The Wilderness Experience

Spiritual resource to share: horizon-opening experiences

Today, I want to talk about the wilderness experience and how outright refreshing it can be.

I have had numerous wilderness experiences, both literally and figuratively. (You have had these too, as you will recognize further on down the blog).

My literal wilderness experiences have included those moments on mountains, whitewater rivers or lakes in the middle of nowhere. Experiencing the stillness and beauty of the northern lights, howling winds at high altitudes and whitewater stair cases have shaped me and have strengthened and inspired me.

There are always two sub-types of experiences in a wilderness experience and MBEddy captures them perfectly in her definition of Wilderness:

WILDERNESS. Loneliness; doubt; darkness. Spontaneity of thought and idea; the vestibule in which a material sense of things disappears, and spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence.

There is the first experience of loneliness, doubt or darkness. You feel separated from good, you don't believe you an accomplish anything, or the absence of light feels a little more real than light itself.

But, seeing through that experience, there is then this second experience of spontaneity - even playfulness with the universe! The material, limited sense of life falls away to reveal startling beauty, or a purifying rush of clean - of new beginnings and fresh starts, or an altitude of thought that makes all of the tediousness of human strife look, well, tedious and small and inconsequential in the light of the magnaminous nature of creation and its Creator.

This has been played out in my life like so:

• Doubting my ability to run a whitewater rapid in a kayak, and then doing it, resulted in the thrill of dominon over fear and humble awe of the ability to play with a power so beautiful.
• Being fearful of an impending storm on a mountaintop, but then overcoming that morphed into being a part of an amazing rescue effort that resulted in everyone's safety, and increased camraderie and joy!
• Feeling very isolated from civilation and from our base camp while paddling across a huge lake with my husband when strong winds came down on us against the direction we needed to take. We persisted, shouted out enouragement to each other, and kept going, not letting up one second lest we lose more ground as we made our way, inch by inch to our base camp across the wide lake. And we did it! We were exhausted, happy ...and safe.

But it has also played out for me in my more unconventional wilderness experiences, where I felt I was alone, abandoned or too down on myself: like when I was alone in a foreign country for the first time, or starting a new job, struggling with a persistent challenge, or recovering after a traumatic situation.

In each of these experiences, I had to walk through that illusionary wall of self-doubt, fear, and loneliness to see that there is an answer. Some "great fact of existence" was there reminding me that good is not helpless, that God's ideas cannot exist alone or that there are infinite resources that God has with which to bless mankind.

So what does this mean for you all? You probably recognize a wilderness experience or two that you yourself have encountered. Or maybe you are in right now. I hope you can take heart, that the material, limited sense of things - or those suggestions that you are separated from good - are not based on God's reality. These things have a short shelf-life. They will fall away.

Open yourself up to the spontaneity of God's infinite goodness. Start with one fact based on God's love, goodness and abundance. Opening that door will lead you into blessings, healing and peace. And your wilderness experience will "blossom like the rose!*"

Some fav quotes to leave you with:

* The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. -Isaiah 35

As long as there are young people with the light of adventure in their eyes, or a touch of wildness in their souls, rapids will be run. -Sigurd Olson

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. -John Muir

Keep close to Nature's heart...and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. -John Muir





Top photo by Gabe Korinek - copyright 2006

To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

you are here

Spiritual resource to share: your place in the world

A little boy was once asked: "How do you know that God is here?" And he answered, "Well, because I 'm here!" I love that confidence in the inseparability of God and us!

MBEddy writes "As a drop of water is one with the ocean, a ray of light one with the sun, even so God and man, Father and son, are one in being."

So where does this idea leave us? That we are in our right place. Why? Beause the omnipresent God is in Her right place and we are never separated from God.

We are always in our right place. That means that we have all we need where we are. So every opportunity for growth and every need for living is present right where we are. And, if these things don't appear, we will be removed from that situation and placed in a situation where growth and supply are available.

So not only are we assured we are never separated from God, but that it is confirmed that we have a purpose as well. Just as the number "42" always is in its right place in the numeric system, so does it also serve its purpose in keeping the whole numeric system working. Likewise, we are distinct and in our right place. Our purpose is to glorify God, in Her full expression. Each of us is needed to express the complete spectrum of God's goodness, intelligence and grace.

