Category: Testimonies

God’s Law of Adjustment – A testimony


We’ve all read God’s Law of Adjustment and know of its targeted metaphysical applications in relation to all human situations, experiences, and difficulties.  Our recent discussions have noted it is a “pillar article” within our movement, and personally, I’ve used this article countless times to allow God to “correct, govern, harmonize, and adjust” situations to which I was subjected but were completely out of my control.   Personally, I have committed the article to memory as it allows me an immediate access to its import without having to locate the pamphlet.  The following two demonstrations are solely based on God’s Law of Adjustment and the imported ”immediacy and metaphysical” strength needed for each demonstration.

In October, 2011, I was part of a 15-person humanitarian mission to Cuba.  As some may know, direct access to Cuba, for Americans, is difficult from both the US State Department as well as the Cuban government. The Cuban embargo continues to restrict travel greatly for Americans.  Cuba is a country distinguished by its joy-filled people in abrupt contrast to extreme poverty (similar to the deep south of the 1950′s and 1960′s).  People manage to survive through a network of black markets (via foreign markets) for many goods and services the Cuban government can not or does not provide.
On the third day of travel, our group of 15 reached “camp” near the City of Santa Clara after a four hour bus ride from San Antonio de los Banos.  Our mission for the next week or so was to work on agricultural projects as well as a construction project in building a new dormitory.  Being a skilled horticulturalist, I was asked to do a few projects relating to propagation of vegetable plants. This may sound simple, but the Castro government, after the revolution, failed to continue certain vegetable plant strains such as tomatoes to the point where native seeds no longer exist. As well, technology for harvest of larger commercial crops is outdated from the 1950′s.  Further in about 1985, the Soviet Union no longer subsidized the Cuban government at the approximate then five billion US dollars.  At this point, Cuba’s economy went south very quickly into its extreme poverty one notes today.
At the camp, there were several younger guys working on the construction of a new, modern dormitory.  These guys could not have been more than in their early twenties, and clearly, they had a rural upbringing.   One evening, and for their amusement, these guys started tormenting a long-eared, young female Chihuahua named Putto.   During the course of their antics, they seemingly fractured the dog’s leg.  The dog was unable to walk or to put pressure on the leg.  Conclusively, the dog was in pain: one minute the dog was running around and the next it was unable to walk.  As one might suspect, in a country where there is extreme poverty, government-sponsored medical care for people in rural areas is sparse, and essentially non-existent for pets.  The solution, in all likelihood would have been to put down the animal.  The younger guys were immediately fired from the camp’s employment.
While it was evident the dog was in pain, I noted to her owner and the group (I was the only Christian Scientist on the mission) that I would handle the situation metaphysically.  All of the group knew I was a student of Christian Science, and that I loved dogs as I have five rescued Golden Retrievers in addition to sponsoring and supporting numerous Goldens in rescue.  I took Putto to the men’s old dormitory to begin immediately reciting mentally, and with complete conviction, God’s Law of Adjustment.  Within minutes I was reciting aloud the article to Putto.  In the article where it follows, “When we in our helplessness reach the point where we see we are unable of ourselves to do anything, and then call upon God to aid us; when we are ready to show our willingness to abandon our own plans, our own opinions, our own sense of what out to be done under the circumstances, and have no fear as to the consequences, then God’s law will take possession of and govern the whole situation.”
