WHO am I ?

Psalm 23--Japanese Version

The Lord is my pace-setter; I shall not rush
He makes me to stop for quiet intervals,
He provides me with images of stillness,
which restore my serenity.
He leads me in the ways of efficiency,
through calmness of mind,
And His guidance is peace.
Even though I have a great many things
to accomplish each day, I will not fret,
for His presence is here.
His timelessness, His all-importance,
will keep me in balance.
He prepares refreshment and renewal
in the midst of my activity by anointing
my mind with His oil or tranquility.
My cup of joyous energy overflows.
Surely, harmony and effectiveness shall be
the fruits of my hours
And I shall walk in the pace of the Lord
And dwell in His house forever.

Eva-Maria .... + a painting by her....

Shepherd

“The metaphor of the kind shepherd is used to describe the Lord in both the Old and New Testaments. The first time we find this figure coming to life is at the close of Genesis where Jacob credits the Lord with being his guiding shepherd (Gen. 48:15; 49:24). As inviting as that language is, nothing matches the simplicity and depth of Psalm 23, arguably the best-known passage of all Scripture, which builds on this image. ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want’ (Ps. 23:1). When the leaders of his people failed to lead like a good shepherd should the Lord promised a messianic leader who would get it right.: ‘I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd’ (Ezek. 34:23).” (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery)

A sad death awaits the one 


Who, too well known by others, 


Dies unknown to himself.



--Latin author Seneca—

The WHO am I and the WHAT I am know ...

"Prayer is as much an instinctive act of the soul as breathing is for the body. I have known great men and women who have never once uttered a word of audible prayer, but whose very act and thought has been a prayer."

--Eleanor Roosevelt—

Rumi:
The Worm's Waking

This is how a human being can change:
there's a worm addicted to eating grape leaves.
Suddenly, he wakes up,
call it grace, whatever, something
wakes him up, and he no longer 
is a worm.

He's the entire vineyard,
and the orchard too, the fruit, the trunks,
a growing wisdom and joy
that doesn't need
to devour.

Pray Thyself in me.

Teach me to seek God. --RamaKrishna—

a photo by Ashok Kumar

The sun sends forth light, but not suns; so God reflects Himself, or Mind, but does not subdivide Mind, or good, into minds, good and evil … [it] demands mighty wrestling with mortal beliefs, as we sail into the eternal haven over the unfathomable sea of possibilities. 



--Retrospection and Introspection by M. B. Eddy, p. 56—

The path of life has many hills and valleys. Guided by the Light, we move forward knowing we are never alone on our journey. 



--David W. Graig, American Indian Artist, living in the foothills of Mount Rainier—

A great Master and his disciples were walking along on a road, when a man who passed by, spit on the Master. He continued walking undisturbed. But one of his disciples asked, "Why dear Master, did you allow that man to spit on you?

You know what he said? 
"What I do not have within, I cannot give."

a photo I took of the Thuner Lake in Switzerland

• Scientists don't look at matter. The very fact that they're scientists shows that they're finding rules, principles, law, order – they’re reading. And what makes them scientists isn’t photons hitting the eye – it’s their ability to express intelligence in reading what they’re seeing … you are listening to intelligence by reading a book. And you can listen to intelligence by reading the stars. It is the same process … We are the acting (the expression) of Principle … There are no laws of order in something that’s intrinsically limited … the great scientists – Kepler, Einstein – realized that they were in search of principle … everybody’s intuiting at a deeper level that there’s one source. “Whatever furnishes the semblance of an idea governed by its principle, furnishes food for thought. Through astronomy, natural history, chemistry, music, mathematics, thought passes naturally from effect back to cause” (Science and Health, p. 195, Mary Baker Eddy). How can something that causes you to outgrow mortal mind be physical? You don’t get the outgrowth of mortal mind from mortal mind … whenever you make a mental breakthrough, you’re doing it for mankind – you’re doing it for everyone’s thinking.



