"Joy cometh in the Morning"

As the old time hymn proclaims:

O weary pilgrim, lift your head,
For joy cometh in the morning;
For God in His own Word hath said
That joy cometh in the morning.

Refrain

Joy cometh in the morning,
Joy cometh in the morning;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy cometh in the morning.

Our God shall wipe all tears away,
For joy cometh in the morning;
Sorrow and sighing flee away,
For joy cometh in the morning.
Refrain¹

…let us look to God for the joy that comes to us at the dawn of a new thought.

What is this ‘new thought’? It is the higher views of Truth, God, awakening us, showing us His view of Creation, which includes all the Universe and Mankind. They are the realization, the thoughts and ideas, of our divine relationship with God, our Creator and sustaining Maker.

How does this occur? When we turn our thoughts to Him, stand firm upon His Truth and Love, which He constantly reveals to us, we gain a sense of freedom. His Truth breaks us free from all the dismal thoughts of threat, gloom, doom, lack, loneliness, sin, sickness and death. God’s eternal, infinite Goodness is an annihilating Divine Law for all that is unlike Good.

By looking to God who is Love, we see His Christ, Truth, revealing itself as an ever-present help in times of both trouble and joy. By rejoicing in His Love, realizing His Power, this activity brings us through the nights of sickness, sorrow, and fear.  By turning our thoughts to Him, we can see that He is always with us, that Love and its Power is ever-near.

By looking to God as the one and only perfect Mind, for every thought and answer, we find answers. By placing our lives squarely into His Life instead of our personal beliefs, opinions and desires, we begin to see our lives harmonize, balance, become more healthy, abundant, useful, and consistent. A state of well-being begins to be a constant in our lives as His, Life’s, expression. By seeing that harmonious creation is His divine design and that all Mankind is included in this grand design, we let go of the false life and turn to Life as our directing Omnipotent Guide.

We can do this because He created us to be included eternally in His perfect design. We have a divine purpose. He lifts us from our lowly views of ourselves and our lives to His highest sight, His perfect vision of the Who and What that we are of His creating. God and His perfect idea, Man.

No one is left out. No one is without His constant Good. No one is outside of His guiding,
directing, powerful Hand. All we must do is turn our lives from our mortal lacking views, to Him, who is All-in-all. God is Love. To turn to Love is easy, to trust Love is imperative, to feel Love’s ever-presence is eternally possible.

Hitting ‘brick walls’, fearful, in trouble, needing? Turn your whole thought, life, experience over to Him. This brings joy with each dawning thought and happy realization that He has never left us. He is always the answer to every challenge. He is guiding us through the darkness by His Light and joy does come in this rising activity.

Gentle hugs


1 Christian Science Hymnal 425

Burdened?

So many in my area this morning are waking up in someone else's home. There has been evacuation due to the threat of fire.

Turning thought to prayer the temptation to feel sad, burdened, concern was lifted by the realization that God is here, Good is always here. Things and homes may have been lost for some. But Love is all around. Things and homes can be rebuilt. But our relationship with God, Love, is never lost, never broken, never taken from us. All we have to do is turn to Him to feel His constant loving presence.

To some the burden of this new day may feel heavy. But we are shown our burdens are actually light when we give them all over to God. We do not have to carry anything on our own shoulders. All we have to do is to turn to Him, look to Him, and follow step by step His unfoldment of His eternal Good.

Christ Jesus, the man that was called the man of sorrows'1 revealed to us all that he saw his life in God as not a burden but a place of joy. He stated, "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."2

What a thought! Our 'burden is light'. Despite the outward appearances we can sing, "my burden is light. I understand that God is our Father. God is constantly revealing to us our divine relationship to Him, Love!"

Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer and founder of Christian Science, states, "Is not our comforter always outside and above ourselves?"3

To find freedom from all burdens we must see that comfort comes from Love, God. This Love is outside of and above our personal sense of things. It lifts us above our low level view to His higher view of Truth, Life and Love, what He is seeing, knowing and doing. He never leaves us in this pit of burden. He never lets us dwell there. He comfort us and guides us upward into His perfect, calm view of Life as Spirit, spiritual, unburdened.

Let us let go of the false sense of loss and burden. Let us let Him lift us above the false personal views to His Higher Sight, His clear vision of all Good. Let us turn from the burden with a enlightened heart of joy, satisfaction, gratitude. Let us let God lift us from the struggles. Let us let God reveal to us His way and joyfully follow Him. He is our constant. He is our Care Giver. He is lifting us above the darkened sense of burden and revealing our life as His beloved cared for child. Then we can say joyfully, "my burden is light!"

Gentle hug

1The King James Version of The Holy Bible Isaiah 53 vs. 3
2 ibid Matthew 11 vss. 27-30
3 Unity of Good by Mary Baker Eddy page 18 line 15

Laugh, Party, Play!!??

