Everything You Do is Sacred

NOW IS THE TIME TO KNOW

"Now is the time to know
That all that you do is sacred.

Now, why not consider
A lasting truce with yourself and God.

Now is the time to understand
That all your ideas of right and wrong

Were just a child’s training wheels
To be laid aside

When you can finally live
With veracity
And love.

Hafiz is a divine envoy
Whom the Beloved
Has written a holy message upon.

My dear, please tell me,
Why do you still
Throw sticks at your heart
And God?

What is it in that sweet voice inside
That incites you to fear?

Now is the time for the world to know
That every thought and action is sacred

This is the time
For you to deeply compute the impossibility
That there is anything
But Grace.

Now is the season to know
That everything you do
Is sacred."

– Hafiz

More Information Makes For Better Choices

Seeing this chart, showing who trusts which news sources, I am reminded of something someone said to me before the 2016 elections. She was telling me how tired she was of political commercials and how happy she would be when the election was over. I said I didn't have to put up with any commercials, because of the ways I choose to watch entertainment programing and news. She looked incredulous and asked, How do you know who to vote for? Wow. I was floored by that one. Do people really think they can choose their representatives by paid political ads? Or biased news?? I know we are smarter than that, so I must think we are either overwhelmed by the vast number of sources, or we're too lazy to ascertain truth for ourselves. I could easily jump on my high horse and expound on this for a long time, but I'm sure you could, too -- so I won't. Read, listen, question, and then read some more. Learn to recognize signs of hyperbole and outright lies. Think, question, read -- and do it again!

"Evil thoughts and aims reach no farther and do no more harm than one's belief permits. Evil thoughts, lusts, and malicious purposes cannot go forth, like wandering pollen, from one human mind to another, finding unsuspected lodgment, if virtue and truth build a strong defence." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 234:31

Laughing With Friends

The best decompression activity I know of is laughing with good friends. Every month or two, three dear women and I have an afternoon of playing spades and enjoying each others' company. We always feel renewed and happy after these days, and look forward to finding time to do it again as soon as possible. Many people, for many reasons, have not been able to cultivate lasting friendships, and I want to assure them that it's never too late! Reach out to folks who you have a good feeling about, whether you know them or not. Companionship, stimulating conversation, a common cause such as animal welfare  -- there are many foundations on which to enjoy communion with others. Don't be afraid to reach out!

"You rest within the peace of God today, and call upon your brothers from your rest to draw them to their rest, along with you.​ ​You will be faithful to your trust today, forgetting no one, bringing everyone into the boundless circle of your peace, the holy sanctuary where you rest. Open the temple doors and let them come from far across the world, and near as well; your distant brothers and your closest friends; bid them all enter here and rest with you.​" A Course in Miracles​ W-pI.109.8.

Unexpectedly Upside Down

San Francisco photo credit: Aaron Springston

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

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

Signs of Hope

On the John Muir Trail - PC: Aaron Springston

Points of progress, good news, signs of hope -- these are the things with which I try to fill myself. It's easy to overload on horror stories today. Almost every bit of news brings about fear for our planet's animals, rivers, trees, people -- the earth itself it being bombarded from all sides. So when I see a glimmer of goodness, I celebrate it! I just read an article about the most searched-for words of 2019. On the three major online dictionary sites, one phrase stood out: climate emergency. This means people are realizing there is an emergency, not just a gentle warming that in the middle of winter brings comfort. Crisis, extinction, eco-anxiety, ecocide: the search for these words' meaning is heartening, in that people are thinking in terms of finally doing something! Other top searches showed our interest in upcycling, gender neutral pronouns, and the odd word "tergiversations". This last one can be either "evasion of straightforward action or clear-cut statement" and "desertion of a cause, position, party, or faith". Each and every one of us want to do good; some want to do good for our fellow humans, others want good for themselves. Overall, these searches tell me that we care and are willing to work toward positive resolution!

"In quietness are all things answered, and is every problem quietly resolved. In conflict there can be no answer and no resolution, for its purpose is to make no resolution possible, and to ensure no answer will be plain." A Course in Miracles T-27.IV.1. 

Happiness is Everywhere!

