Sharing the Joy

“The perception of my holiness does not bless me alone. Everyone and everything I see in its light shares in the joy it brings to me.” ACIM —  We are learning that this holiness is our true state of being as reflections of Love. This Love is realized through forgiveness in its purest sense. When I assert this truth about myself, I affirm it for everyone. Many of us think that such a statement about ourselves is arrogant; something to be avoided. What if the opposite is true, and it’s arrogant to think we can do everything through our individual, human intellect and reasoning? Perhaps true humility is acknowledging our holiness, allowing divine Mind to guide us, knowing we are all One.

“My holiness is my salvation. Since my holiness saves me from all guilt, recognizing my holiness is recognizing my salvation. It is also recognizing the salvation of the world. Once I have accepted my holiness, nothing can make me afraid. And because I am unafraid, everyone must share in my understanding, which is the gift of God to me and to the world.”
—A Course in Miracles W-58.4:1-5

"We know that a desire for holiness is requisite in order to gain holiness; but if we desire holiness above all else, we shall sacrifice everything for it. We must be willing to do this, that we may walk securely in the only practical road to holiness. Prayer cannot change the unalterable Truth, nor can prayer alone give us an understanding of Truth; but prayer, coupled with a fervent habitual desire to know and do the will of God, will bring us into all Truth. Such a desire has little need of audible expression. It is best expressed in thought and in life."
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 11:22-32

I Eat The Stars

Hope is a word with many meanings and implications. An old friend would always insist that hope was foolish, because you wouldn’t address the problem, only hope for a good result. We had many spirited discussions, with me on the side of hope, saying it meant looking toward the best possible outcome, without designating what that may be. And so when this book was brought to my attention today, it immediately piqued my interest! “I eat the stars”, is a book written by Sarah Wilson. On the surface, this book is about how to deal with the collapse of earthly systems. The author states that this collapse “is not a finality, but an invitation to reconnect with what matters to us, and to meet the future with courage, creativity, and unprecedented care.” She says that “breaking up with hope felt like leaving a toxic relationship.” And this does not mean giving up hope, but rather giving up the need to stay with the status quo. Perhaps the way we’ve always done things is not the way we should be doing things? She gives us tips on how to “stay kind and radically human as the world shifts around us.” In looking at our transition she asks the question: ”What if this new world we’re entering is more stunning than we’d ever imagined?” I like her thinking!

“The breaking up of material beliefs may seem to be famine and pestilence, want and woe, sin, sickness, and death, which assume new phases until their nothingness appears. These disturbances will continue until the end of error, when all discord will be swallowed up in spiritual Truth.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 96:15-20

“The ego has a strange notion of time, and it is with this notion that your questioning might well begin. The ego invests heavily in the past, and in the end believes that the past is the only aspect of time that is meaningful. Remember that its emphasis on guilt enables it to ensure its continuity by making the future like the past, and thus avoiding the present. By the notion of paying for the past in the future, the past becomes the determiner of the future, making them continuous without an intervening present. For the ego regards the present only as a brief transition to the future, in which it brings the past to the future by interpreting the present in past terms.”
—A Course in Miracles T-13.IV.4:1-5

The Faces of Fear

Art by Vladislav Yerko

"Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of imprisonment, fear of torture, fear of death, fear of losing friends, family, property or means of livelihood, fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure. A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man's self-respect and inherent human dignity. It is not easy for a people conditioned by fear under the iron rule of the principle that might is right to free themselves from the enervating miasma of fear. Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilized man.” 

— Aung San Suu Kyi, Freedom From Fear 

“Had Blondin believed it impossible to walk the rope over Niagara's abyss of waters, he could never have done it. His belief that he could do it gave his thought-forces, called muscles, their flexibility and power which the unscientific might attribute to a lubricating oil. His fear must have disappeared before his power of putting resolve into action could appear.”

—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 199:25-31

“How safe the world will look to me when I can see it! It will not look anything like what I imagine I see now. Everyone and everything I see will lean toward me to bless me. I will recognize in everyone my dearest Friend. What could there be to fear in a world that I have forgiven, and that has forgiven me?” 

