Merry Christmas!

 

“Observed by material sense, Christmas commemorates the birth of a human, material, mortal babe — a babe born in a manger amidst the flocks and herds of a Jewish village.

This homely origin of the babe Jesus falls far short of my sense of the eternal Christ, Truth, never born and never dying.” 

Mary Baker Eddy- Miscellaneous Writings 262:6-12

Eternal Christ

 

"Observed by material sense, Christmas commemorates the birth of a human, material, mortal babe — a babe born in a manger amidst the flocks and herds of a Jewish village.

This homely origin of the babe Jesus falls far short of my sense of the eternal Christ, Truth, never born and never dying.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Miscellaneous Writings 262:6-12

Light and Joy and Peace

 

photo credit: Chip Ford

So-called hate groups have increased alarmingly all over the world. A man named Tony McAleer describes himself as being beaten and bullied as a child; bitter and isolated as a teenager. He became involved in one of these groups while seeking a connection with others. To quote him: "When you're starving and somebody keeps feeding you what you think are your favorite foods, even though it's junk food, there's going to be a while where you're not going to get up from the table." He continued to practice violence and anger until after the birth of his daughter. He said that was the first time in his life he had felt connected to another human being, and he started to want to change. He has now organized  a group called "Life After Hate" and is helping others to build relationships with people. He says if we are to counter these groups, we must get to a place where empathy outweighs fear. “Light and joy and peace abide in me" (ACIM) -- and in everyone!

“Light is a symbol of Mind, of Life, Truth, and Love, and not a vitalizing property of matter. Science reveals only one Mind, and this one shining by its own light and governing the universe, including man, in perfect harmony.." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 510:27-1

A Wonder-filled Happening

 

Little Dog Found

A wonderful thing happened today! A dear friend’s dog had disappeared from her country yard. It’s a densely wooded area, away from any main road, and the dog is elderly, so they didn’t think she would wander far. When she didn’t come home in a timely fashion, after they had searched the area, they started calling vets and shelters and posting to social media. No Murtie. Today when she was checking with their vet to see if they had heard anything, the receptionist said, Wait just a minute! Someone was bringing their sweet old dog into the office! Some out-of-towners had been walking on wooded trails close to the Passion Play when they found her. They took her to someone in charge and they were bringing her to the vet’s office exactly when Christine was calling them. Synchronicity, indeed! Perhaps a Christmas miracle? Whatever the case, my friend loves her dogs so much, and her family — one of which requires full-time care from her — well, the holidays wouldn’t feel very happy if she had not known the whereabouts of her beloved dog. Gratitude is flowing from so many of us today! Namaste…

“Here let a word be noticed which will be better understood hereafter,--chemicalization. By chemicalization I mean the process which mortal mind and body undergo in the change of belief from a material to a spiritual basis.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 168:30-2

What Brings You Joy?

 

joyous Eureka women

photo credit: Richard Quick

I’ve always had a difficult time keeping things tidy. Reading the book, The Life-Changing Manga (Magic) of Tidying Up, written by Marie Kondo, has helped me understand why. She suggests putting all your clothing in the middle of the room, then going through them, keeping only the things which bring you joy. Well, that concept is life-changing for sure! Keep what brings you joy — wow! I’m now listening to her follow-up book, Spark Joy, where she tells how some people throw away their vacuum cleaners because they don’t bring joy, only to find out they miss them terribly. So she asks us to express appreciation for those items — for instance, thank the iron for helping your clothing to be all that they can be. Another interesting aspect is that some people don’t know what sparks joy, and she must teach them what it means. This opened my eyes to a whole aspect of my fellow beings which I had not considered. How could anyone not know the feeling of joy? Is joy a learned behavior? Are we afraid to feel joy? When she teaches them what joy is, does she simple give them permission to feel what was already there? I’m loving this book!

"Unity of spirit gives new pinions to joy, or else joy's drooping wings trail in dust." Mary Baker Eddy, Science & Health Page 58

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