The Fruits of Love

Christmas Tour of Homes

“It is hard to steer a church in an age when no one is listening to the messages and call of the gospel.” This statement was made by a pastor whom I greatly respect. It has prompted me to think about what causes the majority of my friends to listen to their inner knowing, to divine guidance, to their intuition — whatever they choose to call this cosmic consciousness of which we are all part. I know many fine people who are deeply religious. But that, in and of itself, is not enough to cause them to be compassionate. I watch as aware, conscious people handle difficulties in this world, and I learn what it takes to live from the heart, from an open mind, with Love reflected moment-to-moment. My conclusion is that we needn’t be led by sermons and gospel writings in order to live as the reflection, the image and likeness of divine Oneness. We have an ever-present ability to tap into expanding thought. And for this I am grateful.

“Our baptism is a purification from all error. Our church is built on the divine Principle, Love. We can unite with this church only as we are new-born of Spirit, as we reach the Life which is Truth and the Truth which is Life by bringing forth the fruits of Love, — casting out error and healing the sick. Our Eucharist is spiritual communion with the one God. Our bread ‘which cometh down from heaven,’ is Truth. Our cup is the cross. Our wine the inspiration of Love, the draught our Master drank and commended to his followers.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 35

“A major tenet in the ego’s insane religion is that sin is not error but truth, and it is innocence that would deceive. Purity is seen as arrogance, and the acceptance of the self as sinful is perceived as holiness. And it is this doctrine that replaces the reality of the Son of God as his Father created him, and willed that he be forever. Is this humility? Or is it, rather, an attempt to wrest creation away from truth, and keep it separate?”
A Course in Miracles T-19.II.4:1-5

All-Inclusive Wonder

A lot has changed in the last couple of millennia, don't you think? We could spend hours listing changes in our understanding of the universe! Something which has not changed appreciably is our idea of God. Religion has pretty much held us locked in to what has been thought of as the truth. Many of us are fearlessly admitting that we are all, each and every one, the expression and experience of God. We're happily allowing our thoughts to embrace new concepts such as, "I am the light of the world"! This is not a self-important declaration, but an all-inclusive, divine-Love centered exclamation of the wonder we know as Life. Our burgeoning understanding is bringing a joy we never dreamed would be possible on this earth plane. We're starting to see that the kingdom of heaven is right here, within and without, waiting for us to embrace it. Let's go forth today and shine!

“Your will be done, you holy child of God. It does not matter if you think you are in earth or Heaven. What your Father wills of you can never change. The truth in you remains as radiant as a star, as pure as light, as innocent as love itself. And you are worthy that your will be done!”
A Course in Miracles T-31.VI.7:1-5

“Accompanying this scientific consciousness was an other revelation, even the declaration from heaven, supreme harmony, that God, the divine Principle of harmony, is ever with men, and they are His people. Thus man was no longer regarded as a miserable sinner, but as the blessed child of God. Why? Because St. John’s corporeal sense of the heavens and earth had vanished, and in place of this false sense was the spiritual sense, the subjective state by which he could see the new heaven and new earth, which involve the spiritual idea and consciousness of reality. This is Scriptural authority for concluding that such a recognition of being is, and has been, possible to men in this present state of existence, — that we can become conscious, here and now, of a cessation of death, sorrow, and pain. This is indeed a foretaste of absolute Christian Science. 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 573:11-2

Shake It Off

Eckhart Tolle tells a story about ducks. As he’s sitting by a pond watching them go about their business, suddenly one of the ducks lashes out at another one. They squawk and flap their wings, seeming to be quite angry. Then they shake themselves off, and go back to being ducks on a pond. Even though their feathers got ruffled, when it was over, it was over. I’ve watched similar scenarios with my two cats. One will pass by the other and there will be an altercation — a vicious sounding disagreement with growls and hisses. And then it’s over and they are best friends again. We have much to learn from animals. It seems that fights to the death only occur amongst animals when there are males fighting over territory — and that territory includes females which they consider to be theirs. We have much to learn from animals. The pointlessness of current conflicts around the world break our collective hearts. Since we can only change the world by changing our own thought, let’s begin with our personal interactions with each other. Let there be peace …

“When the divine precepts are understood, they unfold the foundation of fellowship, in which one mind is not at war with another, but all have one Spirit, God, one intelligent source, in accordance with the Scriptural command: ‘Let this Mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.’” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 276:4-9

