Beverly Goldsmith, C.S.B.

Beverly Goldsmith, C.S.B. is a Christian Science Practitioner Teacher, Melbourne, Australia - helping you find happiness, health and healing

Find happiness, health and healing

Australia

Sustaining compassionate prayer

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Remain confident. It’s good for your health.

Sustaining compassionate prayer can be a test of one’s spiritual persistence and determination. Yet, God has made us spiritually strong. We can pray, and keep right on praying, until there is peace and healing for those reeling from natural disaster or war.

One way  is to begin prayer with God, good.  “God is Love”. (I John 4:16.) He is the tender, compassionate, all-loving One.  His love is ever-present. It guides, guards, governs, and sustains His dear ones.  God gives His love generously, unconditionally.  “Love is impartial and universal in its adaptation and bestowals.”  Mary Baker Eddy. Science and Health 13:2–3. Divine Love stands ready to assist. It never fails to respond to every call for help.  It is abundant, dependable, constant. The Love that is God, and the love that He has for each of us, actively comforts, shelters, and protects. No one is left out. The love of God is vast and encompassing enough to meet everyone’s needs. No circumstance is beyond the power and grace of God.

Is sustaining compassionate prayer effective?

Yes. “Scripture informs us that “with God all things are possible,” — all good is possible to Spirit;”   Mary Baker Eddy. Science and Health 232:9–12. At one time, my brother and I sang for troops in a war zone. Every day my mother prayed for our safety and wellbeing without knowing where we were, or what was happening to us. There was no way for her to know if her prayers for our protection and welfare were being effective. But that didn’t matter. My mother  believed whole-heartedly in the effectiveness of Christian Science healing prayer, and in the power and immediacy of God’s saving love.  So, she never gave up. She prayed and prayed and kept on praying for us. Such sustained Love-inspired prayer, was effective.. My brother and I returned home safe and sound.

Be proactive in prayer. Keep praying about solutions for safety, peace,  and the need for  shelter, food, water, or clothing.  God is tender-hearted, so we can be compassionate, warm hearted. God is all-caring, so we can be caring of others. God is the divine Motivator constantly inspiring the prayerful generosity of His children. We can love and keep loving, give and keep giving, pray and keep praying. It’s His prompting that enables us to take practical action and keep on helping each other.

Draw on God’s love. I’ve proved the power of divine Love in life-threatening situations, when I’ve been exposed to contagious disease, needed a home, or been parted from loved ones. As a result of God’s great love, I’ve been comforted, sheltered, and kept safe from harm. My experience is not unique.  God never tires of caring for us. His love is inexhaustible. It remains strong and active always.

Keep the faith. Stay strong. Never give up. God’s compassion is never dulled, so our compassion can never become deadened in the face of  any disaster or war.  “Divine Love always has met, and always will meet every human need.” – Mary Baker Eddy. Science and Health  p, 494   We can keep praying for peace and restoration. and uphold the heartfelt, powerful conviction, that sustained compassionate prayer will lead to healing solutions.

Adapted from an article that first appeared on my previous blog site spiritualityandhealthconnect.com

How to have good relationships

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Relationships by Beverly Goldsmith Christian Science practitioner and teacherRelationships. We all have them, no matter what shape or form they take. These include, family, friends, neighbours, work colleagues, those we play sport with, or meet with at church.

Mostly, we are blessed to have straight forward, good relationships with others. Some relationships however, can be troubling. When this occurs, it’s so comforting to know that there is a way to bring out harmony. With divine Love’s help, our prayers and actions can restore peace and goodwill. We can have those good relationships we yearn for, and that are normal and natural between all of God’s people.

How to have good relationships:  7 Takeaway Tips for happy, harmonious, healthy relationships

1. Look for good in yourself and others.
To improve relationships, look for something good in others. This reminds us that God made everyone in His loving image and likeness. Genesis 1:26, 27. He made us good – caring, cooperative, thoughtful, unselfish. Genesis 1:31.
“In Science man is the offspring of Spirit. The beautiful, good, and pure constitute his ancestry.” Mary Baker Eddy,  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures p. 63.

