Well Days

PC: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #290 “My present happiness is all I see.”

When my boys were little, I heard Wayne Dyer tell us something which I still practice to this day. He told the story of getting up in the morning, feeling wonderful, and saying, It's such a beautiful day, I think I'll call in sick! This made me smile at the time because in the past I'd often get a cold when I needed a break from the routine --  and had come to look forward to these days of respite. Although his illustration talked of a person pretending to be sick, I find that this pretense often manifests itself in our existence. And so I started to advise my children to let me know when they needed some time for themselves and we'd take "well days". Today has been such a day for me. I chose to simply Be on this beautiful fall day. It's easy to feel “my present happiness” while sitting in the sun watching squirrels gathering nuts. Tomorrow I will choose to feel this happiness shining through whatever the day may bring.

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

Perfect Happiness

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #101

“God’s Will for me is perfect happiness.”

Today's ACIM lesson states: "Today we will continue with the theme of happiness. This is a key idea in understanding what salvation means. You still believe it asks for suffering as penance for your 'sins.' This is not so. Yet you must think it so while you believe that sin is real, and that God's Son can sin." Were you taught that salvation involved some sort of penance for your sins? Most people were, in some form or fashion. I'm really not sure how theology has decided that we're sinners, because when I read the teachings of Jesus, I don't see that as being taught. For this reason (and many others), I'm most grateful for the teachings of Mary Baker Eddy and, also, A Course in Miracles. Both of these disciplines attempt to show us that we are the reflection of God. As Love's expression, we are the embodiment of happiness and joy! Anything unlike this harmony is but our misunderstanding. As we clear away these misapprehensions, we allow what we've always known, deep inside, to begin lighting our path. As we walk more surely, the illumination becomes brighter!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The Science of Mind disposes of all evil. Truth, God, is not the father of error. Sin, sickness, and death are to be classified as effects of error. Christ came to destroy the belief of sin. The God-principle is omnipresent and omnipotent. God is everywhere, and nothing apart from Him is present or has power." 

Science & Health Page 472:4-10

Happiness is My Function

creation of Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #66:

“My happiness and my function are one.”

If we are created to be happy, why are we so often not? While wondering about this interesting question, I looked up happiness on Wikipedia. "Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. A variety of biological, psychological, religious and philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness and identify its sources. Various research groups, including positive psychology, are employing the scientific method to research questions about what happiness is and how it might be attained. The United Nations declared 20 March the International Day of Happiness to recognize the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals." Today I will ponder why we find happiness to be elusive and joy to be fleeting, when they are clearly our native state of Being! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it."

Science & Health Page 57:18-21

April 11, 2015 - What Will?

"Spring in the Ozarks"
photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #101

“God’s Will for me is perfect happiness.”

This Course in Miracles topic was posted by Auntie Patricia on her Facebook page.  Patricia Robinette has recorded all 365 lessons which can be found on youtube with her reading them in her own delightful way. But I digress. Someone commented to her social media entry saying that they didn't want God's will because they wanted their own will. It's interesting how we react to statements which seem, on the surface, to take something away from our own self. I've come to see that doing God's will IS my will. When I'm doing what I think of as my own free will, more often than not I'm simply regurgitating some long-held belief or performing a by-rote action. Can there be free will in a brainwashed mind? No one likes to think they're being controlled, for sure! But perhaps we have it backwards.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"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. Material, erring, human thought acts injuriously both upon the body and through it." 

Science & Health Page 206:4-9

April 26, 2014 - Happiness is the Way

ACIM Workbook Lesson #116

Review of: #101 "God's Will for me is perfect happiness." #102 "I share God's Will for happiness for me."

As sage words tell us: There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way. I saw an old friend in the grocery store whose 13-year-old daughter, an only child, died in a terrible way. When I asked her how she was doing, she said she was doing great for the most part; that there were a few tough days, but she knew it was dishonoring her sweet child's memory to spend her time in mourning. She said she had to pretend to be happy at first, but then began doing things her daughter loved doing and found that it made her happy, too. She thinks of her happiness as honoring her sweet child's life. I felt humbled in her presence. It caused me to examine my motives when I'm less than joyous. And I realize that happiness is indeed the way.

