Open Thought

Mamie L. Smith began searching for a greater understanding of God at the age of twelve. She studied and practiced various religions before becoming a Christian Scientist and finding the path to eternal life. She is a mother, teacher, and business owner.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Journey with Meta and her mother as they travel across America, Germany, and Japan, enjoying the excitement of being in a military family while striving to overcome its obstacles.

Despite an upbringing that takes place across continents, Meta’s life is in many ways typical. She has dreams-some that she accomplishes, and some that are lost. There are men who come and go. And there is the man who stays. And, above all, there is the joy of becoming a mother and businesswoman.

Meanwhile, Meta’s mother, Mamie, experiments with various religions, while trying to adapt to her husband’s Catholic ways. A former Baptist, she finds the Catholic religion strange, but interesting. Then one day, her life is changed when a Christian Scientist knocks on her door.

Eventually, Christian Science enables both Meta and Mamie to meet the ultimate challenge-breast cancer. On April 20, 2005, Meta dies, and her mother is left asking God why. She discovers the answer to the question in a melody of day-to-day demonstrations.

Stretch your faith, discover who you are, and soar to heights unknown in The Unfolding of a Rose.

“The Unfolding of a Rose was a guide for me to see how to handle everyday challenges with just an understanding of God and a realization that changes in life comes with a change in one’s thinking. With me being in my twenties, like most 20-somethings, I have been battling with where life was taking me and what path I was meant to follow. While reading this book, I discovered that even with challenges in life, you must remain optimistic at all times…” Rahjinah C. Fluker “bookworm”

“This is a poignant and heart-warming autobiography, and Mamie L. Smith’s strong faith in Christian Science runs like a golden thread through the narrative. The author portrays her daughter as a strong, determined, and caring person that she was, and the bond between them should touch the reader’s heart. The engrossing story told in “The Unfolding of a Rose” should resonate with the reader long after the last page is turned. “  Dorrance Publishing

 

 

PageOneLit.com: Where did you grow up?

Mamie L. Smith: I grew up in a rural area, twelve miles north of Kosciusko, Mississippi. I am the third child in a family of thirteen brothers and sisters. My father owned a large farm, and most of our income resulted from raising cotton. It was a hard life; but was a life that built character, determination, and perseverance. Religion was the central thread that ran through the lives of my parents, as well as the lives of both paternal and maternal grandparents. One of my earliest memories is riding to and from church in a bumpy wagon with my parents. The church was the central force in our community. This force led me, at the age of twelve, to seek an understanding of a God that I could not see with my eyes, or touch with my hands. This search for understanding has continued throughout my life.

PageOneLit.com: Was reading a part of your life?

Mamie L. Smith: Yes, reading was a great part of my life. It stemmed from the fact that my parents wanted to give their children the best education that they could. My father would say, “Turn off that radio and get your lesson!” To him, getting my lesson was seeking knowledge, and he knew the best place to gain that knowledge, was by reading books. So, I grew up studying and reading books. There are many quiet places on a farm that one can nestle into, and I found my way into many of them, and read books.

PageOneLit.com: Who were your earliest influences, and why?

Mamie L. Smith: The earliest influence in my life was my Aunt Nettie. She was the principal of the school that I attended. Aunt Nettie was tall in stature, eloquent in speech, and exuded courage, confidence and elegance. I wanted to be just like her! At the age of five, my mother entered me in speaking contests which gave me several opportunities to polish my skills. By the age of ten, I was a “carbon copy” of my Aunt Nettie.

PageOneLit.com: Why did you write “The Unfolding of a Rose?”

Mamie L. Smith: Since becoming a Christian Scientist over thirty-eight years ago, I have developed what I refer to as “an inner ear.” I listen to my thoughts. Part of that listening, is determining their origin—whether they are good thoughts or bad thoughts. Once I have determined their source, I decide if I will follow them, or go in another direction. After the death of my daughter, I was suffering from deep-seated pain and grief. A recurring thought was, “You must write down her story!” I ignored it, because I knew that writing down her story would entail reliving moments and experiences that I was trying to forget. This was also at a time when I felt that God had not “kept His part of the bargain,” so I did not want to listen to Him. As I continued to read and study the Bible, and other Christian literature, my thought became receptive to the idea that my daughter’s story should be written down. This was later confirmed when a respected customer stated emphatically, that God had revealed to her that Meta’s story needed to be told.