2. Be happy.
Harmony is not just an absence of discord. Happiness and harmony are qualities of God, Soul, Mind, which we reflect. To forward good relationships, consent to harmony, believe it can happen, expect harmonious camaraderie to be expressed at home, school, and work. “Harmony in man is as beautiful as in music, and discord is unnatural, unreal.”  Mary Baker Eddy  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 304

3. Change first.
To establish a good relationship, begin with yourself. Don’t wait around for someone else to change, or to make the first move. Take the lead, seek reconciliation not separation.  Put divine Love into action. Be a peacemaker. Bible Matt 5 :9. Be meek, merciful, pure, forgiving. Matt 5:2-11.  “Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way.” Mary Baker Eddy  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures p. 454

4. Forgive.
It may not be easy to forgive someone, to quit holding a grudge, or to graciously accept an apology. Forgiveness is about your peace of mind, not absolving someone of responsibility for wrongdoing. If you know someone who’s wronged you, forgive them, and mentally move on. “ And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And Love is reflected in love;”  Mary Baked Eddy. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 17  “Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action.” ibid. p. 454

5. Make something beautiful out of adversity.
Sometimes we meet someone who gets under our skin. If this happens, express the wisdom of the oyster and make a pearl!  Wrap layers of love, appreciation, forgiveness, gratitude, around the person, problem and yourself. In this way you’ll make something beautiful out of adversity. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” Bible. I John 4:7   “No power can withstand divine Love.”  Mary Baker Eddy. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 224

6. Expect good in your life right now.
God is the source of all goodness. We can think spiritually about ourselves and others, not ruminate, reiterate or speculate over discord, chew over past wrongs, hurts, or slights. Instead we can choose to have a life filled with good relationships.
“Each successive stage of experience unfolds new views of divine goodness and love.”   Mary Baker Eddy. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 66 

7. Practice thinking spiritually
Good relationships require us to practice the spiritual qualities of goodness and love in every interaction. We can practice equanimity – evenness of mind, patience, gentleness and serenity with everyone we associate with.
“What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds.”  Mary Baker Eddy.    Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p.4.

 

RELATED PDF’S:
• View 7 Tips for happy, harmonious, healthy relationships
• View E-card relationships – making a pearl
• View E-card Watch thought – Don’t ruminate, reiterate, or speculate.

• Peacefully resolving conflict
• The courage to apologize the heart to forgive
• Consent to peace  – domestic violence/world peace

• SOLO Love One Another

Prayer for Ukraine

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Prayer for Ukraine

Prayer for Ukraine – for an end to war there, is so needed. Sitting in my comfortable, safe home in Australia, I, like many others around the world, yearn for peace for the people of that country.

In the face of such wanton destruction and forced displacement of people, it’s tempting to feel helpless. What can one person’s prayer for Ukraine do?

Humanitarian Dr. Raphael Lemkin, who was a Polish international lawyer, is a shining example of the power of one. In 1933, disturbed by news of the continuing massacre of Christian Assyrians in the Middle East (as well as the memory of Armenians massacred during World War I), Lemkin began examining those atrocities as crimes, in an effort to prevent and outlaw them. He drafted a resolution and presented it to the Legal Council of the League of Nations. His proposal failed.

In 1939, when Poland was invaded by Germany, he was forced to flee to Sweden. Although a refugee, he continued to analyse the laws and systems put into place in Nazi Germany that allowed for the systematic elimination of people. He presented a draft convention on the prevention and punishment of genocide to the Paris Peace Conference in 1945. Once again his proposal failed.

Refusing to quit, Lemkin continued to campaign without funding, official status, or support from a government or an accredited organization, for the establishment of barbaric acts as a crime under international law.  Finally on December 9, 1948,  the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted unanimously by the 55 member states of the United Nations at its third General Assembly in Paris. As of December 2019, there were 152 signatories.

