The Perfume of Gratitude

Graphic of Unknown Origin

Are there incidents with people which replay in your mind at the most unexpected times? There are a few long-time friends with whom I’ve experienced periods of painful silence. Being ghosted and not knowing what you did to cause the person to ignore you — well, it was confusing and painful. Although we now talk and all is forgiven, we never talked about those incidents, and I still do not know what happened. Since this is coming up in my thoughts time and again, I take that as a sign I have not truly forgiven them. Since forgiveness is essential in moving forward with the way of life I have chosen, it’s time to examine these things. As a reflection of divine Love, I want to see as Love sees — purely, without judgment — seeing everyone in the same Light, because we are all One.

“Can you imagine how beautiful those you forgive will look to you? In no fantasy have you ever seen anything so lovely. Nothing you see here, sleeping or waking, comes near to such loveliness. And nothing will you value like unto this, nor hold so dear. Nothing that you remember that made your heart sing with joy has ever brought you even a little part of the happiness this sight will bring you. For you will see the Son of God. You will behold the beauty the Holy Spirit loves to look upon, and which He thanks the Father for. He was created to see this for you, until you learned to see it for yourself. And all His teaching leads to seeing it and giving thanks with Him.”
A Course in Miracles T-17.II.1:1-9

“This is what is meant by seeking Truth, Christ, not ‘for the loaves and fishes,’ nor, like the Pharisee, with the arrogance of rank and display of scholarship, but like Mary Magdalene, from the summit of devout consecration, with the oil of gladness and the perfume of gratitude, with tears of repentance and with those hairs all numbered by the Father.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 367:10-16

Put The Glass Down

Photo courtesy of Aaron Springston

There are many great stories about choosing joy rather than pain. The one I’m thinking of today concerns a glass of water. We are asked how much a glass of water weighs. Then we are told it doesn't matter what its weight is, it matters how long we hold it. If we hold it a minute, it's light. If we hold it an hour, our arm and/or hand may become uncomfortable with the weight. If we hold it all day, our arm will feel paralyzed. This scenario is a metaphor for holding on to worries and fears. If we keep them with us, we become convinced that they are impossible to overcome. We are paralyzed from the carrying of this weight. All we have to do is put the glass down to be released from our burden. Then we are free to feel the joy which is innately ours as a child of Love!

“Who that has felt the loss of human peace has not gained stronger desires for spiritual joy? The aspiration after heavenly good comes even before we discover what belongs to wisdom and Love. The loss of earthly hopes and pleasures brightens the ascending path of many a heart. The pains of sense quickly inform us that the pleasures of sense are mortal and that joy is spiritual.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 265:23-30

“It is your thoughts alone that cause you pain. Nothing external to your mind can hurt or injure you in any way. There is no cause beyond yourself that can reach down and bring oppression. No one but yourself affects you. There is nothing in the world that has the power to make you ill or sad, or weak or frail. But it is you who have the power to dominate all things you see by merely recognizing what you are. As you perceive the harmlessness in them, they will accept your holy will as theirs. And what was seen as fearful now becomes a source of innocence and holiness.”
A Course in Miracles W-190.5:1-8

Heroic Hearts

Today brought many personal victories on my road to relearning ways in which to perform daily chores and activities. While I don’t feel the need to recount them here, I did tell a friend and she replied, in part, with this quote from Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson:

“We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

I thank everyone who is sending love to those of us who are willing to catch it!

“Miracles are teaching devices for demonstrating it is as blessed to give as to receive. They simultaneously increase the strength of the giver and 

supply strength to the receiver.” 

A Course in Miracles T-1.I.16:1-2

“Spirit is symbolized by strength, presence, and power, and also by holy thoughts, winged with Love.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 512:8-9

A Dream of Judgment

I’m noticing a few traits which are shared by many of my favorite humans. They don’t talk about others negatively. Not sharing in this destructive chatter makes life simpler, because we needn’t try to figure out what people’s motivations are: they do what they do. Actually, our happiness doesn’t rely on what others are doing — or not doing. When we put a label on someone, such as thief, then we’ve fixed that person in our mind with a conceptual identity. The mind does this, often focusing on a person’s shortcomings, and then we are trapped. At some point, we realize the more we trap others, the more we trap ourselves. As Jesus said years ago, “Judge not, lest ye be judged”. The world cannot change without a change in thought — our own thought — and it requires vigilance for us to check the words in our head! When we notice our judgments and labeling practices, let’s not think of it as a failure on our part. It’s a great success to catch the thoughts and realize what you’re doing. When you see it, it loses its power over you — and you can choose again!