—A Course in Miracles W-60.3:2-6

Health — The Language Of My Discernment

Many people have a multitude of problematic happenings in their lives. My neighbor and good friend has been in the hospital four times in as many months, with alarming symptoms and no diagnosis. One friend is worried about her husband’s memory. Another had a quadruple heart bypass this morning. A dear sister/friend is diagnosed with shingles in her eyes. Someone has an adult son in rehab with serious mental problems. One of these people, a metaphysician, is feeling guilty because she can’t “do” something about the situation. This caused me to think about the impersonal nature of disease. We tend to want to blame ourselves when a malady occurs. What did I do wrong which caused this dis-ease? If we are truly One in Spirit, then perhaps we shouldn’t take all the blame for the mass hypnotism running rampant in our society. Everywhere, the media and individuals are telling us what’s wrong with us, or a news story is proclaiming disaster from something or another, or someone is predicting doom in some form. What are we to do? Just say no! There are many books and YouTube videos giving us tips on how to counteract negativity. Don’t be afraid to lift your thought in this way. Think I’ll lift up my friends in my thoughts right now!

“Because mortal mind seems to be conscious, the sick say: ‘How can my mind cause a disease I never thought of and knew nothing about, until it appeared on my body?’ The author has answered this question in her explanation of disease as originating in human belief before it is consciously apparent on the body, which is in fact the objective state of mortal mind, though it is called matter. This mortal blindness and its sharp consequences show our need of divine metaphysics. Through immortal Mind, or Truth, we can destroy all ills which proceed from mortal mind.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 374:6-16

“When the ego tempts you to sickness do not ask the Holy Spirit to heal the body, for this would merely be to accept the ego’s belief that the body is the proper aim of healing. Ask, rather, that the Holy Spirit teach you the right perception of the body, for perception alone can be distorted. Only perception can be sick, because only perception can be wrong.”
—A Course in Miracles T-8.IX.1:5-7

Seeing Through The Illusion

“Dancing With the Shadow Self”

Creation of Sandy Wythawai Starbird

Let’s say you wake up in the morning and are upset about something which was happening in your sleeping dream; it only takes a moment to shake off the feeling of fear or anxiety, as you affirm the illusory nature of what seemed so terribly real. In our waking dreams, we often experience upset in many forms, because we have accepted the illusion of separation from divine Love — and each other. Perhaps we’re feeling sad or depressed; maybe we’re unhappy or have a bit of ennui following us around. Whatever form it takes, it matters not if the upset is small or large, as it is all a mistaken interpretation of the reality of our being. It can be distressing to admit we have a choice in regard to these feelings, as we don’t want to think this is our own fault. And so I will strive to NOT apportion blame to others or to myself, but rather to release upsetting emotions the way I would evaporate a bad dream. I'm happy to admit I don't know why or how these feelings come to me, as I open my mind to All that Is and move into a new world created by Love.

“Mortal mind is constantly producing on mortal body the results of false opinions; and it will continue to do so, until mortal error is deprived of its imaginary powers by Truth, which sweeps away the gossamer web of mortal illusion.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 403:16-20

“It is not you who are so vulnerable and open to attack that just a word, a little whisper that you do not like, a circumstance that suits you not, or an event that you did not anticipate upsets your world, and hurls it into chaos. Truth is not frail. Illusions leave it perfectly unmoved and undisturbed. But specialness is not the truth in you. It can be thrown off balance by anything. What rests on nothing never can be stable. However large and overblown it seems to be, it still must rock and turn and whirl about with every breeze.”
—A Course in Miracles T-24.III.3:1-7

Never Upset For The Reason I Think

Sometimes I get emotionally overwrought and don't realize it's happening until I say or do something foolish. At times like these, I wish I could retreat to the top of a mountain -- or perhaps a cave -- and wait for calm to come again. But that's not the way life happens, is it? Actually, it is — if that place of calm you find is inside yourself. And that is, after all, the only place it truly can be. I could be by myself in outer space but still be fragile if my mind is spinning in circles of anxiety. So when I'm tempted to say someone else has upset me, that isn't even close to being true. Perhaps I've been tense about numerous circumstances and allow one little thing to tip the boat over. These times are when I return to Love, as I'm doing right now. I'm going to listen to calm instrumental music, close my eyes and forgive myself, loving the people and situations I could say are causing my unrest. "I love you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you."

