Be Not Dismayed …

art by Tijana Lukovic

Each of us has the power to change our thoughts about the world, 

and therein we hold the key...

“Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world.

All things break. And all things can be mended.

Not with time, as they say, but with intention. 

So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally.

The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.”

L.R. Knost

“We cannot fill vessels already full. They must first be emptied. Let us disrobe error. Then, when the winds of God blow, we shall not hug our tatters close about us. The way to extract error from mortal mind is to pour in truth through flood-tides of Love. Christian perfection is won on no other basis.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 201:13-19

“Put out your hand, and see how easily the door swings open with your one intent to go beyond it. Angels light the way, so that all darkness vanishes, and you are standing in a light so bright and clear that you can understand all things you see. A tiny moment of surprise, perhaps, will make you pause before you realize the world you see before you in the light reflects the truth you knew, and did not quite forget in wandering away in dreams.”
A Course in Miracles W-131.13:1-3

A Clean and Unmarked Slate

Primal Images created by Sandy Wythawai Starbird

No matter what you believe in, you can find a group of people who think the same way as you do. I recently heard a man explaining that more harm can be done by the truth than by out-and-out lies. WHAT?? To prove his point, he told about a web page devoted to instances of black people physically attacking white people. Every day they post more examples of this violent behavior, along with rhetoric warning us of the consequences of “us” allowing “them” to “get by” with it. While these things actually happened, they are being presented in a way which causes fear and suggests retaliation. Our learned behavior of tribalism is not conducive to peaceful living. The myriad of activities which pit us against each other, or set up sides for us to group together with like-minded people —- years of these practices have made us an adversarial society, and it feels wrong. So I’m going to visualize a world where we all trade our beliefs for a blank slate. On this we can see what is actually happening, without our biased perceptions interpreting everything. Let me know how you see the world with a clean heart and clear head!

“Mortal error will vanish in a moral chemicalization. This mental fermentation has begun, and will continue until all errors of belief yield to understanding. Belief is changeable, but spiritual understanding is changeless.” 

Mary Baker Eddy- Science and Health Page 96:21

“Forgiveness gently looks upon all things unknown in Heaven, sees them disappear, and leaves the world a clean and unmarked slate on which the Word of God can now replace the senseless symbols written there before.”

A Course in Miracles W-192.4:1

Fearlessly Expressing Love

Twenty years ago, it seems I spent much more time every day in prayerful study and contemplation than I do now. Or maybe that’s not so. When I stop to think about it, nowadays every interaction is an expression of Love, with a fearlessness which grows daily. These seeds were planted and are still being nurtured by moment-to-moment expressions of joy. No matter what we do on a daily basis, this Love can be expressed in many ways – actually, in every way! And by loving yourself, you’re loving everyone. By living fearlessly, you’re spreading this confidence to all. I will go forth with loving gratitude today and expect only Good.

“If we look to the body for pleasure, we find pain; for Life, we find death; for Truth, we find error; for Spirit, we find its opposite, matter. Now reverse this action. Look away from the body into Truth and Love, the Principle of all happiness, harmony, and immortality. 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 260

“Let us resolve today to ask for what we really want, and only this, that we may spend this day in fearlessness, without confusing pain with joy, or fear with love.”

A Course in Miracles W-339.1:9

The Light of Joy

Most of us know someone who lives with debilitating depression. Something I did not realize is that many family members feel guilty when they are happy around their depressed loved one. So oftentimes, the whole family ends up depressed on some level. Hum. I learned of this while listening to BK Shivani talk about the phenomenon. She likens it to a family walking in the woods and one member falls into a pit. Right away, one by one, the others jump in to be with the trapped member. They’re family after all, and they must stick together. But wait! At least one must stay out of the pit if they are to survive. And so it is with depression and grief: one person must be willing to keep their vibrations high and joyous in order to bring the others up to that level, raising them out of the depths. Let us be proud that we have the courage to stay out of the pit and be happy, bringing others along with our joy! An example comes to mind of a dark closet. When you open the door, the dark doesn’t escape into the light room; the light chases away the darkness. Keep on shining everyone!

“The light that belongs to you is the light of joy. Radiance is not associated with sorrow. Joy calls forth an integrated willingness to share it, and promotes the mind’s natural impulse to respond as one. Those who attempt to heal without being wholly joyous themselves call forth different kinds of responses at the same time, and thus deprive others of the joy of responding wholeheartedly.”

A Course in Miracles T-5.in.1:4-7

"Harmony is produced by its Principle, is controlled by it and abides with it. Divine Principle is the Life of man. Man's happiness is not, therefore, at the disposal of physical sense. Truth is not contaminated by error. Harmony in man is as beautiful as in  music, and discord is unnatural, unreal." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 304:17-21

What Do I Want to Come Of This?

