A Cup of Cold Water

Photo credit: Blake Lasater

Many of us shy away from speaking truth to error. I read an article by a woman who was growing up in the 1960s, a time when people of different races usually did not voluntarily mingle. She told the story of being at a friend's house when she was confronted by her friend's father. The writer of this story was working with a program for rural Black people and the man of the house had seen her holding a Black child's hand, with another one sitting on her lap. He felt her actions merited corporal punishment! She immediately said to the him, "God loves that little boy. Why don't you?" This made the man more angry and he started to take his belt off, advancing towards her. She said, "God loves you too, and you must love all whom God loves." He dropped his belt and began sobbing, reaching out to hug the girl who had forced him to face himself. This story caused me to think of times I have seen a simple statement change a situation. There is a power in truth; a power which lies do not possess. These are difficult times indeed, but whether it's a woman sitting naked before angry forces, or pregnant women banding together against injustice, or you speaking up to your friend, we must stand for what is right and good, never fearing the consequences.

"Millions of unprejudiced minds -- simple seekers for Truth, weary wanderers, athirst in the desert -- are waiting and watching for rest and drink. Give them a cup of cold water in Christ's name, and never fear the consequences." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 570:14

“No one can escape from illusions unless he looks at them, for not looking is the way they are protected. There is no need to shrink from illusions, for they cannot be dangerous. We are ready to look more closely at the ego’s thought system because together we have the lamp that will dispel it, and since you realize you do not want it, you must be ready. Let us be very calm in doing this, for we are merely looking honestly for truth. The ‘dynamics’ of the ego will be our lesson for a while, for we must look first at this to see beyond it, since you have made it real. We will undo this error quietly together, and then look beyond it to truth.” 

A Course in Miracles T-11.V.1:1-6

Exactly As It Is

Food insecurity is the nice term we have coined to describe people who are hungry or in need of nutritious food. I have a friend who severely budgets her food dollars, yet she won’t take advantage of the wonderful programs we have in our area which would help her survive. I often send her photos of the food deliveries Answering the Call supplies every other Wednesday, trying to tempt her. I tell her, “You don’t even have to sign up; just drive through and pick up.” This morning, I found myself mentally berating her for her choice. Then I stopped myself with a reminder that making assumptions is a death knell for true communication. I was self-righteously accusing her with the assumptions I was making. And so my morning meditation was prefaced with a desire to listen without judgment, while extending a compassionate hand with no expectation of the result. It’s easy to think we know what is best for someone, or to decide our intentions are pure and their reactions are based in false pride. May this realization allow me to extend Love purely, expecting no specific result.

“Where concepts of the self have been laid by is truth revealed exactly as it is. When every concept has been raised to doubt and question, and been recognized as made on no assumptions that would stand the light, then is the truth left free to enter in its sanctuary, clean and free of guilt. There is no statement that the world is more afraid to hear than this: I do not know the thing I am, and therefore do not know what I am doing, where I am, or how to look upon the world or on myself. Yet in this learning is salvation born. And What you are will tell you of Itself.” 

A Course in Miracles T-31.V.17:4-9

“The wrong done another reacts most heavily against one’s self. Right adjusts the balance sooner or later.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 449:7

Clarity in Communications

Photo credit: Blake Lasater

Many times in these writings, I have mentioned communications and the need to be clear when speaking and writing. Listening is an important part of communicating, as is reading comprehension. I bring this up today because of confusion from things I have recently written. Last night, a friend from the west coast called me and said, “I didn’t know Joan Baez was from Arkansas.” Of course, I replied that I did not know that either! He referenced a Facebook post I had made comparing our local Crow Johnson Evans to the legendary Joan Baez. So I opened the post and we read it together and he saw that I had not stated anything of the sort. Then today someone told me they thought my recent daily writing about Frances Xu was implying she had committed suicide. Admittedly, I was a bit illusive about her death. (For clarification, she had multiple brain tumors.) Since that wasn’t the important part of her story, I didn’t stress the details, and I apologize for any confusion. These two misunderstandings bring an awareness of the need to increase my clarity level while writing. And, once again, I thank those who tell me they don’t know what I’m talking about! Namaste…

“Misperceptions produce fear and true perceptions foster love, but neither brings certainty because all perception varies. That is why it is not knowledge. True perception is the basis for knowledge, but knowing is the affirmation of truth and beyond all perceptions.” A Course in Miracles T-3.III.1:8-10

“Ears. Not organs of the so-called corporeal senses, but spiritual understanding. Jesus said, referring to spiritual perception, “Having ears, hear ye not?” (Mark viii. 18.) 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 585:1-5

Doing Our Best?