I believe that each person has a specific purpose in living. That purpose is to give to the world thoughts, words, and experiences that no other person can give, but him or her. Every person’s individuality is unique to himself, or herself. These expressions of individuality, should not be a hindrance to the world, but, should help make it a better place to live—thoughts that establish hope, faith, courage, strength, persistence, and a sense of well being, no matter what the circumstances are. These in turn, help everyone gain a higher sense of what life is—the divine activity of thought. “The Unfolding of a Rose” is my daughter’s and my gift to the world.

PageOneLit.com: How does the title relate to the subject matter of the story?

Mamie L. Smith: The title of the book, “The Unfolding of a Rose,” is symbolic to the unfolding of ideas in one’s thoughts. I believe that a person’s life is like the petals of a rose—it unfolds day by day, and blossoms into perfect thoughts, words, and deeds. The ideas and concepts that you place in front of your thought, determine the words and actions that follow, and these words and actions constitute one’s life. “The Unfolding of a Rose” gives a day-to-day accounting of the thoughts, words, and experiences that my daughter and I embraced as she faced breast cancer. It was and is, an ongoing process, built on years of study, faith and revelation. As the laws of God were adhered to, this enabled us to overcome challenges that we could not have, under normal circumstances.

PageOneLit.com: Who or what is a Christian Scientist?

Mamie L. Smith: There are numerous things that define a person as a Christian Scientist. However, simplistically, a Christian Scientist is one who uses his understanding of God, to overcome any difficulty or challenge in his human experience—be it physical, mental, emotional, financial, or otherwise. The word “Christian,” comes from the word, “Christ,” which historically means “The Anointed One.” In the New Testament, the anointed one is referred to as “The Messiah” or the man Jesus. I believe Jesus was the greatest example of the demonstration of God’s laws, than anyone else who has walked on the face of the earth. He embodied the “Christ,” which I see as that divine connection that comes from God, and enables one to destroy anything that is not Godlike, in human thought. Once destroyed in thought, the person is able to live in harmony with God’s laws. “Science” means demonstration of. Therefore, I conclude that “Christian Science” is the demonstration of God’s laws in human experiences, and a person who demonstrates God’s laws, is a Christian Scientist.

PageOneLit.com: In the book “The Unfolding of a Rose,” you discuss your mother’s (Mamie) battle with breast cancer, and how she refused medical treatment—explain.

Mamie L. Smith: In my book, “The Unfolding of a Rose,” I discuss how my daughter Meta, accepted surgery at the initial stages of her diagnosis of breast cancer, but later, refused further treatment. As a student of Christian Science, Meta spent three years trying to decide if she wanted to rely totally on Christian Science treatment, or accept the traditional way of dealing with the disease. She read often the statement in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, which says “Christian Science is the most skilful surgeon, but surgery is the branch in its healing which will be last acknowledged” (p. 402). After much prayer, she decided that she would allow medical doctors to perform the surgery. When this proved disastrous, she refused additional medical treatment. The choice to rely totally on Christian Science, was not taken lightly, and was gained through daily prayer, and dedication to God.

PageOneLit.com: Explain “Each day we worked to see Meta as a spiritual being, not a physical one.”

Mamie L. Smith: This statement relates to my understanding of the true nature of man, and how this understanding brings about healing. Man is a generic term that is applied to all mankind, and has nothing to do with gender. I believe that the first chapter of Genesis defines the true nature of man. It informs us that only God created everything that was created, inclusive of man, and not only did He create everything, everything He created is good. In this context, “good” is synonymous with “godlike.” Specifically, Moses says in Genesis that “God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (1:26). Standing in front of a mirror, I see a reflection exactly like myself, and that reflection is my image. It also contains all the physical characteristics that make me who I am. Applying that same logic to the man made in the “image and likeness” of God, means that man reflecting God, has all the characteristics of God, and expresses all that God is. The Scriptures teach that God is Spirit, not flesh, blood, and bones. So, man, reflecting God, is spiritual—also not flesh, blood, and bones. Through the study and practice of Christian Science, I believe that the man God created, is not human, but divine. Where then, does this misconception of man come from?” Programming, misunderstanding, and conditioning. From the time we come into the world, we are taught that the human body defines life, and that this perception of life, is only cognized through the five physical senses. Spiritual understanding gives an opposite view of man. This man is only seen through the spiritual senses. My book, “The Unfolding of a Rose,” explains in detail, the difference between the man God created, and the man born of flesh and blood. When one holds in thought the true picture of man, thought is changed, and healing takes place. This is why each day, Meta and I prayed diligently to replace the “breast cancer” image of her with the spiritual image of her. We knew that once her thought totally accepted this spiritual image, her body would yield to what her thought expressed, and the healing of cancer would be accomplished.

