Inspiration Rather Than Erudition

"Utah Fall"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #296

“The Holy Spirit speaks through me today.”

There are many ego-busters in this Course which may ruffle our feathers. I should start making a list of ones which do this to me, then I could mention a few of them, as there are certainly too many to put in one daily writing! I like to think I’m quietly listening for Spirit to speak through me today and everyday, but I’m sure that’s not always true. All too often I have an uneasy feeling somewhere around the solar plexus, or perhaps an odd, tired feeling in my spine, and I’ve learned to recognize these as symptoms of an errant ego making itself known. Sometimes I may be self-righteous in a response to a situation, or perhaps I feel defensive as I’m not absolutely sure about my position. But when these things happen, I have the choice to back up, perhaps say I’m sorry to someone, change my mind because it was coming from my mind rather than the one Mind, and start over with a fresh perspective. And so, dear Reader, please feel free to tell me if you think I’m wrong, or perhaps that I was insensitive. I promise not to take it personally! 

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

Never Fear the Light

"Central Park NYC"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #295

“The Holy Spirit looks through me today.”

“The Holy Spirit looks through me today.” I think that means to allow ourselves to drop the cloak of belief we perceive everything through and open ourselves to seeing with the eyes of God. I recently went to the movies and saw a film called “The Martian.” Imagine being stranded on Mars and finding ways to survive for more than 500 days. Seems impossible? To limiting human thought it probably would be, but to a quiet mind seeing never-before-thought-of ideas about how to do things — well, nothing is impossible in that sight! The main character reminded me that we never know what’s going to happen in our lives, but what we do in response to events is the life-changer. We aren’t trying to stop dreadful things, but we’re working toward changing our perception of and knee-jerk reactions to events. And it’s a brand new world!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“But eyes accustomed to darkness are pained by the light. When outgrowing the old, you should not fear to put on the new.” Science & Health Page 452:8-11

All Form is Neutral

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #294

“My body is a wholly neutral thing.”

We are learning that everything in form is wholly neutral except for the meaning we give to it. Although we feel defined by our bodies, we are learning that this is not true. Most of us can accept that the body is not truly who we are, and we don’t worry that our true self will be buried in the ground or burned to ash. In this lesson we’re being asked to put aside all thoughts of what we think our body is for, letting divine Love lead us in our purpose. Not being confined to this flesh and bone body, we experience an expansion in thought, seeing ourself as an Idea of Mind, and serving as a communication device for Spirit. As we serve this purpose, we are awakened from the ego dream and find another reality, right here and now, without having to leave this body.  We needn’t split ourselves into body, mind, spirit, as we are whole!   

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."

Science & Health Page 124:32-6

All-Absorbing Love

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #293

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

I love to watch the television show, Master Chef. In it, home cooks are called upon to compete in cooking a variety of dishes. They may be asked to cook something as basic as perfect sunny-side-up eggs, or maybe they are given a box of exotic food and must come up with a palatable dish using ingredients they may never have worked with before. Now there is a show called Master Chef Junior, where children aged 8 to 13 compete in the same format. These fearless children are amazing! Recently they were given a box with "bad" foods in it. There was liver, kidneys, snails, brussel sprouts, blue cheese, and a few other smelly things. As they were making interesting creations from the ingredients, one 9-year-old was asked if she was afraid of the ingredients and cooking them. No, she most definitely was not. When asked if she was afraid of anything, she answered yes, that she was afraid of clowns! What a perfect illustration of trusting yourself and, alternatively, the fear of illusion! Love and fear are opposites. Which do you choose?

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

Happy Outcome to All Things

photo from Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #292

“A happy outcome to all things is sure.”

The sky is falling!! I'm often reminded of the proverbial Chicken Little and his worries about everything. Many people I know remind me of him, with their certainty that something awful is going to happen. A dear woman came to me asking for advice. She told me that she was afraid to go outside her home, and so she would drink alcohol before she went out to have the courage to leave. She had been drinking heavily when she came to talk to me. She related many concerns she had about life in general and a few things in specific. I mentioned Wayne Dyer's words about worry: If you can do something about a situation, you will; if you can't, why worry?? She was very excited by this because she has heard him on television and she really wants to think this way, too. I told her she can, that all it takes is practice and applying the ideas to daily life. Replacing practiced, circular thought with realized spiritual Truth may seem difficult, but a happy outcome is sure!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Choke these errors in their early stages, if you would not cherish an army of conspirators against health, happiness, and success.” Science & Health Page 405:9-11

What is the Real World?

