Trailer from the movie: Martian Child
I am still basking in the glow of one of the most beautiful movies I have seen recently: Martian Child. It is the story of a recently widowed man who tries to adopt a "difficult-to-place" child. The lessons about the strength of love to overcome the feelings of being outcast and loneliness are powerful and tenderly portrayed.It reminded me of a time when I felt alone and outcast. I was encouraged by MBEddy's idea from Science and Health "Would existence without personal friends be to you a blank? Then the time will become solitary, left without sympathy; but this seeming vacuum is already filled with Love." It was a solitary time, but I got to feel a whole new concept of God as Love. There were mornings where I woke up feeling loved. This became the basis for all the new friendships that developed after that experience. It helped me to see that my happiness was not so much dependent on another person as it was about my relationship to God.
These few verses have helped me see how thoroughly we are loved by God, and how satisfying that Love is:For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is the doctrine of Christian Science: that divine Love cannot be deprived of its manifestation, or object; that joy cannot be turned into sorrow, for sorrow is not the master of joy; that good can never produce evil; that matter can never produce mind nor life result in death.
Unfathomable Mind is expressed. The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty, and glory of infinite Love fill all space. That is enough!
I've been thinking about how my work as a Christian Science pratitioner has evolved over the last few years. I love how each practitioner I know develops their practice in a way that is unique to them. And so it is with my practice.
As I was seeing how much I have grown in understanding, I also saw how much I was involved working with the community alongside working with individuals. If I were to write my own job description, this is what it would look like:
ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES
STAFF MANAGEMENT AND JOB CONTACTS
Reporting Relationships
Supervisor: God
Mentor(s): authorized teachers of Christian Science
Supervises: Self: “reflecting God’s government, man is properly self-governed”
Regular Contacts
JOB REQUIREMENTS
First and foremost, a Christian Science practitioner has a deep love for God and for all mankind. In addition:
Education/Experience
This position requires Primary Class Instruction with an authorized teacher of Christian Science. Annual participation in Association (a graduate course in Christian Science healing) is required. Ongoing Bible study, classes in the Spanish language, writing, and communication are recommended.
Knowledge/Skills
The position requires a solid understanding of literary English and learning a second language. The individual in this position must demonstrate ability as a writer for blogs, and magazine articles and the internet.
Technology Skills
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) skills and blogging skills are required.
Work Environment
A practitioner works in an atmosphere of Love divine. This can be anywhere at anytime so that 24/7 accessibility is assured.
Christian Science Information
Mother Church membership and Primary class instruction are required.
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Your thoughts????
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.
A Christian Science practitioner is one who heals through prayer.
I work with people who are experiencing difficulties and we pray until there has been a healing, a resolution or cure.
I practice the type of healing Christ Jesus taught and I do this full time.
It is called Christian Science for two reasons:
- It is Christian in that we study and practice the way that Jesus healed
- It is scientific in that the principles that Christ Jesus established in his
healing work can be applied with healing proofs.
Rather than thinking about God, we can know we are what God is thinking. We are His thoughts made manifest.
Rather than believing in God, we believe God.
Our standpoint of healing is not to find out what is wrong with us, but what is right with us.
women celebrating International Women's Day in Iran
"The thing I loved about the movie Juno was to see how absolutely confident and outspoken Juno was. It was a surprise to me that girls could be like that." commented my friend Zhongli. Her upbringing in China was far from anything that Juno's story told. But in her country, technological advances and a booming economy are pressing toward rapid social changes. And the changes have a direct and empowering impact on women.In the material world, thought has brought to light with great rapidity many useful wonders. With like activity have thought's swift pinions been rising towards the realm of the real, to the spiritual cause of those lower things which give impulse to inquiry. Belief in a material basis, from which may be deduced all rationality, is slowly yielding to the idea of a metaphysical basis, looking away from matter to Mind as the cause of every effect. Materialistic hypotheses challenge metaphysics to meet in final combat. In this revolutionary period, like the shepherd-boy with his sling, woman goes forth to battle with Goliath.
A friend of mine shared this analogy to prayer which I just loved. Prayer leads us step by step, truth by truth, until we can see the big picture/the larger plan.
We trustingly take each step, knowing that God is in control of His whole creation. Even if our initial steps into prayer seem disjointed or ineffective, we can trust that God will lead us into those paths most productive and healing and good -- much like a random series of dots, which, when connected, bring into view a whole new picture.
Now some may get the whole picture between dots # 21 and 23, another at #48 and yet another at #13, but we will all arrive at the full answer.
Here are some encouraging ideas to keep praying:
Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept. Patience must "have her perfect work.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
The rays of infinite Truth, when gathered into the focus of ideas, bring light instantaneously....
Step by step will those who trust Him find that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Individuals are consistent who, watching and praying, can "run, and not be weary; . . walk, and not faint," who gain good rapidly and hold their position, or attain slowly and yield not to discouragement.
Whoever would demonstrate the healing of Christian Science must abide strictly by its rules, heed every statement, and advance from the rudiments laid down. There is nothing difficult nor toilsome in this task, when the way is pointed out; but self-denial, sincerity, Christianity, and persistence alone win the prize, as they usually do in every department of life.
Emerge gently from matter into Spirit. Think not to thwart the spiritual ultimate of all things, but come naturally into Spirit through better health and morals and as the result of spiritual growth.
Contagion
by Mary Baker Eddy
from Miscellaneous Writings
Whatever man sees, feels, or in any way takes cognizance of, must be caught through mind; inasmuch as perception, sensation, and consciousness belong to mind and not to matter. Floating with the popular current of mortal thought without questioning the reliability of its conclusions, we do what others do, believe what others believe, and say what others say. Common consent is contagious, and it makes disease catching.
People believe in infectious and contagious diseases, and that any one is liable to have them under certain predisposing or exciting causes. This mental state prepares one to have any disease whenever there appear the circumstances which he believes produce it. If he believed as sincerely that health is catching when exposed to contact with healthy people, he would catch their state of feeling quite as surely and with better effect than he does the sick man's.
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