Many thanks Shirley for your inspired guidance to 'joy, peace and love'. "We are [all] running with purpose." "We are not divided,/ All one body we,/ One in hope and doctrine,/ One in charity.." (Christian Science Hymnal #264}

Shirley, what an excellent thought for the day - and what a great metaphor to illustrate it! If I had a tail, right now I'd definitely be wagging it, not chasing it! ;)

Thank you for this speedy healing

Great inspiration this image of a dog chasing it's tale. I do it all the time, I do feel I am running in circles. Stick to the Truth and listen to the Truth of one Mind.
Thank you do much.

This is a very important point you made, Shirley - thank you very much!

A Bible commentary on Galatians 5 says : 'The attempt of the Galatian believers to attain spiritual perfection by keeping the law had ended in failure. Their churches were torn apart by conflict: they were "biting and devouring each other" (v. 15). ..... And since they did not love each other, they were breaking the law. ....What went wrong?....Paul's answer is the Spirit of God. 'So I say, live by the Spirit '(v. 16).

From the KingJamesBible:
16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

So, any obsession with - or concentrating one's attention on - persons, body, things, etc. is a two-sided coin (likely including censoriousness, fear, lack, ambition, greed, jealousy) based on false law and consequently a closed road. While the law of Spirit is Love. And "Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action." says Mary Baker Eddy in 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures'.
What a wonderful perspective for everyone under the law of Spirit!
Who needs any false law to obey?

Thank you for providing those great Daily Lifts!

Thank you so much, I love it.

Wonderful Lift! And, thank you for the excellent Bible references. Thanks, too, to #5. So important to focus ones thought on Spirit.

Constant attention to the body makes us feel like we are running in circles, like a puppy chasing his tail. Matter is not perfect, if we look for problems with our bodies we'll always find one.
This happens not only with our body, but also with any kind of situation we focus on—and try to fix it using our own will.
Just today I found the courage to face someone and end some mental abuse that hurt me to tears over the years.
Often I asked divine Love for courage to face it, the courage to go forward. Today I got it: I’d stop chasing my tail in circles. I learned we must take the human steps like it or not. Just a few hours earlier I had had a turmoil that reminded me of Jacob’s struggle. http://bible.cc/genesis/32-24.htm . I then realized I needed to give myself an ultimatum and stop the abuse, but first I must I leave my stubborn will aside and I did. It was very hard but some things must be done to go forward.
I understood that no matter the problem, it’s not about me but about God.
“ Whosoever proclaims Truth loudest, becomes the mark for error's shafts. The archers aim at Truth's mouthpiece; but a heart loyal to God is patient and strong. Justice waits, and is used to waiting; and right wins the everlasting victory” Misc. 277:7
ESPAÑOL: La constante atención al cuerpo nos hace sentir que andamos corriendo en circulos, como un cachorrito persiguiendose la cola. La materia no es perfecta, si buscamos problemas con nuestro cuerpo siempre hallaremos uno.
Esto no solo pasa con nuestro cuerpo, sino con toda situación en la que nos enfocamos—y tratemos de arreglarla con nuestra voluntad propia.
Hoy mismo hallé el valor de encarar a alguien y parar un abuso mental que me me ha herido y hecho llorar através de los años.
A menudo le pido al Amor divino el valor de encarar esta situación, de seguir adelante. Hoy lo conseguí: Dejé de perseguirme la cola en circulos. Aprendí que a veces debemos dar los pasos humanos nos guste o nó.
Unas horas antes tuve una lucha interna que me recordó lo que le pasó a Jacob. http://bibliaparalela.com/genesis/32-24.htm . Entonces me di cuenta que necesitaba darme a mí misma un ultimátum para acabar el abuso, pero primero debía largar mi terca voluntad propia. Lo hice. Fue difícil pero algunas cosas deben hacerse para ir adelante.
Comprendí que sea cual sea el problema, no se trata de mí sino de Dios.
“gradualmente en la distancia. Quienquiera que proclame la Verdad con voz más alta, se convierte en el blanco de las flechas del error. Los arqueros apuntan al vocero de la Verdad; pero un corazón leal a Dios es paciente y fuerte. La justicia espera, y está acostumbrada a esperar; y lo que es justo alcanza la victoria eterna. “ Misc. 277:8

What a nice metaphor to our relationship with our body, Shirley! Giving no thought to body. Focusing in what really matters. Going right to the point. Instead of wasting our time and energy running in circles, putting Spirit (God) first and foremost.
Thanks for the inspiration!

