Encounters with Angels

At Christmas time, we sing carols about angels, decorate our trees with them, see them depicted in movies, and, most importantly, read about them in the Christmas story in the Bible.  The Bible says that shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks at night when an angel appeared and told them about the birth of Jesus taking place in the nearby village of Bethlehem.

What exactly are angels?  Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian leader and healer, wrote the following about angels in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

"Angels are not etherealized human beings, evolving animal qualities in their wings; but they are celestial visitants, flying on spiritual, not material pinions.  Angels are pure thoughts from God, winged with Truth and Love, no matter what their individualism may be."

Can we expect to encounter angels in our own experience?  Where and how?

I encountered an angel once when I was praying quietly before an ice hockey game.  A voice said to me "Wear your throat guard."  I was startled!  Looking around, I didn't see anyone! However, I had heard the voice so clearly that even though I had not worn my throat guard for many seasons of play, I dug deep into my equipment bag, found the guard and put it on.  Later, during that game, I was in a collision so violent that the face shield on my helmet was broken off and thrust into my throat.  Although shaken, I was unhurt... and grateful for the angel message that I had received before the game!

You can learn more about the angel thoughts that God sends us in Eddy's book.  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures can be read, listened to, or purchased online.  You can also read, borrow or purchase the book at the Christian Science Reading Room, 4602 Plettner Lane in Evergreen, Colorado.

Prayer Aids in Finding Car Keys

My car keys were missing!  I had looked everywhere for them with no success.  Then I did what I should have done initially- I prayed.  My prayer centered around an idea I had read in the book Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures.  The author, Mary Baker Eddy wrote:

“God is Mind, and God is infinite; hence all is Mind”

"Everything must be known to the Mind that is God", I reasoned.  This seemed logical and certain.  As I contemplated this, I looked at the floor in my closet and saw my keys.   I had looked repeatedly in the closet, but this time my eyes focused on this one specific spot!  The Mind that is God had directed me where to look!

To learn more about God as Mind you can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from major booksellers.  You can also read, borrow, or purchase the book at the Christian Science Reading Room at 4602 Plettner Lane in Evergreen, Colorado.

Beyond Chaos

“Chaos” seems a byword of news headlines and commentary these days.  Everything from politics to the stock market have been dubbed unpredictable and disorderly.  Hurricanes and fires, for some, add a sense of the world’s undoing, and even doom.  And all of this can easily spillover into our personal lives with days of disarray and worry.  How do we get beyond the chaos?  Is there more to just enduring it, riding out?

The book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, poses a bold counter - that there is a spiritual force or power at work that continues to lift us beyond chaos:

“’Let there be light,’ is the perpetual demand of Truth and Love, changing chaos into order and discord into the music of the spheres”

The author, Mary Baker Eddy, goes on to talk of the “invisible good” and “the secret beauty and bounty…known to God”.  As the Bible prophet Elisha prayed for his follower Elisha: “…open his eyes, that he may see” (II Kings 6:17).  This doesn’t mean, however, to be naive or detached, but it does open us up to other possibilities. It would lead us to recognize and accentuate what is positive in our midst.

I’ve certainly had moments in my past work in the criminal justice field that left me feeling overwhelmed and depressed. It seemed chaos ruled the day.  But embracing these counter spiritual truths from Science and Health always opened me to a way forward—as well as leading me to feel energized and confident.  It is similarly encouraging to see people coming together and finding deeper purpose amidst the disruptive tragedies and political frustrations of our times.  There is good going on dictated by a higher good, we can call God.

You can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online, purchase it from major booksellers, or read, borrow, or purchase it from the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado.

The Source of Blessings

The news reminds us daily of bad things going on in the world.  Good is also going on daily, but that good seems to be reported less frequently and with smaller headlines.  As we celebrate Thanksgiving in America this week and give gratitude for the good we have experienced this past year, take a moment to consider where these blessings came from.  People often ask why bad things happen, but why does good happen?  Is it luck or coincidence?  Is it a result of hard work or family heritage?  Can you count on good continuing to happen?

Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian leader, wrote in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

"Spirit blesses man, but man cannot 'tell whence it cometh'.  By it the sick are healed, the sorrowing are comforted, and the sinning are reformed.  These are the effects of one universal God, the invisible good dwelling in eternal Science."

Eddy's assertion - that good is an effect of "one universal God" (Spirit) that blesses man - points to where we can look for answers to these questions about good.  You can learn more about this God, the nature of good, and how to bring God's blessings into your life from Eddy's book.  Read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from major booksellers.  You can also read, borrow, or purchase the book at the Christian Science Reading Room at 4602 Plettner Lane in Evergreen, Colorado.