This was the “turning point” in this rather quick healing.   I simply turned over the situation to God knowing God’s law as the ”universal law of love…”  Putto fell asleep and seemed no longer to be in pain.  I continued this line of metaphysical work through the next day as I began to work with the plants.  By the end of this (i.e. the next) day, Putto was running with the other two dogs as if nothing ever happened.  People asked what had happened, and I explained, as I felt it was appropriate, the operation and application of God’s law to daily circumstances.  Gratitude abounded from many over Putto’s recovery.
The second demonstration occurred as our group was leaving Havana to return to the US via Miami.  We arrived at the airport about three (3) hours ahead of our flight. We simply anticipated complications.  The complications came about 15 minutes after our airport  arrival when I noticed on the kiosk our flight had been canceled.  Apparently this happens in Cuba: the government arbitrarily cancels departing flights without any given reason.  It is incumbent upon the passengers then to take the next flight supposedly without any harm.  There was one flight ahead of us leaving in about 150 minutes and then another flight leaving at 7 p.m.    Our flight was scheduled to leave at 4 p.m.  The canceled flight proposed all sorts of difficulties for our group of 15 people.   First, we would arrive in Miami much later to miss our connecting flight to NYC.  We would have to make arrangements to spend the night in a hotel at an additional expense to each traveler.  As well, there was limited mobile telephone service to the US in order to alert those in NYC we would be delayed to arrive the following day.  Further, we would all have to arrange for a new flight from Miami to NYC at our additional expense if there were no available seats on the next day’s same scheduled flight.
While sitting on the floor against a far wall, I began working quietly, again with God’s Law of Adjustment.  The thought immediately came to me  “There are times when human wisdom is inadequate to tell us just what is the right thing to be done.  Under such circumstances we should pray humbly for divine guidance, and then choose that which seems to be in accord with our highest sense of right, knowing that God’s law of adjustment regulates and governs all things…” Further, with immediately, the passage appeared in thought,  ”The battle is not yours, but God’s…Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord.”  (II Chronicles 20: 15-17). Within about 10 minutes, I said to our economist, who spoke fluent Spanish, to ask about the other plane and a potential change for all of us to the earlier flight.  The authorities weren’t terribly receptive to the idea, but he explained the difficulties the cancellation would cause for all of us.  With a few telephone calls from the authorities and the airline people, we were all allowed and able to change our flights to another airline, deal with the passport situation, and board the flight en route to Miami.  There was no further cost involved in any of the re-arrangements with another airline carrier.
I was asked by the flight attendant to sit in the emergency isle seat because I’m tall and well-built with the supposed and necessary strength to assist people should any emergency situation arise in flight.    As he and I began chatting, I explained our change in plans and planes.  He essentially counter- explained to me that at about two hours before this flight left from Miami to Havana, the captain decided to take the larger plane for this particular jaunt. The flight attendant noted the smaller plane is almost always taken because of the small number of passengers this airline is regulated to carry by the US government to Cuba.  The larger plane holds 20 more people than the smaller plane… a number slightly larger than the exact number of seats we needed for our changed flight.  The closing prayer to all of this was a simple  and grateful acknowledgment from Romans 8:28 and included in God’s Law of Adjustment that “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28)
We all arrived safely in Miami, and then onto NYC where we arrived about midnight.
Jay

