Immortal Ideas

 

photo credit: Kevin Wright

Every prayer, every meditation, every expression of love is magnified exponentially. We have the power to change the world through ourselves, as each interaction identifies us with either a world of love or of fear. The same way in which we take personal responsibility for ourselves, our health, our well-being, we can take responsibility for a return to Love. Every thought contributes to the whole! We never know what difference a simple interaction could make in someone's life, and a single word or a smile may turn them away from reactive fear to healing love. The truth which corrects all errors in our mind is our ascension into heaven within. Never doubt that you matter, that you make a difference. Allow silence and listening to guide you in your role of being the change you want to see!

"Immortal ideas, pure, perfect, and enduring, are transmitted by the divine Mind through divine Science, which corrects error with truth and demands spiritual thoughts, divine concepts, to the end that they may produce harmonious results." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 259: 27-31

Shifting Consciousness and Clinging ego

 

When people would tell me how difficult the shift into fourth-dimensional consciousness was going to be, I never believed them. I naively underestimated the power we have given this thing we call ego. Our pandemic-enforced isolation was a darned good catalyst for the rising consciousness which is washing over humanity, but it seems many people were not prepared. I’m watching a few friends sinking deeper into depression, becoming extremely anxious about resuming social interactions, and feeling hopeless for many reasons. The ego, or mortal mind, is screaming loudly as we near an awakening unlike anything humans have allowed for themselves. It’s upon us and far too many people are far too afraid of losing control — control of themselves and others. It’s been taught to us from an early age that we must have goals, set limitations, and plan for every possibility. The realization that divine Mind’s elucidation is being felt and followed, causes the mortal mind to fight back, feeding our angst and increasing our desire to be in charge. This egotistic mind thinks it knows more than the omnipresent, omniscient Presence which we think of as God. “Let go and let God” turns out to be harder to do than to say — but most of us are trying! We’re studying and putting into practice what feels right deep inside us. We’re gathering together, whether in person or in spirit (or internet), and the tipping point is closer than ever before. Join with me in celebration of our true independence, finding freedom from the false demons which taunt us and embracing all which Life has to offer!

"As a material, theoretical life-basis is found to be a misapprehension of existence, the spiritual and divine Principle of man dawns upon human thought, and leads it to 'where the young child was,' -- even to the birth of a new-old idea, to the spiritual sense of being and of what Life includes. Thus the whole earth will be transformed by Truth on its pinions of light, chasing away the darkness of error." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 191:8

To See As Love Sees

photo credit: Arthur Bruno

Years ago, I had friends who were expecting their first baby. They joked about teaching it the "wrong" things -- such as, blue would be red, a table might be called a chair, maybe a dog would be a cat. That would certainly be seeing things differently! There’s a correlation in their mis-information scheme and the illusions and limitations we have set up for ourselves in our world. There is a Course in Miracles workbook lesson which asks us to give up any notions we have concerning the meaning of anything and everything. By doing this, we enable ourselves to drop what we've always thought about a particular thing and allow ourselves to be open to what it is and what it is for. I love where this exercise takes us! When we begin asking what things are, rather than telling them what they are based on our previous labeling of them, interesting answers come our way. For instance, the way we, as a society, punish wrong-doing: Does our present system of retaliation and retribution actually accomplish anything? In ​the book, "The Buddhist and the Terrorist", an alternative to the treatment of a murderer is explored. This book is one of many which encourage​s​ me to see differently, to see myself as Love sees me. This concept strikes me as worthy of exploration!

"The objects cognized by the physical senses have not the reality of substance. They are only what mortal belief calls them." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 311:26-28

To Teach Is To Learn

 

photo credit: Kevin Wright

The act of communicating knowledge can be interpreted as implying that others are ignorant and need to be ​schooled about something. So we may ​remain silent rather than ​correcting inaccuracies we may hear or read​. ​Maybe we fear an angry response, or perhaps we are being polite, or we don't want the conflict we fear will occur. ​Sincere communication seems to be riddled with pitfalls, but I don't think it has to be this way. Perhaps this is a reason our world is suffering so severely when solutions seem simple: people are not willing to step outside their belief systems and listen to logic and scientific fact. ​Perhaps it’s a lack of trust ​which causes the idea that others want to indoctrinate us into their way of thought. I’d love to see us all step back from labels such as liberal and conservative and simply seek truth. Who cares if someone is a man or a woman, or a member of a certain political party or religion? Let’s not be afraid to speak out, to question, to listen, to learn, to love each other without caveat!

