September 30, 2011

ACIM Lesson #273
“The stillness of the peace of God is mine.”

"Shibori Dancer" from the hands of
Sandy Wythawai Starbird

[Marsha's thoughts]

We have many experiences which bring a taste of the stillness of the peace of God. I love the quiet moments watching a sunset, or sitting in the woods listening to its sounds, or that sublime moment when slipping quietly to sleep. Recently a friend asked me to listen to and give an opinion on a CD having to do with alien beings controlling our actions on the planet Earth. Although much of what was said could be considered rhetoric of the conspiracy-theory crowd, the main theme was the Principle we are studying and hearing from various avenues. This Truth involves turning away from the illusion and seeing reality. While the woman on this recording was telling us that lizard people were controlling our actions, she also advised to not be frightened or give it too much importance, but to focus on Love and see through any supposed power these creatures may have. What a wonderful metaphor! It certainly is no more outlandish than the Adam and Eve story or any other legend meant to show us the difference between the illusion and the Truth. And so as I go through this day hearing all the insanity, I know it can only disturb my tranquility if I give it more power in thought than I give the stillness of peace.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Mind [God] demonstrates omnipresence and omnipotence, but Mind revolves on a spiritual axis, and its power is displayed and its presence felt in eternal stillness and immovable Love.”

From “Retrospection and Introspection” pp 88–89

September 29, 2011

ACIM Lesson #272
“How can illusions satisfy God's Son?”

Diana Harvey oil on linen
"Elusive"

[Marsha's thoughts]

So often we think something brings us satisfaction. It's the stuff of classic songs and movies. From prospective soul mates to the dreamed-of perfect surroundings, we're compelled to keep searching for the completeness we feel we do not have. And there are moments we think we've found it, but a circumstance can change and we're back where we started. I have a friend who refers to this as "filling up the God hole". He says that's why he drinks and smokes and flits from woman to woman, trying to fill that emptiness. And even though it's recognized for what it is, he finds it too hard to turn within for the fulfillment he so relentlessly seeks. I see this in myself, too: the unwillingness to let go of illusions and dreams blocks the entry of higher ideals. To paraphrase a Bible verse, "That which I don't want, I do; that which I do want, I don't." Today I'm forgetting what I don't want and holding thought to what I do!

“Higher enjoyments alone can satisfy the cravings of immortal man. We cannot circumscribe happiness within the limits of personal sense. The senses confer no real enjoyment.”
Science & Health Page 60:31-3

September 28, 2011

ACIM Lesson #271 “Christ's is the vision I will use today."

Photo by Aaron Springston

[Marsha's thoughts]

This lesson causes me to consider how the way in which we place our attention affects our experience. Think for instance of monumental events in your life. What comes to my mind is having a baby and it seems everyone has one, too. Perhaps you just got a new car, and you see the same model everywhere you look. It's not surprising that we see what our attention directs, but it is surprising to me that we are so adamant about keeping our sight tuned to things which no longer serve us. A friend was recently telling me that after retirement from his job as an airplane mechanic, he had yet to find anything that interested him as much. He related that photography and bluegrass music intrigued him for a while, but then that passed and he was left disinterested once again. Upon reflection, this seems a natural progression. Only something which stirs us deeply and is a never-ending unfoldment can be the passion of a lifetime. For me, the learning to let go of the many perceptions I have of how things are, or how they ought to be, is a passion. The leaving behind, even to a minuscule degree, of these beliefs, and the replacement of them with the vision of God, is an adventure which allows every moment of this existence to be exciting and new. What my attention is fixed upon is what I see. So today I see through the eyes of the One, and I will do this by having a single Eye focused only on the Truth of Being. And if past experience has shown me anything, it is that what thought is consumed by is what appears before my eyes!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Agassiz, through his microscope, saw the sun in an egg at a point of so-called embryonic life. Because of his more spiritual vision, St. John saw an "angel standing in the sun." The Revelator beheld the spiritual idea from the mount of vision. Purity was the symbol of Life and Love.”

Science & Health Page 561:5-10

September 27, 2011

ACIM Lesson #270
“I will not use the body's eyes today.”


From Sandy Starbird's fabric primal images series



“Father, Christ's vision is Your gift to me, and it has power to translate all that the body's eyes behold into the sight of a forgiven world.

 

[Marsha's thoughts]

Being part of the art community in Eureka Springs brings many opportunities to see through others' eyes into the depth of their connections to All That Is. I love talking to these artists in the Eureka Thyme Family and seeing their reflections come to life in physical form! And from these reflections emanate energies seen to all who are willing to look within. Love is the creator and Love is the appreciator. In these times of shifting thought, many of us are frightened by the feelings and insights we are having. Our artists lead the way fearlessly because they are accustomed to allowing other-dimensional energy into their experience. But even those used to being this conduit for spirit are feeling a difference in the flow. It could be interpreted as a blockage, but it can also be the calm before the deluge of never-before-felt creation. As their egos move away from center stage, something else is opening up and bringing forth guidance. And by the act of looking upon these palpably loving works of Art, I am taken to other realms of sight. The expressions take me past the obvious into the ethereal. Every instance of this "seeing through the veil" brings us closer to our goal of seeing that way all the time. Slipping into the silence between thoughts, seeing past the obvious, hearing within -- all this and more seek our awareness. Listen, See, Be.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Spiritual vision is not subordinate to geometric altitudes. Whatever is governed by God, is never for an instant deprived of the light and might of intelligence and Life.”

Science & Health Page 215:11-13

September 26, 2011

ACIM Lesson #269
“My sight goes forth to look upon Christ's face.”


[ACIM prayer for the day]
“I ask Your blessing on my sight today. It is the means which You have chosen to become the way to show me my mistakes, and look beyond them. It is given me to find a new perception through the Guide You gave to me, and through His lessons to surpass perception and return to truth. I ask for the illusion which transcends all those I made. Today I choose to see a world forgiven, in which everyone shows me the face of Christ, and teaches me that what I look upon belongs to me; that nothing is, except Your holy Son.”

