Answered prayer

Last Wednesday night, an animal lover in the church I attend, shared a story that puts a chuckle in your belly and a smile on your face.

Years ago, she lived in Anchorage, Alaska. One morning, on her way to work, she was driving up the Seward highway, and in the median was a moose. She zipped by, as did hundreds of other cars, but felt instant compassion for the plight of the moose stranded between two busy lanes of traffic.

Her heart went out in compassion, and she prayed for the safety of the four-legged creature. She affirmed that it expressed an all-wise Mind that would act only in the best interests of safety, that it could intelligently discern a wise course of action, exercise patience, and be escorted safely out of the median into the hills beyond.

After a few minutes of prayer, she felt comfortable with the truth of being, but still really wanted to know if the moose was safe.

She prayed to God, “Please give me a sign that assures me the moose is safe.” All of a sudden, the radio announcer came on with “breaking news,” and announced that “I’m happy to tell you that the moose stranded in the median on the Seward highway has made its way safely up into the hills!”

“Thank you God,” my friend uttered. And that was the end of her moose story.

Assault of the mosquitoes

Christian Science is about discovering spiritual reality in the here and now of everyday experience. As Jesus Christ taught, heaven is not a far off place attained after death. It is an ever-present consciousness of divine Mind that we reflect as spiritually minded children of God. And humans attain this consciousness by putting on the mind of Christ and putting off sin.

The actual demonstration of spiritual mindedness is not always easy. The world assaults human consciousness with arguments that build up evil, fear of disease, and submission to sin. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science, became keenly aware of the need to daily defend one’s mental home from aggressive suggestions at large that take away peace of mind and health if not destroyed first. Jesus taught the same when he preached, “Watch!” meaning, be so keenly aware of the omnipresence of good, that no evil suggestion can sneak into your mental home undetected and cause physical or mental havoc.

Last week, I had what at the time, seemed the weirdest thing happen to me. Let me start by saying I rarely get mosquito bites where we live, if ever, and we’ve lived here several years now.

One evening, after reading a bit on the outside patio, I noticed some mosquito bites on my legs. Oh, that’s odd, I thought, and I didn’t think much of it. Then I went for a walk with my wife, which we commonly do, and got bit several times while strolling around the neighborhood. Now, I was really getting puzzled. I had shorts on, and my legs were covered in mosquito bites, so many I didn’t even try to count them. This is so weird! I protested. It was completely out of the ordinary.

I prayed the obvious prayer, knowing that I was in harmony with all of God’s creatures, and God didn’t create a bug that could harm me or would want to harm me. That I was in no danger in my own neighborhood and that the bites should rapidly disappear because there was no reason for them, nor any reason for them to stay on my body. I was innocent. I was spiritual, and in spiritual fact, could not get bitten in the first place. Christ was there to confirm this truth on my behalf, and thus the wounds would heal up quickly.

I found peace with this prayer, and was able to go through the night without touching the red spots begging for attention. But they did not go away quickly like they always had in the past. They hung around, and later the next day, became very noisy, if you know what I mean. The urge to itch intensified, and the picture was uglier than ever. By now, I knew the issue was much larger than dealing with mosquito bites.

As I’ve learned in the past, if a physical problem doesn’t go away quickly with the first one or two Christian Science treatments, then the issue is much deeper than just a physical claim. There are other mental things going on that need to be dealt with to clear the way for the physical healing. And my suspicion was some form of malpractice targeted against me that I was not getting a handle on.

No sooner did I get going down this line of reasoning, but an emotional flare-up on a particular issue erupted in our home. It was not a super big deal, but it was discord, which is out of the norm for our home, generally, a very peaceful place. And when I saw it, I exclaimed, “Aha! That’s it! It’s an assault on the harmony and peace of our home. It didn’t get to me, so it’s trying another way, through other family members.“ I impersonalized the conflict and treated it as malpractice against the health and harmony of my family, my home, and me too.

