We’re All This — Together

I love cooking shows, and there are some very innovative ones these days. I’m watching one called Taste of a Nation, in which Padma Lakshmi travels around the United States, meeting immigrants and visiting with them in their homes and restaurants. The first show was from El Paso, and it spoke frankly about immigration problems which have not been solved, but rather multiplied in these last few years. It was heartening to hear everyone supporting each other, no matter what their particular conservative or liberal leaning was. Hearing about people’s lives and watching them cook is so much fun! They bring new ideas to my kitchen, and a knowledge of their heritage, both in their cooking and personal history. It’s a wonderful way to be an "accidental tourist" and to visit other cultures from the recliner. Ah — life is good!

"Beauty, wealth, or fame is incompetent to meet the demands of the affections, and should never weigh against the better claims of intellect, goodness, and virtue. 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 

“Father, I give You all my thoughts today. I would have none of mine. In place of them, give me Your Own. I give You all my acts as well, that I may do Your Will instead of seeking goals which cannot be obtained, and wasting time in vain imaginings. Today I come to You. I will step back and merely follow You. Be You the Guide, and I the follower who questions not the wisdom of the Infinite, nor Love whose tenderness I cannot comprehend, but which is yet Your perfect gift to me.

Today we have one Guide to lead us on. And as we walk together, we will give this day to Him with no reserve at all. This is His day. And so it is a day of countless gifts and mercies unto us.”

A Course in Miracles W-233.1:1–2:4

Be My Mind

Photo credit: Aaron Springston

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

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

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 227:22-25

“Be in my mind, my Father, when I wake, and shine on me throughout the day today. Let every minute be a time in which I dwell with You. And let me not forget my hourly thanksgiving that You have remained with me, and always will be there to hear my call to You and answer me. As evening comes, let all my thoughts be still of You and of Your Love. And let me sleep sure of my safety, certain of Your care, and happily aware I am Your Son.”

A Course in Miracles ACIM, W-232.1:1-5

The Truth About Myself

Photo courtesy of Randal Thompson

A number of acquaintances seem to be incapable of making a decision. It seems as though they are reluctant to express an opinion until they hear someone else say it out loud. It’s as though they need confirmation that their beliefs about a situation are worthy, and so they wait for someone else to say that they think that way, too. This need for validation is not a rare condition. I believe I may have suffered from it at points in my life. Our study and practice of divine metaphysics leads us past the temptation to feel so self-important that we're afraid to be wrong. While it's usually thought of as low self-esteem which causes indecision, it seems to me that it's valuing your own forever-believed image of yourself over your true image as the likeness of God. Releasing many long-practiced ways of life facilitates our recognition of this, and with this peaceful understanding, we are freed. This spiritual sense allows us to speak without fear. I love listening to divine Mind rather than chasing in circles with mortal mind! It's more interesting, it frees me from worry and doubt, it leads me in fascinating paths, and it brings me peace. 

"Human belief has sought out many inventions, but not one of them can solve the problem of being without  the divine Principle of divine Science. Deductions from material hypotheses are not scientific. They differ from real Science because they are not based on the divine law."

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 273:4-9

“What can I seek for, Father, but Your Love? Perhaps I think I seek for something else; a something I have called by many names. Yet is Your Love the only thing I seek, or ever sought. For there is nothing else that I could ever really want to find. Let me remember You. What else could I desire but the truth about myself?” 

A Course in Miracles W-231.1:1-6

Life’s Lessons …

Every moment can be a learning experience, if we’re paying attention. Two things happened today which I took as profound life lessons. A decades-old friend was telling me she was thinking about going to the food bank because of a change in her income. As we talked about this, I mentioned it was fortunate we had such great distribution centers in our town. I also remembered that I had a bag of non-perishable food in the back of my vehicle which I’d been carrying around for a couple of weeks without dropping it off at Flint Street. It struck us simultaneously that I could pass it on directly to her and save us both a trip! The lesson in this is that what may seem like procrastination could be a prompt in a needed direction! Also, never be ashamed to tell your friends your needs; perhaps they are a source of supply. The second lesson is much simpler. I broke my favorite salad plate due to not being mindfully aware of my actions. It reminded me that every moment is important. I want to be ever-more aware of my actions and how they may affect someone else. I don’t care about my plate, but I do care about people I may hurt through my thoughtlessness. And so I shall try to be present in every moment, and I am most grateful for life’s reminders!

