Christian Science in Western Australia

Forgiveness is a wonderful thing

nitamurphy — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:29:10 +0000

My guest post for today is by the Australian/New Zealand Manager for Committee on Publication – Daryl Francis, who recently attended a conference on Spirituality and Health in Adelaide, South Australia. Thanks for posting your thoughts on this topic Daryl.

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Daryl Francis

Forgiveness is a wonderful thing. It promotes health.

Exercise, good diet, regular check-ups, the right medications – isn’t that what most people think of when they think of what promotes health?

Forgiveness promotes health? What?

I’ve mentioned that forgiveness was the main theme of the conference on Spirituality and Health that I attended in Adelaide a couple of weeks ago. Lots of health professionals from the world of medicine supported the idea that forgiveness promotes health with anecdotal and empirical evidence and studies (with lots of statistics!) made over long periods of time.

Forgiveness is not new… it is put forward as a virtue in many faith traditions. We find it in the Lord’s Prayer… “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us,” in the 1662 Anglican Common Book of Prayer, or “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” in the King James version. There are other commonly read translations of Matthew 6:12.

I would put it that forgiveness is more than a virtue though. It is a force for well-being – health – and it’s something we can all practice.

What happens when we get steamed up about something someone else has done to us, really offended us, and we stew over it for days, weeks, even years? Have you ever met anyone like that? Are they happy campers? Bitter dark thoughts dim anyone’s perception of whatever good is present, and that seems to be a short cut to stress and depression which some claim leads on to many other physical diseases. Being able to forgive can short circuit those negative outcomes. It promotes healing without the side effects of medications.

At the recent conference in Adelaide, there were some very moving accounts of the healing power of forgiveness. One of them was given by a woman who had come to Australia just a few months ago with her family looking for a safe place to live. One day a neighbour’s son came to their door and shot her husband and son for no apparent reason, through the glass front door of their home. Her husband was killed and the son was still in hospital as she spoke about it. This brave woman was working hard to keep her emotions in check as she told her story just three months after the event. What was giving this dear woman such strength?

She told us that the moment she realized what had just happened she was obviously shocked and devastated, but immediately the thought came to her, “I must forgive this boy right now or it will be eating at me for a very long time.” (That’s not an exact quote, but as near as I recall) She told of how she insisted on seeing the boy as one of God’s very own children right on the spot. Literally, as the child of God who was even at that moment loved by God, and by his family.

What a powerful example of forgiveness that was. No-one hearing it was unmoved. To me, it was an act of unlimited love being demonstrated. This mother told of the continuous love and support pouring out to her from friends and neighbours – some she had not even met before – over the following weeks. I have a very strong feeling that this dear mother will rebuild her life successfully.

In the King James Version of the Holy Bible, part of the Lord’s Prayer reads, “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”. (See Matthew 6:12) Mary Baker Eddy, who founded Christian Science gives her understanding of those words as, “And Love is reflected in love.” (page 17, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Eddy.)

Forgiveness is more than a virtue, it’s a healing power.

Could it be that we all have the power to think ourselves young again?

nitamurphy — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:31:29 +0000

Today with so much emphasis on reversing the aging process, I found colleague Kay Stroud’s blog thought provoking and refreshing. Thanks Kay……..

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Kay Stroud

What if it were possible to turn back time? Could it be that we all have the power to think ourselves young again?

What a refreshing joy to see the realisation dawn on an elderly person’s face that getting older doesn’t mean decrepitude, sickness and uselessness! Did you catch the “Young Ones”, the series aired on the ABC over the last four Tuesdays? This program showed how a person’s environment can shape the way that they think, and how, in turn, the way people think shapes how they feel.

There was obvious and astounding physical and mental improvement in just a week as six of the UK’s beloved stars in their 70s and 80s progressed through this experiment, living as though it were in their heyday in 1975. The final program next week examines ‘how our preconceptions about old people and how we behave ourselves can have enormous impact on how we feel about the elderly and how we age’.

This is not the first time this sort of experiment has been carried out. Even back in the 19^thCentury a “sketch from the history of an English woman (was) published in the London medical magazine called The Lancet. Disappointed in love in her early years, she became insane and lost all account of time. Believing that she was still living in the same hour which parted her from her lover, taking no note of years,s he stood daily before the window watching for her lover’s coming. In this mental state she remained young. Having no consciousness of time, she literally grew no older. Some American travellers saw her when she was seventy-four, and supposed her to be a young woman. She had no care-lined face, no wrinkles nor gray hair, but youth sat gently on cheek and brow. Asked to guess her age, those unacquainted with her history conjectured that she must be under twenty“.

