Living From the Heart

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIs Workbook Lesson #32:

“I have invented the world I see.”

I often wonder if we are hesitant to live from the heart because we worry others will think we're foolish. When we insist on seeing as Mind sees, rather than through the interpretations of human belief, we are often looked at askance! I remember once when I was in a monthly meeting of gallery owners in our town and the talk turned to theft in their shops. I turned my attention away from the discussion and was looking into a corner, thinking about something else, when suddenly I noticed everyone had stopped talking. I looked up and saw they were all looking at me! Someone asked me what I thought about this situation and I honestly told them that thievery was not a part of my existence and I didn't want to make it a reality by giving it energy. Someone said, Good for you! And the conversation continued in a different vein. With that in mind, I will not hesitate to wander away from discussions centered on fearful beliefs or angry reactions, all the while facing them with the Love which defines our being!

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

Not a Victim

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #31:

"I am not the victim of the world I see"   

I heard myself say to someone, "We could all have animosity toward our parents if we choose, either actual or imagined." Hum -- isn't all animosity imagined?? We like to think that some outside influence has forced us to feel hurt or angry, but is that true? Aren't we just setting ourselves up as a victim to say that someone else "made us angry"? After all, I don't have to react with a specified emotion; I can choose to see any given situation as a calm witness rather than as an upset personality, can't I? It's tempting to say things such as: He/she pushes my buttons. By blaming outside influences for our actions, we can pretend we're victims of life's circumstances. We're so accustomed to looking for help outside of ourselves that we also blame outside influences for our reactions, thinking we have no choice. Truth shows us that we are more than we believe we are. We aren't mortal victims, but spiritual beings with unrealized abilities and power. It's time to wake up to Truth!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Man is tributary to God, Spirit, and to nothing else. God's being is infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss."

Science & Health Page 481:2-4

Divine Mind is All

photo credit: Alden Stallings

ACIM Workbook lesson #30:

"God is in everything I see because God is in my mind."

I like to leave the word "in" out of the above statement, so that it reads: God is everything I see because God is my Mind. This way of living which we're studying is showing itself everywhere, isn't it? From so-called new-age thought, to the divine sciences, to wonderful books such as "The Celestine Prophecy" and "The Lost Symbol" -- everything is pointing us toward Truth. Seeing with the eyes of Spirit is our birthright. We are realizing this every day in a myriad of ways! When we acknowledge that we want to experience spiritual reality, we open our mind to infinity. We can turn to this certainty of thought, and by opening ourselves to All That Is, we are led in paths perhaps less traveled, but most wondrously rewarding!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"In: A term obsolete in Science if used with Spirit or Deity." Science & Health  Page 588:22-23

See What??

photo credit: Alden Stallings

ACUN Workbook Lesson #29:

 "God is in everything I see.”

To see God in everything entails utilizing a sight other than one to which we're accustomed. The material basis of our thought leaves little room for seeing spiritually. This is why our study includes so many exercises which help us to let go of learned beliefs concerning the purpose of everything we see with our material eyes; to release what we think we know about those things.  When we are able to do that, then we leave the way open for spiritual sight. Then we see that God is everywhere, because God Is. This Is-ness is omnipresent, no matter what we think about it, so we don't have to make anything happen; we need only take off our blindfolds and see Truth.  This is why it helps me to think of God as Love.  For me, it's easy to see the idea of Love being expressed in everything, as Love is everywhere, just as sunshine is. And if something happens to obscure that light, such as clouds, I know it's still there, just as potent and perfect as ever. No matter how I perceive things to be with these material eyes and thoughts, the true idea of Spirit, God, Love, is there waiting for me to remember it.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“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 516:10-13

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Saw Things Differently

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #28:

"Above all else, I want to see things differently."

Today's lesson asks us to give up any notion we have concerning the meaning of anything and everything. By doing this, we stop  looking at a thing and begin seeing the consciousness which sustains it. When we start asking what things are rather than telling them what they are, interesting answers may be coming our way! For instance, in one of my favorite novels, "The 100-year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared”, the main character doesn't make plans, but follows his intuition and ends up in some very interesting situations. Whether he's spending a few years in jail or crossing the Himalayas on foot, he doesn't interpret new circumstance from past experience, but views them as they are and does what needs to be done. "Above all else, I want to see things differently." (ACIM)

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The objects cognized by the physical senses have not the reality of substance. They are only what mortal belief calls them." Science & Health Page 311:26-28

I Want To See

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #27:

"Above all else, I want to see."

