Bathed in Beauty and Light

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #305 “There is a peace that Christ bestows on us.”

What is the second coming? This is the question A Course in Miracles has been exploring recently. We're learning that it's an internal awakening. It involves seeing and feeling the never-beginning, never-ending Truth of our being. This burgeoning understanding has brought me the peace which intellectual reasoning never did. I see the world as a loving place, filled with people who care about each other and their environment. In the past, people would tell me, on a regular basis, why they felt the world was a hate-filled place of irrevocable turmoil. Now it's a rarity. Have they changed or have I? Is there a difference if we're all One? Love = Peace = Harmony. Feel the Love!

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 516:9-13

Glimpses of Possibilities

ACIM Workbook Lesson #304 “Let not my world obscure the sight of Christ.”

Throughout the ages, we've been given glimpses of unrealized possibilities. As attested by powerful mythological and fictional characters, we have longed for the ability to change what seems to be the reality of situations in and around our personal existence. The world tells us that we are victims of circumstance, with life experiences being changed at the whim of happenstance. Every time we hear a story telling of something we think is impossible, but which contains an outcome so beautiful we wish and hope it is true, let's contemplate the fact that there are no limits. Who knows what we're capable of doing? We seem to exceed expected outcomes in every avenue of existence. Wasn't it said that running a mile in less than four minutes was impossible? Today I set free any thought of limitation, any assumptions I may have as to what's what, and by doing so open the inner door to new sight!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Corporeal sense, or error, may seem to hide Truth, health, harmony, and Science, as the mist obscures the sun or the mountain; but Science, the sunshine of Truth, will melt away the shadow and reveal the celestial peaks.”

Science & Health Page 299:26-30

Releasing Connotations

photo credit: Alden Stallings

ACIM Workbook Lesson #303 “The holy Christ is born in me today.”

These writings often contain words which elicit negative reactions in many of us. Within myself, I have watched them dissipate by letting go of preconceived meanings and learned dogma. "The Christ is born in me today" is the acknowledgement that the presence of God is within. Please, please, change these words into whatever feels right to you. And please, please don't allow these words' connotations to turn you away from the Love which you are. If you feel disoriented and sort of happily confused, don't fear that either! This giddiness is part of the shift to the beautiful realization of God within! Embrace it and be free!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“CHRIST: The divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error.”

Science & Health Page 583:10-11

Joyfully Shifting!

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #302 “Where darkness was I look upon the light.”

Haven't we all had times when we were recounting an event and someone insists that the details are different than what we remember? Our perceptions are nuanced by expectations and personal experiences, including our understanding of these teachings. A mere hundred years ago, the things we speak of today would have been thought of as blasphemous. What a relief to openly speak about quantum theory and metaphysics without fear! Any bookstore will have an abundance of books by people looking “upon the light”, and they give us confidence to admit that we see it, too! Remember the story of ”the emperor has no clothes"? If everyone were pretending not to see and feel this paradigm shift, then we might stay silent, too. But they're not! We are joyfully acknowledging this shift, and we're shouting it from the pinnacle of our understanding. We look upon the light!

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

Hearing Consciousness

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #301 “And God Himself shall wipe away all tears.”

People feel that someone is not reacting appropriately unless they cry profusely upon a loved one's death. They may even go so far as to say that the dry-eyed person isn't grieving, and that this will come back on them in various ways unless they release their sorrow through active sorrow. Kahlil Gibran had a life-long platonic love affair with a woman named Mary Haskell. When he died, she was peacefully smiling while greeting the mourners at his funeral. No one understood how this could be. At one point, she quoted words which he had written her: "You listen to so much more than I can say. You hear consciousness. You go with me where the words I say can’t carry you." How could she be sad when the love they shared had always been experienced through thought rather than physical expression? She understood what we are learning about the true reality of our Being.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Love propagates anew the higher joys of Spirit, which have no taint of earth. Each successive stage of experience unfolds new views of divine goodness and love.” Science & Health Page 573:28-2

The Waters of Mortal Mind

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #300 “Only an instant does this world endure.”

This is the last of ten lessons which ask the question, "What is the real world?" Is reality what we are told it is by the daily news? Is it what we learn in school? I remember how surprising and embarrassing it was to find out that most of the American history we studied in lower school classes was no more than a myth perpetuated by men who wanted it to be that way. We are beginning to understand that spiritual Truth is not to be found within the religious institutions of our world. It seems that every day another illusion is being uncovered, dissipated by truth. Happily leaving behind our stories of duality and erroneous thought frees us to discover truth. Listen, Love, Live!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“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.”

