Forgiving Everything

 Art: Adrian Borda

“Therefore, dark past,

I'm about to do it.

I'm about to forgive you

for everything.”

~ Mary Oliver

I knew a man who was the smartest, funniest, most messed-up person I’ve ever known. We met late in life and I felt he was the “love of my life”. Neither one of us were particularly easy to get along with — for various reasons. The four years we knew each other were an extremely turbulent time for us personally, and the world in general. He died nearly six years ago and recently I’ve been dreaming of him almost every night. This has caused me to examine my feelings about him and the time we shared. While I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, there is much forgiveness needed in my thoughts and memories. A recent Course in Miracles workbook topic reminds us to “behold my brother in the light of holiness”. As I examine the grudges I’m holding and the guilt I’m feeling, I pray to release them from my being and know that “I am saved because the past is gone”.

“Let me forget my brother’s past today. This is the thought that leads the way to You, and brings me to my goal. I cannot come to You without my brother. And to know my Source, I first must recognize what You created one with me. My brother’s is the hand that leads me on the way to You. His sins are in the past along with mine, and I am saved because the past is gone. Let me not cherish it within my heart, or I will lose the way to walk to You. My brother is my savior. Let me not attack the savior You have given me. But let me honor him who bears Your Name, and so remember that It is my own.

“Forgive me, then, today. And you will know you have forgiven me if you behold your brother in the light of holiness. He cannot be less holy than can I, and you cannot be holier than he.”

—A Course in Miracles T-288.1:1–2:3

“Spiritually to understand that there is but one creator, God, unfolds all creation, confirms the Scriptures, brings the sweet assurance of no parting, no pain, and of man deathless and perfect and eternal.”

==Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 69:13-16

Untouched By The Past

Toni, Brud, Marsha

Class reunions are fascinating. The reasons people enjoy them are as varied as the people, but it seems many are wondering who is the most successful, or who has been married the longest, or if anyone still looks pretty. It's a perfect opportunity to think of today's ACIM workbook lesson topic: "The past is over. It can touch me not." In my observations of these get-togethers, we tend to revert into whatever we were umpteen years ago. The mean girls are still catty, the flirty girls are still flipping their skirts, and the cool kids are still hiding their feelings. While I've always enjoyed these get-togethers, I tend to either wander away with an old friend to talk in a corner or, perhaps, drink a bit too much and ask the cowboys to dance. I love this line from today's lesson: "Unless the past is over in my mind, the world must escape my sight." I want to live in the present, in a world full of divine Love and Truth. Reliving illusions can be fun, much like watching a movie. But I'd rather wake up in a new world every day, excited about the adventures it holds!

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

“The past is over. It can touch me not. Unless the past is over in my mind, the real world must escape my sight. For I am really looking nowhere; seeing but what is not there. How can I then perceive the world forgiveness offers? This the past was made to hide, for this the world that can be looked on only now. It has no past. For what can be forgiven but the past, and if it is forgiven it is gone.”
—A Course in Miracles W-289.1:1–2:5

A Day of Stillness and Peace

Félix Vallotton 

 Bridge Over Béal (Le Pont sur le Béal), 1922

It's a beautiful day in the Ozarks. Peace is easily felt in the splendor of a fall day. I am grateful for the words in A Course in Miracles. I am grateful for the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, and her determination to demonstrate the Science of The Christ. The words contained in these lessons point toward the Truth of our Being. We are assured Truth is eternally discoverable by anyone willing to see. We are shown how to move away from the learned behaviors of a lifetime. The stillness and peace of nature aids in leading me to the door of Truth, and I am grateful.

"Certain moods of mind find an indefinable pleasure in stillness, soft, silent as the storm's sudden hush; for nature's stillness is voiced with a hum of harmony, the gentle murmur of early morn, the evening's closing vespers, and lyre of bird and brooklet."  
—Mary Baker Eddy - Christian Science versus Pantheism Page 3:8-13

“This is a day of stillness and of peace. Christ’s vision looks through me today. His sight shows me all things forgiven and at peace, and offers this same vision to the world. And I accept this vision in its name, both for myself and for the world as well. What loveliness we look upon today! What holiness we see surrounding us! And it is given us to recognize it is a holiness in which we share; it is the Holiness of God Himself.

“This day my mind is quiet, to receive the Thoughts You offer me. And I accept what comes from You, instead of from myself. I do not know the way to You. But You are wholly certain. Father, guide Your Son along the quiet path that leads to You. Let my forgiveness be complete, and let the memory of You return to me.
—A Course in Miracles W-291.1:1–2:6

Seeing Happiness Today

My Scout Kitty as a Baby

Glancing through the magazine, Real Simple, my attention was caught by an article titled, “It’s Better to be Happy for a Little While Than Unhappy Forever”. The short narrative told of a couple who found a stray kitten, loved it dearly, never took trips because they would miss their cat, then when the sweet kitty, Gem, passed on, they decided to travel. They enjoyed it very much, and were happy to come back to their home. But something was missing. They needed a cat. A friend saw one that needed a home, which reminded them of Gem, but the couple was reluctant because the cat was older and seemed to have some health problems. They decided against getting it. When the woman was lamenting their decision to her hairdresser, the stylist’s response was: “It’s better to be happy for a little while than unhappy forever.” A lightbulb went on over the woman’s head. And so they adopted the cat. Its health problems cleared up with tender, loving care, and they have loved it for five years, to the betterment of all involved! The idea of being happy right now without worrying about the possible perils of tomorrow makes me smile. I hope it does you, too!

