What voice are you listening to today?
Voices come from many different directions.
If we’re married, we hear the voice of our spouse. If employed, the voice of our boss. If learning in school, the voices of teachers and professors. If reading a book, the voice of the author.
There are verbal voices and nonverbal voices.
People’s words are usually easy to notice. Their voice is verbal. It's the nonverbal voices we need to pay special attention to because they are just as influential, yet often not noticed.
There is the voice of hope and positive expectation. That's a good voice to listen to. But there’s the voice of discouragement, dismay, and despair. This voice is not a healthy guide to follow.
There’s the voice of love, care and compassion. There’s the voice of hate, apathy and anger.
There’s the voice of health, harmony and peace. There’s the voice of sickness, disease, and chaos.
There’s the voice of honesty and integrity. There’s the voice of dishonesty and deceit.
There’s the voice of God. There’s the voice of the carnal mind leading thought away from God.
There’s the voice of Good. There’s the voice of evil.
Which voice are you listening to? Which voice is guiding you? Which voice do you honor with your attention and devotion?
In Truth, there is only one voice, the voice of God. All other claims to authority diminish and cease until they are heard no more.
Until the full realization of Good’s totality is understood, it is wise to ask, “What voice am I listening to today?”
Listen to God, as you navigate through the day--and plan for the New Year! And you’ll be led aright.
“The voice of the Lord is powerful.” Psalms
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
God working out a divine purpose in you
I’ve been reading about 50 pages a day in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, in order to catch a better overall vision of Christian Science that Mary Baker Eddy so ably writes about in her book. Every time I do this exercise, I gain a more expansive view of spiritual reality that puts me in a better metaphysical place.
This time, I’ve been struck by a higher order working itself out through my life than any plan I could ever humanly devise.
In Science and Health, Eddy argues that the universe is governed by divine law, or divine Science, as she identifies these laws. These laws have the final say on all matters. Evil submits to them, as Jesus Christ proved, and the final effect of these laws in operation is life in heaven, as she states in many different ways.
As I read, I saw clearly that it’s inevitable that everyone will eventually, through trial or willing acceptance, discover themselves to be made in God’s image, living in heaven. But the trigger thought that got my mental wheels turning was seeing clearly that the human mind can never alter or prevent God’s purpose from being fully realized for each of us. Any human plans we make that deviate from God's plan for our life will be aborted, thwarted, ended or stopped at some point by the higher demand to conform to God's plan.
Whoa…I thought. This means that the human mind has no control over my destiny. God has the control and influence through divine law constantly affecting and influencing my experience to get me to the final realization of spiritual life in heaven.
The little world of “Evan in control,” that I’ve identified with on occasion, suddenly went tipsy-turvy, and landed upside down.
I thought over my human history, and it became increasingly clear that I don’t control my life destiny. A divine purpose has been constantly working itself out through me, and it’s irresistible.
Take my career, for instance. I chose to work in the family business right out of college. It was not meant to be. My human choice was the best I saw at the moment, but it was not where God was taking me. The divine choice was for me to go into the healing practice. At first I resisted, and I suffered. Once I yielded to the divine will, the suffering went away and I thrived in my new profession—my God-appointed profession.
I think about how I found my wonderful wife. I didn’t. God brought her to me and us together through absolutely no human planning on either side.
I think about the individuality expressed through my children. As responsible parents, my wife and I educate, feed, clothe, train, lead and guide them the best we know. But honestly, the individuality they express is vastly greater and grander than anything we could plan out for them. Their unique talents, skills and beautiful qualities of Soul are not the outcome of our own creation. They came from God, the divine Mind that conceived and created them in the first place. We have been bearing witness to what God already put in place.
I thought about success in my practice, and people calling me for help. I can see a power greater than me at work in my professional life, steering me and guiding me. The more I put Evan aside and let God lead the way, the better the results.
The more I looked, the more I saw God’s hand at work in every detail of my life, my family, and my practice. God’s guiding hand was responsible for all the good, not me. It was God working a divine purpose out through me. I certainly participated by yielding. That part is necessary! But God was the source, the cause and the power behind any progressive steps.
The times when I’ve struggled or suffered were times when I resisted the divine purpose or doubted it. But, once again, God always had the final say. Eventually, I would yield to God’s purpose, and the suffering would disappear. I’m still working on this in other ways today! So much more to learn…
God is working the divine purpose out within us all. Christian Science explains what that purpose is and how to live in harmony with it. The quicker we get it and live it the faster our progress. It's inevitable that we all end up where God expects us to be. Many may resist, but the resistance is temporary, and sooner or later, divine law wins.
Jesus yielded to Christ. Jesus totally sacrificed all human ambition, desires and selfish wants for Christ. He said, “I am the way.” In other words, as we give up all human ambition, desires and wants for Christ too, we find the way to Christ, to eternal life.
“Evan needs to fully yield to Christ,” I thought. Wow. This is exciting on one hand, but a bit scary on the other. It requires total yielding of all human planning to the divine Plan--life in Spirit.
As I look back over my human history, I see that all the best stuff has come when I put my plans aside and yielded to God’s plan. And the results have always been good when I did this. So, no need to fear for the future, I can see.
It’s okay to let go of the world and its loves and lusts. There is nothing there to hold on to. All the best life has to offer is in heaven, in Spirit, and God is working within each of us in such a way that we inevitably accept this truth, yield to it, and experience its blessings to the fullest.
There is a higher order at work in the lives of each of us, moving us in a progressive direction and ensuring that we come to a full realization of life in heaven, supreme harmony. Our destiny is in the hands of God. And that is a very good place for it to be!
This time, I’ve been struck by a higher order working itself out through my life than any plan I could ever humanly devise.
In Science and Health, Eddy argues that the universe is governed by divine law, or divine Science, as she identifies these laws. These laws have the final say on all matters. Evil submits to them, as Jesus Christ proved, and the final effect of these laws in operation is life in heaven, as she states in many different ways.
As I read, I saw clearly that it’s inevitable that everyone will eventually, through trial or willing acceptance, discover themselves to be made in God’s image, living in heaven. But the trigger thought that got my mental wheels turning was seeing clearly that the human mind can never alter or prevent God’s purpose from being fully realized for each of us. Any human plans we make that deviate from God's plan for our life will be aborted, thwarted, ended or stopped at some point by the higher demand to conform to God's plan.
Whoa…I thought. This means that the human mind has no control over my destiny. God has the control and influence through divine law constantly affecting and influencing my experience to get me to the final realization of spiritual life in heaven.
The little world of “Evan in control,” that I’ve identified with on occasion, suddenly went tipsy-turvy, and landed upside down.
I thought over my human history, and it became increasingly clear that I don’t control my life destiny. A divine purpose has been constantly working itself out through me, and it’s irresistible.
Take my career, for instance. I chose to work in the family business right out of college. It was not meant to be. My human choice was the best I saw at the moment, but it was not where God was taking me. The divine choice was for me to go into the healing practice. At first I resisted, and I suffered. Once I yielded to the divine will, the suffering went away and I thrived in my new profession—my God-appointed profession.
I think about how I found my wonderful wife. I didn’t. God brought her to me and us together through absolutely no human planning on either side.
I think about the individuality expressed through my children. As responsible parents, my wife and I educate, feed, clothe, train, lead and guide them the best we know. But honestly, the individuality they express is vastly greater and grander than anything we could plan out for them. Their unique talents, skills and beautiful qualities of Soul are not the outcome of our own creation. They came from God, the divine Mind that conceived and created them in the first place. We have been bearing witness to what God already put in place.
I thought about success in my practice, and people calling me for help. I can see a power greater than me at work in my professional life, steering me and guiding me. The more I put Evan aside and let God lead the way, the better the results.
The more I looked, the more I saw God’s hand at work in every detail of my life, my family, and my practice. God’s guiding hand was responsible for all the good, not me. It was God working a divine purpose out through me. I certainly participated by yielding. That part is necessary! But God was the source, the cause and the power behind any progressive steps.
