New Year planning

As we come upon a New Year and contemplate what lies ahead, it’s reassuring to remember that our future is not at the mercy of fate or chance. There's a law of spiritual prosperity and progress we can rely upon to guide and protect us as we advance toward worthy goals.

I like the instruction of the following poem by Ella Wheeler Cox:

The Winds of Fate

One ship drives east, another west,
With the self-same winds that blow.
‘Tis the set of the sails, and not the gales
That tells them the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,
As we voyage along through life
‘Tis the set of the soul
That decides the goal
And not the calm or the strife.

What direction are your sails set? And what winds do you expect them to catch?

Giving treatment

Ever wondered how to give a Christian Science treatment?

I’m frequently asked by inquirers how to proceed in their prayers when seeking to heal a specific problem. There is no formula for giving a treatment, and there are many different ways to pray for relief, but here’s a basic outline of one approach that works.


Affirm Truth
Deny error


To affirm Truth, or God’s presence, is to know and declare what is spiritually true in spite of what appears to be materially wrong. Generally, the more specific your affirmations are to the problem you’re facing, the more decisive their impact.

To deny error is to put down and undo the evil claim you’re facing. Like dismantling the argument of an opponent in debate, prayer must annihilate any basis or claim to truth that evil is declaring.

After a successful affirmation of Truth and effective denial of evil, a certain peace settles into thought that assures you of safety and freedom. Fear vanishes, spiritual reality becomes apparent, and a confident feeling of wellness takes over mind and body. Healing happens!

Take joy

A poem by Fra Giovanni, (1513)


Take Joy

There is nothing I can give you, which you have not;
But there is much, very much, that while I cannot give it, you can take.
No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in today.
Take heaven!
No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present instant.
Take peace!
The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within reach, is joy.

There is a radiance and glory in the darkness, could we but see, and to see we have only to look. I beseech you to look.
Life is so generous a giver, but we, judging its gifts by their covering, cast them away as ugly, or heavy or hard.
Remove the covering, and you will find beneath it a living splendor, woven of love, by wisdom, with power.
Welcome it, grasp it, and you touch the angel's hand that brings it to you.
Everything we call a trial, a sorrow, or a duty, believe me that angel's hand is there; the gift is there, and the wonder of an overshadowing presence.
Our joys too: be not content with them as joys.
They, too, conceal diviner gifts.
And so, at this time, I greet you.
Not quite as the world sends greetings, but with profound esteem and with the prayer that for you now and forever, the day breaks, and the shadows flee away.

God holds you up

I’m not a poet, but occasionally, when praying for a patient and emailing thoughts the words and phrases that appear on my screen pleasantly surprise me.

While praying for a patient who feared she didn’t have enough understanding to heal herself, I assured her that if she needed more understanding, God would give it to her. She would never lack. She was not depending upon the limited resources of the human mind, but upon the infinite beneficence of the divine Mind to keep her well, and that beneficence came to her whether she asked for it or not and in the most appropriate ways.

The message came to me…

Like a body of water holds a boat afloat, currents of wind support the wings of an eagle, and a mountain peak depends upon the sky to sprinkle snow upon its peaks, you can count of God to hold your boat afloat, keep your wings soaring, and grace your thought with showers of Love.

“By the grace of God I am what I am.” Paul

Loving another

Evan’s maxim for the day:

"If you’re having a hard time loving another person, look for something good in that individual, and the good you find gives you a reason to love."

What limb are you on?

When relying upon God for healing, many people fear failure. Like climbing out on the limb of a tree and wondering whether the wood can support one’s weight, many sufferers turn to the divine in prayer yet wonder whether their prayer is up to the demand of carrying the weight of the problem they face.

“What limb are you on?” I replied to one person fearing for her future while praying for recovery of health. The question aided me more than the one I asked, I figured after asking, for it reminded me of where our faith should be placed when praying for spiritual relief.

We doubt the efficacy of our prayers when our hopes are based on less than pure spiritual power. The human mind, brain-will, time, chance, and blind reasoning are weak limbs to perch one’s full weight on. They may or may not withstand the downward pull of earthly fear. The further we go out on these limbs, the shakier we feel, and rightfully so. They are not steady platforms to stand on.

But when we perch our faith on absolute Truth—the unwavering prop of God—we plant our faith on a limb that will not budge, a branch that won’t bend to fear, worry, anxiety or disease.

So, if you have any doubt about the outcome of your prayers, eliminate those worries by planting yourself on the branch that will not bend or break,--the presence and actuality of Truth.

It’s a safe place to pray from.

Help out of distress

Do you love animals? Is it easy for you to see God’s hand at work in their thoughts and actions?

Read the moving story, “Tender Moments,” by Charlotte Edwards. It will warm your heart, and possibly bring a tear of rejoicing to your eye…

Meaning of Christmas

A woman called yesterday and agonized, “I don’t get it. What is this Christmas thing all about? The endless gift-giving, the eating, the indulging, the commercialism, the running around and getting stressed out, the people who are left out…and what about that Jesus thing? What is the real meaning of Christmas anyway? I want to know!”

I sympathized with her quandary. In sorting out the meaning of Christmas myself over the years, I believe several practices have been added to the holiday celebration that have little or nothing to do with the real spirit and purpose of the season.

I told my friend that Christmas was about the coming of Christ, or the healing power and presence of God at work our lives now.

