September 1, 2012 - Where does our safety come from?

 A  Course in Miracles Lesson #244

“I am in danger nowhere in the world."

"Aaron in Zion National Park"
photo by Heather Magnan

Reading the above affirmation of our safety in any situation reminds me of a profound example of this Truth. A young woman was abducted from her college campus, tied up and blindfolded, and taken to a remote area. Throughout this trip, the woman continuously affirmed the One ever-presence which we all reflect. She affirmed this not only in relation to her well-being but also for the perpetrator.  After quite a while, the man stopped the car and apologized to the woman, at which point she shared some thoughts concerning the truth of his being. Then they proceeded back to her apartment so she could give him a copy of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. I'm sure we all have stories of instances of protection through seeming divine intervention. Let's not think of this as intervention, but as the way things really are; not a setting aside of material danger, but an understanding of the divine Principle of all being. By this, we rest in the assurance that all is well. This knowledge has enabled me to peacefully know my son is safe during numerous travels. He's been away from home since he was 14, and flitting around the globe on his own since he was 19. Friends have wondered how I can be so calm and free from worry about him. It's because I know where his safety lies -- as does he.

Mary Baker Eddy poem:

Mother's Evening Prayer

O gentle presence, peace and joy and power;

         O Life divine, that owns each waiting hour,

Thou Love that guards the nestling's faltering flight!

         Keep Thou my child on upward wing tonight.

Love is our refuge; only with mine eye

         Can I behold the snare, the pit, the fall:

His habitation high is here, and nigh,

         His arm encircles me, and mine, and all.

O make me glad for every scalding tear,

         For hope deferred, ingratitude, disdain!

Wait, and love more for every hate, and fear

         No ill, — since God is good, and loss is gain.

Beneath the shadow of His mighty wing;

         In that sweet secret of the narrow way,

Seeking and finding, with the angels sing:

         "Lo, I am with you alway," — watch and pray.

No snare, no fowler, pestilence or pain;

         No night drops down upon the troubled breast,

When heaven's aftersmile earth's tear-drops gain,

         And mother finds her home and heav'nly rest.

(Poems by Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 4, 5)

August 31, 2012 - Judging Nothing

"Happy or Sad? - World Cup 2006"

A Course in Miracles Lesson #243

“Today I will judge nothing that occurs."

It seems as if we're expected to judge everything all the time. Which political party is right? Should there be a deer hunt in downtown Eureka Springs? What's wrong with our educational system and what can be done to fix it? The list is endless. How is it possible to "judge nothing that occurs"? This practice of non-judgment is a constant meditation with me, and I must admit I often feel like a failure at it. (Which in itself is a judgment!) This basic metaphysical precept of letting go and letting God, realizing that we of our own selves know nothing, facilitates giving up judgment because how can we judge what we do not know? And so I will continue to make note that my opinion is simply that: an opinion, not a Universal Truth. I thank Mr. Shakespeare for a thought that is in the front of Science & Health: "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established.”

Science and Health Page 467:9-13

August 30, 2012 - Centering Thought

"Salt Lake City Sunrise"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #242

“This day is God's. It is my gift to Him."

What's the first thing you think in the morning? It's easy to immediately start making plans for the day, thinking of what to do first and how to do it. Obviously there are many things to be attended, but as often as not our plans must change -- due to a multitude of factors. To give this day to God is to listen for intuition to lead the way. Starting our day with clear, spiritual thought allows this intuition to be heard more easily, without that back-and-forth volley we fall into when weighing the possibilities of our actions. I'm not sure how people manage who must begin to speak to others when they first wake up. As a child, I found it upsetting to be forced to talk first thing in the morning. Even then, I innately knew that silence, a certain centering, needed to occur before facing the cacophony of daily life. But even with this centering of thought, there is still that first moment upon awakening and that last thought before falling asleep at night. Through our studies, we have many quotations on which to call to start and end our day. I have no ritual to these moments; no set prayers or by-rote actions, but simply a clearing of thought and acceptance of what comes. The practice of turning every thought away from worrying and wondering "what-if" is sufficient to supply me with everything I need to walk this path. And it's exciting to see what will unfold!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Emerge gently from matter into Spirit. Think not to thwart the spiritual ultimate of all things, but come naturally into Spirit through better health and morals and as the result of spiritual growth.”

Science & Health Page 485:13-16

August 29, 2012 - Celebration of Seers

A Course in Miracles Lesson #241

 “This holy instant is salvation come."

"Sunburst in Zion National Park"
photo by Aaron Springston

For millennia we have been moving toward this point of awakened consciousness! We celebrate joy today, as sorrow and pain pass away. As part of this celebration, I am going to be remembering seers whose words have awakened the knowledge of salvation within me. These seers are people who have become a part of us all, who are so prominent that they are often in our conversations and thoughts. I want to remember the salvation which was passed to us by John Lennon, Emerson, Shakespeare, Rumi. I will celebrate those whose words have encouraged me to live Truth, through knowing I'm not the only one who feels this way. And while visiting these words I love, I will know that this salvation is not only something to be desired, but that it is here, now, for the remembering.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The ancient prophets gained their foresight from a spiritual, incorporeal standpoint, not by foreshadowing evil and mistaking fact for fiction,--predicting the future from a groundwork of corporeality and human belief. When sufficiently advanced in Science to be in harmony with the truth of being, men become seers and prophets involuntarily, controlled not by demons, spirits, or demigods, but by the one Spirit. It is the prerogative of the ever-present, divine Mind, and of thought which is in rapport with this Mind, to know the past, the present, and the future.

Acquaintance with the Science of being enables us to commune more largely with the divine Mind, to foresee and foretell events which concern the universal welfare, to be divinely inspired,--yea, to reach the range of fetterless Mind.”

Science & Health Page 84:3-18

August 28, 2012 - Fear or Excitement?

"Aaron in Zion National Park"
photo by Heather Magnan

A Course in Miracles Lesson #240

“Fear is not justified in any form."

Living in familiar patterns, moving through our days in similar ways, saying the same things, thinking the same thoughts -- all these habits seem to bring us comfort. Even if the conditions of our lives are not bringing us happiness, we fear change. Perhaps all fear stems from a resistance to change!  We sometimes say, "Something told me I should do so-and-so". We often hear this calling, this inner voice leading us toward a different path than we're on, but we feel it takes courage to walk a road less or never traveled, and so we settle. To settle for anything which brings us less than joyful existence is to dishonor ourselves, which is to dishonor God. The next time I think I'm feeling this thing we think of as fear, I choose to interpret the emotion as excitement about what will come next!!

