Safety Assured - September 1, 2015

photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #244

“I am in danger nowhere in the world."

Reading the above affirmation of our safety in any situation reminds me of many personal examples of this Truth. Often when we hear of material so-called laws being usurped, we think of this as divine intervention.  Let's not think of this as God setting aside material law in favor of spiritual principle, but as the demonstration of how Principle operates. By surrendering my separate identify, I feel the Oneness that is perfect peace. Holding on to my own knowledge and beliefs, I am afraid of many things, seeing possible dangers around every corner.  Returning to Love releases illusions which we have made, enabling us to see Truth, to live Love, in safety. I know many of you are thinking of the horrible things you know about which make this seem like a frivolous statement. In the mortal world we witness, this certainly is true. But is it the Truth? That is the question!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you. The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity.” Science & Health Page 571:18-21

Namastè, Wayne Dyer

ACIM Workbook Lesson #243

“Today I will judge nothing that occurs."

I just heard about Wayne Dyer’s death. With someone as loving and pure of motive as this man, it’s easy to feel he’s your friend. The first book of his I ever read was, “When You Believe It, You’ll See It”. I even remember the yard sale I was at on Vaughn Street. I recall the feeling that went through me when I looked down at a box of books and saw it there, shining at me and asking to be taken home. I became a large fan of his, thrilled by how accessible he made this way of thought. He appealed to a wide variety of people with his non-judgmental way of speaking and his willingness to show us his weaknesses and to make fun of his ego. He was a delightful man who reached many otherwise uninterested people through his PBS talks, which were often run during their fundraising campaigns. Thank you, Wayne, for advising us not to “die with our music still inside us”. You certainly played your own loud and clear for all of us! Namastè, dear Friend.

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

What a Gift!

"Thorncrown Chapel"
photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #242

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

Last year, after sending out this daily workbook topic, someone wrote me asking if giving a gift to God meant going to church. After I stated my thoughts about “This day is God’s. It is my gift to Him.”, she told me she had little enough time to herself and didn’t want to give up a day to anyone. I guess we can have the idea that if we live our life for divine Love, we’re not living it for ourself. Recently I spoke with her and she tells me she now sees that giving is receiving. She also mentioned that she understood how giving up all the beliefs she had and listening for divine Mind was living in a dimension she hadn’t thought was possible. Her new way of living and listening was such a source of happiness for her! She’s happier than she remembers ever being before, and that’s a gift!

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

The Holy Instant, Celebrated!

"Mongolian Shaman"
creation by Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #241

“This holy instant is salvation come."Today let's celebrate words which have awakened us to the knowledge of salvation within! We all have our favorites -- people whose words are so familiar they have become a natural part of our conversations and thoughts. Today I commemorate the wisdom passed to us by John Lennon, William Blake, Shakespeare, Rumi, and others. I will remember those whose words have encouraged me to live Truth, by way of their living of It. While visiting these well-loved words, I know that salvation is not only something to be desired, but that it is here, right now, for the remembering.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"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 fetter-less Mind.”

Science & Health Page 84:14-18

No Fear, Omni-Action!

"Mongolia"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #240

“Fear is not justified in any form."

Our lives tend to fall into familiar patterns as we move through our days. We may find ourselves going to the same places, saying the same things, thinking the same thoughts -- and all of  these habits become comfortable. Even if we're experiencing disharmony, we often fear change. We may 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 call fear, I'll 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

I Celebrate MySelf!

photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #239

“The glory of my Father is my own"

“Let not the truth about ourselves today be hidden by a false humility.” (ACIM) 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 which actually are expressing our inability to accept the glory of our true selves, but there are lots of insidious forms that are not as easily noticed. Do we take things personally and feel attacked when we hear news of governmental actions, friends’ words, co-workers' rivalry, or the thousands of other things that go on around us? These are all forms of accepting something other than the glory of ourselves. Every time I hear or see something today which seems to cause me chagrin, I will smile with the assurance that no one, including my own self, can change the Truth of Being.

