Extending Love Unto Itself - April 15, 2017

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #105 “God’s peace and joy are mine.”

I love these words from today's ACIM workbook lesson: "True giving is creation. It extends the limitless to the unlimited, eternity to timelessness, and love unto itself." To live our lives from this perspective allows us to express Love freely, with no fear of it being rejected or misinterpreted. We can gently reach out to people we've just met with heartfelt expressions of empathy and compassion. We bloom in unexpected ways when "extending the limitless to the unlimited". It's ours to give and to receive, in an eternal loop of Love. There's no way to measure how far the ripples of our joy and peace may extend. My cup runneth over!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The calm and exalted thought or spiritual apprehension is at peace. Thus the dawn of ideas goes on, forming each successive stage of progress." Science & Health Page 506:11-14

Joy and Peace and Happiness

photo credit: Chris Fischer 

ACIM Workbook Lesson #104 “I seek but what belongs to me in truth.”

Joy and peace and happiness are my birthright. These things are what belong to me in truth. These gifts do not need to be earned. We needn't barter with a faraway god in order to experience them. We don't need to wait until we die, we don't have to do a certain number of good deeds, we don't need to take communion, it's not necessary to belong to a church. We have been hoodwinked into believing that we must strive all our lives to attain something which seems unattainable. The conflict of the world is so great that we can't make our way through the maze to the prize we know must be hiding somewhere. We are learning that we can confidently clear the altar of our minds, freeing our thought from fear and pain, and embracing our function as forgiveness, thereby healing our minds and allowing us to find what has always been there: joy and peace and happiness!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “Divine Love blesses its own ideas, and causes them to multiply, — to manifest His power. Man is not made to till the soil. His birthright is dominion, not subjection. He is lord of the belief in earth and heaven, — himself subordinate alone to his Maker. This is the Science of being.” Science & Health Page 517:30-4

What is Love?

"The Well-Loved Child"
creations of Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #103 “God, being Love, is also happiness.”

I know a man who insists he's never known happiness. He often says he doesn't have any idea what love feels like, yet he has a twinkle in his eye and is usually smiling. I think he's happy, but simply doesn't recognize what that means. Perhaps he’s grasping at something he thinks of as being just out of reach. I would guess he feels love, too, but thinks it's supposed to bring on an epiphany of some sort. Personally, I feel intense rushes of love from something as pure as seeing the first flock of butterflies in the spring. A group of swallowtails frolicking in my flower bed is more than enough to break open my heart and leave me feeling giddy. Remembering my friend’s lament over the lack of love in his life, remembering the butterflies' grace which flows to me, I will think twice before I pass by any divine Idea without drinking in its happiness. Love and happiness are our divine heritage as the expression of God. God is Love, and so are we!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Higher enjoyments alone can satisfy the cravings of immortal man.” Science & Health Page 61:1

Harmonizing With Principle

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #101 “God’s Will for me is perfect happiness.”

Were you taught that salvation involved some sort of penance for your sins? Most people were, in some form or fashion. Perhaps this is why so many turn away from religion. I'm really not sure how theology has decided that we're sinners, because when I read the teachings of Jesus, I don't find this. For this reason (and many others), I'm most grateful for the teachings of Mary Baker Eddy and, also, A Course in Miracles. Both of these disciplines attempt to show us that we are the expression of God. As God's experience, we are the embodiment of happiness and joy! Anything opposite of this harmony is but our misunderstanding. As we clear away these misapprehensions, we allow what we've always known, deep inside, to begin lighting our path. As we walk more surely, the brighter the illumination becomes!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“For true happiness, man must harmonize with his Principle, divine Love…” Science & Health Page 337:7-8

A Natural State of Happy

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #102 “I share God’s Will for happiness for me.”

We all know people who seem to be chronically sad, don't we? They share a commonality of repeatedly replaying painful and distressing events in their thought and conversation. I have some sad memories which pop into my head occasionally. When this happens, there's a choice: I can relive the events mentally and/or verbally and thereby keep them alive, or I can acknowledge that they're still in my thoughts, but know that they are not the Truth of my Being. Yes, it happened (whatever it is). It's part of my material history, but my spiritual reality has not been touched by it. The peace brought by this understanding is priceless. I can be happy! Even in the midst of things which I may not think of as particularly joyful, I can give myself permission to be happy. It is, after all, my natural state of Being!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Harmony is produced by its Principle, is controlled by it and abides with it. Divine Principle is the Life of man. Man’s happiness is not, therefore, at the disposal of physical sense.” 

