Michelle, thank you for moving me forward ! Thank you for the animating light you shed on Mrs Eddy's statement, "Beholding the infinite tasks of Truth, we pause, wait on God..." Comparing it to a gathering wave, and that that 'pause' could be a few seconds, months, or years, and that it's ok...another line in S&H comes to mind in this same animating light, and it falls under the side-note heading, 'Unfolding of thoughts,' "Spirit, God, good gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear.” I've always applied this line differently when praying with it, but now it's been expanded..I look forward to fretting and fidgeting even less and to imbibing the heart's "rightful nutriment" even more through "peace, patience in tribulation, and a priceless sense of the dear Father’s lovingkindness," as Mrs Eddy says.

Only love to the awesome DL community!

Thank you Michelle for this beautiful Lift. We pause to shut out mortal thought and listen more earnestly and intently to the ever-present Christ speaking to our consciousness. Listening precedes action. It aligns our thought with the one infinite Mind. It invites us to open wide our eyes (consciousness) to behold all the glories of God. The marginal heading accompanying your beautiful verse is ,"A bright outlook"

Thanks for this invitation to pause for a power boost Michelle. Like the Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared"
is wise counsel.
Also the book of Revelation states that just before the final revelation "...there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour." (Revelation 8).
Like cleaning our windows or mirrors, we need a pure mind ready for the light when it comes.

Dear Michelle,
thank you very much for this very helpful daily lift. When there are days and "nobody calls", I feel that those are no empty days at all but, as you say they are wonderful occasions for prayer, listening and active waiting. Communication with God does not need loud expressions. It is like the Advent Time in Germany: you prepare quietly for the coming of the Saviour. Full of light and warmth and activity.
Thank you very much!

Thank you, Michelle, for “Power pause … re-enforcing power that develops in deep periods of quiet … invisible, silent, essential build-up of strength …” In a world in which busy-ness is highly overrated, this Lift is very refreshing! I also heard recently, “Don’t mistake motionlessness for inactivity.” When prayer assumes no particular pose or position, rite or ritual - it can seem to the on-looker that nothing’s going on. I love how you point out that the “power pause” takes as long as it takes! In “Improve Your Time,” Mrs. Eddy writes, in part, “Rushing around smartly is no proof of accomplishing much …” and “… successful individuals … spend no time in sheer idleness …” (Mis 230). The “power pause” would keep us from such extreme and futile behaviors. “The best spiritual type of Christly method for uplifting human thought and imparting divine Truth, is stationary power, stillness, and strength; and when this spiritual ideal is made our own, it becomes the model for human action” (Ret 93). Thanks again, Michelle.

Thank you for the profound message, dear Michelle, which gives me the deeper understanding not to rush on the daily chores. In quietude is lying the creative power and all will be well. I'm in the process of relocating and so it is sometimes overwhelming was has to be done. I ask for guidance and sit back, close my eyes and pray, please, show me the way what I should do at first and which can wait. The wave movement is a great example to understand the process of creating positive results - our father/mother God and the angels are always there to help us with love. Blessings and Love to all from Monika

WOW!!! ------- I want/need to catch this WAVE....... Merci Michelle, for your very clear & powerful explanation(s). Love to the DL team!

I seem to be quite busy doing nothing lately. At least it seems to me. Maybe I'm collecting power like a tsunami, quietly gathering strength and getting ready to roll.
"Beholding the infinite tasks of truth, we pause, — wait on God. Then we push onward, until boundless thought walks enraptured, and conception unconfined is winged to reach the divine glory" S&H 323:9
I know that my study of CS will help me demonstrate God's power in my life, I just need to press on.

ESPAÑOL
Yo aparento estar bastante ocupada haciendo nada últimamente. Al menos a mí me parece. Tal vez estoy juntando energía como un tsunami, reuniendo fuerzas de una manera calmada pero preparándome para rodar con todo.
"Contemplando las infinitas tareas de la verdad, hacemos una pausa —esperamos en Dios. Luego avanzamos, hasta que el pensamiento ilimitado se adelante extasiado y a la concepción libre de trabas le sean dadas alas para remontarse a la gloria divina" CyS 323:9
Sé que mi estudio de la Ciencia Cristiana me ayudará a demostrar el poder de Dios en mi vida, sólo tengo que seguir adelante.