It's often said that waking up to Truth is simple, but not easy. It takes a dedicated desire to see, to know. It takes discipline of thought, of word, of action. It is suggested that we repeat these few words as often as possible today: "Above all else, I want to see." This has been the advice of many seers throughout the ages who have told us that this is "the way". The way to what? The way to everything! Yet no formula or ritual is involved. There is no dogma nor any form of worship. The path is an individual one and only you can know what it is. All we need do is admit that more than anything else we want to see; we want to know God.  Know thyself. One thing have I desired …

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Question.--What is God?

Answer.--God is incorporeal, divine, supreme, infinite Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love."

Science & Health Page 465:6-8

Our Invulnerable Heritage

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #26

"My attack thoughts are attacking my invulnerability."

The realization that all attack comes from within is an eye-opener! When we worry about lack of money, or possible illness, or what our neighbor might think, these are thoughts which seem to attack our invulnerability.  Actually our invulnerability as an expression of divine Principle cannot be attacked, but we certainly can think of ourselves as weak victims of life's circumstances. Through a conscious choice to reject the unreality of material existence and claim our heritage as powerful spiritual beings, unafraid to stand up and declare our Oneness with divine Love and all Its creation, we are able to transcend the fears we have thought to be inevitable. I love the new world which is being revealed through this understanding!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Every law of matter or the body, supposed to govern man, is rendered null and void by the law of Life, God. Ignorant of our God-given rights, we submit to unjust decrees, and the bias of education enforces this slavery." Science & Health Page 380:32-4

What's It For?

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #25

"I do not know what anything is for.”

Part of me is offended to think that I don’t know what anything is for! I’ve spent a few decades learning about things and figuring out how they fit into life, and my ego doesn’t want to give up all the beliefs in which it has invested so much. It’s tempting to say this doesn’t make sense, that I don’t understand it. But then I see what yielding to the understanding that everything works together for good allows me to do. I can relax into the living of divine Mind, the imaging of divine Love. By seeing God as Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love, then seeing ourselves as the image of God, we know we can live as Mind, reflecting Love in everything. From this point, it’s not a huge stretch to admit to myself that I don’t know what anything is for, because by doing so my mind is freed of false meanings, allowing awareness of Truth and the living of this Love. And I am content at last.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The chief difficulty in conveying the teachings of divine Science accurately to human thought lies in this, that like all other languages, English is inadequate to the expression of spiritual conceptions and propositions, because one is obliged to use material terms in dealing with spiritual ideas. The elucidation of Christian Science lies in its spiritual sense, and this sense must be gained by its disciples in order to grasp the meaning of this Science."

Science & Health Page 349:13-21

Listening to Intuition

ACIM Workbook Lesson #24:

"I do not perceive my own best interests.”

I've never been one to make plans or have goals, much preferring the adventure of watching life unfold. Apparently my oldest son feels the same way because he has moved from job to job, learning how to do them and feeding his passion for skiing and living life in the moment. When he first moved to Salt Lake City after graduation, he took a job doing something he wasn't interested in, but through it he learned skills which took him to other employment, all of which advanced his skills in photography and videography. By allowing himself to be open to the field of all potentiality, he is now working with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team as their video coordinator. This has come about because he had no strong opinions about what he should or should not be doing, and he knows that following his heart never leaves him where he started. Join with me today in thinking of times you have listened within, when you were "leaning on the sustaining infinite", and found yourself someplace you could never have planned!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, today is big with blessings."

Science & Health Page vii:1-2

Giving Up Attack Thoughts

photo credit: Heather Peters

ACIM Workbook lesson #23:

"I can escape from the world I see by giving up attack thoughts."

