Life's Loving Memories

MAKING A DIFFRENCE AND IMPACTING THE WORLD "You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." Jane Goodall  I love this quote by Jane Goodall. Jane was always a curious person. When she was a young child her mother was looking all over their property to find where Jane had gotten to. She was finally found inside the henhouse underneath the chickens to see how an egg was laid. This curiosity has continued through her experience, observing life, and becoming a zoologist, primatologist, and anthropologist. She is probably is best known for her work with primates in Africa. Roots and Shoots is a program she founded for children to learn more about plants and animals. She was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. I speak of her today, because she is an inspiring difference maker in this world. At 91 she is still growing strong. When she was in h...

 LIGHT DISPELLS DARKNESS There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark.  --Helen Keller                     Through my younger years I was afraid of the dark. My parents bought me a lamp that had a reading light on the top, and a nightlight on the bottom. That helped to calm my fears. Through the years I discovered, that, as Raymond Charles Baker said, "Fear is the dark room where negatives are developed."  In my forties I discovered New Thought, and Ernest Holmes', The Science of Mind. It taught  me, that God is Light, and Love and Peace, and Kindness. Now it seems to me that we need to remember and practice what Spirituality means. If it means, Justice for all, loving our neighbors as ourselves, caring for others who can use our help when they are sick or in need of human assistance, then we are not going about it in the best possible way. Exercising our...

 THE GIFT OF LISTENING Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. Leo Buscaglia Can you think of someone  who is a very good listener?  I feel gifted for having quite a few of them in my life. One of my favorite listeners was Rev. Dr. Jane Claypool. She was an amazing minister, teacher and friend. I studied with her to be a practitioner, and then to be a Religious Science Minister, along with Rev. Dr. Heather Clark. What a gift I was blessed with, having these two individuals as my teachers. I remember Rev. Jane listening to me as I gave a prayer treatment, or had a long-winded answer to a question. She would listen, and then share her wonderful rendition of what I had just said, along with  a few pearls of wisdom. Rev. Heather was also a good listener, and teacher as well (she still is). She would listen and then as...

 GET STARTED-OR PUT IT OFF? Within you is a divine capacity to manifest and attract all that you need or desire." Manifest Your Destiny                                                     - -Wayne W. Dyer,                    When an important project lies ahead of you, do you start in right away, or do you put it off while you mull it over for awhile? Is it procrastination, or is it allowing your mind the time to germinate new ideas? Whether you jump right in, or allow the percolation process, know that the words and action steps will flow when you are ready.  There are many times in my life that I have written books or articles, and sometimes I spend time worrying about how they will ever be published, and what steps I need to take to accomplish the task. So, I take it to prayer, and I realize ...

 CLOTHES PINS AND SUNFLOWERS "As long as space endures, as long as sentient beings remain, until then, may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world."     --Dalai Lama Growing up for ten years in the Midwest, two things remain in my memory about summer, hanging laundry on the clothes line, and seeing those bright yellow sunflowers in the yard. Both of these things remind me of warm summer days. I try to forget the humidity, but it still brings a fond memory of the whole family sleeping in the living room in front of the screen door, for a little cool air. Clothes pins connect people, and sunflowers put them in a cheerful mood.  Now I live in Las Vegas, Nevada. The summer is hot, very hot; but clothes dry a little quicker on the line. I still feel that I am connected; but this time, I feel it is connection with my Spiritual family. Sunflowers remind me of what I want to share with other people. Sunshine, cheer, light, love, and peace, are all  things...

WINNING AN ARGUMENT BY REFUSING TO ARGUE "Meekness is that strength appropriated when you do not argue, when you do not become angry or boastful and proud, when you do not insist upon having your rights in a quarrelsome manner....Meekness is the strength by which you win an argument by refusing to argue." Raymond Holliwell,                              --Working With the Law Do you every find yourself arguing with someone and you know that whatever you say will never change his/her mind? Did it take a long period of time? Did it every change another person's mind? It was very often like that with my Mom, up until the time that I discovered The Science of Mind, the argument could go on for hours. Post Science of Mind, when she made a statement I disagreed with, I learned to say, "I never thought about it that way." Then, I could change the subject. How often do we continue to argue over some trivial little thing?...

CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE "I believe that children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way."                             Music by Michael Masser, and Lyrics by Linda Creed. Made popular in 1985 by Whitney Houston, with a new title, "The Greatest Love of All". I just returned from Camp Buckhorn yesterday. Jennifer drove me all the way to Pine Grove Idyllwild, and together we spent three days going through teen advisor training. It was a blast of information and inspiration. The weather was chilled, there was fog and a little bit of rain; but the warmth of everyone we met made even bad weather seem pretty darn nice. This trip made me wonder about how youth of all ages, are attracted to attend Youth Church. Maybe it is just word of mouth, or inviting grandparents to invite the grand children to a center near you, or letting parents know that there is a place to bring kids for a Sunday for fun and learning...