Science & Health Page 304:16-19

Unyielding Happiness

photo credit: Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #100 “My part is essential to God’s plan for salvation.”

Happiness is a stand-out theme in today’s ACIM workbook lesson. What does it take to be happy? Many of us feel that as long as everything is going fine, we’re happy; conversely, when things are not so good, we’re unhappy. Following this line of thinking, we should be happy as long as there is no pain in our lives, but when it raises its head, we would be unhappy. I’m not sure about you, but I don’t know any people who live a pain-free life. What if we don’t think of pain as something to be feared, but as something to be embraced and examined? Think back to painful experiences you’ve had. I know they’ve always left me in a better spot than they found me. Please don’t think I’m saying you should seek out pain for the good it will do. Simply acknowledge that a little rain must fall and it has a purpose. Often we grow into something delightfully surprising!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Harmony in man is as beautiful as in music, and discord is unnatural, unreal.”

Science & Health Page 304:16-21

The Blossom Shines Through the Bud

photo credit: Chris Fischer

ACIM Workbook Lesson #99

“Salvation is my only function here.”

When David Hoffmeister was "called" to go on the road and talk to people about the teachings of A Course in Miracles, he didn't know how he would have the funds to do this. He was told by Spirit that all his needs would be supplied, but he didn't believe that. He found himself trying to teach Jesus about the laws of supply and demand. David is a man with excessive formal education, including knowledge of economics, and so he felt certain that Jesus simply didn't understand how the world worked. We tend to think of people like Buddha and St. Francis and Jesus as being beggars of sorts. They didn't make a lot of money, but trusted in the Universe to provide. David was being asked to rely on Spirit to articulate this new/old curriculum. He was being led to teach using everything available -- music, dance, lectures, gatherings -- to help others express deep Love and peace.  The reign of peace has begun, and many people are fighting against it. Let's not be concerned with that. Let's put our energy where it will grow -- on this peaceful transition. Christ consciousness is coming out of hiding and we're being called to help everyone see (by way of our own sight) that this is not some esoteric thing which must be kept secret. It's to be shouted from the rooftops! Fear not, shine your light, call forth witnesses to this light -- and above all, don't tone down your joy!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Love giveth to the least spiritual idea might, immortality, and goodness, which shine through all as the blossom shines through the bud.” Science & Health Page 518:19-21”

Unformed Thoughts into Proper Channels

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #98

“I will accept my part in God’s plan for salvation.”

To the uninitiated in this way of thought, the topic for today could be interpreted as asking us to accept some sort of predestination. We who are familiar with this study, know it is not. Deepak Chopra once said that there is no free will as long as we are being held by the beliefs of a lifetime. For this reason, we are asked time and again to look through the meaning we have placed on things and allow ourselves to think with divine Mind, feel from the leadings of Love, and create from the depths of Soul. When we are yielding to divine Principle, it doesn't seem to matter what dictates are put before us: they either feel right and we follow them, or else they are part of the ego-driven illusion and we turn away. To me, that's accepting God's plan.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as [It] opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear." Science & Health Page 506:18-21

Reflection in Multifarious Form

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #97 “I am spirit.”

I've been reading and studying the works of Bicknell Young. This fascinating man was the nephew of Brigham Young, the renowned Mormon leader. I can only imagine his family's surprise when he discovered the teachings of Mary Baker Eddy in the late 1800s, and then went on to gain fame speaking and writing about Christian Science during the next few decades. He's the proverbial person, dead or living, whom I'd choose to sit down with for an evening. These sentences about Spirit are part of what pique my interest to know every thought he ever had! "Consciousness is Spirit. It does not become spiritual nor is it spiritualized. Nor does the evolution of consciousness mean a rising above or a purification from anything; it is the ceaseless unfoldment of infinity." Thank you, Mr. Young!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “Identity is the reflection of Spirit, the reflection in multifarious forms of the living Principle, Love.” Science & Health Page 277:20-22

My One Self

creation of Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #96

“Salvation comes from my one Self.”

