Unspeakable Peace

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #293

"All fear is past and only love is here."

One of my dearest friends in the world moved away a few years ago, and he is visiting us now and attended our Course in Miracles meeting today. The first thing I said to him was, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again. He responded, You see me every time you think of me. I love today’s lesson because it reminds me of my long association with this wonderful man. What beautiful, peaceful memories he and I have of our parenthesis in eternity! “…let [not] my ears be deaf to all the hymns of gratitude the world is singing underneath the sounds of fear. There is a real world which the present holds safe from all past mistakes. And I would see only this world before my eyes today.” ACIM

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Spiritual living and blessedness are the only evidences, by which we can recognize true existence and feel the unspeakable peace which comes from an all-absorbing spiritual love.”

Science & Health Page 264:24-27

Reflecting Love

unknown photographer

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #171

Central Theme: "God is but love and therefore so am I."

Review of: #151 "All things are echoes of the Voice for God." #152 "The power of decision is my own."

The central theme of our review is that God is Love and we are a reflection of that Love. We may wonder how these ideas fit into our daily life. Feeling the warm, fuzzy love which comes when holding a puppy or seeing a newborn baby with its mother — from that point, it's an easy leap to open my heart to omniscient Love. Today let's concentrate on the Love which is God and the infinite ways in which we reflect that. The understanding that all things are echoes of the Voice for God is a wonderfully comforting knowledge to relax into. There are no decisions to be made when listening to this Voice which leads us in paths of peace and harmony. There can be nothing inharmonious when surrendering my personal will, my so-called ego, to the perfection of divine Love!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Individuals are consistent who, watching and praying, can 'run, and not be weary; . . . walk, and not faint,' who gain good rapidly and hold their position, or attain slowly and yield not to discouragement.”

Science & Health Page 254:1-5

A World of Love

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #144 Review of:

#127 "There is no love but God's."

#128 "The world I see holds nothing that I want.”

And the main thought to hold to in this review:

“My mind holds only what I think with God.”

Thinking about love and perception brings to mind the story a friend once told about a relative who had been married seven times. This man seemed to feel he was a  failure at love for having been divorced so many times, so he was very much surprised when an uncle told him it was a wonderful thing! Why would you say that?, everyone wanted to know. The uncle said, How wonderful that seven women have loved you enough to marry you! This is an example of a slight shift in perception making a huge difference to everyone involved, don't you think? Seeing the world through the love of God shows us reality which looks nothing like what we've become accustomed to seeing. A world of judgment and fear is not one which holds an interest for me.  If "my mind holds only what I think with God", that world doesn't exist -- and I see a world of Love.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“God is individual, incorporeal. He is divine Principle, Love, the universal cause, the only creator, and there is no other self-existence.” 

Science & Health Page 331:18-20

Extending Peace

photo credit: Kailey Jones

ACIM Workbook Lesson #346

"Today the peace of God envelops me, And I forget all things except His Love."

I am so grateful for this topic today, telling me that the peace of God is all there is and reminding me of the all-encompassing power of Love. A few days ago I self-righteously engaged in the correction of a cousin who lives far away. He posted something to social media which I deemed to be inaccurate and I felt obligated to tell him why this was. He asked why I was being oppositional and I told him it was because his comments were incorrect and inflammatory. It seems I momentarily forgot that I cannot change anyone’s thinking but my own, and I regret doing so. Today I shall climb down off of my high horse and remember kindness is more important than my perception of right and wrong. Through forgiveness, I extend peace!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: "Love, redolent with unselfishness, bathes all in beauty and light. "

Science & Health Page 516:12-13

October 20, 2014 - One Love

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #293

"All fear is past and only love is here."

Do you know married couples who seem to stay together for fear of being alone? How about single people who want more than anything to have a partner with whom to share life? Of course, it's nice to have someone to talk to and enjoy. A dear friend tells me she just wants a man to run around with, but she wants someone smart and kind, and she doesn't know any men who fit that bill. I had to laugh! I have so many wonderful men friends and they are wildly intelligent and thoughtful. I think that by leaving past expectations where they began and lived (in the past!), I've allowed myself to see that divine Love is the cosmic soup, if you will, which runs through us all. That Oneness is the completeness I used to seek in others. The fear of aloneness cannot possibly exist where the comfort of Love is felt. By this allowing with no expectations, I have everything I need!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Wilderness: Loneliness; doubt; darkness. Spontaneity of thought and idea; the vestibule in which a material sense of things disappears, and spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence."

Science & Health Page 597:16-19

March 9, 2013 - No Grievance in Love

"Colorado Mountaintop"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #68:

“Love holds no grievances.”