[ACIM commentary]

“Today our sight is blessed indeed. We share one vision, as we look upon the face of Him Whose Self is ours. We are one because of Him Who is the Son of God; of Him Who is our own Identity.”




[Marsha's thoughts]

First I must mention that Christ is not Jesus. Jesus was a man who was here to show us the Truth of our Being. Christ is the Sprit, God (if you will) which is the essence of everything. Source, The Christ, The Universe, Harold -- it really doesn't matter what you call It, because It simply Is. So this face of Christ that we are looking at today is what you see when you look in the mirror, what you see when you look at your loved ones, what you see when you look at your so-called enemies -- it is everything, minus the material beliefs and learned behaviors which we are impelled to attach to it. Some people tell me that it's impossible to see past all our learned behaviors, that we can't let go and freely see in a way other than we're accustomed to doing. I say why not?? Well, I've just had a two-hour conversation with a friend who told me lots of reasons why not! And every one of them was the same: fear. I questioned him relentlessly when one of these "reasons" would surface. It seems he's afraid of leaving a hole in his ego; almost as though he fears he would implode if anything is taken away -- whether it's serving him or making him miserable, it makes no difference. Although he isn't ready to accept any definition of forgiveness I could come up with, he was able to admit a possibility of being at peace within himself. And I look upon God's face.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“The eternal Truth destroys what mortals seem to have learned from error, and man's real existence as a child of God comes to light.”
Science and Health Page 288:31–1

September 25, 2011

ACIM Lesson #268
“Let all things be exactly as they are.”


[ACIM prayer for the day]
“Let me not be Your critic, Lord, today, and judge against You. Let me not attempt to interfere with Your creation, and distort it into sickly forms. Let me be willing to withdraw my wishes from its unity, and thus to let it be as You created it. For thus will I be able, too, to recognize my Self as You created me. In love was I created, and in love will I remain forever. What can frighten me, when I let all things be exactly as they are.”

[ACIM commentary]
“Let not our sight be blasphemous today, nor let our ears attend to lying tongues. Only reality is free of pain. Only reality is free of loss. Only reality is wholly safe. And it is only this we seek today.”

Joy in Mongolia with Principia students

[Marsha's thoughts]

What is, is. Some people have told me they don't like this saying, or that they don't know what it means, or that it makes no sense. But that's not going to stop me from saying it, because saying it helps me to mean it! I don't want to look for a cause for anything unlike good, it just is. Nor will I justify ugly thoughts and actions from myself. What is, is. BUT I will recognize that there is only One Cause and that single One Cause is the only Source of any effect realized in my life. The spiritual, metaphysical Truth of all that is IS All That Is! There is no cause for anything unlike good, God, and so its seeming reality can be challenged with divine authority. Erroneous thoughts of any sort are the same as a dark closet in a light room. When you open the door, the dark doesn't escape into the light. The light dispels the darkness. And so it is with our realization of unrealities which seem so solid. And when we open the door and acknowledge the Truth, anything unlike God, good, simply dissipates before the certainty of light. I needn't judge or condemn anything I see or do. I need only acknowledge the Truth of how things are. Namaste~~~

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Man and his Maker are correlated in divine Science, and real consciousness is cognizant only of the things of God.”
Science and Health Page 276: 9-10

September 24, 2011

ACIM Lesson #267

“My heart is beating in the peace of God.


Surrounding me is all the life that God created in His Love. It calls to me in every heartbeat and in every breath; in every action and in every thought. Peace fills my heart, and floods my body with the purpose of forgiveness. Now my mind is healed, and all I need to save the world is given me. Each heartbeat brings me peace; each breath infuses me with strength. I am a messenger of God, directed by His Voice, sustained by Him in love, and held forever quiet and at peace within His loving Arms. Each heartbeat calls His Name, and every one is answered by His Voice, assuring me I am at home in Him.”


[ACIM prayer for the day]
“Let me attend Your Answer, not my own. Father, my heart is beating in the peace the Heart of Love created. It is there and only there that I can be at home.”

Sherry Young's Quan Yin

 [Marsha's thoughts]

Today I met four wonderful women who meet here every year for vacation. They have made lots of friends in past stays, and I was very pleased when they invited me to their place for dinner. While listening to their happy banter, it became clear that they think Eureka Springs is utopia, in that no one lives in "reality" here. I certainly can see why they think that, as we seem to have a different sense of time, of what is and is not "appropriate", and then there's that total sureness that we're on the "right track". Living the "peace of God" may seem like a fantasy to those who abide by the laws of materiality. Some think we're delusional, or sticking our heads in the sand, or denying reality in favor of wishful thinking. But that's okay! When you know the Truth of being, put it into practice in daily life, and watch the demonstration of it bloom in your every activity, your "heart is beating in the peace of God". And that state of mind does more for the world than all the preaching we may be tempted to do!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“More effectual than the forum are our states of mind, to bless mankind”
Pulpit and Press, p. 87

September 23, 2011

ACIM Lesson #266

“My holy Self abides in you, God's Son.”


[ACIM prayer for the day]
“Father, You gave me all Your Sons, to be my saviors and my counselors in sight; the bearers of Your holy Voice to me. In them are You reflected, and in them does Christ look back upon me from my Self. Let not Your Son forget Your holy Name. Let not Your Son forget his holy Source. Let not Your Son forget his Name is Yours.”

[ACIM commentary]
“This day we enter into Paradise, calling upon God's Name and on our own, acknowledging our Self in each of us; united in the holy Love of God. How many saviors God has given us! How can we lose the way to Him, when He has filled the world with those who point to Him, and given us the sight to look on them.”