It can be difficult to free ourselves from the prison of attack thoughts. It seems normal and natural to think and talk about things we don't agree with or like. It can occupy the majority of our thought and we often think it might facilitate a change if we talk about it enough. This fertilization of attack thoughts can be found everywhere from coffee shops to churches, and it doesn't do a single thing to change the world. We are told today that the only way out of fear is giving up attack thoughts. If the world we see is an effect, the only way to change this hallucination is to alter the cause: our thought. Some may ridicule this idea, and for those who do I only ask this: Have any material manipulations ever, in all of history, affected a change? Did our civil war free the slaves? It was a beginning, of course, but many people stayed in bondage long past when laws were enacted. It takes a change of thought to bring freedom. Let's free ourselves today -- and forever!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Legally to abolish unpaid servitude in the United States was hard; but the abolition of mental slavery is a more difficult task. The despotic tendencies, inherent in mortal mind and always germinating in new forms of tyranny, must be rooted out through the action of the divine Mind." Science & Health Page 225:22-28

Escaping Attack Thoughts

photo credit: Heather Peters

ACIM Workbook Lesson #22

"What I see is a form of vengeance."

Having been a court reporter for 30 years, I have often witnessed people's desire for this thing called vengeance. I've also seen that when they get whatever form of retribution they seek, it makes them feel no better about the situation. Why is vengeance thought of as a good thing in our society? It seems to me it should be akin to one of Dante's deadly sins and something we would want to negate or, at the very least, hide under the table. But, no, we want to put it on the front page and proudly tell others of the vengeance we seek or have supposedly received. As ACIM tells us: "Today's idea accurately describes the way anyone who holds attack thoughts in his mind must see the world. Having projected his anger onto the world, he sees vengeance about to strike at him. His own attack is thus perceived as self defense." May we remember that our safety lies in our defenselessness -- and our happiness, too!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Any statement of life, following from a misconception of life, is erroneous, because it is destitute of any knowledge of the so-called selfhood of life, destitute of any knowledge of its origin or existence.” Science & Health Page 553:8-12

See Different! (Apologies to Apple)

photo credit: Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #21:

"I am determined to see things differently"

Today's lesson commentary asks us to examine our thoughts for varying degrees of anger, from irritation to rage. Seeing things differently was illustrated for me when I went on a ride with a person who saw another world than I did. Every car that came up behind us was following too close; when a car pulled out onto the highway, it should have waited until she was past; people in front of her were going to slow; many others were simply guilty of being "idiots". I became more and more amused as the ride progressed! She has mentioned before that she's been in a number of vehicular accidents in the past, which have always been the other person's fault. So the question comes to mind: Is she driving defensively because of past events, or are events happening because she's expecting them? I'm not going to try to make this determination, but what I do know is the difference in our attitudes towards drivers. When someone pulls out onto the highway in front of me, I'm glad because they probably want to go faster than I do. If someone zooms up behind me, I find the nearest place to happily pull to the side of the road and let them past. If someone in front of me is going slower than I usually drive, I'm glad because I know I'm in the place I need to be. I won't go so far as to say this keeps me safer, but I know it makes me happier!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Seeing is no less a quality of physical sense than feeling. Then why is it more difficult to see a thought than to feel one? Education alone determines the difference. In reality there is none." Science & Health Page 86:20-24

Trivial Pursuits

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #20

"I am determined to see"

Today's topic has prompted me to look back on the past five or six decades and think about the extremes I have gone to in order to NOT see. We, as humans, clutter ourselves with any number of trivial pursuits in order to keep from seeing and knowing Truth. We may occupy our time with busy-ness in order to keep Truth from sneaking in. There was a time in my life when I was a semi-hermit. I read five or six books a week, but nothing of import; lots of horror stories and historical romances. Time spent with others was in a bar, talking about politics, gossip, and other mind-numbing topics. I went to extremes to keep from thinking about the reality of my being. I see others using television, the internet, anything that will totally occupy their minds to keep from seeing. What is this we refuse to see? The Truth of our being, the Truth that is God, the essence which I Am, the meaning of Life and our function as the expression of divine Love. There are many ways to define this sight, but only one way to see. We must have the desire to want sight and the willingness to let illusions disappear. "I am determined to see!" (ACIM)

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The question, 'What is Truth', convulses the world. Many are ready to meet this inquiry with the assurance which comes of understanding; but more are blinded by their old illusions, and try to 'give it pause'. The efforts of error to answer this question by some ology are vain. Spiritual rationality and free thought accompany approaching Science, and cannot be put down. They will emancipate humanity, and supplant unscientific means and so-called laws” 

Science & Health Page 223:14-24

Every Thought is Important

ACIM Workbook Lesson #19

"I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my thoughts."

