Veritable Ideas or Illusion?

 

photo credit: Richard Quick A friend made a passing comment about the erroneous thoughts we glom onto in daily life. He said that once you hear something, it's a part of you -- a part of your consciousness, if you will. I certainly know how difficult it can be to release any thought -- whether I have decided to think of it as truth or rumor. He is so right that once it's in you, it's difficult to let out -- but not impossible! The key to this release is realizing what you are. As long as I see myself as a material human, a victim of life's circumstances and cable news, then yes, it is difficult, even impossible, to release the hold of falsehood. When I start to glimpse that I am not this body, that I am Idea -- an Idea of God! -- then, and only then, am I freed from the bombardment of daily illusions and the lies of material sense. Looked at from this perspective, my goal is not to release anything, it is to understand my Being as an expression of divine Mind, an emanation of divine Love, the experience of divine Life! I will not think of this as an impossible task, but as a reachable Truth.

“How are veritable ideas to be distinguished from illusions? By learning the origin of each. Ideas are emanations from the divine Mind. Thoughts, proceeding from the brain or from matter, are offshoots of mortal mind; they are mortal material beliefs. Ideas are spiritual, harmonious, and eternal. Beliefs proceed from the so-called material senses, which at one time are supposed to be substance-matter and at another are called spirits.” 
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 88:9-16

Is The Past Over In My Mind?

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Toni, Brud, Marsha - circa 1985

Someone posted photos on Facebook of our 10th class reunion in 1980. I was reminded of this statement from A Course in Miracles: “The past is over. It can touch me not." In my observations of these get-togethers, everyone seems to be pretty much the same as they always have been. The mean girls are still that way, the flirty girls are still flipping their skirts, and the cool kids are still hiding their feelings. While I've always enjoyed these gatherings, I tend to either wander away with an old friend or, perhaps, drink a bit too much and ask the cowboys to dance. I love this ACIM quote: “Unless the past is over in my mind, the world must escape my sight." I want to live in the present, in a world full of divine Love and Truth. Reliving illusions can be fun, much like watching a movie. But I'd rather wake up in a new world everyday, excited about the adventures it holds!

“As the crude footprints of the past disappear from the dissolving paths of the present, we shall better understand the Science which governs these changes, and shall plant our feet on firmer ground.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 224: 4-7  

Quantum Entanglement

 

photo credit: Arthur Bruno

​Physicists tell us of a perspective called quantum entanglement, in which particles separate yet remain connected, reacting to stimuli in the same way even though they no longer occupy the same space. In a book by Dan Cowan, Mind Underlies Spacetime, he explains, "...this direct connectedness occurs because each real entity is already everywhere." How perfectly this explains Oneness! What we think and do affects everyone and everything. Remember the butterfly effect? Our thoughts and actions act in this way, also: radiating into the universe, changing things without our knowledge. Every thought is important, adding to the cosmic soup which we only recognize through our rare glimpses of this omnipotent, invisible substance. So when we feel overwhelmed and think there is nothing we can do to change the world, remember, we are doing it now!

“As vapor melts before the sun, so evil would vanish before the reality of good. One must hide the other. How important, then, to choose good as the reality!” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 480:31

The Joys of Solitude

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Salt Flats - Utah - PC: Aaron Springston

Silence. First thing in the morning, I’ve always tried to have a happy thought, followed by a bit of concentrated study. Perhaps it’s the workbook lesson from A Course in Miracles, maybe it’s reading a page or two from another writing which will center me to begin the day, but it’s definitely not the news of world horrors. Last thing at night, I shut my brain down with a crossword puzzle or Words With Friends. But an important part of my day has always been silence. Listening. During the whirlwind romance I embarked on for the last four years, my silent time was diminished and at times non-existent. Now that Kevin has passed on, I am grateful for the moments I gave him, but I’m realizing how much I lost in not allowing myself more communion with All that Is. I Am. Falling back into the quiet rhythms which I love is a joy. I feel an urgency not before known, and it’s difficult to impart this to friends. The contentment brought from simple household chores, the happiness which rises when I wake up and realize I have nowhere to be, the pleasure derived from watching the flowers grow, doing chair exercises with a calm couple on youTube, playing the piano — I’m happier every day. So if I turn down an invitation to do something fun, please forgive me. I’ll be ready soon...