PageOneLit.com: Was “The Unfolding of a Rose” a difficult book to write, or was it therapy?

Mamie L. Smith: “The Unfolding of a Rose” was a very difficult book to write. No, it was not therapy. Therapy is a branch of medicine in which one applies human remedies to physical ills. Writing “The Unfolding of a Rose” is an explication of metaphysics—applying the divine laws of God to erroneous thoughts.

PageOneLit.com: What do you hope to achieve by writing “The Unfolding of a Rose?”

Mamie L. Smith: My deepest desire is that every person who reads “The Unfolding of a Rose” comes away with a greater sense of peace, love, and joy—to know that the physical life of their loved one was not in vain—no matter how long, short, or troubled it may have been. There is no greater pain than the death of a child, and because of the high death rate of children due to accidents, crime and disease, parents increasingly find themselves lost in a sea of pain and suffering, as their children leave them behind. Guilt, anger and depression, can be exposed, dealt with, and destroyed. I am living proof of this.

PageOneLit.com: What is next?

Mamie L. Smith: I have begun to write a second book, which will deal with day-to-day human experiences—how to identify them, and overcome them.

PageOneLit.com: What was the last book you read?

Mamie L. Smith: The last book I read was “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch.

PageOneLit.com: What are your hobbies?

Mamie L. Smith: My hobbies are reading, playing the piano, watching sports, and listening to a great debate.

PageOneLit.com: How do they enhance your writing?

Mamie L. Smith: Reading gives increased knowledge, insight, and understanding, which serve as the foundation of a good writer. Playing the piano instills restfulness of thought, thereby allowing the creative and inspirational juices to flow. Watching sports help me to understand that intellectually, writing is a skill, but unless one connects with something beyond human reasoning, the results are unpredictable. Watching a good debate, parallels examining several ways of expressing the same idea—molding and chiseling my thoughts, and allowing them to guide my actions.

Open Thought Explores the Two Modes of Thought

Why do I feel it necessary to write an article on  ”I Am God” versus “I Am the Likeness of God?”  Two reasons:  Recently, I heard a noted speaker advocate that a person can attain higher levels of thought by affirming “I am God.”   The second reason stems from a family member suggesting that I am putting myself on the same level as God when I claim my godliness, or make statements such as “I am perfect or righteous because I am made in the likeness of God.”  Are they the same?  If not, what is the difference?  This article will give examples and explanations while addressing both modes of thought.

    I AM GOD!

You are probably wondering why this picture was chosen to express the concept “I Am God?”  It looks like something a child put together.  Why not a more spiritual picture?  It is not the picture that connects one to God, but the inspiration one brings to the picture.  The simplest concept can generate powerful healing messages.  God is Spirit, and without inspiration, pictures and words have no lasting impression or healing power.  We are, because God is!

Can any man make the claim “I am God?”  Moses answers this question in Deuteronomy:

“Hear O Israel:  The  Lord our God is one Lord”(6:4).   One means just that–one, not two, three or a million–only one.  You can however, accept or reject this statement as true.  If you choose to accept it, you will never claim to be God, but if you reject it, you lack the understanding that gives the ability to see the impossibility of anyone or anything proclaiming to be God.  Why did Moses feel the need to make the exclamation above?  He saw many people claiming idols as God–witchcraft, magic, animal magnetism and statues.  He was saying “there are not gods many, but one God–one Power, one Presence.”  Man is not that presence or power.  It is a source greater than mankind–greater than human knowledge, human logic and human action.  It is not your mind, your claim, your energy or your imagination!  It is the one Mind, Life, Soul that makes you who you are, and there is not another like Him!  We can however, claim our godliness or that “I am godly.”   God is Individual.  This means that there is no other individual like him.  He is one of a kind.   Webster defines “godliness” as “a quality or state of being godly.”  A quality of something is not the something.  

