Relinquishing Control

photo credit: Richard Quick 

“It makes me happy to know how very important I am not. It’s thinking you’re in control of things that leads to despair.” These words are from an essay having to do with a windy night and the excitement of not knowing what is to come. It seems everyone I speak with is confused and worried by some aspect of their lives. Our pets seem very excited about whatever is swirling around in the atmosphere of our consciousness, and I’m doing my best to catch the fever! The essay which I so enjoyed ended with these words: “I don’t need to be in control. I’d rather just bang around in the wind and wonder at the rare privilege which is my life.” I love the freedom which goes along with this relinquishment of control!

“The world you perceive is a world of separation. Perhaps you are willing to accept even death to deny your Father. Yet He would not have it so, and so it is not so. You still cannot will against Him, and that is why you have no control over the world you made. It is not a world of will because it is governed by the desire to be unlike God, and this desire is not will. The world you made is therefore totally chaotic, governed by arbitrary and senseless ‘laws,’ and without meaning of any kind. For it is made out of what you do not want, projected from your mind because you are afraid of it. Yet this world is only in the mind of its maker, along with his real salvation. Do not believe it is outside of yourself, for only by recognizing where it is will you gain control over it. For you do have control over your mind, since the mind is the mechanism of decision.”  A Course in Miracles T-12.III

Television's Cumulative Effect

Photo Credit: Aaron Springston

The BF and I were discussing the state of the union tonight and our talk turned to how we, the people, have become so vulnerable and gullible. We decided it is a combinations of things -- as most everything is! -- but television plays the largest part in the dumbing down of us all. Add our limited education to that, perpetuated by our secondary schools and their policies held in place by stifling laws which make it difficult to teach and learn, and we begin to see the recipe taking shape. Yes, many students  become independent thinkers, but it's probably their parents and other role models who facilitate it. Another factor is food. The poisoned tidbits which we think of as food cause children to have mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. Add this to the fact kids can't play outside and feel clean dirt beneath their feet, fresh air in their lungs, and cool water swaddling them in summer -- well, these are ingredients set up to make Jack a dull boy (so to speak). I went to our high school today and worked with choir students for a while. They inspire me! There is hope in our world and we each have the assignment of tending it. Namaste, my Friends!

"In trying to undo the errors of sense, one must pay fully and fairly the utmost farthing, until all error is finally brought into subjection to Truth." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 240:27

Shine On!

Photo Credit: Aaron Springston

A lot has changed in the last couple of millennia, don't you think? We could spend hours listing changes in thought and our understanding of our universe! Some things which have not changed appreciably are our ideas about God. Religion has pretty well held us locked in to what has been thought of as truth. Many of us are fearlessly admitting that we are all, each and every one, the expression and experience of God. We're happily allowing our thought to embrace new concepts such as, "I am the light of the world"! This is not a self-important declaration, but an all-inclusive, divine-Love centered exclamation of the wonder we know as Life. Our expanding thought is bringing a joy we never dreamed would be possible on this earth plane. We're starting to understand that the kingdom of heaven is right here, within and without, waiting for us to embrace it. Let's go forth today and shine!

"Light: Symbol of Truth; revelation and progress." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 591:23-24

It's Befuddling

photo credit: Aaron Springston

I am befuddled by many things these days, but one of the biggest beliefs which give me pause is the idea that "god" has decreed that a certain man is to be our king. What kind of god do they think this is? It must be that they see something akin to a bearded white man in the sky sending down lightning bolts to chastise them, or gold stars if they please him, or having Jim Bakker making videos telling them what to do. It's a mystery to me how anyone can separate themselves from Life, Truth, and Love to the extent that they don't realize these everyday expressions are how we see God. How can anyone think our lives are predestined to have a madman in charge of things? Well, this is my Saturday night rant, so I won't go on. Have a happy, relaxing Sunday everyone! We need the down time to recharge ourselves with peace and love and all things good.

"Many are willing to open the eyes of the people to the power of good resident in divine Mind, but they are not so willing to point out the evil in human thought, and expose evil's hidden mental ways of accomplishing iniquity." Science & Health Page 570:30 

Can Peace Be Absent Here?

I saw a picture today of a man in a tee-shirt which said, "Give peace a chance". Then it had a photo of a big gun and it said, "I'll cover you if it doesn't work out." Where did we ever get the notion that we could be protected by violence? Later in the day, I saw an article from a few years back in which President Jimmy Carter is telling us the time for peace is now. He brought up such concepts as killing people for killing people, and governments waging wars to enforce peace. There are a multitude of ways we seem to think violence will end violence. I look back over the last few decades and it is astounding how often teachers and parents and authority figures think they can control others with threats and corporal punishment. Violent little boys grow up to be violent little men. Let's just stop it -- stop it now!

"Peace is impossible to those who look on war. Peace is inevitable to those who offer peace. How easily, then, is your judgment of the world escaped! It is not the world that makes peace seem impossible. It is the world you see that is impossible. Yet has God's Judgment on this distorted world redeemed it and made it fit to welcome peace. And peace descends on it in joyous answer. Peace now belongs here, because a Thought of God has entered. What else but a Thought of God turns hell to Heaven merely by being what it is? The earth bows down before its gracious Presence, and it leans down in answer, to raise it up again. Now is the question different. It is no longer, 'Can peace be possible in this world?' but instead, 'Is it not impossible that peace be absent here?'"

Love is Enthroned

"What the world needs now is love, sweet love." "Come on people now, Smile on your brother, Everybody get together, Try to love one another right now." "I see skies of blue, And clouds of white, The bright blessed day, The dark sacred night, And I think to myself, What a wonderful world." "All you need is love, All you need is love, All you need is love, love, Love is all you need." "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 be as one."

“Human hate has no legitimate mandate and no kingdom. Love is enthroned.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health 454:9-10

Right Now

photo credit: Aaron Springston

I had a lesson in living in the moment today. Following duplicate bridge, 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. 3 Then let him turn within to his eternal Guide, and let Him judge what the response should be. 4 So is he healed, and in his healing is his pupil healed with him." A Course in Miracles M-18.4.