The so-called “butterfly effect” is initiated in the chaos theory in which the effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions, where a small difference in a non-linear system can result in a large difference in a later state. The question is, can a hurricane’s formation be contingent on whether a distant butterfly had flapped its wings several weeks before? It is difficult to conceive how the small movement of the delicate wings of a butterfly can result in such a massive shift in the earth’s atmosphere, and yet we have all observed the changes that occur when a small pebble is thrown onto the placid surface of a lake, causing a ripple effect extending far from the point of initial impact. Every thought, every word, every action creates a similar ripple effect on the collective consciousness of the planet. We can never totally know the full impact that each of us has on life anymore than we can know the impact that famous butterfly in Brazil has on the earth’s atmosphere. We do realize that everything we do carries with it the power for great change. Gandhi called upon us to be the change that we want to see in the world. Let today be the day that we initiate that change and the resultant new world that we have longed for, the world that truly works for everyone!
By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

When Jesus knew that the time had come for him to embark on his ministry, he first set out to gather those who would travel with him. They would provide support for him as he spread the transformative message he was ready to share with the world. As in everything that he did, there is a profound lesson for all of us. Man was not created to be alone. From earliest times, human beings learned that by gathering together in groups or tribes they were enabled to face and overcome dangers that would overwhelm one person alone. Nothing has changed over the thousands of years that human beings have inhabited the earth. Whenever faced with any challenge there is indeed strength in numbers. In these troubling times we need to remember the example set by that great teacher. When we act in community, we have the power to transform any of the challenges that face us today. These are difficult times for many of us, and it is all too easy to feel overwhelmed. When we stand together in the faith that our founder Ernest Holmes taught, “There is a Power for good in the Universe and we can use it.” We really can do amazing things. The time has come for us to enter into our full power as a unified force and use our unified strength to bring about the change we have only dreamed of before.
By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

“None are so blind as they that will not see!” While it is certainly true that since we are one with the Infinite Mind of God and all Its wisdom, we can only partake of that wisdom through conscious choice. There are many circumstances in the human existence that tend to obscure our vision of the eternal truth that ultimately life is good and very good. We may ask ourselves how, if everything is truly working together for our good and for the good of all, then why is there so much trouble and conflict in the world? All of that trouble and conflict is manmade. When we were created with free will, we were endowed with the power to choose how we perceive life with all of its apparent inconsistencies. Only when we make the conscious decision to raise our awareness beyond any apparent obstructions do we begin to see the pattern of the Divine plan and make the choice to do our individual and collective parts in bringing that plan into manifestation.
 By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

The first day of 2012. A time of new beginnings, a time used by many to make resolutions for the changes they hope to achieve in the coming 366 days. (Yes, it is a leap year!) It is also the end of the Mayan calendar, a discovery that has created much conjecture as to the significance of the date December 21st, the last date on that calendar. Was it just a case of running out of space and the need to start a new calendar, or did the Mayans actually have the gift of prophecy? Some actually believe that the date signifies a cataclysmic ending of the world, while others, like the students of New Thought, view this event as the time when a quantum evolutionary leap in consciousness brings about a new stage in the advance of civilization…a time heralded by the great spiritual masters throughout history who have demonstrated what the full realized human looks like. One of our core principles is that it is done unto us as we believe. If we believe that the future holds nothing but doom and gloom, that is what we will experience. On the other hand, if enough people believe that we are moving rapidly towards the time when we live in a world that works for everyone, what miracles are just waiting to happen? If every individual sets the intention today to keep but one resolution, the resolution to work diligently each day to hold the consciousness that Life is good–all the time, those miracles are sure to occur at the right time and in the right way!
By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

It would be difficult to find anyone today who has not seen or at least heard of the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” And many would question the truth of that statement. In terms of the content of the news these days, it can be easy to question what is so wonderful about anything in life these days. Rarely does a news program contain any “good” news, leading the listener to believe that all indeed is gloom and doom. The truth is that what we are hearing on the media is in fact newsworthy only in that it is out of the ordinary. For every criminal or violent individual or action reported, there are thousands of people living in love, peace and harmony. At this time of the year, as the various forms of celebration are about to take place, we frequently hear greetings expressed wishing peace and good cheer as they should be every day of the year. We have been given life as a gift to be enjoyed and cherished in spite of any trials or tribulations that may come our way. As often stated in scripture: “It came to pass,” and that is the truth. Problems come into our experience so that we can learn and grow from them, and then they pass. How quickly they pass is largely up to us. As we diligently practice the spiritual tools we have at our disposal, thus accelerating the healing process, we come to the realization that it is, indeed, a wonderful life!
 By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

