better than okay
pain-free and at peace; resting
in Love. All is well
-Karen Molenaar Terrell
“Become conscious for a single moment that Life and intelligence are purely spiritual, – neither in nor of matter, – and the body will then utter no complaints.”
-Mary Baker Eddy (Science and Health, p. 14)
inside the twirling house
in Wizard of Oz
tilting and spinning around in circles
without a pause
scared and alone in the dark
the walls and floorboards
creaking and popping
and then suddenly
I’m bopping and hopping
to Alison Krauss’s rendition
of “I Will” in an irredescent bubble
of joy and peace
floating above the troubled rubble
until it gets smaller and smaller
and disappears into the nothing it is
and I see all there is,
or ever has been, is Love,
and nothing can stop the joy
-Karen Molenaar Terrell
Luke 4: 14
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
Luke 8: 1, 4-15
4 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:
5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
Proverbs 23:7
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…
Matthew 5:8
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy
Heart: Mortal feelings, motives, affections, joys, and sorrows. (587: 23)
Man walks in the direction towards which he looks, and where his treasure is, there will his heart be also. (451:14-16)
We should examine ourselves and learn what is the affection and purpose of the heart, for in this way only can we learn what we honestly are. (8:28)
Jesus prayed; he withdrew from the material senses to refresh his heart with brighter, with spiritual views. (32:25)
Through spiritual sense you can discern the heart of divinity, and thus begin to comprehend in Science the generic term man. (258:31)
Who that has felt the loss of human peace has not gained stronger desires for spiritual joy? The aspiration after heavenly good comes even before we discover what belongs to wisdom and Love. The loss of earthly hopes and pleasures brightens the ascending path of many a heart. (265:23-28)
Human affection is not poured forth vainly, even though it meet no return. Love enriches the nature, enlarging, purifying, and elevating it. The wintry blasts of earth may uproot the flowers of affection, and scatter them to the winds; but this severance of fleshly ties serves to unite thought more closely to God, for Love supports the struggling heart until it ceases to sigh over the world and begins to unfold its wings for heaven. (57:22)
The vital part, the heart and soul of Christian Science, is Love. (113:5-6)
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I want to hibernate – just go to sleep
until we’re all together again –
only be awake for those moments
when you’re all near.
Maybe I can function while I sleep –
look like I’m awake and appear
to do all the things that society
requires of me – until your return.
Or…
Alternatively, I could fill those waiting
moments with love and joy –
I might as well, right?
And then when we all meet again
one day around the family table
I’ll have something valuable
to share – I’ll be ready and able.
-Karen Molenaar Terrell
Storing away memories
like a squirrel stores nuts
before the winter cuts in
They’re leaving soon
so I’m storing fast
gathering memories
before they pass
Walks around the block
as we laugh and talk
steaming tea in our favorite mugs
curry soup and extra long hugs
I tuck these memories
into the safe places
in my heart –
stockpiling the memories
for when we’re apart
-Karen Molenaar Terrell
“We think of an absent friend as easily as we do of one present.”
-Mary Baker Eddy
For I am persuaded that
neither times of the month
nor times of the year;
neither astrological signs,
nor doubts, nor fear;
neither what’s far away,
nor what lies near;
neither what’s in the past,
nor what’s now and here;
neither war nor pandemic,
nor loss nor tears
can separate us from Love
and all that’s dear.
-Karen Molenaar Terrell
Love is All. Love is all presence – fills all space. The only Power and Presence. Eternal. Infinite. The Only. “There is no spot where Love is not.”
We are the reflections, expressions, manifestations, creations, ideas, children of Love. Love is our Source. Love is our Cause and we are Love’s effects. We belong wholly to Love. There isn’t the teeniest, tiniest part of us that is unlike our Source, our Father-Mother. All we can be is what Love made us to be.
