Cognitive Dissonance

 

Cognitive dissonance is something most of us have experienced, but usually it occurs over something which doesn't really mess us up mentally -- such as, I know I shouldn't use plastic because it ends up in oceans. But what am I supposed to do? Looking at the image above causes a bit of distress in me because I want to rectify the images with the descriptions, but can't seem to move the words around in ways which make sense and feel right. I'm pretty sure many people are feeling this dissonance right now concerning things they have been convinced are true. The people I know who thoroughly believe the conspiracy theories they perpetuate as truth are feeling cognitive dissonance to the max! They believe they know things which most people don't know, and they have spent countless hours researching their findings, causing them to believe they are onto something which we "sheeple" don't know about or simply won't accept. The folks I know who believe these things are good people, friends even, and so I have examined my own thoughts deeply, on a regular basis, looking at things from other standpoints and trying my best to ascertain what is indeed going on in our world. My curiosity concerning how we have arrived at this place is so great that I vow to study hard and look for answers within myself, to change how I think about ideas I find offensive, and to go forward in a proactive way to help truth be known. I willingly acknowledge that our government needs restructuring, just as our police and healthcare systems do, but that doesn't mean we need to throw everything out, or throw up our hands in frustration declaring nothing can be done to fix them. There are solutions to every problem, and they begin with me and you. Let's all be gentle with each other and figure out what to do!

“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

People Helping People

 

photo credit: Datura Böes

​A private school in California is run by a group which also has a prison outreach program. The inmates were so appreciative that they wanted to give something back, and asked what they could do to help the community. The school had a student whose parents had lost their jobs and had medical problems and, even with scholarship aid, they could not pay for their son's education to continue attending. The inmates pooled their resources and paid for the boy to finish his senior year. The student said he worked extra hard because he didn't want to let down his benefactors. He graduated and got a full scholarship to college. One of the incarcerated men who helped collect donations from others in his unit, says the men who contributed were eager to add value to someone’s life. “The damage to our victims can’t be undone, and we can make the choice to sow new things into the world. Now we have the opportunity to sow goodness, to sow charity, to sow love,” he says. In these times when so many thoughts are attuned to retribution and blame, let's remember these men and the good they wanted to add to the world by their gifts. I love these stories of people helping people, don't you? 

"And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us and to be merciful, just, and pure." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 497:24

Truth or Belief

 ​

Zarks Window, Eureka Springs - PC: Richard Quick

For years I’ve heard people talk about “my truth”, or that’s “her truth”, and I’ve always wondered what that was all about. I finally understand that people are referring to belief, not truth. Beliefs can feel like truth, because we have been taught that they are sacredly true, or scientifically true, or just-because-I-say-so true! But these ideas tend to change through increased knowledge and larger perspectives. Today, in 2021, we find ourselves believing things to be true because we’ve heard them repeated so often they have become a part of us. Television commercials, respected politicians stumping their causes, bull-headed people refusing to think outside their preacher’s prescribed rhetoric, social media hypnotizing us with our tribes’ beliefs — all these things, and more, contribute to our ignorance, our lack of knowledge. We have generations of people who have never learned how to think, how to question authority, how to examine themselves. It appears many of these folks have learned how to pass the buck and duck under cover when they are caught in a lie. Whatever happened to fessing up and saying we’re sorry? I was wrong. I’m sorry. It’s not so difficult! Truth and mercy are foremost in my thoughts this year, and they will remain my focus throughout this lifetime. As usual, please let me know if you see something I’m missing and/or need to understand! Namaste...

“Evidence drawn from the five physical senses relates solely to human reason, and because of opacity to the true light, human reason dimly reflects and feebly transmits Jesus’ works and words. Truth is a revelation.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 117:24

What Are You?

photo credit: Aaron Springston

In searching for wisdom tonight, I found these words of Kahlil Gibran, from The New Frontier:

“Come and tell me who and what are you.

Are you a politician asking what your country can do for you or a zealous one asking what you can do for your country? If you are the first, then you are a parasite; is the second, then you are an oasis in a desert.

Are you a merchant utilizing the need of society for the necessities of life, for monopoly and exorbitant profit? Or a sincere, hard-working and diligent man facilitating the exchange between the weaver and the farmer? Are you charging a reasonable profit as a middleman between supply and demand? If you are the first, then you are a criminal whether you live in a palace or a prison. If you are the second, then you are a charitable man whether you are thanked or denounced by people.

