The following passage written by Mary Baker Eddy has always intrigued me when contemplating the relationship between my spiritual individuality as a child of God and my outward everyday human experience.
She wrote,
“…the human self must be evangelized. This task God demands us to accept lovingly today, and to abandon so fast as practical the material, and to work out the spiritual which determines the outward and actual.”
The words that grab my attention are “…work out the spiritual which determines the outward and actual.”
At first glance, the human mind may jump to the conclusion that the “outward and actual,” refer to material and physical conditions mortals face everyday. But this can’t be what Eddy meant. The teachings of Christian Science explain the nothingness of matter and the totality of Spirit. So the “outward and actual” cannot be material. They are spiritual.
There are countless thought-systems at play in society today telling people how to improve their physical body, increase their monetary wealth, become famous, etc., and in other words, improve their outward and actual experience. But it’s all from a material point of view. This type of counsel is based on the erroneous belief that man is enriched materially, through drugs, money, recognition and their accoutrements.
But man is not a material being. He is a spiritual being. Mortal so-called life is temporal. It’s like a blink of the eye compared to eternity. And all the stuff associated with it passes away with a blink of Truth too. It is as nothing in the eternal scheme of things. It is not the outward and actual for man, the child of God.
“…work out the spiritual which determines the outward and actual.” I love these words.
For me, it means that as I work out my spirituality, which is an "inside job," you might say, my outward experience is going to increasingly reflect what I am discovering spiritually.
For instance, the more spiritual peace I find within, the more peace I feel in my day, in my life, in my home, at work, in church, everywhere I go. But the peace is not emotional, a product of a physical environment, or a factor of material surroundings. It’s the objectification of what I know to be spiritually true.
And it goes to reason, the better my thinking the better my experience, the healthier my thinking the healthier my experience, the more spiritually minded I am the more heaven on earth I feel, see and live.
As one continues to spiritualize thought, "...and to abandon so fast as practical the material..." earth and heaven are seen to be one and the same. There is no more sense of evil, suffering, pain or sorrow.
This is good stuff!
The “outward and actual” is not found in matter or in any believed ideal material condition, situation or circumstance. It’s found in Spirit and we reflect it as spiritual beings.
So, if you want to improve the outward and actual experience of your life, begin by spiritualizing your state of thought. Keep thought in alignment with spiritual truth, and you’ll see evidence of that truth more and more, wherever you go, in whatever you do.
The harmonies of Spirit are the realities of your life. Looking through the lens of spiritual mindedness you find those realities to be tangible and concrete to a spiritual sense of things.
Strive for spiritual mindedness. It’s where the real action of life resides, and it determines the “outward and actual” of your being as a child from above. There is no better experience to embrace.
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
When loved ones pass on
One of the most difficult human experiences to go through can be the passing on of a loved one. A spouse, a child, a parent, a very close sibling or friend, can become fixtures in our lives that we never imagine not being there. Yet, one day, they are not physically with us any longer.
The passing could be from old age, or, in less fortunate circumstances, from accident, illness, war or even crime.
I’ve noticed that some people handle these changes much better than others, and I’ve been thinking through some of the reasons why.
In my own prayers for peace on this issue, I find my greatest protection against overbearing grief about loss comes from knowing that life is eternal, and that we’re all living our eternal life now. No one ever dies or passes on. Our loved ones always were spiritual, and they continue to be spiritual. And we are united with them in Spirit, now and always. This eternal union never changes or dissolves, ever.
Any seeming sense of separation is not a reality, but a false belief that the person we loved was material and capable of dying in the first place. But this is not true! We’re all spiritual and always have been.
I think about how Jesus prepared his followers for his eventual leaving earth as a physical presence. He told them, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
Think of how attached his disciples could have become to the physical Jesus. Jesus was super special. He worked miracles. He transformed their lives in major positive ways. He healed them. He raised their children from the dead. He restored crippled lives to wholeness. He truly was an irreplaceable person to know. Yet, soon, he would be gone. Yet, he would not be gone, according to his teachings. Jesus told them he would still be with them.
How could this be?
He meant spiritually. He was telling them that his individuality was not in a physical body, but in the Christ he reflected and manifested. He lifted their thought higher to the spiritual reality of his individuality. He was telling them to not get attached to a physical body. And he reassured them that if they stayed clear on this vital point, they would not miss him after he ascended. They would draw even closer to him, for he would still be with them in a very tangible concrete form. And as it turned out, he was. The Holy Ghost, or Christ, moved the disciples to even greater works as recorded in the book of Acts.
This lesson of not getting attached to a physical body applies to our loved ones.
They are not material bodies with temporal lives. They are expressions of God, living manifestations of Christ, reflecting the love and goodness of God in their own unique special way--and forever! This truth about their individuality never changes. They do not die. They do not leave us. They do not depart to another realm. They are always with us in Christ, in Spirit, where they’ve always lived.
Understanding this truth helps me greatly when I think about the safety of my family members. Any fear of loss that suggests itself, I immediately reverse with the truth that there is no loss in Spirit, that each member is a spiritual idea of God, forever safe in Mind, where there are no accidents, no injuries, disease or death, no coming and going, no passing, and no loss. I practice seeing them spiritual now! I do not give mortal mind a chance to suggest loss at a later date.
In seeing them spiritual now I find great peace about their safety and permanence in my life. It also draws me closer to them because I’m honoring who they really are. They are not finite mortal bodies with a temporal shelf-life. They are eternal spiritual beings, just like me. And we are inseparable in divine Love, the one Mind that unites all in one grand family.
How have you found peace about the permanence of loved ones in your life?
The passing could be from old age, or, in less fortunate circumstances, from accident, illness, war or even crime.
I’ve noticed that some people handle these changes much better than others, and I’ve been thinking through some of the reasons why.
In my own prayers for peace on this issue, I find my greatest protection against overbearing grief about loss comes from knowing that life is eternal, and that we’re all living our eternal life now. No one ever dies or passes on. Our loved ones always were spiritual, and they continue to be spiritual. And we are united with them in Spirit, now and always. This eternal union never changes or dissolves, ever.
Any seeming sense of separation is not a reality, but a false belief that the person we loved was material and capable of dying in the first place. But this is not true! We’re all spiritual and always have been.
I think about how Jesus prepared his followers for his eventual leaving earth as a physical presence. He told them, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
Think of how attached his disciples could have become to the physical Jesus. Jesus was super special. He worked miracles. He transformed their lives in major positive ways. He healed them. He raised their children from the dead. He restored crippled lives to wholeness. He truly was an irreplaceable person to know. Yet, soon, he would be gone. Yet, he would not be gone, according to his teachings. Jesus told them he would still be with them.
How could this be?
He meant spiritually. He was telling them that his individuality was not in a physical body, but in the Christ he reflected and manifested. He lifted their thought higher to the spiritual reality of his individuality. He was telling them to not get attached to a physical body. And he reassured them that if they stayed clear on this vital point, they would not miss him after he ascended. They would draw even closer to him, for he would still be with them in a very tangible concrete form. And as it turned out, he was. The Holy Ghost, or Christ, moved the disciples to even greater works as recorded in the book of Acts.
This lesson of not getting attached to a physical body applies to our loved ones.
They are not material bodies with temporal lives. They are expressions of God, living manifestations of Christ, reflecting the love and goodness of God in their own unique special way--and forever! This truth about their individuality never changes. They do not die. They do not leave us. They do not depart to another realm. They are always with us in Christ, in Spirit, where they’ve always lived.
Understanding this truth helps me greatly when I think about the safety of my family members. Any fear of loss that suggests itself, I immediately reverse with the truth that there is no loss in Spirit, that each member is a spiritual idea of God, forever safe in Mind, where there are no accidents, no injuries, disease or death, no coming and going, no passing, and no loss. I practice seeing them spiritual now! I do not give mortal mind a chance to suggest loss at a later date.
In seeing them spiritual now I find great peace about their safety and permanence in my life. It also draws me closer to them because I’m honoring who they really are. They are not finite mortal bodies with a temporal shelf-life. They are eternal spiritual beings, just like me. And we are inseparable in divine Love, the one Mind that unites all in one grand family.
How have you found peace about the permanence of loved ones in your life?
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
How old do you feel?
Somewhere, recently, I read an article about a family reunion where four generations of family members had gathered together. The patriarch of the family was a great grandpa who had 92 years behind him. He was a healthy active man.
At one point, the youngsters asked grandpa, “When did you start feeling old?” And he replied, “I’ve never felt old. I feel as young today as when I was your age.”
I said, “Right on!” when I read his comment, because I feel the same way. I don’t feel one little bit older now than I did 40 years ago. My mind is more active than ever, more expansive, more liberated from limited beliefs, and my life is lived at a much higher level. It feels great to be where I am. There is nothing backward or regressive about living life.
Why do some people feel old with advancing years? It's all a matter of perspective...
