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Tuesday, February 28, 2006

mothers of men

....to those interested in a Jill Caroll update,
please scroll down to the end of the article


I had just finished a weekend down at the Twin Cities and had lunch at W. A. Frost's with some old friends -- each of them with one son. And, between laughing our hearts out and talking about our careers, politics, art, food, we started talking about raising our sons. The next day I met with another old friend – she has three sons. When I got back home to the northwoods, I got a call from another friend – and she has three sons. Even though each mother’s experience is unique, some are the birth parents some are adoptive parents, one is a single parent, and the others are not -- I realized how strong our bonds are together. I LOVE our common ground: we are all mothers of boys who will grow to be men.

As a kid, I always wanted babies. Watching Bonanza, (a television western series in the US) I fell in love with the idea of having boys. For some reason, I was stuck on having five. Five boys who would be raised to respect men and women and their elders, and to be well rounded, robust and educated gentleman. Now that I have two boys (the more realistic and perfect number for our family) I have been totally captivated with them and have had to do some major re-thinking about boys.....They are not all like Bonanza’s Cartwright family.

To me, doing things right, means understanding the spiritual dimension of things. Parenting boys is no exception! So many ideas in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures have helped me focus on spiritually parenting.

Mary Baker Eddy writes in Science and Health some strong points about the role of parents, mothers in particular:


A mother's affection cannot be weaned from her child, because the mother-love includes purity and constancy, both of which are immortal. Therefore maternal affection lives on under whatever difficulties. (p. 60)


Under the heading of “A mother's responsibility:”

A mother is the strongest educator, either for or against crime. Her thoughts form the embryo of another mortal mind, and unconsciously mould it, either after a model odious to herself or through divine influence, "according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount." Hence the importance of Christian Science, from which we learn of the one Mind and of the availability of good as the remedy for every woe. (p. 236)

MB Eddy even understood God as Father Mother. In her definition of Mother, she writes

MOTHER. God; divine and eternal Principle; Life, Truth, and Love. (p. 592)


My visits with old friends reminded of how important it was to have the support of other mothers. Raising children is intense. But boy energy is a chapter in itself. As one friend said, “You have to laugh often! It’s either that or go nuts!”
Hillary Clinton wrote a book named after the African proverb: It Takes a Village (click here for a talk by HB on the book). Whether or not you like Hillary’s politics, the sentiment is sure. Having a village to lean on, help, support, laugh and cry with has been a major blessing to me in raising my sons.

Remembering those conversations, I jotted down all the things I talked about with my friends:

  • Teen years – launching into manhood; supporting independence; making it easy to talk ; the internet; sex drugs and rock and roll; keeping the connection

  • Pre-teens, finding one’s own way childhood and manhood; a spiritual foundation for changes – coming home to a spiritual basis; aggression and sports; developing ideas of who and what men and women are

  • Elementary school – first launch out of the home and into the public playground; dealing with bullies; daredevil playing; keeping bandaids and prayer close at hand

  • General – the dad’s part: supporting the dad/being the dad; how do you pray with your son; fun things to do one on one with your son; taking care of yourself so you can take care of your kids

To all the mothers of men ( and grandmothers of men and those who hope to be mothers of men) who read this, let me know if you would like to dig into the topic of raising boys to men with a spiritual perspective. There could be a never ending conversation brewing here.
See new blog at www.momm2.blogspot.com - mothers of men meeting!
JILL UPDATE: (Please note: prayer and support are being given 24/7 for Jill and for Iraq. To keep updated please click here for updates from The Christian Science Monitor and click here for updates from one of Jill's friends who translates updates from Arabic newspapers as they become available. Click here for a spiritual perspective on this issue and this watch.)

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Monday, February 27, 2006

Universal appeal - we are one family

I am struck today more information about other hostages' families calling for their loved ones' releases. (See Associated Press article)
It is an appeal from one family member to the kidnappers to remember their most precious relationship with their family and to treat the hostages with this in remembrance.

