The Healing Word

Lifted Above Complaints

2011-11-09T10:18:00.005-06:00

I was recently asked to commit to not complaining for 21 days in a row. Sound easy? It could be easy, except you will probably discover that you are complaining a lot more than you think. I have. And, if you do complain, you start over at the beginning at Day 1.

What is a complaint? If you make a statement about how the U.S. government is dysfunctional, is that a complaint? You might say it is just a "fact". If make the statement internally or overtly with emotion, I think you can be sure it is a complaint. If you feel despair or annoyance when you make a statement it is a complaint.

I am enjoying the challenge. Some days I wonder if I will get beyond Day 1. But, I have faith I will. This morning I saw someone driving a hybrid car slowwwwly. I thought, often people driving hybrids drive so slowly. (I like hybrids just fine, by the way.) Then, I realized that that thought was a complaint and I could correct it. I didn't have to label drivers that way. Better, I didn't have to feel annoyed at all. That was a healing moment. See how the negativity can fade from our lives? Living this way seems to me to be Jesus patterned.

This morning a young woman gave me a ride from a repair shop to my work. I could tell she was upset. I asked her if she was getting the opportunity she wanted at work. She snapped back, "No. In fact they are going the other way." She poured out how rough things are, that her work is cutting back on hours. I shared with her that there was a plan for her and periods of winter are not bad because they ready us for spring periods in our lives. I shared the idea of not complaining for 21 days with her and she really liked it. Christly love impelled me to tell her that we could pray about it together. Her face lit up. She said "Thank you. You don't know how much talking today meant to me." A few years ago, I had complained when I couldn't get a ride to work from the repair shop because it had snowed 1". I had felt bad about that. Today, we both felt blessed by God's love. This was definitely a healing moment for both of us.

Won't you consider committing to not complaining for 21 days in a row?

Out of the Fog

2011-10-26T12:37:00.003-05:00

I read a true story about a man who was canoeing. He got into a fog and could not see where he was going. He was LOST. He didn't know where to go. The thought came to stand up. What a stupid idea to do that in a canoe. Well, he gingerly stood up and he found out that the fog layer was now below him when he was standing up. He would look out over the fog, see where he needed to go, then sit down and paddle. After a while he would have to stand up and take stock of where he was and where he was going again.

I think this of describes our situation well. We really are the child of God. That's a fact. But, we get confused and think that we are puny humans. We believe what we see and see what we believe. In that state of mind we are in a dream state, which says we are separate, vulnerable, hurt. But that's the fog. Remember, in Genesis 2, a mist came up and obscured the earth. Then all sorts of problems started. As the image and likeness of God-good we are not lost, separate, vulnerable, hurt, grieving. To get out of the dream you can feel

1. I am the spiritual child of God. That's who I really am.
2. I am not a hurt dove. Evil is not a person, place or thing. It is not any of them. It seems so real, it hurts until you can see through what it is presenting.
3. I am standing up in my canoe, getting from God and Christian Science what the landmarks of Spirit are. And, I am heading, towards Truth, which is God-good. Then, I'll relax, stand up and get my bearings again.
4. I will find peace and healing.

You Measure Up

2011-08-11T07:43:00.003-05:00

God whispered these messages

1. Everything can change - it's all thought. (Explanation - Truly nothing exists without the thought behind it.)
2. Consider the source! (If it's not from Me, you don't have to tangle with it.)
3. You are not attached to struggle and struggle is not attached to you.
4. You measure up!

In God's eyes, you measure up. To God, you are not lacking in any way. You are not lacking in ability, confidence, clarity or anything else.

If a thought is not from the Creator, Spirit, Mind, then it lacks intelligence, substance - there is no animating Principle to it. So, no matter what it is, you can see through it. As the Bible said, anything not made ... was not made. So, with confidence, you can feel the clarity and confidence of Christ.

True Self

2011-06-21T18:57:00.004-05:00

Christ is your true selfhood. Jesus Christ was the Messiah. In the Bible a truer translation is Christ Jesus. It was his anointing, his title. Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is within you. He also said that you are the light of the world. This is a universal truth. In yoga last night, the teacher was talking about how your body is full of light. This light expands and fills the room. It fills the building, the city, state, world, universe. That light that is everywhere is the true idea of God. Jesus saw know limits to the power and awareness of God. It is universal.

Christ is the human and divine coincidence, divinity embracing humanity. Therefore, what God sees in you and knows about you is Christ. I have seen this at work before. I have seen middle-aged ladies connect with criminals behind bars. How? There was a connection between them, the presence of God. The cool thing about Christ, is it is the connection because the Christ (true selfhood) in you recognizes and bonds with the Christ (true selfhood, true idea of God) in them.

American theologian Mary Baker Eddy wrote "[Saint] John saw the human and divine coincidence, shown in the man Jesus, as divinity embracing humanity in Life and its demonstration, — reducing to human perception and understanding the Life which is God."

Christ is your connection to God. I am talking about Christ as the divine influence in your life. Where Christ is, healing is taking place. Nothing that comes into contact with Christ leaves unhealed. Christ uncovers evil, arrests it, destroys it, dissolves it. Christ as the full presence and activity of the one God brings us progress and freedom.

Step aside and let Love have Her day. Before you step into a room, step aside and let the real you step into the room. Watch what happens.

2011-05-27T07:57:00.004-05:00

Eckhart Tolle says:

"If you can recognize illusion as illusion, it dissolves. The recognition of illusion is also its ending. Its survival depends on your mistaking it for reality. In the seeing of who you are not, the reality of who you are emerges by itself."

This is so true. I ask, why do we accept things that are false about ourselves and others so readily? This is your God's day. God's life of freedom and health is your life of health and freedom.

Feel that today and let it prosper in you.

American theologian, Mary Baker Eddy said this: "Man, governed by his Maker, having no other Mind, — planted on the Evangelist's statement that "all things were made by Him [the Word of God]; and without Him was not anything made that was made," — can triumph over sin, sickness, and death."

Earthquake and Tsunami

2011-03-11T06:33:00.004-06:00

I have been praying about the earthquake that struck Japan this morning and the resulting tsunamis. My Bible fell open to Ps 16, which reads "Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge." I am praying that for everyone in the Pacific region.

I am pondering the following:

Divine intelligence governs all creation perfectly and with perfect assurance. One of the names for God is Principle, which describes how God is the law-maker. Principle therefore is a law of good, a law of Love. This then mean that God and God's power is a law FOR good. I am reminding myself that God does not share His power and authority with anyone. Let's bring thought into harmony with these divine facts. Natural disasters are not natural. They are not from God. As it says in I Kings 19, God was not in the earthquake, wind and fire.

God's Action

2011-03-09T07:52:00.003-06:00

Did you know that God is walking, acting talking, harmoniously and unencumbered? God's action is the Christ declaring Truth's Truth on your behalf.

Sickness, no matter how slight or bad, is a misconception of God. Jesus showed us how to remove the misconception. He said you can only serve one master. That is why we refuse to give our consent to disease. We recognize what Jesus did, that Our Father is benevolent and takes away disease. We recognize this when we become aware of divine Love and Love's presence to the exclusion of sickness.

Step aside and let divine Love have her day. Rely on Her wisdom and see what kind of day you have.

Loving More

2010-06-24T23:12:00.003-05:00

This week I have been reading a book called The Mastery of Love.
I've had the book for a few years and this week God said it was time
to read it. He are some ideas that have been helping me to see love differently.

"We can talk about love and write a thousand books about it, but love
will be completely different for each one of us because we have to
experience love. Love is not about concepts; love is about action.
Love in action can only produce happiness. Fear in action can only
produce suffering. The only way to master love is to practice love."

"Love has no resistance, no expectations. In fear, we blame others
for not meeting our expectations." So, fear lived out is a recipe for
disappointment and inharmony.

Is it tempting to feel like you don't have enough love to go around because something has you down? That's how I felt yesterday. Something big hadn't worked out the way I thought it should. This morning I opened Mastery of Love I read "Self-pity is disrespect." Self-pity is: I'm not good enough, not bright enough not strong enough, not intelligent enough, not enlightened enough, not loving enough. "Happiness never comes from outside us. You are happy because of the love coming out of you."