“If only you could love enough, you would be the most powerful being in the universe.” Emmet Fox

How much truth lies in that simple statement! Love is the most powerful force in the universe. It is the power that triumphs over ever lesser emotion. If a person could ever rise in consciousness to the point where every thought, feeling and action was based solely on love, he or she could literally transform the world. We need only look at the brief life of the man Jesus who grew in awareness to become the true expression of the Christ consciousness to understand the true extent of the power of love. For the gospel He taught was indeed the gospel of Love. The extent of His influence on the entire world cannot be measured. Our daily prayer should be to follow His example by being the expression of love in every aspect of our lives.
 There is nothing that enough love cannot accomplish when we allow ourselves to be the channel of Divine Love in the world. Let this day be the day when we individually and collectively set the intention to be the vehicles of the love that creates the world that works for everyone.
By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

This Thursday is the day we celebrate Thanksgiving as a nation, a time when, throughout our nation’s history, we express our gratitude for the year’s harvest. The original harvest that was celebrated was for the crops that the land had produced for the year. Today there is a different kind of harvest for most of us. Few of us actually cultivate the land and plant for the coming year, but there is another kind of harvest that each of us is producing…the harvest of the spirit. For every thought and action does bring forth a “crop” of sorts. As we sow so do we reap, and each of us has the responsibility for what we are reaping in the form of spiritual growth. And just as the farmer is planning for what he will produce in the coming year, so is this a good time to evaluate where we are along the spiritual path, and, like the farmer, plan on what seeds we wish plant in preparation of the next time of harvest, and for how we will cultivate those seeds. So as we celebrate this year, let us be grateful for the understanding that we are in charge of our life, at least in so far as what we choose to experience spiritually in the year to come. As we carefully prepare for the harvest to come in the form of spiritual growth and understanding, let us now set our intention to use the spiritual tools we have been given to ensure the success of the next harvest, knowing that as we do so, we are contributing to creating the world that works for everyone.
By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

Modern sage and mentor to many through her television shows, Oprah Winfrey, teaches that the more you praise and celebrate your life, the more in life there is to celebrate. This is very much in line with the teachings of Religious Science. Our founder, Ernest Holmes, was fond of saying that Religious Science is a religion of joy. Unlike some religious traditions that place so much emphasis on guilt and suffering, his teaching was that life is good and very good! We remember the words of the master teacher Jesus when he said that he had come so that we could have life and have it more abundantly. We also remember that it was his practice to express gratitude before speaking his word as when he stood before the tomb of Lazarus. That on which we place our attention tends to multiply, so today let us set our intention on looking for the good in our life and praising it. Everyone who has tried this will testify that it works. So today let us set our intention to celebrate life every day in total faith that it works as we work it.
By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

In THE GIFT OF CHANGE Marianne Williamson wrote: “I am not here to design God’s universe but to allow Him to show me the design He has already created. It was created in total love, for me and all living things. My mission is to trust that.”
These words of wisdom are available for us to remember whenever we start to question just what our ultimate purpose is. Sometimes we wonder what direction we need to take, or how we know whether we are on the right path to fulfill whatever it is that is our destiny. It can be hard to determine which promptings are the ego attempting to govern our lives and which are from Spirit. At such times it is most helpful to sit quietly and ask, “Just what is it that You would have me do with the life You have given me?” Then, in total trust, wait for the answer to come. Sometimes that answer will be very clear, sometimes it may be more difficult to decipher, but come it will, for there is a purpose for each and every one of us. For some it may be in the form of great deeds, for others in small deeds, but every deed has a place in the grand scheme of things and is of equal importance in creating the vision of a world that works for everyone. So never doubt for an instant that you are an important part of God’s plan.
By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus