October 1, 2012 - Love, not fear, allows Peace

"Mt. Timpanogos Goat"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #274

“Today belongs to love. Let me not fear.”

Hundreds of thousands of motorcycles enjoy the beauty of our Ozark Mountain roadways. There is a nearby event which draws them to northwest Arkansas in these numbers. For many of us (including merchants in downtown Eureka Springs) it’s a trying time. It seems that as the noise level heightens, the light atmosphere of peace and beauty we’ve become accustomed to becomes a bit heavy with anger and irritation. The powers that be inform us we should be happy to have the money that comes to our area from this influx. And so many of our residents grit their teeth with a smile as they dole out food and booze and jewelry to this seemingly hedonistic crowd. But if this day belongs to Love -- as I know it does, because there is truly nothing else -- then I want to see with the eyes of Love,  past the leathers and loudness, into the core of Being in which we all share this Love. And so I will see my way to closing the door on irritation and opening another one to harmonious music and laughter, looking deeper into this than possible with the material senses. I'm sure you have many opportunities to do the same!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“We must look deep into realism instead of accepting only the outward sense of things.”

Science and Health Page 129:22–24

September 30, 2012 - Stillness is Mine

"Shibori Dancer"
fabric creation by
Sandy Wythawai Starbird

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #273

“The stillness of the peace of God is mine.”

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 Page 88-89

September 29, 2012 - Higher Enjoyments

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #272

“How can illusions satisfy God's Son?”

"Mt. Timpanogos Fall"
photo by Aaron Springston

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!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“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.”

September 28, 2012 - I see with a Single Eye

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #271

“Christ's is the vision I will use today."

"Mount Timpanogos Flowers"
photo by Aaron Springston

Most of us have noticed how what we place our attention upon affects our experience. 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 seem to be -- or how I think 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, thought is consumed by 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, 2012 - Listen. See. Be.

Fabric Creation of
Sandy Wythawai Starbird

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #270

“I will not use the body's eyes today.”

Being part of the art community in Eureka Springs brings many opportunities to see through others' eyes into the depth of their connection 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, 2012 - I see Christ's face

Ken and Sandy Starbird
photo by Judy Rhodes

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #269

“My sight goes forth to look upon Christ's face.”

This face of Christ which is spoken of in today's lesson is everywhere. Although the words Christ and Jesus are often synonymous, they are not always. 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. 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. Some people tell me that it's impossible to see through this material miasma, 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, 2012 - What is -- is.

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #268

“Let all things be exactly as they are.”

"Fun in Mongolia"
unknown photographer

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 our lives. 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.

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, 2012 - Changing Thought

"Eureka Fairy"

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #267

“My heart is beating in the peace of God"

I've become acquainted with 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!

“More effectual than the forum are our states of mind, to bless mankind”

Pulpit and Press, p. 87

September 23, 2012 - Seeing Through the Illusion

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #266

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

"A Happy Customer"

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 she wanted to tell me about them in detail. At one point, she was expounding on how awful her husband was. As I didn't want to hear this, I made an attempt at ending the conversation by asking her if she liked her husband. She looked startled and said, Why yes, I do!! And I said, Well, that's all that really 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 there, and he asks in return what the people are like where she came from. She replies that everyone is kind and it was a great place to live. He tells her that's pretty much what she'll find there, 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. With that in mind, 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, 2012 - Gentleness is Realized in Action

"Angelo Drumming in Eureka"
photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Lesson #265

“Creation's gentleness is all I see.

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, 2012 - I Am Love

"Aaron & Friends in Mongolia"
photographer unknown

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #264

“I am surrounded by the Love of God.”

Often it seems impossible to keep out the barrage of false beliefs which we're exposed to every day. Media, in various forms. permeates our every waking moment -- if we let it. Recently I spent two hours in the laundromat with a radio playing in the background. This forced exposure 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 that collective consciousness gives us no choice. But this is the illusion. This illusion is not the consciousness of Love which is God. Love permeates everything, leaving no room for anything else to intrude. Nothing but this Love truly has power.  "Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach me." (MBE) "I am surrounded by the Love of God." (ACIM) When I am tempted to be mesmerized by some material scene, I will remember what  is True. I am surrounded by the Love that is God. And more than that, it is my essence, my essential Being. So I needn't try to see or feel this Love, because it is what I Am.

