As a licensed social worker in clinical practice I’m familiar with the term “anticipatory grief.” As a son who was his father’s caregiver for nearly three years, including two years of hospice care, I can appreciate this on a very personal level. Week after week of wondering when my father was going to make his transition took its toll on me physically and emotionally. Yet none of my worry, concern and anticipation of his passing helped me one bit in... Read more
The final two Commandments of Religious Science have to do with bringing ourselves back to the truth of who we are and ultimately what our biggest purpose is during journey through life. As we all know, it is our consciousness that creates our experience, so it should be no surprise that the Ninth Commandment is a reminder of what helps to keep the experience moving in a direction that is not only for us, but for those around us. The... Read more
Ever wonder why the same crappy things seem to happen over and over in your life? (Perhaps you’ve grown beyond and, if so, you can stop reading now, but please keep the rest of us in your thoughts and prayers!) Of course in our teaching we know that our experience is a direct result of our thoughts and beliefs, both conscious (objective) and subconscious (subjective). That doesn’t help matters when we’re in the thick of it, does it? It also... Read more
This week, our explorations of the Ten Commandments of Religious Science gets personal. The next two commandments are the foundation for a good happy life. And they set the directives for what we might want to consider. Commandments 7 is: I am wealthy in every way, and I always share my wealth generously. Wealth is a relative experience. It’s more about how you feel about what you are doing, than anything that has to do with balance sheets. In other... Read more
Have you ever used the phrase, “With all due respect?” You have haven’t used it yourself you may have heard it in a TV program, probably uttered by an indignant subordinate unsuccessfully attempting to assert him- or herself, or perhaps two attorneys vying for position in a heated discussion. It is what we hear after “With all due respect…” that is more telling than the phrase itself. What follows the phrase is frequently anything but respectful. Often those words are... Read more
Remembering who you are As we’ve been going through these Ten Commandments of Religious Science, I’ve noticed that I am reminded how important it is to listen to the still small voice within. It’s so easy to get lost in the distractions of the everyday, to let the ego take over and drown out the voice that reminds us of who we are. In the middle steps of treatment work, we use that time to focus on what we want.... Read more
I thought this week I’d expand a bit on the idea of “personal empowerment.” In the past few weeks I’ve discussed how self-care is not selfish. I wrote about how making decisions that are right for us personally doesn’t mean we don’t love our family and friends if they disagree. But what exactly is “personal empowerment?” In New Thought personal empowerment is God empowerment, since we are that which God is. To the evangelical Christian and Orthodox Muslim that might... Read more
Commandments 3 & 4 3. I always think and live joyfully in the present 4. I always take full responsibility for what I am thinking, feeling and doing. The Commandments for personal responsibility Last week I shared with you a piece of writing I came across that listed the Ten Commandments of Religious Science. The first two commandments were essentially about trust. In a way they were about the first two steps of treatment. We need to know that God... Read more
I was rolling through pictures I took a while back when we were in New York; we had gone to see “Bodies: The Exhibit” The idea was a little morbid – I have to admit was my first thought. Quickly, my curiosity overcame my reluctance and since I wasn’t totally grossed out I decided to find out what had mesmerized so many. As it turned out, seeing this exhibit became one of the most enlightening spiritual experiences of my life.... Read more
I’m honored to begin blogging this week for the Principles of Spiritual Living blogs on the Patheos website! I’ve been described as a spiritual warrior, a metaphysician and generally accepted all-around nice guy, though perhaps considered by some to be a slightly off-the-wall Bohemian. I’m also a Religious Science minister, serving currently as the spiritual leader for Center for Spiritual Living Cumberland Valley, a growing Center for Spiritual Living center in south central PA. Has this been a confusing or... Read more
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