“My present happiness is all I see. Unless I look upon what is not there, my present happiness is all I see. Eyes that begin to open see at last.”
—A Course in Miracles W-290.1:1–2

“Earth has little light or joy for mortals before Life is spiritually learned. Every agony of mortal error helps error to destroy error, and so aids the apprehension of immortal Truth. This is the new birth going on hourly, by which men may entertain angels, the true ideas of God, the spiritual sense of being.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 548:9-167t5

Feeling Inadequate?

Often we don’t witness our own reactions to life’s circumstances. Each morning, I listen to Nouk and Coreen’s unpacking of the Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson, and today’s was an eye-opener! Coreen told of her realization that she had set up her “story” to insure that she would never be “good enough”. She had accepted the expectations of others; the expectations that she could never achieve, as the bar was always raised a step above where she was — e.g., you could have run faster, gotten a better grade, been a better parent. When we accept the story of being unfairly treated, we don’t see that the ego wants us to feel put-upon, so that we will close ourself off from the truth of our being. These projections are often manifested within our bodies, and show themselves in many physical complaints. Nouk suggested we read “Fear of Healing” in the Course textbook. It’s easy to blame others for the blocks in our lives, but when we see the whole picture, we can stop accusing others, release the anger we are harboring, and walk away free of recriminations. Feel free to respond to these ideas, as there’s a lot to “unpack” here!

“How just are miracles! For they bestow an equal gift of full deliverance from guilt upon your brother and yourself. Your healing saves him pain as well as you, and you are healed because you wished him well. This is the law the miracle obeys; that healing sees no specialness at all. It does not come from pity but from love. And love would prove all suffering is but a vain imagining, a foolish wish with no effects. Your health is a result of your desire to see your brother with no blood upon his hands, nor guilt upon his heart made heavy with the proof of sin. And what you wish is given you to see.”
—A Course in Miracles T-27.II.7:1-8

“Right is radical. The teacher must know the truth himself. He must live it and love it, or he cannot impart it to others. We soil our garments with conservatism, and afterwards we must wash them clean.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 452:18-22

Happy Outcomes

In 1999, I took my young boys on a 3,000-mile road trip. We made no reservations at hotels and had no definite plans -- other than to attend women's World Cup soccer games and look for miniature golf courses. In preparation for this trip, I spent a great deal of time studying the science of Mind and bringing my thoughts into alignment with the metaphysical Principle. On this trip, we witnessed many happy outcomes, but the most dramatic was on the first day. I had worn glasses to see at a distance for more than 30 years and suddenly found I could see without them. I enjoyed this freedom until a number of years later. When renewing my driver's license, I found that glasses were needed again. Although I complied with the law and obtained glasses, I steadfastly refused to accept this prognosis as reality. The next time I applied for renewal, there were no restrictions as to sight. Instances such as this affirm my conviction to live single-mindedly, with God as my only goal, expecting happy outcomes!

“A happy outcome to all things is sure. God’s promises make no exceptions. And He guarantees that only joy can be the final outcome found for everything. Yet it is up to us when this is reached; how long we let an alien will appear to be opposing His. And while we think this will is real, we will not find the end He has appointed as the outcome of all problems we perceive, all trials we see, and every situation that we meet. Yet is the ending certain. For God’s Will is done in earth and Heaven. We will seek and we will find according to His Will, which guarantees that our will is done.”
—A Course in Miracles W-292.1:1–2:2

“Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious — as Life eternally is — can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in, that which Life is not. Let Christian Science, instead of corporeal sense, support your understanding of being, and this understanding will supplant error with Truth, replace mortality with immortality, and silence discord with harmony.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 495:15-2

The Whole Truth

Art by Sandy Wythawai Starbird

Have you ever read or listened to a book, or a treatise of any sort, which caused you to think deeper and clearer about a subject than before? And what if part of that knowledge was so foreign that you were not able to accept it? Perhaps there were parts you felt were not true, or maybe it was simply outside your realm of understanding. Many people think that about A Course in Miracles and/or the teachings of Mary Baker Eddy. I have felt that way about many things which come to me from an entirely materialistic viewpoint, so can understand your reluctance to accept this information as Truth. For years, I’ve shied away from reading books which present good information, but have rabbit holes of erroneous thought. In relation to the two books I’ve cited in this writing, my dear friend, Jim Young, used to say that this way of living was not difficult if you accepted it 100%, but it was extremely hard if you only admitted 99% as reality. This writing has occurred because I want it all!