"I am never upset for the reason I think. This idea ...can be used with any person, situation or event you think is causing you pain. Apply it specifically to whatever you believe is the cause of your upset, using the description of the feeling in whatever term seems accurate to you. The upset may seem to be fear, worry, depression, anxiety, anger, hatred, jealousy or any number of forms, all of which will be perceived as different. This is not true." 

—A Course in Miracles W-pI.5.1.

Harmony is produced by its Principle, is controlled by it and abides with it. Divine Principle is the Life of man. Man's happiness is not, therefore, at the disposal of physical sense. Truth is not contaminated by error. Harmony in man is as beautiful as in music, and discord is unnatural, unreal."
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 304:17-22

No Loss When Properly Perceived

Chili Dog Dressed For Night On The Town 

The process of turning around all hurtful thoughts is a long and winding road! As a 12-year-old, the loss of my dog was devastating. I wouldn't allow myself to love another animal for more than ten years. After giving myself permission to love again, I have gradually brought my thoughts closer to understanding the Oneness of Love. When looking into the eyes of a beloved pet, I see those which I've loved in the past. I no longer live in fear of their death, because I know their essence lives on and will return to me in another form. All these experiences bring the realization of the Oneness of all being, and I relish each loss and gain in this embrace. Whatever the hurt or suffering seems to be, it can be perceived in another way. (“I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt.” ACIM) Love fills our being from its core to its edge. This unbroken reality allows me to feel a gentle Presence in every experience. And I am grateful.

“I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt. Loss is not loss when properly perceived. Pain is impossible. There is no grief with any cause at all. And suffering of any kind is nothing but a dream. This is the truth, at first to be but said and then repeated many times; and next to be accepted as but partly true, with many reservations. Then to be considered seriously more and more, and finally accepted as the truth. I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt. And I would go beyond these words today, and past all reservations, and arrive at full acceptance of the truth in them.”

—A Course in Miracles W-284.1:1–2

“The human mind will sometime rise above all material and physical sense, exchanging it for spiritual perception, and exchanging human concepts for the divine consciousness.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 531:11-13

Perception Deception

The Dress in Question

An interesting topic was addressed on the PBS show NOVA. It’s called Your Brain: Perception Deception — and can be found on youTube if anyone is interested in viewing it. One example, given in this program, is The Dress — the dress which to some seemed white and gold, while others saw a blue and black garment. Apparently, there were huge disagreements over what color this dress was. The end result of this discussion is that color occurs within the brain. The light that enters your eyes is not color; the brain interprets it. Light comes in different wave lengths, which change when they hit different surfaces. There is quite an in-depth discussion of the reasons for this, but this doesn’t hold much interest for me and I won’t bore you with my elementary interpretations. What I have gleaned from the explanation is that our perceptions are not only colored by past experiences and knowledge, but by environmental differences, too. This has strengthened my desire to hold no strong opinions which, after all, close my mind to other ideas — perhaps even the fact that the dress is blue and black!

“If I see nothing as it is now, it can truly be said that I see nothing. I can see only what is now. The choice is not whether to see the past or the present; the choice is merely whether to see or not. What I have chosen to see has cost me vision. Now I would choose again, that I may see.”
—A Course in Miracles W-52.4:2-6

“The Science of being unveils the errors of sense, and spiritual perception, aided by Science, reaches Truth.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 406:11-12

A Meaningful World

Image created by Laura Iverson

I had a sleeping dream of Utopia. There was no need to speak, as we knew each others' thoughts. We had no fear, as our thoughts were uncluttered and pure. Everywhere I looked there were happy people, busy at tasks which would benefit everyone. There was no need for television or radios, as we knew everything, and it was Good. At one point, I thought I was lost in the woods, but that was impossible because others sensed my confusion and were there immediately to lead me to a safe and beautiful home. While traveling on a road, suddenly the way was filled with huge boulders and ancient fallen trees. But to the left side there was a field filled with beautiful flowers, and a pathway leading to my destination. All needs were met before I knew of them, and there was the most wonderful sense of peace. I will hold to these beautiful feelings today, while seeing the meaningless basis of my thoughts and desires.

