Archive for Christian Science
Why love matters
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When I got married, I became an instant dad to my wife’s two sons. One day just before we were married, Joanne and the boys came to visit me. Jarrod, the older, was four. He sat on my lap, and we played with his teddy bear. I would take his teddy and pretend he was talking to Jarrod. When it was Jarrod’s turn to make the bear “Talk,” he swung it and hit me hard across the face.
He didn’t mean to be violent, but got carried away with the game. However, when he saw the blow had shocked me, he quickly put both hands up in a defensive position, expecting me to hit back.
I was stunned more by his fear than by being hit. At that moment, I realized what it was going to take to be a father figure – forgiveness and love.
I slowly reached out, took both his shoulders, pulled him close, and kissed him on the cheek. I can still remember the amazed look on his face. He relaxed, and we started playing again.
It would’ve been easy to try to “teach him a lesson.” But both of us needed an instruction in love being lived. And we needed to learn, most of all, that love matters. Read More→
Great Expectations
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I am intrigued by the power of expectations; by the impact they have on our well-being.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Thomas Curry, a licensed Texas psychotherapist about this phenomenon.
Dr. Curry explained, “Expectations are a hot topic in healthcare practice and research. It is widely recognized that an individual’s, or group of individuals, expectations either help or hurt healthcare outcomes. Why this is so, and how it happens, unfortunately remains a mystery. However, what is not mysterious at all is the fact that expectations play a very pivotal role in the progression of mental and medical disease, as well as it has a strong role in any treatment effect.”
This makes me wonder: Do expectations of decline and illness allow for unchecked fear to manifest as disease on the body where it can develop and spread? Are expectations of health possibly divine urgings that animate us to discover more than we are accepting of life at a given moment? Read More→
Hit ‘em with a prayer not a chair
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Everyone seems to have a chip on his or her shoulder. From the Occupy Wall Street protesters to the Obama-haters, aggression is in the air. Hate appears to be the flavor of the day.
This hate is causing an accelerated polarization of society. But it is causing something more. Are we hearing the warnings that hostile hearts can jeopardize health? Besides straining relationships, hate is a mental poison that causes bodily harm.
Deborah Smith, staff writer for Monitor on Psychology (a publication for the American Psychological Association), in her post Angry thoughts, at-risk hearts, writes “Research findings indicate a clear pattern — being an angry or hostile person is bad for your heart.” She goes on to cite several studies that prove the point.
It’s my experience as a Christian healer that hateful thoughts can be harmful not only to the heart but to every part of the body. Therefore, if hate is a poison, what is the antidote? Read More→
60 Minutes – Explosive – What mind can do to affect health
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Last night’s CBS Television News magazine, 60 Minutes, aired a segment that correspondent Lesley Stahl described as “explosive” in promos for the piece. The segment discussed the new scientific research that is creating a stir in the medical community.
Stahl interviewed psychologist Irving Kirsch, associate director of the Placebo Studies Program at Harvard Medical School. Kirsch’s research challenges the effectiveness of antidepressants. He said the difference between the effect of a placebo and the effect of an antidepressant is minimal for most people.
His specialty research has been the study of the placebo effect, — the usage of an unmedicated pill. Apparently, the fake pill creates an expectation of healing that is so powerful, symptoms are actually alleviated. During the segment, Stahl also spoke with psychiatrists who disagreed with Kirsch’s findings as well as another doctor whose own studies confirmed Kirsch’s analysis.
During the Kirsch interview, Stahl asserted, “But people are getting better taking antidepressants, I know them. We all know them.”
Kirsch responded, “People get better when they take the drug, but it’s not the chemical ingredients of the drugs that are making them better. It’s largely the placebo effect.” Read More→
Health Benefits of Mistletoe?
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The National Institutes of Health reports that 40 percent of Americans are actively seeking alternative approaches to health. Since this is the time of year that mistletoe begins popping up, I decided to look into any possible health benefits to this potential alternative.
After some investigating, I found that there is no measurable evidence to support claims of a healing effect or improved quality of life from the use of mistletoe extract. So, forget the mistletoe, perhaps, kissing is the key to better health.
It’s been reported that those who kiss their partner goodbye each morning live five years longer than those who don’t. Frequent kissing has scientifically been shown to stabilize cardiovascular activity, as well as decrease blood pressure and cholesterol. Is this why kissing under the mistletoe has been going on for decades? Read More→
“Since Christian Science is weird…”
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A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to discuss Christian Science with a newspaper editor. After hearing about the religious organization and the system of spiritual health care, she said, “Since Christian Science is weird, it –.” The editor stopped mid-sentence, looked at me, and said, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to call Christian Science weird. I’m so sorry.”
After the editor apologized several more times, I said, “Forget about it. It’s okay,” and we went back to our pleasant discussion.
The editor’s “Weird” comment reminded me of ’73. In 1973, I was in Brad Shearer‘s kitchen. Brad and I attended high school together. He was a star football player who went on to play for the Texas Longhorns and the Chicago Bears. Read More→
A RESPONSE: What Makes Your Religion or Faith Valid?
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In an October 9 CNN-Belief post, Richard J. Mouw argues that the Mormon Church should not be considered a cult because it has established a university and engages in respectful dialogue with others. Mouw, however, did not hesitate to throw other well-established religions in the cult bin.
The post raises the question: What makes your religion or faith valid? In the long run, I believe, it is not whether a religion or faith establishes a school or is engaged with the world on the world’s terms, it is whether it enriches the lives of its members and others that proves it has a valid and useful place in society. Read More→
“Pay for prayer?” & lots of steps
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Yes, there are a lot of steps from one Congressman’s office to another around Capital Hill in DC. Recently, I believe, I touched them all and wore off plenty of shoe-leather. There’s also, I’m finding, a lot of steps required in correcting misconceptions regarding spiritual care as practiced in Christian Science.
While in Senator Inouye’s office, I was asked, “Pay for prayer?” Read More→
The prayer that heals us (dogs & cats too)
Posted by: | CommentsThe prayer that heals us (dogs and cats too) is not a matter of wishing and hoping for the best. It is based on spiritual laws. It is reliable and responsible. It makes us see more clearly how God has spiritually made us. It teaches us how loved and safe we are. Just ask Lee and Sambo.
You see, Lee loves her 12 year old dog, Sambo. Lee and Sambo live on a ranch in east Texas. The ranch is about an hour away from town. One evening, when her husband was out of town, Lee saw a five foot Timberback Rattlesnake in front of her in the yard. Lee grabbed her twenty-two rifle and started shooting. Sambo saw what was happening and rushed to protect Lee. He caught the rattler in his mouth but the snake bit him. Read More→
To the families in Norway: Give them strength and comfort
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Every needless act of violence brings new questions. And after last week’s tragedies in Oslo and on the island of Utoya, again, answers are needed. Our hearts go out to Norway, to those individuals who lost their lives, and to those who treasure their loved ones they have lost.
I’m finding that spiritual solutions can help answer tough questions. Read More→
