Archive for the ‘Christian Science healing’ Category
Gratitude for Lessons from Nature Leave a comment
Gratitude for Healing and God’s Abundance Leave a comment
On Thursday 19 November a Thanksgiving Service was held by the members of the Christian Science Church in Canberra. Many in the congregation gave thanks for the good in their lives:
Very recently I was listening to a Christian Science lecture in which the speaker outlined a wonderful example of problem solving through prayer, and then went on to share her awe at the overwhelming abundance of the divine solution.
This brought vividly to my mind the first time I experienced this divine ‘extra’ in an answer to my prayer. I was staying alone in an absent friend’s home when over several days I found myself feeling sicker and sicker and weaker and worrying about how I was to get home.
Finally, I looked in a Christian Science Journal for the name and number of a local Christian Science practitioner to help me through prayer. She so readily and lovingly took me under her spiritual wing. I don’t remember now whether the healing took 2 or 3 days but completely healed I certainly was, for which I felt much gratitude, but not surprise, because new as I was to Christian Science, I’d already learned enough to know God’s readiness and love and power were always there. The dazzling remembrance that sprang to my mind when His abundant good was illustrated in the lecture was my trip home a day later. When I presented myself at the airport the clerk said – completely out of the blue – that my seat had been up graded to first class!
Something which had, and has, never happened to me before or since.
A God … abundant in loving kindness and truth (Exodus 34: 6).
This testimony was contributed by FM of Canberra.
The Essential Ingredient for Youth Mental Health Leave a comment
The years between 15-25 are frequently a time of questioning and great discovery, but like many others I found them difficult. I had to deal with chronic disease, failure in my chosen career, a persistent lack of self-worth along with indecision about an alternative career path, and loneliness.
Although never diagnosed, a psychologist would probably have called me depressed.
However, along the rugged path to recovering my childhood inner contentment I found that spiritual activities like prayer, research into some of the world’s most meaningful spiritual writings and participating in church were keeping me sane, mentally motivated, and connected to others in a nurturing environment.
The refocus on unselfish activities gave me a feeling of self-worth again and also contributed to a hopefulness that things would get better. In time, it opened up previously unknown pathways to fulfillment.
Rather than restricting me or quashing my critical thinking, my adolescent research into the spiritual nature of mental and physical health made me realise that what I needed all along was to put into daily practice a growing understanding of my radically awesome relationship to the Divine Being.
To the degree that I acknowledged it, I found that I could actually experience divine Love expressing kindness and unselfishness in me; the divine Mind reflecting intelligence and wisdom in me; the divine Life demonstrating health and wellbeing in me; and so on (ideas from Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy).
Things started to go right for me again. You could say that I saw “the wilderness and desert begin to blossom as the rose”, an image so beautifully depicted in the Bible.
Perhaps not surprisingly, I ended up more consistently in the right head space with a much better view of myself – and was probably a lot more likeable, as well!
A 2008 study published in Australian Family Physician and written by Dr Craig Hassed, Faculty of Medicine at Monash University in Melbourne, reported that “Spirituality is an important determinant of physical, emotional and social health…”
When commenting on escalating trends in youth mental illness his study suggests that “there may be too little attention being given to the ‘protective factors’ against mental illness, of which, particularly for adolescents, are connectedness and having a spiritual or religious dimension to one’s life” (Hassed, The role of spirituality in medicine, 2008).
It’s heartening to learn that spirituality is acknowledged as central to youth mental health by a growing number of psychologists.
It seems to me that clinicians need to speak to the community more about the benefits of spirituality in the treatment of anxiety and depression, and not just in young people, but for everyone.
A spiritual dimension to life will undoubtedly assist you, whether you’re young or old, as you seek (and find) a better, healthier and happier you. That would be the real you!
This article, by Kay Stroud, has been published in the Sunshine Coast Daily, Lismore Northern Star and Bundaberg News Mail. Kay is a freelance writer focussing on the undeniable connection between our thinking and our health.
Monty – A Demonstration of Ageless Joy Leave a comment
It’s been a year now since Monty left us. We guessed he was about four when he came to us. He had been trained as a bomb squad dog but his boundless energy and unstoppable joy for life rendered him unsuitable for such a delicate and serious career and he was adopted out. His new owners also found him a handful and he moved to a temporary home and then to another longer stay, but these owners too were unable to meet his needs.
When he came to our attention we were looking for a family dog and without even meeting him we somehow knew that he was the right dog for us. He proved to be perfect! He revelled in our long walks through the bush, the runs up our local Mt Taylor and just being one of the boys with our son and his friends.
