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SAFE IN THE GULF
I was recently swimming in the Gulf of Mexico when I suddenly felt something like seaweed brush against my upper arm, and experienced what felt like a bite or sting. At the time, I just brushed the incident aside, hoping that nothing had happened.
But very soon, while I was still swimming, my arm began to tighten and feel strange. As a student of Christian Science, I responded by denying that there had been a moment when I'd been separated from God's loving presence out there in the water. I began to pray a constant stream of metaphysical truths about my spiritual wholeness and immunity from danger, as God's loved child. It came to me that it was necessary to keep doing this for as long as it took for the effects from the sting to dissipate.
Although, initially, I didn't have complete confidence that this approach would be effective, that didn't deter me from getting started. I'd learned before that healing was about realizing God's supremacy and control, and not necessarily relying on my own personal efforts. I had to resist the temptation to believe anything untoward had happened to disturb or harm my being. Two specific fears that cropped up were that the bite might have been poisonous, and that I might experience paralysis. At that point, I thought it prudent to get out of the water.
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January 12, 2009 issue
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LETTERS
with contributions from DANIEL OTIENO OKELLO, LINDA BARGMANN, PAULETTE WATKINS, CAROL CUMMINGS
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PART OF A WIDER CIRCLE
PATRICIA KADICK, STAFF EDITOR
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LIVE TO BLESS AND BLESS TO LIVE
BY HANS-JOACHIM TRAPP
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BLESSINGS ALL AROUND
Jenny Roemer with contributions from Justin Byrd, Emily Snead, Catherine Hellman
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TO BE OF SERVICE
BY PAMELA HAWLEY
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To defeat the 'real' enemy in the Democratic Republic of Congo
BY MAYAL TSHIABUILA
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Friendship AND FITTING IN
BY ANNA-LENA HATHAWAY
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DON'T GET HOOKED
BY KATHERINE HOSMER THOMPSON
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'RUN WITH ME, GRANDMA!'
BY MARY FORBES
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THE PROMISE OF CONTINUOUS RENEWAL
DAVID ROBERTSON
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LOVING MY NEIGHBOR
DIANA PAUL BORT
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SAFE FROM PLAGUES
WALTER RODGERS
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'I WALK WITH LOVE TODAY'
NEIL KEARNEY
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PAINFUL TOOTH PERMANENTLY HEALED
LAURIE HUSSELBEE
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SAFE IN THE GULF
DAN ZISKIND