“Since the thoughts of which I am aware do not mean anything, the world that pictures them can have no meaning. What is producing this world is insane, and so is what it produces. Reality is not insane, and I have real thoughts as well as insane ones. I can therefore see a real world, if I look to my real thoughts as my guide for seeing.”
—A Course in Miracles W-53.1:2-5

“Sleep and apathy are phases of the dream that life, substance, and intelligence are material. The mortal night dream is sometimes nearer than are the thoughts of mortals when awake. The night-dream has less matter as its accompaniment. It throws off some material fetters. It falls short of the skies, but makes its mundane flights quite ethereal.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 249:24-30

Walking in Gratitude

Graphic from Deborah Martin

A return to Love is a simpler way of living. There need be no battle within yourself as to which choice is better than the other, whatever those choices may be. Comparisons need not exist in the way of Love and, without them, an arena of conflict is dissolved. We are learning that Oneness is more than an airy-fairy concept; it is reality! The concepts brought forth from these realizations are unlike anything humanity has experienced to this point! Seeing everyone as reflections of Love, all from the same source, frees us in ways we haven’t hitherto allowed. We then can experience Love in all of the harmonious paths which are so easily overlooked by mortal eyes — and I am grateful!

“Gratitude is a lesson hard to learn for those who look upon the world amiss. The most that they can do is see themselves as better off than others. And they try to be content because another seems to suffer more than they. How pitiful and deprecating are such thoughts! For who has cause for thanks while others have less cause? And who could suffer less because he sees another suffer more? Your gratitude is due to Him alone Who made all cause of sorrow disappear throughout the world.”
—A Course in Miracles W-195.1:1-7

“We walk in the footsteps of Truth and Love by following the example of our Master in the understanding of divine metaphysics.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Pages 192:27-29

A Deeper Love

Photo of unknown origin

In the past few decades, we have seen a great evolution in the way we think about people. A video story set in Australia in the 1950s has reminded me of how far we’ve come. (For you video buffs, it’s called A Place to Call Home.) It’s inspiring to see what beliefs we have given up, replacing them with Love rather than fear. For instance, we had many closed-minded ideas about people of different skin color marrying each other, not to mention the barriers imposed by religious separation and gender. People had to endure electrical shock treatment and its aftermath to “cure” homosexuality or hysteria. Natural acts, such as giving birth, were thought of as a disease which needed to be managed in torturous ways. We’ve come a long way in dispelling erroneous thought and replacing it with what we now see as advanced thinking! What if we’re meant to advance even further? We’ll never know until we are able to divest ourselves of the shackles of the past which hold us in place, and listen to the guidance of divine Mind leading us to heights never before imagined!

“For in the holy instant, free of the past, you see that love is in you, and you have no need to look without and snatch love guiltily from where you thought it was.”
—A Course in Miracles T-15.V.9:7

"Our false views of matter perish as we grasp the facts of Spirit. The old belief must be cast out or the new idea will be spilled, and the inspiration, which is to change our standpoint, will be lost."
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 281:28-1

Images of Thought

 

Art by Oleg Shuplyak

There’s a video of a woman sitting at a table. She is asked to hold her right arm out, resting it from elbow to hand on the table surface. They erect a barrier so she cannot see her hand, and then they place a rubber hand and arm in front of her, which she can see, with the elbow ending at her body. Then the person sitting on the other side of the table uses a soft paint brush to stroke both her hand and the rubber hand. The woman admitted feeling a little odd, because she was beginning to experience sensation in the rubber hand. When the person moved the brush to the rubber thumb, stroking it but not her actual hand, she jerked back because the feeling was so strange. Then the man across the table pulled out a hammer and hit the rubber hand. You can imagine how the woman reacted! This demonstrated how, in a matter of two minutes or less, a rubber hand became a human hand in the mind of this woman. This is, in essence, what we've done with everything around us. Belief becomes our reality -- and very quickly! So today I will practice moving away from beliefs and opening my mind to the reality of 4th-dimensional thought!