“There is a tendency to fragment, and then to be concerned about the truth of just a little part of the whole. And this is but a way of avoiding, or looking away from the whole, to what you think you might be better able to understand. For this is but another way in which you would still try to keep understanding to yourself. A better and far more helpful way to think of miracles is this: You do not understand them, either in part or in whole. Yet they have been done through you. Therefore your understanding cannot be necessary. Yet it is still impossible to accomplish what you do not understand. And so there must be Something in you that does understand.”
—A Course in Miracles T-16.II.2:1-8

“We must seek the undivided garment, the whole Christ, as our first proof of Christianity, for Christ, Truth, alone can furnish us with absolute evidence.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 142:7-10

A Little Love Sown

Art by Christian Frederik Vilhelm Pedersen 1854-1926

Watering the Flowers

“Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come.”

—Henri Nouwen

“This world has much to offer to your peace, and many chances to extend your own forgiveness. Such its purpose is, to those who want to see peace and forgiveness descend on them, and offer them the light.”

—A Course in Miracles T-25.III.7:8-9

“The benign thought of Jesus, finding utterance in such words as ‘Take no thought for your life,’ would heal the sick, and so enable them to rise above the supposed necessity for physical thought-taking and doctoring; but if the unselfish affections be lacking, and common sense and common humanity are disregarded, what mental quality remains, with which to evoke healing from the outstretched arm of righteousness?

—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 365:7-14

Redeem the Past; Change the Future

Photo by Aaron Springston

Paulo Coelho is one of my favorite authors. In his books, he takes us on spiritual journeys which show that we are indeed not alone, in either our fears or our realizations of Truth. Mr. Coelho’s novel, Aleph, was his most personal, and the main character seems to have many common characteristics with its creator. When he writes of spiritual progress feeling stagnant, I ache for him. These sentences stayed in my thoughts: "It isn't what you did in the past that will affect the present. It's what you do in the present that will redeem the past and thereby change the future." What a vibrant, hopeful statement! What you do right now is the pivotal point in your life. Let go of any and all grievances of any kind. Notice your thoughts as they peek out at you during the day. Are they reinforcing old, often-painful beliefs, or are they leading you out of them? Let’s redeem the past and change the future!

“It requires courage to utter truth; for the higher Truth lifts her voice, the louder will error scream, until its in‐articulate sound is forever silenced in oblivion.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 278:1-11

“The Holy Spirit looks through me today. Christ asks that He may use my eyes today, and thus redeem the world. He asks this gift that He may offer peace of mind to me, and take away all terror and all pain. And as they are removed from me, the dreams that seemed to settle on the world are gone. Redemption must be one. As I am saved, the world is saved with me. For all of us must be redeemed together. Fear appears in many different forms, but love is one.”
—A Course in Miracles W-295.1:1-7

One Primal Cause

Is reality what we are told by the daily news? We know there are conflicting reports of current events, and it can be difficult to discern reality within human perspectives. Is it what we learn in school? I remember how surprising (and embarrassing) it was to learn that most of the American history I had learned in school was no more than a myth, perpetuated by men who wanted it to be that way. We are beginning to understand that spiritual truth is not to be found within the religious institutions of our world. Everywhere we turn, there is a story which we have been told that has affected the way we view life. It is such a relief to know we can happily leave behind our stories of duality and erroneous thought, which frees us to listen for the “still, small voice” of truth.

“There is but one primal cause. Therefore there can be no effect from any other cause, and there can be no reality in aught which does not proceed from his great and only cause.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 207:20-23

“The miracle sets reality where it belongs. Reality belongs only to spirit, and the miracle acknowledges only truth.”
—A Course in Miracles T-1.IV.2:2-4

Calling For Love

Crystal Bridges Dining Room 

If someone asks you what is the opposite of love, what would you say? Most of us would say hate, but some of us would say fear. For those of you who are students of the Bible, you well know the words found in I John 4:18 — “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” In A Course in Miracles, we learn that every word and/or action is either a product of love, or a call for love. Mary Baker Eddy mentions Love 465 times in Science & Health, but fear has a mere 163 inclusions. Hate appears in only 20 citations, my favorite one being this: “Divine Life destroys death, Truth destroys error, and Love destroys hate.” [page 339] And so the next time you feel fearful, or perhaps hateful, remember you are only crying out for Love. If you see these feelings coming from someone else, see it for what it is: a call for Love. Now for the fun part! Send Love right back at whatever appears otherwise! Namaste, dear friends ..

“The only judgment involved is the Holy Spirit’s one division into two categories; one of love, and the other the call for love. You cannot safely make this division, for you are much too confused either to recognize love, or to believe that everything else is nothing but a call for love. You are too bound to form, and not to content. What you consider content is not content at all. It is merely form, and nothing else. For you do not respond to what a brother really offers you, but only to the particular perception of his offering by which the ego judges it.”
—A Course in Miracles T-14.X.7:1-6

“Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action. Love is priestess at the altar of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept. Patience must ‘have her perfect work.’”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health 454:18-24

Two Ways To Be Fooled

A quote from Soren Kierkegaard: “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true." For me, social media is a way to keep up with loved ones who are far away, people close by, and cool happenings in town or otherwise. Of course, it is also the avenue for conspiracy theories and purveyors of horrid happenings. I truly believe most folks think they are helping others by warning them about trouble. The same holds true on the national level, when people warn us that Tom Hanks is a pedophile or that Hillary Clinton drinks baby’s blood. Hence, I come back to the sentiment in the Kierkegaard quote often: Am I being fooled by believing or not believing?? It has always seemed to me that truth just feels true. But with so much misinformation going around in everyone's heads, I think it's easier to be pulled into swirling, chaotic thoughts now than it used to be. It's rather like an approaching storm with its electric, exciting expectancy: will it be beautiful and cleansing or are we going to Oz? Hum...