Everywhere I went today, people were talking about how weird their day was, or how odd they felt, or what crazy things were going on around them. I love hearing these stories, don't you? No one seemed to be particularly upset about these odd events in their lives. The checker at the grocery store was almost giddy when relating a few events from her day. Once again proving that things are either stressful or exciting, maddening or fun, according to your interpretation and perceptions! I'm not going to go into the weird things which happened in my world today, but I feel the need for some Deva Premal chants. Here's one for you, too! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlnHON3tAXo

"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 

The Language of my Discernment

Today has been a interesting mishmash of talking to friends who have a multitude of problematic happenings in their lives. One dear woman is worried about her husband’s memory. Another has gangrene in her foot and her future is uncertain in every way. One passed a kidney stone and is very happy that’s over! Another is worried about losing his job. Someone has an adult son in rehab with serious mental problems. One of these people is a metaphysician and is feeling guilty because she can’t “do” something about the situation. This took my thought to the impersonal nature of disease. We seem 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 we turn, there is a commercial telling us what’s wrong with us, or a news story proclaiming disaster from something or another, or someone predicting doom in some for. What an we do? Just say no. There are many books and YouTube videos giving us tips on how to counteract negativity. Don’t be afraid to life your thought in this way. I think I’ll do that right now!

I'm 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.​" W-pI.5.1.

Don't Take it Personally

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Today I’ve been pondering a situation in which one person thinks another person isn’t doing his job. She wants things to change, but I’m not sure what those changes could possibly be! We are talking about dynamic personalities on both sides: two people who do good work in the community, take pride in their accomplishments, and are sorely disappointed when everything doesn’t work out as planned. I like them both and hope they can find a way to resolve their differences. I could take sides, but that wouldn’t help bring about resolution. Talking to them has allowed me to see they are hurt by the others actions. Which brings me back to a point I’m always making in these writings. If we would all live in harmony with The 4 Agreements, as interpreted by Don Miguel Ruiz, the world would be a peaceful, harmonious place. I once again affirm to not take anything personally, and to refuse to make assumptions about why people do what they do.

“Life is like dancing. If we have a big floor, many people will dance. Some will get angry when the rhythm changes. But life is changing all the time.” Don Miguel Ruiz

Bound Together For Eternity

Photo Credit: Aaron Springston

I'm remembering something I read years ago, saying that groups of people who share spiritual love are bound together for eternity. I'm feeling that connection this evening when finding out some sad news within a group of us who gather regularly. The Love we have for each other causes us all to feel joy and pain when one of us has a happy or tragic event in our lives. We share the giddiness of our children marrying and having babies; we're sad when one of us loses a loved one or suffers through an illness with a family member. I'm grateful for every one of these women who care enough to hold each other close through life's trials. We may be present physically, or sending loving thoughts and prayers from afar, as I'm doing tonight. May this omnipresent Love be felt by everyone, everywhere, who is feeling lost and alone, frightened and sick. Let us remember that loving energy is palpable, and when we send it, it is felt. 

“You will lose someone you can’t live without,​ ​and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.”
― Anne Lamott

Times of Your Life

Photo Credit: Gerry Toler

A Meditation on Times

(patterned after Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

There is a time for every spiritual thought,
and a time for every activity within the soul:

A time to imagine,
     and a time to let a vision die;
A time to cultivate a hope,
     and a time to let a dream go;
A time to forget the past,
     and a time for memories to be healed;
A time to analyze possibilities,
     and a time to construct a plan;
A time to ponder sad things,
     and a time to rejoice at good news;
A time to grieve over losses,
     and a time to write music or poetry;
A time to spread information,
     and a time to gather it;
A time to fellowship,
     and a time to practice solitude;
A time to investigate,
     and a time to cease from research:
A time to defend your opinion,
     and a time to give it up;
A time to change your mind,
     and a time to reaffirm your purpose;
A time to be still before God,
     and a time to intercede for others;
A time to turn from trivialities,
     and a time to adore the Lord your God;
A time to wage spiritual warfare,
     and a time to enjoy spiritual tranquility;

There is a time for every spiritual thing,
and a time for every activity of the soul:

A time for meditation, and a time for ministry;
A time for meditation, and a time for ministry;
A time for meditation, and a time for ministry.

— David L. Hatton, 3/14/1998

The Language of Spirit

Photo Credit: Gerry Toler

We’re learning the language of Spirit through our study of divine metaphysics For instance, the word spirit, as I used it in the last sentence, has an entirely different meaning from its use on the Ghost Tours at the Crescent Hotel. The capitalization of the word Spirit not only indicates a synonym for what we think of as God, but incorporates all the other nuances which are a part of its spiritual interpretation. For instance: Spirit is tangible; Spirit is substance. It "blesses the multiplication of its own pure ideas". (MBE) As with the learning of anything, this new language requires practice for it to become second-nature to us; allowing the incorporation of these ideas into our lives without specific thought of doing so. As we bring this Truth to our illusionary beliefs, we begin to understand that healing is universal, and that heaven is within. Have a joyous day everyone!