Our purpose is maintained by God and we are able to answer the question, "What am I?" with this response: "I am able to impart truth, health, and happiness, and this is my rock of salvation and my reason for existing." (from The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany p. 165.) And another fav from the Bible:

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

breaking through habitual thinking

Spiritual resource to share: logic and reasoning

Reason, rightly directed, serves to correct the errors of corporeal sense; but sin, sickness, and death will seem real (even as the experiences of the sleeping dream seem real) until the Science of man's eternal harmony breaks their illusion with the unbroken reality of scientific being. - MBEddy from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures

Have you ever heard of the game Mastermind? It's one of my favorite games. It's a code-breaking game in which you use logic to deduce the code of your opponent hidden in a series of 4 beads of any combination of 6 colors. (You can go here to play it.)


The reason I have juxtaposed this game with MBEddy's quote above is because both deal with breaking certain patterns. MBEddy talks about the illusion of the "errors of corporeal sense" - an habitual pattern of material thought. The game also deals with patterns of thought and the success of the game is largely dependent on one's ability to break out of dead end patterns and see the winning pattern.


Here's the analogy: In the game, you start out with six colors and have eight attempts to break the 4 color code. I have been able to be consistently successful in this game if I recognize when I am exclusively pursuing one particular color pattern. When this happens, I consciously change my course, consider new alternatives and try a new pattern. Then I usually win at the fourth, fifth, or sixth attempt.


In play, the game Mastermind has taught me the value of recognizing habitual thinking and replacing it with new ways of solving the problems.


In life, I see the same thing. The downward tendencies of habitual thinking ( like old arguments re-surfacing, mindless repetition, sensual stimulation, thoughtless words or actions) can subtly enter thought and depress energy.


Once this is recognized, I can consciously decide to break this pattern. I give my consent to the fact that there are new ways to think, to act, and to be. I realize that Mind (another word for God) has "infinite resources with which to bless mankind." This "reason, rightly directed, serves to correct the errors of corporeal sense."


Understanding the infinite nature of God and man explains "the Science of man's eternal harmony" and this understanding "breaks (corporeal sense's) illusion with the unbroken reality of scientific being."


It is energizing to know we can break out of old patterns of thought and embrace the wider realm of God's thoughts that always refresh and bring us home to the right answers.






PS - And let me know if you know if you like this game! Or if you know of other games that have a metaphysical lesson, please share it here!

Light a candle/Encienda una vela

Spiritual resource to share: your gratitude, your light
Recurso para compartir: su gratitud, su luz

Light a candle and share what you are most grateful for with millions of others around the world. Click here to share!

In this season of gratitude, I just wanted to say how grateful I am that we can all connect and align our thoughts and hearts to greater and greater good. Thanks for stopping by.

Encienda una vela y comparte que es el más agradecido con millones de personas alrededor del mundo. ¡Haga clique aquí para compartir!

En esta estación de la gratitud, estoy feliz que podamos todos conectar y alinear nuestros pensamientos y corazones. Gracias por su visitas.










To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

An annotated look at The Daily Prayer

Spiritual resource to share: study

The "Daily Prayer" is actually a requirement made by MBEddy that all who join with The Mother Church pray this prayer each day. The prayer is short, to the point and covers the inner discipline of one's own thinking to the nourishing expanse of mankind's every feeling.

It reminds me of a sunrise.

This is it:

Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine Truth, Life and Love be established in me and rule out of me all sin.
And may Thy word enrich the affections of all mankind and govern them.

I had a good time with http://www.onelook.com/ (an online collection of dozens of dictionaries) to dive deeper into the meaning of the words, sometimes going to dictionaries as far back as 1913. Here is what I found:

Thy kingdom come
Thy kingdom (An extensive scientific division distinguished by leading or ruling characteristics: domain; The rank, quality, state, or attributes of a king; royal authority; sovereign power; rule; dominion; monarchy; environment, surroundings, all that is governed by God) is already here

Let the reign of divine Truth. Life and Love be established in me
Let the dominant authority (of Truth , Life and Love) be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance in me

And rule out of me all sin
Rule:

• keep in check (Example: "Rule one's temper")
• decide with authority
• decide on and make a declaration about
• exercise authority over; as of nations
• be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance (onelook.com)

Sin:
The seven deadly sins are pride, covetousness, lust, wrath, gluttony, envy, and sloth.