I prayed to know that we lived in a home of divine Love. That divine Love kept us all safe from any malpractice at large or specifically focused. That we all could feel only the influence of divine Love in our thinking, in our relations with each other, and in the body. That we were safe, protected, immune, out of the reach of any enemy and in no danger, ever. God is all. God is Love, and we lived in the omnipresence of that Love.

No sooner did I specifically treat the suggestion of malpractice, as just described, but a profound peace flowed over my thinking and my body. All the itchiness, burning sensation and angst over my legs vanished in a few minutes. It was an incredibly tangible experience of Love taking over my thought and the evil being shoved out rapidly. I knew I had finally put my mental finger on the error that needed to be eradicated. The peace remained, and the physical evidence of damage to my legs rapidly disappeared. The discord in our home was peacefully and quickly resolved, and heavenly order took over once again.

Oh, I am so grateful for Christian Science. It gives us the metaphysical tools we need to effectively and appropriately deal with evil. If I had viewed the mosquito bites strictly as a physical condition, and treated them with lotions and medicines, I would have totally missed out on the greater benefit of increasing the safety and peace of our home and protection of family members from outside mental influence. And the lesson would have to be learned later another way, and perhaps a harder way.

Now, to get back to enjoying our patio in the evening and neighborhood walks…

Receive in the giving

“There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life—happiness, freedom, and
peace of mind—are always attained by giving them to someone
else.”

~ Peyton C. March

No fears with God

Have you ever worried about tomorrow, feared for what might happen next, or felt uncertain about your future?

If so, there’s a cure for that unnecessary anxiety. The solution lies in understanding the allness and omniscience of God and one’s protection under the divine care.

God is all. God is good. God is Mind. The future, past, and presence of being under the directorship of God, is predictably harmonious and eternally good. There is no lurking danger around the corner or enemy to fear in the omnipresence of God’s infinite love.

A key to demonstrating this truth, of course, is to feel and experience God’s omnipresence. And this is totally doable when we relinquish a false sense of ego.

A mortal who believes in him or herself, and who accepts a mind apart from God, is tempted to be anxious and fearful. Why? Because he or she believes their future is up to them, dependent upon their decision-making and what they do humanly. And this can feel very daunting at times.

Jesus taught a better way. He taught his followers to trust in the one Mind for direction and guidance. The one Mind knows what’s best, and causes it to happen on our behalf.

When we consciously live in God’s universe, under the government of the one Mind, we don’t have fear of the future or of the present. Why? Because we know something good is always happening, and it is wonderful. There is no uncertainty about it. And we experience it too.

There is no chance or unknown in God’s economy. God determines His own state of affairs. God outlines His own future. God figures out His own present and makes it happen. And because God is good, there is only the possibility of good happening under the managerial capacity of the one Mind.

Even if something bad suggested it might happen, God would instantly annihilate it. If danger was lurking around the corner, God would get there first and wipe it out before you arrived. God is on the job, everywhere, at all times, and in all ways. There is absolutely nothing for you to fear, ever, when living in the realm of God.

In God, there is no danger or lurking error to bother, upset or unsettle. God is all. God is good. And God is an all-knowing, all-intelligent Mind that makes good happen without fail. Evil is illusion of the human mind that does not exist in the Mind of God.

As children of God, as the offspring of Spirit, we are blessed by this beneficence of God. We are living our eternal spiritual life now, and everything about it is designed to be good.

As we accept only one God, live under the government of the one Mind, and relinquish any false sense of ego, we feel God’s omnipresence. And we feel the certainty and calm that comes along with knowing that everything is working out for a good purpose, and that we are part of it!

The Christian Science approach to healing

If a problem does not yield quickly to prayer, sometimes students of Christian Science struggle between total reliance on God for healing and seeking a medical option.

The textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, makes provision for temporal help when prayer has yet to reach its desired outcome. Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “If Christian Scientists ever fail to receive aid from other Scientists, — their brethren upon whom they may call, — God will still guide them into the right use of temporary and eternal means.”

