Mindful Love

 

photo credit: Steve Shogren

​It’s difficult to think we would want anything other than happiness for ourselves. I know from personal experience that there have been many times when it seems I have set myself up for misery, yet I also do not think I did this purposefully, simply Mindlessly. The egotistical leanings of a person who is wild and blue oftentimes leads to poor life choices, and I feel fortunate to have survived and thrived despite turning away from goodness. There is so much beauty in this life, and we need only pay attention in order to experience it. Leaving behind our expectations may seem futile, but I think of it as freeing me to experience Love in its many manifestations. And I am grateful.

"The substance, Life, intelligence, Truth, and Love, which constitute Deity, are reflected by His creation; and when we subordinate the false testimony of the corporeal senses to the facts of Science, we shall see this true likeness and reflection everywhere." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 515:4-8

True Recognition

photo credit: Aaron Springston

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My thoughts turn today toward the holy relationship. We have many relationships in this life and, if you're like me, you prefer to think of them all as holy! If God is Love, and we express that Love, then isn't everything we do coming from that Love which is our essence? Unfortunately, our human ego often gets in the way. What we think of as love is often colored with human emotions such as guilt, jealousy, lust, and fear. This is a tough admission for any of us to make. A dear friend has been talking to me recently about a romantic relationship he is ending, and it's caused me to examine the reasons my marriages have not become a holy union. The thing that keeps coming back time and again is that each and every entanglement I have ever had was based in some way or another on the words, "I want". Maybe I wanted to be a grown up, maybe I wanted to be IN love, maybe I wanted a love affair like the movies and songs tell us is the be-all, end-all. My friend is feeling sad for the loss of this relationship. He liked so many things about this woman, but there differences which caused their incompatibility. He could have stayed, but there was something missing: It wasn't a holy relationship. It was based on expectation of change and other material desires. My friend innately knows that settling down with someone because it's easy is not what he wants. And I know he will recognize, within himSelf, what it is he's waiting for.

“Will, as a quality of so-called mortal mind, is a wrong-doer; hence it should not be confounded with the term as applied to Mind or to one of God’s qualities.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 597:24-26

Truth Sets Us Free

 ​The Dog Whisperer, (whom I’ve mentioned often in these writings) Cesar Millan, tells us he rehabilitates dogs and trains people. He observes that dogs live in the moment. When he is helping people to understand a dog which seems maimed by past experiences in its life, he always tells us that feeling sorry for the animal is of no benefit. How can this be? The dog is hurting and we're being asked to deny that? Yes!!

A Course in Miracles teaches us it's necessary to give up all beliefs -- not just those we deem to be "bad", but all material beliefs. By letting them go and replacing them with an openness of thought which allows us to hear the Truth of our Being, we experience the miracle which is the natural order of Life. It may not seem logical to say that we can simply release feelings of fear and anger. They can appear very real to us, but if we stop and examine them, do they have any purpose other than to bind us to the past? One dog Cesar worked with was afraid to walk on any floor without a carpet, because it had once gone sliding into a glass door. Upon investigation of its people's reactions, they had immediately reinforced the dog's fears by petting, commiserating, and talking about what a horrible experience it had been. They were holding the dog in fear by acts they thought of as compassion. What Cesar explains is that dogs live in the moment, unless they're held in the past by everyone around them. I’m so grateful for every experience which helps me to discern between belief and reality -- especially when it's shown to me by a dog!

“When an accident happens, you think or exclaim, 'I am hurt!' Your thought is more powerful than your words, more powerful than the accident itself, to make the injury real." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 397:12-16

The Secret Life of Bees

photo credit: Aaron Springston

 "The Secret Life of Bees" is one of my favorite books ever. I've read it twice and listened to it once, but that was years ago. So tonight when I had the opportunity to watch the movie, I was delighted! And rightfully so. The narrator is a broken, young girl whose mother deserted her in every way possible. Its setting is 1960s rural America, with all the racial paranoia you can imagine would be present. I ponder why some people are able to transcend awful events in their lives, while others are stuck in them. I'd love to have a round-table discussion about this. Every person, their experiences, their perceptions of life, they are all individual to us each, and nothing is universal about our pain. The honesty and grace lived by the family our main character is living with (and their love) heal her. By fearlessly looking at the pain and its source, she is able to make sense of it, feel it thoroughly, and find ways to be happy around it, until she will let it go. My focus for this year is: How to know the truth, and how to be an anti-racist. This movie sparked many ideas in my brain and I'm excited to see where they lead. I hope you have a joyous spring day!