Shirley, Thank you,your analogy"of the dog chasing its tail"makes it all so practical. Awakening me to not allow my thinking to be running in circles of fearful material limiting thinking but "staying focused on the ball =Truth". for all who submit to the Daily Lift,for the Daily lift Team Thank you.Nomvula,South Africa.

Oh Shirley, Thank you for this thought and for all the pages and pages of gratitude we can pull from our experiences. "All nature teaches God's love to man." (S&H by Mary Baker Eddy)

This message about the triumph of Spirit over the flesh is greatly uplifting. What better way to lift our eyes up from chasing our tails! Thanks, Shirley!

Thanks Shirley, you have started quite a stream of thought with your Lift.

5 your comment was very helpful and Elena#8 Good for you!

I feel stuck at times in human fear of simple things, sometimes I feel my stomach lurching where I know in reality it is unnecessary. Almost as though I am going to fall off a cliff.

"Hold perpetually this thought, - that it is the spiritual idea . . . . . which enables you. . . . "S&H 496 The "spiritual idea" is Agape isn't it? So much is spoken of Agape love currently and it is changing my view of the path I need to tread, the truths I need to cherish and the love I need to behold ALL my fellow man with. I am enabled by God and She is a wonderful enabler.

"fatih hope and charity, but the greatest of these is charity" (Agape)
1 Corin. 13:13

I need to stop chasing my tail and start looking for the ball
:-)

Just lovely! Thanks you so much. :)

Outstanding. Thanks for the lift,

Such a good lift. Thanks to everyone. I echo #13 about gratitude and am also grateful for 13"s own comments about agape love -- I find that is my path.

Thank you Shirley, puppies give endless pleasure but once they discover the unrestrained joy of being grown-up dogs, you can't fool them into being a puppy again! I guess I've spent considerable time chasing my tail, but also running in a straight line which really resulted in blessings for all. Breaking that spell can seem to be difficult, but it's the Christ, Spirit, that simply melts or dispells the thought, however much a part of me it appeared to be. However certain and sure I was it was a reality. Just recently I was being chased by some thoughts that were not doing me any good at all. At last I cried out to God to help me - which of course should have been the first thing to do, and the whole nightmare was simply not there! The following peace was filled with joy and love, and I was able to carry on with my work.
Thank you Nate, and the team, and the BoL. Reading through yesterday's comments was truly rewarding and uplifting and I'm sure they would have far-reaching good effects.

Thank you, just what is needed.

Thanks so much Shirley, for the helpful lift.

Thank you Shirey, I liked your Lift ! It points me in the right direction to look, in regard to problems bodily or otherwise...look UP... as Mrs. Eddy asks on page 264, of Science and Health .."Where shall the gaze rest but in the unsearchable realm of Mind?"
Love wishes to all the Lifters ! Annie

Wow!!!

This is very powerful. Thank you!

Thanks Shirley! I will be alert to "chasing my tail" thinking!

Paul evidently had a puppy too..? I can’t be the first to post this… it is so perfect!

Phillippians 3: 13 etc. “but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, …
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”

Reveal what? There is no “inherited” belief of a tail, there is no “educated” belief of a tail, and there is no “association with” or “attraction to” a tail. Tail cannot lead.

We really appreciate the DL bouncing the ball in front of us! Thanks Shirley and all the ball bouncers today!!.

Thank you Shirley...
I will turn from my tail (body) and
I will “Keep my eye on the ball!”
and be focused on God, Life Truth Love
ALL that I am and all that I reflect
and expect healing and living my purpose… to love and heal mankind!

S&H 262:17
Job said: "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee." Mortals will echo Job's thought, when the supposed pain and pleasure of matter cease to predominate. They will then drop the false estimate of life and happiness, of joy and sorrow, and attain the bliss of loving unselfishly, working patiently, and conquering all that is unlike God.

King James Bible Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

This was so helpful and healing Shirley
Very easy to put into use right now
My children loved it and our doggies too!

Thank you for all the comments DLIft family
Love to each and everyone of you


Malclom Thank you always for the lovely hymns,I know they are sent with such love and care
Courtenay Rule Love this Courtenay..as I would be wagging mine!
Gabriele Thank you Wonderful comments and research You are a dear to share…Thank you
Elena Shideler Thank you for sharing that beautiful healing
I love your comments and healing thought
Circles-of-light…. Me too!
Margaret Sunshine Thank you as always! and This is great :)

Wow, what a wonderful Lift to start this day................been chasing my tail round and round for the last week.................this gives me the direction that I needed....and since this is a "dog" filled house..........I can certainly relate................. mom lives with us, and it "seemed" she was heading down hill...and I was only seeing the Lie of the matter view.........(wrong end there !)
thank you so much...........Love and Blessings to all....................."look UP and see where the ball is heading..........." and stop looking at the same "dead end view in matter !' I love this TRUTH... how wonderful these daily lifts ARE........ where I live in Michigan.............they arrive in my "INBOX" at the same time as the DAWN..........how right on is that?.............. how perfect and on time for each of us, no matter where on earth weve been planted, are watered and maintained!

