"Before they call, I will answer"

On a visit to Japan, I was intrigued by an incident I observed at a Shinto shrine. The shrine was located in a beautiful Japanese garden. As my family was walking past it, a man came up and placed a food offering on the altar of the shrine. He then pulled vigorously on the shrine’s bell rope, ringing its bell loudly. My son, who had studied Japanese culture, explained that the man was waking up the god that lived in the shrine so that the god would see the offering that had been left for it and respond to the man’s prayers.

This incident prompted me to consider my own interaction with God. How do I communicate with God? Do I have to do something to get God’s attention? Is God asleep and inattentive to or unaware of my needs?

I’m experiencing that God is always aware of and responding to my needs (for examples, follow my blog links on “Healing” and “Guidance and Direction”). I love the prophet Isaiah’s description of God’s awareness of us. He quoted God as saying “Before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65)

But what about when we can’t seem to feel God’s presence or God doesn’t seem to respond? The Bible tells us of the experience of Joseph (See Genesis chapters 37 to 47). For much of the first part of his life it seemed that anything but God was in control. He was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. As a slave in a foreign land, he refused to sin against his master and consequently was lied about and thrown in prison. However, all these seemingly untoward circumstances brought Joseph to where God needed him to be and Joseph was able to serve Pharaoh and save the Egyptian people and his own family from famine.

Mary Baker Eddy writes in her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “Divinity is always ready. Semper paratus [always ready] is Truth’s motto.” God is always ready. Perhaps when we don’t witness God’s direction in our lives it is because we are not ready to see it. Or perhaps we don’t need to see God’s direction; we just need to trust that God is unfolding everything according to His plan.

I’ve experienced times too when I’ve wondered where God is and if God hears me. When this happens, I’m learning to resist the temptation to be anxious and bemoan the apparent absence of God’s response. I am recognizing that it is material sense and human will that is impatiently demanding answers and signs from God. These times are a test of my obedience and faith. Humility, meekness, unwavering trust in God, and my willingness to wait on Him are demanded. Psalms says: “Be still and know that I am God”. This is a time to exercise patience – a patience that is a calm trust and steadfast acknowledgment that God is in control. It is a time to exercise humility, and like Jesus, say “Thy will be done”. It is a time to be grateful – to remember my blessings and be grateful for even the smallest ones.

I don’t need to ring a bell to get God’s attention. Like Joseph, I can patiently await the logic of events. Sooner or later God’s hand is apparent and I see that God has always been actively responding to my need.

The Language of the Christ

I was devastated. A person that I had trusted had dealt treacherously with me, effectively sabotaging a month of difficult work and leaving me in an awkward relationship with those that I had been working with. Not knowing what to do or where to turn, I went for a long walk to clear my thought. I knew that I needed more than human advice and comfort. I needed the Christ.

The Christ is God's power and love appearing to us and touching our lives in humanly practical ways that save and heal. Mary Baker Eddy tells us in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures that we don't have to wait for the Christ to come. Instead, she describes the Christ as "...a divine influence ever present in human consciousness and repeating itself...".

But how do we hear the Christ? In what language does it speak to us? As I walked that day, I listened and listened, but no words came to my consciousness. I stopped walking and in desperation I asked myself, "Why can't I hear the Christ? I know that the Christ is here, speaking to me now."

As I stood there I looked up. It was late autumn, but the trees still had a colorful tint, the sun was shining brightly, white wisps of clouds were being painted across the brilliant blue sky, the air was cool, but comfortable. I gazed at this scene for several minutes. I realized that the Christ was speaking to me at that moment, but not in English, Spanish, Chinese, or any human words at all. It was the language of the Christ. I can't repeat the message - I don't know words that can adequately express the message that I received. I can only tell you that I felt at peace.

Seeing God's Plan for You

In the Bible book of Psalms we read: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Ps 119). I like to think of this passage when I look to God for guidance. God always has a plan of goodness for us. However, this plan may not fit our preconceived ideas of what we want. Sometimes we have to open our eyes (lay aside our preconceptions and move forward with trust) to see God’s plan.

Here is an example. My wife, son, and I were on vacation in Japan. It was late November, the leaves were changing color, and there were signs of the approaching winter. We had planned to go for a hike in the mountains to enjoy the fall colors. The sky was clear when our bus pulled out of Hiroshima and I was excited with anticipation of a beautiful autumn hike. However, as we drove further into the mountains it became overcast and rain began falling. When the bus pulled into the small mountain town where we had planned to start our hike, we saw to our dismay that snow had fallen the night before. A steady light rain was now falling, turning the snow into a sloppy, white blanket.

The bus pulled away, leaving us shivering in the cold rain in this seemingly deserted mountain town. What should we do now? I always feel that God is guiding me, but for a moment this seemed like something had gone wrong with God’s plan. We had several hours to spend before a bus was scheduled to come that would take us back to the city. What should we do? Where could we spend the time? I resisted the temptation to feel discouraged and sorry for ourselves. I knew God was with us – He is always with each one of us. I knew that God was the only cause and causes only good for His children. God has a plan for us every day and we can trust that plan.

“Let’s go take a look”, I suggested. Most of the shops and cafes along the single street of this small town were closed. It was clearly the off-season. Near the end of the street, not far from where we had planned to start our hike, there was an open shop. By the door were three umbrellas on sale – only $5 each. Were they there for us ...? We purchased the umbrellas and continued on.

Arriving at the trailhead, we paused. Alone, staring at the water-saturated, snow-covered path with a steady drizzle falling on our umbrellas, we hesitated and questioned whether we should proceed. The sense that God was guiding us prevailed and we hiked forward up the trail.

What a wonderful day we had!

The trail led up a narrow, wooded gorge. The leaves were at their peak color and starting to fall. White snow, brilliant wet leaves, and swirling mist combined to create a magical setting. Unlike our other walks on this trip, in which we had been consistently accompanied by crowds of other tourists, we had this magical wonderland to ourselves. One of the few people we did meet on the trail kindly offered to take a picture of us with our camera. We hiked all day and arrived back in town just in time to catch our bus.

That was one of the most memorable days on our trip. Yes, the scenery had been beautiful and we enjoyed our time together, but best of all was that affirmation of God’s law of goodness and that experience of opening our eyes to behold wondrous things.

Beholding the Perfect Man

“Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God’s own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick.” – Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures

This passage by Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian healer and the discoverer of Christian Science, presents an important point in Christian healing – the need to hold a correct view of man. What is the correct view of man? In the Bible in the book of Genesis it says that God created man in His image and likeness and that God saw that His creation was very good. A correct view of man recognizes that only goodness and other Godlike qualities are a legitimate part of man’s identity and expression.