Finding Common Ground With Those That Support the Other Party

      I recently met a man that was intelligent, principled, compassionate, and moral, but I was surprised to learn that he was an ardent supporter of a politician whom I thought lacked all of these qualities.  “How could he?” I wondered.  But, to be honest, he probably feels the same way about people who share my position.  Was he blind to what was right... or was I?

 

Although I don’t know which one of us is right (I’m pretty sure I am ☺ ), I found some helpful guidance about how to think about people with opposite views in a statement by Mary Baker Eddy.  

In her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, she writes:

“Evil is sometimes a man’s highest conception of right, until his grasp on good grows stronger.”

Perhaps “evil” is too strong a word in this instance, but the point is that I realized this man and everyone that I differ with, are supporting their highest concept of right.  I am too!  This awareness helps me to respect those that hold different opinions even if I am vehemently opposed to their position.  My prayer going forward is that we all strengthen our grasp on good.  I’m sure we can all agree on that position!

You can learn more about how to pray that we all strengthen our grasp on good in Eddy’s book.  Read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from major booksellers.  You can also read, borrow, or purchase this book at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado located at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Ghosts and Our Health

Does Halloween, the season for ghosts and other imaginary beings, have something in common with our health?  Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian healer, wrote in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

“Disquisitions on disease have a mental effect similar to that produced on children by telling ghost-stories in the dark. … As frightened children look everywhere for the imaginary ghost, so sick humanity sees danger in every direction, and looks for relief in all ways except the right one.”

Halloween ghost-stories are all in fun, but fear of and suffering from sickness is no fun at all!  According to Eddy, public announcements about disease - such as news headlines about flu season appearing in local papers and grocery stores advertising free flu shots - may not be as helpful as intended.

Eddy discovered that the cause, occurrence, and spread of sickness have an overlooked mental component.  Ignorance of the mental cause of sickness and of the divine healing power our Heavenly Father bestows on us, causes us to fear becoming sick and to look solely to material remedies to regain and maintain our health.  According to Eddy, this fear of sickness and dependence on material means for health are just as misdirected as the belief in ghosts.  The last 100 pages of Eddy’s book contain accounts of people healed by looking for relief in the spiritual way she pointed out. 

Check out this “treat”ment for yourself.  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures can be read online or purchased from Amazon.  You can also read, borrow or purchase the book at the Christian Science Reading Room located at 4602 Plettner Lane in Evergreen, Colorado

Responding to Package Bombs

The recent spate of package bombs in America is disconcerting to all.  Healthy debate is a good thing.  Attempting to harm those you disagree with is always wrong!

What can a thoughtful person do to defend themselves and their community from such evil?  Mary Baker Eddy, a woman who advocated the practicality of a spiritual approach to solving problems, advised in her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

"At all times and under all circumstances, overcome evil with good.  Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil.  Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you.  The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity."

To learn more about how to bring a spiritual approach to your safety and problem solving read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from major booksellers.  You can also read, borrow or purchase it at the Christian Science Reading Room located at 4602 Plettner Lane in Evergreen, Colorado.

Your Personal Adviser

Did you ever wish that you had an unfailing, personal adviser with you throughout your day telling you what to say, where to go, what to do, how to act?  You do!

In her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian writer and healer, speaks of:

"... a divine influence ever present in human consciousness and repeating itself, coming now as was promised aforetime..."

An experience I had illustrates this divine influence.  It was early morning and I was praying to understand that God directs all our actions.  As I prayed, I heard the beep-beep-beep sound that large trucks make when they are backing up.  It was the day for garbage collection and I figured it was the truck picking up in our neighborhood.  For no reason that I was conscious of, I got up and looked out the window.  It was still dark, but I could see the front of the truck in the street by our neighbor's containers.  Again, for no reason that I was conscious of, I stood there watching.

Suddenly, I realized this wasn't the garbage truck.  We were having our roof replaced and the contractor had told me that a large roll-off dumpster would be delivered and placed by our garage.  This was the delivery, but the dumpster was being placed in the wrong location.  I quickly went outside and corrected the situation.

As I returned to the house, I realized that without my asking or seeking it, I had been directed to aid in the correct placement of this dumpster.  This may seem like an insignificant event, but it is an example of the divine influence for good that is ever present in everyone's lives throughout the day.  We often ignore or overlook this influence, but as Eddy says, it is repeating itself and if we are receptive we will allow ourselves to be guided by it.

