course in Miracles

There is no cruelty in God and none in me.

W-170.1. No one attacks without intent to hurt. 2 This can have no exception. 3 When you think that you attack in self-defense, you mean that to be cruel is protection; you are safe because of cruelty. 4 You mean that you believe to hurt another brings you freedom. 5 And you mean that to attack is to exchange the state in which you are for something better, safer, more secure from dangerous invasion and from fear.

W-170.2. How thoroughly insane is the idea that to defend from fear is to attack! 2 For here is fear begot and fed with blood, to make it grow and swell and rage. 3 And thus is fear protected, not escaped. 4 Today we learn a lesson which can save you more delay and needless misery than you can possibly imagine. 5 It is this: 6 You make what you defend against, and by your own defense against it is it real and inescapable. 7 Lay down your arms, and only then do you perceive it false.

W-170.3. It seems to be the enemy without that you attack. 2 Yet your defense sets up an enemy within; an alien thought at war with you, depriving you of peace, splitting your mind into two camps which seem wholly irreconcilable. 3 For love now has an "enemy," an opposite; and fear, the alien, now needs your defense against the threat of what you really are.

W-170.4. If you consider carefully the means by which your fancied self-defense proceeds on its imagined way, you will perceive the premises on which the idea stands. 2 First, it is obvious ideas must leave their source, for it is you who make attack, and must have first conceived of it. 3 Yet you attack outside yourself, and separate your mind from him who is to be attacked, with perfect faith the split you made is real.

W-170.5. Next, are the attributes of love bestowed upon its "enemy." 2 For fear becomes your safety and protector of your peace, to which you turn for solace and escape from doubts about your strength, and hope of rest in dreamless quiet. 3 And as love is shorn of what belongs to it and it alone, love is endowed with attributes of fear. 4 For love would ask you lay down all defense as merely foolish. 5 And your arms indeed would crumble into dust. 6 For such they are.

W-170.6. With love as enemy, must cruelty become a god. 2 And gods demand that those who worship them obey their dictates, and refuse to question them. 3 Harsh punishment is meted out relentlessly to those who ask if the demands are sensible or even sane. 4 It is their enemies who are unreasonable and insane, while they are always merciful and just.

W-170.7. Today we look upon this cruel god dispassionately. 2 And we note that though his lips are smeared with blood, and fire seems to flame from him, he is but made of stone. 3 He can do nothing. 4 We need not defy his power. 5 He has none. 6 And those who see in him their safety have no guardian, no strength to call upon in danger, and no mighty warrior to fight for them.

W-170.8. This moment can be terrible. 2 But it can also be the time of your release from abject slavery. 3 You make a choice, standing before this idol, seeing him exactly as he is. 4 Will you restore to love what you have sought to wrest from it and lay before this mindless piece of stone? 5 Or will you make another idol to replace it? 6 For the god of cruelty takes many forms. 7 Another can be found.

W-170.9. Yet do not think that fear is the escape from fear. 2 Let us remember what the text has stressed about the obstacles to peace. 3 The final one, the hardest to believe is nothing, and a seeming obstacle with the appearance of a solid block, impenetrable, fearful and beyond surmounting, is the fear of God Himself. 4 Here is the basic premise which enthrones the thought of fear as god. 5 For fear is loved by those who worship it, and love appears to be invested now with cruelty.

W-170.10. Where does the totally insane belief in gods of vengeance come from? 2 Love has not confused its attributes with those of fear. 3 Yet must the worshippers of fear perceive their own confusion in fear's "enemy"; its cruelty as now a part of love. 4 And what becomes more fearful than the Heart of Love Itself? 5 The blood appears to be upon His Lips; the fire comes from Him. 6 And He is terrible above all else, cruel beyond conception, striking down all who acknowledge Him to be their God.

W-170.11. The choice you make today is certain. 2 For you look for the last time upon this bit of carven stone you made, and call it god no longer. 3 You have reached this place before, but you have chosen that this cruel god remain with you in still another form. 4 And so the fear of God returned with you. 5 This time you leave it there. 6 And you return to a new world, unburdened by its weight; beheld not in its sightless eyes, but in the vision that your choice restored to you.

