Creation's Gentleness

photo credit: Richard Quick

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #265 states: “Creation's gentleness is all I see.” ​Although we usually see it everywhere, we’re often distracted by the universal belief in harshness as the way of the world. ​Yet, m​ore and more, we're noticing animals showing us the way of gentleness in their interactions with each other. As we begin to understand Oneness, we're seeing that if violence is done to or by one, it's done to or by ​a​ll. So it’s a noble goal to allow our thoughts to change from fear and anger to Love and gentleness. Many people are holding with the old paradigm, and some say it's necessary for heinous acts to be committed, and also retaliation in kind. On the other hand, more people are realizing the error of this way, and ​innately ​know that it is possible for the lion to lay down with the lamb. Every thought is important as we rush toward a new way of living. Filling our lives with beauty and joy helps us find ​the pathway and show others the way!

“The fowls, which fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven, correspond to aspirations soaring beyond and above corporeality to the understanding of the incorporeal and divine Principle, Love.” Mary Baker Eddy-Science & Health Page 511:2

Surrounded by Love

 

Surrounded by Ozarks - unknown drone photographer

I don’t usually listen to mainstream radio, but there was an occasion where I was bombarded by it for a couple of hours. This forced exposure graphically brought into focus how insane the content was! The songs were totally inane and yet mesmerizing, the commercials were mostly for drugs and disease, the news -- yikes!! It may seem that we are being brainwashed from every direction, including collective consciousness, but this is the illusion. This illusion is not the consciousness of Love which is God. Love permeates everything, leaving no room for anything else to intrude. Nothing but this Love truly has power.  "Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach me." (MBE) "I am surrounded by the Love of God." (ACIM Workbook Lesson #264) When I am tempted to be mesmerized by material sense, I will remember what is True: I am surrounded by the Love that is God, which is my essence, my essential Being. So I needn't try to see or feel this Love, because it is what I Am!

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

The Scientific Statement of Being

photo credit: Tim Ernst

I have a friend in California who refers to himself as a contrarian. He also thinks he’s a curmudgeon, but that’s a topic for another day. He sent me an article from Big Think, entitled The Mystery of Life Cannot be Solved by Science, and he asked what I thought of it. As you can imagine, I had quite a lot to say! I think the only aspects of life which cannot be explained by science are the spiritual/metaphysical aspects which peek through the material illusion from time to time. Material medicine cannot explain things such as spontaneous healing or excessive strength in times of disaster, to name two of many. Hence, the reference to “mystery of life”. To admit that all of this life is actually spiritual allows us to find ways out of dead-end thinking regarding our existence. We are given permission to question all those things we were told we must believe “just because”. The Science of The Christ has given me a lifelong study topic and a source of never-ending revelations. Both metaphysics and duplicate bridge have supplied me with an exciting and fulfilling life, for which I am eternally grateful. May you enjoy this most wonderful almost-fall day, my Friend.

“Question. — What is the scientific statement of being?
Answer. — There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor sub-
stance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite
manifestation, for God is All-in-all. Spirit is immortal Truth; matter is mortal error. Spirit is the real and
eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is
God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual.” Mary Baker Eddy- Science and Health page 468:8

Life Choices

 

I have much to say about the idea in this photograph, but when I try to verbalize it, nothing feels right. So I leave you with your own thoughts today. Namaste …

“Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear, — this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 323:32-4

The Matrix

 

Remember the hit movie, The Matrix? In it, there were some profound metaphysical principles addressed! My favorite scene is when Neo is in what appears to be a center for extraordinary behavior. He goes up to a person bending a spoon without touching it. Neo tries to bend the spoon with his mind, but cannot. He is told that the way to do this is through knowing the truth: The spoon is not there. This is what metaphysical healing is all about. The only cure is the understanding that there is no place where sickness can abide. In other words, the spoon is not there. Awakening to this knowledge brings with it the revelation that all which seems to be unlike good, God, has no reality. If we are attempting to change a material condition, it's just like trying to bend the spoon by the power of our mind. Only by the knowledge of its unreality is it seen for what it actually is: an idea. We are all ideas of the divine Mind. We are all One in this reality. What will this realization unfold in experience today? I am open with no expectations!