Mary Baker Eddy quotes:

“Had Blondin believed it impossible to walk the rope over Niagara's abyss of waters, he could never have done it. His belief that he could do it gave his thought-forces, called muscles, their flexibility and power which the unscientific might attribute to a lubricating oil. His fear must have disappeared before his power of putting resolve into action could appear.”

Science & Health Page 199:25-31

“Walking in the light, we are accustomed to the light and require it; we cannot see in darkness. But eyes accustomed to darkness are pained by the light. When outgrowing the old, you should not fear to put on the new. Your advancing course may provoke envy, but it will also attract respect.”

Science & Health Page 452:7-12

August 27, 2012 - False Humility?

"Eureka Springs Eternal"
fabric creation by Sandy Starbird

A Course in Miracles Lesson #239

“The glory of my Father is my own"

The truth about ourselves is often hidden by a false humility, as today's workbook lesson in ACIM tells us. This "false humility" we use to hide the truth about ourselves can take many forms. It's usually easy to catch ourselves in self-deprecating actions, which we deem to be humility, but actually are expressions of our inability to accept the glory of our true Selves. But there are many insidious ways we reject Truth. Many of us take things personally and we feel attacked when we hear news of governmental actions. Perhaps friends’ words seem to bring hurt feelings. Maybe our co-workers' rivalry is hard to handle. These and thousands of other things can be seen as actions which somehow diminish us. Accepting the glory of ourselves allows us to see the unity we share with God and all of creation. Holding to a calm, positive attitude neutralizes ugly situations, whereas agreeing often brings escalation in negativity. Recently a woman expressed her anger to me concerning the motorcycles in our town. She stated it was no longer peaceful here, as it was when she had been here twenty years earlier. I happily told her that peace was everywhere in Eureka and not to become discouraged, ending the conversation by asking her if she didn't feel peace standing right where she was. This caused her to pause and realize she did. And so every time I hear or see something today which seems to come from a space of unhappiness, I will smile with the assurance that no one and nothing can change the harmonious Truth of Being. How glorious!

“I celebrate myself, and sing myself,

And what I assume you shall assume,

For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.”

Walt Whitman

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The Divine Being must be reflected by man,--else man is not the image and likeness of the patient, tender, and true, the One 'altogether lovely;' but to understand God is the work of eternity, and demands absolute consecration of thought, energy, and desire.”

Science & Health Page 3:12-15

August 26, 2012 - Decisions

"Salt Lake City, Utah"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Lesson #238

“On my decision all salvation rests."

It seems we have too many decisions in daily life. Even the tea section in the grocery store has so many choices it can be daunting! And so when we are told that "On my decision all salvation rests", it's tempting to say "No thanks!" But this salvation spoken of here is received by one decision: to wake up and accept our own divinity. There are no considerations to mull over in this decision, there are no choices which are better than others, nor is there any reason for fear of failure. All duality, all choice, vanishes when we realize there is only one thing to desire: to know that God is Life. Not my life, or your life, but Life. From this understanding, everything is manifested in our experience from the freedom we have in knowing that the Love which is God is the only Principle of our existence.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“By interpreting God as a corporeal Savior but not as the saving Principle, or divine Love, we shall continue to seek salvation through pardon and not through reform, and resort to matter instead of Spirit for the cure of the sick. As mortals reach, through knowledge of Christian Science [the Science of the Christ], a higher sense, they will seek to learn, not from matter, but from the divine Principle, God, how to demonstrate the Christ, Truth, as the healing and saving power.”

Science & Health Page 285:23-30

August 25, 2012 - Disappearance of the Universe

A Course in Miracles Lesson #237

“Now would I be as God created me."

Photo by Aaron Springston

One of our material beliefs is that we are only human and that we cannot be as we were created by God. When we think of ourselves as material beings, it seems impossible to see more than a mere glimpse of our spiritual perfection. And that is the key to the way of thought we're studying. This material body, and all the wonder of this world we know so well, is not created by God. This is what Gary Renaud is referring to in his popular book, "The Disappearance of the Universe". To look past material illusionary so-called reality into the depth of pure spiritual reality is to begin to understand how "God created me". It's easy to imagine that the horrors around us are not of Spirit, but the beauty seems to demand a divine origin. The acceptance of the idea that God did not create matter opens us to another dimension of life.  If we accept the Adam and Eve story (or other material creation myths) as the truth of our being, we live the dream of life in and of matter with all the dead ends it contains. But we are an idea of God, and this realization takes us to another level. So today I will not only accept myself in this spiritual truth, but also everything and everyone. And I will remember a key fact: Reality is that which does not change.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Eternal Truth is changing the universe. As mortals drop off their mental swaddling-clothes, thought expands into expression. "Let there be light," is the perpetual demand of Truth and Love, changing chaos into order and discord into the music of the spheres. The mythical human theories of creation, anciently classified as the higher criticism, sprang from cultured scholars in Rome and in Greece, but they afforded no foundation for accurate views of creation by the divine Mind.”

Science & Health Page 255: 1-10

August 24, 2012 - I Rule My Mind

A Course in Miracles  Lesson #236

“I rule my mind, which I alone must rule."