W-170.12. Now do your eyes belong to Christ, and He looks through them. 2 Now your voice belongs to God and echoes His. 3 And now your heart remains at peace forever. 4 You have chosen Him in place of idols, and your attributes, given by your Creator, are restored to you at last. 5 The Call for God is heard and answered. 6 Now has fear made way for love, as God Himself replaces cruelty.

W-170.13. Father, we are like You. 2 No cruelty abides in us, for there is none in You. 3 Your peace is ours. 4 And we bless the world with what we have received from You alone. 5 We choose again, and make our choice for all our brothers, knowing they are one with us. 6 We bring them Your salvation as we have received it now. 7 And we give thanks for them who render us complete. 8 In them we see Your glory, and in them we find our peace. 9 Holy are we because Your Holiness has set us free. 10 And we give thanks. 11 Amen.

...When You Know Better, Do Better

Everything seems electric with excitement in this time of shifting thought. Big changes are happening which are unexpected for many, but many more of us have been waiting for this all our lives. I remember in the 1960s when we all sang "this is the dawning of the age of Aquarius", and just knew it was happening right then! We were excited to "get ourselves back to the garden" and bring in a time of peace and love. Then the years passed and it seemed nothing changed. We became lackadaisical in our expectations and quietly (for the most part) accepted Citizens United, and the so-called Moral Majority, and other groups which declared themselves to be the good which would expose and bring down the evil. Through the decades, many things did become better on the surface, but very little could bear the scrutiny of total transparency. The excitement I feel today is brought on by many things. Big corporations, such as PG&E in California, are accepting responsibility for their wrong-doing, coming right out and admitting liability and trying to do better. Our highest court in the land is making decisions based on morality and law, not pressure from big money and powerful politicians. What excites me the most is the individual declarations of "I was wrong", and watching what happens as they raise up their heads proudly and try to change their ways. I am told of a house on the way to Bentonville which had confederate flags and other ugly things in its yard. They are all gone. Once we begin to question our actions, our thoughts, healing begins to happen. I can hardly wait for tomorrow! Thank You greatly ...

"Eternal Truth is changing the universe. As mortals drop off their mental swaddling clothes, thought expands into expression." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 255:1

The Cement of a Higher Humanity

photo credit: Aaron Springston
Timpanogos

Humans seem to be pack animals. We love to break ourselves into groups and hang around with people who think as we do. We create churches, sororities, sewing circles, and numerous other clubs in which to gather and share our commonality. Perhaps the time has come for us to recognize that many of these tribal separations are keeping us from seeing the greater good in all humanity. Maybe if we can open ourselves in a more selfless manner, embracing each other because of our sameness, rather than in spite of our differences, perhaps we can stop worrying about what others may think of us and pull out all the stops for some honest to goodness truth. I don’t want to wait another moment for something which feels so right!

“Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you. The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health 

Everyone Needs a Lift Sometime

From “Lift” written by Minh Lê and illustrated
 by Dan Santat,
Little, Brown and Company

One of my favorite things about having small children was searching for and reading fun and beautiful books. There is nothing liking having little bodies leaning against you, quietly enthralled by a story, eagering rushing to turn the page and see the next lucious picture, excited to know the rest of the story -- or to tell it before you read it because it's the umpteenth time you've done so! Today, parents have a whole new set of challenges with the changes which have taken place this year. What a great opportunity to find books which excite the imagination, releasing creativity which may have been stunted by the spoon-fed world of video movies and games. I read a review of a book called Lift, having to do with a little girl discovering a button in the elevator which takes her to a lush world beyond anything she had imagined. The reviewers favorite line in the book: "After all, everyone can use a lift sometimes!" I'm sure our librarians would be happy to choose a few uplifting picture books for us if we ask!!