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, 2012 - I see all in purity

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #263

"David Rajnah Deal"
photo by Richard Quick

“My holy vision sees all things as pure.”

In reflecting upon "my holy vision [which] sees all things as pure", a few instances come to mind when I have seen as God sees -- purely and without judgment. The commentary to today's ACIM lesson asks us to "Let all appearances seem pure .. that we may pass them by in innocence ...". Wow! I want to do that, don't you?  Every day we have opportunities to see situations with "holy vision". Recently I've been involved in a circumstance which seemed to have no happy resolution, with someone being left out regardless of the good intentions held by all involved. I allowed about a hundred possibilities of action to pass through my head, before catching on to the futility of pondering these intellectual choices. After turning from the material picture, I settled into a quiet space of listening. Almost immediately an interesting possibility came to thought! And it was a very exciting option for all involved. Who knows where this will lead these two dear people when the idea is presented to them? I sure don't! 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, while revealing new perceptions and possibilities.

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, 2012 - No Differences Today

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #262

“Let me perceive no differences today.”

Photo by Marsha Havens

To the uninitiated in divinely metaphysical thought, there is a sentence in today's workbook lesson which could appear to be saying that Jesus is being singled out as the One Son which God created.  And he is, but in the inclusive sense that we All are! This consciousness which Jesus told us about IS that true being which we speak of so often. This one Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love -- God, if you will -- cannot be split between you and me, it cannot shine from one and not from 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, 2012 - Clearing Away the Past

"Mongolia Adventures"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #261

“God is my refuge and security."

We all are in the process of getting rid of unnecessary things. The things we no longer need come in different forms. They may be cluttering up our house and material surroundings. More importantly, we're clearing out thoughts and beliefs which no longer are needed in our newfound perception of reality. The last time I changed residences was almost two decades 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 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 the 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, 2012 - I Remember

"Mongolia Campfire"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #260

“Let me remember God created me.”

In today's remembering of my true creation, I think of glimpses of the Truth of 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. The point is in remembering that I am a reflection of divine Mind. This Source of our being is Spirit. That is our essence. We are not material; we are spiritual. In its infinitude, divine Mind  knows nothing of the material beings we are portraying. As various sages have told us, "We're not material beings having a spiritual experience; we're spiritual Beings having a material experience." Today I will remember not to limit God through my expectations. One of my favorite books is "Practicing the Presence" by Joel Goldsmith. In it we are reminded that Truth is experienced in the stillness within our own selves. We hear this stillness when we quiet material senses. It needn't be for a long period, but it does need to be thorough. And so I will look for every opportunity to slip into a few moments of deep stillness, and let them spill over at their will.

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."

Science & Health Page 507:24-6

September 16, 2012 - Separation? Impossible.

"China - Temple of Heaven"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Lesson #259

“Let me remember that there is no sin.”

How often do we feel we've transgressed some material law and are being punished for it? Although I know this can't be true, it certainly seems so on occasion. Here is a situation where it seemed to be. After completing a number of 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; it also wouldn't connect to the internet. All indications were that the completed work would need to be redone, as there was no way to get it off of this mini-laptop. That morning, I had been prompted to do this monthly chore on the new iPad, but I was in a rush and didn't want to try something new. And so I stuck with what was familiar, even though I had a "feeling" it should be done differently from the norm. By not listening and following up on this inner prompt, I had allowed a separation in thought from God. Everything I needed to do was waiting for me to Know it, but egotistical knowing once again pushed aside the still, small voice. I felt punished when thinking of the extra time and effort this would entail.  But instead of what-ifs and worrying about time schedules, I quietly did household chores. After an hour or so, it came to me to try again with a totally cooled down computer. And it stayed on long enough to print the information to paper. I tell you this story 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, 2012 - Let me remember

"Dancing on Cosmic Jello"
fabric creation by Sandy Starbird

A Course in Miracles Lesson #258

“Let me remember that my goal is God.”

Many of us have gone through life feeling that something is 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. And then we are able to see what those senseless aims 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, 2012 - Let Me Not Be Put to Confusion

Surprise! I seem to have skipped from lesson #255 on Wednesday to #259 on Thursday. So we will get back on track by doing the correct ones until it's time for #259, when we shall revert to #256! The first sentence in today's lesson seems apropos: "If I forget my goal I can be but confused" :)

"Aaron's Purpose - Joy"
photo by Marsha Havens

A Course in Miracles Lesson #257

“Let me remember what my purpose is.”