I’ve shared examples in this blog of experiences I’ve had where holding the correct view of man (man created and maintained by God in His own likeness) heals sickness and injuries. Holding this correct view in thought also heals character flaws and conflicts between individuals. It is tempting to let our thought focus exclusively on another’s faults and the wrong we perceive they do, but when we make a consistent effort to hold the correct view – the perfect man in God’s own likeness – the situation is healed for all parties involved.

Let me give you an example: I took a course in digital engineering when I was in graduate school. This was a laboratory class with a couple of hundred students and a half-dozen or so teaching assistants (TAs). We had an assignment each week to design and build some digital electronic device such as a clock, calendar, or calculator. The design had to meet certain exact specifications. When our weekly project was finished, a TA would review it and either approve it and mark the assignment as complete or reject it and require that some corrections be made to the design.

Early on in the class my friends and I figured out that some TAs were more lenient than others and would accept work that was pretty good, but not perfect. One TA, I’ll call her Eleanor, demanded perfection. This was a class and field of study dominated by males and sometimes we suspected her of trying to put us in our place. She was so strict and picky that we avoided having her check our work at all.

One day I completed my project and the only TA around was Eleanor. I was sure my design was good, so I asked her to check. She examined it closely and after some clever tests found a flaw. My work was rejected and had to be revised.

I was angry! How could she be so exacting and unfair! How could I have been careless and allowed her to check my work! It would take me hours to modify my design to correct the minor, inconsequential (I thought) flaw she had uncovered! As you can see I was not beholding the perfect man of God’s creating. I had an incorrect view of Eleanor … and myself.

As I wrestled with these thoughts, it occurred to me that when I got a real job, my employer and the people that relied on my work wouldn’t want a product that was flawed. Suddenly, I felt humbled and my view of both Eleanor and me was corrected. I realized that Eleanor wasn’t being unfair or tyrannical. She was trying to teach me skills that I needed. And I realized that I didn’t want to get away with doing mediocre work. I wanted my work to be well done.

For the remainder of the year I didn’t hesitate to have Eleanor check my work. It didn’t upset me if she found and required me to correct small problems because I wasn’t satisfied either with something that wasn’t perfect. I wanted my work to be just right.

One day the last week of school, I dropped by the laboratory to turn in my last two projects. As I opened the door I saw that Eleanor was the only one in the room. Suddenly, I froze and the thought came “come back later when a different TA is here”. I was surprised by this thought, but I hesitated only a moment. Then I remembered who I knew Eleanor really was (a fair person of integrity) and who I wanted to be (a person that did good work). I said to myself, “she’s fair, and I only do good work”.

I walked in and put my projects down in front of Eleanor. To my surprise, she didn’t examine them. She merely took out the grade book and checked them off as being completed. As I stood there in puzzlement, she looked up and said, “I don’t need to check your projects because I know you wouldn’t turn something in unless it was well done.”

Wow! Not only was I witnessing what I knew to be true about Eleanor – that she was a fair person, but she was bearing witness to what I had been claiming about my identity. The tyrannical TA and the slipshod student (sinning mortal men) had disappeared from our experience. We were beholding the man of God’s creating!

Coping with Change

One constant in human existence is that it is always changing. We are confronted by changes at all levels and magnitudes - from global climate change to changes in family structure and routine, economic and career changes, the passing on of dear friends and relatives, and even changes in our bodies. Some people welcome change as an opportunity for progress, but to others change can be an unsettling time of uncertainty.

Last summer I watched a bird family cope with change. The nest was located up under the eve of my kitchen window and it made for a snug and safe home for three birds that hatched there. One morning two of the young birds simply jumped out of the nest and flew after their parents. The third youngster wasn't so sure about this change. He paced back and forth with great concern while the rest of his family called to him from a nearby tree. Finally, he stepped too close to the edge and tumbled out of the nest to the ground. He sat there for a few moments and then flew up into the tree to join the rest of his family.

Is there anything that can help us embrace the changes that come into our lives with the confidence of the first two birds rather then the fear and awkwardness of their more timid sibling?

Here are some ideas I've found it helpful to lean on in times of change.

• In the Bible book of Malachi, God proclaims the fact of His unchangeableness and the consequent protective benefit to us: "I am the Lord, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed."
• God's love for man is continually manifested in the Christ, the loving divine influence ever-present with each one of us. The Bible book of Hebrews declares the permanence of the Christ with these words "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for-ever."
• Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, explains that this divine influence is "ever present in human consciousness and repeating itself, coming now as was promised aforetime ...".

An unchanging protective God. An unchanging, ever-present divine influence repeating itself in our consciousness. These are significant and powerful truths we can ground ourselves on when we are facing change!

A poem written in 1850 by Anna Waring sums up these unchanging truths.

In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear.
And safe is such confiding, for nothing changes here.
The storm may roar without me, my heart may low be laid,
But, God is round about me, and can I be dismayed?

Where ever he may guide me, no want shall turn me back.
My shepherd is beside me, and nothing can I lack.
His wisdom ever waketh. His sight is never dim;
He knows the way he taketh, and I shall walk with Him.

Green pastures are before me which yet I have not seen.
Bright skies will soon be o'er me where darkest clouds have been.
My hope I cannot measure. My path in life is free.
My Savior has my treasure and He will walk with me.

"I am with you always" - The Christ's Roadside Assistance Plan

The rhythmic hum of the engine fell silent! We had already driven ten hours that day and had a couple more to go before we would reach our destination for the night, when suddenly the van engine quit. We coasted to the shoulder of the North Dakota highway we were traveling on. We were out of gas! Within minutes a state trooper pulled up and asked if he could help. He drove me to a gas station, waited while I purchased a can of gasoline, and then returned me to my vehicle. We were on our way again with minimal delay and an appreciation for the warm hospitality of the North Dakota State Patrol.

Wouldn't it be nice if such assistance was available anywhere at anytime for the road of life?

It is available! It's the Christ!

Jesus ended his earthly ministry with these words: "Lo, I am with you always". This didn't mean that the human man, Jesus, would always be around, everywhere in the world at once - that's not physically possible. Instead, Jesus was referring to the manifestation of God's presence and power, which he embodied and expressed. This divine idea, the Christ, is always present and manifests itself in practical ways to bring help and healing to every individual. In my case, the Christ brought a quick solution to our need for gasoline. No, Jesus wasn't driving the patrol car, but the divine influence, the Christ, was directing the trooper to be where he was when he was needed.

In her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian healer and the discoverer of Christian Science, describes the Christ as "a divine influence ever present in human consciousness and repeating itself, coming now as was promised aforetime, 'To preach deliverance to the captives [of sense], and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised'".

