“Man’s world of affairs is the result of his self-contemplation. He is at first ignorant of this and so binds himself through wrong thought and action. As he reverses this thought, he reverses the condition attendant upon it.”
~ERNEST HOLMES~

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
~SOCRATES~ 

Early on in my studies of the Science of Mind, I learned that the Principle of Oneness was the foundation of all life. I was also taught how hidden beliefs that suggest separation and division influence our thoughts and actions without our conscious consent.   

Hidden beliefs are ideas and concepts that are subjectively introduced to our consciousness.  Many judgments, biases, and prejudices that cause a sense of separation and disunity are the result of hidden beliefs operating in the creative medium of our minds. 

Once I grasped the concept, the Universe, as usual, provided an opportunity for me to see it play out in real-time, starting with the moment I accepted an invitation to visit a co-worker’s church. 

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 Upon entering the sanctuary, I immediately felt out of place – almost like being an intruder. It appeared there were several rituals going on simultaneously, even before the designated starting time. I wasn’t sure what to do. It all felt very strange. I began to feel like I was the “other;” or, for sure, they were.

I began to remember, from my childhood, having heard about this church and its practice. Stories, opinions, myths, and negative judgments about how they worshiped began to flood my memory. Before I knew it, I began to form an opinion about the co-worker who invited me to this event; a lovely person who, up until then, I held in high esteem.

I found a seat and joined those who were focused on the woman who was preaching.

I was stunned by what I heard. She was saying what I was learning, only couched in her own language and style that were different from mine. During her entire talk, the congregation celebrated her words with music and dancing even as she spoke them. I had to remain completely focused, lest I become distracted. 

After the service, I was eager to tell the speaker, not only how much I enjoyed the message, but how it was the same principles I was being taught at my church. With a twinkle in her eye and an elbow to my rib, she said, “Honey, when we get to heaven, no one will ask what church we belong.” 

So maybe she was talking about heaven as a geographic location while I imagined arriving at a place of perfect peace within myself. I don’t know. In that moment those possible differences seemed like semantics.

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The next time I sat in the comfort and familiarity of my own beloved church home, enjoying the quiet stillness of the pre-service meditation, I thought,’ how strange this might seem to someone experiencing this form of spiritual practice for the very first time.’

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What stories did you hear in your childhood about race, gender, lookism, nationality, social status, sexual orientation, religion and other concepts that are subject to “otherness?” Whether positive or negative, those stories have the propensity to become hidden beliefs, automatically operating in creative mind and out-picturing in the world. Through the application of The Principle of Oneness and the exercise of critical thinking, you may begin to reverse the thoughts that lend to separation and divisiveness. In so doing you participate in creating a world that works for everyone.

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This Week’s Affirmation

I am awake and aware of my Oneness with Spirit and all of humanity.  I witness this Truth daily.

By Angela “Chris” Beam

“In the last analysis, man is just what he thinks himself to be; he is big in capacity if he thinks big thoughts; he is small if he thinks small thoughts. He will attract to himself what he thinks most about. He can learn to govern his own destiny when he learns to control his thought… The seed that falls into the ground shall bear fruit of its own kind; and nothing shall hinder it. He that hath ears to hear let him hear.”
~ Ernest Holmes, Creative Mind and Success ~  

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Recently, while facilitating a class via Zoom; suddenly, out of the blue, the images of the students were frozen on my computer screen. I watched these motionless figures until they were once again animated.  The first thing they said to me, upon returning, was, “You’re finally back.” You see, to them, I appeared frozen on their computer screens.

We all laughed at this phenomenon: the observer and the observed mirroring each other.

The fact is, no one was frozen. Each one of us was intact, comfortable in our own home, looking at “what seemed to be.” The false appearance caused by some cyberspace interference resolved itself as we waited, trusted the process, and did what was ours to do to restore the harmony.  

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All this caused me to think about how a similar scenario plays out every day of our lives. For example, we are quick to identify with negative experiences, accusing others or ourselves for the things we see. We say I am, or you are, sick, poor, scared, stuck, etc.  Actually, the distorted view that suggests these things is a result of some mental interference, some error-thought.  The good news is, these error-thoughts can be corrected.

When we become still enough, long enough, we begin to realize that the Truth of who we are is intact.  Our Higher Self, The Presence, The Great I AM imbedded in the recesses of our being has never changed, The Real Self remains whole, complete, and perfect regardless of any appearance of limitation.  Ralph Waldo Emerson expresses this concept perfectly when he says, “For it is only the finite that has wrought and suffered; the infinite lies stretched in smiling repose.”

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Once the veil of illusion is pierced by our belief in the life-affirming words we consciously tell ourselves; the whole picture of our experience begins to change.