“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:

“Unfathomable Mind is expressed. The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty, and glory of infinite Love fill all space.” 

Science & Health Page 520:3-5

Too Many Decisions!

photo courtesy of Alden Stallings

ACIM Workbook 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, all from the freedom of 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…" Science & Health Page 285:23-26

Releasing Myths

"Beaver Bridge"
photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #237

“Now would I be as God created me."

Seeing past our thoughts about words to the true meaning behind them is part of letting go of the beliefs and dogma with which we have been indoctrinated. There are so many words I’ve had “problems” with, but those illusions are fading away as I learn that the words in these workbook lessons are leading me to peace and love, and the forgiveness of my belief is part of that journey. Letting go of the myths of creation, dramas which attempt to bring us guilt and limitation, is all a part of the changing thought we are experiencing as we allow the light of Mind to shine away the illusions of mortality. Today I will see myself and everyone as extensions of divine Love, allowing nothing to convince me otherwise.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“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: 5-10

Stop the Babble!

"Mongolia"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #236

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

Today's topic brings a remembrance of a school trip where I had five students in my car. During the six-hour drive, one of the boys kept up an almost non-stop stream-of-consciousness babble. I finally told him that everything that went through his head didn't need to come out of his mouth! That's sort of what we're learning today, too. We don't have to allow every thought that pops into our head to rule us. I don't freak out when I do have thoughts I'm not interested in having, but I do turn them away. We have that power!  We're not victims of random thoughts flying around like pollen. We are created by divine Mind and have that heritage to call upon. Mortal mind, ego, is not our ruler, and we can just say no when fearful thinking wants our attention. What a relief!

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.”

Science & Health Page 286:21-27

I Am

"Bryce Canyon"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #235

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

Do you ever feel punished and try to make deals with God? The mass consciousness we swim in keeps telling us we've done something wrong and can't be saved until we do a whole bunch of things right. Let's allow all of those beliefs to go away today and concentrate on what feels like Truth, right now, in this moment. Toward this end, I will, at every possible moment, quiet my thoughts and allow Truth to permeate my being. It's there all the time, this Love which is God, this divine Love which supports us more surely than the waters of mass consciousness. Our true consciousness is expressed most perfectly in two words: I Am. I'm going to keep it simple today. Join me!

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

Reflecting Love

photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #234

“Father, today I am Your Son again.”

Once again, I read this topic differently than it is written: Love, today I Am your reflection again. Seeing ourselves as we really are reminds me of a sweet little old lady who used to live up the street. Margaret had lived alone for more than a decade and had taken all the mirrors out of her house. When some other neighbors and I began to help her with housekeeping chores and other things, someone put a mirror on the wall in her bathroom. When she first saw it, she got very upset and began trying to pull it off the wall and, when that didn’t work, tried to break it. She had not seen herself in so many years that she couldn’t face what she saw. Many of us feel the same way about seeing ourselves in a spiritual light. We have become so accustomed to thinking of ourselves as less than, as separate from the beauty of Love, that it’s difficult to accept our spiritual Self. We may have a tough time releasing our beliefs and simply Being. Let’s be gentle with ourselves and see what we find when we release what we think we are! Namasté ~~~

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Matter is a human concept. Life is divine Mind.”

Science & Health Page 569:3-4

Living Life to the Fullest!

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #233

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

Live life to the fullest! What exactly does that mean? I was watching a cooking show where the host, a well-known hedonist, was in Greece. As he is over-drinking and eating he declares that he’s living life to the fullest. It made me start thinking about what a full life is, and then when seeing this topic requesting us to allow divine Mind, God, to guide me today — well, you can imagine how I laughed when I thought of the idea of gluttony being an indication of a full life! I suppose we can ask ourselves what it is we value. Do we value things we have, things we do? Or is valuable substance made up of ideas and the purity of our actions when they are led by divine Love? Giving ourselves to the Unity of All that Is does not limit our actions and enjoyment of the moment. I feel that it intensifies the joy and excitement of living. Being led by Spirit allows me to stop worrying about what my next steps will be and relax into a surety that I’ll be in the right place at the right time. What an adventure life is!

