Sunday, December 23, 2012

December 24, 2012 - Desire is Prayer

"Mongolian Shaman"
fabric Creation of
Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #358 
"No call to God can be unheard nor left unanswered. And of this I can be sure; His answer is the one I really want." 

Today's lesson tells us why there is no need for audible prayer, constant pleadings, repetitious affirmations, or anything else which falls under the heading of talking to God. All is known to the divine Principle of all being. We can't tell It anything! But we can listen. By this listening we remember who we are and become aware of our purpose. There is nothing other than the Love that is God. When we yield to this fact, wonderful things unfold!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"Thoughts unspoken are not unknown to the divine Mind. Desire is prayer, and no loss can occur from trussing God with our desires, that they may be molded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds." 
Science & Health Page 1:1-10

Saturday, December 22, 2012

December 23, 2012 - The Truth Is The Truth

"Mongolian Mountains"
photo by Aaron Springston

A CIM Workbook Lesson #357
"Truth answers every call we make to God, Responding first with miracles, and then
Returning unto us to be itself."

The Course in Miracles lessons are such sweet tools to guide us through the principles we examine daily. The Christian Science Weekly Lesson consists of 26 topics which are rotated through twice a year. Watching these two disciplines flirt with each other and culminate in a merging which is imperceptible in its union has been an exciting adventure this year! The Truth is the Truth no matter where you find it. What I love about these two ways of thought is that there is no conflict, no space where I must set one aside for the other, they are both saying the exact same thing. They each have an elegant delivery, and I see images from them in different ways, but it's the same thing. May we all realize our sameness when we meet and talk. As a popular soft drink commercial has been telling us for years: "I'd like to teach the the world to sing in perfect harmony!" And now we're realizing we've always known this, and we're finding ways to demonstrate this Truth.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"We call the absence of Truth, error, Truth and error are unlike. In Science, Truth is divine, and the infinite God can have no unlikeness. Did God, Truth, create error? No! 'Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?' God being everywhere and all-inclusive, how can He be absent or suggest the absence of omnipresence and omnipotence? How can there be more than all?"
Science & Health Page 287:9-15 

Friday, December 21, 2012

December 22, 2012 - Sunlight of Truth

"Full Moon/Misty Night: Eureka"
photo by Chris Fischer

ACIM Workbook Lesson #356 "Sickness is but another name for sin. Healing is but another name for God. The miracle is thus a call to Him."

The first sentence in today's ACIM workbook lesson could be upsetting to someone who is not familiar with the spiritual sense of the words we use in both these teachings and Christian Science. When we hear "Sickness is but another name for sin", the immediate response could be to think this means we're sinners and, hence, are being punished for it by sickness. We are learning that sin is defined as anything which separates us from the Love which is God. If we believe in another power other than God, this is termed sin. Most of us have been taught that sickness, evil, and many other negative aspects of this existence are powers unto themselves, over which we have little to no control. The law of God, the spiritual Principle which we are learning, negates these material, mesmeric thoughts. By that negation, we come to see that our real Being is as a reflection of the one and only Cause, God. Anything else is a learned response in a material world. As we wake up to the Truth of Being, multitudes of things we thought to be our masters turn out to be nothing more than smoke and mirrors. As we lift the veil and reveal reality, the quotations we read here today begin to be more than mere words. They are principles we live.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"Christian Science brings to the body the sunlight of Truth, which invigorates and purifies." 
Science & Health Page 162:4-5

Thursday, December 20, 2012

December 21, 2012 - No End to Peace & Joy

"Sunny Ski Day in Utah"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #355 
"There is no end to all the peace and joy, And all the miracles that I will give, When I accept God's Word. Why not today?"