Yesterday we pondered what our one Self is. Today we are contemplating how salvation comes from this knowledge. I know I have been saved much grief by the realization that my mind doesn’t need to be busy all the time. Relaxing of the mind is as important (if not more) than resting the body. For one thing, the practice of quieting the mind is integral to listening. I've found that when thought is jumping about, it's impossible to truly listen to anything. One thought leads to another, and before I know it, I’ve gone all around the world and have no idea what's happening right in front of me. By the same token, if I expect to understand from the point of spiritual discernment, it's pretty darn hard to do so if my own self won't be quiet long enough to concentrate on a simple sentence in a book. This is always a good indicator me: If I can't read and digest what I've read, then I'd best have a "time out" to still my monkey mind from its busy-ness! What a peaceful, harmonious world this will be when we all take time to quiet self-importance and listen for Self-knowledge!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The point for each one to decide is, whether it is mortal mind or immortal Mind that is causative. We should forsake the basis of matter for metaphysical Science and its divine Principle." Science & Health Page 195:11-14

Divine Image

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #95

“I am one Self, united with my Creator.”

You are the presence of God. Does this statement make you uneasy? Perhaps traditional theology has taught you that such an idea is sacrilege. Maybe you simply feel too inferior to accept yourself as Godlike. It's not so difficult to say that you are one with everything. We're happy to feel a connection with all things and often go to retreats and workshops which help us feel this unity. But what does this thing called Oneness really mean? It could be taken wholly on a material basis, and you might say that we're all the same in our physical makeup of minerals and flesh, etc. You might be willing to go a step further and say we're all the same because God made us in Its image and likeness. Does it make you cringe to call God It rather than He? We're accustomed to anthropomorphizing God, making deity like us rather than the other way around. As we learn to accept and embrace our identity as the experience and expression of God, we find we can proudly announce our goodness, our wholeness, even our perfection. This honors God and Its creation in a way that self-conscious deprecation or self-righteous pride cannot. It's a beautiful day to explore what all this means in daily practice!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"God, without the image and likeness of [Itself], would be a nonentity, or Mind unexpressed. [It] would be without a witness or proof of [Its] own nature. Spiritual man is the image or idea of God, an idea which cannot be lost nor separated from its divine Principle."

Science & Health Page 303:25-30

Spirit, the Great Architect

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #94

“I am as God created me.”

Have you ever sat quietly and asked, "What am I?" Other than listening, only one thing is required: Give up any belief of what you think you are. By focusing on what is rather than what isn't, we are learning to understand our connection to God. As I go about my activities today, the seven synonyms for God, as given in Science & Health by Mary Baker Eddy, will be with me along with the ACIM topic which is, "I am as God created me." These synonymous terms for God are Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love. If a situation comes up in which I'm tempted to express irritation, I will think: I Am as Love created me. If I don't understand something, I will declare: I Am as Mind created me. This will be a lovely challenge to think of myself in these ways! What a fun day it will be!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Sometime we shall learn how Spirit, the great architect, has created men and women in Science. We ought to weary of the fleeting and false and to cherish nothing which hinders our highest selfhood.”

Science & Health Page 68:4-9

Light and Joy and Peace

photo credit: Heather Peters

ACIM Workbook Lesson #93

“Light and joy and peace abide in me.”

So-called hate groups have increased by 14% in this country over the past year. A man named Tony McAleer describes himself as being beaten and bullied as a child; bitter and isolated as a teenager. He became involved in one of these groups while seeking a connection with others. To quote him: "When you're starving and somebody keeps feeding you what you think are your favorite foods, even though it's junk food, there's going to be a while where you're not going to get up from the table." He continued to practice violence and anger until after the birth of his daughter. He said that was the first time in his life he had felt connected to another human being, and he started to want to change. He has now organized  a group called "Life After Hate" and is helping others to build relationships with people. He says if we are to counter these groups, we must get to a place where empathy outweighs fear. That is what we are realizing through these studies, too. "Light and joy and peace abide in me" -- and in everyone!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Light is a symbol of Mind, of Life, Truth, and Love, and not a vitalizing property of matter. Science reveals only one Mind, and this one shining by its own light and governing the universe, including man, in perfect harmony.."