Many years ago, I visited Paris, France and rode to the top of the Eiffel Tower.  Standing at the top of one of the world’s greatest attractions and looking out at the vast city was one of the greatest moments of my life.  I felt the Tower’s grandeur, power, beauty and the scope of the imagination of its builders!  Once on the ground, I purchased a miniature Eiffel Tower.  It was a replica of the original in detail, character, color and style, but it was not the original.  There is only one Eiffel Tower!  Each time I look at the replica, I am reminded of my visit there and re-live the experience.  This is kind of how one connects with God.  You mentally climb to the highest level of where and what you consider God to be and re-live the purity you feel, the grace you exude and the love you encompass, but you know  .  .  .  you are not God.  You know He/She is a Power outside of yourself.  Once you have been there, you strive to get there again!  There is no other feeling like it!

I AM THAT I AM 

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM:  and he said,

Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you (Exodus 3: 14). 

This verse clearly reveals that Moses is not advocating that we  state “I am God,”  but God working through us is who we are.  Our true identity lies within our ability to recognize that any power, goodness, strength or knowledge we express has its source in God.  A more appropriate affirmation could be to claim the attributes of God as our own.  God is Spirit, thus I am spiritual.  God is Principle, thus I am lawful.  God is Mind, thus I am intelligent–divinely intelligent.  ”I AM” is powerful, but its power does not lie within ourselves.  It lies in God.  God is the great I AM of all things.  He is All–the sole Creator!  Nothing exists without him.

I AM the  LIKENESS of GOD

 Many of us

try to form an image of God in thought.  Some readily generate a picture of Jesus; others see him as a giant human in the sky.  How do you see him?   My concept of God has more to do with words than pictures.  I see him as Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth and Love.  Each word defines the distinct nature of God, and carries with it infinite attributes and identities.  For example, Mind is intelligence, wisdom, understanding, reasoning, logic, perception, clarity and intuition.  Therefore, if man is made in the likeness of Mind, he reflects or expresses the same qualities and has the capacity to act with wisdom, understanding and clarity.   Claiming this identity allows one to see it evidenced in the human experience.

Where does this claim of “likeness” come from?  It stems from Moses’ understanding of God as not only the One God, but the sole Creator of man and the universe.  He says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1: 27).   An image is the exact likeness of its original.  It is not the original, but is like it.  If one could become God, God would be absorbed, sucked-up, thereby losing his own identity, generating infinite little gods flowing about in existence.

God is Spirit, and because he is Spirit and made man in Spirit’s likeness, man is spiritual.  Spirit is the only substance.  Therefore, nothing exists that is less or more than spirituality.  Wow!  Have I really caused you to doubt my sanity?  What are some of the attributes of Spirit?    Faith, hope, abundance, inspiration, unfoldment and purity.  Thus, if man is the likeness of God, Spirit, he expresses faith, hope, inspiration and purity.  It is only when we entertain thoughts that claim otherwise that we experience the opposite of these attributes–false beliefs like doubt, faithlessness, lack, dullness and impurity.   Thus, it becomes essential to keep consciousness at a level above such beliefs.  This thinking is described as “higher levels of thought”– thoughts of health, harmony, kindness, peace and impartiality.  When we do so, we are aligning ourselves with God–at one with him, but not becoming him.

A picture of stick figures glimpses my understanding of the true concept of man–man without muscles, blood and bones, but man holding in consciousness only spiritual ideas and concepts.   This is the man that God created!  Immortal man has no resemblance to mortal man because that man is material, and immortal man is spiritual.

Who Are You?

Mary baker Eddy says it best:  ”Man is not matter;  he is not made up of brain, blood, bones, and other material elements.  The Scriptures inform us that man is made in the image and likeness of God.  Matter is not that likeness.  The likeness of Spirit cannot be so unlike Spirit.  .  .  . that which has not a single quality underived from Deity;  that which possesses no life, intelligence, nor creative power of his own, but reflects spiritually all that belongs to his Maker” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 475).

I ask one thing of you.  Should you hear someone claiming “I am God,” pass along this article!  Thanks!

