Creating Compassion Through Education

A short documentary has been made about a ship, the SS Quanza, and the 83 mostly Belgium Jewish people who were trying to enter the United States in 1940. Many ships had been turned away at that time, with hundreds of their passengers returned to their homeland for extermination. This ship’s youngest passenger, Annette Yachmann, is still living and enjoying a happy life teaching writing at a community college in New York and being a grandmother. She recalls the horror of being trapped on the ship, but is grateful that she was with her mother. She is vocally rebelling against the treatment of children who are separated from their parents as they attempt to enter the United States. The maker of this film, Laura Seltzer-Duny, tells of Eleanor Roosevelt’s extraordinary efforts to bring these people into our country. She also documents the efforts of others who were integral in the humanitarian effort, including a married couple who were lawyers and used maritime law to stalls the ship’s return to Europe. The movie is called “Nobody Wants Us”. It was made with the hope of educating people on the plight of immigrants and the historical fate of those turned away. Education is essential in creating compassion. This is a perfect example. Today I will look for ways to foster compassion, through education. 

"Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear."
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 506:18-21

“Let us join together in a holy instant, here in this place where the purpose, given in a holy instant, has led you. And let us join in faith that He Who brought us here together will offer you the innocence you need, and that you will accept it for my love and His.”
A Course in Miracles T-19.IV-D.9:6-7

The Voice of Immutable Harmony

Photo courtesy of Aaron Springston

I’ve been pondering the difference in belief and understanding. Some people are blindly following leaders, while others have the questioning attitude which insists on answers. Do we practice by-rote actions, or make thoughtful decisions based on evidence? Some folks have the belief that God has ordained how things should or should not be done, so they never question themselves or the leaders they choose to follow. Maybe we’ve fallen into habits, perhaps without questioning if they are necessary or productive — or even fun. Well, there certainly is much to think about, isn’t there? One thing I do know: When I wake up and meditate and do some deep thinking and study, the day goes smoothly and unfolds joyously. When I wake up and listen to reports of people’s crazy behavior before I’m centered, everything seems difficult. With a rocky start to the day, I’m not mindfully aware and may misplace things, or perhaps become irritated over nothing (or something!). Since I know I can’t change that guy over there, I will wake up tomorrow and do my best to listen and follow with the wisdom innately lllmine as a reflection of divine Mind.

“Life, Truth, and Love are the realities of divine Science. They dawn in faith and glow full-orbed in spiritual understanding. As a cloud hides the sun it cannot extinguish, so false belief silences for a while the voice of immutable harmony, but false belief cannot destroy Science armed with faith, hope, and fruition.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 298:2-7

“For faith brings peace, and so it calls on truth to enter and make lovely what has already been prepared for loveliness. Truth follows faith and peace, completing the process of making lovely that they begin. For faith is still a learning goal, no longer needed when the lesson has been learned. Yet truth will stay forever.”
A Course in Miracle T-19.I.15:2-5

I Hope You’ll Join Us

“DAWN OF HOPE” by Daniel Gerhartz

 “You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. 

I hope someday you'll join us. 

And the world will live as one.” 

John Lennon - Imagine, 1971.

Messages of Love

Today has been an epiphany for me in many ways. My favorite seers have messages which are exactly what I need to hear. I pass on to you the words from Circle of Light.

“Only as your Love for Me deepens now, becomes more Real, more pervasive, more ecstatic, more treasured; only when My presence is the truth of your truth, the sum of your moments; only now can you begin to ‘do the works that Jesus did.’ Because only now do you begin to realize I Am everything. I Am everywhere. Every person is My face. Each beating heart is My heart. Thus are you now realizing at last what it truly means to love Me with all your heart and to love your brother or your sister as yourself. It does not mean that you must love yourself enough that then you can love others that much. It means that there is no difference between you - standing here as yourself and you standing there as another. There is only Me present. When you look at yourself - I Am there. When you look at your brother - I Am there. Everywhere you look, I Am. And every person verifies this, for only as they speak those words (I Am) do they have a sense of themselves. And when each of you says those words (I Am), you are present in the Now as co-creators.”

