October 13, 2013 - The Hush of Heaven

"Les Brandt Decorates Wood Turned Pieces"

ACIM Workbook Lesson #286

“The hush of Heaven holds my heart today.”

When I look at the artists of Eureka Thyme, which is the gallery I coordinate in Eureka Springs, I see most of them living from the heart rather than the head. It is very inspiring to see so many people who understand what the "hush of Heaven" which holds their heart is! We had a show recently for a woodturner who didn't start practicing this particular art form until he retired a few years ago. Now he is lovingly busy every day creating a second life for trees which have fallen down in storms or been taken down by the necessity of our civilization. It's beautiful to watch him working with the wood he loves so much. I am blessed and grateful to be exposed to beautiful artists expressing Love. Thank you for sharing this beauty which is your life!

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

October 12, 2013 - Awakening to Truth

"Horsehead Nebula"
from Hubble Telescope, NASA

ACIM Workbook Lesson #285

“My holiness shines bright and clear today.”

I've had the privilege of attending an art show which included an installation called "Cosmicpomorphic". The artist's daughter did an interpretive dance, set to original music, which beautifully explained the artist's thoughts while creating these paintings of "space-scapes". To me it spoke to the confusion we experience when being born into this illusory world. We move through life without a clue, enjoying some things and being terribly hurt by others. Then one day we realize that it is more than we think it is. We awaken to what has always been there: the kingdom of heaven within our own selves. I truly feel we are on the verge of a mass awakening. Yes, many people are fighting against such a thing, in fear that they might lose control. Laughable, isn't it? What control?? Today I accept my true holiness! This awakening has always been possible. Let's have the willingness to accept it!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“We must form perfect models in thought and look at them continually, or we shall never carve them out in grand and noble lives. Let unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, health, holiness, love—the kingdom of heaven—reign within us, and sin, disease, and death will diminish until they finally disappear”

Science & Health Page 248:25-32

October 11, 2013 - Changing Thoughts That Hurt

"Utah Fall"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #284

“I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt.”

I know a woman who is in her 90s. Since her husband passed on, she has been unhappy with everything around her. Holidays only remind her of times they shared, and she's sad they're gone. The changing of seasons brings grief for various husband-related reasons. She doesn't enjoy meals or celebrations of any sort because she can't share the time with him. We have spoken numerous times about this, as she talks about him a lot. Every time she relates her grief, I remind her of her happiness. I don't think she knows it's all right to be happy. She feels she would dishonor him by having fun without him. I see it as the opposite: the dishonor is in the turning from joy to sadness in the name of love. Today I will examine the thoughts I have that hurt. Is it possible to change the pain to quiet joy by a slight shift in thought about the situation? I look forward to finding out! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“It is self-evident that we are harmonious only as we cease to manifest evil or the belief that we suffer from the sins of others. Disbelief in error destroys error, and leads to the discernment of Truth”

Science & Health Page 346: 13-16

October 10, 2013 - Utopia

"Happy Bird"
Primal Image
by Sandy Wythawai Starbird

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #283

“My true Identity abides in You.”

Imagine the utopia of life lived in the acceptance of our true Identity as a creation of divine Mind. When we see that we are a reflection of God, Love, when we understand that our essence is Truth, then we are able to accept our Identify and demonstrate that truth in daily life. One of the most valuable tools I have found is the ability to say, "I was wrong." Or perhaps the necessary allowance is admitting that I'm not always right! Small distinction there, but it seems more difficult. Nevertheless, Divine Mind guides and governs us all, when we allow it.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Human thought never projected the least portion of true being. Human belief has sought and interpreted in its own way the echo of Spirit, and so seems to have reversed it and repeated it materially; but the human mind never produced a real tone nor sent forth a positive sound.”

Science & Health Page 126:8-14

October 9, 2013 - Peace, Love, Now

"Peace in Mongolia"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #282

“I will not be afraid of love today.”

"Imagine" by John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today... 

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace... 

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will be as one 

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world... 

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will live as one

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Love is priestess at the altar of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept.”

Science & Health Page 454:21-23

October 8, 2013 - Open Thought to Change

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #281

“I can be hurt by nothing but my thoughts.”

Today's ACIM lesson begins a ten-day examination of "What is the Holy Spirit". The Holy Spirit is the memory of what you are, what you always have been, what you always will be. This becomes clear when interference is cleared, allowing us to hear this gentle presence speaking within our consciousness.  How this will be heard is as individual as you are. Our Oneness doesn't dictate that we are all the same. On the contrary! We are led in ways we couldn't have concocted in our own mind. Divine Mind is quite another story, where everything is limitless in scope. Let's grow with our new perception, expressing spiritual completeness in daily experience. That's the Holy Spirit!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear." 