Science & Health Page 510:27-1

Light is Strength

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #92

“Miracles are seen in light, and light and strength are one.”

I saw a clip from a morning show in which they were asking people questions about spirituality and religion. Most of those interviewed thought of themselves as spiritual but not religious, and the few self-proclaimed religious people were mainly looking for a sense of community and fellowship. A sense of inclusiveness was often mentioned in the answers. People apparently are looking for a spiritual group which will accept them as they are, without trying to change them. Many spoke of doubt, stating they needed groups of like-minded people to help them in times of loss and fear. It seems so simple for everyone to live together in Love, being kind, helping each other. Apparently it is not. Long-held beliefs cloud our vision and we fearfully try to pull others into our illusions. Today I will see the light of miracles everywhere I look, refusing to be pulled into darkness, even in jest.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“As a material, theoretical life-basis is found to be a misapprehension of existence, the spiritual and divine Principle of man dawns upon human thought and leads it to "where the young child was," --even to the birth of a new-old idea, to the spiritual sense of being and of what Life includes. Thus the whole earth will be transformed by Truth on its pinions of light, chasing away the darkness of error."

Science & Health Page 191:7-15

Roll Back the Cloud of Error

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #91

“Miracles are seen in light.”

What am I? This question has been asked from the beginning of recorded history -- and probably longer. Spiritual seers inform us that we are not a body. So if I am not a body, what am I? Intellectually, we can say that we are the reflection of God. We can tell ourselves and others that we're not material, we're spiritual. Then we'll stump our toe and declare that we can't be blamed if it hurts because we're not walking on water yet. We make jokes to explain why we aren't living the precepts which Jesus tells us are our heritage as children of God. But really, why is it that we've been so stunted in our realization of what all this means? Actually, we're not evolving slowly. There is no evolution involved in spiritual awakening, there is only getting rid of material belief and dogma. What we're doing now is cleaning the windowpane so the light has a transparency to flow through, rather than thousands of years of grime hiding our illumination. What are we? We're finding out more every day -- but that doesn't mean we have to wait a certain amount of time to learn a set amount of liberating facts in order to experience this light. That's the miracle! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote: "Divine Science rolls back the clouds of error with the light of Truth, and lifts the curtain on man as never born and as never dying, but as coexistent with his creator."

Science & Health Page 596:11-19

Recognition

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #90

Review: “Let me recognize the problem so it can be solved.” and “Let me recognize my problems have been solved.”

I love these lessons which tell us there is no problem other than the multitude of beliefs in separation we have promulgated for ourselves. The solution is simply a matter of realizing that our seeming problems are solved as soon as we know the unreality of them. Such an idea may seem silly to someone who doesn't accept the unreality of the material world. I guess these concepts seem natural to me because nothing made sense when I looked at it from various standpoints put forth by mortal mind. Concepts, from the natural sciences to astrology, always appeared to have big holes in their veracity. I listened to the facts taught us in school and thought, "What's wrong with this picture?" In time, I came to understand that it was an innate knowing that we are spiritual, not material. Basically, knowledge and understanding come with a yielding of material belief. And I love letting this yielding guide me in every endeavor!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Human reason and religion come slowly to the recognition of spiritual facts, and so continue to call upon matter to remove the error which the human mind alone has created.”

Science & Health Page 173:25-28

Rehabilitation and Training

photo credit: Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #89

Review: “I am entitled to miracles.” and “Let miracles replace all grievances.”