The discoverer and founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, retold the above account in her seminal book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (p.245). As are many thinkers from all walks of life today, she was profoundly interested in the scientific research of her day.

Eddy’s many healing demonstrations of the principles of Christian Science equipped her to be able to explain it this way, “Impossibilities never occur. One instance like the foregoing proves it possible to be young at seventy-four; and the primary of that illustration makes it plain that decrepitude is not according to law, nor is it a necessity of nature, but an illusion.”

In actual fact, we can each prove that as the ‘image and likeness of God’ we are not like a pendulum, swinging between evil and good, joy and sorrow, sickness and health, life and death, but have boundless health, opportunities to progress and fulfillment. Halleluiah!

Posted in Christian Science, Healing, Health care, Kay’s posts, Prayer, Scientific research, Spirituality, Videos | Tagged ageless being, Christian Science practitioner, Christian Scientists, decrepitude an illusion, Healing, Health care, how we age, image and likeness of God, Kay Stroud, Ken Girard, Lancet, Mary Baker Eddy, Prayer, Science and Health, Scientific research, spiritual healing, time for thinkers, UK’s beloved stars, Young Ones ABC Program | Leave

Guest Post: Health fads the fashion

nitamurphy — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:03:06 +0000

Today’s guest post is from Steven Salt, from Ohio. He throws a serious, thought provoking light on health fads – along with some light hearted observations. Some of it direct from Australia.

Fads come and go. That’s their nature. Somebody starts something, it catches on, and before long, everybody’s doing it, whether or not it’s a good idea. Once the novelty wears off, it’s on to the next.

In the 1920’s there was flag pole sitting. In the 1940’s it was gold fish swallowing. Later came phone booth stuffing, Chinese fire drills and streaking. Flash mobs are still going strong.

Another one of today’s fads is planking. Definition: lying face down in an unusual place. Yep, that’s it. Find a place and lie face down. What’s the point? None, other than you are participating in the latest fad. You’re current, with it. You have a jump on everyone else. Yippee!

Many fads are health related. Food and diet fads, exercise machines and routines, and medication and herbal supplements attract our fancy. How about the Beverly Hills Fruit Diet, giggle machines, and Fen-phen? They have come and gone.

Today with many new drugs entering the marketplace, advertisers are hitting the airways with a product that needs a buyer. The buyer needs a reason to purchase. So the advertiser sells the symptoms that the product supposedly alleviates. During a 3 to 6 month advertising campaign the description of those symptoms can weigh on us. And that’s the point. Just accept one of the symptoms and the chances of you buying the drug go up.

This is also creating a culture of self-diagnosis. Not only can you preempt the doctor’s evaluation by telling him what’s wrong, you can prescribe just the right medication, the one you saw advertised on TV.

Disease can have an element of novelty. The author of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, once wrote, “A new name for an ailment affects people like a Parisian name for a novel garment. Every one hastens to get it. A minutely described disease costs many a man his earthly days of comfort.” My guess is that designer labels from Paris were the fashion fad of Eddy’s day.

She does bring up a good point about the attraction of ailments. Sure…nobody wants to be sick. But when thinking about the intense focus on bodily pains and observations promoted in the media, it could just be that we are looking at a fad, today’s disease du jour.

Awareness to this tendency might be just the thing needed that keep us from falling victim to its attraction. So, watch out for all those commercials describing specific symptoms. Don’t take it in. Years down the road, you’ll thank me. As for those pictures of you lying face down in the middle of that busy sidewalk…well I can’t help you there.

What’s at the door of your thinking?

nitamurphy — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:14:53 +0000

My guest post for today is by Daryl Francis. Daryl’s comments are reflective of the way I (and I’m sure many, many others) feel about the recent news broadcast to the world.

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Daryl Francis

A few days ago we had news that Osama bin Laden had been found and shot. He has been held responsible for thousands of deaths around the world in recent years and I sense that many, many people feel that he needed to be brought to justice.

I’m wondering quietly about the jubilant reactions of crowds in some parts of the world shown on news broadcasts.

Will the fact that he has been eliminated bring the acts of terrorism he encouraged to a halt? Sadly, on its own, I doubt that it will. The kind of thinking that led to terrorism in the first place seems to have become such a part of Osama’s followers’ thinking that whether he is there in person or not is possibly irrelevant to them.

