Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Hardwired For Goodness

Villa Adriana - in Italy
Photo credit: Blake Lasater

I read a review of the book, “Blueprint, the Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society”, written by Nicholas Christkis, a professor at Yale. His basic premise is that love, friendship, cooperation, and teaching have been hardwired into human beings, but we tend to deploy these qualities selectively, only toward those who are like ourselves. He says America is an unprecedented social experiment, testing whether we humans can share these behaviors more broadly. The following statement of his seems especially true: “The less segregated we are — not just racially, but by ideology, religion, income, and education — the stronger the democracy.” Many ideas are discussed in this book, but one which stood out to me is that if we are to have a diverse democracy, we need to overcome the urge to tribalism. He believes that political tides can push against our innate desire for love, friendship, and cooperation — “but only for a while.” I am thrilled to read this and other messages of hope! 

"It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man wlll be established." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 467:9


“The injunction ‘Be of one mind’ is the statement for revelation-readiness. My request ‘Do this in remembrance of me’ is the appeal for cooperation from miracle workers. The two statements are not in the same order of reality. Only the latter involves an awareness of time, since to remember is to recall the past in the present. Time is under my direction, but timelessness belongs to God. In time we exist for and with each other. In timelessness we coexist with God.” 

A Course in Miracles T-2.V-A.17:1-7

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

The Unbearable Sadness/Joy of Life

Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italia
Photo credit:  Blake Lasater

I visited with two old friends, one who moved back to town from an extended stay on the west coast. The other visit was with someone who is paralyzed with emotional distress. Both of these women have had recent moves: one from one place in Eureka to another, the other from far, far away. One is calm, one is not. One is happy, one is sad. One is excited, one is afraid. Once again, I ponder why they perceive their moves so differently. I've noticed that one has a strong spiritual base, grounded in reason and understanding. The other is going on blind faith. I, too, think it would be frightening to feel alone, no matter who is helping you and caring about your well-being. Her loneliness is deep and cherished. My joyous friend and I discussed changing the world by changing ourselves. We know we can’t beg God to do something, nor can we ask our neighbors to change their minds. This rabbit hole I'm looking into gets deeper and deeper as I explore it, and am I grateful for Love. 


"Happiness is an attribute of love. It cannot be apart from it. Nor can it be experienced where love is not. Love has no limits, being everywhere. And therefore joy is everywhere as well. Yet can the mind deny that this is so, believing there are gaps in love where sin can enter, bringing pain instead of joy. This strange belief would limit happiness by redefining love as limited, and introducing opposition in what has no limit and no opposite."

A Course in Miracles W-103.1:1-7


“As human thought changes from one stage to another of conscious pain and painlessness, sorrow and joy, — from fear to hope and from faith to understanding, — the visible manifestation will at last be man governed by Soul, not by material sense.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 125:12-16

Monday, November 14, 2022

No Need to Hide


Many people are “daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief”. I have a friend who hides in mindless television. She refuses to watch the news as she feels it’s too horrid, but she immerses herself in yucky CSI shows and such. Even though I don’t understand her way of thinking, it’s better than hiding in a bar and living with the consequences as some do. Another friend stays away from society and watches cooking shows 10 or 12 hours a day, topping it off with nightly movies. Both of these women are compassionate, loving people, yet they feel helpless when it comes to facing the injustice which is running rampant. There are far more people in the world who love than hate, but it’s easy to become bruised when you love, and easier to become more angry when you hate. That is why I loved the above statement when I read it on social media: “Live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly now. You are not expected to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.” 

“You who feel threatened by this changing world, its twists of fortune and its bitter jests, its brief relationships and all the ‘gifts’ it merely lends to take away again; attend this lesson well. The world provides no safety. It is rooted in attack, and all its ‘gifts’ of seeming safety are illusory deceptions. It attacks, and then attacks again. No peace of mind is possible where danger threatens thus.” 