The times when I’ve struggled or suffered were times when I resisted the divine purpose or doubted it. But, once again, God always had the final say. Eventually, I would yield to God’s purpose, and the suffering would disappear. I’m still working on this in other ways today! So much more to learn…
God is working the divine purpose out within us all. Christian Science explains what that purpose is and how to live in harmony with it. The quicker we get it and live it the faster our progress. It's inevitable that we all end up where God expects us to be. Many may resist, but the resistance is temporary, and sooner or later, divine law wins.
Jesus yielded to Christ. Jesus totally sacrificed all human ambition, desires and selfish wants for Christ. He said, “I am the way.” In other words, as we give up all human ambition, desires and wants for Christ too, we find the way to Christ, to eternal life.
“Evan needs to fully yield to Christ,” I thought. Wow. This is exciting on one hand, but a bit scary on the other. It requires total yielding of all human planning to the divine Plan--life in Spirit.
As I look back over my human history, I see that all the best stuff has come when I put my plans aside and yielded to God’s plan. And the results have always been good when I did this. So, no need to fear for the future, I can see.
It’s okay to let go of the world and its loves and lusts. There is nothing there to hold on to. All the best life has to offer is in heaven, in Spirit, and God is working within each of us in such a way that we inevitably accept this truth, yield to it, and experience its blessings to the fullest.
There is a higher order at work in the lives of each of us, moving us in a progressive direction and ensuring that we come to a full realization of life in heaven, supreme harmony. Our destiny is in the hands of God. And that is a very good place for it to be!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Prosperity gospel and the recession
I read an eye-catching article titled, “Did Christianity Cause the Crash?” in The Atlantic. Hanna Rosin, the author, argues that the prosperity gospel preached to tens of millions of Christians, promoted excess financial risk-taking that contributed to the housing bubble and its inevitable burst.
Here’s the lead into the piece:
“America’s mainstream religious denominations used to teach the faithful that they would be rewarded in the afterlife. But over the past generation, a different strain of Christian faith has proliferated—one that promises to make believers rich in the here and now. Known as the prosperity gospel, and claiming tens of millions of adherents, it fosters risk-taking and intense material optimism. It pumped air into the housing bubble. And one year into the worst downturn since the Depression, it’s still going strong.”
This article caught my attention because I frequently work with patients who have been influenced by the prosperity gospel. And it can be challenging at times to help them see the primary need, or supply, is not money, but spiritual understanding.
The prosperity gospel promises increased material wealth and gain if you follow the tenets and practices of those who preach it.
Millions of people already want the material riches before they ever step foot in a church, so to hear a preacher from the pulpit, supposedly anointed “from above,” tell them they can have their consumeristic heart’s desires fulfilled if they believe in God and have strong faith, is like a dream come true. Pray yourself to earthly riches, fame and success, the message comes across.
Rosin argues in her piece that Christians steeped in prosperity gospel teaching, acted on trumped up hopes and dreams that exceeded reasonable financial expectations. They bought homes they could not afford, believing that God would give them the money they needed to make future mortgage payments. The increased income did not come. Payments were missed, foreclosure took the homes, and millions of dreams were crushed, all contributing to the crash we're all familiar with now.
It can be a stretch to follow all of Rosin’s logic, but her reporting does provoke some serious thought about the theological errors and misrepresentation of true Christianity the prosperity gospel advocates.
Jesus Christ did not teach his followers to pursue or yearn for great worldly wealth and success. He taught them to seek the riches of Spirit and rest assured that their human needs would be met.
To the young man who wanted Jesus to tell his brother to divide his father’s inheritance with him, Jesus replied, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” It seems that Jesus did not care about the extra money and didn’t believe the boy needed to be concerned about it either.
Jesus did not hold out in front of public thought images or promises of worldly gain as a reward for following him. He promised eternal life for faithful followership, and the route to that goal may or may not be attended by much money. But every need will be met along the way.
There is a big difference between seeking spiritual gain first with human needs met as a consequence, and pursuing dreams of material gain through prayer to God. The first puts God first. The second puts mammon first.
It seems that prosperity preaching feeds on humanity’s lust and want of material comfort and gain. If followers put the pursuit of monetary gain first, above listening to the voice of Wisdom, poor financial decisions can result. The voice of Wisdom does not lead one down a path of financial ruin. It leads one down a path of discipline, balance, patience, contentment, and to choices that endure hardship.
The prosperity gospel has led many people astray. Whether Rosin is right or not, in her conclusions, each reader can decide. But reading the article is a wake-up call to anyone caught up into the "Pursue your dreams," type of wishful thinking the prosperity gospel engenders.
The more mental weight we throw into the scale of Spirit, the less we think about worldly gain, money, getting monetarily rich and pursuing earthly dreams. These all fall to the wayside for the greater riches and wealth of spiritual understanding and demonstration.
Prosperity, in Spirit, is not measured in material quantities or by things owned, but by spiritual understanding gained and love lived. There is a big difference!
Here’s the lead into the piece:
“America’s mainstream religious denominations used to teach the faithful that they would be rewarded in the afterlife. But over the past generation, a different strain of Christian faith has proliferated—one that promises to make believers rich in the here and now. Known as the prosperity gospel, and claiming tens of millions of adherents, it fosters risk-taking and intense material optimism. It pumped air into the housing bubble. And one year into the worst downturn since the Depression, it’s still going strong.”
This article caught my attention because I frequently work with patients who have been influenced by the prosperity gospel. And it can be challenging at times to help them see the primary need, or supply, is not money, but spiritual understanding.
The prosperity gospel promises increased material wealth and gain if you follow the tenets and practices of those who preach it.
Millions of people already want the material riches before they ever step foot in a church, so to hear a preacher from the pulpit, supposedly anointed “from above,” tell them they can have their consumeristic heart’s desires fulfilled if they believe in God and have strong faith, is like a dream come true. Pray yourself to earthly riches, fame and success, the message comes across.
Rosin argues in her piece that Christians steeped in prosperity gospel teaching, acted on trumped up hopes and dreams that exceeded reasonable financial expectations. They bought homes they could not afford, believing that God would give them the money they needed to make future mortgage payments. The increased income did not come. Payments were missed, foreclosure took the homes, and millions of dreams were crushed, all contributing to the crash we're all familiar with now.
It can be a stretch to follow all of Rosin’s logic, but her reporting does provoke some serious thought about the theological errors and misrepresentation of true Christianity the prosperity gospel advocates.
Jesus Christ did not teach his followers to pursue or yearn for great worldly wealth and success. He taught them to seek the riches of Spirit and rest assured that their human needs would be met.
To the young man who wanted Jesus to tell his brother to divide his father’s inheritance with him, Jesus replied, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” It seems that Jesus did not care about the extra money and didn’t believe the boy needed to be concerned about it either.
Jesus did not hold out in front of public thought images or promises of worldly gain as a reward for following him. He promised eternal life for faithful followership, and the route to that goal may or may not be attended by much money. But every need will be met along the way.
There is a big difference between seeking spiritual gain first with human needs met as a consequence, and pursuing dreams of material gain through prayer to God. The first puts God first. The second puts mammon first.
It seems that prosperity preaching feeds on humanity’s lust and want of material comfort and gain. If followers put the pursuit of monetary gain first, above listening to the voice of Wisdom, poor financial decisions can result. The voice of Wisdom does not lead one down a path of financial ruin. It leads one down a path of discipline, balance, patience, contentment, and to choices that endure hardship.
The prosperity gospel has led many people astray. Whether Rosin is right or not, in her conclusions, each reader can decide. But reading the article is a wake-up call to anyone caught up into the "Pursue your dreams," type of wishful thinking the prosperity gospel engenders.
The more mental weight we throw into the scale of Spirit, the less we think about worldly gain, money, getting monetarily rich and pursuing earthly dreams. These all fall to the wayside for the greater riches and wealth of spiritual understanding and demonstration.
Prosperity, in Spirit, is not measured in material quantities or by things owned, but by spiritual understanding gained and love lived. There is a big difference!