Science & Health Page 454:21-23

Truth Within

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #299 “Eternal holiness abides in me.”

A friend made a comment pertaining to the erroneous thought we sometimes glom onto in daily life. He said that once you hear something, it's a part of you -- a part of your consciousness, if you will. Even if we hear something and know it’s not true, it can be difficult to get it out of our mind. While I admit that it can be difficult to forget something, I do not think it’s impossible! The key to this letting-go is realizing what you are. As long as I see myself as a material human, a victim of life’s circumstances, then, yes, it is difficult, even impossible, to release erroneous thought. When I start to glimpse that I am not this body, that I am Idea, then, and only then, am I freed from the bombardment of daily illusions and the lies of material sense. Looked at from this perspective, my goal is not to release anything; it is to understand my Being as an expression of divine Mind, an emanation of divine Love, the experience of divine Life! I will not think of this as an impossible task, but as a reachable Truth.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“How are veritable ideas to be distinguished from illusions? By learning the origin of each. Ideas are emanations from the divine Mind. Thoughts, proceeding from the brain or from matter, are offshoots of mortal mind; they are mortal material beliefs. Ideas are spiritual, harmonious, and eternal.” Science & Health Page 88:9-14

The Loved of Love

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ACIM Workbook Lesson #298

“I love You, Father, and I love Your Son.”

I grew up in a small town and have lived all my life in close proximity to it, and so there are many people I’ve known for decades. Looking back at my dearest friends through the years, most of us have grown apart, finding that we no longer share the same viewpoints or interests.  Friendships ebb and flow, change over the years, and mature into majestic alliances. The few treasured relationships which have endured are so sweet! Loving God extends into loving Its expression, in the form of other humans. I am grateful for the burgeoning understanding which allows me to love without fear, to extend a hand when needed, and never fear the consequences. Namaste!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Love never loses sight of loveliness. Its halo rests upon its object. One marvels that a friend can ever seem less than beautiful. Men and women of riper years and larger lessons ought to ripen into health and immortality, instead of lapsing into darkness or gloom.” Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures Page 249:3-7

No-Fault Forgiveness

photo credit: Gerry Toler

ACIM Workbook Lesson #297

“Forgiveness is the only gift I give.”

Today’s topic turns my thoughts to wondering what it is which causes us to “get our feelings hurt” by the actions and words of others. I often quote lines from “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz and I love the agreement which tells us not to take anything personally. He goes so far as to say that even if someone shoots you in the head, it’s their problem, not yours! This recommendation is particularly appropriate during these days leading up to a national election in the United States. People are becoming upset at the slightest provocation. The realization that I needn’t take anything personally comes with a lovely side effect: there is no blame to apportion to anyone, hence I have forgiven without the stress of casting stones at others! What a relief!

 Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“True prayer is not asking God for love; it is learning to love, and to include all mankind in one affection.”

No and Yes, p. 39:17-18

The Strains of Truth and Love

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #296

“The Holy Spirit speaks through me today.”

There are many ego-busters in this Course, any one of which may ruffle our feathers! I like to think I’m quietly listening for Spirit to speak through me today and everyday, but I’m sure that’s not always true. Often I have an uneasy feeling somewhere around the solar plexus, or maybe there’s an odd, tired feeling in my spine, both of which I’ve learned to recognize as symptoms of an errant ego making itself known. Sometimes I might be self-righteous in response to a situation, or perhaps I feel defensive when I’m not absolutely sure about my position. When these things happen, I can choose to back up, perhaps apologize to someone, and start over with a fresh perspective, because my words and actions were coming from my mind rather than the one Mind. And so, dear Reader, please feel free to tell me if you think I’m wrong, or point out a situation in which I may have been insensitive. I promise not to take it personally! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Eloquence re-echoes the strains of Truth and Love. It is due to inspiration rather than to erudition."

Science & Health Page 88:26-27

Seeing Love

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #295

“The Holy Spirit looks through me today.”