A Course in Miracles W-153.1:1-5


“The spiritual reality is the scientific fact in all things. The spiritual fact, repeated in the action of man and the whole universe, is harmonious and is the ideal of Truth. Spiritual facts are not inverted; the opposite discord, which bears no resemblance to spirituality, is not real. The only evidence of this inversion is obtained from suppositional error, which affords no proof of God, Spirit, or of the spiritual creation. Material sense defines all things materially, and has a finite sense of the infinite.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 207:27-4

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Undivided Mind

“Welcome Home”
Photo by Peter Ralston

A recurring theme in these writings concerns how to find middle ground between conservatives and liberals. (I don’t care for these terms, but they are the most inclusively descriptive I can think of). A few years ago, Ellen DeGeneres and George Bush shared a box and a good time at a Dallas Cowboys football game. I think this is great, having two such diverse personalities enjoying each others’ company. But it seems many people felt it was a betrayal on Ellen’s part, considering Mr. Bush’s past policies on LGBTQ rights and other issues. Should we be kind only to those who agree with us? Are we condoning their behavior if we are friends with them? An experiment called America in One Room brought together 523 voters, who spent the weekend being exposed to different viewpoints via lectures and discussions. All but 5% agreed it was a good experience and they learned a lot, perhaps showing the cure to division is exposure! I must note that Gandhi wrote a letter to Hitler at the beginning of WWII, asking him to end the fighting. He called Hitler’s actions, “monstrous and unbecoming of human dignity”, but he began the letter “Dear Friend”.


“The realization that all inharmony is unreal brings objects and thoughts into human view in their true light, and presents them as beautiful and immortal. Harmony in man is as real and immortal as in music. Discord is unreal and mortal.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 276:12-16


“Alone we can do nothing, but together our minds fuse into something whose power is far beyond the power of its separate parts. By not being separate, the Mind of God is established in ours and as ours. This Mind is invincible because it is undivided.” 

A Course in Miracles T-8.V.1:6-8

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Each Condition I Welcome Transforms Me


Chisea di San Lorenzo - Italy

Photo credit: Blake Lasater


Unconditional

Written by Jennifer Welwood

“Willing to experience aloneness,

I discover connection everywhere;

Turning to face my fear,

I meet the warrior who lives within;

Opening to my loss,

I gain the embrace of the universe;

Surrendering into emptiness,

I find fullness without end.


Each condition I flee from pursues me,

Each condition I welcome transforms me

And becomes itself transformed

Into its radiant jewel-like essence.

I bow to the one who has made it so,

Who has crafted this Master Game;

To play it is purest delight;

To honor its form – true devotion.”

By Jennifer Welwood

Www.JenniferWelwood.com

Friday, November 11, 2022

Loving the Happy

Pat Quinn as a living window at
Eureka Thyme

What do you dream of doing? I’ve always wanted to sing — to sing really, really well. As an accompanist of singers, there have been times we seem to meld, and I get to sing vicariously through them. It’s a wonderful feeling of unity with my fellow humans. More than two decades ago, I met Pat Quinn. Since that time, barely a week has gone by when we didn’t make music together. Then the pandemic was upon us and she was unable to be vaccinated, so in her vulnerable state she chose to quit singing in the choirs she so loves. Today, to her utter surprise, she discovered her voice is “gone”.  In her words: “Have already accepted that I may never again find that singing sweet spot at the back of my throat. But I fully remember the feeling and the sound and the joy it brought me. (and you and others). Too many lovely memories to ever forget, that I am so grateful for.  Nothing lasts forever, and even before today I've come to realize that......in some ways I live my life like my sweet animal friends, in the present moment and truly loving the ’happy.’” And I love you, Pat, and will always remember the day you glowed like the stars in the sky.

“Then close your eyes upon the world you see, and in the silent darkness watch the lights that are not of this world light one by one, until where one begins another ends loses all meaning as they blend in one.” 