I draw my conclusion from what happened in my healing practice last Christmas day.

Normally, my practice is quiet on Christmas day. A few patients might call with emergencies, but most wanting help wait until the next day when the holiday is finished.

Last year, however, was an exception. I had a large number of patients call for help on December 25th, and most with life-threatening crises. I spent a large part of the day in consecrated prayer for my callers, and some wonderful healings happened. But, honestly, there were a couple of times when I started to feel sorry for myself because of the large amount of time I had to spend away from my family. I didn’t entertain these suggestions very long. My family was very understanding, and I made it up to them later, but there was a lesson on the real meaning of Christmas for me to gain, and I’ve been thinking on it ever since.

The real meaning of Christmas, I’ve decided, is all about spiritual healing.

Christmas signifies the coming of Christ. Christ was sent by God to heal humanity of its sin and suffering. Whenever we welcome Christ into our life, we experience healing, moral, physical and spiritual.

To celebrate Christmas is to celebrate the coming of Christ, or healing power of God at work in our lives right here right now.

The real spirit of Christmas is not about over-eating, over-shopping, idling hours away in front of the TV, or generally checking out of life for a day. It’s about God’s love for us, cultivating spiritual mindedness, praying for neighbors in need, being close to God and reflecting God’s healing power. It’s about healing the world of sin and suffering!

And that’s what I was doing last Christmas, helping and healing my neighbor.

I was not missing out at all, but more fully participating in real Christmas, and my family could not miss out either by having me thus occupied because they were supporting what I was doing, and that meant they were participating in the healing activity too and would be blessed accordingly.

I’ve learned my lesson about what real Christmas is, so I expect a more orderly day this year, with fewer emergency calls. I can pray for that outcome ahead of time, you know!!

I still bought Christmas presents this season, will help cook a Christmas dinner tomorrow, and will play games with my family. But the real meaning of Christmas, helping my neighbor spiritually with Christly healing power, will be uppermost in my thought.

With war raging in the Mid-East and in Darfur, tension building around the globe and conflict amidst families large and small, the world cries out for true Christmas peace. Let us embrace our fellowman near and far with Christly love this 25th, (and everyday!) and collectively fulfill the purpose of Christmas—Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.

Have a great day.

Waiting

I chuckled when I read a comment made by Andy Warhol,

“The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting.”

I’ve certainly seen proof of this with our children. If they are in the habit of getting what they want when they want it, there’s no more excitement. They don’t have time to appreciate the value of the gift, think on the benefits of having it, or develop an attitude of gratitude for receiving a gift they might not otherwise have.

Instant self-gratification can lead to ingratitude and indifference, and develop into long term blah and boredom.

Waiting can be healthy. Waiting can be good. It’s not the material thing we receive that matters much in the long run anyway. It’s the spiritual character we develop in the process. We need to make room for the right spiritual qualities to bloom and blossom in thought, so when the gift is received, we genuinely appreciate and value what we’ve been given.

So we don’t have to fear waiting. We can make the most of it by growing spiritually in the meantime. The blessing at the other end of our effort will be bigger.

Out of debt at Christmastime

Ever worried about debt? Wonder what the spirit of Christmas has to do with paying the bills?

Check out Chris Raymond’s, “The light of Christmas,” that shows how the light of Christ led her out of the darkness of too many bills to pay.

Nice work Chris! It’s a great piece.

Subscription service restored

Dear subscribers,

My subscription service has been on the fritz since Dec 14th. It should be fixed now. Hooray! I have posted daily since that time, but you wouldn't have received any of those notices.

Have a great day...

Love facing down autism

Daily, I witness spiritual healings that never reach the public ear. Yesterday, one patient so eloquently articulated a touching experience she had as a school teacher, that I asked her if I could share it with you. She agreed.


She emailed as follows:


Hi Evan,

In the spirit of holiday giving you need to hear this because your work this fall made a huge difference in the life of a child today.

I have a severely autistic first grader who has never gotten through any class without screaming, crying and throwing fits. He lives a parallel life where he goes to school with other kids but only for social norming -- he can't possibly look and function like them for any period of time.

The goal for the Christmas program was for him to enter the room with everyone. That's it. Performing wasn't even considered. We put him up on the risers, and the fits, screaming and crying commenced. There were five adults standing around him, stroking his back and talking to him while the rest of the first grade sang. During the second song, they started to remove him from the room.

I had been thinking so much during all this commotion of a couple of things you had said to me the last two days. And while I was playing and the kids were singing, and 150 people watching, and these five adults starting a removal process, I just whispered "Leave him -- I think he'll calm down." And I kept thinking about what you'd said -- that harmony persists, peace persists. And I thought, autism doesn't persist, autism doesn't exist -- and I knew it was true. And that scene stopped right then and there. He stood up and participated in the first normal experience I think he's ever had. It was awesome. And a whole lot of people saw it happen. His mother, who was one of the five adults, sat on the floor and sobbed. We repeated the program in the afternoon, and the adults came back expecting him to throw fits and be screaming again. But he didn't. He walked in, stood up there with no assistance and participated and acted almost normal for the entire time.

Everyone was in shock. All I've heard was how he must've gotten used to it, or blah-blah-blah, etc. But I know what really happened -- because I felt the power of God working in that moment and I may not ever be the same.

Thank you for every effort you've made to wake me up. If this is what waking up is about--Wow!!!