“The role of teaching and learning is actually reversed in the thinking of the world. The reversal is characteristic. It seems as if the teacher and the learner are separated, the teacher giving something to the learner rather than to himself. Further, the act of teaching is regarded as a special activity, in which one engages only a relatively small proportion of one's time. The course, on the other hand, emphasizes that to teach is to learn, so that teacher and learner are the same. It also emphasizes that teaching is a constant process; it goes on every moment of the day, and continues into sleeping thoughts as well.” A Course in Miracles, Manual for Teachers

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

 

Hawksbill Crag - photo credit: Aaron Springston

Oh, the Places You'll Go! -- By Theodore Geisel

“I'm afraid that sometimes you'll play lonely games too. Games you can't win, cause you'll play against you.

All Alone! Whether you like it or not,

Alone you will be something quite a lot.

And when you're alone. There' a very good chance

You'll meet some things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some, down the road between hither and yon,

That can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go, though the weather be foul,

On you will go, though the Hakken-Kraks howl.

Onward up many a frightening creek,Theodore

Though your arms may get sore

And your sneakers may leak

On and on you will hike.

And I know you'll hike far

And face up to your problems

Whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,

As you already know.

You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure where you step.

Step with care and great tact

And remember that life's a Great Balancing Act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.”

By: Dr. Seuss

A Happy Trip

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Someone I admire said, “I don’t want my imagination to die before I do”. That’s the open secret to a happy life, don’t you think? When each day brings new adventure, we are joyous! And this adventure doesn’t consist of doing something you’ve never done before, or something which others think of as exciting; it’s simply enjoying every moment of what you do and not being afraid of a break in routine. That’s an ah-ha moment. How often do we become disgruntled because our plans for the day are interrupted by an unexpected occurrence? These may be happy interruptions, such as a surprise visit from an old friend, or an necessary chore like changing a flat tire on the car; either scenario causes a readjustment of our plans. When we are able to face whatever may come our way, with an inexhaustible joy, life is fun! Imagination and creativity are directly linked to this ability to enjoy ups and downs, without even thinking of them as such. Rolling with the flow makes for a happy trip!

“You can make an empty shell, but you cannot express nothing at all. You can wait, delay, paralyze yourself, or reduce your creativity almost to nothing. But you cannot abolish it. You can destroy your medium of communication, but not your potential.” A Course in Miracles - Chapter 1 V:1

To Arrive Where We Started

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

A friend once said to me, "There are only two powers, and she's chosen the wrong one." I had to step back and wonder how it felt to believe in such a duality as this. Once we've split power into a loving God and Its evil twin, some seriously hard-to-let-go images have taken hold in our mind. I don’t want to focus on the myriad of ways we've constructed to cloud our vision, but I'll ask to see with my true sight as a reflection of Love. T. S. Eliot’s quote from Little Gidding reminds me what "seeing" is. “We shall not cease from exploration, / And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time.”

"To teach is to demonstrate. There are only two thought systems, and you demonstrate that you believe one or the other is true all the time. From your demonstration others learn, and so do you. The question is not whether you will teach, for in that there is no choice. The purpose of the course might be said to provide you with a means of choosing what you want to teach on the basis of what you want to learn. You cannot give to someone else, but only to yourself, and this you learn through teaching. Teaching is but a call to witnesses to attest to what you believe. It is a method of conversion. This is not done by words alone. Any situation must be to you a chance to teach others what you are, and what they are to you. No more than that, but also never less." A Course in Miracles -  Manual for Teachers