“Peace is the ego’s greatest enemy because, according to its interpretation of reality, war is the guarantee of its survival. The ego becomes strong in strife. If you believe there is strife you will react viciously, because the idea of danger has entered your mind. The idea itself is an appeal to the ego. The Holy Spirit is as vigilant as the ego to the call of danger, opposing it with His strength just as the ego welcomes it. The Holy Spirit counters this welcome by welcoming peace. Eternity and peace are as closely related as are time and war.”
A Course in Miracles T-5.III.8:7-13

Love Frees Us

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

At times, we all feel overwhelmed by life's circumstances -- or, at least, I know I do. Everything seems easier to me now, with grown children, no daily jobs to show up for, and most arduous demands gone from my days. But sometimes things happen and we are drawn into them. I have a friend whose life has been turned upside down when least expected. How do we cope when an illness befalls us or our loved ones, changing the rhythm of life we cherish? Of course, we do what we must, and we pray for strength and guidance, and we listen for answers in whatever form they may appear. This is not an easy task -- but really, what is our choice? To all of us who are afraid, perhaps angry, feeling put-upon unnecessarily, overwrought by things beyond our control -- just breathe. Breathe deeply and find something to be happy for, an idea to be peaceful about. Sometimes we must release a problem in order to find its resolution. We can't change the situation, but we can change our thought about it. Love to you, each and every one, during this time of newborn thought!

“Love is freedom. To look for it by placing yourself in bondage is to separate yourself from it. For the Love of God, no longer seek for union in separation, nor for freedom in bondage! As you release, so will you be released. Forget this not, or Love will be unable to find you and comfort you."
A Course in Miracles T-16.VI.2.

“If divine Love is becoming nearer, dearer, and more real to us, matter is then submitting to Spirit. The objects we pursue and the spirit we manifest reveal our standpoint, and show what we are winning.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 239:18-2

The Light I Share With My Sister

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

When we have a misunderstanding or disagreement with someone, we usually have a litany of reasons why we are right and they are wrong. If you’re like me, you try to see things from their standpoint, seeing yourself and your actions through their eyes. And if you’re like me, you probably find more ways why they’re wrong and you’re right. Ha! I am ready to break that ridiculous circular thought process and see through the illusions I have created — both for myself and others. The only way to do this is to join with the light within my sister, to see her as the same creation of Love which we all are. Our ego (mortal mind) doesn’t want us to do that. So we place the ego’s hatred and fear in someone else and declare they are the enemy. To see through that facade is no easy task. But salvation lies in moving through that feeling of separation and truly feeling the Love which we are. Burning off the ego’s dross to see the precious Love which is our true being, we walk through the falsity of human belief and come out on the side. And we see as Love sees. I want this so badly …

“I have said that you cannot change your mind by changing your behavior, but I have also said, and many times, that you can change your mind. When your mood tells you that you have chosen wrongly, and this is so whenever you are not joyous, then know this need not be. In every case you have thought wrongly about some brother God created, and are perceiving images your ego makes in a darkened glass. Think honestly what you have thought that God would not have thought, and what you have not thought that God would have you think. Search sincerely for what you have done and left undone accordingly, and then change your mind to think with God’s. This may seem hard to do, but it is much easier than trying to think against it. Your mind is one with God’s. Denying this and thinking otherwise has held your ego together, but has literally split your mind. As a loving brother I am deeply concerned with your mind, and urge you to follow my example as you look at yourself and at your brother, and see in both the glorious creations of a glorious Father.”
A Course in Miracles T-4.IV.2:1-9

“Sorrow has its reward. It never leaves us where it found us. The furnace separates the gold from the dross that the precious metal may be graven with the image of God. The cup our Father hath given, shall we not drink it and learn the lessons He teaches?”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health 66:30-3

Forgiving My Illusions

Recently I wrote about a couple of old friends, whom I have apparently not forgiven for events in our past. Another dear friend responded that she was willing to talk about anything. In that moment, I realized that at the beginning of the pandemic she and I had gone for a long period with no interpersonal contact whatsoever. I had forgotten completely about this happening, until I read her words. I have always thought of true forgiveness as meaning there was nothing I was judging and condemning, hence there was nothing to forgive. This reinforces that idea, because it never crossed my mind that we had a temporary hiatus in communications. Also this morning, Holy Spirit led me to visit ACIM Lesson #219 as unpacked by Coreen and Nouk. In a beautiful dissertation at approximately minute-mark 12, going through 17”, I found exactly what I needed to hear. I will not go into all the details here, as it would take pages to describe the beauty and truth I found in Coreen’s words. Divine perfect Love is the way to see through the illusion of grievances. I hope to delve deeper into this in future days. Namaste …