You can learn more about the divine influence and how to be receptive to it by reading Eddy's book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.  The book can be read online or purchased from Amazon.  You can also read, borrow or purchase the book at the Christian Science Reading Room located at 4602 Plettner Lane in Evergreen, Colorado

Sculpting a Society Free of Sexual Abuse

This year has been full of charges of sexual abuse and scandal.  Seemingly every corner of our society has been involved including church officials, educators, corporate executives, celebrities, and government officials.  It is good that light is being shined on this problem and that justice is being pursued. Is there more that we all can do beyond raising our awareness and supporting the resolution of this issue?  How can we play an active role in eliminating this undesirable attitude and behavior from our society?

I’ve been contemplating a statement made by Mary Baker Eddy in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.  She wrote:

“The sculptor turns from the marble to his model in order to perfect his conception.  We are all sculptors, working at various forms, moulding [sic] and chiseling thought. What is the model before mortal mind?  Is it imperfection, joy, sorrow, sin, suffering?  Have you accepted the mortal model?  Are you reproducing it? … Do you not hear from all mankind of the imperfect model?  The world is holding it before your gaze continually.  The result is that you are liable to follow those lower patterns, limit your lifework, and adopt into your experience the angular outline and deformity of matter models.”

Yikes!  I don’t want to be liable to follow these lower patterns or admit this moral deformity into my experience!  Eddy goes on to explain what we should do to prevent this:

“To remedy this, we must first turn our gaze in the right direction, and then walk that way.  We must form perfect models in thought and look at them continually, or we shall never carve them out in grand and noble lives.  Let unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, health, holiness, love – the kingdom of heaven – reign within us, and sin, disease, and death will diminish until they finally disappear.”

You can learn more about being a sculpting thought in Eddy’s book.  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures can be read online or purchased from major booksellers.  You can also read, borrow, or purchase the book from the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado located at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Truth-Power, Not Will-Power, Brings Physical Healing

Positive-thinking or human will-power is considered to be an influence in human affairs.  Certainly, having a positive attitude is more helpful than a negative one and the drive to accomplish some goal is better than indifference and apathy.  But, positive attitude or human will alone isn't enough in many situations.  Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian author and teacher known for her extensive record of healing disease, wrote in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

"Truth, and not corporeal will is the divine power which says to disease, 'Peace, be still.'"

What is the truth that heals and how do we bring it to bear on a problem that needs healing?  Eddy explains that in it's highest sense, truth is a synonym for God.  In her book, she capitalizes the word "Truth" when referring to this divine essence.  For example, Eddy describes Jesus's healing prayers as "deep and conscientious protests of Truth, - of man's likeness to God and of man's unity with Truth ..."  In other words, Jesus proclaimed the power and goodness of God, God's creation of man in God's likeness, and the indissoluble unity of this relationship between God and man.

I experienced an example of this power of Truth on a backpacking trip.  Throughout the trip, I had been able to carry a heavy pack and hike without getting tired or affected by the altitude.  However, as I started hiking the last day I felt a pain in my side.  The pain grew throughout the hike and I eventually became very weak.  It was tempting to speculate about a physical cause, but I refused.  I stuck with my inspiration of truth that strength wasn't about muscles, food, or air, but about my connection to God.  This wasn't positive thinking or willing myself to be well, but a conviction based on understanding the truth about my being.  As I held steadfastly to this truth, the pain disappeared and I resumed my normal activities.

You can learn more about the truth of your spiritual identity in the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.  Read this book online or purchase it from Amazon or any major book retailer.  It is also available for sale or study at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Rights and Freedom We Can All Agree on Protecting

Currently in the United States, much thought, energy, and emotional anguish is focused on the selection of a new justice to the Supreme Court.  The candidate, Judge Kavanaugh, is being exhaustively examined to learn his views of our Constitutional rights, including the right to life, the right of a woman to control her body, the right to own a gun, and the rights of the executive branch of the United States.  Politicians and citizens are contentiously debating these important issues with one another.

 As I considered these rights and the political and legal process for defining and protecting them, I was reminded of some even more important rights and an entirely spiritual method and power for their protection and enforcement.  Speaking of her discovery of Christian Science a few decades after the Civil War in the United States, Mary Baker Eddy, wrote in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

“The voice of God in behalf of the African slave was still echoing in our land, when the voice of the herald of this new crusade sounded the keynote of universal freedom, asking a fuller acknowledgement of the rights of man as a Son of God, demanding that the fetters of sin, sickness, and death be stricken from the human mind and that its freedom be won, not through human warfare, not with bayonet and blood, but through Christ’s divine Science.”

The rights of man as a Son of God!

The fetters of sin, sickness, and death stricken!

Freedom won, not through warfare or political debate, but through the law of Christ!