Sorry for the teardrops on this e-mail!!

Yours truly,



P.S. After the program the mom was crying and said to several of us, "What would I do without all of you supporting us? What if I don't always have that?" I hugged her and said "The support you feel is Love. Sometimes it will change faces, but you will always have that Love." She didn't know the Love I was talking about involved a capital letter but the message soothed her and took away some fear.

Peace and hope

“Never forget that God is able to lift you from fatigue of despair to the buoyancy of hope, and transform dark and desolate valleys into sunlit paths of inner peace.”

~ Martin Luther King

Meekness

Meekness is not weakness, but strength, agrees Pastor Ben Alud from Glory Ministries.

Read what he has to say in his e-article on “Meekness:”


"Definition of Meekness: To be gentle or kind, mild mannered, to have a quietness of spirit.

As I thought of this word I found myself feeling a bit convicted. In a world where there is, as an old saying states "Dog eat Dog" society, folks are generally pretty aggressive in their approach to obtaining the things they want. Often times the one that’s the loudest will be the one that’s heard.

I remember as a small boy our dog gave birth to several puppies and each one from the very beginning showed really aggressive behavior when it came to feeding time, I would watch these pups fight and jockey for position at the mothers breast.

I remember one in particular,--and every litter has one "The Runt,"--no matter how hard he would try to fight his way to the meal he just wasn’t as aggressive as the bigger siblings. I would always have to reach in and place him at a spot for his feeding. Even after he was well grown he would always wait till the others would get their fill and then he would take his meal.

What a great dog he became. He was the gentlest and seemed to be the smartest of the whole litter and the one we choose to keep.

I said all of that to say this, meekness doesn’t mean weakness. This pup grew to be a strong dog, a loving dog towards children and its master. He was obedient without hard training, there was just something that was there from birth a willingness not to be influenced by the behavior of the other pups…"

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." Jesus Christ

Subscription service

To all subscribers: My subscription delivery service hasn't been working correctly since the 14th, but I hope to have it corrected shortly!

Thanks for your patience.

Faithful work

‘Father, where shall I work today?’
And my love flowed warm and free.
Then he pointed out a tiny spot
And said, ‘Tend that for me.’
I answered quickly, ‘Oh no, not that!
Why, no one would ever see,
No matter how well my work was done.
Not that little place for me.’

And the word he spoke, it was not stern;
He answered me tenderly:
‘Ah, little one, search that heart of thine;
Art thou working for them or for me?
Nazareth was a little place,
And so was Galilee.'

~ Meade MacGuire

Are we listening?

One of the most precious gifts we can give another is that of a listening ear. Not just a swift side-glance, a brief acknowledgment of their presence or a quick nod of approval. But a sincere concern and care for what the other is trying to tell us.

I notice my children are much more responsive when I stop what I’m doing, look them in the eye and pay rapt attention to their ideas and thoughts when they want to talk. The long term dividends of a deeper relationship and a stronger bond of affection and care between us is more than worth the time and effort it takes to stop and listen when they yearn for my hear.

The same rule applies to listening to God. The divine voice is speaking to us at all times, sending angel thoughts in our direction that lead, guide and heal us. Sometimes we may need to ask, "Am I listening?"

How well we listen to our neighbor could be a sign of how well we listen to God. It seems to me, the two might be related!

"This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger." James

As we silence the noise and distraction of ego, self-concern, pride, self-centeredness, and self-righteousness, we hear the voice of God more clearly. Our Father's voice may be speaking in the form of subtle intuitions, inklings or nudges in thought. It also may be speaking through a neighbor’s wisdom and insights. Wherever it is coming from, as we talk less and listen more, we’ll hear what we need to know.

"According to Christian Science, the only real senses of man are spiritual, emanating from divine Mind. Thought passes from God to man, but neither sensation nor report goes from material body to Mind. The intercommunication is always from God to His idea, man." Mary Baker Eddy

Healing power of listening

"With the gift of listening comes the gift of healing."

~ Catherine de Hueck

In an often quoted old nursery rhyme, William Edward Norris wrote:

“If your lips would keep from slips, five things observe with care: To whom you speak; of whom you speak; and how, and when, and where.”

"Because listening can bring about such powerful healing, it is one of the most beautiful gifts that people can give and receive."

On Listening, by Professor Carl Faber, Ph.D.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalms

Gift of listening

From “The Gift of Listening,” by Anne Murchison:

• A good listener listens with spiritual ears open, hearing and understanding the spirit beneath the words.
• A good listener listens with the heart and mind still and the mouth shut.
• A good listener listens with compassionate spiritual eyes.
• A good listener listens with no personal agenda, maintaining involved eye contact.
• A good listener listens with compassionate spiritual eyes, maintaining involved eye contact.
• A good listener listens with a compassionate heart.
• A good listener listens with an attentive heart.
• A good listener listens with committed heart.
• A good listener listens without judgment.
• A good listener listens without fear.
• A good listener listens with faith, knowing that the Spirit of God is at work to will and do according to His good purpose.
• A good listener waits patiently, quietly and prayerfully through times of silence, making room for the unfolding of things previously too deep and too painful to even know or express.
• A good listener counts it a privilege to witness a soul in the process of transformation, even when it doesn't look like it.
• A good listener offers to explore options.
• A good listener offers to pray when the time of tears and sharing ends.
• A good listener waits to give advice until asked.
• A good listener offers a hug.
• A good listener recognizes that these are holy moments of eternal consequence.
• A good listener keeps all holy moments completely confidential.
  
