Falling Straight Into Love

photo credit: Mickey Finefield

In the early 1900s, people flocked to Eureka Springs for the healing waters. Thousands of people in need found their way here, as they still do today. People are drawn to our town, often without knowing why. I love watching the transformation as people's thought​s​ change from focusing on their problems to relaxing into solutions. To varying degrees, we are all realizing that true healing comes when we release our beliefs in things and open ourselves to feeling and understanding the presence of Love. When this is our only desire, when there is no other need or want, new perceptions become visible and viable. Often it takes extreme conditions to cause us to seek the understanding of our unity with God. But isn't it sweet when we skip that step and fall straight into Love!

“The great miracle, to human sense, is divine Love, and the grand necessity of existence is to gain the true idea of what constitutes the kingdom of heaven in man.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 560:11-15

Still, Small Voice of Peace

photo credit: Arthur Bruno

What is the real world? While we think we are seeing the real world — with all of its pain, sorrow, fear, and horror — we are not. The unreal world, which is reported on the news and purported to be reality by those who scoff at anything unseen to human eyes, is not the reality of spiritual creation. After years of believing that this world of duality will in some way bring us peace and happiness, most of us are ready to release that perception and see with purer eyes, looking beyond illusions toward the true substance of Life as created by divine Mind and interpreted through divine Love. Looking past the chaotic thoughts presented through outside sources, I want to listen for the still, small voice of peace which is always present within mySelf. 

"Certain moods of mind find an indefinable pleasure in stillness, soft, silent as the storm's sudden hush; for nature's stillness is voiced with a hum of harmony, the gentle murmur of early morn, the evening's closing vespers, and lyre of bird and brooklet." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Christian Science versus Pantheism Page 3:8-13

True Identity

Eureka Springs Parade - PC: Richard Quick

A Course in Miracles tells us that the body is a communication device; that it is a tool to be used and then laid aside when its use is over. In this world, we have mistaken the body for our true identity. If we no longer see our body as either good or bad, but rather as a totally neutral thing, it can be realized as what it is in truth: an extension of Love. A dear man reminded me today of something a mutual friend said about Love: there is no unconditional love, only Love. If there are conditions, it’s not really Love! Today I shall think of my body in this way, too, without conditions and limitations, but only as the Idea it is!

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

Friends

 
I spent the afternoon with a friend who is in the hospital. She has lost the light in her eyes, so I read Mary Oliver essays to her, with lots of long pauses and occasional recounting of times we have shared. My heart swells with the Love I feel for this wonderful woman. Before I left to visit her, another old friend, Kriste-lee, artist extraordinaire, came by my house for an unexpected visit. We hadn’t seen each other in almost two years, other than a brief chance meeting in a public setting. Seeing these women with whom I’ve shared Life was uplifting and, also, a cause for much introspective remembering. Our time together is precious, dear Friends. I cherish you…

“Love never loses sight of loveliness. its halo rests upon its object. One marvels that a friend can ever seem less than beautiful." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 248:3

Brouhahas

Perhaps I'm experiencing Covid fatigue. For the last few years, I’ve played duplicate bridge. Past writings have applauded the different life views I get to hear; ideas which my regular social circle might not proffer. At the first of the pandemic, our club stopped meeting because of our extremely close contact at the bridge table. We started to play again a couple of months ago, shortly thereafter deciding we needed to wear masks, and so we have. Some people strongly disagree with this decision and there has been a bit of a brouhaha over the mandate. Tensions have mounted. Despite my personal vow to remain calm and open-minded, when a woman began to espouse extreme political views yesterday I told her exactly what I thought about it. This exchange caused me to realize it’s time for me to back off from the situation, as being in close quarters with so many people doesn’t feel like the thing to do right now. There are many times in my life I have felt the need to be quiet and listen for guidance. Hopefully a correction in thought will occur, before I alienate any more sweet little old conservative ladies. Ohmmmmm... :)

“Choke these errors in their early stages, if you would not cherish an army of conspirators against health, happiness, and success.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 405:9-11

Ego Busters

unknown photographer

The teachings of A Course in Miracles reveal many ideas which could be called ego-busters, any one of which may ruffle our feathers! I like to think I’m quietly listening for Spirit to speak through me today and everyday, but I know that’s not always true. Often I have an uneasy feeling somewhere around the solar plexus, or maybe there’s an odd, tired feeling in my spine, both of which I’ve learned to recognize as symptoms of an errant ego making itself known. Sometimes I might be self-righteous in response to a situation, or perhaps I feel defensive when I’m not absolutely sure about my position. When these things happen, I can choose to back up, perhaps apologize to someone, and start over with a fresh perspective, because my words and/or actions were coming from a self-righteous source. And so, dear Reader, please feel free to tell me if you think I’m wrong, or point out a situation in which I may have been insensitive. I promise not to take it personally! 