"Science only can explain the incredible good and evil elements now coming to the surface. Mortals must find refuge in Truth in order to escape the error of these latter days. Nothing is more antagonistic to Christian Science than a blind belief without understanding, for such a belief hides Truth and builds on error."
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 83:6

“The idea for today simply states a fact. It is not a fact to those who believe in illusions, but illusions are not facts. In truth there is nothing to fear. It is very easy to recognize this. But it is very difficult to recognize it for those who want illusions to be true.”
—A Course in Miracles W-48.1:1-5

Giving Your All

Night-Blooming Cereus

Photo by Don Matt 

“Restraint is a very good partner to indulgence.” Hearing Nigella Lawson say this on The Great British Baking Show struck a chord deep within, as my tendency to overindulge is legendary in some circles. Not only with hedonistic pursuits, but when beginning a serious study of divine metaphysics in the 1990s, it was an all-encompassing lifestyle change. This was necessary to fill the gaps left by less-than-stellar practices which had come before. After children were grown, opening of an art gallery in our small tourist town offered an outlet for living the Love which was being realized in daily living. Everything was centered around promoting and growing that beautiful business, and it would still be in operation had life’s circumstances not stepped in. But back to the original quote from a great chef — restraint and indulgence are a beautiful pairing. I appreciate this wonderful baker who doesn’t need to eat everything she creates!

“Indirect proof of truth is needed in a world made of denial and without direction. You will perceive the need for this if you realize that to deny is the decision not to know. The logic of the world must therefore lead to nothing, for its goal is nothing. If you decide to have and give and be nothing except a dream, you must direct your thoughts unto oblivion. And if you have and give and are everything, and all this has been denied, your thought system is closed off and wholly separated from the truth. This is an insane world, and do not underestimate the extent of its insanity. There is no area of your perception that it has not touched, and your dream is sacred to you. That is why God placed the Holy Spirit in you, where you placed the dream.”
—A Course in Miracles T-14.I.2:1-8

“Let the slave of wrong desire learn the lessons of Christian Science, and he will get the better of that desire, and ascend a degree in the scale of health, happiness, and existence.”

—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 407:17-20

Truth is a Deep Kindness

Photo from Aaron Springston

“Truth is a deep kindness that teaches us to be content in our everyday life and share with the people the same happiness.” 

—Kahlil Gibran

“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

“Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 57:18-21

Common Ground

This has been a beautiful day, which marks the ending of a wonderful week, visiting with grandbabies and their dad. Today was fun, with old friends stopping by to visit and a sunset visit to a friend’s buffalo ranch. The words from an old Beatles song have been going around in my mind for most of the day: I get by with a little help from my friends. While visiting with a woman who was like a second mother to my boys, I realized what a bond of friendship we share — even all these years later. We don’t see each other regularly, but when we’re together it’s still a closely-bonded relationship. A long term ex-husband was here and although we disagree on almost every topic you could choose, we still have a couple of points we can agree on: grandsons. These are common denominators, no matter what transpired between friends and family in the past — or the so-called future! So friends, I leave you with this thought: We’re all in this together! Namaste …

“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 469:30-5

“You respond to what you perceive, and as you perceive so shall you behave. The Golden Rule asks you to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This means that the perception of both must be accurate. The Golden Rule is the rule for appropriate behavior. You cannot behave appropriately unless you perceive correctly. Since you and your neighbor are equal members of one family, as you perceive both so you will do to both. You should look out from the perception of your own holiness to the holiness of others.”
—A Course in Miracles T-1.III.6:1-7

A Day at the Museum

Art of Yayoi Kusama 

Crystal Bridges Museum Art Trail

“Great art picks up where nature ends.” This quote from Marc Chagall is a perfect statement to describe Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The architecture melds with the natural beauty surrounding it in ways which take your breath away. My sons and grandsons were the perfect companions for a day at the museum today. Watching the wonder in the children’s eyes and feeling the joy in my heart — What a day! And I am grateful …

“See how life springs up everywhere! The desert becomes a garden, green and deep and quiet, offering rest to those who lost their way and wander in the dust. Give them a place of refuge, prepared by love for them where once a desert was. And everyone you welcome will bring love with him from Heaven for you. They enter one by one into this holy place, but they will not depart as they had come, alone. The love they brought with them will stay with them, as it will stay with you. And under its beneficence your little garden will expand, and reach out to everyone who thirsts for living water, but has grown too weary to go on alone.”
—A Course in Miracles T-18.VIII.9:2-8

