Open Thought

“Complaint is poverty!”  What would you say if someone spoke these words to you?  One reaction might be, “Yea, so what?”  The first time I read the words, they were attached to but, “Gratitude is riches!”  Why would I choose to write an article on just these three words without the attachment?

News Reports!  Social Media Networks!  Social Gatherings!  Family Gatherings!  Husband and Wife Relationships!  The American Populace!  World Communication!  The list is endless!  Complaint . .   Complaint . . . Complaint!

NOT A PRETTY PICTURE, IS IT?  Yet, we live with it in some form, everyday.  How do you stop the noise?  How do you stop the destruction?  How do you stop the pain?

That is what this article is about–getting rid of complaint!  What can you expect to mentally walk away with by reading it?  Three things:

A deeper meaning of complaint and poverty.

The impact it has on the complainant and the recipient of the complaint.

The ability to determine  if my theory that ” Every statement of complaint matched with the same element of praise, will lessen your desire to complain” is accurate of false.

In order to get to the core of why complaint is poverty, it is necessary to gain a workable knowledge of both.

What does complaint mean? It means finding fault; expressing rage or resentment.  Poverty is a powerlessness and lack of representation and freedom. To paraphrase, when one complains about something or someone, he is expressing his own powerlessness, his own sense of the inability to represent, control or remedy the situation or condition.   Since he feels helpless that his freedom and control are compromised, he resorts to criticism or complaint of the person(s) he feels responsible.  The problem with this mental environment, is that it destroys the spirit of man, corrupts the capacity to reason, and lessens the ability to discriminate between good and evil, and right and wrong.

What are some of the pitfalls of complaint?

Unpleasant demeanor or disposition.

Deters friendship or companionship.

Promotes negative responses.

Robs one of good or progressive ideas.

What are some of the pitfalls of poverty?

Breeds inferiority and inadequacy.

Robs one of self-respect.

Causes deficiency of thought.

Eliminates one’s mental state of excellence.

An example of this can be seen in what motivated me during many years of my adult life.  I had a deep sense of what I perceived to be right and wrong, fair and unfair, equality and inequality, and when one crossed the line relative to this sense, I would spring into action!  Granted, in most cases, human logic would agree that a wrong had been committed against me, but reaction to it was always combative.

Long detailed letters, accentuating each complaint would be sent to CEO’s or presidents of corporations, congressmen, lawyers, school superintendents, or whomever I felt would correct the situation, I wallowed and rolled in anger, resentment, and revenge until a solution was reached, and sometimes, even after it was reached.  However, as my understanding of divine law increased, and I was able to see that there is an underlying principle that governs all human activity and experience, those complaints or lawsuits have diminished to practically non-existent.  Today, I take my case to a higher power, a greater sense of justice, and know that the solution will bless all participants.

What I found is that even though the resolution does not always meet my initial expectation, I learn lessons that I need to learn, have less stress in my life, and actually learn to express unconditional love to those who have hurt me the most.

Unconditional love does not mean that one always gets human fairness and equality, it means that in spite of whatever happens in human situations, love must prevail–not necessarily love for that person(s), but love for the true nature of man–the perfection of man.

WHAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF COMPLAINT AND POVERTY?  The opposite of complaint is praise, adoration, and approval.  It is heartfelt humility, trustworthiness, joy and servility.  Poverty’s opposite is obedience to divine law, purity of thought, gratitude and infinite unfoldment of spiritual ideas.

We have talked about what it means to have an attitude of complaint and poverty, let’s talk about what it means to be free of them.  Since poverty and complaint are sensual–that which is only perceived by the senses, freedom comes when man dwells in the sanctity of Soul, God.  Soul releases you from the hardships of life, a focus on worldliness, and a haven of sense.  This is not a state of mental, human escapism, but a divine correction of thought, a removal of a false sense of reality.

“Bless my soul” means shower me with goodness, keep me in a state of excellence, and grant me the ability to discriminate between right and wrong, good and evil.   Let the fragrance of Soul embrace me, the perfume of joy surround me, and the voice of praise sustain me.  The presence of Soul keeps one from seeking false tastes, poor vision and selective hearing.  In so doing, the world receives the warmth, mercy, grace and security that it brings.

