Binding Up The Broken-Hearted

Yesterday, I wrote of my friend in the hospital and her lack of interest in living. ​Last night at bedtime, I was ready to practice “tough love” on ​her, saying whatever necessary to break the spell ​o​f ennui she had sunk​en​ into. Low and behold, first thing this morning I got a call from her sister ​telling me ​that the hospital called and sweet Jane is ready to start physical therapy, ate breakfast, and she wants ​to take a shower! When I visited her this afternoon, she ate the watermelon I brought ​to her ​and was delighted with the body care products​ I spread over her bed. We shared good memories and talked about possibilities for her future. My gratitude is deep for the ability to show her gentle Love rather than tough love. She knows she might pass on, but is willing to live moment-to-moment, doing whatever is necessary to feel good again. Hallelujah!!

“If we would open their prison doors for the sick, we must first learn to bind up the broken-hearted. If we would heal by the Spirit, we must not hide the talent of spiritual healing under the napkin of its form, nor bury the morale of Christian Science in the grave-clothes of its letter.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 295:5-15

Angels Entertained Unawares

photo credit: Christine Panas

Some of us thrive under adversity. Something seems to “kick in” and we look for the possibilities which are waiting on the other side of a closed door. I’ve mentioned my friend in the hospital who seems to have lost the will to live. The pandemic brought isolation, and so she stopped helping others — which she was very good at doing! Her son passed away and she sank into depression. When her best friend from forever left this earthly plane, she fell deeper. Now, she lays in a hospital bed and refuses the help they are attempting to offer. She’s turned her back on friends and family, and most everyone is feeling hopeless. Tomorrow is my turn to visit her and it’s time to remind her of some facts: she lost a son, but she has another who needs her. She lost her childhood friend, but she has many more who care and are dismayed at what is happening with her. On my drive to the big-city hospital tomorrow, I shall open my heart for words to say, to know what she needs to hear, to open her to that which seems to have closed. I wish to give her the joy I felt today when spending time with the Berryville High School Choir, which is practicing for a performance at Carnegie Hall next year. Having the privilege of being their rehearsal pianist lifts my thoughts above the fear so prevalent all around us. And I am grateful.

“’Now’ has no meaning to the ego. The present merely reminds it of past hurts, and it reacts to the present as if it were the past. The ego cannot tolerate release from the past, and although the past is over, the ego tries to preserve its image by responding as if it were present. It dictates your reactions to those you meet in the present from a past reference point, obscuring their present reality.” ACIM Chapter 13:IV:5

“The circumstance, which your suffering sense deems wrathful and afflictive, Love can make an angel entertained unawares.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 574:27-30

Infectious Joy

Jean & Doug at Crystal Bridges

I heard someone say something which I haven’t heard in a long, long time: Misery loves company. Is that why so many of the conversations we hear center around disease and inclement weather? Yikes! I suppose it would be too rude and counterproductive to tell people why this way of existence is not conducive to happiness. But what I can do is to feel joy -- and scatter it!! -- even in the face of any suffering thought which is brought to me today. And no, this won't be a laughing-in-the-face-of-sorrow type of joy. This will be a gentle joy, a quiet joy, sent out in true compassion, born from the acknowledgement of divine reality. We know that joy loves company, too. Let's see how infectious happiness can be!

“The periods of spiritual ascension are the days and seasons of Mind’s creation, in which beauty, sublimity, purity, and holiness — yea, the divine nature — appear in man and the universe never to disappear.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 509:24-28

Falling Straight Into Love

photo credit: Mickey Finefield

In the early 1900s, people flocked to Eureka Springs for the healing waters. Thousands of people in need found their way here, as they still do today. People are drawn to our town, often without knowing why. I love watching the transformation as people's thought​s​ change from focusing on their problems to relaxing into solutions. To varying degrees, we are all realizing that true healing comes when we release our beliefs in things and open ourselves to feeling and understanding the presence of Love. When this is our only desire, when there is no other need or want, new perceptions become visible and viable. Often it takes extreme conditions to cause us to seek the understanding of our unity with God. But isn't it sweet when we skip that step and fall straight into Love!

