Living, Loving, Changing

 

Photo credit: Aaron Springston

There’s an awesome BBC series entitled "Life", with David Attenborough as narrator. When viewing the perfection of all life blending together in exquisite harmony, I am inspired to be more attuned to this tapestry. Once again, we need only let loose the habitual behaviors, which we have practiced for years, in order to open ourselves to new-old ideas and realize why they are needed today. The first day of every year symbolizes a new beginning for us, as does waking up each day, birthdays, and many other momentous occasions we celebrate. We want to leave behind bad habits and acquire new, positive ways of life. The new year coming up offers incentive for big change in our daily lives and in the life of our earth. We are being called upon to help others survive as they face physical challenges not before seen in our lifetime. The earth is begging us to stop many behaviors which are not conducive to its well-being and that of its inhabitants. Let's not be afraid, nor be complaisant, in the coming days. There is work to be done, joy to be found, love to be experienced and shared. What an adventure lies ahead of us! 

"The so-called pleasures and pains of matter periish, and they must go out under the blaze of Truth, spiritual sense, and the actuality of being." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 296:14

Bringing Light to Darness

When churches are in the news, usually it’s because they’ve done something racist, or selfish, or ridiculous. We hear about those things, but how often do we hear of the small churches doing great things? I just read an article about Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Greenwood, Mississippi. One woman said, “We’re not trying to be fake. We’re trying to fix Mississippi so we can say that we do love each other. If anyone ever wants to learn about race and how to overcome the problems we all face, come to Little Zion. We teach love.” There are many things to deal with in this little town: extreme racism and prejudice, the pandemic and its economic and social consequences, and the challenges of keeping their doors open when they must be closed. One person quoted Elie Wiesel, who was sent to a concentration camp when he was 15 and witnessed his father, mother, and sister’s death. His writing chronicling his ordeal is titled, “Night”, but night eventually gives way to dawn. As he said in his memoir, “Open Heart”: “Even in darkness, it is possible to create light and encourage compassion.” We, along with the residents of Greenwood, Mississippi, will continue to bring light to the darkness. To quote Mr. Wiesel again: “Even in exile, friendship exists and can become an anchor”. Namaste, dear friends...

​"The Church is that institution which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas..." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 582:14

Get Your Sturdy Shoes Ready

Years ago, I read or heard Wayne Dyer say that we don’t need spiritual writings to teach us Truth; that we can find it anywhere, if we’re open to it. His words came back to me while reading last week’s local newspaper. Nicky Boyette’s gardening column ended with this: “Gardening is art, pure science, therapy, and a habit hard to break.” With many of us turning to gardening during the months of isolation, this seems particularly uplifting! If you’re feeling blue, plan your flower garden, patio garden, window box, anything which allows us to experience growth. Then I read Mary Pat Boian’s column which ended with these words: “It seems to me that in this solstice time of long nights, cold weather and unreliable tomorrows, we can feel noble knowing our worth is measured by our spirit, and honestly, isn’t that what Christmas is about? Or do we simply understand that we have to walk far to get somewhere special? Hope we all get sturdy shoes for Christmas.” Dear Friends, we’ve been preparing all our lives for waking up to the light, and I know we’re ready! 

“Mortal mind must waken to spiritual life before it cares to solve the problems of being...but when that awakening comes, existence will be on a new standpoint.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 556:26

Manual Arts Develop Thinking Skills

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Marsha and Crow at a show

"The manual arts develop the skills of observation, problem solving and hypothesis, while also creating a sense of the dignity of all labor and empathy toward those who perform it." These words from Doug Stowe, which he wrote in his daily blog, are echoing in my mind. Manual arts of all kinds develop skills which many modern-day activities simply cannot. There are parts of our brains which are not used by anything other than this translation of thoughts into things. As someone who learned to play the piano and type on a toy typewriter before I began formal education, I hold those skills as being responsible for the ease with which I and many others learned once we began school. There was a period of time I did not touch a musical keyboard for 12 years, and as a result I became quite dull. As a matter of fact, that's when I took up duplicate bridge, back in the 80s, when I realized my brain had slowed down appreciably. An intensive exercise of its capabilities brought me back to the point I didn't feel quite so incapable, but I don't think those synapses opened up again until I began playing organ and piano again in the mid-90s. To practice skills which cause the brain and hands to work together (cursive writing?) is an important part of our growth, one which I feel develops critical thinking skills, when combined with reading and discussion of ideas. Thank you, Doug, for bringing these things out for us to ponder and, hopefully, help others to understand!

