Category: From Students and Guests

Thanks for all of your good work for the Association meeting. I think Ihad a healing that I would like to report. I can’t say that there was some specific thought that brought this about but being tuned in all day had the effect. I had for several days a stolen and painful foot which made it difficult to walk. On Sunday I realized that the swelling and discomfort had gone. I am very grateful for this and many other healings.
Thanks again Frank

Thanks to Jan Gold-Dempsey for this post!

We adopted a feral kitten several months ago, and the time for her to start exploring the world outside the house had begun. It was an early Friday evening, and from the window I could watch her enjoying running and hiding in the plants. I decided to go out to enjoy the evening and watch her.

There was a section of old and previously used section of decking, and it was upside down resting on concrete blocks. I thought I had selected a spot where there were no nails, but when I had sat down, I soon realized that I had sat down on some. Because the deck was lower to the ground, I had sat down hard, and getting up off of them required some work. I was startled, frightened and in considerable pain, and went to find my husband for some help. There were four punctures, going front to back between my legs where I sat down.

Although I was holding to the truths I was very familiar with, it was difficult to get past the pain, and the fear. The Lesson that week talked about ‘darkness and light,” and I was knowing that all of me was light, that nothing dark could be overtaking my thought, or harming me. Thoughts of the darkness inside of this body, and any harm or injury done in the darkness inside, did persist in my though, and I did call a practitioner for help.

My husband read to me from the Lesson, and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, and I did eventually fall asleep for a while. Pain and discomfort woke me up around 3:00 am, and I read an email that my practitioner sent which talked again about the ‘darkness and the light’ which were in the Lesson. I WAS light!

I experienced relief and comfort and again went to sleep. The next day, a Saturday, I was feeling considerably much better. Knowing that I am now and forever a child of God, a perfect reflection of God’s qualities, none of which include worry, fear, pain, I knew that nothing in the picture of me could be anything less that the reflection of perfect harmony.

It was a joyful day of cooking (I love to cook) for the fellowship taking place the next day at church. I knew my perfection and I also knew healing was in fact taking place, but there was something still nagging at my thought. I was questioning whether these internal (in the dark) injuries could in fact be healed. I was questioning what damage could have taken place by these four nails? There was some fear – that fear that the unseen could be cared for and healed.

After church, the enjoyment of the fellowship gathering included talking with the Sunday School children and the rest of the congregation. When I left, I still had a nagging feeling that there was yet something more I needed to understand; something still incomplete in my thought and felt it had to do with doubts that these unseen injuries could really be healed.

I got in my car to leave, I turned to God and simply asked, “Father, what more do I need to know right now?” Well the answer came loud and clear – I was being impressed with the enormity of the injuries! I was being impressed with the impressions of those four nails! I was letting fear impress me, letting what I thought was a ‘humanly scary’ injury give me reason to doubt that healing could take place.

Soon I realized what the real healing was – not recovering from four three inch nails puncturing me, but the knowing that with God ALL things are possible, seen or unseen. With this realization, a floating type of feeling came over me, and I knew with absolute clarity, that I was completely healed. That there could be nothing lingering inside of me to be corrected. That my spirituality is now, and has forever been, perfectly intact, unharmed, and unimpressed. From that moment forward, there was never any indication of an injury.

I am forever grateful for the daily unfolding of God’s greatness, our daily bread, and for this understanding from Mary Baker Eddy.

To all members and guests of the DeBolt association,

What a heavenly day this past Saturday was! Thank you so much for your warm, warm, warm welcome. I felt so at home with you all!

I will look forward to “seeing you” on the blam (why do you call it that?).

Love,
Jo (Duffy’s sister)

Hi all…

My name is Jo, and I’ll be attending your Association as a guest next month (can’t wait!). I love Pam’s invitation to share ideas on the blog…..so I thought I’d just toss this out there for your consideration…

Here’s some background:

When I read the weekly Bible Lesson, I am always on the lookout for 2 things (in addition to whatever other inspiration may come):

*Some further definition or understanding of what God is – you know, in a daily, practical, tangible way

*What instruction is offered – there is always instruction – we must…, we should…etc

So….when I encountered this citation in the Responsive Reading last week, I recognized it right away as good direction.

“He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”     Micah 6: 8

The As I started to dig in a little, I realized that the 2nd one – Love Mercy – wasn’t coming so clearly to me. What does “love mercy” mean to you? How does it translate into everyday experience? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Many thanks. See you in August!

If I had obeyed you, Dad,

I would have practiced the violin
every day,
And learned patience;
and, now,
I’d be a virtuoso.

I would not have
stolen
and eaten
your hidden treats and snacks,
And learned unselfishness;
and, now,
I’d look no further than where my eyes fall–to a full heart,
always fulfilled.