"By Bonfire in Mongolia"
photo by Aaron Springston

The words of today's lesson can have many interpretations. It could mean, Nobody's going to tell me what to do. Of course, we're all in such a hypnotic state it's difficult to tell when we are following preconceived notions or if we are in fact ruling our mind! I know someone who often says, You can't help what you think; it's what you do with those thoughts. Unfortunately, this person is miserable in her circular thought, going over and over events which are distressing to her, telling herself again and again that it's god's plan and she must abide by it. Whew! Today's lesson is telling us just the opposite. We do have a choice in what goes through our mind. We are the rulers of our thought and have the ability to choose to hold our thought to "the enduring, the good, and the true." I think of this as choosing Mind as my mind. In other words, rather than living by distressing blind belief, I choose to live in harmonious divine Science. Our best material intentions vacillate greatly according to many circumstances. In contemplating the love we feel for others, I see that many ego-driven motives and acts come into play. We all know parents who over or under nurture their children for reasons they see to be in their child's highest interest. We see love affairs where people alternately smother and reject one another, thinking they are doing what love demands. We see friendships which suffer or are broken by misunderstanding and the need to be right. A favorite quote of mine is, If you have a choice of being right or being kind, be kind. Today I will interact with multitudes of people in the gallery, and then go to a paranormal conference in the evening to hear a friend speak. Every day we have numerous occasions to choose between being right and being kind. Today I will rule my mind by being aware of all the communications I have with others. Everything I say will be brought forth from a space which is not merely repetition of past beliefs and habitual responses, but from a consecrated inner listening. In accepting this gift of Truth from God, there can be no choice between being right or being kind. Because, after all, Love is all there is.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“God's thoughts are perfect and eternal, are substance and Life. Material and temporal thoughts are human, involving error, and since God, Spirit, is the only cause, they lack a divine cause. The temporal and material are not then creations of Spirit. They are but counterfeits of the spiritual and eternal. Transitory thoughts are the antipodes of everlasting Truth, though (by the supposition of opposite qualities) error must also say, "I am true." But by this saying error, the lie destroys itself.”

Science & Health P 286:21-30

August 23, 2012 - Williamson, Dyer, Chopra

A Course in Miracles Lesson #235

“God in His mercy wills that I be saved."

"Fish in South Africa 2010"
photo by Aaron Springston

There are a few books I'm always on the lookout for at used book stores, as I like to have a supply to hand out to people showing an interest in this way of thought. One of those books is, "A Return to Love" by Marianne Williamson. More than once people have thanked me for sharing this book, telling me that it has led them on a new path in life. I think we all have ah-ha moments, don't we? Although I have always known about the divine metaphysics as explained by Mary Baker Eddy, many other authors have enriched my knowledge and understanding through the years. I'll always remember looking down at a stack of books at a yard sale and seeing Wayne Dyer's, "When You Believe It, You'll See It". It had a blue cover and jumped out at me in flashing neon! I took it home and it started me on a trip with him which has lasted about 20 years. I love his writing style, and especially recordings which have seen me through many a long car trip. I'll always remember driving 200 miles through torrential rains late at night. What could have been a tedious, perhaps frightening drive was pure joy because I had both Wayne and Deepak with me on tapes. I mention all this because today's lesson speaks to our living the Love of which we are created. There are so many ways to educate ourselves on what that means. The authors and speakers listed above are gloriously joyful people who can give you a jump-start when you may be feeling uninspired. They all understand our relation to God, as expressed through both A Course in Miracles and Christian Science. To paraphrase today’s topic: The Love that is God is Me and nothing else exists. This acknowledgement is all that is needed to feel the perfect peace which is mine in any circumstance. By this realization, I am saved.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The scientific unity which exists between God and man must be wrought out in life-practice, and God's will must be universally done. If men would bring to bear upon the study of the Science of Mind half the faith they bestow upon the so-called pains and pleasures of material sense they would not go on from bad to worse …”

Science & Health Page 202:3-9

August 22, 2012 - What I Have Always Been

"Mark in Mongolia, 2009"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #234

“Father, today I am Your Son again.”

For those who are hyper-sensitive to gender issues, today's topic will once again cause you to cringe. But I hope you can see past any connotations you have attached to words such as father and son and open your mind to what today's lesson is attempting to illustrate. "Father, today I am Your Son again" is saying that any false sense of sin or guilt we have attached to ourselves can now be discarded in recognition of our true nature as the child of God. And this "today" which is spoken of is eternity. There never was a time, nor will there be a time, when we have lapsed from this perfection. Yes, there are times when we have failed to realize who we are, and we may cover up our understanding of our relation to God, but the Truth has never changed. I love watching eyes light up when people remember this about themselves! But as often as not, this truth does not want to be remembered, and denial clouds the eyes. I am reminded of an elderly neighbor named Margaret. Some of you may remember I've spoken of her before. There were no mirrors in her house. At one point when we were helping her with household chores, someone put up a mirror in her bathroom. When she saw it, she immediately started trying to pull it off the wall. It wouldn't come off. She started beating on it with her fists and we had to promise to take it down. Margaret hadn't looked at herself in years, and couldn't wrap her mind around what she saw. The look in her eyes while she was experiencing this trauma was similar to what I often see when people are afraid to accept their being as spiritual. After a lifetime of seeing illusion as truth, some can't fathom anything else. In our acceptance of the idea that now is the time to acknowledge the eternal truth of our being, we let loose limiting illusions. Let's not be afraid to look deep into the mirror, past those illusions, to this truth. And through that sight, we'll come to understand the timelessness of eternity and what that means in relation to Life.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Life is without beginning and without end. Eternity, not time, expresses the thought of Life, and time is no part of eternity. One ceases in proportion as the other is recognized. Time is finite; eternity is forever infinite. Life is neither in nor of matter. What is termed matter is unknown to Spirit, which includes in itself all substance and is Life eternal. Matter is a human concept. Life is divine Mind.”

Science & Health Page 568:26-4

August 21, 2012 - Who am I?

"Principia Professor in Mongolia - 2009"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Lesson #233

“I give my life to God to guide today."

When we give away certain thoughts and habits, release them from our mind, we need replacements to insure there is no space for the old to return. And so we give away our material thoughts and actions, replacing them with the Mind which is God. How I look forward to having none of my own thoughts! Without stopping to remember what exactly they are, I know there are numerous times within the past week alone that I've had thoughts and expressed them and wondered why in the world I had done so! And it’s not enough to stop them from spewing forth, I choose to quench their existence. This does not happen within my mind, but by giving up this sense of personal responsibility and resting in the knowledge that our words and actions are a reflection of Mind, the One Source of all ideas. Today I was playing cribbage with an dear long-time friend. She mentioned that getting old shifted your perceptions of yourself. She said that once she was no longer working and being a "productive citizen", that people thought of her differently and she was more or less taking up space waiting to get out of the way by the change called death. Wow! I didn't expect that one! It caused me to think of people I know well who have retired from their life-long jobs, and also those who have created jobs for themselves which they will probably never give up. My friends who have retired are now productive in numerous activities, helping others in wonderful ways. They can't imagine retiring from life.  Their pursuit of happiness for others brings abundant joy to them. Leaving ourselves under the control of our mortal mind brings us many beliefs such as my friend has concerning this stage of her life. To understand our relation to the Divine opens us to ideas which are pure and unadulterated by the human beliefs we think of as our own thought. Leaving the past behind and reaching forth to this new/old thought leaves us feeling fulfilled, freeing us to accept bold new ways of living, no matter what age we think we are!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“When we fully understand our relation to the Divine,

we can have no other Mind but His,--no other Love,

wisdom, or Truth, no other sense of Life, and no

consciousness of the existence of matter or error.