She continues to point out, though, that temporal aid is what it is—temporal. And that all issues have to be ultimately resolved spiritually to bring genuine reformation from the inside out. She went on to state, “Step by step will those who trust Him find that ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’” If one seeks temporal help, that is fine. People need to do what they think is the wisest thing to do under their circumstances. But it is most desirable to find permanent help in God to begin with, if possible, and not have to take a circuitous route to genuine healing.

One truth that helps break the mesmerism of unfulfilled prayer is to understand that the primary purpose of Christian Science is not to fix a material problem, but to reveal spiritual truth. Jesus Christ, the master healer of all time, taught, “Know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Disease is error of belief, and truth is its antidote. It’s knowledge, or understanding of Truth, God, that brings spiritual freedom from physical suffering.

A friend recently shared a story that highlighted the difference between a medical approach to healing and the method Jesus Christ taught.

She had been suffering from pneumonia for several days, and her condition was worsening. Despite dedicated prayer by herself and her family, the lie was not yielding. With the situation looking desperate, a couple of family members decided she needed to go to the hospital, and they pressed her to let them take her. She did not want to go, but something needed to change quickly or the picture was not going to be good.

When pressed again to seek medical help, suddenly a light went on in her thought. She bolted upright in her bed and declared, “A doctor cannot tell me anything about who I am as a child of God.”

She swiftly realized the distinction between a medical approach to healing and the Christian Science approach. The two are strikingly different. A medical doctor views a patient as a physical body and sees disease as a real condition that needs to be treated materially. Christian Science views man as spiritual, and in perfect health as God’s image and likeness. Disease is seen as illusion about God’s perfect man, and is cured by understanding the spiritual truth that dissolves the illusion.

The mesmerism of a “real disease” broke in my friend’s mind. She saw clearly that she was not physical, did not have a disease, and had all she needed coming from God right where she was at home. She couldn’t learn anything more about her true spiritual identity at a hospital then she could at home. The pneumonia broke and she was quickly and happily on her feet again, well.

This story is useful because it illustrates the difference between medical treatment and Christian Science treatment. It is also a red flag for examining how a student of Christian Science approaches healing.

If one views disease as a real condition that needs to be eliminated, efforts to heal it may feel hopeless and even in vain, and rightfully so, for it is the wrong approach. Disease is not a reality. It is an error of belief in the human mind. The belief that disease is real automatically puts thought in the medical camp to begin with, and thus leaves the mental door wide open to believing that the condition can only be resolved through material means.

As my friend realized, spiritual healing is about discovering who we spiritually are. Our spiritual individuality is healthy, well and secure in God’s image. This is an unchangeable fact and provable in the here and now of everyday experience. This truth dissolves the mortal mind lie of disease as being part of that individuality, and healing happens, first in thought, then in the body governed by that thought.

A call on your practice

Do you ever get upset by other people’s shortcomings? Do you get angry over their imperfections, bad habits, or undesirable character traits? If so, then you have an opportunity to be a healer!

And where is the first place to start the healing work? Yep, you probably guessed it, right in your own point of view.

A student of Christian Science strives to live the laws of spiritual harmony. And one of these laws states that God made the universe, and that everything within it expresses goodness of some kind.

Part of the practice Christian Science is to see goodness when goodness is not so obvious, and hold to it until the evil sense goes away and is replaced by an improved picture.

When we don’t see goodness, it’s not because it is absent. It’s because we’re not seeing it. Evidence of any kind of evil is a call upon our practice to see the good and contribute to dissolving the evil.

Too often it’s tempting to get mad at others who act up and let thought settle into a state of self-justified anger, resentment or ill-will. But this is not healthy, and it’s definitely not healing. When a neighbor manifests error, it’s not a call for us to get mad and upset. It’s a call to pray and love more. It’s a call on our practice of Christian Science to see the good and contribute to dissolution of the error.

Thinking back to my early days when I sold organs and pianos to put myself through college, one day, the store where I worked had an extremely angry customer leave a very heated message on the answering machine. I had to call them back. Rather than becoming afraid, and even angry, I saw the mad customer as a call on my practice of Christian Science to demonstrate the power of Love where there seemed to be no love.

