It’s Your Party, Too

Art by Inge Löök Oy Ab 

 DON’T MISS YOUR OWN PARTY - BY DONNA ASHWORTH

You know that feeling, when you have daily cleaned, cooked and prepared for a big family get-together or party?

You bustle around doing everything and making sure everyone has a wonderful time and when you finally do get the chance to sit down and relax with your guests, it’s home time...

Don’t let that be the metaphor for your life.

Don’t let the moment you finally relax be a moment too far...

I guess what I am trying to say my friend is, don’t miss your own party because you wanted everyone to else to have the best time.

  

Now is the time to sit down, take a beat and chat with a friend or loved one.

Now is the time to eat, break bread and be merry.

Now is the time to be fully here.

Fully present.

Enjoying.

Experiencing.

Living.

Not after, not when ‘everything is perfect’.

The dishes can wait, this is your party, your life.

You’re invited too.”

Donna Ashworth

From my poetry book ‘LIFE’

“Glory be to God, and peace to the struggling hearts! Christ hath rolled away the stone from the door of human hope and faith, and through the revelation and demonstration of life in God, hath elevated them to possible at-one-ment with the spiritual idea of man and his divine Principle, Love.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 45:16-21

“You will not find peace until you have removed the nails from the hands of God’s Son, and taken the last thorn from his forehead. The Love of God surrounds His Son whom the god of crucifixion condemns. Teach not that I died in vain. Teach rather that I did not die by demonstrating that I live in you. For the undoing of the crucifixion of God’s Son is the work of the redemption, in which everyone has a part of equal value. God does not judge His guiltless Son. Having given Himself to him, how could it be otherwise?” 

A Course in Miracles T-11.VI.7:1-7

Become a Guardian of the Earth

 

A Water Crystal Treated Kindly

Dr. Masaru Emoto was a Japanese scientist who devoted his life to experiments which show that our thoughts and intentions impact the physical realm. He studied the scientific evidence of how the molecular structure in water transforms when it is exposed to human words, thoughts, sounds, and intentions. He also experimented with grains of rice in water. One was spoken to kindly and politely; one was shouted at and abused; one was ignored. The one showered with kindness developed roots and thrived; the one treated rudely did okay; but the one ignored, turned into lifeless sludge. We must become a guardian of our environment. Mostly, we don’t give attention to where our water and food come from. We take it for granted; we ignore it. We can all become guardians, even if it is of a small space. Plant herbs in a flower pot on a windowsill and give them attention. Pick a spot in a local park and send it love. Sit with a few blades of grass and do a meditation. Attentive love is a force of nature. That’s a proven fact!

“There is a light in you the world can not perceive. And with its eyes you will not see this light, for you are blinded by the world. Yet you have eyes to see it. It is there for you to look upon. It was not placed in you to be kept hidden from your sight. This light is a reflection of the thought we practice now. To feel the Love of God within you is to see the world anew, shining in innocence, alive with hope, and blessed with perfect charity and love.” 

A Course in Miracles W-189.1:1-7

“As when an acid and alkali meet and bring out a third quality, so mental and moral chemistry changes the material base of thought, giving more spirituality to consciousness and causing it to depend less on material evidence. These changes which go on in mortal mind serve to reconstruct the body. Thus Christian Science, by the alchemy of Spirit, destroys sin and death.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 422:14-21

Beautiful Spring

 

Blue Spring in Eureka Springs, AR

From Harrison Sutcliffe Photography

Springtime is so beautiful! Green shoots pushing through the soil cause my heart to beat just a bit faster in anticipation. I have an asparagus patch which is in its 4th year and the beautiful pesticide-free stalks have brought joy to my tastebuds and happiness to my eyes. The redbuds have shown their tenacity by continuing to bloom through a couple of freezing nights, and the dogwoods are right on cue for their Easter Sunday appearance. The daffodils are almost through showing off, and iris and peony are readying themselves to take their place. Waterfalls are flowing, people are kayaking on the rivers, and we’re all planting seeds and watching beautiful sunsets. I’ve been enjoying a youtube series called Danu’s Irish Herb Garden. It’s made by a lovely woman of a certain age who makes me want to forage for food. Life is good! 