It seems to me that this appeal is the tip of the iceberg for the larger appeal, that we may all see one another as one family. "Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?"queries the Old Testament ( Malachi).

Just as I feel the world wide support for the release of Jill is undergirded with the cherishing of an ideal to learn from one another, respect one another, give your heart to one another, as Jill has embodied, so I feel the calls for Jill's release, now echoed by other family members of hostages, is a call to us to see that we are all one family, under one God.

This thought has given my prayer direction. "Thou shalt have no other God before me" (Exodus, the Old Testament) to me now means that I can see one God governing us, one loving God bringing peace, justice and release from all that malice would try to bind us to. It expands my understanding of God - as omnipotent - extending further beyond denomination. I plead to understand more of God's power - because it is there.

From Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by M.B. Eddy (p. 469),

With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science.
This is what I am standing with today.

For an update on the hostage situation, click here for aljazeera.net, here for an update on Jill Carroll from the Christian Science Monitor, here for the website of one of Jill's friends that includes English translations of other Arabic news articles when available, here for a healing thrust to these current events.

Please add your own comments or email this article to a friend.
For more information, visit kimckorinek.com or contact Kim directly via skype!

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Monday, February 20, 2006

Hedgehog Love

... (for those following Jill Carroll's story, see JILL update below)

We have a new pet. A hedgehog.

Our new pet came to us over the holidays. My first impression was that it seemed to be a totally absurd animal whose main activity (aside from the basics) is to hiss and curl up.
"We think it may be autistic," said the friend who gave him to us.

My husband brings the hedgehog to dinner. (It is an African pygmy variety, so it fits right in his hand and in the front pocket of his sweatshirt. ) Together, we all coax it out of its curl with a bit of broccoli, cauliflower, or whatever the vegetable du jour is. He hisses, grabs the vegie and curls back up.

My husband coos at him. (We have named him Max Philburt Pointdexter IV for no apparent reason.) Neighbors come to see him and try to pet him without getting pricked. My sons take turns holding him with their bare hands and talk gently with him.

It takes some time to get him to trust us and to feel comfortable. Ever so slowly, he has been showing signs of a personality. Now, he lets us hold him and uncurls with more ease. I have even pet him and haven't been hissed at.

I know that he is coming out of his curl. And, at the same time, all of us are expanding our repetoire of the living things that we love, and learning to love with more patience and hopeful care.

Today, Max Pointdexter (etc.) is doing fine and so are we. It reminds me of a line from Science and Health (p. 57) that says



Human affection is not poured forth vainly, even though it meet no return. Love enriches the nature, enlarging, purifying, and elevating it.


This little hedgehog has put another warm spot on our hearts and taught us a sweet lesson to never give up on love.



JILL UPDATE: (Please note: prayer and support are being given 24/7 for Jill and for Iraq. To keep updated please click here for updates from The Christian Science Monitor and click here for updates from one of Jill's friends who translates updates from Arabic newspapers as they become available. Click here for a spiritual perspective on this issue and this watch.)




Please add your own comments or email to a friend.

Monday, February 13, 2006

The simplicity and practice of Christian Science

... (for those following Jill Carroll's story, see JILL update below)

The principles of Christian Science are simple.
God is omnipotent, supreme, all good. Man is spiritual, made in His image and likeness. Matter, not coming from God, is unreal. (See the “Scientific Statement of Being” from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p. 468)

When it comes to the “Matter is unreal” part, sometimes there is a hoopla of protest. Arguments arise such as “How can you ignore matter?” or “How can you dismiss the pain, the suffering, the evidence of materiality?” or “Christian Science does not take into account the full spectrum of the human experience” etc. These are heartfelt and thoughtful comments and questions in an age where spirituality has become the most sought after aspect of our lives today ( See Patricia Aburdene’s Megatrends 2010).

