False Belief Engenders Fear

Photo credit; Aaron Springston

When we believe that something outside ourself is creating circumstance, we give this outside cause reality and make it and its effects our reality. This false belief engenders fear. “A meaningless world engenders fear because I think I am in competition with God." So often we act as though we're in charge and that we must tell God what we want in order for it to be done. We bargain and cajole to get our way, then get angry with God when we don’t get what we want. We blame God when anything less than our idea of good comes our way. We thank God when we get our way, perhaps in a boastful or self-satisfied way. All these actions are symptoms of the separation we feel. Allowing everything to be meaningless is similar to letting go of an addiction! Interesting symptoms show up, as could irritableness when giving up caffeine. Today I repeatedly found myself thinking less than charitable and loving thoughts toward people I barely know. While reading on social media about problems the daughter of an old friend was having, I thought to myself that she had brought them on herself. I immediately stopped and questioned my motives, uncovering the remembrance of a perceived painful period of antagonism between people I love. And then I stepped back and remembered the reasons I love and appreciate these dear old friends. Let's not be afraid of any rogue thoughts which may seem to assault us, but rather acknowledge them as symptoms of a clearing away of self to allow our Self to be demonstrated.

“History teaches that the popular and false notions about the Divine Being and character have originated in the human mind.”  

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 357:19-21

“The emptiness engendered by fear must be replaced by forgiveness. That is what the Bible means by ‘There is no death,’ and why I could demonstrate that death does not exist. I came to fulfill the law by reinterpreting it. The law itself, if properly understood, offers only protection. It is those who have not yet changed their minds who brought the ‘hell-fire’ concept into it. I assure you that I will witness for anyone who lets me, and to whatever extent he permits it. Your witnessing demonstrates your belief, and thus strengthens it. Those who witness for me are expressing, through their miracles, that they have abandoned the belief in deprivation in favor of the abundance they have learned belongs to them.” 

A Course in Miracles T-1.IV.4:1-8

Real or Insane Thoughts?

“Black Cat With Tulips and Apple Blossoms”

Art by Maud Lewis 

Often when we’re upset, we have a desire to blame someone or, alternatively, to avoid the situation altogether. Today's ACIM Lesson #12 asks us to witness events without giving them any meaning, neither good nor bad, thereby leaving ourselves blank to see what ideas come through in place of our personal feelings. If we give no meaning to anything, if we see a meaningless world, and then become upset by this void, we may be tempted to try to figure out why this is happening. If we find this exercise upsetting, let's not act upon these feelings; instead, let's witness what happens without placing an interpretation on it. When we allow Sprit (God) to manifest through us -- which is our native state as a reflection, the image and likeness of God -- we open ourselves to the field of all possibilities. We can become a blank slate for Love to write on. Who's to know where this will lead us? To quote Rumi: "Out beyond ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there".

“The objects cognized by the physical senses have not the reality of substance. They are only what mortal belief calls them. Matter, sin, and mortality lose all supposed consciousness or claim to life or existence, as mortals lay off a false sense of life, substance, and intelligence. But the spiritual, eternal man is not touched by these phases of mortality.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 311:26-32

“My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world. Since the thoughts of which I am aware do not mean anything, the world that pictures them can have no meaning. What is producing this world is insane, and so is what it produces. Reality is not insane, and I have real thoughts as well as insane ones. I can therefore see a real world, if I look to my real thoughts as my guide for seeing.” 

A Course in Miracles W-53.1:1-5

A Meaningful World

Image by Laura Iverson

I had a sleeping dream of Utopia. There was no need to speak, as we knew each others' thoughts. We had no fear, as our thoughts were uncluttered and pure. Everywhere I looked there were happy people, busy at tasks which would benefit everyone. There was no need for television or radios, as we knew everything, and it was Good. At one point, I thought I was lost in the woods, but that was impossible because others sensed my confusion and were there immediately to lead me to a safe and beautiful home. While traveling on a road, suddenly the way was filled with huge boulders and ancient fallen trees. But to the left side there was a field filled with beautiful flowers, and a pathway leading to my destination. All needs were met before I knew of them, and there was the most wonderful sense of peace. I will hold to these beautiful feelings today, while seeing the meaningless basis of my thoughts and desires.

