Following Your Heart

PC: Aaron Springston

I met a young woman who told me that God was talking to all of us -- and it was time to listen! As we chatted briefly, she told a story of finding out her husband had a girlfriend, getting divorced, feeling hopeless. Then she left a job she didn't enjoy and followed her dream of starting a little antique store where she has lots of cool stuff, like freshly ground coffee and books she wants to share with others: a place where everyone feels welcome. She tells me this happened because she listened to God. Now, this guidance can be called many things -- following your heart, listening for the still small voice, living your dream -- but whatever it's called, it can only be heard by shutting out ego thoughts, the material-based fears, all those other voices telling us we're not good enough, not capable enough. It's heard by silencing the advice of mortal mind, telling us to just stay put because it's safe there and who knows what might happen if we listen to intuition and follow an unknown path. Well, I was very much buoyed by her joy and new-found confidence. It was inspiring that she started the conversation by telling me it was time to listen to God! She made me want to shout Hallelujah!

“Nature voices natural, spiritual law and divine Love, but human belief misinterprets nature. Arctic regions, sunny tropics, giant hills, winged winds, mighty billows, verdant vales, festive flowers, and glorious heavens,--all point to Mind, the spiritual intelligence they reflect. The floral apostles are hieroglyphs of Deity. Suns and planets teach grand lessons. The stars make night beautiful, and the leaflet turns naturally towards the light.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 240:1-9

Listening to Intuition

I was in a local thrift shop and overheard a woman telling of how she had "just known" she should bring her camera with her to work that day. She told her friend that she had repeatedly thought to pick up her camera and have it with her, but she had rationalized that there was no reason for that. So she left the camera behind. I did not have the chance to eavesdrop on why she had ended up needing it, but she had. She also told how she often had thoughts which proved to be valid, but she couldn't make herself believe them. Isn’t it great that we’re not afraid to listen to these intuitions, clearing the way for spiritual thought to be heard? And we know there is nothing to fear in this. Woo-hoo!!

“We cannot fill vessels already full. They must first be emptied. Let us disrobe error. Then, when the winds of God blow, we shall not hug our tatters close about us.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 201:13-15

Stressful or Fun?

"Moab" PC: Heather Peters

Every day brings unexpected events, and I’ve come to believe those can either be stressful or exciting and fun. This morning I accompanied a fine singer to a small town in Missouri to provide music for a funeral. When we walked into the little church, a barefoot priest showed us to the modest musical instrument we were expected to use. As it turned out, the acoustics in this building were the worst my friend, a classically-trained performer, had ever witnessed. Nevertheless, we provided the grieving congregation with a B+ service and no one got hurt. Reflecting on this event, I realize if we had concentrated on the problems, we could easily have become overwhelmed by them. But we did the best we could with what we had to work with, and finished feeling satisfied by the result. Isn’t this true of everything we face every day? “You’ve got to get up every morning with a smile on your face, and show the world all the love in your heart.” Carole King

“Let us learn of the real and eternal, and prepare for the reign of Spirit, the kingdom of heaven, — the reign and rule of universal harmony, which cannot be lost nor remain forever unseen.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 

One Principle

PC: Aaron Springston

In response to one of these writings a few days ago, a dear friend wrote that she thought independence was no more than the ego telling us a lie. She brought up a beautiful fact: we are all one, so what’s with this separation we call independence? Thank you, Shanna Pra, for calling this to my attention! It is a false fear to think that we can lose individuality or independence by loving someone. We are ALL dependent on each other because we ARE each other. Cool, Shanna! Thank you for pointing this out to me. Sometimes we can’t see the forest… 

“There is but one I, or Us, but one divine Principle, or Mind, governing all existence; man and woman unchanged forever in their individual characters, even as numbers which never blend with each other, though they are governed by one Principle.”  Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 588:11-15

Breaking Up of Belief

PC: Aaron Springston

One of our social media mavens recently posted something to Facebook  saying that people seem volatile, jumping to conclusions and reacting in anger. Her advice to us all was to "Calm the f… down!"  I can translate that into wanting peace and making a choice to have it. If you're having trouble slipping away from tension and letting peace be felt, try doing things which can facilitate this: float on a river, walk in the woods, have a massage, get a Oneness Blessing. There are so many avenues to this end. Mainly, I think it's the realization that we have a choice which opens the door to peace.

“This material world is even now becoming the arena for conflicting forces. On one side there will be discord and dismay; on the other side there will be Science and peace. The breaking up of material beliefs may seem to be famine and pestilence, want and woe, sin, sickness, and death, which assume new phases until their nothingness appears. These disturbances will continue until the end of error, when all discord will be swallowed up in spiritual Truth.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 96:12-20

A Work in Progress

Lately, I’ve been examining my motives in regard to interpersonal relationships. I had come to believe I didn’t want to be emotionally dependent upon anyone, and certainly didn’t want them to feel they needed me. When I fell in love with a man, it was a frightening situation to me — although I wasn’t able to see it as such. I made up excuses not to love him, and I had many reasons for why he shouldn’t love me. I didn’t feel any empty places which needed to be filled in my heart, and didn’t have any desire to depend on anyone, so why should I be in love? Perhaps it’s so I can truly be a transparency for divine Love. Maybe it’s so a creative purpose can whirlpool into an unstoppable force. Maybe it’s just for fun! Whatever the case, I think the only way I can be wrong in this situation is to dictate what it should be, or what it should become. We are, after all, a work in progress.

“Jealousy is the grave of affection. The presence of mistrust, where confidence is due, withers the flowers of Eden and scatters love’s petals to decay.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 67:9-11 

The Breath of Freedom

Throughout our lifetime, we have seen oppression falling. I know, I know, there's still a long way to go -- but just think how far we've come! It seems to me it should be easier than it is. The strides I, personally, have made in releasing preconceived notions about people who seem different from me are huge! A man said to me that he was afraid to come to Eureka Springs. Of course I asked him why. He said if we were having one of our "diversity" weekends he didn't want to be here. He assured me he had nothing against "gays", but he didn't want it rubbed in his face. This is a learned behavior on his part and has nothing to do with the way he felt when he came out of the womb into this life. As we release what we think we're supposed to think, we open the way for divine Love to guide us. Love is the liberator!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The history of our country, like all history, illustrates the might of Mind, and shows human power to be proportionate to its embodiment of right thinking. A few immortal sentences, breathing the omnipotence of divine justice, have been potent to break despotic fetters and abolish the whipping-post and slave market; but oppression neither went down in blood, nor did the breath of freedom come from the cannon's mouth. Love is the liberator.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science and Health Page 225:14-22