Giving Back

Colorado Wildflowers

Photo from Aaron Springston

Before we learn to give as we receive, we must realize what we are receiving! It could be said we're receiving the gifts of God. But what is that? We are learning it is the knowledge that our true state is Spirit, that we are one with All That Is. We needn't worry that we're not good enough, that we don't know enough, that we've made too many mistakes to qualify as the reflection of God. All those thoughts have been propagated as fact, but they are only material belief. When we are open to receiving divine Life, Truth, and Love, that is what we give to the world with every breath, with every inspiration.

“What has been given you? The knowledge that you are a mind, in Mind and purely mind, sinless forever, wholly unafraid, because you were created out of love. Nor have you left your Source, remaining as you were created. This was given you as knowledge which you cannot lose. It was given as well to every living thing, for by that knowledge only does it live. (ACIM, W-158.1:1-5)

“The healing power of Truth must have been far anterior to the period in which Jesus lived. It is as ancient as ‘the Ancient of days.' It lives through all Life, and extends throughout all space.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 146:25-27 

I’ll Meet You There

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,

there is a field. I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,

the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase 'each other'

doesn’t make any sense.

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.

Don’t go back to sleep.

You must ask for what you really want.

Don’t go back to sleep.

People are going back and forth across the doorsill

where the two worlds touch.

The door is round and open.

Don’t go back to sleep.” Rumi

“Into Christ’s Presence will we enter now, serenely unaware of everything except His shining face and perfect Love. The vision of His face will stay with you, but there will be an instant which transcends all vision, even this, the holiest. This you will never teach, for you attained it not through learning. Yet the vision speaks of your rememberance of what you knew that instant, and will surely know again.”

ACIM, W-157.9:1-4)

"One moment of divine consciousness, or the spiritual understanding of Life and Love, is a foretaste of eternity."

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 589: 8-11

Walking in Softness

Created by Sandy Wythawai Starbird

“I walk with God in perfect holiness” is ACIM Workbook Lesson #156. Having had a resistance to yielding in the past, I felt a slight hesitation when first encountering these words. Walking with God in perfect holiness implies a yielding, don't you think? How else could you walk this walk without giving up what you think of as yourself? You can't. What finally got through to me was the realization that what I was giving up was NOT myself, but a mishmash of everything I had ever been told was true, combined with an erratic belief system I had decided was me. Add to that the hypnotism of media and the pull of mass consciousness and we're left with a pretty convoluted idea of what we are. Little by little, I'm letting go of beliefs and learned behaviors. Being present in the moment, giving my full attention to whatever may be in front of me, loving myself and all of creation in Its oneness -- this is what I see as walking with God. Accepting myself and everything as holy becomes easier when viewed without judgment. Simply witnessing events, perhaps with amusement, is certainly more fun!

“We must look where we would walk, and we must act as possessing all power from [It] in whom we have our being.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 264:10-12

“There is a light in you which cannot die; whose presence is so holy that the world is sanctified because of you. All things that live bring gifts to you, and offer them in gratitude and gladness at your feet. The scent of flowers is their gift to you. The waves bow down before you, and the trees extend their arms to shield you from the heat, and lay their leaves before you on the ground that you may walk in softness, while the wind sinks to a whisper round your holy head.”

A Course in Miracles W-156.4:1-4

Following the Spirit

      

Art by Akira Kusaka

For years I resisted admitting that only one thing was required of me in order to experience the peace I was chasing. It seemed that giving myself to this one thing would cause me to be  a religious zealot. I thought that to live in Spirit would be predictable and boring. At that time, material existence seemed exciting, while spiritual living implied a certain aloneness, which couldn't possibly be very much fun. As years have passed and I've become more aware of what living in Spirit means, the understanding of myself as a reflection of God has taken form in many ways. On the surface, it could seem that nothing has changed: I still work, play, sleep, and interact with others. But everything is different. By listening to my inner Self and following that guidance, I don't need to make lists of pros and cons and weigh the value of these in making decisions. Following Spirit doesn't mean that I mindlessly go through life as an automaton, doing what someone tells me. It means that infinite possibilities are opened to me, that thought is expanded in ways which transcend material beliefs. Contentment and peace are waiting for me to find them, as I remember my only function. 