“The periods of spiritual ascension are the days and seasons of Mind’s creation, in which beauty, sublimity, purity, and holiness — yea, the divine nature — appear in man and the universe never to disappear.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 509:24-28

“It is in your power to make this season holy, for it is in your power to make the time of Christ be now. It is possible to do this all at once because there is but one shift in perception that is necessary, for you made but one mistake. It seems like many, but it is all the same. For though the ego takes many forms, it is always the same idea. What is not love is always fear, and nothing else.” 

A Course in Miracles T-15.X.4:1-5

Why Did They Kill Jesus?

 

Photo credit: Blake Lasater

I remember a time long, long ago when I was a child, asking my mother why the people killed Jesus. Oddly enough, she told me she didn’t know; that it made no sense to her either. I can only suppose she said this because she didn’t want me to be crucified by my little fundamentalist friends, because she knew I never could keep my mouth shut. She was an ardent student of the Bible and Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures, so I’m sure she knew exactly why religious leaders were afraid to let him live. He was preaching the doctrine of Love, which had nothing to do with taking an eye for an eye or persecuting others because they didn’t acquiesce to prescribed doctrine. We know it was not the heathens who nailed him to a cross and laughed at him for his new way of thinking. It was the religious leaders. These men who wanted to be in charge of everything and not let people know that the power was within them, they are the ones who tried to bury his teachings about God. In 2000 years we’re still afraid to speak truth to error. I applaud every one of you who question the nature of reality and the veracity of the leaders we follow!

“Led on by the grossest element of mortal mind, Herod decreed the death of every male child in order that the man Jesus, the masculine representative of the spiritual idea, might never hold sway and deprive Herod of his crown. The impersonation of the spiritual idea had a brief history in the earthly life of our Master; but ‘of his kingdom there shall be no end,’ for Christ, God’s idea, will eventually rule all nations and peoples — imperatively, absolutely, finally — with divine Science. This immaculate idea, represented first by man and, according to the Revelator, last by woman, will baptize with fire; and the fiery baptism will burn up the chaff of error with the fervent heat of Truth and Love, melting and purifying even the gold of human character. After the stars sang together and all was primeval harmony, the material lie made war upon the spiritual idea; but this only impelled the idea to rise to the zenith of demonstration, destroying sin, sickness, and death, and to be caught up unto God, — to be found in its divine Principle.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 566:9-27

“I have said that the crucifixion is the symbol of the ego. When it was confronted with the real guiltlessness of God’s Son it did attempt to kill him, and the reason it gave was that guiltlessness is blasphemous to God. To the ego, the ego is God, and guiltlessness must be interpreted as the final guilt that fully justifies murder. You do not yet understand that any fear you may experience in connection with this course stems ultimately from this interpretation, but if you will consider your reactions to it you will become increasingly convinced that this is so.” 

A Course in Miracles T-13.II.6:1-4

Upside-Down Point of View?

 

Big Jesus Statue in Eureka Springs

Photo by Dale Johnson

The words crucifixion and resurrection mean different things to us all. Some images in memory may be rather gruesome, while many are joyful and celebratory. I see these words as representing the freedom which comes with our resurrection from the tomb of material belief. The Christ Idea is risen in all the beauty of divine Love, as our ascension in thought shows us the ultimate reality of Life. On a personal level, I see this as the acceptance of myself as the spiritual idea I Am; a letting go of the material thought-basis which binds me to unreality. Now is the time to rise in the spirit of Truth, to celebrate the transformation which comes with the renewal of my mind. Now is the time to realize that no one can give me salvation, because it's already mine. Now is the time to claim this salvation and wear it with a calm which only comes from yielding mortal mind's control. And I lay down the sword ---

“We acknowledge that the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection served to uplift faith to understand eternal Life, even the allness of Soul, Spirit, and the nothingness of matter.

And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 497:20-28

“If the crucifixion is seen from an upside-down point of view, it does appear as if God permitted and even encouraged one of His Sons to suffer because he was good. This particularly unfortunate interpretation, which arose out of projection, has led many people to be bitterly afraid of God. Such anti-religious concepts enter into many religions. Yet the real Christian should pause and ask, ‘How could this be?’ Is it likely that God Himself would be capable of the kind of thinking which His Own words have clearly stated is unworthy of His Son?” 