"Eloquence re-echoes the strains of Truth and Love. It is due to inspiration rather than to erudition." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 88:26-27

Ripening Into Immortality

Ken & Sandy Starbird in my gallery, Eureka Thyme

I grew up in a small town and have lived all my life in close proximity to it, so there are many people I’ve known for decades. Looking back at my dearest friends through the years, most of us have grown apart, finding that we no longer share the same viewpoints or interests.  Friendships ebb and flow, change over the years, and mature into majestic alliances. The treasured relationships which have endured are so sweet! Loving God extends into loving Its expression, in the form of other humans. I am grateful for the burgeoning understanding which allows me to love without fear, to extend a hand when needed, and never fear the consequences. Namaste!

“Love never loses sight of loveliness. Its halo rests upon its object. One marvels that a friend can ever seem less than beautiful. Men and women of riper years and larger lessons ought to ripen into health and immortality, instead of lapsing into darkness or gloom.” Mary Baker Eddy-Science & Health Page 249:3-7

In the beginning ...

 From Mary Oliver's Upstream: 

"In the beginning I was so young and such a stranger to myself I hardly existed. I had to go out into the world and see it and hear it and react to it, before I knew at all who I was, what I was, what I wanted to be. Wordsworth studied himself and found the subject astonishing. Actually what he studied was his relationship to the harmonies and also the discords of the natural world. That’s what created the excitement." 

Mary Oliver

Fear Not...

 Sometimes we instill fear in our children even before they're born. Most mothers-to-be are worried about a myriad of things, having been taught to believe it's necessary to do that. From the moment we stand up and toddle about we hear: Be careful, don't fall! When I was a child, I loved to walk in the woods alone, and the only warnings I was given had to do with snakes or perhaps the occasional wild carnivore. Nowadays, everything from ticks to the sun may attack us, and we go to great lengths to protect ourselves, putting poisons on our skin to avoid something we perceive to be worse. This is yet another example of the material illusions we have made for ourselves. As I go through this day, I will notice what learned behaviors are ruling my life, holding me in fear rather than Love. The words of a great teacher come to mind: Perfect Love casts out fear!

“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

And It Was Good ...

 

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I love to sit on my back deck, where nothing exists other than a forest and the insects and birds talking to me. My gratitude for this peace is all-encompassing. Of course, we are conditioned to feel guilty when we are happy in spite of other people’s misery and fear, so the thought crossed my mind that I should feel bad for others. But this was quickly corrected because I know that no matter how badly I feel about the plight of another, it will do nothing to improve their lot. This does not mean that I have no compassion for them, but that I correct the picture of despair in my thoughts and see them according to the first book of Genesis rather than the second: God created everything and it was good. That is the spiritual reality of Life. So rather than dwelling on images burned into my retina by my knowledge of world events,  I translate them into the purity of creation in its natural state​:​ Love.  The compassion I feel for all of the earth is not dimmed by my turning away from the material picture; rather it expands to include everything in the panoply of this Love, unmarred by fires and earthquakes and pandemics and political unrest. This is the least I can do for my earthly family — or perhaps it’s the most.

“The notion of a material universe is utterly opposed to the theory of man as evolved from Mind. Such fundamental errors send falsity into all human doctrines and conclusions, and do not accord infinity to Deity. Error tills the whole ground in this material theory, which is entirely a false view, destructive to existence and happiness.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 545:11

Love Sustaining the Universe

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

When someone compliments us on something, it’s a gift, don't you think? Perhaps we feel like Snoopy, the cartoon dog, when he levitates from pure joy! We're beginning to understand that when the gift of a kind word is given to anyone, anywhere, it lifts us up, too. When we open ourselves to the radiance of Love, which flows through all of existence, we are carried along effortlessly and joyfully. We no longer think the so-called Murphy’s Law will be in effect, fearing the worst results will happen in any given situation. Instead, we allow all the goodness and knowledge of the universe to be ours, expecting nothing and welcoming everything. Every good thought we send out into the universe multiplies. The good we do for one is done for all!!

“The sun, giving light and heat to the earth, is a figure of divine Life and Love, enlightening and sustaining the universe.” Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health Page 538:11-13

Up Is Down...