So why does the Christ seem to be absent sometimes? Why do some problems seem to go unresolved? The answer is the same as in Jesus's day. Thousands of people that he lived among failed to recognize the presence of the Christ. In some cases there was no room at the inn - no room in individual or community consciousness to let the Christ-idea in. Others were looking for a Messiah, but their preconceived ideas prevented them from recognizing and accepting the Christ as a carpenter's son. Then there were those that didn't want to change their comfortable or profitable ways or give up their positions of power. Still others were simply ignorant and didn't hear the news about Jesus or attributed his miracles to John the Baptist, Elias, Jeremias, or "one of the prophets".

I've learned, as I've tried to document in this blog, that when I am sincerely and humbly open to the Christ, God's presence and power, I experience this benevolent divine power in practical, effective ways. You also can experience Christ's roadside assistance in your life if you make the effort to learn about the Christ and are humble enough to listen for the Christ speaking to your consciousness.
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Who am I? - Glaciers and God's Plan for Us

Do you ever wonder if your life has any significance? Could you be part of some grand, divine plan and if so, why isn't this more evident in your life? Glaciers suggest an interesting analogy related to these questions. Glaciers are "rivers" of solid ice which to human sense move imperceptibly (measured in inches per year), but steadily, gradually carving broad valleys through majestic mountains. No one doubts the power of a glacier and all agree that the peaks, ridges, valleys, and lakes that result from glacial action are awe-inspiring and beautiful.

Think for a moment about what forms a glacier - individual snowflakes! Tiny, fragile snowflakes are the building blocks that form and propel a massive, powerful glacier. In cold mountain regions, snowflakes fall, accumulate, are packed down and compressed into ice. If snow accumulation exceeds seasonal melting, the ice gets thicker until it is hundreds or thousands of feet thick. The weight of the ice eventually causes it to flow away from the areas of accumulation and as it flows it slowly tears away and wears away rock and transports the rock tens or hundreds of miles from its source.

You are a snowflake in God's kingdom. Considered individually, it might appear that your life isn't particularly significant. But you are part of God's glacier! Together with other snowflake individuals, God is using you to create a beautiful landscape in His kingdom.

Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian healer and founder of the Christian Science church, wrote this about man's identity and purpose to the members of one of her church branches: "As an active portion of one stupendous whole, goodness identifies man with universal good. Thus may each member of this church rise above the oft-repeated inquiry, What am I? to the scientific response: I am able to impart truth, health, and happiness, and this is my rock of salvation and my reason for existing."

Each one of us is part of universal good and is able to impart truth, health, and happiness. This is who we are.

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The Healing Power of the First Commandment

Do you accept situations at face value? Do you allow human perception or opinion to dictate your experience? Do you give-in to discouragement or fear or allow yourself to wallow endlessly in self-pity? Does your life seem to be at the mercy of mindless, random forces?

I have found that it is important to examine situations that arise throughout my day and the thoughts that come to me about those situations. I challenge the validity of thoughts and situations that do not originate from God. My basis for doing this is the first Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before Me”. This commandment assures me that God is the only power and influence over my life. I also know that God causes only good in my experience. Speaking God’s word, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29)

Acknowledging only the power and influence of the one God and holding steadfast, heart-felt confidence in God’s goodness brings healing. A recent experience I had illustrates this. I was participating in some outdoor games with a group of boys and young men. We were running barefoot, playing a game that involved sudden stops and quick turns. At one point I slipped on the grass and two of my toes were bent sharply backwards. As a result, my foot was painful to stand on and I could not move the affected toes.

The first thoughts that came to me were that I couldn’t participate in the activities anymore that day and that I might not be able to do the backpacking and ice climbing I had planned to do in just a few weeks. I immediately challenged these negative thoughts and instead asked myself “What does God know about this situation? What is God doing with me now?”

From what I’ve learned of God’s goodness I understood that God does not cause pain and incapacity. Mechanical forces, physiology, and medical belief were not gods that could overrule God's power or influence what God was doing with me. An injured foot was not a product of God’s goodness now or ever. As I contemplated these truths, the pain immediately lessened. Although I still could not move my toes, I confidently rejoined the activities and was able to run freely.

The next morning when I got up, I was again confronted with thoughts of pain, immobility of toes, and a difficulty in walking. I recognized this situation as a temptation to believe in other gods and, again, I challenged these thoughts in light of the Biblical assurance of one good, all-powerful God. I silently and earnestly considered what I knew was true about God and me at that moment. The pain soon diminished and I was able to go about my normal activities.

In her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian healer, described this healing power experienced when thought is kept faithful to the one God. Using the term “Mind” as a descriptive synonym for God, she wrote, “Accidents are unknown to God, or immortal Mind, and we must leave the mortal basis of belief and unite with the one Mind, in order to change the notion of chance to the proper sense of God’s unerring direction and thus bring out harmony.” Refusing to accept limitation and injury, and focusing on the spiritual truth about God and man as presented by the Bible, were my way of leaving "the mortal basis of belief" and uniting with the one Mind. This action brought out harmony, healing.

A few weeks after this incident, I went backpacking for several days on a glacier. On the last day of this trip, I was ice climbing when I remembered the temptation I’d faced to fear that I would not be able to participate in these sports. I could move my toes freely, hike for miles carrying a heavy pack, and climb without any limitation. I am grateful to know and serve the one all-powerful and always good God!

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds him with His hand." Psalms 37

Being of One Accord in One Place

Getting along with one another seems to be one of humanities biggest on-going challenges. It is for me sometimes too.

In the book of Acts in the Bible it tells about a time in the early formation of the church when Christians from many diverse backgrounds came together in “one accord in one place”. They were all inspired by the Holy Spirit and were of such oneness that even though many of them spoke different languages they could all understand one another’s words.

Is it possible today for people with diverse outlooks and opinions to come together in one accord in one place? I’ve had an experience that showed me there is a way to come together and be united in thought. The solution is to understand and acknowledge that God, the one ever present divine Mind, governs us all – and then hold steadfastly to this fact.

I was on a committee of five people representing three different government organizations. We were to review proposals submitted by contractors and to select one contractor to perform some important work. In the meetings leading up to our final meeting, there seemed to be a diversity of opinions on our committee as to what the best choice would be. We were scheduled to meet after lunch to make our final selection.

During lunch I decided to pray. My prayers were inspired by something that Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian writer and healer, wrote about God. In her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, she defined the word Mind as a synonym for God. She wrote: “Mind is God. The exterminator of error is the great truth that God, good, is the only Mind”.

In my prayer, I affirmed that the one God, divine Mind, was the only Mind, that this Mind governs us all, and therefore there can’t be irresolvable, conflicting opinions. My affirmation was not a glib recital of words or mere wishful thinking. It was a silent, heartfelt acknowledgement of truth. I understood the truth of these words and calmly trusted in it.