Our true selves are the creation, the image and likeness of God. Why then is there so much which seems to be unGodlike? Because God did not create matter. This human body we seem to reside in, to be inseparable from, is not our true self. When we declare our perfection as a child of God, that perfection has absolutely nothing to do with this material world we are living in. If God created everything and it is good, that cannot encompass the dual good/bad stuff we see around us. Our vision for today is to see with the eyes of our true Being. That true Being does not change. Reality does not change. What doesn't change? Our true Selves which are the image and likeness of the One; that which we all truly are. So what good does it do to realize that we're not what we see with our so-called mortal eyes? It brings us into harmony with what is True. Declaring the Truth of our Being is more than just a mental exercise. It's establishing this Truth within our thought. This establishment leads to demonstration of Truth. This demonstration of Truth brings us back to where we began, and never leads us anywhere other than to the home which is forever within -- wherever in eternity that may be.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"To divest thought of false trusts and material evidences in order that the spiritual facts of being may appear,--this is the great attainment by means of which we shall sweep away the false and give place to the true. Thus we may establish in truth the temple, or body, 'whose builder and maker is God.'" 
Science & Health Page 423:9-14

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

December 20, 2012 - Compassionate Thought

"Mongolian Mountaintop"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #354
"We stand together, Christ and I, in peace And certainty of purpose. And in Him Is His Creator, as He is in me."

Knowing the Truth and believing it to be True don't always occur at the same time. When we hear of some unspeakable horror, it's hard to believe that such things can happen when we've been holding our thought to all that is good and pure. Once again we have witnessed a massacre of children in our schools. It seems unthinkable, unspeakable, impossible. We find ourselves questioning God as to how this can happen. I find solace in knowing that God has nothing to do with it. God does not create material circumstance and push us out the door to face it alone. This Oneness we all share is Spirit, not form. In Spirit, we all "stand together". Looking with God's eyes shows us the Truth of our being, and that Being is the same whether it's Hitler or Mother Teresa. And so I will look with these eyes in true compassion, as I see the dear children and their families with the same eyes as I witness the perpetrator of this travesty and his loved ones: the same way we are all seen by God. When these people come to thought, I send them peace, Love, calm contented thought. We have all seen how our thoughts affect those around us. In our unity, they are beneficial to everyone. This "certainty of purpose" blesses all.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"The relations of God and man, divine Principle and idea, are indestructible in Science; and Science knows no lapse from nor return to harmony, but holds the divine order or spiritual law, in which God and all that He creates are perfect and eternal, to have remained unchanged in its eternal history."
Science & Health Page 470:32-5 

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

December 19, 2012 - Express Joy, from the Heart

"Basin Spring and Hotel in
Eureka Springs, AR"
photo by Richard Quick

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #353
"My eyes, my tongue, my hands, my feet today
Have but one purpose; to be given Christ
To use to bless the world with miracles."

At this time of the year, we are often reminded that not everyone includes themselves in this thing we call Christmas. In order to be politically correct, we go through all sorts of angst while expressing the Joy of the season to others. Today's lesson states that Christ is but my Self. Not just my Self, but everybody's! The man we know as Jesus was here to show us the Truth of our Being. There were no limitations placed on this message’s target. Everyone, everywhere were and are the recipients of his revelation that we are all the Sons of God. In seeing, speaking, and moving with the realization that God is our Life, this lesson is demonstrated in everything we do. And so today I will speak from my heart when the occasion arises to express the joy of the season to others. What I say will be heartfelt, with no regard to what should or shouldn't be said. And I will see everyone as the Christ that they are, regardless of how it may seem to my limited human concepts. My prayer will be to realize my true conception is spiritual, and to act and speak accordingly as led by Spirit. Merry Christmas and Namaste'!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"The illumination of Mary's spiritual sense put to silence material law and its order of generation, and brought forth her child by the revelation of Truth, demonstrating God as the Father of men. The Holy Ghost, or divine Spirit, overshadowed the pure sense of the Virgin-mother with the full recognition that being is Spirit. The Christ dwelt forever an idea in the bosom of God, the divine Principle of the man Jesus, and woman perceived this spiritual idea, though at first faintly developed."
Science & Health Page 29:20-29

Monday, December 17, 2012

December 18, 2012 - Judgment or Love?


A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #352
"Judgment and love are opposites. From one
Come all the sorrows of the world. But from
The other comes the peace of God Himself."

