November 1, 2012 - Peace in Any Circumstance

"St. Liz Belfry in Fall"
photo by Dale Johnson

ACIM Workbook Lesson #305

“There is a peace that Christ bestows on us.”

Absolutely any situation can be filled with peace. There are accounts of people facing the direst of situations calmly, with a seeming other-worldly sense of peace. I witnessed one of these situations when visiting with a couple in the midst of a life-changing disease. When I walked into their home, the first thing I felt was an all-encompassing peace. My dear friend related how inspired she was by the leaves falling from the trees this autumn. She told me how they take care of themselves. She never rakes them up into piles, but allows them to go where they need to be, and there they change to whatever form is required of them -- soil, protection for seedlings, shelter for insects and small animals. She sees perfection in this plan and knows that the same perfection is taking place in all existence. I am grateful to have experienced this deep and quiet peace with them. The peace of God is there for all, no matter what the material circumstance. It satisfies the hungering senses, it calms fear, it answers questions before they're asked.

Mary Baker Eddy poem

“Satisfied”

 It matters not what be thy lot,

        So Love doth guide;

For storm or shine, pure peace is thine,

        Whate'er betide.

 And of these stones, or tyrants' thrones,

        God able is

To raise up seed — in thought and deed —

        To faithful His.

 Aye, darkling sense, arise, go hence!

        Our God is good.

False fears are foes — truth tatters those,

        When understood.

 Love looseth thee, and lifteth me,

        Ayont hate's thrall:

There Life is light, and wisdom might,

        And God is All.

 The centuries break, the earth-bound wake,

        God's glorified!

Who doth His will — His likeness still —

        Is satisfied.

 (Poems by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 79)

October 31, 2012 - Hints of Truth

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #304

“Let not my world obscure the sight of Christ.”

"Somewhere in China - 2009"
photo by Aaron Springston

Writings throughout the ages have given us hints as to the grand possibilities we might have as realities. As attested by powerful mythological characters and poetry which transforms our being, we have longed for the ability to change what seems to be the reality of situations in and around our personal existence. The world tells us that we are victims of circumstances, with life being experienced at the whim of chance meetings with luck, this being termed either good or bad. Every time we hear a story telling of something we think is impossible to us, but which contains outcomes so beautiful we wish it were within the realm of our world, let's accept the fact that there are no limits. Who knows what we're capable of doing? We seem to exceed expected outcomes in every avenue of existence. Wasn't it said that running a mile in less than four minutes was impossible? And it sure seems like the sun is going around the earth, don't you think? Today I set free any thought of limitation, any assumptions I may have as to what's what, and by doing so open the inner ways of sight.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Truth never destroys God's idea. Truth is spiritual, eternal substance, which cannot destroy the right reflection. Corporeal sense, or error, may seem to hide Truth, health, harmony, and Science, as the mist obscures the sun or the mountain; but Science, the sunshine of Truth, will melt away the shadow and reveal the celestial peaks.”

Science & Health Page 299:24-30

October 30, 2012 - Don't Let Words Bother You

"Yellowstone Park Sunset"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #303

“The holy Christ is born in me today.”

Today's ACIM lesson and commentary and prayer contain many of the words which sometimes trigger adverse reactions in us. Perhaps these reactions can be set aside by a repetition of what God and Christ truly mean. I reiterate that there is One God and so we need not think in terms of my god and your god. There is only One God, and our interpretation of what that means is the only way there can appear to be many ruling principles. By saying that "the Christ is born in me today", we are acknowledging that the divine manifestation of God is realized within me today. Please, please, change these words into whatever feels right to you. And please, please don't allow these words' connotations to turn you away from the Love which you are. And if you feel disoriented and sort of happily confused, don't fear that either! This giddiness is part of the shift to this beautiful realization of God within! Embrace it and be free!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“CHRIST: The divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error.”