For years I was in love with love. I loved being in love and flitted from one love affair to another. When I began a serious study of divine metaphysics, the love I had always chased seemed small in comparison to the wholeness of the Love which is God. While discovering that I am the expression of this Love, I spent quite some time separating these feelings and cordoning off the love which I had humanly craved. I now see the increased separation I created with my definitions and restrictions on love. There is only one Love, as we are told in today's ACIM workbook lesson: "Fear appears in many different forms, but love is one." My foolish giving up of love in favor of Love was simply another form of fear. I invite divine Love to look through me today, and I ask that I recognize what that means!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“But eyes accustomed to darkness are pained by the light. When outgrowing the old, you should not fear to put on the new.” Science & Health Page 452:8-11

The Idea of Love

"Bird at Heart"
creation of Sandy Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #294

“My body is a wholly neutral thing.”

A Course in Miracles tells us that the body is a communication device; that it is a tool to be used and then laid aside when its use is over. In this world, we have mistaken the body for our true identity. If we no longer see our body as either good or bad, but rather as a totally neutral thing, it can be realized as what it is in truth: an extension of Love. A dear man reminded me today of something a mutual friend said about Love: there is no unconditional love, only Love. If there are conditions, it’s not really Love! Today I shall think of my body in this way, too, without conditions and limitation, but only as the Idea it is!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Identity is the reflection of Spirit, the reflection in multifarious forms of the living Principle, Love.” Science & Health Page 477:20-22

Unspeakable Peace

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #293

"All fear is past and only love is here."

One of my dearest friends in the world moved away a few years ago, and he is visiting us now and attended our Course in Miracles meeting today. The first thing I said to him was, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again. He responded, You see me every time you think of me. I love today’s lesson because it reminds me of my long association with this wonderful man. What beautiful, peaceful memories he and I have of our parenthesis in eternity! “…let [not] my ears be deaf to all the hymns of gratitude the world is singing underneath the sounds of fear. There is a real world which the present holds safe from all past mistakes. And I would see only this world before my eyes today.” ACIM

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

Happiness Assured

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #292

“A happy outcome to all things is sure.”

The sky is falling!! I'm often reminded of the proverbial Chicken Little and his incessant worries. Many people I know remind me of him, with their certainty that something awful is going to happen. A dear woman came to me asking for advice. She told me that she was afraid to go outside her home, and so she would drink alcohol before she went out in order to have the courage to leave. She had been drinking heavily when she came to talk to me. She related many concerns she had about life in general and a few things in specific. I mentioned Wayne Dyer's words about worry: If you can do something about a situation, you will; if you can't, why worry?? She was very excited by this because she has heard him on television and she really wants to live from this perspective, too. I told her she can, that all it takes is practice and applying the ideas in daily life. Replacing habitual, circular thought with realized spiritual Truth may seem difficult, but a happy outcome is sure!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Choke these errors in their early stages, if you would not cherish an army of conspirators against health, happiness, and success.” Science & Health Page 405:9-11

What is the Real World?

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #291

“This is a day of stillness and of peace.”

What is the real world? This is the question we are exploring for the next few days in the ACIM workbook lessons. While we think we are seeing the real world — with all of its pain, sorrow, fear, and horror — we are not. The unreal world, which is reported on the news and purported to be reality by those who scoff at anything unseen to human eyes, is not the reality of spiritual creation. After years of believing that this world of duality will in some way bring us peace and happiness, most of us are ready to release that perception and see with purer eyes, looking beyond illusion toward the true substance of Life as created by divine Mind and interpreted through Love. Today I will look past the chaotic thoughts presented through outside sources and find the still, small voice of peace which is always present within mySelf. 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Certain moods of mind find an indefinable pleasure in stillness, soft, silent as the storm's sudden hush; for nature's stillness is voiced with a hum of harmony, the gentle murmur of early morn, the evening's closing vespers, and lyre of bird and brooklet." 

Christian Science versus Pantheism Page 3:8-13

Present Happiness

photo credit: Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #290

“My present happiness is all I see.”

The last ten lessons have been showing us how it's possible to live outside of our human belief systems. We have pondered the recognition and practicality of spiritual sense. It feels right that today we allow ourselves to be present with happiness! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Earth has little light or joy for mortals before Life is spiritually learned. Every agony of mortal error helps error to destroy error, and so aids the apprehension of immortal Truth. This is the new birth going on hourly, by which men may entertain angels, the true ideas of God, the spiritual sense of being.” Science & Health Page 548:9-16

Reliving The Past -- Or Not!

photo credit: Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #289

“The past is over. It can touch me not.”