I returned the call with a listening ear and an open mind. The customer was still raging mad and spewed out all types of ill-will. But I did not react. I loved the woman. I saw her as a child of God. I knew she had good qualities. They were not apparent, but I knew they existed! I did not react in kind. I listened and waited until she finished her story. She calmed down. I expressed understanding of her position, and then gently explained the store’s point of view. She listened. Her attitude started to adjust. We ended the conversation on a friendly note.

This rule of seeing every adverse circumstance you encounter as a call on your practice, works. It saves a huge amount of grief, irritation, bother and fear. It immediately cuts to the need of the moment, which is always for healing.

So, whenever you find face adversity, fear not. Fret not. Don’t react. Respond. Respond with love. See the trial as a call on your practice to be a healer, and as an opportunity to bring comfort to an otherwise troubled situation.

“Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.” Romans

Looking for a husband?

I got permission from a friend to share her story of a recent experience she had while wrestling with not having a husband around to help. She’s a single woman, and happily so, but…

She wrote:

…In thinking through a problem in my house that needed resolution, I asked myself what I thought I was missing. The thought burst into my thinking, "A husband." I was surprised because I’m happy being single, and have never had finding a husband as a goal. But clearly I felt I was missing something.

As I prayed, I started to think I was missing the boat on expressing the completeness of masculine and feminine qualities in my home. I hated my messed up garage and wished I had a husband to deal with it (I know, there are a lot of assumptions in that line of thought!!).

The "man cave" was a total mystery to me and as much as I tried to get the garage under control I just didn't know how too, so it ended up being in a constant state of disaster. Probably not a big or unusual problem, but it irritated me every time I went in there. Not a good way to start and end each day!

The contractors had left it partially finished and I had tried to get it done for several years but to no avail.

As I prayed about this, I really started to groove on remembering my completeness as God’s image—with a full gamut of masculine and feminine qualities to reflect—that I didn’t lack anything special in my home, and that God was in control of the situation.

I started to feel a really cool peace about it all, and then my phone rang. A college-aged son of a friend of mine was on the line. He told me he had a couple weeks before school started, needed to earn some money, and wondered if I wanted him to finish my garage.

Oh, so cool! My prayer was answered!!

Four days later, my garage was insulated, the sheet rock finisheded, and all at a price I could afford.

He spoke fluent "garage," and got all my tools organized and storage straightened out. He was so loving and thoughtful. He compared prices, got accessories that were right for my space, and talked me out of things I didn't need. The work is absolutely beautiful.

I feel so satisfied and complete about it all. That "inner husband" really worked out!

Something to be grateful for

One of the liberating truths Christian Science has helped me understand over the years is that happiness attached to Spirit is endless. Happiness attached to things, status and position is fleeting.

I remember in my early days of youth, that when my goal was to earn money, I was never satisfied. I always needed more. Genuine happiness was always just out of reach or not quite yet attainable.

Once I learned that “Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love,” as Mary Baker Eddy wrote, I dropped looking to money and things for joy, and found it in Spirit. I found a deep abiding peace within that I’d never known before. And it has stuck with me.

In today’s economy, which is tough for many, millions of people are severing connections with things, position and status, either by choice or not. Jobs have been lost, income reduced, homes foreclosed, job searches lengthened. It’s mortal mind fodder for getting down on life, feeling depressed, hopeless, and even sorry for self. And it needs to be guarded against.

Any downward spiral in morale can be checked by remembering what the most important things in life are and being grateful for them. The things that matter most are not the temporal items that can be taken from us. They are the spiritual things built into us.

God made us joyous beings. God made us happy beings. God made us complete beings, independent of cash in hand, job status, or societal standing.

When I traveled to South Africa about 8 years ago, I was struck by the severe poverty endured by millions. Huge shanty towns, with homes made of cardboard, tin roof, and dirt floor housed thousands and thousands of residents. Some people looked sad, to be sure, but there were also signs of great joy and happiness. Children, not weighed down by worry and fear, played with delight through the alleyways. Woman greeted us with big smiles and happy welcomes at stops we made. Men carried themselves with dignity and determination to make something of themselves. Where it might seem unimaginable to find signs of hope and joy, they were easy to spot.

