I love face book!

I woke up early this morning. 6.30 am which is early for me!  Just spent a while, longer than expected, doing my morning prayer/study and thought oh I better actually go and ‘do’ stuff now!  I love reading my bible and I can’t be sitting at the computer all day – I must be up and about.

I had just finish exploring the first item on my list that I wrote (it is actually a very short list which is just as well) – the spiritual concept of a coffee cup… yeah right well um – time will tell.

The other day at the hospital I was considering in more depth the meaning of Life – the significance in my life, what am I living, what am I seeing?  All is Life, the expression of Life – God as we know him. What do I see in a ‘coffee cup’.  Actually I should word that better – what do I see as the coffee cup? What is its spiritual significance? I wasn’t even thinking of the lesson for this week – but it does relate… well the cup part anyway.

The second on my list – the spiritual concept of the computer!  Hopefully that will not take so long!  I already know the computer is about communication, the rising consciousness of thought on earth. And what of face-book?

I thought I will just check face-book before I be up and doing – 2 emails – 1 regarding what I must be up and doing and the other…

“Just went to the best church service, testimony after testimony of healing,”

What did I say about last weeks lesson ‘God’ and this weeks  ‘Sacrament’ Brilliant. So many wonderful healings have been coming to mind this week – Writing my bucket list is going to take some time!

I emailed back my friend, “must catch up so can share them with me”. I really do need to start sharing my experiences – properly – one day.  I hope my bucket list is a good start, getting prepared for better things to come, knowing and acknowledging why.

Reviewing experiences “I cannot fail to discern the coincidence of the spiritual idea of man with the divine Mind”

“It is possible, – yea, it is the duty and privilege of every child, man and woman, – to follow in some degree the example of the Master by the demonstration of Truth and Life, of health and holiness. The time for the reappearing of the divine healing is thoughout all time; and whosoever layeth his early all on the altar of divine Science, drinketh of Christ’s cup now, and is endued with the spirit and power of Christian healing.” (block 6 this weeks lesson)

Coincidence (wikipedia)

A coincidence (often stated as a mere coincidence) is a collection of two or more events or conditions, closely related by time, space, form, or other associations which appear unlikely to bear a relationship as either cause to effect or effects of a shared cause, within the observer’s or observers’ understanding of what cause can produce what effects.

The word is derived from the Latin cum- (“with”, “together”) and incidere (a composed verb from “in” and “cadere“: “to fall on”, “to happen”). In science, the term is generally used in a more literal translation, e.g., referring to when two rays of light strike a surface at the same point at the same time. In this usage of coincidence, there is no implication that the alignment of events is surprising, noteworthy or non-causal.

“In science the term is generally used in a more literal translation – In this usage of coincidence, there is no implication that the alignment of events is surprising, noteworthy or non-casual.”

Discerning coincidence  –  Mary Baker Eddy says: “It has been demonstrated to me that Life and that the might of omnipotent Spirit shares not its strength with matter or with human will. Reviewing this brief experience, I cannot  fail to discern the coincidence of the spiritual idea of man with the divine Mind”

This is actually about an example she gives in S & H of a man she healed of hip cancer; that I read only the other day…  Discern coincidence – to know the difference between the real and the unreal… Exercise discernment by knowing the truth of Truth, precept upon precept, line upon line, argument by argument. Having that mind of Christ, in light shall thou see light, a renewing of the mind (mortal to spiritual).

To discern coincidence – To know the difference between a collection of two or more events or conditions, (thoughts, streams of consciousness expressed as our experiences) closely related by time, space, form, or other associations which (although) appear unlikely to bear a relationship as either cause to effect or effects of a shared cause, within the observer’s or observers’ understanding of what cause can produce what effects (they are connected, everything is connected in God, good and that is all there is).  Is this not then, to discern the difference between reality and unreality.  To gain a glimpse of God so far as we can comprehend it, all being – all Life, Truth and Love combine as all one?

“The only course is to take antagonistic grounds against all that is opposed to the health, holiness, and harmony of man, God’s image.” 392:8-10

To ‘discern coincidence’ then is to know when a coincidence is just a coincidence – a mortal conjecture of error or when it is from a diviner source – God, Love – where nothing is unknown and all is in primal order and harmony, where the alignment of events is divinely natural and expected.

It’s in its right place

When I was pregnant with my daughter I came home from work and was busy cutting vegetables for dinner.  Not looking I sliced the top of my finger off – straight through the finger nail and a good slice of the top of my finger missing.  Blood was pouring out everywhere.  I found the tip and put it back on my finger with a bandage. It kept moving around, it was a messy mess.

Anyway fear set it.  It kept moving around and I was loosing so much blood that for some stupid reason I thought that the loss of blood could impact on the well-being of my unborn baby.

I rang the practitioner and said ‘I’ve cut the top of my figure off’. I will never forget her words, totally calm ‘Have you put it back on dear’

‘Yes, but it keeps moving around cause of the blood’

‘It’s in it’s right place dear’

‘Yes ok’ … I knew to expect nothing less from her.  The reassuring that God is always in control and everything is in perfect peace, perfect order. The bleeding stopped and I went back to making dinner. My finger tip rejoined over the few couple of days and then started going black – it didn’t look very nice and it was very tender.  I kept it bandaged.

I kept knowing that nothing could be lost and that everything was intact. That my figure was perfect as God made it.   My brother-in-law asked to see it so I showed him. He laughed so loud and said you have lost the top of your figure, it’s already dead and you are gonna have a finger just like this.  He raised his hand to reveal a square looking middle finger missing the top.

That shocked me into realizing not to be complacent and to know God was in control, total control. I prayed, every thought about that finger was good, always knowing that finger, all my fingers were perfect, important and that God had made them.  That nothing could die or be lost. I rarely looked at it except to change the bandage. My finger tip gained some of its normal colour back and the small part that remained black was pushed off by new growth.  My finger grew back perfectly and looks exactly like the others, no deformity, full finger, full feeling.