“Christianity causes men to turn naturally from matter to Spirit, as the flower turns from darkness to light. Man then appropriates those things which "eye hath not seen nor ear heard." Paul and John had a clear
apprehension that, as mortal man achieves no worldly honors except by sacrifice, so he must gain heavenly riches by forsaking all worldliness. Then he will have nothing in common with the worldling's affections, motives, and aims.” Mary Baker Eddy
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wishing you a peace-filled Christmas
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Where are you looking today?
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow."
~ Helen Keller
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Celebrating Christmas
What does it mean to celebrate Christmas?
Is it all about parties, get-togethers, shopping, giving and receiving gifts, cooking, baking, hangovers, and bills to pay afterward?
I was struck by a quote from Mary Baker Eddy from her article, “What Christmas means to me.” She wrote, “I love to observe Christmas in quietude, humility, benevolence, charity, letting good will towards man, eloquent silence, prayer, and praise express my conception of Truth’s appearing.”
The words, “…express my conception of Truth’s appearing,” grabbed my attention.
Christmas is about far more than the birth of baby Jesus. It’s about the message of spiritual truth Jesus brought to humanity from God. It was not solely Jesus, a physical person, who transformed the world, but the Christ, Truth, Jesus taught and lived. The two are inseparable, but to catch the true meaning of Christmas, one must think beyond a material birth to the divine idea that appeared through the life and teaching of Jesus. The divine idea included the truth that we are all spiritual, we are all children of God, loved and upheld by divine grace, just as Jesus proved and taught us how to find.
To celebrate Christmas is to live true to our spiritual selfhood as Jesus so ably exemplified, and to let it appear vividly through our thoughts, words, and actions.
This is why I believe Eddy wrote, “I love to observe Christmas in quietude, humility, benevolence, charity,…” because these forms of observance allow thought to get still with God and discern the appearing of Christ, or Truth, within. It cultivates a ready state of mind that allows the true meaning of Christmas to surface.
Then she outlined the outward form this appearing takes in her life as, “…letting good will towards man, eloquent silence, prayer, and praise express my conception of Truth’s appearing.”
Christmas is not a social event. It’s not the 25th of December. It’s not about attending parties, events, and programs. It’s not about living up to the commercial and consumer expectations of secular society. It’s about the appearing of Christ in our lives and examples.
To follow through with this high vision, I’ve been asking myself, “How is Truth appearing in my life this holiday? What is the outward evidence of it? How are other people’s lives being positively affected by it?”
I’ve made some changes in the way I think about Christmas. I want to be a better influence on others. I want to help others more effectively, and I’ve decided I need less for myself.
What’s your vision for Christmas?
Is it all about parties, get-togethers, shopping, giving and receiving gifts, cooking, baking, hangovers, and bills to pay afterward?
I was struck by a quote from Mary Baker Eddy from her article, “What Christmas means to me.” She wrote, “I love to observe Christmas in quietude, humility, benevolence, charity, letting good will towards man, eloquent silence, prayer, and praise express my conception of Truth’s appearing.”
The words, “…express my conception of Truth’s appearing,” grabbed my attention.
Christmas is about far more than the birth of baby Jesus. It’s about the message of spiritual truth Jesus brought to humanity from God. It was not solely Jesus, a physical person, who transformed the world, but the Christ, Truth, Jesus taught and lived. The two are inseparable, but to catch the true meaning of Christmas, one must think beyond a material birth to the divine idea that appeared through the life and teaching of Jesus. The divine idea included the truth that we are all spiritual, we are all children of God, loved and upheld by divine grace, just as Jesus proved and taught us how to find.
To celebrate Christmas is to live true to our spiritual selfhood as Jesus so ably exemplified, and to let it appear vividly through our thoughts, words, and actions.
This is why I believe Eddy wrote, “I love to observe Christmas in quietude, humility, benevolence, charity,…” because these forms of observance allow thought to get still with God and discern the appearing of Christ, or Truth, within. It cultivates a ready state of mind that allows the true meaning of Christmas to surface.
Then she outlined the outward form this appearing takes in her life as, “…letting good will towards man, eloquent silence, prayer, and praise express my conception of Truth’s appearing.”
Christmas is not a social event. It’s not the 25th of December. It’s not about attending parties, events, and programs. It’s not about living up to the commercial and consumer expectations of secular society. It’s about the appearing of Christ in our lives and examples.
To follow through with this high vision, I’ve been asking myself, “How is Truth appearing in my life this holiday? What is the outward evidence of it? How are other people’s lives being positively affected by it?”
I’ve made some changes in the way I think about Christmas. I want to be a better influence on others. I want to help others more effectively, and I’ve decided I need less for myself.
What’s your vision for Christmas?
Monday, December 21, 2009
Christmas thoughts
I receive many Christmas cards at my office, along with several family updates tucked inside. I value them all.
My practice often spurts this time of year because many individuals struggle with feeling the joy of the season despite all the festivities going on around them. They may be single wanting to be married, widowed, divorced, depressed, or just not into the spirit. Whatever the belief, I rejoice whenever I see hope and faith overcome phases of mortal loneliness and lift thought to closer to Love's ever-presence.
A poem inserted into one of these cards I received, touched me, because it accomplishes such a purpose. It lifts thought above the material, to the spiritual, where the feeling of Christmas is no longer measured in terms of parties, gifts, festivities and events. But in terms of the completeness one feels in knowing Christ.
I asked permission to post this poem. Enjoy...
My practice often spurts this time of year because many individuals struggle with feeling the joy of the season despite all the festivities going on around them. They may be single wanting to be married, widowed, divorced, depressed, or just not into the spirit. Whatever the belief, I rejoice whenever I see hope and faith overcome phases of mortal loneliness and lift thought to closer to Love's ever-presence.
A poem inserted into one of these cards I received, touched me, because it accomplishes such a purpose. It lifts thought above the material, to the spiritual, where the feeling of Christmas is no longer measured in terms of parties, gifts, festivities and events. But in terms of the completeness one feels in knowing Christ.
I asked permission to post this poem. Enjoy...
Christmas Comes
It does not matter where I am, Christmas comes.
Is it snow, or cold, trees, and glitter that bring cheer?
Is it presents, tinsel, golden candlesticks, or lights that tell Christ is here?
Friends greet me with happy notes; carolers bring the songs so dear.
My Christmas comes when silent stars and stillness tell me, "All is well."
Knowing that in His Grace, in His Love, we all may dwell.
Do not say a word; He comes in silence as a shaft of light resting on new snow.
My Christmas comes for I have found Him, who is ever near, to love and know.
~ Elizabeth Nelson
Friday, December 18, 2009
A Christmas time story
LITTLE PICCOLA
Celia Thaxter
In the sunny land of France there lived many years ago a sweet little maid named Piccola.
Her father had died when she was a baby, and her mother was very poor and had to work hard all day in the fields for a few sous.
Little Piccola had no dolls and toys, and she was often hungry and cold, but she was never sad nor lonely.
What if there were no children for her to play with! What if she did not have fine clothes and beautiful toys! In summer there were always the birds in the forest, and the flowers in the fields and meadows, -- the birds sang so sweetly, and the flowers were so bright and pretty!
In the winter when the ground was covered with snow, Piccola helped her mother, and knit long stockings of blue wool.
The snow-birds had to be fed with crumbs, if she could find any, and then, there was Christmas Day.
But one year her mother was ill and could not earn any money. Piccola worked hard all the day long, and sold the stockings which she knit, even when her own little bare feet were blue with the cold.
As Christmas Day drew near she said to her mother, "I wonder what the good Saint Nicholas will bring me this year. I cannot hang my stocking in the fireplace, but I shall put my wooden shoe on the hearth for him. He will not forget me, I am sure."
"Do not think of it this year, my dear child," replied her mother. "We must be glad if we have bread enough to eat."
But Piccola could not believe that the good saint would forget her. On Christmas Eve she put her little wooden patten on the hearth before the fire, and went to sleep to dream of Saint Nicholas.
As the poor mother looked at the little shoe, she thought how unhappy her dear child would be to find it empty in the morning, and wished that she had something, even if it were only a tiny cake, for a Christmas gift. There was nothing in the house but a few sous, and these must be saved to buy bread.
