Oh Thank You for this elevating message

What a unique and inspiring lift.

Thank you Michelle, Your articles in the Christian Science Periodicals are
very outstanding also.

Wonderful ideas to think about today.

Thanks Michelle, I had never thought of it that way.

Very good Michelle! Thanks

A great lift. Thanks so much.

Merci Michelle, May this salt of the earth message be spread all over the world today.

Many thanks Michelle for this great motivator from the Sermon on the Mount. Yes. "[Our lives] bring out the glow, the radiance of the divine Good, that is God." I also like the way The "Message Bible" puts it. "I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand - shine!" "Arise, arise and shine,/ On thee hath dawned the day;/ God is thy sun, and Christ thy light,/ Be thou a steadfast ray." (Christian Science Hymnal #14).

Thanks! I needed that reminder of this insight about all mankind.

Thank you so much, Michelle, this was such a helpful message for me. So often we don't value or cherish ourselves enough, - thinking of ourselves as salt is a wonderful idea to lift our thought about ourselves!

Thank you Michelle ... wonderful message!

Thank you Michelle. It certainly is a perfect sign of "infinite Truth" when new and sparkling understanding of a very familiar phrase can suddenly illuminate the thoughts of so many people on such a number of hills all over the world! Hills will be twinkling wherever Your Daily Lift hits the Inbox!
Thank you Nate and the team; the BoL and lecturers; and the Daily Luminaires.

Thank you, I really found that so very helpful!

Lovely photo, I like the "new look you" too :-)

Love, light and peace,

Shelagh

Dear Michelle, Thank you so much for your words on being salt-enhanced light! - I hadn't thought of it in that way before. Also, thank you for the French language - good practice for me!!

Danke, Michelle!

"Vosotros sois la sal de la tierra nos dice la Biblia, pero también nos dice que si pierde su sabor con qué será ella misma salada", si nosotros todos los que amamos a Dios o simplemente aún sin comprenderlo aman la justicia y la verdad signo de pureza y no damos el ejemplo demostrando esos atributos ¿Quién lo hará? nadie más hay en la tierra que lo pueda hacer, Dios no conoce el mal, ¿Quién o qué llega a Él entonces? La pureza, la bondad, la tolerancia,etc. etc.
"Le escribí las grandezas de mi ley, y fueron tenidas por cosa extraña" "Sembrad para vosotros en justicia, segad para vosotros en misericordia; Haced para vosotros barbecho, porque es el tiempo de buscar a Jehová, hasta que venga y os enseñe justicia" Oseas

"¿Piensa el cerebro, y sienten los nervios, y hay inteligencia en la materia? No, no si Dios es veraz y el hombre mortal mentiroso. MBE
Entonces cual sal utilizaremos, la sal que ha perdido sabor? o la sal que sí sala en justicia, y en bondad.

Michelle, sinceramente a veces no se que palabras emplear para decir gracias, tal es mi agradecimientos por tan inspirados mensajes, que inspiran a responder y agregar eslabones a la "cadena del Ser Científico". Gracias.

We use the expression "sweet water" to describe fresh spring water which is not salty and can be used for pure drinking water, and at the same time the quickest way to extinguish an oven/grease-fire is to dump your table-salt on top of it. If you leave a salt-block out, wildlife will emerge and lick it when they think you are not around.
In answer to the question, "Can you take care of yourself?" Mary Baker Eddy, Pastor Emeritus of The Mother Church, says, "Unlike the M.D.'s, Christian Scientists are not afraid to take their own medicine, for this medicine is divine Mind; and from this saving exhaustless source they intend to fill the human mind with enough of the leaven of Truth to leaven the whole lump." (Miscellaneous Writings, page 39, from her Chapter 3 entitled, Questions and Answers, pages 31-94.) There are no places or ways where we can possibly be without anything needful for Jesus says, "in heaven and in earth"... "I (all power) am with you alway." (St. Matthew 28;18&20.)
Thank you for garnishing my table with this lift today.

Thank you for this wonderfully unique and inspiring message, I never understood the historical importance of salt nor its spiritual connection to biblical passages, Christ Jesus's words, and to us as God's light. I loved hearing that we are the salt of the earth, and that salt never loses its flavor! The connection between salt and light historically and as referred to in the Bible was so lovely. This Lift was just what I needed today! Very well thought out and uplifting...divine!