“As I share the peace of the world with my brothers, I begin to understand that this peace comes from deep within myself. The world I look upon has taken on the light of my forgiveness, and shines forgiveness back at me. In this light I begin to see what my illusions about myself kept hidden. I begin to understand the holiness of all living things, including myself, and their oneness with me.”
A Course in Miracles W-57.5:3-6)

“Set your affections on things above; love one another; commune at the table of our Lord in one spirit; worship in spirit and in truth; and if daily adoring, imploring, and living the divine Life, Truth, Love, thou shalt partake of the bread that cometh down from heaven, drink of the cup of salvation, and be baptized in Spirit.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Christian Science versus Pantheism Page 14:4-9

What To Do?

What do you do if you have an acquaintance or neighbor who is asking for monetary assistance on a regular basis, but doesn’t seem to be doing anything to help himself out of the hole he’s in? I recently visited with seldom-seen friends who had this situation with one of their neighbors. They had offered to teach him a trade so he could support himself, but it seems he’s so deeply involved with drugs that he has no desire to work at lifting himself up. What to do? I don’t see any set responses to these situations. I’ve known single mothers who are indeed victims of life’s circumstances and need a foot up to keep on going. And I’ve seen people who appear to be users, hoping to get by all their lives on what others will give them. I know that if someone is in need sitting on the sidewalk, I’ll give him what I can, and if the person chooses to buy alcohol, so be it. That’s where he is and that’s what he needs. I think we must trust our gut feelings in these situations. I wish there was a set answer to life’s tough problems, but it doesn’t seem that’s possible. Let’s keep on loving each other and remain open to the guidance of divine Mind. Namaste…

“Charity is a way of looking at another as if he had already gone far beyond his actual accomplishments in time. Since his own thinking is faulty he cannot see the Atonement for himself, or he would have no need of charity. The charity that is accorded him is both an acknowledgment that he needs help, and a recognition that he will accept it. Both of these perceptions clearly imply their dependence on time, making it apparent that charity still lies within the limitations of this world. I said before that only revelation transcends time. The miracle, as an expression of charity, can only shorten it. It must be understood, however, that whenever you offer a miracle to another, you are shortening the suffering of both of you. This corrects retroactively as well as progressively.” 

A Course in Miracles T-2.V.10:1-8

“The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother’s need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another’s good.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 518:15-19

Turning Point in Our Evolution

We are aghast at the injustice which seems rampant everywhere we look. How have we allowed corruption to reign supreme? Why is our food poison, our water scarce, the things we value meaningless? Why do we allow it to happen? The recognition of our unity is a major turning point in our evolution. With the knowledge that everything is connected, knowing that what affects one affects all, we are prompted to stand up and make the change within ourselves that we would like to see in the world. This interconnectedness of All that Is was first shown to me by my Beagle, Harry. He was so sensitive to feelings around him that the mildest irritation on my part would send him to the deepest corner of the closet, where he would remain until I had "cleared my energy field" -- so to speak. We have within our Being the ability to change the world. True evolution is the evolution of consciousness. What a wonderful thing, to see through awakened eyes! To wake up from the hypnosis we have allowed ourselves to fall under is a very exciting proposition, don’t you think? Reality, as we have accepted it, is falling away to reveal a way of life we have believed to be impossible. Love is the liberator. Embrace the change which is moving us away from the human intellect, back into the space of the heart. Open yourself to the divine and live as you were created: free! Accept your reality as the reflection of God, with no fear, only Love guiding your every action. Let’s live Love now! Hallelujah and Namaste!