“Since the thoughts of which I am aware do not mean anything, the world that pictures them can have no meaning. What is producing this world is insane, and so is what it produces. Reality is not insane, and I have real thoughts as well as insane ones. I can therefore see a real world, if I look to my real thoughts as my guide for seeing.” 

A Course in Miracles W-53.1:2-5

“Sleep and apathy are phases of the dream that life, substance, and intelligence are material. The mortal night dream is sometimes nearer than are the thoughts of mortals when awake. The night-dream has less matter as its accompaniment. It throws off some material fetters. It falls short of the skies, but makes its mundane flights quite ethereal.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 249:24-30

Human/Spiritual Thoughts

Photo by Gerry Toler

We are accustomed to believing that everything we think and do is important, and it can be hard to admit our thoughts mean nothing. Sometimes it is even difficult to admit we don't know or understand things in daily life, so how can we admit that our own thoughts mean nothing? For me, it's a matter of realizing that my true self isn't contained in this body, and any thoughts which are based in materialism are changeable. And so I can then admit that my thoughts (even those which seem to be pretty good ones!) are not "founded on the divine rock". With this admission, I am happy to see the beliefs of a lifetime dissipate, leaving me open to the divine ideas which are my true reality as a reflection of Love! 

"Human thoughts have their degrees of comparison. Some thoughts are better than others. A belief in Truth is better than a belief in error, but no mortal testimony is founded on the divine rock. Mortal testimony can be shaken. Until belief becomes faith, and faith becomes spiritual understanding, human thought has little relation to the actual or divine." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 297:24-30

“Miracles are thoughts. Thoughts can represent the lower or bodily level of experience, or the higher or spiritual level of experience. One makes the physical, and the other creates the spiritual.” 

A Course in Miracles T-1.I.12:1-3

I See Nothing?

The Dress Controversy

“I see nothing as it is now”, ACIM Workbook Lesson #9, immediately brought to mind a topic addressed on the PBS show NOVA. It’s called Your Brain: Perception Deception — and can be found on youTube if anyone is interested in viewing it. One example given in this program is The Dress — the dress which to some seemed white and gold, while others saw a blue and black garment. Apparently, there were huge disagreements over what color this dress was. The end result of this discussion is that color occurs within the brain. The light that enters your eyes is not color; the brain interprets it. Light comes in different wave lengths, which change when they hit different surfaces. There is quite an in-depth discussion of the reasons for this, but this doesn’t hold much interest for me and I won’t bore you with my elementary interpretations. What I have gleaned from the explanation is that our perceptions are not only colored by past experiences and knowledge, but by environmental differences, too. This has strengthened my desire to hold no strong opinions which, after all, close my mind to other ideas — perhaps even the fact that the dress is blue and black!

“If I see nothing as it is now, it can truly be said that I see nothing. I can see only what is now. The choice is not whether to see the past or the present; the choice is merely whether to see or not. What I have chosen to see has cost me vision. Now I would choose again, that I may see.”
A Course in Miracles W-52.4:2-6

“The Master often refused to explain his words, because it was difficult in a material age to apprehend spiritual Truth. He said: ‘This people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.’”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 350:15-23

Releasing Beliefs From the Past

Photo of unknown origin

In the past few decades, we have seen a great evolution in thought. A video story set in Australia in the 1950s has reminded me of how far we’ve come. (For you video buffs, it’s called A Place to Call Home.) It’s inspiring to see what beliefs we have given up, replacing them with Love rather than fear. For instance, we had many closed-minded ideas about people of different skin color marrying each other, not to mention the barriers imposed by religious separation and gender. People had to endure electrical shock treatment and its aftermath to “cure” homosexuality or hysteria. Natural acts, such as giving birth, were thought of as a disease which needed to be managed in torturous ways. We’ve come a long way in dispelling erroneous thought and replacing it with what we now see as advanced thinking! What if we’re meant to advance even further? We’ll never know until we are able to divest ourselves of the shackles of the past which hold us in place, and listen to the guidance of divine Mind leading us to heights never before imagined!

