Turning Point in Our Evolution

We are aghast at the injustice which seems rampant everywhere we look. How have we allowed corruption to reign supreme? Why is our food poison, our water scarce, the things we value meaningless? Why do we allow it to happen? The recognition of our unity is a major turning point in our evolution. With the knowledge that everything is connected, knowing that what affects one affects all, we are prompted to stand up and make the change within ourselves that we would like to see in the world. This interconnectedness of All that Is was first shown to me by my Beagle, Harry. He was so sensitive to feelings around him that the mildest irritation on my part would send him to the deepest corner of the closet, where he would remain until I had "cleared my energy field" -- so to speak. We have within our Being the ability to change the world. True evolution is the evolution of consciousness. What a wonderful thing, to see through awakened eyes! To wake up from the hypnosis we have allowed ourselves to fall under is a very exciting proposition, don’t you think? Reality, as we have accepted it, is falling away to reveal a way of life we have believed to be impossible. Love is the liberator. Embrace the change which is moving us away from the human intellect, back into the space of the heart. Open yourself to the divine and live as you were created: free! Accept your reality as the reflection of God, with no fear, only Love guiding your every action. Let’s live Love now! Hallelujah and Namaste!

“The mind that serves the Holy Spirit is unlimited forever, in all ways, beyond the laws of time and space, unbound by any preconceptions, and with strength and power to do whatever it is asked. Attack thoughts cannot enter such a mind, because it has been given to the Source of love, and fear can never enter in a mind that has attached itself to love. It rests in God. And who can be afraid who lives in Innocence, and only loves?”
A Course in Miracles W-199.2:1-4

“Glory be to God, and peace to the struggling hearts! Christ hath rolled away the stone from the door of human hope and faith, and through the revelation and demonstration of life in God, hath elevated them to possible at-one-ment with the spiritual idea of man and his divine Principle, Love.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 49:16-22

Growing More Peaceful …

Growing More Peaceful Every Day — These are the words written on a pillow a friend gave me. Through the decades, my idea of what constitutes peace has evolved. In younger days, the only peace I wanted was during sleep. The rest of the time was happily busy with people and learning things. Then came the years spent partying, which I don't think were peaceful, but memory is rather foggy during that time. Motherhood brought a certain peace to my restless soul, but it was full of the activity of child rearing and caring for a home where my boys’ friends were always welcome. Following that was the relative quiet of running a business. The practice of relating to others in a peaceful manner was my education during that decade. Finally, I now understand it's not what I'm doing, but how I'm experiencing it. The peace which seemed fleeting is possible in every moment, and not because there is nothing to do, but because I enjoy every single moment without judging it against anything from the past or wishing it to be different in the future. Ah, the bliss of a quiet(er) mind!a

"Peace to my mind. Let all my thoughts be still. Father, I come to You today to seek the peace that You alone can give. I come in silence. In the quiet of my heart, the deep recesses of my mind, I wait and listen for Your Voice. Speak to me today. I come to hear Your Voice in silence and in certainty and love, sure You will hear my call and answer me." 

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #221

“Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear,--this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 323:32-2

Perhaps We’re Not As Polarized As We Think

People have become extremely polarized in their views about almost everything. Yet, a recent study by the University of Maryland found that voters place more importance on accountability through direct dialogue with their elected officials than they do on party identity. This give us hope that people are NOT irrationally polarized and will never change. This study is based on conversations with more than 4,000 voters. The findings start out a bit pessimistic with more than 90% of them believing our lawmakers have little interest in we the people’s views. But when asked if it would matter if a candidate promised always to consult his or her constituents and give their recommendations higher priority than the view of the candidates’ party leadership — more than 7 in 10 said it would, and 60% of those questioned said they would cross party lines to vote for a candidate making that pledge. More than 70% said that the majority of the public, as a whole, is more likely to show the greatest wisdom on questions of what the government should do — rather than relying on either party’s platform. And so we are not as polarized as it might seem! But we must talk to each other in order to discover that most of us are rational human beings. Let’s hold on to that thought!

“When we realize that there is one Mind, the divine law of loving our neighbor as ourselves is unfolded; whereas a belief in many ruling minds hinders man’s normal drift towards the one Mind, one God, and leads human thought into opposite channels where selfishness reigns.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 205:22-27

‘The savior’s vision is as innocent of what your brother is as it is free of any judgment made upon yourself. It sees no past in anyone at all. And thus it serves a wholly open mind, unclouded by old concepts, and prepared to look on only what the present holds. It cannot judge because it does not know. And recognizing this, it merely asks, ‘What is the meaning of what I behold?’ Then is the answer given. And the door held open for the face of Christ to shine upon the one who asks, in innocence, to see beyond the veil of old ideas and ancient concepts held so long and dear against the vision of the Christ in you.”

