"All things are become new."* That's a great way to start the week!
 
When the old stereotypical view of Monday morning started creeping in this morning, I recognized it, stomped on it, and realized I had the authority to totally reverse the claim that Monday mornings are sluggish and that there is an  inevitable dread with nothing to look forward to the rest of the week.
 
An idea from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (p. 60) came to thought:  “Soul has infinite resources with which to bless all mankind and happiness would be more readily attained and would be more secure in our keeping if sought in Soul.”
 
So, right here, while getting out of bed on a Monday morning, I can claim those “infinite resources” – of insightful love, intelligent care, effective solutions, and abundant supply for this morning.
 
God’s work is done and it is good. So I can go forward, knowing that God’s work is NEVER undone. That God has the authority to fulfill His purpose and supplies us with whatever is needed to do so. God furnishes all good and we can drop all of our own planning, scheming, speculating and dreaming and fully lean on God. 

Another inspiring idea from Proverbs in the Bible (ch. 3 verse 5) flew into thought:  "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.” What a full breath of fresh air that is! “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” What a relief! 

We know what we are supposed to do this week: acknowledge God, Love, Truth in everything we see and do. And we know what to expect: God will direct our paths.

 God is infinite, all-intelligent, all-wise, all-knowing. God is Love. This is what is directing our paths this week. Wow. What a week is in store for us all.

* 1 Cor 5: 17

I had paddled an incredibly beautiful stretch of the Wisconsin River recently.  The day was gorgeous, the wildlife abundant, and my new boat (my friend's) was light and responsive.  But that night, my arms hurt.....alot.  So much so that I couldn't even move without feeling pain.

What happened next was simple and effective.  And I hope to explain it so that it helps others pray in a way that not ony helps alleviate the pain, but gives a sense of the dominion that God has given us over these kinds of situations.

As I paced the floor, I felt I couldn't even think to pray.  But then I thought of something a Sunday School teacher once shared with me:  "God is closer to you than your very breath."  That's pretty close. 

In fact, God and I are inseparable, indivisible.  This intrigued me.  I kept on with this reasoning.  Right where the pain seemed so very real, there was the thought of God.  It was as if God wedged into my thought.  I listened for ideas from God.  As I listened, I quieted my own preoccupation with the pain.  I realized that there was a new conversation going on and this conversation spoke about harmony.  It reminded me that I was God's own child, made in Her image and likeness. 

I was able to separate myself mentally from the pain as I thought about God.  Then it made sense to me that this pain was not about me at all.  Gone was the blaming that I had been doing for not working out more, or for agreeing to do the more difficult stretches on a windy day.  I was made in God's image and likeness, and God was larger than any pain.  I was gaining an image of how God must know me: whole, strong, capable - in Her image and likeness.  I could see that pain was no part of me.  I understood what is said in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: "God, the divine Principle of man, and man in God's likeness are inseparable, harmonious, and eternal." (p. 336)

First there was the pain, but when I let the thought about God wedge into my thinking, I got some traction.  I kept listening until the only thing I really heard was God.  I could feel the muscles relax.  And although I still felt the pain, I was no longer afraid.  Going further, I saw myself as not being governed under material law, but under divine law.  Within moments, I was able to go to sleep.  The next day, I was able to use my arms normally, until all pain was gone.

I really experienced what a special hymn* sings:

I feel Thy touch, eternal Love,
And all is well again:
The thought of Thee is mightier far
Than sin and pain and sorrow are.

I was so grateful - not just because the pain had gone, but because I was able to see that pain has no place or permanence.  How grateful I am to know that we don't need to be manacled by pain, but that there is an answer through prayer!




*Hymn 134 of the Christian Science Hymnal

I have a new post up on jsh-online.com and just learned how to get you there!  I'll be posting other jsh-online.com that I write as well.

It starts:

"I just finished another call from a patient, and I am in awe. It is evident that God is leading both of us to a greater understanding of our relationship to Her—and this understanding is conquering every sort of sin, every sort of chaos, discomfort, and disease.

 "My practice is like being involved in an army of good. I see that each patient self-enlists when she or he calls. There’s some challenge that needs addressing. It’s the patient’s spiritual sense, their own “conscious, constant capacity to understand God” (Science and Health,p. 209) that leads them to seek
healing of the issue. Although the challenge may seem to be something that is intimately theirs, it’s really only an iteration of the belief that God is not all powerful. The problem may exist at a micro-level and seem to be personal,
but it also exists at a macro-level and is a world belief—the belief that any of
God’s children can be separated from Him.

"When we pray together, we open ourselves up to Truth, God." 

(To read the rest, go to http://bit.ly/KXpzN3)

It's election day in Wisconsin, and news reports from all over the country have picked up on how divisive the election campaigns have been, not to mention all the events leading up to this election.   I can feel the demand for strong and
confident protests of Truth and Love and of peace and progress in this case.  Time for prayer.

I've always turned to prayer to heal all types of discord, and this time was no exception.  This time I went back to the basics:  The Lord's Prayer.  The first two words to the Lord's Prayer start out "Our Father."  "Our"  The very word is inclusive and unconditional.  "Father" immediately establishes the basis for all our relationships.  We are all interrelated.  We are all brethren.

A recent experience brought this to light.  I was called and then chosen to be on a jury.  The case we were to hear dealt with the emotional fallout of an internal political situation resulting in criminal charges.  As the jury deliberated, emotions ran high, and no unanimous vote was in reach.  As I silently prayed, it was a simple acknowledgment of one Mind, one God governing us all.  Jesus prayer that all brethren may be one (see John 17: 21-23) was my prayer.  As the afternoon turned to evening, the atmosphere in the jury room became calm.  Late evening, the jury gave its final statement.  It was done in a way that was professional and fair, as everyone's voice was heard.  Each person felt confident in their opinion and was respectful of others.  It was a surprising result, but it also seemed the right one.

When I go to the polls today, I'll keep in mind this prayer "Father that they may be one."  And I'll know, that we are all brethren, moving forward with one hope of progress.  Love is bigger than anger, more effective and more lasting.  And love for one another ensures success.