"'Love one another', (I John, 3:23) is the most simple and profound counsel of the inspired writer. " Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 572:6

Rolling Back The Clouds With Light

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photo credit: Aaron Springston

What am I? This question has been asked from the beginning of recorded history -- and probably longer. Spiritual seers inform us that we are not a body. So if I am not a body, what am I? Intellectually, we can say that we are the reflection of God. We can tell ourselves and others that we're not material, we're spiritual. Then we'll stump our toe and declare that we can't be blamed if it hurts because we're not walking on water yet. We make jokes to explain why we aren't living the precepts which Jesus tells us are our heritage as children of God. But really, why is it that we've been so stunted in our realization of what all this means? Actually, we're not evolving slowly. There is no evolution involved in spiritual awakening, there is only getting rid of material belief and dogma. What we're doing now is cleaning the windowpane so the light has a transparency to flow through, rather than thousands of years of grime hiding our illumination. What are we? We're finding out more every day -- but that doesn't mean we have to wait a certain amount of time to learn a set amount of liberating facts in order to experience this light. That's the miracle! 

"Divine Science rolls back the clouds of error with the light of Truth, and lifts the curtain on man as never born and as never dying, but as coexistent with his creator." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 596:11-19

Let These Be Your Desires

photo credit: Aaron Springston

 

LET THESE BE YOUR DESIRES - KAHLIL GIBRAN

"Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself

But if your love and must needs have desires,

Let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook

That sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart

And give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer

For the beloved in your heart

And a song of praise upon your lips."

KAHLIL GIBRAN

Contributing To The Delinquency

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photo credit: Aaron Springston

What would you think if you heard I had been issued a citation for “contributing to the delinquency of minors”? The Boston Globe has started a program called Fresh Start, where people can ask them to forgive and forget. In other words, the newspaper will consider updating old articles about lesser crimes and misdemeanors, or hiding them from Internet search engines. The debate between people is now: Is this a fresh start or a cover-up? So back to my first sentence: Yes, I was issued such a citation, but it’s not what it sounds like! My son was 14 and going to The Principia in St Louis. It was spring break and he was visiting with some lifelong friends who lived on our street. About 10 o’clock, he called and asked if he could stay awhile because they were having fun. Of course I agreed, and went to sleep shortly thereafter. The phone rang at 1 a.m. and it was Aaron asking me if I could come to get them; that they were in jail. It turns out they had taken a walk on this beautiful spring night (it’s perfectly safe to do this in Eureka Springs), and they had been picked up by a new policeman and charged with curfew violation. When I went to get the teenagers, I was given a ticket for contributing to the delinquency of a minor because I didn’t know where my children were! This caused quite a brouhaha in our village with letters to the editor and even an editorial written about the whole situation. In a couple of weeks, the chief of police apologized and expunged my record. But what if he hadn’t? If this ticket showed up on my record from an internet search, what doors might have closed to me? Obviously, I’m all for this wonderful program called Fresh Start! 

“It would sometimes seem as if truth were rejected because meekness and spirituality are the conditions of its acceptance, while Christendom generally demands so much less.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health page 343:21

The Humanity Behind the Headline

 

Behind every headline there is a human being with a story. When we hear about frightening events, real people just like us have been affected. When we read about uplifting stories of people’s lives, those are actual people with friends and pets and sorrows and joys. An earthquake, a car accident, any event affects someone with a story. When we hear about a diplomat being tortured or a bomb blowing up in a public place, we feel bad for the people involved, rarely the place which has been destroyed. When we hear about half-a-million deaths because of Covid-19, it’s tempting to ignore the families left behind, grieving the loss of someone they love. Everybody has a story and good journalism brings them to life for us, allowing us to see the humanity behind the headline. In a world of headline readers, it’s nice to ponder the rest of the story sometimes!

   
“The object of the Monitor is to injure no man, but to bless all mankind.” Mary Baker Eddy

Uplifting Dialogues

"School Rules" painting by William Holbrook Beard

Do you ever feel a kinship with others which is so perfect that you know you are one Self, united in Creation? 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 are diametrically opposed toward our beliefs.  Today I will practice enjoying the middle road of conversations. If someone wants to talk about things I think are wrong, or foolish, or simply counter to my thoughts, I will listen with the purpose of understanding, not responding. I will 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 is, there is a middle ground to be found and an uplifting dialogue to be had. I want that. I want that a lot.

“Atonement is the exemplification of man's unity with God, whereby man reflects divine Truth, Life, and Love. Jesus of Nazareth taught and demonstrated man's oneness with the Father, and for this we owe him endless homage.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 18:1-5

Empty Vessels

 

photo credit: Gerry Toler

Many of life’s experiences are humbling. They help us to admit that we know nothing or that we’re wrong. I’ve gone through phases in the last 60 years when I didn’t want to admit either of these things, but now I am willing. On this beautiful nearly-spring day, join me in having no opinions and allowing beliefs to dissolve. Let’s see what shows up when we are an empty vessel! 