Did you know that colors appear differently when placed on different background colors? I recently read an article about this which explained that the way we perceive a color is based on our education about color perception and how we've been conditioned to see color. Who knew?? As I struggled to grasp this fact, I realized it's the same with our perceptions of what reality is. Spiritual perception allows us to see beyond the seeming reality of our material senses. Interactions with others may be full of judgments and suppositions when we look at the situation with by-rote, learned behavior and the immediacy of emotions. But the Truth which comes from seeing from a different standpoint, from a spiritual perspective, allows an improved interaction with others. This is true because our human experience is the visible expression of our thinking. To see the world and others through the eyes of Love frees us to love as God Loves: purely, without a skewed view of the color and fabric of everything we see. Now I know what the expression "showing your true colors" means!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"Thought will finally be understood and seen in all form, substance, and color, but without material accompaniments."
Science & Health Page 310: 6:8

Sunday, December 16, 2012

December 17, 2012 - What Do I Choose To See?


ACIM Workbook Lesson #351
"My sinless brother is my guide to peace.
My sinful brother is my guide to pain.
And which I choose to see I will behold."

One of our local artists tells me that she went to Crystal Bridges, the fabulous museum here in Northwest Arkansas. When I asked her how she liked it, she told me many wonderful things about it, but then said that she had gotten depressed at one point. This feeling had come about when she saw another local artist who was also there. This other artist said to her that she felt hopeless because she realized that no matter how good she was, she would never be as good as the people they were seeing on the walls there! And these words from the other artist had thrown her into a funk, putting quite a damper on her enjoyment of the day. Yikes!! I'm not going into the erroneous thought I see coming from that statement. But let's look at how this relates to today's lesson. If I see the statement-maker as sinless, whatever she says is also harmless. Her words cannot bring me pain or suffering of any sort. She is the pure Idea of God. Her words can only be translated into my depression if that's what I perceive. When I see her as she really Is, there is no need for pain, depression, or blame. She can't ruin my day. Only my thoughts toward her can do that for me. As this story was related to me, these are the things I thought toward the teller. These thoughts replaced all the incredulous ones which first came to me. I chose peace, even though my first reaction was to jump on my soapbox and tell her why she was wrong!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"Final deliverance from error, whereby we rejoice in immortality, boundless freedom, and sinless sense, is not reached through paths of flowers nor by pinning one's faith without works to another's vicarious effort. Whosoever believeth that wrath is righteous or that divinity is appeased by human suffering, does not understand God."
Science & Health Page 22:23-28

Saturday, December 15, 2012

December 16, 2012 - Silence is Golden

"Lake Leatherwood"
photo by Gerry Toler

ACIM Workbook Lesson #350
"Miracles mirror God's eternal Love. To offer them is to remember Him, And through His memory to save the world."

Once, while on a long car trip with five children, I told one of the young people, "Everything that goes through your mind doesn't need to come out of your mouth." I remember this well, because I took the advice to heart and often would remind myself to examine the need to speak. As the years have passed, it seems I have forgotten this integral touchstone. A few days ago, a reminder presented itself in a way I couldn't ignore. While pontificating about something I'm sure I felt was important, in mid-sentence I lost my voice. The enforced silence which has ensued allows reflection on many things.  Am I being overly critical in looking at the actions of others? Am I making assumptions that I know why someone said or did things? In silence and humility, I seek purity.  It's easy to fall into self-righteous indignation and holier-than-thou thought. What I am finding is that I've slipped into ways of thinking which are not in concordance with the teachings I  follow. In this realization, the goal will be to check the thought, hence negating the necessity of wondering if it should come out of my mouth! But knowing the need for silence, I will seek out moments, hours, perhaps days of this precious commodity which is always present, within.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"The miracle of grace is no miracle to Love. Jesus demonstrated the inability of corporeality, as well as the infinite ability of Spirit, thus helping erring human sense to flee from its own convictions and seek safety in divine Science."
Science & Health Page 494:15-19

December 15, 2012 - Miracle of Love

"Colorado Peace"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #349
"Today I let Christ's vision look upon all things for me and judge them not, but give each one a miracle of love instead."