A Course in Miracles T-31.VII.13:1-7

The Consistency of Honesty

Living Alone - by Paco Yao

When a major league baseball team was fined 5 million dollars for cheating in the 2017 World Series, some people thought, “So what? Everybody does it.” Well, I'm here to affirm that they are wrong: Everybody does NOT do it. This desire to win, no matter what, is a flawed mission. What's the point in winning a game, or an election, or any type of competition, if you do it by blatantly exploiting the principles of the event or interaction? Humankind seems to have fallen under a spell as wicked as any Disney witch could conjure. Greed for power and/or riches has become more important than integrity and a higher moral code. I have an old friend who apparently was never held accountable for her actions as a child -- nor, perhaps, as an adult. It has made her an odd little person, shriveled by her pettiness and self-righteousness. What we do matters. Let's teach our children (and remind latent grown-ups) that making a difference every day is a life well-lived.

“Take away wealth, fame, and social organizations, which weigh not one jot in the balance of God, and we get clearer views of Principle. Break up cliques, level wealth with honesty, let worth be judged according to wisdom, and we get better views of humanity.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 239:7-10

"Only the trusting can afford honesty, for only they can see its value. Honesty does not apply only to what you say. The term actually means consistency. There is nothing you say that contradicts what you think or do; no thought opposes any other thought; no act belies your word; and no word lacks agreement with another. Such are the truly honest. At no level are they in conflict with themselves. Therefore it is impossible for them to be in conflict with anyone or anything." 

A Course in Miracles - M-4.II.3-9

Compassion For Those in Need

Photo taken in Thailand by Aaron Springston 

A short documentary has been made about a ship, the SS Quanza, and the 83 mostly Belgium Jewish people who were trying to enter the United States in 1940. Many ships had been turned away at that time, with hundreds of their passengers returned to their homeland for extermination. This ship’s youngest passenger, Annette Yachmann, is still living and enjoying a happy life teaching writing at a community college in New York and being a grandmother. She recalls the horror of being trapped on the ship, but is grateful that she was with her mother. She is vocally rebelling against the treatment of children who are separated from their parents as they attempt to enter the United States. The maker of this film, Laura Seltzer-Duny, tells of Eleanor Roosevelt’s extraordinary efforts to bring these people into our country. She also documents the efforts of others who were integral in the humanitarian effort, including a married couple who were lawyers and used maritime law to stalls the ship’s return to Europe. The movie is called “Nobody Wants Us”. It was made with the hope of educating people on the plight of immigrants and the historical fate of those turned away. Education is essential in creating compassion, so let’s support it in all its forms! 

“With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science. The supposed existence of more than one mind was the basic error of idolatry. This error assumed the loss of spiritual power, the loss of the spiritual presence of Life as infinite Truth without an unlikeness, and the loss of Love as ever present and universal.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 460:30

“It is this one intent we seek today, uniting our desires with the need of every heart, the call of every mind, the hope that lies beyond despair, the love attack would hide, the brotherhood that hate has sought to sever, but which still remains as God created it. With Help like this beside us, can we fail today as we request the peace of God be given us?” 

A Course in Miracles W-185.14:1-2

Miracles Are Natural

Image: Catrin Welz-Stein

After numerous conversations today about this topic, these words from Thich Nhat Hanh seem to be a perfect post!

“Around us, life bursts forth with miracles—a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops. If you live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere.

Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles. Eyes that see thousands of colors, shapes, and forms; ears that hear a bee flying or a thunderclap; a brain that ponders a speck of dust as easily as the entire cosmos; a heart that beats in rhythm with the heartbeat of all beings.

When we are tired and feel discouraged by life’s daily struggles, we may not notice these miracles, but they are always there. “
Thich Nhat Hanh

“Miracles are natural. When they do not occur something has gone wrong.”
A Course in Miracles T-1.I.6:1-2

“The miracle introduces no disorder, but unfolds the primal order, establishing the Science of God’s unchangeable law.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 135:6-8

We’re Changing …

Many people are realizing they are living their lives dictated by thought systems instilled in them in early childhood — and it’s not working for them anymore. I have conversations every day with individuals who want to know how to change from the negative, problem-oriented way of living they have thoughtlessly been following. Today a woman asked me how she could experience gratitude in daily life. I advised her to look at her surroundings right here, right now. She was eating lunch at her work desk when she called me, so I suggested she could be grateful for the food she had, the comfortable chair she sat in, the air conditioning in her workplace — everything! She had some “yeah buts” in her conversation, mainly concerning what people said and “did to her”. I reminded her that the past was only alive in her thoughts; it didn’t exist anywhere else. So when something negative or painful began to play in her mind, just stop it! I asked her to say those words to her self: Stop it! And then to think of something she was grateful about — a flower, comfortable shoes — anything at all. It seems we are all breaking free from our cocoons and becoming something beautiful. Don’t be afraid of this change, and please know that you are not alone. Namaste …

“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. The mythical human theories of creation, anciently classified as the higher criticism, sprang from cultured scholars in Rome and in Greece, but they afforded no foundation for accurate views of creation by the divine Mind.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 255:1-10

“Today we practice making free your mind of all the laws you think you must obey; of all the limits under which you live, and all the changes that you think are part of human destiny. 