[Marsha's thoughts]
What opportunities we will have to see God today! In every action and interaction we will have a chance to see the Divine. Our tourist town is known for its friendly and helpful shopkeepers. Numerous times a day people mention to me how nice everyone has been to them. Upon reflection,, I see that it’s easy to be nice to those who are nice to us. And so I look forward to the occasional "tough cookie" who will allow me to see if I'm truly looking past the illusion! Recently, a woman was in my gallery who had nothing but complaints and wanted to tell me about them in detail. At one point she was expounding on how awful her husband was. And so I asked her if she liked him! And she looked startled and said, Why yes, I do!! And I said, Well, that's all that matters. For a moment, at the very least, the mesmerism was broken and she was in another reality. One of my favorite stories that Wayne Dyer tells is of walking on the beach and meeting someone who has just moved to the neighborhood. The person asks what people are like here, and he asks in return what the people are like where they came from. The person replies that everyone is kind and it was a great place to live. He responds, That's pretty much what you'll find here, too. At another time he's walking on the beach and the same scenario occurs, but this time the person responds that the place they left was filled with rude, stand-off-ish people. He responds, That's pretty much what you'll find here. Today I will express my holy Self and expect nothing other than that to be bounced back from all I meet. And when it's not, I'll listen expectantly for something which will break the spell!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“He that touches the hem of Christ’s robe and masters his mortal beliefs, animality, and hate, rejoices in the proof of healing,—in a sweet and certain sense that God is Love”.
Science & Health Page 569: 11-14

September 22, 2011

ACIM Lesson #265
“Creation's gentleness is all I see.


I have indeed misunderstood the world, because I laid my sins on it and saw them looking back at me. How fierce they seemed! And how deceived was I to think that what I feared was in the world, instead of in my mind alone. Today I see the world in the celestial gentleness with which creation shines. There is no fear in it. Let no appearance of my sins obscure the light of Heaven shining on the world. What is reflected there is in God's Mind. The images I see reflect my thoughts. Yet is my mind at one with God's. And so I can perceive creation's gentleness.”


[ACIM prayer for today]


Angelo leading drumming in Eureka Springs



“In quiet would I look upon the world, which but reflects Your Thoughts, and mine as well. Let me remember that they are the same, and I will see creation's gentleness.”

 [Marsha's thoughts]

Gentleness and joy are realized in numerous ways, and one of my favorites is a drumming which occurs at the slightest provocation in Eureka Springs. When one drum is played, the others vibrate in happy unison. When a number of people come together in a joyous activity, they too join the vibration in Oneness objectified. It's a gently powerful experience to be a part of this, and playing a drum is not necessary to feel the unity of the gathering. Like birds dipping and diving without running into each other, while they joyfully play with a freedom which seems hard for us to experience, the rhythms of the drum circle metamorphosize as the two-hour melding progresses. The gentleness which is expressed in these loudly happy gatherings is surprising. At first glance, it may sound like a meaningless cacophony. But if you sit with it for a while, it opens a space within not often noticed. And so, dear friends, let's be on the lookout for experiences which open us to feeling the reality of Oneness. And gentleness isn't always a fuzzy kitten. It could be a roaring symphony!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The new birth is not the work of a moment. It begins with moments, and goes on with years; moments of surrender to God, of childlike trust and joyful adoption of good; moments of self-abnegation, self-consecration, heaven-born hope, and spiritual love.” Miscellaneous Writings, 1883-1896, p. 15

September 21, 2011

ACIM Lesson #264

“I am surrounded by the Love of God.”


[ACIM prayer for the day] “Father, You stand before me and behind, beside me, in the place I see myself, and everywhere I go. You are in all the things I look upon, the sounds I hear, and every hand that reaches for my own. In You time disappears, and place becomes a meaningless belief. For what surrounds Your Son and keeps him safe is Love itself. There is no source but this, and nothing is that does not share its holiness; that stands beyond Your one creation, or without the Love which holds all things within itself. Father, Your Son is like Yourself. We come to You in Your Own Name today, to be at peace within Your everlasting Love.”

[ACIM commentary]
“My brothers, join with me in this today. This is salvation's prayer. Must we not join in what will save the world, along with us?”

                                                                                     [Marsha's thoughts]
It is a constant meditation to look through the brainwashing which comes at us from everywhere. The media permeates our every waking moment -- if we let it. Having spent two hours in the laundromat with a radio playing in the background, it was graphically brought into focus how insane the content was! The songs were totally inane and yet mesmerizing, the commercials were mostly for drugs and disease, the news -- yikes!! When I stop and think about it, almost everything out there carries these messages to us. It even seems collective consciousness gives us no choice. But this is the illusion, this is not the consciousness of the Love that is God, the Love that permeates everything, leaving no room for anything else to intrude. There is no other true power. "Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach me." (MBE) "I am surrounded by the Love of God." (ACIM) Today I will know that this is True.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Think of this, dear reader, for it will lift the sackcloth from your eyes, and you will behold the soft-winged dove descending upon you. The very circumstance, which your suffering sense deems wrathful and afflictive, Love can make an angel entertained unawares. Then thought gently whispers: Come hither! Arise from your false consciousness into the true sense of Love, and behold the Lamb's wife,--Love wedded to its own spiritual idea. Then cometh the marriage feast, for this revelation will destroy forever the physical plagues imposed by material sense.”
Science & Health Page 574: 25-6

September 20, 2011

ACIM Lesson #263

“My holy vision sees all things as pure.”

“Father, Your Mind created all that is, Your Spirit entered into it, Your Love gave life to it. And would I look upon what You created as if it could be made sinful? I would not perceive such dark and fearful images. A madman's dream is hardly fit to be my choice, instead of all the loveliness with which You blessed creation; all its purity, its joy, and its eternal, quiet home in You.”

“And while we still remain outside the gate of Heaven, let us look on all we see through holy vision and the eyes of Christ. Let all appearances seem pure to us, that we may pass them by in innocence, and walk together to our Father's house as brothers and the holy Sons of God.”