“The great miracle, to human sense, is divine Love, and the grand necessity of existence is to gain the true idea of what constitutes the kingdom of heaven in man.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 560:11-15

Still, Small Voice of Peace

photo credit: Arthur Bruno

What is the real world? While we think we are seeing the real world — with all of its pain, sorrow, fear, and horror — we are not. The unreal world, which is reported on the news and purported to be reality by those who scoff at anything unseen to human eyes, is not the reality of spiritual creation. After years of believing that this world of duality will in some way bring us peace and happiness, most of us are ready to release that perception and see with purer eyes, looking beyond illusions toward the true substance of Life as created by divine Mind and interpreted through divine Love. Looking past the chaotic thoughts presented through outside sources, I want to listen for the still, small voice of peace which is always present within mySelf. 

"Certain moods of mind find an indefinable pleasure in stillness, soft, silent as the storm's sudden hush; for nature's stillness is voiced with a hum of harmony, the gentle murmur of early morn, the evening's closing vespers, and lyre of bird and brooklet." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Christian Science versus Pantheism Page 3:8-13

True Identity

Eureka Springs Parade - PC: Richard Quick

A Course in Miracles tells us that the body is a communication device; that it is a tool to be used and then laid aside when its use is over. In this world, we have mistaken the body for our true identity. If we no longer see our body as either good or bad, but rather as a totally neutral thing, it can be realized as what it is in truth: an extension of Love. A dear man reminded me today of something a mutual friend said about Love: there is no unconditional love, only Love. If there are conditions, it’s not really Love! Today I shall think of my body in this way, too, without conditions and limitations, but only as the Idea it is!

“Identity is the reflection of Spirit, the reflection in multifarious forms of the living Principle, Love.” Marsha Havens - Science & Health Page 477:20-22

Friends

 
I spent the afternoon with a friend who is in the hospital. She has lost the light in her eyes, so I read Mary Oliver essays to her, with lots of long pauses and occasional recounting of times we have shared. My heart swells with the Love I feel for this wonderful woman. Before I left to visit her, another old friend, Kriste-lee, artist extraordinaire, came by my house for an unexpected visit. We hadn’t seen each other in almost two years, other than a brief chance meeting in a public setting. Seeing these women with whom I’ve shared Life was uplifting and, also, a cause for much introspective remembering. Our time together is precious, dear Friends. I cherish you…

“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

Brouhahas

Perhaps I'm experiencing Covid fatigue. For the last few years, I’ve played duplicate bridge. Past writings have applauded the different life views I get to hear; ideas which my regular social circle might not proffer. At the first of the pandemic, our club stopped meeting because of our extremely close contact at the bridge table. We started to play again a couple of months ago, shortly thereafter deciding we needed to wear masks, and so we have. Some people strongly disagree with this decision and there has been a bit of a brouhaha over the mandate. Tensions have mounted. Despite my personal vow to remain calm and open-minded, when a woman began to espouse extreme political views yesterday I told her exactly what I thought about it. This exchange caused me to realize it’s time for me to back off from the situation, as being in close quarters with so many people doesn’t feel like the thing to do right now. There are many times in my life I have felt the need to be quiet and listen for guidance. Hopefully a correction in thought will occur, before I alienate any more sweet little old conservative ladies. Ohmmmmm... :)

“Choke these errors in their early stages, if you would not cherish an army of conspirators against health, happiness, and success.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 405:9-11

Ego Busters

unknown photographer

The teachings of A Course in Miracles reveal many ideas which could be called ego-busters, any one of which may ruffle our feathers! I like to think I’m quietly listening for Spirit to speak through me today and everyday, but I know that’s not always true. Often I have an uneasy feeling somewhere around the solar plexus, or maybe there’s an odd, tired feeling in my spine, both of which I’ve learned to recognize as symptoms of an errant ego making itself known. Sometimes I might be self-righteous in response to a situation, or perhaps I feel defensive when I’m not absolutely sure about my position. When these things happen, I can choose to back up, perhaps apologize to someone, and start over with a fresh perspective, because my words and/or actions were coming from a self-righteous source. And so, dear Reader, please feel free to tell me if you think I’m wrong, or point out a situation in which I may have been insensitive. I promise not to take it personally! 