If we characterize our life in material ways, for example, by how many miles we can run and how fast, how many pounds we can lift, by the absence of wrinkles on our face, or simply by the number of years we’ve counted, we have a limited sense of life’s possibilities, and feel limited accordingly. But when life is measured by the good accomplished, the love expressed, the wisdom gained, there is no regression or diminishing of mental strength and activity. There is only constant progress and healthy growth. And the body will stay healthy too that is governed by the healthy thought.
Perhaps the physical body doesn’t do the same things at 60 that it did at 20, but that doesn’t matter. Life is not about the physical. It’s about the spiritual. And when the spiritual is flourishing, the body comes along without complaint, adjusting and adapting to the spiritual demands of the moment. What are we accomplishing spiritually is the big question to answer aright.
Every time I see ninety year old men happily playing tennis at my local court club, I’m reminded how illusionary the so-called effects of growing old is. They never quit living or thinking. And then I notice others who retire, fall into a state of idleness and lack of initiative, and whither away into a mental and physical state of inactivity. There is a lesson here!
The active mind leads an active life. The expansive mind leads an expansive life. The progressive mind leads a progressive life. And the most active, expansive and progressive life one can lead is the spiritually inspired one. When thought is inspired, uplifted and progressively engaged with truth, it is going to be forging into new fresh mental territory on a regular basis, and the inspired life lived follows right behind.
So, how old do you feel? Ideally, not old at all! Life is too fun and engaging to spend time thinking about age.
At one point, the youngsters asked grandpa, “When did you start feeling old?” And he replied, “I’ve never felt old. I feel as young today as when I was your age.”
I said, “Right on!” when I read his comment, because I feel the same way. I don’t feel one little bit older now than I did 40 years ago. My mind is more active than ever, more expansive, more liberated from limited beliefs, and my life is lived at a much higher level. It feels great to be where I am. There is nothing backward or regressive about living life.
Why do some people feel old with advancing years? It's all a matter of perspective...
If we characterize our life in material ways, for example, by how many miles we can run and how fast, how many pounds we can lift, by the absence of wrinkles on our face, or simply by the number of years we’ve counted, we have a limited sense of life’s possibilities, and feel limited accordingly. But when life is measured by the good accomplished, the love expressed, the wisdom gained, there is no regression or diminishing of mental strength and activity. There is only constant progress and healthy growth. And the body will stay healthy too that is governed by the healthy thought.
Perhaps the physical body doesn’t do the same things at 60 that it did at 20, but that doesn’t matter. Life is not about the physical. It’s about the spiritual. And when the spiritual is flourishing, the body comes along without complaint, adjusting and adapting to the spiritual demands of the moment. What are we accomplishing spiritually is the big question to answer aright.
Every time I see ninety year old men happily playing tennis at my local court club, I’m reminded how illusionary the so-called effects of growing old is. They never quit living or thinking. And then I notice others who retire, fall into a state of idleness and lack of initiative, and whither away into a mental and physical state of inactivity. There is a lesson here!
The active mind leads an active life. The expansive mind leads an expansive life. The progressive mind leads a progressive life. And the most active, expansive and progressive life one can lead is the spiritually inspired one. When thought is inspired, uplifted and progressively engaged with truth, it is going to be forging into new fresh mental territory on a regular basis, and the inspired life lived follows right behind.
So, how old do you feel? Ideally, not old at all! Life is too fun and engaging to spend time thinking about age.
“Life is eternal. We should find this out, and begin the demonstration thereof. Life and goodness are immortal. Let us then shape our views of existence into loveliness, freshness, and continuity, rather than into age and blight.” Mary Baker Eddy
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Life after death
After reading my blog last Thursday, “The young man was alive,” a reader sent me a life after death experience she had a few years ago. She gave me permission to share it with you.
Hi Evan,
I was reading your previous blog about being inspired by Jesus, as he raised the young man from the dead. You mentioned that you had heard reports of life after death. I want to add mine, as I think it is important but not something I would discuss in a testimony meeting.
About three years after I came into Christian Science, my husband was returning home late from a business trip. I had stayed awake to wait for him. I rose to walk down the hall and greet him, and just keeled over. (I had been diagnosed many years earlier with mitral valve prolapse, which has the belief of sudden death.)
Anyway, I remember it as clearly as yesterday, although it was about five years ago. I just took off, fast, no floating for me! I could see cities disappearing below me, and as I went, I felt myriad aches and pains of living just fall away. I still had a body, it was just changed. Then I saw a beloved uncle who had passed on two weeks before. He said, with a huge grin, "Well, look who's here!!!" Then it all faded and I was aware of a really unpleasant suffocation, I was back in my body trying to breathe, and my husband was calling to me. It was not fun to come back. It wasn't a conscious choice either. I think in terms of earth time I was gone for about 4 minutes. I did get a treatment from a practitioner for severe bruises on my leg and arm from the collapse, and I recovered fine.
I have been absolutely certain that there is no death ever since this event. The only people who are aware of death are the ones who are watching matter. It was absolutely seamless as far as consciousness is concerned. There was no pain, no fear or excitement, it was natural. Thought you would find this interesting.
Hi Evan,
I was reading your previous blog about being inspired by Jesus, as he raised the young man from the dead. You mentioned that you had heard reports of life after death. I want to add mine, as I think it is important but not something I would discuss in a testimony meeting.
About three years after I came into Christian Science, my husband was returning home late from a business trip. I had stayed awake to wait for him. I rose to walk down the hall and greet him, and just keeled over. (I had been diagnosed many years earlier with mitral valve prolapse, which has the belief of sudden death.)
Anyway, I remember it as clearly as yesterday, although it was about five years ago. I just took off, fast, no floating for me! I could see cities disappearing below me, and as I went, I felt myriad aches and pains of living just fall away. I still had a body, it was just changed. Then I saw a beloved uncle who had passed on two weeks before. He said, with a huge grin, "Well, look who's here!!!" Then it all faded and I was aware of a really unpleasant suffocation, I was back in my body trying to breathe, and my husband was calling to me. It was not fun to come back. It wasn't a conscious choice either. I think in terms of earth time I was gone for about 4 minutes. I did get a treatment from a practitioner for severe bruises on my leg and arm from the collapse, and I recovered fine.
I have been absolutely certain that there is no death ever since this event. The only people who are aware of death are the ones who are watching matter. It was absolutely seamless as far as consciousness is concerned. There was no pain, no fear or excitement, it was natural. Thought you would find this interesting.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The young man was alive
I’ve received great inspiration this week from studying the story in the Christian Science Bible Lesson about when Jesus raised the young man of the widow in Nain. See below for the story.
When I first read the story, I visualized Jesus walking up to a stretcher with a dead body on it, and talking out loud to a corpse, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.” And I asked myself, “What was Jesus talking to?”
The body was dead. There was no hearing, consciousness or mind in that body. It was lifeless.
Was Jesus talking to a dead brain expecting it to think about what he was saying? Was he talking to silent eardrums expecting them to hear? From a medical and physical point of view, these possibilities are ludicrous. And Jesus never was ludicrous. He acted more intelligently than any other man to trod the globe.
So, what was Jesus talking to?
Obviously, by the nature of his statement, he was talking to a living, thinking, hearing being. “Young man…arise,” is not something you say to a dead body. It’s something you say to someone who you know is hearing you and able to respond.
As I thought the scenario through, it seemed to me that Jesus saw the young man alive. Not in any kind of weird, convoluted, have to take it on faith, kind of distorted thinking, but very matter of fact. Jesus saw, literally, completely, the young man alive, hearing, thinking, listening, and he was breaking the human mesmerism surrounding the young man to help everyone else see that he was alive too.
I thought about many stories I’ve heard from people who had life after death experiences. They relate how they hovered above their bodies while being operated on, or above their cars that just got in a horrible accident. One lady recently told me of a friend who was riding his Harley Davidson through an intersection and got smashed by a car. Instantly, he was elevated above the accident scene looking down and watching his body roll across the highway. An ambulance came, took the body to the hospital, and he came back to tell his story.
Back to the young man, it seems that Jesus was not looking at a dead body. He was beholding and seeing a live, healthy, well young man. And he told him to make himself known for his mother’s benefit.
In Christian Science, we’re taught to behold God’s man, not a mortal man. Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science wrote,
Jesus was not talking to a corpse. He did not buy into the dream of death. He saw a healthy well child of God, not figuratively or wistfully, but literally, and he talked with him. He lifted human consciousness surrounding the funereal scene to a higher level to glimpse a bit more of what he saw spiritually. The effect was an improved human condition, the boy “rising from the dead,” and proving to the widow that all was well. Jesus beheld, through his perfect understanding of Truth, the spiritual child of God that never dies, but lives eternally.
And this also proves that we are not material bodies. We have a spiritual individuality that exists independent of matter and never can be killed, hurt or harmed by anything that happens to a physique. I find this very heartening…
When I first read the story, I visualized Jesus walking up to a stretcher with a dead body on it, and talking out loud to a corpse, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.” And I asked myself, “What was Jesus talking to?”