A Course in Miracles W-127.6:4

Peace Fills My Heart

 

What If? 

By Ganga White

“What if our religion was each other?

If our practice was our life?

If prayer was our words?

What if the Temple was the Earth?

If forests were our church?

If holy water - the rivers, lakes and oceans?

What if meditation was our relationships?

If the Teacher was life?

If wisdom was self-knowledge?

If love was the center of our being”

~ Ganga White

“The supremacy of Spirit was the foundation on which Jesus built. 

His sublime summary points to the religion of Love.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 138:14-16

“Surrounding me is all the life that God created in His Love. It calls to me in every heartbeat and in every breath; in every action and in every thought. Peace fills my heart, and floods my body with the purpose of forgiveness. Now my mind is healed, and all I need to save the world is given me. Each heartbeat brings me peace; each breath infuses me with strength. I am a messenger of God, directed by His Voice, sustained by Him in love, and held forever quiet and at peace within His loving Arms. Each heartbeat calls His Name, and every one is answered by His Voice, assuring me I am at home in Him.” 

A Course in Miracles W-267.1:1-7

Too Marvelous To Be Understood

 

Tijana Lukovic, "Wolf Moon"

Mysteries, Yes

by Mary Oliver

“Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous

 to be understood.

How grass can be nourishing in the

mouths of the lambs.

How rivers and stones are forever

in allegiance with gravity

while we ourselves dream of rising.

How two hands touch and the bonds will

never be broken.

How people come, from delight or the

scars of damage,

to the comfort of a poem.

Let me keep my distance, always, from those

who think they have the answers.

Let me keep company always with those who say

‘Look!’ and laugh in astonishment,

and bow their heads.”

“Listen,—perhaps you catch a hint of an ancient state not quite forgotten; dim, perhaps, and yet not altogether unfamiliar, like a song whose name is long forgotten, and the circumstances in which you heard completely unremembered. Not the whole song has stayed with you, but just a little wisp of melody, attached not to a person or a place or anything particular. But you remember, from just this little part, how lovely was the song, how wonderful the setting where you heard it, and how you loved those who were there and listened with you.” 

A Course in Miracles T-21.1.6:1-3 

The Negative Impact of Ignoring Intuition

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

I often mention intuition in these writings. Today I proved to myself how important it is to listen to that “still, small voice”, that subtle hint, or the idea which seemingly comes from nowhere. Unfortunately, my reminder to listen to divine Mind is the result of a negative experience. When I was pulling out of my driveway to run errands, a thought came as to which route to travel to my first stop. But I decided to go the other way. And I rear-ended a car which was stopped in the road to turn left, with no turn signal or other indication of its intent. The events which followed showed me the beauty of the principle that my safety lies in my defenselessness. The car I hit was driven by a 17-year-old who had bought the car the day before and had no insurance. Blessedly, his mom and grandma and sister were all safe, although the back window of his vehicle shattered from the impact. All my needs were met promptly. My car was towed to my mechanic, my son arrived to take me to pick up the farm-fresh vegetables which would have been my first stop, and friends finished the errands I had been out to accomplish. When the policeman asked me what had happened, I simply said the car in front of me stopped and I plowed into it. I didn’t try to defend myself by blaming the young driver, I didn’t make excuses for myself, I simply sat in gratitude for the protection we all witnessed. The few people who know about this incident are amazed that I don’t know the future of my 30-year-old Jeep, I don’t know the contents of the police report, I’m not going to the doctor to be “checked out”, and I have no concerns about any outcome. This trust in Good can be directly attributed to the years I’ve studied the laws of Love, and the trust I have in them. My heart is full of gratitude…

“It is the illumination of the spiritual understanding which demonstrates the capacity of Soul, not of material sense. This Soul-sense comes to the human mind when the latter yields to the divine Mind.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 85:2-6

“Defenselessness is strength. It testifies to recognition of the Christ in you. Perhaps you will recall the text maintains that choice is always made between Christ’s strength and your own weakness, seen apart from Him. Defenselessness can never be attacked, because it recognizes strength so great attack is folly, or a silly game a tired child might play, when he becomes too sleepy to remember what he wants.”
A Course in Miracles W-153.6:1-4

Is Loneliness the Absence of Others?

Almost everyone has felt lonely at some point in their lives. Many people attribute their loneliness to lack of a life partner, but I’ve always questioned this belief. Having never been sure why I feel this way, this quote by Johann Hari helps explain my view on the subject: “Loneliness isn’t the physical absence of other people, it’s the sense that you’re not sharing anything that matters with anyone else. If you have lots of people around you – perhaps even a husband or wife, or a family, or a busy workplace – but you don’t share anything that matters with them, then you’ll still be lonely.” Perhaps this is why I’ve never been lonely, although I’ve been partnerless for the majority of my life. Feeling surrounded by love, through friendships and from my children, sharing heartfelt ideas has always been possible. After reading the aforementioned quote, I’m thinking my lack of loneliness could be partially attributed to these daily writings! When something strikes me as important, I write about it and share it with you. Daily events, wonderful books, important documentaries, memorable movies — I tell you about it. And I am grateful for this never-ending circle of communicants.