So, no one else makes you/me happy or sad. Happiness is the result of Your [God's] love. Well, I realized that I didn't have to put up with self-pity and I was free to love, well freely.

Hot Run

2010-06-20T17:56:00.003-05:00

As I was heading out for a run on a hot, hot day a neighbor said I should be safe and abandon the idea. In St. Louis, it's not only hot but humid. But, I had confidence that I could manage the situation. I realized when I was 2/3rds of the way through the run, I realized a few things. First, I hadn't committed to leaning on God, I had decided that I had intelligence to "manage" the situation. It turned out I didn't really. I ran too fast. Second, even when I realized I was running too fast, I didn't slow down enough. I realized I needed to listen to God. As I ran, I listened to ideas from an audio program from spirituality.com about solving world hunger. This audio chat was feeding me with spiritual ideas and these ideas were feeding me and sustaining me. I was pondering how all things are possible to God. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus told his disciples, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." American theologian Mary Baker Eddy wrote, "The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God, — a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love."

As I was running in the heat, I came across some large earthworms who were stretched on the sidewalk. They had expired from the heat. Because I was praying for myself and out of care for the innocent worms, I didn't feel I could accept the picture of death before me. I turned my heart to God, who is divine Life. I heard a message - life is springing up. A step later I came upon a very large worm who was writhing on the ground. (He was really large - about 9 inches long.) I picked him up to get him into a flower bed out of the heat. This worm who had been out in the sun was quite warm to the touch. To the touch, he was hot, maybe between 110-120F. It seems I was there at the right time to help the worm. I imagine that we both are grateful that prayer is not theoretical, it is practical. At times it heals us. At times it leads us to solutions.

New Day

2009-12-02T08:15:00.002-06:00

I'm glad you stopped by. Man, how I hunger for the Word of God today. That's what feeds me. That's what makes my heart beat. That's what makes me want to relieve the suffering of others and support them.

Behold, I make all things new." (Rev 21.5) Wow, today is a new day. It is God's day, so then see how everything is subject to the power of Good.

Be glad, rejoice, be grateful, see harmony - experience Life.

Peace in Congo, Afghanistan, Sudan

2009-11-21T09:49:00.004-06:00

Peace. Is it a distant concept?

Well, maybe. I know our lives are busy, but for the last several years a civil war has been raging in the central African country of Congo. In this civil war, most of the victims are women and children. What should your response be? Should it be indifference or should you bless everyone involved in the conflict? Jesus Christ believed that you should bless our enemies. That's the way he lived and his life and theology changed the world. If you follow Jesus, then Congo, or Sudan or Afghanistan is a great opportunity to bless everyone involved in wars in these countries. What I didn't realize until recently is how much the soldiers perpetrating violence need blessing. We don't bless them in their violence of course. We bless them in their desire to do right, their humanitarianism, their care for the weak. We bless them in their soberness.

The first time I started praying for Congo, I listened to God for ideas. And God answered right away and said to pray about drunkenness, including being drunk with power and the love of violence.

Blessing everyone involved in a conflict is powerful. How can I say that? Because in life we are dealing with ideas. In war, the idea is there are tribal differences, there are many minds at war with each other, there are limited resources, there's bad blood, bad history, enraged thinking. That's where God and Christ come in. Jesus proved the power of loving your enemies by blessing and loving even on the cross. This Love overcame death. God is divine Love, which is infinite Love. Infinite means "fills all space."

You end war by not ignoring it. You end war, not by taking sides, but by living, praying and knowing that God, infinite Love is everywhere and all powerful. You end war by blessing everyone including the soldiers. When you do that, you are practicing the First Commandment (Exodus 20:3) that there are no other gods (powers or authority) besides Love.

I bless you all as children of the one God, divine Love. I bless all those trapped by war and all those waging war as children of God.

Mary Baker Eddy, an American woman who discovered the laws of God, which she named Christian Science, said this:

"One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, "Love thy neighbor as thyself;" annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed."

In Love's embrace

2009-09-03T07:32:00.004-05:00

Do you ever year for something you think you lack. I do sometimes. I have not found that very productive. Why? I think it's because when we want something, sometimes unintentionally it becomes a denial of God's presence. So, I try and be careful when thoughts of wanting something voice themselves. I find those are opportunities to affirm with all my heart that God IS meeting our need. We do this to accept what is already going on, not to change something.

If Love is meeting your need, then truthfully, Love has MET your need. There is nothing in you or on you or around you that is unlike love. Only the mortal mind, or the egoic mind, claims that it has experienced lack. But how can we realize this? Sometimes, we need to relax and be still. In that peace of not actively thinking, we can hear God talking, embracing us. I've asked a few people how much of their thoughts are really worries or ruminations and they've all said it was a pretty high percentage. So, I think there is value in being still and giving God room. Just let Him/Her talk, without guiding or reminding Him/Her what you need.

It's a fact. Love is infinite good. Love is protecting you, supporting you, embracing you, uplifting you, regenerating you. God's universe is in perfect order and harmony. I like to be alert to the thought that I can use prayer to change something. Prayer reveals what already is and always was. (By the way, evil never started. If it never started, it cannot grow.)

As human thought changes and yields to the call of Truth, your mind, body, spirit, your whole experience is healed. Theologian Mary Baker Eddy said that the leading causes of sickness are fear, ignorance or sin. Then, we want to pray to yield up those misconceptions. Jesus' surrender of the false sense of self was complete. He lived Love. The infinite Love he embraced is here for us to embrace. When we do that, we're repenting or changing our thought as he asked us to do. We become aware that there is not Love and a problem, just the reality of Love.

What is a Contract?

2009-08-13T06:11:00.002-05:00

When two parties come together, do you ever wonder which side God is on? Praying about a real estate contract that is coming up for agreement soon, ideas about what a contract really is came to mind.

A contract is an agreement, right? So, it's not so much a thing as an idea. Everything around us is really an idea. God, who is the great intelligence of the universe, is the true source of all ideas.

When I have something to pray about, I have been asking myself, what is God's relationship with Herself? How is God seeing Himself? I believe this allows us to quickly see what is going on.

God is in perfect agreement with Herself. That's what is going on today. To us it seems like two distinct parties come to the table to dispute or agree a contract (agreement). But, in actuality supply and demand both have their source in the One God. And really, both parties are actually in the One God. (Not physically, of course.)

Really, both parties are in perfect agreement, before they start, because God is the source of their being and existence. Interestingly, the word agreement actually means in harmony. Therefore, all parties are included in all-harmonious Love. Is it any surprise that an agreement is a synonym for contract.

On page 200 of a book named Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by an American student of the Bible named Mary Baker Eddy reminds that God's spiritual creation is perfect. (God's creation is entirely spiritual and the mortal condition with all its angst is a counterfeit.) She says that the fact of God and man's perfection is incontrovertible. Let's go to the dictionary for that one.

incontrovertible: not open to question or dispute; indisputable:

I like to think that that means it's not even up for debate. We begin and end our prayers with an acknowledgment that the Truth is already established. This tells us that God and man's perfection is a fixed fact. It is firmly set up, anchored, inarguable, permanently enacted or agreed.

That's it! Everything that needs to be done is actually done by God, the real do-er. With confidence and gratitude we can see that God has actually done everything that is needed. Healing is that fact dawning on us.

Isn't it wonderful how God governs everything? Isn't it great that everything is in harmony because of God's relationship with Himself?

That's How the Ball Bounces

2009-08-04T06:34:00.002-05:00

Last night I was waiting for a tennis court. As the wait time increased towards a half an hour, so did my boredom it seemed. Finally a court opened up, but a woman and a man in there early 20s were in line first. There were a lot of really good players there that night, but this young woman was not one of them. I felt sorry for her because her boyfriend was telling her, "Why are you just standing there. You've got to move your feet." She replied, "I dunno." He was mister competitive and she was sweet. But not ah ... athletic it seemed.