I have to look very hard to see the join were the old meets up with the new. The part that rejoined the old finger tip has a very slight different texture.  The new growth, well you would never know unless I told you. From memory, in all it took a couple of  months.

“A gain of mustard is very small but bigger than error that’s nothing at all.”

No coincidences

When my son was younger he would do stupid things and then run off… yep!  As if my life wasn’t difficult enough.  Fortunately I had been raised in Christian Science and well when the going got tough – I would ring a practitioner.  Sure it wasn’t all the time, but when it came to the well-being of my children – I wasn’t taking any chances.

I know he ran off 3 times – and I would really have to rack my brain, so to speak to remember them.  What stands out is that he would run off, I would ring ‘my’ practitioner and within 5 to 15 minutes I would get a phone call… Here I am!

My brother-in-law being the sensible yet materialistic man that he is said it was just a fluke, a coincidence and that my son would have rung anyway. That upset me somewhat, cause I was sharing this wonderful experience and it was being brushed aside as if it was total rubbish.

Well the third and last time I didn’t ring ‘my’ practitioner when he went missing.  I waited, I waited and I waited.  2 days later I figured that was enough worry, police didn’t find him, helicopter didn’t find him, we didn’t find him. I couldn’t take it any longer, I rang ‘my’ practitioner.

Within 15 minutes I got my phone call.

Now what did that practitioner pray to know – I really don’t know but whatever it was it was good, very very good.  She did give me a few hints… God is in every place, there is no place where God is not. My son is surrounded by God’s angels, God’s messages.  My son is home, he is with God, God is his home. God is Mind, he knows everything, he knows where your son is and he is safe because he is in God’s care.

I don’t believe in coincidence and I don’t always believe what my brother-in-law tells me either.

Now by coincidence here I mean this… It is not coincidental – accidental – The spiritual idea of man with the divine Mind is all there is, it is the grand plan, God’s purpose.

From a mortal material perspective these events seem accidental or coincidental but seeing through the seeming coincidental, God and God’s man knows!

Just had to clarify that – coincidence definition A sequence of events that although accidental seems to have been planned or arranged; a chance occurrence of events remarkable either for being simultaneous or for apparently being connected; the fact, condition, or state of coinciding.

God – Mind – One: We are and our experiences are, all connected, of God.

… to the extent I have to correct myself (my mortal understanding) – there is always a reason – for the glory of God.

Amen and good night.

Harmony reigns with everyone in their right place!

I’ve been pondering harmony. I woke up at 4am with a song  in my head.  Then another and another.   Just the first few bars for each but very inspirational beautiful music. I would love to write them down but as I can’t write music I just marvel and am grateful for the experience when it happens.   I turned the light on and noted down the lyrics I could remember –

Shine to see the light as one, Shine to see thy kingdom come…

plus some da da da da da da da cymbal not that it brings back the music in my mind but it does remind me that the music had the full works, drums, cymbal in the background, etc. I opened up my Science and Health and the page happened to be on music and harmony – well doesn’t that just feel like a message of sorts when it happens?

Harmony would be lost if it were gained through material sense. “If mortals caught harmony through material sense, they would lose harmony; if time or accident robed them of material sense.” Harmony cannot be gained through material sense thus it cannot be lost though material sense – in fact it is completely separate to material sense, mortality. Harmony is found when living in accord with God.

We did our normal Sunday morning, went to Church and Sunday School.  A small group gathered to confirm that my daughter was going to be an Auntie today, as she had mentioned.  I confirmed that was correct and that we had received a call from my son about 9 am.  In the discussion one lady said ‘so is she having a cesarean?’ It caught me by surprise as it had never crossed my mind, I brushed it aside and without thinking I said ‘Oh No, she’s having a natural birth.’  It was a friendly conversation and the lesson sermon had been very inspiring. The subject was ‘God’ and as I didn’t have a copy of the new quarterly bible lessons I purchased a copy before leaving.

We went to shopping close to my sons place as that felt wise and I got a text message not to rush but that I should come.  Four hours later – maybe it’s not really labour!  We go home and I let them know they can call me whenever, if they need.  We get home (don’t you hate it when carnal mortal mind seems to do this to you) and I get another call. I should have affirmed the Truth then but I was more interested in getting home and catching up on some errands I was supposed to do.

We walked in the door and the phone rang.  “Mum, mum you better come back.  She’s bleeding and she thinks it is stuck!” I reassured him, all is fine – nothing is stuck.  Just relax and we will be there soon and go to the hospital.  I told him I could not get a practitioner to pray for someone 3 times removed. Weird, I have no idea why that came out but it did. I was even surprised I said it. My understanding is if I am asking for prayer for someone else, then it is me with the problem – I’m not seeing God’s kingdom. It is my thinking that needs correcting. Of course I could have called a practitioner to pray for me to help me see the Truth about my experience but then these young children living in a mortal dream wouldn’t acknowledge the glory to God.

Still, small gentle whispers of Truth demonstrated lead into all Truth. From a mortal perspective, I can know the Truth and as such help to leaven the whole lump. From a mortal perspective everyone has to work out their own salvation – their relationship with God. My job is to know the Truth in my experience.

I travelled back to their house and during the half hour drive prayed to know that Gods harmony reigns.  Our Father – our father – all of us everyone’s Father which art in heaven – Our Father-Mother God – all harmonious – ALL HARMONIOUS.

After all harmony seemed to be what I should be knowing and of course that the baby couldn’t be stuck.  I waited in the waiting room with the children. I wasn’t getting any other inspiration, the bible wasn’t giving me anything that jumped out at me, nor was the science and health, I did some work on gaining a glimpse of Truth, Mind, Life without materialism, ALL TRUTH is the only reality, God MIND – consciousness, only MIND, ALL MIND, LIFE that ALL IS LIFE, there is nothing that is not life!  That was pretty profound but overall I stuck with what I had – all harmony.

