March 28, 2012 - Light Expressed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #87

Review: “I will there be light.” and “There is no will but God’s.”

[Marsha's thoughts]

"Top of the World in Mongolia"
photo by Aaron Springston

Last evening, there was a reception in my gallery, Eureka Thyme, for people who are in town for a meeting of the state Keep America Beautiful group. My temptation was to be embarrassed by the large and ugly hole in front of the gallery. There are orange cones, sandbags, black plastic filled with last week's rain, and a general air of destruction. But as I've chosen to look at it as free advertising, drawing attention to my shop, I also chose to look past the war-zone look of it all to the pure goodness reflected by everyone involved. Interestingly, not a single one of the party attendees said anything about the mess, but only complimented us on our beautiful town, the great gallery space, and the wonderful food provided for them. The Light being expressed by the people I met at this event was palpable! One woman, with whom I felt an immediate affinity, was not only the leader of her local beautification program but had spearheaded an unusual art show. The Arkansas State Hospital is committed to the treatment of mental illness. This woman inaugurated an art show featuring works from the patients. She said most of the people there had nothing but the clothes on their back when they came to the facility. This amazing art show and sale is benefiting them in many ways. Not just by increasing self-esteem, but putting some cash back for them upon their release. She said this has helped them to want to get better, as many stay all their life for fear of returning to the "real world". How inspiring it is to meet people who are following inner guidance in the bringing of light to the world! Today I vow to listen deeply and follow through on what I hear!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The admission to one's self that man is God's own likeness sets man free to master the infinite idea. The understanding and recognition of Spirit must finally come, and we may as well improve our time in solving the mysteries of being through an apprehension of divine Principle. At present we know not what man is, but we certainly shall know this when man reflects God.”

Science & Health Page 90:24-32

March 27, 2012 - Sing Your Song!

Happy Camels in Mongolia
Photo by Aaron Sspringston

ACIM workbook lesson #86
Review: "Only God's plan for salvation will work.". "Holding grievances is an attack on God's plan for salvation."
[Marsha's thoughts]
In the original introduction of these two lessons a couple of weeks ago, I wrote that we should all be writing! I'd like to amend that a bit today. Whatever activity you can do to take you to a space of no-thought, this is what I'd like to encourage! In listening to what I think of as free-form piano playing of the new-age variety, it struck me how important it is to be singing your song, whatever form that may take. For those of you who think you "don't have any talent" I would suggest you follow your heart in trying something new, or examine what you are doing and see it as expression of inner knowing. Piano lessons began for me at the age of four. By the time I went to college, playing was so engrained that it was like speaking. But it was always structured interpretation from pages of music. Never once had I just sat down and played without thought. Four years ago, I did. Something pulled me to the piano and a tune came out. It's a simple tune which mutates here and there, with interesting progressions and surprises. It's never the same, and it never leaves me where I started. It has beautiful healing notes which appear when they are needed. Now it seems another tune or two are getting ready to be born. We all have a song to sing, an expression in some way of the Divine. These expressions give us something which mere education cannot. It's a purely divine voice which requires a yielding of material senses in order to hear and reproduce. It may be prose, or poetry, or music, or painting. But don't forget it might be words said to a loved one, or vegetables grown with love, or the salvation of an animal from misery when you adopt it. The forms this Love demonstrated will take when we get out of its way are without number. Just as we are the ideas of God, so are these emanations which shine through us. Priceless!
Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"Salvation: Life, Truth, and Love understood and demonstrated as supreme over all."
Science & Health Page 593:20-21

March 26, 2012 - Cynicism Hides Light

ACIM workbook lesson #85:

Review: "My grievances hide the light of the world in me." "My salvation comes from me."

[Marsha's thoughts]

Joyous Child in Mongolia
photo by Aaron Springston

Cynicism hides the light of the world very effectively. As a small child, I freely expressed joy in everything and to everyone, but slowly and thoroughly this joy was quieted by rules and other forces of conformity. By the time I was a teenager, cynicism had taken over my every action. This is a definition of cynicism: "An attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others." During the 60s and 70s, although it was heralded as the Age of Aquarius, the free love that permeated our atmosphere was actually a charade of the Love I had felt as a child. We made fun of those who weren't like us, and by doing so became unsure of what we were. There was an attitude of disdain which came with our superiority. We knew our government was wrong, as were our parents, most teachers, and the majority of our peers. It's no wonder that a major magazine's cover declared that God was dead, because materialism and cynicism had killed any expression of real Love. I was convinced that to have children would be a travesty, as this world was no place for humans to be. Nearly half a century past those turbulent times, I see wonderful changes in all of us. Everyone I know realizes that Love is a force within us which can't be quieted; that fear can never be as powerful as Love; that there is no reason to pretend only the foolish think this way. More people every day are waking up to the Truth of their being, living the salvation of this realization, and not allowing anything to hide this light. Any day now everyone will awaken to their function as a living ray of this Love, and we won't be afraid of it. It is our heritage! We have denied it as long as we can. The Truth is alive within us and it only takes recognition to bring it to fruition. Let's live our salvation today!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"'Thy kingdom come:' let the reign of divine Life, Truth, and Love [God]

be established in me, and rule out of me all sin [erroneous thoughts of separation]; and may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!"

Daily Prayer from the Church Manual

March 25, 2012 - Living Love

ACIM Workbook Lesson 84

Review: “Love created me like Itself.”

and “Love holds no grievances.”