Science & Health Page 506:18-21

October 7, 2013 - No Limits

"Sunset on the Delaware River"
photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

A CIM Workbook Lesson #280

"What limits can I lay upon God's Son?"

We all know of instances which seem miraculous to material sense. The most profound one which comes to me is of a woman born without eyes, yet she could see. We are able to understand this phenomena on many levels. Materially we could say that she is mind reading, "seeing" what others think about colors and placement of furniture and such things. Spiritually we know that we are all One, and hence know everything because we reflect all that Is. Both of these concepts can seem impossible while we're stuck in the day-to-day illusions we accept as real. Let's start out with small practice sessions to see where expansion of thought can take us. I enjoy giving my dog commands without speaking or gesturing. This is much easier than trying to open my thought to what he has to say! Animal communication is one of my daily goals as I work towards the clarity which comes with letting go of erroneous thought. Kinship with all Life. Namaste ~~~~

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The everlasting I AM is not bounded nor compressed within the narrow limits of physical humanity, nor can He be understood aright through mortal concepts. The precise form of God must be of small importance in comparison with the sublime question, What is infinite Mind or divine Love?"

Science & Health Page 256:13-18

October 6, 2013 - Freedom From Bondage

"Park City Mountain Resort"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #279

“Creation's freedom promises my own.”

When we are told we are free, we have an idea of what that means. What of our imagined bondage? I know I live with limiting beliefs every day, and it often seems impossible to be released from them. As children we are told not to talk to strangers, to be careful lest we fall, to be afraid of God, to live in certain ways in order to gain the approval of others -- the list goes on. We think a multitude of rules and beliefs must be obeyed in order to survive and thrive, and when we start to realize most of these so-called rules have nothing to do with our true existence, it can be frightening -- and exhilarating! The freedom of our true creation is seen through a change in our perception of reality. Taking ourselves out of the prison of preconceived notions allows the Love we are to show through our actions in sublime ways. And we glimpse freedom.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Omnipotent and infinite Mind [God] made all and includes all. This Mind does not make mistakes and subsequently correct them.”

Science and Health Page 206:28–30

October 5, 2013 - We are Free!

"Yellowstone National Park"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #278

“If I am bound, my Father is not free.”

Sometimes the miasma of materiality seems overwhelming. It's easy to feel bound by illnesses and injuries, financial burdens, grief. Our lives appear to have a beginning and an end. Physicists tell us of a perspective called quantum entanglement, in which particles separate yet remain connected, reacting to stimuli in the same way even though they no longer occupy the same space. In a book by Dan Cowan, Mind Underlies Spacetime, he explains, "...this direct connectedness occurs because each real entity is already everywhere." How perfectly this explains Oneness! This omnipresence is our perfect identity, without boundaries. We are free!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The admission to one's self that man is God's own likeness sets man free to master the infinite idea.”

Science & Health Page 90:24-25

October 4, 2013 - Material Law or Spiritual Truth?

ACIM Workbook Lesson #277

“Let me not bind Your Son with laws I made."

A universal shift in thought is upon us and we're each feeling it in our own way. The understanding that we don't have to be bound by any material belief because our true identity is spiritual is bringing us to a tipping point in thought. Mass media and collective material consciousness tells us what to expect from material laws of cause and effect. Just think about how many things have been "proven" untrue which we learned as "fact" at some point. We can laugh when we see old advertisements proclaiming that lard makes families happy and that cigarettes are good for you, but many of us are frightened by giving up crutches we have relied on for years. Today I will notice the appearance of long-held beliefs telling me what is good and bad for me. I'll let them go and listen within for Truth. 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The supposed laws which result in weariness and disease are not His laws, for the legitimate and only possible action of Truth is the production of harmony. Laws of nature are laws of Spirit; but mortals commonly recognize as law that which hides the power of Spirit. Divine Mind rightly demands man's entire obedience, affection, and strength. No reservation is made for any lesser loyalty. Obedience to Truth gives man power and strength. Submission to error superinduces loss of power.”

Science & Health Page 183:16-25

October 3, 2013 - Let Go of Belief and Dogma

"Butterflies and Thistle"
photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #276

“The Word of God is given me to speak.”

When I read the topic of today's ACIM workbook lesson, I immediately thought of a man who sometimes stands in prominent places in downtown Eureka Springs. He wears a sandwich board declaring that any man who marries a divorced woman is an adulterer. He speaks to people and warns them of various things which will send them to hell. And so I wonder: Does he think he's speaking the Word of God? I would hazard to guess that he does. I find it's very easy to jump up on my soapbox and declare various things. This is why I'm  making an effort to let go of beliefs and dogma! With practice, we can begin to recognize the difference in speaking from the heart, from Love, or voicing the rhetoric of a lifetime. I look forward to checking my understanding of this discipline as I travel through this parenthesis in time!  