The body was dead. There was no hearing, consciousness or mind in that body. It was lifeless.
Was Jesus talking to a dead brain expecting it to think about what he was saying? Was he talking to silent eardrums expecting them to hear? From a medical and physical point of view, these possibilities are ludicrous. And Jesus never was ludicrous. He acted more intelligently than any other man to trod the globe.
So, what was Jesus talking to?
Obviously, by the nature of his statement, he was talking to a living, thinking, hearing being. “Young man…arise,” is not something you say to a dead body. It’s something you say to someone who you know is hearing you and able to respond.
As I thought the scenario through, it seemed to me that Jesus saw the young man alive. Not in any kind of weird, convoluted, have to take it on faith, kind of distorted thinking, but very matter of fact. Jesus saw, literally, completely, the young man alive, hearing, thinking, listening, and he was breaking the human mesmerism surrounding the young man to help everyone else see that he was alive too.
I thought about many stories I’ve heard from people who had life after death experiences. They relate how they hovered above their bodies while being operated on, or above their cars that just got in a horrible accident. One lady recently told me of a friend who was riding his Harley Davidson through an intersection and got smashed by a car. Instantly, he was elevated above the accident scene looking down and watching his body roll across the highway. An ambulance came, took the body to the hospital, and he came back to tell his story.
Back to the young man, it seems that Jesus was not looking at a dead body. He was beholding and seeing a live, healthy, well young man. And he told him to make himself known for his mother’s benefit.
In Christian Science, we’re taught to behold God’s man, not a mortal man. Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science wrote,
“Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God's own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick.” Mary Baker Eddy
Jesus was not talking to a corpse. He did not buy into the dream of death. He saw a healthy well child of God, not figuratively or wistfully, but literally, and he talked with him. He lifted human consciousness surrounding the funereal scene to a higher level to glimpse a bit more of what he saw spiritually. The effect was an improved human condition, the boy “rising from the dead,” and proving to the widow that all was well. Jesus beheld, through his perfect understanding of Truth, the spiritual child of God that never dies, but lives eternally.
And this also proves that we are not material bodies. We have a spiritual individuality that exists independent of matter and never can be killed, hurt or harmed by anything that happens to a physique. I find this very heartening…
And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried
out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the
city was with her.
And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. Luke 7:11-15
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Your quality of life
Yesterday, a visitor came into my office and chatted a bit. She talked a bit about how she had cut back on expenses because of the slower economy, but was overjoyed to understand that her quality of life was still the same.
Aw, I thought. That’s terrific! She really gets it. She had learned to measure her quality of life in spiritual terms, and thus was spared any sense of loss from a drop in monetary income.
She told about a group of her friends who liked to gather periodically over lunch, chat, catch up on business and support each other in their mutual work. The last time they met they selected a restaurant that was less expensive because they were all dealing with smaller budgets. But they all had just as much fun together, learned just as much from each other, and left afterward just as happy as ever. There had not been a drop in the quality of the experience just because less money was spent for the meeting.
There is a valuable spiritual lesson in this story. People might get into the habit of believing that their standard of living is measured by the expense of the clothes they buy, the restaurants they eat at, the size of their house, and how much money they have in the bank. But life teaches us differently. Quality of life is not measured materially. It’s measured spiritually, by the qualities of Love we express.
I remember the early days of my marriage. My wife and I had very little money and lived very modestly. But we were grateful for what we had, did not long for more, and focused on living a spiritual life. We were in love, enjoyed our time together, did what we could afford, and that was enough.
We have more stuff now, but I can’t say it makes us any happier. Happiness truly is spiritual, born of God and experienced in the way we live our life, not through things we own or might buy.
The amount of money circulating through the economy may be down, but our potential for living a high quality of life is not!
Life is spiritual, not material. The joys of life are spiritual, not material.
We may spend less money for the time being, but that doesn’t mean we have to express less joy, love and gratitude. Those come in abundance from God, and the ability to manifest them is freely given to each of us. They give life quality, and can be lived as much today as yesterday.
Aw, I thought. That’s terrific! She really gets it. She had learned to measure her quality of life in spiritual terms, and thus was spared any sense of loss from a drop in monetary income.
She told about a group of her friends who liked to gather periodically over lunch, chat, catch up on business and support each other in their mutual work. The last time they met they selected a restaurant that was less expensive because they were all dealing with smaller budgets. But they all had just as much fun together, learned just as much from each other, and left afterward just as happy as ever. There had not been a drop in the quality of the experience just because less money was spent for the meeting.
There is a valuable spiritual lesson in this story. People might get into the habit of believing that their standard of living is measured by the expense of the clothes they buy, the restaurants they eat at, the size of their house, and how much money they have in the bank. But life teaches us differently. Quality of life is not measured materially. It’s measured spiritually, by the qualities of Love we express.
I remember the early days of my marriage. My wife and I had very little money and lived very modestly. But we were grateful for what we had, did not long for more, and focused on living a spiritual life. We were in love, enjoyed our time together, did what we could afford, and that was enough.
We have more stuff now, but I can’t say it makes us any happier. Happiness truly is spiritual, born of God and experienced in the way we live our life, not through things we own or might buy.
The amount of money circulating through the economy may be down, but our potential for living a high quality of life is not!
Life is spiritual, not material. The joys of life are spiritual, not material.
We may spend less money for the time being, but that doesn’t mean we have to express less joy, love and gratitude. Those come in abundance from God, and the ability to manifest them is freely given to each of us. They give life quality, and can be lived as much today as yesterday.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
You are spiritual
One of the most liberating truths Christian Science teaches is that we are spiritual right now.
People are commonly taught that they are mortal, fallible, and inevitably held hostage to sin, disease and death. Human experience confirms this belief with suffering, trial and evidence of lack. But Jesus Christ taught an opposite truth. He said the “Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
How close is your hand?
It’s closer than close. It’s attached! It’s here and now. It’s a part of your body.
And the same rule applies to heaven’s blessings.
Spirituality is here and now. It’s not afar off. It’s not remote to us. It’s not something gained in the future. Spirituality is the reality of our individuality in this instant.
We are who we are. And who we are, is spiritual! It has to be. How could it be otherwise?
Matter does not evolve into Spirit. A mortal does not somehow transform into an immortal. That is impossible. There is nothing in matter to identify with Spirit. And there is nothing in mortality that has even a hint of immortality.
The mortal is the finite, temporal and non-intelligent. The immortal is the infinite, the eternal and the intelligent. Mortality and immortality have nothing in common.
If we’re mortal, we are indeed in a hopeless situation. All would seem lost.
But there is always hope. There is always a place for healing. There is a beautiful wholesome reality about life to embrace, accept and experience. And it’s called immortal Life!
We are not mortal. We are immortal.
Life, spiritual Life, is here and now. It’s not in the future. We’re living it at this very moment.
To the human mind, spiritual reality seems remote and distant. But that’s because the human mind tries to sum up existence in physical terms. And it’s all wrong and upside down in it’s conclusions.
The physical sense of things must be tossed aside and replaced with the spiritual truth. Then we experience spiritual truth in concrete tangible ways everyday.
We are spiritual now. We aren’t going to be anymore spiritual tomorrow.
It is divine Life that sustains us, gives us breath, strength, power, ability, wisdom, insight, stature, wealth and substance. Life is ever-present, sustaining our being. Life goes on no matter how many times mortal mind believes death happens.
In the big picture scheme of things, death doesn’t happen. No one ever dies. What appears to be death is but a moment of fear, Mary Baker Eddy explains. Life continues. It never stops.
We’re living our eternal spiritual life right now.
And this is such a wonderful truth to accept and live!
It takes all the fears and worries away that lead to suffering.
Rather than living in fear of mortality, we spend our time, thought and energy rejoicing in our spirituality. This is a much happier and healthier way to live.
You are spiritual—today! You are the offspring of Spirit, the inspiration of divine Mind, the vitality and strength of Life, the beauty and health of Soul. You have all of the goodness of God you could ever have, right at this moment, built into your being.
What are you waiting for? Your life is not on hold. Your health is not in the future. It’s present and now, in your spirituality, in God, which is where you truly live and move and have your being.
Enjoy being spiritual today. It’s the most fun and liberating way to live.
Hugs…
People are commonly taught that they are mortal, fallible, and inevitably held hostage to sin, disease and death. Human experience confirms this belief with suffering, trial and evidence of lack. But Jesus Christ taught an opposite truth. He said the “Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
How close is your hand?
It’s closer than close. It’s attached! It’s here and now. It’s a part of your body.
And the same rule applies to heaven’s blessings.
Spirituality is here and now. It’s not afar off. It’s not remote to us. It’s not something gained in the future. Spirituality is the reality of our individuality in this instant.
We are who we are. And who we are, is spiritual! It has to be. How could it be otherwise?
Matter does not evolve into Spirit. A mortal does not somehow transform into an immortal. That is impossible. There is nothing in matter to identify with Spirit. And there is nothing in mortality that has even a hint of immortality.
The mortal is the finite, temporal and non-intelligent. The immortal is the infinite, the eternal and the intelligent. Mortality and immortality have nothing in common.
If we’re mortal, we are indeed in a hopeless situation. All would seem lost.
But there is always hope. There is always a place for healing. There is a beautiful wholesome reality about life to embrace, accept and experience. And it’s called immortal Life!
We are not mortal. We are immortal.
Life, spiritual Life, is here and now. It’s not in the future. We’re living it at this very moment.
To the human mind, spiritual reality seems remote and distant. But that’s because the human mind tries to sum up existence in physical terms. And it’s all wrong and upside down in it’s conclusions.
The physical sense of things must be tossed aside and replaced with the spiritual truth. Then we experience spiritual truth in concrete tangible ways everyday.
We are spiritual now. We aren’t going to be anymore spiritual tomorrow.
It is divine Life that sustains us, gives us breath, strength, power, ability, wisdom, insight, stature, wealth and substance. Life is ever-present, sustaining our being. Life goes on no matter how many times mortal mind believes death happens.
In the big picture scheme of things, death doesn’t happen. No one ever dies. What appears to be death is but a moment of fear, Mary Baker Eddy explains. Life continues. It never stops.
We’re living our eternal spiritual life right now.
And this is such a wonderful truth to accept and live!
It takes all the fears and worries away that lead to suffering.
Rather than living in fear of mortality, we spend our time, thought and energy rejoicing in our spirituality. This is a much happier and healthier way to live.
You are spiritual—today! You are the offspring of Spirit, the inspiration of divine Mind, the vitality and strength of Life, the beauty and health of Soul. You have all of the goodness of God you could ever have, right at this moment, built into your being.
What are you waiting for? Your life is not on hold. Your health is not in the future. It’s present and now, in your spirituality, in God, which is where you truly live and move and have your being.
Enjoy being spiritual today. It’s the most fun and liberating way to live.
Hugs…
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Life is not a check off list
When my wife and I talked about what we’d do while in NYC for two days over Memorial Day weekend, it was tempting to lay out an itinerary of places we wanted to see, and then hoof it around from one place to the other until we worked our way down the desired list.
But we also wanted to enjoy our time together and not be hurried by a jammed schedule of things to do. So we decided that our goal was not to “do things,” but to enjoy each other’s company and let the spirit move us as it willed.
So we made a list of sights we’d like to see, but set no schedule as to when or how.
You must understand that letting go of a schedule is a major accomplishment for me. I’ve always been strong on order and planning out things ahead of time to avoid mishaps. But I’m also learning that there is a higher order already in place that I can trust to appear in a timely way. I don’t have to know ahead of time what the Big Plan is except to know there is one and it’s very good--a scheme much better than I could ever figure out myself.
So, I put Evan’s planning aside, and trusted God’s planning.
Kathy was happy to agree!
Saturday morning, we decided to walk through Central Park and eventually end up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
As we strolled through the park at a leisurely pace watching the young children play, the ducks swimming in the ponds, the musicians playing their instruments, boats floating in the boat pond, and hard working citizens taking a well-earned moment to relax and soak in some sun, I rejoiced in seeing more clearly that life is not a check-off list of jobs and tasks that need to be done.
But we also wanted to enjoy our time together and not be hurried by a jammed schedule of things to do. So we decided that our goal was not to “do things,” but to enjoy each other’s company and let the spirit move us as it willed.
So we made a list of sights we’d like to see, but set no schedule as to when or how.
You must understand that letting go of a schedule is a major accomplishment for me. I’ve always been strong on order and planning out things ahead of time to avoid mishaps. But I’m also learning that there is a higher order already in place that I can trust to appear in a timely way. I don’t have to know ahead of time what the Big Plan is except to know there is one and it’s very good--a scheme much better than I could ever figure out myself.
So, I put Evan’s planning aside, and trusted God’s planning.
Kathy was happy to agree!
Saturday morning, we decided to walk through Central Park and eventually end up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
As we strolled through the park at a leisurely pace watching the young children play, the ducks swimming in the ponds, the musicians playing their instruments, boats floating in the boat pond, and hard working citizens taking a well-earned moment to relax and soak in some sun, I rejoiced in seeing more clearly that life is not a check-off list of jobs and tasks that need to be done.
Pond in Central Park where part of Stuart Little was filmed
Lists can help keep order, but they are not the end-all and be-all of existence. Life is so much more than human tasks accomplished.
Life is a spiritual experience, not a check-off list.
Life is about feeling close to God and practicing love.
Life is not things we have to do. Life is what we ARE doing!
Life is love lived.
I felt a lot of love while meandering down the paths and around the bends of Central Park last Saturday. And I believe it was easier to feel because I had put a preconceived agenda of what to do that day totally aside. We were letting the Spirit move us, and the effect was one of no strain or stress, no hurry or rush, but peace, calm, quiet, restfulness—love felt.
Jesus let the Spirit move him, but he also had a strong sense of order in his life. He knew he had a mission to accomplish. He knew what his Father-Mother expected of him, and he worked hard to be a faithful son. But he also mentally dwelt at that happy median of trusting the Spirit to lead him each day and move him in a progressive direction. He didn’t humanly schedule his life, but spiritually lived it.
Some people have no problem forsaking lists, but then they struggle with finding order. I am looking for the happy median--order--but freedom too.
It is comforting to understand that God’s plan is better than mine.
It certainly was comforting last weekend!
We still visited a large number of places in two days, but at Spirit’s restful pace, and not in a mortal mind hurried race. The weekend was truly a delightful time.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Our dog Rhodie
When our family returned from Indian Wells late at night a week ago Monday, we couldn’t find our dog, Rhodie. We decided she was with our neighbor caretaker, and went to bed unworried.
The next morning, however, my wife found her in a remote part of our yard lying listlessly on the ground. She was breathing, but wouldn’t respond to any stimulation.
Rhodie is a golden lab, and has been with us around 15 years now. She is dearly loved and has added great joy to the family activity over the years. Suggestions that she may be nearing the end of her time on earth have surfaced in recent weeks as she has slowed down her momentum, so the first thought was, “This may be the time.”
I carried her up to the house and put her on her soft bed on the patio. She was limp, oblivious to my actions, and heavy to carry, but I succeeded in plunking her down in her favorite position. Motionless, she was not even slightly interested in eating or drinking.
Shortly, after walking away, I challenged the aggressive suggestion that she was dying. Yes, she had lived a long time, and yes, if she went, it would be okay. The family was prepared for that transition. I consented. But my Christian Science view of Life rebelled against accepting death under any circumstance.
Life is eternal! I protested. Rhodie is an eternal idea of God that was never born into matter, and will never leave matter, I affirmed.
I decided to improve my understanding of what Rhodie was as an idea of God, instead of buying into the picture of living and dying in matter.
And Christian Science teaches this truth. Christian Science, as Jesus taught also, explains that the physical body, as a shell of mortal mind, is never the sum and substance of anyone, including animals. We, in our true identity, are spiritual beings at-one with our Maker in Spirit.
God’s ideas lived before so-called material existence, and they live forever after it. Life is eternal in Spirit. It is never IN matter.
I caught a clearer glimpse of Rhodie as God’s idea in Mind, and not in matter, than ever before. It brought me great peace.
As a spiritual idea, she was not ill, she was not weak, she was not mortal, she was not dying, and never would die, I agreed. She was living her eternal spiritual life in Mind right now. And that truth would never change.
In a few hours, to the delight of all, Rhodie started to respond to taking in some water, and soon, food. She got up and moved a bit, very clumsily, then more, and soon started roaming the yard as was her customary practice in weeks past. It was a resurrection for the family to witness. Awesome!
Hmmm...I just realized that this all occurred at the beginning of Easter week. How cool...
Rhodie has been her usual self ever since. And everyone is happy about it.
“Never accept death as real and happening, even when it appears a natural thing to occur,” I gained from this experience.
Death is not natural, ever. Death doesn’t happen, ever. Life is the real, and it’s eternal.
When animals and people pass on, they do not die in the process. They continue living in Spirit, which is where they had always lived. This truth, understood, heals. It dispels, to increasing degree, the illusion of death and dying here on earth until we get to the full realization of Life in Spirit, where the suggestion of death doesn’t even occur in the first place. Oh what a glorious day that will be…
The next morning, however, my wife found her in a remote part of our yard lying listlessly on the ground. She was breathing, but wouldn’t respond to any stimulation.
Rhodie is a golden lab, and has been with us around 15 years now. She is dearly loved and has added great joy to the family activity over the years. Suggestions that she may be nearing the end of her time on earth have surfaced in recent weeks as she has slowed down her momentum, so the first thought was, “This may be the time.”