Related Information

    Whitney Houston

 Randomly flipping through the channels in an effort to find something of interest to view, I saw it–words that caused the remote to freeze in my hand: “Whitney Houston: Dead at 48.”  While my first reaction was shock, another voice whispered, “Are you surprised?  You know she was on drugs.”  Quickly, I challenged the voice, forced it to turn away from the negative “You know” to a positive “You know–you know she had one of the greatest voices during your lifetime–a voice that relaxed the demons, tickled the spirit and massaged the soul.”  It was not only her voice, it was also her beauty, stage presence and the sense of honesty rising to a crescendo of audience acceptance as she delivered the message of the song.    You felt it!  Somehow it changed your life for the moment, and sometimes, even  moments to come.  Whitney Houston, how did she begin?  Where did she go?  How did she get there?

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born August 9, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey to entertainment executive John Russell Houston Jr.  and gospel singer Cissy Houston.  At eleven years of age, she followed in the footsteps of her mother and began singing in the choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark.  Her first church solo performance was “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”– words if understood and practiced, can be the foundation and guide for one’s life.

Remember Her

 I remember the first time I saw her face on the TV screen, heard that astounding voice and marveled at her success!  She seemed to transcend human life and touch something beyond.  You felt it, but could not explain it, but  .   .   .   you knew it was there.    As a singer, I know what it means to capture an audience, have it mentally sing every note with you and caress every word!  It is a bond that binds, and a moment when hearts intertwine–the epitome of a relationship between a performer and the listener.  Many try it, few succeed!

Not only was Houston the greatest pop singer of all time, she was also a good actress.  I watched the movie “The Bodyguard” over-and-over.   The story-line, coupled with the powerful and moving voice of Whitney, resonated with audiences everywhere.   Waiting To Exhale allowed fans to concentrate on her acting ability because singing was not part of the movie.   Her role as a TV producer in love with a married man, was a message to any woman who feels that life is not complete unless a man is in it.  Unfortunately, its message did not translate into Houston’s ability to do the same with her own life.   Her marriage to Bobby Brown revealed the depth of her struggle with relationships and the lack of dominion over deep-seated mental anguish.

In 1987, Whitney’s hit single “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” hit the top 100 charts in countries like Australia, Germany and the UK.  She was the first female artist to have an album with four #1 hit singles.  Her earnings made her the highest paid African American female overall, and was third to Eddy Murphy and Bill Cosby as the highest earning entertainer.

Celebrate Whitney

 Houston was a supporter of the anti-apartheid movement led by Nelson Mandela.  In the early years of her career, she demonstrated that support by not working with agencies who did business with apartheid South Africa.   She participated in the Wembley Stadium in London to raise over $1 million for Mandela while he was in prison.    She also raised money that supported the Negro College Fund.

In 1989, Whitney formed the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children – a non-profit organization that cares for the homeless and children suffering from cancer and AIDS.  In 1990, President George H.W. Bush invited her to the Oval Office to participate in the Youth Leadership Forum.  

We could go on and on, racking up human successes and failures and grading them on a scale of 0 to 10, but is that truly what life is about?  Is it not measured by the divine qualities of thought?  Such qualities of thought reveal themselves in acts of kindness, hope, faith and perseverance.  Human experiences may knock us down numerous times, but life is not only measured by the number of times we fall, but also by the courage with which we rise.  The demons of sensuality reveal themselves in many ways.  My demon may not be yours, but isn’t a demon a demon?    All must be conquered before we wear the garments of salvation.  Time is better spent making sure our garments are clean, and recognizing that it is not our responsibility to purify the garments of our fellow man.  In the realm of Spirit, sin is sin.  There is no little sin or great sin.  All must be destroyed.  Mind, God is the Architect of our thoughts, Spirit the substance, and Soul the happiness, harmony and beauty within.

How Do We Moan Her?

We moan her not with tissue and “hanky” in hand, but with affirmation and gratitude.  Affirm that she is still continuing her journey–a journey that conquers beliefs of the flesh, radiates with self-confidence and glows in faith and determination.

Life does not began nor end in mortality.  It exists in the realm of Spirit, exercising the substance of Mind and radiating through the senses of Soul.  Let us affirm that “the greatest love of all”  is not of ourselves, but of God–a love that never ceases, but continues eternally.

Let us use Whitney’s legacy “I Will Always Love You”  to reassure ourselves that this love is not human, but divine–a love without judgment, limitations and conditions, but ever-present here, now and always.