“There is nothing you can hold against reality. All that must be forgiven are the illusions you have held against your brothers. Their reality has no past, and only illusions can be forgiven. God holds nothing against anyone, for He is incapable of illusions of any kind. Release your brothers from the slavery of their illusions by forgiving them for the illusions you perceive in them. Thus will you learn that you have been forgiven, for it is you who offered them illusions. In the holy instant this is done for you in time, to bring you the true condition of Heaven.”
A Course in Miracles T-16.VII.9:1-7

“My weary hope tries to realize that happy day, when man shall recognize the Science of Christ and love his neighbor as himself, — when he shall realize God’s omnipotence and the healing power of the divine Love in what it has done and is doing for mankind.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 55:16-21

Thank You Honest Journalists!

It’s been said that lies spread faster than truth. In this age of instant communications, it’s often difficult to separate the two. Our media is prone to spreading deception and distrust, dividing people in ways which seem irreparable. Many of us remember the early days of television, a time when advertising revved up and consumerism became flagrant. Today almost everything we hear and see is designed to sell us something. We must continue to be vigilant in what we allow into our thoughts, not only for our own good, but for the collective. Repeating stories which create divisions through feelings of superiority or inferiority, that’s playing the game which has been created for us. It’s important to use our education, our intuition, our spiritual knowledge, every bit of common sense we still have, in order to discern truth. I am grateful to all the journalists who spend countless hours researching the origins of information, and connecting the dots of current events, so we all don’t need to do so! 

"The human mind, imbued with this spiritual understanding, becomes more elastic, is capable of greater endurance, escapes somewhat from itself, and requires less repose. ... It raises the thinker into his native air of insight and perspicacity."
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 128:14-19

“You will identify with what you think will make you safe. Whatever it may be, you will believe that it is one with you. Your safety lies in truth, and not in lies. Love is your safety. Fear does not exist. Identify with love, and you are safe. Identify with love, and you are home. Identify with love, and find your Self.”
A Course in Miracles W-pII.5.5:1-8

The Perfume of Gratitude

Graphic of Unknown Origin

Are there incidents with people which replay in your mind at the most unexpected times? There are a few long-time friends with whom I’ve experienced periods of painful silence. Being ghosted and not knowing what you did to cause the person to ignore you — well, it was confusing and painful. Although we now talk and all is forgiven, we never talked about those incidents, and I still do not know what happened. Since this is coming up in my thoughts time and again, I take that as a sign I have not truly forgiven them. Since forgiveness is essential in moving forward with the way of life I have chosen, it’s time to examine these things. As a reflection of divine Love, I want to see as Love sees — purely, without judgment — seeing everyone in the same Light, because we are all One.

“Can you imagine how beautiful those you forgive will look to you? In no fantasy have you ever seen anything so lovely. Nothing you see here, sleeping or waking, comes near to such loveliness. And nothing will you value like unto this, nor hold so dear. Nothing that you remember that made your heart sing with joy has ever brought you even a little part of the happiness this sight will bring you. For you will see the Son of God. You will behold the beauty the Holy Spirit loves to look upon, and which He thanks the Father for. He was created to see this for you, until you learned to see it for yourself. And all His teaching leads to seeing it and giving thanks with Him.”
A Course in Miracles T-17.II.1:1-9

“This is what is meant by seeking Truth, Christ, not ‘for the loaves and fishes,’ nor, like the Pharisee, with the arrogance of rank and display of scholarship, but like Mary Magdalene, from the summit of devout consecration, with the oil of gladness and the perfume of gratitude, with tears of repentance and with those hairs all numbered by the Father.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 367:10-16

Put The Glass Down

Photo courtesy of Aaron Springston

There are many great stories about choosing joy rather than pain. The one I’m thinking of today concerns a glass of water. We are asked how much a glass of water weighs. Then we are told it doesn't matter what its weight is, it matters how long we hold it. If we hold it a minute, it's light. If we hold it an hour, our arm and/or hand may become uncomfortable with the weight. If we hold it all day, our arm will feel paralyzed. This scenario is a metaphor for holding on to worries and fears. If we keep them with us, we become convinced that they are impossible to overcome. We are paralyzed from the carrying of this weight. All we have to do is put the glass down to be released from our burden. Then we are free to feel the joy which is innately ours as a child of Love!