Would it bother you to think that there are no private thoughts? There are many things we think of as coincidence which are leading us to the truth of our connectivity, but we insist on finding reasons it can't be true. That's all right, because we are also seeing ways in which our thoughts pass to others with no spoken words. Think of the times someone comes to mind just before the telephone rings and it's them calling you.  Animals are also a proving ground for telepathic communication, allowing us to experiment with giving well-known commands mentally rather than verbally.  On a personal level, if we say we want world peace, yet fill our thought with violent movies and dooms-day conjectures, are we truly choosing peace? Every thought is important. A peaceful tipping point is getting closer all the time. I feel that's why such violence and craziness is happening everywhere: fear of losing control, fear of change, fear of a new world. Let's live as though every thought DOES make a difference and choose Love over fear!

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 & Health Page 467:9-13

Never Alone

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #18

"I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my seeing."

Yesterday I expressed my desire to be alone in communion with Spirit. Today we are asked to realize what an impossibility that is! The connection of everything through the omnipresence of our source cannot be denied. It can be ignored, but that doesn't make it go away. So every modicum of my "seeing" is experienced everywhere in this infinite web of eternal Life. And everyone's remembering of Truth is mine, too. I no longer allow into my experience those who habitually recount pain and injustice perceived in their lives. As one who used to take almost everything personally, I fully appreciate how it can consume thought, and how we seem to want commiseration with our feelings. I find myself being with those who help my Being, and loving the peace!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"In the material world, thought has brought to light with great rapidity many useful wonders. With like activity have thought's swift pinions been rising towards the realm of the real, to the spiritual cause of those lower things which give impulse to inquiry. Belief in a material basis, from which may be deduced all rationality, is slowly yielding to the idea of a metaphysical basis, looking away from matter to Mind as the cause of every effect."

Science & Health Page 268:1-9

Imagine ...

Mt. Superior - Utah
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #17

"I see no neutral things"

When I start my daily writing, I look back at the previous years and see if anything bears repeating. Imagine my surprise when I read the entry from four years ago and saw that all the things I had imagined as perfection have come true! Well, the things concerning myself, personally, but not the things pertaining to the world -- at least not yet! Here is the entry in its entirety: What I would give to live alone on a mountaintop, with no neighbors or roommates, with no job to go to or money to think about. What a nice life it would be to meditate, take long walks at any time of day, only cook when I want to, and not have social obligations. What a relief to not hear news or commercials from the media in any form. How nice to not go to church or board meetings or think about marketing of this town and its artists.  And wouldn't it be sweet for non-profits to have all they need, for no one to be hungry, for everyone to know the true source of their well-being and not be afraid to shout it from the rooftops! Human thought has changed drastically through the centuries. It's changing now, too. I embrace it!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"To corporeal sense, the sun appears to rise and set, and the earth to stand still; but astronomical science contradicts this, and explains the solar system as working on a different plan. All the evidence of physical sense and all the knowledge obtained from physical sense must yield to Science [the knowledge of Christ-consciousness], to the immortal truth of all things." Science & Health Page 493:2-8

No Neutral Thoughts

photo credit: Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #16

“I have no neutral thoughts.”

Every thought is important as it gives rise to perception, and it either extends truth or multiplies illusion. A well-known story many of us have heard illustrates today's subject. A grandfather is talking to his grandson about anger. He tells him that we all have a peaceful wolf and an angry wolf living inside us, and the one that grows is the one we feed. While I find this to be an exemplary tale illustrating a truth of this material existence, it does nothing to speak to the metaphysical truth we are learning: There is no angry wolf. As today's lesson states, "you can multiply nothing but you can't extend it". Our thoughts which feed an angry wolf have no power as they're feeding something which does not exist. So we are seeing that erroneous thoughts can seem real and may even seem to grow, but that's impossible because Truth trumps error every time.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Christian Science explains all cause and effect as mental, not physical. It lifts the veil of mystery from Soul and body. It shows the scientific relation of man to God, disentangles the interlaced ambiguities of being, and sets free the imprisoned thought."

Science & Health Page 114:23-27

Belief Becomes Reality

"Ancient Enigma"
sculpture by Ken Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #15

“My thoughts are images that I have made.”

I witnessed a thought-provoking experiment. A woman sitting at a table was asked to hold her right arm out, resting it from elbow to hand on the surface. They erected a barrier so she couldn't see her real hand and then they placed a rubber hand and arm in front of her, which she could see, with the elbow ending at her body. Then the person sitting on the other side of the table used a soft paint brush to stroke both her hand and the rubber hand. She stated she was feeling a little odd because she was beginning to experience sensation in the rubber hand. When the person moved the brush to the rubber thumb, stroking it but not hers, she jerked back because the feeling was so odd. Then the man across the table pulled out a hammer and hit the rubber hand. You can imagine how the woman reacted! This demonstrated how, in a matter of two minutes or less, a rubber hand became a human hand in the thought of this woman. This is, in essence, what we've done with everything around us. Belief becomes our reality -- and very quickly. So today I will practice moving away from beliefs and opening my thought to the reality of Spirit!

Mary Baker Eddy quotes:

"Mortals evolve images of thought." "Mortal mind sees what it believes as certainly as it believes what it sees. It feels, hears, and sees its own thoughts. Pictures are mentally formed before the artist can convey them to canvas. So is it with all material conceptions."

Science & Health Page 86:13 and 86:29:1

Divine Mind's Creation

photo credit: Mawuena Davies

ACIM Workbook Lesson #14

“God did not create a meaningless world.”

The last few days we've been seeing the world as meaningless and examining how that affects us. Today we are asked to see that this meaningless world was not created by God. This means that everything in this material world is not a creation of God. People become confused or disillusioned when they see so much unlike good in this world, often deciding there is no God. Some may explain the situation by blaming something called the devil for bad things, but then there is a conflict in their mind because God is not all-powerful in this scenario.  Some may say that God created both good and bad to give us choices, and this is a testing ground we live in. The possibilities are limitless when it comes to trying to make sense of the confusion surrounding spiritual beliefs! In our study, we're seeing that God did create everything, and it is all good, but that this creation is spiritual, not material. When we distance ourselves from the concept that life is in matter, we are able to realize that we actually have a divine origin. We can then understand that we are not governed by mental influences over which we have no control, and this realization frees us to live the Love which is our true heritage as the children of God!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“When will the error of believing that there is life in matter, and that sin, sickness, and death are creations of God, be unmasked? When will it be understood that matter has neither intelligence, life, nor sensation, and that the opposite belief is the prolific source of all suffering? God created all through Mind, and made all perfect and eternal.” Science & Health Page 205:7-13

The Illusions We Believe

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #13

“A meaningless world engenders fear.”

Violent crime in the United States has gone down 50% since the year 1990, but most of us, if asked, would say it has increased in the last 25 years. This is because the media has dictated our perception of life! Not only do we have constant reporting by news networks, but there's the factor of social media and online sources adding to our misconceptions. Also, the big-impact violent situations cause us to think that overall violence is up. I was reminded of this when pondering the ramifications of a "meaningless world". If we were able to see the world as meaningless, releasing our beliefs and assumptions about it, this is when we could tap into the truth imparted by divine Mind. But once we have the void of a still mind waiting for Love to flow in and out of it, then our ego jumps up and says, No, you can't do that! Our little mind proceeds to infuse our thought with fear and dread, once again keeping harmony away. If we can face the clamor of our little mind without fear, we will see that a meaningless world cannot exist, but our thoughts about it can certainly be without meaning!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The Hebrew Lawgiver, [Moses], slow of speech, despaired of making the people understand what should be revealed to him. When, led by wisdom to cast down his rod, he saw it become a serpent, Moses fled before it; but wisdom bade him come back and handle the serpent, and then Moses' fear departed. In this incident was seen the actuality of Science. Matter was shown to be a belief only. The serpent, evil, under wisdom's bidding, was destroyed through understanding divine Science, and this proof was a staff upon which to lean. The illusion of Moses lost its power to alarm him, when he discovered that what he apparently saw was really but a phase of mortal belief." 