The power of the human will should be exercised only

in subordination to Truth; else it will misguide the

judgment and free the lower propensities. It is the

province of spiritual sense to govern man.”

Science & Health Page 205:32-7

August 20, 2012 - Be My Mind

"Children in China - 2009"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #232

“Be in my mind, my Father, through the day."

Be my mind through the day. As you see, I've left out the word "in" and also “my Father” from our daily ACIM lesson subject. By doing this, the statement says to me what I know it is meant to be saying.  When reading it with these words left in, immediately I go to a place where there is something I need to gain in order to somehow manage to be pure enough for this Mind to be in me. This was first pointed out to me by Mary Baker Eddy in the below quote. And it was brought to realization by leaving "in" out of the following verse: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 2:5) Let this Mind be me, which was also ... This referenced Mind is ours. It is not in us. We are it. This slight difference in wording allows me to see this truth and know that it's possible -- even probable! – for it to be realized now. And I've left out the word "Father" for much the same reason. The human connotations which have been given to this term overwhelm some people, perhaps even me, although I've worked hard to give up any idea of a man in the clouds giving favor! In doing this, I urge you to not worry about semantics and other word games we tend to play with ourselves. But if something causes me discomfort in the wording of these spiritual exercises, I have no problem with changing the words, until my thought about them has changed. After all, this is what it's all about: changing our thought.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“IN:  A term obsolete in Science if used with reference to Spirit, or Deity.”

Science & Health Page 588:22-23

August 19, 2012 - Remember you are Love

"Somewhere in China - 2009"
photo by Aaron Springston

Course in Miracles Lesson #231

“Father, I will but to remember You.

Remembering the Love which we are is imperative to clearing the way for all the other remembrances which are coming our way!  Love with a capital "L" is a synonym for God. So the Father mentioned above is this same Love of which we are the image and likeness. And this being so, all we need do is remember this truth and forget our erroneous sense of being. In talking with a friend about a "past life regression" he had experienced, I was struck by the inability of a past life to affect our True Selves. Thus, we needn't worry about whether past lives exist, or if we can be regressed to remember and repair them, or anything else in the past. Just as with our remembrances of yesterday's disappointments, we don't need to deconstruct them in order to let them go. So why do we think we must work through these so-called mistakes? Why would we need to meet up with the same people throughout eternity until we "get it right"? Perhaps by seeking only the Love which is Truth, none of this would matter. Maybe living the law of divine Love is "getting it right"!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Jesus aided in reconciling man to God by giving man a truer sense of Love, the divine Principle of Jesus' teachings, and this truer sense of Love redeems man from the law of matter, sin, and death by the law of Spirit,--the law of divine Love.”

Science & Health Page 18:6-11

August 18, 2012 - Peace is Ours

A Course in Miracles Lesson #230

“Now will I seek and find the peace of God."

"Somewhere in China - 2009"
photo  by Aaron Springston

By this stage in our studies, we certainly know where this peace of God is: within our own selves. We are a reflection of the divine, we are divine, and this peace is ours, always, totally, with only one exception. And that exception is our refusal to see, feel, and be this peace. I'm sitting here looking at some beautiful photographs hanging on the wall. But the glass covering these photos is mirroring everything which is happening outside the large front windows in the gallery. I see people swarming by like ants, cars of every color lumbering past, and lots of other activity which practically obscures the image I'm trying to see. I know there's a beautiful waterfall and great night shots of scenes around town. When I specifically look at them, they are clear. I block out the reflected activity. But I have a choice: I can focus on the bustling, ever-changing activity outside, and that obscures the subject matter which I know is unchanged. So it is with the peace of God. It is always there, unchanging, eternally. But it is obscured by the dis-ease, the unrest, the busy-ness of our minds. I have a friend who likes to label herself ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). My personal opinion is we're all that way, but some focus on the disarray in thought while others focus on the peace. And we all know that what we put our attention on is what grows!. She finds herself not finishing one project before she's off to another one. She tells me she has no peace because her mind won't let her have it. And I couldn't agree more! That's the only reason any of us don't have peace. It's not because we don't have this peace, it's because we cover it up with inharmonious ways of thinking and action. I know this well, because I do it myself. But I know the focus on peace is working, as occasionally I'll find myself thinking absolutely nothing. And this couldn't have been possible a few years ago, when I was feeding the never-ending drama in my mind. Wayne Dyer (and others) tell us that we have something like 20,000 different thoughts every day. The only problem is, they're the same thoughts we had yesterday. With the peace of God, we are enabling ourselves to hear divine Ideas rather than the chatter of mortal mind. Ah, peace ~~~

 Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Spiritual living and blessedness are the only evidences by which we can recognize true existence and feel the unspeakable peace which comes from an all-absorbing spiritual love.”

Science & Health Page 264:24-27

August 17, 2012 - You are Love

A Course in Miracles Lesson #229

{Unknown photographer}

“Love, which created me, is what I am."

To recognize that we are Love negates all of the illusory problems we believe we have. Seeing these words, I think upon conversations I've had with others in the past few days. All of these so-called problems, things seen as impediments to our progress or happiness, disappear as mist before sunshine when viewed through this Love which we are. One woman tells me her son thinks he knows it all, and he knows nothing. How close I came to laughing out loud at this one! If she realized her true self as Love, perhaps she'd see the situation from a different perspective entirely. I saw it as a power struggle over money, and suggested she spend everything so there would be nothing to fight over. She very seriously told me she had more money than she could spend. I gave her a business card and sent her away with Love. Then there is the dear old friend who visits and tells me of his physical maladies which are debilitating and undiagnosable and incurable. It sure looks like a job for the recognition of his true Being as a reflection of divine Love. He gets a hug from me and a big dose of Love! And there's the sweet friend who is fearful for her young daughter. She is shaking with emotion as I hold her tightly and silently affirm the safety inherent in all under the umbrella of our reality in Love. What a lovely gift awaits her in awakening to the ever-present, protection of Love.  And there's the new friend who isn't sure she's made the right choice in a recent major change in environment. The Love that she is, the Love that everyone she meets is, mingles in our hearts and finds a commonality in spite of material beliefs in irreconcilable differences. Everyone from Jesus to the Beatles have told us of this infallible solution called Love. Perhaps it's time to listen. In the past, I've been rather irritated when anyone would tell me solutions were to be found in a purer understanding of God. Today I will examine my motives and acts to see if I'm over it!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action. Love is priestess at the altar of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept. Patience must "have her perfect work." 