A Course in Miracles - Chapter 3, Atonement Without Sacrifice 

Put Down the Sword

 

Photo credit: Aaron Springston

For many of us, the celebrations of Easter hold negative trigger words such as salvation, resurrection, crucifixion. When we look at the metaphorical meaning of those words, we can relax into an understanding which is different from the traditional story telling about the murder of Jesus. I’m not going to delve into those interpretations as you all know them as well as I — perhaps better, depending upon your religious background. No matter what we have believed, we’re asked to put down the sword and pick up the flowers, carrying forth the light of forgiveness and recognizing ourselves in the light of the Christ, which is what Jesus was trying to tell us in his beautiful teachings. If you want to hear some beautiful things about this vision, Marianne Williamson has a chat on youtube where she speaks to the resurrection we can experience daily. 

https://youtu.be/fOdZQWrq8D0

"Resurrection: Spiritualization of thought; a new and higher idea of immortality, or spiritual existence; material belief yielding to spiritual understanding." 

Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health Page 592:9-11

“Your resurrection is your reawakening. I am the model for rebirth, but rebirth itself is merely the dawning on your mind of what is already in it. God placed it there Himself, and so it is true forever. I believed in it, and therefore accepted it as true for me. Help me to teach it to our brothers in the name of the Kingdom of God, but first believe that it is true for you, or you will teach amiss. My brothers slept during the so-called ‘agony in the garden,’ but I could not be angry with them because I knew I could not be abandoned.”

A Course in Miracles T-6.I.7:1-67ujk,.

Mr. Rogers

Perhaps our moral compass in the United States went haywire when Mr. Rogers' soothing show was no longer on television. He taught us all to just be nice, but it was more than that, don’t you think? I read an article about him which said his goal was to promote “self-esteem, self-control, imagination, creativity, curiosity, appreciation of diversity, cooperation, patience and persistence.” He taught us how to perform necessary tasks, such as tying our shoelaces; he informed us about things which enrich our lives, like planting a garden. He never told children they were just as good as anyone else, or that they were infallible, but rather he taught us that we each have value, and that value isn’t tied to particular successes or failures. He encouraged children to go to school and listen to their teachers, humanizing educators by telling the young viewers that the teachers were once children, too. Mr. Rogers taught us to be mindfully aware, to enjoy the process, and to love our neighbors. What more do we need? I think we need another Mr. Rogers...

“A miracle is a service. It is the maximal service you can render to another. It is a way of loving your neighbor as yourself. You recognize your own and your neighbor’s worth simultaneously.” 

A Course in Miracles T-1.I.18:1-4

"Incorrect reasoning leads to practical error. The wrong thought should be arrested before it has a chance to manifest itself." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 452:4

Go Back and Live …

 

Art by Amanda Cass

Many of my friends have recently experienced the death of a loved one. I am learning from their experiences, my study of metaphysics, and random writings such as these I share with you today:

YOU’RE THE GHOST- written by Donna Ashworth

There’s a part of the grieving process,

where your soul kind of leaves your body too. 

As though it’s off searching for the one you lost, 

somewhere in the ether. 

You walk around, 

doing all the right things, 

putting one foot in front of the other, 

living,

but it’s really as though you’re the ghost. 

Perhaps you are. 

Perhaps your soul searches,

until you find the one you miss,

and they tell you to go back and live.

So, when that numbness passes brave one, 

maybe it’s time to do what you are told,

go back and live, 

twice as hard. 

You don’t belong there in the ether, 

nor do you need to search for the one you lost, 

they find you.

And when they do, you’ll feel it. 

By Donna Ashworth

From ‘I Wish I knew’

“We honor you today. Yours is the right to perfect holiness you now accept. With this acceptance is salvation brought to everyone, for who could cherish sin when holiness like this has blessed the world? Who could despair when perfect joy is yours, available to all as remedy for grief and misery, all sense of loss, and for complete escape from sin and guilt?” 

