Silence First and Last

 

How we react to someone else is either peaceful or tumultuous, and we have that choice to make in every moment. When I was a child, I didn’t like to have conversations when I first awakened in the morning. My mother thought this was a flaw in my character and tried to change me. Looking at this now, I see that silence in the morning works best for many of us. If I start out the day with inane conversation, or news stories hand-picked to feed my fears, the timbre of the day has been set and it’s difficult to center myself in the calm needed to move happily through it. Similarly, when I don’t sleep well at night, it’s because I haven’t been able to shut down my thoughts. Although I am not a fan of ritual, morning and evening meditations work for me. We are all individuals, and through an examination of your feelings, habits, and demeanor, you can discover what works for you, too! 

"Peace to my mind. Let all my thoughts be still. Father, I come to You today to seek the peace that You alone can give. I come in silence. In the quiet of my heart, the deep recesses of my mind, I wait and listen for Your Voice. Speak to me today. I come to hear Your Voice in silence and in certainty and love, sure You will hear my call and answer me." A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #221

Honoring yourSelf

photo credit: Aaron Springston

For the last few days, images of past hurts and regrets have been flooding into my memory. This is unusual for me as I tend to let the past stay where it is, without rehashing whys and why-nots. So when I started waking up in the morning thinking about things I’d said or done to a loved one in the past, or hearing the hurtful words of a teacher from grade school, or remembering a harsh reaction I may have had in a relationship, I began to question myself. It even occurred to me that perhaps I don’t know what love is, or that I could be a mean person. Then I read these words Jim Young posted on his Facebook page today: “To betray yourSelf is to betray the world around you. Honoring Self is the remedy!” It suddenly seemed as though the remembrance of horrible things (at least in this case) could be the last step in totally releasing them! If I’m thinking of events and then repacking them into the hidden places in my mind, I’m not honoring Self. To face them and release them in complete forgiveness of myself and/or others, I am honoring the world around me. Thank you, Jim, once again, for opening my eyes to something which seems so simple. Namaste…

"If I am not feeling peaceful, it is important for me to remember that I have made a judgment on my own. If I am not peaceful, I have not listened to the Holy Spirit. The way I return to peace is to once again open my mind to the healing perceptions of my inner Comforter, the One Who straightens my mind. My one vocation now becomes that of stepping back and following the lead of my inner Teacher, the One Who can return me to my true Identity." A Course in Miracles - Workbook Lesson #352

You Can't Bully a Wave

 

“Have you ever tried to bully a wave in the ocean?” This is the question a 104-year-old Buddhist nun asks her great-granddaughter in a beautiful novel titled, A Tale For the Time Being, by Ruth Ozeki. The two went into a store to get food for a picnic on the beach. A group of gangster girls were hanging around outside the store and harassed them as they went in. When they came out, the old woman bowed deeply to the group of young women before walking away. After they got onto the train to go to their destination, the older woman wondered aloud if it was a holiday of some sort, mentioning that the girls were all dressed so brightly and seemed so happy. The granddaughter tried to explain that they were gang colors, and that they were being derisive in their words and laughter. The grandmother didn’t see it that way and asked her young charge if she had ever tried to bully a wave, explaining that no matter how much you hit at it or yell into it, it stays what it is. That is its function, and that is our function. I love that!

“Can we gather peaches from a pine-tree, or learn from discord the concord of being? Yet quite as rational are some of the leading illusions along the path which Science must tread in its reformatory mission among mortals. The very name, illusion, points to nothingness.”  Mary Baker Eddy Science & Health Page 129:24-29

Happiness, Not the Sport of Circumstance

 

As sage words tell us: There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way. We often witness people sabotage their own happiness in a myriad of ways. And, alternatively, we see people who insist on happiness even in the face of the most harsh experiences.  Many times a day we may be tempted to lose a peaceful, happy feeling because of the habit of thinking in unhappy ways. A friend told me a story of a state trooper, somewhere in the panhandle of Texas, wielding his authority in a petty and foolish way. When I hear things like this, I silently affirm the Truth of the situation: that this person is also a child of God. In this affirmation, it's implied what he is not: that is, the material illusion of tyranny he is putting forth. On the other hand, I could entertain thoughts of what is wrong with this policeman. But this would rob me of happiness! I could say, "I hate it when people do that." And that leaves me hating certain actions, rather than seeing the situation through spiritual sense. I would give away my happiness for unnecessary finger pointing. For every action which quashes happiness, there are multitudes which affirm its ever-presence. It feels good to find them!

"Upon this stage of existence goes on the dance of mortal mind. Mortal thoughts chase one another like snowflakes, and drift to the ground. Science reveals Life as not being at the mercy of death, nor will Science admit that happiness is ever the sport of circumstance." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 250:28-1

Remember to Breathe

 

photo credit: Blake Lasater

What a difference a day makes! I've been encouraging a dear friend who has been going through tough times, feeling suicidal, hopeless, deeply sad. Something shifted in her attitude yesterday and today she's almost happy again! I encourage everyone who is feeling depressed, or desperate, to know there is an end to it. Plant some flowers, even if you have no energy. Take a walk, even if you want to stay in bed. Get some sunshine, even if you'd rather stay in a deeply-curtained room. Talk to friends, when you'd rather be alone. Watch a funny movie, even if you want to cry. But don't be afraid to cry, and savor every moment of the grief. It, too, is life. Feel everything to its ultimate end. Be grateful for all these things, and remember to breathe.

"Love propagates anew the higher joys of Spirit, which have no taint of earth. Each successive stage of experience unfolds new views of divine goodness and love." Mary Baker Eddy 

A Beautiful Time of the Year

 

photo credit: Arthur Bruno

Many people have told me they don't like Christmas. What they mean, of course, is they don't like the way Christmas is promoted by the media and corporations, placing emphasis on buying unnecessary things and going into debt to do so. We all know people who are over-stressed for various reasons during this beautiful time of the year. And so the words of Mary Baker Eddy which are quoted below are what I will concentrate on today. Spending the day quietly listening, in peace and joy, today and every day, is all I want. This is the gift which is ours for the claiming of it, anytime, anywhere. Happy Christmas to All...

"Certain occasions, considered either collectively or individually and observed properly, tend to give the activity of man infinite scope; but mere merry-making or needless gift-giving is not that in which human capacities find the most appropriate and proper exercise. Christmas respects the Christ too much to submerge itself in merely temporary means and ends." Mary Baker Eddy - Miscellaneous Writings 259:23-39

Come, Sit With Me

photo credit: Aaron Springston

 

LIFE - by Jim Young

"come, sit with me

let yourself simply be

plunge, if you will, to the depths of your grief

loosen the slipknot on your weary body and ravaged soul

freeing your burdens

your anger, your pain

whatever it is that discomforts you

whatever it is you feel

come, sit with me

open to the joy that is you

letting laughter’s release unfold your Truth

allow yourself to bask in my love for you

healing your mind, your body, your soul

bathe in the Light of transformation

knowing all you have to be is you

that I’m always here for you

come, sit with me

travel with me through the universe

be open in your silence

mindless in your solitude

resting your thoughts and feelings here beside me

fully present in this art of relationship

and you will come to know

yet again

that we are One

come, sit with me

no matter what the condition or circumstance

no matter what our past

it is safe now

in Eternal Friendship

this presence is all that matters

all we must do is be what we both are

and these precious moments become our Truth

authentic love, our bond."

​from Jim Young​