Science & Health Page 454:18-24

August 16, 2012 - Choose Again

"Bird at Heart"
Primal Image by
Sandy Wythawai Starbird

 A Course in Miracles Lesson #228

“God has condemned me not. No more do I."

One of the most wonderful things about these teachings is the recognition of our ability to "choose again".  Just because we have chosen a direction which does not serve us doesn't mean we must always repeat the behavior which brings us unhappiness or pain. It seems that a major impediment to releasing all these mistaken dreams is our desire to keep all the good dreams while letting go of the bad. I really want to get rid of memories of painful, fearful circumstances, but I'd rather hold on to lots of nice ones! Is there any difference? Isn't it all a material dream of pain and pleasure, life and death, duality after duality? Spiritual sense sees only this perfect oneness. It sees no condemnation or reason for blame. I want to see with these eyes. And that is a key to this seeing: a desire to do so. If we don't want to let loose painful thoughts, we won't. If we want to relive hurts and betrayals, we will. In conversations with others, it is repeatedly brought to my attention how much people cherish being right in situations. It seems that is a great source of satisfaction, this being right. But isn't that simply a perception of events? What is right? What is wrong? For me, rightness is peace. Does a decision to act in a certain way bring a feeling of peace? If it does, then I go forward with that action. So often decisions are nothing more than self-satisfied dogma on our part. We might think: This is the way it's always been for me, and I like it that way, and I'm going to keep it that way. And so we do. Even if the repetitive actions bring us sadness and conflict, we have decided that this is "right" and we must stick by our guns (what a horrible saying that is!) and continue on in this way whether it brings peace and happiness or the opposite. Let's remember to see ourselves as God sees us today, knowing that we are guiltless, sinless, pure.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Now is the time for so-called material pains and material pleasures to pass away, for both are unreal, because impossible in Science. To break this earthly spell, mortals must get the true idea and divine Principle of all that really exists and governs the universe harmoniously. This thought is apprehended slowly, and the interval before its attainment is attended with doubts and defeats as well as triumphs.”

Science & Health Page 39:23-30

August 15, 2012 - Experiencing the Holy Instant

"Still Standing"
(Reality is That Which Does Not Change)
painting by Carol Dickie

A Course in Miracles Lesson #227

“This is my holy instant of release.”

I have been wondering what it is which keeps people from wanting to know God. It would seem there are many reasons, ranging from a misunderstanding of what deity actually is, extending to a fear of losing independence and individuality, and including simple embarassment from giving yourself to something which cannot be intellectually explained. Some of us want a quick fix and believe it would take too much time to understand something we've been taught is unknowable. Others of us feel unworthy of gaining favor from this great judgmental being, and run the other way. There are as many reasons as there are people, but ultimately it doesn't matter what we think about such things. Every moment is a holy instant whether we realize it or not. We can accept illusion as truth, deciding that the body is the ruling entity which sentences us to sorrow and pain. Or we can admit that there is more to this existence than meets the eye. This holy instant which is spoken of today is ours, now and eternally. We have few glimpses of it, as we've built up layers of materiality to conceal it. But it's always there. "This is my holy instant of release". Every moment is this holy instant, which we fearlessly claim now. Let's not worry about what is not, but let us focus on what Is. By recognizing illusion, the way is cleared to see Truth. The holy instant is my Life. I revel in it today!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The true idea of God gives the true understanding of Life and Love, robs the grave of victory, takes away all sin and the delusion that there are other minds, and destroys mortality.”

Science and Health Page 323:24–27

August 14, 2012 - True Home

"People in China - 2009"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #226

“My home awaits me. I will hasten there.”

Generally when we speak of departing this world, we are referring to the change we call death. In today's lesson, this departure refers to changing our mind about the purpose of the world. When I read the words, "... change of mind about the purpose of the world", a catch phrase is remembered: "Just say NO!!" Today I will just say no to any thought, any thing, which is not of God. When a thought makes me feel uneasy, I will challenge it and see what it looks like from a slightly different perspective. What does it mean that my home awaits me? I mean, really! How does this affect my existence? Certainly accepting the Truth of our being may translate into manifestation in many ways. Something I look forward to is communication without words. We see this sharing of thought in the animal kingdom. It can be observed in watching birds fly in formation, or your dog expecting you home five minutes before you get there, or any number of insights we may tap into on occasion. I truly feel we are all doing the best we can.  Sometimes this doesn't seem like enough to us, whether within ourselves or for others. With each stretching past our accepted limitations, fresh insights will appear. I watch those who are frightened of this new/old way of living. They find reasons to stand still, afraid  that things could be worse than they are. I see you, dear One, flying, leaving behind stuck thought and seeing from a higher perspective than you knew was possible. Today I change my mind about the purpose of the world, and live the kingdom of God which is within. Therein lies the safety of home. I'll see you there

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Take heart, dear sufferer, for this reality of being will surely appear sometime and in some way. There will be no more pain, and all tears will be wiped away. When you read this, remember Jesus' words, "The kingdom of God is within you." This spiritual consciousness is therefore a present possibility.”

Science & Health Page 573:27-2

August 13, 2012 - To Love Totally ...

A Course in Miracles Lesson #225

“God is my Father, and His Son loves Him.”