A Course in Miracles W-129.7:5


‘“Let there be light,’ is the perpetual demand of Truth and Love, changing chaos into order and discord into the music of the spheres.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 255:3-6

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Peace of Mind

Temple of Asclepius in Rome, Italy
Photo credit: Blake Lasater

Peace is a state of mind. In the midst of turmoil, we can be at peace. Or we might find ourselves upset in the most peaceful place we can imagine. It’s easy to allow the turmoil of the world into our thoughts, bringing with it worry and fear. It helps me to know that we are all the reflection of God. With this realization, I am able to see everything 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 in 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 506:11-13


“You have no idea of the tremendous release and deep peace that comes from meeting yourself and your brothers totally without judgment. When you recognize what you are and what your brothers are, you will realize that judging them in any way is without meaning. In fact, their meaning is lost to you precisely because you are judging them. All uncertainty comes from the belief that you are under the coercion of judgment. You do not need judgment to organize your life, and you certainly do not need it to organize yourself. In the presence of knowledge all judgment is automatically suspended, and this is the process that enables recognition to replace perception.” 

A Course in Miracles T-3.VI.3:1-6

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

What Brings You Joy?



I’ve always had a difficult time keeping things tidy. Reading the book, The Life-Changing Manga (Magic) of Tidying Up, written by Marie Kondo, has helped me understand why. She suggests putting all your clothing in the middle of the room, then going through them, keeping only the things which bring you joy. Well, that concept is life-changing for sure! Keep what brings you joy — wow! I’m now listening to her follow-up book, Spark Joy, where she tells how some people throw away their vacuum cleaners because they don’t bring joy, only to find out they miss them terribly. So she asks us to express appreciation for those items — for instance, thank the iron for helping your clothing to be all that they can be. Another interesting aspect is that some people don’t know what sparks joy, and she must teach them what it means. This opened my eyes to a whole aspect of my fellow beings which I had not considered. How could anyone not know the feeling of joy? Is joy a learned behavior? Are we afraid to feel joy? When she teaches them what joy is, does she simple give them permission to feel what was already there? I’m loving this book! (As always, please feel free to tell me your thoughts) 


"Unity of spirit gives new pinions to joy, or else joy's drooping wings trail in dust." Mary Baker Eddy, Science & Health Page 58


“Miracles are in accord with the Will of God, Whose Will you do not know because you are confused about what you will. This means that you are confused about what you are. If you are God’s Will and do not accept His Will, you are denying joy. The miracle is therefore a lesson in what joy is. Being a lesson in sharing it is a lesson in love, which is joy. Every miracle is thus a lesson in truth, and by offering truth you are learning the difference between pain and joy.” T-7.X.8:1-6

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Unified Needs Lead to Unified Action

 



One of my favorite childhood memories is of waiting for election results on the square in my hometown, Berryville, Arkansas. At the time, it was an actual square, with traffic driving around the large circular area in the middle. There was a big speaker on the courthouse and updates would be broadcast loudly as we whooped and hollered when our parents’ choices were announced. The grassy area was full of people in lawn chairs, with kids chasing each other and playing happily. There were groups of men leaning on parked cars, laughing and talking. I suppose mothers were in the middle area with the kids, but for whatever reason, I have no memory of them. But the feeling was wonderful! The excitement of a political race, the fun of seeing friends, the camaraderie of small town living. Are we really so different now than we were 50 years ago? Surely we still have the same values, the same desire for safety and comfort, the same love of freedom. I will continue to focus on our unity, knowing that separation is an illusion we have allowed to seem real, certain we can recognize truth. 


“A sense of separation from God is the only lack you really need correct. This sense of separation would never have arisen if you had not distorted your perception of truth, and had thus perceived yourself as lacking. The idea of order of needs arose because, having made this fundamental error, you had already fragmented yourself into levels with different needs. As you integrate you become one, and your needs become one accordingly. Unified needs lead to unified action, because this produces a lack of conflict.” 

A Course in Miracles T-1.VI.2:1-5


“It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established. Having no other gods, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide him, man is the likeness of God, pure and eternal, having that Mind which was also in Christ.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 467:9-16

Monday, November 7, 2022

Healing the Perception of Separation

 


