Xfinity

Where is the beginning of a ring? What is the beginning of a climate with four seasons? Which stage of a butterfly is the beginning or the end? In starting this blog post, I know not these answers.

“The Game of Life” is a Sacred Story posted on 4 July 2025:

He took The Game of Life & How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn with him to the beach. They were not going to spend the whole day as they were planning to visit a friend. Arriving on the friend’s porch, he mentioned the book adding that it was a small book and perfect for beach reading, plus, it was something he had wanted to read for a long time.

Soon their sharing became deep enough he was making a few notes on his phone. As their visit was winding down he said, “Earlier you shared a quote — until it is felt in the body, peace is just a word — and you did not give an attribution.” Then he asked, “Where did that come from?”

“I don’t have an attribution,” she replied, “because someone shared it at church on Father’s Day without an attribution. I have not tried to find out where it came from but I find it to be very powerful.”

He began reading to her the conclusion from his AI search for the attribution: “The quote — until it is felt in the body, peace is just a word — is most likely attributed to Florence Scovel Shinn….

The Sacred Story “Positivity” posted a bit later on 4 July 2025:

She received the following list of “Affirmations & Denials” from The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn in a text message from a friend.

Affirmations & Denials

(For Prosperity)
God is my unfailing supply, and large sums of money come to me quickly, under grace, in perfect ways.

(For Right Conditions)
Every plan my Father in heaven has not planned, shall be dissolved and dissipated, and the Divine Idea now comes to pass.

(For Right Conditions)
Only that which is true of God is true of me, for I and the Father are ONE.

(For Faith)
As I am one with God, I am one with my good, for God is both the Giver and the Gift. I cannot separate the Giver from the gift.

(For Right Conditions)
Divine Love now dissolves and dissipates every wrong condition in my mind, body and affairs. Divine Love is the most powerful chemical in the universe, and dissolves everything which is not of itself!

(For Health)
Divine Love floods my consciousness with health, and every cell in my body is filled with light.

(For the Eyesight)
My eyes are God’s eyes, I see with the eyes of spirit. I see clearly the open way: there are no obstacles on my pathway. I see clearly the perfect plan.

(For Guidance)
I am divinely sensitive to my intuitive leads, and give instant obedience to Thy will.

(For the Hearing)
My ears are God’s ears, I hear with the ears of spirit. I am nonresistant and am willing to be led. I hear glad tidings of great joy.

(For Right Work)
I have a perfect work In a perfect way: I give a perfect service For perfect pay.

(For Freedom from All Bondage)
I cast this burden on the Christ within, and I go free!

Moments later she read the Daily Word July 1, 2025:

With positivity, I embrace all aspects of life. Positivity means living free of doubt, seeing clearly, and feeling secure. Even when my worldly fortunes shift, I maintain my positive outlook and believe the presence and power of God is in and through all things.

I understand the ebb and flow that is part of everyone’s life. If I find myself in undesirable circumstances, I honor my feelings by witnessing my fleeting negative thoughts and feelings with self-compassion. When I feel ready, I release and let them go.

I deny that negativity has any power over me. I use affirmations to realign myself with my positive nature. I accept the conditions of my life even as I strive to improve them. Positivity is my way forward. With gratitude, I affirm God is with me as I claim my highest good.

Set your minds on things that are above,
not on things that are on earth.
~ Colossians 3:2

Take note that this body of work was first published in 1925 — 100 years ago! I was so inspired by Shinn’s works I created the following composite affirmation for myself:

I do not resist any situation. I put it in the hands of Infinite Love and Wisdom. Let the Divine idea now come to pass.

Infinite
Love
and
Wisdom
= LAW

I am in perfect harmony with the working of the LAW. I stand aside and let Infinite Intelligence make easy and successful my way.

True confession is that I am the “she” in both of these Sacred Story posts. And the rest of this subsequently sacred story is even a bit more shocking….

We have had an ongoing Xfinity internet issue since we got back to Michigan in April. “Eric” came in May and ran a bright orange temporary wire from the utility pole to the house and someone was to come back in the next week or two to bury the line. Michigan Gas Utility Company came and marked the gas line with spray paint on our lawn.

On June 6, we received a text message saying, “You’re all set! Your new Xfinity underground cable line is complete. Get in touch if you need anything. Otherwise, enjoy your Xfinity service.”

John and I had both been home all day on June 6 and no one had come to bury the cable and remove the temporary line. By the first of July the paint line on the grass marking the gas lines had faded and John was very tired of having to mow around the orange wire. We were again receiving the messages, “Your internet connection has been restored.”

On Wednesday, July 2, I spent two hours of real time (not an exaggerated description) on a text chain during which I was offered two free Apple Smart Watches. When pushed for more information, I was told the bill for the two free watches with all the taxes and fees would be $25 monthly only. During this call, I discovered we had been charged $100 for “professional installation” on our June bill! I requested a refund. Even as I received both text and email messages saying our refund request could not be approved and the ticket had been closed, the text chat assured me I was getting the money back.

Although I had been told the reason I had to stay on the text chat responding to each entry immediately with a word or even an emoji was so an appointment could be confirmed, when the text chat ended, I still did not have an appointment.

Thursday morning was beautiful. Cool, good air quality, low wind, sunny. I headed out for a nice long bike ride. About 2 miles from home I stopped at a couple of garage sales. Walking back to my bike I suddenly $h!t my pants. (No, fecal incontinence is not a normal thing for me.) I had no choice but to high tail it back home.

As I gingerly slid my butt onto my bike seat, I affirmed, “I resist nothing.”

When I arrived at the house via the back yard, an Xfinity truck was pulling up in front of our house. With as much decorum as I could garner, I showed “Benjamin” where the orange wire was and updated him on our issues. As I headed into the house to change my clothes I quickly snapped a photo of the truck and sent it in a text message to John who was having coffee with his morning friends.

He replied with two words: “No shit.”

I wrote back, “OMG! Wait ’till I tell you the rest of the story!”