With this waiting, I felt kind of blah, spiritually flat. Then, a thought came. Why not pray about what was right in front of me? Why not witness what God was seeing about this young woman and man? The thought came that because her ability truly came from God, why couldn't she play well? Why couldn't she? I was just still with that. I wasn't trying to change what was going on, I was just really open to change. My thought was loose and hopeful.

Soon, a court opened up for my son opened up, so I focused on our play. Here and there, when the boyfriend would berate her, I would talk to God and express His love about the situation.

Interestingly, I noticed the boyfriend was running all OVER the court. The young woman still had the unorthodox stroke, like someone who was holding a tennis racket for the first time. But, she was winning games. And, this frustrated the boyfriend who started swearing. And, that gave me more to pray about. I prayed that what blesses one, blesses all. That's an idea from a book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. I thought about how that young man wasn't left out of good. The thought came to me that it could bless me too. For the first time in a long, long while, I took every point in two games. My son played well last night, so we both had fun.

Was that the whole point of this, to use God to enhance human performance? Not at all. I was just open to seeing what God was seeing, open to loving my neighbor and expecting good to tangibly be theirs on the tennis court. And that made it for a really, really fun night.

Have fun out there!

Timeliness of God's Word

2009-07-16T07:16:00.004-05:00

Paul says in II Corinthians "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." When is the day of salvation? Yes, right now. Then, there's nothing to wait for!

Isn't it amazing how often the thought you need comes to you at just the right time. The Greek New Testament has a word for that. It's "kairos."

Then there's a human concept of time, which is time passing, like sand through an hourglass. (This sense of time evokes aging, fatigue, etc.) This concept of time often frustrates us and dupes us into thinking that God is absent. The Greek word for that type of time is "kronos." The author of a book named Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, the textbook of Christian Science, explains that concept of time this way: “Mortal measurements; limits, in which are summed up all human acts, thoughts, beliefs, opinions, knowledge; matter; error” (595:17-19).

Explore the immediacy of God's Word. The word Word is capitalized to signify as the Bible did God's creation moving in perfection, unfolding infinite goodness. Infinite goodness? Is that possible? The Bible says, "All things are possible to God," so I don't see why not. Infinite God has infinite resources. Infinite God has infinite expression. You as the child of God are the infinite expression of God's unlimited love and righteousness, God's unlimited strength and health, God's unlimited intelligence.

It seems there is always something new to learn about infinite. One meaning of infinite is boundless, without limits. So, infinite Love, being infinite, has no limit to the love it shares with you. And, you being the Love's spiritual creation cannot experience any limit of love. That means you cannot experience cruelty, betrayal, or lack of forgiveness. Or lack. Love is unfolding to you and you experience, limitless forgiveness, peace, love, kindness and supply of good. You express and experience God continuously.

As you pray for healing, see the immediacy of God's Word - there are no limits. The One Infinite cannot be late. Infinite Truth infinitely supplies health and supplies health without limits. So, there has never been a lapse from health.

Science and Health 200:16
"The great truth in the Science of being, that the real man was, is, and ever shall be perfect, is incontrovertible; for if man is the image, reflection, of God, he is neither inverted nor subverted, but upright and Godlike."

Science and Health 470:32
"The relations of God and man, divine Principle and idea, are indestructible in Science; and Science knows no lapse from nor return to harmony, but holds the divine order or spiritual law, in which God and all that He creates are perfect and eternal, to have remained unchanged in its eternal history."

In the Bible, Yahweh means I AM, I always was, I always will be. So, God's always been on time and always will be. And, God has always been perfect. And, God's manifestation, including you has always been perfect. (I'm referring to God's spiritual creation, not the mortal counterfeit. Mortals have it all upside down, don't they.)

Ruth Elizabeth Jenks wrote something that I appreciate greatly which explains how understanding time correctly directly applies to healing.

"Time is never a factor in healing, because in reality, there is no past and no future. And that’s true regardless of how you look at the concept of time. You cannot retrieve one moment of the past and tomorrow is always out of reach. We can’t grasp it before it arrives. We only live in and can experience now. This understanding dissipates fear. As someone who’s endured three different healings that required “time,” the last one for two years, I can truly say—paraphrasing the Apostle Paul’s comments—that I, too, could joy in affliction. That’s because I grew in my conviction that Jesus’ comforting assurance that “With God all things are possible” is not an empty promise."

Deut 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

Thank you, God

2009-06-03T08:21:00.004-05:00

God is infinite. God is infinite Love and infinite good. Is that just a trite phrase or is it law? I think that's an important question to answer. And, it's the one I am pondering today. Prayer, I believe, is not a human effort to try and get this human self to believe in a God that you can't see. It's an acknowledgment that God, good, is the source of the universe, that divine Love is the only lawmaker.

Today I am grateful that evil does not have a source. Without a source, it cannot have an outcome. It cannot disrupt. Is this a denial of evil? Yes. Am I ignorant that we encounter storms in life (disease, famine, loss, death)? Not at all. But, I look at the life of Jesus and see how he met those storms. "Peace, be still!" He commanded them to stop, be still. What would stop you from exercising the same authority? Hmm, perhaps you feel you can't because you are not Jesus. Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is within you." He also said, "Ye are the light of the world." So, you do have that God-given authority. What would stop you from using it? Fear? Jesus said many times to not be afraid. He said, "Fear not!"

An American woman Mary Baker Eddy, wrote "We bury the sense of infinitude, when we admit that, although God is infinite, evil has a place in this infinity, for evil can have no place, where all space is filled with God."

That is what I am pondering today. If all space is filled with good, with God, then evil has no place, no source. Then, this fact is a law of healing to humanity.

You can do it!

2009-05-31T13:02:00.002-05:00

I wonder if you have ever felt like you can't do something. I've had my share of those experiences. Often those situations are resolved when I get a better understanding of who I am, I improve my image of myself. Several times I have found healing for myself and others by letting go of false responsibility. Whose responsibility is it to restore your health, pay your mortgage, resolve your relationship with a friend or family member. Often false responsibility hangs heavily on us, impeding healing. I looked up the root of responsibility and it's core is the word able. Did you realize that the one that you thing is responsible is the one that you are claiming is able? In other words if God is responsible for healing a health problem, we are affirming that God is able to heal, to improve the problem. If we fear or feel that we are responsible, then we are claiming that we are the one that is able. If we do that, then we are thinking that we are the source of ability, of health. The Bible tells us that we can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. That's the model we need.

We recognize God as the Source of all ability, all capability and power. As the expression or reflection of that Source or Soul, we have limitless ability. Does this apply to financial problems? Yes. We realize that we are inseparable from the infinite Source, divine Love. As we acknowledge that the substance (that which is lasting and true and unlimited) in our lives is God, then we find that things come into our lives as we need them. If facing a dire situation, lift that situation moment by moment to Christ activity. Keep lifting it up into the divine economy where all needs are met and watch that human need be met. If you are despairing from lack or ill health, often that's a good indicator of false responsibility. God has the responsibility and your remedy is at hand.

Every time you think you can't do it, whatever it is, release yourself from false responsibility. Acknowledge that God is the source of all ability and power. Acknowledge that God-good has the responsibility for turning the situation around and watch how things start improving.

You Have a Holy Purpose

2009-04-23T08:10:00.003-05:00

Friend, God has called you to be Her presence, the Christ presence today. Wherever you go you are bringing Christ. Jesus Christ said that you are the light of the world. Whatever your vocation, being the light of Christ is your calling. And God would not give you an assignment without the means, the full capability to carry it out. Jesus said that you have the kingdom of heaven within you. Can you see that you already have the kingdom?!

Last summer counselors at a camp I was helping out at were having a struggle with a girl's sour attitude. I kept seeing her as God is seeing her, no matter what. At the end of my week there, this girl, looking radiantly happy, ran over and gave me a hug. Another time, I entered a meeting a few minutes late. After the meeting, someone took me aside and said that the man leading the meeting had been ranting and raving, including cussing, until I walked in the room. He immediately calmed down. Did I do anything? Not a thing. Was I special? Not at all. It was the Christ presence that is in us all. We're just recognizing the Christ (the action of divine Love) and giving it ample room in our lives.

