A Return to Peace

Photo credit: Aaron Springston

At a meeting, we were talking about how to leave behind disturbing events and return to peace. One woman said she wakes up in the night and her thoughts turn to troublesome things — things which seem to have no solution. Another friend spoke up and said that when this happens to her, she takes deep breaths and repeats the word, “thankful”. As she loses herself in her breath and gratitude, she peacefully returns to sleep. I like that a lot. We all have our ways of turning off this worrisome voice which is based in mortal mind, not divine Mind. I love hearing how others tune into the channel of peace, so let me know what you do! I love the realization that if we get lost in insanity, we have the choice of returning to tranquility!

“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 506:11-14

“If we give way to a disturbance, let us learn how to dismiss it and return to peace. We need but tell our minds, with certainty, The stillness of the peace of God is mine, and nothing can intrude upon the peace that God Himself has given to His Son.”
A Course in Miracles W-273.1:3-4

Decluttering, Inside and Out

 

My attention was drawn to the interesting concept of accumulating things simply for the sake of the dopamine rush which comes from the act of shopping. I hear that some people don’t even open packages, but simply stash things away in closets and under beds. I also watched a video which equated decluttering our mind to decluttering our homes. Our accumulations can become prisons for us, and we’re not sure what to do with all our stuff. We may spend too much time taking care of these things: moving them about, cleaning them, worrying about someone stealing them. When I was considering moving, it became quite clear that I was not attached to many things in my home. The last time I moved was almost three decades ago, and it would be nice to give everything away other than absolute necessities — and my art, of course. But since there is no attachment to my tables and chairs — or even my mother’s dishes — it doesn’t seem necessary to get rid of anything. BUT perhaps I’m rationalizing this and I really am attached! I’m pretty sure I crave peace more than things, but it bears watching my ulterior movies in this perception! Hum ….

“Beauty, wealth, or fame is incompetent to meet the demands of the affections, and should never weigh against the better claims of intellect, goodness, and virtue. Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 57: 15-21

“Under all the senseless thoughts and mad ideas with which you have cluttered up your mind are the thoughts that you thought with God in the beginning. They are there in your mind now, completely unchanged. They will always be in your mind, exactly as they always were. Everything you have thought since then will change, but the Foundation on which it rests is wholly changeless.” 

A Course in Miracles W-45.7:1-4

One Thing at a Time

 

It’s easy to become flustered and overwhelmed by life’s events. I witnessed a person who had reached the proverbial end of their rope today. All the little things had been rolled into a very large ball of knotted string and she was stuck: stuck in feelings of frustration of overwork. I was reminded of the necessity of living in the moment, of doing one thing at a time, of delegating authority to others for the chores easily accomplished by anyone with a desire to do so. Being present is often thought of as a simplified way of looking at life, with many of us thinking it is impossible and counterproductive to do. And as long as our brains are going around in circles, it is extremely difficult. This is where meditation, quieting the mind, is invaluable. Someone once said if you don’t have time to meditate for 20 minutes, do it for an hour. Breathe. Focus. Put one foot in front of the other. I pray to lead the way by example. May peace be with you …

“If men understood their real spiritual source to be all blessedness, they would struggle for recourse to the spiritual and be at peace; but the deeper the error into which mortal mind is plunged, the more intense the opposition to spirituality, till error yields to Truth.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 329:26-31

“The Voice of the Holy Spirit does not command, because It is incapable of arrogance. It does not demand, because It does not seek control. It does not overcome, because It does not attack. It merely reminds. It is compelling only because of what It reminds you of. It brings to your mind the other way, remaining quiet even in the midst of the turmoil you may make. The Voice for God is always quiet, because It speaks of peace. Peace is stronger than war because it heals. War is division, not increase. No one gains from strife. What profiteth it a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? If you listen to the wrong voice you have lost sight of your soul. You cannot lose it, but you can not know it. It is therefore ‘lost’ to you until you choose right.” 

A Course in Miracles T-5.II.7:1-14

The Foundation of Fellowship

 

Photo courtesy of Richard Quick

I had a new bridge partner today. At one point, he told me that he belonged to three of the most discriminated-against groups of people: smokers, bridge players, and white men. I immediately told him I strongly disagreed with two of those assessments! We discussed it a bit before it was time to move to the next table. His words did not affect me so much as his attitude, and my heart goes out to him. Since everything comes from either love or fear, it was easy to identify the emotions behind his words. I spent a bit of time thinking about the “reasons” I could feel put-upon, and realized nothing can cause me to feel the world is against me. The realization that I need only answer to my own Self, (to God, if you will), frees me to live by the precepts which create an inner peace. If something causes emotional distress within, it’s a sure bet I need to examine my thoughts and actions. Not everything can be corrected immediately; some erroneous behaviors take repeated translations and reinterpretations within ourselves. And that’s okay. 

