Positivity and Healing by Rev. Norm Bouchard

I will never forget June 15, 2017 meeting with the gastroenterologist following a colonoscopy. I had gone for my annual physical and the blood work came back saying I was anemic. I laughed out loud knowing how much I love cooking and food…how could I be anemic. Off to the colonoscopy office, I went. Sitting with the gastroenterologist I heard the dreaded words…you have colon cancer. I turned to my friend Barb who had driven me there and was taking me home to make sure I had heard it correctly. The Universe always puts the right person in the right places at the right time. On the way home, Barb helped me process the information. Looking back, I was surprised how calm I was…of course, it could have been part of the anesthesia wearing off.

Telling the dreaded news to my husband with my friend Barb at my side was, he was not so calm and was visibly upset. Surgery happened quickly as they removed about 12 inches of my colon and then it was followed by chemotherapy at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center.

As a religious science minister, we believe and teach that when you change your thinking about a situation that situation then changes. In the beginning of walking this journey, I was confronted with my own physical challenges and the theology that I teach and believe in. We believe that our thoughts create our reality and affect matter. So, the spiritual questioning began. Did I do something to bring this on? Why me? What thinking created this? My theology and belief were being asked to practice what I teach. When the rubber meets the road, I could give in to this diagnosis or I could step forward in faith and begin to see what it was trying to me. Spirit speaks through everything. I decided not only to apply inquisitiveness but also to apply the power of positivity to cancer. I just knew in my heart that positivity was going to be a part of my journey.

I believe and know that changing my internal state of being, can overcome the effects in my external environment. I may not always be able to control all the conditions in my external environment, but I can certainly have a choice in controlling the inner environment of my thoughts. If you never heal from what hurts you, you end up bleeding on people who did not hurt you in the first place. You spend so much of your life believing in external conditions that you miss the point of living inside out.

I believe that you can talk to your cells and I have been talking to them nonstop. I also know that cells have memories and I needed to make sure that if forgiveness, guilt, fear, or shame was anywhere in my life I was ready and able to release it. I was ready to clear the memories in my cells. The body is the servant of the mind, the mind might think that it's in charge of life, but the body is influenced by the emotions we store and believe in. Healing is not linear, and it involves the mind as well as the body. My equation is simple: Feelings + Thoughts = Manifestation. The soul knows what to do to heal itself the challenge is to shut up the mind.

What I failed to realize at the beginning of dealing with cancer, is that I was not the only one cancer was affecting. I noticed how my husband was dealing with this…. control!! He began trying to control everything. It made total sense to me that when life gives you something you cannot control, we get even more determined to control It. The "It" was cancer. Something so wonderful was born out of this challenge. The God Squad was born, and my husband Scott was going to be in charge of it.

It was very clear in my mind that I wanted people to come with me to my chemo treatments, but I wanted no negativity anywhere near my cells. I have been blest with an amazing community of friends who are not only powerful people but also super creative. The concept that developed was simple: surround the treatments in joy, laughter and positivity. The responsibility of the God Squad required a couple of things. One was to be in high consciousness themselves and then bring creativity to the treatments. How might you ask? This is how. On the morning of my treatment my God Squad shows up with an outfit that has a theme, and they are dressed in the outfit as well. I remember my first chemo we were all dressed as superheroes. The response in the chemo room was amazing. I began to realize that the outfits had a much larger purpose than simply me. The whole room lights up when we walk in. There is laughter, joy, and conversation not just with the cancer patients but also with the nursing staff. After three and a half years of walking with cancer, I have been everything from a bunny rabbit, hopping through cancer, a Magician working my magic on cancer, Harry Potter flying through treatment on my broom, a leprechaun with the luck of the Irish, cupid sending love to every cell of my body, and even a gingerbread man running as fast as he can through cancer.

The outfits get one of two responses, people either look the other way and run or they totally engage. I 
have found that the engagements have been power-packed and life-changing. The conversations in the chemo room are never about the weather. They are deep, questioning, growth-full and expansive. You see when you are faced with cancer of any type you no longer worry about the weather or what people think of you. You actually begin to realize that it is about engaging with life, and all the wisdom it has to offer, and you begin to drink deeply. You also begin to realize that you are not willing to waste time on things or people that do not matter. Through the cancer journey, I have noticed that what really matters is the people that you love. I have been gifted with friends who I love and who love me. My friendships are people I chose to spend quality time with. Friendship is not about who you have to know the longest. It is about who walked into your life and said I am here for you through their actions. I have been gifted with such friends through this journey, sisters and brothers from another mother. Best friends who you are totally yourself with. Your true self, not your titles or roles that you play. Soul friends.