The author of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, wrote, "For right reasoning there should be but one fact before the thought, namely, spiritual existence. In reality there is no other existence, since Life cannot be united to its unlikeness, mortality." So, you don't really have two lives. One human and one spiritual.

Your purpose is to love God with all your heart and soul and to serve only God.

Peace to the struggling heart!

No Financial Flu

2009-04-02T20:32:00.002-05:00

Today I was reading a magazine about the computer industry and came across something very, very insightful. It said that a few years ago the world was worried about a flu pandemic, and now it seems to be dealing with a financial influenza. That author hit the mark, didn't he? What is it that would have us believe that the world is coming with a financial flu? That this curse is spreading? We have a right to reject to reject evil and its news. We have a divine right to reject the manifestation of evil. Evil does not have substance. It does not have a source. God is the only source. If evil has no foundation, no substance, it cannot have a manifestation.

When we hear of plant closings, layoffs, declines in sales, and sorrow over these events, let's be wise that we are compassionate. That means that we keep a Christly expectancy of good. It means that with the love of Christ that we see only what God-good sees. It means that we rejoice that the angels of His presence are with us, protecting all from evil. Let's see that fear, sorrow, remorse, sadness are not our thought. When we do that we see that God has given us dominion and the right to experience goodness.

God, we want to see You and understand You. Open our eyes that you are real, that You are here, that You are speaking to us, that You are caring for us, that we are listening, and that the human economy pattern the divine economy. Thank You for showing us that we have nothing to fear and so much to rejoice in.

Always Employed

2009-03-30T08:35:00.003-05:00

There is much discouraging economic news lately. (One of the few positive stories has been that here in St. Louis, a pasta factory is working double shifts, sometimes 7 days a week to keep up with demand.) There can be a lot of uncertainty keeping up with bills, economizing, saving for college and retirement, knowing what to spend and where to save for another day. There are many who are doing without, having lost house or job. The question begs, are we all alone in our quest to cope with the economic downturn?

It struck me with such force this morning that we are not at risk. Is such a claim irrational? Not if you put your hand in God's and realize that there is only a divine economy. Sometimes we pray for God to take troubles away, thinking that the troubles are reality and the healing is possible, but out of reach, likely, but mysterious, possible, but we don't know how to be worthy. Or even worse, we think we are in a deep hole and it's too late. Poppycock! (Nonsense!)

I have found we feel stuck down we think that evil expressed as economic downturn, marital problems, fear of lost job or house, is real. Actually, it is not real. It is an out of focus picture or perspective presented by what the Bible calls the carnal mind. This picture is not our thinking at all. We have dominion over it. We must reject it and see that when we do this the law of good, Christ, operating on man's behalf, destroys this false perspective and its accompanying troubles.

We are not at risk because there is only a divine economy, which is governed by divine good, governed by the Mind of Christ. In Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, it says that "Every function of the real man is governed by the divine Mind." It's no stretch to see that every detail of the real economy is literally governed by the law of the Mind of Christ. God-good, being all, there is only one economy. An economy governed solely by good can only be good.

And, that my friends is the economy we are at work in. In that economy, we are active for God's purpose. We are active for good. We are gainfully employed. Our efforts are blessing mankind. Those efforts are fruitful. Despite any material perspective we are safe and prosperous today and tomorrow. This week, we shall see that how God-good is employing us. We will actively embrace the work that Love has provided us. We will be blessed, incredibly blessed.

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself." Christ Jesus

There Goes That Storm

2009-03-22T13:41:00.007-05:00

Psalms 119:65 - "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them." From this passage we can deduce that experiencing peace and being offended are polar opposites.

In today's world, is it possible to feel real peace? YES! One of my favorite ways to pray is "Peace, be still!" It is a quote from the Gospel of Mark when Jesus was out on a boat that was caught in a sudden storm. He commanded the storm to cease. And it did.

You know what? You have that same Christly authority. Mark's gospel records that "the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."

When I pray for myself or others, I command the world's mental storm, "Peace, be still!" Then, I pray for this for the patient, and then I tell myself, "Peace, be still." Praying in this manner has proven very effective.

The author of the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, says that, "The lightnings and thunderbolts of error [evil] may burst and flash till the cloud is cleared and the tumult dies away in the distance. Then the raindrops of divinity refresh the earth. As St. Paul says: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God" (of Spirit)." (S&H 288:14)

That's how Christian Science healings feel to me. I feel like we hear the storm dieing off in the distance, until it fades entirely. When this happens we think, I know that X seemed so serious, but now I wonder why I was fearful. I've seen this for healings of physical and mental problems.

It is God's law, Her law of Love, rather than any human effort that brings healing. God does the work! we watch Him work. We're just recognizing that the law of good is present and in operation.

Peace, be still! What an available companion that command is.

Our Individual Experience

2009-02-05T20:29:00.004-06:00

You are unique, just like everyone else. :-) God instructs us and gently leads us.

Over the years I have had some nice experiences with prayer taking care teeth problems. I had a molar come into position solely through prayer. Issues have faded away. For example, on one visit to the dentist, the dentist remarked that there was a spot (a cavity forming?) on a tooth he would take care of on the next visit. But, on subsequent visits he never brought it up. I have not felt the need to go to a dentist for years because God has taken care of my needs. How did I come to that decision? Through a natural progression.

Several years ago, I went to a dentist for a cleaning. It had been several years since I had had any x-rays taken of my teeth. I could sense that my refusal to allow x-rays was bothering the dentist, so I prayed to God for direction. An angel thought came, "If they would feel more comfortable having taken an x-ray, let them!" I could see he wanted to provide good care and my refusal to allow x-rays was making him fearful. So they took xrays of my teeth. And, then I waited. I mentioned to the dentist that he should check the x-ray over good. He replied, "I've gone over the x-rays twice, and I can't find anything wrong!" He was intent on finding a problem and seemed a little disappointed that there wasn't anything to fix. After that, it seemed like it was time to stop going to the tooth doctor. That was four years ago. How are things? Just fine. Whether you or I go to the dentist is not the point. What matters is while we learn more about God, that we love God and love each other.

Teeth are symbols of our God-given substance. They are not subject to decay. They are sturdy, reliable, healthy and they are here to serve us. Remember, Christian Science supports you right where you are! It is the truth of God's allness and nowness. Can you feel it? You are in the presence of God's love and power.

Maybe Healing Has Already Come

2008-09-08T21:26:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago I had a headache. When I prayed about it, I heard "Why are you praying about this? It has already been healed. You were healed of headaches a long time ago. You must trust that you are already healed." I felt that this was God speaking to me. Of course, it is right to pray. But, there are times when it is right to stand firm, knowing that as it says in Revelation, "It is done."

When we pray we want to become aware of that universal law - God says I Am all! We want to feel wrapped up in God's love and be conscious that God is Love. When the fear comes that says, "See, you aren't healed," what is your response going to be? If you feel like you have prayed about this and you really understand that this is healed, then consider turning it over to God and knowing that in reality, that is to God, God has done His work and there isn't a problem to be healed. Rejoice that you are healed. Laugh at evil. (Laughing at evil is a sure sign that you are well on your way to healing.)

Let's say that what you are struggling with is actually healed, but you don't see it. You just keep praying day after day, week after week, not realizing that you are healed. Is healing going to come through repeated prayers, or through realizing that you are healed? That's kind of an individual question that you have to go to God with. But, I think you can see that I'm asking the question to broach whether we could be delaying healing by trying to be diligent. You may want to listen, and if you feel that God is moving you to declare victory and keep affirming victory until "you" see what God has done, do it!

By the way, I won't say that I was immediately healed that day. There were several times where the thought came that I still had a headache. Each time I kept affirming that God was good, that His work was done, that I was already healed. I did witness that I was healed and was free from pain. To me it was the Christ, the divine message from God that kept insisting that I was healed.

All the best to you fellow children of God.