“God knows you now. He remembers nothing, having always known you exactly as He knows you now. The holy instant reflects His knowing by bringing all perception out of the past, thus removing the frame of reference you have built by which to judge your brothers. Once this is gone, the Holy Spirit substitutes His frame of reference for it. His frame of reference is simply God. The Holy Spirit’s timelessness lies only here. For in the holy instant, free of the past, you see that love is in you, and you have no need to look without and snatch love guiltily from where you thought it was.” 

A Course in Miracles T-15.V.9:1-7

"Our false views of matter perish as we grasp the facts of Spirit. The old belief must be cast out or the new idea will be spilled, and the inspiration, which is to change our standpoint, will be lost." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 281:28-1 

Beyond the Veil of Old Ideas

Photo courtesy of Aaron Springston

Most of us have changed quite a bit from the time we were small children, both in appearance and the way we think. While pondering A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #7, I realize that I have done a disservice to a person by holding him frozen in time within my thoughts. I understand that everything is colored by past experience, and I'm willing to release these feelings in order to catch a glimpse of Life without prejudice. While the person I've had difficulty seeing with the grace of forgiveness has, undoubtedly, changed in many ways, my thoughts about him have not. I've mentioned this situation in past writings, and there is no need to reinforce my judgment further by repeating the circumstances, but there is reason for me to examine why I'm so dedicated to blaming them for their actions. Why does it bother me so much? Why am I taking it personally? These are questions I am now willing to turn over to Holy Spirit, yielding to divine Love and its all-encompassing presence.

"The history of error or matter, if veritable, would set aside the omnipotence of Spirit; but it is the false history in contradistinction to the true.”  

Mary Baker Eddy- Science and Health, Page 521:29-2

“The savior’s vision is as innocent of what your brother is as it is free of any judgment made upon yourself. It sees no past in anyone at all. And thus it serves a wholly open mind, unclouded by old concepts, and prepared to look on only what the present holds. It cannot judge because it does not know. And recognizing this, it merely asks, ‘What is the meaning of what I behold?’ Then is the answer given. And the door held open for the face of Christ to shine upon the one who asks, in innocence, to see beyond the veil of old ideas and ancient concepts held so long and dear against the vision of the Christ in you.” 

A Course in Miracles - T-31.VII.13:1-7A

Seeing Through the Illusion

“Dancing With the Shadow Self”

Creation of Sandy Wythawai Starbird

Let’s say you wake up in the morning and are upset about something which was happening in your sleeping dream; it only takes a moment to shake off the feeling of fear or anxiety as you affirm the illusory nature of what seemed so terribly real. In our waking dreams, we often experience upset in many forms because we have accepted the illusion of separation from divine Love — and each other. Perhaps we’re feeling sad or depressed; maybe we’re unhappy or have a bit of ennui following us around. Whatever form it takes, it matters not if the upset is small or large, as it is all a mistaken interpretation of the reality of our being. It can be distressing to admit we have a choice in regard to these feelings, as we don’t want to think this is our own fault. And so I will strive to NOT apportion blame to others or to myself, but rather to release upsetting emotions the way I would evaporate a bad dream. I'm happy to admit I don't know why or how these feelings come to me, as I open my mind to All that Is and move into a new world created by Love.

“Mortal mind is constantly producing on mortal body the results of false opinions; and it will continue to do so, until mortal error is deprived of its imaginary powers by Truth, which sweeps away the gossamer web of mortal illusion.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 403:16-20

“It is not you who are so vulnerable and open to attack that just a word, a little whisper that you do not like, a circumstance that suits you not, or an event that you did not anticipate upsets your world, and hurls it into chaos. Truth is not frail. Illusions leave it perfectly unmoved and undisturbed. But specialness is not the truth in you. It can be thrown off balance by anything. What rests on nothing never can be stable. However large and overblown it seems to be, it still must rock and turn and whirl about with every breeze.”
A Course in Miracles T-24.III.3:1-7

Never Upset For the Reason I Think

Sometimes I get emotionally overwrought and don't realize it's happening until I say or do something foolish. At times like these, I wish I could retreat to the top of a mountain -- or perhaps a cave -- and wait for calm to come again. But that's not the way life happens, is it? Actually, it is — if that place of calm you find is inside yourself. And that is, after all, the only place it truly can be. I could be by myself in outer space but still be fragile if my mind is spinning in circles of anxiety. So when I'm tempted to say someone else has upset me, that isn't even close to being true. Perhaps I've been tense about numerous circumstances and allow one little thing to tip the boat over. These times are when I return to Love, as I'm doing right now. I'm going to listen to calm instrumental music, close my eyes and forgive myself, loving the people and situations I could say are causing my unrest. "I love you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you." 