“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 240:6-9

United By Empathy

Dan Rather’s book, What Unites Us, takes us on a journey. He is old enough to remember what life was like in the aftermath of the great depression, times before we had government programs to help people in need, along with the suffering which was thought of as normal. When someone lost their job, it felt like death, because there was not another job to be found. Neighbors would do what they could for each other, and when little Dan asked his mother why they were helping the people across the street (thinking perhaps it was pity which inspired his folks to give) he was told it wasn’t because they felt sorry for them, but because they understood the feeling of being in need. He writes of empathy building community. In the last three decades, I’ve watched our little town band together to help people in every kind of need that you can imagine. I have been the recipient of that kindness more than once, and it has built empathy within me, too. When we don’t blame people for their misfortune, we don’t judge their circumstances, but simply meet their need, whatever it may be. It seems so simple, and it is a beautiful thing to watch in action. I wish everyone in our country could read or listen to this book by Mr. Rather. Good will multiplies exponentially, don’t you think? Let’s go forth and multiply!

"Do we love our neighbor better because of this asking? Do we pursue the old selfishness, satisfied with having prayed for something better, though we give no evidence of the sincerity of our requests by living consistently with our prayer? If selfishness has given place to kindness, we shall regard our neighbor unselfishly, and bless them that curse us, but we shall never meet this great duty simply by asking that it may be done. There is a cross to be taken up before we can enjoy the fruition of our hope and faith."
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 9:6

“A miracle is a service. It is the maximal service you can render to another. It is a way of loving your neighbor as yourself. You recognize your own and your neighbor’s worth simultaneously.”
—A Course in Miracles T-1.I.18:1-4

Peace or Chaos

My grandchildren are presently visiting and it is a joyful time in our lives! Having not seen my son and his family for a year-and-four-months, this is particularly wonderful. Many of these daily writings are centered around peace, with a tendency to reiterate how it is found within yourself, no matter what craziness is swirling around you. It’s quite easy to be peaceful when living alone and having almost complete control of your environment. Add to the household a two- and four-year-old, then check out your peace barometer! It’s not easy being a parent, and some people take to it more naturally than others. Some feel the loud, high-pitched voices are an icepick in their ears; others can look at the little angels and see just that, no matter what. Bottom line, it’s easy to be calm on a mountaintop by yourself; the test is when you are interacting with people. Whatever you’re doing, there is always an opportunity to express more Love — with a capital “L”!

“Learn to be quiet in the midst of turmoil, for quietness is the end of strife and this is the journey to peace. Look straight at every image that rises to delay you, for the goal is inevitable because it is eternal. The goal of love is but your right, and it belongs to you despite your dreams.”
—A Course in Miracles T-12.II.5:5-7

“Spiritual living and blessedness are the only evidences, by which we can recognize true existence and feel the unspeakable peace which comes from an all-absorbing spiritual love.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 264:24-27

Protected From Hatred

Photo courtesy of Aaron Springs

“Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you." This Mary Baker Eddy quote is one of my favorites, which I've always thought of as meaning that the human hatred others feel cannot reach me when wearing the armor of divine Love. But what if it includes the hatred inwardly felt toward others, too? It's very easy for me to think that I don't hate anyone or anything. Actually, it's a word which has been pruned from my vocabulary and simply is not used. BUT if I am irritated by another's actions or words, or if a situation which caused anger in the past replays in my mind, or if criticism gnaws at me and I think of retaliatory statements which could have been made -- isn't that human hatred? Wearing this cloak of Love calms these nagging feelings and thoughts. When wearing the protection of Love, hatred cannot enter from inside or out!

“Truth has no consciousness of error. Love has no sense of hatred. Life has no partnership with death. Truth, Life, and Love are a law of annihilation to everything unlike themselves, because they declare nothing except God.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 243:25-29

“Let me not think that I can find the way to God, if I have hatred in my heart. Let me not try to hurt God’s Son, and think that I can know his Father or my Self. Let me not fail to recognize myself, and still believe that my awareness can contain my Father, or my mind conceive of all the love my Father has for me, and all the love which I return to Him.”
—A Course in Miracles W-246.1:1-3

The Holiest of All Spots

Those who live by the ancient adage of “an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth”must have a tough time being happy. Students of metaphysical science are learning that forgiveness is not some sort of divine pardon, but rather a yielding within ourselves to the purity of divine Mind. Without the impediments of holding on to personal memories of wrongdoing, resentment, and pain, we are freed to live in a new way. This yielding includes the release of things which we think have been done to us, and things which we believe have been done to others, along with actions by people everywhere in the world. My prayer today is for the grace to choose again, to Love Out Loud, and to live the precepts which Jesus, and many other seers, have taught. Namaste …

“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 497:24-28

“Sin is the symbol of attack. Behold it anywhere, and I will suffer. For forgiveness is the only means whereby Christ’s vision comes to me. Let me accept what His sight shows me as the simple truth, and I am healed completely. Brother, come and let me look on you. Your loveliness reflects my own. Your sinlessness is mine. You stand forgiven, and I stand with you.”
—A Course in Miracles W-247.1:1-8