“The scientific sense of being, forsaking matter for Spirit, by no means suggests man’s absorption into Deity and the loss of his identity, but confers upon man enlarged individuality, a wider sphere of thought and action, a more expansive love, a higher and more permanent peace.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 265:10

Peace, a State of Mind

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photo credit: Arthur Bruno

I've heard it said that the older we get, the less things bother us. In earlier years, when I was bothered by everything, it was impossible to imagine that this was so. While it seems to be true now, I see plenty of people riper in years who are much-bothered all the time! My conclusion is that peace is a state of mind. As we cultivate an awareness of the presence of Love within ourselves, it becomes natural to turn to that gentleness in times of seeming turmoil. This peace is always there, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. Today I look forward to relishing its gentle presence every moment.

“Mind demonstrates omnipresence and omnipotence, but Mind revolves on a spiritual axis, and its power is displayed and its presence felt in eternal stillness and immovable Love.” Mary Baker Eddy - From Retrospection and Introspection Page 88-89

Disappearance of the Universe

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Utah Salt Flats - photo credit: Aaron springston

Do you have an incident from childhood which has stayed with you, perhaps affecting the way you live today? I know someone who, as a young child, caught her mother in a compromising position with a man other than her father. She refuses to marry. I know a man who found his father dead from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. His whole life is a series of dramatic events which he blames on that incident. I'm sure you know many stories, too. The Disappearance of the Universe, a book by Gary Renard, speaks to these types of events and much, much more. When we release our beliefs, we can turn loose our history, also. I love hearing stories of people who live through horrendous-seeming events and remain not only happy but proactive. This thing we call forgiveness isn't some sort of divine pardon, but a yielding within ourselves to purity of thought, without the impediments of holding on to memories of wrongdoing, resentment, and pain of all sorts. This yielding includes the release of things which we think have been done to us and things we think we have done to others. So let's choose again, rest in Love, and go forward, with joy!

“The more material a belief, the more obstinately tenacious its error; the stronger are the manifestations of the corporeal senses, the weaker the indications of Soul.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 144:10-13

The Holiest Spot

 

my front yard

"Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you." This Mary Baker Eddy quote is one of my favorites, which I've always thought of as meaning that the human hatred others feel cannot reach me when I'm wearing the armor of divine Love. I now see that it includes the hatred I may feel toward others, also. It's very easy for me to think that I don't hate anyone or anything. Actually, it's a word I have pruned from my vocabulary and simply do not use. BUT if I am irritated by another's actions or words, or if I replay a situation in my mind which caused anger in the past, or if I allow criticism to gnaw at me and I think of retaliatory statements which could have been said -- isn't that human hatred? Wearing this cloak of Love calms these nagging feelings and thoughts. I know that if I'm wearing the protection of Love, hatred cannot enter from inside or out!

“The holiest of all the spots on earth is where an ancient hatred has become a present love.” A Course in Miracles

How Solid Is Matter?

 

photo credit: Christopher Fischer

​Quantum physics is helping us to understand that form isn't as solid as we've been told. With that understanding, it becomes clear that many limitations we've placed upon ourselves are nothing more than beliefs in material laws. Limitations are discarded when an athlete breaks a record in the Olympics, or if someone performs a seemingly-impossible feat like lifting a car off of trapped loved ones. We've all heard people tell tales we think of as supernatural, such as falling great distances and feeling as though they have landed on a cushion, or so-called incurable diseases disappearing. The first Wayne Dyer book I read was "When You Believe It, You'll See It!" I was so excited to see that mainstream thought was shifting! Now, I'm not suggesting we exchange one human belief for yet another, but rather let's look to​ward​ divine Mind to show us the truth of our being, allowing ourselves to be led in paths we wouldn't have considered otherwise. Thought is rapidly shifting at this time. Let's not be afraid!