“The one Ego, the one Mind or Spirit called God, is infinite individuality, which supplies all form and comeliness and which reflects reality and divinity in individual spiritual man and things.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 281: 14-17

“Father, I seek the peace You gave as mine in my creation. What was given then must be here now, for my creation was apart from time, and still remains beyond all change. The peace in which Your Son was born into Your Mind is shining there unchanged. I am as You created me. I need but call on You to find the peace You gave. It is Your Will that gave it to Your Son.”

A Course in Miracles W-230.2:1-6

Love Leads the Way

“The Road Not Taken“ by Sonia Lera Preston

Many of us have a hard time seeing ourselves as Love. A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #229 tells us: “Love, which created me, is what I am.” We may think there are events in our lives which are so unlovely that we could not possibly be the reflection of Love. Many great sages have instructed us on how to save ourselves from the horror of past events. Thich Nhat Hanh and Mahatma Gandhi showed us how to rise above our feelings of guilt. No matter how this advice is worded, it comes down to one basic concept: extend Love to others; to everything and everyone. This is our atonement, to see the Oneness of all that Is and realize that nothing can ever occur which will separate us from divine Love. By giving love to the world, we give it to ourselves. And then we feel major changes within. We can forgive ourselves, even as we are forgiven, because we were never condemned. 

"Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action. Love is priestess at the altar of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept. 

Patience must 'have her perfect work.'" 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 454:18-24

“I seek my own Identity, and find It in these words: ‘Love, which created me, is what I am.’ Now need I seek no more. Love has prevailed.  So still It waited for my coming home, that I will turn away no longer from the holy face of Christ. And what I look upon attests the truth of the Identity I sought to lose, 

but which my Father has kept safe for me.”

A Course in Miracles W-229.1:1-5

We Can Choose Again

Photo courtesy of Alden Stallings

One of the most wonderful things about the teachings of A Course in Miracles is the recognition of our ability to "choose again".  If we have fallen into fear-based actions, we are not required to continue on that path. It seems that a major impediment to releasing these mistaken dreams is our desire to keep all the good dreams, while letting go of the bad. I really want to get rid of memories of painful, fearful circumstances, but I'd rather hold on to lots of nice ones! Is there any difference? Isn't it all a material dream of pain and pleasure, life and death, duality after duality? Spiritual sense sees only perfect oneness, wherein there is no condemnation or reason for blame. I want to see with spiritual eyes, and that is the key to this sight: a desire to do so. If we don't want to release painful thoughts, we won't. If we want to relive hurts and betrayals, we will. In conversations, it is repeatedly brought to my attention how much people cherish being right. It seems to be a great source of satisfaction. But isn't being right or wrong simply a perception? My personal gauge is a feeling of peacefulness. Does a decision to act in a certain way bring a feeling of peace? If it does, then I go forward with that action.  Many decisions seem to be dictated by dogma on our part. We might think: This is the way it's always been for me, and I like it that way, and I'm going to keep it that way. And so we do. Even if the repetitive actions bring us sadness and conflict, we have decided that this is "right" and we must stick by our guns (what a horrible saying that is!) — and so we continue on in this way, whether it brings peace and happiness or the opposite. Let's remember to see ourselves as God sees us today, knowing that we are guiltless, sinless, and pure.

“Now is the time for so-called material pains and material pleasures to pass away, for both are unreal, because impossible in Science. To break this earthly spell, mortals must get the true idea and divine Principle of all that really exists and governs the universe harmoniously. This thought is apprehended slowly, and the interval before its attainment is attended with doubts and defeats as well as triumphs.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 39:23-30

“Father, I was mistaken in myself, because I failed to realize the Source from which I came. I have not left that Source to enter in a body and to die. My holiness remains a part of me, as I am part of You. And my mistakes about myself are dreams. I let them go today. And I stand ready to receive Your Word alone for what I really am.”

A Course in Miracles W-228.2:1-6

Lift the Sackcloth From My Eyes

We are, each and every one, the home of light and joy and peace — whether we remember it or not. It would seem that events conspire to keep us from this peace. We’re rockin’ along being joyful and light, then bam! — something blows up on our car, or a loved one does something we think is awful, or our business falls apart, or — well, as we often say, it’s always something. I find comfort during those times by reminding myself that I don’t have to know what’s going to happen; I simply need to remember that the best possible outcome is there waiting for me to discover it. It’s not going to benefit anyone or anything if I innumerate every possible outcome, worrying about the pros and cons until I’m worn out and feeling hopeless. Instead, I will rest in the knowledge that creative Mind is the principle which governs everything with the light of Love!