“God is Spirit; therefore the language of Spirit must be, and is, spiritual.”​ Mary Baker Eddy - ​Science & Health Page 117:6-7

Do You Hear What I Hear?

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What one of us may think is beautiful may not be so to all. It's my understanding that some people hear music in an inharmonious way. How can this be? It seems so odd, as I sit here listening to Yo-Yo Ma exquisitely playing his cello. There's a book by Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia, which documents many instances of people's ability to hear and/or play music changing after traumatic physical events. I thought it was pretty cool when someone woke up from a coma and wanted to do nothing but play the piano, even though they had never played before. On the other end of the spectrum, it was horrid for the man who heard dissonance when playing the violin he had dearly loved before a car accident. This has caused me to wonder about what I think I see and hear, and the possibility that others don't see or hear the same thing. I've written before about everyone seeing a rainbow differently, depending on where they are in respect to it. I know that someone may tell me something and I can take it totally opposite of how it was meant. But to hear music differently? We are, indeed, an interesting species! 

"Material beliefs and spiritual understanding never mingle. The latter destroys the former. Discord is the nothingness named error. Harmony is the somethingness named Truth." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 176

Obedience to Authority?

Photo credit: Richard Quick

Obedience to Authority, a book written by a man named Stanley Milgram, contains ideas worth examination. This man performed a number of experiments during the 1970s. He was prompted by the horrors perpetrated during Hitler’s reign, wanting to know why people would hurt or kill others for no reason other than being told to do so. He made subjects believe they were administering shocks to someone when questions were answered incorrectly. Sometimes they even believed that someone had passed out from the pain, yet they continued to hit the shock button when the subject didn’t answer right away. They didn’t know it was a set up; they thought they were hurting someone else badly, but continued to do so. These obedience experiments are cited in university classes and are referred to time and again when atrocities occur around the world. I think now is an excellent time to think about the reasons for this blind obedience. Perhaps it’s time to revisit Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience?

"Let us rid ourselves of the belief that man is separated from God, and obey only the divine Principle, Life and Love. Here is the great point of departure for all true spiritual growth." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 91:5

One Grand Brotherhood

After watching a movie called Crazy Rich Asians, I've been thinking about some of the human behavior exhibited in this chick-flick-date-night film. The main thing I've been wondering about is why in the world the super rich would think they're a higher form of humanity than everyone else. Exclusion is a sad concept, no matter how minor it may be. This is not to say I think everyone should be included in everything. Of course, that cannot be. For instance, my book club has 12-15 people who have been meeting once a month since 2005. We had to close our ranks because it's difficult to have a good discussion with too many present, and it's hard to meet in each other's homes if there are more than this. We don't think we're better than anyone else, but a line must be drawn for many reasons. Perhaps this is how the uber-rich feel, too. I don't know. But I'm certainly going to hold those in the higher echelons of our government in a purer light than they hold me! Sending warm thoughts to everyone on this cold winter's night.

“The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother's need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another's good." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 518:15-19

The Work of Time

photo credit: Aaron Springston

t’s very easy for me to say that I am going to see the innocence in my fellow beings, that I shall not condemn actions or words which bombard me, that I will recognize my essential part in this universe. But then, I find myself in a situation where I’m insistent on being right about something, and all my good intentions are laid aside in the pursuit of this goal. I’ve written numerous times in the past about the continuing saga of my neighbor and his vendetta against the turkey vultures which live in our woods. The issue has been raised once again, in a way I deem to be even more bizarre than ever before. It would be easy to dismiss his words as nonsensical ravings, but I truly want to look at the feelings behind them. My quest for listening to others with the intent of understanding rather than responding will not allow me to dismiss him so easily. Following the guidance of divine Mind, I will endeavor this day to listen, not just to others, but to the still, small voice inside, allowing my heart to lead my actions.

“Society is a foolish juror, listening only to one side of the case. Justice often comes too late to secure a verdict. People with mental work before them have no time for gossip about false law or testimony. To reconstruct timid justice and place the fact above the falsehood, is the work of time.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 238:25-30

Serendipity?