• Sin is a transgression against God; transgression of the law of God;
• disobedience of the divine command;
• any violation of God's will, either in purpose or conduct;
• moral deficiency in the character; iniquity; as, sins of omission and sins of commission.

And may Thy word
Word: The spoken sign of a conception or an idea

Enrich the affections
Make better, richer, wealthy and improved affections those things we act upon; to produce an effect or change upon. To influence or move, as the feelings or passions.

Of all mankind and govern them.
Govern:

• direct or strongly influence the behavior of
• exercise authority over; as of nations
• bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulation

In other words:

The dominant and divine authority of God is here, now.
Let this authority be enlarged and primary in my life and let it eradicate any suggestion of separation from God.
And may God's actualized presence permeate all that stirs mankind bring us into conformity with all that is good and true and eternal.

© Spurious - Fotolia.com

To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

de las pequeñas bellotas crecen los robles poderosos crecen

(For the English version, please see the post below)

Semillas. He estado pensando sobre las semillas aunque es el otoño en el hemisferio norteño.

Es más sobre las semillas y su potencial para el crecimiento.

¿La pregunta se presenta - cómo sabe una semilla crecer? La respuesta: Su mapa ya es inherente en su diseño. (Oh, ¡éste es una analogía metaphysical perfecta!)

¿Cómo sabemos crecer? Confíamos en nuestro diseño inherente. Esto nos da otro punto de vista de la importancia de conocer a Dios y de la idea primero presentó en la Biblia en Génesis que nos hacen en la imagen y la semejanza de Dios.

Porque conocemos a Dios, nos conocemos a nosotros mismos.

Haciendo esto, podemos confiar en que nos equipan con todo lo que necesitamos cuando lo necesitamos.

Aquí están algunas ideas del diseño usadan por Dios:

Jehovah me ha aparecido desde hace mucho tiempo, diciendo: "Con amor eterno te he amado; por tanto, te he prolongado mi misericordia. -Jer. 31: 3

Los hombres y las mujeres inmortales son modelos del sentido espiritual, trazados por la Mente perfecta y reflejan aquellos conceptos más elevados de belleza que transcienden todo sentido material. - Ciencia y Salud con Clave de las Escrituras por Mary Baker Eddy p. 247:23

...me entretejiste en el vientre de mi madre. Te doy gracias, porque has hecho maravillas. Maravillosas son tus obras, y mi alma lo sabe muy bien. - Salmos 139: 13, 14

from little acorns do mighty oaks grow

Spiritual resource to share: what we are drawn to be

Seeds. I've been thinking about seeds. And obviously not because it is planting season here in the northern hemisphere. Its more about seeds and their potential for growth.

The question arises - how does a seed know how to grow? An answer: Its map is already inherent in its design. (Oh, this is just so ripe with metaphysical analogy.)

How do we know how to grow? Trust our inherent design.

This gives another angle to the importance of knowing God. And of trusting the idea first presented in Genesis that we are made in the image and likeness of God.

By knowing God, we know ourselves. Doing this, we can trust that we are equipped with everything we need at the time we need it.

Here are some design ideas used by God:

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Immortal men and women are models of spiritual sense, drawn by perfect Mind and reflecting those higher conceptions of loveliness which transcend all material sense.

Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

Just Trust

Spiritual resource to share: yielding to God

“Nothing I do has any impact.” Have you ever said that to yourself? The answer to that may be “You’re right!” Christ Jesus’ remark “I can of mine own self do nothing” has helped me overcome discouragement, disappointment and situational depression a number of times. The simple understanding that God (all-powerful and all-knowing) is the One who is governing shifts thought away from the small ego or self and moves it over to God.