How can you benefit by choosing praise over complaint, or abundance over poverty? Every time you complain about something or someone, make a conscious effort to follow it with a word of praise, or a statement of approval.  It will be difficult the first few times.  You may even feel silly.  Keep doing it as often as you can remember each day, each hour, for one month, and  I guarantee that you will have a more restful hour, brighter day and the promise of a peaceful tomorrow.  How do I know?  I have demonstated it in my life!  Praise is power!  It gives comfort, joy and a sense of peace.  Approval brings harmony to the heart, freedom to growth and understanding, and an expression of love that embraces and expands day-by-day.

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As a twelve-year-old listening to a Baptist minister exclaim, “You need to get down on your knees and pray,” I thought that the first step to prayer was kneeling somewhere.  Then after I assumed this position(which I felt was required of me by God), the words would come to me to tell Him what I wanted.

There are two things wrong with this assumption: (1) You do not have to kneel down on physical knees in order to communicate with God–only yield your negative thoughts and (2), You don’t tell God anything, you only acknowledge and affirm.  God is all-knowing, all-seeing and all-acting.

This brings us to the subject of this post: What are seven keys to a successful prayer, and how does one define a “successful prayer?”

A successful prayer is one that causes a person to yield his  thoughts, plans, hopes , desires and faith to God.  He turns whole-heartedly to God with the idea that “I am nothing, know nothing, and can do nothing without You.”  Let thy will be done.

Remove human self from the picture.  Having these words fall from your lips without being heartfelt, gets you nothing.  It is as Jesus says, only the “pure in heart see God.”  It is not words that bring success, but the true meaning behind the words.  Once this is achieved, how does one measure success?

Success is having the burdens that one is carrying inside lifted, whatever they may be, and feeling a sense of calmness, peace, and hearing messages that tell you that all is well, even though to human sense, things remain the same.  The success comes from within, not without.

Examples:

Humanly, you may not see a way to get food for your hungry child at that moment, but know without a doubt, God is controlling the situation; you may not know how to keep the man holding the gun in your face from pulling the trigger, but you know God’s hand will direct the bullet; and you may not know why your child passed away before you, but you trust God to give it eternal life. These measure the success of prayer.  Prayer does not answer human will, but divine will.

The seven keys to prayer:

1.  Recognize that intelligence, wisdom and understanding have their source in divine Mind, God, not your mind.

2.  Know that the quality and quantity of everything that you need (not everything that you want) have their foundation in Spirit, never in material things.

3.  Realize that the happiness, beauty, and harmony in your life must be determined by the spiritual senses of Soul, not your physical senses.  In other words, you cannot always believe what your eyes see, or your hears hear.  Seek a higher level of vision or hearing.

4.  Determine that justice, power, impartiality, persistence and mercy, come not from human institutions, but from divine government.

5.  Become convinced that your daily activity, courage, strength and joy, are gifts from God, that define who you are, and how you will handle every situation that you are faced with.

6.  Strive to let honesty, integrity, honor and genuineness guide your thoughts, words and actions.

7.  Set aside finger-pointing, unjust criticism and implicit love for yourself, and yield to humility, compassion, kindness and gratitude.

Following these steps daily will open up new ways of thinking, speaking, and acting, and will bring more peace and harmony into your life.  Doors will open, situations will present themselves,  and problems will have solutions unimaginable.

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Maintaining a calm, hopeful and expectant demeanor reduces stress, increases productivity, and makes you a happier person.  This video will help you do that!

Listen to it!  If you found it inspirational, helpful or thoughtful, pass it along to a friend.

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. . . the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee” (Deuteronomy 28: 11).

Moses makes it clear in the Fifth Book of Deuteronomy that it is God who is the source of supply–it is God who is the one Provider.  Do you believe this?  How often do you look to God for goodness, abundance and supply?  Do you look to Him in the first instance, or do you look to Him when you believe you have no where else to go?  How many times have you really put God first in seeking supply?  Many of us either look to ourselves, or another human being to meet our needs.

Let’s talk about what “fruitage” really means.  If you check out Webster, you will see words like “productive, bearing fruit”, or “getting results.”  In the light of spiritual understanding, such definitions pale.

During the early stages of my study of Christian Science, I delighted in reading the last chapter of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, appropriately titled “Fruitage,” because the entire chapter is devoted to testimonies of people who have experienced the healing of diseases from colds to cancer.  All of these healings have been well-documented to prove their authenticity.

