What is your identity?

Some might say these are unlikely friends.

Recently, a friend shared how she was praised at church while serving in a particular capacity. The praise was given by a fellow church member. Knowing both of these individuals, I admired their ongoing friendship and the way they appreciate the God-given qualities in one another such as integrity, dependability, honesty, forthrightness, compassion, and care. These individuals have served in church together for many years.

If I look at just the material surface of things, I might wonder how these individuals could be friends since they are so different: you could say one is a conservative, upper-class man while the other a liberal, middle-class lesbian.

How can these two different individuals serve together for decades in church and share a friendship that dives so much deeper than a material sense of things? By truly appreciating one another as God’s child – as brothers and sisters of the one Father-Mother God.

“…man is not material; he is spiritual”, wrote Mary Baker Eddy (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 468). If our identity is spiritual, that means it isn’t made of anything temporal (or temporary). We are made of God’s thoughts, ideas and qualities. This certainly makes me want to get to know who and what God is, so that I can know who and what we are – what we are made of.

God’s being is infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss.” (Ibid, 481)

God is incorporeal, divine, supreme, infinite Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love.” (Ibid, 465)

Meditating on each these synonyms and attributes for God gives us a greater understanding of who God is; and it tells us about what we are made of since we are made in God’s image and likeness. It also reveals how our human relationships can transcend material confines and be harmonious, united and long-lasting.

A day to remember Love

On this Day of Remembrance, there is an air of sadness as we recall the events that took place.

Why this sadness? Because the foundations we held to were shaken. It is the continued suggestions of the serpent of evil that it can overpower good; that it can crush love.

Can it? Really?

I say no. Good is a synonym for God. Goodness, hope, integrity, forgiveness, compassion and love can not be trampled on or destroyed. The inherent nature of each one of us can never be touched. The carnal mind may try to destroy all that we love. But we have “treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:20 NKJV) When we place our whole affection on God, good, divine Love nothing that we love can ever be destroyed.

This may sound hard. However, with each blessing we receive, we can recognize its source as Life, Love, Spirit – our Heavenly Father-Mother – giving us all we need each moment. We can fill our hearts up full of love and gratitude for this beautiful, invincible force which is always caring for us, perpetuating Her love for us in ways that are visible and real to us.

Love isn’t distant or far-off. Love is tender and kind; Love doesn’t withhold; Love is patient and true; Love doesn’t punish or condemn. I Corinthians 13 describes the essence of Love perfectly. I often think this letter is telling me how to love better, and indeed it is. However, it also describes divine Love – the nature and essence of the perfect Love that is considering our needs, that is enforcing Herself in our lives, that is embracing and holding us each moment. Feel the heart of this Love. In this heart of Love there is no anger or hatred; all of this melts away. We feel the redemptive power of this Love forgiving us and enabling us to forgive others. All sins are wiped away; all material records expunged. We are washed clean. With God all things are possible.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” – I Corinthians 13:4-8 (New International Version)

Repost: Inspiration from the Olympics

The Olympics are so inspiring! And this blog post by a Christian Science practitioner and teacher points out so many ways the Olympics have propelled mankind forward to break even more limitations!

Olympic Freedom

by Virginia Harris, CSB

Oh the glorious Olympics! It seems like everyday since the Games began there has been some new ‘first’, some previous limitation or barrier broken through, left behind, gone beyond!

Almost daily there are new world records being established, and each breakthrough lifts all of us by showing the potential to surpass previously believed limits. And once a threshold has been crossed, there is only going forward to cross the next.

But there have been so many other breakthroughs as well…

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