It is inspiring to consider these rights and methods.  These are rights we can all agree on protecting!

You can learn more in Eddy’s book about your rights as a Son of God and how to win your freedom through Christ.  Read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase your own copy from Amazon.  You can also read, borrow, or buy this book at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Receptivity of the Heart

I was a physical scientist in my professional career.  I made observations, collected data, formulated and tested hypotheses, drew conclusions, and defended those conclusions based on my data and observations.  This has also been my lifelong approach to discovering, learning about, and experiencing God.  I am realizing, however, that spiritual investigation involves the heart as much as the head.  In her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy writes:

"The divine Spirit... is revealed to the receptive heart..."

And, speaking of the birth of Jesus as the human manifestation of the Christ (the power of God entering the human experience), Eddy wrote:

"Angels announced to the Wisemen of old this dual appearing, and angels whisper it, through faith, to the hungering heart in every age."

Recently, I was camping in Yosemite National Park.  The area of the park that I was in most of the time had no cell phone reception or Internet connection.  I was cutoff from the rest of the world.  One day, I was in an area for a short time where there was reception, so I turned on my phone to see if I had any important messages.  I found that my daughter had texted me a question just 20 minutes earlier.  I responded to that and then, before I had turned off my phone, an unexpected, but important business call came in.

To scientific reasoning, there is no proof that these timely events were anything but coincidence.  But I have experienced "coincidences" like this repeatedly throughout my life and my heart tells me that these are evidences of God's care and direction in my life.  Thank you God!

Do you want to open your heart to the world of Spirit?  The book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures has many thought-provoking ideas that will speak to your heart as well as your head.  You can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from Amazon or any major book retailer.  It is also available for sale or study at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Colorado Wild Flowers - Love Notes from God

My son and I were hiking in the mountains of Colorado.  The sky was clear and blue, the towering mountains were inspiring, and the colorful wild flowers were profuse and beautiful.  As we hiked along, I thought about a statement in the book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.  The author, Christian writer and healer Mary Baker Eddy, wrote:

"The floral apostles are hieroglyphs of Deity."

Hieroglyphs are a form of writing with symbols.  What could God be writing?  I like to think of flowers as love notes from God that say to us "I love you!"

For many people, such a note may seem unlikely or incomprehensible.  "God loves me?  How?  Why?", they may ask.  To recognize and feel God's love, it helps to know God.  For me that day, I was feeling God's love in my gratitude, not just for this beautiful day, but for the protection and care I'd felt the previous day.  Through my own carelessness, I had taken a hard fall from my mountain bike, but I had immediately felt the assurance that God was caring for me.  Although the initial symptoms were alarming, I had maintained a calm poise and rested confidently on this assurance of God's love.  Subsequent x-rays showed that there were no serious injuries and now, today, I was enjoying this wonderful hike with my son.

You can learn more about God's love for you in Eddy's book. Read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from Amazon or any major book retailer.  It is also available for sale or study at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Fire Prevention and Mental Climate Change

Living in the mountains of Colorado, I am very aware of the need to prevent and protect against wild fire.  I've cleared brush away from my house and used fire-resistant building materials when ever possible.  The current prolonged, dry, hot weather, which has created dangerous fire conditions in much of the American west, is suspected to be at least partially due to climate change.  While thinking about these issues - fire protection and climate change - I came across a statement the writer Mary Baker Eddy made in her book "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures".  Referring to Biblical accounts of people escaping harm from fire, she wrote:

"Holy inspiration has created states of mind which have been able to nullify the action of the flames, as in the Bible case of the three young Hebrew captives, cast into the Babylonian furnace; while an opposite mental state might produce spontaneous combustion."

What states of mind are able to nullify the action of flames?  A clue is found in the Glossary section of Eddy's book, where she gives spiritual definitions of material things.  Spiritually viewed, Eddy saw fire as an expression of man's mental climate.  Her definition of fire reads:

"Fire.  Fear; remorse; lust; hatred; destruction; affliction purifying and elevating man."

Eddy's spiritual insight has led me to extend fire prevention efforts to my mental realm.  I'm working to trim away fear and remorse and dig up and remove lust and hatred from my thinking.  I'm purifying and elevating thoughts about myself and others without waiting for mental or physical fire to promote this spiritual growth.  The results?  I can't claim that my physical fire protection is improved by these steps (though perhaps it is), but I definitely see a change in my mental climate!