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 taking down and transcribing depositions was an incredible education which paved the way for the things I'm doing today. And none of it could have been planned. Today, I think of this as listening and following. Back 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

One Goal

A Course in Miracles Lesson #256

"Somewhere in Mexico"
photo by Dr. James Young

“God is the only goal I have today.”

It seems simplistic and perhaps impossible 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 Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, and Love -- 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 nor 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, 2012 - Perfect Peace

A Course in Miracles Lesson #255

“This day I choose to spend in perfect peace."

"The Beaver Bridge"
photo by Steve Shogren

If you could do anything at all today, what would it be?  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 that peace is the only reality.

Mary Baker 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, 2012 - Hearing God

Photo by Dale Johnson

A Course in Miracles Lesson #254

“Let every voice but God's be still in me.”

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 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 -- but whatever it's called, it can only be heard by shutting out ego thoughts, the material-based fears, all those other voices telling us we're not good enough, not capable enough. It's heard by silencing the advice of mortal mind, telling us to just stay put because it's safe there and who knows what might happen if we listen to intuition and follow an unknown path. Well, I was very much buoyed by her joy and new-found confidence. It was inspiring that she started the conversation by telling me it was time to listen to God! She 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

September 10, 2012 - Living What We Learn

"Bryce Canyon"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #253

“My Self is ruler of the universe.

Every day's lesson is leading us to the same end. We are learning that we have a choice. We can accept ourselves as limited humans, or we can learn to recognize ourselves as spiritual beings. So the question is, why do we do this every day if we already know what it's all about? Answering for myself, I see that moment-by-moment reminders are needed. After all, every thing we hear in the world is telling us those insistent, erroneous affirmations of a false reality is all there is. We have come to believe that anything other than what we can touch and prove is unreality. How easy it is to feel "airy-fairy" or "Pollyanna-ish" when living this new-old thought. And so we're called upon to demonstrate this metaphysical, spiritual, Principle. The way we think, the way we live, the way we interact with others and our environment, in every activity 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, 2012 - True Identity

"Aaron at Glacier National Park
photo by Heather Magnan

A Course in Miracles Lesson #252

“The Son of God is my Identity."

Our true identify is so much more than we have ever imagined. In this time of shifting perception and actualized reality we humbly and happily accept our identity as the child of God! To illustrate this awakening, let's take as a metaphor the act of falling asleep in our 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. So we succumb to the blissful sleep, which includes both sweet dreams and nightmares. But, then again, anything is possible in our dreams, so perhaps this falling into sleep isn't only oblivion. Perhaps there's more to this dream state than we realize. Maybe it comes to allow us to experience what seems impossible in daily living. But now we're realizing the limitlessness of our true Selves. And so today I'm not going to worry if my waking dream of material existence seems fraught with 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 away 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, 2012 - I need only Truth

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Lesson #251

“I am in need of nothing but the truth."

How reassuring 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 these things we seek in good faith, totally believing they will bring us the happiness we crave -- names like success, fame, marriage. The list of personal fulfillments desired can be quite long. We are even encouraged to make lists of these goals, 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 and all these things shall be added unto you." And this kingdom is found within, in the understanding and acceptance of our Source. So let's set aside material desires, just as quickly as we turn from fears. 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, 2012 - Limitless Life

A Course in Miracles Lesson #250

“Let me not see myself as limited."

"Principia goes to Mongolia - 2009"
photo by Aaron Springston

Today we are reminded to view ourselves as unlimited. A limited view of ourselves traps thought into a circumstance undeserving of our true being as unlimited consciousness. To view myself as unlimited is to view others that way, too. I'm reminded of the importance of refraining from talking about people's seeming mistakes and weaknesses. For that matter, it's important to avoid ANY negative banter concerning others. While we're cleaning up our act, let's not indulge in deprecating thoughts about ourselves. All these activities are impediments to the consciousness which sees beyond the material picture of life. In seeing past this illusion, we are able to witness the other-dimensional realization of life as Life. Even if we see no other people today, there will be many opportunities to practice this. When we free ourselves of our stories, we free ourselves (and everyone!) to the actualization of our true identities. And this identity is an unlimited idea of divine Mind. Let's celebrate that!