Science fiction, the speculation of how life will be in the future, has always fascinated me. The serene surroundings of those who neither want nor need is very appealing! A place where there is no room for anger and warlike behavior because all actions are filled with Love, where the rare disagreement is settled through the decision of a "fair witness". The utopia which ensues in this atmosphere seems so simple. It feels as though these dreams of future perfection are here with us now. They are being realized in a myriad of ways. Do an internet search on good deeds, or Age of Aquarius, or peaceful living, if you feel the need for affirmation that this reality is with us here and now. I recently saw a movie in which a 102-year-old woman said these words: "We ain't what we should be, we ain't what we gonna be, but at least we ain't what we were." The major shifts in thought that we're experiencing is making many people uncomfortable. Some tell me that they feel restless and discontented. I think this is a symptom of the shift we're experiencing. It is tempting for many to cover these feelings of distress with alcohol and drugs, perhaps even with extreme physical activity. I urge you to fear not, but to hold thought steadily to the good and True. Follow your intuition to find ways to assuage this discontent. I see now that nothing can keep the miracle away, no matter how hard we try.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“The Science Jesus taught and lived must triumph over all material beliefs about life, substance, and intelligence, and the multitudinous errors growing from such beliefs.”
Science & Health Page 43:23-25

Thursday, December 13, 2012

December 14, 2012 - No Cause for Fear/Anger

"Bob, the Cat"

ACIM Lesson #348
"I have no cause for anger or for fear, For You surround me. And in every need that I perceive, Your grace suffices me."
                  
As these words of today's lesson have swirled through my head, I keep coming back to an event which demonstrates this truth. Our family had a wonderful cat named Bob. While I'm not going to tell the Story of Bob in this writing, one part of his time with us stays with me: It has to do with having no cause for anger or for fear. When our household welcomed a Corgi puppy, Chili, it wasn't an easy time for the cats of the house! After an encounter with Clili, in which Bob's ear was ripped by a herding nip, this cat called Bob moved outside. When Chili would go outside, occasionally he would challenge Bob by growling and rushing at him. Bob would flop over on his back, squirming happily, while purring and smiling at the dog! Bob never exhibited any fear or anger; he never retaliated with his claws; he simply dissipated the anger with Love. When he was outside with his paws in the dirt, he seemed to be centered in nature, knowing what to do at all times in order to either avert or evaporate danger. Bob lived the Love which is God. There was only happiness and contentment surrounding him. Bob "got It"!! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote: "The great miracle to human sense is divine Love, and the grand necessity of existence is to gain the true idea of what constitutes the kingdom of heaven in man. This goal is never reached while we hate our neighbor." 
Science & Health Page 560: 11-13

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

December 13, 2012 - Anger/judgment Denounced

"Aaron in Colorado"

ACIM Workbook Lesson #347
"Anger must come from judgment. Judgment is the weapon I would use against myself, to keep the miracle away from me."

There are many reasons I'm grateful to my children. When they were very young it seemed they could push all the buttons which brought forth anger in me. Through their instruction, I've learned that no one can make me angry. Anger is an internal emotion which has no cause other than within myself. And the ability to rid myself of anger is also within myself. Because of my dear children, the desire to be loving and free of destructive emotions was stronger than my need to have them. This realization freed us all from the negative and hurtful results which would boil up from time to time. There are so many wonderful things which have resulted from the interactions my boys and I experience. I am very grateful for the opportunity to love and live with them. Thank you, Aaron and Dylan, for everything!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"Material man is made up of involuntary and voluntary error, of a negative right and a positive wrong, the latter calling itself right. Man's spiritual individuality is never wrong."
Science & Health Page 491:7-10

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

December 12, 2012 - Auspicious Date

"Somewhere in Mexico"
photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Lesson #346
"Today the peace of God envelops me, And I forget all things except His Love."

On this most auspicious date in history, 12/12/12, many people are awaiting the change in consciousness and perception which has been predicted. Planets are aligning and many material phenomenon are happening which supposedly portend great change. We who have been studying and practicing divine metaphysics have seen this change occurring within ourselves for quite some time. Perceptions change moment-by-moment as we realize our true Being as a reflection of God. Not only do we see this Truth in ourselves, but in everything and everyone. It's not that we're changing, but the way we're all seeing is changing. We're developing the spiritual realization which puts material senses in their proper place: behind us. So I encourage you to not be afraid if things which were invisible are becoming visible. Embrace change. Let's do what Apple entreated us to do years ago: Think Different!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"The true history of the universe, including man is not in material history but in spiritual development. Inspired thought relinquishes a material, sensual, and mortal theory of the universe, and adopts the spiritual and immortal."

 Science & Health Page 547

December 11, 2012 - What is a Miracle?