Max Planck, Nobel Prize winner in Physics explains: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Ernest Holmes taught, “Change your thinking – change your life.” Through these scientific and metaphysical practices, not only are we individually relieved of the burden of error, we see others in the same Light we see ourselves. Yes, the observed and the observer are always one, never two. All this must be what the mystic, Jesus, meant when he said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Seeing and knowing the Truth beyond apparent appearances is a form of affirmative prayer.

The next time you feel as though you are stuck… frozen in a web of some human circumstance, remember that your nature, which is the image and likeness of God, is intact. Relax and let this God-consciousness permeate your entire being. Embrace the thoughts of Love, Light, Peace, Order and Joy that begin to emerge. Notice how the thing you are looking at begins to conform with what you believe to be true. 

With this blessed assurance, you may now move forward, in full confidence, doing what needs to be done by and through you to restore harmony.

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This Week’s Affirmation

“Today I know only good and only Good knows me!”

by Judy Hilley

“In the Science of Mind, we do not say everything is all right when it is all wrong. We do not say peace when there is no peace, but rather we try to discover what is wrong and why we do not have peace. We do not say that people are not poor, sick, or unhappy. We ask why these things should be if the Original Cause of all things is Harmonious, Perfect, Radiant, and Happy.”
~ Ernest Holmes, Living the Science of Mind~ 

“Crying out to Life, beseeching It to be good, has no effect whatsoever upon It; It already is good. Asking It to give you life produces no good results; It has already incarnated Itself in you, as you. But inward awareness unifies the intellect with Life and binds the personal man back to the Universal Presence. This is what is meant by spiritual understanding and realization.”
~ Ernest Holmes, “The Art of Life” ~

Breaking down the barriers of limited thought that untrained murmurings of the mind erect each time it bemoans: ‘ain’t it awful’ and ‘what terrible times we’re living in,’ is a practice, not for the faint of heart.  Rising above the human fact to the spiritual reality is not always easy.  It is, nonetheless, a necessary undertaking in the process of aligning with the Truth that sets us free from the hypnotic spell of error-thought. 

Some would say the discords of the world have always been, and there’s nothing that can be done about it. And, to some degree, this certainly seems to be the case. The Master Teacher, Jesus, told his followers: “In this world you will have trouble.”  “But,” he goes on to say, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.”  And, he made it clear that he was not an exception, saying: ‘The things that I do you may do also, even greater things.’ (Wow, no human ego here!) 

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Once we (individuals) consciously tap into and activate the inner power of mind, enabling ourselves to choose the direction of our lives that works best for us, there soon follows an awakened awareness of our union with the collective consciousness that out-pictures as world events. With this revelation, we are called, once again, to activate the power of mind, enabling ourselves to consciously choose thoughts, words, and actions that contribute to a world that works for everyone.

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People like Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Joan-of-Arc, and Siddhartha Gautama, to name a few, have made significant contributions to the ever-evolving-consciousness of the world. Yet, most of the light bearers of humanity are people just like you and just like me whose names may never be recorded as such.  Yes, this creative power is within every one of us. Let’s become the change we desire to see in the world.

The first order of action is the realization of God’s Omnipresence; i.e., the Peace of God is the potential where war seems to be; the Oneness of Spirit is the potential where separation and exclusion seem to be; the Wholeness of The Divine as health is the potential right where disease seems to be; and, Perfect Love casts out all fear. Remember, enlightened thoughts supersede old unenlightened ones and cause new things to appear. 

Next, with this God-consciousness deeply anchored in our being, ours is to activate the God-potential through thoughts, words and actions. Let us go forth, now, making a difference in the world. Let’s deepen our faith, knowing we are divinely guided to do what is ours to do, thereby, actualizing the vision of a world that works for everyone. 

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This Week’s Affirmation

“I am centered, peaceful, and grounded in all I think, say, and do.”

~ Anonymous ~ 

“Nature will not let us stay in any one place too long. She will let us stay just long enough to gather the experience necessary to the unfolding and advancement of the soul.” 
~ Ernest Holmes ~

“All experiences are valuable for the wisdom they bring or suggest; but when you have once gained wisdom and knowledge from any experience, there is little profit in repeating it, especially if it has been unpleasant.”  
~ Prentice Mulford ~

Do you remember how, in your early years of schooling, that by the time you learned the lesson, got to know all your classmates, felt comfortable with your surroundings, and, confident about what you knew; it was time to go to the next grade? There was always more to learn.

However, some lessons are not learned the first time around. To become proficient in a particular subject, it may be necessary to repeat the grade. While some may perceive this as failure; wise ones perceive it as an opportunity to embody more deeply, the lesson being offered.

