The Gift of Connection

old friends at The Quarter

One of the gifts of this enforced isolation is how we are all reaching out to one other. Today I got a call from Angel and Eric. Many of you may know them from their years here in Eureka Springs, and today I heard from them and it was as though we had never been apart. We shared a virtual hug, which reminded me of a day, during the early days of Eureka Thyme, when we had an event for them in which they shared "harp massages" with us. What is a harp massage, you might ask? So did I! You sit in a chair holding the harp in your lap, and Eric sits behind you and plays the harp. The sound vibrations travel through your body and your brain gets to share in a higher, different energy than it's used to feeling. Talking to Eric on the phone brought back all the fabulous times we had shared together during the years of our metaphysical society, and the days in Eureka Thyme when we would have joyous happenings which brought in friends who wanted to share in their books, videos, and simply the joyous vibe which surrounds them. Thank you, dear Friends, for bringing back those days in vivid remembrance!

"We think of an absent friend as easily as we do of one present. It is no more difficult to read the absent mind than it is to read the present." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 82

All Together Now!

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Today has brought wonderful suggestions from two friends. First of all, Lisa suggested we all have a minute of collective prayer, meditation, silence — whatever you want to call connecting with All That Is. If you are so moved, I invite you to join us at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., and we’ll do this in whatever form feels right to you. It’s a great idea, having this type of concentrated prayer, and I hope we all remember that every moment, with every thought, we are either choosing fear or Love. Let’s also remember that when we catch ourselves in the middle of a fearful thought, we can always choose again! The next suggestion came this afternoon, with Carol saying how cool it would be to have everyone write down their thoughts about this pandemic — such as, why they think it’s happening, what they feel the outcome might be, any insights on how we got to this point. I think it would be Very Interesting to know what people are thinking on any and all levels: physical, metaphysical, emotional, et cetera. So feel free to tell me, make a Facebook post, start a blog, or whatever you’re moved to do. I promise I won’t use your name if I mention your words! (unless you want me to:)

"Thoughts unspoken are not unknown to the divine Mind. Desire is prayer, and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 1:10

Where We Need To Be

art found at judyclementwall.com

I was talking to a dear friend on the phone today and at one point I surprised myself by saying, I've been preparing my whole life for this. Upon reflection, we all have, don't you think? I know one progressive thinker who moved back to town a couple of months ago, and she is definitely right where she needs/wants to be. She's back with her tribe, so to speak. By that, I don't mean that we look alike, or think the same in all ways, or defend ourselves against those who come from another train set. What we do have in common is a moral compass which keeps on pointing toward compassion and goodness. We may err in thoughts and actions, but we never veer from loving all creation as if it were our own. A new neighbor found herself drawn here about a year ago, having never visited our town before. We are all exactly where we need to be, prepared to do what we need to do, waiting to steer this ship collectively to its expected end. What a time to be alive! The divine reflection that I Am joins with the image and likeness of God that you are. Namaste...

"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

The Need to Grow

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Audrey Hepburn said, “To plant a garden is to believe in the future.” One of the things I’ve been doing in this past week of quarantine is to watch YouTube videos about gardening. As it’s been too rainy to get out and put seeds in the ground, I’ve been planning with Kevin and getting excited about possibilities. Also, it seems to be time to become stronger. I thank my friend, Ramona, for suggesting a breathing exercise which she practices. That has inspired me to get up and do chair exercises, led by a sweet couple on the internet. They can be found by looking for Hasfit (heart and soul fitness). You can find exercises for the infirm, for those already fit, or heavy-duty workouts designed for different purposes. Our friends at Fire Om Earth are leading twice daily yoga sessions, which can be found on their Facebook page. They are available all the time on YouTube, also. There are a multitude of documentaries designed to get us up and moving, both figuratively and literally. Tonight we watched “The Need to Grow”, about how we can and are changing the way we grow food. We are ready to make many changes in our lives, and this educational, inspiring film helps us to know how ready we truly are! Happy growing, everyone!

