January 15, 2015 - Who Made My Thoughts?

"Aaron on the Slopes"

ACIM Workbook Lesson #15 
“My thoughts are images that I have made.”

Often it seems our thoughts are not our own but are provided courtesy of advertising and the endless play of horrible events some people like to perpetuate in thought. I know a few people who speculate on what awful things can happen in any given circumstance — and I try to steer clear of them! During the last month, I have been thrown into a world I’ve never experienced: the medical milieu. Now that I have doctors’ appointments and am experiencing one of my pet peeves, prescription drugs, it would seem natural to trade stories with others in similar situations. That is not the world in which I choose to live. A friend said to me today, upon hearing of the wonderfully good results of a recent vascular procedure, that I must know ‘the secret’ and stated that perhaps some day he, too, could learn it. The secret is that there is no secret! It’s an open secret which anyone can experience, if you choose good rather than its opposite. It’s hard for some to believe that these current events in my life are strengthening my metaphysical experience, but I’m seeing more clearly every day!

Mary Baker Eddy quotes: "Mortals evolve images of thought." "Mortal mind sees what it believes as certainly as it believes what it sees. It feels, hears, and sees its own thoughts. Pictures are mentally formed before the artist can convey them to canvas. So is it with all material conceptions."

Science & Health Page 86:13 and 86:29:1

January 14, 2015 - Creation

photo by Mawuena Davies

ACIM Workbook Lesson #14
“God did not create a meaningless world.”

The last few days we've been seeing the world as meaningless and examining how that affects us. Today we are asked to see that this meaningless world was not created by God. This means that everything in this material world is not a creation of God. How can that be? We've been told that God created everything, is everything, and that it is good. But that can't be true, because we see so many things which aren't good! How can this be explained? Some choose to deny God, perhaps with thoughts of a devil which is as powerful as any god we've ever imagined. Some may say that God created both good and bad to give us choices in this testing ground we live in. The possibilities are limitless when it comes to trying to make sense of the confusion surrounding spiritual beliefs. In our study, we're seeing that God did create everything, and it is all good, but that this creation is spiritual, not material. Our true selves are spiritual; our material selves are but another belief, an illusion, which we are living. When we distance ourselves from the concept that life is in matter, we are able to realize that we actually have a divine origin. We can know that we are not governed by mental influences over which we have no control, but that we are free to live the Love which is our true heritage as the children of God.
Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“When will the error of believing that there is life in matter, and that sin, sickness, and death are creations of God, be unmasked? When will it be understood that matter has neither intelligence, life, nor sensation, and that the opposite belief is the prolific source of all suffering? God created all through Mind, and made all perfect and eternal.” Science & Health Page 205:7-13

January 13, 2015 - Why Am I Afraid?

photo by Richard Quick

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #13

“A meaningless world engenders fear.”

What is it about a meaningless world which would make us afraid? Today's lesson discussion tells us this: "A meaningless world engenders fear because I think I am in competition with God." So often we act as though we're in charge and that we must tell God what needs to happen. We bargain and cajole to get our way, then get angry with God when we don't. We blame God when anything less than our idea of good comes our way. We thank God when we get our way, perhaps in a boastful or self-satisfied way. All these actions are symptoms of the separation we feel. Allowing everything to be meaningless is similar to letting go of an addiction! Interesting symptoms may show up when we decide to give up the beliefs to which we have grown accustomed. To see everything without the meaning we have given it can be frightening, but it doesn't need to be. The more we practice giving up strong opinions, or by-rote actions, rituals, or other habitual behaviors, the more sensible it seems. While realizing the meaninglessness of these ways we've taken on as our story, let's not be afraid of any rogue thoughts of fear which may seem to assault us. They can be acknowledged as symptoms of a clearing away of self to allow our Self to be demonstrated. 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The Hebrew Lawgiver, [Moses], slow of speech, despaired of making the people understand what should be revealed to him. When, led by wisdom to cast down his rod, he saw it become a serpent, Moses fled before it; but wisdom bade him come back and handle the serpent, and then Moses' fear departed. In this incident was seen the actuality of Science. Matter was shown to be a belief only. The serpent, evil, under wisdom's bidding, was destroyed through understanding divine Science, and this proof was a staff upon which to lean. The illusion of Moses lost its power to alarm him, when he discovered that what he apparently saw was really but a phase of mortal belief." 

Science & Health Page 321:5-18

Marsha Havens

January 12, 2015 - What's Meaningful?

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #12

“I am upset because I see a meaningless world.”