I carried her up to the house and put her on her soft bed on the patio. She was limp, oblivious to my actions, and heavy to carry, but I succeeded in plunking her down in her favorite position. Motionless, she was not even slightly interested in eating or drinking.
Shortly, after walking away, I challenged the aggressive suggestion that she was dying. Yes, she had lived a long time, and yes, if she went, it would be okay. The family was prepared for that transition. I consented. But my Christian Science view of Life rebelled against accepting death under any circumstance.
Life is eternal! I protested. Rhodie is an eternal idea of God that was never born into matter, and will never leave matter, I affirmed.
I decided to improve my understanding of what Rhodie was as an idea of God, instead of buying into the picture of living and dying in matter.
And Christian Science teaches this truth. Christian Science, as Jesus taught also, explains that the physical body, as a shell of mortal mind, is never the sum and substance of anyone, including animals. We, in our true identity, are spiritual beings at-one with our Maker in Spirit.
God’s ideas lived before so-called material existence, and they live forever after it. Life is eternal in Spirit. It is never IN matter.
I caught a clearer glimpse of Rhodie as God’s idea in Mind, and not in matter, than ever before. It brought me great peace.
As a spiritual idea, she was not ill, she was not weak, she was not mortal, she was not dying, and never would die, I agreed. She was living her eternal spiritual life in Mind right now. And that truth would never change.
In a few hours, to the delight of all, Rhodie started to respond to taking in some water, and soon, food. She got up and moved a bit, very clumsily, then more, and soon started roaming the yard as was her customary practice in weeks past. It was a resurrection for the family to witness. Awesome!
Hmmm...I just realized that this all occurred at the beginning of Easter week. How cool...
Rhodie has been her usual self ever since. And everyone is happy about it.
“Never accept death as real and happening, even when it appears a natural thing to occur,” I gained from this experience.
Death is not natural, ever. Death doesn’t happen, ever. Life is the real, and it’s eternal.
When animals and people pass on, they do not die in the process. They continue living in Spirit, which is where they had always lived. This truth, understood, heals. It dispels, to increasing degree, the illusion of death and dying here on earth until we get to the full realization of Life in Spirit, where the suggestion of death doesn’t even occur in the first place. Oh what a glorious day that will be…
Monday, February 11, 2008
A remarkable healing
I received the below account from a reader, and asked permission to share it with you.
A must read…
Here’s a sweet testimony I heard at Wednesday night testimony meeting.
Three young children had a kitten. Their garage door was defective and one day crashed down on the kitten. The evidence said, "This cat is dead." The mother called a practitioner, and he asked the children to declare, "God is the only Life," every time they thought about the kitten. They placed the kitty in a shoe box with a warm blanket. Every time any one of them thought about the kitty, they obediently insisted, "God is the only Life!"
When their father, who is not a Christian Scientist, came home, he declared, "This cat is dead." When they would not agree, he took her to the vet, and he declared, "This cat is dead."
On the way home, the father heard the cat sneeze and took her back to the vet who said it was a phenomenon that sometimes happened, but nevertheless, "This cat is dead." The cat sneezed again several times in a row, but when the father checked her, the evidence said, "This cat is dead."
When he got home, the children insisted on keeping the cat in the box in the garage no matter what anybody said. They were still declaring, "God is the only Life."
The morning of the third day, as they were having breakfast, they heard some loud mewing coming from the garage. When they opened the door, the cat came bounding into the kitchen perfectly well and strong.
The testifier said that she and her brothers had so lost sight of the furry evidence and were so filled with the truth they had been declaring that they SAW THE TRUTH THEY WERE CONSCIOUS OF. The cat did not have to get better. Their declarations for LIFE demonstrated LIFE never born, never dying, never hurt, never recuperating.
I reminded myself after hearing this story that God is our very own Mind. We can be conscious of Truth alone if God is our Mind, therefore we MUST SEE this Truth evidenced in our lives.
A must read…
Here’s a sweet testimony I heard at Wednesday night testimony meeting.
Three young children had a kitten. Their garage door was defective and one day crashed down on the kitten. The evidence said, "This cat is dead." The mother called a practitioner, and he asked the children to declare, "God is the only Life," every time they thought about the kitten. They placed the kitty in a shoe box with a warm blanket. Every time any one of them thought about the kitty, they obediently insisted, "God is the only Life!"
When their father, who is not a Christian Scientist, came home, he declared, "This cat is dead." When they would not agree, he took her to the vet, and he declared, "This cat is dead."
On the way home, the father heard the cat sneeze and took her back to the vet who said it was a phenomenon that sometimes happened, but nevertheless, "This cat is dead." The cat sneezed again several times in a row, but when the father checked her, the evidence said, "This cat is dead."
When he got home, the children insisted on keeping the cat in the box in the garage no matter what anybody said. They were still declaring, "God is the only Life."
The morning of the third day, as they were having breakfast, they heard some loud mewing coming from the garage. When they opened the door, the cat came bounding into the kitchen perfectly well and strong.
The testifier said that she and her brothers had so lost sight of the furry evidence and were so filled with the truth they had been declaring that they SAW THE TRUTH THEY WERE CONSCIOUS OF. The cat did not have to get better. Their declarations for LIFE demonstrated LIFE never born, never dying, never hurt, never recuperating.
I reminded myself after hearing this story that God is our very own Mind. We can be conscious of Truth alone if God is our Mind, therefore we MUST SEE this Truth evidenced in our lives.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Life of drudgery or joy
I believe there is ultimately one way to live our lives, and that is for God. But in the temporal human experience, many people often miss the joys of spiritual life along the way, and life becomes lackluster, dull and boring. This ought not to be."There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle."~ Albert Einstein
Life, lived well, is a tremendously rich and full experience overflowing with awe-inspiring opportunity and possibility for increased improvement and spiritual growth.
To live the spiritual life God has given us to reflect, is to keep one’s eyes and ears wide open to the goodness of God happening all around. It’s a matter of perspective.
The dull uninspired thought is blind to God’s good at hand. The eager, expectant and grateful heart rapidly discerns the good, seizes upon it and ventures for more. Life becomes a miracle, rather than a holding pattern.
Monday, September 24, 2007
What matters most in life?
When I moved into my new office last spring, I immediately befriended my neighbor to the left of my space who was a sewing machine repairman. We frequently stepped into each other’s shops and said hi, exchanged a few pleasantries and went about our business.
A month, ago, one Monday morning, Phil, my neighbor, never showed up. His Singer store remained locked. This was highly unusual. He was
a one man operation with no employees, worked 6 days a week, and very faithfully so. And we usually knew about everything he was up to.
Two days passed, and no Phil. Myself and neighbors were a bit concerned, so I called his home. His daughter answered and said Phil had passed away on Sunday night.
He was 79, and lived a full life, but still, the surprise had a sobering effect.
The family hired a liquidator to dispense with Phil’s possessions. Two weekends ago everything in his house was sold. Last weekend, everything in his store--stuff accumulated over decades—was carted off by strangers in a few hours. The store now stands bare empty, with not even a sign of Phil having been there.
This blog is not about death and coping with grief. I know Phil is alive and well in Spirit, prospering in Mind and happily so. I have no concerns about Phil, although I would have liked to give him a hug good-bye before he left so quickly! Aside from that, I’ve been pondering the rapid liquidation of all his worldly possessions in a mere few hours.
Phil spent decades putting together a home and building a business. In moments it was all gone. All of it! Not a trace left behind.
I saw a similar thing happen when my mom passed. My brother and sisters and I had to clean out her house to sell it. It didn’t take long, a few days, in fact, to undo what mom had spent decades building up. How fast the dissolution happened deeply impacted me. What I had grown attached to over a lifetime was suddenly gone, practically overnight.
Watching the rapid liquidation of Phil’s estate had a similar impact. From a matter perspective, one day, all looked well. The next, it was all gone.
I gain strong spiritual lessons from watching such events. This one in particular teaches me to not put my faith in the build-up of matter. Why would you when you realize it will be all gone someday, and probably rapidly so. We need a place to live, books to read, furniture to utilize, and other things to get by with, but the real substance of life is not in the things we accumulate. It’s in the spiritual life we live.
Life is not in matter. And substance is not in things that can be sold and carted away. There's more to existence then a list of worldly goods that can be sold to the highest bidder in a few hours, I figure.
The essence of Life is divine Love lived, joy expressed, generosity shared, spirituality gained, God understood, Truth demonstrated and gratitude given.
Life and its spiritual goodness is forever, but material things are not.
A month, ago, one Monday morning, Phil, my neighbor, never showed up. His Singer store remained locked. This was highly unusual. He was
a one man operation with no employees, worked 6 days a week, and very faithfully so. And we usually knew about everything he was up to.Two days passed, and no Phil. Myself and neighbors were a bit concerned, so I called his home. His daughter answered and said Phil had passed away on Sunday night.
He was 79, and lived a full life, but still, the surprise had a sobering effect.
