On Joy and Sorrow

Kahlil Gibran - 1883-1931

     Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
     And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
     And how else can it be?

     The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
     Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
     And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

     When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

     When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
    
     Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”
     But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

     Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.

     Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
     Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
     When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall." 

Kahlil Gibran

Bring in a New World With Joy!

Our friend, Shanna, often posts thoughts which come through John Smallman. I particularly liked every word she put on Facebook today. In it, he speaks of 2021 being a time of “stuff” coming up, and 2022 is the year of it falling away. What does that mean to you? To me it means the reality of our existence will be emerging without all the disguises we have given ourselves. We can live joyously as expressions of Love, leaving behind false idols. While reading the words of “Saul through John Smallman”, I kept imagining the people who use software to make themselves look better in photographs they post online. Most of us have been taught to pretend in order to get along in the world. We don’t speak plainly, because we may be ostracized from polite society. On the flip side, we think we should be offended if someone doesn't agree with us. These reactions are learned behaviors; not honest feelings and thoughts. Joy is the key to facilitating the new world we all long for! As Shanna’s post ends: “Be You! There is no one else you can be, and give thanks for your magnificent and divine purpose as a human on Earth now, brilliantly and beautifully assisting in the collective awakening process. That is why you are precisely where you are…” Every thought is important. Be happy!

“Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you. The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity.” Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health Page 571:18-21

Ordinary Things ...

 

Having spent the day doing ordinary things with my good friend, Richard, the first thing I saw online upon getting back home was this wonderful sentiment. It says it all ...

“Love never loses sight of loveliness. its halo rests upon its object. One marvels that a friend can ever seem less than beautiful." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 248:3

Meaning of Life?

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

We hear many statements regarding our right to privacy. This privacy which people value is more than giving out email addresses or putting photos on social media. People seem to value keeping their thoughts and beliefs private, their emotions secret, their inner-most desires to themselves. For the past decade or so I have bared my soul through this daily writing, not to mention the sharing I do on Facebook. I openly tell of my love as candidly as regurgitating my shame, probably eliciting comments from others of "too much information"! But that's okay, because by talking through times of turmoil, I heal my mind and heart -- hopefully giving someone else permission to do the same for themselves. A couple of days ago, I mentioned inexplicable events with inanimate objects and how I've wondered about the metaphorical meaning. I've begun to question my sanity in the ongoing series of happenings, but I don't think I'm "losing it", although something is happening. Am I being contacted by aliens or loved ones who have passed? Am I being directed to do something? I'm not sure what it's about, but it has crossed my mind that I may be close to passing on from this plane. If that happens, it's okay with me. If I'm hanging around here a while, that's okay, too. But please know my life is an open book and I'm happy when/if you talk about me! Love to all...

"Life is deathless. Life is the origin and ultimate of man, never attainable through death, but gained by walking in the pathway of Truth, both before and after that which is called death." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 487:3

Wildness is a Necessity

 

John Muir Trail - photo credit: Aaron Springston

​“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.” John Muir - Our National Parks, 1909.

"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

Spinning Your Wheels?

Almost two decades ago our friend, Jim Young, was spinning his wheels. His little black Volvo would spin out at the slightest provocation. He changed tires and did all the things a person would do to alleviate this problem, but nothing worked. Being a deep thinker, Jim asked his Self if there was something he needed to know; something this situation was attempting to show him. He soon realized he was spinning his metaphorical wheels and there was indeed something he needed to be doing. To date, he has been the conduit for 30-some-odd books, he has numerous youtube videos, and recently launched a podcast. I thought of this today when my car and my heater suddenly quit working, then suddenly started again. A month or more ago, my vehicle failed to react when I turned the key. Just nothing. Then after a minute or two, it started and I didn’t think much more about it. A couple of weeks ago, a similar thing happened with the heat in my home. I called to get a repairman, but before he arrived it spontaneously began fulfilling its purpose. And now this morning, both of these events happened again! I think I’ll pay attention this time. I’ll let you know later what insights I learn from this! 

"Learning is joyful if it leads you along your natural path, and facilitates the development of what you have."  --  A Course in Miracles - T-8.II 

“The calm and exalted thought or spiritual apprehension is at peace.Thus the dawn of ideas goes on, forming each successive stage of progress.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 506:12-14

Harmony or Discord?

Rotterdam Symphony

One of us may think something is beautiful, and another may not. It's my understanding that some people do not enjoy music, and may even find it off-putting. How can this be? It seems so odd, as I sit here listening to the Rotterdam Symphony performing Tchaikovsky ‘s Nutcracker. But I listened to a book by Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia, which documents many instances of people's ability to hear and/or play music changing after traumatic physical events. I thought it was pretty cool when someone woke up from a coma and wanted to do nothing but play the piano, even though they had never played before. On the other end of the spectrum, it was horrid for the man who heard dissonance when playing the violin he had dearly loved before a car accident. This has caused me to wonder about what I think I see and hear, and the possibility that others don't see or hear the same thing. I've written before about everyone seeing a rainbow differently, depending on where they are in respect to it. I know that someone may tell me something and I can take it totally opposite of how it was meant. But to hear music differently? We are, indeed, an interesting species! 

"Material beliefs and spiritual understanding never mingle. The latter destroys the former. Discord is the nothingness named error. Harmony is the somethingness named Truth." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 176