"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

What if...

Last night, a friend in California sent me the following. I share it with you...

“There  is so much fear, and perhaps rightfully so, about COVID-19.

And, what if…

If we subscribe to the philosophy that life is always working out for us, that there is an intelligence far greater than humans at work…

That all is interconnected.

What if…

the virus is here to help us?

To reset.

To remember.

What is truly important.

Reconnecting with family and community.

Reducing travel so that the environment, the skies, the air, our lungs all get a break.

Parts of China are seeing blue sky and clouds for the first time in forever with the factories being shut down.

Working from home rather than commuting to work (less pollution, more personal time).

Reconnecting with family as there is more time at home.

An invitation to turn inwards — a deep meditation — rather than the usual extroverted going out to self-soothe.

To reconnect with self — what is really important to me?

A reset economically.

The working poor. The lack of healthcare access for over 30 million in the US. The need for paid sick leave.

How hard does one need to work to be able to live, to have a life outside of work?

And, washing our hands — how did that become a “new” thing that we needed to remember. But, yes, we did.

The presence of Grace for all.

There is a shift underway in our society — what if it is one that is favorable for us?

What if this virus is an ally in our evolution?

In our remembrance of what it means to be connected, humane, living a simpler life, to be less impactful/ more kind to our environment.

An offering from my heart this morning. Offered as another perspective. Another way of relating to this virus, this unfolding, this evolution.

It was time for a change, we all knew that.

And, change has arrived.

What if… "

-Gutpreet Gill

Helping Each Other

photo credit: Aaron Springston

One of the benefits of our newly-imposed solitary lifestyle is having the time to contact people we've been meaning to talk to. My new goal is to call two people a day, and let them talk as much as they want. In the olden days, we would sit on the front porch and visit with our neighbors. Back then, there weren't as many labor-saving devices as we have nowadays. We may not have had washing machines, but we didn't have as many clothes to manage either. Our phones kept us connected to the wall, with one person at a time on the other end (excluding party line members, of course!) -- but now we are connected to hundreds if not thousands of acquaintances every day. During these current days, we are called upon to help all humankind, beginning with just one person. Today I got a phone call from a sweet 90-something-year-old. Earlier in the week I sent her a card with butterflies on it, telling her I was thinking of her. She was so delighted when she received it that she called and we had a nice chat. She said the remembered the word "pandemic" from her school days, but never thought we'd experience such a thing. I assured her she wasn't alone in her thoughts and we talked about that a bit. So let's all reach out to others when we feel the urge. We never know who may need it!

"Divine Truth must be known by its effects on the body as well as on the mind, before the Science of being can be demonstrated. Hence its embodiment in the incarnate Jesus, -- that life-link forming the connection through which the real reaches the unreal, Soul rebukes sense, and Truth destroys error." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 350:24

Joy is Spiritual

photo credit: Aaron Springston

We have had torrential rainfall for almost 24 hours now. It’s tempting to think of floods and plagues, wondering if toads will fall from the sky. I suppose it’s conditioning which makes us feel punished when we're ill or things seem to be out of whack. “What did I do wrong? Why me?” While there is no one to blame for our predicament today, there are contributing factors being cited by the media. Most of those scenarios make sense, given our irresponsible actions as humans during the past centuries. We have much work ahead of us, but for right now I’m hoping we can keep our energy high with good food from local farmers, good thoughts shared with each other, and happy, positive visual and audio entertainment. I’ve been a practicing Pollyanna for so long that this comes easy to me — and most everyone I know! You’re all smart, cool people and I trust you are sharing your joy with others. Much Love sent to everyone! 

"Who that has felt the loss of human peace has not gained stronger desires for spiritual joy? The aspiration after heavenly good comes even before we discover what belongs to wisdom and Love. The loss of earthly hopes and pleasures brightens the ascending path of many a heart. The pains of sense quickly inform us that the pleasures of sense are mortal and that joy is spiritual." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 265