Has anyone else noticed that when we, as individuals give permission – mental consent – to a certain kind of behavior, it’s not always long after that that we see it turn up in our own experience? It’s been my observation that if we refuse to give consent to certain kinds of behaviour, it’s less likely that we will become involved with those behaviours.

How important then, is it to stay alert to what is knocking on the door of our thinking?

In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures Mary Baker Eddy wrote: “Your decisions will master you, whichever direction they take… Stand porter at the door of thought.”

Over the decades, I’ve found that to be good advice. It’s kept me out of trouble many a time.

Posted in Safety | Tagged behaviour, justice, Mary Baker Eddy, mental permission, Osama bin Laden, Science and Health, terrorism | Leave a comment

April Fool’s Day – 1st April, Golden Rule Day – 5th April

nitamurphy — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 04:58:50 +0000

When growing up I reveled in the fact that April Fool’s Day gave us a legitimate excuse to play an innocent practical joke on family members, friends and especially teachers! Almost always the jokes would be reciprocated.

My guest post for today by London colleague Tony Lobl talks about another kind of reciprocity – that of good deeds. We are reminded of this on Golden Rule Day – 5th April. The idea of ‘doing for others what you would like to have done for yourself’ has been around for many centuries and is a central part of most religions/belief systems. Tony tells us of its origins……..

Posted on March 30, 2011 by loblt| 2 Comments

And, no, this is not an April Fool’s joke! Five days from now an idea is being celebrated. It is a profoundly Christian idea…to Christians like myself…a profoundly Jewish idea to Jews, a profoundly Hindu idea to Hindus, etc. (See graphic at bottom of this blog.)

Which only goes to show that no-one has a monopoly on a good idea, not any religion…

Nor all the religions! According to think humanism “Humanists try to embrace the moral principle known as the ‘Golden Rule’, otherwise known as the ethic of reciprocity, which means we believe that people should aim to treat each other as they would like to be treated themselves – with tolerance, consideration and compassion…”

Of course, a good idea doesn’t need to wait for a certain day to be enacted. Golden Rule Day is all about promoting the Golden Rule’s everyday – and moment by moment – consideration and implementation. Including Friday…

So, here is a Golden Rule for April Fools Day: don’t fool others in ways in which you wouldn’t want to be fooled.

Mind you, that leaves plenty of ways to fool your family and friends in ways you would find funny if done to you. So have fun! (See, for instance, The Five Best Online April Fools’ Pranks, in The Christian Science Monitor.)

Here is a video for “Golden Rule Day” by Charter of Compassion founder – and successful author – Karen Armstrong:

And here are the various messages she is referring to which evidence “the centrality” of the Golden Rule to so many different faiths.

Celebrating the real woman!

nitamurphy — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 06:05:02 +0000

This week, most newspapers and media outlets have featured articles in honour of the centenary of International Women’s Day (8th March).

The Weekend Australian sponsored a four page report titled ‘Women in Leadership’ and my local paper featured a short bio on 100 high achieving women in Western Australia’s first Women’s Hall of Fame.

I have had the privilege of working with so many outstanding women over the years and have gained wisdom and insight from all. I am grateful to them for their mentoring and friendship.

I am also profoundly grateful to another woman, Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science. I am a student of Christian Science and have found that through the study of Eddy’s inspired writings and the practical application of the healing ideas in her primary work, Science and Health, I have seen changes for good in my own life and the life of those around me.

My guest post for today is from a fellow Christian Scientist living in Texas, Annette Bridges. Annette talks about Mary Baker Eddy and her ground breaking accomplishments for the betterment of humanity.

Thank you Annette……..

TOO LATE? MAYBE NOT!

By Annette Bridges ·

Crossing Bridges (Moving thought with a touch of Spirit)

———————————————————-
Do you have dreams that have never been realized? Do you feel like it’s too late to act on them? Well, maybe it’s not!

Since my childhood, I have aspired to be a published author. I’ve always loved to write. Keeping a journal was a passion that began when I was 9 years old. But many years passed without my youthful dreams coming true.

The pursuit of ideals, for women and men alike, has long been a powerful force in restoring hope in the face of impossible odds. Its power often comes when we consider that impossible odds might sometimes be self-imposed odds that make us sigh with dismay: “too old” or “too late.” But to impossible odds, the dreamer and visionary will always say, “Not so!”