I write this on the evening before an election which could be seen as a the culmination of a battle between good and evil thoughts and actions. It may even seem that our present situation was brought about by a self-centered figure who has been the axis of extreme actions for the past few years. But our brainwashing began decades, perhaps centuries ago. It doesn’t help our present situation to reiterate the horror we’ve witnessed in our lifetimes, but we do need to be aware of exactly how our lack of loving actions have affected our society. I’ll choose one symptom for now: homelessness. Every major city in our country has been overrun with people who have nowhere to go. There are no easy solutions, and politicians do not even try to figure out what to do. As with almost everything, we all must participate in helping our fellow humans. In our small community, we have groups which have created free medical care facilities and are working to supply housing. There are at least three organizations which distribute free food on a regular basis. Within these organizations, there are people working diligently to supply resources for these endeavors. We all have a role to play in our survival. I’m making a resolution to wake up each day asking for guidance to know how I can be most effective in lifting us up. And I will pray for the strength to follow through …


“Forgiveness is the healing of the perception of separation. Correct perception of your brother is necessary, because minds have chosen to see themselves as separate. Spirit knows God completely. That is its miraculous power. The fact that each one has this power completely is a condition entirely alien to the world’s thinking. The world believes that if anyone has everything, there is nothing left. But God’s miracles are as total as His Thoughts because they are His Thoughts.” 

A Course in Miracles T-3.V.9:1-7


“We lose the high signification of omnipotence, when after admitting that God, or good, is omnipresent and has all-power, we still believe there is another power, named evil. This belief that there is more than one mind is as pernicious to divine theology as are ancient mythology and pagan idolatry. With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science. The supposed existence of more than one mind was the basic error of idolatry. This error assumed the loss of spiritual power, the loss of the spiritual presence of Life as infinite Truth without an unlikeness, and the loss of Love as ever present and universal.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 469:25-10


Sunday, November 6, 2022

Shining Together …

 

Photo credit: Kailey Jones-Springston

Listening, communicating, finding common ground — these elements can bind together a divided country, bringing peace to warring people. In pondering how to communicate with those who have varying degrees of strong opinions, there are options. When having a discussion and someone makes a statement diametrically opposed to our way of thinking, we can calmly ask them, “Why do you think [such-and-such]?” But if we say, “why do you people think [such-and-such]?”, the whole conversations shifts into an attack situation. Daryl Davis is a black blues musician who reaches out to befriend members of hate groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan. He refers to “thoughtful discussions that change hearts”, saying “If you spend five minutes with your worst enemy, you will find that you both have something in common.” By reaching a higher spiritual understanding of those involved, we may find that these “others” are striving for greater dignity; perhaps we’ll even see that we care for all people. By our connection with divine Love, we are all connected to each other. Through this union of Spirit, we can find our common ground and move forward with respect for one another. I can’t think of a better time to practice this discipline than right now!


“Love giveth to the least spiritual idea might, immortality, and goodness, which shine through all as the blossom shines through the bud.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 518


“The escape from darkness involves two stages: First, the recognition that darkness cannot hide. This step usually entails fear. Second, the recognition that there is nothing you want to hide even if you could. This step brings escape from fear. When you have become willing to hide nothing, you will not only be willing to enter into communion but will also understand peace and joy.” A Course in Miracles T-1.IV.1:1-5

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Join Hands and Sing …


Basin Park concert in Eureka Springs
Photo from Richard Quick

A friend of a friend shared these words on social media. I wish I’d said something like this, so I shall share it with you …

“Today I don’t know how many days I have left. Many I hope, but who knows? We aren’t privileged with such knowledge unless, in Matthew Arnold’s words, ‘Peace has left the upper world, and now sleeps only in the grave.’ I’m nowhere near that, but trying to comfort an old friend yesterday, I found myself struggling for optimism. Too many wonderful people I’ve known now gather as a cult, with the chants of hatred rising like those in some ‘vegetation ritual’ scene. But here’s what I’m going to do with the number of days remaining—many or few—in memory of Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl in his epochal ‘Man’s Search for Meaning.’ I’ll find beauty in a sunset despite the evil gathered behind me. I’ll start the day with Mozart, not Twitter. I’ll end each day reading, and trying to make sense of, history. In between, I’ll appreciate loved ones more and tell them so. I’ll try to be a foundation of hope in a mean-spirited world. If I’m called a fool or relic, I’ll rise above it. I’ll make music, not because I’m good at it, but because I can say that, for a moment in eternity, I partnered with an inanimate object to glorify our existence on Earth. I’ll not squander my remaining treasures to signal defeat like a camp prisoner consuming his last hoard of cigarettes. Dear friends, as we circle to defend ourselves against the forces of darkness, let us join hands and sing, the way we used to when we thought the sun was rising on a better world.”