Dan

The Christ Heals

2008-08-20T20:12:00.004-05:00

The Christ heals! Great, what is Christ?

Christ is the Messiah. Christ Jesus was Christ.

Christ was Jesus' identity, his title. The Bible says that we have the mind of Christ. (I Cor 2:16) What it is saying is that we must think like Jesus, act like Jesus.

The Science of Christ better known as Christian Science reveals that Christ is the true idea of God, destroying evil. I have found that listening to God and reading the Bible and a book named Science and Health, there is more and more to learn about Christ. It seems to be an almost infinite topic.

God is like the Sun and Christ is like all the Sun's rays. Without the sunrays, what could you know about the Sun? Nothing!

Therefore, Christ is everything you can know about God. Everything.

Christ is the complete manifestation of Almighty God-good.

Christ is the force of good destroying and eliminating evil.

Christ is the force of good connecting you with God, impelling you moment by moment to do good, to be good, to think good.

Christ is Immanuel - God with us.

Christ is the Comforter - God's permanent healing presence.

Christ is the law of God, the law of Love.

Christ is God's action, God's activity. Christ then is ever-active, good that is ever flowing, moving, being.

Christ is the Son of God, like Jesus was. Christ is therefore the manhood that Jesus' represented. As the child of God, Christ is really your true Godlike identity.

Christ is the love of God.

God is my employer, Christ is who manages me.

Christ is the sum total of everything that is God. It is not God Himself, but it is everything that God causes to be.

Christ, being EVERYTHING that is true, HEALS!

-> Christ connects you to God, so it connects you to others. In the past few months, praying daily about Christ, I have seen many relationships at work improve substantially. Where there used to be barriers, there is frienship. Where there used to be bitterness, there is gratitude.

Infinite Good

2008-08-12T06:27:00.000-05:00

Greetings fellow traveler. God-good is infinite good. Wow, I am in awe of the word infinite. I have pondered it a lot trying over time to gain a better appreciation of what it means. At first I thought of it as just infinite in amplitude. But, it is more than that. Infinite is unlimited in space, location and presence. And, what about quality? Can't something be perfectly good? And, the one that I am pondering this morning is infinite expression. In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, there is a passage that says, "All is infinite Mind, and its infinite manifestation." I guess that really struck me as never before as a wonderful revelation. Because God-good is infinite, He/She must be manifested and this manifestation must be infinite.

I think this is very helpful to the human situation. It tells us that where we perceive a lack of health and love, there is actually the infinite manifestation of Love and Mind (intelligence). This manifestation, being infinite, overwhelms our feeble sense of lack and destroys it. We are truly in the presence of God-good. We are truly experiencing that good right now. We can recognize that fact and enjoy the benefits.

With gratitude for infinite goodness and the presence of that goodness,

Dan

Prayer for the World's Woes

2008-08-06T22:09:00.000-05:00

When the crisis in Myanmar had happened in Myanmar, I prayed about it. A few weeks later a friend of mine who is a Christian Science healer mentioned that more prayer was needed because relief agencies and governments were predicting a wave of disease due to the terrible sanitary conditions. This was a startling thought. I knew I need to renew my prayers, which I did. A few weeks ago I heard that the wave of disease never materialized! I credit prayer, all of our prayers from around the world. I acknowledge that God is the only healer. Yea God!

Over the weekend, I heard an on-the-ground account of conditions for refugees from Darfur. On the way home I thought about what I had heard about women in children being in refugee camps for years in terrible conditions. I prayed to know that Love was there. That the presence of Love was protecting them. I prayed for those that have abused them. I prayed that their hand(s) would be stayed from any more violence, that it was offensive to them. I prayed about the people in government taking money for oil and allowing this to continue. I felt an incredible sense of love and expectancy of a healing breakthrough.

It is done!

2008-08-03T21:25:00.000-05:00

Thank you for dropping by.

Are you searching for healing? Friend, if you only knew how loved you by your heavenly Father-Mother, you would realize that everything you are searching for is already yours. If you are in pain, or something is not working correctly, relax and realize that you do not need to regain your health. Realize that what your heavenly Father-Mother knows about you is what is really going on. God knows that you are healed at this very moment. As His child you can experience the healing you desire by realizing that what God knows and sees is what is the Truth, and is what is really going on. Instead of trying to regain health you are already in possession of and expressing health and harmony. It is the Truth. To God, you are well. You may have to let go of fear. That's OK, it never did you any good anyway.

Thanks again for dropping by.

Dan

Love Yourself

2008-07-30T06:22:00.000-05:00

Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. He said to follow his commandments and follow him.

God loves us. We must therefore love ourselves. We must love ourselves? Does that sound odd? I am not talking about self-love, which does so much evil. I am talking about loving your true self, the child of God. I am talking about embracing your true self, your Christly self.

When you love that Christly self, you are opening your heart to mercy and redemption. If you don't, you are refusing good. It's a form of self-hatred. Let's remove the label of "I don't love myself" and be free!

Have a mighty day!

Is Love Cruel?

2008-07-29T05:45:00.000-05:00

Today is good and I'm glad to take a stand that the whole day is good. There is no better way to start the day than to listen for a thought from God. And, God is saying, "Today is going to be a good day. You are going to be with me the whole day." And, like looking forward to spending a day with a big brother or sister, I am looking forward to a day of healing, salvation, and joy. It hasn't always been this way for me. More and more I am seeing that we have an undivided existence from God, from good. And, how effective it is to declare that you are not accepting anything but good. Try it, you will like it.

Would it make sense for divine Love to ask you to do something, say be happy and not give you the means to be happy, the authority and the right to be happy? Would it make sense for divine Love to put it in your heart to walk and then not give you the ability, the means, the Christ authority to do it? Right now, you have a sovereign right to do what God is asking you to do. This means that every obstacle in your path is abolished. Your day is one of the human and divine coincidence. God is - you are. Let's take a walk with God today. It's a good day.

Dan

Feeling Sunny?

2008-07-26T17:55:00.000-05:00

If you were the Sun, and you looked out how much darkness would you see? None. It's impossible for something that bright to see darkness. Now, think of God as the Sun, beaming forth light and love. What does God see. Of course, light and love.

If you are feeling down, you can always get joy from God. And, I used to work with that model. If I ran out of joy or anything else, I knew God had more. But THEN I realized how limited that was. That model implied that I have a limited supply of good. When a ray of sunlight leaves the sun, does it have to go back and get more light? No. It has everything it needs. So, God, who is Life, Truth, and Love isn't over there or up there. He is right HERE. When I am fully conscious of this, I feel that I am life, truth, and love. God IS, and I am. God is, and you are.

Have sunny day!

Dan

Darkness Doesn't Stand a Chance

2008-07-26T17:43:00.000-05:00

I love the thought that problems, diseases are dream shadows. When we bring problems into the light of Truth (God), what happens to them? We see them for what they are. Nothing. What is revealed in their place? Well, what is real. In other words, when we look with God's eyes, we see the activity of God, which is Christ.

What conclusions can we reach from this? No problem has any substance at all. Having reached this conclusion, can the elimination of this so-called problem be far away?

All the best to you spiritual travelers,

Dan

Life Without Limits

2008-07-23T22:50:00.000-05:00

Today was a great day. I got to spend some time with my sister. She was visiting with her husband and son.

There is nothing besides God. As expressed in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. "... nothing is beyond the range of infinite Truth." We have complete dominion over anything that comes our way.

Let's remember that all cases are healed. We are not waiting for healing. We are honoring healing now. "Now is the accepted time."

Love,

Dan

Certainty of Good

2008-07-21T22:35:00.000-05:00

Today was precious. The pressure fell away as I realized that I am not the do-er and you are not the do-er. There is only on do-er, that is the I AM.

Infinite good is the I AM. And as He/She is I AM -- you are. What ever I AM is, you possess! That means that since God is Love, you are the individual expression of infinite Love. You are not seeking love, hoping for love. You are not seeking healing, hoping for healing. You have them, you are them. They flow to you and from you. God is not out there, but HERE. Therefore you cannot be separated from God.