Science & Health Page 583:10-11

October 29, 2012 - Looking with Light Eyes

"Autumn Splendor"
watercolor by Carol Dickie

ACIM Workbook Lesson #302

“Where darkness was I look upon the light.”

We've all had experiences where we are recounting an event, probably in great detail, and someone who was with us insists that the details are other than the way we remember them. I can think of many instances when things weren't as I thought they were. Perceptions are interestingly nuanced by our expectations and experiences. Now that so many people are seeing the world through the eyes of illumination, it seems to be easier to turn away from the dark and be in the light. When there are other people seeing through these eyes of light, it gives us the confidence to admit that we see it, too! Remember "the emperor has no clothes"? If everyone were pretending to not see the shift in our perception of reality, then we might keep silent, too. But they're not! People are not only admitting to this change, but are shouting it from the pinnacle of their understanding. We join hearts today in the Truth.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“EYES: Spiritual discernment,--not material but mental.”

Science & Health Page 586:3

October 28, 2012 - All Tears Wiped Away

"Forgiveness"
Painting by Carol Peacock

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #301

“And God Himself shall wipe away all tears.”

We have come to expect tears from someone who has lost a loved one. If those tears are not apparent, we tend to think there is something wrong. We may speculate that the peaceful person is not reacting appropriately, and that their lack of expressing grief will come back on them in various ways. It might even be said that they didn't really care.  Kahlil Gibran had a life-long relationship with a woman named Mary Haskell. When he died, she was peacefully smiling while greeting the grieving people at his funeral. No one understood how this could be. At one point, she quoted words he had written to her: "You listen to so much more than I can say. You hear consciousness. You go with me where the words I say cannot carry you." How could she have sadness when the love they shared had always been experienced through thought rather than physical expression? She understood what we are learning about the true reality of our Being. We are Spirit. We are connected. Nothing can change that. 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Take heart, dear sufferer, for this reality of being will surely appear sometime and in some way. There will be no more pain, and all tears will be wiped away. When you read this, remember Jesus' words, ‘The kingdom of God is within you.’ This spiritual consciousness is therefore a present possibility.”

Science & Health Page 573:28-2

October 27, 2012 - Creative Inspiration is Yours

"Germany, 2006"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #300

“Only an instant does this world endure.”

We're beginning to see life as wholly different from what we've been taught to believe. Intuition and inspiration are guiding realities when we allow them to be. But occasionally people feel their creativity, their inspiration, is blocked. Some may think their muse is silenced. In examining the reasons for this occurrence, there can only be one reason: my self won't be silent in order to allow my Self to be heard. Obviously, as a reflection of God we cannot be without inspiration. The omnipresence which we reflect can be no less than all presence. The ego presence of material existence, which we think of as our reality, is no more an omnipresence than is this instant we are living and calling life. Reaching for reality, striving for Truth -- none of these material actions make any sense. There is nowhere to reach and nothing to strive for. To search for inspiration is counterproductive. And so if you're feeling uninspired, or maybe just kind of "blah", remember your Source of creativity. Then walk in the woods, dig in the dirt, do anything which brings you in contact with All that Is. Let's wait for the inspiration that is such a part of us that it can't be silenced. Listen, Love, Live.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Life is divine Principle, Mind, Soul, Spirit. Life is without beginning and without end. Eternity, not time, expresses the thought of Life, and time is no part of eternity. One ceases in proportion as the other is recognized. Time is finite; eternity is forever infinite. Life is neither in nor of matter. What is termed matter is unknown to Spirit, which includes in itself all substance and is Life eternal. Matter is a human concept. Life is divine Mind. Life is not limited. Death and finiteness are unknown to Life. If Life ever had a beginning, it would also have an ending.”

Science & Health Page 468:26-6

October 26, 2012 - Illusion or Veritable Ideas?

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #299

“Eternal holiness abides in me.”