March being National Women’s History Month compels me to write about a woman whose life example tells me it’s never too late to pursue aspirations, achieve goals and fulfill one’s life purpose. I first learned of Mary Baker Eddy as an American author of a book that explained groundbreaking ideas about spirituality and health — ideas that are more at home in the 21st century than in her own 19th-century world, in fact.

David Hufford of the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine wrote in his book “Eddy: Current Running against the Mainstream”: “In the late 1800s, there were very few women in medical schools, in seminaries, or in universities. Mrs. Eddy and a handful of other women upset centuries of tradition when they began to speak and write about religious and medical issues … and to talk openly about the equality of men and women.”

Mary Baker Eddy openly challenged the conventional thinking in the theology, medicine and science of her times, and for this, she was often the target of criticism and slander. Consequently, I’ve found that some historical records still don’t tell all the facts of her life correctly. The lives of others have much to teach us, so how important it is for his-stories and her-stories to be accurately told!

What inspires me now as I approach the half-century mark is that she was 54 years old when her renowned book “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” was first published. And top that with the fact that she was 87 years old when she launched The Christian Science Monitor as a balanced and ethical alternative to the sensational journalism of her day. A paper that remains a leading international newspaper, I might add.

Such accomplishments (and there were many others) by a woman during her middle age and senior years give me inspiration to imagine the possibilities for my dreams today.

Eddy’s own words provide some insight into how ambitions can be accomplished. “The devotion of thought to an honest achievement makes the achievement possible.” Her life and accomplishments proved this for us all.

History is filled with accounts of many great men and women who have reached their aims and attained their high hopes. Mary Baker Eddy describes their lives as “miracles of patience and perseverance.” And like them and like her, we’ve all got it in us.

Still feel like it’s too late to pursue your dreams? Well, maybe it’s not!
———————-

For more information about Mary Baker Eddy and her many accomplishments, visit the website of the Mary Baker Eddy Library.

Find more of Annette’s writings at: www.AnnetteBridges.com

The Top 10 Misconceptions About Christian Science

nitamurphy — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:33:13 +0000

Guest post from Eric Nelson:

Thanks for this Eric. Your top ten is pretty much what we get here in Australia – not necessarily in the same order though.

Last Friday I had coffee with Bruce Reyes-Chow – former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA), founding pastor of San Francisco’s Mission Bay Community Church, avid social networker, Oakland A’s fan, and widely-read blogger.

Most of our time was spent chatting about all things “social media” – with a couple of detours to compare notes on baseball and Mac computers. I was impressed by his many accomplishments, his love of church, the authenticity and depth of his passions – and his good questions. Towards the end of the conversation, something Bruce asked really stuck with me:

“What do you think are the Top 10 misconceptions about Christian Science?”

We’d already been talking for over an hour and Bruce had to leave for another meeting before I could answer, which is why I’m using this post to respond to his question. So, without further ado, here’s my list – along with a (perhaps too) brief response to each. If you’d like me to elaborate, or if you’d like to add to the list, feel free to leave a comment below or shoot me an email.

(10) Christian Science is not Christian – While my “brand” of Christianity may not look exactly like the next guy’s, this doesn’t mean I’m any less “Christian.” To me the ultimate proof of my faith comes down to just one question: Am I doing my best to emulate the life of Jesus and to follow in both thought and deed what he asked of his disciples – then and now?

(9) Christian Science is not a Bible-based religion – This one always perplexes me since I read the Bible practically every day of the week, as do most of the other Christian Scientists I know. In fact,Mary Baker Eddy, who founded the religion, once described the Bible as her “only textbook.”

(8) Christian Science is a cult – It’s possible that this misconception stems from the fact that Christian Scientists often refer to Mary Baker Eddy in glowing terms. However, one mustn’t confuse admiration with deification. Mrs. Eddy herself once wrote, “Follow me only so far as I follow Christ.”

(7) Christian Science is the same as Scientology – The words may sound similar, but there’s absolutely no connection – theological, historical, or otherwise – between the two.

(6) Christian Science is a “New Thought” or “New Age” religion – While “New Thought” and “New Age” practices both draw on aspects from a variety of philosophical and religious traditions, Christian Science remains a decidedly and exclusively Christian religion, founded for the express purpose of “commemorat[ing] the word and works of [Jesus], which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing” (Church Manual of The First Church of Christ, Scientist).