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."

Science & Health Page 250:28-1

March 7, 2013 - Happiness For All!!

"Beautiful Sky, Beautiful Woman"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #66:

“My happiness and my function are one.”

My function is happiness; happiness is my function. How do I know what this function is? By listening for Truth. Truth, in all its forms, has always been very important to me. Having this great love of and need for truth, it came as quite a surprise to find out that the life I'd lived for 37 years, the name I'd used, the birthdate I'd celebrated, the people I'd called my mom and dad, were not the ones I'd been given at birth. When I was two months old, my parents took me from a niece who was 17 and had given birth with no one to help her. Her boyfriend had skipped over the border into Mexico. Her family ignored her, in an effort to convince her to give away her baby. After two months of being on her own, she relented and gave me to her aunt -- which is what her family had wanted all along. These wonderful people (who were the only parents I had ever known) then moved across the country and made a new beginning for us all. They did this in part to save this baby from the flood of criticism and judgment which accompanied a child born out of wedlock in the 1950s. Perhaps it was their living of this huge lie which caused them to instill truthfulness so solidly within me. For whatever reason, I am thankful to have it. Because of this love of Truth, I've always wanted to know it -- in every way. But in the past two decades, it's taken the form of spiritual Truth, which shows me my function and is my happiness. And it does set you free!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it."

Science & Health Page 57:18-21

April 27, 2012 - Letting go of stereotypes

Heather or Aaron
Photo by one or the other

ACIM Lesson 117

Review of:

(103) God, being Love, is also happiness.

(104) I seek but what belongs to me in truth.

[Marsha's thoughts]

At a recent gathering of women, the talk centered around stereotypes of people, how these have changed over the years, what keeps them alive, and how we really, truly think about such things. While the talk was stimulating and fun for all involved, we were looking at this from an entirely matter-based standpoint. No mention or thought was given to the reality of our Being and the fact that there truly is no difference in any of us. The way it seems is that we are all different. Our race, nationality, teachings, are said to combine to make us who we are. We supposedly have differences which are sometimes irreconcilable with others of our species. I was reminded of something Isaac Asimov said in one of his novels. I don't have the exact quote, but it was to the effect that we, as humans would not realize our unity until life was discovered on another planet; then it could be us against them. And this is the way it seems to be. This is why, in the study of metaphysical realities, we are so eager to let go of these beliefs which keep us shackled to thought which is stagnant. Living every moment in Love precludes thinking of others as different. Although it seems impossible that we could all live in this way, doing no harm to anyone or anything, always expressing our perfection as a reflection of God, it is not. This possibility is an actuality in the reality of our Being which we're seeing more clearly every day. Love and happiness are our realities, and this Truth is seen clearly when the veil of material beliefs is lifted.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“...God is Love, and without Love, God, immortality cannot appear. Mortals try to believe without understanding Truth; yet God is Truth.”

Science & Health Page 312:16-19

October 17, 2011

ACIM Lesson #290
“My present happiness is all I see.”

"Gathering of the Girls"
photo by Jerry Dupy

[Marsha's thoughts]

When my boys were little, I heard Wayne Dyer tell us something which we still practice to this day. He told the story of getting up in the morning, feeling wonderful, and saying, It's such a beautiful day, I think I'll call in sick! This made me smile at the time because I'd often get a cold when I needed a break from the routine, and had come to look forward to these events. Although his illustration talked of a person pretending to be sick, I find that this pretense often manifests itself in our existence. And so I started to advise my children to let me know when they needed some time for themselves, which we did with full disclosure to the school. Today has been such a day for me. After a minor obligation this morning, I chose to simply Be on this beautiful 75-degree fall day. It's easy to feel “my present happiness” while sitting in the sun watching squirrels gathering nuts. And tomorrow I will choose to feel this happiness shining through

whatever the day may bring.

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