Illusions at Eureka Thyme

It's often difficult to see through the illusion of error to the harmony of reality. At this time of year, there are many masquerade balls and parties where pretending to be someone else is part of the fun. We revel in the excitement of becoming unrecognizable through costumes and face paint and masks. I've never been one to join in these activities, but have enjoyed watching others partake in make believe. And watching others watching these activities is interesting, too! Some people are terribly uncomfortable if they don't know who they're talking to. One of the most interesting reactions I've witnessed has come from people who didn't know how to perceive a character dressed in geisha garb, who was simply smiling sweetly, but not speaking. We all seem to react in different ways to illusion and reality, especially when the real seems illusive and the illusion seems real. What fun we're having learning to recognize the difference!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“How are veritable ideas to be distinguished from illusions? By learning the origin of each. Ideas are emanations from the divine Mind. Thoughts, proceeding from the brain or from matter, are offshoots of mortal mind; they are mortal material beliefs. Ideas are spiritual, harmonious, and eternal. Beliefs proceed from the so-called material senses, which at one time are supposed to be substance-matter and at another are called spirits.”

Science & Health Page 88:9-16

October 25, 2012 - Loving Everyone

"Walking at The Principia"
photo by Marsha Havens

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #298

“I love You, Father, and I love Your Son.”

A dear friend and I had to make a few adjustments in our working and personal relationship. This is the same type of adjustment we occasionally find to be necessary within ourselves. If a way of thought needs to be purged of error, we do so. And I feel the same about this friendship. When we are willing to accept our Oneness with divine Love, there is no way anyone can do or say anything which offends us. This beautiful acceptance allows for avenues to open which we may not have seen otherwise. We may not have seen them because we were blinded by "senseless journeys ... and artificial values". I'm pleased to go forward with renewed thought and purpose in this ever-expanding friendship which has always been and always will be. When one of us made joking mention about winning the way back to friendship, we both knew there was no necessity for anything as dualistic as winning or losing when it comes to Love. Namaste, dear Friend.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Love never loses sight of loveliness. Its halo rests upon its object. One marvels that a friend can ever seem less than beautiful. Men and women of riper years and larger lessons ought to ripen into health and immortality, instead of lapsing into darkness or gloom.”

Science & Health Page 249:3-7

October 24, 2012 - Give Yourself Forgiveness

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #297

"BuddhaBirdBath"
photo by Dale Johnson

“Forgiveness is the only gift I give.”

We often think of forgiveness as being given by ourselves to others, or given from someone to us. It seems to be that when we give this grace to ourselves, it is automatically given to everyone. I have a good friend who glows with inner beauty and Love. She recently told me that she realized she had no guilt. All those little things she had blamed herself for are gone. Most of us have things we feel bad about, whether it's something unintentionally hurtful said to a friend or perhaps a premeditated act from childhood.  I know I do. By following my friend’s beautiful example, I hope to feel this grace which is God, and through this feeling I will watch all blame and pain disappear and be replaced with the peace and acceptance which is my heritage. 

 Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“True prayer is not asking God for love; it is learning to love, and to include all mankind in one affection”

No and Yes, p. 39:17-18

October 23, 2012 - Changing Perceptions

Fall at The Principia
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #296

“The Holy Spirit speaks through me today.”

Not long ago, on a busy afternoon, two things struck me as profoundly and oddly wonderful. At one point, there were ten or so people in the gallery, happily enjoying art and listening to the jazzings of Diana Krall on the stereo. Suddenly, we heard shouting outside. It was someone yelling out his car window at another driver. Immediately -- and I mean immediately!! -- we all burst into laughter! It was so wonderful. What a beautiful shift in thought that none of us saw anything either right or wrong with this behavior, but we did see how ridiculous it was -- in a funny way! Wow. I was and am awestruck by the way this felt. And later on, a woman asked me if I was going to take "early ascension"! What a conversation we enjoyed around that question!! All of these signs and wonders are very exciting, as we watch and meld into this shift of consciousness which is being evidenced everywhere! A popular movie on quantum physics asks us: How far down the rabbit hole do you want to go? Hum -- I'm not sure we have a choice!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Eloquence re-echoes the strains of Truth and Love. It is due to inspiration rather than to erudition."