“There is a way of living in the world that is not here, although it seems to be. You do not change appearance, though you smile more frequently. Your forehead is serene; your eyes are quiet. And the ones who walk the world as you do recognize their own. Yet those who have not yet perceived the way will recognize you also, and believe that you are like them, as you were before.”

A Course in Miracles W-155.1:1-5

"This scientific sense of being, forsaking matter for Spirit, by no means suggests man's absorption into Deity and the loss of his identity, but confers upon man enlarged individuality, a wider sphere of thought and action, a more expansive love, a higher and more permanent peace."

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 265:10-15

We Are All Ministers of God

The Answering the Call Group

First United Methodist Church

Eureka Springs, AR - photo by Blake Lasater, Minister

If someone told you that you are a minister of God, what would you think? Would this statement cause you to be nervous or perhaps feel unworthy of such a title? The word “minister” sent me to the dictionary to see how our ego-ridden definitions might apply. These are my favorites: "providing spiritual guidance to people" and "tending to the needs of others". The first time I thought of this word in relation to myself was years ago, when a friend told me that my art gallery was my ministry. Thinking back to the way people in need of spiritual guidance were drawn there, as if by a magnet, I must agree with his assessment. Since then, I have learned we are all "ministers of God", in our own individual way. Just as we all have different talents, we all have something of value to give. As today's Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #154 states: "It is not our part to judge our worth, nor can we know what role is best for us." We are also advised to not be arrogant, nor falsely humble. Our role as a minister of Love is clearly defined, but not by our human desire. Today let's listen with hearts wide open, to hear where we may best minister to the world!

“Millions of unprejudiced minds--simple seekers for Truth, weary wanderers, athirst in the desert--are waiting and watching for rest and drink. Give them a cup of cold water in Christ's name, and never fear the consequences.” 

Mary Baker Eddy Eddy - Science & Health Page 570:14-17

“Whatever your appointed role may be, it was selected by the Voice for God, Whose function is to speak for you as well. Seeing your strengths exactly as they are, and equally aware of where they can be best applied, for what, to whom and when, He chooses and accepts your part for you. He does not work without your own consent. But He is not deceived in what you are, and listens only to His Voice in you.”

A Course in Miracles W-154.2:1-4

To See Light, Offer Light

Photo courtesy of Aaron Springston

Defenselessness is strength; defensiveness is weakness. This is most likely backwards from the way we think, and it may feel wrong because we’ve been taught to defend ourselves as thoroughly as possible in every situation. Ask yourself what you did and how you felt the last time someone disagreed with you, perhaps vehemently. If you began a verbal defense, listing all the reasons you were right, you may have felt many negative emotions, such as anger. On the contrary, whenever I’m able to witness events calmly, watching and listening, I can respond neutrally, perhaps saying: “You may be right about that” — and walk away, happily and peacefully. We are told in A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #153 that we will not see the light until we offer it to others, and they take it; then we will recognize it as our own. How lovely is that! I look forward to opportunities for seeing peace today.

“It is the function of God’s ministers to help their brothers choose as they have done. God has elected all, but few have come to realize His Will is but their own. And while you fail to teach what you have learned, salvation waits and darkness holds the world in grim imprisonment. Nor will you learn that light has come to you, and your escape has been accomplished. For you will not see the light, until you offer it to all your brothers. As they take it from your hands, so will you recognize it as your own.” 

A Course in Miracles -  W-153.11:1-6

“Instead of tenaciously defending the supposed rights of disease [and other seeming threats], while complaining of the suffering disease brings, would it not be well to abandon the defense, especially when by so doing our own condition can be improved and that of other persons as well?”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 348:21-25

Can Truth Have Exceptions?

