God's law of Enough

Many people are looking for jobs today, or fear losing their present position.

While praying about unemployment recently, I found myself mentally fighting the claim that there are not enough jobs to go around. There is a shortage of positions for the large number of workers seeking them, the carnal mind aggressively argued.

I immediately identified the claim as a lie , because I know there is never lack in God’s kingdom. There are enough jobs for everyone, I exclaimed.

And then it occurred to me how important it is to pray for everyone in the workforce when facing the issue of unemployment. It is not well enough to pray only for one’s self to find a job, for if one held in thought the possibility of someone else being unemployed because of unfavorable economic conditions, that same belief could very well hold that person back from finding employment.

We live out what we hold in thought. So if we’re battling the belief that there are not enough jobs for everyone, we need to know that there are enough jobs for everyone.

God’s law of Enough! The phrase formed in my mind.

That’s right! I exalted. We’re all governed by “God’s law of Enough!”

There is always enough good to go around for one and all. It’s the way of universal infinite Love.

When I pray for better health, I never fear not finding it because someone else is struggling with disease. I know health comes from God, and it’s unending, ever-present, built into our spiritual individuality which no one ever loses.

When I pray for more love, I never fear not finding it because my neighbor is fighting with his spouse. I know it comes from God, and it’s infinite, equally available to anyone, anytime, anywhere.

When I pray for supply, I never fear not finding it because my neighbor filed for bankruptcy. I know supply is spiritual, coming from God, in the form of wisdom, love, creativity, and inspiration, and there is never a lack of it. Supply is available to one and all.

Demonstrating enough of God’s good is about understanding “God’s law of Enough.” There is enough goodness to go around for everyone, including gainful employment that demonstrates worth and value and generates a profitable return. The opportunities and possibilities come from God, and they are without limit.

God’s law of Enough. I like it. It rings true. It uplifts and inspires one’s sense of possibility. It takes thought out of the mindless dungeon of feeling hopeless and impoverished, and puts it upon the mountaintop of Truth where the expansive view of God’s blessings and gifts is readily taken in, and enough of God’s goodness is found.

There is enough of this goodness for you too. For after all, you are governed by “God’s law of Enough,” and that is enough!

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” II Cor 9:8

Going into the practice

I occasionally talk with individuals who would love to go into the full-time practice of Christian Science healing, but entertain many fears and doubts as to their readiness or capacity to succeed.

Questions and concerns frequently voiced include, “Do I have enough understanding? Are my prayers effective? Will anyone ask me for help?”

When I hear these worries expressed, I point out that going into the practice is all about wanting to help and heal others. Success grows out of genuine desire to see other people cured of their suffering. It’s not a function of how many years one has studied the truth or how well known they are in community circles. It’s a function of love.

For instance, take the comforting instinct of a caring mother. If her child is in physical distress, she does not walk away into a different room and ponder first whether she is qualified to help. She immediately comes to the aid of her child and does whatever she can to relieve the suffering and bring comfort. She does not stand around worrying first about whether she can help. She jumps in and helps, and through prayer, listening, reasoning, thinking and responding, brings comfort to her little one. Her qualifications to help are her unwavering love and absolute care for her chidlren. Her concern for their safety and well being impels her to their aid no matter what. There is no question in her mind about whether she should help or not. She does it because it’s the right thing to do and she always finds an answer that makes a difference.

The Christian Science practice is about loving others, helping others, coming to the aid of those in distress. Success grows out of desire to make a positive difference in other people’s lives.

The real question is not, “Do I have enough understanding?” It’s “Do I have enough love? Do I care enough?”

When we genuinely want to help our neighbor, we find the resources to do it. Our ability to help grows out of our love and yearning to restore hope, promise, health and healing into the lives of our friends, relatives and neighbors.

Like the Good Samaritan Jesus talks about in the Bible, the person who truly loves his or her neighbor cannot walk by someone who is suffering and in pain and ignore them. It’s impossible. The heart of Love goes out to those in need and yearns to see comfort and healing restored.

A person who loves their neighbor cannot idle hours away in the lounge chair of indifference and selfish satisfaction while a neighbor across the street struggles in pain and teeters on the edge of death.

Love for God and neighbor is what impels success in the Christian Science practice. It’s all about taking what one knows about the infinite love of God for man, and demonstrating that love in real life circumstances.

Millions of people suffer today, feeling hopeless, lost, confused and full of fear. They need help. They need comfort. They need healing. They need the Christ-touch of Love that Christian Science is capable of giving them. Those who are ready to respond will be given the understanding, support, confidence and faith they need to make a positive difference. God will ensure that, for God blesses the right unselfish desire and the honest effort.

The big question is: Will you respond? Do you love enough?

“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye
have received, freely give.” Jesus Christ

“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

Employment opportunities increasing

To preserve one’s success, progress and prosperity, it’s important to daily defend thought from external negative mental influence. Like guarding the front door to our home, we do not let strangers in that cause havoc and destruction. We are wise about the guests we allow to enter in order to preserve peace on the home front.

If you like to work and demonstrate worth and value, one statistic that needs to be guarded against today is the rising unemployment rate that has been widely broadcast across the media. Economists have been forecasting a rising rate through the rest of the year, and high unemployment into 2011.

From a spiritual point of view, the rising number means employment opportunities are increasing, not decreasing.

Employment is about working for God, helping one’s neighbor, serving a useful purpose, making a positive difference, engaging with work that generates profit, productively using one’s time and effort to meet needs. Wherever there is a need, there is an employment opportunity.

