Day 314: Practical Application

633:16-635:17

Every thought of prejudice immediately vanished before the proofs that Christian Science is indeed the elucidation and practical application of Jesus' teachings, which are demonstrable truth, "The same yesterday, and to-day, and forever.”

2010

Day 305

614:20-616:27

I am very thankful to God for what He has done for me.

2010

Day 111: The Body

215:11-217:5

If man is governed by the law of divine Mind, his body is in submission to everlasting Life and Truth and Love.

2010

Day 345: The Outspoken Infidel

699:8-700:13

This testifier uses the phrase outspoken infidel to describe himself. Today, I would call this one of the following (as lifted from wikipedia):

Deist, Atheist, Skeptic, or Agnostic

I’m not offended when people believe something else, or not believe anything at all. They should follow their heart, wherever it takes them. However, when someone is outspoken (even me), it means they can’t listen to anyone else, including God.

Day 344: Satisfied

697:20-699:7

I know that things which I did and thought last year I would not do or think this year, and am satisfied.

Day 343: Bad Habits

695:29-697:19

The first testimony today includes the thought that the writer lost all bad habits as a result of reading Science and Health. I can’t say the same but I can say I’m becoming more aware of what they are.

Day 342: Right Reasoning

693:10-695:28
In the last few days, my thoughts are almost completely consumed with spiritual thought. There are the odd flashes of daily minutiae, or temper, but generally, I’m thinking beyond this. I can’t really explain it. Who can? Rhetorical question.

The second testimony summarized as this:

For right reasoning, there should be but one fact before the thought, namely, spiritual existence. [492:3-4]

The writer says this is a quote from the book but I can’t find it. Am I missing it? If you know where this quote is in Mrs. Eddy’s writings, please let a comment.

[1/3/2011] Updated reference with correct page number, thank you Laura.

Day 341: A Private Journey

691:17-693:9

The testimony in today’s reading described the person's healing then the refusal of friends to acknowledge it. This reminded me that our spiritual journey, each of us individually, is a private journey. While we travel along the same road at times, where we start and where we end up is for each person to know.

Day 340: Fed by Divine Love

688:24-691:16

All pain left me, I had a glimpse of the new heavens and the new earth, and was beginning to be fed by Love divine.

Day 339: When I awoke

686:10-688:23

When I awoke I was a different person, all pains and aches had gone, and I was free. I was so happy I could hardly contain myself, to material sense if was wonderful. As I walked I kept saying, “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful,” and tried to understand “the scientific statement of being” by repeating portions at a time, then pondering over them. I read the book four times in succession, and every time I found more and more to aid in the understanding.

Day 338: A Convincing Testimony

683:28-686:9

far more grateful am I for the spiritual teaching to love, to forgive, to curb my tongue, and cease my criticism

Day 337: Thought so Changed

681:15-683:27

I never thought of such a thing as being healed by the reading of the book, but my thought was so changed that I was healed

Day 336: Don’t Consent to Error

679:22-681:14

Today’s testimony has a way with words. The first idea is:

I have been able to overcome many errors.

Other testimonies mention health or physical healings but this testimony is more accurate. Then the person had to move away from the East Coast for a change in climate. While he might have been thinking about moisture or cold, in truth, it was a new mental climate he was looking for. Then he read Mary Baker Eddy’s quote regarding food:

neither food nor the stomach, without the consent of mortal mind, can make one suffer

The consent of mortal mind is us, me. We have to consent to error in order for error to be effective. I’ve been watching my thinking very closely to see where it runs away from spirituality. Not pulling it back in is another form of consent.

Day 335: I have lost nothing

677:21-679:21

Well, not too many days left in this year. Good holiday to all of you. The last testimony today reminded me that I have had a healing this year. He states:

I have lost nothing, I have sacrificed nothing; but I have gained everything

One of the healings the testimony states is “the drink habit.” Alcohol. I’ve been drinking since I was a kid. I’m not bragging, just saying it was a regular habit – steadily and at times too much. I wanted to be healed of it which is different than just stopping. I’ve been praying about it. It isn’t the reason I started this project but it is one of the issues I wanted healed. Some time in the spring, I just lost interest. Now, so many months later, I realize the appetite for it is gone. As well as the interest in its affects. And I lost nothing, sacrificed nothing. 