Today's lesson asks us to witness events without giving them any meaning. By not assigning meaning to everything, we allow ourselves to see the Truth which is hidden by our personal interpretations. When we allow Spirit (God) to manifest through us -- which is our native state as the experience and expression of God -- we open ourselves to the field of all possibilities. We then become a blank slate for Love to write on. Who's to know where this will lead us? To quote Rumi: "Out beyond ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there".

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Nothing is real and eternal,--nothing is Spirit,--but God and His idea. Evil has no reality. It is neither person, place, nor thing, but is simply a belief, an illusion of material sense." 

Science & Health Page 71:1-5

January 11, 2015 - I Dream of Utopia

Yellowstone National Park
photo by Aaron Springston 

ACIM Workbook Lesson #11
“My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world.”

I had a sleeping dream of Utopia. There was no need to speak, as we knew each others' thoughts. We had no fear, as our thoughts were uncluttered and pure. Everywhere I looked there were happy people, busy at tasks which would benefit everyone. There was no need for television or radios, as we knew everything, and it was Good. At one point, I thought I was lost in the woods, but that was impossible because others sensed my confusion and were there immediately to lead me to a safe and beautiful home. While traveling on a road, suddenly the way was filled with huge boulders and ancient fallen trees. But to the left side there was a field filled with beautiful flowers, and a pathway leading to my destination. All needs were met before I knew of them, and there was the most wonderful sense of peace. I will hold to these beautiful feelings today, while seeing the meaningless basis of my thoughts and desires.
Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Sleep and apathy are phases of  the dream that life, substance, and intelligence are material. The mortal night dream is sometimes nearer than are the thoughts of mortals when awake. The night-dream has less matter as its accompaniment. It throws off some material fetters. It falls short of the skies, but makes its mundane flights quite ethereal.”

Science & Health Page 249:24-30

January 10, 2015 - Disappearing Beliefs

ACIM Workbook Lesson #10
“My thoughts do not mean anything.”

The realization that my thoughts mean nothing is such a freeing concept! If we fall into the habit of believing that every thought we have will cause us harm, it's easy to get stuck in analyzing these thoughts and wondering what pitfalls will come to us because of them. Humility is a word which keeps coming to mind as I read today's lesson. We are accustomed to believing that everything we think and do is important, and it seems hard to admit our thoughts mean nothing. Sometimes it is even difficult to admit we don't know or understand things in daily life, so how can we admit that our own thoughts mean nothing? For me, it's a matter of realizing that my true self isn't contained in this body, and any thoughts which are based in materialism are changeable. So I can humbly admit that my thoughts (even those which seem to be pretty good ones!) are not "founded on the divine rock". With this admission, I am happy to see the beliefs of a lifetime dissipate, leaving me open to the divine ideas which are my true reality as a child of God.
Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"Human thoughts have their degrees of comparison. Some thoughts are better than others. A belief in Truth is better than a belief in error, but no mortal testimony is founded on the divine rock. Mortal testimony can be shaken. Until belief becomes faith, and faith becomes spiritual understanding, human thought has little relation to the actual or divine."
Science & health Page 297:24-30

January 9, 2015 - I Don't Understand

"Thai Beach"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #9
“I see nothing as it is now.”

Today's lesson tells us, "the recognition that you do not understand is a prerequisite for undoing your false ideas." What a relief, huh? I'm reminded of attending a talk on quantum physics wherein a number of fairly complex concepts were addressed. The talk lasted an hour and a half and at the conclusion the speaker asked if there were any questions. There wasn't a single one. It could be perceived we knew it all, or maybe we didn't want to know about any of this, or perhaps we didn't know enough to ask questions! When we first hear a concept like today's topic, "I see nothing as it is now", it may seem nonsensical. But the more we study and talk about these ideas, they start to seem not only possible, but plausible. As Mary Baker Eddy tells us in the below quote, it takes the practice of turning away from matter to Spirit to develop the spiritual sense which allows us to understand the concepts we're hearing about. What an exciting adventure we have waiting for us each day as we learn to understand the difference in what we seem to know through material sense and the reality of Spirit.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"If the disciple is advancing spiritually, he is striving to enter in. He constantly turns away from material sense, and looks towards the imperishable things of Spirit. If honest, he will be in earnest from the start, and gain a little each day in the right direction, till at last he finishes his course with joy."
Science & Health Page 21:9-14

January 8, 2015 - Memories or Truth?

"Altai Mountains in Mongolia"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #8
“My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.”