Miracles Transcend the Body

Photo courtesy of Aaron Spingston

Everything we’ve been taught to believe is contradicted by seeing ourselves as free from limited beliefs. Many of our first memories are of being told to be careful, lest something dire happen. Quantum physics is helping us to understand how form is not as solid as we've been told. With that understanding, it becomes clear that many limitations we've placed upon ourselves are nothing more than beliefs in material laws. Limitations are discarded when an athlete breaks a record in the Olympics, or if someone performs a seemingly-impossible feat — such as lifting a car off of trapped loved ones. We've all heard people tell tales which we think of as supernatural, such as falling great distances and feeling as though they landed on a cushion, or so-called incurable diseases disappearing. Let’s look to the divine Mind to show us the truth about ourselves, then we will explore paths we wouldn't have considered before. Thought is shifting rapidly at this time! Let's not be afraid to listen to the still, small voice leading us down paths which before were invisible.

“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

“Miracles transcend the body. They are sudden shifts into invisibility, away from the bodily level. That is why they heal.”
—A Course in Miracles T-1.I.17:1-3

Nothing But The Truth

Photo courtesy of Aaron Springston

We may feel alone in the desert, when we speak truth to error. When we take a stand for morality and goodness, we might feel we’re the only one who sees through the illusions. Maybe you've been verbally attacked for telling people the truth about GMOs, organic food, or climate crises. Perhaps someone has berated your efforts to recognize and change ideas about racism. And what of data mining? Are we being controlled every time we get on our computer? I mention these things because it’s very important to speak truth, to take a stand for morality, and never fear potential consequences. Don’t be afraid to speak up for integrity and honesty. You may find out you’re not alone!

“Because Truth is infinite, error should be known as nothing. Because Truth is omnipotent in goodness, error, Truth's opposite, has no might. Evil is but the counterpoise of nothingness. The greatest wrong is but a supposititious opposite of the highest right."
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 329:21

“I am in need of nothing but the truth. I sought for many things, and found despair. Now do I seek but one, for in that one is all I need, and only what I need. All that I sought before I needed not, and did not even want. My only need I did not recognize. But now I see that I need only truth. In that all needs are satisfied, all cravings end, all hopes are finally fulfilled and dreams are gone. Now have I everything that I could need. Now have I everything that I could want. And now at last I find myself at peace.”
—A Course in Miracles W-251.1:1-9

Quieting the Voices in My Head

Photo of Buffalo River by Ashley Elliot

The weather has been delightfully cool here in Northwest Arkansas. After a long, hot summer, there is a feeling of new beginnings in the fresh air. The rushes of gratitude I’ve been experiencing are exhilarating! So I was particularly surprised to awaken this morning with regrets for past actions filling my thoughts. Not just one or two events either, but a barrage of hurtful words and acts from the last seven decades were glaring at me. It even crossed my mind that I might be passing away, and that this might be my “life-passing-before-my-eyes” event. (I say this jokingly, but it did occur to me.) Sitting on my porch, greeting the sun and watching the world awaken, it came to me that perhaps I’ve been judging others. Maybe this onslaught of guilt could help me to feel compassion for those whom I might have dismissed as foolishly self-centered in their repetition of the past. And so a few moments were spent forgiving myself for any and everything. “To forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts you gave in the past, and those that were given you.” [ACIM] A peaceful lesson for today and everyday …

“To forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts you gave in the past, and those that were given you. All the rest must be forgotten. Forgiveness is a selective remembering, based not on your selection. For the shadow figures you would make immortal are “enemies” of reality.”
—A Course in Miracles T-17.III.1:1-4

“Starting from a higher standpoint, one rises spontaneously, even as light emits light without effort; for ‘where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 262:24-26

Unspeakable Peace

Commaraderie at Book Club

“Maybe we will drown or burn or starve one day, but until then we get to choose if we’ll add to that destruction or if we will care for each other.” This is a quote from the book, Wild Dark Shore, by Charlotte McConaghy. Tonight was my favorite night of the month: book club meeting! The weather was a perfect 70-degrees for dining outside and visiting with dear friends. When there is turmoil at every turn in this world we have made, the oasis we find with friends and loved ones is rejuvenating. The opening quote is much like the teachings of  A Course in Miracles: everything is a choice between fear or love — and if you don’t like your choice, choose again! Happy Autumn everyone …

“Let us resolve today to ask for what we really want, and only this, that we may spend this day in fearlessness, without confusing pain with joy, or fear with love.”

—A Course in Miracles W-339.1:9

“Spiritual living and blessedness are the only evidences, by which we can recognize true existence and feel the unspeakable peace which comes from an all-absorbing spiritual love.”