According to the press, people’s needs have been increasing, not decreasing. And that means there is greater work than ever for those willing to help. And there is a reward to reap.

The belief that there is not enough money to go around and pay wages is illusion.

It’s been interesting to watch the stock market. Investors have pulled out of the market over the last couple of years and prices have declined dramatically. There is no shortage of money to invest. Billions of dollars are sitting on the sidelines waiting for what investors consider ripe opportunities to invest. When that moment hits, the money will flow back in. There is no lack of funds to invest.

With employment, the money is present in the economy to pay wages. That is not a problem. It’s a matter of allocating funds to the most productive and worthwhile purposes. And the resources are going to wait, or flow, in the direction of those serving those most productive and valuable purposes.

I look to the Christian Science practice as the ultimate model for demonstrating employment. Practitioners help people in need. The opportunities to help and income possible has nothing to do with an employment rate, economic forecasts, downturns or upturns. It’s all about drawing upon the infinite resources of divine Love and blessing others with those resources. People have needs, practitioners can meet those needs spiritually, people call for help, healing happens, and gratitude is expressed in practical ways that meet the practitioner’s human needs. People needing the help find the funds they need to receive the help they are looking for just like investors find the funds they need when opportunities are right in the market. There is no lack, but there is a redistribution of resources to the places that bring the greatest benefit.

Any type of worker has a valuable service to offer through the resources of Love he or she puts into practice. These resources come from God and are without limit. When the needs of humanity are great, employment opportunities are even greater.

Jesus Christ went about doing good works for others. He never worried about the economy at large, or suffered from it. He drew upon the infinite resources of wisdom, love and spiritual mindedness to keep fully employed and do his work well. And his human needs were met every day. It’s the way of Love, and a path we all can walk down and benefit from.

The future of healthcare

Healthcare insurance is a hot topic in Washington D. C. and throughout the chambers of Congress debating the issue. The estimated cost is astounding, at least one trillion dollars by conservative estimates.

As I prayed about the future of healthcare, it seemed to me that greater emphasis is needed on disease prevention. Presently, the primary focus is on dealing with effects of poor health through revised insurance programs and administrative procedures, rather than concentrating on the elimination of poor health in the first place.

What if those trillion dollars was focused on helping people stay healthy and keeping them out of health crises to begin with?

The United States spends the most money per citizen for healthcare than any other country, but does not have the healthiest citizens. Facts prove that spending more money is not the answer.

There’s need for a moral and spiritual revolution on the healthcare front that gets to the root of suffering and disease, rather than manipulating effects that continue to grow unchecked and increase expense.

Christian Science has much to contribute to sound healthcare for the population. The focus of attention in Christian Science is on improving one’s moral and spiritual position, reasoning, that as the quality of thought governing the body increases, the body feels an improved effect, and is healthier.

“Health is not a condition of matter, but of Mind…,” Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science wrote in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. What doctors diagnose in the body is but effect of opinions, beliefs and fears happening in human thought governing the body. If we want to improve the healthcare of our citizens, the health of people’s thinking needs to be addressed. Pocketbook issues are important, but focus on expense is not getting to the heart of what will improve the health of our citizens in the long run.

Health is spirituality expressed. It is morality, spirituality, and immortality understood, lived and demonstrated. Christian Science helps people think more spiritually, and gives them the spiritual tools they need to counteract suggestions of disease before they manifest physically, thus reducing visits to doctors and keeping medical expenses down.

For instance, many times over the years I’ve felt a cold or flu-like symptoms coming on, and I’ve reversed them by spiritualizing my thought. Instead of mentally submitting to a decree of days of suffering, I affirm my spiritual right to remain healthy and well, remembering that God sustains my health spiritually, and no material germ, bacteria or virus can take it away. Christian Science has saved me thousands of dollars in healthcare costs over the years by keeping me out of the hospital, and healthy at home. It can do the same for you.

Christian Science can work for anyone. It takes work, some prayer and effort to grow spiritually, but the investment is worth the reward. It certainly is a less expensive form of treatment than the ever-growing medical bills people face today.

More than new insurance programs, rules and policies, our country is crying out for a more effective path to health and healing. The present high cost of medical care is not a sign that we need more money to pay for it, but is a sign that the current medical model and approach is not working.

A spiritual approach to healing is a solution that will meet the need. It sounds radical to many people, but it works. A focus on increased morality and spiritual mindedness will keep people healthy and out of the emergency room. It not only eliminates poor lifestyle choices that cause outrageous medical bills, such as the effects endured from smoking, drinking, recreational drug use, obesity, and their kin, it also gives individuals spiritual truths they can use to counteract suggestions of other diseases before they grow out of control and cause expensive medical treatment.

One benefit that spiraling medical costs have created is discussion on options and alternatives. That is healthy. But I pray attention gets turned more in the direction of supporting a preventative program to health and healing instead of battling effects. Christian Science is the way to go.

God is not in the brain

I read a fascinating article in USAToday, June 22, 2009, written by Barbara Hagerty, titled, “The God choice.”

She wrote in part, “For the past century, science has largely discarded “God” as a delusion and proclaimed that all our “spiritual” moments, events, thoughts, even free will, can be explained through material means.

“But a revolution is occurring in science. It is called neurotheology, and it is sparked by researchers from universities….these scientists are peering into the brain to understand spiritual experience. Perhaps, they say, God is not a figment of our brain chemistry; perhaps the brain chemistry reflects an encounter with the divine.”

To illustrate a consciousness higher than the brain, and not dependent upon the brain, she shares the Pam Reynolds case.

