Spiritual progress

It might seem self-serving if anyone ever reads this, but I've been once again forgetting to cherish the good going on and taking time to thank God for all the wonderful blessings. They are so many and they come so fast, it's impossible to record them all. Lorie, who is one of the most grateful people I know, reminds me to cherish the good and be grateful for it. So I'm posting her email.

Thanks for the notice to listen to your q&a posted on tmcyouth.com.

You may or may not remember that my family is strongly opposed to CS. Although my sister's responses to me have been softening w/ regards to CS, she continues to not want to understand anything about the religion - samenesses or differences. Just last weekend, she told me that she had left the church we had grown up in as children and started going to what is referred to in my little home town as 'the holy roller church'. They speak in tongues, roll in the floor, etc. I've never heard my sister so excited before.

My initial reaction to her news was not the best one, but I'm grateful that God put a sock in my mouth (albeit a 'spiritual one !) and I said absolutely nothing! After hearing your answer to the question of speaking in tongues, I have a much clearer picture of the whole thing and a better idea of how to conduct myself in the next conversation as I'm sure it will come up again. I think it will actually allow for a conversation which I'm sure will now be more open-minded from both of us! Thank you!!!!

I also wanted to share something with you... Matt quit his organist church job in October and aside from subbing, has been coming to church with me. He went back to his 'home' church this past Wed to play a service. He called me afterwards very excited and said that [his home] church is new for him again - that it means a lot more to him now that he's been going to the CS church. He said that iInstead of seeing the differences and not being happy about them, he is seeing the samenesses. He said that he is also now more able to turn around the differences and ask himself how CS would address the topic or question of the moment. AND, I am so happy to notice that the question 'how would LORIE answer this' is now being regularly replaced with 'how would CHRISTIAN SCIENCE address this'!!!!

Progress!

Also, thanks for the assoc blogsite. I just logged-in and got a great idea on how to be more consistent with the verse-a-day assignment.

This week I've seen on a consistent basis that humility is the answer to everything - humility to acknowledge that God IS God and that God does not require (or accept!) my/our help or input to BE God! This lesson has allowed me to more consistently identify the fact that what appears to be 'the problem' is never 'the' problem but is a mistaken sense of self and of God. And as I acknowledge this, I see progress in myself and in others.

Class instruction becomes more clear and more precious each day that I'm willing and humble enough to practice what I learned. Thanks for the millionth time for presenting it all so clearly and lovingly. I hope you don't get tired of hearing my thanks, because I imagine that I'll express it a bazillion more times before moving on!
- Lorie