A courageous younger generation

When the temperature dropped to the lower 20s Fahrenheit, the other day, I dressed in multiple layers with a wind resistant coat, fuzzy hat, scarf, mittens, thick socks, and heavy boots, to head out the door for my daily walk.

Outside, stepping along at a quick pace to keep the blood flowing, I practiced the gratitude attitude. My thoughts aimed toward a God with a power greater and wiser than my own.

Near the end of my two mile walk, about quarter mile from the house, I saw a young man walking toward me, wearing a tee-shirt, pants, and tennis shoes. I unwrapped the scarf from my nose and mouth and said, “Wow, I like the cold but you’re braver than me, outside without a coat.”

He stopped, removed ear-pods from his ears and said, “What?”

I repeated myself.

He said, “I’m walking to school.”

“Which school?” I asked.

“BOCES.”

“That’s far,” I said, based on my knowledge that the BOCES college was not within the six-mile radius that I walked regularly.

“Not really. I missed the bus, and my grandma won’t take me to school.”

“I’ll get my car to take you to school. It’s red,” I said and started walking home.

“I’ll keep walking.”

“Good idea,” I yelled back as I’d already made the distance between us greater.

I slow-jogged back home, got my car, and picked him up.

“Tell me how to get to BOCES,” I said.

“I don’t really know because I always sleep on the bus,” he said.

“Well, I think its in the next town,” I said and drove in that direction.

He described to me his circumstances: high school student who attended parttime college class. Mean grandma, drunk stepdad. But he got along with his younger brother.

I said, “Yes, it’s unfortunate when our living conditions aren’t ideal, but we can learn to deal with them patiently. Keep going to school, keep being nice, and keep sober. Don’t go down with others, stay up.”

He didn’t argue. I then noticed he carried an apron and asked, “Are you studying culinary at BOCES?”

“Yes,” he perked up. “I assist the chef.”

Because of my past experience as a journalist who had interviewed culinary students at another BOCES in another county, we talked about the program and I made the remark, “It’s a skill you can take with you anywhere in the world. Good for you.”

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I’m Cheryl. I work at the library.”

“The Albert Wisner library?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“I love that library. Turn left here,”

I turned left and soon saw the BOCES School. He directed me to the proper place to drop off students.

We’d driven eight and half miles. He lived nine and half miles from school.

I told him I’d give him my phone number. “If you need another ride.”

He took out his cellphone and entered my number, while saying, “My cold fingers are moving slow.” Then looked at me and said genuinely, “Thank you for bringing me to school.”

From Ecclesiastes: “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.”

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Giving credit where credit is due

Ask:

 Does the human mind consciously or unconsciously counteract these thoughts?
“Eat only what you need.”
“Forgive this person.”
“Exercise more.”
“Return their smile.”
“You can keep discovering the reality of divine Spirit.”

Does the human mind’s refusal to follow through on those thoughts mirror these bodily conditions?
Excessive blood pressure.
Persistent pain.
Lethargic digestion.
Unresponsive brain.
Depression.

Matthew 22:37
“And [Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”

21^st Century Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: A modern version of Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health:
“Citizens of the world, accept the “glorious freedom of the children of God,”[1] and be free! This is your divine right. The self-deluded idolatrous views, not divine law, has captivated you, made you arthritic, made you a procrastinator, weakened your body, and ruined your reputation.

“Sickness, sin, and destruction must at length recoil before the divine rights of intelligence, and then the power of Mind over the entire functions and organs of the human system will be acknowledged. It is proverbial that Mother Teresa,[2] and other philanthropists engaged in humanitarian work have been able to undergo, without weariness and danger, that which ordinary people could not endure. The explanation lies in the support which they derived from the divine law, supreme to the human law. The spiritual demand crushes the material demand and supplies not only energy but also endurance.

“We learn that divine Mind is the master of the human mind and physical senses and can vanquish sickness, sin, and loss. Exercise this God-given power. Take possession of your body and direct its feelings and actions. Advance in the strength of Spirit to resist all that is unlike good. God has made you capable of this and nothing can stop the ability and power divinely bestowed on your spirituality.

“We can never treat human mind and matter separately because they combine as one.