"If the soft palm, upturned to a lordly salary, and architectural skill, making dome and spire tremulous with beauty, turn the poor and the stranger from the gate, they at the same time shut the door on progress." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 142:11

It's the Little Things

 

I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the little things, the niceties in life, the abundance of having enough. The simple joy of being pain free, having enough to eat, a roof over our heads, a steady income, pets, friends, and so much more. Our library system is such a blessing every day, but particularly in times of need. I hope everyone knows how beautifully our libraries have risen to the emergency we’re facing in our country. Our local library recently upgraded their web site, making it easier to find what we’re looking for — or even what we don’t know we want! — walking us through the process of reserving books, movies, audiobooks, magazines, and then picking them up outside the structure in a safe and easy way. The abundance in our lives is astounding! And I am grateful...

"Gratitude is much more than a verbal expression of thanks. Action expresses more gratitude than speech." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 3:25

Peace on Earth

 

I did a quick search on "peace on earth" and found many interesting things telling us how that is going to occur. So I went to quotes about this topic, and I share a few with you. Happy Day After Christmas to One and All!

"We cannot change the past, but we can change our attitude toward it. Uproot guilt and plant forgiveness. Tear out arrogance and seed humility. Exchange love for hate - thereby, making the present comfortable and the future promising."

 Maya Angelou

​"​Peace is our gift to each other.​"​​ ​Elie Wiesel

​"​Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.​" ​John F. Kennedy

​"​There is no time left for anything but to make peace work a dimension of our every waking activity.​" ​Elise M. Boulding

​"​Every year at this time, an important phrase marks the season: peace on earth and goodwill towards men. It's so common we sometimes forget about what it really means - that we strive for a world without war, a society where we respect and help our neighbors, a place where we protect and uplift our most in need. This isn't a phrase we should live by for one day or one month. It's a set of values that must bond and motivate us every day.​"​​ ​Dennis Kucinich

​"The calm and exalted thought or spiritual apprehension is at peace. Thus the dawn of ideas goes on, forming each successive stage of progress." Mary Baker Eddy 

Happy Christmas to You

art courtesy of Carol Dickie

Many of us are missing our usual family/friend traditions this year. The quote I've posted here by Mary Baker Eddy brings me peace in solitude, as I hope it does you. Also, below that is a link to our local Celebration Choir video. Eleven singers and one accompanist hope you will join us virtually in this musical worship service, including reading of the Nine Lessons. Happy Holiday to everyone!!

"I love to observe Christmas in quietude, humility, benevolence, charity, letting good will towards man, eloquent silence, prayer, and praise express my conception of Truth's appearing." Mary Baker Eddy

 celebrationchoirar.square.site

Backward or Forward

photo credit: Richard Quick

In my younger days, I enjoyed horror stories. Stephen King was a favorite because of his exceptionally good writing and his insights into the psyche of the psychopath. I was fascinated by the awfulness of it. Going hand in hand with that fascination, was my desire to pollute my body with substances which seemed to be fun, but ultimately were not. Over the last three decades, I’ve given up these things one by one, some more readily than others. I’ve been thinking about the horrors of the political scene as we’ve watched it unfold over these same decades. It has culminated in a particularly intense awfulness at this point, and I have no desire to partake of its emotional rollercoaster. While it seems wise to know what’s going on, I’ve begun to question even that. But I go back to the old statement attributed to a wise person: I only want to hear about the problem as an identifier; after that, I only need to think about it to find solutions. As of today, I reaffirm my conviction to do this. I wish you peace in whatever way you choose to do good!