Click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9nPf7w7pDI

If you were inspired by this article, pass it along to a friend.

The Cup of Salvation

 The cup which Jesus drank during the last supper with his disciples paved the way for all worshipers.  It removed the sackcloth of mortal peace and harmony from our eyes, and replaced it with the presence of Christ, truth.   What is the cup of salvation?    Mary Baker Eddy says, “Our cup is the cross”  (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 35).  The cross signifies the human suffering that each one of us must endure to overcome sin and death.  It has many faces:  theft, turbulent relationships, murder, discrimination, loss of a loved one and intense physical torment.  Whatever the appearance, courage, understanding, patience, persistence and perseverance are required to overcome it.

Salvation

“Salvation”  means saving grace–that Christlike element which enters thought and destroys all sense of error dwelling there.   Some refer to it as the “Holy Ghost.”  I see it as thoughts that help discriminate right from wrong and generate comfort, peace, love and truth.   It is the human trials and tribulations which when overcome by the Word of God, save from the belief that they exist in divine understanding and demonstration.  One begins to see the falsity of physical sense and the truth of spiritual sense.   The words of Jesus ring true as thought ascends to higher levels:  “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take up the cross and follow me” (Mark 8: 34).  Human thoughts, desires and efforts yield to strong faith, denial of adverse  circumstances and experiences, and  acquire only a desire to please God.  Such a desire opens the way to seeking and finding opportunities to overcome conditions, situations and circumstances no matter how grave or seemingly impossible.   Jesus is the way.  That “way” is mentally uniting with God, and allowing humility and patience to govern and guide.

Each of us must drink of the cup of salvation.  Recently, I drank it to overcome the death of my husband.  Mortal thought said, “Father, not again!  I buried my daughter six years ago, my dad twelve years ago,  restructured my business to keep it from failing and am watching  my mother suffer with dementia.  What more should I suffer?”  Step-by-step, I am learning that each experience foreshadowed the success over sin and death.   Each gave greater clarity to the unreality of mortal thinking and pointed the way to immortal understanding.  Divine revelation emerged from the sorrows, trials and human turmoil, as love dissolved impurity and truth destroyed error.

After my husband’s death, banking institutions, through fear and one-sided rules, sought to prevent me from claiming all aspects of the estate unless I yielded to their demands.  Each was met with prayer, determination, and knowledge that only divine law prevailed, yielding harmonious results with minute expenses.  A military attorney guided me through the legal process at no expense (they cannot represent annuitants in court) and courage allowed me to walk through the court filings without the aid of an attorney.  Holding firmly to the true nature of man, anger, resentment and revenge were put aside.  I fought daily to see each individual as the man made in God’s image and likeness, untouched by greed, human control and power.  Principle is the only law and it was demonstrated in every situation.   Human ethics and judgment were stripped away and the perfection of man revealed.  Daily prayer and study placed the matter at the foot of the cross and raised my eyesight toward heavenly contemplation.  Understanding was challenged, but faith sustained.  I was shepherded by the Great Shepherd–bringing still waters and green pastures.  Turbulence became a mortal dream and stillness an immortal reality.

The Apocalypse

During the Apocalypse, John saw the spiritual idea as the Saviour of the world.  He knew that it was the living Christ demonstrated on a daily basis that would revolutionize mortal thinking and submerge human logic.    It was his revelation of the true nature of man that allows us to identify ourselves as children of God.  The cup of salvation is ladened with human hardships and experiences that teach lessons demonstrated by the Master Christian, Jesus.  Are you ready to learn them?  Some are subtle, but others are bold.  Some learned quickly, others over months and years, but all must be learned.  There is no other way.  Jesus paved the way, but he will not make the journey for us.  Each person must walk along the same pathway.  The trail may be different, but the journey is the same–dominion over sin, sickness and death.

The experience can be likened to a person reading a book about Alaska.  The pictures and story-line reveal Alaska’s amazing beauty, snow-capped covered mountains, animal freedom, sprawling countryside, but they pale in light of a visit to Alaska and actually live the experiences.   Each experience molds and shapes one’s life in ways reading about it can never accomplish.  Similarly, walking in the footsteps of truth, opens doors of understanding and revelation that imagination can never behold–doors that purify thought and wash human hands with waters of love, humility, faith and courage.  Each step prepares you for the next one, carrying thought out of the valleys of ignorance to the mountain top of divine intelligence.