“Scientifically speaking, there is no human mind out of which to make incomplete beliefs proceeding from illusion. This misnamed mind is not an entity. What we call matter is only a false sense of substance, since its substance has no sensitivity. The one Mind contains no human opinions. All that is real is included in spiritual Mind.”

Isaiah 12:4
“And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.’”

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[1] Rom. 8:21

[2] Mother Teresa (1910–1997) Albanian Roman Catholic nun.

The Infinite and the Webb Telescope

First posted at www.Christ-Scientist.com

The James Webb Space Telescope launched December 25th, to travel a million miles to Lagrange Point 2, where it will capture images of old-time galaxies and stars that, 13 billion years ago, emitted light that has since stretched into the infrared region of the color spectrum.

In other words, the Webb Telescope will prompt discoveries that will modify our view of the universe and creation.

As scientists of Mind, what view do we have now?

Last century, with the aid of older telescopes, an infinite was revealed. We’re now learning about an ever-expanding cosmos. The problem is, for everything learned about the physical workings, we have two more questions.

To settle the mysteries, we can take analyze the mental workings behind the fabulous eccentric goals of the Webb telescope, the goals, to detect old light or to determine the origin of the universe up against the Big-Bang theory.

The Webb Telescope is a result of curiosity, creativity, and intelligence, working together. Whether the telescope works physically, or not, is to be determined, but either way, our curiosity, creativity, and intelligence will remain and expand with the courage that doesn’t quit learning. Infinite discovery.

Merriam-Webster defines, infinite, as having no limits, endless.

What if the Webb telescope shows no end to light?

If there is no end, is there no beginning?

No beginning, no end.

Jesus used the idea of an infinite to show our ability to forgive others, and our self, for transgressions or for quitting truth and love.

From the Gospel Luke, “Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, the word, “seven” resembles the word for wholeness or completeness. Infinite?

With our own mental telescopes, we search for enlightenment, sourced from infinite Mind, Spirit. With our spirituality, we express forgiveness, newness, self-control, gratitude, honesty, endlessly.

Peer reviews follow. Peer analyses of forgiveness and spirituality come with high approvals. We prove that unforgiveness limits us, whereas forgiveness removes limits.  

Epimenides of Crete, reputed as a sixth century seer, before the birth of Christ Jesus, has been credited with the saying, about God, “For in him we live and move and have our being.” Paul quotes the biblical words in Acts 17:28.

A new baby

The expected birth found us ready and waiting, for the last two weeks. Neighbor Mom and Dad were ready to go to St. Anthony Hospital and, along with other neighbors, we were ready, on call, to watch the baby’s three-year old sibling when the time came.

An ultrasound showed the baby, not so much waiting as hanging out content as a pearl in a shell.

So, let’s briefly go back in time.

Oblivious to a near future, the pregnancy was celebrated before epidemical rumblings turned into roars. We could easily foresee, along with their three-year old and our two grandchildren, another child happily loping around on our lawns with no fences between.

Happiness wasn’t dampened as time passed and circumstances changed. But travel restrictions brought about some rethinking.

The neighbor’s immediate family members live far away.

The parents got caught in conversations between us neighbors offering to help and their families wanting to travel to help during the birth.

How do we comfort the joyful yearning to share the birth, but the need to stay home?

I lessened my judgmentalism about people traveling. Birth and death define human life but it’s the love in between that lives. I could respect their decision to travel. But as it turned out, they found comfort in staying home.

Fast forward to last Friday night, when all of us near and far, were texted a photo of the newly born infant. Picturesque. Powerful. Pure.

Another neighbor was home with the three-year old.

The birth went well. But the professionals wanted to watch Mom and Baby for 48 hours. So Dad came home, spent time with their three-year old and then brought him to our house before returning to the hospital.

Grinning ear to ear, Neighbor Dad was operating on adrenaline. Their three-year old caught the eye of our three-year old grandson and they nearly collided with excitement to go play. The noise level of the house ramped up double notches. Our daughter and I stood and smiled and nodded as the enamored dad told us details.

After the dad left our house to go to the hospital. After their son and our grandson played until they because starved. We congregated in the kitchen for some chow.

I asked the three-year old, “What is your baby brother’s name?”

“Baby Brother,” he said.

Sometimes I too can’t remember names or the correct words, but it doesn’t lessen the meaning or anticipation of joy.

Sure enough, the three-year old expressed unadulterated joy a few days later when we came to see his baby brother. His joy wasn’t dampened by the fact we all stood a ten-foot distance away on the porch. Neither was ours. Joy closed the gap.

Something to do during COVID-19 pandemic

From the “Index” of 21^st Century Science and Health, 6^th edition, look up references to your choice of the following words, typed in bold font below. When reading the references, ask yourself questions.

Guidance.

How can we feel Soul guiding us through social-distancing, rather than feel the pull of emotionalism?

Angels are exalted thoughts that guide us, so what type of indestructible angels get us through chaos and vulnerability?

Divine Truth guides byspiritual rules, not human rules, therefore what human rules can we distance ourselves from? What spiritual rules can we live, move, and breath?

Environment.

How do we read human mind without fear, but with healing compassion, such as Christ Jesus did?

What other types of activities and ideas, other than “song, sermon, and Science” show trust in Spirit and spirituality and offer comfort to humanity?

How do we possess and reflect “God’s dominion to bless the environment” when using the internet?

Peace.

Staying on the side of “Science and peace” isn’t danger-free, so what errors of thought do we banish to stay protected and safe?

The “peace and order of divine Mind” doesn’t come by avoiding COVID-19, but by treating it with spiritual understanding, by respecting advanced thinkers, and what else?

Like a “dove,” how are we symbols of peace? Like “evening,” we can trust peace and rest to overpower mystification and weariness.

The puzzle of puzzles

In the corner of our living room stands a table. On top of the table is an unfinished jig-saw puzzle. When the mood hits me to slow down for a minute and quite worrying, I go to the corner of the room. I gaze and shuffle and attach puzzle pieces to watch come together the scene of ice-skaters in a park surrounded by leafless trees.

Experts say that solving puzzles helps reinforce existing brain connections.

I see how tackling a puzzle can reinforce the existing brain connection of mine that, say, puts together jig-saw puzzles. But I’d beg to differ it helps me connect 5 p.m. with making dinner.

For twenty years when the children were growing up, I had a strong brain connection that come 5 p.m., I’d put together some form of edible food for our family dinner. Now?

I’m too busy solving the jig-saw puzzles to remember putting together dinner. Apparently, the dinner brain connection was loosey-goosey. But not the puzzle connection.

For years, I was lucky enough to live near a guy who also loved jig-saw puzzles. We shared puzzles, saving us both a bundle in costs. I also would buy puzzles at garage sales or thrift stores, but usually a piece was missing, the piece I was always looking for.

Puzzle solving started when I was young. Mom brought home five puzzles, each with 100 pieces. “Here, turn off the TV and put these together,” she’d tell us five kids. It took about twenty minutes. “Take them apart, and swap puzzles with your sister or brother,” Mom said.

Five puzzles, five kids, five swaps, you get the picture. Less TV.

We noticed, however, that each time we re-solved the puzzles, we got quicker. So, we started racing one another. A puzzle was soon put together in less than 30-seconds, serving as top entertainment for weeks.

Over the ensuing years, Mom bumped us up to 500 then 750-piece puzzles. By time I married, I preferred 1000-piecers, thinking no more of numbers as I enjoyed the feeling of therapy when connecting puzzle pieces.

Then, my preference for 1000-piece puzzles joggled when yakking with our new son-in-law. He was working on a 15,000-piece puzzle. Fifteen thousand?

He still works on it, and that was ten years ago. But at the time, I couldn’t resist getting a 3,000-piece puzzle to challenge myself. It was torture and I’ll not do that again.

In the meantime, our son-in-law explains, “My puzzle pieces came in four bags. Each bag represents a quarter of the 15,000 pieces. After finishing the first bag and starting the second bag, I wondered if each quarter was really the same puzzle cut.”

Huh? I had absolutely no brain connection here.

But he orders a piece of clear, four-foot plexiglass, lays it on top of the first finished quarter of the puzzle, and slides the second quarter of the puzzle on top. Sure enough, each quarter was made from the same cut.

When it comes to the sky, he puts the pieces together according to shape, shown to him below the plexiglass.