The Dog Whisperer, (whom I’ve mentioned often in these writings) Cesar Millan, tells us he rehabilitates dogs and trains people. He observes that dogs live in the moment. When he is helping people to understand a dog which seems maimed by past experiences in its life, he always tells us that feeling sorry for the animal is of no benefit. How can this be? The dog is hurting and we're being asked to deny that? Yes!! This is why we are learning that it's necessary to give up all beliefs -- not just those we deem to be "bad", but all material beliefs. By letting them go and replacing them with an openness of thought which allows us to hear the Truth of our Being, we experience the miracle which is the natural order of Life. It may not seem logical to say that we can simply release feelings of fear and anger. They can appear very real to us, but if we stop and examine them, do they have any purpose other than to bind us to the past? One dog Cesar worked with was afraid to walk on any floor without a carpet, because it had once gone sliding into a glass door. Upon investigation of its people's reactions, they had immediately reinforced the dog's fears by petting, commiserating, and talking about what a horrible experience it had been. They were holding the dog in fear by acts they thought of as compassion. What Cesar explains is that dogs live in the moment, unless they're held in the past by everyone around them. I’m so grateful for every experience which helps me to discern between belief and reality -- especially when it's shown to me by a dog!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“When an accident happens, you think or exclaim, 'I am hurt!' Your thought is more powerful than your words, more powerful than the accident itself, to make the injury real." Science & Health Page 397:12-16

Fill This Empty Vessel

photo credit: Jim Young 

ACIM Workbook Lesson #88: Review -- "The light has come." and "I am under no laws but God's"

Many of life’s experiences are humbling. They help us to admit that we know nothing or that we’re wrong. I’ve gone through phases in the last 60 years when I didn’t want to admit either of these things, but now I am willing. On this beautiful spring day, join me in having no opinions and allowing beliefs to dissolve. Let’s see what shows up when we are an empty vessel! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"There is no material truth. The physical senses can take no cognizance of God and spiritual Truth. Human belief has sought out many inventions, but not one of them can solve the problem of being without  the divine Principle of divine Science. Deductions from material hypotheses are not scientific. They differ from real Science because they are not based on the divine law." Science & Health Page 273:2-9

Holy Relationship

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #87

Review: “I will there be light.” and “There is no will but God’s.”

My thoughts turn today toward the holy relationship. We have many relationships in this life and, if you're like me, you prefer to think of all of them as holy! If God is Love, and we express that Love, then isn't everything we do coming from that Love which is our essence? Unfortunately, this is not true. What we think of as love is often colored with human emotions such as guilt, jealousy, lust, and fear. This is a tough admission for any of us to make. A dear friend has been talking to me recently about a relationship he is ending. I have been thinking back over relationships I could have stayed in to this very day and how that would have led my life in different paths. The thing that keeps coming back time and again is that each and every entanglement I have ever had was based in some way or another on the words, "I want". Maybe I wanted to be loved, maybe I wanted to be IN love, maybe I wanted a love affair like the movies and songs tell us is the be-all, end-all. My friend is feeling sad for the loss of this relationship. He liked so many things about this woman, but there were some basic differences which caused their incompatibility. He could have stayed and been contented, but there was something missing: It wasn't a holy relationship. It was based on expectation of change and other material desires. My friend innately knows there is more than settling down with someone because it's easy. And I know he will recognize, within himSelf, what it is he's waiting for.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Will, as a quality of so-called mortal mind, is a wrong-doer; hence it should not be confounded with the term as applied to Mind or to one of God’s qualities.”

Science & Health Page 597:24-26

Experiencing Love's Manifestations

photo credit: Chris Fischer

ACIM Workbook Lesson #86

Review: "Only God's plan for salvation will work." and "Holding grievances is an attack on God's plan for salvation."

It’s difficult to think we would want anything other than happiness for ourselves. I know from personal experience that there were many times when it seems I may have set myself up for misery, yet I also do not think I did this purposefully, simply Mindlessly. The egotistical leanings of a person who is wild and blue oftentimes leads to poor life choices, and I feel fortunate to have survived and thrived despite turning away from goodness. There is so much beauty in this life, and we need only pay attention in order to experience it. Leaving behind our expectations may seem futile, but I think of it as freeing me to experience Love in its many manifestations. And I am grateful.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The substance, Life, intelligence, Truth, and Love, which constitute Deity, are reflected by His creation; and when we subordinate the false testimony of the corporeal senses to the facts of Science, we shall see this true likeness and reflection everywhere." Science & Health Page 515:4-8