A Course in Miracles W-162.5:1-4

“If grief causes suffering, convince the sufferer that affliction is often the source of joy, and that he should rejoice always in ever-present Love.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures Page 377:3-5

Living Love

 

Photo credit: Aaron Springston

Today I was talking on the phone to my forever-friend, Nancy, who lives in the Little Rock area. While we were chatting, the storm warning sirens began to sound. We shared some memories about storms from our childhood, then she went to check on her husband and I went about my business. In a few minutes, she sent me photos of tornado damage a short block from her daughter’s house. When tragedies happen, no matter where in the world, they cause us to have a moment of introspection. It’s tempting to be grateful that you and yours were spared, but that has never felt like a productive reaction to me. I know that at this very moment there are people thanking god for sparing them from this event. But isn’t there an implication that those who have lost their homes — and perhaps loved ones — have done something wrong which brought this down upon them? Today I shall be on the lookout for self-righteous prayer when sending loving energy to all in need. And I think that would include each and every one of us…

‘The divinity of the Christ was made manifest in the humanity of Jesus.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 25:30-32

“‘I rest in God.’ Completely undismayed, this thought will carry you through storms and strife, past misery and pain, past loss and death, and onward to the certainty of God. There is no suffering it cannot heal. There is no problem that it cannot solve. And no appearance but will turn to truth before the eyes of you who rest in God.” 

A Course in Miracles  W-109.3:1-5

Thought-Provoking Gatherings

 

A Table at Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory

After attending my monthly book club meeting tonight, many snippets of conversations are flitting around in my brain. The first thought-provoking thing I heard was that light’s movement forward can be reversed. This is mind-boggling in its implications. Would time go backwards, too? I imagine a river of light rushing at us from a star far, far away, and then reversing to return. Wow. Our book of the month was Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult. It has to do with the pandemic in its beginning days and the implications of respirator-induced coma, the nature of reality, the relationships we share with each other in reality or dreams — and even if there is a difference. There was also a short conversation about how in the heck 3-D printers work, the implications of artificial intelligence, and, of course, weather phenomenon. There is much to think about, as you can see! Digesting good food and fine conversation is my favorite kind of evening. I am curious, yet content. 

“Progress takes off human shackles. The finite must yield to the infinite. Advancing to a higher plane of action, thought rises from the material sense to the spiritual, from the scholastic to the inspirational, and from the mortal to the immortal. All things are created spiritually. Mind, not matter, is the creator. Love, the divine Principle, is the Father and of the universe, including man.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 256:1-8 

“Atonement might be equated with total escape from the past and total lack of interest in the future. Heaven is here. There is nowhere else. Heaven is now. There is no other time. No teaching that does not lead to this is of concern to God’s teachers. All beliefs will point to this if properly interpreted. In this sense, it can be said that their truth lies in their usefulness. All beliefs that lead to progress should be honored. This is the sole criterion this course requires. No more than this is necessary.” 

A Course in Miracles  M-24.6:3-13

Art Prayers for Ukraine

 

Art by Marjorie Theodore

A woman named Marjorie Theodore has been posting daily art prayers for Ukraine on her social media page. It may be a simple sunflower, as the photo I’ve included with this writing, which she posted along with the words “sunflowers for strength, and peace, and hope”.  She’s done it every day for more than a year. When asked if she planned to continue, she answered: “How could I not? I hope that my commitment will last as their commitment does. I do think art is prayer. I think that song is prayer. When you are thinking of someone that you love, that is prayer. So when I think of Ukraine and I express my feelings through these daily pictures, it is a prayer.” Ms. Theodore has caused me to realize that my daily writings are also prayers: prayers for you, prayers for me, prayers for the world. We all have the opportunity to express Love in everything we do. I hope you will appreciate yourself today, and shine your love into the world. Namaste…

“The test of all prayer lies in the answer to these questions: Do we love our neighbor better because of this asking? Do we pursue the old selfishness, satisfied with having prayed for something better, though we give no evidence of the sincerity of our requests by living consistently with our prayer? If selfishness has given place to kindness, we shall regard our neighbor unselfishly, and bless them that curse us; but we shall never meet this great duty simply by asking that it may be done. There is a cross to be taken up before we can enjoy the fruition of our hope and faith.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 9:5-16

“To you who are in time a little while, prayer takes the form that best will suit your need. You have but one. What God created one must recognize its oneness, and rejoice that what illusions seemed to separate is one forever in the Mind of God. Prayer now must be the means by which God’s Son leaves separate goals and separate interests by, and turns in holy gladness to the truth of union in his Father and himself.” 