Repentance is the process by which human thought yields to the divine.  It becomes more than an expression of words, but a journey of demonstration through human hardships and sacrifices.  The path was not easy for Jesus, prophets and disciples, and it will not be easy for us.  Criticism, berating and physical abuse are not uncommon hurdles that must be overcome.  To become “blessed” with a “pure heart” and the ability to “see God,”  means unseeing death and destruction as realities.  Our human lives become vehicles for divine life.  Talking the talk without walking the walk, will never yield a pure heart and clean hands recorded by the Scriptures.  Many times, as I have struggled with the ways of mankind, I have asked God to reveal to me what I have done to deserve such treatment.  Spiritual growth comes not from the work of man, but of God.  We becomes vessels of persistence, perseverance and long suffering so that others may see how divinity operates in the human experience.  The life of Jesus is the greatest example.  Jesus said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world”  (John 9: 5).   Mary Baker Eddy says, “Whosoever layeth his earthly all on the alter of divine Science, drinketh of Christ’s cup now and is endured with the spirit and power of Christian healing” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 55).  Let us say, “With humble hearts, patience, love and a desire to fulfill a mission in the way of God’s choosing, let us drink of the cup of salvation and emerge with clean hands and a pure heart.”

Related References

101978-SMIT-soft-081211-low book cover  CLICK HERE TO SEE BOOK COVER!

Kirkus Review takes a shot at “Medicine: A Daily Dose of Spirituality” by Mamie Smith Ed.D.   

Here is the “review.”  Read the book and see if you agree!

Smith, Mamie

MEDICINE

A Daily Dose of

Spirituality: Improving

Your Health with One                                                                                                         

Mind

Xlibris (107 pp.)

$24.99 Hardcover

$15.99 Paperback

$9.99 e-book

August 16, 2011

ISBN: 978-1465347589

This introduction to the essentials of Christian Science offers solace through simplification of concept of “disease.”  Smith, described on the cover as “an avid social media writer, inspirational speaker, teacher and business woman,” wrote this brief book in order to help alleviate suffering among readers coping with the loss of a loved one.

 Whether or not this book would be in any measure effective in meeting that worthy objective is contingent on what is left unmentioned on the book’s covers–Smith is a devout Christian Scientist and sees health and illness absolutely through that religion’s perspective.  Only a few small portions of the text detour from the overarching theme of Christian Science in order to share memories of her fundamentalist Baptist upbringing that she currently views as error-prone.  There are also a few asides suggesting that the world in general, and the U.S. in particular, are in terrible straits economically and politically, though even those insights are offered with the implication that Christian Science practiced could ameliorate these problems.

Of greatest poignancy—and perhaps the sole reason for a reader uninterested in Christian Science to read this—are the expressions of grief Smith articulates regarding her daughter who died as a consequence of breast cancer.  Smith’s grief assumes form in a moving tribute in poetry and a thoughtful meditation in prose.  It is left to the reader whether to read Smith’s assertions that cancer is a “dream,” and that her daughter had “disastrous medical surgery” that Smith might imply sped her daughter’s loss, as denials or spiritual insights.

In spite of this book being marketed as a spiritual “how too”  book about praying and attaining higher consciousness,  all advice appears culled from Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and health with Key to the Scriptures, the core of Christian Science practice.  Smith simplifies Eddy’s book to an extreme.  And the reader should be aware  that in spite of Smith’s graduate degree, the most often quoted factual sources are Wikipedia and Webster’s (no specific edition of the dictionary cited).

 Interested readers may be better served in their search for spiritual medicine through Mary Baker Eddy’s original writings.

Kirkus Indie, Kirkus Media LLC, 6411 Burleson Rd., Austin, TX 78744

indie@kirkusreviews.com 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/medicine-mamie-edd-smith/1104995992?ean=9781465347572&format=paperback

I would like to express my gratitude to Kirkus for this review.  It is offered to readers as a literary review and not as the purpose, focus or recurring theme of “Medicine: A Daily Dose of Spirituality.”    Also, be aware that the most “factual quoted sources” used in the book are the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.  One can only arrive at this by reading the book himself.