In 1991, Pam Reynolds opted for a “cardiac standstill,” to allow doctors to operate for an aneurism on her brain stem. She was put to sleep, and treated until her brain no longer responded to loud clicks in her ears. Then her body temperature was reduced to 60 degrees, and the blood drained out of her head. The surgeons drilled into her skull, finished their work, and put the blood back into her body. Then her body temperature was raised, and she was brought back to consciousness. When Reynolds awakened, she went on to tell them what they had done during the operation. She had floated upward and watched from overhead, and was able to describe in detail instruments used, sentences uttered, observations made. The doctors were flummoxed. A debate rages today as to the meaning of Pam’s story.

Reynold’s experience is easy to understand in Christian Science. Mind is not in matter, and consciousness is not in the brain. Mind is God, in Spirit, independent of matter.

I could go into a long discussion about spiritual lessons to be gained, but will spare that for now. I wanted to simply share the experience with you, for it is quite interesting and metaphysically stimulating.

All the research today into the brain is a study of effect. Brain is not the source or cause of consciousness anymore than a smile on one’s lips is a source of happiness. As happiness comes first, from divine Love, and then may form a smile on the face as an impression of the human mind, consciousness comes first, from divine Mind, or God, and may evidence activity in the brain as an impression of the human mind, but the source is always God, outside of the flesh. This is one reason Jesus could resurrect from the tomb after the body and brain lay on the stone dead for three days. His consciousness was spiritual, and it never died.

Life is everywhere

When my family vacationed in the Banff, Canada region last week, we went on many hikes through canyons, around lakes, up mountains, and along streams in the forest.

As we walked, I frequently made an effort to see Spirit expressed in what we saw along the way. And it was not hard to do, the landscape was so beautiful, awesome and even tranquil.

Along one stream, we came upon a rock that was “alive.” It was growing right before our eyes. This fascinated me, because I had never thought of rock as growing. It’s always been associated in my mind as void of life, empty of activity..more than dormant…I suppose…dead!

The concept of a rock with life intrigued me, because many times in the Christian Science practice, I’m faced with situations that appear void of life. For example, a client calls and describes a business that has no customers, no income, no hope, no future—an appearance of death. Or a married person calls and says his or her marriage is falling apart—a picture of death. Or someone has a health problem that seems to sap evidence of life from that individual’s face and body.

Anyway, finding life in a most unexpected place reminded me that we live in a universe of life. God is Life. Everything of God expresses life. Metaphysically considered, even a rock, as God’s idea, expresses life. And along that stream was bustling evidence of this truth, in one form. The wall of rock was alive, growing and increasing in size and stature as water trickled over its surface.

I realized later that all the rocks I saw, in the mountains the hills and the valleys, expressed life too. They were evidence of might, authority, beauty, grandeur, peace, and hope and promise of things even greater than of the terrestrial with their peaks stretching mightily upward into the heights of the sky.

Life is everywhere. There is no death, no inactivity, dormancy, or void in the universe of Mind we occupy. The more we look, the more we find, even in a rock.

Christian Science is expressive

There is often a difference between how Christian Science is practiced and what Christian Science teaches. One of the differences, I’ve noticed, is a tendency of many students to keep their Christian Science to themselves, as if it’s a secret kind of thing they don’t want their neighbors to know about.
I’ve been guilty of this in the past, and maybe even today at times if I feel overly intimidated by others who may react violently to my freely sharing what I believe. But it’s an evil that needs to be overcome in order for the student to experience the full blessings of Christian Science in their lives.

Christian Science is not an intellectual reasoning one harbors in consciousness like a banker holds money in his vault. Christian Science is Love lived expansively, broadly and prolifically.

It’s impossible to keep Christian Science to oneself and live it. It just doesn't work that way.

Students, who think they can keep it to themselves and fully live it, are not living it. Their experience with it will be meager and paltry. Somewhere along the line, it might even feel like it isn’t working anymore.

Look at how Jesus commanded his disciples to live Christian Science. He commanded them to go out into the world and preach the gospel. Preaching and evangelism was a requirement to follow him. Why? It was because the laws of God have to be lived, not just talked about. And one lives them by touching other people’s lives with truth and love.

Christian Science is not passive, stagnant, dormant, hermit-type living. Christian Science is the living, moving, breathing, pulsating presence of Love causing good things to happen wherever it is active. An active student of this Science manifests these qualities in everyday life. It is not a lonely experience. It is not a “sit in a cave and keep to oneself form of lifestyle.”

Christian Science, lived, is an instant cure for loneliness, isolation, and depression. It is a bright light that attracts attention and says, “I have something special to help you with.” And seekers of healing see that light, are attracted to it, and come, asking for help and they respond to the blessings that the spiritual light they see has to give.

I love the full-time practice of Christian Science because it keeps me out of myself. It keeps me focused on a power bigger than me and engaged with work that blesses others.

I can think of a few times over the years when I temporarily felt low or ill, and a call for prayerful help came in. No sooner did I start praying for the well being of another, that my own despair or illness fled, instantly. And the lesson has been learned, I find my own in another’s good. This is Christian Science. It’s all about living love for the benefit of others. It’s not about living for oneself. It is unselfed love in action.

I hope you enjoy expressing the truths of Christian Science today for the benefit of everyone around you!

“The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother's need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another's good.” Mary Baker Eddy

If your subscription vanished

If you've been a regular subscriber and your updates quit coming last Friday by email, you probably need to re-subscribe.