Science & Health Page 88:26-27

October 22, 2012 - Exciting Time to Be Aware

"#6, Through the Barn"
photo by Jerry Dupy

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #295

“The Holy Spirit looks through me today.”

Things are changing very quickly. Everywhere we look, people are seeing through different eyes, as they open themselves to the reality of other-dimensional thought. Today three persons asked me why people come to Eureka Springs. And they didn't ask it in the general way people often ask about this phenomenon. They leaned on the counter, looked me deep in the eyes, and sincerely asked it! And from the opposite end of this thought a friend who lives here asked why so many people were in town today. There is no "event" to draw them and many are surprised to see the throngs in the streets. But I see it as a lovely symptom of everything that's happening everywhere. We're waking up! We're being drawn to what will help our Being. We talking to each other about things that matter. What an exciting time to be aware!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The seasons will come and go with changes of time and tide, cold and heat, latitude and longitude. The agriculturist will find that these changes cannot affect his crops.The mariner will have dominion over the atmosphere and the great deep, over the fish of the sea and the fowls of the air. The astronomer will no longer look up to the stars,-- he will look out from them upon the universe; and the florist will find his flower before its seed.”

Science & Health Page 124:21-28

October 21, 2012 - Neutrality

photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #294

“My body is a wholly neutral thing.”

I'm glad we're getting past the thought that something must be "wrong" with the body in order for it to be cast off. I've had two friends who died in their 50s with no physical cause. One of these people was traveling, stopped at a hotel, laid down on the bed and was gone. As this was an unattended death, all the legal protocol were followed and it was determined that there was no physical reason at all for her passing. I think this is great! The new realms of thought we're accessing allow many old beliefs to be abandoned -- finally! How many material laws have imprisoned us with unlocked doors? This body as a wholly neutral thing is an empty vessel waiting to be filled up with thought. Let's make sure that it’s thought independent of erroneous learning and dogma. Everything is important; nothing is important -- neutrality.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The elements and functions of the physical body and of the physical world will change as mortal mind changes its beliefs. What is now considered the best condition for organic and functional health in the human body may no longer be found indispensable to health. Moral conditions will be found always harmonious and health-giving. Neither organic inaction nor overaction is beyond God's control; and man will be found normal and natural to changed mortal thought, and therefore more harmonious in his manifestations than he was in the prior states which human belief created and sanctioned.”

Science & Health Page 124:32-10

October 20, 2012 - Following Intuition

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #293

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

"Mongolia Trek"
photo by Aaron Springston

One evening, I had planned on going to our Course in Miracles meeting, but intuition kept holding me at the gallery until well past the starting time. Although numerous people came in and a few sales were made, nothing seemed worthy of keeping me from people of like mind sharing good food and inspiration.  Some time after seven o'clock, I started to close up and was turning off the lights when a woman came in the door, in tears, asking if I'd found her wallet. She had been in earlier in the day, but had no idea where she may have left all her credit cards and money. She said her husband was very angry with her because they'd had their "identity stolen" a few years before and he was worried it would happen again. We retraced her steps and found her wallet in a print rack. While she was very grateful to have found her things, she was still very fearful because of her husband's reactions concerning things from the past. After she left, I realized what I'd kept repeating to her: You're good. You're good. I'm not sure why I was saying this, but hopefully she knows! This incident has shown me how living in the past is the only place fear exists, and that living in the now allows loving reality to shine forth as our only reality.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The Apostle John says: 'There is no fear in Love, but perfect Love casteth out fear. . . . He that feareth is not made perfect in Love.' Here is a definite and inspired proclamation of Christian Science."

Science & Health Page 410:17-21

October 19, 2012 - Happy Outcomes

"Lila Allison in the
May Festival of the Arts Parade"

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #292

“A happy outcome to all things is sure.”

