What Brings You Joy?

I’ve always had a difficult time keeping things tidy. Reading the book, The Life-Changing Manga (Magic) of Tidying Up, written by Marie Kondo, has helped me understand why. She suggests putting all your clothing in the middle of the room, then going through them, keeping only the things which bring you joy. Well, that concept is life-changing for sure! Keep what brings you joy — wow! I’m now listening to her follow-up book, Spark Joy, where she tells how some people throw away their vacuum cleaners because they don’t bring joy, only to find out they miss them terribly. So she asks us to express appreciation for those items — for instance, thank the iron for helping your clothing to be all that they can be. Another interesting aspect is that some people don’t know what sparks joy, and she must teach them what it means. This opened my eyes to a whole aspect of my fellow beings which I had not considered. How could anyone not know the feeling of joy? Is joy a learned behavior? Are we afraid to feel joy? When she teaches them what joy is, does she simple give them permission to feel what was already there? I’m loving this book! (As always, please feel free to tell me your thoughts) 

"Unity of spirit gives new pinions to joy, or else joy's drooping wings trail in dust." Mary Baker Eddy, Science & Health Page 58

“Miracles are in accord with the Will of God, Whose Will you do not know because you are confused about what you will. This means that you are confused about what you are. If you are God’s Will and do not accept His Will, you are denying joy. The miracle is therefore a lesson in what joy is. Being a lesson in sharing it is a lesson in love, which is joy. Every miracle is thus a lesson in truth, and by offering truth you are learning the difference between pain and joy.” T-7.X.8:1-6

Unified Needs Lead to Unified Action

 

One of my favorite childhood memories is of waiting for election results on the square in my hometown, Berryville, Arkansas. At the time, it was an actual square, with traffic driving around the large circular area in the middle. There was a big speaker on the courthouse and updates would be broadcast loudly as we whooped and hollered when our parents’ choices were announced. The grassy area was full of people in lawn chairs, with kids chasing each other and playing happily. There were groups of men leaning on parked cars, laughing and talking. I suppose mothers were in the middle area with the kids, but for whatever reason, I have no memory of them. But the feeling was wonderful! The excitement of a political race, the fun of seeing friends, the camaraderie of small town living. Are we really so different now than we were 50 years ago? Surely we still have the same values, the same desire for safety and comfort, the same love of freedom. I will continue to focus on our unity, knowing that separation is an illusion we have allowed to seem real, certain we can recognize truth. 

“A sense of separation from God is the only lack you really need correct. This sense of separation would never have arisen if you had not distorted your perception of truth, and had thus perceived yourself as lacking. The idea of order of needs arose because, having made this fundamental error, you had already fragmented yourself into levels with different needs. As you integrate you become one, and your needs become one accordingly. Unified needs lead to unified action, because this produces a lack of conflict.” 

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

“It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established. Having no other gods, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide him, man is the likeness of God, pure and eternal, having that Mind which was also in Christ.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 467:9-16

Healing the Perception of Separation

 

I write this on the evening before an election which could be seen as a the culmination of a battle between good and evil thoughts and actions. It may even seem that our present situation was brought about by a self-centered figure who has been the axis of extreme actions for the past few years. But our brainwashing began decades, perhaps centuries ago. It doesn’t help our present situation to reiterate the horror we’ve witnessed in our lifetimes, but we do need to be aware of exactly how our lack of loving actions have affected our society. I’ll choose one symptom for now: homelessness. Every major city in our country has been overrun with people who have nowhere to go. There are no easy solutions, and politicians do not even try to figure out what to do. As with almost everything, we all must participate in helping our fellow humans. In our small community, we have groups which have created free medical care facilities and are working to supply housing. There are at least three organizations which distribute free food on a regular basis. Within these organizations, there are people working diligently to supply resources for these endeavors. We all have a role to play in our survival. I’m making a resolution to wake up each day asking for guidance to know how I can be most effective in lifting us up. And I will pray for the strength to follow through …

“Forgiveness is the healing of the perception of separation. Correct perception of your brother is necessary, because minds have chosen to see themselves as separate. Spirit knows God completely. That is its miraculous power. The fact that each one has this power completely is a condition entirely alien to the world’s thinking. The world believes that if anyone has everything, there is nothing left. But God’s miracles are as total as His Thoughts because they are His Thoughts.” 

A Course in Miracles T-3.V.9:1-7

“We lose the high signification of omnipotence, when after admitting that God, or good, is omnipresent and has all-power, we still believe there is another power, named evil. This belief that there is more than one mind is as pernicious to divine theology as are ancient mythology and pagan idolatry. With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science. The supposed existence of more than one mind was the basic error of idolatry. This error assumed the loss of spiritual power, the loss of the spiritual presence of Life as infinite Truth without an unlikeness, and the loss of Love as ever present and universal.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 469:25-10

Shining Together …

 

Photo credit: Kailey Jones-Springston

Listening, communicating, finding common ground — these elements can bind together a divided country, bringing peace to warring people. In pondering how to communicate with those who have varying degrees of strong opinions, there are options. When having a discussion and someone makes a statement diametrically opposed to our way of thinking, we can calmly ask them, “Why do you think [such-and-such]?” But if we say, “why do you people think [such-and-such]?”, the whole conversations shifts into an attack situation. Daryl Davis is a black blues musician who reaches out to befriend members of hate groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan. He refers to “thoughtful discussions that change hearts”, saying “If you spend five minutes with your worst enemy, you will find that you both have something in common.” By reaching a higher spiritual understanding of those involved, we may find that these “others” are striving for greater dignity; perhaps we’ll even see that we care for all people. By our connection with divine Love, we are all connected to each other. Through this union of Spirit, we can find our common ground and move forward with respect for one another. I can’t think of a better time to practice this discipline than right now!