 JOYFUL CHANGE "Place your attention on the attitudes, situations and people who will add to your well-being." Raymond Charles Barker,                        --The Power of Decision When I first attended a Center for Spiritual Living , it was called, The Center for Joyful Living. I was attracted to the idea of living joyfully. I was going through the process of releasing my first husband, and was not very joyful. I attended the Bonita Church of Religious Science (as it was called at the time). The first day there I discovered my new Spiritual Family. For the first time ever, I discovered my true faith teaching. I learned that there were many pathways to God, and that each person resonates with one. Sort of like pictures in a museum, some works speak to you and some don't. I got involved in classes, became a Religious Science Practitioner, and then went on to become a Minister. My life changed when I found a Spiritual Tra...

RELEASE HESITATION  "Sometimes it takes several similar experiences before we take the blinders off our eyes and wake up to our own magnificence." Sandra Lindsey Smith,        Life's Garden of Weekly Wisdom Are there times in your life where you want to do something, but you are not sure if it would work or not? You ruminate on what steps it would take to move ahead with an idea? What would I need, would I have enough money, how long would it take to accomplish? Perhaps hesitation then turns into procrastination. There you are with an idea that was never allowed to happen. There have been many times that this has happened to me. I have often just let the idea pass without ever finishing it. Then I discovered Science of Mind, and I started pursuing my ideas. The outcome has been very different. Currently the Practitioners at my Center and I are working on a project, writing a prayer book for kids. The project is written, and I was worrying about how it could be f...

SPIRIT IS KINDNESS, PEACE, AND TRUTH  How do we create a life of harmony, laughter and love? It's an inside job. It starts on the inside and spirals out. We must express it in our own individual lives, and then send it out into the world." Life's Garden of Weekly Wisdom,                          Sandra Lindsey Smith There are many paths to God, but they are all paths to the same ideals. Love, Wisdom, Truth, Light, Prosperity and Joy are all very specials things that all faiths possess. Any Spirit loving soul wants the best life for their family and friends; all want to be treated with fairness and kindness; most would agree that stealing, and killing are not anything to take lightly. There is a Creative Intelligence behind all things created; humans, animals, plants, our Earth's gifts, and the solar system that surrounds them all. Life is a real life miracle that we are born into and out of. "Each day is a gift, that'...

 THE PRESENT MOMENT "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." --Winston Churchill Living in the present moment is such a gift. The past has gone by and there is no way to change it. The future is yet to come and we may plan for it, but it doesn't always turn out as it was planned.The only time we can knowingly change something, is in the present moment. You may think that something terrible has happened in your life, that you can't do something, or that your life is one mistake after another. My answer will always be the same, "up until now". It is a real life miracle to think about what can be changed in your life, and not worry about the past. If you feel you need some help in making a change, ask someone at Las Vegas Center for Spiritual Living to listen to you, and then have a practitioner do a Spiritual Mind Treatment for you. You could also sign up for Rev. Frannie's Power of Decision class starting Saturday, April 27th, 9:30 to n...

 SPRINGTIME, A REMINDER OF RENEWAL "No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world."  Robin Williams This time of year reminds me of resurrection, or more simply put, renewal. Each day when we wake from our slumber, we resurrect to a new day. Every day as I awaken, I treasure another day of seeing what life has to offer for the new day. As I look at all the events  that I have been blessed with in my life, I can see the positive renewal that has occurred. From acting in plays at an early age, through gaining a degree in Theatre Arts, and then teaching Drama for thirty-two years; to going through a divorce, discovering Science of Mind, becoming a minister, surviving colon cancer, remarrying; and along the way, moving to new homes eighteen times. I have been resurrected into a new experience each time. Every time we get a new job, find a new home, release an old relationship, get married, have a baby, or recover from an illness or accident, we are bein...

 SPRING HAS SPRUNG "The best way to garden is to put on a wide-brimmed hat and some old clothes. And with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other, tell someone else where to dig." Texas Bix Bender,                    - -Don't Through in the Towel This is the season of flowers and fresh clean air, of jumping and enthusiasm, and knowing that positive change is in the air. Growing up for me, when Easter was around the corner, I got a new dress, new shoes, and it was a time when family got together to celebrate. Today I still look forward to seeing friends and family during spring. Yes, there are things happening in the world that are not to my liking; but there are still things to be thankful for and to celebrate, relax and remember the blessings. Just as we tend to the garden during springtime, be it vegetable or flower, the love and kindness we put into its care is reflected in the type of harvest we reap. This is true with p...