"Eloquence re-echoes the strains of Truth and Love. It is due to inspiration rather than to erudition." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 88:26-27

Ripening Into Immortality

Ken & Sandy Starbird in my gallery, Eureka Thyme

I grew up in a small town and have lived all my life in close proximity to it, so there are many people I’ve known for decades. Looking back at my dearest friends through the years, most of us have grown apart, finding that we no longer share the same viewpoints or interests.  Friendships ebb and flow, change over the years, and mature into majestic alliances. The treasured relationships which have endured are so sweet! Loving God extends into loving Its expression, in the form of other humans. I am grateful for the burgeoning understanding which allows me to love without fear, to extend a hand when needed, and never fear the consequences. Namaste!

“Love never loses sight of loveliness. Its halo rests upon its object. One marvels that a friend can ever seem less than beautiful. Men and women of riper years and larger lessons ought to ripen into health and immortality, instead of lapsing into darkness or gloom.” Mary Baker Eddy-Science & Health Page 249:3-7

In the beginning ...

 From Mary Oliver's Upstream: 

"In the beginning I was so young and such a stranger to myself I hardly existed. I had to go out into the world and see it and hear it and react to it, before I knew at all who I was, what I was, what I wanted to be. Wordsworth studied himself and found the subject astonishing. Actually what he studied was his relationship to the harmonies and also the discords of the natural world. That’s what created the excitement." 

Mary Oliver

Fear Not...

 Sometimes we instill fear in our children even before they're born. Most mothers-to-be are worried about a myriad of things, having been taught to believe it's necessary to do that. From the moment we stand up and toddle about we hear: Be careful, don't fall! When I was a child, I loved to walk in the woods alone, and the only warnings I was given had to do with snakes or perhaps the occasional wild carnivore. Nowadays, everything from ticks to the sun may attack us, and we go to great lengths to protect ourselves, putting poisons on our skin to avoid something we perceive to be worse. This is yet another example of the material illusions we have made for ourselves. As I go through this day, I will notice what learned behaviors are ruling my life, holding me in fear rather than Love. The words of a great teacher come to mind: Perfect Love casts out fear!

“Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 261:4-7

And It Was Good ...

 

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I love to sit on my back deck, where nothing exists other than a forest and the insects and birds talking to me. My gratitude for this peace is all-encompassing. Of course, we are conditioned to feel guilty when we are happy in spite of other people’s misery and fear, so the thought crossed my mind that I should feel bad for others. But this was quickly corrected because I know that no matter how badly I feel about the plight of another, it will do nothing to improve their lot. This does not mean that I have no compassion for them, but that I correct the picture of despair in my thoughts and see them according to the first book of Genesis rather than the second: God created everything and it was good. That is the spiritual reality of Life. So rather than dwelling on images burned into my retina by my knowledge of world events,  I translate them into the purity of creation in its natural state​:​ Love.  The compassion I feel for all of the earth is not dimmed by my turning away from the material picture; rather it expands to include everything in the panoply of this Love, unmarred by fires and earthquakes and pandemics and political unrest. This is the least I can do for my earthly family — or perhaps it’s the most.

“The notion of a material universe is utterly opposed to the theory of man as evolved from Mind. Such fundamental errors send falsity into all human doctrines and conclusions, and do not accord infinity to Deity. Error tills the whole ground in this material theory, which is entirely a false view, destructive to existence and happiness.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 545:11

Love Sustaining the Universe

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

When someone compliments us on something, it’s a gift, don't you think? Perhaps we feel like Snoopy, the cartoon dog, when he levitates from pure joy! We're beginning to understand that when the gift of a kind word is given to anyone, anywhere, it lifts us up, too. When we open ourselves to the radiance of Love, which flows through all of existence, we are carried along effortlessly and joyfully. We no longer think the so-called Murphy’s Law will be in effect, fearing the worst results will happen in any given situation. Instead, we allow all the goodness and knowledge of the universe to be ours, expecting nothing and welcoming everything. Every good thought we send out into the universe multiplies. The good we do for one is done for all!!

“The sun, giving light and heat to the earth, is a figure of divine Life and Love, enlightening and sustaining the universe.” Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health Page 538:11-13

Up Is Down...