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

Be My Mind

photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #232

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

Certain words cause me to cringe and so (at this point in my releasing of belief and learned behavior) I simply leave them out or change them. For instance, in today’s topic I prefer to leave out the words ”in" and “my Father”. With the word “in”, I immediately think there is something missing that I need to bring into me, so I prefer to say “be my mind”. Changing the wording allows me to feel more at One with this ever presence I am acknowledging. I’ve also 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 out favors or throwing lightning bolts! I urge you to not worry about semantics and other word games we tend to play with ourselves. But when something causes me discomfort in the wording of these spiritual exercises, I have no problem with thinking of it in another way, until my thinking about the words 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

Remembering Love

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #231

“Father, I will but to remember You."

God is Love. Today as I remember Love, I also remember a lovely documentary entitled, "Wings of Life". At one point, it's described as a love story from flowers to pollinators. Adding to my love affair with this movie is its narration by Meryl Streep. The flowers multiply in beauty, with gratitude to the bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and bats. I pause to think of what spurs me to express more goodness and Love. There are so many things which fill my heart: people, music, nature -- movies like this one! In line with my quest to be with those who help my being, I will stay with entertainment which brings beauty and grace to life, turning away from inanities and programing designed to disturb the senses. Following the law of divine Love satisfies -- and I am grateful.

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

Peace, Joy, Happiness

"Aaron in Utah"
photo by Kailey Jones

ACIM Workbook Lesson #230

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

I read about an interesting experiment. Two people were placed face to face. One was instructed to smile as happily as possible, and the other was asked to retain a neutral look. In most of the cases, the person who was supposed to stay neutral couldn't keep from smiling, too. Happiness, joy, and peace are all spiritual attributes which shine forth through us as the experience of divine Love. They are infectious, don't you think? Let's broadcast this seed far and wide today and watch it grow!

 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

Pure Love

"Well-Loved Child"
creations of Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #229

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

Many of us have a hard time seeing ourselves as Love. We may feel there are events in our lives so unlovely that we couldn't possibly be the reflection of divine perfection. Many great sages have taught us how to save ourselves from the horror of past events. Thich Nhat Hanh and Mahatma Gandhi have given us ways to rise above our feelings of guilt. No matter how this advice is worded, it comes down to one basic concept: extend Love to others, to every thing and every one. This is our atonement, to see the Oneness of all that Is and realize that nothing can ever occur which will separate us from divine Love. By giving it to the world, we give it to ourselves and feel major changes within. We can forgive ourselves even as we are forgiven, because we were never condemned.

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

No More Condemnation

photo by Alden Stallings

ACIM Workbook Lesson #228

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

If I condemn another, I condemn myself — and it happens so easily! When condemning others, I always feel like I've "fallen off the wagon".  I remember a time when I found myself in a conversation wherein I was condemning the motorcycle riders who visit our town, and the woman I was chatting with was blaming another segment of our society for other things. Was my face red when I realized what I was doing! Pointing a finger always leaves three pointing back at myself. To counter these events, I will practice loving actively. Or maybe it's gratitude that triggers a return to Love. Whatever the case, I will hasten to drop inflammatory words and thoughts I sometimes experience. And when they happen, I will choose again!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Man is the idea of Spirit; he reflects the beatific presence, illuming the universe with light. Man is deathless, spiritual. He is above sin or frailty. He does not cross the barriers of time into the vast forever of Life, but he coexists with God and the universe.” Science & Health Page 266:27-32

Every Moment a Meditation - August 15, 2015

"Aaron in Sequoia National Park"

ACIM Workbook Lesson #227

“This is my holy instant of release.”

