"Let the Children Come to Me"

Jesus once told his disciples, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God." Children naturally love learning about God, Jesus, and The Bible. Children often find it easier then adults do to turn to God and listen wholeheartedly for His direction.

The Christian Science Reading Room sells a number of books and teaching aids that help children learn about God and their relationship to Him. One of the newest products, "My Treasury" contains true stories written especially for children about children that have experienced healing for themselves, other family members, and pets by turning to God for help.

The Reading Room also has books written for children about Bible characters such as Moses and Jesus and teaching aids for learning the Commandments and Beatitudes. One of my favorites is a book about Psalm 139. This beautiful poem by David reminds children that God is with them everywhere they go. Another book about Psalm 23 also explains to children that God cares for and guides them throughout their day.

You can read and purchase these and other books for children at our Christian Science Reading Room. During our open house, April 16-19 we will also be giving away (while supplies last) balloons and puzzles. Come on in and purchase a gift for your favorite young person!

Welcome the New Weekly-Edition of the Christian Science Monitor

This week marks the debut of the Christian Science Monitor as a weekly news magazine! For more than 100 years The Christian Science Monitor has been a source of fair and intelligent journalism with the stated object "To injure no man, but to bless all mankind".

Widely acclaimed for its coverage of world and national events and winner of many Pulitzer Prizes, at the beginning of this month, the Monitor ceased conventional paper publication of its daily paper and transformed itself into a 24/7 source of world news on the web. To complement this web presence, the Monitor is launching a weekly paper that will provide in-depth analysis of the week's news and more.

For readers who care and want to understand their world, the weekly Monitor will provide a wealth of understanding and direction. Each issue of the weekly edition will bring:
- "Why it Matters" briefings that give perspective to today's news and assess the impact for tomorrow.
- One-the-ground dispatches from Monitor Correspondents around the world.
- A major in-depth cover story on pivotal global events or emerging trends.
- Revealing news photography that captures human triumph and tragedy at home and abroad.
- Special sections on Environment, Innovation, Money & Values, and Arts & Culture.

You can get a free copy of the new weekly edition of the Christian Science Monitor (while supplies last) at the Christian Science Reading Room Open House, April 16-19, 741 N. New Ballas Road, Creve Coeur, Missouri.

Bible Study Aids at the Christian Science Reading Room

When Christian Science Reading Rooms started over a hundred years ago, they were typical of all publisher’s reading rooms – a place where publisher’s books were exhibited so the public could choose how many to buy, based on the discount schedule, since people would then sell the books to their friends and neighbors. Books were expensive (the basic version of Science and Health sold for about $60 in today’s currency) so the reading rooms added lending libraries. If people couldn’t afford to buy Science and Health, they could borrow it, find the value of owning it, and then come back to buy it.

Over time, reading rooms expanded from their original purpose as just one publisher’s bookstore to become Bookstores AND More! It’s the “and more” which really helped me, especially over the past 30 years as Bible study became more important to me. Reading rooms do sell Bibles and Bible study guides, but they typically have a much larger library of books than what they sell. And I couldn’t always afford to buy all the other translations, atlases, dictionaries, etc. that I wanted.

The Interpreter’s Study Bible has been a favorite of mine for decades – first the set of 13 from the 1950’s and now the new set from the late 1990’s. The reading room at Creve Coeur has both sets, and is open 48 hours a week for the public to come and use them. I always find something interesting when studying the Christian Science Bible Lesson Sermon in the Interpreter’s Bible. To me, it helps the Bible come alive and be even more meaningful in my life to study other translations, interpretations, word roots and definitions, as well as to learn of the history, geography, etc. of Bible times.

Linda

Clear the Clouds From Your Life!

Rows and flows of angel hair

And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons evrywhere
Ive looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on evryone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
(From "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell)

We probably can all identify with the sentiment Joni Mitchell expressed in these lyrics. Are clouds blocking the sunlight of your life?

I've found the ideas in the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures to be very effective for dispersing and dealing with the clouds that try to enter my experience. The author of this book, Mary Baker Eddy, experienced many cloudy periods in her life. She writes this about a time she was suffering from a serious injury resulting from a fall:

"When apparently near the confines of mortal existence, standing already within the shadow of the death-valley, I learned these truths in divine Science: that all real being is in God, the divine Mind, and that Life, Truth, and Love are all-powerful and ever-present; that the opposite of Truth, - called error, sin, sickness, disease, death,- is the false testimony of false material sense, of mind in matter; that this false sense evolves, in belief, a subjective state of mortal mind which this same so-called mind names matter, thereby shutting out the true sense of Spirit."

These truths Mrs. Eddy discovered helped her to fully recover from her injuries in a very short time. She recorded these, and other spiritual lessons she learned, in her book.

You can purchase this book at any Christian Science Reading Room.

The Christian Science Reading Room in Creve Coeur Missouri is holding an open house Thursday through Sunday, April 16-19. Come on in and get your own cloud-dispersing tool!