I am glad to tell you that there is no cancer in my body currently and that the maintenance chemo is working its magic along with my positivity and talking to my cells. I have learned that healing does not mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls my life.

Cancer has taught me never to miss the opportunity to say, text or speak, the I love you’s as often as I can. There is a natural force of healing within each of us and tapping into it through positivity and clearing our minds of what does not matter is ours to do. Our founder Dr. Ernest Holmes said: “Anyone can heal who believes that he can and who will take time to put that belief in motion.” The motion of healing is not just a physical one, it is a mental and heart one. In the end, I have begun to realize the cancer was not about forgiveness or surrender, or physical healing at all. It is about using the cancer to teach and live my message of love in a way that I never thought was possible. We have all been sent here to do that one simple task. Healing is not an overnight process; it is a daily cleansing of pain in order to make room for positivity and love. Make room in your life for what really matters. Now that is healing worth having.

Rev. Norm Bouchard is a much sought after international author, educator, and motivational speaker, Rev.Norm Bouchard is a lifestyle humorist. He is entertaining and informative, using the human condition as the focus of his message. His teaching style enables people to closely examine their assumptions about what they think they know about themselves. His unique blend of humor, storytelling and music brings an intensity of feeling to the audience that implants a clear message that changes lives and thinking patterns. Norm has a BA in Philosophy, Masters of Divinity, Pastoral Degree and is a Certified Senior Advisor. Norm Bouchard was Vice President for the Society of Certified Senior Advisors and served as part of their International Faculty. Norm has worked with many Fortune 500 companies, groups and individuals to reach toward their greatness. Norm currently serves as Senior Minister for Center for Spiritual Living, Colorado Springs.

Shedding the Habit of Unkindness

In my parents’ home, away from the warmth of my grandmother’s kindness, I was immersed in a culture of sarcasm. Sarcasm was the standard mode of getting along with each other in my family. No one thought sarcasm was unkind. Rather, it was a sign of wit and engagement. It was how a person fit into the family.

Rarely accomplished what I thought it would

By the time I left my parents’ home, sarcasm was imprinted on me and leaked out of every sentence I spoke. Out in the world, I discovered that sarcasm as a method of communication rarely accomplished what I thought it would. It did not break the ice, it did not diffuse tension, it did not make a point well, it did not always win a debate, and in most cases, it did not unite me with others. Instead, sarcasm damaged my ability to connect with others, leaving an extensive emotional burn zone around me, on the other side of which were a growing number of people who doubted my sincerity and feared to talk to me.

Rude and condescending

The danger of sarcasm is that it alienates people and can hurt them. The turning point came when someone called me rude and condescending. Their accusation caused me to take an honest look at how I was presenting myself, and I came to the painful realization that I was indeed rude and condescending. I had always been. I began to see how sarcasm is unkind to both the one who uses it and those it is used on. I did not know how to stop it immediately. Rather, I struggled like a person trying to quit smoking—I wrestled daily, sentence by sentence, to strip mischief from my communication and suppress my sarcastic automatic reflexes.

I could not manage to quit sarcasm completely all at once.

When I relapsed, I would tell myself that there is a time and place for everything, and that witty sarcasm can come out safely now and then—for example, when I am among close friends or with colleagues. It was how I coped with not succeeding at the amazingly difficult task of shedding the unkindness of sarcasm. Sometimes I was simply too lazy to find a more beautiful way to express myself and found it convenient to slip back into familiar modes of speaking. Nevertheless, I kept at it, and little by little, I was able to shed my reliance on sarcasm. I got to see how sarcasm could negatively affect people, and I got to see how they could thrive without it.

Intended to hurt

The Greek word that is the origin of our word sarcasm means to tear flesh, and generally, definitions of the word point to the intent to hurt. Sarcasm brings tears to my eyes now and a dull, sick feeling when I witness other people using it, or when I sense it wanting to heave out of my mouth again after all these years of turning my back on it.

I feel the same hurt and disappointment when I read message boards and comments sections on the internet where sarcasm and blatant rudeness seem to be the typical ways people who don’t know each other engage. I withdraw from adding my Ordinary Kindness comments and remain quiet, not because I have nothing to say, but because I have not yet found a way to express myself that is consistent with kindness. Until I can say what I want to say kindly, I try not to say anything.