Many of us, including me, pride ourselves on our effort to live in the moment. I know I'm pleased with myself when I don't get lost in planning or dreaming about the future; equally so when I don't let myself get trapped in the past by memories and regrets. Today's lesson tells us that we are always seeing things from past experiences, which precludes any thoughts of Truth from entering our consciousness. Can this be true? When we think about the past, we are really thinking about nothing but illusions. In doing so, we block ideas which are lurking around the edges, waiting for us to clear our mind and let them in. As long as we believe what we're thinking is important, we are blocking any progress in allowing truth to enter. About the time we acknowledge this, our ego-mortal-mind jumps up and tells us that this is ridiculous. Hence, the necessity for exercising our spiritual muscles! Hope you're having as much fun with this metaphysical therapy as I am!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"Our false views of matter perish as we grasp the facts of Spirit. The old belief must be cast out or the new idea will be spilled, and the inspiration, which is to change our standpoint, will be lost." Science & Health Page 281:28-1

January 7, 2015 - Living in the Past?

"Yellowstone Moon"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #7
“I see only the past.”

In these exercises, we are learning that everything we think about objects, people, ourselves, is related to the past. 

[If you want to know more about this idea, here is a link: http://acim.org/Lessons/lesson.html?lesson=7]

I'm finding this lesson particularly interesting in light of my missing foot. I used to have a bunion on this foot. I still feel it and want to stretch my toes apart to relieve this pain. Talk about seeing the past!! Or I find myself using this invisible foot to push the shoe off my other foot. Or perhaps I'll use it to shut a door, and then I'm surprised when my foot goes through the door. I feel certain that this new version of myself will be most informative in my metaphysical studies. When Mary Baker Eddy tells us of the unreality of matter, it's intellectually possible to grasp this -- but it's far more difficult to really understand, to honestly say we know what she means. Every glimpse I have of Truth spurs me on to open myself to know (gnow?) more. There is One Mind, One Life, One Love -- and I am the expression and experience of that One. Namaste ~~~

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"The history of error or matter, if veritable, would set aside the omnipotence of Spirit; but it is the false history in contradistinction to the true.”
Science and Health, Page 521:29-2

January 6, 2015 - Illusions

"Illusions in Mongolia"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #6
“I am upset because I see something that is not there.”

Have you seen a documentary entitled, "My Life as a Turkey"? I found it to be profound in many ways, but today I relate it to our practice of seeing the unreality in everything we have come to think of as real. For more than a year, Joe Hutton lived with a flock of 16 wild turkeys, which he incubated and bonded with while they were still in the eggs. He didn't just live with them as you and I might. He was with them 24 hours a day to the exclusion of seeing any humans. He spent his days walking the woods as part of the flock, seeing through their eyes, speaking their language, striving to match their awareness of nature and their ability to live totally in the moment. The dedication and love expressed by this man is wonderfully inspiring to me. By his all-encompassing need to understand nature, to be a part of it without any of the learned beliefs he has acquired in his life, he has shown me what is possible when a discipline is approached with a "single eye". It is this singularity of purpose which we are learning to recognize in our study of both A Course in Miracles and Christian Science. I want to know God as much as Joe wanted to know turkeys. He gave it his all, and so will I!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Befogged in error (the error of believing that matter can be intelligent for good or evil), we can catch clear glimpses of God only as the mists disperse, or as they melt into such thinness that we perceive the divine image in some word or deed which indicates the true idea, — the supremacy and reality of good, the nothingness and unreality of evil."
Science & Health Page 205:15-21

January 5, 2015 - Unnecessary Conflict

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #5
“I am never upset for the reason I think.”

If you're like me, when you get upset about something, you try to justify your feelings with reasons about why you should be upset about it! We think in terms of something upsetting us. Today we are asked to forget about any reason for feeling hurt, or angry, or irritated. I saw a movie called "Where Do We Go Now?". It's set in a small village in Lebanon. It starts out with a group of women, Christian and Muslim, making their weekly visit to side-by-side cemeteries where their husbands and sons are buried. This movie is a combination of musical comedy and tragedy. I won't give away the ending as you may want to enjoy this fine film, but I will say that these women find a unique way of stopping their men from fighting over religious beliefs. When I think back on their fighting about what I deem to be nothing, I wonder if they are truly upset over what they think they're upset about! It seems that sometimes we're upset because things are changing, ideas are causing us to see everything in a new light, and we're afraid of the necessary shifts which are staring us in the face. In living true to our heart, let's not fear change or what others think of us for leaving behind anything which binds us to anger in any form. The harmony we long for is waiting for us!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: "Harmony in man is as beautiful as in music, and discord is unnatural, unreal." Science & Health Page 304:20-21

January 4, 2015 - Levels of Pain

"Bird at Heart"
created by Sandy Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #4
“These thoughts do not mean anything. They are like the things I see in this room [on this street, from this window, in this place].”