Written by Jimmie von Tungeln

Friday, November 4, 2022

Vote, Vote, Vote!

 


In August of 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified giving women the right to cast a vote in elections. We tend to think of this as something that “just happened”, with men suddenly deciding to let the little ladies have what they want. Not so. It took nearly 70 years of hard work to win the right to vote. It was not given; they took it. At the time, the country was slipping into an economic depression, a global pandemic had claimed 600,000 lives in the U.S., racial unrest was boiling up all over the country, the KKK had come out of hiding, immigration was a contentious issue, and a nasty presidential race was underway with one candidate having the divisive slogan, America First. Sound familiar?? That was 100 years ago, and against all odds the women persisted and won the vote. There is a lot more to this story, and it’s all fascinating! But for now, remember that it was not a simple request, with lovely ladies dressed in white sweetly asking to vote. It was a fight, it wasn’t an easy one, and they never backed down. In remembrance of what they worked so hard to achieve, let’s help our women friends get to the polls!


“One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself;’ annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 340:23-29


“How gracious it is to decide all things through Him Whose equal Love is given equally to all alike! He leaves you no one outside you. And so He gives you what is yours, because your Father would have you share it with Him. In everything be led by Him, and do not reconsider. Trust Him to answer quickly, surely, and with Love for everyone who will be touched in any way by the decision. And everyone will be. Would you take unto yourself the sole responsibility for deciding what can bring only good to everyone? Would you know this?” 

A Course in Miracles T-14.III.17:1-8

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Keep, Give Away, Throw Away

 

Photo credit: Blake Lasater

Keep, give away, or throw away: these are the choices we must make when clearing out spaces around our homes. My carport has storage cabinets which have become chock full of things which don’t need to be there. When my oldest son was visiting, he and my younger son tackled this mess, while I made decisions on what would stay and what would go. More than once in this process, I wondered how much useless information I was keeping in my thoughts. As with the dusty masses of nails, screws and other things too good to throw away but of no use to me, I find many false beliefs have been passing through my thoughts on a regular basis. When I say “false beliefs”, it could be said all beliefs are false, but some of them seem to help us navigate the maze of living on this planet, while others simply occupy our time and bring about concern for our well-being. In striving to pay attention, I will try to keep and use all the pure thoughts received from divine Mind; I will share them with others, along with the physical practices which have served me well. Everything else will be sent to the landfill. As with items I choose to purchase, I will try not to take in any of those useless thoughts, making it easier to clean our the nooks and crannies in the future!


“The first step toward freedom involves a sorting out of the false from the true. This is a process of separation in the constructive sense, and reflects the true meaning of the Apocalypse. Everyone will ultimately look upon his own creations and choose to preserve only what is good, just as God Himself looked upon what He had created and knew that it was good. At this point, the mind can begin to look with love on its own creations because of their worthiness. At the same time the mind will inevitably disown its miscreations which, without belief, will no longer exist.”

A Course in Miracles T-2.VIII.4:1-5


“If mortals would keep proper ward over mortal mind, the brood of evils which infest it would be cleared out. We must begin with this so-called mind and empty it of sin and sickness, or sin and sickness will never cease. The present codes of human systems disappoint the weary searcher after a divine theology, adequate to the right education of human thought.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 234:17-24

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

The Sight is Costing You Vision

Crescent Hotel - Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Photo credit: Stephen Shogren


Expect the best of people and that's what you'll get. I've always felt this to be true, and I've never been disappointed. Perhaps that's because I've realized everyone is doing the best they can, even if it doesn't seem very good to me -- ha! A friend said yesterday that she had, once again, been disappointed when someone didn't keep their word to her. She stated that it "always happened to her". Which reminded me of the old story of a woman out for a walk and meeting a man who had recently moved to town. She was asked what the people were like in his new community. She turned the question around and asked what the people were like where the newly-arrived man was from. He responded that they were wonderful. "Well, that's what they're like here, too!", responded the woman. Another day the same situation happened with someone else, but when she asked what people were like where the man came from, the response was that they were rude and mean. "Well, that's what you'll find here, too." Perceptions are everything, don't you think? I can look at a situation and see joy, but someone else may find problems and sadness. Perhaps it goes back to my favorite one of Ruiz's Four Agreements: Don't take anything personally! 