This is a healing joyous Lift!! Thank you!! I LOOOVE this....Power pause..."....sitting, thinking, praying, waiting, thinking, praying, all the while anticipating forward movement." All the while anticipating forward movement and "Beholding the infinite tasks of truth".... Power Pause, waiting on God.. ."then, we push onward, until boundless thought walks enraptured, and conception unconfined is winged to reach the divine glory."
Thank you!!

I wrote a poem once titled 'Learning to wait'. I spent quite a few years praying, oftentimes struggling and mostly waiting on God, albeit with expectation. Then, after the 'power pause', the day of joy came, and I found myself in the public practice of Christian Science, 'where fetters fall'. [SH 227:1]

Thank you.

Aah! Thank you, Michelle. An excellent perception. I think sometimes we are too quick to condemn ourselves for our seeming inactivity, and then proceed to busily rush around. And as Mrs Eddy says in Miscellaneous Writings, "Rushing around smartly is no proof of accomplishing much." It's good to be reminded to fully harness of the power of the pause. I think of the gathering of energy required before a champion diver leaves the springboard, or a weighlifter lifts the weights. Stillness. Quiet. Power pause. Without the quiet preparation, we rarely perform at our best.

Dear Michelle, Thank you so much for the profound way you have illustrated the statement of Mrs Eddy. Your 'Pause' advice will always be there whenever we read it! It is so needed ...

A powerful and encouraging lesson of faith , hope, patience . Much love and gratitude to you Michelle .

awesome!many thanks to you, Michelle..

Many thanks Michelle for this new inspiring view of one of my favorite passages in Science and Health that I memorized in my youth, and replayed in my thoughts countless times. "Beholding the infinite tasks of truth, we pause, — wait on God. Then we push onward, until boundless thought walks enraptured, and conception unconfined is winged to reach the divine glory." (S&H 323:9). "Wait on the everlasting God,/ And He will walk with you." (Christian Science Hymnal #247).

As I recall, Mrs. Eddy was asked why she paused before entering a room - I can't quite remember what it was for at the moment - but it always has remained with me that she said that she was letting the Christ go before her. This is something I really need to remember before rushing into things. The Christ empowers us to fulfill whatever we need to be doing without stress.

Thank you for this very valuable lift and for all the commenters. I always read them all and cherish them.

Thank you for the reminder to pause and wait for God's direction.

I LOVED IT! THANK YOU!

Thank you! Really helpful!!!!

Thanks for your amazingly inspiring message.
Let us all now pause for a joyful Christmas and peace on earth.

That's just thought perfect thought for me today. Thank you Michelle!

A veces los acontecimientos nos obligan a hacer una pausa, y nos llevan mansamente a reconsiderar si estamos siendo fieles al Cristo en nuestro accionar como Pablo podemos decir me gozo en mis tribulaciones porque ellas pueden ser la pausa que necesitamos para seguir adelante con confianza, en la certeza de que el poder es de Dios y nada puede interrunpirlo ni evitarlo posiblemente nuestra propia desconfianza lo haga y por ello la pausa para poder reconciliarnos nuevamente con lo real para demostrar y demostrarnos que el Unico Poder es de dios y pausadamente así debemos entenderlo.
Ayer tube una prueba de ello me golpee fuertemente contra un muro delante de otras personas no Científicos Cristianos y tuve que hacer una pausa para poder separar sus temores y su creencia de que era necesario de que me viera un médico de mi confianza en Dios y que lo que se veía era solo apariencia,y así fue y siento que fue una demostración para ellos porque pudieron comporbarlo por ellos mismo que no es una creencia sino que se puede lograr y probar con los hechos, hoy hablando con uno de ellos me lo confirmó y eso me llenó de alegría.

Muchas gracias Michelle, sin apuro, mansamente pausadamente espermos en Dios y Él hará.

Wow! What a peaceful and powerful message! Thank you Michelle for sharing your divine inspiration, and thank you to all of the Daily Lifters for doing the same. The ripple effect of this wave of divine Love is non-ending.

...given the three Ps for sowing by my teacher:Pause, Poise, Power.
Thank you for this remindful, reinforcing lift.

Thank you Michelle for your reminder to pause and pray, your thoughts really made me feel well. I've been the whole year in a "pause", waiting for God's response... And, agreeing with Steve #1, that "pause" may be a few seconds, months, or years, and that's ok! Is time important in God's view?
Lots of Love to the DL Community!