When the morning dawned Piccola awoke and ran to her shoe.
Saint Nicholas had come in the night. He had not forgotten the little child who had thought of him with such faith.
See what he had brought her. It lay in the wooden patten, looking up at her with its two bright eyes, and chirping contentedly as she stroked its soft feathers.
A little swallow, cold and hungry, had flown into the chimney and down to the room, and had crept into the shoe for warmth.
Piccola danced for joy, and clasped the shivering swallow to her breast.
She ran to her mother's bedside. "Look, look!" she cried. "A Christmas gift, a gift from the good Saint Nicholas!" And she danced again in her little bare feet.
Then she fed and warmed the bird, and cared for it tenderly all winter long; teaching it to take crumbs from her hand and her lips, and to sit on her shoulder while she was working.
In the spring she opened the window for it to fly away, but it lived in the woods near by all summer, and came often in the early morning to sing its sweetest songs at her door.
People identify the grace of God in different ways. In this instance, Piccola imagined a Saint Nicholas, as she had been undoubtedly taught to believe by elders.
But what attracted me to this story is that Piccola did not feel poor. Her love and selfless affection made her rich in the things that matter most. When she found a struggling bird in her shoe of expectancy Christmas morning, she did not complain or wish for another gift. She jumped on the opportunity to love the needy one and nurse it back to health. Both were blessed.
Have you ever received a gift that caused you to grumble or silently complain? Perhaps, if we all had the spirit of Piccola, it wouldn't matter what we found or didn't find under the tree Christmas morning. It's all about the love we feel and show.
The spirit of Christmas is not so much in what we get, but in what we give.
Christ is born. Christ is here. The gift of love from above has been given. Are we ready and willing to share it with others unconditionally?
Celia Thaxter
In the sunny land of France there lived many years ago a sweet little maid named Piccola.
Her father had died when she was a baby, and her mother was very poor and had to work hard all day in the fields for a few sous.
Little Piccola had no dolls and toys, and she was often hungry and cold, but she was never sad nor lonely.
What if there were no children for her to play with! What if she did not have fine clothes and beautiful toys! In summer there were always the birds in the forest, and the flowers in the fields and meadows, -- the birds sang so sweetly, and the flowers were so bright and pretty!
In the winter when the ground was covered with snow, Piccola helped her mother, and knit long stockings of blue wool.
The snow-birds had to be fed with crumbs, if she could find any, and then, there was Christmas Day.
But one year her mother was ill and could not earn any money. Piccola worked hard all the day long, and sold the stockings which she knit, even when her own little bare feet were blue with the cold.
As Christmas Day drew near she said to her mother, "I wonder what the good Saint Nicholas will bring me this year. I cannot hang my stocking in the fireplace, but I shall put my wooden shoe on the hearth for him. He will not forget me, I am sure."
"Do not think of it this year, my dear child," replied her mother. "We must be glad if we have bread enough to eat."
But Piccola could not believe that the good saint would forget her. On Christmas Eve she put her little wooden patten on the hearth before the fire, and went to sleep to dream of Saint Nicholas.
As the poor mother looked at the little shoe, she thought how unhappy her dear child would be to find it empty in the morning, and wished that she had something, even if it were only a tiny cake, for a Christmas gift. There was nothing in the house but a few sous, and these must be saved to buy bread.
When the morning dawned Piccola awoke and ran to her shoe.
Saint Nicholas had come in the night. He had not forgotten the little child who had thought of him with such faith.
See what he had brought her. It lay in the wooden patten, looking up at her with its two bright eyes, and chirping contentedly as she stroked its soft feathers.
A little swallow, cold and hungry, had flown into the chimney and down to the room, and had crept into the shoe for warmth.
Piccola danced for joy, and clasped the shivering swallow to her breast.
She ran to her mother's bedside. "Look, look!" she cried. "A Christmas gift, a gift from the good Saint Nicholas!" And she danced again in her little bare feet.
Then she fed and warmed the bird, and cared for it tenderly all winter long; teaching it to take crumbs from her hand and her lips, and to sit on her shoulder while she was working.
In the spring she opened the window for it to fly away, but it lived in the woods near by all summer, and came often in the early morning to sing its sweetest songs at her door.
People identify the grace of God in different ways. In this instance, Piccola imagined a Saint Nicholas, as she had been undoubtedly taught to believe by elders.
But what attracted me to this story is that Piccola did not feel poor. Her love and selfless affection made her rich in the things that matter most. When she found a struggling bird in her shoe of expectancy Christmas morning, she did not complain or wish for another gift. She jumped on the opportunity to love the needy one and nurse it back to health. Both were blessed.
Have you ever received a gift that caused you to grumble or silently complain? Perhaps, if we all had the spirit of Piccola, it wouldn't matter what we found or didn't find under the tree Christmas morning. It's all about the love we feel and show.
The spirit of Christmas is not so much in what we get, but in what we give.
Christ is born. Christ is here. The gift of love from above has been given. Are we ready and willing to share it with others unconditionally?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Building for others
THE BRIDGE BUILDER
An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim-
That sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned, when he reached the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.
"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near,
"You are wasting strength in building here.
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build you the bridge at the eventide?"
The builder lifted his old gray head.
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."
~ WILL ALLEN DROMGOOLE
Jesus Christ was the ultimate bridge builder...and we've all benefited since.
What bridges are you building today that others can walk over tomorrow?
An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim-
That sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned, when he reached the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.
"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near,
"You are wasting strength in building here.
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way.You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build you the bridge at the eventide?"
The builder lifted his old gray head.
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."
~ WILL ALLEN DROMGOOLE
Jesus Christ was the ultimate bridge builder...and we've all benefited since.
What bridges are you building today that others can walk over tomorrow?
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The easier way to live
Are you tired, worn out, ready to quit, void of energy and enthusiasm to continue tomorrow? If so, it’s time to unburden your mental back from the weights of the world, let the material concerns go, follow Christ, and be free!
It’s time to wear a lighter yoke!
I had a major epiphany this week when I heard the words of Jesus, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest….For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
“My burden is light!” Jesus said.
Oh, I couldn’t believe how the meaning of those words had eluded me for so many years. When I heard them this time, my thought flooded with their meaning like never before. I felt I knew exactly what Jesus was talking about.
I thought about the depressing and painful yokes of the world I had cast off over the decades and replaced with the yoke of Christ. Oh, what freedom, what freedom comes when you serve Christ rather than mammon!
For example, I thought back to life on the farm. Farming is a good life, but there were certain aspects of it that I dreaded. For instance, frost control.
We’d work all day, eat dinner late, go to bed for some hard earned rest, then be awakened by the frost alarm around 2 a.m. Out to the orchards we went to protect our crops. And there was no more rest until the next evening. And this could go on for two or three weeks in the spring. Then there was constant monitoring of the crops for weed control, analysis of the health of the plants, watering needs, fertilizer, workers to help, and the list goes on and on.
I put my Christian Science into practice everyday, and saw wonderful results. But eventually, I asked, “Why not forsake tilling the ground for supply entirely and harvest in the fields of Mind where there is no threat of frost, weeds or disease? Wouldn’t life be much easier?”
This was a sobering question to ponder. Was it doable? Was it possible?
The answer was a resounding YES! And I followed through, eventually transitioning off of the farm to practicing deeper reliance on turning to Mind for supply rather than the soil. And I’ve never lost a night of sleep to control frost ever since! My “yoke” got much easier.
And I think this is what Jesus Christ meant...
A yoke was a harness farmers locked on their oxen to control their movements as they plowed their fields. The yokes were unyielding. Oxen in a yoke were governed and directed by the master controlling that yoke.
Jesus “yoke,” or work, was very very light because he did not look to a material source for supply. He went directly to God, the beneficent giver of all good, help and healing.
People’s “yokes” are heavy when they look to a material source for their supply. Why? Because there is nothing reliable about material circumstances and conditions. They are fraught with flaws and uncertainty.