                                                                    [Marsha's thoughts]

Photo by Richard Quick

In reflecting upon "my holy vision which sees all things as pure", many instances come to mind when I have seen with these eyes, and quite a few jumped out as existing only in material messes. I am refusing to dwell on the latter, dismissing their unreality with a smile, and seeing no need to revisit them further than a nod in passing. Just today I've been presented with a circumstance which seemed to have no good resolution, with someone being left out regardless of the good intentions involved. Shortly after I allowed about a hundred possibilities to run through thought, I caught onto the futility of these intellectual choices and settled into a quiet space of listening. Almost immediately an interesting possibility came to mind! A very exciting option for all involved! And who knows where this will lead these two dear people when the idea is presented to them? Not me personally, that's for sure. But I have complete trust that the situation will be viewed through the pure vision of our real Being, allowing all the seeming problems to disappear into their actual nothingness.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The age has not wholly outlived the sense of ghostly beliefs. It still holds them more or less. Time has not yet reached eternity, immortality, complete reality. All the real is eternal. Perfection underlies reality. Without perfection, nothing is wholly real. All things will continue to disappear, until perfection appears and reality is reached. We must give up the spectral at all points. We must not continue to admit the somethingness of superstition, but we must yield up all belief in it and be wise. When we learn that error is not real, we shall be ready for progress, ‘forgetting those things which are behind.’”

Science & Health Page 353:13-24

September 19, 2011

ACIM Lesson #262
“Let me perceive no differences today.”


[ACIM prayer for the day]
“Father, You have one Son. And it is he that I would look upon today. He is Your one creation. Why should I perceive a thousand forms in what remains as one? Why should I give this one a thousand names, when only one suffices? For Your Son must bear Your Name, for You created him. Let me not see him as a stranger to his Father, nor as stranger to myself. For he is part of me and I of him, and we are part of You Who are our Source, eternally united in Your Love; eternally the holy Son of God.”

[ACIM commentary]
“We who are one would recognize this day the truth about ourselves. We would come home, and rest in unity. For there is peace, and nowhere else can peace be sought and found.”

                                                                                     [Marsha's thoughts]

To the uninitiated in divinely metaphysical thought, the first sentence above might appear to be saying that Jesus is being singled out when One Son is referenced. And he is, but in the inclusive sense that we All are! This consciousness which Jesus tried to show us IS that true being which we speak of so often. This one Mind, Life, Truth, Love -- God, if you will -- cannot be split between you and me, it cannot shine from one and not the other. William Blake says it well: "I am in you and you in me, mutual in divine Love." which means that the perfection we are learning to see as ourselves also is everyone else. I often tell people “We’re all in this together”, but I think I’ll change it to “We are all this – together!” I love the study of this Science of Being, as every day -- every moment -- revelations of thought bring us to the understanding of how this Truth sets us free!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science.”

Science and Health Page 469:30–5

September 18, 2011

ACIM Lesson #261

“God is my refuge and security.

I will identify with what I think is refuge and security. I will behold myself where I perceive my strength, and think I live within the citadel where I am safe and cannot be attacked. Let me today seek not security in danger, nor attempt to find my peace in murderous attack. I live in God. In Him I find my refuge and my strength. In Him is my Identity. In Him is everlasting peace. And only there will I remember Who I really am.”

“Let me not seek for idols. I would come, my Father, home to You today. I choose to be as You created me, and find the Son whom You created as my Self.”

 [Marsha's thoughts]

We all are in the process of lightening our load. I see us getting rid of unneeded things in so many ways. All the clutter in our surroundings and inner self must go! The last time I changed residences was 16 years ago. At that time, I got rid of every possession I didn't feel was absolutely necessary. It was a freeing act which facilitated dropping the sad and perhaps guilt-filled memories from the past decade of combined illness, death, divorces, and other drama-filled events. And so I know it is part of the process, this freeing of ourselves from outer shackles in order to spur us to let go of inner turmoil. Or is it letting go of the inner turmoil which spurs getting rid of “stuff”? This letting go seems to involve a reciprocal effect, in that the more we let go of either, the more we let go of the other! Recently, I’ve noticed that the simplicity of the surroundings I chose many years ago has disappeared. Just as we accumulate more and more books and music and all sorts of things, so we also accumulate so-called emotional baggage. Now is the time to take more positive action toward this cleansing which allows the Source of all true refuge and security to be realized in its totality. I Am, God Is, I Am…

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Citizens of the world, accept the ‘glorious liberty of the children of God,’ and be free! This is your divine right. The illusion of material sense, not divine law, has bound you, entangled your free limbs, crippled your capacities, enfeebled your body, and defaced the tablet of your being.”

Science& Health Page 227:24-29

September 17, 2011

ACIM Lesson #260

“Let me remember God created me.”

ACIM Prayer:“Father, I did not make myself, although in my insanity I thought I did. Yet, as Your Thought, I have not left my Source, remaining part of Who created me. Your Son, my Father, calls on You today. Let me remember You created me. Let me remember my Identity. And let my sinlessness arise again before Christ's vision, through which I would look upon my brothers and myself today.”



“Now is our Source remembered, and Therein we find our true Identity at last. Holy indeed are we, because our Source can know no sin. And we who are His Sons are like each other, and alike to Him.”

[Marsha's thoughts]

In today's remembering of our true creation, I think of reminders of the Truth of our Being. Many moments of perfect peace and joy stand out in memory, and it's easy to think replicating them is what this study is all about. And maybe it is! But that's beside the point. As there is only one cause, God, the effects we experience can only be from this original Cause. Each experience we have is individual, as this Cause is infinite. Today I will remember not to limit God through my expectations. I know people who feel they must meditate for hours a day in order to feel the presence of God. Some may think they can only have this experience in a certain place. One of my favorite books is "Practicing the Presence" by Joel Goldsmith. A central point of his writing is that the only way to experience true Being as the image and likeness of God is through silent communion. This listening Within doesn't need to be long, but it does need to be thorough. Through that thoroughness, it eventually becomes perpetual. And so today I surrender thoroughly and experience what that yielding brings.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Infinite Mind creates and governs all, from the mental molecule to infinity. This divine Principle of all expresses Science and art throughout His creation, and the immortality of man and the universe. Creation is ever appearing, and must ever continue to appear from the nature of its inexhaustible source. Mortal sense inverts this appearing and calls ideas material. Thus misinterpreted, the divine idea seems to fall to the level of a human or material belief, called mortal man. But the seed is in itself, only as the divine Mind is All and reproduces all--as Mind is the multiplier, and Mind's infinite idea, man and the universe, is the product. The only intelligence or substance of a thought, a seed, or a flower is God, the creator of it. Mind is the Soul of all. Mind is Life, Truth, and Love which governs all.”
Science & Health Page 507:24-8

September 16, 2011

ACIIM Lesson #259

“Let me remember that there is no sin.”