"South Africa Misty Morning"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIMWorkbook Lesson #345
"I offer only miracles today,
For I would have them be returned to me."

When I first began reading ACIM writings, the word "miracle" bothered me very much. As a student of Christian Science, I had learned that a miracle, as we think of it, is non-existent, because all these wonderful things are natural occurrences. And so there are actually no such things as miracles, only a revealing of the perfection that Is. But, as with many words, it is only the meaning we have placed upon them that makes them good or bad. Now I choose to think of miracles as anything which reveals the omnipresence of God, good. By this I can freely offer miracles to others and accept them in turn. God's goodness is reflected in my actions and everyone else's. This I embrace whole-heartedly. Giving and receiving; receiving and giving. What a lovely cycle!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"Christian marvels (and marvel is the simple meaning of the Greek word rendered miracle in the New Testament) will be misunderstood and misused by many, until the glorious Principle of these marvels is gained."
Science & Health Page 474:11-15

Sunday, December 9, 2012

December 10, 2012 - The Law of Love

"Mr. Scrooge's Gifts"
photo by Melanie Myhre

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #344
"Today I learn the law of love; that what
I give my brother is my gift to me."

Today's lesson is the number one thing to keep in thought during our daily interactions with others. In my position as proprietress of an art gallery in a small tourist town, I am an information center, a museum, a drop off point for others, and sometimes a retail establishment. In the process of talking with hundreds of people on a busy day, I sometimes forget that giving is receiving. I sometimes forget that the law of Love is my only reason for being there. Sometimes I don't see myself as one with those wanting to know directions to the Beaver Bridge, or asking where is the best place to eat, or telling me how their aunt/sister/mother is a fantastic artist, or the multitudinous streams of consciousness that flows from them, through me, and back at them. Whew! It can seem overwhelming from a human standpoint. But on those days when I manage to transcend this maze of materiality, then it's one large, swirling ball of joy. The interactions are enjoyed on a level invisible to me when I'm operating from egotistical ideology. Today I choose Love and receive as much joy as I scatter to others!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Who hath found finite life or love sufficient to meet the demands of human want and woe,--to still the desires, to satisfy the aspirations? Infinite Mind cannot be limited to a finite form, or Mind would lose its infinite character as inexhaustible Love, eternal Life, omnipotent Truth."
Science & Health Page 257:22-29

December 9, 2012 - What Do We Give Up?

Ozark Sunset
photo by John Rankine

ACIM Workbook Lesson #343
"I am not asked to make a sacrifice to find the mercy and the peace of God."

To give up our own personalized system of grief and blame sometimes seems difficult. On the surface, it appears that we would do anything in order to gain peace and satisfaction. But when it gets right down to individual events, we want to hold on tight. What if all I need to do to find the peace of God is to stop thinking the limiting thought to which I've become accustomed? Let's say someone wants to change a personal relationship which we've had for some time, and to which we've become accustomed. What comes to mind is when my son was 14 and woke up one morning and said he didn't belong here, in this town, going to this school. My first thoughts were ones of blame -- toward myself and him. Why would he want to leave? What have I done to cause him to feel this way? Now we're years past the time this happened, and it's easy to look back and see that his going away to school was the best thing that could have happened for both of us. But at the time it felt devastating. This is the type of feeling we so often bring to our lives when we look at the situation from an egotistical standpoint. But with an acceptance and loving assurance that all is well, these relationships ebb and flow, yielding to the peace of God which is ever-present, and which is found with a letting go, a sacrificing of personal agendas and preconceived notions of how things should be. So wake up in the morning and say "Namaste" to yourself!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"LAMB OF GOD: The spiritual idea of Love; self-immolation; innocence and purity; sacrifice."
Science & Health Page 590:9-10.

Friday, December 7, 2012

December 8, 2012 - My Thoughts are Known

Happy Dog
Unknown phtographer

A CIM Workbook Lesson #342
"I let forgiveness rest upon all things, For thus forgiveness will be given me."