A few hours later my son came to meet us, he looked concerned and said the baby was facing the wrong way and they were going to do an emergency cesarean, that I should take the kids home and that the doctor was going to try forceps first. If that failed they would do the emergency cesarean, they were preparing for it now.

Well I told him it’s best if they don’t have to use the forceps but if that’s what they’ve got to do… I was more concerned with the forceps than the emergency cesarean.  I told him it would be fine, I’ll take the kids home, call me when she has the baby, etc.

‘No no no not true’ I thought, ‘baby can’t be stuck’ all is working harmoniously’.  He left and went back while I rounded up the 2 kids and wondered what I needed to know about this situation. Two thoughts immediately came to mind. First that everything is in its right place, everyone and everything.  The second thought immediately after the first was that God is omni-action, all action.

We left and I held onto these messages as I drove home, standing porter at the door of thought. Then the enlightened answer came: “This baby is being born for the right reason” silence and I thought… for the glory of God.

Well, a great weight lifted off my shoulders – all harmonious, all in one brotherhood, all children of God. Without thinking it I was aware there were not 3 mortal minds – mother, son and daughter in law – at war but that all was harmonious, one family and all God’s spiritual children. Past history had no relevance.

It was quite clear that this baby was God’s child, God’s expression, God’s idea.  Even thinking of the mothers witchcraft books, concern just fell away – no relevance there – no power, nothing! It just didn’t mean anything, it had no significance in this spiritual thought of Truth. Just wonderful. I had been holding onto a material belief that because she couldn’t ‘keep him’ using her belief in witchcraft, self will that she had got pregnant on purpose to ‘trap’ him. The belief in that old saga story. Well what was God’s message to me – “This baby is being born for the right reason – for the glory of God.” What a wonderful message and promise.  To mortal sense there might be some truth to a false sense of entrapment but the reality is there is NO TRUTH IN MORTAL SENSE. Everything, everyone is for the glory of God.

Then I remembered the comment earlier that day – the leading question – “so she is having a cesarian”.  I knew instantly that this was simple erroneous suggestion I had let into my thought and again no significance.  It vanished too. We got home, I felt fine, God was in control and it was not my job to dictate from a mortal sense how God would do it but to know that his work was already done.  Regardless of what was happening in ‘their world or the outcome of it’ it was very clear to me, God’s work is done, everything is in its right place, GOD IS OMNI-ACTION.

I got the kids to get in the pajamas and got another phone call.

“Mum, where’s the suitcase?”

“I laughed, in the boot” I had forgotten to take them the suitcase and it meant I would have to do another trip to the hospital.

“Well we need it Grandma!” That was good news

“How did it go” I asked

“Good, the baby turned and she had it”

“That’s great” I said “I was praying to know that everything is its perfect place and that God is omni-action, all action.” Of course I wanted to tell him about the whole experience but well his only interested when his asking the questions!

“mom, it wasn’t that, it was her, (meaning his girlfriend) she willed it cause she didn’t want a cesarean”

I nearly laughed out loud at mortal mind but I was just grateful. When we rise above mortal belief to spiritual understanding (as best we can), mortal mind is totally irrelevant and has no meaning or purpose, not shock factor. Besides mortal mind looking very pathetic, being able to see straight through it, it has no relevance, lies just lies.

Glory be to God on high, … it’s a hymn.  God’s will is done, his kingdom come…

Back at the hospital I mentioned the time I left.  I could see my son pondering the timing. I just got ‘that look’ of realization.  No words were spoken.  After discussing briefly names, he blurted out – “and we are not christening our baby”.  My thought was, my dear child if only you knew, that child is already christened. Can you not see the light glowing and surrounding her.

She was so perfect – seriously it was such a beautiful experience. We went home and I asked myself what did I learn today?  Yes everything is in its right place, we just have to know it, understand it.  God is omni-action – all action, righting every seeming wrong.  God is ever-present guiding and delivering us all into his oneness and glory.  God is Love – all harmonious.

For me, prayer is about declaring and knowing the truth, holding onto the truth.  No need to go on a ‘witch’ hunt to find the mortal error that needs correcting.  In fact, I don’t need to do anything except know the Truth, do my best to be in the Mind of Christ. As we hold onto the Truth, never doubting – the error, the erroneous beliefs comes to the surface so to speak and is naturally destroyed. It doesn’t matter if it is a long held belief, something that has been around for a while (good sound advice I need to take) or a simple seemingly innocent mortal suggestion. All mortal suggestion is mortal – that is temporal, ready for elimination.

Now there is no way from a mortal perspective I had the insight to ‘see’ that this belief of 3 mortal minds warring with one another was the error in my thinking that needed correcting at this point in time. That I was sort of stuck in this belief and the belief that it was justified!

Now what was that I wrote of the other day? That’s right – Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind and understanding and love thy neighbor, brother, sister, everyone as thyself – as a child of God. Thou shalt not bear false witness…

And to finish – S & H

“To mortal sense Christian Science seems abstract, but the process is simple and the results are sure if the Science is understood.  The tree must be good, which produces good fruit. Guided by divine Truth and not guesswork, the theologus (that is, the student – the Christian and scientific expounder – of divine law) treats disease (dis-ease) with more certain results than any other healer (or healing method) on the globe.”

“Human will-power is not science. Human will belongs to the so-called material senses, and its use is to be condemned… Casting out evil and fear enables truth to outweigh error.  The only course is to take antagonistic grounds against all that is opposed to the health, holiness, and harmony of man, God’s image… Stand porter at the door of thought. Finite (corporeal, carnal, mortal) belief can never do justice to Truth in any direction. Finite belief limits all things… (don’t give your pearls to swine!)

