The Perfect Concept

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Many of us have a hard time seeing ourselves as Love. We may feel there are events in our lives so unlovely that we couldn't possibly be the reflection of divine perfection. Many great sages have taught us how to save ourselves from the horror of past events. Thich Nhat Hanh and Mahatma Gandhi teach us ways to rise above our feelings of guilt. No matter how this advice is worded, it comes down to one basic concept: extend Love to others, to everything and everyone. This is our atonement, to see the Oneness of all that Is and realize that nothing can ever occur which will separate us from divine Love. By giving it to the world, we give it to ourselves and feel major changes within. We can forgive ourselves even as we are forgiven, because we were never condemned.

"Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. 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. Patience must 'have her perfect work.'" Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 454:1

A Timbered Choir

painting by Carol Dickie

 A Timbered Choir by Wendell Berry

"I go among trees and sit still.

All my stirring becomes quiet around me

like circles on water.

My tasks lie in their places where I left them

asleep like cattle.

Then what is afraid of me comes

and lives a while in my sight.

What it fears in me leaves me

and the fear of me leaves it.

It sings and I hear its song.

Then what I am afraid of comes.

I live for a while in its sight.

What I fear in it leaves it

and the fear of it leaves me.

It sings and I hear its song."

Seeds of Joy

Aaron, his groomsmen, and best ma'am

I read about an interesting experiment. Two people were placed face to face. One was instructed to smile as happily as possible, and the other was asked to retain a neutral look. In most of the cases, the person who was supposed to stay neutral couldn't keep from smiling, too. Happiness, joy, and peace are all spiritual attributes which shine forth through us as the experience of divine Love. They are infectious, don't you think? Let's broadcast this seed far and wide today and watch it!

“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

A Freeing Concept

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Someone once told me hopes hold us captive, and that if we don't accept the "reality" of what we see around us, we are lost in dreams of what could be, giving up any chance of changing what is. I’m coming to see that the opposite is true. The material picture of good and evil warring with each other is what we have decided is truth, hence we hope and strive for good to win. With the burgeoning knowledge of divine Mind being the reality and mortal mind as the illusion, we are freed to do more than hope. The divinely-endowed, spiritually-scientific consciousness within us is opened, and like a fountain the ideas we need flow forth. This consciousness is realized when we see that God is our Mind, not just in our mind. Our reality is the divine Mind which we reflect. What a freeing concept!

“When we realize that there is one Mind, the divine law of loving our neighbor as ourselves is unfolded; whereas a belief in many ruling minds hinders man’s normal drift towards the one Mind, one God, and leads human thought into opposite channels where selfishness reigns.” Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health Page 227:22-25

Resolve To Action

Has fear kept you from doing something you really want to do? A few years ago, through these writings, I became acquainted with a man who lives halfway around the world. When he asked if he could come to visit and get to know me and our sweet village in person. I immediately said, “Yes”! When telling a close friend of the impending visit, she stated that she could never do anything like that because she would be too afraid. I reflected on this statement of hers, realizing how many events cause a fear response to rise up within us. And I also realized that to settle for anything which brings us less than joyful existence is to dishonor ourselves, hence dishonoring God. How could I do anything other than go forward with joy?? This meeting with a kindred spirit was nothing other than joy and Love-filled. And so, the next time I think I'm feeling what we call fear, I will choose to interpret the emotion as excitement about what will come next!

“Had Blondin believed it impossible to walk the rope over Niagara's abyss of waters, he could never have done it. His belief that he could do it gave his thought-forces, called muscles, their flexibility and power which the unscientific might attribute to a lubricating oil. His fear must have disappeared before his power of putting resolve into action could appear.” Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health Page 199:25-31

Watching Our Thoughts

It is estimated that we have more than 50,000 thoughts every day. As I heard Wayne Dyer tell us in one of his outstanding talks, the problem with this is that the thousands of thoughts we have today are the same ones we had yesterday! Waking up from the circular thinking in which we are trapped requires an honesty we’re not accustomed to practicing. I know habitual thought is not an easy habit to break, but the desire to do so is the first step. Just like changing any behavior, you have to want to change or you never will. How can we begin to think differently? We can’t simply stop thinking, but we can exchange the​se​ trivial musings for substantial ideas. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” As I go through this day, I’ll often ask myself: What would Eleanor think? Namastè, each and every One!