I've always been fascinated by high school class reunions. The reasons people enjoy them are as varied as the people, but it seems many are wondering who is the most successful, or who has been married the longest, or if anyone still looks pretty. It's a perfect opportunity to think of today's topic, "The past is over. It can touch me not." In my observations of these get-togethers, we tend to revert into whatever we were umpteen years ago. The mean girls are still that way, the flirty girls are still flipping their skirts, and the cool kids are still hiding their feelings. While I've always enjoyed these get-togethers, I tend to either wander away with an old friend to talk in a corner or, perhaps, drink a bit too much and ask the cowboys to dance. I love this line from today's ACIM workbook lesson: "Unless the past is over in my mind, the world must escape my sight." I want to live in the present, in a world full of divine Love and Truth. Reliving illusions can be fun, much like watching a movie. But I'd rather wake up in a new world everyday, excited about the adventures it holds!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Contentment with the past and the cold conventionality of materialism are crumbling away.” Science & Health Page vii:15-17

The Present

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #288

“Let me forget my brother's past today.”

There are many situations which bring on what I think of as knee-jerk reactions. I'm sure you have a few of them, too! If someone is rude or mean, we may feel superior in our kindness. When politicians or others in the public eye display ignorance (lack of knowledge), we can easily have a sense of self-righteous judgment. I am often reminded that we are all One, and no one is more special, or learned, or enlightened than another. For instance, I'm a food snob. There are numerous things I don't eat and it's always interesting to watch how I try to impose my beliefs on others. It is yet another example of feeling superior because of a opinion. Eckhart Tolle often puts things in perspective for me, and he has done so once again when he was asked if we should be vegetarian. He said it was purely a personal preference, and if we have strong opinions about this we should remind ourselves that the Dalai Lama eats meat and Hitler didn't! Namastè to each and every One!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"One infinite God, good, unifies men and constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfills 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  340:23-30

A New Perception

photo credit: Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #287

“You are my goal, my Father. Only You.”

In the early 1900s, people flocked to Eureka Springs for the healing waters. Thousands of people in need found their way here, as they still do today. People are drawn to our town, often without knowing why. I love watching the transformation as people's thought changes from focusing on the problem to relaxing into Truth. In varying degrees, we are all realizing that true healing comes when we release our beliefs in things and open ourselves to feeling the presence of Love. When this is our only desire, when there is no other need or want, new perceptions become visible and viable. Often it takes extreme conditions to cause us to seek the understanding of our unity with God. But isn't it sweet when we skip that step and fall straight into the Love!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The great miracle, to human sense, is divine Love, and the grand necessity of existence is to gain the true idea of what constitutes the kingdom of heaven in man.” 

Science & Health Page 560:11-15

Hush of Heaven

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #286

“The hush of Heaven holds my heart today.”

I am happy to reaffirm in thought that I need do nothing but listen in order for things to fall into place. It's not necessary to rush about trying to figure out how to make everything happen in its correct order; I need only know that it will, and quietly open my heart to know what to do in order to facilitate each happening. I am taking a few moments to sit quietly, asking only that my awareness will be filled with the hush of heaven within, where all answers are waiting.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Having no other gods, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide him, man is the likeness of God, pure and eternal, having that Mind which was also Christ."

Science & Health Page 467:13-16

Joy Loves Company

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #285

“My holiness shines bright and clear today.”

I heard someone say something which I hadn't heard in a long, long time: Misery loves company. Is that why so many of the conversations we hear center around disease and inclement weather? Yikes! I suppose it would be too rude and counterproductive to tell people why this way of existence is not conducive to happiness. But I can feel joy -- and scatter it!! -- even in the face of any suffering thought which is brought to me today. And no, this won't be a laughing-in-the-face-of-sorrow type of joy. This will be a gentle joy, a quiet joy, sent out in true compassion, born from the acknowledgement of divine reality. This will be my holiness shining today. We know that joy loves company, too. Let's see how infectious happiness can be!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The periods of spiritual ascension are the days and seasons of Mind’s creation, in which beauty, sublimity, purity, and holiness — yea, the divine nature — appear in man and the universe never to disappear.”

Science & Health Page 509:24-28

Upper-Case Living!

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #284

“I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt.”