If you accept any belief that there is a power separate or opposed to God you are breaking the first commandment and getting caught up in the belief, in the mortal carnal thought – of death – mortality – Egypt! I read this on the way home from work tonight.  Last weeks lesson – wow so relevant.

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt.”  I pondered what Egypt represented in this case, for me – belief in slavery – bondage – captivity – entrapment – carnal mortal misconceptions – the belief that God is not in control of absolutely everything and that everything is good, perfect, harmonious, in its right place – the way God made everything and he is the creator of all.

“To grasp the reality and order of being in its Science, you must begin by reckoning God as the divine Principle of all that really is.  Spirit, Life, Truth, Love, combine as one, – and are the Scriptural names for God.  All substance, intelligence, wisdom, being, immortality, cause and effect belong to God.  These are His attributes, the eternal manifestations of the infinite divine Principle, Love.  No wisdom is wise but His wisdom; no truth is true, no love is lovely, no life is Life but the divine; no good is, but the good God bestows.” S & H 275

And what of Spiritualism – “What the prophets of Jehovah did, the worshippers of Baal failed to do; yet artifice and delusion claimed that they could equal the work of wisdom. Science only can explain the incredible good and evil elements now coming to the surface.  Mortals must find refuge in Truth in order to escape the error of these latter days. Nothing is more antagonistic to Christian Science (the Science of Christ/Christ Science/Divine Science) than a blind belief without understanding, for such a belief hides Truth and builds on error.  Miracles are impossible in Science, and here Science takes issue with popular religions.  The scientific manifestation of power is from the divine nature and is not supernatural, since Science is an explication of nature.  The belief that the universe, including man, is governed in general by material laws, but that occasionally Spirit sets aside these laws, – this belief belittles omnipotent wisdom, and gives to matter the precedence over Spirit.

It is contrary to Christian Science to suppose that life is either material or organically spiritual. Between Christian Science and all forms of superstition a great gulf is fixed, as impassable as that between Dives and Lazarus.” page 83

There is another statement Mary Baker Eddy makes regarding paganism that has really helped me break that so-called mesmeric ‘spell’ – belief – fear but I can’t find it out the moment. Another day… and a few other stories later…

And yes, now I have to go and look up the dictionary – again!

The Neighbor from Hell

One might say I have the neighbor from hell!  Certainly even up to late last year I would have agreed.

I moved into this house about 3 years ago. About 3 months after, this neighbor who I shall call Betty introduced herself.  She was nice enough as she tried to take over my life.  This went on for about 3 months, I didn’t get a days rest! To illustrate, one time something woke me up early in the morning, I got up and went into the family room to find her children had made themselves at home watching my tele.  They had gone via the backyard through the dog door.  I was stern and when I asked why they had done this, the young one informed me that ‘mum told us to do it’.  That night when I brought it up, Betty acted shocked as if the children had done it without her knowledge. As she went to pull them up I intervened and told her I knew she had told them to do it and that it was unfair on them and unfair on me. She had no explanation and claimed ignorance. Well that was the demise of a so called false friendship.

I know Jesus said ‘if they smite you give them your other cheek also’ but he also said do not give your ‘pearls to the swine’.  Bearing false witness – interesting commandment.  The daily lifts at the moment are on the 10 commandments which made me think about some of the experiences I have had, too many to mention but a couple stand out.

Betty told lie upon lie. We certainly should never believe a lie and we should never let it rule our lives. Just when it seemed more than justified to pull her up for unacceptable behavior, she would do something nice.  I found it an amazing really challenging time.  She ignored my requests to be respectful and although not directed at me at the time, her seeming spiteful behavior, became a warning to tread carefully. As our children went to the same school I didn’t want the situation to impact on them.

During those first 6 months I became wise enough to always question her intent and where it could lead.  Friends advised me to not just set the boundaries, but enforce them. Others told me it was a territorial thing – a history with the man who use to live in my house.  It was comforting that another neighbor told me she was so grateful I ‘wasn’t sucked in by the neighbors facade’. I was grateful for the support and insights. How many times have you been invited to her house? once, how many times has she been at your house? everyday! I had to do something. Tensions developed as I started to enforce boundaries, pulling her up when she was visiting if she started to wander about the house as if she owned it, etc.  Although I was being more and more neighborly as neighbors should be and it appeared to be working, it was apparently tension was mounting.

She got a boyfriend, someone I had been good friends with as our girls played together at school. She then made up false accusations against me that were quite nasty. Although she never said things to my face I heard back what was being said. Those who knew me  knew what she said wasn’t true, those who knew her knew what she said wasn’t true.  At least that gave me some sense of comfort. At one point I informed her I knew of her lies and I was very disappointed in her behavior. About 3 weeks later she sent me a text message apologizing, acknowledging they were lies, that she had just made them up and didn’t know why. Unfortunately that wasn’t the end of it.

It started again, more personal and targeted directly to other parents at school. It was at this time she started saying negative things about my daughter and my son, sly remarks under her breath, snickering and dirty looks.  Her children started being nasty to my daughter at and after school and she would come home from school crying because she had an altercation of some sort with Betty or her children.  It was like a bad dream, actually it was a bad dream.

It was at this point, about 12 months ago when due to a friends dire circumstances, I turned to God to gain the correct mental view of man. This turning to God didn’t just touch my experience with my friend, thankfully it touched my whole life experience.

“But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:39

‘resist evil not’?

Resist definition: To strive to fend off or offset the actions, effects, or force of. To remain firm against the actions, effects, or force of; withstand.

‘and who shall smite thee on the right cheek give him the other cheek also”

So in other words – Do not fight evil, but overcome evil with good, God. Let God do his work, just live, be in the Truth that you know. Let God do it!