When I went to the meeting there was at first noticeable tension. A committee member joked about bringing his bat to use to influence people. One person suggested that we start by having a secret vote just to see where we stood. We wrote down our votes, tossed them into a pile, and then proceeded to tally them.

To everyone’s amazement, we voted unanimously for the same contractor. The meeting was over in five minutes. Everyone just sat around the table saying “I can’t believe we all agreed on something so easily.”

Not all group decisions in my life have been arrived at so harmoniously – but there’s no reason they can’t be. This experience demonstrated a basic principle of God – that God is Mind and that divine Mind is reflected by each one of His creation. If we understandingly and persistently affirm and steadfastly hold to this basic truth we can expect to see it guide us and others into being of one accord in one place.

Some Thoughts on Turning Stones to Bread

How can organizations and individuals deal with economic shortages? Our human sense of things may tell us the only solution is to have more of something we don’t have – such as more money, more time, or even more opportunities. I have been wondering if we are correctly identifying what it is that we need more of. Perhaps what we need is more spiritual recognition and acknowledgement of what constitutes our supply and who meets our needs.

The Bible tells us of a time when Jesus had been in the wilderness for many days and was facing a shortage of food. According to the Bible account, the devil came and tempted Jesus to use his personal power to turn stones to bread. Jesus refused to follow the devil’s advice, giving as his reason: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4). The Bible tells us that as a result of his steadfast reliance on God ,that angels came and took care of Jesus. We don’t know the specific form this care took, but whatever it was, Jesus’ needs were met.

It is interesting to note, that on a later occasion when Jesus was in the countryside with a large crowd of thousands of people that needed food, he again did not resort to turning stones to bread. Jesus calmly gave the people what he had – a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish – and trusted that this would be sufficient. And, it was!

In both of these cases, the answer to the problem did not involve obtaining more of some material substance. Jesus relied on what God had already provided and his trust in God’s provision was justified.

When I first left the home I grew up in to live on my own, I had an entry-level job with a small salary. Although I was very frugal about how I spent my money, I was concerned that there never seemed to be any money left over at the end of a month. My concern reached a climax when one of my monthly paychecks was lost in the mail.

As I pondered this situation it became clear that I had to look to God and not money to meet my needs. I realized that I was an employee of God, wholly dependent on Him for my supply and that what God supplied would always be sufficient to meet my needs.

From then on I felt secure about my financial situation. I still spent my money wisely, but I did not hoard it, worry about it, or spend undue hours making elaborate budgets. Although my income did not change right away, from that time on my bank account always had sufficient funds. I recognized that my finances were the human manifestation of God’s supply which is continuous and unfailing.

I had an opportunity to affirm these truths again a few years ago when I left my long term employer to be self-employed. My move coincided with a major stock market decline and business recession. I was tempted to be concerned about my income. Every time these concerns came I would turn my thought to contemplating these truths that I had learned before – that God is our real source of supply and that God supplies each of us out of His abundant and unwavering love for us. Once again, there was no need for me personally to “turn stones to bread”. The resources that were provided to me from God were sufficient for my needs.

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Follow this link for some more thoughts on turning stones to bread
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Taking Countermeasures Against Swine Flu

Governments around the world are scrambling to take countermeasures against the spread of Swine Flu. These measures include restricting travel, distributing vaccines, and alerting the public.

What countermeasures can individuals take to protect the health of ourselves and society?

Jesus gave us many proofs that we can rely on the spiritual power that God bestows on man to defend ourselves and others from diseases of all kinds. The Gospels tell us of one instance when a father asked Jesus to heal his son that appeared to be suffering from what today might have been diagnosed as epilepsy. The Bible tells us that Jesus “rebuked” the evil and the boy was cured. A rebuke is a sharp reprimand or censure. Jesus was telling the disease that it had no place in or power over the man of God’s creating.

Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian healer, found that we too can bring healing by following Jesus’ example of firmly rebuking what has no legitimate part of God’s creation. She wrote in her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “Insist vehemently on the great fact which covers the whole ground, that God, Spirit, is all, and that there is none beside Him”. Speaking of disease as “error” she wrote “When error confronts you, withhold not the rebuke or the explanation which destroys error.”

This insistence or rebuke is not mere human will or wishful thinking. Our insistence is based on the truth presented in the Bible that God “created man in his own likeness”, gave man “dominion over all the earth”, and saw that everything that He made was “very good” (Genesis). This insistent rebuke is also based on the assurance given us by God through Moses in the Commandment that we need have “no other gods”. We also know that God wouldn’t purposely inflict disease on His creation, because the Bible tells us that “God is love” (John).

We can’t simply go through the motions of rebuking swine flu or other diseases. Eddy makes it clear that we have to understand what we’re talking about. She stated “be thoroughly persuaded in your own mind concerning the truth which you think or speak, and you will be the victor”. We can gain this understanding by studying the truth about man as presented in the Bible (if you don't know how to study the Bible, click here for a good tool). Eddy’s book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures is also a good tool for understanding these Bible truths about man.

Every time we hear a news report about the threat of contagious disease, let’s do our part as citizens of the world to control and eliminate this threat by consciously rebuking the claim that there is a power besides God and insisting vehemently on the truth that God is lovingly caring for His creation.

Clear the Clouds From Your Life!

Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons evrywhere
Ive looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on evryone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
(From "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell)

We probably can all identify with the sentiment Joni Mitchell expressed in these lyrics. Are clouds blocking the sunlight of your life?

I've found the ideas in the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures to be very effective for dispersing and dealing with the clouds that try to enter my experience. The author of this book, Mary Baker Eddy, experienced many cloudy periods in her life. She writes this about a time she was suffering from a serious injury resulting from a fall:

"When apparently near the confines of mortal existence, standing already within the shadow of the death-valley, I learned these truths in divine Science: that all real being is in God, the divine Mind, and that Life, Truth, and Love are all-powerful and ever-present; that the opposite of Truth, - called error, sin, sickness, disease, death,- is the false testimony of false material sense, of mind in matter; that this false sense evolves, in belief, a subjective state of mortal mind which this same so-called mind names matter, thereby shutting out the true sense of Spirit."

These truths Mrs. Eddy discovered helped her to fully recover from her injuries in a very short time. She recorded these, and other spiritual lessons she learned, in her book.

You can read this book online or purchase it online, at most major bookstores, or at any Christian Science Reading Room.

Christian Science Reading Rooms world-wide are holding an open house Thursday through Sunday, April 16-19. Come on in and get your own cloud-dispersing tool!

Follow the Road or Walk on Water?

This picture is an inspirational reminder to me. It appears that one's only option is to turn right and follow the road. But there are other options. You could go straight ahead, walk across the water (or get into a boat), and explore that land in the distance. You could spread you arms (or fire up your jet-backpack) and soar into the sky. You could even realize that you aren't constrained at all by a physical form and just think yourself to another locale.

"Hold on there!" you say, "What have you been smoking?" Actually, I've been reading my Bible. At least two of those options were preformed by Jesus - walking on the water and being instantly somewhere else. And the Bible tells us that Elijah was taken up into the sky in a chariot of fire!

But these Bible events suggest more to me then just alternative forms of transportation.

Sometimes the road of life seems to be turning in a direction we don't want to go and there don't appear to be any options. We may feel that we are hopelessly locked into some path or situation that only leads to an undesirable ending. Age, finances, past deeds, ancestry, gender, health, education, personal skills, or any number of mortal circumstances form our road or wall it in. Ultimately, all human-life roads lead to death. How do we get off these roads? Is there a way to a better destination?

In her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy shows us how to get off the roadway of mortal existence. She writes: "Mortals must emerge from this notion of material life as all-in-all. They must peck open their shells with Christian Science, and look outward and upward." Eddy also gives us a starting point for this new direction of travel: "The starting-point of divine science is that God, Spirit, is All-in-all, and that there is no other might nor Mind,-- that God is Love, and therefore He is divine Principle."

I can't describe this whole new way in a single blog entry - you can read all about it in Eddy's book. The many healings I've experienced prove to me that this way exists. So, when that big arrow sign looms ahead on my road of life and the destination being pointed to seems inconsistent with God's goodness and love for man, I don't just follow the road. I let the Christ and Christian Science show me the way. You can too!

No Expiration Date on Love

A special part of Christmas is being together with family and friends and feeling their love. Giving and receiving seen from the right perspective is not about acquiring things, but is simply an outward expression of love toward, and interest in, one another.

What about loved ones that are no longer with us - those that have passed on or have in other ways and for various reasons temporarily or permanently moved out of our lives? Has the love we once received from them or gifted to them expired? Is our love for one another like the bottle of milk in our refrigerator – something good for a brief period, but eventually consumed or spoiled by the passage of time? Are our memories of love exchanged in the past mere substance-less shadows that no longer bless the giver or receiver?

This Christmas, I was thinking about past gifts exchanged and missing the opportunity to renew that expression of love with individuals no longer present in my life. I remembered something from the Bible book of James: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” God’s gifts are permanent, inexhaustible – they never expire. This truth tells us that to the extent our past giving to others and their giving to us was an expression of God’s love, the blessings of that love-exchange go on forever. There is no expiration date on a gift from Divine Love!

I find it comforting to know that my past love-based gifts continue to bless my loved ones and that I can continue to be blessed by their gifts. I don’t mean that my dad, who passed on a number of years ago, continues to be blessed by that tool I gave him or that the toy truck I once received from him is of practical use to me. The tool and the truck weren’t perfect gifts from above. However, the love that inspired both of us and that we expressed by those gifts was from above. Our love was a reflection of God’s love for man and an expression of man’s identity as the image of God who is Love. That love has never expired and both my dad and I can continue to feel that love and be blessed by it! This truth must apply to all Love-inspired giving. Love given will forever continue in some way to bless both the recipient and the giver.

The Light of Christmas

As a material, theoretical life-basis is found to be a misapprehension of existence, the spiritual and divine Principle of man dawns upon human though, and leads it to "where the young child was," - even to the birth of a new-old idea, to the spiritual sense of being and of what Life includes. Thus the whole earth will be transformed by Truth on its pinions of light, chasing away the darkness of error.

From Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy

My Christmas Story

This is the season for Christmas stories. Most well-known, of course, is the original Christmas story found in the Bible. You hear this story read or acted out in Christian churches of all denominations. Since this first Christmas story, many other Christmas stories have appeared in print and on television: “The Little Drummer Boy”, “Amahl and the Night Visitors”, various versions of Dickens’s classic “A Christmas Carol”, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “Sesame Street Christmas”, and many, many other Christmas stories.

To one degree or another, these stories are about lives that have been changed by perceiving the truth, presence, and transforming power of peace, love, and brotherhood. What makes these Christmas stories, whether their author’s recognized and intended it or not, is that all these stories are about the coming of the Christ to human thought and experience.

Though we may not have recognized them as such, we all have our own Christmas stories. Unlike the Hollywood versions, our Christmas stories have taken place throughout the year – not just in late December. Though perhaps not as dramatic and definitely not as well-known as the popular Christmas stories, our own Christmas stories are just as powerful, significant, and life-changing.

I’d like to share one of my Christmas stories.

I inured my knee playing hockey. For a few days I could not walk. It was difficult and painful to move my knee. I didn’t know what was wrong. My immobility gave me a wonderful opportunity to sit and pray. I don’t remember all the thoughts I prayed and received in prayer, but I remember these. I was convinced that I was not waiting for a material condition to change, but rather that my God-given wholeness was intact, complete, indestructible, right then and there. I knew that God, through His Christ, was sending me the ideas, inspiration, and insight I needed to awake immediately to my healthy condition. I wasn’t waiting for God- God was waiting for me.

Over these days of prayer, the Christ, which I like to think of as the presence of God’s power and the power of God’s presence, became clearer to my thought. At the end of the fourth day the presence of the Christ suddenly became such a reality to me that I sat up, put my feet over the side of the bed, and stood up*. The pain was gone! I walked slowly with crutches at first, but gradually better and better. I went to work the next day without the aid of crutches. I resumed playing hockey three weeks after the injury. Two months later I went to the mountains for a week of skiing and hiking. I participated fully in those activities without fear, restriction or pain. Fifteen years later I’m still playing hockey, skiing, and hiking and have with no trace of the problem. The healing has been complete and permanent. My only doctor or therapist throughout this experience was the Christ, God’s wonderful gift to man.

This experience was more for me then just a physical healing. The awakening of my thought to the presence of the Christ was a life-changing experience that eventually led to this blog that records how the Christ continues to influence and transform my life.

Do you have a Christmas story that you'd like to share?

*See published testimony in the Christian Science Sentinel, November 27, 2000, p21.

Celebrating Christmas

I’ve spent the past two weeks in Japan. Like in America this time of year, the stores and streets in Japan are decorated with Christmas ornaments and trees, and holiday music is played in public areas. What is different from America is that less than one percent of the Japanese population is Christian. When I asked why they were celebrating Christmas, I was told that the Japanese people like the idea of peace, love, and giving to one another.

I have no complaints about non-Christians celebrating Christmas and I’ll even admit that the Japanese idea of Christmas is no different or less complete than that of many Americans. Witnessing this non-Christian celebration of Christmas has caused me to examine my own motives and actions in what Christmas means to me and how I celebrate this special season. In particular, I’ve been contemplating something written by Mary Baker Eddy, a 19th and early 20th century Christian healer and writer. She wrote:

In different ages the divine idea assumes different forms, according to humanity’s needs. In this age it assumes, more intelligently than ever before, the form of Christian healing. This is the babe we are to cherish.

I cherish the opportunities I’ve had this past year to experience the "babe" of Christian healing and to share Christian healing with others (Click on the “Healing” label at right for some examples). While it is nice to experience relief from physical and mental discomfort, what I am really grateful for is that each healing is evidence of the Christ - Emanuel, God-with-us. With this perspective, Christmas becomes a celebration, not of some past religious event or of some noble human actions, but of a present, universal truth – God’s kingdom here and now. That is something else we all can celebrate!

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One God and Father of All Does the Healing

I've been thinking about the experience I had earlier this month changing a light bulb (see "Know the Truth and the Truth Will Make You Free"). The point I've been marveling at is that when I prayed for God to show me how to change the light bulb, God didn't respond by telling me how to do it, leaving me to complete the task on my own. Instead, God took me and changed the light bulb! It was a joint activity, but God was firmly in control.

I think that says something important about who we are, our relationship to God, and what the goal of prayer should be. We aren't separated from God, praying to get His attention. God doesn't respond to our prayers by handing us something to use to go off and fix our problems ourselves. We are one with God and God does His will through us, expresses Himself as us.

As the apostle Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians, "There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all." We tend to forget our unity with God and like the prodigal son in Jesus's parable, we go off and try to do things on our own. I once heard Keith Womack, a Christian Science Practitioner, explain this relationship this way: "God is the doer, Christ is the doing, man is the done". The purpose of prayer is to bring ourselves back into consciousness of our unity with our divine Father so that He can act through us.

I had a chance to put this idea of God being the doer into practice this week. I was lifting a canoe and strained my back. As a result, it was uncomfortable for me to do pretty much anything but sit still. If I moved the wrong way my body froze with pain. I prayed, as I had with the light bulb changing incident mentioned earlier, by getting my thought focused on the truth about God and my identity as His creation. It was clear to me that God didn't create or cause strained muscles or painful conditions. God created me to express strength and comfort. I was really a spiritual being, not at the mercy of a material body or "laws" of human physiology. I was convinced of this truth.

I struggled to put these truths into practice, but I didn't seem to have any success. The physical evidence of an injured muscle persisted and it seemed that it would be awhile before it got well. The next day, my condition was unchanged. Then, I remembered the light bulb lesson. Did I need to struggle to heal myself or did I just need stand firmly on the truth, but let God do the healing? I handed the responsibility to God. "It's in your hands. You are the healer.", I said - and I meant it.

I went about working at my desk on my tasks for the day. About an hour later, I needed to get up to get something. I began to rise gingerly and realized that I could move without pain! There was just a slight soreness in my back and even this soreness was gone in a few hours. I love this experience! It is a wonderful lesson that God is with us and cares for us. Our responsibility is to know God and what God is doing. God is the healer!

Know the Truth and the Truth Will Make You Free!

Last week, I had an experience that is a good example of how prayer works and how God works in our lives. I needed to replace light bulbs in a large ceiling fixture. The bulbs were enclosed within the fixture, so to access them I had to first remove the shade. I'd replaced bulbs in fixtures like this one before, but for some reason I could not figure out how to get the shade off this particular fixture. I tried pulling down, pushing sideways, twisting, and lifting up. I searched for a release button along the bottom, sides, and top. I tried everything I could think of. When I was thoroughly stumped, I'd go away for a period of time to let my frustration cool and then I'd come back and try all over again.

Finally, my human efforts exhausted, I decided to pray. This is how I prayed. First, I acknowledged that God is the divine Mind - the source of all wisdom, the creator of all, all-knowing, all-wise. I reasoned that the wisdom of God must include everything there is too know about this light fixture. I pondered these truths to see if I really understood and believed them, to see if I had any doubts. I felt that I was thoroughly persuaded of these truths.

Next, I acknowledged that since God had created me, as it says in the Bible, as His image and likeness, blessed, and very good, that I must include in my identity all I needed to know about that light fixture. I examined my thought about these points as well and concluded that I had no doubt of their truth.

My prayers didn't seem to result in any sudden, clear flash of insight. I felt calm and expectant, but the human situation hadn't changed. "Okay", I thought, "Now what do I do?" As I listened patiently for direction, the thought came to me that I couldn't solve the problem just standing there. I had to at least climb up on the ladder. So, up I went.

Perched on the ladder, I examined the light fixture again. I noticed that there was an inch or two of space between the top of the shade and the ceiling. In previous attempts to remove the shade, I had thrust my hands into this space and felt around for a screw or some type of latch that would release the shade. This time, I felt curiosity about what the top of the fixture actually looked like. Responding to that curiosity, I attempted to peer into the space. To get my eye in position to do this, I had to turn my head sideways and press the side of my face against the ceiling. Without thinking about it, I placed my hands on either side of the shade to steady myself. As a result of this maneuver, the shade of the fixture slid downwards in my hands exposing the light bulbs. It turned out that the shade simply needed to be pulled from the right position, in the right direction, with the right amount of force. Somehow, my previous attempts hadn't had that right combination.

Needless to say, I was very grateful that my prayers were answered! As I thought about this incident, I realized that I hadn't been conscious of receiving any specific instructions from God about what to do. I had simply responded, almost without thinking, to what seemed like my own impulses. Somehow, my human efforts had yielded to divine direction. What had changed?

The only difference between this attempt and my previous efforts to remove the fixture was that this time I began by thoughtfully praying and acknowledging the spiritual truth about God and man and I was thoroughly persuaded that these ideas were true. Jesus told his followers "Know the truth, and the truth shall make your free".

In her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian healer, describes Jesus' prayers as "conscientious protests of Truth, - of man's likeness to God and of man's unity with Truth and Love." Further on in her book she writes: "Mentally and silently plead the case scientifically for Truth. You may vary the arguments to meet the peculiar or general symptoms of the case you treat, but be thoroughly persuaded in your own mind concerning the truth which you think or speak, and you will be the victor."

This effective form of prayer - sincerely knowing the spiritual truth about a situation - is universal. This prayer of deeply-felt truth can be applied by anyone, any where, under any circumstance. It can help change light bulbs - and it can heal the world!

Where is God When tragedy Strikes?

Tragic events, such as the recent crash of an airliner in Spain, prompt any God-believing person to ask "Where is God in this?" At first glance it may seem like God wasn't there at all, or that God was powerless to prevent the accident, or that God caused it for some reason only God knows. I don't believe any of these conclusions is true.

Tragedies are like clouds or fog obscuring a landscape. The cloud never alters the landscape and has no power to alter it. We can be confident that the landscape remains complete and whole. We'll see the complete landscape when wind and sun eventually remove the clouds. When the clouds of tragedy obscure the landscape of God's kingdom we can use the sun and wind of prayer, gratitude, and spiritual discernment to aid in dispelling these clouds.

If we look closer at this tragic situation we see the brave rescue crews rushing to save survivors, compassionate friends, neighbors, and even strangers reaching out to comfort and support the relatives of victims, caring medical personnel using their greatest skill and knowledge to aid the injured, and concerned aviation experts and government officials searching for clues that will help improve airline safety and prevent repeat events. These benevolent actions are signs of God's presence and activity. Our grateful acknowledgement of each of these signs will help everyone to see and experience more of God's presence.

For the survivors and relatives of victims, there can and will be healing. Our affirmation that the healing Christ is already present and embracing these dear people is needed and helpful. Jesus's declaration that "...all things are possible to him that believeth" shows that all of us, regardless of our apparent physical ability to respond to tragic events, have a spiritual responsibility to respond with our prayers. This prayerful response is itself God inspired and directed.

What of those that died in this tragic event? Are they beyond the reach of God? Is there any hope or help for them? Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection give us the answer. Even when Jesus had died to physical sense he was not beyond the reach of God. Even if it is beyond our understanding and capability to demonstrate this fact today, we can gratefully acknowledge the truth of God's care that Jesus revealed to us and affirm that this care applies to all those that have passed from this human experience.

Where is God when tragedy strikes? God is never absent or powerless or inactive! As more individuals understand and affirm these truths the effects of tragedies will be healed and future tragedies prevented. Jesus said: "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." Our affirmative knowing of spiritual truth helps to free everyone from the clouds of tragedy.

Forgiveness and the Lesson of the Cross

Learning to forgive is one of the most difficult and important lessons in life. Forgiveness can be particularly difficult in situations where we believe that we have done nothing to deserve the treatment received, we've been grievously harmed, and the perpetrator feels no guilt or remorse and does not seek our forgiveness. To genuinely forgive in a situation like this, one must genuinely acknowledge the allness of God and obey the first Commandment - "No other gods before me". To not forgive is to continue to believe that someone or something apart from God had or has some power or influence over our lives.

The lesson of the Cross is that there are no other gods. Jesus showed by his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection that the apparent hatred and lies of his opponents had no real or lasting power to alter God's plan for him. Sure, Jesus' opponents ruined his day (to put it mildly). They publicly lied about him. They caused him unimaginable pain and suffering. They killed him. And they had no regrets for what they had done. Things don't get much worse then that. But the opponents of Jesus were unable to destroy, in fact they aided, God's mission for Jesus.

Life isn't about what we want for ourselves. Life is about what God wants for us. That's why in the midst of his cross-experience Jesus could say "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." He knew that no one could alter God's plan for him. This isn't to say that God plans for us or wants us to suffer. I don't believe that for a moment. Jesus' teachings were all about God's great love for us. Jesus demonstrated that no matter what enemies tried to do to him, they could not separate him from God's love and God's gift of eternal life.

Joseph recognized this. His brother's took his coat from him and sold him as a slave. But when Joseph eventually became Pharaoh's right-hand man and had the opportunity to exact revenge on his brothers, he declined. "Don't feel badly", he said to his brothers, "God sent me here ahead of you to save lives." Joseph recognized that God was in complete control of his life. He recognized that there were no other individuals (or gods) that could alter God's plan for him.

Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian leader and healer, wrote in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: "Your good will be evil spoken of. This is the cross. Take it up and bear it, for through it you win and wear the crown."

Sons of God - We Shall Be Like Him

I've written an earlier blog about the Whirlpool Galaxy and what it teaches us about the immensity of God's power and presence. One dot of light in this picture of the galaxy is a cluster of stars! This galaxy is 50,000 light-years across and contains an estimated 160 billion. I am in awe of the power that creates and maintains such a beautiful object!

Recently I had another insight that leaves me in awe. The Bible (in Genesis, chapter 1) says that God creates man in his own image. Many have taken the limited view that if man is the image of God, God must be like man. Others though, have realized that man must be something far more grand and noble then a mere mortal. The apostle John wrote "...the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;" (I John, chapter 3).

So, if we're like God, we must include as part of our identity the immensity expressed by the Whirlpool Galaxy. I don't mean that man is physically or materially immense. That wouldn't make sense or be desirable. What I'm thinking is that man, as an idea of God, must be an immense, wonderfully glorious expression of spiritual elements. I know some of the Godlike elements that are included in my identity. I'm pretty consistent at being honest and charitable. I'm reasonably intelligent. But its exciting and liberating for me to contemplate that as God's image I must include so much, much more - and so do you!



NOTE: For an expansive description of man as the image of God, see the answer to the question "What is man?" in the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by the Christian thinker and author Mary Baker Eddy. You can read this online on page 468 of the book.

Ego or Reflection? - Some Thoughts About God Making Man in His Image

In Genesis it says that God "made man in his own image". I often think about what it means to be the image of God. Mary Baker Eddy, a 19th century Christian thinker, author, and healer, has helped me understand more about what it means to be the image of God. In her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures she describes man as "God's image or reflection".

I love looking at reflections in the water. I've noticed that reflections are complete and identical to the original in color and detail. Reflections don't create anything and don't have to struggle to do anything. Reflections are not the result of a stressful effort to copy the original, but the natural, effortless, and inevitable result of what is being reflected.

The opposite of reflection is ego. Answers.com defines ego as "the division of the psyche that is conscious, most immediately controls thought and behavior, and is most in touch with external reality". I find it helpful to consider the question: "Am I a personal ego or a reflection (the image and likeness) of God?" Here are some important distinctions:

• Ego struggles to obtain it's own will. Reflection recognizes that God is in complete and absolute control of all details.
• Ego seeks to get good. Reflection recognizes that because God is Good, all good is always included. No good can be missing and nothing but good can be present.
• Ego lacks and is seeking to get and hold. Reflection naturally and effortlessly is always complete and satisfied.
• Ego seeks glorification of itself. Reflection rejoices in glorifying God.
• Ego fears, worries, and doubts. Reflection patiently and confidently trusts.
• Ego is alone. Reflection is one with God.
• Ego sees everyone as separate. Reflection sees everyone as unifided and embraces everyone as one.
• Ego envies another's good. Reflection rejoices in everyone's good.
• Ego is impatient and frustrated. Reflection knows that God is always in control, waits on God, and recognizes that time is a mortal ego-concept.
• Ego seeks attention and recognition. Reflection feels satisfaction in giving attention to God and recognizing God's presence, power, and influence. Reflection knows that each individual is recognized and valued by God.
• Ego is jealous and envious. Reflection rejoices in all good as part the same total reflection of God.
• Ego gets tense, stressed, irritated. Reflection is relaxed and at peace.
• Ego is jealous and envious. Reflection rejoices in all good as part of God's whole.
• Ego always wants more or less. Reflection has the right amount.
• Ego wants to direct. Reflection goes with the rhythm of Spirit.
• Ego seeks to impress. Reflection is satisfied in expressing.
• Ego is rivalry. Reflection is unity and the First Commandment (no other gods).
• Ego is competative. Reflection works together to achieve excellence.
• Ego is the pleasures and pains of sense. Reflection is the joys of Soul.
• Ego accuses. Reflection embraces.
• Ego wants its share (or more). Reflection understands that all good belongs to God and is available as needed to each of God's ideas.
• Ego wants to be right. Reflection wants to see right.
• Ego gets embarased, disappointed, self-conscious. Reflection is conscious of the allness of God.
• Ego is resentful. Reflection is humble, selfless, forgiving, and bears no grudges.
• Ego assigns blame. Reflection understands the nothingness of evil and the allness of God.
• Ego sees a world divided into many little egos. Reflection sees only God.

When I become aware of myself thinking or acting like an ego, I stop this behavior and replace it with reflection behavior. This practice brings peace and harmony to my experience.


NOTE: If you examine the photo above closely, you'll see a small strip of beach sand in the upper right corner. The photo is actually upside down. The real mountains and trees are in the lower one-quarter of the photo and the reflection is the upper three-quarters.

Trusting God One Step at a Time

"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." Psalms 56

I had an opportunity last week to put these words of David, the Psalmist, into practice. My wife and I were on a backpacking trip in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. For a day hike I wanted to climb Huron Peak, one of Colorado's 14er's (a mountain at least 14,000 feet high). This mountain is usually climbed from its west side, but we were approaching it from the east side. People familiar with the area said the east side was rarely climbed because of its steep cliffs.

After a bit of scouting, I found a route up the east side that I thought we could handle. My wife wasn't so sure. "Don't worry", I said, "Let's just tackle it one step at a time. We can stop and turn around any time you want." Our route took us over a boulder field, up a snowfield, across a narrow ledge, and then up another snowfield. The morning sun had softened the frozen snow just enough that our boots could get a firm grip without sinking in or sliding.

At this point we arrived at the key to reaching the top - a narrow couloir or clef in the cliff filled with snow. The sun had not yet penetrated the couloir and the snow was frozen hard. I used an ice axe to cut steps in the snow for our feet, to pull myself up, and to hold myself securely while resting. My wife used her axe to pull herself up behind me using those same steps. It was like climbing a ladder, only this ladder was hundreds of feet tall! We didn't worry about how far up we had come or how far we had to go. We just calmly focused on making each step.

Then something unexpected happened. Rocks fell from the cliff above and landed near us. Then a golf-ball sized rock fell and struck my wife in the arm. We were unsure if the rocks had been dislodged by an animal above us - perhaps a mountain goat - or were unstabilized by the thawing action of the morning sun on the snow. In either case I knew we shouldn't linger where we were.

My arm was getting tired from cutting the footholds for our feet, but I didn't want to stop and rest. A bit of fear tried to slip into my thought. At times like this I've learned its good to have a conversation with God. My conversation at this moment wasn't elaborate. I simply asked God to give me strength and to keep us safe. I've learned from experience that when I have a conversation with God(which is really just another way of describing prayer) that it's not the words that matter. The important thing is to sincerely feel the truth of your words in your heart. At this moment I truly wanted God to help and protect us and I truly felt that He could and would.

Jesus's first Beatitude assures us, "Blessed are those that know their need of God" (Matthew 5). My acknowledgement at this moment that I needed God's help was blessed and God responded to our conversation. My weariness disappeared as we continued climbing. The inspiration came to me that instead of trying to avoid the area where rocks had fallen, if I moved over to that area I could use the holes the rocks had punched in the snow for our foot holds. This tactic decreased the effort required for each step and increased our climbing speed. Soon we reached the top of the couloir and climbed safely onto the ridge line. I was thrilled to have reached our goal, but even more joyful because I had experienced God's care.

Mary Baker Eddy wrote in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: "Step by step will those who trust Him find that 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.'" These words apply to anyone - any where, any time!

Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors

Footprints on a beach remind me of how in the beach of life we are often heading different directions from one another at different speeds with varying degrees of purpose and intensity. At times these crisscrossing paths and purposes may tread on one another or collide, tempers may flare, feelings may be hurt, relationships damaged. Jesus gave us sound advice on how to conduct ourselves in these situations. Among his instructions are "Blessed are the meek", "Turn the other cheek", "Blessed are the merciful", and "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors".

These instructions of Jesus aren't always easy to follow and we can find plenty of examples in the daily paper where individuals and government are not following them at all! I'm grateful for some insights I've gained that are helping me to better follow these commands and be blessed by them.

A friend and I recently collided over some issue. It was trivial, but his words stung me. Knowing Jesus' instructions, I backed off and let him proceed his way. At first though, I only physically "turned the other cheek". Mentally, I gave him a good thrashing - thinking over and over to myself what a jerk he was. I eventually realized that forgiveness has to be more then an outward action. Genuine forgiveness takes place unseen in our hearts.

Because I was finding it difficult to genuinely forgive this individual, I began pondering why Jesus gave us these instructions. I knew from past experience that forgiving others brings peace to the forgiver, but this carrot of peace didn't seem to be enough incentive for me in this instance. "There must be a deeper reason that we are to forgive others", I reasoned. "Why forgive?", I pondered over and over.

I found my answer this morning. I woke early and lay in bed thinking. For some reason my thoughts turned to various recent actions and situations that I wished I had handled better. Like everyone, there are some personal traits that I'm trying to erase and replace with better ones. For example, I'd like to express more patience, grace, and thoughtfulness. I'd like to soften my tongue. I'd like to be more consistent in listening for and obeying God's directions. As I contemplated my short-comings the thought came to me "God forgives you". This forgiveness didn't suggest to me that I was excused for my transgressions, but it gave me a wonderful sense of God's permanent and continuous support, presence, and guidance. God wasn't going to give up on me no matter how long I struggled to improve. This quiet reassurance is the Christ, which is always present with each of us.

I suddenly found it effortless to forgive my friend. Awareness of God's forgiveness of and support for me compelled me to forgive others. This willingness to forgive was based on more then gratitude for God's love. I was glimpsing how completely and continuously each one of us are held in God's hands and therefore how powerless are the actions of others to separate us from God's love.

Will this insight help me in situations where I'm grievously wronged by another? I'm sure this won't be the last time that I struggle to forgive someone. However, this insight confirmed for me once again the wisdom of Jesus' instructions and showed me that as we contemplate these instructions and strive to follow them, the Christ is there to support our efforts and open the way.