"Aaron in Germany - 2006"
photo by Mike Cheathum

The ebb and flow of divine Love does not mean that it comes and goes like the tide, but that there is an ever-present circulation between its Source and the creation of divine Mind. Divine creation includes you and me, our true Selves as the reflection of this Love. The admission to myself that there is only one thing I want, which is to know God, to understand the relation of myself to All that Is, allows me to also confess the Love I feel for God and all of Creation. I remember my son once told me he didn't understand why I had so many pets. At the time there were three dogs and three cats. But then he said that it was a good thing because I had too much love for just him and his brother, and if I didn't have the animals, I'd be leading them around town on leashes and patting them on the head. Although we laughed at this at the time, I see there was truth to his statement. We all have too much Love to be contained in any human relationship(s). The all-encompassing divine Love which we are reflecting must be given freely, but it is too huge to be satisfied in simply material expression. To love God is to express the ultimate in what we may have been limiting by our erroneous beliefs in the reality of Love. And releasing the full power of this divine Love is translated into loving actions and thoughts in everyday life. We need not plan to be kind and loving (as some I know seem to do), but by loving only God this expression is found in surprising ways! Leave notes on the blog with ways you have demonstrated this phenomenon! www.divinemetaphysics.blogspot.com

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Not materially but spiritually we know Him as divine Mind, as Life, Truth, and Love. We shall obey and adore in proportion as we apprehend the divine nature and love Him understandingly, warring no more over the corporeality, but rejoicing in the affluence of our God. Religion will then be of the heart and not of the head. Mankind will no longer be tyrannical and proscriptive from lack of love,--straining out gnats and swallowing camels.”

Science & Health Page 140:7-14

August 12, 2012 - "Compassion in Emptiness"

A Course in Miracles Lesson #224

"A Gathering of Friends"
photo by Marsha Havens

“God is my Father, and He loves His Son.”

The Dalai Lama always has such profoundly beautiful messages for us! He speaks of peace and love, reminding us of our true identify in such an unassuming and pure manner. His gleeful words never leave me where they found me, and for this I am most grateful. Not long ago I watched a DVD of his entitled "Compassion in Emptiness". As usual, every time I read or listen to him, another little chip falls away from any leftover hardness of heart I'm holding on to. This hardness could be in the form of anger, pain, sorrow, any negative emotions I've liked too much to let go. In this most recent DVD, he speaks to the importance of relationships based in honesty and trust. The joyfulness birthed in these relationships is essential to our liberation from fearful illusions. This peaceful happiness is the Truth of our Being. Let's not be afraid to share this with those we know -- and those we don't know! This trust and honesty the Dalai Lama speaks of isn't limited to those who have "earned" it. It isn't limited in any way. When today's ACIM lesson tells us that God is my Father, it means that God is everyone's Father, and by that revelation we are all the same, all worthy of goodness and love. So as we go through our daily activities, let's remember to treat everyone with the loving respect and courtesy with which we would afford a dearly beloved parent or child. Let kindness and joy spread to every person you come into contact with today, and everyday. And if you happen to forget what that feels like, pick up a DVD of the Dalai Lama and let him remind you!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Give up your material belief of mind in matter, and have but one Mind, even God; for this Mind forms its own likeness. The loss of man's identity through the understanding which Science confers is impossible; and the notion of such a possibility is more absurd than to conclude that individual musical tones are lost in the origin of harmony.”

Science & Health Page 216:30-5

August 11, 2012 - Freedom in Unity

"Colorado Wildflowers"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #223

“God is my life. I have no life but His.”

The freedom which comes from admitting my unity with all of Creation came as a great surprise to me. The majority of my life I was insistent on doing it my way -- whatever that way happened to be. I rebelled at authority in any form and believed myself to be a nonconformist. Even the thought of such rebellion makes me chuckle at its silliness. Now I find that true freedom only comes from the acceptance of my being as a creation of divine Mind. In reading our subject for today's lesson, many remembrances of events and circumstances pass through my mind. "God is my life." I could say so much about this. But the cool breeze being swept in with the attic fan says it all. After numerous weeks of extremely hot weather conditions, we have cooler days, with a hint of fall in the atmosphere. The cool night air is exquisite.. Resting in this perfection is enough. One of my favorite expressions of gratitude is a Native American saying.  I reach out to everything, to all that is, with a silent "Thank You greatly!". I allow this feeling to flow through me as the cool air flows through this house. Life is good. Thank You greatly.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"God is divine Life, and Life is no more confined to the forms which reflect it than substance is in its shadow. If life were in mortal man or material things, it would be subject to their limitations and would end in death. Life is Mind, the creator reflected in His creations. If He dwelt within what He creates, God would not be reflected but absorbed, and the Science of being would be forever lost through a mortal sense, which falsely testifies to a beginning and an end.”

Science & Health Page 331:1-10

August 10, 2012 - Leaving Old Pathways

Doll created from a 40-year-old blouse,
signifying leaving old beliefs
for Reality

ACIM Lesson #222

“God is with me. I live and move in Him.”

We are waking up from our oblivious stupor, from our dream of separation from God and all that Is. This awakening is taking many forms, and I'm sure you are seeing examples everywhere, too! The admittance to ourselves that we are divine has taken us to another level of action to correspond with our thought. I'm seeing people changing life-long habits because they suddenly find them repugnant or useless. For quite some time, I've known that I can no longer eat meat. This is not because I feel I shouldn't eat something which was once alive and feeling, because I know that plants have the same attributes, although on a different level perhaps. While this decision does have something to do with kinship with all life, it is mainly because of the horrible ways we choose to raise and slaughter animals. When I was a child, my parents had a small meat processing business. People would bring in the animals they had raised and they would be quietly killed and packaged. This is the image I've had in my mind of what happens in the meat preparing process. This is no longer so, as we all know. There is no respect for the animal itself, no love involved in the taking of its life, and generally no care taken in the preparation of this food for consumption. From listening to my heart, this space deep inside beyond belief and habit, I have come to this decision. For me, this is living and moving in God. Not the decision itself, but the listening and following. Today's ACIM lesson states this: "God is with me. He is my Source of life, the life within, the air I breathe, the food by which I am sustained, the water which renews and cleanses me. He is my home, wherein I live and move ..." There are so many ways we as humans have gone astray. I join with you in watching and listening for the Truth of our existence, and to be aware of ways to demonstrate this in every action. Namaste'.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The theory that soul, spirit, intelligence, inhabits matter is taught by the schools. This theory is unscientific. The universe reflects and expresses the divine substance or Mind; therefore God is seen only in the spiritual universe and spiritual man, as the sun is seen in the ray of light which goes out from it. God is revealed only in that which reflects Life, Truth, Love,-- yea, which manifests God's attributes and power, even as the human likeness thrown upon the mirror, repeats the color, form, and action of the person in front of the mirror.”

Science & Health Page 300:26-4

August 9, 2012 - New Old Thought

"South Africa Sunrise"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #221

“Peace to my mind.  Let all my thoughts be still.”