“Love giveth to the least spiritual idea might, immortality, and goodness, which shine through all as the blossom shines through the bud.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 518

“The escape from darkness involves two stages: First, the recognition that darkness cannot hide. This step usually entails fear. Second, the recognition that there is nothing you want to hide even if you could. This step brings escape from fear. When you have become willing to hide nothing, you will not only be willing to enter into communion but will also understand peace and joy.” A Course in Miracles T-1.IV.1:1-5

Join Hands and Sing …

Basin Park concert in Eureka Springs

Photo from Richard Quick

A friend of a friend shared these words on social media. I wish I’d said something like this, so I shall share it with you …

“Today I don’t know how many days I have left. Many I hope, but who knows? We aren’t privileged with such knowledge unless, in Matthew Arnold’s words, ‘Peace has left the upper world, and now sleeps only in the grave.’ I’m nowhere near that, but trying to comfort an old friend yesterday, I found myself struggling for optimism. Too many wonderful people I’ve known now gather as a cult, with the chants of hatred rising like those in some ‘vegetation ritual’ scene. But here’s what I’m going to do with the number of days remaining—many or few—in memory of Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl in his epochal ‘Man’s Search for Meaning.’ I’ll find beauty in a sunset despite the evil gathered behind me. I’ll start the day with Mozart, not Twitter. I’ll end each day reading, and trying to make sense of, history. In between, I’ll appreciate loved ones more and tell them so. I’ll try to be a foundation of hope in a mean-spirited world. If I’m called a fool or relic, I’ll rise above it. I’ll make music, not because I’m good at it, but because I can say that, for a moment in eternity, I partnered with an inanimate object to glorify our existence on Earth. I’ll not squander my remaining treasures to signal defeat like a camp prisoner consuming his last hoard of cigarettes. Dear friends, as we circle to defend ourselves against the forces of darkness, let us join hands and sing, the way we used to when we thought the sun was rising on a better world.”

Written by Jimmie von Tungeln

Vote, Vote, Vote!

 

In August of 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified giving women the right to cast a vote in elections. We tend to think of this as something that “just happened”, with men suddenly deciding to let the little ladies have what they want. Not so. It took nearly 70 years of hard work to win the right to vote. It was not given; they took it. At the time, the country was slipping into an economic depression, a global pandemic had claimed 600,000 lives in the U.S., racial unrest was boiling up all over the country, the KKK had come out of hiding, immigration was a contentious issue, and a nasty presidential race was underway with one candidate having the divisive slogan, America First. Sound familiar?? That was 100 years ago, and against all odds the women persisted and won the vote. There is a lot more to this story, and it’s all fascinating! But for now, remember that it was not a simple request, with lovely ladies dressed in white sweetly asking to vote. It was a fight, it wasn’t an easy one, and they never backed down. In remembrance of what they worked so hard to achieve, let’s help our women friends get to the polls!

“One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself;’ annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 340:23-29

“How gracious it is to decide all things through Him Whose equal Love is given equally to all alike! He leaves you no one outside you. And so He gives you what is yours, because your Father would have you share it with Him. In everything be led by Him, and do not reconsider. Trust Him to answer quickly, surely, and with Love for everyone who will be touched in any way by the decision. And everyone will be. Would you take unto yourself the sole responsibility for deciding what can bring only good to everyone? Would you know this?” 

A Course in Miracles T-14.III.17:1-8

Keep, Give Away, Throw Away

 

Photo credit: Blake Lasater

Keep, give away, or throw away: these are the choices we must make when clearing out spaces around our homes. My carport has storage cabinets which have become chock full of things which don’t need to be there. When my oldest son was visiting, he and my younger son tackled this mess, while I made decisions on what would stay and what would go. More than once in this process, I wondered how much useless information I was keeping in my thoughts. As with the dusty masses of nails, screws and other things too good to throw away but of no use to me, I find many false beliefs have been passing through my thoughts on a regular basis. When I say “false beliefs”, it could be said all beliefs are false, but some of them seem to help us navigate the maze of living on this planet, while others simply occupy our time and bring about concern for our well-being. In striving to pay attention, I will try to keep and use all the pure thoughts received from divine Mind; I will share them with others, along with the physical practices which have served me well. Everything else will be sent to the landfill. As with items I choose to purchase, I will try not to take in any of those useless thoughts, making it easier to clean our the nooks and crannies in the future!

“The first step toward freedom involves a sorting out of the false from the true. This is a process of separation in the constructive sense, and reflects the true meaning of the Apocalypse. Everyone will ultimately look upon his own creations and choose to preserve only what is good, just as God Himself looked upon what He had created and knew that it was good. At this point, the mind can begin to look with love on its own creations because of their worthiness. At the same time the mind will inevitably disown its miscreations which, without belief, will no longer exist.”

A Course in Miracles T-2.VIII.4:1-5

“If mortals would keep proper ward over mortal mind, the brood of evils which infest it would be cleared out. We must begin with this so-called mind and empty it of sin and sickness, or sin and sickness will never cease. The present codes of human systems disappoint the weary searcher after a divine theology, adequate to the right education of human thought.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 234:17-24