A Course in Miracles S-1.in.2:1-4

I’ve Always Wanted To Be That Woman

 

Art by Jonas Peterson

From Donna Ashworth’s book “Life” …

“I’ve always wanted, very much, to be that woman.

The old one, with the hair like silver that seems to radiate its very own source of light.

The one with the knowing smile that hints at humour ever present and a life that’s been full of belly laughter.

The woman with the deep lines in her weathered skin, lines etched out by adventure, by joy, by fear and by growth.

I imagined how I’d float rather than walk because I no longer bear the weight of the world on my shoulders and I marvelled at how my days would be full to the brim with resting and noticing the world around me.

I would not care for thoughts of guilt because by then I would have learned that resting is doing, and is very important indeed.

There I would be reading, gardening, eating food I had grown and passing my little nuggets of wisdom down, to anyone who wanted to listen.

The contented crone.

The final phase of the journey of womanity.

No chasing youth for me, 

I will be languishing, loudly, in the joy of my age and my luck at having got so far.

I’ve always wanted, very much, to be that woman.

Join me, if you like.”        Donna Ashworth From her poetry book ‘LIFE’

“Even Shakespeare’s poetry pictures age as infancy, as helplessness and decadence, instead of assigning to man the everlasting grandeur and immortality of development, power, and prestige.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 244:28-32

“Child of God, you were created to create the good, the beautiful and the holy. Do not forget this. The Love of God, for a little while, must still be expressed through one body to another, because vision is still so dim. You can use your body best to help you enlarge your perception so you can achieve real vision, of which the physical eye is incapable. Learning to do this is the body’s only true usefulness.” 

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

Sharing Joy

 

Christian Heller Photography

Laughter is contagious, don’t you think? Most of us have “gotten the giggles” and been unable to stop laughing. There are numerous videos on the internet where people are sharing laughter in the most joyous of ways. I particularly like one which shows people’s reactions when someone tells them they are beautiful. The sheepish grins which emerge, the eyes which light up, are sure to bring a smile to my face and an expansion of my heart no matter how many times I’ve seen it. Joy, laughter, happiness — these are given freely to us as a part of our divine heritage. Today I will make the most of every opportunity I have to give these gifts, freely, joyously, with no reservations or restrictions!

"Happiness is spiritual, born of truth and love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it." Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures Page 57:18-21

“This is the way salvation works. As you step back, the light in you steps forward and encompasses the world. It heralds not the end of sin in punishment and death. In lightness and in laughter is sin gone, because its quaint absurdity is seen. It is a foolish thought, a silly dream, not frightening, ridiculous perhaps, but who would waste an instant in approach to God Himself for such a senseless whim?” 

A Course in Miracles W-156.6:1-5

Open-Hearted Living

 

Photo credit: Jim Young

I was chatting with a local health care professional who had open heart surgery. He tells me that many people in the "zipper club" (as a group of bypass patients call themselves) are anything but open-hearted. He says many people are angry that their lives have changed so much. He told me that some don't want to go forward, but rather spend time and energy wanting their old lifestyle back. I find this difficult to understand. Having gone through a life-changing physical event, I found the major changes to be exhilarating and exciting. The name "open heart" would cause me to smile every time I thought of it, leading me to open myself to everything that life has to offer and bringing a new appreciation — as I'm sure it has for many, as it has for the beautiful man with whom I shared this conversation. I open my heart to happiness, safety, comfort, certainty of purpose, and peace so perfect it can never be upset. I am grateful, moment-by-moment, for all that I am learning and seeing demonstrated in daily life. Thank you greatly!!

“Gratitude is much more than a verbal expression of thanks. Action expresses more gratitude than speech.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 3:25-26

“And so, our Father, we return to You, remembering we never went away; remembering Your holy gifts to us. In gratitude and thankfulness we come, with empty hands and open hearts and minds, asking but what You give. We cannot make an offering sufficient for Your Son. But in Your Love the gift of Christ is his.”