Photo Credit: Aaron Springston

In these rapidly changing times, it often seems as though down is up and up is down. Things we have come to think of as constant may be changing daily, and what we thought of as important yesterday may pale in the face of our new realizations. I’ve often said I don’t like to have strong opinions because they close my mind to anything else, and I’m beginning to understand how true this is. If I believe something should be a certain way because it always has been that way, then I’m going to be in for a surprise. Every day, when we wake up something is different than when we went to sleep. During the past few years, we’ve all witnessed some interesting events which we could never have dreamed of in our wildest fantasies (or nightmares!). But we are learning to take a deep breath and listen with an open heart and mind before jumping on our soapbox and broadcasting our opinions. Moment by moment, I’m learning to find peace within, and for that, I am grateful.

“Mortal error will vanish in a moral chemicalization. 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 96:21

Exchanging Human Concepts for Divine Consciousness

 

Lake George Reflection - Georgia O'Keeffe

It's my understanding that everyone sees a rainbow differently, according to where they are when they view it. Isn't that a perfect metaphor for everything from politics to the clothes we put on our bodies? Where I am in thought is how I will perceive something. Things which I may think of as being for the good of everyone, someone else may see as the downfall of society. It's just a matter of how you look at it. A line from a movie comes to mind in which an octogenarian tells us that life is like a ride on a roller coaster. She says that some people think the ride is frightening and stressful; others see it as fun and exciting. I love this reminder, and there are so many times in our experience where we could go many directions with our perception of a situation. How exciting to test my understanding as I go through this day!

“The human mind will sometime rise above all material and physical sense, exchanging it for spiritual perception, and exchanging human concepts for the divine consciousness. Then man will recognize his God-given dominion and being." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 531:10-14

All This -- and Cake, Too!

Some days are so chock-full of wonderful things happening and awful news revealing itself that it feels as though we’re on a rollercoaster! Today was one of those days. But the universe sent me guidance before I even knew I needed it. When I went to my church organist gig at 7:30 this morning, I left a youtube video on the tv for my dog, who thinks he has separation anxiety. It was on one of my higher-thought channels so he would hear good things. When I came back, the first words I heard were from a woman talking about her life changing in recent years, in that she didn’t seem to be as consumed by sadness or overwhelmed by upsetting circumstances. She also said she felt joy as much as ever, and sadness, too, but didn’t depend on outside influences to find peace and contentment, no matter what was going on around her. Shortly after hearing these words and thinking about them while fixing brunch, phone calls began to come in. There was happy news and terribly sad news. One woman seemed almost psychotic in her worries, and a call from overseas brought great gladness to my heart. A talk with my son, a visit with my sister — well, let’s just say there were at least 8 phone calls today bringing me varying degrees of joy and sorrow. And then, a woman showed up at my door with a piece of five-layer chocolate cake! She said she had seen me on my porch when she was making deliveries for her restaurant, and she just wanted to bring me cake! There is no end to the wonder of this life!

“Spiritual development germinates not from seed sown in the soil of material hopes, but when these decay, Love propagates anew the higher joys of Spirit, which have no taint of earth. Each successive stage of experience unfolds new views of divine goodness and love.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health, Page 66:11

Isn't It Interesting ...

 

photo credit: Richard Quick

Isn't it interesting… When I hear this phrase coming out of my mouth in a sanctimonious tone, I've found it to be an indicator that I'm getting ready to give a speech based on strong opinions and unnecessary emotions. Watching people in leadership roles, I've noticed something similar with them, too. Their words seem to be ego-based, their ideas headstrong, and their demeanor unhappy. Then I look at my friends who are following the law of Love, scattering contagious joy as they "follow in the way appointed". This comparison gives me renewed resolve to break away from the bonds of learned behavior and let myself follow Truth's calling. And if I err and jump up on my high horse to pontificate, thank goodness I get to choose again!

ACIM Workbook Lesson #317 I follow in the way appointed me.
​"​I have a special place to fill; a role for me alone. ²Salvation waits until I take this part as what I choose to do. ³Until I make this choice, I am the slave of time and human destiny. ⁴But when I willingly and gladly go the way my Father’s plan appointed me to go, then will I recognize salvation is already here, already given all my brothers and already mine as well.” (https://acim.org/acim/en/s/738#1:1-4 | W-317.1:1-4)