“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Roman 12:21 And what is good – God! overcome evil with God, Love. “and Love is reflected in love” MBE but don’t go giving your pearls to swine… don’t get sucked in by the carnal mind…

“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” Matthew 7:6 ‘Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord” Leviticus 19:18

and “Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” Exodus 20:16

In other words, in my experience, in my thinking am I accepting the ‘mortal dream’ or having the mind of Christ and bringing Christ into my experience? Is there really a neighbor from hell? No, the only neighbor from hell is the neighbor from hell that I create in my own head. It is much easier to step on the serpent than slay the dragon.

and he asked Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, you will love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.  And the second, like unto it, You will love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:36-40

And the Lord’s prayer – Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

“THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.” Exodus 20:16

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

So I figure I should not to put up with error but to continue to love and to accept only God’s kingdom and to know it no matter what the material senses are saying, to live in love and see only love ’round about me and in my experience.

So how does the story end? Well I have a clearer sense of my neighbor, not from hell but in reality as God’s beloved child.  My daughter and I have discussed how we can keep loving them and knowing them as Gods children and see that this meanness, hatred, whatever it is that is not good is a lie, the ‘devil’ or carnal mortal mind tempting us to believe something that is not real because not of God.  That this seeming behavior is not really part of them and certainly not part of our experience.

I feel at peace, in harmony now and where is Betty?  She is across the road – where she belongs, in her house. Our children play together at school and walk home together from time to time.  On occasion, when her younger one is locked out and would be home alone, she comes over and goes back home just before her mother returns.  The last time the young one came over her mother got home before she had time to get across the road.  My daughter rang asking what to do and she suggested she get her friend to sneak home. I agreed as I couldn’t think of anything else that was better from a humanly logical perspective. I hung up and affirmed that God was looking after the situation.

My daughter rang back and I asked how it went.  She said she decided not to hide or support her friend lying about where she had been so she took her friend home and told the mother she had stayed at our house instead of being locked out.  The mother thanked her and my daughter came home. We are grateful for this demonstration. Even if we are on different roads we can know that we are all God’s children in reality and have respect for one another. We can love our neighbor as ourselves and not bear false witness.

In Science and Health Mary Baker Eddy reminds us “Our baptism is a purification from all error. Our church is built on the divine Principle, Love. We can unite with this church only as we are new-born of spirit, as we reach the Life which is Truth and the Truth that is Life by bringing forth the fruits of Love, – casting our error and healing the sick.  Our Eucharist is spiritual communication with the one God.  Our bread, “which cometh down from heaven,” is Truth. Our cup is the cross. Our wine the inspiration of Love, the draught our Master drank and commended to his followers. The design of Love is to reform the sinner. If the sinner’s punishment here has been insufficient to reform him, the good man’s heaven would be a hell to sinner. S&H 35:19-36:1

What was the sin that needed correcting? The belief that God is not in control – of everything and that everything is good.  To think that there is an existence separate from God that has power. That hell is as real of heaven when really it is simply the inverted image of consciousness – a false sense.

“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” Matthew 7:6 We must always be on guard and protect ourselves from the belief that the carnal mind exists or has power.  Mary Baker Eddy says to stand porter at the door in thought and only let in those things that you want realized. That is so so true, not to get sucked in by the material evidence that is not of God.

Remembering that this is my spiritual awakening – about knowing, living and being in God demonstrated through the body of my experience.

Inspired by: “Being a true witness” http://christianscience.com/prayer-and-health/inspiration/your-daily-lift/6-28-being-a-true-witness #DailyLift

The Science of Christ textbook – How Science and Health got it’s name

What is in a name – sometimes nothing, sometimes everything.  ‘Science and Health’ – seems pretty straight forward. It always made sense to me, the science of staying healthy!  Real health, abundant health and happiness. But it is more than just the science of staying healthy – It provides the key to the scriptures from a metaphysical spiritual standpoint. It  is Science and it is Health, based on the scriptures, based on the Bible, based on God, who is only good.

Health isn’t just about healing body ailments – health covers all well-being from  physical, emotionally and mental standpoints and not just for the individual alone but even social well-being.  Healing however is the evidence from a material perspective. The demonstration of the Truth that Christ taught and that what he taught is the Truth. An evidenced based Christ! Now I like that and expect nothing less.

More recently, the contents, layout and design gained my interest and helped me to appreciate the name of the textbook better. Sometimes in the past I have wondered why MBE didn’t call it the ‘Science of Christ’ or ‘Understanding the Bible’ or something like that.  Science and Health – It really doesn’t sound very religious.  It is only the ‘with key to the scriptures’ in the title that lets you know it is based on teaching you how to understanding the spiritual interpretation of the Bible. This book not only states the absolute Truth Jesus taught, the science of being in Christ but it sheds light and explains how to get there – it is a book of how to heal oneself and others through Christ. A great book if you are serious about understanding the bible. When I turn off the television, mortal sense – this little book brings Christ right into my living room – into my being.

Regardless where we are at in understanding heaven on earth, this book takes us on a spiritual journey to find the Science of Christ and as such to find God. It is this journey that for me makes this textbook rich in fulfilling my spiritual awakening. It is this book that has taken me back to search the scriptures and to find that once I was blind now I see.

When I found out how Mary Baker Eddy decided on its name, I know it was God inspired.  I’ve had experiences when I’ve woken in the night with the answer to my prayers or in the morning and I just know.  I remember being in a day dream in a geography class and the teacher asked a question, then named me – to answer the question.  I had no idea what the question was and he knew it but out of my mouth came the perfect answer. The Christ was with me that day, that moment – it certainly wasn’t me as a mortal being all knowing! It was God’s child expressing God’s all knowing qualities.  I got an ‘A’ in geography that year. It’s a wonderful feeling of knowing that God is communicating with me regardless of if I am to mortal sense asleep or awake. When we get that divine inspiration and identify it as such we have to obey it, it is as simple as that. We know it is the Truth. It has taken me a long time to recognise and listen to Truth but when I do my days flow smoother, are more harmonious. It is always good to sleep with a pen and notepad close at hand.

