Through all that the world may throw at us, and sometimes convincingly make claims of divisiness, disaster and disease that would overwhelm us, there is an insistence that life prevails, goodness prevails and love prevails.  The very nature of love pierces these claims that lead to depression.  The primal impulse of love is God. In the Bible, the book of John says simply "God is love."  God's love is the most potent force that we can experience.  Understanding the power of God's love - pure, universal and unconditional love - leads the way out of the fog of depression and into the light of God, Love. 

I collected a number of posts that I wrote over the years dealing with this issue.  These posts were written in different years, from different perspectives and approaches to prayer.  The last post includes links to others' experiences in healing depression.  Even while I write this, I hope that those struggling with depression will feel that they are not alone in this struggle.  Love is right where you are.

Spoiler alert!  The above video is inspiring.  It is is about a race.  A woman runs, falls, rises and goes on to win the race.

As I watched this, all kinds of life lessons raced around my head.  I admit.  I teared up.  This video is such an encouraging reminder of a number of things:

• It is not the fall that defines us, it is the rising up.
• We are made in the image and likeness of God, not of some fallen man.
• The fall only has the power we give it, for it has no power of its own.  You'll note that the woman didn't accept that the fall had the last word.  She knew who she was.  She was a runner, and nothing could change that.
• Everyone cheered.  Everyone was inspired.  We have within us the same conviction that
  rises up in recognition of all that is good and triumphant.

In the Bible in Genesis, the simple idea that we were made in the image and likeness of God carries with it a powerful punch.  God is good.  God is Love.  And that goodness and Love constitutes our fundamental being.  We can draw on this whenever some obstacle tries to trip us up.  Whether this fall or obstacle is fear, disease, a difficult past, or lack of eduation or oportunity, the obstacle only has the power we give it.  We can rise up each time and claim the power and goodness and Love that defines us, victorious every time!

You can go to the resources page to find countless stories of healing triumphs.  And, below, are some posts from others who have risen up after a fall:

I wanted to share a favorite poem that gets right to the heart of healing.

When the human scene seems overwhelming, and we can only discern but faintly what it means to be made spiritually, something reminds us that there is another way.  We don't have to admit to chaos or pain, lack or complaint.  We can admit, with conviction, that we are God's own likeness.  This sets us "free to master the infinite idea.  This conviction shuts the door on death, and opens it wide toward immortality."  This conviction frees us. And the freedom from hurt is just another sign of God's omnipotence and ever-presence.

Virginia Thesiger’s poem “The Healing”* portrays this freedom perfectly:




 After so long, so long
in my tight prison,
with my familiar
  shackles
heavy on head and heart;
after so long, so long, suddenly I see
  the bars
with the eyes God gave me,
touch the chains
with the hand God
  made me,
and suddenly, suddenly
(Oh but my heart flies out of the
  dream
like a singing bird!)
suddenly I am
  free.




*Ideas on Wings © The Christian Science
  Publishing Society

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

Hello!  And for those of you who are here for the first time, a special hello.  Throughout this site and on a number of the links you will find all kinds of healing stories.  Healings of physical conditions, of doubt and fear, of restored relationships and of financial needs met.  All of these healings have taken place as a result of prayer.  

With all healings, there's a great reilef to find you have the funds needed for a certain project, and it is convenient to no longer have a cold, and there's joy to have restored a family relationship.  But healing is much more than a physical or human restoration to harmony.

I have been taking stock of Jesus' healing work to learn more of the principles behind healing. (You can check out this research blog on his healings here.)  His mission was more than healing broken bodies and broken hearts, but it was to show that God is Love and that we are never separated from God.  Healings are a sign of "Immanuel" or God with us.

I was once healed quickly of menstrual cramps.  This was a welcome relief!  But it also gave me an opportunity to realize the strength of womanhood and what God's love can do for mankind.  It also gave me insights into the spiritual laws that remove all oppression for women and for men.  I realized that if I could have this small proof of freedom from oppressive beliefs about womanhood, that it was also possible on a larger scale.  My confidence in good and my hope for mankind grew.

Spiritual laws, like the law of Love, are similar in some ways to the law of gravity:  they apply to everyone and they operate unconditionally.  The law governing my healing applies to everyone, unconditionally.  I started to see how a healing has so much more than its physical impact: it demonstrates the fact that we can never be separate from God, Love and that harmony (because it comes from God) is a permanent fact.  And if we can demonstrate this for ourselves, we can see it demonstrated for others.  It just keeps growing and blessing! "A rising tide lifts all boats" goes the old saying.  And our uplifted thought lifts up all thought to the possibilities of good.

Here is an idea from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy that I found encouraging:

S&H xi:9
The physical healing of Christian Science results now, as in Jesus'
time, from the operation of divine Principle, before which sin and disease lose
their reality in human consciousness and disappear as naturally and as
necessarily as darkness gives place to light and sin to reformation.  Now, as
then, these mighty works are not supernatural, but supremely natural.  They are
the sign of Immanuel, or "God with
us,"--a divine influence ever present in human consciousness and repeating
itself, coming now as was promised aforetime,   To preach deliverance to the
captives [of sense], And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty
them that are bruised. 

A new day!  A new post!  And a new way of blogging!

Welcome to my new website. After over six years of blogging and having my own website, I  thought it was time for a fresh look. Undoubtedly, the features on websites have grown exponentially, so it is timely and right that I get on with it!

The commitment to write and to supply a steady stream of practical and healing ideas and send them out to cyberspace is just as strong as ever.  As I continue adding to this blog, I'll be focusing on these
categories:

CURRENTS: these post will explore the thought currents of the day and how they relate to the spiritual progress of mankind; of developments in science, theology and medicine as well as in technology,
entertainment and design.

RELATIONSHIPS: these posts go to the core of our connections with one another - parenting and partnering, friends and family, strangers and heroes and colleagues.

WELL-BEING: these posts will talk about our own individual path toward peace, productivity, place, identity, wealth, laughter and our capacity to be a blessing in the world.

HEALING: the posts in this category will relate a specific healing as brought about by the study and practice of Christian Science; it will also include ideas on what it means to be a Christian Science practitioner.

COMMUNITY: this category is so big, I am breaking it into COMMUNITY-global and COMMUNITY-local; these posts will look at ideas elevating and transforming political, social, economic and health issues on both global and local scales. For this reason, issues about Church, as a healing change agent, will be included.

INSPIRATION: these posts will draw from holy scriptures and inspired authors, past and present; it will also include selections of readings on current topics from Science and Health with Key to the
Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible.

TRANSLATIONS - GOOGLE TRANSLATE is an ambitious tool that will translate any of these blog posts into one of many languages, but I have chosen these twelve languages, simply because of the people I know!  Those languages are: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Thai.  Simply pull the desired language from the menu bar on the right and select your chosen language.  And if you are choosing to have these posts translated in your native language, I would love to know how well it works!

That should cover it! From time to time, I'll have a guest blogger, I'll pull from my old, trusty “ad infinitum” blog and I'll keep adding special features. I'll continue to post one or more times a week, links will be everywhere and I look forward to reading your comments!