 NOW IT'S UP, NOW IT'S DOWN--NOW IT IS, NOW IT ISN'T "Relax into the knowing that inspiration brings ideas that allow us to be on purpose, to love, to help, to serve."                           --Raymond Charles Barker                                                                           Are you as disoriented as I am? Will normalcy ever return? Does Truth seem a bit hazy? Is it starting to look like an everlasting April Fool's Day. Let us pray, every day for our Nation to get back on it's regular democratic course. You have probably heard the old Indian tale of a young Indigenous boy talking to his Grandfathers and he says, "Grandfather, in our world today it seems as if two wolves are fighting. Which one finally wins?" A...

 LET WISDOM LEAD THE WAY “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”                                                                               ―  Maya Angelou I read a wonderful blog by an old friend from Kennewick, Washington. She spoke of the Wisdom that comes from aging gracefully. She said something that I totally agree with, "They are not grey hairs, they are wisdom highlights."  Something that I have always said, is that as I age, I find that I have less to worry about. Things I worried about in my twenties and thirties, seem to drift way as I enter into my forties, fifties, sixties, and now seventies. It seems that the really important things rise to the surface, friend...

 ONE SMALL  LIGHT DISPELS THE DARKNESS "To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and expect only the best." Christian D. Larsen,                               --From " The Optimist Creed" Another morning dawns and I still keep America in my prayers. I pray for all who have been displaced; for all people who have lost their jobs; and for those whose lives are threatened. May there be a wake-up call to release the chaos and and replace it with Love and Humanity and Understanding. May we practice Kindness and Compassion, creating a contagion of Goodness and Justice and Unity. Many of us have friends, neighbors and relatives that are touched by the conditions in our nation today. Shower the world around you with kindness and compassion. Write some postcards to share you views with local politicians. Remember it is a wide variety of cultures, ethnicities, genders, who are the human beings w...

EBB AND FLOW "Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all."                    George Washington.   Is the current state of our nation driving you a little crazy?  One action that is a really bad idea is suddenly reversed? Do you ever look back to simpler times when people thought that telling the truth was the right thing to do; that honoring all people was the right thing to do; and my favorite what if, what if we remember that having neighbors nearby meant that we treat them right, and they return the support. I think of the uncertainty of the times, and wonder, what is next. Then I remember the words of President Jimmy Carter When he said: "A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It is a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness...

 THE GREATER GIFT "There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It is why you were born and how you become most truly alive."              --Oprah Winfrey Through my life I have had many careers: working in a deli shop; working in the costume department at CSU Fullerton; teaching speech and drama classes for over 37 years; and then retiring and stepping in to ministry. Each job I had led to something new and rewarding. I stop and think what all my many experiences of work had in common, and came to the conclusion that all of them were Spirit led. Each gave me the gift of sharing myself with others. I am alive in 2025 writing, speaking, being involved in numerous projects, and sharing community with my loving and wonderful Spiritual Community, Las Vegas CSL.  What is your gift to yourself and others? Is your gift sharing quality time with your friends and family? Encouraging others to reach for their highest and...

 LOVINGLY TAKE A STAND "God put the stamp of individuality upon you and called it you?" Ernest Holmes When I was teaching high school in my early years, I remember saying, "After you graduate and go on to the rest of your life, you will be surprised at how many of your former classmates are Gay or Lesbian. Some forty years later LGBTQ is the new moniker. In my opinion, a friend is a friend no matter who he /she is. All my friendships are based on common interests, kindness, caring and interesting conversations.  Now consider who your friends are. Do you still keep in touch with them?  Do they form a wonderful tapestry of interesting backgrounds? I believe that we were created as exactly who we were meant to be, flaws and all. I wish for you a treasure trove of friends and family who love you, and remember, as a wall-hanging in my home says, "Friends are the family you choose." I believe our own nation should reflect the vast variety of inhabitants that make up ...

STICKING PINS "Don't be a prisoner of ignorance. The world is larger, far more complicated, and far more wonderful that ignorance allows."                         Maya Angelou,           --Rainbow in the Sky Do you ever feel like a pin cushion and life seems like you are getting poked and prodded from all directions; late at night, in the morning, constantly making you feel like it will never stop?  Prices rising, making it feel like you are having a bad dream? Despite the insanity that is going on around us we need to set the radio dial on something we would like to be happening, and then get involved in some way. "We may not be able to do great things", but as Mother Teresa would say, "we can do little things with great love." How are you doing in your own family? Do you discuss what is going on in our world and think of how to help people who are affected by the political changes flyin...