"The true theory 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." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 547:25

Feel the Peace, Be the Peace

 

art courtesy of Judith Griffith

As we near the end of a momentous year, I'm hoping we can all hold our thoughts to higher ideals: peace, joy, love, harmony, unity, truth, justice, and goodness of all sorts. When listening to the Nine Lessons performance by our Celebration Choir, the reading which touched my heart was from Isaiah, when we are assured "the wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox..." This exemplifies the gentleness all living creatures have within them. People are part of the animal kingdom, and I visualize us remembering this beautiful fact. Choose something which brings you peace and focus on it each day. Let's keep our thoughts and actions in line with the universe's perfect harmony, feeling the pull of compassionate peace guiding our way, and sending Love out to the world. Namaste...

"Eternal Truth is changing the universe. As mortals drop off their mental swaddling clothes, thought expands into expression. 'Let there be light,' is the perpetual demand of Truth and Love, changing chaos into order and discord into the music of the spheres." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 255:1

The End of an Era

photo credit: Richard Quick

The end of the Mayan calendar, the end of an era; the Age of Aquarius, the opening of our minds. We humans have moved through fear-based times filled with superstitious myths and rumors, and a new day is upon us! Truly, I feel as though we're poised at the precipice of something clean and new, don't you? What are we learning from all of this? I think we're finding out what's really important, what fills the emptiness in our life, what we've always needed but been afraid to admit. I've witnessed some people become angrier, sadder, more violent. I've also witnessed people growing into the loving beings they truly are, but had previously been afraid to claim. Whatever we truly want to be, now is the time. Let's throw caution to the winds and listen to that still small voice within which never steers us into trouble. Follow it, never fearing where it will lead.

Our Greatest Fear —Marianne Williamson

“It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,

talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other

people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of

God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

we unconsciously give other people

permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,

Our presence automatically liberates others.

—Marianne Williamson

Truth or Illusion?

photo credit: Arthur Bruno

We live in a world where there are many laws to protect us, such as wearing motorcycle helmets and seat belts in cars. Yet the items we find in our grocery stores are filled with chemicals and other things which can barely be classified as food. We are told to use pesticides on ourselves, our gardens, our pets, even though the rates of autoimmune disease and cancer climb steadily. Yet I truly think there IS a spiritual solution to all the things which seem impossibly horrible. I'm not suggesting we hide under the covers and pretend everything is alright, but rather that we recognize the difference in spiritual truth and material illusion. This reinterpretation is similar to what we do when looking down train tracks and seeing them come together, appearing to end, when we know they continue. The proof before our eyes is terribly convincing and it takes a bit of thought, perhaps study, to understand why it is an illusion. Remember how long it took for humankind to realize they would not fall off the edge of the world if they got in a ship and sailed towards the horizon? There seems to be much to fear when we look out at it, but when we look inward we hear truth in the silence. We are nearing a tipping point and every thought is important. Keep up the good work!

“Citizens of the world, accept the ‘glorious liberty of the children of God,’ and be free! This is your divine right. The illusion of material sense, not divine law, has bound you, entangled your free limbs, crippled your capacities, enfeebled your body, and defaced the tablet of your being.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 227:24-28

The Blossom Shines Through the Bud

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photo credit: Datura Böes

When David Hoffmeister was "called" to go on the road and talk to people about the teachings of A Course in Miracles, he didn't know how he would have the funds to do this. He was told by Spirit that all his needs would be supplied, but he didn't believe that. David is a man with excessive formal education, including knowledge of economics, and so he felt certain that Jesus simply didn't understand how the world worked. We tend to think of people like Buddha and St. Francis and Jesus as being beggars of sorts. They didn't make a lot of money, but trusted in the Universe to provide. David was being asked to rely on Spirit to articulate this new/old curriculum. He was being led to teach using everything available -- music, dance, lectures, gatherings -- to help others express deep Love and peace.  The reign of peace has begun, and many people are fighting against it. Let's not be concerned with that. Let's put our energy where it will grow -- on this peaceful transition. Christ consciousness is coming out of hiding and we're being called to help everyone see (by way of our own sight) that this is not some esoteric thing which must be kept secret. It's to be shouted from the rooftops! Fear not, shine your light, call forth witnesses to this light -- and above all, don't tone down your joy!