Thank you for a fresh view of being the salt of the earth. Although I have read this phrase many times, I never really applied it to myself - now I will enjoy being the salt of the earth.

I made a little pasta and vegetable dish last night. It was a bit flat. Sure enough, salt came to the rescue once again!

This morning I enjoyed a Journal article (Jan '74) by L Ivimy Gwalter titled "Do You Know Who You Are?" The first sentence reads ... "Christian Science teaches us that when we think of man we are really thinking of God's expression of Himself, and we can never think of man in any other way, for he is inseparable from his divine source."

Isn't is much easier to consider ourselves as sufficiently "salty" when we know where the salt comes from?

Seasoning to perfection!

"Salt is good" is one of my favorite Bible passages! Thanks for the lift!

Thank you Michelle, the salt of the earth=a person of great kindness!

Thank you for this very inspiring Lift. I have never thought of salt this way . Thank you again.

This is lovely! THANK YOU!!!!!

Thank you...I have also thought a lot about being "the salt of the earth.". Salt also strengthens and purifies. I greatly appreciate your sharing other qualities of salt which are so helpful!

Thank you,thank you.Salt is also used to melt frozen surfaces,as our saltness melts frozen hearts.

A drop of water yesterday, and a grain of salt today. This is good fun. In old seafaring movies they often show a man throwing a bucket of salt water onto a sailor who had been punished by whipping.
I suppose the salt water would sting the cuts, but also had a disinfecting and healing quality.

My daughter referred to her neighbors as the SALT OF THE EARTH! I've always loved that saying.

Thank you, Michelle! A timely message as we never want to have a "flat" day without lilt, spice, and a clear shining of pure Truth!

Thank you Michelle. I have yearned to understand this topic better. I am not a salt user, so I had to question others on this as to why it was so important to Jesus. Very clear that salt was useful and needed, by this daily lift. Very clear that Jesus wanted God's good works shown. It is hard because, then people have commentary as to your choices for spiritual healing over just taking a pill from a doctor.

I have found people want to see spiritual healing but dont want to do it. I guess I just have to know, " I am the salt of the earth" so be it. Jesus sure expected spiritual growth. I am thankful for Margaret Rogers CSB, audio chat on "sin" from JSH online, because she was explaining that the bar is set high, but we do what we can. We just strive for it.

And not to be hidden, being salt, and letting our light shine is a very high bar. But doable. But still very salty. I will keep telling myself," salt is good, salt is good".

Really gave me a diff. outlook of myself which I never considered before.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

A couple of days ago, I was indulging in salty foods like olives and nuts. Maybe the real need was to acknowledge myself and others as "the salt of the earth." We are good! Today I'll make sure I'm "hungering for righteousness" -- for a more spiritual kind of salt.

In the English language, "you" can mean singular or plural -- the person being directly spoken to, or all within listening range. We are all within the listening range of the Christ. When he said, "You are the salt of the earth", we know he means all of us, not just one, not just a few chosen, but all mankind and womankind. We are all his salt, his light!

What an upLIFTing message! Thank you

Very spicey and with a kick! Thank you, Michelle! I'm just realizing this a.m. that I deserve the very Best Life and Love have to offer. I do not need to take a job that doesn't use all my "saltiness"! I do not need to sacrifice my self (salt) or set myself up by taking a job that couldn't possibly work out or that isn't right for me! I am removing myself as a victim and am working at believing I deserve the Best! I am practicing acceptance, gratitude and faith! I'm adding some pepper, too! Let's shake that Salt out everywhere!

Nifty new analogies for a fresh, nimble day. Mazel Tof !

Salt doesn't lose its "saltness." Wow! As many times as I have read the passages about salt "losing its savour" it never dawned on me that this appearance of "losing" could only come through dilution! Neither time nor space nor events nor circumstances influence our "saltness" (our spiritual purity and potency) in the least. My freshness and vitality--all of God's qualities that constitute my being are eternal--yesterday, today and forever. My basic purity must remain unblemished--untarnished. That is a powerful concept. Thanks so much, Michelle.

Don

I think I remember reading that Mrs. Eddy used to say "Remember what you are". What a perfect reply we have. Thank you for the meminder.

Thank you, Michelle. Not only was this lift a blessing, it gave me a new understanding for the Biblical phrase, "you are the salt of the earth."
Much love to all :-)

Thanks so much, Michelle! Salt also brings out the sweetness of fruit ~ so we can bring out the sweetness, the kindness, the uplifting qualities imparted by Truth & Love!!
Blessings to all!