A nurse recently asked me if I really didn't have any pain associated with my current physical condition or if I simply had a high pain tolerance. I assured him that I knew what pain was, as I've given birth twice -- once while being tortured in a hospital and once at home. I haven't had any significant pain during this amputation and recovery. They insisted I rate pain while in the "big" hospital, and the highest I ever rated it was 5 out of 10. When pain appears, I acknowledge it, move around, change thought from fear to simply feeling the experience, and then rejoice at its disappearance. Perhaps it's because I've always been a student of Mary Baker Eddy. Even when I didn't think about the teachings for 25 years, I knew them and understood something about my spiritual origin and nature. Now that I'm making a conscious effort to live in Truth, everything seems easier. No matter what the circumstance, I can move through it with joy!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: "Thought will finally be understood and seen in all form, substance, and color, but without material accompaniments. The potter is not in the clay; else the clay would have power over the potter. God is [Its] own infinite Mind, and expresses all."

Science & Health  Page 310:6-10

January 3, 2015 - Phantom Pain

"Thai Jungle"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #3
“I do not understand anything I see in this room [on this street, from this window, in this place].”

Most of us have heard about "phantom pain", but not many have experienced this phenomenon. I'm finding it fascinating to feel the twinges of a foot which no longer exists. It is truly showing me the unreality of matter, the belief of mind, and the power of Mind. While it is memory which brings a feeling to a foot which is no longer there, it is mind which takes the feeling away, and I'm beginning to understand that it is Mind which keeps it away. I recently slid off the bed and landed on the stump of my leg. While this wasn't particularly painful, it did set off a series of pains in my phantom foot! Experimenting with different thoughts, I found that what stopped the pain was repeating the "Scientific Statement of Being" and pondering its meaning. I am most grateful to the great metaphysicians I follow: Mary Baker Eddy and Jesus the Christ. These studies are bearing fruit, and I am most grateful!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Question. — What is the scientific statement of being?
Answer. — There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all. Spirit is immortal Truth; matter is mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual." Science & Health Page 468:8-15

January 2, 2015 - True Gifts

"Thailand Mokney"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #2
I have given everything I see in this room [on this street, from this window, in this place] all the meaning that it has for me.

Isn't it wonderful that we have the ability to interpret events in any way we choose? Many people think of a rainy day as bad weather; others see it as the beauty of water returning to the earth to perform its function. Christmas is seen by many as a stressful time when they spend too much money and are involved with gatherings that they would rather not be in. Others relax and enjoy the beauty of lights and decorations while enjoying their family and rejoicing in the meaning of Christmas. We have choices. I was amazed today when I realized that my children and I hadn't even given a thought to giving each other gifts. It truly never crossed my mind, and as far as I know, it didn't theirs either. Wow! I feel as though we've passed some portal of material belief. When I woke up on Christmas morning, I didn't wonder what anyone had bought me. When I saw my son walk through the door, unexpectedly, that same morning, I certainly didn't look at his hands to see if he was bringing me anything. He had brought me the gift of his Love. What more could anyone want?

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts." Science & Health Page 261:4-7

January 1, 2015 - A Meaningless Day!

"Yield"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #1
“Nothing I see in this room [on this street,
from this window, in this place] means anything.”

At the start of this new year, with its many possibilities and prospects, I reaffirm the desire to release preconceived meaning which I have placed on everything. I love that in today's application of this practice they say "This foot does not mean anything"! Having recently had my foot amputated, this is a wonderful exercise for me, reminding me that everything only has the meaning we have placed on it. I'm finding this foot is not necessary to move around, it's not necessary for acceptance by society, it's not even necessary for balance -- which I'm learning slowly, for sure! As we practice letting go of long-held beliefs about everything, we learn to see Truth. We are learning to allow ourselves to see through the illusions we have accepted as reality. What a beautiful new day!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:
"The enslavement of man is not legitimate. It will cease when man enters into his heritage of freedom, his God-given dominion over the material senses." Science & Health Page 228:11-13

Hiatus

Due to being in the hospital, there is a break mid-December until January 1 in these writings. We are now back on track!

December 12, 2014 - Eternity

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #346

"Today the peace of God envelops me,

And I forget all things except His Love."