Here's a link to the review I mentioned: https://www.csmonitor.com/Daily/2020/20200518/Spring-picture-books-that-delight-inspire-and-transport?src=shared&cmpid=shared-email

You can try the Monitor Daily free for a month:
https://www.csmonitor.com/dailyfreetrial

Small Great Things

In the past, I’ve told you about the novelist, Jodi Picoult. I may have even mentioned her book, Small Great Things. Although she writes fiction, she is an extremely thorough researcher when she decides to write about a subject. She has taken us into the mind of a teenager with Asperger’s, abused wives, white supremacists, and more. I am revisiting the book I mentioned because of its take on racism. A black nurse in the birthing wing of a hospital is banned from administering to the baby of a proud racist. The baby dies while she is on watch and trying to follow hospital orders to not touch the infant. The story which unfolds is eye-opening, both from the side of the underground network of racist groups in this country, but also in its uncovering of the prejudices we have, which we usually don’t know are there. At this juncture in our world, every insight we gain is valuable. I want to understand why some people react violently to the mention of certain topics. In my campaigning for a democratic candidate in our area, I am seeing some interesting reactions. These return texts are what send me back to this book again. I want to know where the hate begins and what causes it to spew out. Whatever the cause, I face it and know it is a cry for love. Namaste...

"Human hate has no legitimate mandate and no kingdom. Love is enthroned." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 454:9

I Need Do Nothing?

Photo Credit: Dale Johnson

A dear friend, who is also my Course in Miracles mentor, sent me an article centered around the statement “I need do nothing”. This spiritual teaching is almost guaranteed to get the ego (or mortal mind, for you of a Christian Science ilk) working overtime to assert its dominance over us. I can hear it saying, "But if I don’t do anything who will? I have to plan, or else nothing will get done. What do you mean I need do nothing? I have to do everything!” This statement actually is saying that we don’t have to prove ourselves in order to gain salvation, or forgiveness, or Love. These things, and more, are already ours, requiring no special work to free us from the past and future, nor to lift us out of fear and guilt. This realization can “anchor in us a permanent quiet center, a place of peace in us." From this quietude, we are able to follow our inner direction and do the busy work necessary on this plane of existence. So in summary, doing nothing is actually doing everything! When we release our feelings of inadequacy, guilt, sorrow, and such, miracles happen. We are shown what our purpose is and are able to recognize the path leading the way to utilizing our abilities and talents. What fun to wake up each day to discover what this is!

"'I need do nothing' is a statement of allegiance, a truly undivided loyalty. Believe it for just one instant, and you will accomplish more than is given to a century of contemplation, or of struggle against temptation." A Course in Miracles T-18.VII.6.

Sending You Light

I have a good feeling about our world. People are hungry for change and more are speaking out every day. A good friend and neighbor sent me a beautiful performance called Sending You Light. I send this song to you today, and light to you every day. Have a beautiful Sunday everyone... 

https://youtu.be/cIsZuoNFtXg

Living In an Upside Down World

Peaceful Ozark Morning - photo by Arthur Bruno

What if everything is upside down from what it seems to be?  We have all these ideas about what is true and what is false, what is good and what is bad, but what if we don't know, what if we are wrong? We have fact checking sites to help us decide if something is true, we have preachers and politicians to tell us what is right and wrong -- I think we're all tired of the constant push and pull of facts versus rumors and outright lies. My favorite thing about A Course in Miracles might be the workbook lessons, and how they help us give up our beliefs about everything. I know some people think this is a "bad" thing, because if we've been taught you HAVE to believe in something or else you're gullible and will fall for anything you are told. What if that's upside down thinking, too? When we allow ourselves to release what we think we know, we can step back and see what is, without putting labels on everything and backing away from something without even knowing why. In my interactions with various forms of thought, it's often difficult to put my feelings and beliefs to the side and simply hear what is being said. But I'm working on it! Non-reaction, simply being with the words, is a peaceful, joyous way to live. I think we all want peace, but some of us have forgotten. Let's keep on remembering to look at things as they are, not as we've decided they are. Namaste....