“The world you see must be denied, for sight of it is costing you a different kind of vision. You cannot see both worlds, for each of them involves a different kind of seeing, and depends on what you cherish. The sight of one is possible because you have denied the other. Both are not true, yet either one will seem as real to you as the amount to which you hold it dear. And yet their power is not the same, because their real attraction to you is unequal.”

A Course in Miracles T-13.VII.2:1-5


“Spiritual perception brings out the possibilities of being, destroys reliance on aught but God, and so makes man the image of his Maker in deed and in truth.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 203:13-16

Monday, October 24, 2022

We’re Here to Help Each Other

 


When politicians and leaders are heartless, it may seem okay for individuals to be the same, or for churches to say they must take care of themselves, or communities to build fences and declare themselves safe. It's way past time for us to look at what really matters. We are here to help each other. Yet many people and institutions seem to have a self-centered, me-first attitude. A wise man once said the measure of a country is in how it treats its animals. It's also in how it treats the hopeless, the homeless, the hungry, the children, and others in need. I will vote for candidates who care about human growth, about our planet, our rivers, our food supplies. Corporations are not people. They don't cry or care. Look your neighbor in the eye, listen to a friend in need, say a kind word to the serviceperson helping you, vote for people who do the same. We can make a difference!


“To my sense, the most imminent dangers confronting the coming century are: the robbing of people of life and liberty under the warrant of the Scriptures; the claims of politics and of human power, industrial slavery, and insufficient freedom of honest competition; and ritual, creed, and trusts in place of the Golden Rule, ‘Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.’”

Mary Baker Eddy - from The New York World, December, 1900 (An article entitled Insufficient Freedom)


“The Golden Rule asks you to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This means that the perception of both must be accurate. The Golden Rule is the rule for appropriate behavior. You cannot behave appropriately unless you perceive correctly. Since you and your neighbor are equal members of one family, as you perceive both so you will do to both.⁷You should look out from the perception of your own holiness to the holiness of others.” 

A Course in Miracles T-1.III.6:2-7

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Creatures Great and Small

 


I was reminded, once again, of what animals have to teach us. Today I reached into a small, dark lift (elevator, of sorts) in a 150-year-old church where I play organ. I heard a buzz go by my ear and then a trapped buzzing sound coming from my back. After shaking my shirt shoulder a couple of times, I realized a wasp was trapped in between my diaphanous overblouse and my linen shirt. I took off the sheer outer garment and by looking over my shoulder, I saw the buzzer sitting quietly on my back shoulder. I walked outside and requested it leave, and he/she did so. This brief episode brought into focus how our attitudes affect everything around us. The wasp and I had direct contact on my hand, my ear, and my back. Never at any time did I feel anxious or afraid. And neither did it. When I think back on the times my pets have been anxious or calm, depending upon my feelings — well, our thoughts are mobile and emotions fly fast! Let’s stay calm and positively directed today. Who knows who may benefit from it? Namaste …


“Understanding the control which Love held over all, Daniel felt safe in the lions’ den, and Paul proved the viper to be harmless. All of God’s creatures, moving in the harmony of Science, are harmless, useful, indestructible.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 514:26-30


“Are you invulnerable? Then the world is harmless in your sight. Do you forgive? Then is the world forgiving, for you have forgiven it its trespasses, and so it looks on you with eyes that see as yours. Are you a body? So is all the world perceived as treacherous, and out to kill. Are you a spirit, deathless, and without the promise of corruption and the stain of sin upon you? So the world is seen as stable, fully worthy of your trust; a happy place to rest in for a while, where nothing need be feared, but only loved. Who is unwelcome to the kind in heart? And what could hurt the truly innocent?” 

A Course in Miracles T-31.VI.6:1-10

Saturday, October 22, 2022

A Sweet Story

 

Sunday Flight by Christian Schloe


I love this story from Kurt Vonnegut. Happy Sunday everyone!