Science & Health Page 321:5-18

I'll Meet You There

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #12

“I am upset because I see a meaningless world.”

Today's lesson asks us to witness events without giving them any meaning. By not assigning meaning to everything, we allow ourselves to see the Truth which is hidden by our personal interpretations. This exercise is designed to help us see that the world has no meaning, other than what we apportion to it. When we allow Spirit (God) to manifest through us -- which is our native state as the experience and expression of divine Mind -- we open ourselves to the field of all possibilities. We then become a blank slate for Love to write on. Who's to know where this will lead us? To quote Rumi: "Out beyond ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there".

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Alas for the blindness of belief, which makes harmony conditional upon death and matter, and yet supposes Mind unable to produce harmony! So long as this error of belief remains, mortals will continue mortal in belief and subject to chance and change.” Science & Health Page 486:18-22

Substantive Thought

from Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #11

“My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world.”

I still vividly remember a sleeping dream I had a few years ago. We had no need to speak, as we knew each others' thoughts. We had no fear, as our thoughts were uncluttered and pure. Everywhere I looked there were happy people, busy at tasks which would benefit everyone. There was no need for television or radios, as we knew everything, and it was Good. At one point, I thought I was lost in the woods, but that was impossible because others sensed my confusion and were there immediately to lead me to a safe and beautiful home. While traveling on a road, suddenly the way was filled with huge boulders and ancient fallen trees, but to the left side there was a field filled with beautiful flowers, and a pathway leading to my destination. All needs were met before I knew of them. And there was the most wonderful sense of peace. I will hold to these beautiful feelings today, while seeing the meaningless basis of my ego-driven thoughts and desires. 

Mary Baked Eddy quote:

“Sleep and apathy are phases of the dream that life, substance, and intelligence are material. The mortal night dream is sometimes nearer the fact of being than are the thoughts of mortals when awake. The night-dream has less matter as its accompaniment. It throws off some material fetters. It falls short of the skies, but makes its mundane flights quite ethereal.” 

Science & Health Page 249:24-30

Open to Divine Ideas

photo credit: Alden Stallings

ACIM Workbook Lesson #10

“My thoughts do not mean anything.”

Humility is the word which keeps coming to mind as I read today's lesson. We are accustomed to believing that everything we think and do is important, and it can be hard to admit our thoughts mean nothing. Sometimes it is even difficult to admit we don't know or understand things in daily life, so how can we admit that our own thoughts mean nothing? For me, it's a matter of realizing that my true self isn't contained in this body, and any thoughts which are based in materialism are changeable. And so I can then admit that my thoughts (even those which seem to be pretty good ones!) are not "founded on the divine rock". With this admission, I am happy to see the beliefs of a lifetime dissipate, leaving me open to the divine ideas which are my true reality as a child of God. 

Mary Baker Eddy quote: 

"Human thoughts have their degrees of comparison. Some thoughts are better than others. A belief in Truth is better than a belief in error, but no mortal testimony is founded on the divine rock. Mortal testimony can be shaken. Until belief becomes faith, and faith becomes spiritual understanding, human thought has little relation to the actual or divine." 

Science & Health Page 297:24-30

No Understanding Needed

"Yield"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #9

“I see nothing as it is now.”

I was asked by a person who recently began receiving my daily writings, “Are all the topics as random as the first ones have been?” She stated that there seemed to be no reason for thinking of such things, and so I stopped to ponder that. I realized that her question made a good point, which is addressed in the text of workbook lesson #9: "the recognition that you do not understand is a prerequisite for undoing your false ideas." What a relief to relinquish understanding! When we have admitted that we know nothing, but we are open to learning everything, we will learn it. These early lessons are helping us to see what it means to know nothing. We’ve been taught from early childhood that we want to know everything, and so releasing this need can be daunting. But, when you think about it, we never have known anything for sure. All the “facts” keep changing and we start all over with a new vision of truth — you know, things like you should eat margarine because butter is bad for you — stuff like that! What an exciting adventure we have awaiting us each day, as we learn to understand the difference in what we seem to know through material sense and the reality of Spirit. 