Expect healing and have a wonderful day!

A New Perspective on Healing

2008-05-08T19:08:00.000-05:00

As a child of God, healing is your original state, your current state, your permanent state. You are healed. The human ego must give up its plaintive fairy tale. So you are not returning to wellness, are you? The son/daughter of God is whole. You are whole of the belief of plague, the belief that you have been wounded, that there are unavoidable evils, incurable diseases. You are whole. The son/daughter of God is healed, and the human MUST come into line with that grand fact of Spirit.

You cannot be held back by fears, or opinions. Not even your own!!! The Christ present is present.

By Gunnar Wennerberg
They go in Thy strength, and they speak in Thy name,
With power of Thy promise forth faring,
AND DURING THE BATTLE VICTORY CLAIM, —
Their trust in Thy truth is their daring,
Salvation to all men declaring.

Freedom from Joint Pain

2008-03-10T21:06:00.000-05:00

This is just a little healing. But, it illustrates the principle behind healing mentally.

On Sunday morning, I woke up and one of my joints, my left thumb, was painful. I have learned through trial and error, that when you first notice symptoms, that it is very important to decide right at the beginning whether you are going to take on the problem or not. A question I ask myself whether is whether I am going to treat the problem as a reality or as a belief. You can feel free to substitute your own words. Instead of belief you could use the word dream shadow, illusion, suggestion. Use whatever word works for you.

I made a decision that I was not going to treat this swollen joint as a reality. I had to really ponder that again and again. It didn't take long, but it did take perseverence not to believe what I thought I was seeing and believing. When I felt that I understood that this swollen joint was a dream shadow, I moved on. It wasn't until the next day I noticed that it was completely resolved.

In a book Science and Health, it says that disease is not something to be seen or felt. This is the Principle behind this healing I had.

With love!

Dan

Feel Free From Pain

2008-03-09T22:39:00.000-05:00

Faced with while running 12.5 miles today, I knew that God didn't experience pain. Why would God-good suffer, or allow suffering? So, I decided to reject pain as a fantasy of the human mind. When faced with pain, I asked myself, "Why would you take on that belief of pain?" Really, this can be applied to any challenge!!!

This was amazingly effective. Every time pain occurred in thought, I recognized it as a suggestion that I didn't have to accept? Where did this suggestion originate? It doesn't matter. Why did I have to reject it so many times? It doesn't matter. What happened as I reflected on this during my long run was a I gained a sense of God-given freedom. So, although prayer is effective at relieving pain and promoting health, I wasn't using prayer as much as I was learning more about God and my identity.

Love to the world!

Dan

Stop Hurting

2008-03-09T22:34:00.000-05:00

A simple thought carried me through my day today. I realized that nothing has ever hurt the supreme Being. So, nothing has ever hurt us or one of our loved ones. This is an antidote to pain. I mean this heals. Pain is unreal. The law of Love exempts us from pain. This lifted me up today.

I hope you have a wonderful day.

Dan

Stressed?

2008-02-06T08:08:00.000-06:00

Are you feeling stressed? That feeling seems to be going around. Is it because we have too much to do? Or, is it because we are just stressed?

I do not have the answers to these questions. However, I know that Jesus calmed the storm by saying, "Peace, Be Still!" I pray that simple prayer regularly for myself, our world, and for people that call me seeking healing.

When I pray, "Peace, be still!" what I am saying is this:

God, what are you seeing? OH! You are seeing peace? wonderful, soothing peace? Wow, I see it now. I see that this is not just mere comfort. I am yielding to the divine view, the divine reality. This world is not tied in knots. It is not at war. It is in accord with You. It is heaven. [Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He meant that it is not far off. It can and should be experienced now.] Thank you, Father-Mother God. Now, I am at peace, too.

God bless you everyone.

You are Beautiful

2007-12-20T06:58:00.000-06:00

It is wonderful to be alive. Today I am grateful for you. Perhaps I haven't met you, but I know that you are wonderful and beautiful.

How can I know you if I've never met you and we haven't talked before? Allow me to explain. I appreciate you, because you are the reflection of God-good. Here's an example of what I mean.

A few weeks ago, a coworker was complaining that our programmer was being obstinate. I told my coworker that the programmer was a nice person, he's adopted two boys out of the foster children program. She said, "Well, I don't know [the programmer] like you do." I told her that I could appreciate people without getting to know them. She bristled at that thought, so I gave her the following example.

Divine Spirit moved me to talk to a woman at work that I had not talked to before and ask her what job she would like. [The Spirit does ask you to move outside your comfort zone sometimes.] I also heard from Spirit that she's going to say she doesn't know, but she wants to be a teacher. This woman replied, "I just want a good job, I guess." I asked her what she would really like to do, what's her calling? She said that in high school she wanted to be an art teacher. We talked briefly about what is holding her back - fear. (I told her that when she's ready, I could help her get rid of the fear.)

How could I appreciate this woman before I knew her? Simple. I know what God is like. I know that God expresses in you His beautiful lasting qualities. I understand that you have those qualities by reflection.

I love you and appreciate you, even if we have never met.

Global Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T07:58:00.000-06:00

Love to you all. God's grace has healed me and for this I am thankful. God's grace has healed my family and I am grateful for this. God's grace has healed my dog - for this I am happily grateful. God's grace has revealed my calling - to be a spiritual healer, a Christian Science healer - and this is what I am most grateful for because now I am witnessing God's grace and healing for you and all mankind.

Thank you God!

Dan

Never Give Up

2007-11-06T21:56:00.000-06:00

Isn't it odd how light we can feel, until somebody says something that we take personally. The same goes for thoughts that we take personally. Let's say we are praying for healing and the thought comes that the illness is getting worse, we are not praying about it very effectively. That sounds plausible, right? On one hand, yes. But on the other NO, NO, NO. Why? Because there's no truth in it. And, if you accept it as true for you personally, then you struggle even more.

All the best!

Sin Healed? - Part 1

2007-11-01T06:57:00.000-05:00

Can sins be forgiven? It's an excellent question. If sins cannot be forgiven then evil is perpetual, and suffering is inevitable and everlasting. Wouldn't incurable disease seem normal, too?

Some think that one can avoid punishment for sin because God does not know sin, that "He is of purer eyes than to behold evil." Here is where Christian Science helps us understand God's law in a practical way. Mary Baker Eddy states in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, "Error excludes itself from harmony. Sin is its own punishment." (Error is another word for evil. Error means that evil is a mistake, a misconception, like 4+4=5.) The way to be free of the punishment of sin, is to totally forsake sin. Error's agony aids in destroying error. Hiding sin as a means of preserving peace, or giving the illusion of peace, causes error and the suffering to grow.

Once the sin is forsaken, the suffering is removed. It's a law of God-good. God is patient with our mistakes. He gently leads us back to the right way. He does not tolerate the sin, but is very patient with our failings. We should be so patient with each other. "Through the wholesome chastisements of Love, we are helped onoward in the march towards righteousness, peace and purity, which are the landmarks of Science." (S&H 323:6)

When sin is rebuked, we discover something. We discover our true sinless nature. We discover that in God's eyes, we never strayed. And, we are home. "In this Science, we discover man in the image and likeness of god. We see that man has never lost his spiritual estate and his eternal harmony." (S&H 548:5)

Love's Impulse

2007-10-30T03:38:00.000-05:00

I used to put off praying. Not that I wouldn't eventually follow through. Now, I don't wait. When the thought comes to pray - I pray. If the thought comes to drop to my knees and pray, I follow that lead. Now, I believe that I am working at divine Love's impulse.

Sometimes that means waking up at 2AM because Love says, "Pray!" And, sometimes it means going to a professional hockey game with someone you love and have fun!

I am finding great satisfaction, love, and happiness responding to Love's impulse.

"Sensualism is not bliss, but bondage. For true happiness, man must harmonize with his Principle, divine Love; the Son must be in accord with the Father, in conformity with Christ."

-From Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures
by Mary Baker Eddy
337:6-10

World Out of Control?