“When I was 15, I spent a month working on an archeological dig. I was talking to one of the archeologists one day during our lunch break and he asked those kinds of ‘getting to know you’ questions you ask young people: Do you play sports? What’s your favorite subject? And I told him, no I don’t play any sports. I do theater, I’m in choir, I play the violin and piano, I used to take art classes.

“And he went wow. That’s amazing! And I said, ‘Oh no, but I’m not any good at any of them.’

“And he said something then that I will never forget and which absolutely blew my mind because no one had ever said anything like it to me before: ‘I don’t think being good at things is the point of doing them. I think you’ve got all these wonderful experiences with different skills, and that all teaches you things and makes you an interesting person, no matter how well you do them.’

“And that honestly changed my life. Because I went from a failure, someone who hadn’t been talented enough at anything to excel, to someone who did things because I enjoyed them. I had been raised in such an achievement-oriented environment, so inundated with the myth of Talent, that I thought it was only worth doing things if you could ‘win’ at them.”


Kurt Vonnegut

Friday, October 21, 2022

The Good That Is Unfolding

Afternoon Tea
By Catrin Welz-Stein

I heard a term which sent me directly to a search engine: Adulting. Its definition is: “the practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks”. I have found it difficult to “adult” at times when I let myself become overwhelmed by too many activities. If my mind is racing in circles with a multitude of duties whirling around in it, I may flit from one to another with no focus anywhere. At those times, it’s easy to think there is too much on my plate and I’d rather retreat into a good book. Through the years, I’ve learned to sit quietly, listening for the rhythms of divine order to lead the way, and then to be present in the Now. Some people like to make lists and prioritize, others want someone to tell them what to do first, but few of us believe there is an omnipresence which can help us navigate life’s activities. It can be difficult to override our ego’s dictates, admitting that we may not know what is best, releasing control and flowing with the good which is unfolding right in front of us. But I’m going to keep trying, because I’ve seen how much easier it is than thinking I know it all!

“The objects of time and sense disappear in the illumination of spiritual understanding, and Mind measures time according to the good that is unfolding.” Mary Baker Eddy, Science & Health Page 584


“Do you really believe you can make a voice that can drown out God’s? Do you really believe you can devise a thought system that can separate you from Him? Do you really believe you can plan for your safety and joy better than He can? You need be neither careful nor careless; you need merely cast your cares upon Him because He careth for you. You are His care because He loves you. His Voice reminds you always that all hope is yours because of His care. You cannot choose to escape His care because that is not His Will, but you can choose to accept His care and use the infinite power of His care for all those He created by it.” 

A Course in Miracles T-5.VII.1:1-7

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Frugal Repast



When I was a very young child, my parents had a slaughterhouse. It was a small operation in a small town and people would bring in the steer they raised, or the chickens they kept in the yard, to have them killed and dressed to put in their freezer. I wasn’t particularly traumatized by any of this, but I did hold the false notion that this humane treatment was the standard practice in our country. Then I started paying attention. After that, I began to restrict my animal intake and now call myself a wanna-be vegetarian (because I do on occasion eat meat). Apparently those occasions are rare enough that an indulgence in a big burger and fried side dishes has made me feel groggy and sluggish for more than a day! I’m not writing this to promote any particular way of eating, but I am hoping that everyone in the world will pay attention to what exactly it is we’re putting in our mouths. Our vegetables are poisoned on a regular basis, the corn syrup situation is frightening, and animals are living a nightmare to supply the outlandish amount of meat which is eaten. I know I eat too much and often am uncaring of what that intake is. While I’m not going to beat myself up over that burger and fries, I am going to try to eat a diet suitable for a small planet! 

"When error confronts you, withhold not the rebuke or the explanation which destroys error. Never breathe an immoral atmosphere, unless in the attempt to purify it. Better is the frugal intellectual repast with contentment and virtue, than the luxury of learning with egotism and vice." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 452

New Today

Human Rights

Art by William Haskell  In my lifetime, I have seen many advances in our understanding and the implementation of so-called human rights. We...