The belief that we can be diseased is a lie, for disease is no part of Love, our Source. The belief that we are fragile and weak is a lie, for we are the image and likeness of All-Power. The belief that there was EVER a moment when we were outside Love – unprotected, vulnerable – is a lie, for we are never, have never been, will never be, separated from Love – not in the past, present, or future. The belief that we can be separated from Life, Love, Truth is a lie, for we were created by Life, Love, and Truth. God is our Life – never-ending and eternal.
Joy! Peace! Unfaltering hope, fearless and confident, strong and invincible be-ing is ours to claim right now.
-Karen Molenaar Terrell
January 28, 2023
The highlights of my day:
– The sunrise!!!
-There’s a shop closing in Bellingham – the owner is retiring. I happened to be walking by the door just as the owner, who was inside the store, reached the door with a big box. I swung the door open like it was choreographed for me to do that. She was surprised and thanked me and I wished her a happy retirement. I love when people connect at the just right moment.
– An aisle at the local supermarket was blocked by a young family – the father was on his cellphone and was unaware that people were trying to get around him. I moved to the side so a gentleman on the other side of the family could try to squeeze through – the gentleman smiled at me and thanked me and managed to get through – “I made it!” he said, grinning. And then I squeezed past the little family, too, without knocking anything over. Victory! I love it when people can adjust to each other, and problem solve and have fun with each other.
– Years ago – in August 2001 (just three weeks before 9-11) my family and I visited NYC. I bought a little necklace at Tiffany’s while I was there. I haven’t been able to wear this necklace for years, though, because the chain got all tangled up. I have another necklace – a locket with pictures of my sons when they were toddlers – that I couldn’t wear because it lost its clasp. Today I decided to see if I could get these necklaces fixed. I brought my necklaces into the supermarket jewelry department to see if they could add a clasp to the one necklace and untangle the other. It would take a couple weeks to add a clasp, the man there told me, but he could untangle the chain for me on the other necklace – and he did! For free!
– I went to a second jewelry store to see if they had a clasp for the locket. They had one that might work, but it would cost $90 and I didn’t feel like I could spend that much for a clasp. The kind salesclerk understood, but she asked me if she could clean the Tiffany necklace for me – no charge!
– I went to a third jewelry store (Dreamworks Jewelry) to see if THEY might have a clasp for my necklace there. And oh! I LOVED this store! It was like walking back in time. There were old clocks everywhere – chiming and clicking – and the place was a glorious, happy mess of projects. A man with a magnifying glass in front of his eye came from behind his desk and asked me how he could help. I asked him if he might have a clasp for the necklace. He said yes, he could take care of my necklace for me. He rummaged around in a drawer, found what he needed, applied his jeweler’s tools, and – voila! – handed me my necklace all fixed! And he only charged me $15!
I’m wearing my locket with the new clasp as I type. It feels good to have it around my neck again.
Come with me!
Join me here
in this place where I AM.
Just there, beyond
the five senses.
A universe of Love.
A presence called Life.
A power called Truth.
Do you feel it with you?
Do you feel yourself
baptized and immersed
in this presence of Love?
Come! Join me here!
-Karen Molenaar Terrell
I’m praying, but I can’t seem to find God
in my thoughts. I can’t hear Her voice.
It’s 3:00 in the morning when I head
downstairs to read. I sit on the couch
and pull a blanket around me and open
my book. Timid black cat jumps onto
the couch and slowly moves closer to me
until I pull him next to me and he lays
down, belly-up, trusting me, expecting
kindness, and his trust fills me with joy.
And I realize that this is God talking to me.
I pet his belly and click on Facebook’s
messenger on my phone and see
new messages waiting for me.
I open them and find words of love
and comfort and caring and connection
in the voices of my friends.
And I know that this is God talking to me.
The night is still, but I can feel it gently
pulsing with Life and Love. And I am
enveloped in the joy of be-ing.
This is God talking to me.
-Karen Molenaar Terrell
Adventures of the Madcap Christian Scientist 