I longed to be able to say “I have healed this” or “I have healed that!”  The greater the disease the better!  I wanted to be like those people I read about; like Mary Baker Eddy;  like Jesus!  I wanted to heal!  I was not too concerned about what gave them the ability to heal, I just wanted to do it!

What did I do to achieve this?  I studied!  I prayed!  I tried to obey without understanding!  However, no matter how much I prayed, sought to live the statutes and commandments of Jesus and Moses, I could not achieve that level of healing.  There were healings that occurred, but I had no idea how they occurred, so my progress was slow.

As I grew in my understanding of Principle, divine Law, I recognized that the fruitage that I so desperately desired, had already been given to me–for the fruitage was not the healing of the numerous diseases, but the increased understanding of God. That was the fruitage!

Wow!  What a revelation!  The healings are the effect of that understanding.  Jesus, the prophets, Mary Baker Eddy, and those early Christian Scientists, healed effectively because they lived, gained, and practiced higher levels of thought by establishing a daily closeness with God.  They became as Jesus stated, “at one with God.”

It took years for me to even begin to understand this level of thought, how to get there, and what I have to do to stay there.

What does prayer bring to your thinking? True prayer takes us beyond the human realm of experience into the conscious awareness of God as the only Presence, Power, and Knowledge.  Comprehending this, we are led to make the right decisions, pursue the right course of action and gain dominion over sin, sickness and death.  One cannot demonstrate what one does not understand.

As a college student majoring in vocal music, I read books on the mechanics of voice production:  vocal projection, enunciation, and lyric interpretation, but it was the day-to-day practicing of these elements  every time I sang songs, that enabled me to demonstrate what was on the printed page.  Reading may reveal knowledge, but demonstration gives understanding.  Healing works the same way.

The basic foundation of healing is “changed thought,” not changed physical body, or changed human experience.  These result from change of thought.  Unless one understands this, he works against himself, thereby causing his success in healing to be ineffective.

I approach all aspects of my life through prayer:  work experiences, business decisions, human relationships, illnesses and emotional stability.

Prayer is not a mechanism that we run to when life becomes challenging and get an “emotional high.”  Prayer leads us into “the secret place of the most high”—a place where the human yields to the divine.  In this yielding, we give up what we want, and accept the will of God.  We give up being mad with the  neighbor, even though he is one hundred percent wrong; give up lusting after money at all costs; give up accepting disease as God bestowed, and asking Him to heal us of this bestowal.

God is Love.  He does not inflict His creation with anything that He does not experience Himself.  Why would He create us in His “image and likeness,” and then seek to destroy that likeness?  It really does not make spiritual sense.  A sick person is not the image of God, he is the likeness of someone expressing mortal beliefs and human concepts.  God is Immortal.  He is never mortal!

Prayer leads us to new ways of seeing things–spiritual ways.  This vision is not sensual, but mental.  Achieving this level of thought, we find ourselves doing things we were too angry to do before, suddenly well of an illness, or wondering why that total stranger gave us exactly what we needed.  Even though God is Spirit, your connection with Him meets your human need.  Notice I said “need” not “want.”

Our goal then, becomes to use song, prayer and study of the Word of God, to bring about a change of thought.

For the past five years, I devoted my work to gaining a greater understanding of God, for I knew that if I did so, everything else will take care of itself.  At times, this proved very challenging, but patience, persistence and perseverance enabled me to continue the journey.  My understanding is blossoming!  My faith is increasing, and each day, I seek to yield everything to God.

Each  challenge, each struggle, each hardship has allowed the journey to be productive, for I have learned that fruitage is the journey we take, not the reward at the end.

This journey helps us develop faith, intuition and spiritual growth.  If fear or sin cause you to shrink from taking your journey, remember that you give up the blessing that reaching your destination brings.

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matt. 5: 8).

“Human hardships are often the pathway that lead mankind back to God.”

Mamie Smith

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Disease is rampant today.  It touches the babies, men, women, animals; everywhere you look there is sickness, disease and death. Yet, if you turn the television on day or night, within minutes, someone is talking about a cure for this or a cure for that.  We are bombarded, lambasted, and beaten over the head with pills, surgeries and medicine!  If medicine heals, why is there so much illness?

This post will take a look at healing and the effectiveness of it in the 21^st century.  Why this topic now?  Who will gain by discussing it?