“Sin is the only thought that makes the goal of God seem unattainable. What else could blind us to the obvious, and make the strange and the distorted seem more clear? What else but sin engenders our attacks? What else but sin could be the source of guilt, demanding punishment and suffering? And what but sin could be the source of fear, obscuring God's creation; giving love the attributes of fear and of attack?”

[ACIM prayer for the day]
“Father, I would not be insane today. I would not be afraid of love, nor seek for refuge in its opposite. For love can have no opposite. You are the Source of everything there is. And everything that is remains with You, and You with it.”

"Olive Tree"
Charcoal by Susan DeRosa

[Marsha's thoughts]
How often we feel we've transgressed some material law and are being punished for it! I had a situation today where this seemed so. After completing a few hours of bookkeeping work on my little eBook, the elderly machine decided it couldn't stay turned on for more than a minute or so and also wouldn't connect to the internet. It seemed the completed work would have to be redone because there was no way to get it off the pitiful Linux-based system. To complete my punishment, I had been prompted to do this monthly chore for the first time on the iPad, but was in a rush and didn't want to try something new, so stuck with what was familiar, even though I had a "feeling" it should be done another way. I had allowed a separation in thought from God by not listening and following up on this inner prompt. Everything I needed to do was waiting for me to accept it, but egotistical knowing once again pushed the still, small voice aside. I again felt punished when thinking of the extra time and effort all this would entail. But instead of thinking of possibilities and time schedules, I quietly went about doing other things and after an hour or so it came to me to try again with a totally cooled down computer. And it stayed on for long enough to print the information to paper. I tell you all this to illustrate that when we totally surrender our plans, we are led in harmonious ways. Also, it's never too late to choose again and find solutions. This way of total Trust always takes us where we need to be in any situation.


Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Question: Is there no sin?
Answer: All reality is in God and His creation, harmonious and eternal. That which He creates is good, and He makes all that is made. Therefore the only reality of sin, sickness, or death is the awful fact that unrealities seem real to human, erring belief, until God strips off their disguise. They are not true, because they are not of God.”
Science & Health Page 472:23-30

September 15, 2011

ACIM Lesson #258
“Let me remember that my goal is God.”



“All that is needful is to train our minds to overlook all little senseless aims, and to remember that our goal is God. His memory is hidden in our minds, obscured but by our pointless little goals which offer nothing, and do not exist. Shall we continue to allow God's grace to shine in unawareness, while the toys and trinkets of the world are sought instead? God is our only goal, our only Love. We have no aim but to remember Him.”


ACIM Prayer for today:
"Our goal is but to follow in the way that leads to You. We have no goal but this. What could we want but to remember You? What could we seek but our Identity?"

Dancing on Cosmic Jello
from Sandy Wythawai Starbird

[Marsha's thoughts]
Many of us have gone through life feeling there is something missing; that there's an empty place which can never be filled. When we discover that it's not something lacking in us that we must find, we get very excited! This "training of our minds" which is spoken of in today's lesson is not some sort of system of mind control, it's not hypnotism or cult-like obedience -- on the contrary! We train our minds to recognize and release all the "senseless aims ... and pointless little goals" which have become life practices, learned behaviors which come at us from a multitude of sources. Then we are able to see what they have obscured: the only Source from which all reality flows. The insights and answers which appear in our lives are often thought of as serendipitous, which implies an element of luck. This is yet again something we have made up to explain the inexplicable. But spiritual sense needs no explanation. A mere glimpse through these eyes is enough to convince us of our true Identity.


Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Spiritual sense is a conscious, constant capacity to understand God. It shows the superiority of faith by works over faith in words. Its ideas are expressed only in ‘new tongues;’ and these are interpreted by the translation of the spiritual original into the language which human thought can comprehend.”
Science & Health Page 209:31-4

September 14, 2011

ACIM Lesson #257

“Let me remember what my purpose is.”


“If I forget my goal I can be but confused, unsure of what I am, and thus conflicted in my actions. No one can serve contradicting goals and serve them well. Nor can he function without deep distress and great depression. Let us therefore be determined to remember what we want today, that we may unify our thoughts and actions meaningfully, and achieve only what God would have us do this day.”


ACIM prayer for today:
“Father, forgiveness is Your chosen means for our salvation. Let us not forget today that we can have no will but Yours. And thus our purpose must be Yours as well, if we would reach the peace You will for us.”

[Marsha's thoughts]
I love the first sentence in the commentary above: "If I forget my goal, I can be but confused ..."! Looking back over the last half-century, I see many times of major confusion, and lots of minor confusions which flutter around constantly, asking for more room to spread their wings. I like seeing them from this standpoint, that these confusions are nothing more than times when I've forgotten that my Life is Spirit. So then I wonder, What is this purpose I am to remember? It's unfolding every moment, and all I need do is show up and be willing. Willing to be open-hearted, open-minded -- just open! -- with no expectations and no plans of how things should be. It's tempting to think of this as undisciplined, and others may be critical of this attitude. But I can attest to the fact that wandering around in college for five years perfectly prepared me for free-lance court reporting, and thirty years of dipping into the minds of every type of humanity while in that profession was a great background for the things I'm doing today. And none of it could have been planned. Today I think of this as listening and following. Then, I didn't think of it at all …


Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Jesus urged the commandment, Thou shalt have no other gods before me," which may be rendered: Thou shalt have no belief of Life as mortal; thou shalt not know evil, for there is one Life,-- even God, good. He rendered "unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." He at last paid no homage to forms of doctrine or to theories of man, but acted and spake as he was moved, not by spirits but by Spirit."
Science & Health Page 19:29-5

September 13, 2011

ACIM Lesson #256

“God is the only goal I have today.”

