Monday, October 10, 2016

Words To Live By

Christ Jesus' words,
I'm referring to,
Words as life-changing now
As when first spoken.
How could they not be,
Backed up as they are
By heavenly fire,
Given to us from God above
Through His beloved Son,
Words that open doors to us
Otherwise forever closed,
Words that entering our heart
Lifts us ever higher,
Words that make our life
Simpler, healthy, free --
Just the way out Father
Wants it to be.


So, if new to the Name,
Take His words as
Priceless treasure,
Love them, live them,
Keep them in first place
Where they deserve to be,
And you will see
Neither you nor your life
Will stay the same.


The Bible says:
"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: 
                   old things are passed way; behold
                                         all things are become new."




         






Wednesday, October 5, 2016

God-sent Helpers

        In thinking about helpers our heavenly Father sends to us, two statements come to thought.  The first is from the Old Testament where Psalms says speaking of God:  "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." (9l:11)




        And the second from Mary Baker Eddy's writings where she writes:  Heaven right here, where angels are as men, clothed more lightly, and men as angels..."  (Miscellaneous Writings, page 251.)
Something that happened several years ago could well illustrate this. I can't say for sure.




        I believe we encountered one of God's helpers when we were in a quandary about a kitten we had just rescued.  Mischa came to us one day, hungry, homeless, obviously wild.  With two dogs, we initially shooed him away.  But he kept coming back around, helping  himself to food left out for woodland creatures.




        This was in the summer months, and by the time winter approached, it seemed we had no choice but to give him away. He couldn't be in the house, and he wouldn't survive outdoors.  Or so we thought.  Having grown quite attached to this little fellow -- a beautiful Tuxedo cat, black and white with huge green eyes -- it was a wrench to think of not keeping him.


       Then one day my husband and I had gotten out of our car at a store when there before us was a woman with a cat on a leash, of all sights. We struck up a conversation and found out she was on a car trip.  We mentioned that we had a cat but probably wouldn't get to keep him, what with winter coming on.


        What she said was surprising, but so comforting.  She said being from Maine, she knew cats that could survive all winter outdoors.  "Not to worry", she told us.  "Just put your cat in the garage on fluffy blankets, if you wish, and he'll be fine." And with that, put her cat back in the car and they were gone.


        We thanked her with such a feeling of relief.  Why, we can keep Mischa we said!  I have since felt that this woman was an angel helper God caused to appear to us in a form that would meet our immediate need.  And so it did. 

Unfettered

Christian Science shows us
what Christ Jesus's healings proved:


We weren't born into matter


We don't live in matter


We're not controlled by matter.




Its Truth does what Jesus said it would --


      makes us from matter's bondage and


          oppression oh so free.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Creativity - Part 2

        The reason all of us can express our God-given dominion over frustration and lack of achievement is precisely because we are His offspring.  When we think our aspirations to bless the world in some way are blocked, we're looking at the creature rather than our Creator.


        Christian Science explains that man, whom Spirit, God made in His image, is the expression of God's nature. Therefore spiritual man, you and I are Godlike -- in full possession of every quality essential to joy, purpose, achievement.  These qualities are not gifts occasionally bestowed on a few rare individuals by a heavenly Father who loves some of His children more than others. They are the reflection of God, impartial divine Love, and therefore the birthright of all His sons and daughters.


        There's no need for anyone to think of himself as dependent on what others feel is his talent.  For Christ Jesus revealed the precise whereabouts of all good -- "The kingdom of God is within you."  (Luke 17:21)  And Christian Science explains exactly how to find this kingdom and put off such false reasoning.  It brings to light God's man and his God-given dominion, completeness, and freedom -- the spiritual basis of well-being. 


        Mary Baker Eddy writes of this man that you and I actually are:  "His birthright is dominion, not subjection.  He is lord of the belief in earth and heaven, -- himself subordinate along to his Maker." (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, page 518.)


        Some people, convinced they just don't have what it takes, look to others to supply the opportunity for usefulness they think is missing in their lives.  But when God made each one of us as His spiritual idea, He left nothing out--not one iota of ability, intelligence, talent.  Whatever we need to bear Him witness and make a worthwhile contribution in the world is ours right now as His reflection.  Mind's unlimited, complete, individual idea is never limited, incomplete, or dependent on other spiritual identities for its well-being.  This is fact.


        It is the divine right of everyone to prove this truth--to soar out of limitations God never made, to be right now all he actually is.  Divine Science helps one realize his innate, dignity, joy, and completeness.


        Jesus' parables and marvelous demonstrations of man's perfection are pertinent to every problem we face today.  And especially pertinent to delayed good is the healing of the cripple at the pool of Bethesda.  Jesus asked the man if he would be whole and refused to accept as valid the man's excuse that he had no one to put him into the pool after the waters had been stirred.  Instead, the Master commanded him to get up, pick up his bed, and walk--right then.  (See John 5:2-9) 


        That same liberating Christ, is the idea of Truth, is present with you and me, delivering essentially the same message:  "No matter how long you've suffered the delusions of mediocrity, deferred hope, frustration, nothing can really deprive you of your God-granted dominion as God's idea.  There is no need to wait for it.  You actually have it now, so you can confidently claim and exercise it now."



Saturday, October 1, 2016

Creativity

        Pardon the personal nature of what I'm about to post, but it's by way of providing encouragement to my readers.  Encouragement to express one's abilities and not let other people shut them down.