You can learn more about spiritual fire protection and mental climate change in Eddy's book.  Read "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" online or purchase it at major booksellers such as Amazon.  You can also read, borrow, or purchase the book at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado located at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Protecting Our Security and Freedom in a World of 3-d Printing

The current controversy over an individual’s right to publish blue prints online for producing a gun with a 3-d printer raises important questions about issues everyone cherishes – safety and freedom.  While courts, legislatures, and voters all have a role to play in deciding this issue, it’s worth considering the larger question of what ultimately insures our security and freedom.  Can we find real security if changes in technology give anyone ready access to instructions and capabilities for manufacturing guns, bombs, or other destructive devices?  Can we permanently protect our freedom if laws can swing back and forth with each change in political control?  Can we trust our government and our fellow citizens to know and do what is best for our country?

Mary Baker Eddy, in her book "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures", points out that we can trust in the forces that will ultimately shape our society.  She writes:

“The history of our country, like all history, illustrates the might of Mind, and shows human power to be proportionate to its embodiment of right thinking.”  

In the statement above, Eddy uses the term “Mind” with a capital “M” to refer to the divine Mind – God.  In her writings she explains that although security and freedom can seem precarious or threatened by the swings and extremes of the human mind, these desirable conditions are protected and promoted by God, the divine Mind.  She writes:

“One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfills 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.” 

You can learn more about the divine Mind and how it protects your security and freedom.  Read "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" online or purchase it at bookstores such as Amazon.  You can also read, borrow or purchase this book at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Finding Freedom of Movement by Knowing More About God's Government

My husband and I had hiked to a beautiful mountain lake.  When we started back down the trail to our car, I found it painful to walk.  What could I do?  There was no other way to get down, but to walk.  That week, I had been thinking about a statement by the writer Mary Baker Eddy in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures that was applicable to this situation.  She wrote:

"Whatever is governed by God is never for an instant deprived of the light and might of intelligence and Life."

I thought about what life represented to me.  I knew that this life as created and governed by God included qualities like flexibility and freedom.  As I contemplated these ideas and completely focused on God and an awareness of God's government and care, my freedom and flexibility of movement returned.  I enjoyed the rest of the hike and returned comfortably to our car!

You can find out more about how God governs your life in Eddy's book.  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures can be read online or purchased from major booksellers such as Amazon.  You can also read, borrow, or buy this book at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Removing Fear Brings Freedom

I was looking forward to enjoying an evening concert when, as I entered the hall, an elderly lady directly in front of me tripped and fell.  My heart went out to her and I felt called to action.  What should I do?  I leaned down and, taking her by the hand, looked her in the eyes and said firmly, "You are all right!".  Immediately, the fear in her face vanished and she let me help her to her feet.  Her friends then surrounded her and I didn't speak to her again until intermission when she came up to me and thanked me for my help.

What had taken place here?  My words "You are all right", weren't a glib statement, but based on my certainty that God is always embracing everyone in His care.  My quick actions of leaning down, taking her hand, looking her in the eye and speaking to her couldn't by themselves change the situation, but because they were inspired by God, who is Love, they had an immediate healing influence.  Mary Baker Eddy, a spiritual pioneer and Christian healer, explained the power of Love-impelled action in her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.  She wrote:

"Always begin your treatment by allaying the fear of patients.  Silently reassure them as to their exemption from disease and danger.  Watch the result of this simple rule of Christian Science and you will find that it alleviates the symptoms of every disease.  If you succeed in wholly removing the fear, your patient is healed."

You can learn more about what Eddy learned about Christian healing from her book.  Read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from Amazon or any major book retailer.  It is also available for sale or study at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Divine Love's Control Over Wildlife

Are you going hiking or camping in the great outdoors this summer?  If this is the case, you're probably giving some thought to what to take to handle the wild critters you may encounter on your adventure - insect repellent, snake bite kit, even bear spray!

I spend a lot of time outdoors every year and one thing that I always take with me for wildlife encounters is this idea from the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy:

"Understanding the control which Love held over all, Daniel felt safe in the lions' den, and Paul proved the viper to be harmless.  All of God's creatures, moving in the harmony of Science, are harmless, useful, indestructible.  A realization of this grand verity was a source of strength to the ancient worthies.  It supports Christian healing, and enables its possessor to emulate the example of Jesus."

This statement was a source of reassurance to me one summer when I was doing geology work in Wyoming.  I had heard that ticks were common in the area and that they were carriers of disease.  My very first day in the field I encountered a lot of ticks.  They appeared to be everywhere!

At lunch time, I did some prayerful thinking about the above statement and reviewed my understanding of the control which Love held over all.  The word "Love", when capitalized by Eddy, is one of the names she uses for God.  I had learned a great deal about Love's control from reading Eddy's book.  With the assurance that God's creatures are harmless, my fear departed.  Because of my new found love for these little creatures of God, I decided to try not to harm them.