“The way to God is through forgiveness here. There is no other way. If sin had not been cherished by the mind, what need would there have been to find the way to where you are? Who would still be uncertain? Who could be unsure of who he is? And who would yet remain asleep, in heavy clouds of doubt about the holiness of him whom God created sinless? Here we can but dream. But we can dream we have forgiven him in whom all sin remains impossible, and it is this we choose to dream today. God is our goal; forgiveness is the means by which our minds return to Him at last.”


[ACIM prayer for today]
“And so, our Father, would we come to You in Your appointed way. We have no goal except to hear Your Voice, and find the way Your sacred Word has pointed out to us.”

Photo by Jim Young

[Marsha's thoughts]
It seems simplistic to state that I'm only going to think about God today. But when I analyze this thought, it's pretty inclusive! If it's true that God is All, that God is synonymous with Life, Truth, Love, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Mind, as Mary Baker Eddy declares -- then how can we do anything other than think of God?? When seeing ourselves as a reflection of God, as embodying all these attributes of God, it becomes easier to see ourselves as the consciousness of all good, from which nothing need be added or taken away. "God is the only goal I have today." "There is but one primal cause." What effect can there be, what end result can occur, other than a realization that God is all there is? And so it will be easy to attain this goal today, because nothing else exists!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“There is but one primal cause. Therefore there can be no effect from any other cause, and there can be no reality in aught which does not proceed from this great and only cause.”
Science & Health Page 207:20-22

September 12, 2011

ACIM Lesson #255

“This day I choose to spend in perfect peace.


It does not seem to me that I can choose to have but peace today. And yet, my God assures me that His Son is like Himself. Let me this day have faith in Him Who says I am God's Son. And let the peace I choose be mine today bear witness to the truth of what He says. God's Son can have no cares, and must remain forever in the peace of Heaven. In His Name, I give today to finding what my Father wills for me, accepting it as mine, and giving it to all my Father's Sons, along with me.”


[ACIM prayer for the day]
"And so, my Father, would I pass this day with You. Your Son has not forgotten You. The peace You gave him still is in his mind, and it is there I choose to spend today."

Photo by Dale Johnson

[Marsha's thoughts]
If you weren't afraid, what would you choose to do today? To choose perfect peace as our reality is to reject fear and worry. To reject fear and worry is to have an absolute trust in divine Love's presence within us at every moment. The word "absolute" has been showing up everywhere for me, so I decided to see if I know what it means. According to Mr. Webster it is: complete, unadulterated, perfect, not mixed, free from restriction, unlimited. Absolute peace sounds perfect! As I move through the activities of this day, I will remember to live absolutely in the moment, enjoying each perfect moment absolutely, with absolute trust that I am reflecting the One absolute Truth, and peace is the only reality.

Mary Baked Eddy quote:
“This material world is even now becoming the arena for conflicting forces. On one side there will be discord and dismay; on the other side there will be Science and peace. The breaking up of material beliefs may seem to be famine and pestilence, want and woe, sin, sickness, and death, which assume new phases until their nothingness appears. These disturbances will continue until the end of error, when all discord will be swallowed up in spiritual Truth.” Science & Health Page 92:12-20

September 11, 2011

ACIM Lesson #254
“Let every voice but God's be still in me.”


[ACIM Prayer for the day]
“Father, today I would but hear Your Voice. In deepest silence I would come to You, to hear Your Voice and to receive Your Word. I have no prayer but this: I come to You to ask You for the truth. And truth is but Your Will, which I would share with You today.”


[ACIM commentary]
“Today we let no ego thoughts direct our words or actions. When such thoughts occur, we quietly step back and look at them, and then we let them go. We do not want what they would bring with them. And so we do not choose to keep them. They are silent now. And in the stillness, hallowed by His Love, God speaks to us and tells us of our will, as we have chosen to remember Him.”

 [Marsha's thoughts[
Today I met a young woman who told me that God was talking to all of us and it was time to listen. As we chatted briefly, she told a story of finding out her husband had a girlfriend, getting divorced, feeling hopeless, Then she left a job she didn't enjoy and followed her dream of starting a little antique/art store where she has lots of cool stuff like freshly ground coffee and books she wants to share with others: a place where everyone feels welcome. She tells me this happened because she listened to God. Now, this guidance can be called many things -- following your heart, listening for the still small voice, living your dream -- whatever it's called, it can only be heard by shutting out the ego thoughts, the material-based fears, all those other voices telling us we're not good enough, not capable enough, and to just stay put because it's safe there and who knows what might happen if you listen and turn in another direction. Well, I was very much buoyed by her joy and new-found confidence. And by the fact that she started the conversation by telling me that it was time to listen to God! She just made me want to shout Hallelujah!


Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Nature voices natural, spiritual law and divine Love, but human belief misinterprets nature. Arctic regions, sunny tropics, giant hills, winged winds, mighty billows, verdant vales, festive flowers, and glorious heavens,--all point to Mind, the spiritual intelligence they reflect. The floral apostles are hieroglyphs of Deity. Suns and planets teach grand lessons. The stars make night beautiful, and the leaflet turns naturally towards the light.”
Science & Health Page 240:1-9

Photo by Dale Johnson

September 10, 2011

ACIM Lesson #253

“My Self is ruler of the universe.


It is impossible that anything should come to me unbidden by myself. Even in this world, it is I who rule my destiny. What happens is what I desire. What does not occur is what I do not want to happen. This must I accept. For thus am I led past this world to my creations, children of my will, in Heaven where my holy Self abides with them and Him Who has created me.”


[ACIM prayer for today]
“You are the Self Whom You created Son, creating like Yourself and One with You. My Self, which rules the universe, is but Your Will in perfect union with my own, which can but offer glad assent to Yours, that it may be extended to Itself.”