 LOVE, IS IT JUST A WORD? "As light overcomes the darkness, as the presence of heat causes the atmosphere of the room to change until it is warm and comfortable, so the radiant presence of Love and Peace dissipates fear, hate and confusion." --  Ernest Holmes When I say, I love you, it isn't just a meaningless phrase. It means a caring and kindness for another person, and how grateful I am for that individual in my life. It is very apparent to me that at this point in our lives, that we reach out to our friends, family and neighbors to remind them of the importance of positive connection with each other. We must be mindful of changes happening all around us, what we stand for and what we don't. Life, liberty and happiness depend on our awareness. Inclusion is what makes our country a wonderful place to live in. Such a diversity of faiths and traditions that our forefathers came here to participate in, and the freedom we have in expressing those freedoms. We are not me...

 DO YOU SEE YOUR SHADOW?                “In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it.”                           — Barack Obama Did the Groundhog see his shadow yesterday? He certainly did, so according to myth, that means six extra weeks of winter. Groundhog's day got it's official start on February 2, 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, deriving from a Pennsylvania Dutch superstition about predicting the weather. In Germany the same tradition was started using a badger, and in Hungary it was a Bear. The shadow in this instance meant something not to our liking, more cold snow. We as individuals have a shadow side. Sometimes in comes from hiding things we're not fond of instead of addressing them. When we address them we admit that they are there, and it is easier to face them and do something about changing they ways we deal with them. What can ...

 LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE "Fear is the dark room where negatives are developed."   Raymond Charles Barker,       The Power of Decision Sometimes it seems hard to remember that Spirit always surrounds us. In the midst of worrying about natural disasters, inhumanity being expressed, and values being overlooked,  I find myself having to look harder for the blessings in my life. What are the stepping stones to seeing the good in any situation. And then I remember that God is always in charge. How can we contribute to being part of the solution?  Love your friends and family. Work for the greatest good in every situation.  I believe that we need to support  causes that promote equality for all; to be kind to all life, and to our planet. We need to be the voice of reason that overcomes all challenges; and find way to use our talents to help those that can use them. “Never permit circumstances to change your plans, but give so much char...

ON THE WINGS OF KNOWING My mom had a saying when I was  child. She would always say it when I asked a difficult question. Out of her mouth would come, "We will cross that bridge when we come to it." Well, the time has come. Now is the time to know, "Life finds a way. " This line comes from one of the Jurassic Park movies.  Jeff Goldblum, who plays Dr. Malcom, says it and he is referring to the dinosaurs who were all originally genetically programed to be female. Since many animal's DNA went into the pool, some of that DNA came from animals who could switch from female to male when it was needed for the species to survive. While this analogy may seem a little fatalistic, there are many examples where this phrase has a positive connotation. Think of land charred by fire. A few weeks or months after the fire, nature allows tenacious plants to start blooming,  like the phoenix rising from the ashes. After a national disaster, there are individuals who step in to pro...

 THE WINDS OF WEATHER "Life always becomes to us the particular thing we need when we believe that It becomes to us that particular thing." Ernest Holmes,                          --The Science of Mind Textbook What do we know about weather? It always changes. Our lives are affected by it in so many ways. Some types you may be prepared for, other types present themselves when they are least expected. Tornados, earthquakes, hurricanes, sunami's, floods, and fires happen; there is often devastation that takes place. Homes are destroyed, families are displaced, and there is a chaos that follows the event. Humanity has a wonderful way of stepping up. Firefighters and other emergy responders show up, family and friends support each other, total strangers  help those in need of shelter and substenance. Still there is a sadness that lingers, especially if loved ones and homes were lost in the disaster.  It does lit...

 STAYING ALIVE IN 2025 "Got the wings of Heaven on my shoes I'm a dancin' man and I just can't lose." The Bee Gees It's a new year, it's a new you. It's time to decide what you really need to change. If you change anything in your life, do it because in your heart and soul you feel the wisdom in changing. I feel that as you get older you do get wiser. What's really important in life bubbles to the surface, like champagne. Good friends and family; sharing yourself with others; assisting people who can use an extra boost; supporting a cause you believe in with your time, talent and treasures; believing in a Higher Power, all of these things all of these gifts build an attitude of gratitude. New Year's resolutions abound: I will loose weight; I will make more money; I will find that certain someone to spend the rest of my life with.  Consider why you want to release extra weight, will it improve health issues, improve your mobility, allow you to...