"I am never upset for the reason I think. This idea ...can be used with any person, situation or event you think is causing you pain. Apply it specifically to whatever you believe is the cause of your upset, using the description of the feeling in whatever term seems accurate to you. The upset may seem to be fear, worry, depression, anxiety, anger, hatred, jealousy or any number of forms, all of which will be perceived as different. This is not true." A Course in Miracles W-pI.5.1.

Harmony is produced by its Principle, is controlled by it and abides with it. Divine Principle is the Life of man. Man's happiness is not, therefore, at the disposal of physical sense. Truth is not contaminated by error. Harmony in man is as beautiful as in music, and discord is unnatural, unreal."

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 304:17-22

Health - The Language of My Discernment

Many people have a multitude of problematic happenings in their lives. One dear woman is worried about her husband’s memory. Another has gangrene in her foot and her future is uncertain in every way. One passed a kidney stone and is very happy that’s over! Another is worried about losing his job. Someone has an adult son in rehab with serious mental problems. One of these people, a metaphysician, is feeling guilty because she can’t “do” something about the situation. This caused me to think about the impersonal nature of disease. We tend to want to blame ourselves when a malady occurs. What did I do wrong which caused this dis-ease? If we are truly One in Spirit, then perhaps we shouldn’t take all the blame for the mass hypnotism running rampant in our society. Everywhere, the media and individuals are telling us what’s wrong with us, or a news story is proclaiming disaster from something or another, or someone is predicting doom in some form. What are we to do? Just say no! There are many books and YouTube videos giving us tips on how to counteract negativity. Don’t be afraid to lift your thought in this way. I think I’ll do that right now!

“Hatred and its effects on the body are removed by Love. Because mortal mind seems to be conscious, the sick say: ‘How can my mind cause a disease I never thought of and knew nothing about, until it appeared on my body?’ The author has answered this question in her explanation of disease as originating in human belief before it is consciously apparent on the body, which is in fact the objective state of mortal mind, though it is called matter. This mortal blindness and its sharp consequences show our need of divine metaphysics. Through immortal Mind, or Truth, we can destroy all ills which proceed from mortal mind.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 374:5-16

“In this world the only remaining freedom is the freedom of choice; always between two choices or two voices. Will is not involved in perception at any level, and has nothing to do with choice. Consciousness is the receptive mechanism, receiving messages from above or below; from the Holy Spirit or the ego. Consciousness has levels and awareness can shift quite dramatically, but it cannot transcend the perceptual realm. At its highest it becomes aware of the real world, and can be trained to do so increasingly. Yet the very fact that it has levels and can be trained demonstrates that it cannot reach knowledge.”

 A Course in Miracles C-1.7:1-6

Happiness all Around Us …

 

Everywhere I went today, people were talking about how weird their day was, or how odd they felt, or what crazy things were going on around them. I love hearing these stories, don't you? No one seemed to be particularly upset about these odd events in their lives. The checker at the grocery store was almost giddy when relating a few events from her day. Once again proving that things are either stressful or exciting, maddening or fun, according to your interpretation and perceptions! I'm not going to go into the weird things which happened in my world today, but I feel the need for some Deva Premal chants. Here's one for you, too! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlnHON3tAXo

"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 Page 57

“To be wholehearted you must be happy. If fear and love cannot coexist, and if it is impossible to be wholly fearful and remain alive, the only possible whole state is that of love. There is no difference between love and joy. Therefore, the only possible whole state is the wholly joyous. To heal or to make joyous is therefore the same as to integrate and to make one. That is why it makes no difference to what part or by what part of the Sonship the healing is offered. Every part benefits, and benefits equally.” 