"Mortals evolve images of thought." "Mortal mind sees what it believes as certainly as it believes what it sees. It feels, hears, and sees its own thoughts. Pictures are mentally formed before the artist can convey them to canvas. So is it with all material conceptions."
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 86:13 and 86:29:1

“It is because the thoughts you think you think appear as images that you do not recognize them as nothing. You think you think them, and so you think you see them. This is how your ‘seeing’ was made. This is the function you have given your body’s eyes. It is not seeing. It is image making. It takes the place of seeing, replacing vision with illusions.” 
—A Course in Miracles W-15.1:1-7

Breaking the Chain of Darkness

Created by Deborah Martin

For a Facebook Post 

Have you ever caught yourself saying or doing something which surprised you? — and not in a good way! Recently I did just that. While chastising someone for their actions, suddenly I realized that while pointing a finger, three were pointing back at me. It’s something to know, intellectually, that what bothers us about “other people” is what bothers us about our own selves. But when the emotional, spiritual implications of that action suddenly hits you in the head (so to speak), it’s a different feeling entirely. It’s an opening of the heart and a humble asking for divine guidance on how to think about the situation. And, of course, that guidance came through quickly and thoroughly. The following ACIM quote is what found its way to me. The whole section will be pondered soon. Namaste, my friends …

“The guilty always condemn, and having done so they will still condemn, linking the future to the past as is the ego’s law. Fidelity to this law lets no light in, for it demands fidelity to darkness and forbids awakening. The ego’s laws are strict, and breaches are severely punished. Therefore give no obedience to its laws, for they are laws of punishment. And those who follow them believe that they are guilty, and so they must condemn. Between the future and the past the laws of God must intervene, if you would free yourself. Atonement stands between them, like a lamp shining so brightly that the chain of darkness in which you bound yourself will disappear.”
—A Course in Miracles T-13.IX.1:1-8

“Progress is born of experience. It is the ripening of mortal man, through which the mortal is dropped for the immortal. Either here or hereafter, suffering or Science must destroy all illusions regarding life and mind, and regenerate material sense and self.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 296:4-9

No Neutral Thoughts

Photo credit: Blake Lasater

Every thought is important: it gives rise to perception, and it either extends truth or multiplies illusion. A well-known story, which you may have heard, illustrates this. A grandfather is talking to his grandson about anger. He tells him that we all have a peaceful wolf and an angry wolf living inside us, and the one that grows is the one we feed. While I find this to be an exemplary tale illustrating a truth of this material existence, it does nothing to speak to the metaphysical truth we are learning: There is no angry wolf. As A Course in Miracles workbook lesson #16 states, "you can multiply nothing but you can't extend it". Our thoughts which feed an angry wolf have no power as they're feeding something which does not exist. We are learning that erroneous thoughts can seem real and may even seem to grow, but that's impossible because Truth trumps error every time.

“Besides your recognizing that thoughts are never idle, salvation requires that you also recognize that every thought you have brings either peace or war; either love or fear. A neutral result is impossible because a neutral thought is impossible. There is such a temptation to dismiss fear thoughts as unimportant, trivial and not worth bothering about that it is essential you recognize them all as equally destructive, but equally unreal. We will practice this idea in many forms before you really understand it.”
—A Course in Miracles - W-16.3:1-4

"Christian Science explains all cause and effect as mental, not physical. It lifts the veil of mystery from Soul and body. It shows the scientific relation of man to God, disentangles the interlaced ambiguities of being, and sets free the imprisoned thought." 

—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 114:23-27

Awakening Intuitive Faculties

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

I belong to a Facebook group called “ACIM Meets Christian Science & Infinite Way”. There are many spiritual messages they post which bring about good discussions and deep thoughts. Today’s posting from Jill brought the realization that structured study is required. I am grateful for this reminder!

“GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR SPIRITUAL STUDIES.

“Quotes from Yogananda's: Talks and Collective Essays.
“The awakening of one's intuitive faculties is necessary to fully grasp and absorb spiritual teachings. The best time for spiritual study is after practicing meditation, when one is calm and therefore more intuitively receptive. A restless mind or a highly intellectual mind, cannot absorb truth. All truth must be assimilated, not just kept on the intellectual plane.

“Before you begin to read, choose a quiet restful place. The ability to pay reverent attention to what you are reading, makes you more receptive to the truths in each sentence. The capacity to calmly focus your attention, is an aspect of concentration that will also help you to progress.

“Read every word carefully and inwardly digest the message. Do not allow yourself to be distracted. Permit each thought to filter through your mind. In this way you will absorb the knowledge in the text more thoroughly.

“Keep the body and the mind motionless. Now absorb everything I say unto your soul, and absorb deeply the spirit behind my words.

’Thy Self-realization shall blossom forth from thy soulful study.’” 

