Celebrate Awakening

Creation of Sandy Wythawai Starbird
"Mongolian Shaman"

ACIM Workbook Lesson #241 “This holy instant is salvation come."

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

Mary Baker Eddy quote: "Acquaintance with the Science of being enables us to commune more largely with the divine Mind, to foresee and foretell events which concern the universal welfare, to be divinely inspired,--yea, to reach the range of fetter-less Mind.” Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures Page 84:14-18

December 27, 2013 - Strength in Silence

"Frozen Fog in the Ozarks"
photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #361

"This holy instant would I give to You. Be You in charge. For I would follow You, Certain that Your direction gives me peace."

The final five workbook lessons in A Course in Miracles stress that we are at a point where we use as few words as possible. Having just watched a documentary entitled "Thrive", I'm tempted to use lots of words and talk of things we can do to facilitate change, such as shopping locally with small businesses, supporting organic farmers, and other ways of living in a state of awareness. But instead, I'll focus on something this film stressed as what we can do in order to heal our world: be quiet. We are urged to find our core of strength through silence, which connects us to everyone. This fits right in with the admonition to use as few words as possible. If you have a chance, watch this film. It could be thought of as frightening, but I see it as a reminder that every thought and action counts. Let's join together in silence and see where it leads us!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"It is only by acknowledging the supremacy of Spirit, which annuls the claims of matter, that mortals can lay off mortality and find the indissoluble spiritual link which establishes man forever in the divine likeness, inseparable from his creator."

Science & Health Page 491:12-16

August 15, 2012 - Experiencing the Holy Instant

"Still Standing"
(Reality is That Which Does Not Change)
painting by Carol Dickie

A Course in Miracles Lesson #227

“This is my holy instant of release.”

I have been wondering what it is which keeps people from wanting to know God. It would seem there are many reasons, ranging from a misunderstanding of what deity actually is, extending to a fear of losing independence and individuality, and including simple embarassment from giving yourself to something which cannot be intellectually explained. Some of us want a quick fix and believe it would take too much time to understand something we've been taught is unknowable. Others of us feel unworthy of gaining favor from this great judgmental being, and run the other way. There are as many reasons as there are people, but ultimately it doesn't matter what we think about such things. Every moment is a holy instant whether we realize it or not. We can accept illusion as truth, deciding that the body is the ruling entity which sentences us to sorrow and pain. Or we can admit that there is more to this existence than meets the eye. This holy instant which is spoken of today is ours, now and eternally. We have few glimpses of it, as we've built up layers of materiality to conceal it. But it's always there. "This is my holy instant of release". Every moment is this holy instant, which we fearlessly claim now. Let's not worry about what is not, but let us focus on what Is. By recognizing illusion, the way is cleared to see Truth. The holy instant is my Life. I revel in it today!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The true idea of God gives the true understanding of Life and Love, robs the grave of victory, takes away all sin and the delusion that there are other minds, and destroys mortality.”

Science and Health Page 323:24–27