Welcome to the Christian Science Daily Lift, a podcast brought to you by the First Church of Christ Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts.

Sharing with us today is Racine Dews from Azusa, California.

As I watched the gardener prune a tree in my yard,

I thought of what Mary Bakeretti wrote about a pruning hook in one of her writings.

Supported, cheered, I take my pen and pruning hook to learn war no more and with strong wing to lift my readers above the smoke of conflict into light and liberty.

I found that statement inspiring in regard to my thought.

The pruned tree outside my window was now ready for a inspiring in regard to my thought.

The pruned tree outside my window was now ready for a new fresh life.

There was no place for dead, dying, damaged, or deformed growth to exist.

Similarly, I realized that sometimes we need a mental pruning for a refreshed outlook to let in the light, the spiritual light from God.

This illumines our path and lifts us above conflict.

A good pruning allows us to grow to our full potential by removing unhealthy thoughts and fears,

memories and behaviors, reactions, and opinions.

We let go of them.

And as they drop off,

our desire to know God increases, and we are then able to find solutions to meet our daily needs.

Pondering these ideas made me want a fresh view on how to express love, to love others with everyone in my sphere, friend, stranger,

and to see others as God sees and knows them.

I started my mental pruning by reviewing the Ten Commandments and examining my thoughts

and behaviors, and also turned to Matthew 5 to Christ's description

of those who are blessed. With an open thought and with fresh views, I was able to yield to an uplifted

standard of love, divine love.

...