“No one can change the law of Christian metaphysics, the law of right thinking, nor in any wise alter its effects. It is a forever fact that the meek and lowly in heart are blessed and comforted by divine Love. If the proud are lonely and uncomforted, it is because they have thoughts adverse to the law of love. Pride, arrogance, and self-will are unmerciful, and so receive judgment without mercy; but the law of metaphysics says, ‘Blessed are the merciful,’ and will allow no one to escape that blessedness, howsoever far he may stray, whatsoever lawlessness of hatred he may practice and suffer from.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany Page 41:7-15

“The wish to see calls down the grace of God upon your eyes, and brings the gift of light that makes sight possible. Would you behold your brother? God is glad to have you look on him. He does not will your savior be unrecognized by you. Nor does He will that he remain without the function that He gave to him. Let him no more be lonely, for the lonely ones are those who see no function in the world for them to fill; no place where they are needed, and no aim which only they can perfectly fulfill.”
A Course in Miracles T-25.VI.3:1-6A

Why Am I Seeing an Illusion?

Photo credit: Christopher Fischer

Having always believed that if people knew truth, they would understand truth, I’m having a personal crisis accepting that this is not true. Having spent years saying anything I want to say, with no worries about whether people think I’m insanely deluded, I’m beginning to see why Jesus was crucified. Wildly implausible religious beliefs are not only revered, but cherished. And so if I tell someone that the Mind of God knows nothing about our supposed sins, at best I’ll receive a blank stare or a roll of the eyes. While my personal goal is to release any beliefs that God is out there somewhere, watching and listening to my every thought and action, ready to reward or punish according to how I deem it should be done, many people are afraid to accept the new/old idea which denies these material beliefs. I want to understand God, realize unfolding consciousness, see Truth through the mirage. I cannot erase that mirage, because it is not there. But I can understand why I’m seeing an illusion, and thereby erase my fear of it. It takes a constant, conscious effort to understand there is no separation between this thing we call God and ourselves. I really want to do that …

“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. What if the old dragon should send forth a new flood to drown the Christ-idea? He can neither drown your voice with its roar, nor again sink the world into the deep waters of chaos and old night. In this age the earth will help the woman; the spiritual idea will be understood. Those ready for the blessing you impart will give thanks. The waters will be pacified, and Christ will command the wave.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 570:14-25

“Peace be to you who have been cured in God, and not in idle dreams. For cure must come from holiness, and holiness can not be found where sin is cherished. God abides in holy temples. He is barred where sin has entered. Yet there is no place where He is not. And therefore sin can have no home in which to hide from His beneficence. There is no place where holiness is not, and nowhere sin and sickness can abide.”
A Course in Miracles W-140.5:1-7

Upper Case Living

Painting by James Yale

Everything we do, say, and think, plants us firmly in either the world of fear or the realm of Love. Moment by moment, we choose what we accept as the truth. A number of years ago, through my daily writings, I became friends with a man in the Netherlands. He has studied Christian Science for decades, and at some point added A Course in Miracles. While I have been familiar with the work of Mary Baker Eddy all my life, there are facets of her writings which I am now looking at with new eyes. In the early 1900s, a group of people explored the supposition that Mrs. Eddy had written a new language, a spiritual language, centered around the seven synonyms for God, which are well-known to readers of Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures. By a thorough understanding of these capitalized words, (Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love) we are able to apply them to all experiences, allowing them to be spiritualized in thought and realized in the demonstration of Oneness. By consistently turning thought away from mortal concepts and utilizing spiritual interpretations, we are choosing the world we want to see. A close friend once wrote an essay entitled, "Upper Case Living". I will think of it as I choose the world I see today!

“What Truth is comes to view individually as intuition, inspiration. Truth is forever unfolding as individual self-conscious being, and our opinions (abstractions) are constantly becoming obsolete. Truth cannot be locked up in a strong-box; it is Infinity. When confined, Truth ceases to be Truth, and becomes an abstraction. Truth defines itself operationally by disposing of beliefs and theories. It is a way of life and cannot be argued about." "The man of today is intelligence; he is pure Mind” We Are the World We Walk Through” by Margaret Laird C.S.B

“A miracle is a correction introduced into false thinking by me. It acts as a catalyst, breaking up erroneous perception and reorganizing it properly. This places you under the Atonement principle, where perception is healed. Until this has occurred, knowledge of the Divine Order is impossible.”
A Course in Miracles T-1.I.37:1-4

We Are Capable Of More Than We Know

Jesus was here to teach us many things, not the least of which was how to be nice to each other. His two commandments were to love God above all else and to love our neighbor as ourselves. I've often thought that we need to love ourselves more, as it seems many of us are expressing a lack of love for ourselves in our actions toward others. Jesus was also instructing us that we are capable of much more than we know. We are not powerless victims of circumstance. He tells us that the things he does, so can we -- know the Truth and be free!Power and dominion have become ugly words because of the things done to others by ruthless people. True power and dominion have to do with peace and grace and Love, as expressed through the healing power within. We are capable of more than we know. Let's not be afraid to express that power in healing every ill which seems so real to our material sense. We are spiritual Beings, expressions of God, perfect and whole, needing nothing to be added or taken away for that perfection to show forth and bless all of humankind. More on this theme tomorrow …