—Yogananda 

“This is a course in mind training. All learning involves attention and study at some level. Some of the later parts of the course rest too heavily on these earlier sections not to require their careful study. You will also need them for preparation. Without this, you may become much too fearful of what is to come to make constructive use of it. However, as you study these earlier sections, you will begin to see some of the implications that will be amplified later on.”
—A Course in Miracles T-1.VII.4:1-6

“Observation, invention, study, and original thought are expansive and should promote the growth of mortal mind out of itself, out of all that is mortal.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 195: 19-22

The Immortal Truth Of All Things

The admission to ourselves that everything we see is colored by belief and judgment is a large realization indeed! Being aware of this is an important step in clearing the way for spiritual sense to be recognized. Sometimes, standing up to illusion and stating metaphysical truth seems necessary. During a recent conversation, a woman was telling us that she couldn’t get over how nice everyone was here. She had moved here from Washington D.C., and said she kept expecting a variety of horrible things to happen (which she listed with rising fervor). I told her she could allow herself to change her thoughts about this, as odds are they won’t happen. She adamantly told me that people were horrible everywhere, and they would not change. Not having a desire to get into that with her I simply said, "The change I'm talking about happens within YOU. That's the only place it can occur; you can't change anyone else." She stopped and looked thoughtful. Although I left at that point, a seed was planted. I imagine her being happy in our sweet little town!

"To corporeal sense, the sun appears to rise and set, and the earth to stand still; but astronomical science contradicts this, and explains the solar system as working on a different plan. All the evidence of physical sense and all the knowledge obtained from physical sense must yield to Science, to the immortal truth of all things."
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 493:2-8

“Like every lesson that the Holy Spirit requests you learn, the miracle is clear. It demonstrates what He would have you learn, and shows you its effects are what you want. In His forgiving dreams are the effects of yours undone, and hated enemies perceived as friends with merciful intent. Their enmity is seen as causeless now, because they did not make it. And you can accept the role of maker of their hate, because you see that it has no effects. Now are you freed from this much of the dream; the world is neutral, and the bodies that still seem to move about as separate things need not be feared.”
—A Course in Miracles T-28.II.10:1-6

We Need Not Be Part Of The Problem

Image of Unknown Origin 

Someone asked how she can be compassionate if she doesn’t accept the reality of someone’s pain or loss. This is a very good question! A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #18 tells us that our minds are joined by way of divine Mind. So we can give people comfort without accepting, within our thoughts, that they have experienced a horrid event which is to be feared, or a sad event which will take time to release, or that changes are to be avoided. Crying with friends, holding their hand and offering comforting words, helping them to find joy again — these are ways we can show compassion. We help those in need, without becoming part of the problem. Nor do we make light of the situation. Never think that these teachings are meant to make us an automaton, which unfeelingly goes forward in some sort of metaphysical trance. We are all individuals with a purpose! Let’s not fear living life to the fullest!

“If I have no private thoughts, I cannot see a private world. Even the mad idea of separation had to be shared before it could form the basis of the world I see. Yet that sharing was a sharing of nothing. I can also call upon my real thoughts, which share everything with everyone. As my thoughts of separation call to the separation thoughts of others, so my real thoughts awaken the real thoughts in them. And the world my real thoughts show me will dawn on their sight as well as mine.”
—A Course in Miracles W-54.3:2-7

“There can be but one Mind, because there is but one God; and if mortals claimed no other Mind and accepted no other, sin would be unknown. We can have but one Mind, if that one is infinite. We bury the sense of infinitude, when we admit that, although God is infinite, evil has a place in this infinity, for evil can have no place, where all space is filled with God.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 469 17-24

Generic Man

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

A friend on the west coast wrote a note in return, shortly after reading last night’s daily message on connectivity. She is glad to have been introduced to the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, but wondered why her sentence structure couldn’t be more inclusive. The quote which caused her to comment was this: “Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established.” I fully understand her chagrin, as certain words and terms have “set my teeth on edge” from numerous spiritual writings. After pondering alternative wording the past few hours, I honestly cannot think of anything that sounds as beautifully inclusive. If we are truly all One, (as we are trying to understand)any different wording would cause even more division among humankind. Perhaps it’s the years of studying to give up belief, but I truly think of “mankind” as a generic term, along with the word “man”. In order to include all so-called races and genders, some changes in thinking are needed. And let it begin with me …