Loved listening to this in French, too. What a beautiful language..even though I don't speak French the universality of your message came through loud and clear. Thanks, Michelle, I've honestly never thought of MYSELF as the salt of the earth..love that we are the spice, the kick....fun to contemplate. What a unique lift! Merci!

Thank you Michelle. I have often wondered what it meant to be the salt of the earth. I was interested to see what Cruden's Complete Concordance said to the preamble to the list of citations mentioning salt. "Salt symbolized hospitality, durability and purity" As each one of us is the salt of the earth, we must be the expression of hospitality or love towards our neighbour , durability or the indestructible nature of God, and purity as the spiritual, perfect reflection of the one MInd, untainted by any mortal beliefs of sin, disease or death. Thank you again for drawing our attention to SALT !

Your lift spiced up my day :) thanks a lot for this insightful message!

Fresh, meaningful, and divinely inspired. Thank you Michelle - and also for your wonderful, clearly written articles.

Michele , the article you wrote for The Christian Science Sentinel earlier this year on home. I have read a dozen times . The part where a friend said Love brought you to France, and was sustaining you. I flipped it on ME. I moved to a U S city for family reasons, not really wanting to, but it was right to do so. I wrote in my journal Love brought me here , Love sustains me here, Love keeps me in perfect peace here. This has helped immensely . Merci Jan

Thank you, Michelle, for this inspiring and uplifting message. I learned early in my life that my actions reflected on my earthly parents. So my adult life "brings out the radiance of divine good that is God": an awesome responsibility to out Father-Mother God. But basking in the realization that I am "the light of the world" allows me to savor all the glory that is mine as a reflection of divine Love.

Tres, tres bien!

That, Michelle, and to everyone. This morning I was thinking about Mary Baker Eddy's thoughtful paragraph on friendship in her major book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (it's below, from page 266). The word "blank" used there means in part "devoid of interest or variety". After I listened to your lift, I thought there are no blanks or voids because we are 1) salt (interest, variety, a vital element of spiciness) in our own lives and 2) salt in the lives of others.

Would existence without personal friends be to you
a blank? Then the time will come when you will be
solitary, left without sympathy; but this
seeming vacuum is already filled with divine
Love. When this hour of development comes, even if
you cling to a sense of personal joys, spiritual Love will
force you to accept what best promotes your growth.
Friends will betray and enemies will slander, until the
lesson is sufficient to exalt you; for "man's extremity
is God's opportunity." The author has experienced the
foregoing prophecy and its blessings.

Beautiful clarification of a familiar message. We are good and stay good; our light shines because we reflect. Facts for everyone to cherish about themselves and others. Thank you! Surely that helps us fulfill Jesus' command to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, as he loves us, perfectly, spiritually.

Thanks Michelle- I did not know that salt adds luminosity to the oil in a lamp! How significant is that! And salt adds spice, interest ... And a kick! That is so cool to think of ourselves this way... Also i like the comment about salt bringing out the sweetness of fruit - very true - like strength and gentleness work together.... Really helpful ideas - thanks Michelle and commenters!

Hey Michelle, thanks so much for this one. It really reached deep within me.

Never, until I read this Daily Lift by Michelle, had I ever thought of Salt as part of my being, my Spiritual being. Before C/S came into my life, I was a timid guy, afraid to say what I really feel. But I am the Salt of the earth, a beam of Truth, a honest judge, where by any criticizisms I have is solely based on lifting not condemning a person. I remember what my boss used to say when I was in my lower 20's. To correct a worker when he makes a mistake, and to praise to the hilt when he successfully does a good job, helps him in later life than all the hurtful criticisms can. That is an example of sprinkling a little salt of kindness.

Thank you.

What a great and inspiring lift. To hear this scripture interpreted in this way is truly uplifting. When I think of our spirtual selves adding spice and a bit of kick to our friends, the community and even the world is a super idea. Thank you Michelle!

My wife and I live on the Gulf of Mexico, USA. Often we walk along or swim in the Gulf. Your "Lift" adjusted my thinking to a comparison. The Golf provides a world for sea life and balance to our planet. God provides his love for those of us who live on land and balance to our lives. Well said, Michael, thanks!

