Question Values

photo courtesy of Angela McNeal

ACIM Workbook Lesson #306

“The gift of Christ is all I seek today.”

To learn this course requires willingness to question every value that you hold. To allow the sun to shine into your mind, to allow grace to be your natural state, to learn this course and have your mind healed from shadows and fear and limitation, requires you to be willing to question every value you hold. We tend to think it’s a good thing to hold strong opinions on any number of things, like politics. It may seem I’m saying we shouldn’t work for social reform, that we shouldn’t stand up to wrong-doers, that we should become the proverbial doormat. I think that giving up the things which make us angry, the things for which we become fighting mad, enables us to open ourselves to this gift of the Christ, this Love which guides us to do meaningful work in ways we haven’t realized, because strong mindsets were hiding them. I think it will be an interesting exercise to take note of the thoughts I have which keep me from the gift of divine Love. I hope you’ll join me!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Christ is the true idea voicing good, the divine message from God to men speaking to the human consciousness.” Science & Health Page 332:9-11

February 21, 2015 - House Rules

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #52

Today is the second in a ten-day review of the first lessons. For a guide to this review, and a short description, go to this link: 

Having just finished a novel entitled House Rules, written by Jodi Piccoult, I am taken to that world when thinking about today’s topics. In the book, we are taken into the world of a young man who is diagnosed with a syndrome known as Asperger’s, which is a form of functional autism. I particularly enjoy insights into his literalism — or taking words verbatim with no interpretations. For instance, if you tell him to go fly a kite, that’s exactly what he thinks you want him to do. In looking over the five lessons for review, a few sentences jump out as points of beauty: “I am always upset by nothing.” “I will look with love on all that I failed to see before.” Let me learn to give the past away, realizing that in so doing I am giving up nothing.” “The choice is not whether to see the past or the present; the choice is merely whether to see or not.” “I have no private thoughts.” Many comparisons come to mind, correlating and juxtaposing these thoughts with the things in the book I just read. But that would be enough for a  book in and of itself! So I will simply say — Namastė.

 Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Spiritual causation is the one question to be considered, for more than all others spiritual causation relates to human progress. The age seems ready to approach this subject, to ponder somewhat the supremacy of Spirit, and at least to touch the hem of Truth's garment."

 Science & Health Page 270:22-27

September 14, 2014 - My Purpose?

Utah Sunset
photo by Nick Franchi

ACIM Workbook Lesson #257

“Let me remember what my purpose is.”

What is my purpose? I'm sure we were taught as young children to have goals, to want to "be" something, to have a life plan. I never did very well at that, and I'm sure many of you didn't either. It never felt right to decide what should be and then do everything possible to make that happen. So when I'm told that my purpose is to discard all my beliefs and listen inwardly, to allow myself to know God and have that as my one goal -- well, I'm just delighted!! My purpose is to know God, and thereby to know myself as an expression of divine Mind. I want to understand what it means to be animated by Spirit, led by Soul, guided by Principle, and to shine forth with Life, Truth, and Love. What a lofly, yet simple, goal! One thing have I desired ...

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Jesus urged the commandment, Thou shalt have no other gods before me," which may be rendered: Thou shalt have no belief of Life as mortal; thou shalt not know evil, for there is one Life,-- even God, good. He rendered "unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." He at last paid no homage to forms of doctrine or to theories of man, but acted and spake as he was moved, not by spirits but by Spirit."

Science & Health Page 19:29-5

September 8, 2011

ACIM Lesson #251

“I am in need of nothing but the truth.

I sought for many things, and found despair. Now do I seek but one, for in that one is all I need, and only what I need. All that I sought before I needed not, and did not even want. My only need I did not recognize. But now I see that I need only truth. In that all needs are satisfied, all cravings end, all hopes are finally fulfilled and dreams are gone. Now have I everything that I could need. Now have I everything that I could want. And now at last I find myself at peace.”


[ACIM prayer for today]
“And for that peace, our Father, we give thanks. What we denied ourselves You have restored, and only that is what we really want.”


[Marsha's thoughts]
How sublime it is to know I need nothing but the Truth! All worry and anxiety disappear when I'm not chasing something illusive which I can't quite name. Oh, sure, we may put lots of names on this je ne sais quoi -- names like success, fame, marriage. The list of personal fulfillments desired can be quite long. We are even encouraged to make these lists, to create affirmations surrounding them, to hold them in thought until they become realities in our existence. At this point, I must quote a Bible verse: "Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven [not forgetting another verse which tells that kingdom is within us] and all these things shall be added unto you." So let's set aside material desires, just as quickly as we turn from fears. And when these desires are no longer with us, the void left by them cries to be filled, and it's tempting to just let the old, outgrown expectations come back in. Today I choose to look only toward the Truth we are learning to recognize; to want nothing else; and to listen confidently for where that takes me.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Dost thou ‘love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind’? This command includes much, even the surrender of all merely material sensation, affection, and worship. This is the El Dorado of Christianity. It involves the Science of Life, and recognizes only the divine control of Spirit, in which Soul is our master, and material sense and human will have no place.”
Science & Health Page 9:17-24