Mary Baker Eddy explained it this way: ‘I waited weeks to decide on a title for Science and Health.  God gave me its name in the night-time.  I rose and put it on paper.   I was indeed in a desert. Those to whom I whispered the name I had given my book, laughed at me and said it was not suitable. Even before my literary friends had advised me not to write such a book and my students had said no-one would understand it.’ Mary Baker Eddy

Mary Baker Eddy in Feb 1872 put a notice in the paper: ‘To the public I am preparing a work on moral and physical science that I shall submit to the public as soon as its completed.  This work is laborious and I have not much opportunity to write, hence the delay to publishing.  Firstly I withhold my manuscripts from all eyes but my students because they are mere outlines of my subject that require me to fill up with explanation. And secondly because I think the massive minds are not yet ready prepared to digest this subject.’

I also like that the science of health,  holiness and harmony starts with understanding what moral and physical science is and what it is not.  It has taken me a long time to appreciate the breath of discernment. More importantly to truly capture a glimpse of the kingdom of God on earth and to understand the all-ness of God and the unreality of the opposite.

In 1875 in the first preface of Science and Health she writes ‘The time for thinkers has come, and the time for revolutions, ecclesiastic and social must come. We made our first discovery that Science mentally applied would heal the sick in 1864 and since then have tested it on ourselves and hundreds of others and never found it fail to prove the statement herein made in it.’ Mary Baker Eddy

I find this interesting.

The time for thinkers has come! The time for revolutions must come… The time for ecclesiastic must come… The time for social must come…

In August 1907 Mary Baker Eddy said when representing herself at a public forum: ‘I know that my mission is for all the earth, not alone for my dear devoted followers in Christian Science… All my work, all my efforts, all my prayers and tares are for humanity and the spread of peace and love among mankind.’

I like this thought – that Christ and the availability to understand the underlying precepts, the Science he taught can be applied and practiced by anyone seeking the Truth of God. That Mary Bakers Eddy mission wasn’t just a life work for her followers but for all humanity, for all mankind – explaining the meaning of life and  our collective co-existence through cooperative and interdependent relationships with God, through Christ. Loving the Lord our God with all our hearts, mind and understanding and loving our brother as ourselves truly is the spiritual awakening. No wonder she was told to title her book – Science and Health

In the textbook page 444 she writes ‘”Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.” Immortal, or God’s children in divine Science, are one harmonious family’.

Anyway reading the contents I started considering her textbook as 3 books in one.  First – Science and Health, Second – Key to the Scriptures and Third – Fruitage – the evidence of the Science. Interesting, for me anyway.  To turn the key you need not just the key – the word but you need to be able to turn it – the Christ – without Christ you cannot enter in. You need to understand the science of Christ, how Jesus healed, the precepts he taught – the first book gives us a platform to do this. The second book explains the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last – Genesis and The Apocalypse. And of course you have to understand to some extent Truth, even a whisper of Christ,  to appreciate the demonstrations of Truth, Christ in the third book and go and do likewise in so much as you understand.

 

Thunder Lightning very very frightening me!

Recalling those lyrics it reminds me that I’ve always been in awe of thunder and lightning, amazed just listening and watching the skies when they roar and light up – I have always found it beautiful, not violent or angry.  That’ s a great thought but I’ve been pondering it more lately from a metaphysical christian standpoint. God was not in the earthquake, he was in the still small voice – the calm after the storm..

‘And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.’ 1 Kings 19:11 1-2

God is not in wind, earth or fire but in the still small voice.  Perhaps the wind, earthquake and fire represent the purification of thought, from a material perspective to the spiritual real one. When a friend of mine was ill with psychosis, it was like wind, earthquake, fire and a storm all wrapped into one.  I had a Christian Science practitioner working for me to help me see the reality of the situation and I said to her one day that I was finding it really challenging to see above it all, the nightmare just seemed so real.  She told me a story, as they do and asked me to work on seeing the calm that Jesus saw and realised.

^‘ But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.’ Luke 8:23-24

^‘they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.’ Psalms 107: 28-30

‘If thought yields its domination to other powers, it cannot outline on the body its own beautiful images, but it effaces them and delineates foreign agents, called disease and sin.’ S&H 485:24

To mortal carnal sense, if thought accepts beliefs in other powers to God, its externalized expression through the body and in life experiences will not be an expression of God, (God’s witness) as his image and likeness altogether beautiful but will be erased, wiped out. This is represented, outlined externally expressed by foreign agents (mortal mind), called dis-ease and sin.

So what is the relevance to the earth, fire, wind and flood – well it is quite simple really.  It is basically saying that if you put your faith in mortal or carnal mind you are missing the mark, no longer on the straight and narrow, your aim, your thoughts are no longer  perfect in God but are instead wandering or worshiping other gods – that is paganism, spiritualism, hypnotism – mesmerism, astrology, numerology, greek mythology, matter, materialism, anything antagonistic towards God.

It’s basically saying you either believe in many gods – more than one power or one Mind, intelligence of the universe and creator of all things good or that god is both good and bad, love and hate, life and death, truth and error – which logically is ridiculous. God is one and God is good, love, truth, life, peace, light – soul and substance.  ‘The kingdom of God is within you – that is within the man of God’s creating.