[If you want to read these lessons, please go to this site: http://acim.org/Lessons/lesson.html?lesson=9

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“We must silence this lie of material sense with the truth of spiritual sense.” Science & Health Page 318:12-13

Evolution of Thought

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #8

 “My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.”

In my lifetime, I have seen a huge evolution in thought! I’ve recently been watching a series which is set in Australia in the 1950s, and I had not realized how far we’ve come until this delightful show reminded me. (For you video buffs, it’s called A Place to Call Home.) It’s beautiful to see what beliefs we have given up, replacing them with Love rather than fear. For instance, we had many closed-minded ideas about people of different skin color marrying each other, not to mention the barriers imposed by religious separation and gender. People had to live through electrical shock treatment and its aftermath to “cure” homosexuality or hysteria. Natural acts, such as giving birth, were thought of as a disease which needed to be managed in torturous ways. We’ve come a long way in dispelling erroneous thought and replacing it with what we now see as advanced thinking! What if we’re meant to advance even further? We’ll never know until we are able to divest thought of the shackles holding us in place, and listen to the guidance of divine Mind inspiring us to heights never before imagined!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Our false views of matter perish as we grasp the facts of Spirit. The old belief must be cast out or the new idea will be spilled, and the inspiration, which is to change our standpoint, will be lost." Science & Health Page 281:28-1 

A World Uncolored by the Past

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #7

 “I see only the past.”

Most of us have changed a lot from the time we were small children, both in looks and the way we think. In pondering today's lesson, I realize that I have done a disservice to any number of people by holding them frozen in time within my thoughts. I know that everything is colored by past experience, and I'm willing to release these feelings in order to catch a glimpse of Life without prejudice. While the two people I've had difficulty seeing with the grace of forgiveness have, undoubtedly, changed in many ways, my thoughts about them have not. I've mentioned these two situations in past writings, and there is no need to reinforce my judgments further by repeating the circumstances, but there is reason for me to examine why I'm so dedicated to blaming them for their actions. Why does it bother me so much? Why am I taking it personally? These are questions I am now willing to turn over to Holy Spirit, yielding to divine Love and its all-encompassing presence.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The history of error or matter, if veritable, would set aside the omnipotence of Spirit; but it is the false history in contradistinction to the true.” 

Science and Health, Page 521:29-2

Releasing Illusion, Embracing Peace

photo credit:
Heather Peters

ACIM Workbook Lesson #6

“I am upset because I see something that is not there.”

While we may not be able to apply these ideas to every faction of our daily life, we are beginning to understand how such a thing could be possible. For example, if we wake up in the morning and are upset about something which was happening in our sleeping dream, it only takes a moment to shake off the feeling of fear or anxiety as we affirm the illusory nature of it. In our waking dreams, we often experience upset in many forms because we have accepted the illusion of separation from divine Love and each other. Perhaps we’re feeling sad or depressed; maybe we’re unhappy or have a bit of ennui following us around. Whatever form it takes, it matters not if the upset is small or large, it is all a mistaken interpretation of the reality of our being. Often it is distressing to think we have a choice in these feelings, as we don’t want to think this is our own fault. I will strive to not apportion blame to others or to myself, but rather to release upsetting emotions the way I would a bad dream. I'm willing to admit I don't know why or how these feelings come to me, but I am willing to open my mind to All that Is, moving into a new world created by Love.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Mortal mind is constantly producing on mortal body the results of false opinions; and it will continue to do so, until mortal error is deprived of its imaginary powers by Truth, which sweeps away the gossamer web of mortal illusion.” Science & Health Page 403:16-20

Where Do We Go Now?

"Mongolia"
photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #5

“I am never upset for the reason I think.”