A Course in Miracles T-5.in.2:1-7

The Bridge of Return

Brought forth from the creative mind of

Sandy Wythawai Starbird

A new year brings excitement, as we dream of how everything can change and be made new. I listen to and read the writings of Eckhart Tolle regularly, and A New Earth is one I frequently revisit. The idea that we are transcending the thoughts which bind us, evolving to another stage of consciousness, is very exciting! The possibility of stepping out of habitual thought and living in the present moment can be frightening to those of us who are accustomed to living for the future. Perhaps, with the busy-ness of our thinking, we have lost the connection with our sense of being, the intelligence which is more than thoughts in our head. Now is the time to move into another stage of evolution, allowing consciousness to release our addiction to circular thinking. For humanity to continue its evolution, we must transcend the mind, going beyond the compulsion to think and realizing a deeper level of being. This evolutionary transformation of consciousness is no longer a luxury, but a necessity if we are to survive. Giving up beliefs and interpretations which we have assigned to everything clears the way for the thought-expanding ideas which will lead us to exactly where we need to be, doing what needs to be done. What an exciting time to be alive! 

"The enslavement of man is not legitimate. It will cease when man enters into his heritage of freedom, his God-given dominion over the material senses."

Science & Health Page 228:11-13

“Evolution is a process in which you seem to proceed from one degree to the next. You correct your previous missteps by stepping forward. This process is actually incomprehensible in temporal terms, because you return as you go forward. The Atonement is the device by which you can free yourself from the past as you go ahead. It undoes your past errors, thus making it unnecessary for you to keep retracing your steps without advancing to your return. In this sense the Atonement saves time, but like the miracle it serves, does not abolish it. As long as there is need for Atonement, there is need for time. But the Atonement as a completed plan has a unique relationship to time. Until the Atonement is complete, its various phases will proceed in time, but the whole Atonement stands at time’s end. At that point the bridge of return has been built.” 

A Course in Miracles - T-2.II.6:1-10

Pure of Heart…

How do allegations of misconduct affect people, whether founded in truth or a malicious lie? After watching the 2019 Christmas special from Garrison Keillor (complete with his Prairie Home Companion entourage) I realized that this man is one of the best storytellers of all time. His delivery, his voice, the way he gives us outlandish details in an impromptu fashion, never boring us with these additions. But in the back of my mind, making itself known then and again, was the thought that he had been accused of sexual harassment. How could such a funny, friendly guy be a jerk? After examining this from many angles, I feel all right enjoying his show, although I won't forget he may be in disguise. I’m reminded of the ancient ritual of a village surrounding a wrong-doer, with everyone recounting the good they know about the accused. Anyone can become as innocent as the day they were born, make amends for the illusions which they perpetrated, and go forward as a new person. Happy New Year!

“So will the year begin in joy and freedom. There is much to do, and we have been long delayed. Accept the holy instant as this year is born, and take your place, so long left unfulfilled, in the Great Awakening. Make this year different by making it all the same. And let all your relationships be made holy for you. This is our will. Amen.” 

A Course in Miracles T-15.XI.10:8-14

“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. The purification of sense and self is a proof of progress. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.’”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science and Health Page 323:32-7

Ever-Flowing Forever

Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs, AR

Photo courtesy of Richard Quick

Don't we all love new beginnings? Every symbolic new beginning we experience gives hope that there truly will be one this time. We yearn for peace and plenty, purity of heart and environment, joy, satisfaction. Sometimes we catch glimpses of what it could be like. I felt a big shift on New Year's Eve in the year 2000. There was a palpable expectation of change, and now, two decades later, I feel it is upon us. A true new beginning is at hand -- your hand and mine, today, right now. Let’s not be distracted by ego-based taunting to play the game being enacted all around us. By giving energy to the lower propensities, we remain stuck in this muddle of material belief. Raising thought above what cries out so loudly for attention, we allow ourselves a new beginning in every situation. Ah, ever-flowing forever — now!

“The infinite has no beginning. This word beginning is employed to signify the only, — that is, the eternal verity and unity of God and man, including the universe.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 502:24-27

"Be not afraid. We only start again an ancient journey long ago begun that but seems new. We have begun again upon a road we travelled on before and lost our way a little while. And now we try again. Our new beginning has the certainty the journey lacked till now. Look up and see His Word among the stars, where He has set your Name along with His. Look up and find your certain destiny the world would hide but God would have you see." 

A Course in Miracles C-ep.3.