You will gain.

A common response to this statement is “What will I gain by talking about it?  I can’t do anything” but you can! Here are four reasons why you should continue reading:

1. You will discover an alternative way of overcoming disease, and if followed, bring healing results.
2. Gain insight into why material medicine does not heal.
3. Recognize that there is a relationship between evil thinking and physical disease.
4. Open thought to the idea that there is no connection between the action of the human mind and spiritual healing.

What constitutes spiritual healing?

Spiritual healing results when human thinking loses all sense of reality and unites with divine revelation.  Is this possible?  It is.  As a person who relies on practicing God’s laws to “heal all thy diseases,” I can emphatically say it is possible.  What do you do?  How do you get there?

There are many ways that one can connect with God.  One way is to mentally hold in your thought that nothing or no one exists but God.  This God cannot be some distant, giant, superpower that you don’t or can’t understand.  God is Love, Spirit, Truth, Life and Soul; and He gave all of His creation the capacity to understand Him because we reflect all that He is.  His love is pure and eternal.  It is always there–just waiting for you to reach out humbly and trustingly to Him.  To the extent that you do so honestly and truthfully, healing takes place in thought, and that is the only place that healing occurs.  Once thought gives up the anger, fear or lust, the human body responds to it.

Trying to heal a sick body gets you nowhere, because your thinking is on that—healing the body, and not on God.  God has no sick body, so telling Him of your sick body is not aligning your thoughts with God.  His thoughts must become your thoughts, not the other way around.  Connecting with God fills your consciousness with thoughts of peace, harmony, joy, health, purity and forgiveness.  These are healing thoughts that heal the body.

Material medicine cannot heal.

Medicine operates from the premise that the body is a material organism.  Spirituality says the body is conscious thought, made up of divine concepts and ideas.  These are two opposite modes of thought.   One will never blend with the other.  Therefore, the best that medicine can do for the betterment of mankind, is give the physical body temporary relief.  True healing begins and ends with correcting erroneous beliefs—beliefs that man is not the “image and likeness” of God, but a material man conceived in sin, and needs doctors to keep him well, and ministers to save his soul.

The man of God’s creation is spiritual, immortal, pure and righteous.  Daily maintaining such thinking, keeps the physical body well and the spiritual body perfect.

Perfection yields perfection.

Diseased thoughts yield a diseased body.  Destructive thoughts produce destructive actions.  Jesus’ works challenge us to become aware of this.  He calmed the tempestuous seas by saying, “Peace be still,” not “Destruction go away!”  He told the diseased man, “Stretch forth thine hand,” not “Your hand doesn’t work, let me fix it.”  Had Jesus seen the human frailties that seemed to plague mankind as realities, he could not have healed them.  We have to do the same.

Human mind versus divine Mind

Another name for God is Mind.  Mind is divine intelligence.  The key word in this sentence is divine. Human logic has not a semblance of divine intelligence.  It cannot reach the heights of inspiration, revelation and divine understanding.  Thus, it has not the capacity to heal.  It only operates at a human level.  This is the basis of medicine’s incapacity to heal—it simply cannot comprehend divine law.  Once we reach this level of understanding, and practice it in daily activities, disease will diminish until it finally disappears.

I speak not from belief and faith only, but from demonstration.  I have been healed of numerous diseases: colds, loss of feeling in limbs, limited vision to blindness in one eye, stomach problems, bodily imbalances, lumps in breast and many more.  This is not to lift up Mamie Smith, but to acknowledge the power and presence of God—to be a witness to the fact that spiritual healing is not outdated, just under-rated!

Voices of ministers of the 21^st century

“ God’s Word is a healing agent, just as natural medicine is a healing agent or catalyst. In other words, the medicine itself contains the capacity to produce healing. Inherent within God’s Word is the capacity, the energy, the ability, and the nature to effect healing in your body.