“Think of this, dear reader, for it will lift the sackcloth from your eyes, and you will behold the soft-winged dove descending upon you. The very circumstance, which your suffering sense deems wrathful and afflictive, Love can make an angel entertained unawares.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 574:23-30

“Father, it is today that I am free, because my will is Yours. I thought to make another will. Yet nothing that I thought apart from You exists. And I am free because I was mistaken, and did not affect my own reality at all by my illusions. Now I give them up, and lay them down before the feet of truth, to be removed forever from my mind. This is my holy instant of release. Father, I know my will is one with Yours.”

A Course in Miracles W-227.1:1-7

We All Have a Purpose

Characters from the hit series, Ted Lasso

Most of us have friends experiencing maladies of a physical, mental, and/or emotional nature. We all have roles to play in the care and comfort of these friends. My main focus has always been seeing through the material illusion to the spiritual truth. But recently I’m finding myself called to address, one-on-one, situations with people who need help in various physical ways. Of course, every situation is individual and many factors come into consideration. Whereas, I may be able to joke with one friend about her memory loss, another one might be in denial, or take offense to me making “light” of it. One friend and I can laugh about cancer and the effects of chemotherapy, but another might burst into tears at the thought of their possible demise. Our conversations with others cannot be a one-size-fits-all response, and a good amount of empathy is required in any given moment. I’ve never been one to ignore the elephant sitting in the middle of the room; I like to talk to it and ask if there’s anything I can do for it. And so I am finding ways to commiserate and care, without exacerbating the problem by heaping on excess sympathy. Every day brings new ways to express Love!

“Take heart, dear sufferer, for this reality of being will surely appear sometime and in some way. There will be no more pain, and all tears will be wiped away. When you read this, remember Jesus' words, ‘The kingdom of God is within you.’ This spiritual consciousness is therefore a present possibility.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 573:27-2

“My home awaits me. I will hasten there. If I so choose, I can depart this world entirely. It is not death which makes this possible, but it is change of mind about the purpose of the world. If I believe it has a value as I see it now, so will it still remain for me. But if I see no value in the world as I behold it, nothing that I want to keep as mine or search for as a goal, it will depart from me. For I have not sought for illusions to replace the truth.”

A Course in Miracles W-226.1:1-5

Nobody’s Right If Everybody’s Wrong …

I read a rather long article about Friedrich Nietzsche. It seems everyone, no matter their political persuasion, can make a case that he is writing just for them, supporting their views, and inspiring them to further heights of egotistical thought. While reading this, other instances came to mind of how songs and/or books can be perceived to suit our views. I was talking to a woman whose political attitudes are very different from mine, and she mentioned the song, “For What It’s Worth”, saying how perfectly it expressed what she felt about the current political scene. This well-known 1960s song  has been thought of as a protest song, beloved by liberal hippies for decades. Here is a verse:

“There’s battle lines being drawn. 

Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong. 

Young people speaking their minds, 

Getting so much resistance from behind. 

It’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound? 

Everybody look what’s going down.”

I’ve heard of something similar happening with the novel 1984, which white supremacists quote as part of their rhetoric. Orwell’s use of the term “doublespeak” seems to jive with “alternative facts”, and somehow everything is turned around to fit anyone’s point of view. From 1984: “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.” 

I think of these instances as showing that we are more alike than different. Of course, it could be just the opposite! Haha! 

“The question, ‘What is Truth,’ convulses the world. Many are ready to meet this inquiry with the assurance which comes of understanding; but more are blinded by their old illusions, and try to ‘give it pause.’ ‘If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’

“The efforts of error to answer this question by some ology are vain. Spiritual rationality and free thought accompany approaching Science, and cannot be put down. They will emancipate humanity, and supplant unscientific means and so-called laws.” 

Mary Baker Eddy -  Science & Health Page 223:14-24

“Brother, we find that stillness now. The way is open. ³Now we follow it in peace together. You have reached your hand to me, and I will never leave you. We are one, and it is but this oneness that we seek, as we accomplish these few final steps which end a journey that was not begun.”