When our son grew up and left home Monty prompted me from my somewhat sedentary life style and made sure that I had regular long walks. No matter what the weather he was always keen to be out. He brought joy to any activity. He adored us; he would put himself between me and any perceived danger. I have no doubt that he would lay down his life for any one of us. He fiercely protected our home and the variety of cats and chooks and guinea pigs that he saw come and go in our family.
Once a year he had a trip to the vet. When we had had him for about seven years the vet warned us that Monty may not be back next year. He cautioned that dogs of his type were not long lived and that Monty had ‘done well’. The following year we returned and gently the vet suggested that we prepare for Monty not being with us much longer. I was noticing that our walks were getting slower and shorter and most days now he would sleep a deep sleep much of the day. When he was awake he was happy and well, but he slept most of the time. It occurred to me that the vet was right and that he may just slide away.
This idea did not sit well with me and I prayed about it. Not a prayer asking God to make it right, but a prayer that seeks a better understanding of the truth of the situation; a prayer that confirms the good and denies the wrong. I could accept that animals come and go in our lives but I could not accept that life was a downhill slide into oblivion. The qualities we loved about Monty: love, affection, devotion, loyalty, energy, exuberance, joy, protection, selflessness, constancy – these were spiritual qualities and as such they were immortal. They could not be contained or curtailed by a material body. They were independent of matter.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (along with the Bible) is my textbook for life and in it the author, Mary Baker Eddy, states (p246):
“Except for the error of measuring and limiting all that is good and beautiful, man would enjoy more than threescore years and ten and still maintain his vigor, freshness, and promise. Man, governed by immortal Mind, is always beautiful and grand. Each succeeding year unfolds wisdom, beauty, and holiness.”
I thought on these ideas for a few weeks applying them to Monty. Gradually over this time he became more wakeful and his old energy levels returned. We were back doing our brisk five kilometer walks and still he had energy. In fact one day my husband asked if I had been praying for Monty. ‘If so’, he said, ‘Could you stop now – he has more energy than I can cope with.’
Monty stayed with us for nearly five more years. His joy for life remained till the end. Even on his last morning he watched me eagerly to see whether I was putting on my walking shoes in case there was the chance of a walk.
I learned many lessons about life from living with Monty but most importantly I learned that we can say NO to suggestions of age.
Love Heals – A Talk by Beth Packer 4 comments
It’s Never Too Late to Find a Deeper Understanding of Love
At the invitation of the Christian Science Church in Canberra international speaker, Beth Packer, will be speaking to the Canberra community on Sunday 22 September at 2.30 pm in the Reception Room of the Legislative Assembly Building on London Circuit.
Worldwide, people have heard and loved her moving talk titled, “Love Heals”.
Beth says, “I’ve found that people everywhere, at all stages of their lives, are looking for much the same things – to know that there are solutions to their problems – whether they are problems related to health, companionship, family, finances or our individual sense of purpose. We all need to know that we’re not alone or lost in the world, that there is hope and healing”. She says, “I’ve found through personal experience that the knowledge that God knows each one of us and loves us, is like turning a light on in the darkness, and has brought practical healing solutions to my life even in the toughest, most uncertain times.”
This beautiful talk shows through a personal journey and through healing examples, that the recognition that we are all truly known and deeply loved by God, who is Love, can bring healing and restoration to our lives, our relationships, and our health. It includes examples of the healing of illness, deafness and severe accident, as well as thoughts of suicide.
Beth said, “Together, we’ll explore our true identity as the dearly beloved of God, a knowledge that can transform our lives, making us happier, healthier, and holier”. These ideas are based on the teachings of Jesus as recorded in the Bible, and as discussed in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
Having been both an award winning artist and a successful retailer, Beth has lived with her husband and two girls in both Australia and the Middle East. Whatever she was involved in, always she found that prayer was her most effective means for solving the practical problems of everyday life. Eventually, it became clear that this was the best way she could help the world so, fulfilling a lifetime desire to help and heal others, she became a full-time practitioner of Christian Science healing.
Beth is a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship. She travels worldwide from her home on the South Coast of NSW.
This free public lecture is given as a gift from the members of Christian Science Church to the people of Canberra. It brings a message of hope and reassurance.
For further enquires ring 0408274498 or visit the Bookshop and Reading Room on the corner of Macquarie and Bligh Streets, Barton.
Listen to a recording of Love Heals.
Christian Science Canberra 