        Some years ago someone I worked with and whose opinion I respected said to me one day, "I don't think I'd ever try writing poetry if I were you.  You're just not gifted that way."  This at a time when I was yearning to express myself in poems and felt I had something worthwhile to give.


        Well, it shouldn't have, but this assessment of what I had to offer through poetry caused me to stifle inspiration.  Regretfully, for too many years. 


        Then one wonderful day, poems began to flow, poems that have warmed people, made them laugh and cry.  And in some instances, made them want to amend their lives.  Truly.  And ended up in poetry books in permanent collections of public and university libraries all over the globe.  Just some of the foreign places are as follows, in no particular order.


Helsinki, Finland
Hannover, Germany
Liverpool, England
Paris, France
Bejiing, China
Riga, Latvia
Dhaka, Bangladesh
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Macao, China
Port Adelaide, South Australia
Katowice, Poland
Ottawa, Canada
Noumea, New Caledonia
Nicosia, Cypress
Guadalajara, Mexico
Coatbridge, Scotland
Manchester, England
Ontario, Canada
Alexandria, Egypt
Lampeter, Wales
Stirling, Scotland
Dublin, Ireland
Inverclyde, Scotland
Bucharest, Romania
Paisley, Scotland
Budapest, Hungary
Valleta, Malta
Blackburn, Scotland
Panji, Goa
Thessaloniki, Greece
Glasgow, Scotland
Yerevan, Armenia
Dunedin, New Zealand
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
Wellington, New Zealand
Reims, France
Luton, England
Hamilton, Scotland
Hiroshima, Japan
Regina, Canada
Thimpu, Bhutan
Hamilton, New Zealand
Ballerup, Denmark
Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Tallin, Estonia
Colombia, Sri Lanka
Grenada, West Indies
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Geelong, Australia
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Aiktenvale, Queensland, Australia
Wenjian, China
Melbourne, Australia
Singapore
Vienna, Austria
Livingston, Scotland
Swansea, Wales
Chennai, India
Selkirk, Scottish Borders
Galway, Ireland
Hangzhou, China
Kiev, Ukraine
Limassol, Cypress
Malmo, Sweden
Llandysul, Wales
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Nara, Japan
Okinawa, Japan
Tauranga, New Zealand
Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Brasov, Romania
Vilnius, Lithuania
Glasgow, Scotland
Hastings, New Zealand
Kobenhaven, Denmark
Minsk, Belarus
Moscow, Russia
Trieste, Italy
Swaziland, Africa
Prague, Czech Republic
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Malawi, Africa
Victoria, the Seychelles
Tirana, Albania
Aberdeen, Scotland
Floriana, Malta
London, England
Leicestershire, England
Bangor, Northern Ireland
Manilla, the Philippines
Lisbon, Portugal
Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Edinburgh, Scotland
Newcastle, Australia
Fort Saskatchewan, Canada
Zurich, Switzerland
Isle of Man
Lyon, France
Ceredigion, Wales
Hagatna, Guam
Nanjiing, China
Hong Kong, China
Osaka, Japan
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tokyo, Japan
Seoul, Korea
Rekyavik, Iceland
Cardiff, Wales
Devon, England
Luxembourgh
Bogota, Colombia
Raraatonga, Cook Islands
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia
Windhoek, Namibia, Africa
Limerick, Ireland
Dundee, Scotland
Bridgetown, Barbados
Suva, Fiji Islands
Milan, Italy
Naples, Italy
Shanghai, China
Santiago, Chile
Copenhagen, Denmark
Canberra, Australia
Warsaw, Poland
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cymru, Wales
Nagasaki, Japan
Dorado, Puerto Rico
Faduz, Liechtenstein
Baracelona, Spain
Birmingham, England
Majuro, Marshall Islands
Verona, Italy
Chisinau, Moldova
Medellin, Colombia
San Jose, Costa Rico
Lautoka, Fiji Islands
The Hague, the Netherlands
Brno, Czech Republic


        To what do I contribute the breakthrough on creativity for me?  To God, absolutely and indebtedly.  As with some of the talented people down here in Tennessee who credit their accomplishments with faith in God.  When we moved from New England, we were amazed at what these folks could do. It seemed that behind every rock and tree there was an artist of some kind -- sculptor, photographer, writer, poet, painter, musician, craftsman. They got an idea, a desire to create, and they just went out and did it.  As someone said to us, "No one ever told them they couldn't." Or if they did, these doers didn't listen.


        What God did for these, for me, He can do for you.  After all, if you feel God has given you something to share that will enrich the world. wouldn't you think it was sad to not act on it?  You are God's beloved child, complete and free to express all He has given  you.  And whatever the medium in which you wish to express yourself, our heavenly Father has the power and resources to make things happen.


        In my next blog, I'll go into more detail about how specifically the teachings of Christian Science helps us look to God for our abilities and their expression.


























Angels On a Clock

Two atop
gilded antique clock -
Standing by the door
for all to see.
Do hotel guests
look that way?
One angel with
artist's brush in hand,
The other with a pen...
smiling, ageless, immortal,
happy in what they do.
Does this speak
to me and you?
Is this what we aspire to?
What we really are?
What we've always been?
The way He sees us now?
Whether artwork, manuscript,
or something else,
bestow what comes
from Him above
is what these beings do.