(5) Christian Scientists hate doctors – Just because I haven’t been to a doctor in the last umpteen years doesn’t mean I have anything against them. On the contrary, I have nothing but respect for those who devote their lives to the health and well being of others. For me it’s not about refusing to go a doctor but choosing to rely on a form of health care (i.e. using prayer in lieu of conventional medical treatment) that’s proven to be very effective. I should mention, too, that my church does not forbid me from going to a doctor. That decision is left up to me and me alone.

(4) When Christian Scientists pray, they’re not actually doing anything – When I pray, I’m not pleading with some Being in a far off place who may or may not choose to grant my wish. I’m also not simply “hoping for the best.” It’s really more about being open mentally to the divine laws of God indicated in the healings we read about in the Bible, which remain available to anyone, anywhere to this very day. This change of thought has the effect of transforming not only my mental state but my physical condition as well.

(3) Christian Scientists are willing to endanger their children – Generally the argument goes something like this: “It’s one thing for an adult to take a risk by relying on prayer for healing, but quite another for them to force that on their kids.” I completely agree. And while I can’t speak for everyone who has ever grown up in a Christian Science household, I can tell you that this was not how I was raised. Christian Science was never forced on me but something I had to figure out on my own. The result was that, even at a very young age, I learned that relying on God for healing isn’t risky at all but immensely practical.

(2) Christian Science teaches that when someone dies it’s “God’s will” – Simply put, Christian Science teaches that it’s never, ever, God’s will when someone suffers or dies.

(1) Christian Science has never really healed anyone – Over the years there have been over 80,000 verified testimonies of healing published in the Church’s various publications – many involving cases that were medically diagnosed, all of which were accomplished through reliance on prayer alone. We’re talking everything from minor ailments to heart disease, tuberculosis, Alzheimer’s, AIDS, and cancer – not to mention my own healing of multiple internal and external injuries. Did this really happen? Just ask the people who’ve been healed.

Thanks for your question, Bruce. Stay tuned for more debunking down the road.

Eric maintains a great blog here. Well worth a visit, folks!

Is God ever uncaring?

nitamurphy — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:40:36 +0000

Guest post from Bob Cummings: Is God ever uncaring?

Bob Cummings is from Michigan and in this re post of his blog, he’s addressing an age old question that quite a few have been asking here in Australia lately due to the fact that vast areas of Australia have been dealing with homes being washed away - sometimes several times in less than a year, huge cyclones leveling whole towns, laying waste to farming lands and ferocious bush fires razing homes. Is this the work of a vengeful God?

Bob makes the point that most people agree that God is, in fact, Love, whose presence can be felt – anywhere. “

We all have so much in common that supports and unites us – and brings us healing. Thanks Bob, for reminding us of this.

Posted on January 3, 2011 by admin

“Would Americans, in the face of unemployment, home foreclosures, two wars and an uncertain economic future, describe the Almighty as a wrathful, cold critic of our failings, or maybe a distant, uncaring force?”

The answer? “For Americans today, God, quite simply, is love.”

This is Cathy Lynn Grossman’s synopsis of contributions from readers sharing their concept of God in her 12/19/2010 article in USA WEEKEND entitled, “How Americans imagine God.” She pointed out that the responses are personal and individual. “Still, one gleaming, common thread weaves throughout: For Americans today, God, quite simply, is love.” Her readers “describe a loving presence”.

So, how does Christian Science imagine God?

How does Christian Science imagine God?

In her major work on Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy writes (on page 40), “The Christian Science God is universal, eternal, divine Love, which changeth not and causeth no evil, disease, nor death.” In Christian Science viewing God as uncaring is unnatural. In an article entitled, “The People’s Idea of God” (on page 6) Mrs. Eddy wrote, “Believing that man is the victim of his Maker, we naturally fear God more than we love Him; whereas “perfect Love casteth out fear;” but when we learn God aright, we love Him, because He is found altogether lovely.”

God loves us. He does not send us trouble or cause us to suffer. God’s love is so amazing, so deep, so high, so good that God is Love itself. Christian Science teaches that God is Love. So much so that He is known as Love and “Love” is therefore regarded as another name for God (and capitalized to indicate this). God always loves us. He is always bestowing good, and only good, to His children – to all of us.