Marsha's thoughts]
Every day's study tells us the same thing. In reality, there is only One. We are that One, and Its (Our) perfection is seen when we are able to look past the self and see The Self. So the question is, why do we do this every day if we already know what it is? Answering for myself, I see that moment-by-moment reminders are needed! After all, every thing we hear in the world is giving us those insistent, erroneous affirmations of a false reality as being all there is, and also that anything other than what we can touch and prove is unreality. How easy it is to feel "airy-fairy" or "Pollyanna-ish" to espouse the thought we're studying! And so we're called on to prove these metaphysical, spiritual, Principles. The way we think, the way we live, the way we interact with others and our environment, in all these ways and more we find ourselves demonstrating this Truth in the most unexpected ways! One of my favorite practices is in finding a parking space in our busy tourist town. If my thought is flustered and busy, there is no space for anything else and I block the Self that knows where to go and when. On the other hand, if I approach this in a quiet knowing that I'm always in the right place at the right time, then room is left for my Oneness to be demonstrated and shown forth in supplying my every need. When I listen, this is a reality. When I assert my superior knowledge and logic, it's always a toss-up!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“The pains of sense are salutary, if they wrench away false pleasurable beliefs and transplant the affections from sense to Soul, where the creations of God are good, 'rejoicing the heart.' Such is the sword of Science, with which Truth decapitates error, materiality giving place to man's higher individuality and destiny."
 Science & Health Page 265:31-5

September 9, 2011

ACIM Lesson #252

“The Son of God is my Identity.


My Self is holy beyond all the thoughts of holiness of which I now conceive. Its shimmering and perfect purity is far more brilliant than is any light that I have ever looked upon. Its love is limitless, with an intensity that holds all things within it, in the calm of quiet certainty. Its strength comes not from burning impulses which move the world, but from the boundless Love of God Himself. How far beyond this world my Self must be, and yet how near to me and close to God!”

[ACIM prayer for today]
“Father, You know my true Identity. Reveal It now to me who am Your Son, that I may waken to the truth in You, and know that Heaven is restored to me.”

[Marsha's thoughts]
Today I'm enjoying the metaphor of falling asleep in one's favorite chair. The coziness of it is hard to resist, and even though you may be doing something you enjoy and are engaged in -- such as active reading and writing -- the lure of oblivion is strong. But, then again, anything is possible in our dreams, so perhaps this falling into sleep isn't oblivion but a telling, of sorts, in order for us to experience what seems impossible in daily living. So I choose today to not worry if my waking dreams seem fraught with material limitations and unwanted beliefs, because I know these can be transformed in the "twinkling of an eye". This true Self with its shimmering, brilliant purity and limitless Love seems far from us when we're looking at life from the outside. And so today in my waking dream I will see this real identify as it looks from the inside, in the calm of quiet certainty, with exalted angel-thoughts leading me through this day. With each loving action I will catch glimpses of my true Identify and joyfully expect to see more!


Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“My angels are exalted thoughts, appearing at the door of some sepulchre, in which human belief has buried its fondest earthly hopes. With white fingers they point upward to a new and glorified trust, to higher ideals of life and its joys. Angels are God's representatives. These upward-soaring beings never lead towards self, sin, or materiality, but guide to the divine Principle of all good, whither every real individuality,image, or likeness of God, gathers. By giving earnest heed to these spiritual guides they tarry with us, and we entertain ‘angels unawares.’”
Science & Health Page 299: 7-17

September 8, 2011

ACIM Lesson #251

“I am in need of nothing but the truth.

I sought for many things, and found despair. Now do I seek but one, for in that one is all I need, and only what I need. All that I sought before I needed not, and did not even want. My only need I did not recognize. But now I see that I need only truth. In that all needs are satisfied, all cravings end, all hopes are finally fulfilled and dreams are gone. Now have I everything that I could need. Now have I everything that I could want. And now at last I find myself at peace.”


[ACIM prayer for today]
“And for that peace, our Father, we give thanks. What we denied ourselves You have restored, and only that is what we really want.”


[Marsha's thoughts]
How sublime it is to know I need nothing but the Truth! All worry and anxiety disappear when I'm not chasing something illusive which I can't quite name. Oh, sure, we may put lots of names on this je ne sais quoi -- names like success, fame, marriage. The list of personal fulfillments desired can be quite long. We are even encouraged to make these lists, to create affirmations surrounding them, to hold them in thought until they become realities in our existence. At this point, I must quote a Bible verse: "Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven [not forgetting another verse which tells that kingdom is within us] and all these things shall be added unto you." So let's set aside material desires, just as quickly as we turn from fears. And when these desires are no longer with us, the void left by them cries to be filled, and it's tempting to just let the old, outgrown expectations come back in. Today I choose to look only toward the Truth we are learning to recognize; to want nothing else; and to listen confidently for where that takes me.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Dost thou ‘love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind’? This command includes much, even the surrender of all merely material sensation, affection, and worship. This is the El Dorado of Christianity. It involves the Science of Life, and recognizes only the divine control of Spirit, in which Soul is our master, and material sense and human will have no place.”
Science & Health Page 9:17-24

September 7, 2011

ACIM Lesson #250
“Let me not see myself as limited.
Let me behold the Son of God today, and witness to his glory. Let me not try to obscure the holy light in him, and see his strength diminished and reduced to frailty; nor perceive the lacks in him with which I would

(ACIM Prayer for today)
“He is Your Son, my Father. And today I would behold his gentleness instead of my illusions. He is what I am, and as I see him so I see myself. Today I would see truly, that this day I may at last identify with him.”