Being a ‘church’ person and never one to really stray too far from my church duties as a productive member at home, at church and in society, the word ‘fun’ has alluded me and turned on me. I could never see how to have ‘fun’ and still stay in the confines of the rules and guidance of church work. Through the years I’ve grown to realize that what others consider ‘fun’ would have turned on me and made my moments of ‘fun’ become hours, days or years of regret. So I kept working and finding ‘fun’ in other ways such as writing, sharing, loving others, kindness. I didn’t look like the ‘fun’ type. I’m not invited to a lot of parties. But I’ve gained a sense of peace in this area with the lessons I’ve learned from what life really is.

Still…When I was looking towards the Holy works for humor, laughing, light heartedness, I was kind of dismayed that humor, wit, laughing isn’t a huge subject matter in the deep works of salvation.

One can only imagine that true salvation isn’t a laughing matter. But I was hoping for some lightness to my work.

When looking for laughter most of the time in The Holy Bible it is derisive, laughing the important ideas to scorn, it is mocking. This is not the laughter I was looking for and surely not the kind that would lift thought and heart. 

Over time I have realized that hymns, Psalms, parables, the work of salvation, gives us a sense of joy that is incomparable to the lacking spasmodic joys this life gives to us. It may be hard to see at times how constant Church work has a reward of joy. But the lessons we are learning here are for a lifetime of eternal joy. It is just our definition of ‘fun’, ‘joy’, ‘frivolity’ that needs to be adjusted, not the Church and its branches of learning.

Looking I found, Sarah laughed at the idea of have a child so ‘late’ in life. God ‘winked’ at the ignorances of mankind and then demanded men to repent.¹ The idea of others also winking was a form of laughing or making fun of others. Not a kind or happy version of laughter…laughing AT others!

Jesus was laughed to scorn² when he was just about to show how Life defeats death!

Actually when one begins to look we find there are many warnings against laughter, such as, “Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.”³ AND “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”⁴

Pretty heavy stuff! But where’s the joy, the rejoicing, the happiness? Is life doing God’s work all drudgery and woe? NO!  There is so much love and joy that comes with it. A joy that nothing and no one can take away from us, it is a joy that comes from loving Love.

It comes from understanding. It comes from realization. It comes from a lifted spirit and thought. It comes from seeing where joy comes from and who gives it to us.

Is it from drinking and partying? Nope. Is it from sensuality? Nope. Is it from laziness and procrastination? No. It is from serving God, Good. It is from turning away from our personal sense of what is ‘fun’ and seeing that all Good comes from a Divine Source. It is turning away from the beliefs of life in matter and realizing that Life is God, Life is ever-present Good, Life is the fulfilling of the Law and our fulfillment. It is finding and understanding true Love. It is witnessing to wisdom, joy, and intelligence from a higher source than just our meager beliefs, opinions and lack luster thoughts.

Joy that is based upon the mortal experience is extremely fleeting. But joy and happiness found in God is ever-present, progressive, growing, and when understood—it is a constant in our lives. It isn’t just a weekend thing it is a moment by moment expression, a reflection, a rejoicing of Truth, Life, and Love. It is not a wished for lacking commodity. But a constant expression of knowing who and what we are as the children of God. We can turn to Him always and feel the joy of His perfect presence. It is truly the words of David, “I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.”⁵ AND “Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.”⁶

In the Christian Science textbook we are warned, “Final deliverance from error, whereby we rejoice in immortality, boundless freedom, and sinless sense, is not reached through paths of flowers nor by pinning one’s faith without works to another’s vicarious effort.”⁷ “Then shall Soul rejoice in its own, in which passion has no part.”⁸  “Christians rejoice in secret beauty and bounty, hidden from the world, but known to God.”⁹

Those that think that life here is just one big party of fun and games have the rug pulled out from them when times get tough. Then they try to run with the crowd that have been working for their own and other’s personal salvation. But it doesn’t work that way. We must all “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.”¹⁰

The life of a Christian may not look like all fun and games to those that do not understand or want to work at anything that is so life altering. But that’s okay! Those of us who are working and rejoicing sing with the Revelator, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”¹¹

Come, join us, work, learn, understand the higher sense of joy. Let us be ready at all times for His Good and rejoice!  It may not be a belly laugh and a party. But the work, love, joy, happiness that gratitude brings makes me smile and feel I’m with Peace. Let us look towards His pleasures, for after all, our Master reassured us by sharing this delightful truth, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Just think! ‘the kingdom’! Now that is worth the wait, the work, and skipping a lot of parties. The gift of our Father’s good pleasure! That’s how I roll…

Gentle hugs

1 The King James Version of The Holy Bible The Acts of the Apostles 17 vs. 30
2 ibid Matthew 9 vs. 24; Luke 8 vs. 53
3 ibid Luke 6 vs. 25 (Woe unto you that laugh)
4 ibid James 4 vs. 9, 10
5 ibid Psalms 119 vs. 162
6 ibid Psalms 149 vs. 2
7 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy pg 22 line 23
8 ibid pg 64 line 21
9 ibid pg 15 line 25
10 The King James Version of The Holy Bible I Corinthians 2 vs. 3
11 The King James Version of The Holy Bible Revelation 19 vs. 7

Grief of loss OR the letting go of grief?