The family hired a liquidator to dispense with Phil’s possessions. Two weekends ago everything in his house was sold. Last weekend, everything in his store--stuff accumulated over decades—was carted off by strangers in a few hours. The store now stands bare empty, with not even a sign of Phil having been there.
This blog is not about death and coping with grief. I know Phil is alive and well in Spirit, prospering in Mind and happily so. I have no concerns about Phil, although I would have liked to give him a hug good-bye before he left so quickly! Aside from that, I’ve been pondering the rapid liquidation of all his worldly possessions in a mere few hours.
Phil spent decades putting together a home and building a business. In moments it was all gone. All of it! Not a trace left behind.
I saw a similar thing happen when my mom passed. My brother and sisters and I had to clean out her house to sell it. It didn’t take long, a few days, in fact, to undo what mom had spent decades building up. How fast the dissolution happened deeply impacted me. What I had grown attached to over a lifetime was suddenly gone, practically overnight.
Watching the rapid liquidation of Phil’s estate had a similar impact. From a matter perspective, one day, all looked well. The next, it was all gone.
I gain strong spiritual lessons from watching such events. This one in particular teaches me to not put my faith in the build-up of matter. Why would you when you realize it will be all gone someday, and probably rapidly so. We need a place to live, books to read, furniture to utilize, and other things to get by with, but the real substance of life is not in the things we accumulate. It’s in the spiritual life we live.
Life is not in matter. And substance is not in things that can be sold and carted away. There's more to existence then a list of worldly goods that can be sold to the highest bidder in a few hours, I figure.
The essence of Life is divine Love lived, joy expressed, generosity shared, spirituality gained, God understood, Truth demonstrated and gratitude given.
Life and its spiritual goodness is forever, but material things are not.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Keep clear of death beliefs
While hiking near Yellowstone last month, a guide told my group that forest rangers were quick to clear campgrounds and hiking trails of dead animals. And periodically, campgrounds and trails that had a dead carcass would be closed for the season to protect future campers and hikers.
Closing a campground or trail for several months because of a dead animal that had been removed seemed odd to us, so we asked why? And the metaphysical implications of his answer have kept me thinking ever since.
Our leader explained that dead carcasses attract predators, and the predators can come for weeks after the event, detecting the smell of death lingering in the air for miles around even though the dead animal was gone. Unsuspecting campers and walkers could be victims. So, the forest service found it best to keep those areas cleared of people until the scent was totally gone.
I had read in a museum that a bear’s sense of smell is several times more powerful than a bloodhound’s. Wow! I thought. Smells humans think are long gone, are still present to the more acute nose.
Metaphysically speaking, I saw large lessons in this scenario. Most importantly, it’s important that we absolutely not harbor “death beliefs” in our thinking if we don’t want predators attracted to our campsite!
And by death beliefs, I mean any suggestion of lack or loss.
For example, have you ever gotten depressed or feeling hopeless and your circumstances just got worse and worse? This is a classic case of one feeling of lack attracting another, and the picture of hopelessness escalates until checked. Or, one may start to believe they are old and aging and susceptible to loss of health. One health problem occurs, then another… This is another example of one death belief attracting another. The predators of dismay, discouragement, apathy, gloom and doom, doubt, suspicion, fear, and resignation would pounce upon and annihilate hope, confidence, courage, faith, trust and fruition.
Closing a campground or trail for several months because of a dead animal that had been removed seemed odd to us, so we asked why? And the metaphysical implications of his answer have kept me thinking ever since.
Our leader explained that dead carcasses attract predators, and the predators can come for weeks after the event, detecting the smell of death lingering in the air for miles around even though the dead animal was gone. Unsuspecting campers and walkers could be victims. So, the forest service found it best to keep those areas cleared of people until the scent was totally gone.
I had read in a museum that a bear’s sense of smell is several times more powerful than a bloodhound’s. Wow! I thought. Smells humans think are long gone, are still present to the more acute nose.
Metaphysically speaking, I saw large lessons in this scenario. Most importantly, it’s important that we absolutely not harbor “death beliefs” in our thinking if we don’t want predators attracted to our campsite!
And by death beliefs, I mean any suggestion of lack or loss.
For example, have you ever gotten depressed or feeling hopeless and your circumstances just got worse and worse? This is a classic case of one feeling of lack attracting another, and the picture of hopelessness escalates until checked. Or, one may start to believe they are old and aging and susceptible to loss of health. One health problem occurs, then another… This is another example of one death belief attracting another. The predators of dismay, discouragement, apathy, gloom and doom, doubt, suspicion, fear, and resignation would pounce upon and annihilate hope, confidence, courage, faith, trust and fruition.
Setting up camp in a safe place
The lesson I learn from this is that we need to stay extra alert to keep our campground, or consciousness, clean of any hint of death. Any suggestion, claim or assertion of decline, lack, or loss needs to be instantly eliminated from the premises. From our thinking! And promptly replaced with the purity and wholesomeness of Life!
From a mental point of view, we can choose the site where we wish to set up our tent. And we can choose the campground of Life, where death is unknown; there are no predators to fear, and no prey to be found. Love is all.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The bigger picture
When you read the headlines in the US these days, you would think the most important events going on in the world are the Iraq war and the upcoming presidential primaries. These are certainly significant activities, and need to be honored and valued, especially a quick and appropriate resolution of the war. But it occurred to me recently that there is a bigger development going on in the world that we often lose sight of. And it’s a spiritualization of thought that leads people to see, eventually, that life is ever new and safe in God.
In thinking back on my early years, I was raised on a family farm where there always seemed to be some calamity or difficulty that needed to be mastered. Either a frost hit the apples, or hallow heart (a brown cavity in the middle of the spud) struck the potato crop, or interest rates were sky high, or yields were down, or the price of crops plunged. There was frequently some pressing need of the moment that seemed to eclipse everything else in life if we let it. Focus on those troubles often kept attention mesmerized in a state of despair and possibly forgetting the bigger perspective, that no matter what happened on the farm, life would go on.
And it did. Life always went on. We survived every year, every calamity, every catastrophe, and every disaster. A new year always showed up, a fresh start always presented itself, and the opportunity to prosper and succeed never left. Through often incredible patience, perseverance and persistent faith, we flourished over the long run.
When watching the news, I like to remind myself that there is more going on in the world than the news anchors report. There is always an undercurrent of Truth at work sustaining us regardless of what happens materially. Wars, political debates, and weather present challenges that we must face and resolve, but we must never lose the spiritual perspective and believe that any of these troubles are the sum total of existence. There is always a bigger picture to appreciate and remember than the material senses present.
There is a God that helps us. There is a Life that never ends. And there is a Mind that protects and saves us eternally. We are spiritual beings living a spiritual life that we never lose, no matter what mortality throws at us. There is a spiritual reality that prevails, survives and thrives forever.
I learn from this to mentally stay in divine reality so dismay over things gone awry in the temporal does not overtake my thinking and cast me into a pit of despair. Truth is always the victor, and it’s only a question of time and spiritual growth that this is proven to be true.
As was true back on the farm, there was always a fresh New Year right around the corner. Trials were left behind, and new opportunities were embraced that demonstrated the infinite renewal of Spirit.
Politicians will debate for eons to come, conflict will demand resolution, and chaos will cry out for order and peace, but through it all, Truth will prevail. Life in Spirit will continue to thrive and survive, and present endless opportunities for humanity to progress and continue growing closer to that final day when all faith in evil is left behind and the omnipresence of good and divine Love is fully accepted and experienced. Heaven!
In thinking back on my early years, I was raised on a family farm where there always seemed to be some calamity or difficulty that needed to be mastered. Either a frost hit the apples, or hallow heart (a brown cavity in the middle of the spud) struck the potato crop, or interest rates were sky high, or yields were down, or the price of crops plunged. There was frequently some pressing need of the moment that seemed to eclipse everything else in life if we let it. Focus on those troubles often kept attention mesmerized in a state of despair and possibly forgetting the bigger perspective, that no matter what happened on the farm, life would go on.
And it did. Life always went on. We survived every year, every calamity, every catastrophe, and every disaster. A new year always showed up, a fresh start always presented itself, and the opportunity to prosper and succeed never left. Through often incredible patience, perseverance and persistent faith, we flourished over the long run.
When watching the news, I like to remind myself that there is more going on in the world than the news anchors report. There is always an undercurrent of Truth at work sustaining us regardless of what happens materially. Wars, political debates, and weather present challenges that we must face and resolve, but we must never lose the spiritual perspective and believe that any of these troubles are the sum total of existence. There is always a bigger picture to appreciate and remember than the material senses present.
There is a God that helps us. There is a Life that never ends. And there is a Mind that protects and saves us eternally. We are spiritual beings living a spiritual life that we never lose, no matter what mortality throws at us. There is a spiritual reality that prevails, survives and thrives forever.
I learn from this to mentally stay in divine reality so dismay over things gone awry in the temporal does not overtake my thinking and cast me into a pit of despair. Truth is always the victor, and it’s only a question of time and spiritual growth that this is proven to be true.