“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

“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 49:16-22

Growing More Peaceful …

Growing More Peaceful Every Day — These are the words written on a pillow a friend gave me. Through the decades, my idea of what constitutes peace has evolved. In younger days, the only peace I wanted was during sleep. The rest of the time was happily busy with people and learning things. Then came the years spent partying, which I don't think were peaceful, but memory is rather foggy during that time. Motherhood brought a certain peace to my restless soul, but it was full of the activity of child rearing and caring for a home where my boys’ friends were always welcome. Following that was the relative quiet of running a business. The practice of relating to others in a peaceful manner was my education during that decade. Finally, I now understand it's not what I'm doing, but how I'm experiencing it. The peace which seemed fleeting is possible in every moment, and not because there is nothing to do, but because I enjoy every single moment without judging it against anything from the past or wishing it to be different in the future. Ah, the bliss of a quiet(er) mind!a

"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. 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 Workbook Lesson #221

“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." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 323:32-2

Perhaps We’re Not As Polarized As We Think

People have become extremely polarized in their views about almost everything. Yet, a recent study by the University of Maryland found that voters place more importance on accountability through direct dialogue with their elected officials than they do on party identity. This give us hope that people are NOT irrationally polarized and will never change. This study is based on conversations with more than 4,000 voters. The findings start out a bit pessimistic with more than 90% of them believing our lawmakers have little interest in we the people’s views. But when asked if it would matter if a candidate promised always to consult his or her constituents and give their recommendations higher priority than the view of the candidates’ party leadership — more than 7 in 10 said it would, and 60% of those questioned said they would cross party lines to vote for a candidate making that pledge. More than 70% said that the majority of the public, as a whole, is more likely to show the greatest wisdom on questions of what the government should do — rather than relying on either party’s platform. And so we are not as polarized as it might seem! But we must talk to each other in order to discover that most of us are rational human beings. Let’s hold on to that thought!

“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 205:22-27

‘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.13:1-7

The Consistency of Honesty

Living Alone - by Paco Yao

When a major league baseball team was fined 5 million dollars for cheating in the 2017 World Series, some people thought, “So what? Everybody does it.” Well, I'm here to affirm that they are wrong: Everybody does NOT do it. This desire to win, no matter what, is a flawed mission. What's the point in winning a game, or an election, or any type of competition, if you do it by blatantly exploiting the principles of the event or interaction? Humankind seems to have fallen under a spell as wicked as any Disney witch could conjure. Greed for power and/or riches has become more important than integrity and a higher moral code. I have an old friend who apparently was never held accountable for her actions as a child -- nor, perhaps, as an adult. It has made her an odd little person, shriveled by her pettiness and self-righteousness. What we do matters. Let's teach our children (and remind latent grown-ups) that making a difference every day is a life well-lived.

“Take away wealth, fame, and social organizations, which weigh not one jot in the balance of God, and we get clearer views of Principle. Break up cliques, level wealth with honesty, let worth be judged according to wisdom, and we get better views of humanity.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 239:7-10

"Only the trusting can afford honesty, for only they can see its value. Honesty does not apply only to what you say. The term actually means consistency. There is nothing you say that contradicts what you think or do; no thought opposes any other thought; no act belies your word; and no word lacks agreement with another. Such are the truly honest. At no level are they in conflict with themselves. Therefore it is impossible for them to be in conflict with anyone or anything." 

A Course in Miracles - M-4.II.3-9

Compassion For Those in Need

Photo taken in Thailand by Aaron Springston 

A short documentary has been made about a ship, the SS Quanza, and the 83 mostly Belgium Jewish people who were trying to enter the United States in 1940. Many ships had been turned away at that time, with hundreds of their passengers returned to their homeland for extermination. This ship’s youngest passenger, Annette Yachmann, is still living and enjoying a happy life teaching writing at a community college in New York and being a grandmother. She recalls the horror of being trapped on the ship, but is grateful that she was with her mother. She is vocally rebelling against the treatment of children who are separated from their parents as they attempt to enter the United States. The maker of this film, Laura Seltzer-Duny, tells of Eleanor Roosevelt’s extraordinary efforts to bring these people into our country. She also documents the efforts of others who were integral in the humanitarian effort, including a married couple who were lawyers and used maritime law to stalls the ship’s return to Europe. The movie is called “Nobody Wants Us”. It was made with the hope of educating people on the plight of immigrants and the historical fate of those turned away. Education is essential in creating compassion, so let’s support it in all its forms! 