Out of the several hundred subscriptions, about 18 evaporated off the master list when I was doing some routine maintenance on the site. I have no way of knowing which 18 they were. One of them was mine, by the way! It was a quirky thing.

So, I just entered my email address again in the top right hand corner of my blog in the "Subscribe me," box, and all is back to normal.

Sorry about that...

The real you

Have you ever been concerned about what other people think about you? Have you ever fretted that you were seen in a negative light, perhaps as hard to get along with, lacking intelligence, attractiveness, talent, worth or value? If so, then fret no more, because anytime another is thinking negatively about you, they are not thinking about you. They are entertaining a false concept of you. And a healing response is to counter that untrue view with the right view—the truth about your identity as a child of God!

And the same rule applies to how you think about yourself. If you entertain negative opinions about your own abilities, talents and worth, you are not thinking about yourself either. You are entertaining a lie about your identity in the likeness of God.

You are a child of God! You are filled with immense worth, intelligence, value, talent and capacity for good. And this is a truth you must never forget or doubt.

The carnal mind at large in the world makes it a full-time job to convince people they are not worthy of the spectacular goodness, health and well being God has freely bestowed upon us all. If we believe the suggestions of the Liar, we are liable to walk down a demoralizing path of depressed thinking that makes us feel unworthy and hopeless.

But don’t do it! Come out and be separate from any type of negative thinking. It’s not the truth about you.

You are not a hopeless mortal doomed to struggle with an endless parade of negative claims on your identity. If a thought is not praising your spiritual virtue and goodness, then it is not a thought about you. And it should be summarily dismissed as out of place and not worthy of an audience, especially in your thinking!

You are a child of God. You are God’s likeness. You are special, important, valuable, needed, and wanted. God has created a niche for you to fill, and no evil suggestion can push you aside and prevent you from realizing your spiritual potential.

You are filled with goodness, intelligence, ability, and talent that can make a positive contribution to meeting society’s needs for improvement and progress.

The real you is the spiritual you. As a child of God, there is not a single thing wrong with who you are. And this is the only legitimate view to hold when deciding what is true and not true concerning your individuality and identity.

Paul's view on marriage

The Christian Science Bible Lesson has a section on marriage this week and the protection it provides for sexual relations. I found a translation of Paul's words in "The Message," especially helpful in understanding his thoughts.

I think the passage speaks for itself.

Paul wrote:

"Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations?

Certainly--but only within a certain context. It's good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality--the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to "stand up for your rights." Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it's for the purposes of prayer and fasting--but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. I'm not, understand, commanding these periods of abstinence--only providing my best counsel if you should choose them.

Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me--a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others.

I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me. But if they can't manage their desires and emotions, they should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually tortured life as a single." I Corinthians 7

Water or rock?

What’s tougher, water or rock?

Generally, we think of rock as the tougher of the two. After all, bonk your head on a rock and it usually hurts. Splash some water over it and the worst side effect might be wet hair…unless you have no hair.

Spend some time in a park filled with mountains, rain, glaciers and snow, and you begin to wonder if rock really is the tougher of the two. The same story is repeated over and again…snow falls, snow melts, water runs down the side of the mountain carving ravines, canyons and valleys along the way. It takes time, but eventually, water, frozen or not, falling from the sky, shapes and forms the landscape, and the rock has no choice but to yield and submit.

While hiking alongside the Maligne River rushing through the Maligne Canyon last week, I caught eye-popping views of how devastating water can be to rock. The current had cut a deep ravine hundreds of feet long, and over a hundred feet deep into the side of the mountain.

The twists and turns and falls and pools were a delightful maze to follow and explore. Sometimes, the canyon was carved so deep one had to lean way over the protective railing to see the stream at the bottom.

I said to my two teens, “The rock is like hardness in world thought that stubbornly sticks to its material way of thinking. The water is like the love of God that keeps streaming and running through human consciousness in endless volumes, softening and eroding the hardness until it gives way to truth and yields. Like the stream before us has softened this rock and opened up this beautiful canyon space we are admiring, Christian Science is at work throughout human consciousness around the world, softening up hardened attitudes and preparing the human mind to receive truth. It may take a long time, but like the water is tougher than the rock, love is tougher than any stubborn attitude. Just like the rock yields to the will of the stream, mortal mind yields to the will of Love.

My son said, “Dad, you should blog that!” So, I just did…

Cobwebs of the human mind

I just got back to my office after being gone for eleven days. What a spider-web mess I found on the outside of my windows! Geez… The place looked like I hadn’t been here for three months.

As I swept cobwebs away from the brick and glass, I thought about how frequently I had to clean in order to keep my premises looking nice and spiffy. A few days off duty, and the build-up of dust, dirt and neglect get totally out of hand. It’s almost a daily effort in the summer to keep the windows clear.

While picking up litter too, I found parallels between how often physical premises have to be cleaned for proper maintenance to the diligence required to keep our mental premises clean. There can be no vacations from the pursuit of spiritual growth if we want to keep our mental home maintained to a high standard and free of pain, suffering and disease. As soon as we retreat from proper moral and spiritual care of our thinking, the spiders and dirt of the carnal mind move in and take over making a mess to clean up until we decide to pay attention once again.

It’s easier to keep unwanted intruders out before they invade the sanctity of our consciousness in the first place. That's what daily prayer is all about--keeping our standard for living high and staying there. It's worth the effort.

The shallow mind

Sometimes the phrase, “a shallow mind” is used in a derogatory way in reference to people who don’t seem to think deeply about important issues, or their attention is preoccupied with topics and interests that require little thinking and effort to absorb or understand.