As was true back on the farm, there was always a fresh New Year right around the corner. Trials were left behind, and new opportunities were embraced that demonstrated the infinite renewal of Spirit.
Politicians will debate for eons to come, conflict will demand resolution, and chaos will cry out for order and peace, but through it all, Truth will prevail. Life in Spirit will continue to thrive and survive, and present endless opportunities for humanity to progress and continue growing closer to that final day when all faith in evil is left behind and the omnipresence of good and divine Love is fully accepted and experienced. Heaven!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
The second death
A number of people asked me this week about the second death mentioned in Revelation 11:2.
The verse states:
The verse is included in the Christian Science Bible lesson for this past week on the subject of Spirit.
I’ve always interpreted the second death as the recurrent death that happens to mortals who have not yet discovered Life in Spirit after having passed from earth. And logic implies that there may be a third death, a fourth death, and so on, until the belief of life in matter is totally conquered.
Heaven is not a place people die into, I've always believed. It’s a state of Mind we grow into through increased spiritual understanding, whether the growth is accomplished here or hereafter.
From what I know, Jesus Christ did not teach that we die into heaven. His example taught the opposite, that death is to be conquered in order to discover heaven. That’s why he went through the crucifixion and then came back with the resurrection, to prove that death is not real.
Life is real and eternal. And he said, “Follow me.” In other words, Follow me in my demonstration of Life, and conquer death so you can discover heaven too.”
A lesson gained from death is the truth that there is no death. Mortals go through the experience only to learn they never died. And then existence goes on. As Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science wrote,
The "second death" is not anything to fear or worry about, but the mention of it by the Revelator John, who saw beyond the veil of matter to all things to come and all things that had passed, is proof that we need to be working out the problem of being now. We do not die and then get magically popped into paradise. There is spiritual work to be done first.
Heaven is a state of Mind discernible here and now. We find it in Life, in Spirit, where there is no death, no matter, and no end of anything good.
I take heart in knowing that in Spirit, there is no first death or second death. There is no death at all, only eternal Life.
We can live Life now. We don't have to wait. And then we see that the so-called “second death,” is not even a remote or far off possibility, for in Life there is no death. Only on-going good.
The verse states:
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
The verse is included in the Christian Science Bible lesson for this past week on the subject of Spirit.
I’ve always interpreted the second death as the recurrent death that happens to mortals who have not yet discovered Life in Spirit after having passed from earth. And logic implies that there may be a third death, a fourth death, and so on, until the belief of life in matter is totally conquered.
Heaven is not a place people die into, I've always believed. It’s a state of Mind we grow into through increased spiritual understanding, whether the growth is accomplished here or hereafter.
From what I know, Jesus Christ did not teach that we die into heaven. His example taught the opposite, that death is to be conquered in order to discover heaven. That’s why he went through the crucifixion and then came back with the resurrection, to prove that death is not real.
Life is real and eternal. And he said, “Follow me.” In other words, Follow me in my demonstration of Life, and conquer death so you can discover heaven too.”
A lesson gained from death is the truth that there is no death. Mortals go through the experience only to learn they never died. And then existence goes on. As Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science wrote,
“As death findeth mortal man, so shall he be after death, until probation and growth shall effect the needed change.”We all have to conquer sin, disease and death through Christ. First sin and disease must be proven unreal, then death will disappear.
The "second death" is not anything to fear or worry about, but the mention of it by the Revelator John, who saw beyond the veil of matter to all things to come and all things that had passed, is proof that we need to be working out the problem of being now. We do not die and then get magically popped into paradise. There is spiritual work to be done first.
Heaven is a state of Mind discernible here and now. We find it in Life, in Spirit, where there is no death, no matter, and no end of anything good.
I take heart in knowing that in Spirit, there is no first death or second death. There is no death at all, only eternal Life.
We can live Life now. We don't have to wait. And then we see that the so-called “second death,” is not even a remote or far off possibility, for in Life there is no death. Only on-going good.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Is life without matter conceivable?
I’ve witnessed students of Christian Science wrestle with the unreality of matter, wondering how life could be possible without the atomic stuff. They try to envision existence without things, without cars, without physical bodies, without houses, and wonder, “What’s left?”
When one believes matter is the substance of the universe and reasons out from an atomic premise, the above type of logic does leave mind in a void of nothingness.
I can sympathize with the emptiness one must feel with that type of conclusion.
But there’s another way to reason the query out and come up with a more inspired answer.
I encourage inquirers to tackle the issue from the opposite point of view.
Instead of voiding human existence of what you call matter and then pondering about what’s left from a mortal point of view, void matter of all the qualities of Spirit, like love, joy, hope and intelligence, and ponder what remains.
Take away all the kindness, the compassion, tenderness, happiness, inspiration, purpose, ability to think, reason and act, which are all faculties of divine Mind and not faculties of matter, and what is left of matter?
Life without qualities of Spirit is as nothing.
And that’s exactly what matter is—nothing!
Christian Science explains that all the joy, goodness, health and harmony one experiences don’t originate in matter or in material sensation. They originate in Mind and are expressed through us spiritually.
For example, a joyful thought may be expressed as a happy smile, but the happiness is not in the lips that contour to a smile. The happiness is a spiritual inspiration coming from God, the divine Mind. The inspiration entertained formed a smile on the face, but the substance of the smile is in the thought, not in the flesh of the lips.
Some would argue that the brain is mind and the source of these inspirations, but that is a long subject for another blog. The brain has no more intelligence than a computer, a machine with artificial intelligence. What came first, Mind or brain? Mind came first and remains primal. Brain is a human temporal concept of mind, but never will be Mind.
But aside from that discussion, life without matter is very easy to envision when one accepts Spirit as Life.
The limited human perspective grasps this only in degrees, but, nonetheless, it is true. All the good in our life is not matter in action, but Spirit in action. We are an image of Mind.
Happiness, intelligence, and joy expressed are Mind in action through us. Mortal mind calls it matter-action, but in Truth, it’s Mind-action.
Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, made this illuminating observation about how Jesus Christ viewed matter. After being asked the question “If God does not recognize matter, how did Jesus, who was “the way, the truth, and the life,” cognize it?”
She replied in part,
Christ Jesus' sense of matter was the opposite of that which mortals entertain…His earthly mission was to translate substance into its original meaning, Mind. He walked upon the waves; he turned the water into wine; he healed the sick and the sinner; he raised the dead, and rolled away the stone from the door of his own tomb. His demonstration of Spirit virtually vanquished matter and its supposed laws. Walking the wave, he proved the fallacy of the theory that matter is substance; healing through Mind, he removed any supposition that matter is intelligent, or can recognize or express pain and pleasure. His triumph over the grave was an everlasting victory for Life; it demonstrated the lifelessness of matter, and the power and permanence of Spirit. He met and conquered the resistance of the world.
If you will admit, with me, that matter is neither substance, intelligence, nor Life, you may have all that is left of it; and you will have touched the hem of the garment of Jesus' idea of matter…. Miscellaneous Writings, p. 74.
Amen! Strip away substance, intelligence and life from matter, and what’s left? Nothing! And that’s what matter is—nothing!
To understand life we have to understand Spirit. Spirit is what moves us, inspires us, strengthens us, and empowers us aright. Spirit is the power at work in life, and from a spiritual point of view, it’s hard to envision existence any other way.
When one believes matter is the substance of the universe and reasons out from an atomic premise, the above type of logic does leave mind in a void of nothingness.
I can sympathize with the emptiness one must feel with that type of conclusion.
But there’s another way to reason the query out and come up with a more inspired answer.
I encourage inquirers to tackle the issue from the opposite point of view.
Instead of voiding human existence of what you call matter and then pondering about what’s left from a mortal point of view, void matter of all the qualities of Spirit, like love, joy, hope and intelligence, and ponder what remains.
Take away all the kindness, the compassion, tenderness, happiness, inspiration, purpose, ability to think, reason and act, which are all faculties of divine Mind and not faculties of matter, and what is left of matter?
Life without qualities of Spirit is as nothing.
And that’s exactly what matter is—nothing!
Christian Science explains that all the joy, goodness, health and harmony one experiences don’t originate in matter or in material sensation. They originate in Mind and are expressed through us spiritually.
For example, a joyful thought may be expressed as a happy smile, but the happiness is not in the lips that contour to a smile. The happiness is a spiritual inspiration coming from God, the divine Mind. The inspiration entertained formed a smile on the face, but the substance of the smile is in the thought, not in the flesh of the lips.
Some would argue that the brain is mind and the source of these inspirations, but that is a long subject for another blog. The brain has no more intelligence than a computer, a machine with artificial intelligence. What came first, Mind or brain? Mind came first and remains primal. Brain is a human temporal concept of mind, but never will be Mind.
But aside from that discussion, life without matter is very easy to envision when one accepts Spirit as Life.