“A mortal, corporeal, or finite conception of God cannot embrace the glories of limitless, incorporeal Life and Love. Hence the unsatisfied human craving for something better, higher, holier, than is afforded by a material belief in a physical God and man. ” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 258: 2-6

May Peace Be With Me

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photo credit: Arthur Bruno

Although I know I can't force my way of thinking onto others, I would love to share peace with everyone, everywhere. It has taken quite a while to grasp the concept that the only thought I can change is my own. After spending years trying to change thoughts and actions of husbands and friends, I think it was my children who finally taught me the meaning of Oneness, as I would watch the mood of the household change with my emotions. This caused me to understand that holding onto peace within myself is the least and most I can do. Jumping on the bandwagon of resentment and other negative emotions always seemed impossible to avoid, but I don’t find it as difficult nowadays to simply witness things without becoming a part of them. While I can't change what anyone else is thinking or feeling or experiencing, I can adjust my own vision of reality. Every thought is important! We are all in this together, in every way, at every moment. Today I will make an effort to see everything through the eyes of Love!

“Spiritual living and blessedness are the only evidences by which we can recognize true existence and feel the unspeakable peace which comes from an all-absorbing spiritual love.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 264:24-27

The Worst Thing We Ever Did

photo credit: Aaron Springston

A Poem by Chelan Harkin from 'Susceptible to Light'

"The worst thing we ever did

was put God in the sky

out of reach

pulling the divinity

from the leaf,

sifting out the holy from our bones,

insisting God isn’t bursting dazzlement

through everything we’ve made

a hard commitment to see as ordinary,

stripping the sacred from everywhere

to put in a cloud man elsewhere,

prying closeness from your heart.

The worst thing we ever did

was take the dance and the song

out of prayer

made it sit up straight

and cross its legs

removed it of rejoicing

wiped clean its hip sway,

its questions,

its ecstatic yowl,

its tears.

The worst thing we ever did is pretend

God isn’t the easiest thing

in this Universe

available to every soul

in every breath."

~ Chelan Harkin from 'Susceptible to Light'

What Facilitates Change?

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"No Looking Back" - art of Sandy Starbird

I’m tempted to tell you about all the attack thoughts I've been having lately toward corporate polluters and political liars -- but I won't. I won't do that because feeding your attack thoughts does nothing to take mine away. This fertilizing of attack thoughts can be found everywhere, from coffee shops to churches, and it doesn't do a single thing to change the world. If the world we see is an effect, the only way to change this hallucination is to alter the cause: our thought. Some may ridicule this idea. But I ask: Have any of the material manipulations in all of history affected a change? Did our civil war free the slaves? It was a beginning, of course, but many people stayed in bondage long past when laws were enacted. It takes a change of thought. Let's free ourselves today -- and forever!

"Legally to abolish unpaid servitude in the United States was hard; but the abolition of mental slavery is a more difficult task. The despotic tendencies, inherent in mortal mind and always germinating in new forms of tyranny, must be rooted out through the action of the divine Mind." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 225:22-28

“There is no point in trying to change the world. It is incapable of change because it is merely an effect. But there is indeed a point in changing your thoughts about the world. Here you are changing the cause. The effect will change automatically.” A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #23

An Angel Entertained Unawares

 

Pueblo Angel - artist, Judy Griffith

Some painful memories want to stay with us. Throughout the years, certain events have re-played regularly in my mind. Although these reruns are mostly gone now, there are current events which seem to beg me to take offense. They jump up and down asking to be retold, wanting to hold me to them with emotions. To hold a grievance, you must live in the past. I remember a line from a little book by Alan Lightman called "Einstein's Dreams". He tells us that those who live in grievances past are condemned to live there alone. Habitually recounting what used to be, or wishing for what never was, or wanting what could have been, these thought processes are symptoms of holding on to the past. So today I will hold thought to a return to Love -- a figurative return, as I remember that I never left, and neither has anyone else. This Love replaces all grievances in my thought, and by this process I am safely and peacefully at One with God and all.