A Course in Miracles W-306.2:1-4

Good Luck/Bad Luck - Who Knows?

 

Altai Mountain, Mongolia - photo by Aaron Springston

There is a story of a farmer who used an old horse to till his fields. One day, the horse ran away and when the farmer's neighbors sympathized with the man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, "Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?" A week later, the horse returned with a herd of horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, "Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?" The farmer's son attempted to tame one of the wild horses, fell off, and broke his leg, Everyone thought this very bad luck, but not the farmer, whose only reaction was, "Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?" Then war broke out and the son didn't have to fight because of his broken leg. Bad luck, good luck -- who knows? It's wonderful to be open to Life with no expectations, not thinking in terms of good and bad, letting Love live through us!

“Let truth be what it is. Do not intrude upon it, do not attack it, do not interrupt its coming. Let it encompass every situation and bring you peace. Not even faith is asked of you, for truth asks nothing. Let it enter, and it will call forth and secure for you the faith you need for peace. But rise you not against it, for against your opposition it cannot come.” A Course in Miracles T-17.VIII.2:2-7

“Harmony is produced by its Principle, is controlled by it and abides with it.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 304:16-17

Free Will?

 

Photo credit: Aaron Springston

I'm beginning to see that I have no will of my own if I'm simply regurgitating well-rehearsed lines from the history of my life. Glimpses of freedom come from throwing off chains I’ve bound myself with throughout a lifetime of fears and learned behavior. Listening for Mind (with a capital M) is beginning to take precedence over knee-jerk reactions to life’s circumstances. A friend told me a story about how his misperception of things caused a rift in a relationship. He thought his stepmother had never liked him, then one day he found out she was almost deaf. With this realization, he saw that the actions he had interpreted as slights to him were actually moments of confusion on her part. Now, viewed from this understanding, he sees their relationship as a loving one. Today I will quietly listen for that still, small voice which frees me from long-held beliefs which have been created by my ego-driven mortal mind. Clarity, consideration, compassion — three things of which we can never have too much!

“Man is tributary to God, Spirit, and to nothing else. God’s being is infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 480:2-4

“The Garden of Eden, or the pre-separation condition, was a state of mind in which nothing was needed. When Adam listened to the ‘lies of the serpent,’ all he heard was untruth. You do not have to continue to believe what is not true unless you choose to do so. All that can literally disappear in the twinkling of an eye because it is merely a misperception. What is seen in dreams seems to be very real. Yet the Bible says that a deep sleep fell upon Adam, and nowhere is their reference to his waking up. The world has not yet experienced any comprehensive reawakening or rebirth. Such a rebirth is impossible as long as you continue to project or miscreate. It still remains within you, however, to extend as God extended His Spirit to you. In reality this is your only choice, because your free will was given you for your joy in creating the perfect.” 

A Course in Miracles T-2.I.3:1-10

Embrace All Living Creatures

 

Gustave Caillebotte - The Yerres, Rain, 1875

Rainy days with nowhere to go are my favorites of all days! Today was one of those times, and I enjoyed catching up on reading and puttering around the house. This quote was at the center of my day’s studies: "A human being is a part of the whole called by us 'the universe,' a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical illusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening the circle of understanding and compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." - Albert Einstein

“At all times and under all circumstances, overcome evil with good. Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil. 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 571:15-21

“The mind that serves the Holy Spirit is unlimited forever, in all ways, beyond the laws of time and space, unbound by any preconceptions, and with strength and power to do whatever it is asked. Attack thoughts cannot enter such a mind, because it has been given to the Source of love, and fear can never enter in a mind that has attached itself to love. It rests in God. And who can be afraid who lives in Innocence, and only loves.” 

A Course in Miracles W-199.2:1-4

For the Love of a Book

 

Art from Natacha Einat

Most of us have favorite books from childhood; many of us have a favorite book which we enjoy revisiting throughout our lives. Recently I decided to reread Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy. I haven’t read it straight through since I took class instruction in the late 1990s, and I’m amazed by how much I’m enjoying it! I read it first thing in the morning, and it’s sometimes difficult to stop and go about the day’s activities. Almost every page has an ah-hah moment, a sentence or paragraph which I read multiple times with increasing wonder. Today’s find was: “Love will finally mark the hour of harmony, and spiritualization will follow, for Love is Spirit. Before error is wholly destroyed, there will be interruptions of the general material routine. Earth will become dreary and desolate, but summer and winter, seedtime and harvest (though in changed forms), will continue unto the end, — until the final spiritualization of all things. ‘The darkest hour precedes the dawn.’” (Page 96:4-11) I find comfort in this prophecy.

