Eva-Maria Hogrefe: 05/01/2018

… thou art greatly loved:

… thou art mine!

--The Bible, Daniel 9:23 & Isaiah 43:2----

“Let us therefore follow after the things which make

for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”

-The Bible: Romans 14:19

THE ROCK OF MY REFUGE

When we pray for the little ones, the families, the elders … -- and the people around the globe, I feel that something beautiful starts happening to them and to us. Our prayer is a loving, healing thought, resting on them. Prayer reveals the power of empathy and true brother-hood, and it bands people together when facing a crisis. It helps us recognize that each of God’s children is inseparable from divine Love.

Understanding this even just a tiny bit heals the aching heart.

An excerpt from an article by Eva-Maria Hogrefe, C. S. “The Rock of my Refuge” published in the Christian Science Sentinel,

September 27, 1999--

Since thou wast precious in my sight,

thou hast been honourable,

And I have loved thee:

I, even I, am the Lord;

--The Bible, Isaiah 43:4, 11--

… keep clean your spirit. And how shall it be kept clean, Mr. Gruffydd? By prayer, my son, he said, not mumbling, or shouting, or wallowing like a hog in religious sentiments. Prayer is only another name for good, clean, direct thinking. When you pray, think well what you are saying, and make your thoughts into things that are solid. In that manner, your prayer will have strength, and that strength shall become part of you.

--Richard Llewellyn, How Green Was My Valley, p 97—

What we see is shadow, what we think is substance. --Grazy Horse, Oglala Sue Indian--

In the Bible we are introduced to a man called Job. Job yearned for self-knowledge, which comes from a better understanding of our real nature, made in the image of good, or God. God spoke to Job out of the whirlwind. What do you think is the meaning of this metaphor? A metaphor illuminates thought -- and so the metaphor of a whirlwind, I understand to mean, that Job’s thinking was highly disturbed by doubts and uncertainties — but even though in the midst of these doubts, he could intuitively recognize God’s voice: “Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty,” and divine Truth added, “Then will I also confess [or explain] unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee” (40:10, 14).

In Science and Health self-knowledge is defined as: “Anatomy,

when conceived of spiritually, is mental self-knowledge, and consists

in the dissection of thoughts to discover their quality, quantity, and

origin. Are thoughts divine or human? This is the important question.

This branch of study is indispensable to the excision of error.”

The anatomy of Christian Science teaches when and how to probe

the self-inflicked wounds of selfishness, malice, envy, and hate.

It teaches the control of mad ambition. It unfolds the hallowed

influences of unselfishness, philanthropy, spiritual love" (462).

--Eva-Maria

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

--The Bible, Matthew 5:9--

Christ Jesus in the Beatitudes is instructing his followers to make peace – not just to hope for peace, or talk about peace, or negotiate peace, however necessary all these human steps are – the utmost importance is to make peace. And how do we begin? By making sure that whatever we think and say and do has to lead to the most progressive step -- to a fuller recognition of man’s real nature, and his inseparability from divine Love. This is a spiritual leap by which we make first peace with ourselves and then with our fellowman. And thus, as the Scriptures point out, we are able to live as God’s likeness -- reflecting His abundant love and goodness. – Eva-Maria --