“The circumstance, which your suffering sense deems wrathful and afflictive, Love can make an angel entertained unawares.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 574:27-30

“’Now’ has no meaning to the ego. The present merely reminds it of past hurts, and it reacts to the present as if it were the past. The ego cannot tolerate release from the past, and although the past is over, the ego tries to preserve its image by responding as if it were present. It dictates your reactions to those you meet in the present from a past reference point, obscuring their present reality.” ACIM Chapter 13:IV:5

The Powers of Nature

 

Aaron Hunting Deer

"When the powers of nature are the focus of your awareness and your thoughts, you come near to spirit, near to the source of all life. This is why most people love to walk in the woods or by the sea: they come close to the original source, and it is healing just to be in its presence. It cleanses you, brings peace of mind, touches your heart and brings you home to your soul." ~ Chris Luttichau

States and Stages of Consciousness

 

Imagine a world with no pain, no war, no lack. This is the world presented in a thought-providing movie called, "The Giver". This scenario seems Utopian on the surface, but no one sees colors, or feels love, or knows joy. This world of sameness is calculated to eliminate envy and greed, as these are feelings which lead to conflicts and war.  Jeff Bridges plays the giver of memories, and no one else knows the memories of past horrors or wonders. What do you think? Would it be worth it to have a perfectly comfortable and predictable world with no highs nor lows? Is this what we're trying to create for ourselves in giving drugs to anyone who steps outside of the so-called norm in society? What are we creating in our efforts to make everyone socially acceptable? I feel like I'm asking you questions in an Oprah book club or something similar! This movie asks us: Is all the pain worth the glimpses of love we may experience? I know many of us are willing to give up our belief in a hellish world of pain and reach within for heaven and harmony. I can see that many of us are finding bliss no matter what the outer circumstance, but a lot of people are frightened and resistant. We can't change anyone else, but we can change our own thoughts. If we really are One, this makes a difference!

“…the heavens and earth to one human consciousness, that consciousness which God bestows, are spiritual, while to another, the unillumined human mind, the vision is material. This shows unmistakably that what the human mind terms matter and spirit indicates states and stages of consciousness.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health 573:6

Searching For The Wrong-Eyed Jesus

 

Eureka Springs, AR - PC: Dale Johnson

​I live in a town with a big Jesus on the hill. Today I saw an article about the cleaning of the huge Jesus in South America. They reminded me of a past writing of mine, which I repeat for you today. Happy Spring!

"Searching For the Wrong-Eyed Jesus" is a documentary on life in the South of the United States. This film takes us to small towns where people turn to drugs and/or religion when they've given up all hope of finding happiness. I watched in fascination, realizing for the first time what people find in so-called "holy-roller" churches. In their feverish love of God, they find the pleasure they crave. Others turn to mood-elevating drugs for the same reason. One person in the movie says that everyone is "lonely for God" in these desolate towns. Another line which struck me was this: "He was just a regular ol' Southern lunatic. In his quest for union, he ended up being more separate than ever." There is such truth to be found in their longing! I longed with them as they jumped up and down, speaking in tongues and dancing in odd jerky movements. There wasn't much difference in the drunken barroom scenes on Saturday night and the gyrations of the Sunday morning gatherings. They're all looking for the same thing: They want to fill the emptiness inside. They want excitement, fun, a way to pass time without feeling alone. I can't keep from thinking of how they would be set free with the knowledge of their true Being. The only way this can happen is if I realize it -- really realize it! --not just intellectually, but with my heart.

"The Science Jesus taught and lived must triumph over all material beliefs about life, substance, and intelligence, and the multitudinous errors growing from such beliefs. Love must triumph over hate." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 43:27

Healing Effect of Truth

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Lake Leatherwood - Eureka Springs - PC: Gerry Toler

Many new-age thought systems try to find reasons for disease, then work to get rid of the "problem" which is causing you to be unwell. This is something which has no place in quantum thought.  When Mary Baker Eddy realized the nothingness of matter and the substance of Spirit, not many were willing to imagine the possibility until they saw physical proof. The healing which comes about through this understanding is not a manipulation of matter, but a yielding of erroneous belief to the Truth of creation by divine Mind. The Catch-22 is that if you are trying to heal something, you can't. But if you're knowing the Truth of existence, and that knowledge becomes more than just wishful thinking, the changeability of matter is shown in ways which we think of as healing. Knowing that there is nothing to be healed, that all is perfectly reflected as a creation of divine Mind, therein lies the healing. Going to the core of yourSelf and recognizing that your consciousness is One with Spirit, that is what brings an all-encompassing joy and peace which makes us happy to release false belief. Once that is gone, Truth shines forth in all Its magnificence!