Raphael Lemkin, who was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, inspires me to remember the value of just one person. It reminds me that I can certainly undertake prayer for Ukraine. Such prayer can help resolve conflict. I once learned this for myself, albeit on a much smaller scale.

At one time, the peace of my neighbourhood was shattered by drunken men screaming and swearing late into the night in a nearby house. For several weeks they kept ten neighbouring families awake. Sleep deprivation made people angry. One furious householder threatened to “knock someone’s block off” if the disturbances didn’t stop. Neighbours met, contacted the police, and considered all available legal avenues. When no solution could be found, I decided it was time for prayer.

Lying in bed one night, I prayed, “Dear Father, You created us to live together in peace. None of Your children can be self-seeking or hurtful. Selfish behaviour is no part of the spiritual nature You have given us. You made us to be considerate of each other. There has to be an answer for this situation. We can resolve this conflict peacefully, and I know that You can help me find a way.” Then I listened for God’s direction.

Finally, this thought came to me: “If you have aught against your brother, go to him and tell him” Bible. Matt. 18:15. My first reaction was, “That can’t be the answer! I’m not going near the men in that house. They might attack me.” But then, two afternoons later, I decided to follow my prayerful intuition. Accompanied by my husband, I went to the house and knocked on the door. A man answered. We told him how upset all his neighbours were at the late-night disturbances. To our great surprise, he immediately apologized. As the owner of the property, he said he would tell his new upstairs-tenants to be quiet. And he did. Peace was established.

Although this incident cannot be compared to barbaric acts of genocide or the devastation of war, it nevertheless encourages me to believe that each heartfelt prayer for Ukraine – for peace and harmony, can, and does, lead to healing resolutions.

“The only thing needed for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing.” These words attributed to the 18th-century Irish-born philosopher Edmund Burke help pull me back from the brink of scepticism or apathy about praying for my neighbourhood, community, Ukraine, or any other trouble spot.

Prayer for the establishment of peace and humane behaviour in the world, is somewhat like a pebble thrown into a pond. The pebble doesn’t sink straight to the bottom without having an effect. It creates ripples that continue to move outward. In the same way, each time I pray with conviction that the power of good will ultimately triumph over evil – that decency and harmony will prevail, that sanity and compassion will override barbarism – I think of my prayers as sending out ripples that can heal hateful, warring and destructive thinking.

Mary Baker Eddy the discover and founder of Christian Science once wrote: “A dewdrop reflects the sun. Each of Christ’s little ones reflects the infinite One, and therefore is the seer’s declaration true, that ‘one on God’s side is a majority’” (Pulpit and Press, p. 4).

This reminds me of the value and effectiveness of each sincere prayer. God never stops caring for each and every person in the world. Praying for evidence of this fact is never a waste of time. Our prayers for peace and healing will send out beneficial ripples. Each one will be a powerful force for good in the world.

Related: 
1. PDF Sudan and the power of one.
2. PDF Prayer instead of violence.
3. Spiritual Inspiration World

Prayer for floods

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Prayer for 2022 flood situationPrayer for a flood situation is needed. Many people are affected by a devastating flood. The images of the massive flood waters, with people being rescued by a flotilla of small boats, and by helicopter from on their rooftops is heart-breaking.

At such a time, our hearts go out to those impacted by the flooding, to the rescuers and volunteers, and to those who have sadly lost a loved one in the waters.  Although we might live far away from a flood event, we still yearn to help bring comfort and healing.  And through our prayers for a flood situation we can.

Prayer is a powerful force for good. I’ve been saved many times in life-threatening situations. I’ve experienced God’s protecting power, and I’ve learned not to see any situation as too difficult for God to solve. Even in the face of earthquakes, bushfires, hurricanes, or floods, we don’t have to feel helpless or hopeless. Prayer can and does help people remain safe and also enable them to recover and move forward with their lives.

In the days, weeks and months ahead as people of flood-ravaged areas endeavour to recover from the loss of homes, businesses and loved ones, you can help them overcome this disaster through your continued prayers.