“Here are we one, looking with perfect gentleness upon each other and on ourselves. Here all thoughts of any separation between us become impossible. You who were a prisoner in separation are now made free in Paradise. And here would I unite with you, my friend, my brother and my Self.”
—A Course in Miracles T-20.III.10:4-7

“Masculine, feminine, and neuter genders are human concepts. In one of the ancient languages the word for man is used also as the synonym of mind. This definition has been weakened by anthropomorphism, or a humanization of Deity. The word anthropomorphic, in such a phrase as ‘an anthropomorphic God,’ is derived from two Greek words, signifying man and form, and may be defined as a mortally mental attempt to reduce Deity to corporeality. The life-giving quality of Mind is Spirit, not matter. The ideal man corresponds to creation, to intelligence, and to Truth. The ideal woman corresponds to Life and to Love. In divine Science, we have not as much authority for considering God masculine, as we have for considering Him feminine, for Love imparts the clearest idea of Deity.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 516:29-14

Connectivity

Would it bother you to think that there are no private thoughts? Many things we think of as coincidence are leading us to the truth of our connectivity, but we insist on finding reasons it can't be true. We are also seeing ways in which our thoughts pass to others with no spoken words. Think of the times someone comes to mind just before the telephone rings and it's them calling you. Animals are a proving ground for telepathic communication, showing us they receive well-known commands mentally rather than verbally. For example, next time you walk your dog, experiment by thinking which direction you want to go without tugging on the leash. On a personal level, if we say we want world peace, yet fill our thoughts with violent movies and dooms-day conjectures, are we truly choosing peace? Every thought is important. A peaceful tipping point is getting closer all the time. I feel that's why such violence and craziness is happening everywhere: fear of losing control, fear of change, fear of a new world. Let's live as though every thought DOES make a difference and choose Love over fear!

“You believe you can harbor thoughts you would not share, and that salvation lies in keeping thoughts to yourself alone. For in private thoughts, known only to yourself, you think you find a way to keep what you would have alone, and share what you would share. And then you wonder why it is that you are not in full communication with those around you, and with God Who surrounds all of you together.”
—A Course in Miracles T-15.IV.7:3-5

“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 467:9-13

Independence Day

A beautiful friend visited recently and I was struck by her certainty that the shift is upon us. For years, I’ve felt it coming; at times I’ve been sure it was upon us. But today Ramona feels it in every fiber of her Being that our true connection is being realized, and we will understand what that means. Heather Cox Richardson tells me that America has always done great things; and America has always done horrible things. She describes it as “people people-ing”. It’s just the way it is. BUT the important aspect is to have leaders who bring out the great things inherent in each and every one of us. When the most powerful man in the world celebrates dishonesty, being proud of stealing and cheating the people he supposedly represents, this is giving permission to people “on the edge” to fall into the ditch and revel in their baser instincts. But that does not have to be! Talk to your neighbors. Don’t be afraid to talk to that relative who believes good women are killing babies. Stand firm and proud of your integrity and empathy for humankind! You are not alone …

“Mortal error will vanish in a moral chemicalization. This mental fermentation has begun, and will continue until all errors of belief yield to understanding. Belief is changeable, but spiritual understanding is changeless.
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 96:21-24

“There is no relationship between the time a miracle takes and the time it covers. The miracle substitutes for learning that might have taken thousands of years. It does so by the underlying recognition of perfect equality of giver and receiver on which the miracle rests. The miracle shortens time by collapsing it, thus eliminating certain intervals within it. It does this, however, within the larger temporal sequence.”

—A Course in Miracles T-1.II.6:6-10

Life Stories

I’ve developed an obsession with learning about people and the towns — or areas of the country — where they live. A man named Peter Santenello travels all around the world and interviews people — no, he talks to people, listening and asking questions, while they describe their surroundings and the people who live there. Due to the nature of YouTube, this video watching has led me to many other interesting programs along the same line of thought. Currently, a documentary called Our Towns is playing on my television. I’m learning how towns are built, how they progress, or how they fade away. And sometimes the ghost towns come back. This is truly a fascinating progression, with various reasons, but one thing seems to be constant: one person, or a group of people, are determined to rebuild. People who are willing to participate are essential. Isn’t this true in every phase of life? Perhaps that is why we gather together in tribes of various sorts. Maybe it’s necessary to move forward. Where two or more are gathered …