“With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science. The supposed existence of more than one mind was the basic error of idolatry. This error assumed the loss of spiritual power, the loss of the spiritual presence of Life as infinite Truth without an unlikeness, and the loss of Love as ever present and universal.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 460:30

“It is this one intent we seek today, uniting our desires with the need of every heart, the call of every mind, the hope that lies beyond despair, the love attack would hide, the brotherhood that hate has sought to sever, but which still remains as God created it. With Help like this beside us, can we fail today as we request the peace of God be given us?” 

A Course in Miracles W-185.14:1-2

Miracles Are Natural

Image: Catrin Welz-Stein

After numerous conversations today about this topic, these words from Thich Nhat Hanh seem to be a perfect post!

“Around us, life bursts forth with miracles—a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops. If you live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere.

Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles. Eyes that see thousands of colors, shapes, and forms; ears that hear a bee flying or a thunderclap; a brain that ponders a speck of dust as easily as the entire cosmos; a heart that beats in rhythm with the heartbeat of all beings.

When we are tired and feel discouraged by life’s daily struggles, we may not notice these miracles, but they are always there. “
Thich Nhat Hanh

“Miracles are natural. When they do not occur something has gone wrong.”
A Course in Miracles T-1.I.6:1-2

“The miracle introduces no disorder, but unfolds the primal order, establishing the Science of God’s unchangeable law.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 135:6-8

We’re Changing …

Many people are realizing they are living their lives dictated by thought systems instilled in them in early childhood — and it’s not working for them anymore. I have conversations every day with individuals who want to know how to change from the negative, problem-oriented way of living they have thoughtlessly been following. Today a woman asked me how she could experience gratitude in daily life. I advised her to look at her surroundings right here, right now. She was eating lunch at her work desk when she called me, so I suggested she could be grateful for the food she had, the comfortable chair she sat in, the air conditioning in her workplace — everything! She had some “yeah buts” in her conversation, mainly concerning what people said and “did to her”. I reminded her that the past was only alive in her thoughts; it didn’t exist anywhere else. So when something negative or painful began to play in her mind, just stop it! I asked her to say those words to her self: Stop it! And then to think of something she was grateful about — a flower, comfortable shoes — anything at all. It seems we are all breaking free from our cocoons and becoming something beautiful. Don’t be afraid of this change, and please know that you are not alone. Namaste …

“Eternal Truth is changing the universe. As mortals drop off their mental swaddling-clothes, thought expands into expression. ‘Let there be light,’ is the perpetual demand of Truth and Love, changing chaos into order and discord into the music of the spheres. The mythical human theories of creation, anciently classified as the higher criticism, sprang from cultured scholars in Rome and in Greece, but they afforded no foundation for accurate views of creation by the divine Mind.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 255:1-10

“Today we practice making free your mind of all the laws you think you must obey; of all the limits under which you live, and all the changes that you think are part of human destiny. 

A Course in Miracles W-127.6:4

Peace Fills My Heart

 

What If? 

By Ganga White

“What if our religion was each other?

If our practice was our life?

If prayer was our words?

What if the Temple was the Earth?

If forests were our church?

If holy water - the rivers, lakes and oceans?

What if meditation was our relationships?

If the Teacher was life?

If wisdom was self-knowledge?

If love was the center of our being”

~ Ganga White

“The supremacy of Spirit was the foundation on which Jesus built. 

His sublime summary points to the religion of Love.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 138:14-16

“Surrounding me is all the life that God created in His Love. It calls to me in every heartbeat and in every breath; in every action and in every thought. Peace fills my heart, and floods my body with the purpose of forgiveness. Now my mind is healed, and all I need to save the world is given me. Each heartbeat brings me peace; each breath infuses me with strength. I am a messenger of God, directed by His Voice, sustained by Him in love, and held forever quiet and at peace within His loving Arms. Each heartbeat calls His Name, and every one is answered by His Voice, assuring me I am at home in Him.” 