Grief comes in many forms. Not only in the loss of a loved one due to death. But many other challenges of loss, such as, the loss of a home, a job, a business, children through moving away, friends leaving, misunderstandings that strain relationships, the loss of possessions, and even the loss of a sense of youth.

Grief is an aggressive mental suggestion. It hits us hard at times. Many times it comes out of the blue. Shock, sorrow, disbelief, melancholy seems to add to the sense of grief. The length of time we deal with grief is determined by how long we hold onto the feelings of loss. It can seem to come and pass quickly or linger for years.

But if we saw grief as an aggressive mental suggestion such as fear, doubt, worry. If we see grief as actually a burden upon our thoughts and lives, a mental suggestion we do not have to agree to, we can become free from the depths of grief. In actuality we can deny it as a part of our experience.  We can claim our dominion over grief when we realize that it is a temptation, not a gift from God.

In Psalms we read, “How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.”¹

The freedom from grief is a relief. The realization that God gives to man all Good lifts us above all the burdens that the tempter brings to our thoughts. This includes grief. We can say “No” to all sadness, burdens, fears, doubts, concerns through the understanding of What God is and what God gives. If we saw that everything is from God, through Good, and is manifested by Man, Man would be free from anything unlike God’s nature and qualities of Good.

“This is the doctrine of Christian Science: that divine Love cannot be deprived of its manifestation, or object; that joy cannot be turned into sorrow, for sorrow is not the master of joy; that good can never produce evil; that matter can never produce mind nor life result in death.”²

No loss, no pain, no sorrow when we claim all Good as the Being of our lives. Spiritual Being, Love, the supreme and only Mind, Divine Life, is the Truth of our experience. When we claim the Perfection and completeness of our lives as God’s children it lifts us above all the other claims of evil, sorrow, loss.

“Love is true solace and giveth joy for sorrow, —
O, in that light, all earthly loss is gain;
Joy must endure, Love's giving is forever;
Life is of God, whose radiance cannot wane.”³

This life brings burdens, sorrows and fears. But the more we learn about God as Love, trust His ever-present Good, knowing how He tenderly cares for all, we can rise more quickly over those aggressive feelings. We can rise above grief and sadness. We can feel His heavenly touch and regain our joy, the gift of God.

Gentle hugs


1The King James Version of the Holy Bible Psalms 13: 2, 5, 6
2 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy page 304 line 12
3 The Christian Science Hymnal No. 174 vs. 2

Gratitude is power...Gratitude is joy!

Gratitude! What a wonderful thing to have.  It is a power of instant joy when one turns to it consistently, humbly, genuinely.  Gratitude, joy and happiness then are found to be qualities within us that cannot be taken away, unless we let them be hidden by ingratitude, disdain, or choosing the wrong side of thoughts and actions.

Man, created by God, the Perfect One, has all the qualities of gratitude, love, joy, happiness, supply, health, beauty, grace and love already within him.  They have to be a part of him for God could not create something He is not.  God created man wonderfully complete, whole, free, and good. 

There is a story about one who put good seed into his field but when he was asleep another came in and planted bad seed (Matthew 13:24-30). 

We must protect our thinking as a precious garden filled with all the perfect seeds of goodness from evil thoughts that try to choke out the good that is within us.  Every time there is a choice in being, doing, seeing Good we must do so or otherwise we’re letting the evil planter sow in bad seeds.  This causes confusion.  It hides the good that we already have and already are.  It complicates our lives.  It brings darkness to our thoughts.  We then have to weed out the false beliefs about ourselves and our lives.  How much easier, quicker, more consistent of the who that we are, precious, perfect, ideas of Mind, God, to just always chose the Good?

Each day, hour, moment brings opportunities for us to magnify the Good that is all around us and within us.  Each moment we GET TO magnify the Good that is Us through gratitude, obedience and pure joy.  Each moment we get to express the goodness that is within us and remove the temptations that try to plant seeds of discontent, ingratitude, sinful activities.  We have to be ever vigilant but it is worth the persistence to keep our thought gardens clear of the bad seeds and weeds that try to choke out all the good we are and have.

How grateful we can be that we are already made by Good.  Let us be grateful enough not to let evil plant seeds of sin and discontent into our hearts and thoughts.  Let us be the Good that we are.

A grateful heart a garden is,
Where there is always room
For every lovely, Godlike grace
To come to perfect bloom.
A grateful heart a fortress is,
A staunch and rugged tower,
Where God's omnipotence, revealed,
Girds man with mighty power. 

Hymn 3 vs 1, 2 Christian Science Hymnal

Hugs