Today I pay tribute to all of you who practice Upper-Case Living! If you’ve been reading these writings for a while, you may remember that a dear friend of mine wrote an essay by this title years ago. In that writing, he inspired me to think of living as Living, loving as Loving, and to examine each and every activity to see if I'm taking it to the level of upper case-ness. Every day I witness people living Life, feeling Love, helping others to see Truth, and leading grand and noble lives. Every time we leave pain behind, looking past the illusion of ugliness and grasping beauty, we are experiencing Upper-Case Living! When we refuse to repeat gossip or anything unlike Good, we are raising the bar for everyone! What we experience, everyone experiences, by virtue of the One consciousness which we share. Give yourself a pat on the back and be proud of your accomplishments! Mazel Tov! Namastè! Woo-hoo!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The human mind will sometime rise above all material and physical sense, exchanging it for spiritual perception, and exchanging human concepts for the divine consciousness.” Science & Health Page 531:11-13

Imagine ...

photo credit: Kailey Jones

ACIM Workbook Lesson #283

“My true Identity abides in You.”

Imagine the utopia of living life in the acceptance of our true Identity as a creation of divine Mind. When we see that we are a reflection of Love, when we understand that our essence is Truth, then we are able to accept our identity and watch it blossom in daily life. Over the years, we develop a complex idea of who we are, and we spend a great deal of time defending and adding to this concept. The thought of giving that up can be distressing, and many of us refuse to even consider it. But what if this yielding expanded our identity rather than causing it to disappear? There is no need of losing yourself in the process of acknowledging unity. Just imagine — 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Man is not absorbed in Deity, and God’s man cannot lose his individuality, for he reflects eternal Life; nor is he an isolated, solitary idea, for he represents infinite Mind, the sum of all substance.” Science & Health Page 259:1-5

No Fear in Love

"Tarantella of Autumn"
creation of Sandy Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #282

“I will not be afraid of love today.”

Seeing everything as love (or a call for love) can sometimes seem daunting. My son and his girlfriend are visiting from out of town and I drove to get them when they flew in today. As my son’s dad lives close to the airport, we arranged to meet him for lunch before driving home. Although this man and I share a son, we share very little as far as opinions about life, Love, and politics. My practice of saying “you may be right about that” certainly was tested today — but I steadfastly held in thought that he was doing the best that he could, that he is a creation of divine Love, and that he has many wonderful qualities which drew me to him almost 40 years ago. Today has been a lovely lesson in realizing that I can focus on separate forms or choose to see love reflected in Love. And I was not afraid ---

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“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.”

Science & Health Page 454:21-23

Counterfeits of Truth

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #281

“I can be hurt by nothing but my thoughts.”

I listened to a video which told me that thought brings experience, and listening to the thoughts of the ego brings the experience of pain, loss, and lack, because the ego thoughts originate in a belief in separation from divine Mind. Two friends of mine are currently going through a period of emotional upset stemming from such a belief. One has been spoken to harshly by a neighbor, and the other is a vendor at our farmers market whose feelings have been hurt by public comments from a customer. I have told them both that it’s none of their business what anyone else thinks about them; that only they know the truth of their intentions and, if they’re pure, there is no reason for distress. I welcome reminders that it is my own perceptions which need adjustment, not someone else’s actions — and for these prompts, I am most grateful!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“When examined in the light of divine Science, mortals present more than is detected upon the surface, since inverted thoughts and erroneous beliefs must be counterfeits of Truth.” Science & Health Page 267:19-22

Limitless Mind

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #280

"What limits can I lay upon God's Son?"

How do you limit yourself? I can think of lots of ways I keep myself imprisoned. When we think we are material human beings, we limit ourselves — but we are freed by the realization that our real self is Spirit, and Spirit is not contained in matter. Okay, so we are truly Spirit, but we appear to be matter, and this thing called Spirit isn't in matter. So how does that work? Our governing force, our True Self, is spiritual. We are an idea -- a divine, compound Idea of God. This idea is what is perfect. The materiality we see all around us changes, it disappears, it does not fit any definition of perfection we have in our vocabulary. So we try to make it fit, saying that everything is perfect just as it is, which leaves us feeling somehow punished because we're so miserable. I have found that concepts which include spirit as being somehow co-mingled with matter bring me to a dead-end in thinking. Only by agreeing that we are limitless Spirit, neither compressed in nor bound to matter, can I feel the freedom that has no limits. I Am infinite Mind! I Am divine Love!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Mind is limitless. It never was material. The true idea of being is spiritual and immortal, and from this it follows that whatever is laid off is the ghost, some unreal belief. Mortal beliefs can neither demonstrate Christianity nor apprehend the reality of Life.”