As I hiked through Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park, a couple of days ago, I found myself surrounded by steep walls of layered limestone towering to neck cranking heights above my head. The trail paralleled a stream that over thousands of years had carved a canyon down through the mountain as melted snow water sought out streams and rivers below.

Aside from the impressive thundering waterfalls and swirling pools of agitated water pushed one way and pulled the other, I was struck by the trees that could send roots down into the age-old rock and find the nourishment and strength they needed to grow elegantly to the sky. There were hundreds of them everywhere.

I looked closely at the top of the rock, and there was at most 1-3 inches of what might be described as soil, but hardly, and the rest was rock, rock, rock as far down as you can imagine. The trees grew out of the stone. And the trees were fully clothed with healthy green needles right up to the top.

I stopped my trek for a moment and bemusedly compared the shallow soil I saw on top of the stone to a “shallow mind,” that I mention above.

I quipped to myself, “If a big beautiful tree can grow out of that shallow and poor excuse for soil, then big beautiful thoughts can grow out of the shallowest of minds.”

A bright light went on within! This revelation was exciting for it revealed a truth that I found very helpful in my efforts to see the spiritual truth in everyone.

In Truth, there is no such thing as a shallow mind. There is one Mind, God, and it is deep, rich, and overflowing with profound and significant thinking. Everyone, as a child of God, reflects the depth and wealth of this Mind, without exception. None of God’s children can possibly ever have a shallow mind. A lacking mind is a false concept of mortal mind that denies the spiritual individuality and fruitful mentality of God’s man.

I found a greater lightness in my step as I resumed my hike and happily accepted that no matter how limited a neighbor’s mind may appear to be, it is not. My neighbor reflects the divine Mind that is never shallow, but deep and rich with spiritual intelligence and understanding. And I should never be surprised to see incredible and grand achievements germinate, take root and grow out of my neighbor’s thought, even when everyone else may think great and grand achievements by that individual are never going to happen.

And anyone who doubts, just take a hike up Johnston Canyon and behold the trees that take root in the most unlikely of places and defy conventional expectations.

Johnston Canyon, Banff National Park

The fog of mortal mind

We're home!

The trip was a success. The family drew even closer together, as usually happens on these excursions. There were moments of sharing and caring that don't show up in ordinary life back home. We get to know each other a little bit better, understand each other's hopes and dreams a little bit more, and spend extended periods of time together which has a natural way of unifying our relationship with each other and strengthening family ties.

Now, to catch up on my blogging...

While in Jasper, we stayed at the Patricia Lake Lodge. A very nice place, by the way, neatly located on the edge of Patricia Lake nestled under the mighty shadow of Mt. Pyramid.

At the end of the living room in our second story apartment type room, was a spacious window overlooking a tidy balcony and acres of trees at the base of Mt. Pyramid, a majestic mountain indeed.

I faced a comfortable lounge chair toward the window, put an ottoman in front of it, and turned that corner of the room into my practitioner office while there.

The first morning, I awoke to this view from my window...



And exclaimed, "Where did the mountain go?" Heavy fog and clouds had settled into the valley. I knew there was a handsome peak to be seen—somewhere!

I thought about foggy states of mind that obscure thought from seeing spiritual reality. Christian Science reiterates time and time again what Jesus Christ taught—that the Kingdom of heaven is at hand—God’s goodness is here and now! But some people have a hard time finding it, recognizing it, and acknowledging it. Why? Because of foggy, cloudy states of mortal mind that obscure the mental view from discerning the goodness of God that is always present. Some even argue there is no God.

Fear, doubt, self-righteousness, pride, ego, arrogant scholasticism, ignorance, disdain, hate, strong faith in physical evidence, materialism, and more, cloud judgment and hide divine reality from the human perspective. Jesus constantly worked to break through this mesmerized dull thought to help others see more of what was only a thought away. “Having eyes, see ye not!” he lamented (Mark 8:18).

What clears the fog away? The love of God at work, embracing humanity in the love of Christ that is ever-active in consciousness, inspiring more humility, faith in Spirit, and a love of things spiritual that naturally opens perspective to see God’s universe all around. And what a glorious picture it is when honestly discerned.

The fog did clear away that day, and this is what stood behind it all along.

What an inspiring view to behold while working from my "office" chair.

Don't let the fog of mortal mind obscure your view today!

Jasper pictures

I typed out stories and lessons learned to share on my laptop, but can't get them transferred onto the public computer here in Jasper. There is no wireless or Internet connection here for computers. So pictures will have to suffice for now!

These first two photos are of Patricia Lake, which is where we are staying here in Jasper. Tyler, my son, braved the water and jumped into the lake tonight. He said, "This is warm Dad. You should do it!" I passed...

We headed up to Maligne Lake this morning. And so did everyone else... It's fourteen miles long, a truly awesome body of water.

More of Pyramid mountain, I believe...

We're heading back to the States tomorrow, Monday. It's been an awe-inspiring trip, to say the least. A time to reflect on greater things than oneself and a reminder that we live in a super huge universe with infinite sights to explore and learn from.

Jasper pictures

Here are a few more pictures taken while up in Jasper. The sun came out and heavenly glory became visible everywhere.


Above, is Patricia Lake on the edge of the property where we lodged while in Jasper. A truly peaceful, inspiring place to be.

We hiked up a long trail to view this glacier, above, on the backside of a high mountain. While bundled in our jackets to brave the cold wind, another hiker came up behind us with no shirt at all. A truly hardy soul.