Life has often been compared to a classroom.
In fact, the above quotes seem to be in alignment with that metaphor.

What I’ve noticed is, no matter how grim things may look, even when we are stuck in a cycle of having to learn the same lesson over and over again; eventually, we move upward and onward. This seems to be the way of life.  

Gaining insight about our inescapable oneness with one another is one of those life lessons that humanity keeps repeating.  It is indeed challenging to stay awake, alert, and aware long enough to perceive the depths of our shared life. 

The concept of Oneness is a spiritual one, and must be spiritually discerned. Our human viewpoint perceives separate beings, doing their very best on their own; while spiritual insight says, there is only One Self. This Self is the Living Spirit of the Living God, and It constitutes our individual life.

This One Self is an Invisible Intelligent Energy. It is the Universal I AM Spirit at the center of all. All manifestations (people, places, and things) live, move, and have their individual existence in the One Presence, and are forever held together by the proverbial Everlasting Arms.

Like all advanced classes, there are prerequisites that need to be mastered before one is ready to fully grasp the greater lesson. For example, when the adage, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself,” is properly understood and practiced, it lifts the veil of the mystical Oneness. True forgiveness of one’s self and another provides an opening to a realization of Oneness. Practicing inclusivity, loving-kindness, and harmony as a way of life, is preparation for the greater-yet-to-be.

None of this suggests being in lockstep, depriving our individual uniqueness; instead, it suggests there is great power in a unified consciousness of wholeness, expressing as an individualization of the One. Such a consciousness embraces the highest good for all concerned, feels the joy of living, and reveals a world that works for everyone. 

When I ponder the lesson of Oneness in the context of the pandemic, I am reminded of a line from the song, “The Great Correction.” It says “The eye of the needle that we gotta get through; but the end could be the start of something new.”

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This Week’s Affirmation

“As a spiritual being, I know that on the Soul level, Oneness is being  with the Presence of the Divine, and that includes me and everyone else.”

By Mary Jane LaBonte, RScP

“We believe the ultimate goal of life to be a complete emancipation from all discord of every nature,  and that this goal is sure to be attained by all.”

~ Ernest Holmes ~

The above quote is one of the tenets of Religious Science, from its statement, “What We Believe.” To me, it says, ‘no matter how many detours one may take, just like the proverbial prodigal son, everyone will eventually turn to the Indwelling Presence, and receive the gifts of higher consciousness.’

The process of awakening to our true nature is a gradual unfoldment into the “greater-yet-to-be” version of ourselves. The emergence of this heightened consciousness is often attained through trial and error while “the infinite lies stretched in silent repose.” In other words, the Divine Principle of Life is always ready to spring forth into the action of Perfect Love, which is, the healing balm for all things.

The Intelligence of God, operating through the intelligence of humanity, has proved Its Omniscience. 

There is nothing impossible to attain. And, there are many ways illumination is ignited as it restores humanity’s sense of Wholeness.  Science is breaking through barriers every day, on both physical and mental levels. For example, when I was a child, the idea of traveling out of space was science fiction, polio was not uncommon, and mysteries of the mind were stigmatized.  

Although wise ones, in a declaration of Oneness, have said, “none of us are truly healed until all of us are healed;” Jesus, in his great wisdom, understood that even though the gift is offered to all – all do not receive it at the same time. In this regard he said, “You will always have the poor among you.”  

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Imagine, if you will, there is a great awakening throughout all humanity where it is clearly seen that the former things that once suggested separation, fear, and disease are now fallen away. Imagine that humanity has bonded in a common vision of harmony. Imagine individuals who, enthusiastically, give of their talents, skills, and abilities in their chosen field of endeavor, bringing about personal fulfillment. Imagine all this creating a world that works for everyone.

This graduation into higher vibrations and dimensions of perception is always taking place. While everyone, everywhere, may not be on board at the same time to fulfill the vision, I affirm there is enough of us, right now, through the power of Love, who are sufficient to be “my brother’s keeper,” letting the doorway to the infinite swing wide open into a new time, a new generation, a new way of being in the world. 

There is an ever-expanding consciousness that can be likened to a continuum; and, humanity, moves from level to higher levels of Self-expression through various experiences; both individual and collective. I affirm we step boldly into our new experience of the world, fully equipped to move upward and onward in the endless unfoldment of the ever-evolving self. At the proper time, the baton will once more be passed on to the next generation, who, with the unconstrained love or union with the Divine Self, becomes the impetus for ever-flowing grace. 

Some may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.

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This Week’s Affirmation

“I feel love. I see love. I understand love. I AM LOVE.”

By Keith D. Childers