Excellent, simply stated. This will stay in my thoughts. Thank you.

wonderfull!!!! i will add this to keepers * to remind myself to do as you say. thank you so very much for making me see the light.

Many thanks for this Daily Lift. It starts the day off on the right foot, as they say. Have a good day, everyone

Wow,Sheerley,that is what I just needed this morning.It is wonderful.
Yes,we need to constantly turn to spirit,otherwise we ll pay too much attention to the body.Thank you very much.

Thank you. There's so much about 'body' in the media, constant 'information' about diseases, selling of drugs, selling of symptoms to 'watch' for, most people I know would think it extremely reckless to not look at what matter is doing, thank God, there is a better way. It came to me once when I was praying about a relative in the hospital whose wife said, we're just waiting to hear how it went,...anyway, the answer to my great anxiety was, ..."matter is doing nothing"....I love that, as Mrs. Eddy says, 'matter is inert'. We can't realize this too much!

Oh Nancy how perfect..we loved this...had to post
laughed out-loud with a smile...SO perfect!
:)
Thank you!!!!
24. Nancy from Yellow Springs says:
Paul evidently had a puppy too..? Phillippians 3: 13 etc. “but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, …
and
26 Sherri ...
Thank you also for this !! very very good! "…………………
"look UP and see where the ball is heading………..
and stop looking at the same "dead end view" in matter !"
My children (and I) loved this.."where the ball is heading"
our goal and purpose
Thank you!!!

Thank you Shirley! So true and helpful!

Thank you, Shirley, for your wonderful analogy. Just perfect! Stop focusing on self, and turn thought outward. It really is all about Love, isn't it?

Thank you Shirley!
It's so neat to be given a spiritual message, and a smile-story at the same time. Loved the "parable" of puppy, tail, ball
Have a great day everyone!

Thank you Shirley…sooo encouraging and thank you #8 Elena Shideler for sharing that wonderful healing. I'm so grateful for all the "daily lifters" who unselfishly share their inspiration...thoughts of goodness and peace for a better world..

We Lifters are such a wonderful community of brother and sisterhood. Thank you all for your sharing and caring!

Stop focusing on self! Look up and see where the ball is heading! So many helpful statements even after the lift itself by Shirley. Thank you so much!

Dear Shirley,

Your story is such a good one and it will be easy to remember, when the body starts yelling, "Look at me! Chase your tail until you are so dizzy you can't think straight".

What a blessing to have these encouraging examples shared with us so lovingly! Bless you, and bless all!

I must add a note about our dear Golden Retriever Josie. She had come to us from a family of 7 Goldens. She knew that when the ball was thrown she was to run, but since she was not the first and fastest of the 7 she didn't know to bring it back to us.

Thank you Shirley and all your responders. That was needed this morning and the day brightened with renewed purpose.

Thank you Shirley and all the Lifters for the joyful, fun, AND inspiring words about leaving our tail behind where it belongs and chasing the ball forward and usually upward as well.
My dog and I play "chase the Kong" at least three times a day and I've never seen her run backward to catch it. ONWARD AND UPWARD. I'm sure I'll think of this Lift each time I throw the Kong for her.

Great example Shirley,
I love word play and considered TAIL (the “end” of matter) vs. TALE (a fable, story or false belief about man, Adam).

I always pictured the Serpent in the Garden of Eden as having a long tail/TALE. Adam and Eve were taken in by his lies and chased after (believed) it.

The Adam man is the false tale we talked about earlier in Genesis, chapter 2. How often are we still, unwittingly, following the serpent’s false tale about ourselves and others?

Man in the image and likeness of God, in Genesis, chapter 1, is our real identity and we’ll express this when we stop chasing the Tale (Adam dream) open our eye(balls) and seize (reflect) our true identity.

God’s story about His children is the only TALE we need to accept and it always has a happy “ending” (tail) … they lived happily ever after.

;-)

Dear Shirley, thanks so much for this lift. I loved the example with your puppy, pay attention to Spirit and run with purpose!!