“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 265:23-30

“It is your thoughts alone that cause you pain. Nothing external to your mind can hurt or injure you in any way. There is no cause beyond yourself that can reach down and bring oppression. No one but yourself affects you. There is nothing in the world that has the power to make you ill or sad, or weak or frail. But it is you who have the power to dominate all things you see by merely recognizing what you are. As you perceive the harmlessness in them, they will accept your holy will as theirs. And what was seen as fearful now becomes a source of innocence and holiness.”
A Course in Miracles W-190.5:1-8

Heroic Hearts

Today brought many personal victories on my road to relearning ways in which to perform daily chores and activities. While I don’t feel the need to recount them here, I did tell a friend and she replied, in part, with this quote from Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson:

“We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

I thank everyone who is sending love to those of us who are willing to catch it!

“Miracles are teaching devices for demonstrating it is as blessed to give as to receive. They simultaneously increase the strength of the giver and 

supply strength to the receiver.” 

A Course in Miracles T-1.I.16:1-2

“Spirit is symbolized by strength, presence, and power, and also by holy thoughts, winged with Love.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 512:8-9

A Dream of Judgment

I’m noticing a few traits which are shared by many of my favorite humans. They don’t talk about others negatively. Not sharing in this destructive chatter makes life simpler, because we needn’t try to figure out what people’s motivations are: they do what they do. Actually, our happiness doesn’t rely on what others are doing — or not doing. When we put a label on someone, such as thief, then we’ve fixed that person in our mind with a conceptual identity. The mind does this, often focusing on a person’s shortcomings, and then we are trapped. At some point, we realize the more we trap others, the more we trap ourselves. As Jesus said years ago, “Judge not, lest ye be judged”. The world cannot change without a change in thought — our own thought — and it requires vigilance for us to check the words in our head! When we notice our judgments and labeling practices, let’s not think of it as a failure on our part. It’s a great success to catch the thoughts and realize what you’re doing. When you see it, it loses its power over you — and you can choose again!

“The power of the human will should be exercised only in subordination to Truth; else it will misguide the judgment and free the lower propensities. It is the province of spiritual sense to govern man. Material, erring, human thought acts injuriously both upon the body and through it.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health with Key to the Scripture 246:4-9

"A dream of judgment came into the mind that God created perfect as Himself. And in that dream was Heaven changed to hell, and God made enemy unto His Son. How can God's Son awaken from the dream? It is a dream of judgment. So must he judge not, and he will waken. For the dream will seem to last while he is part of it. Judge not, for he who judges will have need of idols, which will hold the judgment off from resting on himself. Nor can he know the Self he has condemned. Judge not, because you make yourself a part of evil dreams, where idols are your ‘true identity’, and your salvation from the judgment laid in terror and in guilt upon yourself.” 

A Course in Miracles T-29.IX

Everything You Do Is Sacred

Graham - Neighbor Cat

"Now is the time to know

That all that you do is sacred.

Now, why not consider

A lasting truce with yourself and God.

Now is the time to understand

That all your ideas of right and wrong

Were just a child’s training wheels

To be laid aside

When you can finally live

With veracity

And love.

Hafiz is a divine envoy

Whom the Beloved

Has written a holy message upon.

My dear, please tell me,

Why do you still

Throw sticks at your heart

And God?

What is it in that sweet voice inside

That incites you to fear?

Now is the time for the world to know

That every thought and action is sacred

This is the time

For you to deeply compute the impossibility

That there is anything

But Grace.

Now is the season to know

That everything you do

Is sacred."

– Hafiz

“Do human hopes deceive? Is joy a trembler? Then, weary pilgrim, unloose the latchet of thy sandals; for the place whereon thou standest is sacred.” 

Mary Baker Eddy- Miscellany - Page 341:14-16

“Brother, this day is sacred to the world. Your vision, given you from far beyond all things within the world, looks back on them in a new light. And what you see becomes the healing and salvation of the world. The valuable and valueless are both perceived and recognized for what they are. And what is worthy of your love receives your love, while nothing to be feared remains.” 

A Course in Miracles - W-164.6:1-5

The Best Laid Plans …

Alaska - Photo from Aaron Springston

All our lives we have been taught to take control of our lives; to have goals and make plans, and to follow through with them. It takes quite a bit of unlearning to realize that this is the ego’s idea and usually brings nothing but unhappiness. I used to think I was in control and it was my job to orchestrate everything (and everyone!) around me. How many misunderstandings, disappointments, and broken promises this has caused! Now, I understand my needs are met before I know I have them. By releasing my own certainty that I know what’s right, I leave myself open to the field of all possibilities. And in doing this, the perfect avenue is readily shown to me. All I need to is follow!