Seeing Myself in Everything

 Perceptions are a frequent topic in these writings. Today I’ve been thinking about a specific event and how it might be wonderful for some and disappointing, even upsetting, for others. Today there was a much-needed rainstorm. The trees are clapping their hands! The farmers and gardeners are basking in the beautiful sound of raindrops splashing off of everything. It’s a time of peace and beauty in the Ozarks. But there are many people who were looking forward to an event in Basin Park this evening. After a year-and-a-half of pandemic-induced isolation, many folks were excited about hearing exciting and fun music, along with the inevitable dancing which goes along with this type of event. We human beings are interesting creatures, what with our expectations and emotional needs. Hearing these opposite reactions and thinking about life drew me to these words of Thich Nhat Hahn. I hope to put them into practice today. Namaste …

"Continue practicing until you see yourself in the most cruel and inhumane political leader, in the most devastatingly tortured prisoner, in the wealthiest man, and in the child starving, all skin and bones. Practice until you recognize your presence in everyone else on the bus, in the subway, in the concentration camp, working in the fields, in a leaf, in a caterpillar, in a dew drop, in a ray of sunshine. Meditate until you see yourself in a speck of dust and in the most distant galaxy." - Thich Nhat Hanh

We're All This, Together

 

unknown photographer

We're all in this together, although it appears as though we view things through different eyes than our neighbor. We seem to be satellites, rotating around something unseen, sometimes floating in unison, often bumping into each other and throwing our orbit out of sync — but we're all in this together. Let's leave out the word "in": We're all this together. This togetherness sometimes manifests itself as groups of people who commingle for the joy of being with each other. We may have book clubs, and study groups, and sewing circles, and various groups of people who come together in communion. This fellowship has been sought-after since the beginning of time. Personally, I have no interest in being a part of any group simply to be with others. There must be a communication which surpasses the ordinary. I want stunning honesty, inspiring exchanges, Love shared. From this demonstrated Oneness with each other as the experience of God, salvation is realized as the means, the end, the Only.

"Knowing the Science of creation, in which all is Mind and its ideas, Jesus rebuked the material thought of his fellow-countrymen: 'Ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?' How much more should we seek to apprehend the spiritual ideas of God, than to dwell on the objects of sense!" Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 509:28-3

Marianne Williamson's Facebook Post

 

this was from her facebook page, link below...

"The gap between the beauty of the natural world and the mess that we have made of it is excruciating. I saw a picture today of a woman lovingly holding her little girl in her arms, a reminder like so many of how wonderful life can be. It is not God, but us, who have messed things up so badly.

From assaults on our democracy to the increasing devastation of climate change to the unnecessary suffering of so many tens of millions, even billions of people due to the recklessness and greed of only a few, I can understand how those without faith in a higher power could fall easily into cynicism and despair.

But I believe in miracles. I believe in the power of awakening. I believe in the radical transformation of energy. I believe in us. I believe that people are good. I believe in the power of love. I believe in the power of forgiveness. I believe that the Red Sea parted. I believe that Jesus rose. I believe that God will always have the final say.
I believe we can harness all that, and use it to transform the world.

Are we in trouble? Oh yes we are. But who among us has not been in trouble before? Who among us has not seen signs that we had better change direction? And who among us has not seen the miraculous changes that come about when we sincerely do?

I am in deep contemplation, as I’m sure we all are, as to how I might best help. I do what I can, as I’m sure you do as well. Somehow, I just know it in my soul, we are going to change the world….in time." Marianne Williamson

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=marianne%20williamson

The Lemming Effect

 

photo credit: Richard Quick

We, as humans, seem to need -- even enjoy -- following the lead of others. Many of us blindly go along with someone’s ideas, perhaps without questioning the wisdom of doing so. Often three or four cars turn down the dead-end street on which I live, each following the lead car without noticing the signs indicating there is no way out. The lemming effect often takes over! We seek out and follow orders from anyone we perceive to be wiser or more knowledgeable than we are. Perhaps we do this in case things go wrong, then we can say it wasn't our fault because someone else told us to do it (whatever IT may be!). I'm sure there are more reasons for this behavior than the simplistic examples I've given here today, which are really irrelevant because we don't need to dwell on the problem, but rather focus on the solution. And the solution is to follow the inward direction which we all hear, but often ignore. I pray for the courage to listen and follow, secure in the knowledge that a sure ending is inevitable.