  
  
  

Getting untangled

The Whale

If you read the front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle about a year ago, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her ...

A very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.

They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.

When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around, and thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love,
be so blessed and fortunate
to be surrounded by people
who will help you get untangled
from the things that are binding you.
And, may you always know
the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.

"Isn't this good!"

After a lecture I gave on spiritual healing in Florida a few years ago, a newcomer to Christian Science who attended, a CPA, wanted to tell me about a good friend of his who was a Christian Scientist, and how the outlook this man held confirmed the healing truths of Christian Science.

He said his friend suffered a severe stroke. Afterward, he sat in a wheelchair and was nursed. He could talk a bit but do little else.

The CPA said that whenever he visited his friend, the guy would say, “Isn’t this good, isn’t this good.” And the CPA didn’t understand how his friend could say his situation was good when the evidence looked so bad. But over a few weeks, the pal totally recovered from the stroke. A full healing wrought through Christian Science treatment.

When the guy could talk once again, the CPA asked him how he had maintained consistent good cheer and positive outlook even though the physical picture looked so dire.

The friend replied, “I’ve learned that God is a good God, and that every trial we face in life is only to bring out more of that goodness. I knew during the time I sat in that wheelchair that some very good purpose was being worked out within me. The work is finished now and I'm recovered. I am a much better man today. I had a full expectancy of healing all along.”

The CPA was all smiles and jubilation as he recounted the story. He said, after hearing the talk, he was finally understanding how his friend could keep such an upbeat attitude amidst what would be very dark times for most people. It was his faith in a good God that he had learned in Christian Science that strengthened him and gave hope…and led the way to healing.

We all can take heart in knowing that God IS good, and He’s working a positive purpose out in us too!!

Breaking routine

You’ve probably heard the old saying,

"If you do what you've always done, you're going to get what you always got."

Or, as one pointed out recently,

"If you think what you've always thought, you're going to see what you've always seen."

Any other versions?

Gratitude

Enjoyed a nice article titled, “Gratitude: A life difference,” by Benjamin Devey. He wrote in part:

“Gratitude unburdens our spirit from negative emotions and gives room for charity in our hearts. It opens the windows of heaven to work miracles in our lives. It shines light in our caring for others.”

In the spirit of generous giving and gracious receiving that should be a hallmark of this holiday season, we can never overdo gratitude.

We each have much to be grateful for, probably more than we’ve noticed recently.

Safety and the unknown

Sent to me by a reader...

In her classic poem “The Gate of the Year,” the poetess M. Louise Haskins penned the lines:

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:“Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown!”

The man replied:

“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

(In Masterpieces of Religious Verse, ed. James Dalton Morrison, New York: Harper and Brothers, 1948, p. 92.)

Complaint or praise?

A young man decided to become a monk in a religious order that allowed monks to speak only two words every two years.

After his first two years of training, the young monk was invited by
his superior to make his two-word presentation. “Food terrible,” he said.

Two years later, at the invitation of his superior, he said, “bed lumpy.” And then two years later he went to his superior’s office and issued his
final two words, “I quit.”

The superior looked at the young monk and said, “you know, this doesn’t surprise me one bit. All you have done since you arrived is complain, complain, complain.”

Each of us may benefit from asking ourselves, “What would I say to the world if I had only two words to express my feelings? Would I utter a complaint or praise?” Our answer likely tells much about what dominates our thought during a given day.

Life is good. Do we see life that way?

People generally want to help and do the right thing. Do we see our neighbor that way?

God loves us and takes care of us in ways we often don’t realize or notice. Are we appreciative?

Tomorrow is always a new day. Are we expectant of progress?

God is a good God, and we are the beneficiaries of that goodness. Are we ready and receptive to the blessings coming our way?

The more we focus on the good, behold the good in others, and expect good, the less room there is for complaint in our thought. When we open our mouth, words of praise, joy and blessing come out, because that’s what we’re thinking about and grateful for.

And complaint…well,...what’s that? :)

“God loves a cheerful giver.” II Corinthians

Benefits of kindness

I have wept in the night

For the shortness of sight

That to somebody’s need made me blind;

But I never have yet

Felt a tinge of regret

For being a little too kind.

~ Anonymous, quoted by Richard L. Evans

Ego

Egobotomy.

Have you ever heard the word before? Not me. In fact, it isn’t listed in my dictionary. But my hair cutter used it very creatively today in describing how she prayed to God for release from self-will.

“Not my plan, but your plan. Not my will, but your will,” she said she pleaded to God.

“Give me an egobotomy!” she exclaimed with passion and partial chagrin over having made too many mistakes in life because of self-centeredness.

I admired her resolve to be more humble and God-serving rather than self-serving. I had never thought of her as having an ego issue.

Any word with the suffix “-botomy” on the end sounds gruesome to me and something to avoid, but nonetheless, her inspiration had a catchy ring to it that impacted my thought in a creative way.

I rejoice in knowing there is one Ego—God. We do not have egos of our own that need to be reshaped and reformed.

In our mistaken belief, we think we are personal creators and independent originators, but we learn through experience that trying to do things on our own eventually leads to suffering.