I lived in Brisbane during the devastating floods of 2011. I wrote serval articles for the Christian Science site spirituality.com and Sentinel magazine, about the power of prayer.

If you are seeking ideas about how to pray for a current flood situation and support those impacted, then my articles may help strengthen your prayers. They draw on inspiring texts from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, . . . though the waters thereof roar and be troubled” (Psalm. 46:1-3).

Achieving accountability

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Achieving accountability by Beverly Goldsmith Christian Science practitioner and teacher

Achieving accountability may seem like a far off goal.  However there is an answer, and prayer leads the way to a successful resolution in personal situations as well as issues associated with Local Councils, State or Federal governments.

The ancient King Solomon’s wisdom and good judgement went down in history. The God that guided Solomon is still here today, empowering all of us to express wisdom, humility, and accountability in situations large and small.

Achieving accountability

It was beyond frustrating! We’d purchased a large, expensive air-conditioning unit for our home in hot and humid Brisbane, Australia, and on installation the unit had turned out to be defective. It was under warranty, so I visited the retailer, who told me to contact the installer, who directed me to the manufacturer’s service agent, who sent me to the manufacturer, who told me to go back to the installer. No one, it seemed, wanted to be held accountable for the cost of replacing the malfunctioning unit, even though it was someone’s responsibility to do so.

After many weeks and phone calls, there was still no accountability from anyone involved. So, as I’ve done with other confrontational situations in my life, I decided to pause and pray. I knew from experience that this would calm my thinking and guide me, opening the door to a just resolution.

I recalled something Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science and founder of The Christian Science Monitor, once wrote: “It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established” (“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. 467).

It didn’t seem to be the case that we all had one Mind! But reasoning from the basis of this idea, I realized I had to change my view of those involved. Rather than defining them as uncooperative, I acknowledged that each one was actually the individual of God’s creating, made in God’s spiritual likeness. As such, we all had the ability to express qualities of God – divine Mind, Truth, and Love – in our dealings. For instance, this would include a spirit of cooperativeness, honesty, and caring; intelligence; and a capacity and desire to resolve this issue in an ethical and wise manner. In other words, with a loving accountability.

Praying with these ideas changed my attitude completely. And I saw these qualities expressed in practice soon afterward. The situation was resolved amicably. The defective product was replaced at no expense to me.

In looking back on this experience, it occurs to me that an excellent benchmark in accountability was set long ago, by an individual named Solomon. According to the Bible, he was king, the top man in charge of his country’s welfare. He was mindful that the obligations associated with his high office directly impacted citizens to whom he was accountable. This moral responsibility was so great that he felt like a little child – inexperienced, unqualified, unsure about his ability to make sound decisions and deliver good results.

As a consequence, Solomon realized that he needed special help. One night, the Bible says, God asked Solomon what He might give him. Solomon’s response was to ask God not for wealth or more power, but for wisdom and an “understanding heart,” to enable him to execute honest and right judgment for all (see I Kings 3:5-15).

This extraordinarily unselfish request points to a humble desire to be of service to others – to help, not injure, and to rely on God, good, to guide him. This desire served Solomon well. His wisdom and good judgement went down in history. People today still refer to needing or wanting “the wisdom of Solomon.”

God is still present to help us all be “Solomons,” as we seek the spiritual-mindedness we need to do well whatever it is ours to do, rather than prioritizing wealth, prestige, or personal gain. This takes humility, which is like an open hand outstretched to receive what’s good. Conversely, egotism – lack of consideration for others, greed, pride – is like a closed fist. By its very nature, humility – a willingness to see ourselves and others as God does, and to follow the leading of God, good – opens us up to divine intuitions that impel unselfish choices and wise actions that benefit everyone involved.

Indeed, we all have the God-given potential to exercise good judgement and follow through on responsibilities with wisdom, humility, and accountability.

This article first appeared in the June 30th, 2020 edition of The Monitor Daily.
Listen: Christian Science Perspective Achieving accountability audio edition by Beverly Goldsmith