A Church in San Miguel 

Photo courtesy of Richard Quick

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." How many times have we heard that saying or something similar? But what about if it IS broken? We certainly don't want to admit that any of our time-honored traditions are broken, maybe because we have no idea how to "fix" them. It seems as though religion has been broken since its inception, but no one will admit it. I suppose there are many things which keep people stuck in dogma and ritual, repeating mistaken ideas because leaders tell them to do so. Fear holds us bound to these ways of life, too. Some people think they need to go through the rituals just in case there is a hell in which they would burn, if they fail to be baptized or follow some other ritualistic act. I'm not picking on Christianity here -- at least not only it! All religions seem to rely on fear to perpetuate their beliefs, and even the more gentle disciplines are suspect at times. So what is the truth about these things? One of the statements in A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #152 says: "Truth can have no opposite. Nothing but the truth is true, and what is false is false." Seems simple enough! 

“The point for each one to decide is, whether it is mortal mind or immortal Mind that is causative. We should forsake the basis of matter for metaphysical Science and its divine Principle.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 195:11-14

“… can truth have exceptions? If you have the gift of everything, can loss be real? Can pain be part of peace, or grief of joy? Can fear and sickness enter in a mind where love and perfect holiness abide? Truth must be all-inclusive, if it be the truth at all. Accept no opposites and no exceptions, for to do so is to contradict the truth entirely.”

A Course in Miracles W-152.2:2-7

Lest We Judge on Partial Evidence

Photo credit: Don Matt

How many people need to repeat the truth before everyone begins to see it? Supposedly, Mark Twain jokingly said a lie would travel around the world while the truth was still lacing up its boots. I'm not sure that's true today with the internet connecting everyone in its web. I'd bet the truth will travel just as fast if enough people speak/write it! Aristarchus first noticed the sun was stationary somewhere around 300 B.C., then it took a few centuries before Copernicus revealed this truth, with a mathematical model in the 1500s. Even then, Copernicus was so afraid of religious leaders, who thought everything was centered around them, that he didn't tell anyone until he was on his deathbed. Sound familiar? What about the earth being flat, railroad tracks coming together, mirages, and other such illusions? How long did it take for us to understand what was happening? While most of us know these things, I saw a horrifying statistic recently which said that 1/4 of the people still believe the sun revolves around the earth every 24 hours. Hearing things like this make it even more important for each and every one of us to speak out about things we know to be true. Research is easier than ever, and more fun than it was 50 years ago. So pick a fact, study up, and tell everyone you know! 

"Agassiz, the celebrated naturalist and author, has wisely said, 'Every great scientific truth goes through three stages. First, people say it conflicts with the Bible. Next, they say it has been discovered before. Lastly, they say they have always believed it.’”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 104:8

“No one can judge on partial evidence. That is not judgment. It is merely an opinion based on ignorance and doubt. Its seeming certainty is but a cloak for the uncertainty it would conceal. It needs irrational defense because it is irrational. And its defense seems strong, convincing, and without a doubt because of all the doubting underneath.”

A Course in Miracles W-151.1:1-6

Can Loss Be Measured?

No Words …

How do you measure loss? I’m not sure it can or should be done. Northwest Arkansas had tornadoes and strong winds over Memorial Day Weekend. A dear friend watched as four ancient oak trees were uprooted. Another woman who has withstood loss after loss in the past few years saw a tree land on her front porch, then slowly begin to crack her ceiling. Many were without electricity, which seems a minor inconvenience, but everything has its consequence. My heart cries with the trees and the birds who built their nests in them, searching for their lost babies. My soul applauds the neighbors who help each other remove branches from their houses and yards. Much is said about the resiliency of the human spirit, and we are witnessing that as neighborhoods come together to get through this.  I hear stories of people grilling dinner in their yards, as children help pick up debris and play together in the street. And so the loss seems like gain sometimes. The woman who loved and lost her oak trees said this: “As I was talking to the biggest ancient one, telling it how sorry I was that it had to go like this, we heard a strange noise. I looked all around and there wasn’t anyone there. We realized it was the tree making these strange sounds as if acknowledging our grief and adding its own. You will be missed my friends.”