A Course in Miracles W-225.2:1-5

Practice and Understanding

Image of Unknown Origin

In an internet search about meditation and its various forms, I found a couple of interesting 60 Minutes programs. One was an homage to holy places. Mount Athos, in eastern Greece, has been inhabited by monks for over 1,000 years. The men who are sequestered there “pray without ceasing”, as per the dictate of St. Paul. While I acknowledge and honor their choice, I don’t think they’re the only ones living their life as a prayer. Many of us have this goal, and while we may not always be successful, it becomes a habit to catch thoughts which are not in line with divine Love, turning them around and giving thanks for this awareness. Another program along these lines measured brain activity when folks were talking about other people, and also when they were talking about spirituality. Different parts of their brain were used when thinking about negative subjects or, alternatively, loving activities. While I do not remember the particulars of these studies, I know from experience that it makes a difference in our daily experiences. Today, I urge everyone to express joy and happiness as they go about their day. I’m sure most of my readers already do this, but feel free to let me know how it’s going!

“Christians rejoice in secret beauty and bounty, hidden from the world, but known to God. Self-forgetfulness, purity, and affection are constant prayers. Practice not profession, understanding not belief, gain the ear and right hand of omnipotence and they assuredly call down infinite blessings. Trustworthiness is the foundation of enlightened faith.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 15:25-31

“My true Identity is so secure, so lofty, sinless, glorious and great, wholly beneficent and free from guilt, that Heaven looks to It to give it light. It lights the world as well. It is the gift my Father gave to me; the one as well I give the world. There is no gift but this that can be either given or received. This is reality, and only this. This is illusion’s end. It is the truth.”

A Course in Miracles W-224.1:1-7

Accoutrements to Life

I’ve been thinking about the way we define ourselves by our jobs, our talents, our looks, our cars, our children — well, the list goes on, doesn’t it? When I closed my beloved art gallery, many people warned me about the huge adjustment I would face, not going there every day, not having it as the center of my existence. But it wasn’t! I think that’s because it never defined me. I never thought of myself as being what I was doing. It’s easy to think of one’s self as being a mother, or a mechanic, or any number of things which we do on a daily basis. And there is nothing wrong with that; nothing at all! But I’m very grateful that all the hats I’ve worn in this life are just that: accouterments to Life!

"God is divine Life, and Life is no more confined to the forms which reflect it than substance is in its shadow.”

Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health Page 331:1-3

“I was mistaken when I thought I lived apart from God, a separate entity that moved in isolation, unattached, and housed within a body. Now I know my life is God’s, I have no other home, and I do not exist apart from Him. He has no Thoughts that are not part of me, and I have none but those which are of Him.”

A Course in Miracles W-223.1:1-3

Love Must Triumph Over Hate

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

When we think of extremist religious groups, what usually comes to mind is something similar to the Islamic group, al Qaeda. Because Jesus was a man who spurned violence as much as he turned away from riches and power, we think of Christianity as a medium for peace and love. Unfortunately, this is not always true. The teachings of Jesus were simple: love your neighbor as yourself and God above all else. In the past few years, we have discovered that many people in our country, people who proclaim themselves to be Christians, are waging violence because they think God is telling them to do so. It is beyond my ability to grasp this idea. We see some pastors and political leaders leading their followers down dead-end paths of hatred and violence. And for what reason? Why would Christians -- or anyone -- be opposed to people simply because they are of a different political party than the one they support? I hope we can all remember that Jesus did not plan to start a religion. He came to teach us the way to peace, how to love without judgment, and empathy for all beings. I pray for the day we can free ourselves of political parties and religious sects, living from the purity of our heart, without the ritual and rule of power-hungry leaders. Namaste...

"The Science Jesus taught and lived must triumph over all material beliefs about life, substance, and intelligence, and the multitudinous errors growing from such beliefs. Love must triumph over hate." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 43:27

“God is with me. He is my Source of life, the life within, the air I breathe, the food by which I am sustained, the water which renews and cleanses me. He is my home, wherein I live and move; the Spirit which directs my actions, offers me Its Thoughts, and guarantees my safety from all pain. He covers me with kindness and with care, and holds in love the Son He shines upon, who also shines on Him. How still is he who knows the truth of what He speaks today!

“Father, we have no words except Your Name upon our lips and in our minds, as we come quietly into Your Presence now, and ask to rest with You in peace a while.”