“Love giveth to the least spiritual idea might, immortality, and goodness, which shine through all as the blossom shines through the bud.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 518:19-21”

An Angel Entertained Unawares

photo credit: Datura Böes

Have you ever felt a kinship with ​someone which is so perfect that you know you are ​One, united in your very being? Perfect unity precludes conflict, and we feel this perfection with people whom we love no matter whether they agree with our every idea or not. It seems difficult, if not impossible, to feel this wholeness with everyone, especially those who​se ideas​ ​are ​diametrically​ ​​oppose​d​ ​from ​our beliefs.  Today I will ​work on enjoying the middle road ​in​ conversations. If someone wants to talk about​ something which I think is wrong, or foolish, or simply counter to my thought, I will listen with the purpose of understanding, not responding. I will​ try to​ find ways to encourage deep thinking​,​ without jumping up on my high horse and insisting that my way is the only way. It really doesn’t matter what the topic of conversation ​may be​, there is a middle ground to be found and an uplifting dialogue to be had. I want that. I want that a lot.

“Think of this, dear reader, for it will lift the sackcloth from your eyes, and you will behold the soft-winged dove descending upon you. The very circumstance, which your suffering sense deems wrathful and afflictive, Love can make an angel entertained unawares.” ​Mary Baker Eddy - ​Science & Health Page 574:25-30

Hugging

photo credit: Aaron Springston

The single thing I've heard people say they have missed this year is hugging. I have friends who are super-huggers, holding on and passing good vibes until you feel unified. I think it's that connection which is missed by so many of us, don't you? We, the huggers, were used to hugging when greeting each other, no matter if it had been a day or a year since we'd last met. We would run across friends, no matter where, and we'd hug. Events such as a Nitty Gritty Dirt Band concert at the Auditorium could induce mass hugging which, I'm sure, caused the whole building to vibrate in happiness! For months and months, this activity has been impermissible, even though the pull we feel towards each other is magnetic. And so we find other ways to express our joy in meeting one another. I'm rather glad we'll never be shaking hands again, as I always found that to be an odd custom. I prefer the bow to the handshake -- but give me a big hug any day of the week, rather than any other form of greeting! How delightful it was to discover this little video (link below) in an email from our sweet friend, Jim Young! We can still hug trees, we can still feel that connection with All That Is by engaging in this activity, and we can still feel the joy of connection which comes from hugging a living being. Thank you, Jim, for sending us this reminder of how grand it is to hug a tree! Thank you Sarah Wallace Scott for making this video! Much love sent to you this day...

https://youtu.be/2zfgkCdcdtM

Question Authority

 

photo credit: Datura Böes

“Question authority: no idea is true just because someone says so.” Once again, a Facebook meme has captured my attention. This statement has made me question myself and the things I hold to be true. Political unrest is taking center stage in the world and many of us are wondering if we have a comprehensive view of it all. Admittedly​,​ many of us live in a bubble of our own making. We choose friends on the basis of the tribes we associate with — religion, political, special interests. I try to think for myself, to avoid taking gossip for fact, or belief for truth. It’s difficult to admit I could be wrong, but​,​ I remind myself​,​ even Einstein made mistakes. Science is a way of keeping us from fooling ourselves, but it can be misused in the hands of a few. The more it belongs to all of us, the less likely it is to be misused. So let’s all work to stay informed from many sources, to ask questions, and to think for ourselves!

“Truth will correct all errors in my mind. What can correct illusions but the truth? And what are errors but illusions that remain unrecognized for what they are? Where truth has entered​,​ errors disappear. They merely vanish, leaving not a trace by which to be remembered. They are gone because, without belief, they have no life.  And so they disappear to nothingness, returning whence they came.  From dust to dust they come and go, for only truth remains.” A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 107

Rails to Trails

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Have you heard about the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy? Unused railroad tracks in the United States are being turned into scenic and safe walking trails, 2,209 of them which equal the circumference of the Earth! In Britain, more than 50,000 miles of footpaths are being added to modern maps in order to keep them from disappearing. They join more than 140,000 miles already mapped and preserved. These paths serve walkers, joggers, bicyclers, and those pushing baby carriages and walking dogs. They are safe ways to enjoy nature and get exercise, to walk from school or work, to think and to meditate. As Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard wrote, “I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.” Walking seems a perfect activity for us during a time of pandemic and worldwide upheaval. Clearing the mind while exercising the body and breathing deeply will surely lead to timely new ways of thinking and a shift in attitude. What a relief!