“What keeps the world in chains but your beliefs? And what can save the world except your Self? Belief is powerful indeed. The thoughts you hold are mighty, and illusions are as strong in their effects as is the truth. A madman thinks the world he sees is real, and does not doubt it. Nor can he be swayed by questioning his thoughts’ effects. It is but when their source is raised to question that the hope of freedom comes to him at last.”
A Course in Miracles W-132.1:1-7

“In divine Science, man is the true image of God. The divine nature was best expressed in Christ Jesus, who threw upon mortals the truer reflection of God and lifted their lives higher than their poor thought-models would allow,--thoughts which presented man as fallen, sick, sinning, and dying. The Christlike understanding of scientific being and divine healing includes a perfect Principle and idea,--perfect God and perfect man,--as the basis of thought and demonstration.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 259:6-15

All Is Infinite Mind

Ceramic Creation from Ken Starbird 

For several months, I’ve been doing a deep dive into books and audio files from my most-beloved  teachers of scientific metaphysics. Of course, the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and A Courser in Miracles are the basis of my studies, and I always refer to them as my gold standard. But Joel Goldsmith has been calling me, and I particularly love his talks from the         1960s, particularly ones in Hawaii. They are exquisitely thorough! Margaret Laird’s Christian Science Revisited (a/k/a We Are The World We Walk Through), is an all-time favorite and I find something new every time I pick it up.  Helen Wright’s book, Finding Your Divinity, introduces the concept of advanced meaning within Mrs. Eddy’ synonyms for God: Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love. Ms. Wright learned this way of looking at Mrs. Eddy’s writings from studying with John Doorly and Max Kappeler.  Which takes me to the voluminous audio files of Mr. Kappeler. What a treasure trove this is! And then I opened my morning youTube offering  from Coreen and Nouk, delightedly finding the beautiful ACIM lesson entitled, When I Am Healed I Am Not Healed Alone. My serious study of these concepts began 30 years ago with Christian Science Class Instruction,  and I trust my teacher has clarified some things within her understanding, as have I. I write this as an introduction to a few days of writings on this subject. May we all enjoy this beautiful spring day!

“Sickness would prove that lies must be the truth. But healing demonstrates that truth is true. The separation sickness would impose has never really happened. To be healed is merely to accept what always was the simple truth, and always will remain exactly as it has forever been. Yet eyes accustomed to illusions must be shown that what they look upon is false. So healing, never needed by the truth, must demonstrate that sickness is not real.”

A Course in Miracles W-137.4:1-6

"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."

Science & Health Page 468:8-16

Big Questions

Photo credit: Aaron Springston

A number of my friends and acquaintances have become mentally lost in these past few years. Some had a slow progression, and some seemed to fall off a cliff into dementia. It’s a mystery why these things happen, and there are as many theories as there are people. A book I listened to, Super Brain, addresses the loss of brain cells and the ability to regrow them. It also speaks to reasons we slowly lose our mental capabilities due to lack of intellectual exercise. Physical reasons for disease are generally what people explore, but more and more we are realizing how mind affects the body. Various testing situations show that the brain can be physically manipulated, also. I want to know the difference between the brain and the mind. Questions such as: What is consciousness? Where does intuition come from? What is divine Mind and how does it affect what we think of as our mind? These are the questions I love to contemplate. My study of books by Margaret Laird, Max Kappeler, Joel Goldsmith, Mary Baker Eddy, and others, are the reason I find every day to be an exciting adventure. We can never know everything about the inner world we call spirituality, and this brings me great joy!

“The notion that both evil and good are real is a delusion of material sense, which Science annihilates. Evil is nothing, no thing, mind, nor power. As manifested by mankind it stands for a lie, nothing claiming to be something, — for lust, dishonesty, selfishness, envy, hypocrisy, slander, hate, theft, adultery, murder, dementia, insanity, inanity, devil, hell, with all the etceteras that word includes.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 330:25-32

“You also believe the body’s brain can think. If you but understood the nature of thought, you could but laugh at this insane idea. It is as if you thought you held the match that lights the sun and gives it all its warmth; or that you held the world within your hand, securely bound until you let it go. Yet this is no more foolish than to believe the body’s eyes can see; the brain can think.

“It is God’s strength in you that is the light in which you see, as it is His Mind with which you think. ²His strength denies your weakness. It is your weakness that sees through the body’s eyes, peering about in darkness to behold the likeness of itself; the small, the weak, the sickly and the dying, those in need, the helpless and afraid, the sad, the poor, the starving and the joyless. These are seen through eyes that cannot see and cannot bless.”
A Course in Miracles W-92.2:1–3:4

Spread Love!