Some years ago, I was increasingly getting tired and it was getting harder and harder to be inspired about the day and even get out of bed and go to work. Soon, I simply felt depressed and depleted. It was subtle at first, but I later realized that I had accepted that there was some opposing force to the work I was doing. Believing this to be possible had a demoralizing effect. MBEddy writes in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures “By conceding power to discord, a large majority of doctors depress mental energy…” I’m not a doctor nor was I going to a doctor at that time, but I could so relate to that sentence. It continues… “Knowledge that we can accomplish the good hoped for stimulates the system to act in the direction Mind points out.”

As I continued praying, I didn’t dive into reasons why I continually felt this way, or try to change those things or people I thought were opposing me. I dropped the focus on me and attempts to sleep or find other ways to flee from this gnawing negative feeling.

I focused instead on the nature of God as Truth and Love. Truth is the quality most associated with purity, steadfastness and stability. I thought about (and still do think of ) the nature of God as Love: it is inclusive, intimate and works unconsciously in the human heart.

Love and Truth are forces always operating, always transforming, and always expanding from a permanent basis. Much like light entering a darkened room.

I could trust the light of Truth and Love. I gained a better understanding of MBEddy’s statement that “(evil) is neither person, place or thing.” In the omnipotence of Love I saw that there were no lesser minds spewing out opinions that could ever obscure Truth. I realized I could not be targeted nor could I target any one thing or person.

It was my trust in Truth that helped me see that good works are possible. In another idea from Science and Health, MBEddy writes, “Truth overcomes both disease and sin and reassures depressed hope…It imparts a healthy stimulus to the body and regulates the system.” And in the organization I was working in, there soon grew a healthy stimulus to the organizational body. And I could go forward trusting Truth and Love to regulate the system.

So my answer to the feeling of futility and depressed thought? Just trust. Amazingly simple. Profoundly effective.

Picture by Sonja Maneri "Omnipresent" copyright 2004



To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

Looking at healing from a scientist's perspective

Spiritual resource to share: synergy

I love this group! When I get together with my Science and Health discussion group, I always find new insights into some of my most favorite and familiar passages. (We are reading Science and Health slowly - about 30 - 50 pages every 2 weeks. This allows for a deep dive into its ideas.)

Yesterday's meeting, we were discussing the first section of the chapter "Science, Theology and Medicine" and the first section dealt with the science of Christian Science. We have some good science background in this group: a PhD in biological sciences, a licensed engineer, and a former student at IIT (many years ago).

Here are some of our insights:

Mary Baker Eddy uses the pronoun "I" significantly more in this chapter than in other chapters. This makes the chapter more autobiographical. It also speaks of her experiences in testing and trying out various assumptions. The whole section outlines how she made the discovery, tested it and established underlying principles.

"Science," the engineer in the group explained, "is more about a process of discovery than the end in and of itself."

"And there needs to be tangible evidence of this Science. It can't only be theory." was another comment.

This aligns with MBEddy's own statement:

The term CHRISTIAN SCIENCE was introduced by the author to designate the scientific system of divine healing.
The revelation consists of two parts:
1. The discovery of this divine Science of Mind-healing, through a spiritual sense of the Scriptures and through the teachings of the Comforter, as promised by the Master.
2. The proof, by present demonstration, that the so-called miracles of Jesus did not specially belong to a dispensation now ended, but that they illustrated an ever-operative divine Principle. The operation of this Principle indicates the eternality of the scientific order and continuity of being.

Reading the first section of this chapter has given me another dimension on my practice of Christian Science. I re-read the chapter from the perspective of a scientist, from the perspective of how I have "discovered" Christian Science on my own.

We are always discovering more about the infinite nature of God. We are all proving - healing by healing - the very nature of our relationship to an all-loving, omnipotent Principle.

More to come.......







To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

eliminación del conflicto

Recurso espiritual a compartir: humildad con gratitud

¿Esta usted envuelto en una tormenta de opiniones en conflicto? Esto me ocurrió recientemente. Y no podía conseguir liberarme de esos argumentos mentales silenciosos que continuaban repitiendo una conversación reciente y cómo debería haberla manejado mejor.

Sin embargo, las discusiones pararon.

Y qué paró estas discusiones? Fue mi disposición de silenciar estos argumentos mentales y escuchar profundamente, cómo Dios podía estar percibiendo toda esta situación.