Thank you for this beautiful Lift. I have listed to it three times! You quoted one of my favorite passages in Mary Baker Eddy's writings. The Lift made me think of two things. We know that Jesus began his public healing work when he was 30. I can't imagine that those years were anything less than fruitful preparation time.

I also thought of another favorite passage in Mrs. Eddy's writings, this one from her brief autobiography, Retrospection and Introspection, page 88:

Itinerancy should not be allowed to clip the wings of divine Science.
Mind demonstrates omnipresence and omnipotence, but Mind revolves
on a spiritual axis, and its power is displayed and its presence felt in eternal stillness
and immovable Love. The divine potency of this spiritual mode of Mind, and the
hindrance opposed to it by material motion, is proven beyond a doubt in the practice of Mind-healing.

Inspiring thoughts to truly Lift - thank you, Michelle and all! Am knowing the pausing and waiting on God moments are already filled with proofs of Love's power, presence, and peace for all!

Wow. That is exactly what I needed. Thanks.

"preparatory pauses"- that's a great thought !!

Great message, Michelle! That "doing nothing patch" can seem the more obvious when we think we should be waiting/looking for physical or material change, and seeing nothing, we carry on waiting even more. But God has nothing to do with the illusion of the physical or material. He is all about the spiritual. Looking for good in a material basis is only continuing to let mortal mind mesmerize us. God's direction to us in those quiet times will always point us out of matter based thought and into Mind, where all is perfect already.

Thank you, Michelle. Thank you, BoL.

And in that waiting time, Michelle, I do need to be alert to guard against outside intrusive thoughts and influences, and diligent in my obedience to God's good direction. There's a lot going on in that period of anticipation before any action takes place.
Many thanks Nate and the production team; the BoL and lecturers; and the ever-at-the-ready Daily Lifters.

Great lift, but today I want to thank you for an article you wrote about moving to France and learning the language. I am a huge lover of ANYTHING French. You thought you were having trouble learning the language. A friend said 'Love brought you here (France) and was sustaining you . I needed to move with my adult son and family to a city that I was not crazy about. So I have used your friend's words to bring happiness and peace to my thinking. And actually am grateful for my experience now .I am reasoning Love brought me here, is caring for me here, and forwarding my purpose here. Oui ouoi

Daily Lift Team:
Here's the link to the article Jan mentions above: "Love is reflected in home" by Michelle Nanouche in the March 19, 2012 CS Sentinel.

Thank you.

Dear Monika #5, Hymn 148 has been a tremendous help to me during many moves. It begins with, "In heavenly Love abiding, no change my heart shall fear." And continues with, "Wherever He may guide me, no want shall turn me back." Also, as js #14 states about Mary Baker Eddy pausing before entering a room, I pause before leaving the house and think of Psalm 121:8, "The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."

I deeply appreciate these Daily Lifts and all of the thoughtful and inspiring comments. Thanks to all!

Sometimes we are put into the game to be the "pause".

In High School, I loved all sports. However, Basketball wasn't my strong suit although I worked especially hard at it.During inter-school games, my coach would put me in, but for relatively short periods of time. Late in the season, I learned why. When the other players would begin to rush about carelessly and make sloppy mistakes, she would put me in to slow the pace and re establish the game-plan. Like it or not, THAT was my contribution to the Basketball team.

I realize now (not so much then), that helping the team to stick to the game plan is an important position. It supports a winning performance. Likewise, as we stick to spiritual facts in our daily practice, we are ready to receive good news from our Coach.

"Throughout all generations both before and after the Christian era, the Christ, as the spiritual idea, — the reflection of God, — has come with some measure of power and grace to all prepared to receive Christ, Truth." S&H 333:19

So whether we are "pausing" or we are the "pause", knowing the game plan and trusting the Coach makes a winning team.

Wonderful! And we know it is true. Thanks for the reminder and illustration today. Forward, Ho!

I like to think I knew this Michelle, but even if I did, I really needed to hear it again today! And I love the way you illustrated the active idea here. Thanks so much for your always inspiring words and work.

Merci beaucoup, Michelle -- your inspired message to Pause actually met an Immediate Need ! To Arrest thought right now; calm down, allow myself the seeming space/time (no matter what the material duration claims to be) and to Trust, 'Be still and know that I am God'. Your message stilled quite a mental turmoil, and was yet one more proof that God directs us to exactly what we need at every moment.
Much love from Debbie

Stunningly excellent! Thanks, Michelle--indeed you ARE productive in God's work. Christmas blessings to all!