Photo Credit: Aaron Springston

In these rapidly changing times, it often seems as though down is up and up is down. Things we have come to think of as constant may be changing daily, and what we thought of as important yesterday may pale in the face of our new realizations. I’ve often said I don’t like to have strong opinions because they close my mind to anything else, and I’m beginning to understand how true this is. If I believe something should be a certain way because it always has been that way, then I’m going to be in for a surprise. Every day, when we wake up something is different than when we went to sleep. During the past few years, we’ve all witnessed some interesting events which we could never have dreamed of in our wildest fantasies (or nightmares!). But we are learning to take a deep breath and listen with an open heart and mind before jumping on our soapbox and broadcasting our opinions. Moment by moment, I’m learning to find peace within, and for that, I am grateful.

“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

Exchanging Human Concepts for Divine Consciousness

 

Lake George Reflection - Georgia O'Keeffe

It's my understanding that everyone sees a rainbow differently, according to where they are when they view it. Isn't that a perfect metaphor for everything from politics to the clothes we put on our bodies? Where I am in thought is how I will perceive something. Things which I may think of as being for the good of everyone, someone else may see as the downfall of society. It's just a matter of how you look at it. A line from a movie comes to mind in which an octogenarian tells us that life is like a ride on a roller coaster. She says that some people think the ride is frightening and stressful; others see it as fun and exciting. I love this reminder, and there are so many times in our experience where we could go many directions with our perception of a situation. How exciting to test my understanding as I go through this day!

“The human mind will sometime rise above all material and physical sense, exchanging it for spiritual perception, and exchanging human concepts for the divine consciousness. Then man will recognize his God-given dominion and being." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 531:10-14

All This -- and Cake, Too!

Some days are so chock-full of wonderful things happening and awful news revealing itself that it feels as though we’re on a rollercoaster! Today was one of those days. But the universe sent me guidance before I even knew I needed it. When I went to my church organist gig at 7:30 this morning, I left a youtube video on the tv for my dog, who thinks he has separation anxiety. It was on one of my higher-thought channels so he would hear good things. When I came back, the first words I heard were from a woman talking about her life changing in recent years, in that she didn’t seem to be as consumed by sadness or overwhelmed by upsetting circumstances. She also said she felt joy as much as ever, and sadness, too, but didn’t depend on outside influences to find peace and contentment, no matter what was going on around her. Shortly after hearing these words and thinking about them while fixing brunch, phone calls began to come in. There was happy news and terribly sad news. One woman seemed almost psychotic in her worries, and a call from overseas brought great gladness to my heart. A talk with my son, a visit with my sister — well, let’s just say there were at least 8 phone calls today bringing me varying degrees of joy and sorrow. And then, a woman showed up at my door with a piece of five-layer chocolate cake! She said she had seen me on my porch when she was making deliveries for her restaurant, and she just wanted to bring me cake! There is no end to the wonder of this life!

“Spiritual development germinates not from seed sown in the soil of material hopes, but when these decay, Love propagates anew the higher joys of Spirit, which have no taint of earth. Each successive stage of experience unfolds new views of divine goodness and love.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health, Page 66:11

Isn't It Interesting ...

 

photo credit: Richard Quick

Isn't it interesting… When I hear this phrase coming out of my mouth in a sanctimonious tone, I've found it to be an indicator that I'm getting ready to give a speech based on strong opinions and unnecessary emotions. Watching people in leadership roles, I've noticed something similar with them, too. Their words seem to be ego-based, their ideas headstrong, and their demeanor unhappy. Then I look at my friends who are following the law of Love, scattering contagious joy as they "follow in the way appointed". This comparison gives me renewed resolve to break away from the bonds of learned behavior and let myself follow Truth's calling. And if I err and jump up on my high horse to pontificate, thank goodness I get to choose again!

ACIM Workbook Lesson #317 I follow in the way appointed me.
​"​I have a special place to fill; a role for me alone. ²Salvation waits until I take this part as what I choose to do. ³Until I make this choice, I am the slave of time and human destiny. ⁴But when I willingly and gladly go the way my Father’s plan appointed me to go, then will I recognize salvation is already here, already given all my brothers and already mine as well.” (https://acim.org/acim/en/s/738#1:1-4 | W-317.1:1-4)

Seeing Myself in Everything

 Perceptions are a frequent topic in these writings. Today I’ve been thinking about a specific event and how it might be wonderful for some and disappointing, even upsetting, for others. Today there was a much-needed rainstorm. The trees are clapping their hands! The farmers and gardeners are basking in the beautiful sound of raindrops splashing off of everything. It’s a time of peace and beauty in the Ozarks. But there are many people who were looking forward to an event in Basin Park this evening. After a year-and-a-half of pandemic-induced isolation, many folks were excited about hearing exciting and fun music, along with the inevitable dancing which goes along with this type of event. We human beings are interesting creatures, what with our expectations and emotional needs. Hearing these opposite reactions and thinking about life drew me to these words of Thich Nhat Hahn. I hope to put them into practice today. Namaste …