Art created by Marghanita Hughes

Having grown up in the same area where I presently live, and never straying farther than a nearby university town, I know a lot of people. Old friends, new friends, and everything in between are about the best thing that can happen to us on this sweet earth! Every friendship is individual, but they all have a commonality: love. The compassionate caring which wells up when we hear of friends’ hardships, or the joy for their happy times, these reactions feel like a primal instinct to me. Hearing stories of friends’ lives at class reunions, my heart swells with a deeper understanding of the people I’ve known for six-plus decades. Laughing with old friends over memories fills me with happiness. It’s nice to know people who start to giggle at the mention of a single word. Childhood friendships run deep. One of the saddest plights of humanity is the loneliness of isolation. Next time you’re going to a meeting, any meeting which involves people gathered together for the common good, invite a shut-in neighbor, or an acquaintance who rarely participates in events, anyone you think would enjoy meeting new people. Spread the love!

“It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 467:9-10

“You look still with the body’s eyes, and they can see but thorns. Yet you have asked for and received another sight. Those who accept the Holy Spirit’s purpose as their own share also His vision. And what enables Him to see His purpose shine forth from every altar now is yours as well as His. He sees no strangers; only dearly loved and loving friends. He sees no thorns but only lilies, gleaming in the gentle glow of peace that shines on everything He looks upon and loves.”
A Course in Miracles T-20.II.5:1-6

Calm and Exalted Thought

A friend asked me to listen to and give an opinion on a recording having to do with alien beings controlling our actions. Although much of what was said could be considered rhetoric of the conspiracy-theory crowd, the main theme was the same principle I’ve been studying for years; the same ideas which we are hearing from various avenues. The central point addressed turning away from illusions and seeing reality. While the woman on this recording was telling us that lizard people are controlling our actions, she also advised us to not be frightened or give it too much importance, but rather to focus on Love and see through any supposed power these creatures may have. What a wonderful metaphor! It certainly is no more outlandish than the Adam and Eve story, or any other legend meant to show us the difference between illusions and truth. And so, as I go through this day hearing all the insanity, I know it can only disturb my tranquility if I give it more power in thought than I give the stillness of peace. Namaste …

“The calm and exalted thought or spiritual apprehension is at peace. Thus the dawn of ideas goes on, forming each successive stage of progress.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 506:11-14

“Perhaps we are now ready for a day of undisturbed tranquility. If this is not yet feasible, we are content and even more than satisfied to learn how such a day can be achieved. If we give way to a disturbance, let us learn how to dismiss it and return to peace. We need but tell our minds, with certainty, ‘The stillness of the peace of God is mine,’ and nothing can intrude upon the peace that God Himself has given to His Son.”
A Course in Miracles W-273.1:1-4

Are We Ready For Truth?

Photo from Catherine Reed

Are we finally ready for the truth? I've heard it said that we, as a human race, can’t stand to hear the truth if it contradicts long-held beliefs. This is said about everything from extraterrestrial life to religious doctrine, but I think we are ready to hear it! People say that if the truth were known about everything, society would break down. It seems to me this might be a good thing, because our current belief systems don't appear to be functioning too well! Perhaps everyone's dissatisfaction stems from feeling we’re being lied to on many levels. A few centuries ago, a total eclipse of the full moon would cause many fear-based reactions when the orb turned red, disappeared, then reappeared. As the truth has set us free from that irrational fear, so it may in other ways, allowing us to joyfully look up and say “Wow, that’s beautiful!” I think we're ready, don't you?!

“Truth, independent of doctrines and time-honored systems, knocks at the portal of humanity.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page vii:13-15

“Today we practice making free your mind of all the laws you think you must obey; of all the limits under which you live, and all the changes that you think are part of human destiny. Today we take the largest single step this course requests in your advance towards its established goal.” 

A Course in Miracles W-127.6:4-5

Reciprocal Thoughts With Nature

Colorado Columbine - photo by Aaron Springston

“Nature becomes aware of itself through you, and you become aware of your stillness through nature.” Eckhart Tolle told me this today through one of his short and sweet youTube videos. It caused me to reminisce about one of my favorite nature documentaries."Wings of Life" is described as a love story from flowers to pollinators. Another reason this film stayed with me is that its narrator is Meryl Streep. She tells us that the flowers multiply in beauty, with gratitude to the bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and bats. This gratitude turns my thoughts to things which fill my heart: people, music, nature -- movies like this one! In line with my quest to be with those who help my being, I will stay with entertainment which brings beauty and grace to life, turning away from inanities and programing designed to disturb the senses. Life is good, and I am grateful…

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Look with peace upon your brothers, and God will come rushing into your heart in gratitude for your gift to Him.”
— A Course in Miracles T-10.V.7:7

“Nature voices natural, spiritual law and divine Love, but human belief misinterprets nature.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 240:1-2