Escuchar significó poner a un lado mis opiniones, reconocer que no soy personalmente responsable de hacer que la gente escuche mi punto de vista sobre las cosas, y entender que Dios es el único poder que controla toda Su creación. Con humildad podía aceptar todo eso.

La humildad me salvó. Eso y la gratitud por lo que la otra persona hizo. No podría decir lo suficiente sobre cómo una perspectiva humilde me ha salvado de otros momentos difíciles, y me trajo más progreso y amor.

MBE habla de la humildad como una virtud que triunfa sobre la carne, y es el genio de la Ciencia Cristiana. Ella escribe que la humildad, junto con el conocimiento de sí mismo y el amor son fuerzas divinas. La humildad es un peldaño hacia un reconocimiento más alto de la Deidad. (véase "El Camino" de Escritos Misceláneos. p. 355).

Más tarde esa misma semana, se dió una oportunidad para compartir con este individuo una expresión sincera de la gratitud que sentía por el trabajo y el progreso logrados. Había una sensación de alivio. Quizás ambos nos sentíamos liberados de la idea de que necesitábamos mantener cierta postura. Sentí serenidad y cariño, y creció mi confianza en que nunca existe una situación tan fuera de control, en que el Amor divino no pueda volver nuestros pensamientos y vidas a su estado natural de armonía, progreso y amor.

To read the English version click here.

first snowfall

Spiritual resource to share: redemption



Last night it fell -- all over our yard, driveway, rooftops, everywhere. I woke up to see this perfect blanket of snow. "The first snowfall always makes me feel as if we are all redeemed," said a friend once, and I am reminded of it every first snowfall of the season.

I am reminded of God's love for each of us. "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." I am reminded that there is a tender loving kindness that is all powerful - God. God draws us to Him.

In the Lord's Prayer there is a section that says:

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil;

Mary Baker Eddy gives its spiritual sense and writes:

And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death.

God has created us in Love. God would no more lead us into temptation as Love would lead us to death. God's love for us continually guides us. And we are all redeemed: forgiven, loved, cleansed -- white as snow.



To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

How to pray about anything!

Spiritual resource to share: creative solutions



This is such a wonderful resource! I'd like to introduce you to a series of WONDERFUL tips and thoughtful cards written out for you to take with you and read during the day. These are developed by one of my mentors and a fellow practitioner Beverly G!

Delightful!

In one section of Bev's website, there is a series of short articles that presents each of its topics with seven points of how to pray about each of them. They deal with tips on safeguarding thought, calm contented rest, affordable housing and safe travel and more.

In another section, there are printable cards that are downloadable to help you throughout the day. They have helpful healing ideas about relationships, hope, financial resources and more.

Enjoy!









photo by Gabe Korinek 7/07 ©


To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

Movie night!

Spiritual resource to share: meaningful movies

Did you ever wish there were a list of movies that were thought-provoking, engaging, that celebrate the human spirit, and made you laugh and cry? Movies that stretched you and kept you thinking about it afterwards? I think I found such a list!

My son's school is hosting a Respect and Diversity Film Festival this weekend with a great line-up of films. So, here's the list! I have seen most of these, but not all.


Would love to hear comments from you all -if you have seen these movies, what you liked about them and what movies you would add to this list.

Check these out (if you want more details on these movies, go to Yahoo Movies or Movie Review Query Engine and type in the name of the movie):

• One Giant Leap
• Babel
• Born into Brothels
• What's Eating Gilbert Grape?
• Milagro Beanfield Wars
• Real Women Have Curves
• Billy Eliot
• Mask
• Bend It Like Beckham
• White Men Can't Jump
• Children of a Lesser God
• School Ties
• Erin Brockavich
• Life Is Beautiful
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Smoke Signals
• The Dinner Game
• Motorycle Diaries
• Osama
• Remember the Titans
• Napolean Dynamite
• Children of Heaven
• Hotel Rwanda
• Good Will Hunting

plus some of my favs:

• Monsieur Ibrahim
• Casa de los Babys
• Water
• Lagaam
• L'Auberge Espagnole
• My Life as a Dog
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.