A Course in Miracles W-267.1:1-7

Too Marvelous To Be Understood

 

Tijana Lukovic, "Wolf Moon"

Mysteries, Yes

by Mary Oliver

“Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous

 to be understood.

How grass can be nourishing in the

mouths of the lambs.

How rivers and stones are forever

in allegiance with gravity

while we ourselves dream of rising.

How two hands touch and the bonds will

never be broken.

How people come, from delight or the

scars of damage,

to the comfort of a poem.

Let me keep my distance, always, from those

who think they have the answers.

Let me keep company always with those who say

‘Look!’ and laugh in astonishment,

and bow their heads.”

“Listen,—perhaps you catch a hint of an ancient state not quite forgotten; dim, perhaps, and yet not altogether unfamiliar, like a song whose name is long forgotten, and the circumstances in which you heard completely unremembered. Not the whole song has stayed with you, but just a little wisp of melody, attached not to a person or a place or anything particular. But you remember, from just this little part, how lovely was the song, how wonderful the setting where you heard it, and how you loved those who were there and listened with you.” 

A Course in Miracles T-21.1.6:1-3 

The Negative Impact of Ignoring Intuition

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

I often mention intuition in these writings. Today I proved to myself how important it is to listen to that “still, small voice”, that subtle hint, or the idea which seemingly comes from nowhere. Unfortunately, my reminder to listen to divine Mind is the result of a negative experience. When I was pulling out of my driveway to run errands, a thought came as to which route to travel to my first stop. But I decided to go the other way. And I rear-ended a car which was stopped in the road to turn left, with no turn signal or other indication of its intent. The events which followed showed me the beauty of the principle that my safety lies in my defenselessness. The car I hit was driven by a 17-year-old who had bought the car the day before and had no insurance. Blessedly, his mom and grandma and sister were all safe, although the back window of his vehicle shattered from the impact. All my needs were met promptly. My car was towed to my mechanic, my son arrived to take me to pick up the farm-fresh vegetables which would have been my first stop, and friends finished the errands I had been out to accomplish. When the policeman asked me what had happened, I simply said the car in front of me stopped and I plowed into it. I didn’t try to defend myself by blaming the young driver, I didn’t make excuses for myself, I simply sat in gratitude for the protection we all witnessed. The few people who know about this incident are amazed that I don’t know the future of my 30-year-old Jeep, I don’t know the contents of the police report, I’m not going to the doctor to be “checked out”, and I have no concerns about any outcome. This trust in Good can be directly attributed to the years I’ve studied the laws of Love, and the trust I have in them. My heart is full of gratitude…

“It is the illumination of the spiritual understanding which demonstrates the capacity of Soul, not of material sense. This Soul-sense comes to the human mind when the latter yields to the divine Mind.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 85:2-6

“Defenselessness is strength. It testifies to recognition of the Christ in you. Perhaps you will recall the text maintains that choice is always made between Christ’s strength and your own weakness, seen apart from Him. Defenselessness can never be attacked, because it recognizes strength so great attack is folly, or a silly game a tired child might play, when he becomes too sleepy to remember what he wants.”
A Course in Miracles W-153.6:1-4

Is Loneliness the Absence of Others?

Almost everyone has felt lonely at some point in their lives. Many people attribute their loneliness to lack of a life partner, but I’ve always questioned this belief. Having never been sure why I feel this way, this quote by Johann Hari helps explain my view on the subject: “Loneliness isn’t the physical absence of other people, it’s the sense that you’re not sharing anything that matters with anyone else. If you have lots of people around you – perhaps even a husband or wife, or a family, or a busy workplace – but you don’t share anything that matters with them, then you’ll still be lonely.” Perhaps this is why I’ve never been lonely, although I’ve been partnerless for the majority of my life. Feeling surrounded by love, through friendships and from my children, sharing heartfelt ideas has always been possible. After reading the aforementioned quote, I’m thinking my lack of loneliness could be partially attributed to these daily writings! When something strikes me as important, I write about it and share it with you. Daily events, wonderful books, important documentaries, memorable movies — I tell you about it. And I am grateful for this never-ending circle of communicants.