We might say that attending to them, inclining your ear to them, and keeping them before your eyes causes the Word to get into the midst of your heart. Notice this: It is only as God’s Words get in the midst of your heart and stay there that they produce healing in your body. Head knowledge won’t do. They are going to have to penetrate to your spirit through meditation – attending, hearing, looking, muttering, musing, pondering – to produce healing in your body. But once they do penetrate, they will surely bring health to all your flesh. … let them penetrate deep within your heart. (Living Bible)  Joyce Meyer

“Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get healed and others don’t? It is God’s will for you to be healed and His Word promises you that right. “  Creflo Dollar

“ One of the greatest stress relievers God has given us is laughter. It not only makes us feel better, but it actually releases healing

throughout our system. When we laugh, it restores and rejuvenates what the pressures of life have taken out. Proverbs 17:22 puts it like this, “A happy heart is like a good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing.” Notice, when we’re good-natured and full of joy, taking time to laugh and play, it’s like taking a good medicine. That’s what helps us to stay healthy. People that laugh regularly are 40% less likely to have a heart attack than people that don’t laugh regularly. Laughter triggers the right side of the brain, which helps release creativity and helps us to make better decisions. There is too much sickness in our world today. Much of it is related to sadness. It’s directly related to the fact that we don’t smile enough. We live uptight and stressed out. But even during trials and hard times, God says to us, “I’ve got a solution. In difficulties, cheer up. In famine, laugh. Keep your joy.” You can laugh your way to victory, to better health and to more energy”    Joel Osteen

Spirituality is an experience involving an awareness of a relationship with a power or force that transcends human self and connects with a divine power—namely God.  Our Father-Mother God has created us to express this power in daily thought, word and deed.  Let’s do it!

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See you the next time!

Evil disappears under the microscope of goodness.

Wow, what a statement! What does it mean? I am sure it means different things to different people. Let me see if I can put it into perspective.

Let’s find a workable definition for evil?  Webster defines evil as that which is “immoral, wicked” or “bad.” I like to think of evil as that which is erroneous, and erroneous is defined as “a supposition that pleasure and pain, that intelligence, substance, life, are existent in matter” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p.472). A simplistic way of saying what the author Mary Baker Eddy maintains, is error is a belief or assumption that flesh and blood contain life and intelligence, and this life can be pleasurable or painful. I hear you saying, “Well, it does!” In reality, it does not! True life is not in a physical body, it is the spiritual qualities that one expresses, and because these qualities are spiritual, they do not exhibit physical pain or pleasure.

Evil itself is only a belief–a belief of a mind separated from God. Because it is not a part of God, makes it evil. This leads to the definition of “good.” Good is everything that is in, or of God. It cannot be bad, and be part of God, Spirit. Since another name for God is Spirit, flesh and blood is not the substance of God. Man, (you and me), is a reflection of God–that which is made in His image and likeness. Therefore, our true identity is not brain, blood and bones, but spiritual concepts and ideas. Wow, again! In fact, double wow!

Now, let’s go back to what started this blog–”evil disappears under the microscope of goodness.” Evil and good are opposites. One cannot exist in the presence of the other. When one is present, the other is absent. I hear you saying again, “That is not true! I have been in the presence of two people, one good, and the other, evil!” This is untrue only if one accepts the premise that evil exists in a person.

My premise is that it does not exist in a physical being, it exists in thought. For you to see evil, you must have it in thought. That thought may be conscious or unconscious, but it is in thought! Destroying evil in thought takes conscious effort. It means working daily–all day to keep one’s thinking pure. A person cannot think evil and good thoughts at the same time. You either hold a good thought in mind, or an evil one, and the second that you let go of one, the other takes over.

The good thing about all of this is that good will always be triumphant over evil. It may not happen for you or me in this world, but it will happen! Why? Because God created good, and did not create evil.  All that He created is eternal and unchangeable. The only thing that changes, is our perception.

You may or may not agree with the viewpoint of this post.  Let me know what you think.  Leave your comments below.  Also, tell a friend by sharing this post.  See what he says!

THE TWO PICTURES ARE AS DIVERSE IN MEANING AS THE ANSWERS ARE TO THE QUESTION ARE SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION THE SAME.

Have you ever asked  yourself the question above.  More importantly, did you answer it?

I’m going to give you specific information that will help you decide if they are the same, different, or have similarities.  It will challenge you to look within yourself to find an answer.  If you have never considered the question, this blog will open your thought to reasons why it is important to do so.  It will show you that clarification on this question can contribute to spiritual growth , or spiritual stagnation.

HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:

1. The difference between spirituality and religion
2. What factors must be present for you to be spiritual
3. Is “spirituality” a term that can be applied to anything: why or why not?

WHAT IS RELIGION?