"Continue practicing until you see yourself in the most cruel and inhumane political leader, in the most devastatingly tortured prisoner, in the wealthiest man, and in the child starving, all skin and bones. Practice until you recognize your presence in everyone else on the bus, in the subway, in the concentration camp, working in the fields, in a leaf, in a caterpillar, in a dew drop, in a ray of sunshine. Meditate until you see yourself in a speck of dust and in the most distant galaxy." - Thich Nhat Hanh

We're All This, Together

 

unknown photographer

We're all in this together, although it appears as though we view things through different eyes than our neighbor. We seem to be satellites, rotating around something unseen, sometimes floating in unison, often bumping into each other and throwing our orbit out of sync — but we're all in this together. Let's leave out the word "in": We're all this together. This togetherness sometimes manifests itself as groups of people who commingle for the joy of being with each other. We may have book clubs, and study groups, and sewing circles, and various groups of people who come together in communion. This fellowship has been sought-after since the beginning of time. Personally, I have no interest in being a part of any group simply to be with others. There must be a communication which surpasses the ordinary. I want stunning honesty, inspiring exchanges, Love shared. From this demonstrated Oneness with each other as the experience of God, salvation is realized as the means, the end, the Only.

"Knowing the Science of creation, in which all is Mind and its ideas, Jesus rebuked the material thought of his fellow-countrymen: 'Ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?' How much more should we seek to apprehend the spiritual ideas of God, than to dwell on the objects of sense!" Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 509:28-3

Marianne Williamson's Facebook Post

 

this was from her facebook page, link below...

"The gap between the beauty of the natural world and the mess that we have made of it is excruciating. I saw a picture today of a woman lovingly holding her little girl in her arms, a reminder like so many of how wonderful life can be. It is not God, but us, who have messed things up so badly.

From assaults on our democracy to the increasing devastation of climate change to the unnecessary suffering of so many tens of millions, even billions of people due to the recklessness and greed of only a few, I can understand how those without faith in a higher power could fall easily into cynicism and despair.

But I believe in miracles. I believe in the power of awakening. I believe in the radical transformation of energy. I believe in us. I believe that people are good. I believe in the power of love. I believe in the power of forgiveness. I believe that the Red Sea parted. I believe that Jesus rose. I believe that God will always have the final say.
I believe we can harness all that, and use it to transform the world.

Are we in trouble? Oh yes we are. But who among us has not been in trouble before? Who among us has not seen signs that we had better change direction? And who among us has not seen the miraculous changes that come about when we sincerely do?

I am in deep contemplation, as I’m sure we all are, as to how I might best help. I do what I can, as I’m sure you do as well. Somehow, I just know it in my soul, we are going to change the world….in time." Marianne Williamson

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=marianne%20williamson

The Lemming Effect

 

photo credit: Richard Quick

We, as humans, seem to need -- even enjoy -- following the lead of others. Many of us blindly go along with someone’s ideas, perhaps without questioning the wisdom of doing so. Often three or four cars turn down the dead-end street on which I live, each following the lead car without noticing the signs indicating there is no way out. The lemming effect often takes over! We seek out and follow orders from anyone we perceive to be wiser or more knowledgeable than we are. Perhaps we do this in case things go wrong, then we can say it wasn't our fault because someone else told us to do it (whatever IT may be!). I'm sure there are more reasons for this behavior than the simplistic examples I've given here today, which are really irrelevant because we don't need to dwell on the problem, but rather focus on the solution. And the solution is to follow the inward direction which we all hear, but often ignore. I pray for the courage to listen and follow, secure in the knowledge that a sure ending is inevitable.

“The Christian Scientist wisely shapes his course, and is honest and consistent in following the leadings of divine
Mind.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 458:26-28

Be the Change

 

Change is liberating! Have you noticed ​more ​people releasing the past? I have, and the freedom is bringing them peace and a new level of joy. One friend tells me of her beloved cat being at the vet's office, perhaps getting ready to pass on. In years past, she would have been distraught, ​and is surprised that she is not. It's not that she loves any less, and perhaps she's experiencing love even more fully. Another friend tells me she's going through a time of letting go -- without even being aware of what exactly is being released! Isn't this great? We don't have to know what it is that's bothering us in order to be freed from it. This concept in itself is liberating! To have no need for analysis or so-called deconstruction, but to simply give yourself the gift of freedom -- what a joy! I am so grateful for all of you who stand unafraid, welcoming the new paradigm!

“The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty, and glory of infinite Love fill all space. That is enough!”​ Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page​ 519​:​3-5