The limited human perspective grasps this only in degrees, but, nonetheless, it is true. All the good in our life is not matter in action, but Spirit in action. We are an image of Mind.
Happiness, intelligence, and joy expressed are Mind in action through us. Mortal mind calls it matter-action, but in Truth, it’s Mind-action.
Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, made this illuminating observation about how Jesus Christ viewed matter. After being asked the question “If God does not recognize matter, how did Jesus, who was “the way, the truth, and the life,” cognize it?”
She replied in part,
Christ Jesus' sense of matter was the opposite of that which mortals entertain…His earthly mission was to translate substance into its original meaning, Mind. He walked upon the waves; he turned the water into wine; he healed the sick and the sinner; he raised the dead, and rolled away the stone from the door of his own tomb. His demonstration of Spirit virtually vanquished matter and its supposed laws. Walking the wave, he proved the fallacy of the theory that matter is substance; healing through Mind, he removed any supposition that matter is intelligent, or can recognize or express pain and pleasure. His triumph over the grave was an everlasting victory for Life; it demonstrated the lifelessness of matter, and the power and permanence of Spirit. He met and conquered the resistance of the world.
If you will admit, with me, that matter is neither substance, intelligence, nor Life, you may have all that is left of it; and you will have touched the hem of the garment of Jesus' idea of matter…. Miscellaneous Writings, p. 74.
Amen! Strip away substance, intelligence and life from matter, and what’s left? Nothing! And that’s what matter is—nothing!
To understand life we have to understand Spirit. Spirit is what moves us, inspires us, strengthens us, and empowers us aright. Spirit is the power at work in life, and from a spiritual point of view, it’s hard to envision existence any other way.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Life never shuts down
A subtle trap of mortal mind became apparent to me recently that we need to avoid if we wish to stay healthy and vital as the years tick by.
There’s a tendency for too many people to slow down in thought and become mentally inactive with advancing years. The inclination is to cease engaging with life, retract to one’s house, and lose a strong sense of purpose. In essence, thought starts to shut down and prepare for an end.
But this is not healthy!
Let’s reason about it together.
At surface appearance it might not appear to be any big deal. Common belief accepts that people age, slow down, and retire from the active life of younger years. So when seniors slow down, most people don’t question the symptoms.
But I ask the question, “If we let our thinking slow down, what is going to happen to the functions and activities of the body which is governed and controlled by the very same thinking?”
If we let our thinking slow down, aren’t the functions and organs of the body going to slow down too? Do we see the symptoms in diminished vision, less hearing, weaker hearts, feeble muscles and more?
Now this doesn’t mean a 70 year old has to bounce around the tennis court like a 20 year old, although this is not impossible! But a 70 year old can be as mentally active as a 20 year old, if not more productively so for increased wisdom and culture over the decades.
And this is the rub.
If thought is preparing to shut down at some indeterminate date, then that very same thought that is governing the body, is preparing the body to shut down too. It’s a trap we want to avoid. We don’t want the body to shut down in stages over the years. It leads to many health ailments.
To prevent organs from dminishing in strength and the body from manifesting a belief of deterioration, it helps to stay mentally and spiritually alive to Life.
Life is God, eternal, on-going, unstoppable, and ever-active. Life never shuts down and the men and women who express it will not be shutting down either.
A patient called from an emergency room. The doctors said one of his vital organs had stopped functioning and they wanted to put him on artificial support. As I prayed for his spiritual recovery, the reality of “Life and its manifestations never shut down” opened my mental eyes to the impossibility of the doctor’s verdict. I knew every aspect of this patient’s true being expressed Life fully. There could be no death in Life, I was sure. Soon, the organ started functioning again, and the patient was sent home.
Lesson to learn? Don’t unwittingly slide into the “life shuts down” trap with advancing years. We each need to be vigorous in our affirmation and demonstration of Life ever-active.
Life is God, and Life does not close up shop anymore than God slows down and stops. It’s impossible.
Life is forever. Life is eternal. And its manifestations are perpetually on-going too.
Enjoy living the Life that is ever increasing in health, strength and well being! It's the healthier way.
There’s a tendency for too many people to slow down in thought and become mentally inactive with advancing years. The inclination is to cease engaging with life, retract to one’s house, and lose a strong sense of purpose. In essence, thought starts to shut down and prepare for an end.
But this is not healthy!
Let’s reason about it together.
At surface appearance it might not appear to be any big deal. Common belief accepts that people age, slow down, and retire from the active life of younger years. So when seniors slow down, most people don’t question the symptoms.
But I ask the question, “If we let our thinking slow down, what is going to happen to the functions and activities of the body which is governed and controlled by the very same thinking?”
If we let our thinking slow down, aren’t the functions and organs of the body going to slow down too? Do we see the symptoms in diminished vision, less hearing, weaker hearts, feeble muscles and more?
Now this doesn’t mean a 70 year old has to bounce around the tennis court like a 20 year old, although this is not impossible! But a 70 year old can be as mentally active as a 20 year old, if not more productively so for increased wisdom and culture over the decades.
And this is the rub.
If thought is preparing to shut down at some indeterminate date, then that very same thought that is governing the body, is preparing the body to shut down too. It’s a trap we want to avoid. We don’t want the body to shut down in stages over the years. It leads to many health ailments.
To prevent organs from dminishing in strength and the body from manifesting a belief of deterioration, it helps to stay mentally and spiritually alive to Life.
Life is God, eternal, on-going, unstoppable, and ever-active. Life never shuts down and the men and women who express it will not be shutting down either.
A patient called from an emergency room. The doctors said one of his vital organs had stopped functioning and they wanted to put him on artificial support. As I prayed for his spiritual recovery, the reality of “Life and its manifestations never shut down” opened my mental eyes to the impossibility of the doctor’s verdict. I knew every aspect of this patient’s true being expressed Life fully. There could be no death in Life, I was sure. Soon, the organ started functioning again, and the patient was sent home.
Lesson to learn? Don’t unwittingly slide into the “life shuts down” trap with advancing years. We each need to be vigorous in our affirmation and demonstration of Life ever-active.
Life is God, and Life does not close up shop anymore than God slows down and stops. It’s impossible.
Life is forever. Life is eternal. And its manifestations are perpetually on-going too.
Enjoy living the Life that is ever increasing in health, strength and well being! It's the healthier way.
Life is eternal. We should find this out, and begin the demonstration thereof. Life and goodness are immortal. Let us then shape our views of existence into loveliness, freshness, and continuity, rather than into age and blight. Mary Baker Eddy
Thursday, February 8, 2007
No death
Here's a poem that lifts thought to the heights of Life that knows no death.
Sent in by a reader…
LIFE OF LOVE
I do not believe in death;
I could not lose my life of Love.
If you should cease to see me here
Know that I laugh and love somewhere
Near to you, as near to Him.
Like brown turf that greens again
or sleeping tulips that rise once more to bloom
I too have shed the dormant thought
And with clearer view
See Him, myself…and you.
Mark my leaving with no sadness
or ceremony to record a lie,
Just love the best you saw in me
And let all else between us die.
To those who would be impressed, reply,
“But she did not believe in death—
Nor do I.”
~ Mary Ellen Knoblock
Sent in by a reader…
LIFE OF LOVE
I do not believe in death;
I could not lose my life of Love.
If you should cease to see me here
Know that I laugh and love somewhere
Near to you, as near to Him.
Like brown turf that greens again
or sleeping tulips that rise once more to bloom
I too have shed the dormant thought
And with clearer view
See Him, myself…and you.
Mark my leaving with no sadness
or ceremony to record a lie,
Just love the best you saw in me
And let all else between us die.
To those who would be impressed, reply,
“But she did not believe in death—
Nor do I.”
~ Mary Ellen Knoblock
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Life is the hot cocoa
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. The conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests something to drink, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot cocoa and an assortment of cups--porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, and some exquisite--telling them to help themselves to hot chocolate.
After all the students had a cup of hot drink in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress."
"Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the chocolate. In most cases, it's just more expensive and in somecases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups...and then began eyeing each other's cups."
"Now consider this: Life is the hot cocoa, and the jobs, houses, cars, things, money and position in society are the cups. They are temporary tools we use to live by. The type of cup we have does not define nor change the quality of life we live.
"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the cocoa God has provided us.
"God brews the cocoa, not the cups. Enjoy your hot chocolate!"
Offering his guests something to drink, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot cocoa and an assortment of cups--porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, and some exquisite--telling them to help themselves to hot chocolate.
After all the students had a cup of hot drink in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress."
"Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the chocolate. In most cases, it's just more expensive and in somecases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups...and then began eyeing each other's cups."
"Now consider this: Life is the hot cocoa, and the jobs, houses, cars, things, money and position in society are the cups. They are temporary tools we use to live by. The type of cup we have does not define nor change the quality of life we live.
"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the cocoa God has provided us.
"God brews the cocoa, not the cups. Enjoy your hot chocolate!"