Have you ever felt a moment when it seemed that time stood still? These sentences from today's ACIM lesson brought back a remembrance in me: "What I seek today transcends all laws of time and things perceived in time. I would forget all things except Your Love." A number of years ago I experienced a breach of time when I first saw a man who later became my very good friend. I was playing the organ at a Sunday morning service when he walked in and sat down. As I looked over at him, it was as though time didn't exist. Everything was still, and yet it felt like eons rushed through me. My material interpretation of this event was that I knew this man from forever; that he was the one I'd been waiting for. I see the event today as something different. Our meeting opened a portal, if you will. I became aware of a doorway I could step through where nothing existed other than the Love which is God. What a gift! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote: "Eternity, not time, expresses the thought of Life, and time is no part of eternity. One ceases in proportion as the other is recognized."

Science & Health Page 468:26:30

December 11, 2014 - Reciprocol Miracles

Photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #345

"I offer only miracles today,

For I would have them be returned to me."

When I first began reading ACIM writings, the word "miracle" bothered me very much. As a student of Christian Science, I had learned that a miracle, as we think of it, is non-existent, because all these wonderful things are natural occurrences. And so there are actually no such things as miracles, only a revealing of the perfection that Is. But, as with many words, it is only the meaning we have placed upon them that makes them good or bad. Now I choose to think of miracles as anything which reveals the omnipresence of God, good. By this I can freely offer miracles to others and accept them in turn. God's goodness is reflected in my actions and everyone else's. This I embrace whole-heartedly. Giving and receiving; receiving and giving. What a lovely cycle!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Christian marvels (and marvel is the simple meaning of the Greek word rendered miracle in the New Testament) will be misunderstood and misused by many, until the glorious Principle of these marvels is gained."

Science & Health Page 474:11-15

December 10, 2014 - Give and Take

ACIM Workbook Lesson #344

"Today I learn the law of love; that what

I give my brother is my gift to me."

Today's lesson is the number one thing to keep in thought during our daily interactions with others. In my position as proprietress of an art gallery in a small tourist town, I am an information center, a museum, a drop off point for others, and sometimes a retail establishment. In the process of talking with hundreds of people on a busy day, I sometimes forget that giving is receiving. I sometimes forget that the law of Love is my only reason for being there. Sometimes I don't see myself as one with those wanting to know directions to the Beaver Bridge, or asking where is the best place to eat, or telling me how their aunt/sister/mother is a fantastic artist, or the multitudinous streams of consciousness that flows from them, through me, and back at them. Whew! It can seem overwhelming from a human standpoint. But on those days when I manage to transcend this maze of materiality, then it's one large, swirling ball of joy. The interactions are enjoyed on a level invisible to me when I'm operating from egotistical ideology. Today I choose Love and receive as much joy as I scatter to others!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Finite mind manifests all sorts of errors, and thus proves the material theory of mind in matter to be the antipode of Mind. Who hath found finite life or love sufficient to meet the demands of human want and woe,--to still the desires, to satisfy the aspirations? Infinite Mind cannot be limited to a finite form, or Mind would lose its infinite character as inexhaustible Love, eternal Life, omnipotent Truth."

Science & Health Page 257:22-29

December 9, 2014 - No Sacrifice

Thailand Beach

ACIM Workbook Lesson #343

"I am not asked to make a sacrifice

To find the mercy and the peace of God."

Someone recently asked me if I thought there was anyone on this planet who had attained the ideal of no suffering. One of the reasons she was thinking deeply about this topic was that a friend of hers had awakened in the morning to find that her partner has passed on during the night. How, we wonder, is it possible to not feel pain in such a situation? I believe the key is in knowing that they haven't gone anywhere. Passing on to where? Mary Baker Eddy tells us that the dead will be surprised to wake up and find they are not dead. Of course, we have turned this scenario into a different sort of material life, with the addition of wings and such. Everything we imagine is from our personal standpoint, don't you think? That is why we're endeavoring, in these studies, to release all thoughts which are engrained beliefs. Even within this material existence which we claim as a necessity, many people are able to feel grief and then release it for the joy of time spent together in this realm. Numerous people are able to feel even closer to loved ones after they are gone, as they commune on a different, more pure, level of consciousness than they had previously known. Perhaps we hold on to these feelings of grief because we're afraid that love, too, will be lost in the letting go. I have a hunch that the Love which is left will be sweeter than we ever could have dreamed!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The divine hand led me into a new world of light and Life, a fresh universe — old to God, but new to His 'little one.' It became evident that the divine Mind alone must answer, and be found as the Life, or Principle, of all being; and that one must acquaint himself with God, if he would be at peace." Retrospection and Introspection Page 27:29-4 (MBE Autobiography)