Good morning. Wow what a lovely, helpful lift and so many helpful comments to follow. I too am needing more quiet listening, quiet prayer in the stillness of the dawn or even amidst activity. Christ is the light, the way shower. In this Christ time of year, celebrating the birth of the baby Jesus, I hang lights, buy gifts for the children and write end of the year cards....now, where is the quiet and stillness to give thanks and recieve more of the light that is so brilliantly shining before us all? Today is the day for more of this quiet listening and appreciation now. Thank you so much for this calling and sweet welcome to the deeper meaning of Christmas.

Thank you, Michele. This Lift was exactly what I needed to hear...every word. There is most certainly one Divine Mind.

Absolutely perfect Lift for me this morning - I have really been struggling with this "silent pause" and suddenly, it ALL makes sense . . . . Merci!!!!

Michelle, you are so right. Those prayerful pauses can be so very powerful. Thank you.

Dear Michelle~thank you for this powerful "Lift" and to my lifter friends, so APPRECIATE your comments. Power pause~thank you for the clarification of what I am currently experiencing.
I realize each day what these valuable messages provide~ peace,joy,comfort and confirmation that I am on the right path of my spiritual journey. It's God whispering to me " you're on track, don't be concerned." Thank you
~~Love to all~~

Luke 10; Verses 38-42 tells the story of Mary and her sister Martha, and how Martha was doing all the housework while Mary was listening to Jesus. From Martha's perspective, Mary was lazy and how dare she just sit around listening to a lot of talk from Jesus and not helping her. But Jesus saw a different perspective, one more important and VITAL to both Mary and Martha. Mary was listening and learning from Jesus her spiritual and her sister Martha's true identity as God's beloved children and how to demonstrate them. It wasn't just sitting around doing nothing.

In a quiet moment a few days ago, it came to me to send in my subscription renewal to the Christian Science Monitor right away. I had been planning to send a more generous donation to Oxfam, which I think is doing good work around the world, but then I realized that the professional journalism of the CS Monitor sheds light on international issues and thought...For me, the Daily Briefing (a 3-page version that arrives by e-mail) helps to focus prayers each day. I realized that I wanted first to support this clear journalism as an indication of my love for the nations and all people. I will still give a donation to Oxfam, but my charitable giving priorities shifted a bit in that "pause."

"Up on the housetop reindeer PAUSE"

Michelle,
What a wonderful reminder. This statement from Science and Health was given to me to work with during labor with one of our children. It has been helpful to me in many instances and I appreciate your bringing it front and center.

Thank you. Now I know that I, too, am going thru the period of gaining strength!

Thank you Michelle. Your lift reminds me of times when I've been feeling harried and I've gone into my bedroom to study and pray. There is a beautiful painting on my wall of horses quietly grazing in a field before a mountain range. The title below is "quiet pause." It always arrests my busy thoughts and reminds me to pause, quiet my thought and turn to God, divine Love, for inspiration. What a relief! What refreshment! That is, God's quieting, comforting love.

Thank you so much for this powerful Lift and all the comments so far that have followed. Pause and wait on God will be something that I will be doing more of each day instead of pausing and wondering why something isn't happening. How truly blessed we are to have this Daily Lift to enrich our lives.

Many thanks to you Michele for these quieting, but powerful thoughts. They will lift me through my day!

Christmas blessings to everyone.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! This is so helpful and so healing... thank you for this lift today!

Thank you Michelle. I so enjoy your Daily Lifts which, to me, seem so timely and appropriate for what's going on in my life. Currently, I seem to be at a pause and waiting for "something" that is forthcoming and now I know from your inspired Lift that I am indeed about to "go forward".
Merci beaucoup!

Like so many fellow Lifters, the featured citation from Science and Health is one of my favorites, and has been since my days at University.Thank you for making the connection between waiting on God and wave undercurrents, where little is seen on the surface, but oh, so much power is building up. Today, a favorite verse offers new dimensions! When my Sunday School students groan because the Bible Lesson contains a familiar story, I remind them to think of these as old friends, from which we can always learn something new! I'm grateful to have learned something new about "power pausing." Thank you, Michelle, and all fellow Lifters!!