—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 264: 24-27

A New and Glorified Trust

Art by Elena Wuest

I heard myself say to someone, "We could all choose to have animosity toward our parents, either actual or imagined." But now that I think about it, isn't all animosity imagined? We like to think that some outside influence has forced us to feel hurt or angry, but is that true? Aren't we just setting ourselves up as a victim to say that someone else "made us angry"? After all, I don't have to react with a specified emotion; I can choose to see any given situation as a calm witness, rather than as an upset personality, can't I? It's tempting to say things such as: He/she pushes my buttons. By blaming outside influences for our actions, we can pretend we're victims of life's circumstances. We're so accustomed to looking for help outside of ourselves that we also blame outside influences for our reactions, thinking we have no choice. Truth shows us that we are more than we believe we are. We aren't mortal victims, but spiritual beings with unrealized abilities and power. It's time to wake up!

“My angels are exalted thoughts, appearing at the door of some sepulchre, in which human belief has buried its fondest earthly hopes. With white fingers they point upward to a new and glorified trust, to higher ideals of life and its joys.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 299:7-11

“Suffering is an emphasis upon all that the world has done to injure you. Here is the world’s demented version of salvation clearly shown. Like to a dream of punishment, in which the dreamer is unconscious of what brought on the attack against himself, he sees himself attacked unjustly and by something not himself. He is the victim of this ‘something else,’ a thing outside himself, for which he has no reason to be held responsible. He must be innocent because he knows not what he does, but what is done to him. Yet is his own attack upon himself apparent still, for it is he who bears the suffering. And he cannot escape because its source is seen outside himself.”
—A Course in Miracles T-27.VII.1:1-7

Undisciplined? Or Remembering My Purpose …

Looking back over the last six decades of my life, there were many times of major confusion, and even more instances of minor tailspins. In retrospect, these were nothing more than times when I forgot to listen for omnipresent guidance. My purpose is unfolding every moment, and all I need to do is show up and be willing -- willing to be open-hearted, open-minded -- with no expectations of how things should be. It's tempting to think of this as undisciplined, and others may be critical of this attitude. I can attest to the fact that wandering around in college for five years perfectly prepared me for freelance court reporting. And thirty years of taking down and transcribing depositions was an incredible education, which paved the way for running an art gallery for ten years. All those things brought me to where I am today, and none of it could have been planned. Today, I think of this as listening and following. Back then, I didn't think of it at all…

“Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 506:18-21

“Let me remember what my purpose is. If I forget my goal I can be but confused, unsure of what I am, and thus conflicted in my actions. No one can serve contradicting goals and serve them well. Nor can he function without deep distress and great depression. Let us therefore be determined to remember what we want today, that we may unify our thoughts and actions meaningfully, and achieve only what God would have us do this day.
—A Course in Miracles W-257.1:1–2

Doing The Most We Can

Enhanced photo by Aaron Springston

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

“The notion of a material universe is utterly opposed to the theory of man as evolved from Mind. Such fundamental errors send falsity into all human doctrines and conclusions, and do not accord infinity to Deity. Error tills the whole ground in this material theory, which is entirely a false view, destructive to existence and happiness.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 545:1-5

“Every thought you have makes up some segment of the world you see. It is with your thoughts, then, that we must work, if your perception of the world is to be changed.”
—A Course in Miracles W-23.1:4-5

Trusting Your News Source

When the leader of a country repeatedly tells his constituents that the news outlets they are trusting are not trustworthy, a number of things happen. Some people throw up their hands and believe nothing can be trusted, which leads to a fear of our government officials, the election process, and ultimately any agency in charge of helping us. Many of us have been checking the veracity of what we are being told, but it is a laborious, time-consuming effort. And not everyone has the computer skills necessary to unravel the web of deceit which has been purposefully woven. Most of us have news sources which we trust, but how do we know if they are truly trustworthy? Even if they are accurate, some news is often not reported and the information may be an important foundational element of the “whole story”. With all this in mind, I have downloaded the app for Ground News. Within this source is all the news, with a gauge of how much coverage is being given by left/center/right sources, and the ability to click and receive a synopsis or a link to each and every story listed. There are typically 20-30 source stories for each headline and synopsis, which can be accessed if you so desire. This is a huge time saver and gives us the ability to stay informed and retain our sanity. Finally some good news!

“To my sense, the most imminent dangers confronting the coming century are: the robbing of people of life and liberty under the warrant of the Scriptures; the claims of politics and of human power, industrial slavery, and insufficient freedom of honest competition; and ritual, creed, and trusts in place of the Golden Rule, ‘Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.’”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Miscellaneous Writings Page 266:1-9

“If data are meaningless there is no point in analyzing them. The function of truth is to collect information that is true. Any way you handle error results in nothing. The more complicated the results become the harder it may be to recognize their nothingness, but it is not necessary to examine all possible outcomes to which premises give rise in order to judge them truly.”

—A Course in Miracles T-8.VIII.6:5-9

Clearing Out Clutter

Photo courtesy of Kailey Jones

Most people seem to be getting rid of things they don’t need. We’re letting go of items which are cluttering up our houses and material surroundings. More importantly, we're clearing out thoughts and beliefs which no longer are needed in our new-found perception of reality. As with our surroundings, we look through the accumulation of years and decide what to release and what to keep. Sometimes we keep more than we had planned, but with our mental clutter, there is very little which needs to stay. Just as we accumulate more and more books and music and all sorts of things, we also accumulate erroneous beliefs. Isn't it just as easy to hold on to Truth as it is error? Now is the time to do just that!