“No one can change the law of Christian metaphysics, the law of right thinking, nor in any wise alter its effects. It is a forever fact that the meek and lowly in heart are blessed and comforted by divine Love. If the proud are lonely and uncomforted, it is because they have thoughts adverse to the law of love. Pride, arrogance, and self-will are unmerciful, and so receive judgment without mercy; but the law of metaphysics says, ‘Blessed are the merciful,’ and will allow no one to escape that blessedness, howsoever far he may stray, whatsoever lawlessness of hatred he may practice and suffer from.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany Page 41:7-15

“The wish to see calls down the grace of God upon your eyes, and brings the gift of light that makes sight possible. Would you behold your brother? God is glad to have you look on him. He does not will your savior be unrecognized by you. Nor does He will that he remain without the function that He gave to him. Let him no more be lonely, for the lonely ones are those who see no function in the world for them to fill; no place where they are needed, and no aim which only they can perfectly fulfill.”
A Course in Miracles T-25.VI.3:1-6A

Why Am I Seeing an Illusion?

Photo credit: Christopher Fischer

Having always believed that if people knew truth, they would understand truth, I’m having a personal crisis accepting that this is not true. Having spent years saying anything I want to say, with no worries about whether people think I’m insanely deluded, I’m beginning to see why Jesus was crucified. Wildly implausible religious beliefs are not only revered, but cherished. And so if I tell someone that the Mind of God knows nothing about our supposed sins, at best I’ll receive a blank stare or a roll of the eyes. While my personal goal is to release any beliefs that God is out there somewhere, watching and listening to my every thought and action, ready to reward or punish according to how I deem it should be done, many people are afraid to accept the new/old idea which denies these material beliefs. I want to understand God, realize unfolding consciousness, see Truth through the mirage. I cannot erase that mirage, because it is not there. But I can understand why I’m seeing an illusion, and thereby erase my fear of it. It takes a constant, conscious effort to understand there is no separation between this thing we call God and ourselves. I really want to do that …

“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. What if the old dragon should send forth a new flood to drown the Christ-idea? He can neither drown your voice with its roar, nor again sink the world into the deep waters of chaos and old night. In this age the earth will help the woman; the spiritual idea will be understood. Those ready for the blessing you impart will give thanks. The waters will be pacified, and Christ will command the wave.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 570:14-25

“Peace be to you who have been cured in God, and not in idle dreams. For cure must come from holiness, and holiness can not be found where sin is cherished. God abides in holy temples. He is barred where sin has entered. Yet there is no place where He is not. And therefore sin can have no home in which to hide from His beneficence. There is no place where holiness is not, and nowhere sin and sickness can abide.”
A Course in Miracles W-140.5:1-7

Upper Case Living

Painting by James Yale

Everything we do, say, and think, plants us firmly in either the world of fear or the realm of Love. Moment by moment, we choose what we accept as the truth. A number of years ago, through my daily writings, I became friends with a man in the Netherlands. He has studied Christian Science for decades, and at some point added A Course in Miracles. While I have been familiar with the work of Mary Baker Eddy all my life, there are facets of her writings which I am now looking at with new eyes. In the early 1900s, a group of people explored the supposition that Mrs. Eddy had written a new language, a spiritual language, centered around the seven synonyms for God, which are well-known to readers of Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures. By a thorough understanding of these capitalized words, (Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love) we are able to apply them to all experiences, allowing them to be spiritualized in thought and realized in the demonstration of Oneness. By consistently turning thought away from mortal concepts and utilizing spiritual interpretations, we are choosing the world we want to see. A close friend once wrote an essay entitled, "Upper Case Living". I will think of it as I choose the world I see today!