We can’t go it alone. We need help. We need God. We need to honor the one Ego that is the source of all help to begin with.

No one needs an ego-botomy. The one Ego is in fine shape, thank you. And we are spiritually designed to reflect the talents, abilities and will of the one Mind, the one Ego.

But it was a fun play on words that got the mental juices flowing…

God as a first resort

This weekend it hit me how foreign the concept of turning to God first in times of emergency is for many people.

I was filling out a medical release form to allow our daughter to attend a trip away from school.

The first blanks on the form were devoted to listing doctor contact information, health issues and drug prescriptions. Family contact information was asked for at the end of the form.

When I finished, I thought, “Isn’t this backward?” Shouldn’t family be the first to be contacted in times of emergency?

I had answered “doesn’t apply” to several of the medical questions, had explained that my daughter was a practicing Christian Scientist, and that family should be called first in times of emergency. I expect they would do this anyway. But after filling out the form I couldn’t help but think how medical oriented our society has become.

Schools need these forms filled out to help their students. I understand that need. But isn’t the process and expectation illustrative of a larger frame of mind in society that automatically defaults to a material option when trouble hits?

God is an ever-present help.

After a moment of prayer, one may decide they need medical help, but an initial divine petition can work wonders in establishing peace of mind, calming thought and body, and opening the door to quicker relief.

I was taught from a young age to turn to God first for help in any situation. It became a natural reflex for me during my growing up years, and has continued to this day.

Many times, on the farm in particular that I grew up on, when accidents and injuries occurred, God was the only immediate help. And God gave me the help I needed.

One time, my son was keeled over in extreme pain, and our joint prayers brought him back to normal in 15 minutes. It would have taken much longer to get to a hospital, and the results would not have been as unintrusive.

Spiritual truth is powerful medicine and instantly available.

I will still fill out medical release forms when requested and needed, but I pray that more people glimpse God as a first resort for help in times of emergency.

The call is easy to make, and there’s always someone on the other end to answer!

“I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.” Psalms

Acts over words

I have never heard anything about the resolutions of the apostles, but a good deal about their acts.

~ Og Mandino

New template

If you're wondering what happened to my mast head, fonts and colors, well, Blogger has just issued a new template set-up that bloggers are supposed to transition into. I'm trying to figure it all out, and it may take a few days to get the page back to normal.

So, thanks for your patience!

Anonymous giving

While paying bills last night, I made a couple of charitable donations to local missions and food banks that feed the homeless and care for the less fortunate. As I wrote the checks, I felt great joy well within for the selfless service of the organizations that provided these community members aid, and also for having funds available to send them and support their cause.

I had been Christmas shopping yesterday also, so had the idea of buying and giving gifts fresh on my mind. But after sealing the envelopes headed for these charities and gracing them with stamps, the feeling of genuine satisfaction was so great in me, that I had to stop and ask myself, “Why does this type of giving give me so much joy?”

I pondered the question all night. And finally, the answer came clearly, “Because you’re giving to people of whom you expect absolutely nothing from in return.”

People offer gifts to others for all types of good reasons, but one of the greatest, I believe, is when we give because we want to give, and not because we expect, or have already received, something in return.

Isn’t this the type of gift God has offered us through the life and teaching of Jesus Christ--the “reason for the season”--as the old adage goes?

God gives to us because He loves us. His spiritual gifts are unconditional. Like the sun shines freely and beneficently upon one and all, God blesses each of us with eternal life and love without our even asking for them.

I’m still going to give presents to my wife and family because I love them and want them to know I value all the kindness and care they bestow upon me throughout the year. But I’m also appreciating more the great spiritual benefits that come to the giver who gives secretly and anonymously. There is a certain deep peace and joy that comes from selfless giving that infinitely transcends any amount of attention or adoration heaped upon our person by those who receive our gifts. And this joy and peace, coming from within, is perhaps the greatest gift of all!

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

"Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." Matthew

Don't be intimidated

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone agreed with everything you did, fully supported your efforts, cheered you on and never complained or gave you grief about your decisions?

Sound idyllic? It probably is…in this world…

To survive and thrive we have to defend ourselves successfully from those who would oppose our efforts to progress.

I love the story in the Bible of Nehemiah building the wall for it illustrates the necessity of defending oneself from aggressors who would stop our advancement.

Jerusalem had been devastated by enemies. The walls were torn down, and there was no protection from pillage and attack.

Nehemiah is inspired to build the city’s wall to protect his people. It’s a noble cause. But there is tremendous opposition to his efforts. (Nehemiah chapters 2,4,6).

Enemies of Nehemiah’s people want to see Jerusalem weak and vulnerable so that they can continue abusing and enslaving them. Outsiders, notably, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, deceitfully maneuver to stop Nehemiah. But Nehemiah discerns their wicked intent and wisely avoids their traps. He rallies his workers, arms them with swords, and perseveres night and day until the project is completed. The enemies’ plan to stop his endeavor fails. The wall is built, and the city is protected once again.

Have you ever faced vehement opposition to a new idea you proposed?

If not, you probably haven’t put forth any new ideas… :)

We learn from experience that anyone who takes a step out of mainstream thought and advocates a step of improvement is likely to face naysayers, critics, opposers and resistors. Mortal mind wants to preserve its status quo, even when it’s evil. The Sanballats, Tobiahs and Geshems Nehemiah faced, we all have to face with equal courage and confidence if we want to succeed.