A Course in Miracles W-222.1:1–2:1

Peace To My Mind

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

When I was a child, I didn’t like to have conversations when I first awakened in the morning. My mother thought this was a flaw in my character and tried to change me. Looking at this now, I see that silence in the morning works best for many of us. If I start out the day with inane conversation, or news stories hand-picked to feed my fears, the flavor of my day has been set and it’s difficult to center myself in the calm needed to move happily through it. Similarly, when I don’t sleep well at night, it’s because I haven’t been able to shut down my thoughts. Although I am not a fan of ritual, morning and evening meditations work for me. We are all individuals, and through an examination of your feelings, habits, and demeanor, you can discover what works for you, too! 

“Peace to my mind. Let all my thoughts be still. Father, I come to You today to seek the peace that You alone can give. I come in silence. In the quiet of my heart, the deep recesses of my mind, I wait and listen for Your Voice. My Father, speak to me today. I come to hear Your Voice in silence and in certainty and love, sure You will hear my call and answer me.” 

A Course in Miracles W-221.1:1-5

“Christ is the true idea voicing good, the divine message from God to men speaking to the human consciousness.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 332:9-11

Joyous Peace

My heart is too full to write this evening. I’m not sure this has ever been the case. May you feel peace and the presence of Love as fully as I do today! 

“In truth we gaze but do not see, and hearken but do not hear; we eat and drink but do not taste. And there lies the difference between Jesus of Nazareth and ourselves. His senses were all continually made new, and the world to Him was always a new world.”

Kahlil Gibran

“Today we seek no idols. Peace cannot be found in them. The peace of God is ours, and only this will we accept and want. Peace be to us today. For we have found a simple, happy way to leave the world of ambiguity, and to replace our shifting goals and solitary dreams with single purpose and companionship. For peace is union, if it be of God. We seek no further. We are close to home, and draw still nearer every time we say: There is no peace except the peace of God, and I am glad and thankful it is so.”

A Course in Miracles W-200.11:1-9

“Instinct is better than misguided reason, as even nature declares. The violet lifts her blue eye to greet the early spring. The leaves clap their hands as nature's untired worshippers." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 220:10

Breaking Through Physical Boundaries

Fabric Creation by Sandy Wythawai Starbird

Have you ever dreamed you could fly? My favorite freedom dream is one of running fast, sometimes leaving the ground and floating in mid-stride. Although I haven't had this recurring dream for some time, I can still fell the perfection of it. As I watch clips of the Olympic Games, my heart sings to see people using their bodies in life-affirming ways, as they joyously compete with each other and themselves. The beauty and grace expressed in these activities is awesome! Just as physical boundaries are broken and new records set, we are beginning to understand how we, too, can expect more of ourselves in this so-called physical existence. We are learning of the limitlessness of divine Mind’s ideas, of which we are One.   What is your highest ideal of freedom? 

“Be free today. And carry freedom as your gift to those who still believe they are enslaved within a body. Be you free, so that the Holy Spirit can make use of your escape from bondage, to set free the many who perceive themselves as bound and helpless and afraid. Let love replace their fears through you. Accept salvation now, and give your mind to Him Who calls to you to make this gift to Him. For He would give you perfect freedom, perfect joy, and hope that finds its full accomplishment in God.”

A Course in Miracles W-199.7:1-6

"This mortal is put off, and the new man or real man is put on, in proportion as mortals realize the Science of man and seek the true model." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 408:22-26

Universal Mind

Photo courtesy of Alden Stallings 

“I'm not worthy!" When certain comedians say this in a silly movie, it seems funny. But when I hear this coming from people in everyday conversations, even though they don't use these exact words, it's tempting to tell them that they are very much worthy!! One evening, I had dinner with a group of people who were going to the Passion Play here in Eureka Springs. One woman stated that she had mixed feelings about the play because no one was "good enough" to play the part of Jesus. She felt it was presumptuous and arrogant for anyone to do so. As you can imagine, it was all I could do to stop myself from jumping up on the table and shouting that we are all worthy!! But I didn’t. Instead, I inwardly offered an affirmation of our goodness as the expression of God, the image of Mind, the reflection of Love — along with a silent Namaste…

"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 497:24-27

“Only my condemnation injures me. My condemnation keeps my vision dark, and through my sightless eyes I cannot see the vision of my glory. Yet today I can behold this glory and be glad.”

A Course in Miracles W-218.1:1-4