Photo courtesy of Aaron Springston

The last one of the Four Agreements (ancient Toltec wisdom as interpreted by Don Miguel Ruiz) is, “Do Your Best”. For years, I was comforted by thinking that everyone was doing the best that they could. This "best" may not have been what I thought was best, but it was the best they could do at their stage of development. I managed to think that even someone like Hitler thought he was doing a good thing. I truly believed that everyone was working towards being the best that they could be, truly wanting to better humanity and their environment, and they were simply ignorant of how to do those things. Now, I've come to think that is not so. Many people are willfully ignorant and seem to revel in it. They witness pain and suffering and find selfish ways to blame the sufferer. They turn their back on animals in pain, giving shadowy excuses for their behavior. Is this the best that they can do? If I could find some reason for their lack of empathy, perhaps I'd still think they were doing the best that they can. But it seems too many people are ruled by a love of money and power; wanting no more than fame and flattery. My heart has been broken by everyone from Bill Clinton to Bill Cosby. We're all just tired. But we must continue to strive to do better. Namaste...

"The best sermon ever preached is Truth practiced and demonstrated..." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 201-1

“Child of God, you were created to create the good, the beautiful and the holy. Do not forget this. The Love of God, for a little while, must still be expressed through one body to another, because vision is still so dim. You can use your body best to help you enlarge your perception so you can achieve real vision, of which the physical eye is incapable. Learning to do this is the body’s only true usefulness.” 

A Course in Miracles T-1.VII.2:1-5

Keep Listening!

“No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep. The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness. If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.” — Khalil Gibran

When reading this Gibran quote, I immediately thought of my dear friend, Jim Young. Since I have known him, scores of books have flown through him and onto pages. And I love them all. I can hardly wait to dip into this newly-released book. Here’s to you, dear Friend! 

“Acquaintance with the Science of being enables us to commune more largely with the divine Mind, to foresee and foretell events which concern the universal welfare, to be divinely inspired, — yea, to reach the range of fetterless Mind.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 84:14-19

“God created every mind by communicating His Mind to it, thus establishing it forever as a channel for the reception of His Mind and Will. Since only beings of a like order can truly communicate, His creations naturally communicate with Him and like Him.” 

A Course in Miracles T-4.VII.3:7-8

Frances Xu - A Love Story

When the student is ready, the teacher appears. Most of us have heard these words, have we not? Frances Xu is a young woman who wasn’t sure what it meant “to go for God”, but she knew she was going to do it. Being clueless, but with a desire to be helpful, is the way she describes her journey with Spirit. When she heard a presentation by David Hoffmeister in Australia, she knew what she was meant to do. David invited her to a retreat they were giving in a month or so, but she had a home and husband and job and didn’t think it would be possible. She began watching his YouTube videos and decided she had to attend the next retreat. After doing so, she fully understood this was the most pure love she had ever felt. Now that she knew there was another way to live, she didn’t want to go back to the old one. So she closed her business, left her relationship, and sold her house. Her teacher had shown up and she was ready. She had found real freedom and love, and she was brave enough to accept it. Recently, this young woman passed from the physical world, into her true identity as Spirit. If you want to read the beautiful words she left us about this event, please go to Frances Xu - A Love Story

“We call it death, but it is liberty. It does not come in forms that seem to be thrust down in pain upon unwilling flesh, but as a gentle welcome to release. If there has been true healing, this can be the form in which death comes when it is time to rest a while from labor gladly done and gladly ended. Now we go in peace to freer air and gentler climate, where it is not hard to see the gifts we gave were saved for us. For Christ is clearer now; His vision more sustained in us; His Voice, the Word of God, more certainly our own.” 

A Course in Miracles S-3.II.3:1-5

“There is but one spiritual existence, — the Life of which corporeal sense can take no cognizance. The divine Principle of man speaks through immortal sense. If a material body — in other words, mortal, material sense — were permeated by Spirit, that body would disappear to mortal sense, would be deathless. A condition precedent to communion with Spirit is the gain of spiritual life.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 72:1-8

Healing Our Past, With Dogs

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Interpersonal relationships can often feel out of control. Dogs and their people are the focus of Cesar Milan, a/k/a the Dog Whisperer. I love watching these shows and seeing how he helps people pinpoint their anxieties and understand how they are passing them on to their dogs. In watching Season 3, Episode 12 of his current show, “Better Human, Better Dog”, I was struck once again by the healing which can occur in our lives through understanding from whence the problem comes. An attack in a dog park triggered memories and fears for one woman, who had experienced an attack on her person in the past. She became nervously fearful, passing on her fright to her dog, which then responded with uncontrolled aggression. Every time they went out or anyone came to their home, she became anxious. Through Cesar’s peaceful, assertive presence, she was able to regain her calm, and then she could pass on this confident energy to her dog. I love seeing these examples of how traumas are faced and lives are healed. Much work is being done in the field of healing traumatic memories. It’s enlightening to watch this occur through recognition, acceptance, and release. It’s a fascinating study and I hope to learn more. 

“Casting out evil and fear enables truth to outweigh error. The only course is to take antagonistic grounds against all that is opposed to the health, holiness, and harmony of man, God’s image.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 392:7-10

“It is enough to heal the past and make the future free. It is enough to let the present be accepted as it is. It is enough to let time be the means for all the world to learn escape from time, and every change that time appears to bring in passing by.” 

A Course in Miracles W-110.2:2-4