This is especially true in our efforts to seek spiritual healing.

Mainstream belief is a convicted advocate of medical ways and means. Heavy use of prescription drugs, frequent visits to the doctor’s office, and automatic acceptance of disease as a reality that requires a material remedy, are accepted as the norm by many.

When a spiritual thinker stands up and says, “I want to rely upon God for healing,” popular thought whams down hard on the choice and wants to discourage it from succeeding. But like Nehemiah, when we understand the powerlessness of fear and ignorance to thwart a God-supported idea, we will not be intimidated. We will stand against the foe and succeed despite efforts to stop us.

A senior was taking prescription drugs for an ailment diagnosed by a doctor. The drugs were producing miserable side effects, and he wanted to stop taking them. He was afraid to tell the doctor his choice, though, for fear of being reprimanded.

While praying for a solution, he decided to think for himself about his healthcare choices. He respected the doctor’s opinion, but realized his final course of action was between himself and God. He needed to follow his conscience and not be swayed by intimidation or fear.

He honestly believed God could meet his need better than the drugs which were producing negative side effects. God was a reliable source of health and well being. He didn’t need to suffer to be healed, he concluded.

In deciding how to tell the doctor his choice, he realized the physician was a child of God just like he was. They had the one Mind in common, and therefore could come to a mutually agreeable solution about the direction he was going to take.

His fear left. He did not feel intimidated by the doctor’s professional status any longer.

At his next appointment, he told the doctor he was going to stop taking the medicines and rely upon spiritual healing to settle the issue. To the man’s surprise, the doctor agreed with the choice, and said it probably was the best course of action at the time. The patient followed through, the misery vanished, and he is doing well today.

We can learn from this experience.

Don’t be intimidated!

When you know what’s right, stick to your plan.

Like Nehemiah, we will have our detractors,--internal fears most often,--trying to discourage us. But every right idea has the power of God backing it up and guaranteeing its success. The Sanballats, Tobiahs and Geshems you face will be disempowered and neutralized. And your “wall” will be built.

Happy building!

Fear not

"The powers of this world will fight, and will command their sentinels not to let truth pass the guard until it subscribes to their systems; but Science, heeding not the pointed bayonet, marches on. There is always some tumult, but there is a rallying to truth's standard."

~ Mary Baker Eddy



"If you want to conquer fear, don't sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy."

~ Andrew Carnegie


“You gain strength, experience and confidence by every experience where you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you cannot do.”

~ Eleanor Roosevelt



"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

~ Isaiah

Comic relief

I hope you don't mind a few surprises on this blog once in a while.

Several of you send me ideas, jokes, quotes, articles, links, pictures, videos, and audio clips that perk my curiosity, give me ideas to expound on or provide ready content to pass on for the rest of you to enjoy. Some is relevant material, and some isn't.

Here's a contribution that came in yesterday that got me a chucklin'...

It doesn't fall into the spiritual/metaphysical category of this blog, but it does add some diversity and variety!

Now, I know none of you husbands would ever say anything like the above to get your spouse in trouble. But a reminder from Paul doesn't hurt once in a while...

"...let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself."

It's the nicer thing to do!

Benefits of adversity

Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.

~ African Proverb

Rules for happiness

The below adages appear in several places on the Internet.

Five Simple Rules to be Happy

Free your heart from hatred.
Free your mind from worries.
Live simply.
Give more.
Expect less.

**********

No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

Disappointments are like road humps, they slow you down a bit but you enjoy the smooth road afterwards. Don't stay on the humps too long. Move on!

When you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just sit tight and be happy, because God has thought of something better to give you.

When something happens to you, good or bad, consider what it means. There's a purpose to life's events, to teach you how to laugh more or not to cry too hard.

You can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved, the rest is up to the person to realize your worth. It's better to lose your pride to the one you love, than to lose the one you love because of pride.

We spend too much time looking for the right person to love or finding fault with those we already love, when instead we should be perfecting the love we give.

Never abandon an old friend. You will never find one who can take his place.

Freedom to move

I stumbled across this quote in a newspaper ad, and it got me to thinking…

“Movement is thought liberated.”
~ Charlie Chaplin

How many conditions or circumstances can you think of where you felt limited in movement?

Perhaps stuck in a boring job, a loveless relationship, a depressed home, a sick body…?

“Movement is thought liberated.”

There is a spiritual idea behind this statement that leads to healing and liberation on a very wide front.

Chaplin may have been thinking about movement of the body, which he was so comically adept at doing, but I’m thinking of movement in the larger sense of expressing God to the fullest in terms of satisfying employment, healthy relationships, genuine contentment and more….

If movement is thought liberated, then movement out of uninspired employment, an empty relationship or a weak body begins with thought moving first.

This is so true!

We are not stuck in material “prison-cells” of dead-end jobs, empty relationships and dangerous environments. Christ gives us a key to open prison doors and set ourselves free.

One of those keys is knowledge of our spiritual birthright to eternal life, health, and happiness.

I have a friend who was diagnosed with a crippling form of arthritis that put him in severe pain and totally immobilized him. The diseased body looked like a life-long sentence of interminable suffering. We prayed together to know he was a free man, a spiritual man, possessing eternal health. That he was in full possession of that health and had never lost it. The arthritis vanished from his body, and so did the pain. It happened around 16 years ago. He’s very active today.