There is a spiritual dignity in all of us that is greater than any trial we face. We are spiritual beings endowed with worth, value and importance that far transcends any material status quo.

We are not the money we make, the position we claim or the reputation we garner. We are more. We are valuable beyond any economic measurement, loved beyond any human evidence of it, and worthy beyond any other’s estimate. We are spiritual. We have eternal life and ability to live it. Our help comes from God, and no picture of lack in this world can deprive us of it.

When there seems to be little materially to be grateful for, we can count our spiritual blessings. We can think. We can see beyond the picture of lack. We can find hope in God. We can love. No one can stop us from expressing love.

And in love, we find life. It is enough to meet the human need.

The ugliness of complaint

I was browsing in a Bible bookstore today looking for a translation of the Bible. It was a pleasant atmosphere to be in. The single employee in the store was very gracious, helpful and in good spirits. I was in a very good mood too, enjoying a few moments of free time. A recording of a man reading from the Bible played over the audio system. It was a peaceful place to be.

In walks a woman who is looking for a particular book that she cannot find. The store does not have it in stock, but can order it. Well, that wasn’t good enough. She didn’t understand why it wasn’t on the shelf right then so she could look at it. And out came complaint after complaint. Her disgruntled voice filled the shopping area, and I had to start loving this woman to stop myself from thinking negative thoughts about her!

I was not too successful at first because I was impressed by the unfairness of her critical comments.

I wondered if she really could consider herself a Christian…oops…not a nice thought! I’m sure she did. So, I prayed that the condemnation would quickly stop and she could find something good to be grateful for.

The criticism did not cease. It grew worse. Soon she was criticizing the whole store and stating how disappointed she was in finding gifts for sale in a Bible store…and so on... The barrage didn’t stop until she left the premises.

I did not let my thinking fall to a low level. I quickly started loving her as a child of God, and knew she had the capacity to see the good, and I mentally followed her out the door with a blessing.

After she left, though, I couldn’t help but notice how ugly complaints can be. The store had been a very nice amiable atmosphere of thought before this woman entered. In she came with her complaining attitude, and the store rapidly went from being a very pleasant atmosphere to making you want to run for the door.

In Christian Science, one learns not to “run for the door,” but to love more and take the higher road of demonstrating dominion over dark bleak attitudes. And by relying upon the power of divine Love to back up one’s positive position, it’s possible to send the complaining attitude running for the door, instead of the good thought feeling like it has to leave. I suppose that is what happened to a degree. The woman left and all returned to harmony.

But I’m going to practice complaining less from now on! I don’t know how much I do, but I probably have room for improvement. From watching this woman, I see clearly that it’s not a pretty picture to be seen as a complainer! It’s a lot more favorable to be one voicing gratitude and goodwill.

Responding to meanness

Have you ever struggled over how to respond to someone who is flat out mean to you?

Sometimes people get offended when no offense was meant by the other party. And sometimes people get upset because malice, false accusation and intentionally unkind remarks were lobbed at them. Perception of meanness is often a matter of…well...perception.

Nonetheless, in either case, the solution is the same. Jesus has shown us what to do.

Love more.

As children of God, we are a consciousness of love. Love is the substance of our real identity, and there isn’t any accusation or evil remark that can touch our body, our being, our individuality, our thinking, in the likeness of Love.

Jesus knew and understood this when he was able to utter, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

These words of Jesus, voiced while nailed to the cross, reveal his complete and total spiritual composure in the face of gross injustice and unwarranted persecution.

We can strive for this same composure. It is a ticket to freedom from being affected by evil thoughts, no matter where they come from. Our ability to maintain spiritual composure and thoughts of love protects us from the intent of the evil one.

A consciousness of love cannot be attacked by hatred and malice. It’s like a room full of light in the dark of the night. If you open the curtains on a window in that room and its pitch dark outside, the room remains full of light. The darkness does not invade the room. The light penetrates the darkness.