For instance, take the stock market, interest rates, the credit market, diet plans, medical theories, and more,...they all fluctuate and change. You can’t count on them. To trust them and look to them for well being is to place their “yoke” upon your shoulders and be driven by their ups and downs. It’s a heavy and difficult load to bear at times.
Jesus was telling us to quit serving mammon, to stop living for worldly goals and purposes. Cast that yoke of bondage off, and seek our good in God, he taught. Jesus’ yoke was to learn about God, live true to God, and rely upon God. This “yoke” is a very easy one to serve compared to the harness of material desires and wants that bind us to the limited beliefs of matter-earth existence and hold us back from reaching our spiritual potential.
“My burden is light!” Jesus exclaimed.
Wow. Do you get it! When you live to serve Christ, not mammon, life on earth gets much easier. It’s not a toil or drudgery anymore. It gets lighter, happier, and easier. The heaviness of materialism fades away. The pains and fears of sense diminish. Joy comes back into your step and smiles on your face. Life is enjoyable.
The metaphysical demands on the student of Christ grow and increase, but these tasks are a joy to fulfill and follow through with compared to tilling the soil of mortal mind. Growth in spiritual understanding is the most rewarding work one could ever engage. And it pays the bills when done selflessly and for the purpose of loving one’s neighbor as the Bible instructs.
“My burden is light!” I love it. "When working for God, my workload is light," I use as a paraphrase.
Serving God is a joy. Serving mammon is a burden. Choose the easier way and lighten your load today.
It’s time to wear a lighter yoke!
I had a major epiphany this week when I heard the words of Jesus, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest….For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
“My burden is light!” Jesus said.
Oh, I couldn’t believe how the meaning of those words had eluded me for so many years. When I heard them this time, my thought flooded with their meaning like never before. I felt I knew exactly what Jesus was talking about.
I thought about the depressing and painful yokes of the world I had cast off over the decades and replaced with the yoke of Christ. Oh, what freedom, what freedom comes when you serve Christ rather than mammon!
For example, I thought back to life on the farm. Farming is a good life, but there were certain aspects of it that I dreaded. For instance, frost control.
We’d work all day, eat dinner late, go to bed for some hard earned rest, then be awakened by the frost alarm around 2 a.m. Out to the orchards we went to protect our crops. And there was no more rest until the next evening. And this could go on for two or three weeks in the spring. Then there was constant monitoring of the crops for weed control, analysis of the health of the plants, watering needs, fertilizer, workers to help, and the list goes on and on.
I put my Christian Science into practice everyday, and saw wonderful results. But eventually, I asked, “Why not forsake tilling the ground for supply entirely and harvest in the fields of Mind where there is no threat of frost, weeds or disease? Wouldn’t life be much easier?”
This was a sobering question to ponder. Was it doable? Was it possible?
The answer was a resounding YES! And I followed through, eventually transitioning off of the farm to practicing deeper reliance on turning to Mind for supply rather than the soil. And I’ve never lost a night of sleep to control frost ever since! My “yoke” got much easier.
And I think this is what Jesus Christ meant...
A yoke was a harness farmers locked on their oxen to control their movements as they plowed their fields. The yokes were unyielding. Oxen in a yoke were governed and directed by the master controlling that yoke.
Jesus “yoke,” or work, was very very light because he did not look to a material source for supply. He went directly to God, the beneficent giver of all good, help and healing.
People’s “yokes” are heavy when they look to a material source for their supply. Why? Because there is nothing reliable about material circumstances and conditions. They are fraught with flaws and uncertainty.
For instance, take the stock market, interest rates, the credit market, diet plans, medical theories, and more,...they all fluctuate and change. You can’t count on them. To trust them and look to them for well being is to place their “yoke” upon your shoulders and be driven by their ups and downs. It’s a heavy and difficult load to bear at times.
Jesus was telling us to quit serving mammon, to stop living for worldly goals and purposes. Cast that yoke of bondage off, and seek our good in God, he taught. Jesus’ yoke was to learn about God, live true to God, and rely upon God. This “yoke” is a very easy one to serve compared to the harness of material desires and wants that bind us to the limited beliefs of matter-earth existence and hold us back from reaching our spiritual potential.
“My burden is light!” Jesus exclaimed.
Wow. Do you get it! When you live to serve Christ, not mammon, life on earth gets much easier. It’s not a toil or drudgery anymore. It gets lighter, happier, and easier. The heaviness of materialism fades away. The pains and fears of sense diminish. Joy comes back into your step and smiles on your face. Life is enjoyable.
The metaphysical demands on the student of Christ grow and increase, but these tasks are a joy to fulfill and follow through with compared to tilling the soil of mortal mind. Growth in spiritual understanding is the most rewarding work one could ever engage. And it pays the bills when done selflessly and for the purpose of loving one’s neighbor as the Bible instructs.
“My burden is light!” I love it. "When working for God, my workload is light," I use as a paraphrase.
Serving God is a joy. Serving mammon is a burden. Choose the easier way and lighten your load today.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
One measure of success
To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Monday, December 14, 2009
Planning ahead...
Someone's sitting in the shade today
because someone planted a tree a long time ago.
~ Warren Buffett
Friday, December 11, 2009
Watch that mental door
I got into a heated argument last night with a good friend. We were planting a tree in the yard and we disagreed on how deep to place the roots in the ground. Our views were diametrically opposed. Both of us were unwilling to budge from our position. Tension escalated, pointed words were exchanged, it wasn't feeling good at all, until…I finally woke up from the dream!
How ridiculous! I protested, shaking my head to snap out of the night-illusion. Where did that impossible drama come from?
I quickly filled my thought with love and goodwill to neutralize the negativity which was alien to my normal disposition. I affirmed loved for my friend, and the heaviness felt from the dark mesmerism rapidly dissipated.
As I pondered what to learn from the experience, I could see that it was another lesson on the vital importance of defending thought from external aggressive suggestion.
I remembered the verse from Job that states, “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.’”
To the human mind, it would seem that evil is a constant mischief maker, wandering about the chambers of the human consciousness, catching people off guard with ill-will, resentment, anger and battles of self-will. If we are not alert to God’s infinite ever-present love, we open ourselves to malicious influence and being used by evil’s devices for creating discord.
The belief of Satan going “to and fro,” is what incubated the dream I temporarily entertained. To prevent it from happening again, I prayed to widen my understanding of infinite divine Love whose omnipresence excludes the possibility of a conflict from ever starting in the first place.
The scene of fighting that last night’s dream played out in my mind was so preposterous I was quickly jolted back to my senses. It was utterly stupid. The battle appeared out of nowhere, and didn’t exist anywhere. It was all illusion.
And the same rule applies to any battle between humans, I decided, anywhere in the world. Fights “appear out of nowhere.” They do not have a legitimate basis to exist and continue. They are the effect of illusion entertained, not dismissed.
Battles result when people are not alert and awake to the omnipresence of divine Love. They get fooled by evil’s suggestions, become pawns to evil’s ways, and participate in crime’s against their neighbor and humanity as a result. It all feels so justified to the mind wrapped up in the error, but it is not. It is the work of “Satan going to and fro.”
God created a universe of Love for us to inhabit. This is the fact. Discord, conflict, fighting, battles, war, have no premise in divine Love and no place in God’s kingdom. Satan is powerless and a non-factor in the presence of divine Love.
The more we stay alert to this reality and guard our thought against “Satan going to and fro,” the more harmonious our relationships with other people will be, the faster God’s kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven, and the sooner peace will prevail among all mankind.
How ridiculous! I protested, shaking my head to snap out of the night-illusion. Where did that impossible drama come from?
I quickly filled my thought with love and goodwill to neutralize the negativity which was alien to my normal disposition. I affirmed loved for my friend, and the heaviness felt from the dark mesmerism rapidly dissipated.
As I pondered what to learn from the experience, I could see that it was another lesson on the vital importance of defending thought from external aggressive suggestion.
I remembered the verse from Job that states, “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.’”