“The Christian Scientist wisely shapes his course, and is honest and consistent in following the leadings of divine
Mind.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 458:26-28

Be the Change

 

Change is liberating! Have you noticed ​more ​people releasing the past? I have, and the freedom is bringing them peace and a new level of joy. One friend tells me of her beloved cat being at the vet's office, perhaps getting ready to pass on. In years past, she would have been distraught, ​and is surprised that she is not. It's not that she loves any less, and perhaps she's experiencing love even more fully. Another friend tells me she's going through a time of letting go -- without even being aware of what exactly is being released! Isn't this great? We don't have to know what it is that's bothering us in order to be freed from it. This concept in itself is liberating! To have no need for analysis or so-called deconstruction, but to simply give yourself the gift of freedom -- what a joy! I am so grateful for all of you who stand unafraid, welcoming the new paradigm!

“The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty, and glory of infinite Love fill all space. That is enough!”​ Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page​ 519​:​3-5

We Are Not Alone

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

A few days ago, I made a comment to a Facebook friend. The discussion I jumped in on was about loneliness and feeling connected through family and friends. As I have been deep into thinking about expanding our identity to include All That Is, I made a comment which included this concept. This wonderful woman wrote a poem in response to my comments. Thank you Carolyn!!

"MARSHA’S SONG

We feel so alone

Identity bereft

Reach out, reach out…

From family to country

From community to DNA

We feel so alone…

BUT what if we stop…

And connect with the air

Surrounded with sweetness

And the gentle breath of life

We unify with all that is

We are not alone…

We are amongst friends

As we weave our hearts

With wings and leaves

With the lilies of the field.

We are not alone…

WE ARE ONE!"

by Carolyn Allen

From A Course in Miracles: “Oneness is simply the idea God is. And in His Being, He encompasses all things. No mind holds anything but Him. We say 'God is', and then we cease to speak, for in that knowledge words are meaningless. There are no lips to speak them, and no part of mind sufficiently distinct to feel that it is now aware of something not itself. It has united with its Source. And like its Source itself, it merely is." A Course in Miracles W-pl.169.5

Truth Makes a New Creature

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

In my heart, I know we are close to a tipping point in mass consciousness, a point in which everyone sees there is no difference between them and that person over there. In this sight, there is a world bathed in peace and contentment. There are no conflicts because everything is done for the good of everyone, and nothing contrary exists because we cannot have such thoughts in the face of beauty and Love. Once again, I must mention expanded identity. We have a terribly limited view of who we are, don’t you think? When we identify with our closest family, our community, our nationality, the color of our skin, our gender — perhaps this sets us up for conflict. A larger identity, a broad and firm foundation of who I am, these are the things I long to understand. Every day I listen for clues which will guide me to that utopia. Catching a glimpse of it causes us to want more!

"We cannot build safely on false foundations. Truth makes a new creature, in whom old things pass away and ‘all things are become new’."  Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 201: 7-9

Breaking the Hold of Distress

 

Let it go. Just breathe. We are advised to do these things when learning how to break the hold of distress and open ourselves to peace. It took me years to realize that someone or something wasn't "making" me upset; it was my perception and interpretation and reaction to things which caused these feelings. Even with this realization, it's easy to get caught up in the craziness of the world. When I find myself becoming agitated about anything, I will remind myself to "let all the world be blessed with peace through us." [ACIM Lesson #360] After all, I can't change anything but my own self, and how wonderful that it’s the most important thing to do!

"Let us learn of the real and eternal, and prepare for the reign of Spirit, the kingdom of heaven,—the reign and rule of universal harmony, which cannot be lost nor remain forever unseen." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 208:20-24

Expanding Our Identity

 

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Do you wonder why human beings are having such a hard time getting along? I heard a talk about these things and what I gleaned from it is this: We are the slaves of our intellect. All of our lives we are taught to learn more, to set goals. to apply that learning, and get out there and change the world. In this parenthesis in eternity, we on earth are trying to fix things with our intellect, when we need to explore other dimensions of intelligence. We have all set up a limited identity for ourselves based on family, nationality, and other tribal limits. Our database is too small for us to expand into realizations we are fearful to explore. If the air was embraced as our identity rather than our community, it wouldn’t be so difficult to accept the Oneness of all that is. A limited identity combined with intelligence can be a dangerous thing indeed. I think we’re seeing this problem in action in our world today. In the next few days, I’ll be pondering what we can do, individually and collectively, to turn this trend around. Please feel free to share your thoughts. Namaste…