“When we fully understand our relation to the Divine, we can have no other Mind but His, — no other Love, wisdom, or Truth, no other sense of Life, and no consciousness of the existence of matter or error.”
MaryBaker Eddy - Science & Health Page 205:32-3

“Peace abides in every mind that quietly accepts the plan God set for its Atonement, relinquishing its own. You know not of salvation, for you do not understand it. Make no decisions about what it is or where it lies, but ask the Holy Spirit everything, and leave all decisions to His gentle counsel.”
A Course in Miracles T-14.III.12:4-6

Loving My Community!

Thank You Note Courtesy of the Fabulous

Rebecca Becker

Last night, in a building which is dear to my heart, a benefit was held to help me with expenses. This structure was built in 1914, as home to the Christian Science Society. It remained as such until a decade or so ago. My parents began attending this church when I was 8 years old, and I began playing the organ there when I was 11. When we had to close our doors because of lack of membership, I knew the building must continue as a “structure of Truth and Love”. And it has. It is now a spiritual center for groups who do not have a place of their own. This beautiful edifice has hosted Sufis, Native Americans, various metaphysical discussion groups — anyone who needs a place to meet and join together in Love. Last night there was a love fest planned by two local artistic treasures. They performed George Bernard Shaw’s “Village Wooing”. The event was billed as “an evening of Love and Laughter”. The outcome is overwhelming to me, and I am humbled by the caring response. I love my community!

"The Church is that institution which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas..."
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 582:14

“A church that does not inspire love has a hidden altar that is not serving the purpose for which God intended it. I [Jesus] must found His church on you, because those who accept me as a model are literally my disciples. Disciples are followers, and if the model they follow has chosen to save them pain in all respects, they are unwise not to follow him.”
A Course in Miracles T-6.I.8:5-7

I Want To Be Like Jennifer

Herb and Jennifer in WKRP in Cincinnati 

Recently, I told a friend about a scene I remembered from a decades-old sitcom, WKRP in Cincinnati. The beautiful character played by Lonnie Anderson was stuck in an elevator with the boorish character named Herb. There was a fire in the building and Herb was certain they were going to die. Jennifer, played by Lonnie Anderson, said to him, “Everything will be all right.” Herb told her she couldn’t possibly know that. Lonnie Anderson said yes, she did, because nothing bad ever happened to her! I told my friend that when I heard that, I realized that was the attitude I wanted for myself. And now I realize I have it! No matter what happens, I do not label it as good or bad; I look at it for what it is. This putting aside of judgment and preconceived notions doesn’t happen overnight. And many times, I forget and fall into old thought patterns. I used to see things as bad and want to turn them into good. I might’ve seen good and wanted it to be bad! But whatever the case, it is such a relief to see things as they are, without putting my interpretations on them.

“Communication ends separation. Attack promotes it. The body is beautiful or ugly, peaceful or savage, helpful or harmful, according to the use to which it is put. And in the body of another you will see the use to which you have put yours. If the body becomes a means you give to the Holy Spirit to use on behalf of union of the Sonship, you will not see anything physical except as what it is. Use it for truth and you will see it truly. Misuse it and you will misunderstand it, because you have already done so by misusing it. Interpret anything apart from the Holy Spirit and you will mistrust it. This will lead you to hatred and attack and loss of peace.”
A Course in Miracles T-8.VII.4:1-9

“The world of error is ignorant of the world of Truth, — blind to the reality of man’s existence, — for the world of sensation is not cognizant of life in Soul, not in body.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health 13:29-32

Moving Through The Day

Dinner Salad

How many tears of frustration have I shed today? Let me not count them! My every move must be analyzed, watched, planned. There can be no mindless moves, nor rushed actions. This is a study in being in the present moment. I’ve always thought I lived in the Now, but how little did I know! A few times today I found myself thinking, “I can’t do this“. Eventually, I caught myself in this negative thought and started turning it around to something like, “Yes, this is difficult, but I’ll think of it as a little mini-workout, feeling every muscle stretch out, every move, enjoying what seems so difficult.” And so it is. As I enjoy my freshly-made salad this evening, while watching a favorite series called Stick, I am grateful for the cooler weather coming soon. I am thankful for the showers of rain we have had today, and the bees and hummingbirds I see flying in my garden. What could be better?