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Watching life pass you by, or watching life unfold? These, to me, have entirely different meanings! The former implies that you are hiding in your house, looking out the window at people living, gardens growing, life happening without you. The latter, watching life unfold, means more than that, in my opinion. There are so many things in this life which you cannot plan, because you don't know what's going to happen. You can be ready and willing to act when the time comes, but really can't know what to do until that happens. We've had a situation similar to this regarding our vehicle. My son had a feeling he should get a new battery, but had been putting it off. When I would drive the car, there would occasionally be a "cutting out" when driving at slow speeds. Also, there had been a "shudder" sometimes when it would shift from lowest gear to the next up. I decided to take it to K-Way mechanics to get their opinion. They took it out for a test drive, brought it back in and it wouldn't start again. The battery had given up the ghost -- right then and there in the shop!! They did indeed notice a shudder and contacted someone who told them that this model of Ford had four recalls on it and the transmission needed to be replaced right away, which is being done right now. This is the type of unfoldment I love to watch. Everything happening exactly when it should, with no angst or worry on my part. I am most grateful for the life lessons which have brought me to this way of thought.

Once you accept His plan as the one function that you would fulfill, there will be nothing else the Holy Spirit will not arrange for you without your effort. He will go before you making straight your path, and leaving in your way no stones to trip on, and no obstacles to bar your way.  Nothing you need will be denied you. Not one seeming difficulty but will melt away before you reach it. You need take thought for nothing, careless of everything except the only purpose that you would fulfill. As that was given you, so will its fulfillment be. God's guarantee will hold against all obstacles, for it rests on certainty and not contingency. It rests on you. And what can be more certain than a Son of God?" A Course in Miracles T-20.IV.8.

Wildpeace

Wildpeace by Yehuda Amichai

Not the peace of a cease-fire
not even the vision of the wolf and the lamb,
but rather
as in the heart when the excitement is over
and you can talk only about a great weariness.
I know that I know how to kill, that makes me an adult.
And my son plays with a toy gun that knows
how to open and close its eyes and say Mama.
A peace
without the big noise of beating swords into ploughshares,
without words, without
the thud of the heavy rubber stamp: let it be
light, floating, like lazy white foam.
A little rest for the wounds - who speaks of healing?
(And the howl of the orphans is passed from one generation
to the next, as in a relay race:
the baton never falls.)

Let it come
like wildflowers,
suddenly, because the field
must have it: wildpeace.

Holding Peace

photo credit: Aaron Springston

It's easy to fall into fear and anger in these turbulent times. I probably do it 10 or 20 times a day! When we hear things we know to be untrue, it can be easy to defend our beliefs with arguments. These days there are many things meant to "trigger" us into mindless anger. There's even a book by this name, telling how to upset people on purpose with wild mis-statements and points of truth which can be upsetting. So I am adamant in this peace I live, with a determination never felt before in my lifetime, a determination to live love, truth, goodness. Some people can stay pretty calm by meditations and affirmations which run through their heads. Some try to hide away from unsavory topics and hold peace in that way. My hope is to hold onto it in the face of any and all challenges, reaching deep and wide and high to feel the Love from which we are all created. Sometimes I feel like Bill Murray in "What About Bob?", as he repeats: I feel good, I feel fine, I feel wonderful! But you know what? Do anything it takes to hold onto the loving forgiveness which never blames in the first place. Namaste 

"You believe in what you value. If you are afraid, you are valuing wrongly. Your understanding will then inevitably value wrongly, and by endowing all thoughts with equal power will inevitably destroy peace. That is why the Bible speaks of “the peace of God which passeth understanding.” This peace is totally incapable of being shaken by errors of any kind. It denies the ability of anything not of God to affect you. This is the proper use of denial. It is not used to hide anything, but to correct error. It brings all error into the light, and since error and darkness are the same, it corrects error automatically." A Course in Miracles text

Love Rules the Universe

The interconnectivity of everything is showing itself everywhere, don’t you think? I take it as a sign of hope in this age of madness, watching consistently higher thought and its many manifestations, knowing the numbers of those speaking out for truth are, even now, increasing. This effect is a product of all the joyous energy we can individually muster! Our passionate expressions are conduits for this Love, shouting it out with our every action, every day, never being less than that. I’ve always been fascinated by the power of collective thought, and am watching in excitement as goodness and beauty manifest in sudden bursts. The more we love passionately, in truth, the more it spreads. I think that’s how Love conquers all, don’t you?

"The government of divine Love is supreme. Love rules the universe, and its edict hath gone forth: 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me,' and 'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' Let us have the molecule of faith, that removes mountains, -- faith armed with the understanding of Love, as in divine Science, where right reigneth. The revered President and Congress of our favored land are in God's hands." Mary Baker Eddy - Miscellany Page 278