Unity in Christ

 

NOH8 – CLICK HERE Campaign speaks out to say, "It Gets Better"

 

Hi Everyone!


It has come to me to add that the calling of the Christ for unity is bringing peoples together sharing love and hope with each other.  This is especially good in situations where suicidal thoughts or being on the verge of suicide can be altered by a loving community that brings in unity.  It’s that powerful when one comes to experience that there is hope and life right where they are.  Mrs. Eddy echoes Paul’s words in Science and Health, "now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (39:18).  Is it not inspiring enough to awaken to the fact of the presence of salvation?  

 

Michael Bergenheim


 

The Healing of Prejudice

The Healing of Prejudice

Suzanne Nightingale

 

Prejudice is a two-edged sword, cutting both giver and receiver.  Often we try to soothe the wounds of prejudice by being more fiercely loyal to our own people – expecting the protection of the group in exchange for our loyalty.  But loyalty to people, instead of to God, is what incites prejudice in the first place.  Even people who don’t actively participate in violent acts support those deeds by their silent loyalty, because loyalty to people or institutions forces us to say “We’re better than they are.  They don’t deserve to share in the good.” 

I have vivid childhood memories of remarks by adults around me, of the slang terms describing different ethnic and religious groups, or people who migrated to California in search of opportunity.  Implicit in these ugly monikers were judgments: greedy, ignorant, corrupt, lazy, good-for-nothing.   Being born into one group meant stature and respect, while being born into another group meant shame and worthlessness.  Now I know in my heart that no one ever starts out wanting to be wrong.  But sometimes we pick up the wrong ideas as we go along.  From what I heard as a child, I picked up some nasty prejudices.  But they lay beneath my awareness, until events forced them to the surface.

I was a working professional, looking forward to working with someone whom I had grown to respect very much.  I had admired this woman for her tireless good work and her ability to express herself so beautifully with the written word.  We had never met or communicated except by writing.  I had a lovely image of her.  Then, some weeks before our first meeting, I had a chance to see her on a television broadcast.     

Seeing the woman and hearing her speak, I suddenly attached to her all of the ugly beliefs I had learned as a child.  Here was someone whose works and strength of character I respected and admired deeply.  I wanted very much to be like her.  Yet there was a hideous disdain welling up in me.  I had been taught to react this way; to a person I respected and loved more than anyone in the world.  I was ashamed. 

The Bible tells us that each individual is God’s honored offspring.  Nothing can take away God’s love and acceptance and respect.  Nothing.  God’s love is impartial and indivisible.  God could never have created the idea of gradations of respect.  It was not God’s idea that some should feel a great deal of support and closeness and others should feel cut off from love.

This enabled me to detach myself from the prejudice that had become ingrained in my attitude.  I knew I could be healed. I saw that I needed a right sense of allegiance and respect.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the qualities of the Messiah, or Christ, this way,   “. . . he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.”  (Isa 11:3)   If I, on the other hand, judged people for how they looked or sounded, I was not honoring God and God’s offspring.

Christ Jesus knew with certainty that God was the only Father and Mother anyone ever had, and the only one worthy of allegiance.  Jesus loved God perfectly and he loved his neighbor as himself.  He had a pure, spiritual understanding of how God values the real man as His full, perfect likeness.  Jesus’ loyalty allowed him to acknowledge only what God truly made.  He rebuked all evil as baseless and not of God.  This was how he honored God, with this perfect, holy thought that brought healing and redemption. 

The Christ, Truth is what speaks to us of our real natures and this is the only thing we can really honor in ourselves and others.  This is the only true judgment we undergo.  Jesus once said, “… the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.”  (John 5:22, 23)

God did not intend for us to grade each by outward appearances, and then give honor, or withhold it.  That would be judging wrongly.  Jesus instead teaches us, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”  (John 7:24)    All my life I had been drawing lines of distinction, saying, “Yes, I can love and respect you . . .  but not you, because . . . .”  I saw that I had to honor the truth of being about each individual.  I had to start being loyal to God.     

Instead of categorizing and grading people, I was to see the reality of God’s spiritual creation, where there is only one version of man.  This man is the image and likeness of God.  This man is ever pure and at the point of perfection.  I realized I was not to judge anyone by what they looked like or how they spoke, by their race, gender, class.  I was instead to see that they reflect the perfect beauty of Love, that the sound they make is the sweet music of God’s communication, which is spiritual. 

The woman whom I admired so much expressed grace and beauty in her writing.  I learned to recognize that same loveliness in her spoken expression.  I did that by praying to understand that grace and beauty are spiritual qualities that each individual expresses.  This helped me to see beyond physical appearance to the loveliness that’s spiritual.  I found I could “judge righteous judgment.”

I have learned something else through my prayer.  When I see injustices being done by one group against another, I know I have two choices.  I can feel outrage and choose a side to support.  Or I can be loyal to God and judge righteously.  I can know that there is one side, really; it’s God’s side and we are all on that side.  The spiritual reality of any situation is that there is no underdog and no one whose dignity has been trampled or abused.  No one has a need to control or belittle.  God is Love, and every individual of God’s creating knows and feels that love, always. 

The one perfect and holy allegiance we all have is to the heart of divine Love.  God values us and protects us forever.  Because the Christly perception is inherent in each of us, we can really only see each other as God sees us. 