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. ” 
Science & Health Page 257: 30-6

September 6, 2012 - Forgiveness Ends Loss

A Course in Miracles Lesson #249

“Forgiveness ends all suffering and loss."

"Glacier National Park"
photo by Aaron Springston

I remember a time when so-called new-age thought was not often spoken of in the media or anywhere other than the privacy of our homes. Now these new-old ideas are seen and heard everywhere. Every day we are witness to more proof that this shift in consciousness is happening now -- and we're talking about it! Thanks, Oprah! And even when these ideas are fictionalized, as in best-selling novels such as "The Lost Symbol", these possibilities are easily translated into plausible realities. This shift in consciousness allows us to embrace peace and harmony. Through this change in perception, we are understanding Truth and the demonstration thereof. It is happening now. We each support this realization in our own individual way. Every instance of pure peace we feel, each yielding of our personal sense to spiritual sense, brings us closer to living this realm of Love. This is where we always have been, but we've forgotten. We are all much-needed at this time, to calm the tumultuous collective thought which fights the idea of such freedom!

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."

Science & Health Page 516:9-13

September 05, 2012 - What, me suffer?

"Aaron"
unknown photographer

A Course in Miracles Lesson #248

“Whatever suffers is not part of me."

I am reminded of a family friend from long ago. She was a wonderful, spiritually-aware person who showed me the Truth of the above statement. Over 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 grief, I'm not sure there was despair. She always had a twinkle in her eye and a generous heart. When she herself passed on 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. It doesn't deny the feelings we have in favor of a hardness which excludes 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 cleansing to totally wallow in sadness, to experience everything there is to feel there. And when the grief has been spent, I'm free to see 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, 2012 - Forgive and See

"Aaron in Zion National Park"
photo by Heather Magnan

ACIM Lesson #247

“Without forgiveness I will still be blind."

The sight which comes with forgiveness is our topic today. And we are told that sin is the symbol of attack. 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 at all  -- which separates us from the Love which is God. And since we are the image and likeness of God, there can be no separation other than in our belief. This thing we call 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.  This yielding includes the release of things which we think have been done to us, and things we think we have done to others. So let's 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,”

Retrospection and Introspection (p. 67).

September 3, 2012 - Love All

"St. Louis Zoo"
photo by Aaron pringston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #246

“To love my Father is to love His Son."

One of my favorite Mary Baker Eddy quotes is, "Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you." I've always thought of that statement as meaning that the human hatred of others cannot reach me. I now see that it procludes the hatred I may feel toward others, also. It's very easy for me to think that I don't hate anyone or anything. Actually, it's a word I have pruned from my vocabulary and simply do not use. BUT if I am irritated by another's actions or words, or if I replay a past situation in my mind which caused anger in the past, or if I allow criticism to gnaw at me and I think of retaliatory statements which could have been made -- isn't that human hatred? Wearing this cloak of Love calms these nagging feelings and thoughts. I know that if I'm wearing the armor of Love, hatred cannot enter from inside or out!

"God is universal; confined to no spot, defined by no dogma, appropriated by no sect. Not more to one than to all, is God demonstrable as divine Life, Truth, and Love; and His people are they that reflect Him -- that reflect Love."

Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896 Page 150

September 2, 2012 - Peace is Mine

A Course in Miracles Lesson #245

“Your peace is with me, Father.  I am safe."

"Making Camp in Mongolia"
photo by Aaron Springston

Today's lesson tells us: "Your peace goes there with me. It sheds its light on everyone I meet." Sometimes this peace seems easier to realize than at other times.  We all have periods in our lives when everything feels fragile, and our safety and peace are overshadowed by anxiety and fear. Perhaps there's something to be said for the old self-help adage of "fake it until you make it"! If I extend peace and Love to all I meet, whether I feel it or not, but simply go through the motions with a sincere desire to know peace and pass it on, at some point the mist of sadness lifts. I remember one day I was walking the dogs and met a new neighbor on the street. She immediately started telling me how horrible things were in her life, giving vivid examples, until she had started yelling at me. I wasn't feeling particularly happy at that moment and the temptation was to walk away or perhaps retaliate. But instead I said to myself: You've got to say something nice to this woman! And so I thought about what I truly admired about her and said, You have beautiful hair! Well, she burst into tears and we hugged and went inside and had tea and a nice, loving conversation. By insisting on the Truth of our being, we both demonstrated the healing peace of that realization.

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