We think in terms of something upsetting us, and then we usually build up reasons why we are justified in this reaction. Today we are asked to forget about any reason for feeling hurt, or anger, or irritation. One of my favorite movies is called "Where Do We Go Now?”, which is set in a small village in Lebanon. It starts out with a group of women, Christian and Muslim, making their weekly visit to the side-by-side cemeteries where their husbands and sons are buried. This movie is a combination of musical comedy and tragedy. I won't give away the ending as you may want to enjoy this fine film, but I will say that these women find a unique way of stopping their men from fighting over religious beliefs. When I think back on their disagreements (about what I deem to be nothing), I wonder if they are truly upset over what they think they're upset about! It seems that sometimes we're distraught because things are changing, new ideas are causing us to see everything in a different light, and we're afraid of the necessary shifts which are staring us in the face. I pray to not fear change, nor to wonder what others think of me for leaving behind anything which binds me to anger in any form. The harmony we long for is waiting for us!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: "Harmony in man is as beautiful as in music, and discord is unnatural, unreal."

Science & Health Page 304:20-21

Divine Mind or my mind

"Mongolia"
photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #4

“These thoughts do not mean anything. They are like the things I see in this room [on this street, from this window, in this place].” 

Our focus for today is to notice that my thoughts do not mean anything, other than the value which I give to them.This is a fun exercise! Sometimes I think I can trick myself into not placing meaning on things. For instance, it seems like I wouldn't put meaning on something I've never seen before, but I've found I do! I saw a photo of an animal I didn't recognize. My first thought was of how cute it looked, then I decided it was a squirrel -- nope, too small; it must be a chipmunk -- and on and on my thoughts went about it. It will be interesting to practice placing no meaning, neither "good" nor "bad" on anything. To "let go and let God" requires a willingness to see everything around us just as it is, with no long-held beliefs being expressed toward anything, and to have a willingness to listen inwardly for Truth. I look forward to the time of a universal epiphany of understanding that thought is, in its truest form, Spirit. The time of seeing reality as spiritual, not material, is visible to all who awaken to its knowledge. What an exciting thought!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Thought will finally be understood and seen in all form, substance, and color, but without material accompaniments. The potter is not in the clay; else the clay would have power over the potter. God is His own infinite Mind, and expresses all." Science & Health  Page 310:6-10 

I Understand Nothing

"Snow"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #3

“I do not understand anything I see in this room

[on this street, from this window, in this place].”

It's difficult for most of us to admit that we don't understand anything, don't you think? We are taught from childhood that it's good to know things, to understand everything, and to be able to figure out what we don't know or understand. Today's lesson, which asks us to admit we don't know anything, might be thought of as a dumbing-down process, but this is not the case.  We're simply learning to look within for an innate knowledge which resides there. The workout we're engaged in is designed to develop spiritual sense. It's difficult, if not impossible, to recognize Spirit if we think we know and understand everything through our material senses. While the knowledge we've amassed can serve us well in this world, let's not allow it to preclude a deeper knowing which is only audible when the material senses are stilled.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"God's ideas reflect the immortal, unerring, and infinite. The mortal, erring, and finite are human beliefs, which apportion to themselves a task impossible for them, that of distinguishing between the false and the true. Understanding is a quality of God ..." 

Science & Health Page 505:26-2 & 506:5

What Does It Mean?

ACIM Workbook Lesson #2 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

“I have given everything I see in this room [on this street, from this window, in this place] all the meaning that it has for me.”

While walking in a cemetery, I was struck by how different people would look at the grave markers and their possible meaning. There is a plot which has a mother and father and six children, all of whom died before reaching adolescence, all on different dates. In another part of the maze, there is a grave totally covered with crystals of varying sizes. The only thing the marker says is their surname. As I pondered the stories behind these stones and markers, I realized how very true it is that the meaning of anything is exactly what we give to it. Perhaps that's why we like to be in groups, such as churches or families, so there will be others who know where we're "coming from". And maybe that's why we're afraid to step outside of long-held beliefs. To me, the realization that we can give up belief and all walk together in Truth is far more unifying than wandering through changeable illusions. What heady heights await us!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The only fact concerning any material concept is, that it is neither scientific nor eternal, but subject to change and dissolution."

Science & Health Page 297:16-19