 

Isaiah saw the end of hurtful prejudices.  He saw us all seeing each other as God sees us.  He wrote, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”  (Isa.  11:9)

We can take the necessary footsteps to shift our loyalty to God alone.  Being loyal as Jesus was loyal is the most powerful thing we can do to lift the burden of wrong.

 


Defying low expectations

 
To injure no man and bless all mankind.
 
Mary Baker Eddy 
  
 SOCIETY MAKES MANY PREDICTIONS FOR US. People peg us for certain roles or positions. Sometimes we enjoy the prediction—hero, star, champion athlete. Other times it may feel hurtful, put us down, or stunt our personal growth. I’ve found that when faced with a negative outline or expectation, I can turn to God to know that good is all that He has in the forecast for me.
 
 

Christian Science Monitor Articles. Defying low expectations. Courtney Brownewell | from The Christian Science Monitor.

The Diamond Sermon & It gets better

 
To injure no man and bless all mankind.
 
Mary Baker Eddy 
 


IT GETS BETTER: VIDEO #1 CHRISTIAN & GAY

It Gets Better - Jake Shears - YouTube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjFxosDnzOo6 min - Oct 6, 2010 - Uploaded by antonbrandt
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Current Reference: Book Matthew, Chapter Matt.5-7
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[[[Chapter 5

1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
13 ¶ Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 
 
 

— The Diamond Sermon, (King James Bible)

It Gets Better – Times Square

 
 
To injure no man and bless all mankind
 
Mary Baker Eddy 
 

 

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— Mary Baker Eddy, (.)

Hope


Good Morning Everyone.
 
I hope to see you all in Chicago at the Emergence Conference.
 
After flying half-way around the world in three consecutive days; (hosting our Tahitian group cruise followed three days later by our Danube River cruise), Bill and I returned to San Francisco in time to attend the Wednesday Evening Service — just two days ago.
 
The topic was "Hope" and I was inspired to give a testimony, conveying the role hope played in that experience. I would like to share the spiritual "nuggets" of the testimony with you.
 
Hope is not mere desire… otherwise, it would be desire and not hope. Hope carries with it the absolute confidence that our desires are possible. If our desires weren’t possible, they would be false hope. As we read in Psalms, God gives us the desires of our heart — and He does not give us false desire or false hope.
 
As Christian Science demonstrates, hope leads us naturally to joyous expectation which results in fulfillment, because every right idea, carries with it, everything necessary to complete that right idea.
 
After giving the background of our extraordinary journey, which seemed daunting, if not impossible, I quoted the former C.S.B., Margaret Laird who said: "I am the world through which I walk." I love that thought and use it frequently as I travel. As I walk through my world, "I walk with Love along the way" and bring with me my hopes and dreams, my health and my power, my harmony and my love, my peace and my joy, my weather – and yes, even my parking place.
I concluded by expressing gratitude for the realization that wherever I go, God is!
 
Hope to see you October 6th in Chicago.
 
With big (Tahitian) hugs,
 
Tom Taffel (and of course), Bill Repp 





Still Small voice

We should examine ourselves and learn what is the affection and purpose of the heart, for in this way only can we learn what we honestly are. 

 

Science and Health 8: 28-30 

 
 
 
Still Small Voice 
 


Learning to trust your instincts, using you intuitive sense of what’s best for you, is paramount for any lasting success.  I’ve trusted the still, small voice of intuition my entire life.  And the only time I’ve made mistakes is when I didn’t listen.

 

It’s really more a feeling than a voice – a whispery sensation that pulsates just beneath the surface of your being.  All animals have it.

We’re the only creatures that deny or ignore it.  

 

Awhile back, Bob Greene and I were walking with my dogs around the pond at my home in California.  The weather was damp and

misty, and I was concerned that it was too cold for the dogs to go in the water.  But Bob said, ‘Don’t worry – they’re dogs.  There’re

not going to stay in the water if it’s too cold.  Animals don’t deliberately cause themselves discomfort the way people do.’