“When the divine precepts are understood, they unfold the foundation of fellowship, in which one mind is not at war with another, but all have one Spirit, God, one intelligent source, in accordance with the Scriptural command: ‘Let this Mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.’ Man and his Maker are correlated in divine Science, and real consciousness is cognizant only of the things of God.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 276:4-11

“Hear, then, the one answer of the Holy Spirit to all the questions the ego raises: You are a child of God, a priceless part of His Kingdom, which He created as part of Him. Nothing else exists and only this is real. You have chosen a sleep in which you have had bad dreams, but the sleep is not real and God calls you to awake. There will be nothing left of your dream when you hear Him, because you will awaken. Your dreams contain many of the ego’s symbols and they have confused you. Yet that was only because you were asleep and did not know. When you wake you will see the truth around you and in you, and you will no longer believe in dreams because they will have no reality for you. Yet the Kingdom and all that you have created there will have great reality for you, because they are beautiful and true.” 

A Course in Miracles T-6.IV.6:1-8

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Positively Restored

Photo from Scott Flathouse

 

Morning meditation and photo from Marianne Williamson:

“Negativity poisons my mind and positivity restores it

I have a choice whether to join in the darkness of the world, its petty judgments, and constant blame. When I do so I inject my psyche with poison, and today I choose a healthy mind.

I replace all negativity with a positive attitude, in which I seek to find, and to articulate, the good in others. If I disagree, I will disagree with respect. If I debate a point, I will debate fairly. If I need to draw a boundary for the sake of justice, I will do so with honor for the dignity of all.

I will no longer be careless with the working of my mind. Rather, I will use it as it was created to be used, as a conduit for love and as a gateway to peace. May everyone, including myself, feel the tenderness of my approval and not the harshness of my unkindness.

Negativity poisons my mind and positivity restores it” - Marianne

“Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 261:4-9

“Perhaps it will be helpful to remember that no one can be angry at a fact. It is always an interpretation that gives rise to negative emotions, regardless of their seeming justification by what appears as facts. Regardless, too, of the intensity of the anger that is aroused. It may be merely slight irritation, perhaps too mild to be even clearly recognized. Or it may also take the form of intense rage, accompanied by thoughts of violence, fantasied or apparently acted out. It does not matter. All of these reactions are the same. They obscure the truth, and this can never be a matter of degree. Either truth is apparent, or it is not. It cannot be partially recognized. Who is unaware of truth must look upon illusions.” 

A Course in Miracles M-17.4:1-11

Reflecting Divine Mind

Someone once told me hopes hold us captive, and that if we don't accept the "reality" of what we see around us, we are lost in dreams of what could be, giving up any chance of changing what is. I’m coming to see that the opposite is true. The material picture of good and evil warring with each other is what we have decided is truth, hence we hope and strive for good to win. With the burgeoning knowledge that divine Mind is the reality and mortal mind is the illusion, we are freed to do more than hope. The divinely-endowed, spiritually-scientific consciousness within us is opened, and like a fountain the ideas we need flow forth. This consciousness is realized when we see that God is our Mind, not just in our mind. Our reality is the divine Mind which we reflect. What a freeing concept!

“When we realize that there is one Mind, the divine law of loving our neighbor as ourselves is unfolded; whereas a belief in many ruling minds hinders man’s normal drift towards the one Mind, one God, and leads human thought into opposite channels where selfishness reigns.” 

Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health Page 227:22-25

“O my brothers, if you only knew the peace that will envelop you and hold you safe and pure and lovely in the Mind of God, you could but rush to meet Him where His altar is. Hallowed your Name and His, for they are joined here in this holy place. Here He leans down to lift you up to Him, out of illusions into holiness; out of the world and to eternity; out of all fear and given back to love.” 

A Course in Miracles  C-4.8:1-3)

Nature Voices Divine Love

Art by Abbott Henderson Thayer

Forgive Me - Poem by Mary Oliver

Angels are wonderful but they are so, well, aloof.

It’s what I sense in the mud and the roots of the

trees, or the well, or the barn, or the rock with

its citron map of lichen that halts my feet and

makes my eyes flare,

 feeling the presence of some spirit, 

some small god,

 who abides there.

If I were a perfect person, I would be bowing

continuously.

I’m not, though I pause wherever I feel this

holiness, which is why I’m so often late coming

back from wherever I went.

Forgive me.

~ Mary Oliver

“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 240:1-9

“Forgiveness turns the world of sin into a world of glory, wonderful to see. Each flower shines in light, and every bird sings of the joy of Heaven. There is no sadness and there is no parting here, for everything is totally forgiven. And what has been forgiven must join, for nothing stands between to keep them separate and apart. The sinless must perceive that they are one, for nothing stands between to push the other off. And in the space that sin left vacant do they join as one, in gladness recognizing what is part of them has not been kept apart and separate.”

A Course in Miracles T-26.IV.2:1-6