To the human mind, it would seem that evil is a constant mischief maker, wandering about the chambers of the human consciousness, catching people off guard with ill-will, resentment, anger and battles of self-will. If we are not alert to God’s infinite ever-present love, we open ourselves to malicious influence and being used by evil’s devices for creating discord.
The belief of Satan going “to and fro,” is what incubated the dream I temporarily entertained. To prevent it from happening again, I prayed to widen my understanding of infinite divine Love whose omnipresence excludes the possibility of a conflict from ever starting in the first place.
The scene of fighting that last night’s dream played out in my mind was so preposterous I was quickly jolted back to my senses. It was utterly stupid. The battle appeared out of nowhere, and didn’t exist anywhere. It was all illusion.
And the same rule applies to any battle between humans, I decided, anywhere in the world. Fights “appear out of nowhere.” They do not have a legitimate basis to exist and continue. They are the effect of illusion entertained, not dismissed.
Battles result when people are not alert and awake to the omnipresence of divine Love. They get fooled by evil’s suggestions, become pawns to evil’s ways, and participate in crime’s against their neighbor and humanity as a result. It all feels so justified to the mind wrapped up in the error, but it is not. It is the work of “Satan going to and fro.”
God created a universe of Love for us to inhabit. This is the fact. Discord, conflict, fighting, battles, war, have no premise in divine Love and no place in God’s kingdom. Satan is powerless and a non-factor in the presence of divine Love.
The more we stay alert to this reality and guard our thought against “Satan going to and fro,” the more harmonious our relationships with other people will be, the faster God’s kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven, and the sooner peace will prevail among all mankind.
"Evil thoughts, lusts, and malicious purposes cannot go forth, like wandering pollen, from one human mind to another, finding unsuspected lodgment, if virtue and truth build a strong defence.” Mary Baker Eddy
Thursday, December 10, 2009
No fear of aging
When I was 20 or 30 years old, I probably wouldn’t have been very impressed with this video clip I want to share with you.
In my younger years, I didn't appreciate the demonstrations many seniors were making over old-age claims, since I didn't consider myself "in that group." But as the years have rolled by, I’ve become more sensitive to these demonstrations and appreciative of them when I see them.
This clip is about a woman of 85 who doesn’t fear aging. She tells everyone she is 85, but in her mind, she doesn’t identify 85 as a time to withdraw from life, sit on the sofa of resignation all day or retire from productive activity. She has exemplified quite the opposite, and she’s an inspiration to study.
If you watch the video, listen carefully to her attitude about life. She wants to live, do something useful, be active and make others happy. And she’s doing it with grace, beauty, ability and confidence.
Some observers may argue that she has good genes and is thus able to be an active octogenarian. Perhaps she does have good genes, but I would argue that it’s not her genes that give her the freedom she expresses. It’s her good attitude and unselfish perspective. And if anything forms another, it’s the attitude that forms the genes, not the other way around, as studies have proved in the past.
Enjoy. Here’s the clip, “Dorothy Kloss.”
In my younger years, I didn't appreciate the demonstrations many seniors were making over old-age claims, since I didn't consider myself "in that group." But as the years have rolled by, I’ve become more sensitive to these demonstrations and appreciative of them when I see them.
This clip is about a woman of 85 who doesn’t fear aging. She tells everyone she is 85, but in her mind, she doesn’t identify 85 as a time to withdraw from life, sit on the sofa of resignation all day or retire from productive activity. She has exemplified quite the opposite, and she’s an inspiration to study.
If you watch the video, listen carefully to her attitude about life. She wants to live, do something useful, be active and make others happy. And she’s doing it with grace, beauty, ability and confidence.
Some observers may argue that she has good genes and is thus able to be an active octogenarian. Perhaps she does have good genes, but I would argue that it’s not her genes that give her the freedom she expresses. It’s her good attitude and unselfish perspective. And if anything forms another, it’s the attitude that forms the genes, not the other way around, as studies have proved in the past.
Enjoy. Here’s the clip, “Dorothy Kloss.”
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Be spiritually informed
Thought for the day…
What we see and hear does not affect what we think. What we think forms our response to what we see and hear.
For instance, a heavily invested stock trader might watch the Dow Jones average drop precipitously and start to fear for his future. He may even exclaim, “The drop in the Dow is killing me!” But the fact is that the drop in the Dow is not affecting him at all. It’s his fear of it that affects him, for an individual who owns no stocks and could care less about the Dow, might watch the same average fall and feel no emotional impact at all. The Dow would not “kill him,” even though it’s the same number the stock trader watches.
What each individual sees does not affect what they think. What they think forms their response to what they see.
Let’s use another example.
An avid hiker sees a trail winding up a mountainside to a beautiful summit at the top, and exclaims, “Oh what a joy. I can’t wait to climb that path and look out on the world from the top of the mountain.” Another individual, who feels earthbound, matter-heavy, and not light of foot might whine, “Oh no, that is a horrible path to take. A hike is too much work, too hard and too tiresome to walk.” Each person is looking at exactly the same path, but drawing opposite conclusions. What they see is not affecting what they think. What they think predisposes them to shape the conclusions they form about what they see.
Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “Mortal mind sees what it believes as certainly as it believes what it sees. It feels, hears, and sees its own thought.”
This concept is important to understand when it comes to healing physical ailments through prayer. If one believes that what they see forms what they think, then they are in metaphysical trouble. It leads to a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness when faced with disease because they are liable to believe the disease is in control of their thinking, rather than their thinking in control of the body.
To reason rightly, we need a spiritually informed point of view. As Eddy also wrote, “For right reasoning there should be but one fact before the thought, namely, spiritual existence.”
Spiritually understood, our thinking is not affected by external circumstances. We reason and think independently of what is going on around us physically. But to exercise this dominion and independence, we need to be aware that we have it and not allow ourselves to be unwittingly influenced by conclusions that are not in our best interest to accept.
What we see and hear does not affect what we think. What we think affects how we respond to what we see and hear.
Be informed spiritually, and right conclusions will follow.
What we see and hear does not affect what we think. What we think forms our response to what we see and hear.
For instance, a heavily invested stock trader might watch the Dow Jones average drop precipitously and start to fear for his future. He may even exclaim, “The drop in the Dow is killing me!” But the fact is that the drop in the Dow is not affecting him at all. It’s his fear of it that affects him, for an individual who owns no stocks and could care less about the Dow, might watch the same average fall and feel no emotional impact at all. The Dow would not “kill him,” even though it’s the same number the stock trader watches.
What each individual sees does not affect what they think. What they think forms their response to what they see.
Let’s use another example.
An avid hiker sees a trail winding up a mountainside to a beautiful summit at the top, and exclaims, “Oh what a joy. I can’t wait to climb that path and look out on the world from the top of the mountain.” Another individual, who feels earthbound, matter-heavy, and not light of foot might whine, “Oh no, that is a horrible path to take. A hike is too much work, too hard and too tiresome to walk.” Each person is looking at exactly the same path, but drawing opposite conclusions. What they see is not affecting what they think. What they think predisposes them to shape the conclusions they form about what they see.
Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “Mortal mind sees what it believes as certainly as it believes what it sees. It feels, hears, and sees its own thought.”
This concept is important to understand when it comes to healing physical ailments through prayer. If one believes that what they see forms what they think, then they are in metaphysical trouble. It leads to a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness when faced with disease because they are liable to believe the disease is in control of their thinking, rather than their thinking in control of the body.
To reason rightly, we need a spiritually informed point of view. As Eddy also wrote, “For right reasoning there should be but one fact before the thought, namely, spiritual existence.”
Spiritually understood, our thinking is not affected by external circumstances. We reason and think independently of what is going on around us physically. But to exercise this dominion and independence, we need to be aware that we have it and not allow ourselves to be unwittingly influenced by conclusions that are not in our best interest to accept.
What we see and hear does not affect what we think. What we think affects how we respond to what we see and hear.
Be informed spiritually, and right conclusions will follow.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Keep going anyway...
"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, It is between you and God;
It never was between you and them anyway."