 

How many of us have gone against your gut, only to find yourself at odds with the natural flow of things?  We all get caught up in the

business of doing, and sometimes lose our place in the flow.  But the more we can tune in to our intuition, the better off we are.  I

believe it’s how God speaks to us.

 

For all the major moves in my life – to Baltimore, to Chicago, to my own show, and to end it – I’ve trusted my instincts.  I take in all the

information I can gather.  I listen to proposals, ideas, and advice.  Then I go with my gut, what my heart feels most strongly.

And I often tell friends:  When you don’t know what to do, do nothing.  Get quiet so you can hear  the still, small voice – your inner

GPS guiding you North.

 

Oprah

OPRAH.COM – AUGUST 2011 

 

The Boy Who Followed Somebody Else’s Dream

 

To thine own self be trueand it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.            

 
William Shakespeare  
 


The 4th of July is a good time to reflect on these words from a great American: 

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.

 


That’s Teddy Roosevelt speaking at the Sorbonne a century ago in 1910. 

Some truths are timeless: The critics, your critics, will always be there, lurking and worthless. 

Which reminds me… I had a very bright young woman in my office this week. She was bright and educated and clever and fantastic, but I have to admit, I wasn’t buying her very well-expressed desire to join our team, so I said: 

"Hey, look, I do career advice for a living. When you put the kids to sleep, and you have a moment in your day, and it’s just you, what do you dream about doing?" 

And she was passionate, she was engaging, she was alive!… alive in the way that only the fire can bring, and she inspired! — and I’m a guy that lives for inspiration! 

But her passion wasn’t for my business — online recruitment — it was for something else. Maybe that something else could be considered a hobby, maybe it could be considered a small business, maybe it could be considered to be not so quite very prestigious as the other fancy names and pedigrees that popped like fireworks from her resume. 

But it was passion and it was hers

I loved it! 

So I asked "Why don’t you go and do that? That’s what makes you passionate, that’s what makes you alive, that’s what makes you happy. Why don’t you go and do that and be amazing at it?" 

And her answer comes rolling back, quieter now, eyes turned down, "Well, my parents / friends / colleagues / classmates don’t think it’s very impressive and that I should be doing something else with my time — something more valuable." 

And I asked her: "When have great things ever been accomplished by doing what other people wanted you to do?" 

And you know, Readers, it’s true. 

There’s no storybook about "The Boy Who Followed Somebody Else’s Dream", no movie rights sold for the tale of "It Wasn’t Within My Purview To Consider Alternatives", no Sinatra tune entitled "I Did It The Way My Critics Requested I Do It". 

All the songs, all the movies, all the books say the same damn thing about you and your dream for a reason, Robert — because it’s true! 

You’ll be on a stone slab someday too soon — far too soon — and your children will look at you and you’ll look at yourself, and you’re going to ask, and they’re going to ask, and wherever you are right now just do me a favor and… 

>stop< 

…and listen to the wind breathe. 

And count the years between here and birth — your birth, on the occasion of the country’s birth — and count the years between here and death. 

And count the words of your loved ones, and your family, and your friends, and your kids, and your own words in your own head about who you are and who you want to be and who you always wanted to be. And realize that that is beautiful. And that is what you were made for. 

And count the words of the critics and naysayers and the negative people in your life and the words they’ve piled up like stones for you with their wants and their desires and their demands of you. 

Count the piles and feel their weight and add them up and ask yourself… 

Which one do you want to carry with you to the end? Which one do you want to carry for the rest of your days? 

Which one is worthy of you? 

This Fourth of July declare your independence from your critics. 

It’s you who counts. 

With all my rooting, 
the ladders – Marc Cenedella, CEO & Founder 

 

Truth

 

Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

— JOHN viii. 32
 
 

 

“No church or society or informal group is left out.."

Fujiko signs – 2010 President TFCCS

 

Message to The Mother Church or TFCCS 

This should include the hopes and dreams of the LGBT community.