Today marks a transition with the Course in Miracles Workbook Lessons. The first 220 lessons have been exercises in giving up beliefs, habitual thoughts, inane or destructive actions, and numerous other things which have held us captive to sense. We now know how to differentiate between ego thoughts and the ideas of Mind. And we're not afraid to listen and trust what we hear in that silence between the words. We've been exercising our spiritual sense, while quieting our physical senses. And now we want the "direct experience of truth". Now we are ready to shift attention within ourselves, to the source Itself, letting go of any ritualistic words and dogma we have been harboring. We now understand what forgiveness is about. It's the understanding that there is nothing to forgive. We have also reached the point where we don't need specific times during the day to remind us to think about our nature as a child of God. This shift from habitual, material thought to inspired, divine ideas is feeling more natural to us now. And so, today I see us as quietly devoted to the peace of God. Every time we silently turn whole-heartedly to God -- knowing that all is Mind, Truth, Love -- we remember more of our original Being. We feel a perfect peace which allows our actions and words to be those of divine Mind, without worry, with total trust, knowing that our lack of expectation frees us. To quote from today's lesson: "This year has brought us to eternity."

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The effects of Christian Science are not so much seen as felt. It is the ‘still, small voice’ of Truth uttering itself. We are either turning away from this utterance, or we are listening to it and going up higher. Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear,--this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony. The purification of sense and self is a proof of progress. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.’"

Science & Health Page 323:28-6

August 8, 2012 - Choose Peace

A Course in Miracles Lesson #220 (review)

“I am not a body. I am free,

For I am still as God created me.”

Specific review: (#200) “There is no peace except the peace of God.”

"Buzzards in Eureka Spring"
photo by Marsha Havens

In reading and pondering the above words, my mind turns to events in the past where I had the choice of either living peace or doing what I thought would defend my "cause".  A few years ago, I became embroiled in a controversy concerning turkey vultures roosting in our wooded town. Mosts of them were congregated in our neighborhood, in a hollow between two residential streets. Some of my neighbors were convinced that the birds were dangerous and needed to go away. Through their efforts, sonic cannons were going to be fired with the hope of sending the birds somewhere else. At this point in my life, I try not to have strong opinions about anything. But for some reason, I chose to jump up on my high-horse and start gathering signatures on a petition to stop the cannons. Eventually the whole neighborhood was up in arms over this and most of them were not speaking to me. At a particularly hostile point, the realization came that I had made the wrong choice. I had not chosen the peace of God, but my own self-righteous reasoning, and no one was the better for it. The vulture known as buzzard is called the "peace eagle" by the Cherokee people. It is named this because it's the only bird which does not kill. And so I quietly backed away from the situation. This doesn't mean that I stopped being an advocate for the birds, but I did change my actions. From an approach which was mainly on the material plane, rabble-rousing and trying to change things, I shifted to quietly seeing the Truth of everyone and everything in the situation, knowing that we are all reflections of divine Love.  By affirming that divine order is ever-present and that I didn't need to do anything other than allow that order to guide my thoughts, any sense of personal responsibility was released.  If you're wondering what happened, they did shoot off the sonic cannons, the birds left temporarily, and within a short time they came back. Everyone is speaking to each other again, and we seem to be closer than ever for the conflict. Isn't it wonderful that we can always choose again!!

Mary Baker Eddy quotes:

“Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts.”

Science & Health Page 261:4-7

August 7, 2012 - I Am Free

"Drumming in Eureka Springs"
photo by Richard Quick 

A Course in Miracles Lesson #219 (review)

Central Theme:

“I am not a body. I am free.

For I am still as God created me.”

 Specific review: (#199) “I am not a body. I am free.”

We all have heard of instances where people have bypassed material laws of physical possibilities and performed some heroic act, such as lifting a car off of a loved one. While today's lesson is telling us that our true being is not this body, that we are actually Spirit and all that implies, most people balk at the thought that the physical body should conform to spiritual laws. As today's lesson tells us, the body's purpose now is unambiguous. Once we have freed thought from the enslavement of the limitations of the body, then it is free to perform its function as your servant. These words, "I am not a body, I am free", were beautifully demonstrated during a drumming in Basin Park on Saturday evening. This drumming goes on for two hours, as does the dancing and other freedom-from-limitation activities such as hula-hooping. In the 100-degree heat, a large group of people vigorously played hand drums, danced, and joyfully expressed themselves with no thought of anything other than the primal energy surging through their bodies. The illusion of age plays no factor in this timeless activity, with small children and so-called senior citizens keeping pace with Angelo, the beautiful African man who leads these love-ins. The joy spreads much farther than we can see! Let's all find activities which raise our level of happiness in this way and practice them regularly! Sing and dance while doing housework! Find the joy in every activity. As Wayne Dyer tells us, "If you drop a pen and don't enjoy picking it up, drop it again."  (For a taste of the spirit of Eureka, do a search on drumming in Eureka Springs on youTube)

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The inharmonious belief does not create an inharmonious condition. The belief of lack is the lack. The belief of disease is the disease. That is why the body seems to change as man's thinking changes. It is simply as beliefs of disease and imperfections fall away, and our thinking is corrected and held true to Truth, so that mental chaos and confusion no longer cloud our vision, we see the body as God sees it, as it eternally is. Then it stands revealed to us in its beauty and its glory, the temple, not made with hands. All that our ignorance does is to affect our vision, or view of things. It does not change anything that God has made.

'We do not handle substance through our personal thought to change it. We only see according to our thought, our degree of enlightenment. Walt Whitman said, "The world is jagged and broken,  to him who is jagged and broken," to him whose mental realm is dark. If one's thought is ignorant and unenlightened, it changes his vision as a cloud of mist. As he looks through the cloud he sees this world, the body, all things, distorted, abnormal and wrong.

'If the mental atmosphere is dark and dense, we see but dimly and are not able to perceive the perfection that is. Man does not by mental effort bring God into manifestation, neither does he through wrong thinking prevent God's manifestation. God IS and God is manifest, and it is not in the power of unenlightened personal thought or mental effort to obstruct or hinder the activity of God, or to mar or to deface the perfection of God's creation."

From a statement copyrighted by Mrs. Mary Baker G. Eddy at the Congressional Library in Washington, D.C. January 19, 1886

August 6, 2012 - Waking Up

"Happiness at Real Salt Lake"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #218 (review)

Central Theme:

“I am not a body. I am free.

For I am still as God created me.”

Specific Review: (#198) “Only my condemnation injures me.”