“There is a light in you which cannot die; whose presence is so holy that the world is sanctified because of you. All things that live bring gifts to you, and offer them in gratitude and gladness at your feet. The scent of flowers is their gift to you.The waves bow down before you, and the trees extend their arms to shield you from the heat, and lay their leaves before you on the ground that you may walk in softness, while the wind sinks to a whisper round your holy head.”

A Course in Miracles W-156.4:1-4

“The sun, giving light and heat to the earth, is a figure of divine Life and Love, enlightening and sustaining the universe. The ‘tree of life’ is significant of eternal reality or being.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 538:11-14

Healing My Mind

Photo by Aaron Springston

I had a lesson in living in the moment. I was taking a friend to do some errands. I should have known this sweet woman could not be rushed and it would be foolish to expect her to not look at everything in the Walmart before deciding she needed to go somewhere else. My plan had been to rush to a meeting after doing this with her, and I almost became irritated when I saw that wasn't going to happen. Watching us as if from a hidden camera, I began to enjoy each step which felt like walking through quicksand. I watched the young people smiling kindly at two doddering women, I watched myself park in a loading zone with no worries about legality, then felt happiness in being able to help my old friend figure out ways to deal with problems she felt were insurmountable. When she wanted things she was not supposed to have, I talked to her about it honestly rather than telling her "no". It was a good practice in letting go of my expectations and giving in to what was happening right then. It's nice to look back and smile over the events, rather than chew on the resentment which could have easily overtaken me. Here's to accepting what "is" and making the best of it!

"If he senses even the faintest hint of irritation in himself as he responds to anyone, let him instantly realize that he has made an interpretation that is not true. Then let him turn within to his eternal Guide, and let Him judge what the response should be. So is he healed, and in his healing is his pupil healed with him." 

A Course in Miracles M-18.4. 

“Patience is symbolized by the tireless worm, creeping over lofty summits, persevering in its intent.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 515:4-5

Who Is Us?

photo of Aaron Springston

I read an editorial in the Christian Science Monitor which discussed this question: Who is in your sense of "us"? While politics has many lines drawn around ideology, gender, race, and such things, democracy itself is really about finding where the "us" is in all of these beliefs. When we're growing up, maybe "us" is our family, or the people we go to church with, or a small clique of friends. If you've been strong in these leanings, perhaps you go to college and root for your football team, join a fraternity or sorority, and continue on with these superficial ties throughout your life. And usually they're harmless -- or so we think. But when they turn into bonds like the Ku Klux Klan and other such societies, there is something wrong. Most of us are realizing the harmfulness of gangs of people who think they and only they are right. These things are obvious. But the rift brought about from a righteous belief that certain things, such as abortion, should not be allowed -- well, that's something which bears examination and compromise. To quote an article by Ryan Strickler, "A key -- the key -- to the deliberative democratic ideal is mutual respect. Not any political discussion will do; discussion and debate must be marked by open-mindedness, recognition of the legitimacy of moral differences, and a goal of achieving consensus." In conclusion the editorial by Mark Sappenfield states: "In short, effective democratic politics must be perpetually reforging a new 'us'." So who is my "us"? Anyone who loves rather than hates; who open-heartedly looks at others and does the best he/she can in every situation. Feel free to tell me about your us and them! (the blog link below is a good place to do this)

“Peace be to me, the holy Son of God. Peace to my brother, who is one with me. Let all the world be blessed with peace through us.” 

A Course in Miracles W-360

“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; andto be merciful, just, and pure.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 497:24-27

I Do Not Value Privacy

 Art by Olay Haidamaka 

We hear many statements regarding our right to privacy. This privacy which people value is more than giving out email addresses or putting photos on social media. People seem to value keeping their thoughts and beliefs private, their emotions secret, their inner-most desires to themselves. For the past decade or so I have bared my soul through this daily writing, not to mention the sharing I do on social media. I openly tell of my love as candidly as regurgitating my shame, probably eliciting comments from others of "too much information"! But that's okay, because by talking through times of turmoil, I heal my mind and heart -- hopefully giving someone else permission to do the same for themselves. I have numerous friends who are dealing with mental and physical upheaval. In talking with someone about their terminal illness, I openly examined the possibility of my own laying aside of this physical body. If that happens, it's okay with me. If I'm hanging around here a while, that's okay, too. But please know my life is an open book and I'm happy when/if you talk about me! Much love to all...