Seeing today’s topic concerning a “holy instant of release” reminded me of a conversation I recently had with an old friend who tells me he is very nervous and anxious. It has gotten to the point where it’s affecting his life and he cannot do the things he enjoys. I recommended yoga and/or tai chi along with mediation of some sort. This led to a discussion of meditation and how he feels he will never be able to do it because his mind is so busy. I assured him it wasn’t necessary to totally stop thought at first, but simply to notice his thoughts as he sits quietly, acknowledging them and releasing them, not allowing one to lead into another until a state of agitation is reached.  Every moment is a holy instant and every thing is a meditation! Every time I have an attack thought and turn it around into a loving, non-judgmental one, I am in meditation. When someone says something which could send me into a tirade of condemnation or defense, but I calmly think and say something like “you may be right”, it’s a holy instant acknowledged. One moment of slipping between the thoughts is “a foretaste of eternity!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “One moment of divine consciousness, or the spiritual understanding of Life and Love, is a foretaste of eternity.”

Science and Health Page 598:23-24

Oneness: United in Love

photo by Alden Stallings

ACIM Workbook Lesson #226

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

What does it mean that "my home awaits me"? How does this affect my existence? Accepting the Truth of my being has many surprising consequences. One side effect is a heightened sense of Oneness, evidenced by a refinement in communication. We see this sharing of thought in the animal kingdom. It can be observed when watching birds fly in formation, or your dog expecting you home five minutes before you get there, or any number of observations we allow into our awareness. With each stretching past our accepted limitations, fresh insights will appear. Many of us are frightened by this new/old way of living.  Most people I know well are embracing these changes and reveling in the synchronistic events and enhanced perceptions. We are changing our thought about the purpose of the world, and living in the kingdom of God, which is within. Therein lies the safety of home.

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

The Unity of Love's Experience

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #225

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

To me, today’s lesson is asking us to experience the Love which is ever-present by virtue of the Oneness we all are. If we are all the experience of God, the creation of divine Mind, the reflection of divine Love, there are no degrees of unity. It’s easy for me to feel at One with people I like and admire, but what of those I’d rather not be around? I can certainly see myself as One with Meryl Streep or Richard Gere, but what about Donald Trump or — well, you get the idea, I’m sure! If I weren’t judging someone to be awful, I wouldn’t feel the need to condemn them in my thought. If I do not judge, I need not condemn. Today I will remember to see beyond personalities and witness the reality of everyone as the expression and experience of the One! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“…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 & Health Page 470:2-5

One Unifying Love

photo courtesy of Alden Stallings

ACIM Workbook Lesson #224

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

The Little Paris Bookshop is an exquisitely-written novel. It's a love story on many levels. If you love food, or people, or romance, and especially if you love books, this story will pick you up and take you to a place you may have been afraid to visit before reading it. The main character has a bookstore which is floating on a barge in the Seine. He calls this business The Book Apothecary and he prescribes specific books for the needs of his customers. This story explores the limitations we put on love and leads us to see that Love is truly all there is. There may seem to be other things -- lots of them! -- but ultimately it comes down to choosing between what you've decided is truth and what Truth actually is. There were many parts of this book which illustrated that it really doesn't matter what we think; truth is truth no matter what we may believe. The One we are may not be the one we seem to be!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, “Love thy neighbor as thyself;” annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed. "

Science & Health Page 340:21-29

How Am I Defining My Life?

photo by Alden Stallings

ACIM Workbook Lesson #223

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

August 10, 2015 has been an incredibly beautiful day in the Ozarks. After a light rain this cool morning, our temperatures were exquisitely temperate the rest of the day. As I’ve enjoyed the weather, I’ve been thinking about how we define ourselves by our jobs, our talents, our looks, our cars, our children — well, the list goes on, doesn’t it? When I closed my beloved art gallery earlier this year, many people warned me that it would be a huge adjustment not going there every day and having it as the center of my existence. But it wasn’t! I think that’s because it never defined me. I never thought of myself as being what I was doing. And in light of that realization, I see that the beautiful day I’ve enjoyed today has nothing to do with the life I enjoy. Whatever the external circumstance, it has nothing to do with the Truth of my being as a reflection of divine Love. But it sure was a pretty day!!

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.”

