March 24, 2015 - Forgiveness Equals Happiness

"The Junes"
photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #83

Review: “My only function is the one God gave me.” and “My happiness and my function are one.”

My function is to forgive, and through that function I am happy. Often we look forward to events and are disappointed if those plans do not come to fruition. I am schedules to have a fitting for my new prosthetic device today, but yesterday I fell down while filling the bird feeder and my leg is too swollen to go forward with the fitting. I am disappointed. But today is supposed to be a warm, sunny day and I am looking forward to the car trip as much as anything. So I will go forward with happiness, enjoying the company of my friend who is driving. We will take my Chili Dog along with us and have a nice lunch somewhere. I often refer to pointless car trips as "joy riding". So I will forgive myself for not paying attention and tipping over, and we will go forward with a joy-filled day, being happy all the way!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“God has endowed man with inalienable rights, among which are self-government, reason, and conscience. Man is properly self-governed only when he is guided rightly and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love.”

Science & Health Page 106:7-10

March 24, 2013 - Happy Funciton

"Say What??"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #83

Review: “My only function is the one God gave me.” and “My happiness and my function are one.”

Conflict resolution. Conflict transformation. How much time and energy do we spend in attempting to negate conflict between others and/or within ourselves? We can make lists of the merits of our choices, we can role play and put ourselves in each others' place in a situation, we can enlist therapists to help us out. There are lots of ways to search for the door out of conflict. I have found the only way to truly leave it behind is to realize that such a thing does not exist anywhere other than in our thought. Anyone who has ever tried to calm fighting children knows the process can be daunting no matter how you approach it! I'll always remember a time when my boys were around 8 and 10 years of age. Their disagreements had advanced to the point where I saw no way out other than to give one of them away! One day, during a particularly intense bout, I gave up and sat down in my bedroom to have a good cry. Next to my chair was a stack of Christian Science Sentinels, the weekly publication which has given us practical metaphysical writings for more than a hundred years. I reached down and pulled a copy from the middle of the stack and opened it up to an article about brothers fighting! I don't remember anything about the content, other than it was just what I needed. I also remember sitting there and thinking of all the reasons I loved them, and then thinking of what it meant that they were the image and likeness of  divine Love. It came to me that I was exhibiting an I'm-right-and-you're-wrong attitude. While that day was not the last time they had disagreements, it was the last day I was in total despair over their actions. Living Love creates bridges which bring us together in peace. Trust that your function and happiness are your God-given right, and don't be afraid to open up and see what unexpected ways this function will be manifested.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“God has endowed man with inalienable rights, among which are self-government, reason, and conscience. Man is properly self-governed only when he is guided rightly and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love.”

Science & Health Page 106:7-10