Interestingly, for the remaining three weeks that I was working in that area, I found only two ticks on me and they had not bitten me, but were simply walking around.  I can't prove that this was the result of my "understanding the control which Love held over all", but I can say that understanding this control relieved my concerns and gave me the freedom to enjoy many wildlife encounters, not just on this trip, but ever after.

You can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from Amazon or any major book retailer.  It is also available for sale or study at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Right Motives Give Pinions to Thought

One day, a manager in my organization called me into his office.  He explained that he had promised that some software would be developed to perform a particular task.  This was a new application and no such software had ever been written for this work.  Unfortunately, he explained, the software was due shortly, but the experts in our organization assigned to the task had been unable to write it.  This manager knew that I had some experience in this work and he asked if I would take over the assignment.  I had no immediate idea of how to solve his problem and my common sense told me to not get involved.  I could easily say "No" and walk away, but to my surprise I said "Yes".

Why did I say "Yes" to this request?  I wasn't trying to impress anyone or score points.  I could see that my manager had the right intentions when he promised the work would be done - he was a forward thinker, saw the need for the software, and had great confidence in the people he originally assigned to the task.  For him to report failure would be a missed opportunity to advance our capabilities and potentially embarrassing - not only for him, but for our organization.  I wanted to help.

As I pondered how to solve this problem, I took comfort in a statement from the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.  She wrote:

"Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action."

Pinions are the long feathers on a bird's wings that give it the power to fly.  So this statement is saying that right motives give us the power, inspiration and freedom to think, speak and act.

I didn't feel any sense of panic or pressure and I didn't rush into the work.  At first, I simply sat quietly in my office and waited for ideas to come.  Very shortly the ideas came!  I completed the work in just a couple of weeks - well before the deadline - and everyone was pleased with the results.  My right motives for being involved gave me the wisdom and freedom to think, speak, and act!

You can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from Amazon or any major book retailer.  It is also available for sale or study at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

A Prayer Response for "When an Accident Happens..."

What do we do when we're involved in an accident?  If we've simply stubbed a toe, we might just be angry, upset, and hop around in pain.  In a more serious situation we might call 911, apply first aid, and look to family and friends for comfort and support.

The book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy says something very thought-provoking about accidents:

"When an accident happens, you think or exclaim, 'I am hurt!'  Your thought is more powerful than your words, more powerful than the accident itself, to make the injury real."

Thought is more powerful than the accident itself?  That's hard to believe.  But supposing that is true, what should one do about it?  The book goes on to explain:

"Now reverse the process. Declare that you are not hurt and understand the reason why, and you will find the ensuing good effects to be in exact proportion to your disbelief in physics, and your fidelity to divine metaphysics, confidence in God as All, which the Scriptures declare Him to be."

I experienced the effectiveness of this advice one summer when I was with a group of teen-aged campers a few miles up a rocky, wooded canyon.  We were playing a game that involved running, when one of the campers fell on some stones and cried out that he had injured his knee.  As he lay on the ground with the others gathering around, I reminded him about the statements above.

I told this young man some things the Bible says that could help him "understand the reason why" he could not be hurt - about how God made us, loves us, and sends His angels to protect and care for us.  At this point, I ran out of inspiring ideas to share with this young man.  The thought came to me, "God, not you or your words, is what has power and is healing this situation.  Be quiet and watch."  Obediently, I was still and quiet.  So were the other campers.  It was not an anxious or restless quiet, but a peaceful anticipation.

I don't know what my young friend lying on the ground was feeling or thinking, but after a minute or so a smile spread across his face, his eyes opened, and jumping to his feet he said cheerfully, "Thank you, I'm alright!" - and he was!  The rest of our day was filled with activity and he participated freely.

You can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from Amazon or any major book retailer.  It is also available for sale or study at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

An Idea for Eliminating Conflict!

Conflict!  The world seems to be full of conflict between individuals, families, governments, religious movements, societies, and special interests!  These conflicts are caused by opposing thoughts.  A basic premise of human existence is that each individual has a mind or consciousness of his own produced by a material organ called a brain. This condition of individual, independent minds leads to opposing beliefs, interests, and goals and an unhealthy mind can lead to depression and mental illness of individuals.  With billions of minds in the world is it inevitable that there will always be conflict, limitation and confusion?

Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian healer and teacher, proposed an idea that goes against the apparent existence of many minds and offers a basis for hope and progress for humanity.  She writes in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

"The exterminator of error is the great truth that God, good is the only Mind and that the supposititious opposite of infinite Mind -- called devil or evil -- is not Mind, is not Truth, but error, without intelligence or reality."