“That mortal mind claims to govern every organ of the mortal body, we have overwhelming proof. But this so-called mind is a myth, and must by its own consent yield to Truth. It would wield the scepter of a monarch, but it is powerless. The immortal divine Mind takes away all its supposed sovereignty, and saves mortal mind from itself. The author has endeavored to make this book the Aesculapius of mind as well as of body, that it may give hope to the sick and heal them, although they know not how the work is done. Truth has a healing effect, even when not fully understood.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 151:31-8

Miracles: Natural Expressions of Love

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Material vision is dimmed by any number of events and circumstances which may cause us to believe that darkness is as real as light. I'm sure you can think of circumstances which you think of as wonderful and someone else does not. Maybe you loved a musical performance and your spouse slept through it. And we all know people who find fault with everything no matter what. Then there are those of us who are accused of having a Pollyanna attitude because we insist on seeing the good in situations. Albert Einstein described this well: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." The inspirations of Love set us in the ideal stead to enjoy every moment in its spiritual perfection. So I say, Pollyannas unite! Let's go forth and scatter Light!

“Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love. The real miracle is the love that inspires them. In this sense everything that comes from love is a miracle.” A Course in Miracles

"The miracle introduces no disorder, but unfolds the primal order, establishing the Science of God's unchangeable law." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 135:6-8

Falling Off the Edge of the Earth?

 

photo credit: Arthur Bruno

​We are in the midst of a great shift in consciousness, which also means a good deal of holding on to the past and a fear of the future. My daily work toward recognizing and living Love is called into practice often in this time of political drama. Let's all be grateful that we are one with Love, while knowing that our only mind is divine. By doing so, the fear of change will banish as quickly as the fear of falling off the edge of the earth did centuries ago!

“Identity is the reflection of Spirit, the reflection in multifarious forms of the living Principle, Love.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 477:20-22

A New View

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Snow in Spring - PC: Richard Quick

Acknowledging that everything and everyone we look upon is the face of divine Love takes our perception to another level! With this sight, we do not need to see race or nationalities nor gender. There are no political parties for which to wave flags, and no enemies to fight against nor allies to side with. I see beautiful things happening in our world. Long-held beliefs are being released in favor of an open-hearted acceptance of everyone as they are, not as we want them to be. Change can seem difficult, but our new perceptions of Life are a conscious choice by which we break free of habits and old thought patterns which have held us in bondage for far too long. Let’s celebrate our new-found sight today!

“Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action. Love is priestess at the altar of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 454: 20-23

We're Doing The Best We Can

 

Marsha, Aaron, Kailey at Ukulele Jam in Longmont, CO

​Everyone is doing the best they can. For years, I would remind myself of this while going through the day. When tempted to judge something as less than satisfactory, I would tell myself that everyone was doing the best that they could. I haven’t been using this mantra much this year, and it’s starting to show in my attitude. I’ve found myself being irritated with politicians, friends, neighbors, relatives — well, I guess anyone who is not doing things the way I would do them! So, in this reminder I shall include myself. I’m doing the best I can, with the exception being: now that I know better, I’ll do better. And when I’m tempted to get on my high horse and think someone isn’t living up to my expectations, I’ll translate that into a loving response rather than a critical one. Namaste...

“Advancing spiritual steps in the teeming universe of Mind lead on to spiritual spheres and exalted beings. To material sense, this divine universe is dim and distant, gray in the somber hues of twilight; but anon the veil is lifted, and the scene shifts into light.” Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health Page 513:6

"Sit quietly and look upon the world you see, and tell yourself: 'The real world is not like this.'" A Course in Miracles T-13.VII1