“My angels are exalted thoughts, appearing at the door of some sepulchre, in which human belief has buried its fondest earthly hopes. With white fingers they point upward to a new and glorified trust, to higher ideals of life and its joys.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 299:1-11

The Panoply of Love

Mongolia Adventure - photo credit: Aaron Springston

A young woman was taken from her college campus, tied up and blindfolded, then driven to a remote area. Throughout this trip, the woman continuously affirmed the One ever-presence which we all reflect. She prayed this not only in relation to her well-being but also for her abductor.  After quite a while, the man stopped the car and apologized to the woman, at which point she shared some thoughts concerning the truth of his being. Then they proceeded back to her apartment so she could give him a copy of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. I'm sure we all have stories about instances of protection, which perhaps seem like divine intervention. Let's not think of this as intervention, but as the way things really are; not a setting aside of material danger, but an understanding of the divine Principle of all being. By this, we rest in the assurance that all is well. This knowledge has enabled me to peacefully know my son is safe during numerous travels. He's been away from home since he was 14, and flitting around the globe on his own since he was 19. Friends have wondered how I can be so calm and free from worry about him. It's because I know where his safety lies -- as does he.

“Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you. The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity.” Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health Page 571:18-21

All Spaces Filled

 

Kriste-lee and me

“I celebrate myself, and sing myself,

And what I assume you shall assume,

For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.”

Walt Whitman

In speaking with an old friend this evening, I realized how easy it is to separate ourselves from each other, to put up mental and emotional barriers which cause us to feel alone and in need of something we can’t define. Connecting with each other doesn’t necessarily mean that we sit in the living room and talk for hours. We can feel each other’s presence when we remember a time shared, or hear a song we both loved, or any number of reminders. After a loved one passes from our sight, we may feel an empty space they previously filled with their physical presence, but nothing can take away their essence, their spirit, their Love.

“Unfathomable Mind is expressed. The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty, and glory of infinite Love fill all space." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 520:3-5

The Face of Love

Aaron and Kailey

I love ACIM Workbook Lesson #269: “My sight goes forth to look upon Christ's face.” 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!

“The eternal Truth destroys what mortals seem to have learned from error, and man's real existence as a child of God comes to light.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science and Health Page 288:31–1

Let All Things Be As They Are

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

One of my friends has a particularly hard time letting “all things be exactly as they are”, which is the topic of A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #268. She plays events over and over in her mind, making suppositions about why things were said or done, and trying to find solutions to fix everyone involved. Recently, she received a phone call from a lifelong friend whom she hadn’t heard from in the past few years. She didn’t answer the call and was full of worries as to what she may have done wrong which caused her friend to break off contact with her. While I try not to laugh in the face of others’ distress, I couldn’t help myself this time! I quickly reminded her of The Four Agreements, in particular “don’t make assumptions” and “don’t take anything personally”. After a brief conversation, she returned to her home and called her old friend. And sure enough, she had done nothing wrong, but her friend had been going through a rough time and needed a friendly shoulder to lean on. As the Beatles told us in many songs: Let it Be. Namaste…

"Human sense may well marvel at discord, while, to a diviner sense, harmony is the real and discord the unreal.” Mary Baker Eddy — Science & Health Page: 563: 1-3

The Peace of God

photo credit: Aaron Springston

                   

Living the peace of God may seem like a fantasy to those who abide by the laws of materiality. It's a common belief that in order to live this way you must be delusional, or stick your head in the sand, or at least deny reality in favor of wishful thinking. But many of us see this state of mind in another way. As we learn about the Truth of our being, we are able to glimpse this peace, and the joy it brings. Thereby, Lesson #267 in A Course in Miracles Workbook, ”My heart is beating in the peace of God" can be shown in our daily activities and be expressed to everyone through our actions. This state of mind does more for the world than all the preaching we may be tempted to do!

“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

Calm and Exalted Thought

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Peace is a state of mind. We can feel the epitome of peace in the midst of turmoil, or we may be in an outer oasis of stillness but, due to our tumultuous state of mind, be anxious and upset. It helps me to know that we are all the reflection of Spirit. With this realization, I am able to see through the eye of divine Love. This is not to say that I'm always calm. Sometimes I forget I am the idea of God, and that everyone else is, too. At those times, who knows how I may be interpreting events! In a state of forgetfulness, I am at the mercy of material belief, being swayed by thought systems which were put into place long before my appearance in this world. But when I remember the spiritual Truth of creation, things appear differently to me -- and there is peace.

“The calm and exalted thought or spiritual apprehension is at peace. Thus the dawn of ideas goes on, forming each successive stage of progress.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 506: 11-14

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