I have found relying on God to be an effective, reliable choice in all sorts of situations. In Christian Science I do not hold a blind faith in a God who at times is “a distant, uncaring force” and who may or may not take good care of me. Not at all! But rather, I hold an understanding trust in a most loving God gained through years of experiencing God’s “loving presence” in help, in guidance, in healing. This is not a new view of God. The Bible says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (KJV Psalm 46:1). And now from this article in USA WEEKEND I see that perhaps this is not such an uncommon view.

So, how do you imagine God?

Feeling out of love? – say no!

nitamurphy — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:39:40 +0000

As I walked through the city mall this morning I was handed a single red rose by a young woman who was with a group of other young people all handing out roses.

I was touched by this lovely gesture and expressed my gratitude to these delightfully exuberant young people. And I was equally touched by the message attached to the rose: ‘GOD LOVES YOU AND WE LOVE YOU!’.

They were members of a local Christian group and there was a contact number on the back of the card. I felt blessed that they had taken the time to connect with their fellow man in this way.

On returning home, I read friend and colleague, Carey Arber’s take on Valentine’s day - the concept of God as Love and the idea that we, as God’s spiritual offspring can never be out of His/Her love.

Relax in the arms of divine Love and read on……

posted by Carey Arber, 14th February 2011.

We all know how human affairs go up and down like yoyos. Take love as the topic.

This article by a doctor refers to Valentine’s Day as a terrible battle for some clients. It’s true that people have made rituals out of love, but we don’t have to be part of destructive thinking - say no!

I trust the teaching that “God is love” – found in the Bible. Because God is not and never was a person, as taught in Christian Science, it takes love to a whole other level. It’s possible to draw from, and lean on that higher sense of love – divine Love – to fix our relationships with our spouses, family, partners and friends.

What do you want to feel from love? Some of the top needs are happiness, security, a sense of belonging and being needed. We need love to cancel feelings of loneliness, hate, rejection and fear.

People through the ages have found that when they turn to divine Love for those needs - already there but needed to be realised - that their relationships were healed. A work in progress? – yes! Our hunger for spiritual nourishment is natural, and shouldn’t be mistaken for human satisfaction alone.

“… seek ye first the Kingdom of God… and these things shall be added unto you.” ~ Christ Jesus.

Realistically then, should we ever feel out of love? Say, no!

. . . P S. G o d l o v e s y o u n o m a t t e r w h a t .

Need a Lift?

nitamurphy — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 03:40:39 +0000

My guest post today is from colleague Bob Clark of Florida. The title caught my attention as did Bob’s reference to the Daily Lift podcast which I too receive in my in box. Each day it’s there waiting with gems of spiritual ideas so helpful to your present circumstances. I can’t thank the creators of the ‘Daily Lift’ enough. And thanks to you also Bob for your ‘timely’ reminder…….

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Robert B. Clark| Leave a comment

I’m sitting in a Starbucks at Tampa International waiting for my flight to LAX and contemplating my next blog. I hear my name on the PA system. First time that’s happened! I rush to the courtesy phone, realizing as I go that it must be my wonderful wife, who has discovered my cell phone, which I hadn’t yet realized was left in the car. Sure enough. I dash back to the main terminal, grab the phone, kiss my wife and go back through security.

Small personal crisis averted. But there’s a sub-story here.

Earlier in the morning I had listened to my “DAILY LIFT”. This is an award winning, spiritually focused daily podcast, which arrives in my email inbox every morning. It’s a short, spiritually compelling message from a variety of experienced Christian Science healers, new each morning. This morning’s Lift had been titled, “Pack Wisely”.

The focus had been packing for a trip and making sure to include all your “mission-essential” gear. More importantly, the speaker emphasized the importance of making sure all your “mission-essential” qualities were present in consciousness. One quality mentioned was the expectation of good, a God-given quality. That stuck with me and I was pondering it further when I heard my name on that PA system.

My wife discovered my phone in the car because it rang a few seconds before she would have crossed back over Tampa Bay and passed way beyond the possibility of returning it to me before my flight. That phone call was completely unexpected, from someone I had never met. Yet I had been expecting good…and here it was. A very close call…being without my smart phone for 48 hours in a distant city…unthinkable…was narrowly averted.

Coincidence? Random occurrence? I don’t think so. This was clearly something else. I needed a lift this morning…whether I knew it or not. My early morning commitment to expecting good, impelled by the “Daily Lift”, had prepared my thought to receive a small but vital blessing in the form of an exquisitely timed phone call. Minor crisis averted; major confirmation of the power of spiritualizing thought on a daily basis.