“What Truth is comes to view individually as intuition, inspiration. Truth is forever unfolding as individual self-conscious being, and our opinions (abstractions) are constantly becoming obsolete. Truth cannot be locked up in a strong-box; it is Infinity. When confined, Truth ceases to be Truth, and becomes an abstraction. Truth defines itself operationally by disposing of beliefs and theories. It is a way of life and cannot be argued about." "The man of today is intelligence; he is pure Mind” We Are the World We Walk Through” by Margaret Laird C.S.B

“A miracle is a correction introduced into false thinking by me. It acts as a catalyst, breaking up erroneous perception and reorganizing it properly. This places you under the Atonement principle, where perception is healed. Until this has occurred, knowledge of the Divine Order is impossible.”
A Course in Miracles T-1.I.37:1-4

We Are Capable Of More Than We Know

Jesus was here to teach us many things, not the least of which was how to be nice to each other. His two commandments were to love God above all else and to love our neighbor as ourselves. I've often thought that we need to love ourselves more, as it seems many of us are expressing a lack of love for ourselves in our actions toward others. Jesus was also instructing us that we are capable of much more than we know. We are not powerless victims of circumstance. He tells us that the things he does, so can we -- know the Truth and be free!Power and dominion have become ugly words because of the things done to others by ruthless people. True power and dominion have to do with peace and grace and Love, as expressed through the healing power within. We are capable of more than we know. Let's not be afraid to express that power in healing every ill which seems so real to our material sense. We are spiritual Beings, expressions of God, perfect and whole, needing nothing to be added or taken away for that perfection to show forth and bless all of humankind. More on this theme tomorrow …

“What keeps the world in chains but your beliefs? And what can save the world except your Self? Belief is powerful indeed. The thoughts you hold are mighty, and illusions are as strong in their effects as is the truth. A madman thinks the world he sees is real, and does not doubt it. Nor can he be swayed by questioning his thoughts’ effects. It is but when their source is raised to question that the hope of freedom comes to him at last.”
A Course in Miracles W-132.1:1-7

“In divine Science, man is the true image of God. The divine nature was best expressed in Christ Jesus, who threw upon mortals the truer reflection of God and lifted their lives higher than their poor thought-models would allow,--thoughts which presented man as fallen, sick, sinning, and dying. The Christlike understanding of scientific being and divine healing includes a perfect Principle and idea,--perfect God and perfect man,--as the basis of thought and demonstration.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 259:6-15

All Is Infinite Mind

Ceramic Creation from Ken Starbird 

For several months, I’ve been doing a deep dive into books and audio files from my most-beloved  teachers of scientific metaphysics. Of course, the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and A Courser in Miracles are the basis of my studies, and I always refer to them as my gold standard. But Joel Goldsmith has been calling me, and I particularly love his talks from the         1960s, particularly ones in Hawaii. They are exquisitely thorough! Margaret Laird’s Christian Science Revisited (a/k/a We Are The World We Walk Through), is an all-time favorite and I find something new every time I pick it up.  Helen Wright’s book, Finding Your Divinity, introduces the concept of advanced meaning within Mrs. Eddy’ synonyms for God: Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love. Ms. Wright learned this way of looking at Mrs. Eddy’s writings from studying with John Doorly and Max Kappeler.  Which takes me to the voluminous audio files of Mr. Kappeler. What a treasure trove this is! And then I opened my morning youTube offering  from Coreen and Nouk, delightedly finding the beautiful ACIM lesson entitled, When I Am Healed I Am Not Healed Alone. My serious study of these concepts began 30 years ago with Christian Science Class Instruction,  and I trust my teacher has clarified some things within her understanding, as have I. I write this as an introduction to a few days of writings on this subject. May we all enjoy this beautiful spring day!

“Sickness would prove that lies must be the truth. But healing demonstrates that truth is true. The separation sickness would impose has never really happened. To be healed is merely to accept what always was the simple truth, and always will remain exactly as it has forever been. Yet eyes accustomed to illusions must be shown that what they look upon is false. So healing, never needed by the truth, must demonstrate that sickness is not real.”

A Course in Miracles W-137.4:1-6

"Question: What is the scientific statement of being?

Answer: There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all. Spirit is immortal Truth; matter is mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual."

Science & Health Page 468:8-16