From Ordinary Goodness, The Surprisingly Effortless Path to Creating a Life of Meaning and Beauty

by Edward Viljoen

LGBTQIA and Centers for Spiritual Living

On March 4, 2019, My predecessor, Dr. Kenn Gordon, along with the Spiritual Motivated Social Engagement Committee published the open and affirming statement below:

We believe Oneness and Wholeness is the very nature of the Infinite, Omnipresence Divine Reality – God. Our philosophy, the Science of Mind, accepts and includes all life, all beings, and all creation as the very Body of God. We celebrate the diversity of life as the expression of the Infinite Nature and revel in the impulse of Love that bursts forth in every aspect of Life – from the different flowers in the backyard to the variety of trees in our forests, fish in the seas, birds in the air, and animals that roam our lands. This is the expression of the Infinite, infinitely loving creation in all its glory. As the ancient mystic in the Hebrew creation story, Genesis teaches us all creation is originally blessed, for “it is good”.

Because of this deep faith in our oneness with all life, Science of Mind and Centers for Spiritual Living are open and affirming. We not only accept, but we also celebrate our uniqueness and our diversity, including LGBTQIA in our communities, we affirm our LGBTQIA clergy and we support all our clergy performing same-gender marriage.

We stand for each and every LGBTQIA person, no matter their faith path, religion, or spirituality. We believe profoundly in loving our neighbors as we love ourselves, which includes acceptance rather than judgment, loving words rather than hateful speech, and deep respect for how love shows up in each individual.

We live in a time when many faith traditions are struggling with doctrines from another time, doctrines which are often unwelcoming, particularly to the LGBTQIA communities. While religious principles may not change over time, religious doctrine must evolve and concepts of morality evolve – toward a greater capacity for love, compassion, and acceptance. While this may be a struggle for some, it is the right path to take, for no religion can be consistent with its principles and be moving away from love – to love God as God is understood, and to love one another are the greatest commandments of the scriptures of all religions.

To our LGBTQIA brothers and sisters everywhere:

You are precious to Life. You are a beautiful expression of Love. You are an outlet for creativity like no one else. You are blessed as you are. You are a blessing wherever you go. You cannot be denied or excluded from the Divine Presence. Your expression of personhood is beloved by the One, for it is unique and perfect for you. You may be belittled, ridiculed, or shamed for your sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression but there is no truth to the names you may be called or the things you may be accused of… Only Love and Light emanate from the heart of the One, Infinite, Divine Life. And in that, you are absolutely included. Never doubt that you belong, in life, to Life!

We are committed to a world that works for everyone and ALL are welcome in support of this vision.

Dr Kenn Gordon, Spiritual Leader,
and CSL Spiritually Motivated Social Engagement Committee.

Spiritual Leadership, by Dr. Margaret Stortz

There is no question in my mind that, if we are to serve as spiritual leaders, we ourselves need to lead the most Divinely-guided, intentional lives possible. We won't be perfect, but we can live as purposefully as possible, using all our best efforts. To be a leader is to admit that we have stepped out of the crowd, at least for a while. to be a leader is to be willing to be occasionally ridiculed, shouted at, and sometimes disliked, but if we have real gifts to share, we'll need to step forward to share them.

A spiritual system like the Science of Mind not only encourages individual leadership but also helps us to recognize our qualities through active Oneness with God. Our belief is, of course, in a shared unity with the Divine, but our use of this relationship belongs to us. The Infinite always awaits our participation but never forces it upon us. I believe that, as spiritual beings, it is incumbent upon us to bring our personal good to life, that we are not on hand to simply take life's qualities for our private use but to add to what is already present. I think that such a belief would naturally call out any leadership qualities that we have and put us in positions to serve, for real leadership is already service to the greater good. Essentially I think that natural leaders will simply gravitate to opportunities where they can utilize their inherent skills.

Usually, we would look to ministers as spiritual leaders, but through the practice of a spiritual system like the Science of Mind, which encourages personal development, we will find many leaders among the lay members of our congregations who can and do serve as leaders. Actually, a wise minister will readily recognize the stand-outs in his or her congregation and find ways to put their special skills to work. It is not difficult to see that, the more a community's leaders can come together in a shared dream, the more wonderful service all the members will enjoy.

Dr. Margaret Stortz

Margaret Stortz has been an ordained Minister of Religious Science for more than 25 years. As well as enjoying a successful pulpit ministry, she served as Chair of the International Board of Trustees and President of the United Church of Religious Science. Now retired from a permanent pulpit, she enjoys an active counseling practice and serves as a guest speaker and teacher as well as conducts weddings, baptisms and special ceremonies. She is a regular contributor to the Science of Mind Magazine. Her latest book out April 2013, is entitled Essays on Everything- From the Sublime to the Ridiculous with a little in between. This may be obtained from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above. For copies of Lights Along the Way - Concise Histories and Comparisons of Christian Science, Unity, and Religious Science, contact Margaret personally at margaretstortz.com."

You can read more of Dr. Stortz's writing on her blog at Essays on Everything by Margaret Stortz