Theme for May 2020: Listen to Your Heart

FEATURE #1: “Love: The Greatest Healer”

By: Ernest Holmes on page 72

Let’s begin with the first opening paragraph where Holmes writes, “Our subject for today is love. Our lesson says that today I bestow the essence of love on everything. Nothing is dead, everything is alive; nothing is ugly, everything is beautiful. This love is a healing power touching everything into wholeness, healing the wounds of experience with its divine balm.”

(Q) When Homes says, “I bestow the essence of love on everything,” he is talking about unification of oneself with the Divine, seeing all with divine vision and thereby blessing all. Have you ever had that kind of experience that allows you to see all as alive and beautiful? Do you see this unification and divine vision as your responsibility-an experience in which you take an active part? Now can you see that “a healing power touching everything into wholeness” is love on some level and yours to experience?

Holmes affirms love and understanding. He quotes John 4:18 in the second paragraph, “Perfect love casts out all fear.” He claims, “to the one who suffers from a sense of inferiority and a lack of self-esteem, the idea of love comes like healing medicine to the soul.”

Holmes clearly believes that love heals all that ails us. He bids us to participate in this healing by joining in this love. In the SOM (Science of Mind) Textbook he writes, “Nothing is real to us unless we make it real. Nothing can touch us unless we make it real. Nothing can touch us unless we let it touch us. Refuse to have the feelings hurt. Refuse to receive anyone’s condemnation. In the independence of your own mentality, believe and feel that you are wonderful…It is the truth.”

(Q) Do you know or ever experienced this healing power of Divine Love? Do you understand how and why you must participate in this Love? Have you ever experienced inferiority or criticism or condemnation from others? If you have and we all have, had known and believed this one principle, would you have reacted differently even if it was painful or if you really believed them? What now can you say to yourself when this happens? We as students of SOM teachings, know and believe in our own beauty and goodness no matter what the outcome.

Can you see that when we participate in the healing of Love, we are tapping into the Divine, we are knowing this Divine Love in and though ourselves.

(Q) What is it that needs this healing love? Homes tells us it is fear. We suffer from the fear of pain, poverty, the hurts of life, of others and of course, death. Can you distinguish 1 fear you experience? Have your fears changed as you grow older?

My experience with the teachings of SOM is that it is the only positive and healing philosophy out there…. it’s the best there is. In this world of fear, can you see now that your chosen philosophy being positive can not only change you but others positively? In other words, its who you are being that others experience that and change. Simply put, it’s your choice.

Holmes gives us 4 areas that require adjustment: “A well-integrated life means one in which there is inner harmony, a sense of security, a feeling of being necessary, and an inner sense of worthwhileness.”

The Adjustment of the Self pg 73

When Holmes says “adjustment” in terms of the self, there are 4 qualities inner harmony, a sense of security, feeling necessary and feeling worthwhile. Maladjustment is lacking self-confidence, feeling out of place, unwanted and not worthwhile.

Holmes explains that the solution is to understand the truth of your self: The self is really an offspring of the Spirit of God. The self is always one with its source. Therefore, the first adjustment is to realize that we are necessary to the universe, we are believed of it with tender care and solicitude (attentive care and protectiveness).”

(Q) How do you see yourself on Holmes adjustment scale? How do you feel most of the time and knowing what you know now, do you see it is choice that will determine your state of mind? Do you understand your soul, God, the Divine within, loves you with tender care and solicitude? Allow that now.

Holmes reminds us, “Each one of us is an individualized center of God-consciousness.” Put in laymen’s terms, that means we are made of Divine substance and contain Divine qualities and we are activated and empowered to function as God does. Again, Homes places the emphasizes on our eternal individuality and our self-ness.

(Q) What does “an individualized center of God-Consciousness” mean to you? Do you see yourself as unified with the Oneness of God and your Oneness with everything? Do you see why you are “intrinsically necessary”?

The Adjustment of the Family pg 74

Holmes shows us that the area of adjustment is about all of our interpersonal relationships. It is about our family and everyone else including business, social, personal and incidental. He asks us, “Are we meeting others in happiness? Is our attitude toward others one of partnership on a basis of equality? Are we suspicious, moody? Are we sensitive to criticism?” Holmes suggests to us that our answers to these questions may show us where and what area needs healing?

Holmes also shows us that we need to realize that life is a divine partnership. This means that we are in a lifetime or an eternal lifetime with God? This can mean that we are in an eternal partnership with all others……there are no strangers on an eternal level.

It is from our feelings, thoughts, and our consciousness that we can feel separate or connected. This is how powerful our thoughts are and the range of them determines how we vibrate…. energy vibrates…we are energy. How do you vibrate, low or high?

Holmes also teaches, “Here is a point we mist not overlook. If we think unkindly or antagonistically about others, it is probable their reaction to us will be of like nature. But if we think in love, with tolerance and understanding, this changes our whole vibration and with it, it changes the reaction from others.”

(Q) Have you ever considered or challenged yourself to give up criticism and all negativity for 30 days? Do you believe that your frequency, generated by your thoughts and feelings, is felt by others, affects others, and influences their behavior toward you? Have you and can you offer only understanding, kindness, compassion and love toward others?

Holmes reminds us that we must know that we are and everyone is an eternal and divine being as part of God. We must train ourselves to see self and all others through divine eyes.

The Adjustment of Society pg 75

Can you consider our present, global health crisis as our need to see global society as one people? Holmes says, “We must come to find a meaning in passing human events. The world will have to learn to live together in peace and mutual cooperation.” Further, we understand and remember the “Four Freedoms” Holmes references that are meant for all people.

(Q) Are we closer to being a global society today as Holmes was writing about? Do you see a higher purpose in our current global health crisis? Do you think it is possible for everyone to enjoy and experience the “4 Freedoms?”

The Adjustment of the Universe pg 75

According to Holmes, how we see or know God is the essence of this adjustment as well as knowing our own soul as Divine. “It is impossible to live happily unless one believes in the integrity of his own soul and its union with the Over Soul.” Holmes states.

(Q) When events occur that might shake one’s faith, are you able to know that nevertheless, Divine Good is always continually unfolding through the situation?

Holmes believes our deepest and most basic fear is that of death and the uncertainty of what is to follow. “We must come to believe that we not only have a soul, we must also sense that this soul is immortal, eternal, deathless.”

(Q) What is your belief of death? Do you agree with Holmes that this is our most basic fear? Now, do you believe that there is no death? Explain and discuss.

Holmes states, “It would be unnatural for one to doubt either the Presence of God or the certainty of immortality…There is a mystical inner sense that we all have.” If anyone will take the time to believe, he will sense something solid and secure at the center of his own being.”

Holmes tells us we can have our own Divine relationship with Spirit/God. Spirit is always available now and always. He assures, “A new confidence, a calm trust, an inner faith will be awakened.”

Wasn’t this a wonderful feature written by Holmes. Next week we will read Feature #2, “The Heart Gets It” by Trish Hall on page 64. I look forward to seeing you on Zoom next Wednesday. I will be sending you the review Monday. If you have questions, let me know either email or phone.

Love, Light, and Laughter to all of you when you listen to your heart,

Rev Lyssa