I have to agree: the principles explained by Christian Science about God and the relations of God and man are simple. In fact, when I took a course of instruction on Christian Science healing, my teacher would often expound on a principle, explain its application to the healing of some discord and then summarize it with “It is all rather simple, isn’t it? I don’t know what all this fuss is about!”

However, I would like to attempt a response to the comment that Christian Science is simplistic or ignores the human condition.


Because it is a Science, I will explain it in scientific terms, and then because it is Christian, I will explain it in Christian terms.

Because it is a science
In terms of Science, we can use the analogy of the scientific principles of mathematics to better understand Christian Science.
The principle of multiplication, for example, is a complete principle. It is simple, fixed, and consistent. It has no awareness of the incorrect applications of multiplication, is not aware of how many people use it and how may people don’t use it. It is a principle, a rule, a law. When we understand this law, all of a sudden, accounting becomes easier, we can figure out large quantities of things faster, we see how it helps with economy, well, even communication across all industries. We use this principle of mathematics in almost everything we do and are able to solve problems. Our lives take on a higher level of functioning.

Likewise with the Christian Science principle, for example, of man’s inseparable relationship to God: This is a simple, fixed and consistent principle, a law of being. For those who understand this law, it is found that the daily operations of life become easier. Lives can take on a higher level of functioning where health, prosperity, love, honesty and blessing others are more evident. It is not needed for a Principle of Love to understand all that is not love - just like the principle of multiplication does not need to include any erroneous application of multiplication.

But, you might ask, what about those who do not understand, who suffer greatly, who do not agree with this principle?

Because it is Christian
This is where the “Christian” part comes in. Mary Baker Eddy writes in Science and Health “Christian Science is aflame with divine Love” and explains the Christ as the application of these principles “the divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error.” (p. 583) The great sacrifice to make these principles known is seen by many as Christ’s suffering on the cross. His resurrection from all suffering and death, (from spiritual, mental and physical suffering and dying) served to show us the way out of suffering ourselves. It is God’s great love for us that we are shown this way. It is Love that leads us to share the broadest application of these divine principles. I think that it is love for all mankind, in all ways and at all times that has always been the motivation behind making these healing principles known. These are the principles behind universal salvation.

Under the Christian impulse of these divine laws, a rush of love for all mankind comes in to heal pain and diseases, to comfort, to bless, to love. Not one element of the human condition can be hid from the application of these healing, uplifting laws.

Science and Health has the full statement of Christian Science. It shares these principles of divine Love (or God) and then shares how these can be applied. Someone once commented about Science and Health’s content: 5% is about the absolute principles of God and man and 95% explains how those principles are applied.

The principles of Christian Science are simple, applied universally in millions of different ways. If you have ever comforted a crying child, or felt joy release you from grief, you have experienced some of these principles yourself. If you have ever seen the healing of a physical ailment happen more quickly when thought was filled with more love than fear, then you understand a bit more about the healing power of God as Love.

Consider the mind-blowing possibilities of this -- What if we understood and studied the law of Love with as much intensity as we study the laws of gravity? What if we practiced the law of Love with the same exactness as we take daily medications and exercise? What if we shared what we were learning of the principles of Truth and healing as readily as we would share food to a friend who was hungry? If we did this, our communities, nations, our world would learn to soar!

My hope is to lift the imposition that these principles are simplistic, so that more can avail themselves of these principles in their lives and experience the release from suffering, the higher experience of beauty, and the blessings of an abundant and happy life that an understanding of these principles bring.

It is love that motivates me to do this. It is love and the eager anticipation of seeing limitations shattered, brilliant solutions to problems exposed and the sweet and beautiful development of individuals realized.



JILL UPDATE: (Please note: prayer and support are being given 24/7 for Jill and for Iraq. To keep updated please click here for updates from The Christian Scince Monitor and click here for updates from one of Jill's friends who translates updates from Arabic newspapers as they become available.)














Please add your own comments or email this article to a friend.
For more information, visit kimckorinek.com or contact Kim directly via skype!
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