"The Science of Mind denies the error of sensation in matter, and heals with Truth. Medical science treats disease as though disease were real, therefore right, and attempts to heal it with matter. If disease is right it is wrong to heal it. Material methods are temporary, and are not adapted to elevate mankind." Mary Baker Eddy -Science & Health: Page 381:22-27

Growth in Grace

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

I remember a young woman who came into my gallery one evening and told me that she loved art, but that she didn't have any talent because she had been sexually abused as a child. I smiled at her and she said, No, really, every day for years and years! I told her I wasn't smiling about what she had said or what had been done, but I was smiling at the part of her which had never been touched by any of this. I told her everyone has tons of talent and for her to continue trying things until she found something she really loved -- and then keep on doing it! Her eyes lit up as she listed things she loved and wanted to do. By practicing kindness when faced with hardness of heart, meekness when those around us are aggressive, loving those who seem unlovable, and paying it forward at every opportunity, we acknowledge the grace which is our true heritage. By this, we learn what it feels like, not just what it means.

“What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 4:3-5

Looking Through the Mirage

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

"Let me remember that there is no sin.” This is the heading of A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #259.​ ​It certainly seems as though sin is tangible in our world. We look at the news and see things which seem too horrible to be anything other than evil and sinful. But, once again, this is the material illusion. The reality is God and Its reflective creation. This creation is spiritual, everlasting substance, unchanging goodness. That is why there is no sin, because it is unreal! This same revealing of reality exposes other material discord as nothing more than mist to be seen through and dispelled. There is no magic potion which allows us to look past the mirage of sin, and many reports of our senses seem real until we look through them to the other side -- and then what a treat we have in store for us! There, waiting to be recognized, is the reality of our Being, just waiting for us to discover!

“Question: Is there no sin?
Answer: All reality is in God and His [Its]creation, harmonious and eternal. That which He creates is good, and He makes all that is made. Therefore the only reality of sin, sickness, or death is the awful fact that unrealities seem real to human, erring belief, until God strips off their disguise. They are not true, because they are not of God.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 472:23-30

A Higher Peace

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

I had a friend who died from cancer. She was very active; always busy doing things. I once asked her if she ever had any quiet time and she told me that she didn't want any, because then she would have to think. Many traumatic events had happened in her life, including the violent deaths of her parents and tragic passing of her children. Our thoughts can be occupied by many temporal things, such as collecting material possessions, or perhaps we simply need the busyness of daily life to keep us from thinking about painful memories. Whatever the case, we rarely allow ourselves the quiet we need in order to hear the still, small voice​ within​. We may fear the unknown, perhaps thinking the activities with which we keep ourselves busy can keep us from examining the cause of our pain, translating it, and releasing it. We may use alcohol and drugs to cover up the turmoil for a little while, but lasting peace only comes through knowledge of Love. Sometimes love is used as a soporific, placating our desire for an all-encompassing Love with no beginning nor end. Today I will remind myself to remember what I have forgotten, which is only found within.

“This 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 265:10-15

Remembering My Purpose

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

"If I forget my goal, I can be but confused ..." This is a phrase from A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #257, which is titled, “Let me remember what my purpose is.” Looking back over my last half-century, I see many times of major confusion, and lots of minor confusions. I now feel these times are nothing more than intervals when I've forgotten to listen for omnipresent guidance. My purpose is unfolding every moment, and all I need to do is show up and be willing -- willing to be open-hearted, open-minded -- just open! -- with no expectations and no plans of how things should be. It's tempting to think of this as undisciplined, and others may be critical of this attitude, but I can attest to the fact that wandering around in college for five years perfectly prepared me for freelance court reporting. And thirty years of taking down and transcribing depositions was an incredible education which paved the way for running an art gallery for ten years. All those things brought me to where I am today, and none of it could have been planned. Today, I think of this as listening and following. Back then, I didn't think of it at all…

“Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 506:18-21

What To Remember...

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

This is the 20th anniversary of a horrific event which happened in New York City. We refer to it as 9/11 and everyone knows what it means. A phrase became popular at the time and still persists today: never forget. The spirit in which this was stated didn’t feel right to me at the time, and I wasn’t sure why. Now, it seems like the remembering is based in retaliation and fear, and the seeds sown have not yielded a pleasant bounty. Today’s mass at the parish center of our local Catholic Church is the same one ​people will hear on Sunday morning at St. Elizabeth’s in downtown Eureka Springs. I wish everyone could hear it. Father Joseph simply asked that we sing “Let There Be Peace on Earth” (and let it begin with me). After the congregation finished, he made a short statement about what we needed to remember: to help those in need, to love one another, to give to the poor, to be kind. It was beautiful. This is what feels right in my heart: to remember to love. To never forget what is important and what facilitates change: love. To reach out to those in need of kindness and understanding. To comfort those who are sorrowing. Love. Never forget to love…

“From Love and from the light and harmony which are the abode of Spirit, only reflections of good can come.​" ​Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 280:4-7

I Have No Words

 