Science & Health Page 331:1-7

Waking Up to Oneness

photo by Alden Stallings

ACIM Workbook Lesson #222

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

We are waking up from our dream of separation! In this awakening, we are actualizing another level of living. We are becoming more consciously intuitive in our daily activities. Whereas we used to think of "hunches" as meaningless feelings, we are now realizing they're whispers from divine Mind. Living life as the reflection of Love opens thought to our Oneness, and we see a world without judgment. People are dropping life-long habits, and they're glad to see them go!  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 ..." And so it Is ~~~

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The universe reflects and expresses the divine substance or Mind...”

Science & Health Page 300:29-30

Let All My Thoughts Be Still

"Bryce Canyon Sunset"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #221

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

Today begins part two of the Course in Miracles workbook. Now is the time for us to stop telling ourselves what we are and to Be. I’ve been listening to recordings from a Great Courses teaching entitled “Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation.” The man teaching us is quite enjoyable with fun stories and a nice voice. At one point, he asks us to start out the day and notice how many of our thoughts are unnecessary. How many are rehearsals of what we are going to say, or recalling what we did say and/or do, or just plain ole silliness! I thought of him telling us of this exercise when I saw the topic of today’s workbook lesson: “Let all my thoughts be still.” So I think I’ll do that today. I’ll have a notebook ready and not a single pointless thought shall pass by without recognition. This is going to be fun!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“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

Demonstrating Peace

photo courtesy of Alden Stallings

ACIM Central Theme: “I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me.” Review: #200 “There is no peace except the peace of God.”

Today I’d like to share a little-known writing by Mary Baker Eddy entitled “Demonstration”

=

"I have learned a great secret.

I have learned how to demonstrate, I have learned how to make Science a thing of life, not of words.

I am going to tell you what the secret is, and it is wonderful.

It is this: Not to see or hear or repeat any kind of imperfection.

It is seeing and hearing and repeating good only, at all times and under all circumstances, and in spite of everything that appears to the contrary.

I make this resolve every morning, when I first open my eyes, and I renew it every hour of the day.

I see perfection in myself in my friends, in my so-called enemy, in my affairs and in world affairs.

I take my radical stand for the perfection of God and everything and for everything and everybody He has created. I look upon the world with God's eyes and see it just as He sees it, and I refuse to see it in any other way.

I stop a dozen times a day, and renew the resolve, and make sure that I am not repeating error or giving way to criticism. I watch my thoughts about people, the lame, the old, the unloved to sense that I pass in the street, stray animals, I except nothing. I have taken my radical stand for perfection and I will not, absolutely will not, relax this perfect standard.

The result has been simply marvelous. Try it and you will find that you forget your glasses; they will become unnecessary.

You will be seeing with God's eyes, His perfect sight, and you will behold a perfect universe, the outward condition of your inward thinking. To change the picture you must change the sight that produced the picture." 

By Mary Baker Eddy

As Free As A Dream

photo by Alden Stallings

ACIM Workbook Lesson #219

Central Theme: “I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me.” Review: #199 “I am not a body. I am free.”

Have you ever dreamed you could fly? My favorite freedom dream is one of running fast, sometimes leaving the ground and floating in mid-stride. Although I haven't had this recurring dream for some time, I can still fell the perfection of it. As I watch people dance and use their bodies in other life-affirming ways, I marvel at the beauty and grace expressed in these activities. Just as physical boundaries are broken and new records set, there is more to come in this so-called physical existence. We are learning of the limitlessness of divine Mind’s ideas, of which we are One.   What is your highest ideal of freedom? 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"This mortal is put off, and the new man or real man is put on, in proportion as mortals realize the Science of man and seek the true model." Science & Health Page 408:22-26

I Am Worthy -- And So Are You~

photo from Alden Stallings

ACIM Workbook Lesson #218

Central Theme: “I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me.” Review: #198 “Only my condemnation injures me.”