We believe we can hide emotions and thoughts from those around us, simply by not saying anything. Where did we ever get that idea? I guess it's because we have spent so many years not listening to anything which doesn't present itself to us in physical form. But whether we recognize it or not, we are passing to and receiving from everything which we encounter. Once again, I am most grateful to the animals in my life for their constant reminders of this fact. I recently watched an episode of the "Dog Whisperer" in which a lovely dog was fixated on attacking its own image in a mirror. This was not its only aggressive behavior, and the dog's person was afraid that it would attack someone or another animal any time it was outside. How did Cesar stop this dog's aberrant behavior? By calming its master. This woman was constantly in a state of fear and worry. The dog was mirroring her tense behavior. At first she had to pretend she was calm because she didn't know how to be that way! But as she watched the changes in her dog, she began to understand that her feelings and thoughts were being passed on to not only her dog, but to everyone around her. And so it is that "the world goes with us on our way to God."

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"The spiritual reality is the scientific fact in all things. The spiritual fact, repeated in the action of man and the whole universe, is harmonious and is the ideal of Truth. Spiritual facts are not inverted; the opposite discord, which bears no resemblance to spirituality, is not real. The only evidence of this inversion is obtained from suppositional error, which affords no proof of God, Spirit, or of the spiritual creation. Material sense defines all things materially, and has a finite sense of the infinite."
Science & Health Page 207:27-4

Thursday, December 6, 2012

December 7, 2012 - Love is the Answer

photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #341
"I can attack but my own sinlessness, and it is only that which keeps me safe."

When we go into an attack mode, we obstruct the flow of goodness to ourselves. Recently a group of women walked into my gallery. One of them is a long-time "customer" who always tells me what she's bought in other places, never purchasing anything from us. I've learned to enjoy her antics and not fault her. I'm not sure why she would do this. Perhaps she's making it up and she never buys anything anywhere! But it used to make me feel inadequate. Why wouldn't she want what I have to offer? Why would she rather purchase other art and not ours? These questions no longer matter to me. I have stopped having attack thoughts toward her, which were actually towards myself, and through this I feel safety. There is no need to defend, attack, or wonder why. Love is the answer.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"Glory be to God, and peace to the struggling hearts! Christ hath rolled away the stone from the door of human hope and faith, and through the revelation and demonstration of life in God, hath elevated them to possible at-one-ment with the spiritual idea of man and his divine Principle, Love." 
Science & Health Page 65:16-21

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

December 6, 2012 - Stillness is Priceless

"Snowbird in Colorado"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #340
"I can be free of suffering today."

Why is it that someone who feels they are following their path, who works hard to make a living in this way, seems to fail at every turn? I can't answer this question, but I can ask other questions! Are you desiring success or are you finding ways to understand your Being as the image and likeness of God? Are you expressing joy in everything you do? Are you grateful for every little thing which brightens your day? It seems to me that people are dropping their negative reactions and unfounded beliefs, but may be floundering because they have nothing to fill the void left from this letting go. I feel that some sort of active spiritual practice is necessary to facilitate a joyful existence. So my advice is to go to Sufi dances, or practice yoga, or study the teachings of something you feel demonstrates Truth. But most importantly, meditate. Make time to rest in quietude, regularly and as often as possible. And don't forget that five seconds of stillness, caught in between activity is priceless!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"Who that has felt the loss of human peace has not gained stronger desires for spiritual joy? The aspiration after heavenly good comes even before we discover what belongs to wisdom and Love. The loss of earthly hopes and pleasures brightens the ascending path of many a heart. The pains of sense quickly inform us that the pleasures of sense are mortal and that joy is spiritual."
Science & Health Page 265: 25-30

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

December 5, 2012 - Ask and Receive

"Celestial Garden"
oil painting by Denise Ryan

ACIM Workbook Lesson #339
"I will receive whatever I request."

It's sometimes difficult to realize that we're requesting pain. No one wants to admit they're doing this. I have a friend who is always wondering why she has problems. She repeatedly tells me how her thinking is pure, yet the problems persist. I've been there and know what she's going through. It's easy to fall into defensive thinking, constantly wondering what's going to befall us next. It's difficult to convince ourselves to look for One thing, and through that singleness of purpose solutions appear. To hold thought to God and the demonstration of our reflection of that perfection is the way. We seek and cannot find. When we stop looking and allow ourselves to see Truth, that perfection unfolds and shows itself in every facet of our lives. If I truly let go and let God, there is no reason to worry about results. God is All.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"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."
Science & Health Page 83:6-11

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