Bear sightings

Friday was a bonus day for bear sightings. We happened upon this mother brown bear with her cubs. What a joy to sit only feet away in our car and watch as she shephered her cubs across the road, yet kept a watchful eye on any possible danger toward her precious ones. We kept our distance...



Another bear we happened upon during the evening hours. He, or she, not sure which, was out scavenging for food. We watched as she ate berries, overturned logs and looked here and there for whatever happened to please her.

More Banff and Jasper pictures

We headed north yesterday to Jasper. On the way, we passed mountain peak after mountain peak after mountain peak and countless lakes in between. It is so much beauty and magfnicence to take in at one time one just can't possibly absorb it all. It's awesome beyond words.

To see such glory and wonder all about, and through no power of man, is very humbling. It certainly points to a greater creative power in the universe than the paltry human mind.

God is mighty.

Banff pictures

Hey, we finally had a good weather day. The sun came out! And what a spectacular view of the Rocky mountains we were able to see.

If you've never been to Banff National Forest, this has to be one of the most beautiful spots on earth. The magnficient glory of God is apparent everywhere you look. And for miles and miles and miles up and down the Park.

Banff Park scenery

Here are some of the views we took in yesterday. Quite magnificent!

Mt. Temple

Trust God more

For all you experienced horse women and men, you’re going to laugh when I make this confession.

Yesterday was the first time I’d ever ridden a horse for any length of time. As our guide took us into the woods, and eventually on a side hill where the path sloped steeply down to Lake Louise on the left, I started to worry about the footing of my horse.

Many times, Moslin, my ride, walked on the very edge of the path which was very muddy and slick and seemed like a dangerous place to be.

My imagination went momentarily a bit wild. With one little slip, kapooey, I could see the two of us tumbling off the brink, head over heels down into the cold lake.

Now logic and reason said horses were experienced and knew about these things. I had nothing to worry about. And that fact did bring comfort. But when I looked down to the ground to see where Moslin was putting his feet, I couldn’t see a thing. His tummy was too wide and got in the way of my line of sight. Plus, horses have eyes in their head, which happen to be at the front of their body—way up front. How they could see where they placed their hind feet was becoming a significant worry for me.

I tried looking around Moslin’s bulging middle a couple of times, but it was useless. There was no way I could check on Moslin’s feet to see if he knew what he was doing. I was totally at his mercy! Hmmmm….

I decided I had to trust more.

I didn’t have to see his feet. I didn’t have to know all the what’s, whys and wherefores of how horses plodded on a tricky trail. God is All. God expresses intelligence. Therefore, everything in God’s kingdom, including His horses, expresses intelligence--including Moslin. I reasoned. This truth brought me great comfort.

Every footprint, every footstep, was guided by the all-seeing divine Mind that manifested itself through all of God’s creation. I felt reassured.

In my prayers, I saw that I needed to drop the belief that my horse could err, misstep or be ignorant of how to trek safely without slipping over the edge. Fear of accident was a false view of God’s creation, and I didn’t want to be fallible to it.

I quickly gained a greater appreciation for the seamless relationship that exists between God, horse and man. I didn’t have to know everything. God knew, and my horse reflected what God was doing for the benefit of both of us.

The all-knowing Mind planted Moslin’s every hoof firmly in a safe place on that trail, and I didn’t have a single thing to be worried about. I enjoyed the ride very much.

And I'm happy to report that we did not slip off the edge of the trail and go wildly tumbling into the lake.

Looking back, I doubt Moslin was worried one little bit.

I've heard that animals often appear to be very close to God... We can probably all learn from them.

Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

Look up and out

My daughter loves to ride horses, so yesterday we found a corral and hired a guide to take the family on a trail ride around the Lake Louise area.

I have almost no experience riding horses, so I was quite preoccupied for a while learning how to ride a horse proper and give it the right commands.

Aside from Moslin, my gelding, wanting to eat green grass which he was strictly forbidden to do, all went well.

After 30 minutes or so, I looked up from the trail and realized there was a gorgeous lake view to take in plus a multi-layered and brilliantly colored jettison of rock bulging out of the earth on the other side of the water to admire. I had been so engrossed in riding that horse that I had become oblivious to my surroundings.

Aha! I exclaimed. How often does this happen in our travels through the highways of life? How often do we get so focused on what we’re doing that we fail to see incredible and beautiful sights whizzing by us? And they are gone without us even realizing they existed!

I pondered some of the states of mortal thought that are wrapped up in a narrow view of things and miss out on much good.

For instance, take self-absorption. A mindset absorbed with self interest doesn’t appreciate and see all the good going on in their neighbor’s life. It doesn’t matter to them. Or take gluttony. It doesn’t consider the long term implications of over consumption because it doesn’t care. It wants to consume and does so with indifference to the benefits that come from moderation, discipline, and finding contentment outside of food. Or the pursuit of money! Greed and lust race through life with laser focus on financial accumulation often to the detriment of moral and spiritual growth.

There are many other narrow limited views of existence I could enumerate that keep the human mind preoccupied and ignorant of a greater good to be seen and acknowledged.

And then there are the bigger errors of “I am mortal, I am sick, I am poor.” These constrained views of reality would really limit experience to a confined sense of things and have one spend day after day missing out on immortal blessings, health and satisfying wealth.

I decided that believing “I am mortal,” would be like me watching the mud on the trail ahead of my horse and ignoring all the beautiful flowers, forest, lake and mountains around me. A mortal mindset would ignore eternal life, permanent health and ever-present riches of Love. There is huge physical, moral and spiritual freedom that comes from acknowledging eternal life, no matter how mortal one might feel temporarily.