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #291

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

What is the real world? This is the question we are exploring for the next few days in the ACIM workbook lessons. While we think we are seeing the real world, with all its pain, sorrow, fear, and horror, we are not. The unreal world, which is reported on the news and purported to be reality by those who scoff at anything unseen to human eyes, is not the reality of spiritual creation. After years of believing that this world of duality will in some way bring us peace and happiness, most of us are ready to release that perception and see with purer eyes, looking beyond the illusion toward the true substance of Life as created by divine Mind and interpreted through Love. Today I will look past the chaotic thoughts presented through outside sources and find the still, small voice of peace which is always present within mySelf. 

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

Encouraging Happiness

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #290

“My present happiness is all I see.”

Our town has a lovely deep-woods lake within our city limits. One day Chili-dog and I were walking and enjoying the brisk fall weather when I saw a young family with a small child fishing close to the water's edge. The mother was in one spot and the man was 30 feet or so away, with much underbrush between them  Their little boy had been with his dad and was attempting to walk back to where his mother was. He was about halfway in between them, on a steep incline, when he fell down and was afraid to get up. As I walked up to the scene, his mom and dad were yelling at each other, neither one wanting to leave their fishing poles to rescue the child. The little boy was screaming and crying. From my vantage point, I could see him and so I went to the top of the incline and, much like I would call a dog, said, "Come on, you can do it! Crawl up this way. It's all right.", all the while clapping my hands and speaking in that odd way we do when we're coaxing an animal or, in this case, a small child. The little guy immediately started smiling and, as he crawled toward me, he started giggling. It occurred to me how many of us simply need a little encouragement in order to be happy. I know I appreciate a slight nudge toward feeling the spiritual happiness which is so often hidden by material circumstance. And I love the reminders which show up daily!

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

Reliving Illusions -- Or Not!

"Leaving the Past Behind"
creation from Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #289

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

I've always been fascinated by high school class reunions. The reasons people enjoy them are as varied as the people, but it seems many are wondering who is the most successful, or who has been married the longest, or if anyone still looks pretty. It's a perfect opportunity to think of today's topic, "The past is over. It can touch me not." In my observations of these get-togethers, we tend to revert into whatever we were umpteen years ago. The mean girls are still that way, the flirty girls are still flipping their skirts, and the cool kids are still hiding their feelings. While I've always enjoyed these get-togethers, I tend to either wander away with an old friend to talk in a corner or, perhaps, drink a bit too much and ask the cowboys to dance. I love this line from today's ACIM workbook lesson: "Unless the past is over in my mind, the world must escape my sight." I want to live in the present, in a world full of divine Love and Truth. Reliving illusions can be fun, much like watching a movie. But I'd rather wake up in a new world everyday, excited about the adventures it holds!

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. 

Science & Health Page 224: 4-7  

Disappearing Footprints of the Past

"Mt. Timpanogos"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #288

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

I spent some time visiting with old friends whom I hadn't seen in two or three years. It was a joy-filled afternoon, remembering good times we'd shared together in what seems to be another lifetime.  I was particularly delighted because they seem to have forgiven many things they had  deemed to be unforgivable when we last visited. Most of these actions had occurred years, even decades, before, and the strain of long-held hurts were taking their toll on my friends. There had been a bitter edge in their voices and the strain of pain showing around their eyes, but this last visit was entirely different. None of the old pain was discussed and they both seemed more relaxed, happier, and accepting of life, joking about circumstances which in the past were bemoaned. I'm seeing this yielding and forgiving more within myself and, also, in others. I Hope you are, too!

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.”

Science & Health Page 224:4-7

Falling Into Divine Love

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #287

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

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 as people's thought changes from focusing on the problem to relaxing into Truth. 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, new perceptions become visible and viable. 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:

“The great miracle, to human sense, is divine Love, and the grand necessity of existence is to gain the true idea of what constitutes the kingdom of heaven in man.” 

Science & Health Page 560:11-15

Hush of Heaven - October 13, 2015

"Bryce Canyon Sunrise"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #286

“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 that statement, but I love it!! And I love the word "hush", as it's used in the ACIM workbook lesson topic: "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

Joy Loves Company!

photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #285

“My holiness shines bright and clear today.”

I heard someone say something which I hadn't heard in a long, long time: Misery loves company. Is that why so many of the conversations we hear center around disease and inclement weather? Yikes! I suppose it would be too rude and counterproductive to tell people why this way of existence is not conducive to happiness. But I can feel joy -- and scatter it!! -- even in the face of any suffering thought which is brought to me today. And no, this won't be a laughing-in-the-face-of-sorrow type of joy. This will be a gentle joy, a quiet joy, sent out in true compassion, born from the acknowledgement of divine reality. This will be my holiness shining today. We know that joy loves company, too. Let's see how infectious happiness can be!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The periods of spiritual ascension are the days and seasons of Mind’s creation, in which beauty, sublimity, purity, and holiness — yea, the divine nature — appear in man and the universe never to disappear.”