“Who could maintain that lessons such as these are easy? Yet you have learned more than this. You have continued, taking every step, however difficult, without complaint, until a world was built that suited you. And every lesson that makes up the world arises from the first accomplishment of learning; an enormity so great the Holy Spirit’s Voice seems small and still before its magnitude. The world began with one strange lesson, powerful enough to render God forgotten, and His Son an alien to himself, in exile from the home where God Himself established him. You who have taught yourself the Son of God is guilty, say not that you cannot learn the simple things salvation teaches you!”
A Course in Miracles T-31.I.4:1-6

“This Science of being obtains not alone hereafter in what men call Paradise, but here and now; it is the great fact of being for time and eternity.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 285:3-6

Love Fulfills Itself

I’m home, happy, and tired. So I give you these words:

LET THESE BE YOUR DESIRES - KAHLIL GIBRAN

"Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself

But if your love and must needs have desires,

Let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook

That sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart

And give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer

For the beloved in your heart

And a song of praise upon your lips."

KAHLIL GIBRAN

“These are the forms which never can deceive, because they come from Formlessness Itself. Forgiveness is an earthly form of love, which as it is in Heaven has no form. Yet what is needed here is given here as it is needed. In this form you can fulfill your function even here, although what love will mean to you when formlessness has been restored to you is greater still. Salvation of the world depends on you who can forgive. Such is your function here.”

A Course in Miracles W-186.14:1-6

“One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils 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 340:22-29

Make Room For The New

Photo courtesy of Gabe Carlson

“You have no obligation to be

the same person you were minutes ago.”

–Alan Watts

“You wish to have proof of

A world beyond this one?

See how the old leaves fall and

Makes room for the new.

A new day, a new night, a new garden,

Even a new trap to fall into. 

A new thought in each breath.

Newness is a wonder.

It surely is a treasure.

Did you ever wonder

Where the new comes from? 

Where the old disappear to?

The world is a flowing stream,

It looks enclosed and unchanging,

But the old flows away and

The new arrives.”

—Rumi 

“To be free of all authority, 

of your own and that of another, 

is to die to everything of yesterday, 

so that your mind is always fresh, 

always young, innocent, full of vigour

and passion. 

It is only in that state that 

one learns and observes.”

–Jiddu Krishnamurti 

“This course is a beginning, not an end. Your Friend goes with you. You are not alone. No one who calls on Him can call in vain. Whatever troubles you, be certain that He has the answer, and will gladly give it to you, if you simply turn to Him and ask it of Him. He will not withhold all answers that you need for anything that seems to trouble you. He knows the way to solve all problems, and resolve all doubts. His certainty is yours. 

You need but ask it of Him, and it will be given you.”

A Course in Miracles W-ep.1:1-9

“Truth has no beginning. The divine Mind is the Soul of man, and gives man dominion over all things. Man was not created from a material basis, nor bidden to obey material laws which Spirit never made; 

his province is in spiritual statutes, in the higher law of Mind.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 307:25-30

The Wonder of Every Little Thing

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

You know that feeling when your electricity or water has been out for a few hours — or longer! — and it comes back on? You’re ecstatic, elated, grateful! That is how I felt today as the physical therapists gave me a date and time of release from this lovely facility of rehabilitation. I’ve been happily making plans all day and imagining the feeling of my cats’ fur and the sound of their purrs. The bliss of watching fireflies rise out of my mess of a cottage garden is a heavenly thought. The memory of watching a sunset from my back deck brings a kind of peace to my mind like nothing else. I’m looking forward to every little thing, and I am feeling great happiness — elation, even!

“As you can hear two voices, so you can see in two ways. One way shows you an image, or an idol that you may worship out of fear, but will never love. The other shows you only truth, which you will love because you will understand it. Understanding is appreciation, because what you understand you can identify with, and by making it part of you, you have accepted it with love. That is how God Himself created you; in understanding, in appreciation and in love.”
A Course in Miracles T-7.V.9:1-6

“Nature voices natural, spiritual law and divine Love, but human belief misinterprets nature. Arctic regions, sunny tropics, giant hills, winged winds, mighty billows, verdant vales, festive flowers, and glorious heavens, — all point to Mind, the spiritual intelligence they reflect. The floral apostles are hieroglyphs of Deity. Suns and planets teach grand lessons. The stars make night beautiful, and the leaflet turns naturally towards the light.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 240:1-9

Undoing Error — or When Pigs Fly!