Are you a religious leader, weaving for your body a gown out of the ignorance of the people, fashioning a crown out of the simplicity of their hearts and pretending to hate the devil merely to live upon his income? Or are you a devout and a pious man who sees in the piety of the individual the foundation for a progressive nation, and who can see through a profound search in the depth of his own soul a ladder to the eternal soul that directs the world? If you are the first, then you are a heretic, a disbeliever in God even if you fast by day and pray by night. If you are the second, then you are a violet in the garden of truth even though its fragrance is lost upon the nostrils of humanity or whether its aroma rises into that rare air where the fragrance of flowers is preserved.

Are you a newspaperman who sells his idea and principle in the slave market, who lives on the misery of people like a buzzard which descends only upon a decaying carcass? Or are you a teacher on the platform of the city gathering experience from life and presenting it to the people as sermons you have learned? If you are the first, then you are a sore and an ulcer. If you are the second, then you are a balsam and a medicine.

Are you a governor who denigrates himself before those who appoint him and denigrates those whom he is to govern, who never raises a hand unless it is to reach into pockets and who does not take a step unless it is for greed? Or are you a faithful servant who serves only the welfare of the people? If you are the first, then you are as a tare in the threshing floor of the nations; and if the second, then you are a blessing upon its granaries.

Are you a husband who allows for himself what he disallows for his wife, living in abandonment with the key of her prison in his boots, gorging himself with his favourite food while she sits, by herself, before an empty dish? Or are you a companion, taking no action except hand in hand, nor doing anything unless she gives her thoughts and opinions, and sharing with her your happiness and success? If you are the first, then you are a remnant of a tribe which, still dressing in the skins of animals, vanished long before leaving the caves; and if you are the second, then you are a leader in a nation moving in the dawn toward the light of justice and wisdom.

Are you a searching writer full of self-admiration, keeping his head in the valley of a dusty past, where the ages discarded the remnant of its clothes and useless ideas? Or are you a clear thinker examining what is good and useful for society and spending your life in building what is useful and destroying what is harmful? If you are the first, then you are feeble and stupid, and if you are the second, then you are bread for the hungry and water for the thirsty.

Are you a poet, who plays the tambourine at the doors of emirs, or the one who throws the flowers during weddings and who walks in processions with a sponge full of warm water in his mouth, a sponge to be pressed by his tongue and lips as soon as he reaches the cemetery? Or have you a gift which God has placed in your hands on which to play heavenly melodies which draw our hearts toward the beautiful in life? If you are the first, then you are a juggler who evokes in our soul that which is contrary to what you intend. If you are the second, then you are love in our hearts and a vision in our minds."

Our Truth-Default

photo credit: Datura Böes

I'm reading Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. This well-known author examines many common occurrences which we may not have thought about -- or even considered as being a "thing". The first book of his which I read was The Tipping Point. In it he looks at examples of thoughts about certain things spreading across our country and the world. For instance, he examined the near demise and resurgence of Hushpuppy shoes. They were on the verge of bankruptcy and then suddenly became all the rage after Greenwich Village people began searching for them in thrift shops and they became trendy. In his latest writing, which I am currently reading, he examines why we are unable to tell when someone is lying. We are given a number of stories to illustrate the points. Hitler was believed by Neville Chamberlain when they met and Hitler promised to not invade Czechoslovakia, yet Winston Churchill (who had not met Adolf in person) was certain that he was a liar and was going to do so. One of the conclusions reached is that people have a "truth default" which we resort to most of the time. Even in the face of obvious lies and manipulation, we will believe we are being told the truth because, from a survival standpoint, we do not need to identify lies as much as we need to be able to have efficient communication and trust in social encounters! This book is fascinating on many levels and it is part of my 2021 study goal, searching to understand why it is so terribly difficult to differentiate truth from lies. Please let me know if you have any reading suggestions for me!