How many of you can remember something said in grade school which brought hurt feelings or humiliation? I find that painful memories become dimmer as they are less rehearsed. Throughout the years, certain memories have played regularly in my mind at the slightest provocation. Although these remembrances are mostly gone now, what of the day-by-day events which seem to beg me to take offense? They jump up and down asking to be retold, wanting to hold me to the past through emotion. To hold a grievance, you must live in the past. I remember a line from a little book by Alan Lightman called "Einstein's Dreams". He tells us that those who live in the past are condemned to live there alone. Habitually recounting what used to be, or wishing for what never was, or wanting what could have been, are thought processes which are symptoms of holding grievances. Today's lesson commentary tells us that forgetting that I am Love, forgetting that everyone is Love, forgetting that everything is Love, is holding a grievance. So today I will hold thought to a return to Love -- a figurative return, as I remember that I never left, and neither has anyone else. This Love replaces all grievances in my thought, and by this process I am safely and peacefully at One with God and all.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The circumstance, which your suffering sense deems wrathful and afflictive, Love can make an angel entertained unawares.”

Science & Health Page 574:27-30

June 10, 2012 - Transforming Anger

A Course in Miracles  Lesson #161

“Give me your blessing, holy Son of God.”

Aaron and Heather in Glacier National Park
(Unknown Photographer)

The first line of today's lesson is thus: “Today we practice differently, and take a stand against our anger, that our fears may disappear and leave room for love." Just when I think anger will never flare within me again, it does! My first reaction is always self-righteous: I'm right; you're not. And examining the seeming motive for my anger usually brings about more self-righteous thought. So I've found the only escape is by replacing the anger with the Love which is our only true nature as the image and likeness of God. If self-justifying thoughts persist, they are replaced again with the Truth of our being. This process may take a while because mortal mind insists that it is justified in this action. But when we know it is not, the process becomes more natural to us. And if anger is not replaced, it can mutate into many forms, all erroneous. Recently a dear, sad woman known to many in our little town committed suicide. A few weeks later, so did her husband. What sadness, fear, anger and other turmoil must have been present in these dear people's minds. We seem to become stuck in feelings, thinking there is no way out. Mrs. Eddy posits that we will be surprised when we die and find out we're not dead. Salvation must be worked out here or hereafter. I remember this in times of sadness or turmoil. There is no escape other than through an understanding that we are a reflection of God, good, and that everything else is unreal. By bringing thought back to this truth time and again, we begin to see the veracity of it and the falsity of any other way of seeing this experience. Our inner peace cannot be taken away, even if joy seems to have disappeared!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"’Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established. Having no other gods, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide him, man is the likeness of God, pure and eternal, having that Mind which was also in Christ." Science & Health Page 467:16-22

March 19, 2012 - Seeing with Love

ACIM workbook lesson #78

"Let miracles replace all grievances."

[Marsha's thoughts]

Heather and Aaron in South Africa
Photographer unknown

Today's lesson asks us to choose one person and see them as God sees them, rather than with all the muddled grievances we may be holding. This person might be a co-worker who seems to find ways to undermine us regularly. Perhaps this person is a good friend whose behavior seems irritating to us. Maybe it's a neighbor who allows their dog to poop in our yard. Gosh, there are so many it's hard to choose just one!!  The circumstance really doesn't matter though, because when we choose to see the miracle of Spirit, the false testimony of material sense disappears. It seems that once we fall into the trap of expecting "bad" behavior from others, that's what we get! A fellow shopkeeper and I were discussing this last week. It seemed that the people coming into her place were careless with merchandise, loud, dull, and not contributing to the fun-loving atmosphere we strive to achieve in our sweet tourist town. And so do we get what we expect to receive? Can changing that expectation change the result? Or is the result the same and we're simply seeing it differently? I'm not sure it matters, as we're not seeing a result and trying to change it. We're seeing with God's eyes, and with that sight we are led to do what needs to be done, in every circumstance. It's been said in so many ways by so many people throughout time. Ghandi tells us to be the change we wish to see. Rumi tells us to be with those who help our being. Jesus tells us the kingdom of heaven is within. Say it any way you choose, while you see it with Love.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Human affection is not poured forth vainly, even though it meet no return. Love enriches the nature, enlarging, purifying, and elevating it. The wintry blasts of earth may uproot the flowers of affection, and scatter them to the winds; but this severance of fleshly ties serves to unite thought more closely to God, for Love supports the struggling heart until it ceases to sigh over the world and begins to unfold its wings for heaven."

Science & Health Page 57:22-30