"When Pigs Fly" by Michael Sowa

Review #6 in A Course in Miracles Workbook is very exciting to many of us! “I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me.” My little mortal mind, or ego, wants me to believe this is foolishness. How can I be lying here in this hospital bed if I am not a body? Because we were not created as bodies, but as Spirit. That is what Jesus was here to teach us: We are spiritual, not material. We are all capable of much more than we have been led to believe. I never understood why people didn’t shout hallelujah and do what that delightful man instructed: The things I do, you can do also — and more! But for some reason, that did not happen. Nor did it happen when various seers tried to take us to Truth. But it is happening as more and more of us realize the kingdom of heaven resides within our own selves. It’s not some place in the sky, but right here and now. The more of us realize this, the more of us will realize this! We are free!

"Question: What is the scientific statement of being?
Answer: There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all. Spirit is immortal Truth; matter is mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual."
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 468:8-16

“A miracle is a correction. It does not create, nor really change at all. It merely looks on devastation, and reminds the mind that what it sees is false. It undoes error, but does not attempt to go beyond perception, nor exceed the function of forgiveness. Thus it stays within time’s limits. Yet it paves the way for the return of timelessness and love’s awakening, for fear must slip away under the gentle remedy it brings.”
A Course in Miracles W-pII.13.1:1-6

Let Us Not Fight Our Function

A friend recently shared with me a book: Women Who Love Books Too Much by Brenda Knight. A quote from the end of the introduction: “A great book or poem is, at its zenith , an expression of the divine. For you, for me, for the women portrayed here, to read, and to write is to live!“ This book is a tribute to women throughout recorded time who have dared to write, to be creative, to be political. May we never be silent, nor afraid we’re not good enough, or frightened of our own power.
Namaste …

“The manifestation of God through mortals is as light passing through the window-pane. The light and the glass never mingle, but as matter, the glass is less opaque than the walls. The mortal mind through which Truth appears most vividly is that one which has lost much materiality--much error--in order to become a better transparency for Truth. Then, like a cloud melting into thin vapor, it no longer hides the sun.”
Mary Baker Eddy-Science & Health Page 295:14-24

“Let us not fight our function. We did not establish it. It is not our idea. The means are given us by which it will be perfectly accomplished. All that we are asked to do is to accept our part in genuine humility, and not deny with self-deceiving arrogance that we are worthy. What is given us to do, we have the strength to do. Our minds are suited perfectly to take the part assigned to us by One Who knows us well.”
A Course in Miracles W-186.2:1-7

Watch Out For Those Lower Propensities!

Graphic of Unknown Origin

Being too tired to write this evening, I give you one from the past which jumped out at me!

I’ve noticed myself (and others) mindlessly repeating things we have heard, whether it be truth or rumor, good news or a horrid happening, or simply inanities. In the volatile atmosphere of our emotionally-charged country, it is particularly important to scatter joy and express kindness. Kindness goes hand-in-hand with compassion, but that doesn’t mean we must exacerbate others' pain by adding our own to it. I’ve heard it said that worry is much like praying for something bad to happen. With this in mind, I will try to only see, hear, and repeat good. This does not mean I will ignore injustice in all its many faces, nor does it mean that I'll turn my back on someone in need. It does mean when I hear of yet another travesty against mankind and the environment, I will see it through different eyes, translating it into what can occur to move us into our true selves as images of the divine. Planning to refrain from rehashing horror stories, or engaging in inane conversations, or telling my own stories which top the bad things others have experienced, these are things I can and will do at every opportunity. Every thought matters, and ours may be the one which turns it all around!

“Dismiss all foolish magical beliefs today, and hold your mind in silent readiness to hear the Voice that speaks the truth to you. You will be listening to One Who says there is no loss under the laws of God. Payment is neither given nor received. Exchange cannot be made; there are no substitutes; and nothing is replaced by something else. God’s laws forever give and never take.”
A Course in Miracles W-76.9:2-6

“The power of the human will should be exercised only in subordination to Truth; else it will misguide the judgment and free the lower propensities. It is the province of spiritual sense to govern man.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures, Page 206:2-7

Compass of the Heart

Photo courtesy of Aaron Springston

As I read stories of Lakota wisdom, I am reminded of a book I read years ago, called “The Art of Hearing Heartbeats”, by Jon-Phillip Sendker. The main character loses his eyesight when he’s a young boy. One of his mentors tells him that the true essence of things is invisible to the eyes. He says the eyes distract us, as they love to be dazzled, and that we rely too heavily on them and neglect our other senses. The other senses to which he refers are more than hearing or taste or smell. “I’m talking about the organ within us, for which we have no name. Let us call it the compass of the heart.” I love that don’t you?