"To be immortal, we must forsake the mortal sense of things, turn from the lie of false belief to Truth, and gather the facts of being from the divine Mind. " Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 370:2

Memories

New Year's Eve, 2021, Eureka Springs

photo credit: Richard Quick

​Has anyone else been remembering things they haven’t thought about in years — if ever? Today I played the word “ditch” in Words With Friends and suddenly an offensive lyric from Barnacle Bill The Sailor song popped into my mind. I remembered the feeling of hearing it when I was little: the repugnance, the curiosity, the amusement. And many other events have come to mind which I thought had been put to rest. Is it the shift which is happening is causing these horrendous thoughts to feel so present within me? I don’t know, but every spiritual seer I follow tells us we are going to notice things occurring in new and wondrous or horrid ways, according to how we perceive them. This is, of course, an individual journey, but in my experience I find I must practice non-reactive behavior (and it’s more difficult than ever; I often fail). Focusing on love over fear and disgust is imperative from my standpoint, giving me the compassionate empathy needed to accept without condemnation. I shall continue to look for beauty in every instant, keeping my head out of the sand without it floating away into la-la land, while being ever aware of situations which can use my help — physically, emotionally, spiritually. It’s never been easy, but it seems dang near impossible right now!

"The material world is even now becoming the arena for conflicting forces. On one side there will be discord and dismay; on the other side there will be Science and peace. 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 96:12

Move Your Hands; Calm Your Soul

I haven't felt like writing the past couple of days, but have found lovely writings of others' to pass on to you.

" Grandma how do you deal with pain?"

" With your hands, dear. When you do it with your mind, the pain hardens even more."

“With your hands, grandma?"

" Yes, yes. Our hands are the antennas of our soul. When you move them by sewing, cooking, painting, touching the earth or sinking it into the earth, they send signals of caring to the deepest part of you and your soul calms down.

This way she doesn't have to send pain anymore to show it.

" Are hands really that important?"

" Yes my girl. Thinking of babies: they get to know the world thanks to their touches. When you look at the hands of older people, they tell more about their lives than any other part of the body. Everything that is made by hand, so is said, is made with the heart because it really is like this: hands and heart are connected. Masseuses know this: When they touch another person's body with their hands, they create a deep connection. Thinking of lovers: When their hands touch, they love each other in the most sublime way."

" My hands grandma... how long haven't I used them like that!"

" Move them my girl, start creating with them and everything in you will move. The pain will not pass away. But it will be the best masterpiece. And it won't hurt anymore. Because you managed to embroider your essence."

~ Elena Barnabé

Madly In Love

 

Aaron and Kailey

"​May you fall madly in love this year ...in love with someone who unhinges your tired trajectory, in love with a spouse of several years who might be aching for lightning, in love with demanding children and crazy relatives ... in love with the particular pedigree of genius insanity that has perhaps claimed you in spite of your reluctance .. and certainly in love with an animal, a cloud, a redwood, the wild .. these at least once a day.

May you fall in love with this fragile jewel of a world, with hard work, real learning, just causes, petitioning and prayers. May you fall in love with wonder itself, with the grand mystery, with all that feeds you in order that you may live .. and with the responsibility that that confers.

May you fall in love with heartbreak and seeing how it's stitched into everything.

May you fall in love with the natural order of things and with tears, tenderness and humility. May this be a magnificent year for you.

May you fall deeply, madly, hopelessly, inextinguishably in love."

~ Rachelle Lamb: Poetess

A New Person

 

How do allegations of misconduct affect people, whether founded in truth or a malicious lie? We watched the 2019 Christmas special from Garrison Keillor, complete with his Prairie Home Companion entourage. I realized that this man is one of the best storytellers of all time. His delivery, his voice, the way he gives us outlandish details in an impromptu fashion, never boring us with these additions. But in the back of my mind, making itself known now and again, was the thought that he had been accused of sexual harassment. How could such a funny, friendly guy be a jerk? I examined it from many angles, and feel all right enjoying his show, although I won't forget he may be in disguise. I’m reminded of the ancient ritual of surrounding a wrong-doer and everyone recounting the good they know about the person. Anyone can become as innocent as the day they were born, make amends for the illusions which they perpetrated, and go forward as a new person. Happy New Year!

"Be not afraid. We only start again an ancient journey long ago begun that but seems new. We have begun again upon a road we travelled on before and lost our way a little while. And now we try again. Our new beginning has the certainty the journey lacked till now. Look up and see His Word among the stars, where He has set your Name along with His. Look up and find your certain destiny the world would hide but God would have you see." A Course in Miracles -C-ep.3.

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

​

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