Some year, I’ll see on the wall, an eight-foot by four-foot finished puzzle of Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, hands touching.

“You’re blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom, when you make friends with Madame Insight. She’s worth far more than money in the bank; her friendship is better than a big salary. Her value exceeds all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her. With one hand she gives long life, with the other she confers recognition. Her manner is beautiful, her life wonderfully complete. She’s the very Tree of Life to those who embrace her. Hold her tight—and be blessed!”–Proverbs 3:13-18, The Message

 

Wonders

Dark cold winter nights lack humid-heavy atmospheres and allow sharp sightings of the cosmos. Expert and amateur astronomers giddily set up telescopes to peer through to chart the skies. For hours. Seemingly unaware of their freezing fannies. And this gazing has been occurring for centuries, starting with the naked eye.

I get it. But I don’t freeze or chart. And the naked eye suits me fine for staring into the night sky. But did you know, smartphone apps can tell you what’s in the night sky?

With the app, you can aim your phone at the sky and your screen-view will match the sky. On the screen you can read about thousands of catalogued stars, galaxies, planets, and more, along with tidbits of information such as their travel route and speed. The phone app also tracks artificial satellites and the International Space Station. It’s simply amazing.

In 1997, I couldn’t sleep, one cold night in Washington state.

I layered coats over my pjs, plopped a hat on my head, and strapped farm boots on my feet before sneaking outside. Shep, our dog, was waiting for me.

Shep probably heard me tossing in bed and was wondering what took me so long to get outside. But off we went for a walk around the orchard.

Head down, I began trekking the forty-acre orchard border. Diligently watching the ground so I wouldn’t trip and fall while walking over tree shadows created by the moon.

On a knoll, the ground shadows disappeared, and I looked up. To see Hale-Bopp comet.

Now, an unforgotten experience of wonder and awe.

I’d read about the comet. It was discovered independently by two amateur astronomers, Alan Hale in New Mexico and Thomas Bopp in Arizona in 1995.

But what moved me so wonderfully?

The fact I quit stewing in bed and got into a better physical and mental mode? Our faithful dog? Or, that I could see something more than 120 million miles away? Or, the unimaginable stream of dust and gas released from the atmosphere around the comet affected by the sun’s radiation pressure? Nah.

Its wonder and awe itself. Moving us.

 

From Luke 2: 1-18

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And all went to be registered, each to his own town. ⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. ⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn ⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

Floodtides and snowstorms

The recent snowstorm invited many of us to stay home. But, thanks, to the brave souls who weathered the snow and ice to keep emergencies to a minimum.

Watching snow accumulation has always been a favorite pastime for me. I don’t dread snow. I can’t. It strikes me with an awe that wants more.

The snow motivates my consciousness with peace, when I see whiteness cover everything and shine with purity. Snow makes lawns, houses, cars, litter, unseen. Equal.

Even when I get my shovel and start moving the snow. I find it’s heavy. Real heavy. But still motivating me.

To think further along the line of peaceful awe and equality.

Snow is one form of H²O, along with ice, sleet, water, steam. If I wait long enough for the snow to melt, I won’t have to shovel it. But I don’t.

Working with what I have, the snow is moved where useful (sidewalk), and I move on. Only accomplishing the necessary tasks of feeding the chickens and catching up with paperwork, while stopping to enjoy staring at the snow falling and listening to the silence.

What I call the physical existence has many forms, solid, fluid, vaporous, and I can work with what I have, to move on, even if it feels like heavy work. For example, a couple of days before the storm, my head was achy.

The brain is one form of matter, along with the arms, mouth, and ears. Working with what I have, I sit in the big chair, wrap my arms around our grandchildren and read books to them. I move on while enjoying listening to the children’s quiet listening. My consciousness feel peace and I begin to see the ache melt.

“Understanding comes through spiritual logic and revelation. Following the signposts of divine law, we comprehend the Truth that is changing the world for the better. In this path we find progress attended by life and peace.

“We do not need to learn our life lessons the hard way. We can stop stumbling around in drunkenness. We can stop being consumed by disease. We can stop being shocked at the evil in the world and gain an understanding that leads to productive improvement.