I committed myself to not watching the muddy trail of mortal belief so much and holding onto the greater more inspiring view of spiritual reality.

The widest view is the spiritual view. The best view is the heavenly view. The grandest view is God’s view.

For the rest of the ride, I declared, “No more getting mesmerized by the trail ahead of me. Look up and out to the glorious sights around me.” And I took the inspiration even higher to behold the glorious creation of God in divine Mind that could be discerned only with spiritual sense.

A feeling of peace took over, and the strain and stress that accompanied worry about the path underfoot faded into nothing.

The family had a fun time, even though a bit wet when finished, and I was better spiritually for the adventure.

On a trail ride beside Lake Louise

Wild animals

We've seen a lot of animals here in Banff. The area is teeming with wildlife. As we drive through thousands of acres of forest and deer appear in one place, a gray wolf crosses the road in another, and a bear meanders through the woods elsewhere, I can't help but think of all the animals in the woods that we can't see! There must be huge numbers of four-legged creatures wandering about undetected by the human eye!

God's universe is wide and varied, and it's a joy to be part of it. We all have so much to see, learn and discover to even partially glimpse what God already knows about.

Here's a couple of our sightings yesterday...

A trip to Banff

My family has planned a road trip to Banff National Park in Canada for several months. We left last Sunday after church for Sandpoint, and made our way up to the Lake Louise area on Monday.

Before we left, a friend said to me, “Oh, it must be nice to have a vacation.” I replied, “I’m not sure exactly what a vacation is, but it will be nice to spend long periods of devoted time with my wife and teenagers!”

My family is incredibly understanding of the work I do in praying for others and helping them spiritually. They give me time in the early morning and periodically throughout the day to step aside and answer calls from people in need and keep up with my practice. I know some practitioners will turn off their phone and stop answering emails for several days, or even weeks, in order to get away from their daily routine. And I can see why they do. We all need our “wilderness” time, like Jesus spent in solitude, quietly communing with God and recharging the spiritual batteries, one might say.

I find that I can recharge my spiritual batteries very fast though, generally, in a few hours if necessary. So, for me, getting away from the office is for the purpose of spending more time with my family, which is what we’re doing right now. And I seek a balance on these trips that blesses all.

I find great strength in helping others, which for me, is done most effectively through my healing practice. If I stay on top of things metaphysically, I’m much more fun to be around! And that makes for a happier vacation. So, my wife and I have worked out a mutual kind of understanding that allows me to keep my practice going, but also allows me consecrated time with her and the kids.

I like to think of my whole life as a vacation from mortal mind.

I know from experience that when I pray for someone, I stay strong and well myself. If I get self-absorbed in an activity that is only for me, I can quickly go downhill in spirit, energy, and joy. This is one reason I write these blogs. A tremendous amount of spiritual energy and strength comes to me when I share inspiration with others. It’s an amazing thing to experience. I’m sure many of you can attest to the same.

A self-absorbed life is like a death-spiral into a dark pit. A spiritually outward and expressive life is a path upward that brings heavenly and lasting joy.

So, we’re having a grand time up here in Banff this week. My practice goes on, but the family is growing stronger than ever as we travel together, hike together, talk together, pray together, plan together and stay together. God is good, and there’s plenty of that goodness to go around for everyone.

Here's a couple of pictures...

Looking down on Banff and nearby scenery

Evan and Kathy at Lake Louise

Judge not

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.'

And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.
''Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

~ Author unknown

Supply like oxygen

When thinking about the spiritual nature of supply as ever-present inspiration of divine Mind, it struck me ebullient that supply is as present as air.

Do you every worry about having enough air to breathe in the morning when you rise? Do you get anxious about having enough oxygen to take in while grocery shopping, paying the bills, planning a budget? Probably not, because as a general rule, air is everywhere and oxygen is plentiful, unless you’re headed up Mt. Everest or a similar peak that is not a person’s typical place to be.

Supply is as prevalent as oxygen! I love the metaphor. Supply is not money coming to us, but inspiration, insight, ingenuity, wisdom, intelligence, helpfulness and love in action that generate value, and in turn translates into cash in hand.

People often think they need money to pay bills. Yes, greenbacks make the creditor happy. But money comes in limited amounts. Once spent, there is no more. It’s not money that pays the bills over the long run, but work and effort that generate a constant stream of income. A constant stream of income is the outcome of profitable ideas in action. Ideas come from Mind, and Mind is God. God is the primary source of all reliable supply, and there are no limits on God’s inspirational producing capacity.

God is everywhere. Divine Mind is everywhere. We live, move and have our being in divine Mind, the producer, creator and sustainer of all supply. Spiritually understood, we “breathe” in Mind like people breathe in air.

Everywhere we go, translated, “every time we think,” in Mind, we find supply. Like breathing in oxygen as you walk about daily and never fearing lack of air, one can think with Mind daily too, and never fear shortage.

Mind is an endless source of inspired ideas that meet needs.

Breathe in the atmosphere of Mind today, and you’ll find all the supply, or ideas, you need to plan intelligently and maintain a balanced budget.

Teaching Christian Science

One of the greatest joys of my professional life is to teach Christian Science to others seeking a deeper understanding of its teachings. I am authorized and credentialed by The First Church of Christ, Scientist, to teach one two-week class a year to those aspiring to be Christian Science healers.

Interestingly, when Mary Baker Eddy, the Founder of the Church, authorized students to become teachers, she put a by-law in the governing document of the Church, called the Church Manual, specifically forbidding teachers to solicit students for classes.