Putting God first is living a life of constant prayer. This prayer brings us into harmony with divine Mind, and from this we witness happy outcomes. In 1999, I took my young boys on a 3,000-mile road trip. We made no reservations at hotels and had no plans on where to stop -- other than to attend women's World Cup soccer games and look for miniature golf courses. In preparation for this trip, I spent a lot of time studying the science of Mind and bringing thought into alignment with these metaphysical principles. Through this process, we witnessed many happy outcomes, but the most dramatic was on the first day of our trip. I had worn glasses to see at a distance for more than 30 years and suddenly found I could see without them. I enjoyed this freedom until a few years ago when renewing my driver's license and found that they were needed again. Although I complied with the law and obtained glasses, I steadfastly refused to accept this prognosis as reality. The next time I renewed my license, there were no restrictions as to sight. Instances such as this affirm my conviction to live single-mindedly, with  God as my only goal, expecting happy outcomes.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The scientific unity which exists between God and man must be wrought out in life-practice, and God's will must be universally done.”

Science & Health Page 203:3-5

October 18, 2012 - Guides to Stillness and Peace

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #291

“This is a day of stillness and of peace.”

"Peace at the end of Linwood Street"
photo by Marsha Havens

This still and peaceful day is a perfect backdrop for the thoughts we are holding today. It's a beautiful, gray day in the Ozarks and the peace is easily felt in the misty splendor of the fall beauty. I am grateful for these words in A Course in Miracles. I am grateful for the words of Mary Baker Eddy and her determination to practice absolutely the Science of The Christ. These words point toward the Truth of our Being, and assure us that it is there for us all the time. These writings show us how to move away from the learned behaviors of a lifetime. I am grateful that they help us to see this Truth. By living in Light, we pass it on to others, especially our children who have not been indoctrinated in material belief as heavily as we have. The stillness and peace of wildlife aids in leading me in the way of this Truth. I will watch for proof of this in everything today -- and be grateful for every sighting.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Certain moods of mind find an indefinable pleasure in stillness, soft, silent as the storm's sudden hush; for nature's stillness is voiced with a hum of harmony, the gentle murmur of early morn, the evening's closing vespers, and lyre of bird and brooklet." 

Christian Science versus Pantheism Page 3:8-13

October 17, 2012 - Well Days

"A Gathering of the Girls"
photo by Jerry Dupy

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #290

“My present happiness is all I see.”

When my boys were little, I heard Wayne Dyer tell us something which I still practice to this day. He told the story of getting up in the morning, feeling wonderful, and saying, It's such a beautiful day, I think I'll call in sick! This made me smile at the time because in the past I'd often get a cold when I needed a break from the routine --  and had come to look forward to these days of respite. Although his illustration talked of a person pretending to be sick, I find that this pretense often manifests itself in our existence. And so I started to advise my children to let me know when they needed some time for themselves and we'd take "well days". (With full disclosure to their school, of course:) Today has been such a day for me. After a minor obligation this morning, I chose to simply Be on this beautiful 75-degree fall day. It's easy to feel “my present happiness” while sitting in the sun watching squirrels gathering nuts. Tomorrow I will choose to feel this happiness shining through whatever the day may bring.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Earth has little light or joy for mortals before Life is spiritually learned. Every agony of mortal error helps error to destroy error, and so aids the apprehension of immortal Truth. This is the new birth going on hourly, by which men may entertain angels, the true ideas of God, the spiritual sense of being.”

Science & Health Page 548:9-16

October 16, 2012 - Moment by Moment

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #289

“The past is over. It can touch me not.”