Religion is a set of beliefs, practices, and ethical values concerning the existence and nature of a deity or Supreme Being.  These practices or beliefs are suppose to give meaning to the practitioner’s experiences of life, and are generally agreed upon by a number of individuals or sects.  Some religions teach that the path mapped out by them, is the only one leading to God.

The meaning of the word “religion”  should not be confused with one’s particular relationship with God, because that is determined by one’s understanding of the specific beliefs and practices, and the extent to which he is willing to practice them.  Religion’s root word can be traced to the Latin word “religare” which means “being bound.”  The question then arises, “What is one bound to–the beliefs or the deity?”  I would surmise that the beliefs, practices and ethical values point to and define the deity, and one’s understanding and devotion to obeying these beliefs and values, constitute the religion.   The religion then, of itself, has little, or no value to the person unless strictly practiced.

WHAT IS SPIRITUALITY?

Spirituality is the divine connection with God–not A connection, but THE connection; because there is only one.  God is Spirit.  Therefore, to express spirituality, one has to think, say and do things that are spiritual–of God.  Words that express things of Spirit are: perfection, purity, goodness, love, peace, long-suffering,  awareness, integrity, equality, impartiality, obedience, humility.   The list, however, is endless.  There are many ways that lead to a “oneness with God,” but only one way to actually connect.  It is a state of mind where thought has been elevated to feel, hear and see only that which is divine, therefore, leaving behind everything that is human.   I lived many years before experiencing it.  This precludes the idea that “anything can be spiritual.”   Only things that relate to God as Spirit, Mind. Soul, Principle, Life Truth and Love can wear the spiritual label.

A few days ago, I heard a person say, “spirituality is that which is inside of your body– how your body connects with the universe.”  In reality, it has nothing to do with the physical body, or the physical universe, because neither connects with God.  Everything that connects with God is mental, not physical.  It is ideas and concepts–divine qualities given to man and the universe by God.  These qualities are innate–the kingdom of heaven within us.

The Scriptures are filled with states of thought and divine qualities expressed by people like Elijah, Elisha, Moses, Jesus, Paul, and many others.  Some of these had a greater understanding of God than others.  I see Jesus as having the greatest of all connections, primarily, because he did not have an earthly father– only an earthly mother, thus giving him an infinite capacity to understand and relate to God.   He read  the Old Testament,  related to the words of Isaiah, observed the doctrine espoused by religious groups, but drew a fine line between false doctrine and divine reality.  It was because he could state emphatically that “I and my Father are one” that he is the greatest teacher and demonstrator of divine law.  It is not enough to claim a religion, pay tithes, go to church and state that you “have been saved,” one must seek understanding of the laws of God, and practice them in his daily living.  To the extent that one does this, defines his spirituality.

To reach this state of harmony is the challenge.  It can be achieved through prayer, reading and studying the Word of God, song, but mostly, by practicing daily everything that you understand of God.  The more you practice, the more you understand.

FACTORS THAT DEFINE SPIRITUALITY

Spirituality is present if you:

Find meaning in your life.

Feel fulfilled rather than empty.

Find purpose beyond today or of this world.

Rise above a limited ego, and connect with the One Ego–God.

Triumph over fear, death and destruction.

Recognize that there is a greater presence and knowledge beyond human capacity.

Realize that religion is simply a means of achieving spirituality.

Recognize that everything physical is imperfect, only the divine is perfect.

WHAT DO THE PICTURES ABOVE MEAN?

The out-stretched hands pointing upward, illustrate the upward movement of thought–thought that  leaves the human and approaches the divine.  This harmony, or state of consciousness, is not found in the sky, but within the consciousness of each one of us.  Look for it–it is there!

The second picture illustrates the idea that simply joining a religion, is not the answer to human suffering, building a relationship with God , or understanding and demonstrating God’s laws.  The ticket to doing this, is seeking and  finding divine guidance, and living through the human sacrifices required to practice it.

If you gained a deeper meaning of religion and spirituality by reading this post, let me know it by leaving your comments below.   Also, email it to a friend or family member.

Radio Interview: The Unfolding of a Rose

Listen To Mamie Smith Talk About Her Book

Author, Mamie Smith gives the listeners insights into why she wrote The
Unfolding of a Rose, the impact it had on her life and how she arrived
at the title. She also explains what the words “Christian Scientist”
mean. This interview captures your interest, inspires and elevates your
thoughts, and touches your soul.