Shirley, Thanks so much for this message today! I love the analogy - and I love the reminder that when the body seems to tweek us to get our attention, we can continue to focus on God and our spirituality and not become distracted with the false claims.

Thank you Shirley for this lift! Thanks also to all the "lifters" too- the comments all made me smile !

Shirley, thank you for the practical uplifting ideas. What a beautiful reminder not to chase our tails but live as a spiritual image that moves us forward not backward.
Barbara

Good one, Shirley!

Lovely, important message Shirley. Thanks and thanks to everyone who shares. Your notes of healing and encouragment are rich with blessings. It's a joy to read what folks write. AND thanks to #24 Nancy with your bit of humor from Phil 3:13! and Michael for the tail vs tale note. These lines from a hymn came to me.... "I love to tell the story, it is my theme and glory, to hear the old, old story (tale), that I have loved so long." AND NOT a tale of tail chasing.

Yet one more clear pure truth, delivered with laughter. What a healing combination!

Thanks to all who have commented--special thanks to Elena #8 for that healing, and your humility in sharing it--the Misc quote is terrific.

A day overflowing with blessing to us all.

Thanks for the lift, easy to remember simple to apply.

Great message. Thanks to you, Shirley, and to all our grand family of Lifters!

A friend shared this thought from a church sermon: We must take all our resentments, failures, etc. off of life support!

And here's a poem from the Sentinel that seems pertinent:

ALL GOOD REMAINS

Nothing is as gone
as a past
that never was.
Ruth Kaseman

Thanks, Shirley! Yes, we have a natural attraction to Spirit, since we are created by Spirt and are spiritual! Yet we do need to hold a loving regard for our bodies and keep them in good shape thru exercise and proper eating. I've found it necessary for me to keep the balance between old theology re. scorning and disparaging the body and over idolizing my body and giving it too much attention. I know this is something that each is free to work out on his own - in just the right way. I know in an article written many years ago by Mr. Edward A. Kimball, CSB, he mentions something to the effect that, as Christian Scientists, we don't need to spend all our time sitting around studying, but we should get out and exercise our bodies as a natural expression of Spirit.

Thank you, #8 Elena! You are so right on! "The divinity of the Christ was made manifest in the humanity of Jesus." (See Science and Health.) A large part of Christian Science is about using our human life as a way of expressing the Divine. It is always right to right a wrong - to face up to someone or something in the flesh. In other words, to take the human footsteps. Christian Science is not about hiding our heads in the sand and waiting for something or someone to go away. Christian Science gives us the courage to act wisely in this human sphere - and to go forward!

Thanks, Shirley. Very helpful!

Not long ago I had been working to resolve a problem that seemed to not yield to any metaphysical treatment given. What came to mind was a play I read years ago. In Greek mythology an evil King was punished by having to roll a huge boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and having to repeat this throughout eternity. This is exactly how I felt. Because I am not completely out of the woods on this one, I will not discuss it. However, I am always grateful for new concepts and for each small healing taking place in my consciousness. I realize that Annie Mag (another name for animal magnetism) tries to keep us focused on error, the flesh (self) but we can claim our true identity as perfect in Spirit and find a semblance of peace. Thank you Shirley for helping me to see this in another way. Thank you daily lift and lifters for the inspiration.

Excellent! Love the puppy story, so real and so useful! Yes, life in matter is a bit like chasing your tail, you go round and round in circles and get nowhere. But life in Spirit, now that's a forward, progressive, expansive, freeing journey. I'm loving it! Thank you for the wonderful lift,Shirley, and your splendid presentation at the Victoria summit about mini lectures in the college classrooms you are giving! AWESOME!

God chasing his tail, really! Thank you for this wonderful lift !!!

Wonderful message, thank you! Have made some notes. I often post "sticky notes" with helpful ideas such as yours on the wall directly beside my computer.

Thank you so much!

What an energetic lift !

Oh, dog, not God. God doesn't chase His tail ! Dogs do though. Good analogy, thank you for the lift.

Hey!... a wonderful parable-like lesson...... stop looking at the body .... .and as Mrs. E. Says, look instead "...into Truth and Love"...

Thanks, Shirley

I really dig this Daily Lift. My dog never chases his tail because he is very busy watching me, loving and guarding me. My dog so smart he even reads minds I think he is so much smarter than most people. I don't think he is really animal becuase he expresses such gentleness.