To God, evil, hatred and their kin have no power or presence. The more we align our thought with God, with infinite divine Love, the less influence hatred and evil have over our thinking.

Walk in love. Remain in love. Stay in love. Identify with infinite divine Love, and hatred from others will not impact you. You will impact them, and favorably, and at the same time preserve your own sanity and peace of mind.

The mind of love forgives instantly, shows mercy, has compassion, looks for the good, is unimpressed by evil, remains spiritually composed, and loves on.

Love on…

The Golden Rule

"The Maxim does not imply that we should always do to others exactly that which we should wish under our own present circumstances (which may be quite different from theirs) to be done to us. What the maxim implies is that we are, as far as possible, to put ourselves in the place of others; to consider what we would wish to be done to us, were we in their circumstances."

~ W. A. Spooner

Your Daily Lift

Have you heard about the new series of mini-podcasts, “Your Daily Lift,” put out by the Christian Science Board of Lectureship?

Each day, a 60-90 second thought for the day is recorded by a different lecturer and posted on www.christianscience.com. The ideas shared are quite good.

I had one posted today, titled, “You are good.”

A compass for action

"The golden rule is like a compass. I keep it always in my pocket, and, if I ever am lost or disoriented, I take it out and immediately know which way to go."

~ Teddy Beard

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.

“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

Living love

Would you like more love in your life? Want to feel more of love’s presence?

Here’s a fun exercise to do that will draw you closer to what true love is and how to experience it.

Take the text of I Corinthians 13, frequently referred to as “Paul’s love letter,” and substitute your name for the word love. And then see how well you’re living the real thing....

Here’s the text:

“Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
Love does not demand its own way.
Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.
It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear.” NLT

Be fruitful and multiply

Would you like to see some more multiplication in your life? Perhaps in your business, job prospects, bank account or friendships?

In the book of Genesis, it states that man—male and female—was made in God’s image, and then goes on to record that “God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth….”

A materialist might read this blessing and see it as a promise of material gain,--of more things, cash, fame or profit. But it means much more. It refers to spiritual profit.

The “male and female” of God’s creating, reflects the spiritual substance of God in the form of love, wisdom, intelligence, creativity, ability and capacity for good. To multiply in God’s image means to reflect God’s qualities more and more. These qualities, in turn, replenish the earth—replenish an empty purse, a broken heart, job opportunities and joy in our everyday lives.

God’s law of multiplication is at work on your behalf today. It’s built into your being. It’s the way God made you. You are divinely created with the capacity to express more and more love, wisdom, intelligence and helpful discernment. These qualities, exercised, solve problems, discover answers, and see progressive paths to walk down. They meet human needs.

To experience increasing good you don’t have to wait for something to happen out in the world first. Good doesn’t come from a material source. It comes from God. And per God’s law of multiplication, there is an irresistible force at work within you unfolding the infinitude of God's goodness right now.

Embrace the law of multiplication today. Love more, listen more, follow God’s direction more, trust more…and let the blessings flow. Be fruitful, and multiply!

Money and marriage

I’ve heard it many times from different people over the last few months, “A shortage of money in the household is causing strain and stress in my marriage.”

According to some polls, disagreements over how to manage money is the number one cause of divorce.

So, it’s vitally important to spiritually defend one’s marriage during these economic times, from conflict over money to keep the marriage happy and healthy.

How to do this?

By understanding better that money is not the wealth of the home. Love is!

Marriage is all about love, giving, caring, sharing, working as one, forgiveness, and cultivating mutual understanding. If money ever becomes a divisive issue, than a couple has forgotten what their marriage is all about.

Marriage is about working problems out in love.

If anything, economic hardship would strengthen a marriage, not weaken it, because it would call forth the very best qualities in each spouse to figure out how they were going to deal with current economic conditions.

It’s a trick of the carnal mind, or supposed evil influence at large in the world, to convince a person that money is the leading issue when faced with financial shortfall. Money is never the leading issue. Wealth is not dollars in the bank, but understanding, inspiration, fresh insight and humility in the mind.