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Let discord of every name and nature be heard no more, and let the harmonious and true sense of Life and being take possession of human consciousness.”

Science and Health Page 355:11-14

October 2, 2013 - Enlarged Perception

"Beloved Family"

ACIM Workbook Lesson #275 “God's healing Voice protects all things today.” 

The fragile feeling which envelopes us following the loss of a loved one isn't often thought of as something to cherish. In times past, I may have wished this feeling away. Now, I choose to honor it as one of the exquisite experiences we are granted in this beautiful plane of existence we call life. As with love, we are told life is fleeting. We are advised to grab hold and not let go, because there is a finite amount of it. Our human experience of life and love does seem to come and go with the wind, and it can feel just as hard to hold on to. From the perspective of mortal mind, this is so. When looked at from our humanness, there is no predicting when we may lose life or love. Accepting ourselves as spiritual Beings allows an expanded viewpoint of our experiences. Yes, they are to be savored. But enlarged perceptions of existence bring us something different. Understanding that my true self is a product of divine, never-ending Love causes me to want to experience that here and now. And so I'll listen for this healing Voice we are told of in today's ACIM lesson, because an inner knowing tells me of its Truth.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"Faith, if it be mere belief, is as a pendulum swinging between nothing and something, having no fixity. Faith, advanced to spiritual understanding, is the evidence gained from Spirit, which rebukes sin of every kind and establishes the claims of God."
Science & Health Page 23:14-17 

October 1, 2013 - Let Love Lead

ACIM Workbook Lesson #274:

"Ozark Rainbow"
photo by Marsha Havens

“Today belongs to love. Let me not fear."

At one point in her writings, Mary Baker Eddy refers to earth as a "preparatory school". To me this means we are learning how to let life become Life! As the image and likeness of God, we reflect eternal Life, divine Mind, healing Love. ​A number of friends are currently facing major challenges in their lives. While I can't experience what they are (as their feelings are individualized) I can remind them that they are always embraced in Love, and that that Love is contained by each and every one of us. We are unified in our essence, but individual in our form. As we go through our day, no matter what the circumstance, let's allow divine Love to lead the way.

 

​Mary Baker Eddy quote: "Suppose

 one accident happens to the eye, another tot

 ​ ​

he ear, and so on, until every corporeal sense is quenched.

​ ​

What is man’s remedy? To die, that he may

 ​ ​

regain these senses? Even then he must gain

​ ​

spiritual understanding and spiritual sense in order to

 ​ ​

possess immortal consciousness. Earth’s preparatory

​ ​

school must be improved to the utmost. In reality man

 ​ ​

never dies. The belief that he dies will not establish his

​ ​

scientific harmony. Death is not the result of Truth but

 ​ ​

of error, and one error will not correct another.

​"

Science & Health Page 468:4-13

September 30, 2013 - The Peace of God is Mine

"Roadside Poppies"
photo by Marsha Havens

ACIM Workbook Lesson #273
“The stillness of the peace of God is mine.”

I've heard it said that the older we get, the less things bother us. In earlier years, when I was bothered by everything, it seemed impossible that this could be so. While it seems to be true now, I see plenty of people riper in years who are much-bothered all the time! And so my conclusion is that peace is a state of mind. As we cultivate an awareness of the presence of God within ourselves, it becomes natural to turn to that gentleness in times of seeming turmoil. The peace of God is always there, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. Today I look forward to relishing this gentle presence every moment.

 Namaste' ~~~~~~~~~

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Mind [God] demonstrates omnipresence and omnipotence, but Mind revolves on a spiritual axis, and its power is displayed and its presence felt in eternal stillness and immovable Love.”
From Retrospection and Introspection Page 88-89

September 29, 2013 - Illusions

"The Spiral Path"
created by Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #272 “How can illusions satisfy God's Son?”


Today's topic causes me to pause and examine what has brought happiness and a feeling of completeness through the years. During the "years that the locust ate", as I tend to think of a particular 20-year period, I generally felt happy, but never complete or fulfilled. Years of substance abuse, flitting from man to man, and activities which kept me busy but never satisfied are what I refer to as the lost years. Looking back, I hardly recognize that person. It's not that I was mean or horrible or anything, but I was living a drama-filled life, going from one disaster to another, finding solace by hiding in hedonistic pleasures. The peace which is found from wanting nothing other than to know God is astounding in its magnitude. What makes the difference in then and now? Obviously there is a world of difference, but I'm not sure what event caused the change in expectations. Ultimately, it doesn't matter because now is all we have! And so let's go forward with joy into what awaits us this day!


Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Higher enjoyments alone can satisfy the cravings of immortal man. We cannot circumscribe happiness within the limits of personal sense. The senses confer no real enjoyment.”

September 28, 2013 - Spiritual Vision

"Aaron and Marsha - Silly!"

ACIM Workbook Lesson #271

“Christ's is the vision I will use today."

Learning to see with " Christ's vision" is a passion with me. I relish letting go of beliefs and corporeal perceptions, reaching toward spiritual sight and Truth. The leaving behind, even to a minuscule degree, of these beliefs, and the replacement of them with the vision of God, is an adventure which allows every moment of this existence to be exciting and new. This doesn't mean that I want to leave behind loved ones or other experiences of beauty and grace. My oldest son, who lives far away and rarely has a chance to be here, left today after a good, long visit. I have loved every minute of our interactions! It has been a joy in every possible way. That's not what I'm striving to give up. But I do want to dismiss any thoughts that we are anything other than a reflection of divine Love. Letting go the past and future, we revel in the now! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“This dual personality of the unseen and the seen, the spiritual and material, the eternal Christ and the corporeal Jesus manifest in flesh, continued until the Master’s ascension, when the human, material concept, or Jesus, disappeared, while the spiritual self, or Christ, continues to exist in the eternal order of divine Science, taking away the sins of the world, as the Christ has always done, even before the human Jesus was incarnate to mortal eyes.”

Science & Health Page 334:12-20

September 27, 2013 - Spiritual Vision

"It's All About the Leaves"
by Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #270

“I will not use the body's eyes today.”

During these times of shifting thought, many of us are frightened by the feelings and insights we are having. I love working with artists, and one of the reasons is that they fearlessly allow multi-dimensional energy into their experience. By the act of looking upon their palpably loving works of Art, I am guided to other ways of seeing. Their artistic expressions take me past the obvious into the ethereal. Every instance of this "seeing through the veil" brings us closer to our goal of seeing that way all the time. Slipping into the silence between thoughts, seeing past the obvious, listening within -- all this and more seeks our awareness. Listen, See, Be.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Spiritual vision is not subordinate to geometric altitudes. Whatever is governed by God, is never for an instant deprived of the light and might of intelligence and Life.”

Science & Health Page 215:11-13

September 26, 2013 - Pure Sight

"The Starbirds"
photo by Judy Rhodes

ACIM Workbook Lesson #269

“My sight goes forth to look upon Christ's face.”

The face of Christ which is spoken of in today's lesson is everywhere. Christ is not necessarily Jesus. Jesus was a man who was here to show us the Truth of our Being. Christ is the Sprit, God (if you will) which is the essence of everything. The Christ, The Universe, Harold -- it really doesn't matter what you call It, because It simply is. So this face of Christ that we are looking at today is what you see when you look in the mirror, what you see when you look at your loved ones, what you see when you look at your so-called enemies -- it is everything, minus material belief and learned behavior. Our earlier lesson, which teaches us that nothing we see means anything, prepares the way for today's truth. Giving up meaning clears the way to accept spiritual reality. The closer I come to knowing nothing, the happier I am!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The eternal Truth destroys what mortals seem to have learned from error, and man's real existence as a child of God comes to light.”

Science and Health Page 288:31–1

September 25, 2013 - It Is What It Is

"Yellowstone National Park"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #268

“Let all things be exactly as they are.”

The spiritual, metaphysical Truth is that there is no cause for anything unlike good, God. Anything unlike God, good, can be challenged with divine authority. Erroneous thoughts of any sort are the same as a dark closet in a light room. When you open the door, the dark doesn't escape into the light. The light dispels the darkness. And so it is with our realization of the unrealities which seem so solid. When we open the door and acknowledge the Truth, anything unlike God, good, simply dissipates before the certainty of light. I needn't judge or condemn any seeming error. I need only acknowledge the Truth of how things are.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Man and his Maker are correlated in divine Science, and real consciousness is cognizant only of the things of God.”

Science and Health Page 276: 9-10

September 24, 2013 - Peace of God

"Montana Sunset"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #267

“My heart is beating in the peace of God"

Living the "peace of God" may seem like a fantasy to those who abide by the laws of materiality. Some think we're delusional, or sticking our heads in the sand, or denying reality in favor of wishful thinking. But that's okay! When you know the Truth of being, put it into practice in daily life, and watch the demonstration of it bloom in your every activity, your "heart is beating in the peace of God". And that state of mind does more for the world than all the preaching we may be tempted to do!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“More effectual than the forum are our states of mind, to bless mankind”

Pulpit and Press, p. 87