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “This 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.” Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures Page 92:12-20

Happy in the Moment

 

Cedar Waxwings photo by Richard Quick

As I was glancing through the magazine, Real Simple, an article title grabbed my attention. It said: “It’s Better to be Happy for a Little While Than Unhappy Forever” — wow! The short narrative told of a couple who found a stray kitten, loved it dearly, never took trips because they would miss their cat, then when the sweet kitty, Gem, passed on, they decided to travel. They enjoyed it very much, but were happy to come back to their home. But something was missing. They needed a cat. A friend saw one that needed a home and reminded her of Gem, but the couple was reluctant because the cat was older and seemed to have some health problems. They decided against getting it. When the woman was lamenting their decision at her hairdresser, the stylist’s response was “It’s better to be happy for a little while than unhappy forever.” A lightbulb went on over the woman’s head​.​ ​They ​adopted the cat, its health problems cleared up with tender, loving care, and they have ​loved it for five years, to the betterment of all involved! The idea of being happy right now without worrying about the possible perils of tomorrow makes me smile. I hope it does you, too!

“Each successive stage of experience unfolds new views of divine goodness and love.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 66:14

Listening and Following

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Has fear kept you tied to things or ideas which perhaps have served their purpose in your life? I know many of my actions have been dictated by fear. Perhaps fear of being alone binds us to relationships which need to be released. This might be thought of as a "failure" -- which brings up another fear, huh? What if we don't think of the ending of a marriage or friendship as a failure, but as a ​natural ​progression of this life? The same may be said of a career or hobby. These things can be steps on a journey to somewhere you never dreamed you would go​!​ If you've planned your life in every detail, it may seem like giving up ​when mov​ing​ on to something else. That's why I love this way of thought! There are no rules, other than listening​​​ as divine Mind​​ lead​s​ us wherever we need to be. This guidance doesn't always mean leaving something -- it could be staying with a job or relationship, regardless of what logic dictates. Listening and following is always an adventure!!

"Until the majesty of Truth should be demonstrated in divine Science, the spiritual idea was arraigned before the tribunal of so-called mortal mind, which was unloosed in order that the false claim of mind in matter might uncover its own crime of defying immortal Mind." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 564:19-23

Nothing But The Truth

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

The topic of A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #251 is:​ ​“I am in need of nothing but the truth." Ask a group of people t​o define truth​, and you​'ll​ probably receive as many answers as there are people asked​. You’ll hear talk of “my truth” and “your truth”, but hardly ever does Truth with a capital “T” come into the conversation. I’m beginning to understand that Truth is always unfolding as individual consciousness, intuition, and inspiration. This Truth doesn’t stand still in one spot and ask to be defined. It’s not opinion or belief, but rather the ideas heard within ourselves ​from​ omnipotent Mind, which is the source of all. ​Forsaking mortal mind’s ego definitions of the truth of our being opens the door to infinite possibilities! We are all ​longing for truth​,​ more​so​ with every passing day…

“A spiritual idea has not a single element of error, and this truth removes properly whatever is offensive.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 453:12-13

Intentions and Results

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Years ago, I had to call tech support over an iPad issue. It was fairly complicated and when we were ready to install the firmware the lady from India said to me, “Let’s set our intention for a good result!” I have remembered that statement all these years and use it often. Recently when I said that to someone, it was clear they didn’t think it would make any difference. They actually assured me that things always turn out badly for them. I’ve been pondering this the last couple of days. My certainty that a good result will happen no matter what I’m doing doesn’t mean things will always go smoothly; nor does it mean I’ll always like the outcome of a situation. This “good result” of which I speak makes itself known in unexpected ways when I release my preconceived notions of how things should be done. The many instances of unexpected solutions appearing in my thoughts, or showing up in others’ actions, are countless in my memory. I used to believe in “Murphy’s Law” and think that if anything could go “wrong”, it would. Now that I expect a “good result”, without delineating what that will be, I’m certain every thought is important!

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

Passing Through Illusions

 

"Whatever suffers is not part of me" [ACIM ​W​orkbook ​L​esson #248]​ These words​ could possibly be taken as an unfeeling, heartless statement. I see it as an expression of pure Love which allows us to pass through illusions into the reality of good, God. The death of a loved one is difficult in many ways, but I think the myths we have concocted surrounding this passage may do more harm than good. We say things like, God took her to be with ​Him because she was so good. Although these words are spoken in the name of kindness, I’m not sure they help anyone ​who is grieving. As we begin to understand divine reality, we are released from the stories we tell ourselves in favor of the Truth which sets us free. I'll always remember reading the book, "Beloved Prophet", which is the story of Kahlil Gibran and the woman who loved him. She sat at his funeral with a peaceful smile on her face, and when asked why she wasn't upset, she responded that she had never felt closer to him. What a lovely realization of Oneness and eternity!