When two people work together in love, they find answers that solve problems. They gain more productive views, an expanded sense of possibility, willingness to go in a better direction, and are receptive to God’s help.

Anger, hate, resentment impoverish. Love, forgiving, sharing and caring enrich.

Love is the greatest wealth a married couple could ever have, and it comes freely from God. There is never a shortage of it! And it’s the most important resource to keep flowing in a home that is going to survive and thrive.

If the bills pile high, and the bank account draws low, it’s not a time to get angry. It’s a time to love—and more than ever.

God blesses in abundance

While studying the story of the loaves and fishes in the Bible Lesson this week, I was struck by the fact that when God is acknowledged as the source of supply, one’s outward experience of supply multiplies, even when vast consumption occurs in the meantime.

There were thousands of hungry people to feed. Jesus had five barley loaves and two small fishes to distribute. But Jesus didn’t simply distribute a limited material quantity of food. He gave thanks to God first before passing the items around. He acknowledged and understood that God would feed the masses through the infinite resources of divine Love.

When everyone was done eating, the leftovers were gathered together, filling twelve baskets. And this is amazing to consider, that the five loaves and two fishes had grown into enough leftovers to fill 12 baskets! There was more food after dinner than before.

How could that be?

It was an act of Love.

And I thought, yes, that’s how God works. God’s supply is not a limited quantity of material items that get consumed. God’s supply is understanding, ideas, inspiration, gratitude, love, wisdom, and their kin, all of which multiply to the human sense of things when welcomed into thought.

The human mind calls spiritual ideas material things, but they are not. Spiritual ideas are, well, spiritual ideas. And when one gets the right idea of God and how God works through Mind, the effect is one of multiplying goodness in the everyday human experience.

And when it comes to feeding hungry mouths, if a meal is started by giving God the gratitude, there very well could be more left over after dinner than one had before. And that is very cool....

People asking for help

There are many people struggling with issues that need resolution in their life. You may hear about some of these difficulties when friends, neighbors or strangers, for instance, complain about a health problem, vent anger, express irritation, or fear for their future.

In fact, I hear from many of these individuals every day...and happily so, because when they call for help and tell me their pain, I know that what they’re really asking for is

To be reminded that they are a perfect and loved child of God.

There is an answer

Have you ever felt stuck, hopeless, and unable to solve a problem?

Yesterday, I spent a few hours trying to solve a tech problem with the template in this blog. I kept getting error messages and was getting a bit frustrated with my lack of progress. But I didn’t lose hope. It’s sort of my motto for life—Never give up!

Tempted to feel all my efforts were wasted at the end of the day, I quit working on the project and did other things to give myself some mental distance from the issue.

I quit trying to solve the problem myself and prayed only. This helps, by the way!

In my prayers, I remembered that God had the perfect solution for the template confusion. The all-knowing, all-wise Mind has a solution for any problem we ever face. No matter how distant and removed that solution seems to be from us at the moment, it is as close as our thoughts. We need only to listen and hear what God is telling us.

I decided to spend the night listening for the solution. I put all fear aside, all efforts to solve the problem myself, and just wait for the right idea to land in my thinking and tell me what to do.

I got up this morning, early, as usual, and read my Bible Lesson. While reading, I was grateful to be reminded that Spirit blesses and multiplies all right ideas.

When I finished my study, a little voice within said, “You need to download and archive your blog template for safekeeping.” I obeyed.

As I opened up the blog settings page to download my template, I noticed a little empty box with an option listed next to it that I had never noticed before. The little voice within said, “Check it!” I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but after listening a bit longer to insure I wasn’t acting on blind impulse, the voice still said, “Check it.” So I did. And presto, all my problems were solved!

It felt unbelievable. I was soooo happy! I had finally listened sufficiently to divine Mind to know what to do. Mind knew all along, and once I got human striving out of the way, and humbly listened, the solution became apparent.

I am so grateful. And now, because of my new discovery, you’ll start to see some new items appearing on the sidebar of this blog as I freshen it up and add some gadgets I’ve wanted to include for some time now.

Forward ho--