2007-05-07T09:15:00.001-05:00

It is in my heart to pray for our world this morning. God governs. God being all good, governs everything harmoniously. Anything out of control is a denial to God. So, one or the other is not true. Material sense does not comprehend how anything in front of it is not true. Well, material sense often believes it's own illusions. Man is the likeness of God (Gen. 1.). God is not the likeness of man/material sense.

God-good governs. Period. Therefore nothing is out of control. To God, His spiritual sense, and his spiritual ideas all is harmonious. On this basis Christ Jesus healed. He had a different vision.

Today, I am declaring that God is in control. He is in control of me, my future, the Earth's future, Iraq's future (and present!), Iran, North Korea. If I don't do that, I'm saying that evil gets to choose when good is in charge and when it's not. It's a boaster. Jesus called it "a liar and the father of it."

War Inevitable?

2007-04-30T20:25:00.000-05:00

Are you praying about war? If not, why not? I know that sometimes that I have a feeling like I should pray about war, but I feel hesitant. I had an insight that we should be praying more about big issues like war. If we never pray about it, how will it come to an end? And, if it is the objectification of evil, why wouldn't we pray . My insight was that prayer is effective, so we need to be applying it to what is needed most. That simple thought was helpful. How can prayer help delete the images of carnage, death, futility, and frustration?

Jesus never made a reality out of death. When he raised the girl from death, he told those around him that she was sleeping. He did the same when he raised Lazarus. He was alert to the fact that death is not reality - it's illusion. There's a book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures that has a lot of insights about death. It mentions death 387 times! On page 39:9, it says: "The Bible calls death an enemy, and Jesus overcame death and the grave instead of yielding to them. He was "the way." To him, therefore, death was not the threshold over which he must pass into living glory." Death isn't to be feared or welcomed. Death is a belief that life is in matter. This life apart from God, Spirit, results in death. Life in Spirit never ends.

Is the situation hopeless in Iraq? It sure seems to be. There's daily bombings. It just goes on and on, with no improvement. It sure looks like good is out of the picture and that evil is unstoppable. That sure takes God out of the picture. What's needed to turn this situation around? Would you be surprised if I said prayer? What I mean by prayer is listening for God's voice, looking with God's vision. As it says in Genesis, God created everything good and he was pleased with His creation. God, Spirit, created spiritual creation. It has never morphed into material creation, never degraded into war. We can be faithful to Jesus and love our enemies. We can pray that all love their enemies, and that all the so-called "enemies" are blessed. If everyone felt blessed they wouldn't attack anyone else, and war would fade.

I am praying to know that Iraq is not immersed in war as the carnal mind portrays. I'm adopting Jesus' view that evil is a "liar [lie] and the father of it." I am seeing what God is seeing and unseeing what the carnal mind is seeing. War is not inevitable - God's peace is.

Delaying Good

2007-04-19T08:09:00.000-05:00

Who would delay good? I think we do that all the time. We put off listening to God, praying, accepting good.

I know that I think I'll handle some issues at work and then pray. And, then I find hours have passed and I haven't prayed about the issue at all.

I will watch an episode on TV to relax and then it gets late and I have to cut my prayers short.

Or, the busyness of modern life takes over.

All of these are examples of the carnal mind's pressure to delay good. And, delaying good is a denial of God-good.

For today, I'm going to stop delaying good. I'm going to finish that blog I started a few days ago. I'm going to pray about that headache that popped up this morning. (I'm going to pray for complete freedom from it. Jesus never accepted illness or death as God's will, so why should we?)

With Love,

Dan

Healing Sought Through The Presence of God

2007-04-12T08:15:00.000-05:00

Last week I was working so hard at my job, (i.e., lots of personal effort, long hours), but I didn't seem to be gaining ground. It was nice to have a break for Easter, to ponder what God's plan was and to have some time away from the grind to search for healing.

Christian Scientists, like other Christians, pray for God's wisdom. They listen patiently for His direction, and pray for the wisdom and willingness to follow that direction when it comes. Sometimes His voice is that "still small voice" the prophet Isaiah refers to, and sometimes it seems louder. I have found that it is essential to quiet my own thought to make room for God's voice. Christ Jesus taught us to go into our closet (store room, pantry room) and be quiet so we could hear the heavenly Father.

I pray for healing. Sometimes as you see it's for solutions on the job, and sometimes it is to heal a physical or relationship problem. I pray for myself and for others. (If you would like me to pray for you, too, please feel free to contact me at dancarne@gmail.com.) I thought I would share what I heard when I went into my "prayer closet" last night and prayed.

I felt a rush of goodness. Before I could think of the challenges of life, there was an angel message waiting for me. They told me God is right here. Love never allowed sickness. Those whom you are praying for are free. The Bible mentions free, freedom, etc. 96 times and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures mentions it 90 times. pp 225-235 in S&H are sometimes referred to as the freedom pages because they beautifully illustrate over and over man's (the man created by God) freedom from moral and physical wrong. For example, "Love and Truth make free, but evil and error lead into captivity."

I'm ready to be free of evil's fetters. I know this is divine Love's plan!

Grace Heals

2007-03-04T23:29:00.000-06:00

What do we have to do to be healed? Do we have to pray? Do we have to be good? Do we have to realize the Truth? I heard someone say, "Jesus said, 'You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.' He didn't say your 'knowing of the truth' shall make you free."

What this tells me is it's God's grace that heals. We need to yield up our guilt that we haven't lived up to God's expectation and that is what's holding up healing. According to Genesis 1, you and I were made as God's like-ness, His image.

Jesus told us that the kingdom of heaven we are searching for is "within us." It's here, it's Immanuel, or God with us.

When a disease has gone on for a long time, we feel tempted to feel discouraged or frustrated. That's understandable, but it also points out that maybe we are regarding disease as a reality, even though God, the Creator, didn't make it. Let's look at it as a "presentation" of evil; it's insubstantial. For example, if you go to a cineplex and you accidentally walk into the wrong theater, do you try and heal that wrong picture? No, you walk out (you repent) and go to the proper theater. With the correct mental image before thought there is healing.

What is healing. It's God with us, it's wholeness. But, the root of the word heal is to adore. So, in obedience to Christ Jesus' command to "Heal the sick.", we can adore the sick! And, God's love for us is so great, it's grace. God loves you as you are. "Come as you are!" This healing grace is evidenced in our lives by the expression of gratitude, wholeness, progress, and by love.

Simply put, let go of the burden of guilt that you need to change to be healed. Yield to the truth that you are God's child, made perfect in His image. You are LOVED!

Starting to Pray About Climate Change

2007-02-28T08:22:00.000-06:00

When thinking about global climate change, it looks like mankind is asleep at the wheel. However, we are suddenly seeing a great leavening of Truth going on. Industry instead of government is recognizing the need to seek solutions to climate change. Something is busting up resistance to change - it's Christ, the divine influence.

How can scientific prayer make a difference in such a big problem? I don't know about you, but I find that fear that that problem is to BIG tries to voice itself. It's a Goliath voice - how dare you challenge me. What is the solution? [pause to avoid a Sunday School answer.] I believe it is turning to and staying with God, the omnipotent, the only truth giver to man.

"As light destroys darkness and in the place of darkness all is light, so (in absolute Science) Soul, or God, is the only truth-giver to man. " Page 72:9 As from Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy.

There is nothing else going on, despite the carnal mind's drama theater of a of threat to mankind. Maybe it's like walking into the wrong movie theater. You don't have to stay, you can walk right out and go to the right one.

www.findhealing.net
Thanks Maryl and Barry for the thoughts.

Dan

Letting Go and Getting More

2007-02-07T17:41:00.000-06:00

This is from my sister Lisa in Colorado, who had a great experience with trusting God.

I would like to share with you what I feel to be a much needed healing of “self worth”. I was recently blessed with a new job after great angst over taking what seemed to be most cavernous leap of faith. This decision to seriously make a job change seemed incredibly difficult for me as I had been in the same position for approximately 11 years. For years I felt that I had very few options available to me due largely to the fact that I did not have a college degree and I was not keen on beginning at the bottom. Because of this I had an overwhelming feeling of entrapment and dread at enduring a very unhappy future with my current employer as it became all to clear in recent history that our previous good relationship had deteriorated.