“Motives and acts are not rightly valued before they are understood. It is well to wait till those whom you would benefit are ready for the blessing, for Science is working changes in personal character as well as in the material universe.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 238:1-5

“Complexity is not of God. How could it be, when all He knows is one? He knows of one creation, one reality, one truth and but one Son. Nothing conflicts with oneness. How, then, could there be complexity in Him? What is there to decide? For it is conflict that makes choice possible. The truth is simple; it is one, without an opposite. And how could strife enter in its simple presence, and bring complexity where oneness is? The truth makes no decisions, for there is nothing to decide between. And only if there were could choosing be a necessary step in the advance toward oneness. What is everything leaves room for nothing else. Yet is this magnitude beyond the scope of this curriculum. Nor is it necessary we dwell on anything that cannot be immediately grasped.”
—A Course in Miracles T-26.III.1:1-14

Is Empathy A Learned Behavior?

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

I’ve been thinking: If someone has never loved a cat, or a dog, or a horse, or a pig; if someone has never seen the Grand Canyon, or the great sequoias, or stood beside the Niagara Falls; if someone has never been excited by a soccer game. or moved by a work of art, or transported by a Symphony Orchestra – is that person capable of loving and empathizing? What if a person spends their childhood in a vacuum, created by an excess of money and riches? Maybe they view animals, and perhaps people, as playthings for their amusement. Rather than seeing the beauty of a lion or a tiger, they see it as something to be hunted, killed, with its head mounted on their wall, or its body stuffed and placed in their library, a place where they never read. If a person lives this way, do they ever learn to love? Or do they simply lust, and desire, and envy? Can someone learn to enjoy the softer pleasures of this life? Is empathy a learned behavior? More importantly, can self-importance be unlearned! This is one of the reasons I love A Course in Miracles: it’s a process of unlearning the foolishness we’ve thought to be the only way. Happy Independence to Everyone!

“Each worshipper of idols harbors hope his special deities will give him more than other men possess. It must be more. It does not really matter more of what; more beauty, more intelligence, more wealth, or even more affliction and more pain. But more of something is an idol for. And when one fails another takes its place, with hope of finding more of something else. Be not deceived by forms the ‘something’ takes. An idol is a means for getting more. And it is this that is against God’s Will.
—A Course in Miracles T-29.VIII.8:6-13

“Beauty, wealth, or fame is incompetent to meet the demands of the affections, and should never weigh against the better claims of intellect, goodness, and virtue. Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it.
—MaryBaker Eddy - Science & Health Page 51:15-21

I Am Determined to See

Creation of Sandy Wythawai Starbird

Looking back on the past five or six decades, it’s hard to understand the extremes I have gone to in order to NOT see the truth of my being. We, as humans, clutter ourselves with any number of trivial pursuits in order to keep from acknowledging and seeing this Truth. We may occupy our time with busy-ness in order to keep it from sneaking in. There was a time in my life when I was a semi-hermit. I read five or six books a week, but nothing of import; lots of horror stories and historical romances. Time spent with others was in a bar, talking about politics, gossip, and other mind-numbing topics. I went to extremes to keep from thinking about the reality of my being. We may use television, the internet, anything that will totally occupy our minds to keep from seeing past the illusions. What is it which we refuse to see? I think it’s the essence of what I Am, the meaning of Life, and our function as the expression of divine Love. There are many ways to define this sight, but only one way to see. We must have the desire to want sight and the willingness to let illusions disappear. "I am determined to see!" (ACIM)

“The question, 'What is Truth', convulses the world. Many are ready to meet this inquiry with the assurance which comes of understanding; but more are blinded by their old illusions, and try to 'give it pause'. The efforts of error to answer this question by some ology are vain. Spiritual rationality and free thought accompany approaching Science, and cannot be put down. They will emancipate humanity, and supplant unscientific means and so-called laws.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 223:14-24

“It is surely clear that you can both accept into your mind what is not there, and deny what is. Yet the function God Himself gave your mind through His you may deny, but you cannot prevent. It is the logical outcome of what you are. The ability to see a logical outcome depends on the willingness to see it, but its truth has nothing to do with your willingness. Truth is God’s Will. Share His Will and you share what He knows. Deny His Will as yours, and you are denying His Kingdom and yours.”
—A Course in Miracles T-7.X.2:1-7