Restored to Tranquility

"Bryce Canyon" photo credit Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #124 "Let me remember I am one with God."

"Today we see only the loving and the lovable. We see it in appearances of pain, and pain gives way to peace. We see it in the frantic, in the sad and the distressed, the lonely and afraid, who are restored to the tranquility and peace of mind in which they were created." [ACIM Lesson #124] Today I saw an old friend who feels like she’s drowning in sadness. A man she didn’t want to live without died, and she’s having a tough time going forward on her own. I can understand how she feels as she tries to remember how to be happy. The things we spoke of today led me to tell her about Mary Haskell, the woman who loved Kahlil Gibran. Although she was much older than him, he died many years before her. At his funeral, her friends were amazed that she was so peacefully happy and they wanted to know how that could be. She told them she felt closer to him than she ever had before. I talked to my friend about our unity in divine Love and our inseparability as the experience of God. I’m not sure if she felt better, but I certainly did!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Principle and its idea is one, and this one is God, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Being, and [Its] reflection is man and the universe." Science & Health Page 465:17-1

May 22, 2015 - Let Me Remember ...

"Dancing With The Shadow Self"
creation of Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook lesson #142: Review of: #123 "I thank my Father for His gifts to me." #124 "Let me remember I am one with God."

I love “Dancing With The Stars”! I only started watching it a couple of years ago, and have found it to be not only entertaining, but a lovely reminder that we all have the same fears and insecurities, and the same possibility of greatness. Through this twice-yearly show which lasts a number of weeks, I have gotten to know some of the most amazing people. There is a beautiful 72-year old singer, a woman who dances like no one’s watching and exhibits the joy of a young child. I’ve recently been particularly inspired by a man missing an arm and a leg who has made it to the finals of this demanding show. This season we have also been introduced to the child of well-known movie stars, a young woman who was convinced by the media that she wasn’t pretty. They said horrid things about her and she had no idea how beautiful and graceful she was, but she has discovered her gifts through dancing in this show. What a heart-expanding experience it is for these participants and all of us who watch them discover more about their true Self. I know I’m ready to dance!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The human sense of Deity yields to the divine sense, even as the material sense of personality yields to the incorporeal sense of God and man as the infinite Principle and infinite idea, — as one Father with His universal family, held in the gospel of Love.”

Science & Health Page 576:31-4

May 4, 2014 - I Am One

ACIM Workbook Lesson #124

"Let me remember I am one with God."

Does the topic of today's ACIM lesson make you nervous? Perhaps there's a feeling that God won't like it if you think this -- much less if you say it! Somewhere along the path of Christian theology it was decided that Jesus is God and by this he took care of everything for us; all we have to do is believe and give ourselves to him. It's my understanding that Jesus was here to tell us he was one with God and so are we. Does this mean we are God? In the same way that a ray of sunlight is the sun, yes. It can't be said that it's the actual sun, but it certainly is the expression of it. A ray of sunlight is the experience of the sun, if you will. And we are the expression and experience of God. One with God; one with each other; one with everything. Let's spend some time contemplating that today. Say right out loud: "I Am one with God!" Let's not be afraid to think it and ask ourSelves exactly what that means. And don't forget to expect an answer!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Principle and its idea is one, and this one is God, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Being, and [Its] reflection is man and the universe."

Science & Health Page 465:17-1

July 20, 2013 - We Are One With God

"Christ of the Ozarks"
photo by Dale Johnson

ACIM Workbook Lesson #201

Central Theme: “I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me.” Review: #181 "I trust my brothers, who are one with me."

"Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus" is a documentary on life in the South of the United States. We are taken to small towns where people turn to drugs and/or religion when they've given up all hope of finding happiness. I watched in fascination, realizing for the first time what people find in so-called "holy-roller" churches. In their feverish love of God, they find the pleasure they crave. Others turn to mood-elevating drugs for the same reason. It's stated that everyone is "lonely for God" in these desolate towns. Another line which struck me was this: "He was just a regular ol' Southern lunatic. In his quest for union, he ended up being more separate then ever."  Wow. Yet there is such Truth in their longing! I longed with them as they jumped up and down, speaking in tongues and dancing in odd jerky movements. There wasn't much difference in the drunken barroom scenes on Saturday night and the gyrations of the Sunday morning. gatherings. They're all looking for the same thing. They want to fill the emptiness inside. They want excitement, fun, a way to pass time without really thinking about anything. I can't keep from thinking of how they would be set free with the knowledge of their true Being. The only way this can happen is if I realize it -- really realize it! --  not just intellectually, but with my heart.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother's need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another's good."

Science & Health Page 518:15-19

June 13, 2013 - One With God

"Artrageous Parade"
photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #164

“Now are we one with Him Who is our Source."

With the understanding that we are one with God, glimmers of Truth start to shine in our thought. If we truly are united in goodness, wondrous avenues open for us! We needn't be victims of mortal mind and its manifestations. We can take a stand for goodness and harmony, knowing that it is our birthright as a child of God.

Mary Baker Eddy quote: 

"As mortals gain more correct views of God and man, multitudinous objects of creation, which before were invisible, will become visible. When we realize that Life is Spirit, never in nor of matter, this understanding will expand into self-completeness, finding all in God, good, and needing no other consciousness.”

Science & Health Page 264:13-19