I began to reflect on the thought that I deserved good and that I had great things offer – surely there were employers that regarded experience above a degree. I began to turn my thought to listening for God’s guidance and direction. I was comforted by a feeling that leaving a position that I was very unhappy with, would be best for all concerned.

And then things began to move quickly for me. I felt comfortable sharing in a casual conversation with a respected colleague that I was interested in pursuing other job opportunities and of course all the reasons why I felt that this was going to be a very difficult endeavor. She shared with me that changes were occurring within her company and that she felt that I would be a good candidate for a management position. Upon this information, I contacted the president of her company to express my interest and we had a phone interview right there and I was invited to see the offices the following weekend. Of course I took her up on that offer and in our meeting she made me a formal offer and I accepted. Coincidently, I had known this woman professionally for 10 + years.

What was most astounding and what I was unaware of until I accepted the offer, was the fact that this woman had contacted my prior immediate employers to let them know she was going to offer me a position and that they should do something if they intended on keeping me. In reaching out this way, this women accomplished several things. She showed great respect to my prior employers and GREAT value for me, as well as eliminating the dread I felt at confronting the inevitable resignation meeting. And because of this, all doubt and fear was erased and my transition out and the training of others was relatively painless. All of which, I am truly grateful for.

(Ed. comment - Very inspiring, Lisa!)

Always in Our Right Place

2007-01-29T08:21:00.000-06:00

This weekend my wife and I took my son to a Segway human transporter class at the St. Louis Science Center. About a mile from the science center, the car ran out of gas. Becaue I like to play practical jokes, my son, Peter, thought I was joking around. It wasn't a joke (this time). We rolled as far as we could and Peter and his mom had to walk the rest of the way. I called a tow truck to bring some gas. However, I wanted to be with Peter to see him on this amazing transportation device. (It is an ingenious device that balances itself on one axle using computers and gyros.) The class was about to start and the tow truck was still en route. I decided to listen to God and I heard that we are always in our right place at all times.

I love that simple spiritual fact. What? Iis such a thing as always being in your right place possible? When we consider that God-good is the only Cause and the only Creator, that He is omnipresent (everywhere at the same time) and that we are truly spiritual reflections of this grand Creator, such a thing is possible.

On one-hand, humanly I was not where I longed to be and felt that I should be. But, I refused to listen to anything that said I was separated from my right place and listened to God. I reasoned that according to God, I was always in my right place. And, that my true location was with God, not in a car without gas away from my wife and son.

I felt this simple unlabored peace, this God bestowed trust that I was in my right place. I did not outline that all would be well when the tow truck came. I felt and knew that in reality, spiritually, everything was already well. My thought had yielded to the Christ, and the result was peace, trust, and comfort. Not surprisingly, as I finished my prayer, the tow truck arrived and gave me fuel. I drove to the science center and was able to see the smile on my son's face as he piloted his Segway around.

I didn't miss out on any good that evening. Quite the opposite. I learned again that scientifically we are always in our right place.

Where is Heaven?

2007-01-23T08:11:00.001-06:00

Last night my daughter wanted to stop by a cemetary. Yes, it was a little creepy at night, but a high school friend committed suicide a year ago and she was thinking of her. It reminded me a little of discussions with a coworker whose boyfriend's brother passed away in his sleep. There was great concern by some family members whether he was going to heaven. So often, heaven is viewed as a locale that one may go to after death. I view it differently, partly because Christ Jesus said that the "kingdom of heaven is at hand." and partly because it doesn't feel right to me that we have to die to get life. To me heaeven somewhere else, it's right here, it's the atmosphere of divine Love right here and now. Here are two quotes that I like.

Sin makes its own hell, and goodness its own heaven. Science and Health, pg 193:18

"There is but one way to heaven, harmony, and Christ in divine Science shows us this way. It is to know no other reality -- to have no other consciousness of life -- than good, God and His reflection, and to rise superior to the so-called pain and pleasure of the senses." Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy 242:9

Is "Science and Health" Biblically Based?

2007-01-05T11:10:00.000-06:00

A coworker of mine is a wild gal. I honestly never thought I would feel a spiritual connection with her. But I do. What changed? She's a brutally honest person, but I found out that she is a spiritual seeker and she has very respectfully asked questions about Science and Health. Man, I love good questions, don't you?

She asked me if the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures is biblically based. If you haven't heard of Science and Health, it's a wonderful work - I study it and I open it for inspiration daily.

I shared some quotes out of Science and Health (S&H) where the author Mary Baker Eddy shares how she feels the book is biblically based. (That sharing is further down.) My friend sent this response.

Thank you for caring about me. I’ve always enjoyed a good brain probing, and most subjects by my 30’s I have “talked out” Religion/Spirituality isn’t one of them. I have always been curious, but I want to learn at my own speed and not be judged if I don’t agree. I like that you aren’t pushy, you simply expose me to your beliefs. And I don’t have a lot of people in my life that are very spiritual or at least they don’t discuss that with me. I appreciate you selling/sharing me the S&H book to check out.

From Dan to ----

Your question about whether Science and Health is biblically based is a good one. I always sense in you that you are seeking the Truth. I like that.

-----, I don't care what you worship, what you believe, or where you worship. I do care about you and enjoy seeking the truth along side you. Most people have never heard of Christian Science. Those that have think it's Scientology. Some organized religions consider Christian Science unChristian, a cult, etc. wikipedia seems to be a good resource. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_science#The_Tenets_of_Christian_Science

Your question about S&H being biblically based prompted me to see what this book say about the Bible. Wow, too many citations! but on page 269:23 there is a marginal heading "Biblical foundations". Mary Baker Eddy says "I ... plant myself unreservedly on the teachings of Jesus, of his apostles, of the prophets, and on the testimony of the Science of Mind. Other foundations there are none. All other systems — systems based wholly or partly on knowledge gained through the material senses — are reeds shaken by the wind, not houses built on the rock."

On 109:13, the author talks about the three years after her instantaneous healing from the fall on the ice in 1866.

"For three years after my discovery, I sought the solution of this problem of Mind-healing, searched the Scriptures and read little else, kept aloof from society, and devoted time and energies to discovering a positive rule. The search was sweet, calm, and buoyant with hope, not selfish nor depressing. I knew the Principle of all harmonious Mind-action to be God, and that cures were produced in primitive Christian healing by holy, uplifting faith; but I must know the Science of this healing, and I won my way to absolute conclusions through divine revelation, reason, and demonstration. The revelation of Truth in the understanding came to me gradually and apparently through divine power. When a new spiritual idea is borne to earth, the prophetic Scripture of Isaiah is renewedly fulfilled: "Unto us a child is born, . . . and his name shall be called Wonderful.""

The Love that Embraces The Universe

2007-01-03T08:15:00.000-06:00

I love thinking about love. It enriches me and raises me up.

Today I am thinking about the Love that embraces the entire Universe. I am focusing on that Love that animates the Universe. Materialist think that the universe exists as material components and wonder how it works. Although you get a sense of how infinite the universe is, I don't think you can ever figure out what governs the universe on that basis. You are always left with a big unknown - what started it all.

I believe that nothing is self-governing. I believe that universal laws govern the universe harmoniously. The Principle of that government is divine Love. That infinite force created the universe, it nutures it, it governs it and maintains it. Beyond that, Love animates the entire universe.

Those thoughts make my heart glow with love. Love for myself. Love for all mankind. Love for the Universe. I love them because I see them how Love made them and how Love sees them. That recognition brings healing into my life and those whom I think about.

What is animating you today?

Spiritual Vistas

2006-12-26T19:58:00.000-06:00

Often all we need is a different perspective ...

Whenever we get a more enlightened spiritual view of the world, the world changes. Or is it that we change? Either way, an insight lifts us to new heights, to spiritual views. This morning my insight was that the Creator's plan is in force and I didn't have to force anything. I just needed to accept that perfect plan.