 

Art from Jesse Stone

“We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.” ~ Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

I read this quote on a social media site called Cosmic Dancer, and a flood of memories rushed at me. When I first read this book, my art gallery was on the verge of closing down due to lack of business. This book caused me to open myself to the field of infinite possibilities, and we ended up staying open five more years, in a different and exciting location. The gist of the quote which changed my life is this: “Most people don’t realize they have a dream. Of those who know they have a dream, most fear to follow it. Of those who follow it, most stop one step short of realizing it.” Wow. I knew I had a dream and I was following it. After reading this book, I knew I couldn’t stop short! Authors such as Paulo Coelho have helped me to see the advantages of concentrating our intentions on what we DO want, rather than passionately worrying about the down side. And I am grateful…

“In any situation in which you are uncertain, the first thing to consider, very simply, is ‘What do I want to come of this? What is it for?’ The clarification of the goal belongs at the beginning, for it is this which will determine the outcome. In the ego’s procedure this is reversed. The situation becomes the determiner of the outcome, which can be anything. The reason for this disorganized approach is evident. The ego does not know what it wants to come of the situation. It is aware of what it does not want, but only that. It has no positive goal at all.”

A Course in Miracles T-17.VI.2:1-9

“The discoverer of Christian Science finds the path less difficult when she has the high goal always before her thoughts, than when she counts her footsteps in endeavoring to reach it. When the destination is desirable, expectation speeds our progress. The struggle for Truth makes one strong instead of weak, resting instead of wearying one.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 426:5-11

Flipping Fearful Thoughts

“No Looking Back”

Creation From Sandy Wythawai Starbird

In the two disciplines which I study, we often talk about changing the way we think about things. But how do we change these thoughts? I had a good example of this last night. I repeatedly woke up having frightening dreams. As soon as I awakened feeling fear, I would think of something beautiful – for instance, light coming through trees in a forest, with birds chirping, and butterflies flying around. This happened, perhaps, four or five times during the night. When eventually waking up this morning, I had been enjoying a happy dream, and my eyes opened with a smile on my face. This healing was so thorough that I remembered neither the bad nor the good dream’s context after getting out of bed. This lesson is something I’ve been needing. My daytime dreams have been anxious and fearful. When these feelings arise today, I shall practice what I learned during my sleep: Imagine beauty, feel beauty, spread peace…

“I am alone in nothing. Everything I think or say or do teaches all the universe. A Son of God cannot think or speak or act in vain. He cannot be alone in anything. It is therefore in my power to change every mind along with mine, for mine is the power of God.”

A Course in Miracles W-54.4:2-6

“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 261:4-7

Sovereign Rights

I truly try to not divide people into tribes, liking or disliking them because of their affiliations. It doesn’t matter to me if you’re a fan of the LSU Tigers or a member of the Rotterdam Symphonic Orchestra, my only goal is to listen to your words and hear the motives of your heart. I will bask in your company or stay away from you according to your kindness to others as shown by the goodness you live. And so when people begin berating actions because someone is labeled as liberal, it brings up questions in my mind as to why they are throwing these barbed verbal attacks. Since the accusations usually sound uniformly similar to each other, I can only surmise they are being spoon-fed by a larger source. Our information transportation is so fast today that almost anyone can set themselves up to spread the word — no matter its veracity. This statement from John Smallman’s writings rings true: “The only way forward is for humanity to engage lovingly with itself, instead of divisively and judgmentally, by fully honoring and respecting the sovereign rights of every individual on Planet Earth”. 

“The relationship of anger to attack is obvious, but the relationship of anger to fear is not always so apparent. Anger always involves projection of separation, which must ultimately be accepted as one’s own responsibility, rather than being blamed on others. Anger cannot occur unless you believe that you have been attacked, that your attack is justified in return, and that you are in no way responsible for it. Given these three wholly irrational premises, the equally irrational conclusion that a brother is worthy of attack rather than of love must follow. What can be expected from insane premises except an insane conclusion? The way to undo an insane conclusion is to consider the sanity of the premises on which it rests. You cannot be attacked, attack has no justification, and you are responsible for what you believe.” 

A Course in Miracles T-6.in.1:1-7

“Jesus was the son of a virgin. He was appointed to speak God’s word and to appear to mortals in such a form of humanity as they could understand as well as perceive. Mary’s conception of him was spiritual, for only purity could reflect Truth and Love, which were plainly incarnate in the good and pure Christ Jesus. He expressed the highest type of divinity, which a fleshly form could express in that age. Into the real and ideal man the fleshly element cannot enter. Thus it is that Christ illustrates the coincidence, or spiritual agreement, between God and man in His image.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 332:23-2