~ Mother Theresa
Monday, December 7, 2009
Making better choices
I watched a one-minute lesson on the Tennis Channel last night delivered by a sports psychologist. He was pointing out the importance of not letting negative emotions take over one's thinking while playing tennis.
As he noted, if you hit a shot poorly and react with, “Oh bummers, what a disappointment,” your attitude sags, your body sags, and your next shot suffers even more. How well you think determines how well you play.
He further explained that the polished pros don’t let negative attitudes take over their thinking. They stay positive, look for the improvement to make and stay up.
It was a valuable reminder that thinking governs our game. Our game does not govern our thinking.
I applied the direction to the larger lessons of life.
What happens around us does not determine our state of mind. What we choose to believe and accept determines our perspective.
For instance, if a rude driver cuts in front of us on the highway, we are not obligated to get upset. That’s a choice we make. If an employee fails to follow through with an assignment, we are not required to fuss and fume all day. That’s a choice we make. If we run short of funds before our next paycheck arrives, we are not under pressure to panic. That’s a choice we make.
Likely, we all have opportunities to make better choices!
What the material senses see and hear does not determine what we think. What we think determines how we react and respond to what we see and hear.
When our thinking is informed by spiritual truth, we make better choices.
As he noted, if you hit a shot poorly and react with, “Oh bummers, what a disappointment,” your attitude sags, your body sags, and your next shot suffers even more. How well you think determines how well you play.
He further explained that the polished pros don’t let negative attitudes take over their thinking. They stay positive, look for the improvement to make and stay up.
It was a valuable reminder that thinking governs our game. Our game does not govern our thinking.
I applied the direction to the larger lessons of life.
What happens around us does not determine our state of mind. What we choose to believe and accept determines our perspective.
For instance, if a rude driver cuts in front of us on the highway, we are not obligated to get upset. That’s a choice we make. If an employee fails to follow through with an assignment, we are not required to fuss and fume all day. That’s a choice we make. If we run short of funds before our next paycheck arrives, we are not under pressure to panic. That’s a choice we make.
Likely, we all have opportunities to make better choices!
What the material senses see and hear does not determine what we think. What we think determines how we react and respond to what we see and hear.
When our thinking is informed by spiritual truth, we make better choices.
So, today, I’m going to practice listening better to God first when faced with challenges, and draw a spiritual conclusion about what I see and hear rather than be tempted to react out of fear or worry. It should improve my “game” of life immensely! How about you?
Friday, December 4, 2009
An instrument in tune
Two weeks ago, I got to play the pipe organ in the original Mother Church edifice in Boston. What a treat!
If you are unaware, I have a pipe organ background, going back to my days at Stanford University. While in college, I took lessons from one of the finest organists in the world, loved the opportunity, and continued to play extensively for several years afterward in local churches, recitals and concerts in my hometown region of Washington State.
I lost the time to keep practicing, and, alas, my extensive repertoire languished and my skills got rusty. But I’ve never lost the basic ability to sit down and play some beautiful music when given the chance.
It’s been 10 or 15 years since I’ve sat on the bench of a fine and large pipe organ like the one in The Original Mother Church. When I pulled out the stops, put my fingers to the keys and feet to the pedals, and played “Shepherd, show me how to go,” my heart started to go pitty-pat. The exquisiteness, the purity, the rich romantic voluptuous tone of the pipes, brought back so many warm memories of what it feels like to play a well-cared for instrument that had the capacity to play some of the finest organ music ever written. My sense took flight. I soared with the wings of eagles and mingled with angels on high. It was sooooo satisfying.
My experience with pipe organs has not always been this enjoyable. I’ve played many instruments over the years, and most have problems. Stops don’t work. Buttons don’t do what they are supposed to do. Pipes are out of tune, some severely so. I didn’t encounter any of these problems while playing this organ. The music just flowed and flowed, and how beautiful, awe-inspiring and warm it was. I was in musical heaven.
Afterward, I pondered the connection between that organ being in tune and ready to play and our thought being “ready and in tune” to meet the demands of any day.
When the instrument is ready, the musician can perform.
In the everyday scheme of life, one might say that God is the musician and we are the instrument. God plays the divine melodies of Truth and Love through us for the benefit of all. When we are “in-tune,” when our thinking is pure, spiritual and inspired, God’s best work shows up in us and is clear for all to witness around.
So,…you probably saw this coming, “Keep your instrument in tune today and let the heavenly strain of Love be heard by all around!”
If you are unaware, I have a pipe organ background, going back to my days at Stanford University. While in college, I took lessons from one of the finest organists in the world, loved the opportunity, and continued to play extensively for several years afterward in local churches, recitals and concerts in my hometown region of Washington State.
I lost the time to keep practicing, and, alas, my extensive repertoire languished and my skills got rusty. But I’ve never lost the basic ability to sit down and play some beautiful music when given the chance.
It’s been 10 or 15 years since I’ve sat on the bench of a fine and large pipe organ like the one in The Original Mother Church. When I pulled out the stops, put my fingers to the keys and feet to the pedals, and played “Shepherd, show me how to go,” my heart started to go pitty-pat. The exquisiteness, the purity, the rich romantic voluptuous tone of the pipes, brought back so many warm memories of what it feels like to play a well-cared for instrument that had the capacity to play some of the finest organ music ever written. My sense took flight. I soared with the wings of eagles and mingled with angels on high. It was sooooo satisfying.
My experience with pipe organs has not always been this enjoyable. I’ve played many instruments over the years, and most have problems. Stops don’t work. Buttons don’t do what they are supposed to do. Pipes are out of tune, some severely so. I didn’t encounter any of these problems while playing this organ. The music just flowed and flowed, and how beautiful, awe-inspiring and warm it was. I was in musical heaven.
Afterward, I pondered the connection between that organ being in tune and ready to play and our thought being “ready and in tune” to meet the demands of any day.
When the instrument is ready, the musician can perform.
In the everyday scheme of life, one might say that God is the musician and we are the instrument. God plays the divine melodies of Truth and Love through us for the benefit of all. When we are “in-tune,” when our thinking is pure, spiritual and inspired, God’s best work shows up in us and is clear for all to witness around.
So,…you probably saw this coming, “Keep your instrument in tune today and let the heavenly strain of Love be heard by all around!”
Thursday, December 3, 2009
What matters most
Life is so much easier when we remember that the most important gain is always spiritual.
How often have you agonized, feared, fretted, and even got sick over worrying about finances, human relationships, position, status, politics or the economy because you thought these were the most important issues in your life?
Have you ever spent a night ruminating over unkind comments made by another, held a grudge for an extended period of time, plotted revenge, harbored resentment, boiled in anger, tried to re-organize someone else’s life, felt poor, lonely or left out, was jealous about another’s promotion, feared for your country’s, church’s or family’s future because you felt that is what you had an obligation to do?
How many minutes and hours are spent each day obsessing about worldly concerns? Hopefully none, but if some, then it’s a ripe opportunity to revise your priorities and set more enlightened goals that produce peace and harmony rather than fear and anxiety.
We live in a spiritual universe that is governed and supported by an intelligent, all-wise divine Mind. When we listen to this Mind, we receive wise instruction, guidance and love that supplies solutions to problems we face, and resolves difficulties that seem humanly impossible to deal with. The one outcome that matters most is not how much money we make, whether we’re married or not, whether we get our way, what politician holds office, or whether another person changes, but how spiritually we live. Spiritual growth is the one activity that matters most in the long run.
People often get anxious about worldly concerns because they think it really matters most. For instance, believing that it’s really important that they persuade a co-worker or spouse to think their way, or it’s crucial that they earn more money, or that they get married, or find a new job immediately, or…and the list is endless. These things are important in many cases, but not THE most important thing. The most important thing is what we gain spiritually from the experience. For what we gain spiritually puts us in a better place ever after.
Like I’ve learned in marriage, if my wife and I disagree on a direction or plan for our family, I’ve learned that it’s not most important to convince her of my way, or even to just give in to her way. The most important outcome is a growing love and appreciation for each other’s point of view and an increased willingness to listen and love each other more. The human course of direction is trivial compared to the love felt and expressed along the way. What we gain together spiritually is most important. What we, or I, lose materially is insignificant.