"We cannot fill vessels already full. They must first be emptied. Let us disrobe error. Then, when the winds of God blow, we shall not hug our tatters close about us.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 201:13-15

Changeless

photo credit: Gabrielle Schäfer

We seem like such fragile beings, with our emotional, physical, and mental states easily influenced by the circumstances surrounding us. Perhaps it’s the enforced isolation we have experienced during the last year which has caused so much “stuff” to surface. I think it’s a good thing to recognize the source of our pain, face it, and deal with it in whatever way necessary. In the last few weeks, numerous people have confided to me issues regarding their parents. One can’t release the blame and guilt associated with an abusive situation, another is upset because her father was in prison when she was born and she didn’t know who he was until recently, then there is the recurring situation when someone is adopted and they feel a part of their lives is missing. All of these situations can seem dire, but everything is being experienced by how we interpret it, and that is a choice. True forgiveness lies in not blaming. When we let that go, there is nothing to forgive. I’ve been there, and I know it can seem impossible. As I told one young person, no matter what someone did to you, nothing can touch the real you. And what is real? That which does not change. Namaste...

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

Grateful For You

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my Dutch friend in Paris

Today I want to express gratitude for the people I have met through these daily writings, and the old friends I have kept in touch with whom I may have lost track of otherwise. I’ve met a court reporter in California, a violinist in The Netherlands, a deep-thinking writer in Chicago, all when they read my blog which is linked daily on Twitter — or maybe somewhere else! But my point is that I’m grateful for the connections, for the Love expressed, and for the deepening understanding we’re sharing together. I appreciate your kind understanding when I write about my fears and sorrows. I love having you to celebrate with during times of joy and accomplishment. It’s been almost a decade since I began writing to you daily. I love it when you write to me or leave comments on the blog! We’re all in this together, and I am grateful...

“Being is holiness, harmony, immortality. It is already proved that a knowledge of this, even in small degree, will uplift the physical and moral standard of mortals, will increase longevity, will purify and elevate character. Thus progress will finally destroy all error, and bring immortality to light.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 492:7

Whom Do I Call My Enemy?

 

This Morning I Pray for My Enemies

Joy Harjo - 1951-

And whom do I call my enemy?

An enemy must be worthy of engagement.

I turn in the direction of the sun and keep walking.

It’s the heart that asks the question, not my furious mind.

The heart is the smaller cousin of the sun.

It sees and knows everything.

It hears the gnashing even as it hears the blessing.

The door to the mind should only open from the heart.

An enemy who gets in, risks the danger of becoming a friend.

Cool Revelations

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photo credit: Aaron Springston

After writing yesterday’s post about Michelle Fishburne and her quest to discover stories across the U.S. about positive changes which have happened since the pandemic, I started thinking about people I know who have had ​cool revelations because of their enforced isolation. I immediately thought of the married couple who had grown apart and were even thinking about going their separate ways. After spending a year working from home, they’ve discovered that they actually like each other and now they have plans for starting a business together, which will be centered out of their home. Then there’s the young mother who wanted to stay home with her babies, but felt guilty because she wouldn’t be bringing in money. She discovered she could work as a court reporter’s scopist and make more money from her home than at her waitressing job — and she gets to raise her children! There are churches and spiritual groups which are meeting online, opening up a whole new way of fellowship for those who can’t leave their homes because of physical or emotional disabilities. Plus, congregation members who had moved away are now able to zoom with their friends and share in an exciting new way of worship. I’m sure you know of numerous happy stories, too!

“He who first brings to humanity some great good, must have gained its height beforehand, to be able to life others toward it.” Mary Baker Eddy - Miscellaneous Writing’s Page 338:2

A Higher Humanity

 

Grotto Springs - photo credit: Aaron Springston

Last year, a North Carolina woman named Michelle Fishburne decided to travel the United States in an RV and talk to people about the pandemic and how it has affected their lives. The project is called, Who We Are Now. She says one word exemplifies the majority of people interviewed: "pluck", which is defined as spirited and determined courage. For instance, a 21-year-old in Columbia, Missouri started a company called Repertoire which has the motto, “Embrace the uncomfortable and walk with purpose.” Ms. Fishburne, the self-employed storyteller says of the people she has met: “They have lifted their heads up from their previously busy lives and they are thinking about, and seeing, and caring about other people. That extends beyond family and friends. Americans are concerned about the well-being of others they’ve never met – including those across party lines. I have heard those five little words – ‘I think about those people’ – over and over again." I look forward to hearing more uplifting stories such as this, don't you?

"The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 571:19

Decisions, Decisions...