Science & Health Page 353:28-32

Glimpses of Freedom

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #279

“Creation's freedom promises my own.”

When we are told we are free, we have images of what that means, and these imaginings may cause us to wonder about our perceived bondage. I know I live with limiting beliefs every day, and it often seems impossible to be released from them. We think a multitude of rules and beliefs must be obeyed in order to survive and thrive, and when we start to realize most of these so-called rules have nothing to do with our true existence, it can be frightening -- and exhilarating! The freedom of our true creation is seen through a change in our perception of reality. Taking ourselves out of the prison of preconceived notions allows the Love we are to show through our actions in sublime ways. And we glimpse freedom!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The periods of spiritual ascension are the days and seasons of Mind’s creation, in which beauty, sublimity, purity, and holiness — yea, the divine nature — appear in man and the universe never to disappear.”

Science and Health Page 509:24-28

Infinitely Unbound

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #278

“If I am bound, my Father is not free.”

It's easy to feel bound by illnesses and injuries, financial burdens and grief. Our lives appear to have a beginning and an end, but do we believe there is an end to Love, to Spirit, to Soul? We are gaining an understanding that we are the image and likeness of what we call God, or Mind, and that as this Idea we are without beginning nor end, free and boundless as infinity! And the Truth sets us free!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The admission to one's self that man is God's own likeness sets man free to master the infinite idea.”

Science & Health Page 90:24-25

The Law of Freedom

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #277

“Let me not bind Your Son with laws I made."

Change is good! We are all releasing laws that hold us to thought which simply is not working. We're changing many things in our experience, from the way we shop to the way we love. As we examine the beliefs we live by, we realize we can be a law unto ourselves. The fears which have followed us throughout our lives have shaped our views of everything around us, but a universal shift in thought is upon us and we're each feeling it in our own way. The understanding that we don't have to be bound by any material belief, because our true identify is spiritual, is bringing us to a tipping point in consciousness realization. This freedom will be absolutely experienced, not only personally, but in the collective. When? Well, since we're not slaves to time, why not now!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Laws of nature are laws of Spirit; but mortals commonly recognize as law that which hides the power of Spirit.” Science & Health Page 183:19-20

Curiouser and Curiouser

[from Alice in Wonderland, Disney movie]

ACIM Workbook Lesson #276

“The Word of God is given me to speak.”

My favorite quote from Alice in Wonderland is: “Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” I've always felt a kinship with Alice, as I'm sure many of you do, too. Everything seems to be “curiouser and curiouser” until we realize it’s a dream — not just our dream, but a collective consciousness illusion what is reinforced to such an extent that we think it’s our own! In these studies, we’re working toward taking ourselves out of the illusion, away from the beliefs which are so instilled in our minds that we think they are Truth with a capital “T”. I think the Course in Miracles lesson for today could have been an inspiration to Alice. To speak the Word is to live it; to live it is to understand the purity and perfection of true creation. I want to continue allowing Love to lead, taking me to places I never thought could be, thereby finding my way to Truth, just like Alice!

 Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Let discord of every name and nature be heard no more, and let the harmonious and true sense of Life and being take possession of human consciousness.”

Science and Health Page 355:11-14

Dance of Mortal Mind

photo credit: Heather Peters

ACIM Workbook Lesson #275

“God's healing Voice protects all things today.”

I had a lovely, long lunch today with an old friend I hadn’t seen in a couple of years. He has been through some interesting situations with his body, including bouts of extreme dizziness. As we talked of this and other things, he told me he has discovered that getting upset over situations worsen this condition. Intense emotional reactions seem to be a triggering mechanism, causing him to become unbalanced. How’s that for a metaphor?!! One thing we quickly agreed upon was how the physical changes we both have been through since we last visited with each other were wonderful catalysts for change in our lives — for which we are both very grateful. I feel this beautiful day has prepared the ground for receiving these words from today’s workbook lesson: “Yet has this day been chosen as the time when we will seek and hear and learn and understand. Join me in hearing. For the Voice for God tells us of things we cannot understand alone, nor learn apart. It is in this that all things are protected.” And so it is …

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “Upon this stage of existence goes on the dance of mortal mind. Mortal thoughts chase one another like snowflakes, and drift to the ground. Science reveals Life as not being at the mercy of death, nor will Science admit that happiness is ever the sport of circumstance.”