In everyday life, the most important issues are not about the money, the economy, the boss, the curfew, the chores, the grades, the paycheck, the expenses, or who did what when. It’s about the love. It’s about getting to know God better and expressing more love in every thought, word and action. What we gain spiritually stays with us and blesses us forever. When we remember this truth life goes so much easier, and conflict resolves so much quicker.
Seek love first. It’s what matters most.
How often have you agonized, feared, fretted, and even got sick over worrying about finances, human relationships, position, status, politics or the economy because you thought these were the most important issues in your life?
Have you ever spent a night ruminating over unkind comments made by another, held a grudge for an extended period of time, plotted revenge, harbored resentment, boiled in anger, tried to re-organize someone else’s life, felt poor, lonely or left out, was jealous about another’s promotion, feared for your country’s, church’s or family’s future because you felt that is what you had an obligation to do?
How many minutes and hours are spent each day obsessing about worldly concerns? Hopefully none, but if some, then it’s a ripe opportunity to revise your priorities and set more enlightened goals that produce peace and harmony rather than fear and anxiety.
We live in a spiritual universe that is governed and supported by an intelligent, all-wise divine Mind. When we listen to this Mind, we receive wise instruction, guidance and love that supplies solutions to problems we face, and resolves difficulties that seem humanly impossible to deal with. The one outcome that matters most is not how much money we make, whether we’re married or not, whether we get our way, what politician holds office, or whether another person changes, but how spiritually we live. Spiritual growth is the one activity that matters most in the long run.
People often get anxious about worldly concerns because they think it really matters most. For instance, believing that it’s really important that they persuade a co-worker or spouse to think their way, or it’s crucial that they earn more money, or that they get married, or find a new job immediately, or…and the list is endless. These things are important in many cases, but not THE most important thing. The most important thing is what we gain spiritually from the experience. For what we gain spiritually puts us in a better place ever after.
Like I’ve learned in marriage, if my wife and I disagree on a direction or plan for our family, I’ve learned that it’s not most important to convince her of my way, or even to just give in to her way. The most important outcome is a growing love and appreciation for each other’s point of view and an increased willingness to listen and love each other more. The human course of direction is trivial compared to the love felt and expressed along the way. What we gain together spiritually is most important. What we, or I, lose materially is insignificant.
In everyday life, the most important issues are not about the money, the economy, the boss, the curfew, the chores, the grades, the paycheck, the expenses, or who did what when. It’s about the love. It’s about getting to know God better and expressing more love in every thought, word and action. What we gain spiritually stays with us and blesses us forever. When we remember this truth life goes so much easier, and conflict resolves so much quicker.
Seek love first. It’s what matters most.
Kids are quick
Teacher's jokes...just for fun...
TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America
MARIA: Here it is.
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?
CLASS: Maria.
____________________________________
TEACHER: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the
floor?
JOHN: You told me to do it without using tables.
__________________________________________
TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell 'crocodile?'
GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L'
TEACHER: No, that's wrong
GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.
____________________________________________
TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
DONALD: H I J K L M N O.
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.
__________________________________
TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we
didn't have ten years ago.
WINNIE: Me!
_____ _____________________________________
TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?
GLEN: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.
_______________________________________
TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with ' I. '
MILLIE: I is..
TEACHER: No, Millie..... Always say, 'I am.'
MILLIE: All right... 'I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.'
________________________________
TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down his father's
cherry tree, but also admitted it.
Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn't punish him?
LOUIS: Because George still had the axe in his hand.
______________________________________
TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before
eating?
SIMON: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.
______________________________
TEACHER: Clyde , your composition on 'My Dog' is exactly the same
as your brother's. Did you copy his?
CLYDE : No, sir. It's the same dog.
___________________________________
TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking
when people are no longer interested?
HAROLD: A teacher
__________________________________
TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America
MARIA: Here it is.
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?
CLASS: Maria.
____________________________________
TEACHER: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the
floor?
JOHN: You told me to do it without using tables.
__________________________________________
TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell 'crocodile?'
GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L'
TEACHER: No, that's wrong
GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.
____________________________________________
TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
DONALD: H I J K L M N O.
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.
__________________________________
TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we
didn't have ten years ago.
WINNIE: Me!
_____ _____________________________________
TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?
GLEN: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.
_______________________________________
TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with ' I. '
MILLIE: I is..
TEACHER: No, Millie..... Always say, 'I am.'
MILLIE: All right... 'I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.'
________________________________
TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down his father's
cherry tree, but also admitted it.
Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn't punish him?
LOUIS: Because George still had the axe in his hand.
______________________________________
TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before
eating?
SIMON: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.
______________________________
TEACHER: Clyde , your composition on 'My Dog' is exactly the same
as your brother's. Did you copy his?
CLYDE : No, sir. It's the same dog.
___________________________________
TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking
when people are no longer interested?
HAROLD: A teacher
__________________________________
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Caring for others
The world is made a much happier place by those who take time to care for others. They take time to care, not because they have to, because they're paid to, or feel obligated to, but because they want to. They genuinely care about the welfare and well being of their neighbor, and want to make a positive difference. And they are willing to sacrifice time and personal pursuits in order to bless their neighbors.
Jake's World posted a touching blog titled, "Writing for students," that contains a video link to a story from the Today Show. This video chronicles a teacher who takes substantial time out of his life to encourage his students. Be sure to watch the 4 minute video.
Jake's World posted a touching blog titled, "Writing for students," that contains a video link to a story from the Today Show. This video chronicles a teacher who takes substantial time out of his life to encourage his students. Be sure to watch the 4 minute video.
Conquering fear
Want to watch a video clip that takes your breath away? Click here to watch.
It’s about a sport I’d never do, but it certainly caught my rapt attention—a man rollerblading down a mountainside road, not upright on his feet, but lying down on his stomach.
The courage of this man fascinated me. Like a speed train zipping ahead with little means to stop if necessary, this thrill seeker headed down the asphalt decline with determination to succeed, refusing to let fear hold him back. His choice sure looked dangerous to me, but he maneuvered skillfully and intelligently through every curve, around every oncoming car, and made his way safely to the bottom. He obviously had significant experience in this sport, and knew what he was doing. He was not afraid, which made him able to attain his desired goal.
I admired this pro because he conquered a new opportunity and gained an experience timid souls can only fantasize about. I’m still not convinced it’s the safest sport around, but I don’t have to make that judgment for him. He broke through a certain kind of resistance to new possibility, made his committed plunge headlong, and left his example to stretch the minds of others standing on the sidelines.
Hmmmm….I wonder what new similar metaphysical possibilities I could master likewise…?
It’s about a sport I’d never do, but it certainly caught my rapt attention—a man rollerblading down a mountainside road, not upright on his feet, but lying down on his stomach.
The courage of this man fascinated me. Like a speed train zipping ahead with little means to stop if necessary, this thrill seeker headed down the asphalt decline with determination to succeed, refusing to let fear hold him back. His choice sure looked dangerous to me, but he maneuvered skillfully and intelligently through every curve, around every oncoming car, and made his way safely to the bottom. He obviously had significant experience in this sport, and knew what he was doing. He was not afraid, which made him able to attain his desired goal.
I admired this pro because he conquered a new opportunity and gained an experience timid souls can only fantasize about. I’m still not convinced it’s the safest sport around, but I don’t have to make that judgment for him. He broke through a certain kind of resistance to new possibility, made his committed plunge headlong, and left his example to stretch the minds of others standing on the sidelines.
Hmmmm….I wonder what new similar metaphysical possibilities I could master likewise…?
“Had Blondin believed it impossible to walk the rope over Niagara's abyss of waters, he could never have done it. His belief that he could do it gave his thought-forces, called muscles, their flexibility and power which the unscientific might attribute to a lubricating oil. His fear must have disappeared before his power of putting resolve into action could appear.” Mary Baker Eddy
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Forgiveness
"Forgiveness is choosing to love.
It is the first skill of self-giving love.
The weak can never forgive.
Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."
~ Gandhi