“Movement is thought liberated.”

Movement is thought liberated from the imprisoning beliefs of mortal mind that would deny our God-given right to live an active full free life.

We must not accept any prison terms of mortal mind! We must resist them. Cast them off.

The enemy is not matter, but fear, false belief and wrong conclusions.

Under the government of the one Mind, fear and false beliefs dissolve in the omnipresence of Love, the prison doors open, and we walk into the realm of Truth fetterless and free.

“Movement is thought liberated.”

Think out from unlimited Mind and be liberated today.

"Mind is the source of all movement, and there is no inertia to retard or check its perpetual and harmonious action. "

"Love is the liberator."

~ Mary Baker Eddy

Uh-oh...

"The car stopped really fast, and I slipped between the seat cushions."

"Can anyone help me out of here?"

Keys to happiness

Printed on a Thanksgiving card:

Little Keys to Happiness

Work with joy.
Live with love.
Dream from your heart.
Share what you have.
Care deeply.
Be thankful always.

Ordinary pleasure, extraordinary happiness

An editorial in Psych Today points out that simple things make people happy.

Imagine that!

We don’t need big parties, windfalls of cash, mention in the newspaper, or fancy titles to feel content. Company with a friend, a peaceful evening at home, a hike in the woods, a new idea, top the list of many people’s ideals when it comes to feeling happy.

Simple pleasures, profound impact.

I don’t agree with all the conclusions of the Psych Today editors, especially concerning the use of chemicals, but there are glimpses and glimmers of spiritual reality in their conclusion that happiness is not humanly willed into existence. It’s often comes as a very subtle presence that needs to be cherished, honored and protected.

Here's some of what they wrote...

“… we have taken it upon ourselves here at Psych Today to
maintain a Happiness watch.

Here's where the cutting edge comes in. We have detected a subtle shift. North America's leading researchers on happiness report that the elusive quarry is so cloaked in ordinariness it might easily be mistaken nowadays. Ordinary pleasures are the workhorses of happiness. They keep us going day to day. When it comes to happiness, our experts agree, there's no Big Bang. You can't stage manage it by orchestrating great occasions. It's more like grass on city streets. It crops up between the cracks; you have to take care not to trample it.

… Or as that Fourth-of-July guy, Carl Sandburg, might have said, happiness comes in on little cat feet.

Listen and look for the “little cat feet” today!

A little love goes a long way

My wife and I play mixed doubles together in tennis tournaments.

It’s a joke around our club that many husbands and wives cannot team together because they get into arguments on the court during matches and end up mad at each other.

Kathy, my wife, and I, have done quite well working together as a team, but she told me recently that I made too many remarks and sounds of disappointment when she missed a shot.

Oops! A no-no…

As I paid more attention to my responses on court, I became aware of what she was talking about. From my point of view, my sighs were not targeted at her, but at error on our team. But unfortunately, if your wife is the one who made the error, she might take it personally! So I needed to change how I reacted to mistakes, hers and mine, I could see.

So yesterday afternoon, during a tournament match we played in, I prayed for even more peace and harmony on our team.

At first, I worked hard to make no noises—except for shouts of joy and approval, of course. I did much better. But something still wasn’t quite right.

As I prayed further, I was reminded that marriage was all about love. The outward things a couple does, whether mowing the lawn, grocery shopping, paying bills, clothing the kids, and other chores are minor compared to loving each other unselfishly. Marriage is all about love, love, love. Love is what makes a relationship work. Everything else is insignicant, and nothing else is more important.

I realized the same rule applied to playing tennis with Kathy. Whatever happened on the court was trivial, and of no consequence, compared to free flowing love and mutual support between us.

I suddenly got it.

What I needed to do was to tangibly love her more during our games and eliminate any kind of concern in thought over errors.

Now understand, I already loved her more than one can measure. But Love is infinite I remembered, so I could always do a better job.

Love her more! The words echoed in thought.

As I listened for direction, after one of our games while we were switching sides of the court with our opponents, I thought, go over and kiss her. Let her know how much you love her right now, that love between us in this match is all that counts. The score, the mistakes, the misses, the triumphs, and all the rest do not matter compared to us just loving each other.

And that’s what I did. I saw a light brighten in those eyes of hers when I pecked her on the lips.

Aha! A good idea, I decided…

And I kept doing it regularly throughout the match. After a game, between sets, and when I felt like it, I’d give her a quick kiss to let her know our love for each other was all that mattered.

I haven’t asked her yet, but I think it worked. I felt a thick peace between us that I hadn’t felt before, a deeper trust and a freer team spirit.

Our playing got better and better. Her playing got better and better.

In a very tight match we came out winning, just barely, in a tie-breaker and felt very good about our performance.

I found it interesting to note, afterward, that with no planning on our part, we had changed strategy near the end of our game in a way that allowed her to really excel in a way we hadn't experienced before on our team. She hit some fabulous winner shots.

I learned a valuable lesson yesterday. Love IS the most important thing in mixed doubles when you’re playing with your wife. It’s more important than the strokes, the serves and your positioning. Love IS the most important position to take for the best results.

To all you husbands and wives who play a team sport with your spouse, I can tell you from experience, that a few genuine expressions of love, whether its a heartfelt kiss or tender word, can go a long way to improving your team play.

I look forward to our next tournament together.