Jim

I learned so much from this lift - thank you. I didn't know about all of the uses of salt in Jesus' time - a whole new perspective from which to view our worth.

Really loved your inspired message to all of us. Thank you!

Thanks, Michelle, for “Salt is good… ‘you are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world…’” I’ll be contemplating these ideas throughout the day and be mindful of how I’m led to be “salt” and “light.” Adding flavor to every experience and subtracting dullness at every opportunity. Very much in keeping with my understanding of the Christian Science lifestyle – a rich adventure of Christliness expected, expressed, and witnessed. Proving God with us and signs following.

Thanks Michelle ... as the SALT of the earth,
we are ALL blessed w/flavors that are sooo
delicious and yummy!

Thank you Michelle for this salty message. AND I'm smiling and rejoicing in all these wonderful comments. The music this week is lovely too. Thanks everyone.

So are you, Michelle!

I love these daily lifts, it brings out so many messages in the bible that are worth while to reflect on during the day.

Michelle that was illuminating!

We're off on a family reunion today. This message will go with me to encourage me to live my Christly purpose. So, in a wonderful way every day is a day of reunion with family...each and every one of God's little ones.

Thank you, Michelle, for helping us learn new meaning from "old friends"--familiar Bible verses.

Thank you so much for your wonderful lift this morning! I have learned much about salt that I never knew before - especially regarding the quote from Math."You are the salt of the earth". Thank you also, to all for sharing your ideas and thoughts - they are greatly appreciated.

That is just beautiful and your love and beauty shows forth in your voice.
June Nettles Clark, C.S.
Mobile, Alabama

Thank you, Michelle - for an illuminating lift today!

Thank you.

"You are the salt of the earth..." Matt. 5:13
As a kid some of my mom's friends used to call me "salt and pepper", maybe because I was always too active -and always looking for a solution to everything.
It took me years, but through my trials, Christian Science taught me that my life was just perfectly seasoned and already regulated by my loving Father-Mother God.
ESPAÑOL
“Vosotros sois la sal de la tierra…” Mateo 5:13
De niña algunos de los amigos de mi mamá me llamaban “sal y pimiento”, tal vez por que yo era muy activa, -y siempre buscandole solución a todo.
Me tomó años, pero atravéz de pruebas, la Ciencia Cristiana me enseñó que mi vida ya estaba perfectamente sasonada y regulada por mi amado Padre-Madre Dios.

Merci beaucoup Michelle, I so thoroughly enjoy your daily lifts and your articles in the Sentinel. This one in particular is delightful for many reasons, one of which is I enjoy salty foods ;) and totally appreciate being the salt of the earth according to Jesus and your specificity about the many uses of salt and your inspiring take on expressing..."spice, interest and a kick". Thanks again.

Michele, thank you for an inspiring Lift, and an educational one. When health warnings are mentioned, I always mentally declare, sometimes tell people, that Jesus said salt is good (Matt.9), so if it were harmful to health, he would have cautioned. I didn't know about using salt for luminosity. That adds to my awareness of Jesus' description of my role in daily life. This explanation of salt remaining pure & powerful, along with Jesus saying we are the salt of the earth, and also we are the light of the world (both in Matt.5, KJV), highlights the enduring strength of our saltness, our light." Highlights" wasn't an intended pun, but I like that it came to use as I wrote. When we want to point out important passages or words in print, we use highlighter pens to bring them out. That is what we must do, be alert to highlight words, entire messages, or simply to show Love with a smile, encouragements, and healing help, to bring out the flavor of Love (PS.34:8), and available strength with hope and expectation wherever we are. This LIft illumined what I know and am seeing and what, when and how to highlight for others and myself. It also reminds me to look for salt in others, especially in circumstances when I most need to find it.This Lift has me feeling a difference inwardly, and is special! #16 Robert, #24 Barbara, # 25 Dorothy, #39 Linda, #41 Rosemary, & #54 Jim, thanks for the added usefulness & significance of our saltness.

What an interesting lift! Thanks.

What a wonderful lift! A whole new view of salt. And the comments are so rich - shows how divine Love's ideas multiply. I'm so thankful for these lifts.

I love that i am "the spice, interest, and...A KICK"! Who wouldn't be attracted to that? And since it is good, it all comes from God eternally.

To fulfill its purpose, the salt - spiritual thoughts and and good deeds - has to get out of the jar...