(Marsha's thoughts)
This lesson reminds me of something which has come to my attention numerous times in the past few days. That is, the importance of refraining from talking about people's seeming mistakes and weaknesses, avoiding any negative banter concerning others, and not indulging in deprecating thoughts about onesself. All these activities are impediments to allowing consciousness to rise past the material picture of life to the other-dimensional realization of Life. There will be many opportunities to practice this today, even if we see no other people. By freeing ourselves of our stories, we free ourselves (and everyone!) to the actualization of our true identities.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“It would require an infinite form to contain infinite Mind. Indeed, the phrase infinite form involves a contradiction of terms. Finite man cannot be the image and likeness of the infinite God. A mortal, corporeal, or finite conception of God cannot embrace the glories of limitless, incorporeal Life and Love. Hence the unsatisfied human craving for something better, higher, holier, than is afforded by a material belief in a physical God and man. The insufficiency of this belief to supply the true idea proves the falsity of material belief.” Science & Health Page 257: 30-8

September 6, 2011

ACIM Lesson #249
“Forgiveness ends all suffering and loss.

Forgiveness paints a picture of a world where suffering is over, loss becomes impossible and anger makes no sense. Attack is gone, and madness has an end. What suffering is now conceivable? What loss can be sustained? The world becomes a place of joy, abundance, charity and endless giving. It is now so like to Heaven that it quickly is transformed into the light that it reflects. And so the journey which the Son of God began has ended in the light from which he came.”


[ACIM Prayer for the day]
“Father, we would return our minds to You. We have betrayed them, held them in a vise of bitterness, and frightened them with thoughts of violence and death. Now would we rest again in You, as You created us."

Lake Leatherwood

photograph by Gerry Toler

[Marsha's thoughts]
A few short years ago, the above words were rarely spoken of, and then only by the non-conformist, the spiritual rebel (if you will!) But every day we see and feel more proofs that this shift in consciousness is happening now -- and we're talking about it! Thanks, Oprah! And even when fictionalized, as in best-selling novels, these possibilities are easily translated into plausible realities, full with peace and harmony, understanding and demonstration. We each support this realization in our own way, and every instance of pure peace felt in a single moment, each yielding of personal sense, each acceptance, is bringing us closer to realizing this realm of Love, where we always were and ever will be.We are all much needed at this time to calm the tumultuous thought which fights the idea of such freedom!. And so today I forgive, renew my mind, and am transformed.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“God fashions all things, after His own likeness. Life is reflected in existence, Truth in truthfulness, God in goodness, which impart their own peace and permanence. Love, redolent with unselfishness, bathes all in beauty and light. The grass beneath our feet silently exclaims, "The meek shall inherit the earth." The modest arbutus sends her sweet breath to heaven. The great rock gives shadow and shelter. The sunlight glints from the church-dome, glances into the prison-cell, glides into the sick-chamber, brightens the flower, beautifies the landscape, blesses the earth. Man, made in His likeness, possesses and reflects God's dominion over all the earth. Man and woman as coexistent and eternal with God forever reflect, in glorified quality, the infinite Father-Mother God.”
Science & Health Page 516:9-23

September 5, 2011

ACIM Lesson #248

“Whatever suffers is not part of me.

I have disowned the truth. Now let me be as faithful in disowning falsity. Whatever suffers is not part of me. What grieves is not myself. What is in pain is but illusion in my mind. What dies was never living in reality, and did but mock the truth about myself. Now I disown self-concepts and deceits and lies about the holy Son of God. Now am I ready to accept him back as God created him, and as he is.”

(ACIM prayer for today)

“Father, my ancient love for You returns, and lets me love Your Son again as well. Father, I am as You created me. Now is Your Love remembered, and my own. Now do I understand that they are one.”

(Marsha's thoughts)

I am reminded of a family friend from long ago. She was a wonderful, spiritually-aware person who proved the Truth of the above statements. During the course of a year, her husband passed on, her daughter was in a car wreck which left her in a coma for months before she died, and her house burned down. While I know she felt pangs of grief and despair, she continued to live a life of loving and giving to others. When she herself passed some 20 years later, I am told she went with a smile on her face. I often think of her. "Whatever suffers is not a part of me". This is not a heartless statement, denying the feelings we have in favor of a hardness which allows no emotion. On the contrary! It's a pure Love which allows us to pass through the hard times with a firm understanding of the beauty of Truth. I've always found it best to totally wallow in sadness, to feel everything there is to feel there, and then rise to new heights with the knowledge that nothing can touch my true Self or change the reality of Love.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“A blundering dispatch, mistakenly announcing the death of a friend, occasions the same grief that the friend's real death would bring. You think that your anguish is occasioned by your loss. Another dispatch, correcting the mistake, heals your grief, and you learn that your suffering was merely the result of your belief. Thus it is with all sorrow, sickness, and death. You will learn at length that there is no cause for grief, and divine wisdom will then be understood. Error, not Truth, produces all the suffering on earth.”
Science & Health Page 386:16-25

September 4, 2011

ACIM Lesson #247
“Without forgiveness I will still be blind.

Sin is the symbol of attack. Behold it anywhere, and I will suffer. For forgiveness is the only means whereby Christ's vision comes to me. Let me accept what His sight shows me as the simple truth, and I am healed completely. Brother, come and let me look on you. Your loveliness reflects my own. Your sinlessness is mine. You stand forgiven, and I stand with you.”

[ACIM prayer for today]
“So would I look on everyone today. My brothers are Your Sons. Your Fatherhood created them, and gave them all to me as part of You, and my own Self as well. Today I honor You through them, and thus I hope this day to recognize my Self.”

[Marsha's Thoughts]

The topic of sin and forgiveness is a tough one. I feel this is because they are not a part of our real Being, and so we recoil at the words.  And that’s what this lesson today is about: the nothingness of sin and the meaning of forgiveness. I think of sin as being anything -- anything! -- which separates us from the Love that is God. And since we are the image and likeness of God, there can be no separation other than in our belief. Forgiveness isn't some sort of divine pardon, but a yielding within ourselves to the purity of our thought, without the impediments of holding on to memories of wrongdoing, resentment, and pains of all sorts -- and this letting go includes things which we think have been done to us and things we think we have done to others. So choose again, rest in Love, and go and sin no more!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Sin was, and is, the lying supposition that life, substance, and intelligence are both material and spiritual, and yet are separate from God,”
Mary Baker Eddy wrote in Retrospection and Introspection (p. 67)