“As mortals gain more correct views of God and man, multitudinous objects of creation, which before were invisible, will become visible. When we realize that Life is Spirit, never in nor of matter, this understanding will expand into self-completeness, finding all in God, good, and needing no other consciousness.”Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 264:13-19

“You who perceive yourself as weak and frail, with futile hopes and devastated dreams, born but to die, to weep and suffer pain, hear this: All power is given unto you in earth and Heaven. There is nothing that you cannot do. You play the game of death, of being helpless, pitifully tied to dissolution in a world which shows no mercy to you. Yet when you accord it mercy, will its mercy shine on you.”
A Course in Miracles W-191.9:1-4

Namaste

Alaska - photo credit: Aaron Springston

Heart connections run deep. Sometimes we notice they’ve developed over decades; often they happen in an instant. Here in the rehab hospital, where I am strengthening myself to go home and begin life with below-the-knee amputations, I love each and every person I’ve met. But occasionally there is something deeper which occurs when our eyes meet. We seem to know each other and are getting reacquainted. A few moments ago when the night nurse came on for her shift, we gleefully clasped hands upon seeing each other again. There are a few others, including physical therapists and the rest of the staff. There’s one nurse who is obviously an evangelical Christian. When I was having a problem yesterday, I announced to the team that I wasn’t afraid to die and it was okay. This particular woman grabbed my hand and said something like, “when you know Jesus Christ, you’re not afraid of the hereafter.” I smiled at her, put one hand on my heart and held the other up in true Paula White fashion. We are now sisters. What a whirlwind this life is!

“In the temple, Holiness waits quietly for the return of them that love it. The Presence knows they will return to purity and to grace. The graciousness of God will take them gently in, and cover all their sense of pain and loss with the immortal assurance of their Father’s Love. There, fear of death will be replaced with joy of life. For God is life, and they abide in life. Life is as holy as the Holiness by which it was created. The Presence of Holiness lives in everything that lives, for Holiness created life, and leaves not what It created holy as Itself.” 

A Course in Miracles T-14.IX.4:1-7

“And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 497:24-27

Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence is fascinating, for many reasons. Reality is something which metaphysical students examine frequently. What seems real to our human senses, quantum physics explains is mostly thin air. I’ve heard it said that reality is that which does not change. Looked at from that angle, reality must be spiritual, because matter always changes. The phenomenon we have called A.I. has changed our perceptions of reality quite quickly in the past few years. Social media has manipulated our opinions in a way which would be amusing, if it were not so frightening. At first we saw our friends and loved ones believing outlandish claims. From baby owls riding on their mother’s backs, to believing beloved political and movie stars are working for the downfall of society, many of us have “drunk the KoolAid”. Social media bots are affirming our fears and stoking our anger. Now it’s creating interesting stories about people we follow, and making us believe our heroes are doing things like saving babies from floods. All of this may seem unimportant, but it’s shaping our thoughts and beliefs. So we get back to the metaphysical principles of recognizing reality versus illusions. It is more important than ever!

“Fantasy is a distorted form of vision. Fantasies of any kind are distortions, because they always involve twisting perception into unreality. Actions that stem from distortions are literally the reactions of those who know not what they do. Fantasy is an attempt to control reality according to false needs. Twist reality in any way and you are perceiving destructively. Fantasies are a means of making false associations and attempting to obtain pleasure from them. But although you can perceive false associations, you can never make them real except to yourself. You believe in what you make. If you offer miracles, you will be equally strong in your belief in them. The strength of your conviction will then sustain the belief of the miracle receiver. Fantasies become totally unnecessary as the wholly satisfying nature of reality becomes apparent to both giver and receiver. Reality is ‘lost’ through usurpation, which produces tyranny. As long as a single ‘slave’ remains to walk the earth, your release is not complete. Complete restoration of the Sonship is the only goal of the miracle-minded.”

A Course in Miracles T-1.VII.3:1-14

“As vapor melts before the sun, so evil would vanish before the reality of good. One must hide the other. How important, then, to choose good as the reality! Man is tributary to God, Spirit, and to nothing else. God’s being is infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss. ’Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.’”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 480:31-5