I'm going to sprinkle some "luminosity" on myself, & thus on others, today!

Michelle, merci beaucoup, for the lovely reminder how we are. In the daily activity we often forget the basic truth which Jesus told us centuries ago in the deep knowledge he had from his and our father/ mother GOD. Thanks a lot and love will bring me back to my family after many years to explore the world. I like to pas the knowledge on to my kids, then salt and love to all of creation will keep us together. Blessing to you and all! Aloha from Monika

Thank you for this interpretation. I enjoy surfing as much as possible and the ocean is something that I really connect with. This lift helps when thinking of what I can do to help preserve the wild life and resources we have. Acting as the salt of the earth can also be being a voice of preservation.

Thanks for this very special lift today Michelle. I truly didn't realise we are ALL "salt of the earth"! I always thought it a term for exceptional folk...but of course...we are all exceptional, only don't know it, ay!

I just love this! I didn't know that about the luminosity of the oil lamps in biblical times.
The analogy of us bringing out the light of God as Good is wonderful. Thank you. We illuminate the earth. We reflect the Good, God.
I recently bought some Dead Sea bath salts which make my skin so very soft and have a whole new recent excitement for salt so this is perfectly, delightfully timed.

A great lift for today! Enjoyed the other comments also.

Thank you, Michele. Just lovely, inspiring. So grateful to all the team for this lovley idea of the 'Daily Lift' . A short promise for the day.

Trish, Australia. 22.08.12

Thank you for that much needed lift, for the reminder that we can never lose our saltness. It hadn't occured to me before just what is the true meaning of salt.

Wow, so much to think about here, thank you Michelle. I love your freshness and look forward to your blogs!
Excellent article on giving to your neighbor in today's CS Monitor that sheds another angle, too? "Helping a neighbor: when is it too much?"
Also in this weeks Bible Lesson, a Bible story where the advice is stated roughly, "Go get it yourself", you don't hear that Bible verse quoted much?????
Also, a distant family member struggling with alcoholism, with some family members "helping" in dramatically unhelpful ways with seemingly dire results????? I have a lot to learn about this "giving" thing...any feedback Michelle?

Re your wonderful contribution Michelle, about Salt – not losing its flavour. But you know, not one mentioned that salt was also currency in Jesus’ time – both before and after. People from coastal areas could trade with salt, which the landlocked people couldn’t gain access to. Most of the main roads from country to country were for the purpose of trade, taking salt up, and bringing precious goods back. Well the Silk Route was first of all the salt route across Asia, Tibet and into Mongolia and all the land further west and north.
Living in Australia our coastal area is really “plagued” with salty air that rusts and corrodes, but 100 kms inland people need to put out salt blocks for their cattle and horses. Dogs, too, love the salty taste!
In Australia some of the northern rivers flow south, but without an outlet to the sea the water becomes a lake. As the water vaporizes during the year, the lake becomes covered in salt. In the old days the landowners used to bring their wagons and cut the salt into lumps which they loaded onto their wagons and took back to their stock. Some of our lakes “in the Centre” are enormous – but for the past three years, since we experienced heavy rain in successive years, we have evidence of the vast inland ocean the earliest white explorers believed was there, but out of reach. This is the first time in recorded history that the inland sea can be seen in its entirety.

Thank you for salt!

I seldom think of the value of salt or think of myself as salt with all its valuable properties. Thank you for this savory reminder of our innate value with all the unique and lasting qualities of God.

Thank you Michelle, as usual, I thoroughly enjoyed your message! love!

Excellent, Michelle! Thank you. -- Salt is great.

Thank you Michelle for sharing us this lift about salt as l have been told that salt is bad for my blood so i started using no salt at all in my cooking.I know fhat GOd does not creat the salt to destroy as God only creat what is good but your coment has lifted me up more It is abeutiful aligory.

Thanks! You have raised my concept of salt to a new level, A more sprritual level. And that is a good thing.

I have been on vacation, but am loving to check back and read all your wonderful and encouraging and informative comments! I love how these lifts are conversation and thought starters. I get so much out of what you share. And thank you to those of you who mentioned the writing for the periodicals with such sweet appreciation. We have so many wonderful avenues for sharing what we learn and love most about God and man!

Thank you so much! So happy to know that salt refers to light. I always considered it as a preservative. Now, I see how it connects to Christ Jesus' follow-up statement about being the light of the earth. Thanks for your insight!