"This scientific sense of being, forsaking matter for Spirit, by no means suggests man’s absorption into Deity and the loss of his identity, but confers upon man enlarged individuality, a wider sphere of thought and action, a more expansive love, a higher and more permanent peace.”  Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 265:10-15

Be A Garden

 

photo credit: Blake Lasater

Why are some people able to move through trauma in their lives while others remain stuck in the horror of it all? Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is acknowledged and treated in our society, but what causes it? I heard an analogy today which ​helped me understand​. Every day we hear and see things we can’t forget. We can be like a garden and turn it into fertilizer which will help us grow and flourish, or we can wear the filth and suffer the consequences. I don’t say this to minimize anyone’s pain. On the contrary, I think we should acknowledge our feelings and go forward. The worst case I personally know is a man who was in the Tet Offensive in Vietnam half a century ago. He killed people until he couldn’t feel his arms, then took a break and did it some more. When I knew him well, this horror was fresh in his mind and memory. To a lesser degree, I’ve known other veterans who were consumed by the terrible things they had done. They wore the dirt, not proudly, but obviously, as they slowly committed suicide with alcohol and drugs. We can all help our friends come through trauma of various sorts, helping them to be free and wise rather than trapped in sadness by the pain. Memories don’t disappear because we want them to go away, but we can change them into stepping stones to bring us to higher ground. Let’s turn our own painful memories into a rich organic fertilizer and watch what happens!

“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 60: 24-28

True Likeness of Love

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Living a heart-centered existence has been my purpose for quite some time. When we live with a focus on Love, some people may think we are foolish, but the cynical outlook of my youth is what feels foolish to me today. Turning away from discord can be difficult, but I’ve begun to see how reality is created through our thoughts. I remember once when I was in a monthly meeting of gallery owners in our town and the talk turned to theft in their shops. I turned my attention away from the discussion and was looking into a corner, thinking about something else, when suddenly I noticed everyone had stopped talking. I looked up and saw they were all looking at me! Someone asked me what I thought about this situation and I honestly told them that thievery was not a part of my existence and I didn't want to make it a reality by giving it energy. One of the women said, Good for you! And the discussion continued in a different vein. Knowing the energy-creating power of emotions, I will not hesitate to wander away from discussions centered on fearful beliefs or angry reactions. But, rather, they must be countered with the Love which is our natural state of being!

“The substance, Life, intelligence, Truth, and Love, which constitute Deity, are reflected by His creation; and when we subordinate the false testimony of the corporeal senses to the facts of Science, we shall see this true likeness and reflection everywhere.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 515:4-8

Sheer Poetry

"Buffalo Blues" painting by Carol Dickie

 

Beside The Buffalo - by Rosalie Toler

"Alone on a rock with a

   book

I do the friendly thing

I read poetry to the

   river,

and the water molds it

   to a new rhythm.

Williams — Whitman —

   Dickinson,

I hurl their polished   

   syllables

away on the current.

Do people downstream

   hear them coming?

I wonder.

Maybe some fisherman,

casting his own lines,

   will feel the rush,

sense the lure of purling

   words leaping,

matching riff with riffle.

Or maybe some rugged

   kayaker,

etching his watery v’s,

will shoot rapids

   through them,

unaware that part of

   the thrill

is sheer poetry."

Rosalie Toler

Little George, Traveling Evangelist

 ​​

Lucy Havens, with statue of Little George

Many things remind me of my half-brother, Little George Havens, travel​ing evangelist. He was quite short and very flamboyant. I can still hear him singing, to the tune of Battle Hymn of the Republic, "The circuit ridin' preacher traveled through the mire and mud; preached about the fiery furnace and of Noah and the flood". What a character he was! He spent his life spreading the word of God as he knew it. And he helped countless people find hope along the way. But did he ever listen for the still, small voice, or did he just recite what he had come to believe as truth? That, I can't say. We can only know our own heart, and so today I will examine ​the motives in ​my ​interactions​ with people​. Lying to myself is as bad as lying to others. I shall listen​​…

“Millions of unprejudiced minds--simple seekers for Truth, weary wanderers, athirst in the desert--are waiting and watching for rest and drink. Give them a cup of cold water in Christ's name, and never fear the consequences.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 570:14-17