"It was the divine law of Life and Love, unfolding to me the demonstrable fact that matter possesses neither sensation nor life; that human experiences show the falsity of all material things; and that immortal cravings, ‘the price of learning love,’ establish the truism that the only sufferer is mortal mind, for the divine Mind cannot suffer." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 108:5-11


​"​A Course in Miracles - LESSON 248​ - ​Whatever Suffers Is Not Part Of Me.

I have disowned the truth. Now let me be as faithful in disowning falsity. Whatever suffers is not part of me. What grieves is not myself. What is in pain is but illusion in my mind. What dies was never living in reality, and did but mock the truth about myself. Now I disown self-concepts and deceits and lies about the holy Son of God. Now am I ready to accept him back as God created him, and as he is.

Father, my ancient love for You returns, and lets me love Your Son again as well. Father, I am as You created me. Now is Your Love remembered, and my own. Now do I understand that they are one.​"​

Tears

 

Piney Creek Flowers on my piano

I’ve had one of those days when everything has moved me to tears: happy things, sad events — varying degrees of tears, from eyes welling up to sobs. There is a bond between a cousin in south Texas and myself. We have never met, but have been communicating through Facebook for several years. She ‘s been submitting to chemotherapy for eight years and has been in intense pain every day. I asked her if she would follow this route if she had it to do over again, and she said no; that she had only begun treatment to appease her mother. She is ready for it to be over. I love how she reminds me to appreciate every moment of freedom from pain and emotional upset. I cried with her today. I also sobbed when my cat ate a butterfly. My eyes leaked when listening to Father Joseph deliver a homily about helping one another. Hearing a chorus of hospital workers on America’s Got Talent almost brought me to my knees. When I was a child, my parents would tell me the only reason a person cried was to get others to feel sorry for them. I’d love to tell them that full hearts must overflow. And that’s okay.

“Take heart, dear sufferer, for this reality of being will surely appear sometimes and in some way. There will be no more pain, and all tears will be wiped away. When you read this, remember Jesus’ words, ‘The kingdom of God is within you.’ This spiritual consciousness is therefore a present possibility.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 573:29

Choose Again and Go Forward With Joy

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Do you have an incident from childhood which has stayed with you, perhaps even 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 blast 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 events such as these, and more. When we let go of beliefs, we can turn loose ​of ​our history, too. 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!

“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 223:4-7

Are We Ready For The Truth?

 
Are we finally ready for the truth? I've heard it said that we, as a human race, can’t stand to hear the truth. I’m told of our fragility concerning honesty about everything from extraterrestrial life to religious doctrine, but I think we are ready for it! People say if truth were told about everything, society would break down. It seems to me that might be a good thing, because our current belief system doesn't appear to be functioning too well. Perhaps everyone's dissatisfaction stems from the feeling that we’re being lied to. A few centuries ago, a total eclipse of the moon would cause many fear-based reactions when the orb turned red, disappeared, then reappeared. The truth has set us free from that irrational fear, and so it can free us in other ways, allowing us to joyfully look up and say, “Wow"! I think we're ready, don't you?!

“Truth, independent of doctrines and time-honored systems, knocks at the portal of humanity.” Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health Page vii:13-15

Divine Healing

photo credit: Blake Lasater

Jesus was here to teach us many things, not the least of which was how to be nice to each other. His two commandments were to love God above all else and to love our neighbor as ourselves. I've often thought that we need to love ourselves more, as it seems many of us are expressing a lack of love for ourselves in our actions toward others. Jesus was also telling us we are capable of much more than we know. We are not powerless victims of circumstance. He tells us that the things he does, so can we -- and more! Power and dominion have become ugly words because of the things done to others by ruthless people. True power and dominion have to do with peace and grace and Love, as expressed through the healing power within. We are capable of more than we know. Let's not be afraid to express that power in healing every ill which seems so real to our material sense. We are spiritual Beings, expressions of God, perfect and whole, needing nothing to be added or taken away for that perfection to show forth and bless all of humankind.

“In divine Science, man is the true image of God. The divine nature was best expressed in Christ Jesus, who threw upon mortals the truer reflection of God and lifted their lives higher than their poor thought-models would allow,--thoughts which presented man as fallen, sick, sinning, and dying. The Christlike understanding of scientific being and divine healing includes a perfect Principle and idea,--perfect God and perfect man,--as the basis of thought and demonstration.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 259:6-15