We stand aghast at injustice. It seems rampant everywhere we look. How have we allowed corruption to reign supreme? Why is our food poison, our water scarce, what we value meaningless? How has this happened while we stand by believing that everything is as it should be? Why do we allow it to happen? The recognition of our unity is a major turning point in our evolution. With the knowledge that everything is connected, that what affects one affects all, we are prompted to stand up and make the change within ourselves that we would like to see in the world. This interconnectedness of All that Is first was shown to me by my Beagle, Harry. He was so sensitive to feelings around him that the mildest irritation about anything on my part would send him to the farthest depths of the closet, where he would remain until I had "cleared my energy field" -- so to speak. And now I watch my moods and thoughts affecting the demeanor of customers in my business. If I am tense and irritable, that's what I draw to myself. Seeing that there are only two choices, Love or fear, helps lead me from the blindness which has held us all helpless for so long. We have within our Being the ability to change the world. True evolution is the evolution of consciousness.  What a wonderful thing, to see through awakened Thought! To wake up from the hypnosis we have allowed ourselves to fall under is a very exciting proposition, isn't it? Reality, as we have accepted it, is falling away to reveal a way of life we have thought of as impossible. Love is the liberator. Embrace the change which is moving from human intellect back into the space of the heart. Open yourself to the divine and live as you were created. Accept your reality as the reflection of God, with no fear, only Love guiding your every action. The time is now to live Love and all that implies!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Glory be to God, and peace to the struggling hearts! Christ hath rolled away the stone from the door of human hope and faith, and through the revelation and demonstration of life in God, hath elevated them to possible at-one-ment with the spiritual idea of man and his divine Principle, Love.”

Science & Health Page 49:16-22

August 5, 2012 - I Am Gratitude

"Montana Trees"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #217 (review)

Central Theme:

“I am not a body. I am free.

For I am still as God created me.”

Specific review: (#197) “It can be but my gratitude I earn.

The last few days' reviews have brought us to many thresholds of release. We have released the past, the future, the present. Often I'm asked how this is to be done. How do we let go of a memory of an event which haunts us? How do we forgive an incident which seems unforgivable? The ultimate understanding is that it never happened; that it's an illusion,  a projection of thought from our mortal mind, and nothing more. But, I am asked, how do you see that reality when the seeming-reality keeps coming back, causing you to relive the painful memory of whatever it is? When my mind wants to replay a circumstance in all its glorified pathos, I recognize that I have a choice. I can choose again and not see that person, that event, in a way which causes me to feel yet more pain, anger, sorrow. I can think instead of the goodness, kindness, and love inherent in everyone, and allow its reality to form an image in my thought. I can play lots of games with myself in this way, and perhaps cajole myself out of thinking badly or sadly. But to get to the root of this circular dream, the answer may lie in the ideas we're studying today. "It can be but my gratitude I earn". I take this to mean, in part, that I needn't worry about what anyone else thinks about me. If I am being true to myself, to God, that is enough. There are instances from my past which I used to relish telling other people, replaying them in my mind at the slightest provocation. The realization that everyone is doing the best that they can, whether I want to think this is good enough or not, is all it took to relieve the burden I had placed on myself in regard to the attacks I insisted on sending out to others and myself. Gratitude is usually thought of as an outward action to be given, not received. But we have learned that what we give IS what we receive, and this is so with gratitude, also. Salvation often implies a thing to be sought after and earned through attrition of some sort. The salvation we speak of today is a realization that we are Love (God), that the thanks we give is a perpetual realization of this Being that we are, and by this knowing we live in Love and unending gratitude of All that Is.  This understanding brings us to the Truth of Being. This understanding of Truth is salvation, for which I am very grateful.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“In Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and English, faith and the words corresponding thereto have these two definitions, trustfulness and trustworthiness. One kind of faith trusts one's welfare to others. Another kind of faith understands divine Love and how to work out one's ‘own salvation, with fear and trembling.’ ‘Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief!’ expresses the helplessness of a blind faith; whereas the injunction, ‘Believe . . . and thou shalt be saved!’ demands self-reliant trustworthiness, which includes spiritual understanding and confides all to God.”

Science & Health Page 23:21-31

August 4, 2012 - Divinely Inspired or Ego-Oriented

A Course in Miracles  Lesson #216 (review)

Central Theme:

“I am not a body. I am free.

For I am still as God created me.”

 Specific review: (#196) “It can be but myself I crucify.”

"Mark in Mongolia"
photo by Aaron  Springston 

In the last two lessons, we've been releasing the past and the future, so it only makes sense that we address the present, too! I've never understood how/why people are rude to others. It has never made any sense to me, and I've always thought that they must be making a special effort to be mean, as it seems natural to be nice. Lately, I think I'm beginning to understand. It seems that most of the time I'd rather not speak to anyone, for any reason. I'm so happy just being in my cozy little home, that it's quite an effort to get out and be interactive in any way. While I don't feel I'm being rude, I'm certainly not being as friendly as I used to be.  And I like to think I'm not being mean to anyone, but there is at least one person I can think of who probably sees me as just that! I've been examining the motives in my actions toward her. It's my responsibility to see that the employees of my gallery support the loving atmosphere for which we've become known. People often walk in the door and breath a sigh of relief, as they feel the peace which radiates from the hundreds of pieces of art within our space. I have allowed a disruption to live within these walls. It hasn't been a big one, but it's enough that I've known something must change. And when I didn't have the fortitude to facilitate this change, I became angry at myself, which I manifested toward her. So in attacking this dear woman who is doing the best that she can, I have nailed myself to the cross of my own making. I've always loved the expression, "hoisted on your own petard". It seems I'm doing just that! So today I will see us all as free of any imaginary attacks or perpetrations of thought. I will hold no grudge against anyone, including myself, and move forward, knowing forgiveness and salvation for all. When confronted with any thought, in order to ascertain if it is divinely inspired or ego-oriented, I rely on how it makes me feel. Does this thought bring peace and harmony within, or does it cause me to feel the opposite? Enough said. And so today I will release the present also, when it is no more than ego-induced angst.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“How are veritable ideas to be distinguished from illusions? By learning the origin of each. Ideas are emanations from the divine Mind. Thoughts, proceeding from the brain or from matter, are offshoots of mortal mind; they are mortal material beliefs. Ideas are spiritual, harmonious, and eternal.”

Science & Health Page 88:9-14