Day 334: God & Prayer

675:16-677:20

The second testimony is, in many ways, timeless. A man leaves the small-town environment, used to leaning on God via prayer for guidance. Heads to the big CITY. Is determined to continue with God and prayer. Somehow gets off track. Regrets. Comes back to God through prayer.

Every story like this has two points to not be forgotten. God never left you so at any moment you can return. You never lost the ability to pray. It isn’t a calculus formula to remember. It’s yours forever.

Day 333: 2 Views of Time

673:23-675:15

The testimony in this reading gave me an idea about time, which I’ve been praying about this year. The story is from a seventy-one year old man, and is about an injury that happened while outside cutting wood on his table saw in the winter. He uses the phrase,

I never lost an hour from the hurt.

When I think of time regarding a healing, I usually want the healing to be quick and take little time (don’t we all). So there is the first kind of time: spent working toward a healing in prayer. But he mentions a second time: lost from regular activities while praying. Of course, this quote came to mind:

No loss can occur from trusting God with our desires…[1:11]

I didn’t really connect these two ideas until this testimony. What a wonderful reading.

Day 332: Influence and Offence

672:1-673:22

This testimony is wonderful. At the end, the person is not talking about physicality but what mental changes have happened. The person starts with the actual change:

All that I had to give up were the false beliefs of mortal mind.

And then the list of benefits is set out:

• The more good I saw accomplished, the more love I had for the truth.
• I was not so easily influenced by other people’s shortcomings, when I learned that evil has neither personality nor place.
• I was not so ready to take offence, when I found out the way to work unselfishly for the upbuilding of the Cause.

The two ideas of influence and offence are my own little (or not so little) tests I have been working on. Yesterday had made a little headway with each but I’m grateful for this testimony as a reminder to stay with the work.

Day 331: A restless sense of existence

669:24-671:32

The title of this post is part of the first testimony of the section. When I read that phrase I could understand what the person meant. Many people would ask why does that need to be healed. I’m going to assume the person testifying was an itinerant personality who had no sense of permanent home or purpose. I don’t mean a physical home and job. There are plenty of life hackers out there who don’t need that and do not have a restless sense of existence. I mean the person that isn’t satisfied, happy, fulfilled regardless of how much or how little they have.

Here’s the problem. The restless sense is a symptom of lack of trust in God that your life and purpose will unfold as it should. This can manifest in many ways: lack of confidence in yourself, lack of love for others, aimless search for fulfillment.

There is a peace to be found in listening and reflecting God.

Day 330: Intelligent Consciousness

667:19-669:23

This testimony is wonderful. It does a couple of things. First it says the healing took place without understanding, more of a belief. Then sometime later, after her life changed for the better, she wanted to understand it. So she read again.

What I like about this is that she didn’t say belief was enough, she didn’t give up, and she didn’t expect to return to the old ways. Sometimes walking the road doesn’t seem like enough but as long was we don’t stop and we don’t turn back, we will discover where we were headed all along.

Day 329: Daily Study

666:1-667:18

One of the testimonies mentions daily study as part of Christian Science. I feel confident that this one point among just a very few others is a sticking point for some. I know it is for me. The lesson takes about 20 minutes to read. That’s all. How is it always hard to find 20 minutes to sit down and do that?

In the beginning of someone’s learning and practice the 20 minutes are a joy but like all repetition, at some point we slack. I think I don’t need it. I can skip one day. In truth, the idea isn’t that you need to have some daily religious repetition but that we need to constantly remember that God is our parent and we are the perfect reflection -- that there is only one God. Daily existence has a way of throwing up distractions to the point that a daily dose of spiritual uplift is necessary. The very moment we begin to think we can’t love or are unloved, we need to turn back to the books and look again. 

I grateful for all the outlets we have to study the lesson at our leisure and in a format that is easiest for ourselves.