By Donna Ashworth

“In the untimely event of my death,

Immediately unwrap everything, 

you have kept for new, 

I will enjoy it in spirit with you.

Take out all your brightest colours 

and clash so hard, 

the sun is in awe of your light. 

I want you alive and present 

and rainbow-bright.

Eat cake.

And slather butter on your bread, 

this is the prize for not being dead.

Book a holiday, 

somewhere I said you must go 

walk to the forest, make it long and slow.

Watch everything grow.

Touch your face, touch your nose, 

you so often berate, 

marvel at how you arrived so late, 

to see its beauty. 

To see it daily now, is duty.

Set your watch, time is not yours 

but oh this life, it is

and it’s down to you,

how you chose to live,

this is the gift, my dying, will give.”

Donna Ashworth

"Life is deathless. Life is the origin and ultimate of man, never attainable through death, but gained by walking in the pathway of Truth, both before and after that which is called death." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 487:3

Why Make War?

Joy in Eureka Springs

I read a letter from Sigmund Freud to Albert Einstein, who had written him asking if there was a way to free humankind from the threat of war. Mr. Freud has quite a bit to say about this subject, but one phrase which brought pause is, “...the lust for aggression and destruction”. I had never thought of it that way, and it caused me to take notice. Part of his conclusion is as follows: “The upshot of these observations, as bearing on the subject in hand, is that there is no likelihood of our being able to suppress humanity's aggressive tendencies. In some happy corners of the earth, they say, where nature brings forth abundantly whatever man desires, there flourish races whose lives go gently by, unknowing of aggression or constraint. This I can hardly credit; I would like further details about these happy folk.” In our world, we see famine and harsh conditions in many places. I question whether this is the way creation is supposed to evolve. I’m pretty sure when we follow the laws of nature, life as we know it would evolve into peaceful bliss.

"Heaven: Harmony; the reign of Spirit; government by divine Principle; spirituality, bliss, the atmosphere of Soul." 

Mary Baker Eddy, Science & Health, Page 587

“The world is nothing in itself. Your mind must give it meaning. And what you behold upon it are your wishes, acted out so you can look on them and think them real. Perhaps you think you did not make the world, but came unwillingly to what was made already, hardly waiting for your thoughts to give it meaning. Yet in truth you found exactly what you looked for when you came.”

A Course in Miracles W-132.4:1-5

We Cannot See Two Worlds

Photo courtesy of Mark McGee

The changes we have witnessed in our lifetime have been exciting and — to take a phrase from the ‘70s — mind blowing! Decades ago, when we were told about the Age of Aquarius and, more recently, when 2012 was explained as a shift in consciousness, I'm not sure we recognized there would be any real change in our lives. Those who are looking for material reasons to explain the shifts, in everything from politics to weather, are feeling helpless and overwhelmed. Looked at from a different perspective, we see changes are necessary in order to facilitate the realization of this new earth which we are ready to embrace. As with any shift in thought, some people are afraid and working to keep the old ways, but it is impossible to "see two worlds”. For this reason, I choose Love!

“Perception is consistent. What you see reflects your thinking. And your thinking but reflects your choice of what you want to see. Your values are determiners of this, for what you value you must want to see, believing what you see is really there. No one can see a world his mind has not accorded value. And no one can fail to look upon what he believes he wants.”

A Course in Miracles W-130.1:1-6

“During this final conflict, wicked minds will endeavor to find means by which to accomplish more evil; but those who discern Christian Science will hold crime in check. They will aid in the ejection of error. They will maintain law and order, and cheerfully await the certainty of ultimate perfection.”

 Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 96:31-4