–Laurance Doyle, astronomer, physicist, and a fellow Christian Scientist—

• Sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.               –Eva-Maria

• Many years ago when my family and I lived in a mountainous region surrounded by redwoods in a home that had thirteen skylights and an enormous fireplace build out of huge stones (one could almost walk right into it) -- I was sitting one evening in a meditative stillness cross-legged in front of it on the floor, when suddenly I felt a movement under my legs … my hand swooped down and picked up something and as I open it I saw a small scorpion with its tail straight up resting in my hand.  It didn’t move. I got up, opened the door and let it go. I remember so clearly how still and fearless I had been, and so the little creature. We were in a thought of fearlessness. When we realize our true state of being we understand the ”I am”of all true beings, and creatures, and we enjoy together a true peace.

BTW, @ that time I was not a child but the child within me, which is full of wonder, did not pick up a scorpion just a creature at-one with me and my wonders. 



• God picks up the reed-flute world and blows. 
Each note is a need coming through one of us, 
a passion, longing-pain. 
Remember the lips 
where the wind-breath originated, 
and let your note be clear. 
Don’t try to end it. 
Be your note. 
I’ll show you how it’s enough. 
Go up on the roof at night 
in the city of the soul. 
Let everyone climb on their roofs 
and sing their notes! 

Sing loud! 

--Rumi--

• “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 

Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”

–Luke 10:19—





Do not be overjoyed that your work blesses, comforts, and heals – give Truth and Love that works within you all the credit – but rejoice that you know your true nature moves and lives and has its being in Harmony (Heaven) – and therefore has to be harmonious. 
Rest in this truth about yourself, and be grateful and at peace.  --EM

• What if looking down into the flesh, the matter-bound or material sense of self, and you see only flesh sickening, aging, decaying, and dying? Such a notion of negation is depriving itself of joy, and if you identify with it you’d feel depleted. Would you agree? 

What if looking up to Mind (the Mind that was in Christ Jesus), and you’ll find yourself rise above material orientations, and into the reality of your true self, and how strong it is within you to let you shine? Wouldn’t that be more helpful?

• “There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding” (Job 32:8). To me it means, “Know yourself, my dear child, and you’ll know your God-bestowed goodness and riches.” This is my tested understanding of the power of the “I am,” inseparable from its Creator, forever dwelling in divine Mind, and independent of physical circumstances.



I feel it’s the one big thing we all have need of, for it promotes health and happiness. When I think of it, how could you and I ever be anything but what we really are? How could divine Love ever halt or delay identifying each of us as its beloved, vibrant, pure child?



My understanding of who I am has helped me to cross the turbulent waters of materiality more than once.

-- Love strengthens and ennobles thought, and thereby we give the most of ourselves to bless and comfort. The opposite emotion, hate, can be compared with an acid, eating away at a person’s peace and contributing to emotional instability. Yes the choice is ours, but not everybody is conscious of these choices, or has a clear sense of its consequences, because “The abiding consciousness of wrongdoing tends to destroy the ability to do right” (S&H 405). So, sometimes we have to be there to support and guide not with personal opinions or human will, but with the love and wisdom and patience.

A little boy had a rat as a pet he called Tabitha. The little creature was ill. The boy said, “I prayed some prayers I knew by heart, for example, that God is the great I Am; the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal: Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love; all-substance; intelligence (S&H 587). I told Tabitha that meant that she was always her same perfect self. And because God loved her, He was keeping her happy.” In no time, Tabitha was back to her healthy self.

–From the 12 year old Andrew Asdell—

How did the little boy cure the pet rat, or the pet cure itself? Neither … person or creature do not heal spiritually, both just did not interfere with a natural adjustment Life/God/Love brought about (at whatever name we call that infinite power in our lives) … it is ignorance of this POWER & PRESENCE, ignorance of its Principle of healing, and maintaining each of us, and it needs to be spiritually and intelligently comprehended, understood, and lived by … but because of fear, superstitions, lack of understanding, hate, and distrust, it hinders us to see and experience this healing power present in our lives.

• BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ENJOYED no familial boost of wealth, fame, education. He was one of 17 children. His father was a candle-maker. In today’s terms, he started life well within the 99 percent. But through systematic study, practice, thrift, and most of all an optimistic embrace of possibility, he rose to become the famed intellect, scientist, statesman, diplomat, and writer honored on currency, in statues, and by namesake institutes dedicated to higher education. 



–By John Yemma, EDITOR of THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, January 2012, issue 8-- —

YOU WILL HAVE TO FACTOR ME IN by Hafiz 

Another’s sounds should be careful in soliciting 
my attention and then my response, unless the 

crystal, the Looking Glass, they too wish to enter. 

The way a river’s strength may move one in its 
current, so does my gaze or wish. 

What the rain can do for a well, so can the 
language from an illumined heart. 

When I woke up I found existence rented its 
space from me. 

I am the tenderness that becomes a sacred oath, 

thus even when you close the door and might 
want privacy, 

what can I say? You will still have to factor me 
in. 



All things beautiful and harmless are ideas of Mind [God] (S&H 280) 

So it appears to me, the one Spirit, LOVE/GOD – the great I AM THAT I AM says to you, and each of us: “Your ‘I am’ has to factor me in!” 

And in the same vein the great I AM THAT I AM has to factor you, and me, and 
each of us … in.

The Lamb 



Little Lamb, who made thee? 


Dost thou know who made thee? 


Gave thy life & bid thee feed, 


By the stream & o’er the mead; 


Gave the clothing of delight, 


Softest clothing, wooly, bright; 


Gave thee such a tender voice, 


Making all the vales rejoice? 


Little Lamb, who made thee? 


Dost thou know who made thee? 



Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee,




Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee: 


He is called by thy name, 


For he calls himself a Lamb. 


He is meek & he is mild; 


He became a little child. 


I a child & thou a lamb. 


We are called by his name. 


Little Lamb, God bless thee! 


Little Lamb, God bless thee! 



--From Songs of Innocence by William Blake—

Where Jesus lives, the great-hearted gather. 
We are a door that’s never locked. 

If you are suffering any kind of pain, 
Stay near this door. Open it. 

Christ is the population of the world, 
and every object as well. There is no room 
for hypocrisy. Why use bitter soup for healing 
when sweet water is everywhere? 

The miracle of Jesus is himself, not what he said or did 
about the future. Forget the future. 
I’d worship someone who could do that. 
--Rumi

“
I Am” -- 
God replied to Moses, ‘I Am Who I Am...’ ” 
(Exodus 3:14, NLT) 

In the Bible, God has many names that describe His character and attributes. In the same way that someone named “Joe” might also be called “father” or “husband” or “the boss,” God has names that describe Him and His relationship to His people. 
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew name for “God” was considered so holy that the people wouldn’t even say it. So, when God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and sent Him to lead the Israelites out of captivity, Moses asked God, “Who should I say sent me?” After all, He couldn’t breathe the name of God in public. God replied by saying, “Moses, my name is I Am.” In other words, “I am anything and everything you need. I am your joy. I am your peace. I am your strength. I am your victory. I am your way of escape. I am whatever you need.” 
Today, God is saying the same thing to us! What is it that you need? The Great I Am, the Almighty God is ready to supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. Open your heart of faith to Him today and receive all the blessings He has in store for you!  --Carl Old, Sr.

"We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools. We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the way God’s universe is made; this is the way it is structured." 


~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Identity in relation to the “I am” is one with Spirit. It defines the spiritual Self. Spirit being infinite or Infinity, cannot reside in a finite form, that is, in a notion of body as matter. But if we recognize Body as the embodiment of Spirit/Life/Love, we have a spiritual concept of it and not a material-bounded perception, and we can experience the POWER of Spirit or Love, within. And that kind of all-encompassing Love when experienced, regenerates, transforms, and heals.

 …what is essential is invisible to the human eye. 
It’s only with the heart of LOVE we can see Who we are.

--Eva-Maria

Who has seen the wind? 
Neither you nor I; 


But when the trees bow down their heads 


The wind is passing by. 



--Christina Rossetti 1830-1894—

Peace and Love 

to YOU,

Eva-Maria