Mary Baker Eddy in Science and Health writes that “Superstition and understanding can never combine. When the final physical and moral effects of Christian Science (the science of Christ) are fully apprehended, the conflict between truth and error, understanding and belief, Science and material sense, foreshadowed by the prophets and inaugurated by Jesus, will cease, and spiritual harmony reign. The lightnings and thunderbolts of error may burst and flash till the cloud is cleared and the tumult dies away in the distance. Then the raindrops of divinity refresh the earth. As St. Paul says: “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God” (of Spirit)” S & H 288

Do we have to experience the fire, the earthquake, the storm or the wind?  God gave man dominion over all the earth.  Jesus didn’t wait for the storm to pass for the great calm, he ‘rebuked’ the wind and there was a great calm.

rebuked: rebuke somebody (for something/for doing something) (formal)to speak severely to somebody because they have done something wrong – Jesus rebuked the wind – the carnal mind, the belief in a power opposed to God. He didn’t let it have its time, he silenced it, gone… how did he do that?

Jesus didn’t muck around and say, we’ll just sit this one out – he dealt with every obstacle that came his way.  In fact, he was so living the mind of Christ that he never saw obstacles – he saw opportunities to demonstrate God’s work, to show the completeness, oneness,  the health and harmony of Love, of God. And the most beautiful part he did it for the non believers, he didn’t need to do it for himself – he knew and lived God. He did it for others so that we might follow in his footsteps.

Mary Baker Eddy says “Christian scientific practice begins with Christ’s keynote of harmony, “Be not afraid!”… “If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.  But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. ” John 11:8

“Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.  Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.  Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.  He hath also established them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:  Fire, and hail; snow, and vapors; stormy wind fulfilling his word:  Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:  Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:  Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:  Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:  Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.  He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord.” Psalms 148

And what happens when we start to praise God and give him the glory due his name, to not only have faith but to understand, to practice, to comprehend and discern the great I AM, the creator of all things, all intelligence, omnipotent, omnipresent, omni-action and omniscience goodness? We start to see his world, his creation, his beauty and wonder, his love, his peace and his harmony. God’s all in all and when that happens that seeming raging storm it quietens and there is a great calm, a great peace and love is in the air! (made me think of Paul Youngs song … Love is in the air, everywhere I look around!)  That’s when healing occurs and all is well. When we feel God’s presence with us.

That’s the moment of Truth! We get a glimpse of the Light and the realization that God is all, created all perfect and good and true and there is nothing else besides him. That anything unlike God is a lie and the father of lies, ripe for destruction.  That we are part of the kingdom of God, that is ‘the kingdom of God is within us’ and that ‘in him we live and move and have our being’, that we can never be separated in reality from God and that there is nothing else, none else – that is when the erroneous beliefs flee from us.

Oh yeah my very dear friend recovered 100% naturally within a few weeks, got a job and started smiling again.  It was a very serious situation and one I may talk about again another time.  For now, I am most grateful – beyond measure. We just have to climb that mountain above the clouds (the mist, the storm, the thunder, the lightening, the earthquake) to see God in action.  See the peace and tranquility ’round about, everywhere – that God is and he is ‘ever-present and a very pleasant help in trouble’.

Thunder Lightning very very frightening – not Me. Why not? Because I know there is no reality in it – God is reality, God is real and God is the still small voice of Love beckoning me and guiding me to be, do and know all and only good.

Interesting, I wrote this the other day, I hesitated with the quote as it also mentioned the ‘earthquake’.  And I was thinking about how I have always been amazed at the thunder and lightning – yet not so much earthquakes but only 2 days ago – helping a friend with her assignment in my dining room, I heard a noise as if a strong wind was moving over the tiles on the roof.  ‘What was that?’ she said.  I immediately said, without thinking ‘oh that was nothing’, took stock and said ‘but it sorted of sounded like a low flying aircraft or something, who knows!’.   A few minutes later my son yelled out from his room… ‘mum, it was an earthquake’. Makes me think of that song ‘that don’t impress me much’. Is it not the ability to see through the lie and not be impressed by it.

Well there you go, God is not in the earthquake either.  Whether we consider the thunder, lightening, storm, earthquake from either a physical perspective or a mental perspective, representing chaos, violence, anguish, despair, torment; God is not in there but in the still small voice, the gentle guidance and the calm reassurance of security, love and peace that all is well and all is well. Let our physical senses manifested by the mortal – carnal mind not deceive us.

God the Preserver of Man – Monday study notes

The Lord preserves my going out and my coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. I know that God have redeemed me from the hand of the enemy; from the false sense of mortality. I wandered in the wilderness alone and found no peace dwelling within me.

I cried to the Lord in my trouble and he delivered me out of my distresses, he led me by the right way and showed me that I really can never be separated from Him through the love of Christ.

‘Wilderness: – loneliness, doubt, darkness. Spontaneity of thought and idea; the vestibule in which a material sense of things disappears, and spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence.’

God showed me how the material mortal joys and sorrows are finite, empty and have no power or true reality. God showed me the nothingness of materialism and mortality…

That tribulation – great affliction, trial, or distress; suffering, experiences that tests my endurance, patience, or faith;

or that distress – strain, anxiety, suffering, debt, mar, constraint or overcome by harassment, mental suffering, severe strain resulting from exhaustion or an accident, acute physical discomfort, physical deterioration

or persecution – oppression, harassment with ill-treatment

or famine – drastic shortage of supply, extreme appetite – appetite – a desire for food or drink, desire to satisfy a bodily craving, as for sexual pleasure

or nakedness – lacking some external covering, being without clothing or covering

or peril – exposure to the risk of being injured, destroyed, or lost : danger

or sword  – a weapon, an instrument of death, something that has or can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences;

none of these things can separate me from God, Love. Through God I have more than I need to conquer all of the above false mortal beliefs. All that is unlike God, good for God is omnipotent and omnipresent.