"I'm not worthy!" When certain comedians say this in a silly movie, it seems funny. But when I hear this coming from people in everyday conversations, even though they don't use these exact words, it's tempting to tell them that they are very much worthy!! One evening, I had dinner with a group of people who were going to the Passion Play here in Eureka Springs. One woman stated that she had mixed feelings about the play because no one was "good enough" to play the part of Jesus. She felt it was presumptuous and arrogant for anyone to do so. As you can imagine, it was all I could do to stop myself from jumping up on the table and shouting that we are all worthy!! But I didn’t. Instead, I inwardly offered an affirmation of our goodness as the expression of God, the image of Mind, the reflection of Love — along with a silent Namastè.

Mary BakerEddy quote:

"And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure." 

Science & Health Page 497:24-27

Listening - August 5, 2015

"Tsgaglalal"
creation by Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #217

Central Theme: “I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me.” Review: #197 “It can be but my gratitude I earn.”

I’ve felt rather muddled and dull last night and today. So I think I’ll spend the day cleaning house and listening rather than thinking. Here’s to clearer thought and more gratitude within!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“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.” 

Science & Health Page 323:32-4

Marriage or ...?

photo from Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #216

Central Theme: “I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me.” Review: #196 “It can be but myself I crucify.”

When I think back on my marriages, I wonder if things would have been different if I had put as much effort into listening to divine Mind as I did into following the social morès of the day. Expectations abounded in every direction: what we would be doing in a few years, how many kids we would or wouldn't have, how we would grow together until we were some sort of perfect single being. All sorts of odd things go through your mind when you're young and you believe in the mid-1900s television version of marriage. And so I crucified myself time and again (and again!) with false expectations and blame. Would things be different today with the Knowledge I am beginning to attain? I like to think so!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Marriage should signify a union of hearts. Furthermore, the time cometh of which Jesus spake, when he declared that in the resurrection there should be no more marrying nor giving in marriage, but man would be as the angels. Then shall Soul rejoice in its own, in which passion has no part. Then white-robed purity will unite in one person masculine wisdom and feminine love, spiritual understanding and perpetual peace."

Science & Health Page 64:17-25

What, Me Worry?

"Blue Moon Set Over the Ozarks"
photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #215

Central theme: "I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me." Review: #195 "Love is the way I walk in gratitude."

Today's review tells us to release the future: What does that mean? We've learned that we must release the past in order to live in the present. "Those who live in the past are condemned to live there alone." (Einstein's Dreams, by Alan Lightman) But what of releasing the future? Does that mean we can't make plans and have dreams of what we'd like to do? No, of course not. It simply means that we mustn't allow those "what-if" situations to control us. If we take the future to the level of constant worry, affecting our every moment in the present, then it's time to release it! I feel there is nothing wrong with thinking about the past or the future, unless it begins to be our focus. No fear of the future nor regret in the past places me in the now. Woo-hoo!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“As the crude footprints of the past disappear from the dissolving paths of the present, we shall better understand the Science which governs these changes, and shall plant our feet on firmer ground.”

Science & Health Page 224:4-7

Letting Go - August 2, 2015

photo from Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #214

Central theme: "I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me." Review: #194 "I place the future in the Hands of God."

Some of us are uncomfortable with relinquishing control and may recoil at the idea of placing the future in God's hands. But I see no loss of individuality in this process. On the contrary, there is more freedom from allowing divine Mind to be in charge than there is with making decisions dictated by material belief and habit. I know a woman who is involved in the messy settlement of her mom's estate. When she gets letters from the attorneys, she puts them in her bible and says she's giving it to God. This is not what we're talking about today! The willingness to radically rely on God opens the way for ideas and spiritual sense to lead us in ways we may not have considered before. Things may then "come up" from the depths of our emotional stores, allowing them to be acknowledged and released. That's what I call "giving it to God"! The past is gone. With every letting go of well-rehearsed past events, or the quiet release of guilt or pain, peace becomes reality for me. It doesn't matter if anyone was right or wrong, it doesn't make any difference what motives were involved, part of me has been emptied to be filled with the only reality: Love.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“We cannot fill vessels already full. They must first be emptied. Let us disrobe error. Then, when the winds of God blow, we shall not hug our tatters close about us.”

Science & Health Page 201:13-15