"Human thought never projected the least portion of true being. Human belief has sought and interpreted in its own way, the echo of Spirit, and so seems to have reversed it and repeated it materially, but the human mind never produced a real tone nor sent forth a positive sound. " Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 126:8

Misunderstanding Turned Around

Mongolia, with friends

Think about a close friend; one you really, truly like a lot. Perhaps you have so much in common that people sometimes mistake you for each other! This is the situation I have with a woman I met 10 years or so ago. We immediately liked each other and discovered our birthdate, month and year, were the same. Then something happened a few months ago which caused her to unfriend me on Facebook. I had not thought the incident was anything to be upset about; nothing more than a simple disagreement between friends, but we had not spoken in a few months. Then today, in my texting campaign for Suzie Bell, candidate for State House representative, I sent this old friend a text, because she was on my campaign-generated list of people. A two-word comment came back which was very rude. I was telling Kevin about it and he suggested that I call her. And so I did. Turns out the text comment was from a phone number she no longer has, although it was listed as her in both my texting list and on my phone. We had a good, long catch-up chat and I feel happier knowing a good friend is still just that! Isn't life interesting? Thank You greatly ... 

"Love never loses sight of loveliness. its halo rests upon its object. One marvels that a friend can ever seem less than beautiful." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 248:3

Feed the Famished Affections

I feel the need for grace today -- to feel it, give it, receive it -- just grace. So I searched my blog to see what I might turn up, and here is an entry from 2012.

Accepting the grace which is ours involves giving it at every opportunity. Recently someone asked why it doesn't bother me to work closely with someone who seems hard to get along with -- for many reasons! I answered that I realize how miserable she must be to act in such a way. So I don't take her actions personally, nor do I claim them as a part of my existence. And what she thinks of me is absolutely none of my business!  Mary Baker Eddy’s spiritual interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer includes this correlation to "Give us this day our daily bread": "Give us Grace for today, feed the famished affections." Starving affections are a symptom of not accepting the Truth about ourselves and others as a creation of divine Mind. When someone seems agitated and angry, or defensive and irritable, the Grace which is ours is the antidote. By practicing kindness when faced with hardness of heart, meekness when all around us are aggressive, loving those who seem unlovable, and paying it forward in every action, we prepare ourselves to acknowledge the God-given Grace which is our true heritage. I simply say an inward Namaste, recognizing  that their divine essence and mine are absolutely the same. I've found that loving my neighbor as myself is cause for loving myself more -- which is a nice bonus!

“What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 4:3-10

Why Can't We Just Be Nice?

Photo Credit: Richard Quick

I have been helping in the campaign of our District 97 state representative candidate, Suzie Bell. While I am quite aware of the cavernous divide in political thought, I had not truly seen the blatant rudeness and lack of manners which people have been exposing by their words. Some of them are very imaginative with their condemnations and suggestions concerning what my candidate should do — along with the Democratic Party. Then some of these folks speak (type?) right up and tell me they won’t vote for anyone who kills babies or any number of other fantasies they believe as truth concerning the world. I enjoy those who respond to my plea for their vote, and am doing my best to plant a seed of kindness during our interactions. The pain from most of these people is palpable. I feel compassion for their confusion and misunderstanding of what is happening around them. I enjoy texting rather than speaking on the phone, because I can take time to breathe, have a moment to go within for guidance, and try to respond in a kind, hopeful, mind-expanding manner. Their second response is most always calmer, sadder, more willing to talk with me. We end our interaction with a suggestion that they visit Suzie’s website and contact her if they have any questions. I like this assignment very much!

"Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you. The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interest in the one divinity." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 571:18

The Earth Needs Mothering

"Mother and Child - Self and self"
creation of Sandy Starbird

You may have guides to which you listen, who raise your thought to a higher level than your own mind. Perhaps you take your prayers to Jesus or another spiritual guru. Almost everyone relies on a power they think is larger than themselves, and many are relaxing into the divinity they are finding within themselves and everywhere else, too. So when I ran across the women who carry on the work of Net of Light, I was very accepting of their telling me they receive guidance from the council of the Grandmothers. I shared their latest newsletter with you in the last "daily" I sent you, and since then I've listened to a couple of their videos. As with the other Guides I mentioned earlier, these loving Spirits are all encompassing in their compassion and wisdom. I think this idea reminds me of The Akashic Records: a place you can go to access everything which ever has been or ever will be. I love the idea of Grandmothers supporting me, sharing their wisdom, bringing loving comfort. We all need someone to lean on, don't you think? I'm going to rest with them for a while. Join me...

"Angels are God's representatives. These upward-soaring beings never lead towards self, sin, or materiality, but guide to the divine Principle of all good, whither every real individuality, image, or likeness of God, gathers. By giving earnest heed to these spiritual guides they tarry with us, and we entertain 'angels unawares.'" Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 299:11

Stay the Course

Have you heard of Net of Light? How about Grandmothers Speak? From their website: "The Net of Light," the Grandmothers say, "supports everything in the Universe and will hold the earth steady during the times of change that are upon you now. Work with the radiant Net," they urge, "to support life." I include a writing from Sharon McErlane, sent out in a newsletter today, and forwarded to me by my fine friend, Sandy Starbird. 

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"The lever is moving," the Grandmothers said, and I watched as a metal handle or lever turned slowly.  The movement it made was so subtle it was barely perceptible.  But as I watched it continue to turn, I could see it honing in, getting nearer to pointing straight up.  The lever was righting itself, and as it crept closer to center, chills ran down my back.  "Something is shifting now," I said to myself, "and though what I'm seeing isn't the final shift for this lever, not the last or the ultimate turn it's going to make, still," I said, "things are starting to right themselves."

I looked up at the Grandmothers then but their heads were turned away from me; they were looking elsewhere.  And when I followed their eyes, I saw crowds of masked protesters, the people who'd been demanding justice for the man who'd been killed in Minnesota.  "This shift to the center point that you are seeing now has to do with them," the Grandmothers said, "with the protestors' commitment to truth, to what is fair.  It has to do with their desire for justice and a better life for all of humanity, for all the George Floyds of this world.  They are on target.

"At this time George Floyd has become the centering point for humanity.  His life, his suffering has awakened the world," they said.  "Now and then comes a moment when one life is put into a position of such power and purpose that it affects the entire world.  George Floyd's life is such a one," they said, "and his terrible sacrifice will not be wasted.  Because of what he went through at this particular moment in time, the course of life on earth will change, and humanity will return to being human.

"Stay the course," the Grandmothers said, "and at this difficult time, help one another however you can.  March, sing, pray, serve and speak out.  Speak the truth and love one another," they said. "Help in whatever way is given to you to help. Now your every act, smile, thought, and prayer will make a difference. The collective good pouring forth from humanity at this moment will turn the tide. Mankind is no longer on a collision course with destiny. You have begun to turn toward the light. So, breathe deep, stay calm, love each other and keep on going."

"But Grandmothers,"I said," what about...?"  But, reading my thoughts, they interrupted me.  "Let those who are lost, rage on as they will," they said. "Let them bluster all they want, and while they rant, rave and blame, keep your every thought, word and deed in alignment with the love of the Divine.  Go forward now in love, light bearers," they said, and raised their hands in the air.  "We stand at your back."

Message from
the Great Council of the Grandmothers
6-6-2020

Weeding Out Prejudice

photo of unknown origin

We record the Presbyterian Sunday service on Saturday. Their fine pastor, John Gibson, is an expert at many things and is able to edit and post a church service which is a reasonable facsimile of being there. Today he brought a special guest with him: an effigy of a black man with a noose around his neck. This man with no name has lived with John for a number of years now. He was found by the toll road between Siloam Springs and Tulsa, and rescued by John, living in his home as a reminder of how far we have to go in this quest for civil rights. At the time John saw this image hanging high from a tree, he was teaching school. Coincidently, they were studying the civil rights movement, so he took the faceless black man to school. I hope the students in that class forever remember what so many seem to have forgotten: We are all the same. We all hurt the same, we all love the same, we all want security, we all want happiness. The reason we don't all have these things is because some of us feel others of us haven't earned it. Where did we get this idea, that some are more deserving than others? I admit to finding prejudices within myself all the time. I want to recognize them, face them, release them by replacing them with Love. Just like tending a garden, it's a never-ending process. Those weeds keep coming back unless we get to their roots, expose them, and let them wither away in the light. We can do this. 