“Let us come daily to this holy place, and spend a while together. Here we share our final dream. It is a dream in which there is no sorrow, for it holds a hint of all the glory given us by God. The grass is pushing through the soil, the trees are budding now, and birds have come to live within their branches. Earth is being born again in new perspective. Night has gone, and we have come together in the light.” 

A Course in Miracles W-pII.2.4:1-6)

Equinox Transition

Unknown artist

I’m not a follower of astrology, but these words about the Equinox caught my attention and appreciation!

“As the Sun crosses the celestial equator, an intriguing energetic shift occurs in the world. It is the time of the Equinox, marking the transition from the long slumber of winter to the spirited rebirth of spring. Hence, as seen in the natural world with the changing seasons, the Equinox symbolises renewal, shedding old layers and opening up to new beginnings. 

As well as the Equinox, we have the Aries New Moon... a globally momentous time for setting intentions and manifesting our desires, however, it requires careful attention to our thoughts and emotions. By setting clear intentions that align with our compassionate elevated emotional state, we can tap into the electromagnetic properties of Neptune’s unified quantum field of manifestation and create a whole new destiny for ourselves...” 

excerpted from website linked here: Read more here: https://angstoic.com/ and on Substack: https://angstoic.substack.com/p/igniting-the-spark-of-inception-the?fbclid=IwAR1sNiyCkYc-tp9hQGJrsplTiXWW83vXx3qj2HIrXtmr7FVEcMfwaPOJ5AE

“The attraction between native qualities will be perpetual only as it is pure and true, bringing sweet seasons of renewal like the returning spring.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures - Page 57:11-14

“When you have seen this real world, as you will surely do, you will remember Us. Yet you must learn the cost of sleeping, and refuse to pay it. Only then will you decide to awaken. And then the real world will spring to your sight, for Christ has never slept. He is waiting to be seen, for He has never lost sight of you. He looks quietly on the real world, which He would share with you because He knows of the Father’s Love for Him. And knowing this, He would give you what is yours. In perfect peace He waits for you at His Father’s altar, holding out the Father’s Love to you in the quiet light of the Holy Spirit’s blessing. For the Holy Spirit will lead everyone home to his Father, where Christ waits as his Self.” A Course in Miracles T-12.VI.5:1-9

No Idle Thoughts

Our hearts cry for the children, the animals, the adults, the trees, the insects — all of life is in need of our higher thoughts and positive actions! When we see a heartbreaking situation and translate it into Love, we are helping. Everything we say or do is either a reflection of Love or of fear, and fear seems to try to attach itself to us with every new travesty we witness. Fearful responses get us nowhere and only cause the situation to be more solid in our thought. We are flexible and easily-influenced, but we are also smart and intuitive. The choices we have may seem overwhelming sometimes, but when we realize there is only one real choice, Love, it becomes easier to see truth. We all want to be loved, to be safe, to be comfortable, to be at peace. It may seem as though hatred spreads like wildfire, but Love puts out the flames of hatred as surely as light brightens a dark room. It may hurt our eyes at first, but those reflective organs are made to adjust. I hope you can do something joyous today. Love as strongly as some are fearing, because it's an incredibly strong and unstoppable force which we hold right here in our hearts.

“Lulled by stupefying illusions, the world is asleep in the cradle of infancy, dreaming away the hours. Material sense does not unfold the facts of existence; but spiritual sense lifts human consciousness into eternal Truth. Humanity advances slowly out of sinning sense into spiritual understanding; unwillingness to learn all things rightly, binds Christendom with chains.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 95:28-3

“Besides your recognizing that thoughts are never idle, salvation requires that you also recognize that every thought you have brings either peace or war; either love or fear. A neutral result is impossible because a neutral thought is impossible.” 

A Course in Miracles W-16.3:1-2