Interacting With Strangers

Beijing - Photo by Aaron Springston

I’m reminded of a day when Reverend Cinthia Jean Saul was the guest pastor at a church where I played organ. Her sermon was on hospitality — as in, providing food and shelter for those in need. I was delighted by her instructions to be a “participant observer”. Her advice was to put ourselves in a situation, at least once a week, in which we can meet someone we otherwise would not. In this way, we can become familiar with lifestyles of groups of people who are not in our regular circle of friends. When we put ourselves in certain situations time and again, we begin to understand others’ viewpoints. One thing I have done for almost three decades is make regular visits to public laundromats. I have met scores of people I wouldn’t have had the chance to sit down and visit with otherwise. In these times of extreme division and self-imposed tribalism, this would be a good exercise for all of us to practice in some form or another. May we look for and find our commonality in these coming days. We all need each other so very much …

“I am in charge of the process of Atonement, which I undertook to begin. When you offer a miracle to any of my brothers, you do it to yourself and me. The reason you come before me is that I do not need miracles for my own Atonement, but I stand at the end in case you fail temporarily. My part in the Atonement is the cancelling out of all errors that you could not otherwise correct. When you have been restored to the recognition of your original state, you naturally become part of the Atonement yourself. As you share my unwillingness to accept error in yourself and others, you must join the great crusade to correct it; listen to my voice, learn to undo error and act to correct it. The power to work miracles belongs to you. I will provide the opportunities to do them, but you must be ready and willing. Doing them will bring conviction in the ability, because conviction comes through accomplishment. The ability is the potential, the achievement is its expression, and the Atonement, which is the natural profession of the children of God, is the purpose.”
A Course in Miracles T-1.III.1:1-10

“With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 569:30-5

Nurturing Yourself — Today and Every Day!

Today I would like to celebrate everyone who has ever lovingly tended a garden, or carefully cooked a meal, or comforted a sad friend, or helped someone in need, or volunteered for a cause dear to their heart, or read to a child, or loved a dog, or anything else you may have done which took you out of yourself by thinking of another first. I have many friends who are sad on this day in which we celebrate mothers. Mothering encompasses so much more than having a child or going to dinner with your mom, don’t you think? Anything done with love qualifies you as a nurturer, so celebrate yourself today! It matters not if you’re male, female, young, or old, be gentle with yourself today and every day! 

“There is a light in you which cannot die; whose presence is so holy that the world is sanctified because of you. All things that live bring gifts to you, and offer them in gratitude and gladness at your feet. The scent of flowers is their gift to you. The waves bow down before you, and the trees extend their arms to shield you from the heat, and lay their leaves before you on the ground that you may walk in softness, while the wind sinks to a whisper round your holy head.”

A Course in Miracles W-156.4:1-4

“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

Compassion Is An Act of Greatness

Photo courtesy of Don Matt

“Hummingbirds of Hollywood” is an episode in the PBS Nature series. Terry Maserati is a woman who rehabilitates hummingbirds. As I watched her care for these tiny creatures, many questions come to my thoughts. I wondered if people who watch this program will become more mindful of nature. Has this fabulous woman always cared about life to the extent she has exhibited with these birds for the last two decades? Will her love spread exponentially with every sweet little thing she saves? Can my heart survive the breaking open, the expansion, which comes from realizing the power of small acts? Are there any small acts? Watching this woman love these birds seems to be the most powerful action anyone could make. As she stated at the end of the program: “The truth is, when you show compassion, when you show love for something when you don’t have to, it’s an act of greatness, even if it’s a tiny little bird.” 

“Miracles are a kind of exchange. Like all expressions of love, which are always miraculous in the true sense, the exchange reverses the physical laws. They bring more love both to the giver and the receiver.”

A Course in Miracles T-1.I.9:1-3

“Christian Science commands man to master the propensities, — to hold hatred in abeyance with kindness, to conquer lust with chastity, revenge with charity and to overcome deceit with honesty.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 405:4-9

Honest as a Cat

Catrin Welz Stein – Midnight Cat

“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.” 

Ernest Hemingway

“Honesty does not apply only to what you say. The term actually means consistency. There is nothing you say that contradicts what you think or do; no thought opposes any other thought; no act belies your word; and no word lacks agreement with another. Such are the truly honest. At no level are they in conflict with themselves. Therefore it is impossible for them to be in conflict with anyone or anything.”

A Course in Miracles M-4.II.1:4-9

“Take away wealth, fame, and social organizations, which weigh not one jot in the balance of God, and we get clearer views of Principle. Break up cliques, level wealth with honesty, let worth be judged according to wisdom, and we get better views of humanity.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 239:5-10

Wasted Energy in Denying Truth

Photo from Aaron Springston

I’ve always been happy to have friends and family who are smarter and/or more knowledgeable than me. When someone tells me I’m mistaken about a “fact”, or that I’m interpreting something incorrectly, or maybe that my memory is faulty, I’m grateful for the correction. Much in the same way I’m thankful when someone tells me my skirt is stuck in my waistband, I’m glad if knowledge keeps me from spreading information erroneously. Apparently not everyone feels this way! Not only are we witnessing public figures fearing to say “I was wrong and I’m sorry”, but I’ve been noticing a situation with a loved one whose family has maligned him for decades. When did knowledge and the accumulation of information become something to be ridiculed? Metaphysical practitioners recognize that energy follows thought, so I’m not spending a lot of time replaying memories of behavior which I don’t want to manifest. But it sure is hard not to do so!