“Citizens of the world, accept the ‘glorious liberty of the children of God,’ and be free! This is your divine right. The illusion of material sense, not divine law, has bound you, entangled your free limbs, crippled your capacities, enfeebled your body, and defaced the tablet of your being.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 227:24-29

“… no form of exercise is urged, except a deep relinquishment of everything that clutters up the mind, and makes it deaf to reason, sanity and simple truth.”
—A Course in Miracles W-rVI.in.3:8

Together

William Blake said: "I am in you and you in me, mutual in divine Love". I understand this to mean that the perfection we are learning to see as ourselves, also is everyone else. I often tell people “We’re all in this together”, but I think I’ll change it to “We are all this – together!” I love the study of the Science of Being! Every day, every moment, revelations in thought bring me a deeper understanding of how this Truth sets us free. I am learning more of what it means that God is Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love. It's joyous to expand understanding, including myself in that definition, as a reflection of All that Is!

“So-called mineral, vegetable, and animal substances are no more contingent now on time or material structure than they were when ‘the morning stars sang together.’ Mind made the ‘plant of the field before it was in the earth.’ The periods of spiritual ascension are the days and seasons of Mind’s creation, in which beauty, sublimity, purity, and holiness — yea, the divine nature — appear in man and the universe never to disappear.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 509:20-28

“We who are one would recognize this day the truth about ourselves. We would come home, and rest in unity. For there is peace, and nowhere else can peace be sought and found.”
—A Course in Miracles W-262.2:3

Making Sense of Life

Good Friend, Sharon

“A man’s beliefs are how he makes sense of life.Take that away, and what does he have left?” While at a delightful event benefiting our local library system, these words from the series Outlander came to mind more than once. In our small town, we make sense of life through our connections with each other. The community dinner tonight was delightful for many reasons — a short Agatha Christie-style play in honor of the overall theme of Murder on the Orient Express, dinner catered by a local cafe, a silent auction of goods and art from local businesses and people — but the most joy came from our interactions with each other. The group of 150 or so people were almost all acquainted, and we were happy to visit and laugh together. And that’s why the above quote was in my thoughts: we make sense of life through each other, through friendships, through our children’s sporting events, through library dinners. We don’t need to rely on beliefs when we have knowledge of one another. It makes sense …

“The world becomes a place of hope, because its only purpose is to be a place where hope of happiness can be fulfilled. And no one stands outside this hope, because the world has been united in belief the purpose of the world is one which all must share, if hope be more than just a dream.”
—A Course in Miracles T-30.V.2:7-8

“Belief in a material basis, from which may be deduced all rationality, is slowly yielding to the idea of a metaphysical basis, looking away from matter to Mind as the cause of every effect.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 268: 6-9

Each Heartbeat Brings Peace

Photo by Aaron Springston

Living the peace of God may seem like a fantasy to those who abide by the laws of materiality. It's a common belief that in order to live in peace a person must be delusional, sticking their head in the sand, or at least denying reality in favor of wishful thinking. But many of us see this state of mind in another way. As we learn about the Truth of our being, we are able to glimpse this peace, and the joy it brings. This joy spreads exponentially through our daily activities, as it is expressed through our actions and words. This state of mind does more for the world than all the preaching we may be tempted to do!

“My heart is beating in the peace of God. 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

“Teach them that their being is sustained by Spirit, not by matter, and that they find health, peace, and harmony in God, divine Love.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 416:32-2

Let it Be …

Do you know anyone who plays events over and over in their mind, making assumptions about why things were said or done, then trying to find solutions to fix everyone involved? A friend received a phone call from someone she hadn’t heard from in the past few years. She didn’t answer the call and was full of worries as to what she may have done wrong which caused her friend to break off contact with her. While I try not to laugh in the face of others’ distress, I couldn’t help myself this time! I quickly reminded her of The Four Agreements, in particular “don’t make assumptions” and “don’t take anything personally”. After a brief conversation, we ended our call and she contacted her old friend. And sure enough, she had done nothing wrong; her friend was going through a rough time and needed a friendly shoulder to lean on. How much easier life is without speculations and suppositions!

“Let all things be exactly as they are. Let me not be Your critic, Lord, today, and judge against You. Let me not attempt to interfere with Your creation, and distort it into sickly forms. Let me be willing to withdraw my wishes from its unity, and thus to let it be as You created it. For thus will I be able, too, to recognize my Self as You created me. In love was I created, and in love will I remain forever. What can frighten me, when I let all things be exactly as they are?

“Let not our sight be blasphemous today, nor let our ears attend to lying tongues. Only reality is free of pain. Only reality is free of loss. Only reality is wholly safe. And it is only this we seek today.”
—A Course in Miracles W-268.1:1–2:5

"Human sense may well marvel at discord, while, to a diviner sense, harmony is the real and discord the unreal.”
—Mary Baker Eddy — Science & Health Page: 563: 1-3