"The history of our country, like all history, illustrates the might of Mind, and shows human power to be proportionate to its embodiment of right-thinking. A few immortal sentences, breathing the omnipotence of divine justice, have been potent to break despotic fetters and abolish the whipping post and slave market, but oppression neither went down in blood, nor did the breath of freedom come from the cannon's mouth. Love is the liberator." Mary Baker Eddy -- circa 1865

Through the Portal, or Into the Hole...

From White Eagle, Hopi Indigenous

"Bird at Heart"
creation of Sandy Starbird

“This moment humanity is going through can now be seen as a portal and as a hole. The decision to fall into the hole or go through the portal is up to you.
If you repent of the problem and consume the news 24 hours a day, with little energy, nervous all the time, with pessimism, you will fall into the hole. But if you take this opportunity to look at yourself, rethink life and death, take care of yourself and others, you will cross the portal. Take care of your homes, take care of your body. Connect with your spiritual House.

When you are taking care of yourselves, you are taking care of everything else. Do not lose the spiritual dimension of this crisis; have the eagle aspect from above and see the whole; see more broadly.

There is a social demand in this crisis, but there is also a spiritual demand -- the two go hand in hand. Without the social dimension, we fall into fanaticism. But without the spiritual dimension, we fall into pessimism and lack of meaning. You were prepared to go through this crisis. Take your toolbox and use all the tools available to you.

Learn about resistance of the indigenous and African peoples; we have always been, and continue to be, exterminated. But we still haven't stopped singing, dancing, lighting a fire, and having fun. Don't feel guilty about being happy during this difficult time.

You do not help at all being sad and without energy. You help if good things emanate from the Universe now. It is through joy that one resists. Also, when the storm passes, each of you will be very important in the reconstruction of this new world.

You need to be well and strong. And for that, there is no other way than to maintain a beautiful, happy, and bright vibration. This has nothing to do with alienation.

This is a resistance strategy. In shamanism, there is a rite of passage called the quest for vision. You spend a few days alone in the forest, without water, without food, without protection. When you cross this portal, you get a new vision of the world, because you have faced your fears, your difficulties.

This is what is asked of you:
Allow yourself to take advantage of this time to perform your vision-seeking rituals. What world do you want to build for you? For now, this is what you can do -- serenity in the storm. Calm down, pray every day. Establish a routine to meet the sacred every day.

Good things emanate; what you emanate now is the most important thing. And sing, dance, resist through art, joy, faith, and love."

The Healing Power of Silence

photo credit: Arthur Bruno

I heard an interesting analogy concerning the body's immune system and the world's ability to heal itself. Each and every one of us are a cell in the immune system of the universe. Every thought we think is either contributing to the unified health of our planet or the propagation of fear and terror. Every prayer, every meditation, ever reaching out through inward listening is magnified exponentially. We have the power to change the world through ourselves. Every interaction brings us closer to a world of love or a world of fear. The Love which heals us personally spreads through the web of Oneness. In the same way that we take personal responsibility for ourselves, our health, our well-being, we can take responsibility for a return to Love. It does matter what we do and what we think. We never know when an interaction with someone will make the difference in that person's life which turns them away from reactive fear to healing Love. The Truth which corrects all errors in our mind is our ascension into heaven within. Never doubt that you matter, that you make a difference.  Allow silence and listening to guide you to being the change you want to see! 