‘The evidence that God and man coexist is fully sustained by spiritual sense. The relations of God and man, divine Principle and idea, are indestructible in Science (laws that Christ taught that when applied results in healing, health and harmony); and Science knows no lapse from nor return to harmony, but holds the divine order or spiritual law, in which God and all that He creases are perfect and eternal, to have remained unchanged in its eternal history.  Security for the claims of harmonious and eternal being is found only in divine Science.’

For I am persuaded, that mortal laws – neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall ever be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God is with me whithersoever I go and he searches me and knows me. He knows me as his child, made in his image and likeness. God directs my path and my lying down and is acquainted with all my ways. Gods Spirit is everywhere, I cannot go anywhere where God is not, I cannot hide from his presence, for he is omnipresent.  God is everywhere.  If I live in darkness, blindness and make my bed in hell, low God is there too.  If I dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there God is, and he shall hold my right hand and lead me.

‘God is infinite omni-present Spirit. God is everywhere, and nothing apart from Him is present or has power.  Spiritual man is the image or idea of God, an idea which cannot be lost nor separated from its divine Principle. When the evidence before the material senses yielded to spiritual sense, the apostle declared that nothing could alienate him from God, from the sweet sense and present of Life and Truth.’

‘Spirit God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals for a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear’ – ‘water symbolizes the elements of Mind’, Truth – ‘gathering together of the waters called He seas:’ Genesis 1:10

Thank you God for opening my eyes that I may see the wondrous things out of your law of Truth, not mortal law. God is my hiding place, God protects me and preserves me from trouble – from the laws of matter – mortality; songs of deliverance shall I sing, I will praise the Lord and be joyous always.

‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’

‘Thine, O LORD is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.’

‘Paul said: “Neither death, nor life, . . . nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God…. Divine Love cannot be deprived of its manifestation, or object;… joy cannot be turned into sorrow, for sorrow is not the master of joy;… good can never produce evil;… matter can never produce mind nor life result in death. The perfect man — governed by God, his perfect Principle — is sinless and eternal.’

Weekly Study Christian Science Quarterly, KJV Psalms 121:8, 107:2, 4, 6, 7. Romans 8, 35, 37-39 Joshua 1:9 the, Psalms 139: 1, 3, 7-10, 14:  S & H 223, 473, 303, 471, 470, 232: Psalm 46:1, 1 Chronicles 29:11, S&H 506, 507, 597, 304

Atonement

So for some reason yesterday I decide to explore what ‘Atonement’ means to me.  What happens today – I decide to read the latest copy of the Journal – open it up and there, right in front of me is an article title ‘Provable Theology’. Absolutely wonderful article… And ‘lets turn to another theological doctrine – atonement’. Isn’t that just typical of God, I ask a question and he answers – right time, right place for me.

‘Historically, the doctrine of atonement is the answer to original sin… and is concerned with how humanity pays for the sins of Adam and Eve… It boils down to the destruction of sin and suffering through our reconciliation to God.  It is this reconciliation that Christ Jesus demonstrated for us… Reconciling ourselves to God, we lose any and all sense of sin, suffering, disease, sickness….It’s that sinful sense that’s destroyed. Nothing else is destroyed. That’s what the atonement does…. Jesus’ mission opened the way for us to be reconciled to God… It’s all about our relationship with God and turning our thought from sin, suffering, and sickness to life, health, and harmony, on the basis that God, divine Love, is infinite.  As our thought changes, we experience reformation. God’s mercy, His great love for us, washes us clean, and we no longer suffer under the belief of past mistakes or false thoughts and actions. As we spiritually learn of our at-one-ment with God, our true atonement, our unity, we leave off all elements that would try to separate us from God… We see our oneness with God, and understand our pure origin, untouched by any fall from God’s grace.’ Lynn Jackson – The Christian Science Journal June 2012

Earlier today when I was reading one of the other articles, ‘Go and do likewise’ I felt such compassion for the writer that my eyes started to well up. Then it occurred to me – the momentary feeling of being left out and the thought that I’ve never had a ‘teacher’ then another thought immediately preceded – I have a teacher – Christ is my teacher, then another thought – I have two teachers – Christ and Christian Science.  What a revelation – that momentary feeling of being left out vanished totally.  Christ is my teacher and the Science of Christ – the understanding of the precepts and truths that he taught. Just marvelous and a wonderful feeling of blessedness and gratitude.

Tonight I asked God for guidance and I think – Not my will but Thine be done. Gods will is always perfect and harmonious – my relationship with him.  Relationship is built on trust – Trust in God, trust in Man.

I looked up eyes in the S&H glossary – ‘Spiritual discernment, not material but mental. ‘

Discerning Truth – God from error, the lie, the serpent, the suggestion that man can be separated from his maker. Discerning God, good; the real from the unreal, the Spirit from the material, the incorporeal from the corporeal,  the immortal from the mortal. Discerning God’s thoughts from carnal thoughts. Knowing the truth, living the truth, being of the truth. “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free”

This bit however got my attention more – ‘Jesus said, thinking of the outward vision, “Having eyes, see ye not?” (Mark viii. 18)’

Thinking of the outward vision – what do I see – mortality or immortality – Man made in God’s image and likeness or man-made of the flesh. What am I accepting into my consciousness?  My relationship with God is built on Truth, trusting in him and being trustworthy.  Trust God, trust man.  When I trust God, I must in turn trust the man of God’s creating.  Why? because my thoughts are the body of my experience – and having the mind of Christ I must ‘see’ all of God’s creation as he made it – very good.  I must not only see myself as a child of God but also see my fellow-man as God created him, as children of God – perfect, pure, upright and free.

‘And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?’ Luke 6:41

 ^‘Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:  For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,  Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;’ Luke 2:29-31

^‘All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.’ Luke 10:22-24

‘The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.’ Mark 12:29-31

Atonement – At one with God

‘Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.’ Luke 17:21′ I and my Father are one.’ John 10:30 ‘Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not … Continue reading →

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