“The power of the human will should be exercised only in subordination to Truth; else it will misguide the judgment and free the lower propensities. It is the province of spiritual sense to govern man. Material, erring, human thought acts injuriously both upon the body and through it.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health with Key to the Scripture 246:4-9

"A dream of judgment came into the mind that God created perfect as Himself. And in that dream was Heaven changed to hell, and God made enemy unto His Son. How can God's Son awaken from the dream? It is a dream of judgment. So must he judge not, and he will waken. For the dream will seem to last while he is part of it. Judge not, for he who judges will have need of idols, which will hold the judgment off from resting on himself. Nor can he know the Self he has condemned. Judge not, because you make yourself a part of evil dreams, where idols are your ‘true identity’, and your salvation from the judgment laid in terror and in guilt upon yourself.” 

A Course in Miracles T-29.IX

Everything You Do Is Sacred

Graham - Neighbor Cat

"Now is the time to know

That all that you do is sacred.

Now, why not consider

A lasting truce with yourself and God.

Now is the time to understand

That all your ideas of right and wrong

Were just a child’s training wheels

To be laid aside

When you can finally live

With veracity

And love.

Hafiz is a divine envoy

Whom the Beloved

Has written a holy message upon.

My dear, please tell me,

Why do you still

Throw sticks at your heart

And God?

What is it in that sweet voice inside

That incites you to fear?

Now is the time for the world to know

That every thought and action is sacred

This is the time

For you to deeply compute the impossibility

That there is anything

But Grace.

Now is the season to know

That everything you do

Is sacred."

– Hafiz

“Do human hopes deceive? Is joy a trembler? Then, weary pilgrim, unloose the latchet of thy sandals; for the place whereon thou standest is sacred.” 

Mary Baker Eddy- Miscellany - Page 341:14-16

“Brother, this day is sacred to the world. Your vision, given you from far beyond all things within the world, looks back on them in a new light. And what you see becomes the healing and salvation of the world. The valuable and valueless are both perceived and recognized for what they are. And what is worthy of your love receives your love, while nothing to be feared remains.” 

A Course in Miracles - W-164.6:1-5

The Best Laid Plans …

Alaska - Photo from Aaron Springston

All our lives we have been taught to take control of our lives; to have goals and make plans, and to follow through with them. It takes quite a bit of unlearning to realize that this is the ego’s idea and usually brings nothing but unhappiness. I used to think I was in control and it was my job to orchestrate everything (and everyone!) around me. How many misunderstandings, disappointments, and broken promises this has caused! Now, I understand my needs are met before I know I have them. By releasing my own certainty that I know what’s right, I leave myself open to the field of all possibilities. And in doing this, the perfect avenue is readily shown to me. All I need to is follow!

“When we fully understand our relation to the Divine, we can have no other Mind but His, — no other Love, wisdom, or Truth, no other sense of Life, and no consciousness of the existence of matter or error.”
MaryBaker Eddy - Science & Health Page 205:32-3

“Peace abides in every mind that quietly accepts the plan God set for its Atonement, relinquishing its own. You know not of salvation, for you do not understand it. Make no decisions about what it is or where it lies, but ask the Holy Spirit everything, and leave all decisions to His gentle counsel.”
A Course in Miracles T-14.III.12:4-6

Loving My Community!

Thank You Note Courtesy of the Fabulous

Rebecca Becker

Last night, in a building which is dear to my heart, a benefit was held to help me with expenses. This structure was built in 1914, as home to the Christian Science Society. It remained as such until a decade or so ago. My parents began attending this church when I was 8 years old, and I began playing the organ there when I was 11. When we had to close our doors because of lack of membership, I knew the building must continue as a “structure of Truth and Love”. And it has. It is now a spiritual center for groups who do not have a place of their own. This beautiful edifice has hosted Sufis, Native Americans, various metaphysical discussion groups — anyone who needs a place to meet and join together in Love. Last night there was a love fest planned by two local artistic treasures. They performed George Bernard Shaw’s “Village Wooing”. The event was billed as “an evening of Love and Laughter”. The outcome is overwhelming to me, and I am humbled by the caring response. I love my community!

"The Church is that institution which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas..."
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 582:14

“A church that does not inspire love has a hidden altar that is not serving the purpose for which God intended it. I [Jesus] must found His church on you, because those who accept me as a model are literally my disciples. Disciples are followers, and if the model they follow has chosen to save them pain in all respects, they are unwise not to follow him.”
A Course in Miracles T-6.I.8:5-7