“We should examine ourselves and learn what is the affection and purpose of the heart, for in this way only can we learn what we honestly are. If a friend informs us of a fault, do we listen patiently to the rebuke and credit what is said? Do we not rather give thanks that we are ‘not as other men’? During many years the author has been most grateful for merited rebuke. The wrong lies in unmerited censure, — in the falsehood which does no one any good.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 8:28

“You do not recognize the enormous waste of energy you expend in denying truth. What would you say of someone who persists in attempting the impossible, believing that to achieve it is to succeed? The belief that you must have the impossible in order to be happy is totally at variance with the principle of creation. God could not will that happiness depended on what you could never have. The fact that God is Love does not require belief, but it does require acceptance. It is indeed possible for you to deny facts, although it is impossible for you to change them. If you hold your hands over your eyes, you will not see because you are interfering with the laws of seeing. If you deny love, you will not know it because your cooperation is the law of its being. You cannot change laws you did not make, and the laws of happiness were created for you, not by you.” 

A Course in Miracles T-9.I.11:1-9

Finding Joy in Everyday Things

Graphic from Aaron Springston

Someone asked me what I do for fun, and I replied that everything I do is fun. They didn’t believe me, but it’s true. There are things I get to do which are pure joy: play bridge, play the organ/piano, study spirituality in its various forms, grow things, write this blog — and so on. Then there are those things which could be classified as chores. For instance, when washing dishes, I love the feel of warm, soapy water on my hands. Cooking is always an interesting experiment, and I never know what’s going to happen so it’s an adventure. Now, the more mundane things — cleaning floors and such — I try to make a form of exercise (because I don’t get enough and am always looking for ways to move more). Cooking, cleaning, and driving — these activities are an opportunity to listen to audiobooks. So they are enjoyed not only for the action, but I look forward to them as opportunities to “read”. Well, I could go on and on, but I think many of you know what I mean. It’s exciting to wake up in the morning, and it’s gratifying to go to sleep at night. Life is good. Every little bit of it. The Wayne Dyer graphic at the top of this post says it all, and I credit him with helping me realize that every moment is one to be savored. As he said: “If you drop a pen and don’t enjoy picking it up, drop it again!” Have a fun day everyone …

“In Science, all being is eternal, spiritual, perfect, harmonious in every action. Let the perfect model be present in your thoughts instead of its demoralized opposite. This spiritualization of thought lets in the light, and brings the divine Mind, Life not death, into your consciousness.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 407:22-28

“Be still a moment, and in silence think how holy is your purpose, how secure you rest, untouchable within its light. God’s ministers have chosen that the truth be with them. Who is holier than they? Who could be surer that his happiness is fully guaranteed? And who could be more mightily protected? What defense could possibly be needed by the ones who are among the chosen ones of God, by His election and their own as well?”
A Course in Miracles W-153.10:1-6

It’s Time To Write A New Beginning

One of my friends expressed concern about getting old. So I’m revisiting this photo and a Donna Ashworth writing just for her. Maybe it’s for you, too! 

A favorite book club photo from the past

“There comes a day, somewhere in the middle of every woman’s life, when Mother Nature herself stands behind us and wraps her arms around our shoulders, whispering

‘It’s time.’

You have taken enough now. It’s time to stop growing up, stop growing older and start growing wiser and wilder.

There are adventures still waiting on you and this time, you will enjoy them with the vision of wisdom and the companionship of hindsight, and you will really let go.

It’s time to stop the madness of comparison and the ridicule of schedule and conformity and start experiencing the joys that a life, free of containment and guilt, can bring.’

She will shake your shoulders gently and remind you that you’ve done your bit. You’ve given too much, cared too much, you’ve suffered too much.

You’ve bought the book, as it were, and worn the t-shirt.

Worse, you’ve worn the chains and carried the weight of a burden far too heavy for your shoulders.

‘It’s time’ she will say.

Let it go, really let it go and feel the freedom of the fresh, clean spaces within you. Fill them with discovery, love and laughter. Fill yourself so full you will no longer fear what is ahead and instead you will greet each day with the excitement of a child.’

She will remind you that if you choose to stop caring what other people think of you and instead care what you think of you, you will experience a new era of your life you never dreamed possible.

‘It’s time’ she will say…

to write the ending, or new beginning, of your own story.” 

Donna Ashworth

“Be confident that you have never lost your Identity and the extensions which maintain It in wholeness and peace. Miracles are an expression of this confidence. They are reflections of both your proper identification with your brothers, and of your awareness that your identification is maintained by extension. The miracle is a lesson in total perception. By including any part of totality in the lesson, you have included the whole.” 

A Course in Miracles T-7.IX.7:1-10

“Truth will at length compel us all to exchange the pleasures and pains of sense for the joys of Soul.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 390:9-11