Click on the link below, or copy and paste it to your browser:

Radio Interview: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mamie-smith/2009/11/01/mamie-smith-aut… Unfolding-of-a-Rose

Birthdays That Come After the Child Has Gone

Coping with Your Deceased Child’s Birthday

The day approaches!  You know it’s coming, but you dread it!   Why?  It’s your child’s birthday, but you have no child.   It’s gone.  It’s only a memory!

Death snatched it from your view. It does not matter if it were taken
by disease, crime, accident, or suicide. The pain is the same. The
tears fall just as long, and just as hard! How do you cope?

My day is today–February 4th!  The birthday of my deceased daughter–once a day of joy, now a  day
that is easy to dread.   How am I doing? Very well! You see, I
learned a few years ago that it is fruitless to try to learn about
death, when learning about life brings more happiness.  My husband
asked, “Do you know what day this is?” I answered, “Yes!” It is a day
where life has no beginning, therefore, it can have no ending. My
husband did not respond, so I left for work. During the long drive, I
contemplated how I arrived at giving such a response.

Through prayer, inspiration, and revelation, I discovered that a
person’ life is measured by day-to-day expressions of Life, Truth and
Love. These are synonyms for God, and since God is eternal, all life is
eternal. How is divine Life expressed humanly? With a smile that
brightens the day, words that foster joy, and a heart that over-flows
with tenderness.

My daughter had a dazzling smile, a warm heart and
words of laughter! She was the center of our world, but a connection to
God’s world! Her expressions of life are reflected in the self-portrait
she gave me, the store she designed, and the flower arrangements that
warm our home. Her beauty, joy, love and dominion are everywhere,
because they dwell in the infinite Mind, God.
I smiled as I remembered my daughter’s life. I hear her saying, “Mom, do not cry, do not weep,
I am not dead, I do not sleep., My smile is just as bright today as it
was the day I went away.” I believe that! She, as well as your child,
lives in a consciousness different from ours, but nevertheless, THEY
LIVE!  Their lives are not desolate, lonely and sad, because they are
holding the hand of the only Dad. That Dad is God.  Being is Spirit, and
they are infinite spiritual ideas, living in the consciousness of Soul.

Many parents try to forget that their children are gone, because
remembering is too painful. Healing takes place by living WITH you
child, remembering the times that you shared together, not by trying to
forget them. There are websites that allow you to talk about your
child, share your love, and deal with your pain. I would like to list a
few below:

http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_aaacb75a-e86e-11de-a…
You may need to copy and paste it in your browser.

Excerpts from the site:

“Parents remember their deceased children at holiday candle-lighting ceremony.”

RACINE – Tara Fisher lit two candles Sunday night, one for each of her dead sons.

Fisher, 34, of Racine, lost a 7-year-old son four years ago to a heart
condition, and Saturday she experienced a miscarriage and lost another
son, who was 4 months in the womb.

For parents like Fisher, feelings of loss and grief are all too common,
especially during the holidays, typically a time of family
togetherness. That’s why the Racine/Kenosha Chapter of The
Compassionate Friends held a candle lighting memorial event Sunday
night for the parents of deceased children.

“They need to include the child in the holiday and this is our way of starting it out,” said event organizer Peg”

Another site urges parents to talk about their deceased children:
http://www.beyondindigo.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=872&forum_…

They talk:

“Its hard to be on here anymore I don’t get to see my grandchild and my
daughter is gone and its been two and a half years and it seems like no
one remembers her anymore. she was a beautiful person and would help
anyone, she proved that by not thinking of herself when she was sick. I
don’t get to see my grandson anymore his dad has moved on with his
life. I wish I was able to move on but she was my little girl and
always will be. I know I’m rambling but I’m a little down today have
tried to forget with Facebook and my space games, but reality hits me
once again. She’s gone!”

“Hello!
Could you take a moment out of your days and elect Beyond Indigo for
the spotlight program for American Express? You have to register but
then you can vote for us. We need 50 nominations by tomorrow night
Midnight!! If we win then we receive 100,000 dollars which I want to
put towards a site administrator for this website. Can you please help
and pass the word to the others?”