The by-law states in part,

Class Teaching. SECT. 5. Members of The Mother Church who are authorized by its By-Laws to teach Christian Science, shall not solicit, or cause or permit others to solicit, pupils for their classes….

I’ve always obeyed this rule, but over the years have occasionally wondered exactly what moral error Eddy was striving to prevent.

After an encounter with a young man a few weeks ago, and listening to his story, I can see better than ever why Eddy created this mandate.

The young man was asking me about taking class, what was required, how he knew whether he was ready, how I conducted classes, and so on. Part way through our discussion, he relayed how he had talked with another teacher two years earlier, and the teacher had put substantial pressure on him to take class with him at that time. The young man did not feel ready, and declined, but still agonized over whether he made a mistake, because he had great respect for the teacher.

I assured him that the choice was between him and God, and no personal influence from any direction should sway his decision.

From the story I heard, it appeared that a teacher somewhere had solicited this student. And suddenly, clearer than ever before, I saw the evil in recruiting students. And it’s this…

If a Christian Science teacher, in any way, tries to sway the decision-making of a potential student through personal influence, he or she is relying upon his or her personality to affect another, and is not trusting the direction of the one Mind to guide the individual.

The act of recruiting for class may appear innocent, because many teachers of other professions do it actively and aggressively, but in Christian Science, it is an evil. Why? Because a Christian Science teacher is to take a student’s thought to God, not to himself. And if a teacher relies upon his personality to persuade a potential student to attend class, he’ll do the same during class when talking about God. In teaching, he will rely upon his personal presence to convince the thought of the student, rather than relying upon the influence of the one Mind, divine Love. The effect could be more of a teacher-worship, than a deeper worship of God, and this is a grave crime against the moral and spiritual rights of the learner.

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” the Bible commands.

The one Mind, God, is the most reliable influence over another’s thought there is. Understanding this truth, and living it, is Christian Science.

Tri-Cities is a nice place

When I travel around the country, I tell people that I live in a desert. They often find this hard to believe since Washington State is known as the Evergreen State! But it is true. It’s hot, dry and arid around the Tri-Cities, which include Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland. I live in Richland.

Our saving grace, though, is the Columbia and Snake rivers which flow through town. They are grand majestic rivers that deliver plenty of water to irrigate the dry ground and bring the desert to life. We have one of the richest agricultural areas in the country here, the Columbia Basin.

Last Saturday, I held my Association meeting, which is an annual gathering of all students who have gone through Primary Class with me. We held the meeting at the Hampton Inn, which is perched on the bank of the Columbia River.

One of my pupils, Jeff Johnstone, loves to take photos wherever he goes, and is very talented with a camera. When I saw two pictures he snapped from the balcony of his room at the Hampton, I thought you might like to see a bit of the scenery from my hometown. So I posted them below.

As you can see, a desert can be a very beautiful place to live!

Judge not

A whole new meaning to Jesus’ admonition, “Judge not,” has been coming to my view.

In the past, I’ve associated it as instruction to not think critically of others. But I’m seeing there’s a whole lot more to it.

What about mundane observations of others like, “He is short. She is tall. He is overweight. She is loud. That man is old. That person is poor. That teen looks suspicious.” and on and on and on…?

After studying the Sermon on the Mount recently and seeing that every instruction, obeyed, in that Sermon, takes one’s thought to the perfect child of God, Jesus’ instruction to “Judge not,” has new relevance for me. It means more than not thinking critically of others. It means to never render a mortal judgment against a friend, neighbor or stranger.

Any type of material evaluation of another is going to be off. God did not create mortals. God, infinite Spirit, created immortals.

To see our neighbors aright, we cannot size them up according to mortal outline. And that is what we do when we take note of physicality and mortality.

To pursue this idea further, I asked myself, "From the vantage point of loving another, what difference does it make if someone is tall or short, fat or skinny?" I concluded that it only makes a difference to us if we think it makes a difference.

The effect is similar to racism. In the eyes of God, race does not matter. We’re all one in Love. But to the racist, race matters because, in his error, he thinks color of skin rates people in degrees of worth and value.

To the materialist, size, shape, form, and action of the material body matters. So, whenever the materially minded looks at another, he or she starts evaluating that person from a physical point of view. And it’s all error.

Man is not physical. He is spiritual. We’re all God’s image, made in the likeness of Spirit.

To correctly know our neighbor, we have to reason out from Spirit about them, never from matter.

It seems to me that the spirit of “Judge not,” is to judge spiritually.

We can do this before we meet our neighbor. We can hold the right idea of God before personal encounters. Then, when we meet for the first time, or the umpteenth time, we won’t be tempted to observe physicality to know what is true about our acquantaince. We’ll already know what is true in thought, and we'll see more evidence of it outwardly. The picture obtained from Spirit is always good.

In Spirit, man is not fat or skinny, old or young, short or tall. God’s man and woman are defined by spiritual qualities radiating from Soul. God’s image is abounding with wisdom, love, joy, cheer, order, peace and harmony.

Hmmm…it seems like a tall order to judge spiritually and only spiritually as one walks down the street, shops at stores, mingles in large crowds, or watches hundreds of images on TV. But it’s what Jesus expected, and knew from experience brings the best healing results.

Judge not! Judge not your neighbor from a material point of view. You will not find him or her there. Our neighbor lives in Spirit, exists as God’s image, and is a beautiful picture to behold.

God is the judge, and God has already rendered a verdict on the worth and value of everyone. And it’s very positive!

You are wonderful, and so is your neighbor.

Happy day…