Changeless

photo credit: Gabrielle Schäfer

We seem like such fragile beings, with our emotional, physical, and mental states easily influenced by the circumstances surrounding us. Perhaps it’s the enforced isolation we have experienced during the last year which has caused so much “stuff” to surface. I think it’s a good thing to recognize the source of our pain, face it, and deal with it in whatever way necessary. In the last few weeks, numerous people have confided to me issues regarding their parents. One can’t release the blame and guilt associated with an abusive situation, another is upset because her father was in prison when she was born and she didn’t know who he was until recently, then there is the recurring situation when someone is adopted and they feel a part of their lives is missing. All of these situations can seem dire, but everything is being experienced by how we interpret it, and that is a choice. True forgiveness lies in not blaming. When we let that go, there is nothing to forgive. I’ve been there, and I know it can seem impossible. As I told one young person, no matter what someone did to you, nothing can touch the real you. And what is real? That which does not change. Namaste...

“Mortal error will vanish in a moral chemicalization. This mental fermentation has begun, and will continue until all errors of belief yield to understanding. Belief is changeable, but spiritual understanding is changeless.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 96:21

Grateful For You

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my Dutch friend in Paris

Today I want to express gratitude for the people I have met through these daily writings, and the old friends I have kept in touch with whom I may have lost track of otherwise. I’ve met a court reporter in California, a violinist in The Netherlands, a deep-thinking writer in Chicago, all when they read my blog which is linked daily on Twitter — or maybe somewhere else! But my point is that I’m grateful for the connections, for the Love expressed, and for the deepening understanding we’re sharing together. I appreciate your kind understanding when I write about my fears and sorrows. I love having you to celebrate with during times of joy and accomplishment. It’s been almost a decade since I began writing to you daily. I love it when you write to me or leave comments on the blog! We’re all in this together, and I am grateful...

“Being is holiness, harmony, immortality. It is already proved that a knowledge of this, even in small degree, will uplift the physical and moral standard of mortals, will increase longevity, will purify and elevate character. Thus progress will finally destroy all error, and bring immortality to light.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 492:7

Whom Do I Call My Enemy?

 

This Morning I Pray for My Enemies

Joy Harjo - 1951-

And whom do I call my enemy?

An enemy must be worthy of engagement.

I turn in the direction of the sun and keep walking.

It’s the heart that asks the question, not my furious mind.

The heart is the smaller cousin of the sun.

It sees and knows everything.

It hears the gnashing even as it hears the blessing.

The door to the mind should only open from the heart.

An enemy who gets in, risks the danger of becoming a friend.

Cool Revelations

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photo credit: Aaron Springston

After writing yesterday’s post about Michelle Fishburne and her quest to discover stories across the U.S. about positive changes which have happened since the pandemic, I started thinking about people I know who have had ​cool revelations because of their enforced isolation. I immediately thought of the married couple who had grown apart and were even thinking about going their separate ways. After spending a year working from home, they’ve discovered that they actually like each other and now they have plans for starting a business together, which will be centered out of their home. Then there’s the young mother who wanted to stay home with her babies, but felt guilty because she wouldn’t be bringing in money. She discovered she could work as a court reporter’s scopist and make more money from her home than at her waitressing job — and she gets to raise her children! There are churches and spiritual groups which are meeting online, opening up a whole new way of fellowship for those who can’t leave their homes because of physical or emotional disabilities. Plus, congregation members who had moved away are now able to zoom with their friends and share in an exciting new way of worship. I’m sure you know of numerous happy stories, too!

“He who first brings to humanity some great good, must have gained its height beforehand, to be able to life others toward it.” Mary Baker Eddy - Miscellaneous Writing’s Page 338:2

A Higher Humanity

 

Grotto Springs - photo credit: Aaron Springston

Last year, a North Carolina woman named Michelle Fishburne decided to travel the United States in an RV and talk to people about the pandemic and how it has affected their lives. The project is called, Who We Are Now. She says one word exemplifies the majority of people interviewed: "pluck", which is defined as spirited and determined courage. For instance, a 21-year-old in Columbia, Missouri started a company called Repertoire which has the motto, “Embrace the uncomfortable and walk with purpose.” Ms. Fishburne, the self-employed storyteller says of the people she has met: “They have lifted their heads up from their previously busy lives and they are thinking about, and seeing, and caring about other people. That extends beyond family and friends. Americans are concerned about the well-being of others they’ve never met – including those across party lines. I have heard those five little words – ‘I think about those people’ – over and over again." I look forward to hearing more uplifting stories such as this, don't you?

"The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 571:19

Decisions, Decisions...

 Thailand - photo credit: Aaron Springston

I can't imagine making the huge decisions world leaders are called upon to make every single moment of every single day. There are too many pros and cons to think about assimilating by yourself. And that's why they need trusted advisors; people who accumulate facts and are able to fairly report them for group discussions which can result in informed decisions. No one is an island. That saying comes to mind often when I see someone who thinks they know everything and no one's opinion other than theirs is of value. We, individually, are a microcosm of the world. We each have decisions to make every day, whether it's something as small as what type of tea to have with breakfast or one of the milestones of life. We watch our city officials struggle with budgets and opinionated city council members, knowing some will side with one and some with another. It's difficult to understand because if we all want what's best for humanity, there simply should not be so much dissention. Maybe our perceptions are colored by the manipulations of the few who are out to pad their pockets with cash, under the guise of helping everyone else. Maybe we're lulled by apathy, thinking somebody will take care of things so why should we pay attention. Whatever the case, we can all hold a higher thought when confronted by injustice. I feel we're at the tipping point of a new world. Don't give up!

"Unconstitutional and unjust coercive legislation and laws, infringing individual rights,  must be 'of few days and full of trouble.' The vox populi, through the providence of God, promotes and impels all true reform; and, at the best time, will redress wrongs and rectify injustice. Tyranny can thrive but feebly under our government. God reigns, and will 'turn and overturn' until right is found supreme." Mary Baker Eddy - Miscellaneous Writings - Page 80

Blooming Love

A thought caught from Thich Nhat Hanh's Facebook Page

 "You can live in such a way that shows compassion is possible in any situation. Set an example, even if it’s a small one; other people can learn from it. The best way to help others lessen their fear, craving, and violence is to show them there is another way. If love has degenerated into hate, it’s possible for you to turn the garbage of that hate into a kind of compost to nourish the flower of love to bloom again."

- Thich Nhat Hanh