“Just go to http://shinealight.ivillage.com/, click nominees and type
in Beyond Indigo and our name will pop up. The direct link to the page
is here at
http://shinealight.ivillage.com/nominees/?PerPage=10&Order=&amp….
Let’s shoot for 50 plus nominees by tomorrow night! Thank you for your help.”

“So sorry you had to visit this site, but what a wonderful site it is.
Your son looks young. My Brian was 16 when he died 6-19-08 from a car crash.”

“Be kind to yourself. My father and I are estranged and my mother passed on 2-7-08.
I have one sister and my Husband has 4 sibling, only 2 involved with our lives.
We visit when I am able to. Not so much physically, but emotionally. I
used to get panic attacks and realized I was forcing myself to do
things my body and mind were not ready to do.”

These are a couple ways many parents are dealing with the death of
their children.  During the darkest moments of my life, I clung to God.
It was during one of those moments that a mental voice urged me to
write down my daughter’s story.

Two years of struggling yielded a book
entitled “The Unfolding of a Rose.”  Not only was my daughter’s life
unfolded in this book, mine was also.  Every person’s life is like a
flower, it unfolds day-by-day through the expression of the divine
qualities of life. Reach out and pluck your child’s life, embrace it,
and love will find a way to dissolve the pain, guilt and sorrow.

If you received comfort and a sense of peace as a result of reading this blog, share it with someone you think can benefit also.  Send them an email.  Also, visit the site again when your child’s birthday comes around.

We are doing it together!

Tags:  faith, hope, Loss of a child, loss,coping with death

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What does it mean to see the face of God?  Have you ever seen it?  What does it look like?

As a child, I imagined God to be superhuman, bigger than man, but looking very similar.  After all, aren’t we made in His “image and likeness?  As I grew older, I stopped trying to figure out the appearance of God because it was beyond my comprehension.  However, as my understanding of God grew, it became less important what God looked like.  Recently, the subject became the focus of indepth thought, and I knew I needed to find an answer.

Today, I attended my annual Christian Science Association Meeting, and I saw “the face of God.”  I saw it during the readings prepared by my teacher, in the soloist’s rendition of “The Lord’s Prayer” and in the ten-minute silent prayer session, where each member reached out with heart-felt love to connect with Him in a way perhaps, as he had never done before.  WHAT DID HE LOOK LIKE?

He looked like Soul.  Soul is one of the seven synonyms that define God.  The others are Mind, Spirit, Principle, Life, Truth and Love.  Understanding God as Soul can be challenging; Soul is the opposite of sense.  What does that mean?  It means that whatever the five physical senses determine as reality, Soul says, “No, it is the opposite of that!”  For example you say, “I saw a car accident today and the driver was killed.”  Soul says, “Accidents never occur, and man never dies.”  God is Spirit, therefore, He never sees through the lenses of material sense.  His vision is perfect, unchangeable and eternal.  As perfect Principle, God only sees, hears, and feels Himself, and all that He creates.  Spirit never sees matter; Life never experiences death, and good never drops to the level of evil.  Since man is made in the image of Spirit, God, he is spiritual.  Therefore,  he reflects all that God is, and patterns himself after that which is divine.  Mortal man cannot behold the face of God.  It is only when one mentally rises above the material sense of things, can he comprehend the spiritual.  During my Association Meeting, the Word of God was so powerful, that my thought rose above sensualism, and I became “at one” mentally with God.   God has no human features, for he is Principle–divine law.  Vision is perception, inspiration and revelation.  Not only did I see God, I felt His presence, heard His message, and tasted His goodness.

Mankind must rise above the education of mortality into the realization of immortality.  It is only then, will He behold the face of God.  God is not made in the “image and likeness” of man; man is made in His likeness.  That likeness is spiritual, since God is Spirit.  There is one God, one Spirit, and everything He created expresses Him, thus all is immortal and divine.  Reaching this level of thought comes minute-by-minute, day-by-day, not in leaps and bounds.  I have spent about forty years listening for the voice of truth, reaching for the hand of God, and seeking the vision of Soul.  Many days I do not get there, but those days are becoming less and less.  Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you” (Matt. 7: 7).  We either believe these words, or we don’t.  When we truly believe, healing takes place.  It must first take place in thought, and everything else follows.

Look for God within divine consciousness of thought, and you will behold “the beauty of holiness.”  After all, “the kingdom of heaven is within us,” and that kingdom places us face to face with God.