"Top of the Mountain in Mongolia"
photo by Aaron Springston

[Marsha's thoughts]

As I write this, I've just spent a week in the gallery during which time the town has been packed with families on spring break. It has been busy every day and I've talked to hundreds of people. By mid-afternoon today, I felt like I couldn't go on. The people all seemed to be demanding and just downright odd, and I simply didn't want to be there. At first I retreated, getting quiet and attempting to not relate to them, letting everyone mill about me with a minimum of interaction. Next, I examined my motives in all of this and reasserted why I was there. Of course, I'm doing this to make a living, but there's more to it than that. I'm there to express Love, because that's what I am. And by this expression, I hope that others can see that's what they are, also. Okay, I'm feeling a bit better now, but not good enough to change my attitude. When a friend and fellow shopkeeper came in, I was more than happy to tell her how tired I was. Shortly thereafter, the spell was finally broken when a small child, around a year old, came in on his dad's shoulders. He was fussy and sort of crying as his dad came up to me and started asking questions about where to eat dinner. I began talking to the baby, answering his dad's questions, but looking at him. Suddenly joy spread through my chest -- and the baby started to giggle, too! No more was I a tired mortal wishing I could be somewhere else. And the baby suddenly seemed to realize he had the best seat in town and he was the loved of Love. Whew! Am I glad that spell was broken!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“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. Love giveth to the least spiritual idea might, immortality, and goodness, which shine through all as the blossom shines through the bud. All the varied expressions of God reflect health, holiness, immortality-- infinite Life, Truth, and Love."

Science & Health Page 518:15-22

March 24, 2012 - Happiness is my function

"What??"
Photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #83
Review: “My only function is the one God gave me.” and “My happiness and my function are one.”

[Marsha's thoughts]
Conflict resolution. Conflict transformation. How much time and energy do we spend in attempting to negate conflict between others and/or within ourselves? We can make lists of the merits of our choices, we can role play and put ourselves in others' places in a situation, we can enlist therapists to help us out. There are lots of ways to search for the door out of conflict. I have found the only true way to leave it behind is to realize that such a thing does not exist anywhere other than in our thought. Anyone who has ever tried to calm fighting siblings knows the process can be daunting no matter how you approach it! I'll always remember a time when my boys were around 8 and 10 years of age. Their disagreements had advanced to the point where I saw no way out other than to give one of them away! One day, during a particularly intense bout, I gave up and sat down in my bedroom to have a good cry. Next to my chair was a stack of Christian Science Sentinels, the weekly publication which gives us practical metaphysical writings. I reached down and pulled one from the middle of the stack and opened it up to an article about brothers fighting! I don't remember anything about the content, other than it was just what I needed for the situation. And I remember the solution had to do with having no strong opinions. By letting go of my I'm-right-you're-wrong attitude, I was able to lead them to the same way of thought, by living it, not just telling them what they should do. Living Love creates bridges which bring us together in peace. Trust that your function and your happiness are your God-given right, and don't be afraid to open up and see what unexpected ways they will manifest.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“God has endowed man with inalienable rights, among which are self-government, reason, and conscience. Man is properly self-governed only when he is guided rightly and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love.”
Science & Health Page 106:7-10

March 23, 2012 - Light of the World

ACIM Workbook Lesson #82

Review: “The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness”

“Let me not forget my function.”

Heather, Yellowstone, Sunrise
photo by Aaron Springston

[Marsha's thoughts]

We all share the same light which brings peace to every mind. It's easy to forget that this is true. Darkness often feels as real as light, but it's a mirage. We can go around telling people about light, but that doesn't take away the darkness in a room. By bringing light to a situation, no matter how small the flame, the darkness is dispelled as surely as if the sun were shining. And we're like the rays of light from the sun. We are an emanation of the One light, the same essence, with the same function. It seems easy to forget this function. Unhappy circumstances in life can make us think we've lost our light. But that can't happen. An eclipse may cover the sun beams temporarily, but they are still there, shining as brightly as ever, although unseen by some. And so it is our function to remember what our true being is. We are Love with a capital "L"! By our remembrance of this Source our function is fulfilled. Our light glows and grows, illuminating peace.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, "Love thy neighbor as thyself;" annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry,--whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.”

Science & Health Page 340: 23-29

March 22, 2012 - Self Importance

ACIM Workbook Lesson #81:

Review: "I am the light of the world"

"Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world."

Photo by Aaron Springston

[Marsha's thoughts]

I just watched an episode of Modern Family in which Claire has lunch with an old college friend. Her friend has a very successful career and an exciting life as a single woman. Claire is a jealous and wants to show off her three kids and husband of seventeen years so she takes her friend home to meet them. Her handsome husband is inexplicably wearing a big fake mustache and is trapped in a port-a-potty placed there by the water company during work on the lines. Her oldest daughter is having a loud altercation with her boyfriend. Her other daughter and her son have been recycling in the neighborhood and have the kitchen filled with semi-empty bottles of alcohol. The son is in his underwear because he spilled booze all over himself, while the daughter is chasing a rat around the house which came in with the boxes. So much for self-importance, huh? Most of us probably have a silly story about a situation that backfired when we've wanted to show off in some way. When we stop and think about these feelings and what is behind them, it's easy to see how this desire to be "special", to be better than someone else, is at the core of every disagreement and conflict in the world.  With the understanding that we are all the reflection of Love, each demonstrating our individuality within this realm of unity, it becomes possible to let go of false images of self-importance and relax into the perfection of this experience we know as life. By doing so, we are the light of the world. By seeing ourself in others and others in ourself, we fulfill our function of forgiveness, letting go of ideas and beliefs which foster this misconception of difference and embracing Love as our common denominator.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Self-forgetfulness, purity, and affection are constant prayers."

Science & Health Page 15:26-27