Thanks, Michelle - Beautiful! Often waiting is a God-guided Action, one with as much power as a decision, and more power than an ill-timed, urgent decision. Waiting is an Action - a positive, forceful Action! Please, God, help me learn the art of waiting until the time is right!

Michelle,
Outstanding, outstanding.
Beaucoup des mercis!

Susan

Thanks dear Michelle and all the DL team!
This lift is just what I needed to hear today! I too, feel like I'm in a quiet place. I appreciate the thought provoking ideas in this lift. Gives me much to contemplate -- think, pray, listen, think pray, listen, wait, ....
I remember a few years ago, after my father had passed, my husband and I were working on renovating his house to get it ready to sell. It was in December, and a Christmas carol kept coming to me while we cleaned and painted.. It had the line "prepare him room" and that's what I felt we were doing, preparing the house for the next owners. It was a quiet preparatory time. And the outcome was fruitful for our entire family. Everyone was blessed in that quiet work we had done.
Thanks again so much!

Powerful analogy of the ocean waves! I will think of that next time I go for my beach walk! Thanks, Michelle! : )

I am always so pleased when we have a lift from Michellel and wantt to thank you for a lift on September 11th (near accident with sheep ) I loved it and listened to it several times and had a lovely healing! So grateful.

Thanks so much Michelle!
For a while I lived in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada --where there were high tides up to 40 feet!
The salt waters of the Bay of Fundy rushed through a narrow channel filling up the inner harbour area...then they rushed out through that narrow space when the tide went out. But in between there was a period of calm water...then boats could safely go through. That is like the PAUSE you speak of. It is a time of safety -and deep silent stillness in prayer-- knowing, and getting to know the Truth....gathering fresh energy... the renewed ability to move forward with power and get the next job done! Thanks for all the comments too! God blessing us, every one.

Thanks,Michelle- Your message makes me love God more.

Thank you!

Thank you Michelle and lifters!
Beautiful day to all :-)

Excellent message, dear MIchelle. Thank you very, very much.

Thank you Michelle your Daily Lift was so timely and helped me to see why I needed this seeming time of little activity.

Thanks for your message, how timely,
In 15 minutes I'm meeting w/a neighbor
to create harmony & pausing before
our meeting. LOVE reigns!

Thank you Michelle. That is a very important point. We need to "pause, wait on God". I have done this many tiimes, but I see the wisdom of the greater pauses. Since my husband passed on I have heeded the advice to "keep busy". But now I am coming to realise the need for the "Power pauses".

Very reassuring message, Michelle! Thank you.

Every Lift is powerful. They speak by themselves to teach us to practice & value "fly by" prayers. Thank you..

nice.

thank you - 'o may we be still and seek Him'....

The words quoted above are from a poem by Fay Lynn (“Christian Science Hymnal,” No. 237)
Daily Lift Team

Thank you Michelle for this power pause; I love the phrase deep periods of quiet and I love those deep periods of quiet. Thanks to everyone for sharing these wonderful insights. the music is lovely this week. Mrs. Eddy's phrase,, pause and wait on God is such a helpful reminder. Thanks.

Michelle, thank you! You helped me to realize that my encroaching doubts about waiting to be guided to a more clearly defined path forward, was but the building of the wave's foundation. Wonderful lift!!!!

I love the idea of the "preparatory pauses God gives.." I have not htought of those seemingly unproductive tines as getting us prepared for greater unfoldment and progress. Thank you for this helpful thought that brings new insight into that quote by Mary Baker Eddy.

These ideas were inspired by this lift:

Message for 1902 19:30
Christ walketh over the wave; on the ocean of events, mounting the billow or going down into the deep, the voice of him who stilled the tempest saith, "It is I; be not afraid."

"Human events are like the foam on the crest of the waves, while the deep strong currents of Truth, undisturbed, move the unbroken rhythm of eternity" (not sure of source)

Very encouraging! I hadn't appreciated why I need to spend so much time alone and quiet. But it sure makes sense and I don't feel quite so alone when I consider all the support underneath! Thanks for sharing this, Michelle.

Love that string of words ...the preparatory pause that God gives....filled with joy! thanks so much, Michelle.

I keep returning to this joyous Lift. Thank you Michelle and all upLifters. The pause that truly refreshes, even amid seeming darkened days. Every moment of quiet listening, study and practice is precious.

A great reminder. Thank you