"African Sunset"
photo by Aaron Springston

The releasing of the past is one of the things I love about being in retail sales. There is no rhyme nor reason to explain why people buy things -- or not!  Every day I meet many new people. Although I know nothing about them when they walk in the door, when they leave we’ve made a mini-friendship based on what we have learned about each other in a few minutes. It’s pure and clean and nothing matters but the moment we’re together in this small gallery, with a divine atmosphere of Love emanating from the art of more than a hundred people. Wow! What could be better?! And through these daily meetings, I’m seeing this now-ness being demonstrated time and again. It enables me to forget my past when I constantly live in the present. And when others try to take me to the past (whether it’s theirs or mine), I am learning ways of bypassing these trips. With this constant exercise, it seems I allow myself to wander through memory land less and less. And I won't let others bring it into my existence while inside the sanctuary of Eureka Thyme. I love the serene otherworld we create within these walls. It’s helping me see the now in every moment, and the nothingness of moments gone by.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“As the crude footprints of the past disappear from the dissolving paths of the present, we shall better understand the Science which governs these changes, and shall plant our feet on firmer ground. Every sensuous pleasure or pain is self-destroyed through suffering. There should be painless progress, attended by life and peace instead of discord and death.”

Science & Health Page 224: 4-10  

October 15, 2012 - Giving up Notions

"Beautiful Child in Naadam"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #288

“Let me forget my brother's past today.”

I'm glad that we're forgetting the past today, as I've been in an email discussion with a friend where my last note stated that I tend to not remember much of anything! And now here I am being told to forget my brother's past. I think I can do that!! As I ponder these points, I listen to a person singing on the balcony of a nearby hotel/restaurant. To me, the performer sounds rather unmelodious and jarring in tone. To add to my chagrin, he's singing some of my favorite songs. I'm really trying not to blame him for this! And so I'm seeing him as innovative in the changes he's making to well-loved Beatles songs. I'm not attacking him, even though he's so loud I've had to turn off my jazzy piano music because the decibels can't compete! Now this exercise is getting easier. He's playing something I've never heard of, and it doesn't sound so bad! And so I'm forgetting that I don't like him. I'm not going to jump up on my high horse with a holier-than-thou attitude (which crossed my mind to the point of envisioning what I would say to the manager of the hotel!). I'm remembering that we are the same because our source is the same, and I'm not blaming him because he doesn't sing the way I'd like for him to. Now I'm singing along with the Eagles song he's currently butchering and it's become a lovely, comedic parenthesis in eternity. I am not blaming myself for these thoughts any more than I'm blaming him for his actions. It is what it is. Thank goodness!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"One infinite God, good, unifies men and constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, "Love thy neighbor as thyself;" annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry,--whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed."

Science & Health Page 340:23:30

October 14, 2012 - Love is My Only Goal

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #287

“You are my goal, my Father. Only You.”

"Basin Spring Fantasy"
photo created by Gerry Toler

In the early 1900s, people flocked to Eureka Springs for the healing waters. Thousands of people in need found their way here, as they still do today. People are drawn to our town, often without knowing why. I love watching the transformation of circumstance as people's thought changes from focusing on the problem to looking toward the solution. In varying degrees, we are all realizing that true healing comes when we release our beliefs in things and open ourselves to feeling the presence of Love. When this is our only desire, when there is no other need or want, wonderful avenues appear. Often it takes extreme conditions to cause us to seek the understanding of our unity with God. But isn't it sweet when we skip that step and fall straight into the Love!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“All nature teaches God's love to man, but man cannot love God supremely and set his whole affections on spiritual things, while loving the material or trusting in it more than in the spiritual.”

Science & Health Page 326:8-11

October 13, 2012 - Do Less, Accomplish More

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #286

"Black Bass Lake"
painting by Carol Dickie

“The hush of Heaven holds my heart today.”

We're doing less and accomplishing more; soon we'll be doing nothing and accomplishing everything! I don't know where I first heard this, but I love it!! And I love the word "hush", as it's used in the sentence above -- "the hush of Heaven holds my heart today." It sounds and feels like what it means! A quiet susserence which feels like nestling into a featherbed, or maybe the sound of a snowfall late at night -- the hush of something exquisitely cozy. These are the feelings I'll call to mind today while remembering there is nothing I need do, because it is already done.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"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 Christ."

Science & Health Page 467:13-16