This idea of one God, one Mind that is wholly good became the foundation of her healing method and is expounded upon in her book.

I had an experience that showed me the practical application of this idea of one Mind.  Many years ago, another individual and I had differing opinions on how to manage a difficult situation.  I implemented what I thought was the best solution, but the other individual disagreed so vehemently that they filed a suit against me to force me to follow a different course of action.  In the months of legal maneuvering that followed, I thought long and hard about this idea that there was one mind - not my mind or another's, but one divine Mind or God that creates and governs all.  As I grew in my understanding of this idea, it shifted in my consciousness from an abstract concept to a practical reality that I could depend on.  I stopped worrying about how to respond to the legal challenge and instead focused on praying to discern and follow what this Mind was directing me to do.

Prior to the case going to court, we were required to meet with a mediator.  The night before this meeting, a new idea came to me that did not directly involve the issues of the case, but that seemed like a good solution for all involved.  The next day, I proposed this idea to the other party and it was accepted.  Not only did they get something that met their needs, but I found that the resulting arrangement was far better for me than my original course of action.

You can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from Amazon or any major book retailer.  It is also available for sale or study at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Divine Surgery

Modern surgery has made amazing advances and has saved and improved countless lives.  Over 150 years ago, Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian healer and teacher, discovered an even more advanced form of surgery - surgery conducted by God, or divine Principle as Eddy referred to Deity.  Eddy called her discovery "Christian Science" and described God's "operating" method this way in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.

"The physical healing of Christian Science results now, as in Jesus' time, from the operation of divine Principle, before which sin and disease lose their reality in human consciousness and disappear as naturally and as necessarily as darkness gives place to light and sin to reformation."

My father experienced this divine surgery.  One day he urgently called me to his office where I found him holding his head in great pain.  He asked me to call an experienced Christian Scientist to treat him, and I did.  A full explanation of Christian Science treatment is presented in Eddy's book.

After a few days had passed, my father was worried about this condition, so he went to a hospital emergency room for an examination.  The doctors informed him that he had an aneurysm and scheduled surgery for him the next day.  In the meantime, he continued to have Christian Science treatment.

The next day, the doctors did a pre-surgical examination and could not find any sign of the aneurysm.  They saw no need to operate and my father was released from the hospital after another day.

A few years later, my father took a physical examination for his pilot's license.  He told the examining doctor that he'd had an aneurysm.  The doctor said, "No, if you'd had one, I would have detected it in my examination.  My father was completely healed.  All signs of a problem had disappeared as naturally as darkness gives place to light!

You can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from Amazon or any major book retailer.  It is also available for sale or study at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Prayer that Heals

Search online or in a store for books on prayer and you will find hundreds of choices.  The Surrender Prayer, The Power of a Praying Wife, 31 Days of Prayer for My Children, Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference?, The Battle Plan for Prayer, Prayer: The Ultimate Conversation, The Prayer Map for Boys, Pocket Prayers, Prayers That Avail Much, and Prayer: Our Deepest Longing are just some of the many titles that I found.  Clearly, many people have an interest in prayer.

The first chapter of the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy is titled “Prayer” and contains some original and arresting ideas about this topic.  For example, consider this statement:

 “Become conscious for a single moment that Life and intelligence are purely spiritual, - neither in nor of matter, - and the body will then utter no complaints.  If suffering from a belief in sickness, you will find yourself suddenly well.”

Could such a thing be true?  Does prayer really have this kind of power?  Yes!  I’ve experienced this!

Last summer, while on a camping trip, I was digging a hole using a spade.  I wasn’t being very careful about this task and I was only wearing sandals.  Unfortunately, I struck one of my big toes with the spade.  There was bleeding and the pain was intense, but I was aware of the statement quoted above about how to pray, so I immediately endeavored to put this into practice.

Turning my thought away from the evidence of the injury, I focused on the idea that my true being was spiritual and was not in matter or controlled by matter.  I wasn’t just thinking about this superficially or applying a rote formula.  I had been carefully reading the book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and contemplating the ideas it presents about man’s spiritual being.  So my prayer at this moment was a deep and sincere effort to understand and apply the truth of what I had been reading.  Very quickly, I felt a sense of peace and the bleeding and pain ceased.  My prayer was answered!

Although my toenail was damaged and it took a year for a new one to grow out, this did not affect any of my activities.  Not only did I finish my digging project, but I had an active summer of hiking and bicycling without any further pain or limitation from this incident.

You can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from Amazon or any major book retailer.  It is also available for sale or study at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

The Christ - An Answer for Opiod Drug Addiction?