 Thailand - photo credit: Aaron Springston

I can't imagine making the huge decisions world leaders are called upon to make every single moment of every single day. There are too many pros and cons to think about assimilating by yourself. And that's why they need trusted advisors; people who accumulate facts and are able to fairly report them for group discussions which can result in informed decisions. No one is an island. That saying comes to mind often when I see someone who thinks they know everything and no one's opinion other than theirs is of value. We, individually, are a microcosm of the world. We each have decisions to make every day, whether it's something as small as what type of tea to have with breakfast or one of the milestones of life. We watch our city officials struggle with budgets and opinionated city council members, knowing some will side with one and some with another. It's difficult to understand because if we all want what's best for humanity, there simply should not be so much dissention. Maybe our perceptions are colored by the manipulations of the few who are out to pad their pockets with cash, under the guise of helping everyone else. Maybe we're lulled by apathy, thinking somebody will take care of things so why should we pay attention. Whatever the case, we can all hold a higher thought when confronted by injustice. I feel we're at the tipping point of a new world. Don't give up!

"Unconstitutional and unjust coercive legislation and laws, infringing individual rights,  must be 'of few days and full of trouble.' The vox populi, through the providence of God, promotes and impels all true reform; and, at the best time, will redress wrongs and rectify injustice. Tyranny can thrive but feebly under our government. God reigns, and will 'turn and overturn' until right is found supreme." Mary Baker Eddy - Miscellaneous Writings - Page 80

Blooming Love

A thought caught from Thich Nhat Hanh's Facebook Page

 "You can live in such a way that shows compassion is possible in any situation. Set an example, even if it’s a small one; other people can learn from it. The best way to help others lessen their fear, craving, and violence is to show them there is another way. If love has degenerated into hate, it’s possible for you to turn the garbage of that hate into a kind of compost to nourish the flower of love to bloom again."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Earth's Preparatory School

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

When sheltering in place became our way of life last March, I felt ready for it because I’d been practicing living that way for quite some time. I happily pulled back into my shell, cozily enjoying the daily life we had made for ourselves on a dead-end street, in the woods of a cool little mountain town. It felt safe and warm and happy. With a smart, witty man in the house, along with the comfort of having a son downstairs — well, I felt like the old song which referenced “two cats in the yard”. And I still feel that way, even though my sparring partner has left this plane of existence. When I got the death certificate today, I had mixed emotions. First I was sad when reading it; then a bit perturbed. They had listed him as married and me as Marsha Wright, surviving. Good grief! But seeing this document brought up many different thoughts and emotions which I hadn’t considered. I won’t go into detail, as I’m sure you either know or can imagine. Then suddenly I realized I was ready for this: I have been practicing all my life for whatever the moment may bring! Laughter really is the best healer, don’t you think? Cheers to you, Kevin, who always loved a good happy accident...

"Earth's preparatory school must be improved to the utmost. In reality man never dies. The belief that he dies will not establish his scientific harmony. Death is not the result of Truth but of error, and one error will not correct another." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 486

More Alike Than Unalike

 Human Family by Maya Angelou

"I note the obvious differences

in the human family.

Some of us are serious,

some thrive on comedy.

Some declare their lives are lived

as true profundity,

and others claim they really live

the real reality.

The variety of our skin tones

can confuse, bemuse, delight,

brown and pink and beige and purple,

tan and blue and white.

I've sailed upon the seven seas

and stopped in every land,

I've seen the wonders of the world

not yet one common man.

I know ten thousand women

called Jane and Mary Jane,

but I've not seen any two

who really were the same.

Mirror twins are different

although their features jibe,

and lovers think quite different thoughts

while lying side by side.

We love and lose in China,

we weep on England's moors,

and laugh and moan in Guinea,

and thrive on Spanish shores.

We seek success in Finland,

are born and die in Maine.

In minor ways we differ,

in major we're the same.

I note the obvious differences

between each sort and type,

but we are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike."

Sunshine and a Promise of Spring

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painting by Carol Dickie

What a difference a day makes! Sunshine and temperatures well above freezing have put a smile on everyone's face here in the Ozarks. I can't remember how many gray days we've had, but I think it's around ten or so. But today -- oh, my, how wonderful! To see people walking dogs and happily calling out to each other; watching driveways and paths being shoveled; cars driving to open markets and restaurants -- wow! I've always been grateful for times of need, because times of plenty are so appreciated when they reappear. I look around my home, and seeing Kevin's handiwork brings great big smiles and a heart expanding with gratitude for the joy and wonder he brought to my life. The great, huge dogs he left with me are something I didn't plan on ever having again, but I'm happy they're here. The sorrow I felt at his passing is being embraced as a complement to the joy I feel today. Making music at my two churches was joyful, and I was surprised at how pleased I was to do it today. Contentment, peace, happiness -- Life is Good and I Am grateful...

“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.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 265:23-30