“This metaphysical system of healing through truth relinquishes the errors of self-serving obsessions, misleading appetites, hatred, fear, lust, superstition, etc. The progression makes a new creation.[1] The way to uncover and abandon error is to saturate the mind with floodtides of Truth and Love.

“As we discover there is one Mind, the divine law of loving our neighbor as ourselves is unfolded. We experience a relationship with all the attributes of Truth and Love, including wisdom. We become conscious of the existence of Spirit as the source of supply.”—from science & religion to God

 

 

[1] II Cor. 5:17

Mindful Bridges

Well I must say, the newly repaired bridge over Wawayanda Creek in the Village of Warwick is pretty dandy. For the month of July, the bridge was closed off and vehicles detoured around the work area. When driving, I didn’t mind. The detour brought to my attention offices and businesses only a couple of blocks off the beaten path and are good to know.

Nice work on the bridge though. Smooth groove now. And safe I’m sure.

I think bridges are one answer to the dares of water. Water dares us to cross its mighty power or use its motion for power.

As for bridges, I was dazzled by the book, The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge, by David McCullough. The bridge’s design was conceived by John Roebling and built late 1800s. The suspension-cable bridge spans 1,595 feet and opened in 1883.

When riding my motorcycle across the United States a decade ago, I drove over the Mackinac Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the Americas, spanning 8,614 feet. Its total length is 5 miles and links Michigan’s Lower and Upper peninsulas. The Mackinac Bridge opened in 1957. Another tribute to competence and command.

I can still feel the grooved surface and movement of the bridge under my wheels. And the height? Two-hundred feet above the water.

The bridge was built to flux with temperature, winds, and weight. The deck can sway right or left as much as 35 feet in the center. You get the idea. It’s a feeling that impresses the soul when hovering over the bridge, with nothing but farm boots between the surface and my feet, six inches off the ground. Forget the facts I had no seatbelt and balanced on two wheels.

That soul impression of competence and command ranks up there with the type of humanity that leaves me humbled. Like when I make a stupid mistake and my husband quietly helps me fix it. Compassion is a bridge.

The bridge over Wawayanda Creek is one of about 17,450 highway bridges in New York State. How many times do you cross a bridge?

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How Woodstock 50th taught me about togetherness

Unknown to me fifty-years ago, when I was seven years old, the anomaly dubbed The Woodstock Festival, made history. How was it possible that 450,000 people knew to trek their way to the town of Bethel in upstate New York? No internet. No cellphones. At a time when area codes categorized people by regions.

In 1969, I was living on our family farm in southeastern Washington state. Oblivious to the world.

Mom and Dad had recently bought a black and white television so we could watch men land on the moon. I observed and thought, “Hmm, that’s interesting.” But was more intrigued by the boxy gizmo sitting on an end table, showing me moving and talking images.

I was a teen before I learned about Woodstock. I learned the clean version. Self-caring musicians, well-behaved attendees, people picking up their own litter, standing up for what’s right, wanting peace.

I still believe the clean version but as is true to any human version of life, it comes with flaws, eventually exposed. Fame sometimes blocks self-care, bad behavior lurks in the background of the human mind, litter happens, and what’s right and peace aren’t always clear.

And yet, after all these years, it’s the clean version that receives the brunt of my attention and is passed along in conversations. Fortunately, I’m not alone. Last Sunday, Times Herald-Record ran an article, Spirit of Woodstock lives on in memories of historic festival, confirming the type of attention and communication that points to the good in humanity.

From Times Herald-Record, Steve Israel interviewed three people who were closely connected to the original Woodstock. They shared hindsight and deepened admiration to the festival.

The article also carries a black and white photo showing a long line of cars piloting, bumper to bumper and sandwiched between thousands of people walking side-by-side, to the festival.

That photo reveals an answer to my very curious wonder of how so many people knew to make their way to a dairy farm in Bethel, back in the day before the internet.

Despite the fact I avoid crowds like the plague, the photo asked me to admit that I’m still in close contact with people. Whether in a line at the grocery store or eating out in a restaurant. I may be sandwiched in with family members, co-workers, or strangers, but without hesitancy and without the internet, we can strike up a conversation and keep sharing the spirit of togetherness.