The drug crisis in our country has been the topic of much discussion in the news.  Rehabilitation and treatment programs, caring and supportive families, medical experts, and law enforcement are all working to free people from the enslaving and often fatal scourge of drug addition.  In many cases these efforts don't seem to be enough.  My experience suggests that something else that can be effective is the Christ.

What is the Christ?  Jesus demonstrated the Christ-power to us in his brief ministry long ago.  He healed physical and mental sicknesses, freed people from their involvement in sinful activities, and even raised the dead.  Although Jesus is no longer with us in the flesh, many Christians believe that the Christ-power he represented is still with us today and appeal to it for help in their prayers.  Can these prayers help?

Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian teacher and healer, in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures describes the Christ as "a divine influence ever present in human consciousness and repeating itself, coming now as was promised aforetime, to preach deliverance to the captives [of sense], ... to set at liberty them that are bruised."  In my experience coaching youth soccer, handling business dealings and personal relationships, and even driving in traffic, I have found that understanding the Christ and silently acknowledging that the Christ is present, powerful, and speaking to my consciousness as well as the consciousness of all others, brings the power of this divine influence into the immediate human experience.  Not only does this divine influence come to me and give me the strength and wisdom to speak and do the right things, I find that those around me are also touched and respond outwardly in positive ways.

But does the Christ influence entering and altering the mundane experiences of my life mean that it can also alter serious issues like drug addiction, and on a nationwide scale?  In her book, Eddy says that because of the scientific nature of God's laws the lesser demonstration proves the greater "as the product of three multiplied by three, equalling nine, proves conclusively that three times three duodecillians must be nine duodecillions, - not a fraction more, not a unit less."  In fact, over the years, more than 30 testimonies have been published in the Christian Science Journal and Christian Science Sentinel of people healed of drug addiction through the power of the Christ!

So I am praying about the drug crisis in our country by turning my thought to the Christ and acknowledging that this divine influence is ever present in everyone's consciousness.  I am certain that this has a healing effect!

You can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from Amazon or any major book retailer.  It is also available for sale or study at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Experiencing God's Blessings

"To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings."  This is the opening sentence of the preface of the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.  My reading and study of this book has helped me to learn about the "sustaining infinite" (i.e. God), learn how to lean on this benevolent ever-presence, and experience blessings.  The specifics of all this are too much to include in this blog post (read the book!), but the descriptive phrase "sustaining infinite" is an introduction to what the book teaches us about God - we are loved, guided, and sustained by this divine power.

The next sentence in the book provides a useful starting point into recognizing these blessings.  It reads: "The wakeful shepherd beholds the first faint morning beams, ere cometh the full radiance of a risen day."  This refers to the shepherds, awake and watchful in the night, which heard and obeyed the angel voices directing them to the manger in Bethlehem to witness the birth of Jesus.  So we learn that quiet and alert watchfulness are some of the necessary qualities for experiencing God's blessings. Reading this book has helped me cultivate this watchful alertness for divine direction.

A small experience I recently had illustrates this.  I wanted to scan some 35mm slides using my computer, but to do this I needed a special attachment to hold the slides in the proper position on the scanner.  Although I owned this attachment, I hadn't seen it for several years and during this period I had moved three times!  I did not have any idea where to look for this item.  Then the idea occurred to me to look in a storage closet downstairs.  I did, but there was only one box of mine in the closet and it was labeled "Sunday School stuff".  I was disappointed, but since I had joined a new church and I was working in the Sunday School, I decided to look at my "Sunday School stuff" to see if there was anything I might need.  I opened the box and right on top was the scanner attachment that I was looking for.  The attachment had nothing to do with Sunday School and I do not know why it was in this box, but I know where the blessing of finding the part I needed came from!

You can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from Amazon or any major book retailer.  It is also available for sale or study at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

The Time for Thinkers Has Come

There are a lot of topics competing for our thought and attention these days - family, careers, politics, the economy, the Oscars... to name a few.  This blog is about a book that people in and around Evergreen, Colorado - and throughout the world - are finding worthy of their thought and attention.  The book is Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.  It was written by a New England woman, Mary Baker Eddy, and first published in 1875.

Can a book written over 150 years ago still be relevant today?  Although, along with the Bible, this book is used in services of the Christian Science Church, it is not merely a denominational textbook, but speaks to all humanity.  In the Preface of the book, Eddy writes, "The time for thinkers has come.  Truth, independent of doctrines and time-honored systems, knocks at the portal of humanity."

This blog will share how people in the Evergreen community are finding this book to be relevant to their health, careers, relationships, and overall well-being.  You can read this book online or purchase it from Amazon or any major book retailer.  It is also available for sale or study at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.