Your Lift is packed with serious considerations, and wrapped in humor, so it will stay with me better. If I do give unneeded attention to the body, I'll recognize it for what it is, chasing my tail, and for no purpose. I've seen dogs just give a brief, incomplete chase and then move on to other activity. It made me realize that even brief attention opens up the door for physical errors to rush in and take residence, maybe not showing up right off. Later, we don't know how some error managed to present itself. Instead of pleading guilty, I think I'll houseclean and toss out past activity, by treating the claim that I ever could have indulged in tail chasing and going in circles. If I plead guilty, I'm admitting I've given residence to errors and in a sense, keeping them right by me. Instead of a tail-chasing puppy, or even a playful, constant ball catching dog (some almost are!), I think I need to be a more disciplined watch dog on duty against intruders and guard those balls of Truth. Thank you, Shirley for this Lift (a nourishing doggie treat) that sweetly helps us recognize what to correct, and keeps us alert and on task. Thank everyone today, I've tried to catch their balls of added inspiration.

Thank you very much.

Thank you Shirley,

Running with purpose. Thats what I have to know..always!!!

Thank you for this daily lift message. A great reminder of the supposed magnetic pull and preoccupation with the body. Mrs Eddy calls this illusion. Thank you to her for her clearsighted message and unselfish gift to mankind..and thank you to Shirley and all who reiterate her message for the healing of mankind.

Good advice, Shirley! Thank you.

Thanks so much Shirley! Good analogy with humor and no sense of condemnation for the chasers of tails. I like the admonition to live by the spirit, with joy, peace and love and also running with a purpose and not in circles. :)

In our home, we love the childlike qualities that our puppy dog embodies so naturally. Thanks for the reminder to live in the Spirit -- embracing those qualities that are native to each of us.

Thanks Shirley for the great lift. So helpful, and all the inspiring comments.

52 Thank you. The shared thought so true and necessary. Thanks #1 Malcolm for all your comments and hymns shared.

Love and gratitude to all.

Thanks Shirley, what a great analogy! I've been praying to change something on my hand resulting from a fall and focusing on matter instead of what is Truth, need to dig deeper. "Let us banish sickness as an outlaw, and abide by the rule of perpetual harmony,--God's law. It is man's moral right to annul an unjust sentence, a sentence never inflicted by divine authority." S&H pg 381.

Thank you Shirley. I have a cat who also chases her tail to let me know she is bored. It is her signal that since I am home there must be time to play with her. We play for a while and to let me know that she is through she stretches out her whole length on her back and relaxes. I am anxious to do the same. She always looks so peaceful. I love the way each and every one has their own perception yet each comes to understand the blessing in the Lift. It has helped me to look up and expand my time of gratitude and praise.

Thanks, Shirley. After listening to your Lift several times and reading 74 ! joyous comments, I'm surely wagging my tail happily (expressing gratitude). First, thanks to our Father and thanks to you all for sharing your inspiration.

That was great, Shirley. Thanks. Everybody knows that playing with words could be a lot of fun. I think many have read words back to front to find a way to smile. Leaving the references to the tail aside, it is interesting that in English, the word 'God' reverses as 'dog'. My comment: I will not have a dog day, instead I will have a God day. One of the definitions of 'dog day' is: 'a period of stagnation or inactivity' (Merriam-Webster). The lesson sermon this week is 'God'. Also, Mary Baker Eddy wisely describes God in the Glossary of Science and Health (see p 587) as: “The great I AM; the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all- loving, and eternal;...”. Definitely God is always active, never stagnant and by reflection so is man, you and me.

En español

Eso fue genial, Shirley. Gracias. Todo el mundo sabe que jugar con las palabras puede ser muy divertido. Creo que muchos has leído palabras de atrás hacia adelante para encontrar una forma de sonreír. Dejando las referencias a la cola a un lado, es interesante que en inglés, la palabra 'Dios' se invierte como 'perro'. Mi comentario: no voy a tener un día de perros, en vez de eso voy a tener un día de Dios. Una de las definiciones de 'día de perros' es un período de estancamiento o inactividad (Merriam-Webster). La lección sermón de esta semana es 'Dios'. También, Mary Baker Eddy describe a Dios en el Glosario de Ciencia y Salud (ver p.587) como: “El gran YO SOY; el que todo lo sabe, que todo lo ve, que es todo acción, toda sabiduría, todo amor, y que es eterno;...”. Definitivamente Dios siempre está activo, nunca estancado y por reflexión así lo es el hombre, tú y yo.

Shirley,
I really enjoyed your daily lift. It was just what I needed to hear today. Today I seem to be full of little aches and pains. I needed that reminder to stop "chasing my tail" and look away from the body.
Thanks again.

Shirley, thanks.