"Walking in the light, we are accustomed to the light and require it; we cannot see in darkness. But eyes accustomed to darkness are pained by the light. When outgrowing the old, you should not fear to put on the new." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 452:6 

Free Listening

photo credit: Aaron Springston

"Lending an ear, Kip Clark bridges social distance with offer to listen". This was the intriguing title of an article I read today. This man sits on the steps of a building on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology next to a sign which reads, "Free Listening". In his words, "Listening is at the root of anything good that exists between people. It can have a powerful impact when done with sincerity and presence." Listening is a prominent theme in these days of misunderstanding, and finding ways to hear others weighs heavily on my mind. This man says he offers no advice, but pays attention without judgment, speaking if it seems appropriate, but mainly listening. Even before this time of quarantine and separation, many people felt isolated, and now the feeling is very intense for many. We all can listen with attention and respond when it feels right, allowing communication to create unity. This could pertain to someone who lives in our home, or a friend far away, or the clerk in the food market. I feel excited at the prospect of being a sounding board during these times of immediate response and rebuttal via social media! Who knows what opportunities tomorrow may bring? Perhaps that scammer calling on the telephone needs me to listen? :)

"Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear,--this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony. The purification of sense and self is a proof of progress." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 323:32

Hold Thought Steadfastly

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photo credit: Datura Böes

In looking over past postings, I came across this one I want to ponder at the start of this week. “We do ourselves a great disservice when we let the bitter opinions of others mingle and subvert our own thoughts.” (Dodinsky) This brought to mind one of the Four Agreements as interpreted by Don Miguel Ruiz: “Don’t take anything personally.”  It seems as though these two thoughts summarize exactly what I’m feeling right now. And these ideas remind me of Gandhi’s wisdom: “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change toward him.” Namastè, dear Friends.

“Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 261:4-7

Forgiveness

Righteous indignation: There's a lot of it going around, don't you think? Perhaps I notice it because I'm expressing it, too. Maybe I'm too quick to jump on my high horse and adopt a holier-than-thou attitude. Some people think of forgiveness as looking the other way and doing nothing, but we are learning that forgiveness is seeing past the illusion of separation to the reality of our unity. With this view, I can set aside my stories of right and wrong, opening thought to the reality of Love. Some people wonder what good this could possibly do in a world rife with confusion. If everyone lived Love, opening themselves to listen for guidance on how to understand and practice this type of forgiveness — well, just imagine the utopia! There exists a voice audible to anyone willing to listen. Forgiveness, the releasing of illusions, allows this voice to be found. In our unity, one release is everyone's gift. There is no you, me, and God. There is only One. What a joy to be finding our voice!

"In the Apocalypse it is written: 'And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.' In St. John's vision, heaven and earth stand for spiritual ideas, and the sea, as a symbol of tempest-tossed human concepts advancing and receding, is represented as having passed away. The divine understanding reigns, is all, and there is no other consciousness." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 536:1-9

Nothing Impossible to Truth and Love

photo credit: Datura Böes

I know many people who consider themselves social activists. They have worked for years to improve our environment, politics, and the multitude of things in need of advancement. Some have told me they are tired of the fight. I am extremely grateful to each and every one of you who work to clean up rivers, who are passionate about producing uncontaminated food, who stand up to various tyrants and declare, "The emperor has no clothes!" Not a single person has told me that they're tired of the physical effort involved in these projects; it's the butting up against thought stuck in strong opinion, or fueled by hate and fear. Those things are what is frustrating to them. This is where our metaphysical advice can be helpful: Don't try to change anyone else's mind, only your own. More and more of us are witnessing truth brought to seemingly impossible situations, and we're finding that new avenues of action appear when this is done. There is no need to defend ourselves nor to proclaim our own strong opinions in support of this Truth. Knowing it, within our own selves, is sufficient!

“As when an acid and alkali meet and bring out a third quality, so mental and moral chemistry changes the material base of thought, giving more spirituality to consciousness and causing it to depend less on material evidence.”  Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 422:14-18