"Immortal ideas, pure, perfect, and enduring, are transmitted by the divine Mind through divine Science, which corrects error with truth and demands spiritual thoughts, divine concepts, to the end that they may produce harmonious results." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 259: 27-31

Protests of Truth

2,000 form peace sign for
John Lennon's 75th birthday

Mary Baker Eddy refers to prayer in many ways, but the one which keeps coming to my thought tonight is a reference to prayer as "deep and conscientious protests of Truth". The protests which we are seeing in every nook and cranny of the world today are, at their highest, this protest of Truth, don't you think? The people who are showing anger, those who are taking advantage and stealing anything they can, people who are there to bring turmoil and violence -- Well, I am reminded of the old African way of dealing with someone who has committed a crime. They surround the person and tell them everything good they know about them, even if it takes days -- especially if it takes days! While a crowded street in a city is not the place you can surround someone and tell them all the good they've done in the world, it certainly is the spot where you can mentally surround them with Love, and keep hitting them with it until they feel it! Most of us have had the experience of seeing Love change things -- whether it be a situation with another person, an interaction with an animal, or nursing a plant back to health, Love is the healer. So when we hear and see heartbreaking incidents, or horrifying images, let's not slip into the ditch, but rather rise up in thought, remembering everyone's true Being as a child of divine Love. Love is the liberator!

"It is neither Science nor Truth which acts through blind belief, nor is it the human understanding of the divine healing Principle as manifested in Jesus, whose humble prayers were deep and conscientious protests of Truth, -- of man's likenss to God and of man's unity with Truth and Love." Mary Baker Eddy - Science and Health - Prayer - Page 12:10

Education Reform -- and other things

Clear Spring School

Almost every day I think of something wonderful we're learning from this isolation. Today's thought was how the closing of schools can be a very good thing. Most of us have known for years that our education system is faulty. Our teachers aren't paid enough, we think the arts are not important, everyone must learn to standardized tests so the districts can receive their money to keep running -- the list goes on. Now that parents are trying to help their children continue an education at home, not only are they seeing how some of the problems they thought were with the school are actually with them, the parents themselves, hopefully they are also seeing the holes in the education we're forcing upon our youth. When we look back on our own primary and secondary schooling, do we see things which were simply not true being peddled as gospel? Why did we stop teaching civics? Perhaps if more people knew what a republic was, we would have one! When someone tells our kids that government is bad or good, do they have any idea what government was meant to be in this country? Do they know what we the people did to our native Americans? Do we know -- really know -- about slavery and its aftermath? I am looking forward to education reform being one of the many changes we shall see in the near future. Don't give up! Take heart, because there are more people with an actual education than with a 24-hour-a-day news channel education.

"The law of the divine Mind must end human bondage, or mortals will continue unaware of man's inalienable rights and in subjection to hopeless slavery, because some public teachers permit an ignorance of divine power -- an ignorance that is the foundation for continued bondage and of human suffering." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 227:7

Herein Lies the Peace of God

Moon Over Utah
photo credit: Aaron Springston

A friend sent me an article entitled, "The 10 Protests That Changed the Course of History Forever", by Geraldine Cremin. After Kevin read them he said to me: They're all the same. From Gandhi's salt march in 1930 to to Selma in 1964, he is absolutely correct. They are all about the same thing. Their common denominator is treating your fellow human being as you would want to be treated: fairly, kindly, unselfishly. Why is it so dad-gummed difficult to do this?? Is it learned behavior from decades of our ancestors putting on airs and pretending to be better than someone else? If it's as simple as that, let's just stop it! One of the many reasons I love A Course in Miracles is the workbook lessons in which we learn how to release long-held beliefs and look at things as they are, without our preconceived ideas coloring everything and everyone around us. I leave you with the introduction to this marvelous book. Namaste, Friends...

     "This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time. The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance. The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite.

     This course can therefore be summed up very simply in this way:

Nothing real can be threatened.

Nothing unreal exists. 

Herein lies the peace of God." 

Taken from A Course in Miracles Textbook Introduction