Science & Health Page 509:24-28

Changing Hurtful Thought

Harry Dog and the Christmas Bears

ACIM Workbook Lesson #284

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

The process of turning around all hurtful thoughts is an interesting one! Through years of desiring to see with the eyes of Truth, its realization now comes more frequently and with more ease. As a 12-year-old, the loss of my dog was devastating. I wouldn't allow myself to love another animal for more than ten years. After giving myself permission to love again, I have gradually brought my thought closer to understanding the Oneness of Love. When looking in the eyes of a beloved pet, I see those which I've loved in the past. Often when talking to a new friend, I may have deja-vu-ish feelings of being with someone in the past. All these experiences bring the realization of the Oneness of all being, and I relish each loss and gain in this embrace. Whatever the hurt or suffering seems to be, it can be perceived in another way. Love fills our being from its core to its edge. This unbroken reality allows me to feel a gentle Presence in every experience. And I am grateful.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The human mind will sometime rise above all material and physical sense, exchanging it for spiritual perception, and exchanging human concepts for the divine consciousness.” Science & Health Page 531:11-13

Truth Shining Through

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #283

“My true Identity abides in You.”

Imagine the utopia of living life in the acceptance of our true Identity as a creation of divine Mind. When we see that we are a reflection of Love, when we understand that our essence is Truth, then we are able to accept our identity and watch it blossom in daily life. Over the years, we develop a complex idea of who we are, and we spend a great deal of time defending and adding to this concept. The thought of giving that up can be distressing, and many of us refuse to even consider it. But what if this yielding expanded our identity rather than causing it to disappear? There is no need of losing yourself in the process of acknowledging unity. Just imagine — 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Man is not absorbed in Deity, and God’s man cannot lose his individuality, for he reflects eternal Life; nor is he an isolated, solitary idea, for he represents infinite Mind, the sum of all substance.” Science & Health Page 259:1-5

Concepts of Love

ACIM Workbook Lesson #282

“I will not be afraid of love today.”

A friend from the west coast visits our fair village once a year and he is here now. We were having a conversation and he told me he has decided he is incapable of love. Now this is the kind of statement that I relish because I know we're going to have a great conversation! I started out asking him if he's ever loved an animal. "Sure," he says, "but I can't love another person." After asking him a barrage of questions, I dropped the major Truth that he refuses to accept: There is only one Love, expressed in whatever way we choose. This is a man whose company I enjoy for his love of music, his passion for quantum physics, and his never-ending interest in things he doesn't understand. He went away pondering that there is no such thing as an inability to love, only a decision to choose something else instead. I look forward to our next conversation!

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

Unified by Love

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #280

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

I went into a local shop which sells the best olive oils in the world and fabulous balsamic vinegars. It’s always a treat to see what new taste treats they have and this visit was especially fun because I took a friend in who had never been there before. While we were tasting and shopping, a nice young man was helping us and I thought I knew who he was. Actually, I thought he was someone I’d known since he was a small child and I was very friendly, asking him questions about a play our local dance studio is performing and other things. Then just before we were leaving, he answered the phone and identified himself as “Josh”. At this point, I realized I didn’t know him from Adam! I think it was a lovely example of how we can be friendly and loving to everyone, anytime, anywhere, with nothing to hold us back other than our idea of how we should interact with others, be they strangers or friends. We are unified by Spirit, Soul, Mind, and Love!

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

Freedom of Mind

photo from Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #279

“Creation's freedom promises my own.”

When we are told we are free, we usually have an idea of what that means. But 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:

“The periods of spiritual ascension are the days and seasons of Mind’s creation, in which beauty, sublimity, purity, and holiness — yea, the divine nature — appear in man and the universe never to disappear.”

Science and Health Page 509:24-28

Free!

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM 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

Shifting Thought

photo by Aaron Springston

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 our true identify is spiritual and , as such, we’re not bound by any material beliefs, is bringing us to a tipping point in thought. Mass media and collective human consciousness tell 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, or that cigarettes are good for you, but many of us are frightened by giving up the 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:

“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 183:21-25

Listening and Speaking

photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #276

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

For years, I didn’t speak up when I heard people talking about their pain, although I wanted to. Then I went through a phase where you couldn’t keep me quiet because I so desired to help people fix their problems. Even though I now realize I can’t fix anyone, I still can’t keep quiet, nor do I think I should when hearing divine Mind asking for an audience. For instance, at the market today a woman was telling me about physical problems she was having and how upset she was about upcoming medical procedures. My heart went out to her as I gave her a big hug and said something like, “It is what it is. You’ll face it moment by moment and do whatever is needed. All is well.” This thought brought her happiness, and I’m glad I listened to Love!

 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