I would have kept our living space
clean and clear,
Every day,
And seen through your eyes,
Appreciation,
And heard through your words,
Praise,
And felt through your expression,
good temper;
And, now,
I’d be free
from anger and hatred.

I would have listened to
and heeded
your stories and advice,
And learned from trust and wisdom,
Acceptance–
Love, free from judgment;
And, now,
I’d have advocacy and support
as my constant companions

I would have loved classical music,
and heard the music of the spheres,
And the silence,
As universal communication,
And, now,
I’d hold you,
In the sounds of the living.

I would have loved you,
and your manhood,
And learned the Golden Rule,
True relationship,
And, now,
I’d embrace and serve
all humanity.

~ Karen Joyce Lloyd

“I shall not die.”
Gentle in, gentle out.
See the gentle care.
Moses–
God saw him that turned aside.
O’ gentle Presence!

~ by Karen Joyce Lloyd, inspired by and composed from the words of my teachers, Mary Baker Eddy and Pamela DeBolt

Thanks Pam for this very inspiring glimpse of what a moment as a practicing Christian Scientist unveils and reveals of the present beauty and bounty in everyone’s life, wherever we are.
Last week,I was shopping for some wallpaper, and the lady selling me the product ask me what kind of work I was doing.
I said I was a Christian Science practitioner. This lead to other questions on her part. Next she asked, “How do you handle all the bad news we hear in the media?” She seemed quite distraught about it at the time.
This was an opportunity for me to explain some simple truths we might teach our students in Sunday School.
But then it occurred to me to talk to her about the CS Monitor Online, and Christian Science.com.
Yesterday, I picked up the wallpaper I had ordered, and brought a copy of the CS Monitor and a copy of the CS Sentinel.
She graciously accepted both publications.
Then it occurred to me, I had been listening to the little voice within, Christ. Now I needed to leave it to God, let Him do the nurturing of His spiritual idea, man.
Love
Suzanne❤️?

An enormous, all-encompassing word
Each day may I learn
More about Love
May I express more Love
In moments, in all circumstances, when I am afraid
Love can teach me to see beyond
The troubles, the hard times
Love teaches the Truth
Reminds me of the ever-present, ever-powerful divine Principle,
The origin and foundation of all being
Being is God, Mind, and Soul
Without Love the world crumbles, disintegrates
We exist because Love exists
We are because we Love
Our invariable cultivation of Love, devotion
Blesses the universe
Expands God
Protects us from evil
Our invariable cultivation of Love
Creates harmony, friendship, peace and compatibility in our world

(Thanks to Duffy)

Thanks, Cindy!

I love what you said, Pam, about really being a Christian Scientist in every moment and in every situation. I have been endeavoring to love each and every individual I meet, and that has brought smiles and good will, but it isn’t the same as viewing all as a Christian Scientist, is it? Human love, however good and well intentioned, isn’t divine Love. It still sees flaws and makes one better than another. Divine Love sees each as its own beautiful whole and good creation, having all it needs at every moment.

One Sunday we found a man sleeping behind our church. He ventured in to the church just as the service had ended. Here was an opportunity to see him as Love created him. He appeared dirty, drunk, and incoherent. But Love didn’t see him that way, so I sat down with him and we chatted for over an hour. He told me he didn’t see any reason to live, that he was a miserable alcoholic and didn’t think God wanted him to live since he had taken a life while on military duty in Kuwait. He had been living outside for four years, including outside during our epic snowy winter this year. He didn’t understand why he was surviving. As we chatted I shared with him that he was loved, that God wanted him to thrive, not just survive, that he had a divine purpose. We shared laughter, tears, and a kindred sense of purpose. I gave him a Science and Health and asked him to read it. He was grateful for it.

Each time I thought of my new friend during the week, I would recognize his innocence and dominion and purpose. This Sunday, he came to church. When he came in, he was drunk, but Love doesn’t see that, does it? He sat in the back with tears in his eyes. After church, we chatted again and he was sober. He said he felt good here at church, had read some of Science and Health and asked me what he should do after church. The words popped out that he had a purpose and could go do some thing good for someone. Smiling broadly, he said he would and went his way.

I don’t know if he got as much as I did from our exchanges. I got to see beyond the mental picture of a homeless man to see the integrity, humility and love of this idea of God. Being a Christian Scientist is pretty fantastic, I’d say.

(Thanks, Kit.)

Happy in God

Open
Let ‘I’
slip through thought’s fingers

Be still
Listen with knowing emptied,
till only now remains

Humbly
receive life as a gift,
soft as a gecko’s footprints
strong as wind traced patterns across the rocks
warm as a summer’s sandy beach
and the echoes of joy that fill the day
that fill life
that fill all up full
until we hear
joy in every breeze
see joy in every movement
dance with joy
the gift of being

Happy in God