Peace Is Our Gift To Each Other

 

Art created by J. Clement Wall

JudyClementWall.com

Praying for peace — I think we are all doing this in our individual way. It is extremely painful to see the ravages of war. It’s difficult to face and understand the unrest within the United States over more things than I care to count. With this in mind, I offer you quotes on peace today.   Namaste …

"We cannot change the past, but we can change our attitude toward it. Uproot guilt and plant forgiveness. Tear out arrogance and seed humility. Exchange love for hate - thereby, making the present comfortable and the future promising."

 Maya Angelou

"Peace is our gift to each other." 

Elie Wiesel

"Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures." 

John F. Kennedy

"There is no time left for anything but to make peace work a dimension of our every waking activity." 

Elise M. Boulding

"Every year at this time, an important phrase marks the season: peace on earth and goodwill towards men. It's so common we sometimes forget about what it really means - that we strive for a world without war, a society where we respect and help our neighbors, a place where we protect and uplift our most in need. This isn't a phrase we should live by for one day or one month. It's a set of values that must bond and motivate us every day." 

Dennis Kucinich

“We cannot give what we do not have: We cannot bring peace to the world if we ourselves are not peaceful. We cannot bring love to the world if we ourselves are not loving. Our true gift to ourselves and others lies not in what we have but in who we are.”

Marianne Williamson

"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 

“Illusion meets illusion; truth, itself. The meeting of illusions leads to war. Peace, looking on itself, extends itself. War is the condition in which fear is born, and grows and seeks to dominate. Peace is the state where love abides, and seeks to share itself. Conflict and peace are opposites. Where one abides the other cannot be; where either goes the other disappears. So is the memory of God obscured in minds that have become illusions’ battleground. Yet far beyond this senseless war it shines, ready to be remembered when you side with peace.” 

A Course in Miracles

Birthing New Thought

San Francisco, CA - photo courtesy of Aaron Springston

At times, we all feel overwhelmed by life's circumstances -- or, at least, I know I do. Everything seems easier to me now, with grown children, no daily jobs to show up for, and most arduous demands gone from my days. But sometimes things happen and we are drawn into them. I have a friend whose life has been turned upside down when least expected. How do we cope when an illness befalls us or our loved ones, changing the rhythm of life we cherish? Of course, we do what we must, and we pray for strength and guidance, and we listen for answers in whatever form they may appear. This is not an easy task -- but really, what is our choice? To all of us who are afraid, perhaps angry, feeling put-upon unnecessarily, overwrought by things beyond our control -- just breathe. Breathe deeply and find something to be happy for, an idea to be peaceful about. Sometimes we must release a problem in order to find its resolution. We can't change the situation, but we can change our thought about it. Love to you, each and every one, during this season of newborn thought!

“Love is freedom. To look for it by placing yourself in bondage is to separate yourself from it. For the Love of God, no longer seek for union in separation, nor for freedom in bondage! As you release, so will you be released. Forget this not, or Love will be unable to find you and comfort you." 

A Course in Miracles T-16.VI.2.

“Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need. It is not well to imagine that Jesus demonstrated the divine power to heal only for a select number or for a limited period of time, since to all mankind and in every hour, divine Love supplies all good.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 494:10-14

Open The Doors to Your Heart

Camaraderie Amongst Friends

At times, events in and around our lives can feel overwhelming. The best emotional reset activity I know of is laughing with good friends. Every month or two, three women and I have an afternoon of playing spades and enjoying each others' company. We always feel renewed and happy after these times, and look forward to the opportunity to get together again as soon as possible. Many people, for many reasons, have not been able to cultivate lasting friendships, and I want to assure them that it's never too late! Reach out to people when you have a good feeling about them, whether you know them well or not. Companionship, stimulating conversation, a common cause such as animal welfare  -- there are many foundations on which to enjoy communion with others. Don't be afraid to open the door!

"You rest within the peace of God today, and call upon your brothers from your rest to draw them to their rest, along with you. You will be faithful to your trust today, forgetting no one, bringing everyone into the boundless circle of your peace, the holy sanctuary where you rest. Open the temple doors and let them come from far across the world, and near as well; your distant brothers and your closest friends; bid them all enter here and rest with you." 

A Course in Miracles W-pI.109.8

“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.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 469:30-5