"Matrimony should never be entered into without a full recognition of its enduring obligations on both sides. There should be the most tender solicitude for each other's happiness, and mutual attention and approbation should wait on all the years of married life." Mary Baker Eddy

Common work, uncommon joy

"To do a common thing, uncommonly well, that brings success."
~ Henry John Heinz

Have you ever believed you needed something more to be successful?

“I need more money.”

“I need more support.”

“I need to live in a different place.”

“I need…???”

Any of these feelings feel familiar?

It helps me to remember that to be successful at whatever we do, the primary need is always spiritual, and often includes greater gratitude for what we already possess.

When I farmed years ago, I studied what differentiated the successful farmers from the unsuccessful growers. The difference wasn’t who had the most land, the largest bank account, the newest equipment, or the better luck. It was those who worked the hardest, loved their work the most, and learned how to do a better job at growing their crops. It was the spiritual qualities they possessed and faithfully reflected that prospered their business.

Planting seeds, irrigating plants, and picking fruit, for those in the agriculture industry, are very common “things.” But those who do it uncommonly well stand out far and above those who don’t.

Doesn’t the same rule apply to every type of employment?

Look around you and you’ll notice countless “common” people who are successful, not because they are movie stars or of special privilege, but because they are doing something common uncommonly well.

Teachers, salespeople, mothers, coaches, fathers, students, cooks, lawyers, programmers… The best ones take a common task and do it unusually well.

Each of us can do the same!

It’s not material factors such as financial backing that determine success. It’s God’s qualities in action that reward worthy effort and breed achievement.

Each of us are the talented offspring of the one infinitely intelligent divine Mind. We were created able, capable, wise, discerning, full and complete.

What appears to be common work can be turned into uncommon joy as we exercise these divine qualities abundantly and live true to our spiritual endowments.

Finding God

A student asked his spiritual teacher one day, “How do I find God?”

The teacher pondered for a moment, and then replied, “I’ll show you later.”

Puzzled, but obedient, the student patiently waited for an explanation.

Several days later, the two were swimming in a pond. Without any warning, the teacher grabbed the head of his student and plunged it into the water causing the young man to flail and fight for freedom in order to breathe.

The teacher refused to let go.

The student, bewildered, and rapidly growing desperate for air tried with all his might to break free of the man’s lock-grip. But to no avail. Finally, the mentor let go, and the student burst upward gasping for air.

“Why did you do that?” the student vehemently protested.

“Why did you struggle so?” the teacher replied.

“Because I wanted to breathe!” the student declared.

The teacher said, “You asked last week, ‘How do I find God?”

He continued, “Now I’ve shown you. When you struggle and fight to know God like you just fought for breath, you’ll find His presence.”

No death

I was having dinner with a man a couple of weeks ago who said he had died twice and come back to life over the years.

The first time he was being operated on and died during the procedure. “But,” he said, “I didn’t die. I got up from the table and walked across the room. I saw the doctors. I heard what they were saying and saw what they were doing to the body on the table.”

“Then shortly,” he said, “I went back to the table and appeared to live in the body once again.”

The second time he died, he had discovered Christian Science in the interim, and knew how to apply its principles. So, when he expired physically, again, "he didn’t die," he emphasized. He was very much alive, he explained, conscious and thinking, just not in the earthly body. He treated himself spiritually to not go through “the door” that stood before him, symbolizing an exit from earth. His prayers broke the mesmeric suggestion that death was necessary, and he came back to the earthly sense of existence.

Christian Science, he explained, teaches that Life is ever-present, not in the hereafter or on some other plane. God is our Life, and we don’t go anywhere to find more of Life than we already have.

“There is no death,” he proclaimed with confidence. “And there are no planes. Life is here and now and we are in full possession of it.”

In thinking about his story, I’m reminded of Mary Baker Eddy’s words:

“In the illusion of death, mortals wake to the knowledge of two facts: (1) that they are not dead; (2) that they have but passed the portals of a new belief.” Science and Health

I’m heartened to know that we’re all living our eternal Life now. Material existence offers a very limited view of what spiritual life has to offer, but with enlightened spiritual understanding, we shed that constricted view and glimpse more of reality—Life in the here and now.

We don’t have to die to find Life. We already have it!

Ever-present eternal life is the message Jesus sought to drive home to his followers.

He did not give into death. He conquered it.

Upholding qualities of true womanhood

I’m a little late in discovering this piece, but Chris Raymond blogged a great article on “Honor the Woman You are,” addressing the hot issue of violence against women.

She wrote in part

There is one more article I want to share because this one, to me, identifies a particular source (by no means the only one) for violence against women and how it is played out on the global scene. This is from the Washington Post: Clothes Aren't the Issue. The author is Asra Q. Nomani and while she is writing specifically about Islam, the message is for all societies. She says, "As long as the beating of women is acceptable in Islam, the problem of suicide bombers, jihadists and others who espouse violence will not go away; to me, they form part of a continuum."

Chris concludes

The characteristics of disrespect, intimidation, cruelty, humiliation are not qualities of Spirit. Therefore I will not ignore or succumb to them wherever I see them. I will mentally counter them with the true and good qualities of woman+man. In my world -- and one by one, woman by woman in all the world -- the ugly, dis-Spirited characteristics will cease to have power over humanity.

Will you stand with me and honor the woman in you...and everywhere?

Hooray Chris! Yes, we all must stand up for the “woman” in each of us.