June 5, 2012 - "Baraka"

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #156

“I walk with God in perfect holiness.”

"Hike Over Alta"
photo by Aaron Springston

Allowing ourselves to be led is such a fun and exciting thing to do! One of the latest adventures in non-planning I've had has been in choosing a DVD at the library. Rather than read reviews, or ask friends, or even read the titles, I stand in front of the shelf and allow movies to call to me. The most recent DVD which jumped off the shelf is entitled, "Baraka". Oh my goodness! When I started watching this, I hadn't even read the cover. I only knew there was a photo of an eclipsed sun with its title. So it was very confusing when this film started and quickly skipped from what appeared to be Mongolian mountains to monks and priests deep in ritual, then moved to a beautiful baboon, with the most wonderfully expressive eyes, sitting in a hot, steaming pool of water. Adding to both my confusion and an attempt to attach no meaning to what I was seeing, there were no words to go with the mind-boggling glimpses into the lives of multitudes of people around the globe. At first I thought this film was not for the faint of heart, but by the end I had decided that all six billion of us would benefit by its viewing. This is the type of movie that will hit you where you need it! Towards the last of this smorgasbord, I had started to hum. I was om-ing in harmony with it, feeling oneness in a way I've not before experienced. I truly felt I was "walking with God in perfect holiness", along with everyone and everything. Another line from today's lesson reads, "As you step back, the light in you steps forward and encompasses the world." As I go through this day, my personal opinions will step back out of the way, allowing a perfect self to shine for the world. Bits and pieces of this beautiful movie will weave in and out of my daily doings, bringing deep reflection and a smile.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“We must look where we would walk, and we must act as possessing all power from Him in whom we have our being.”

Science & Health Page 264:10-12

June 4, 2012 - What am I following?

A Course in Miracles Lesson #155

“I will step back and let Him lead the way.”

"Gobbler's Knob"
photo by Aaron Springston

As witnessed by the popularity of Harry Potter and other fictional characters, we love to explore the magical and mystical! Most everyone, including myself, has been enchanted by stories involving extraordinary powers.  Could it be we feel very close to demonstrating many of these things for ourselves? Aren't we all realizing abilities which could be interpreted as otherworldly? Mrs. Eddy referred to this as supremely natural, not supernatural. As we begin to understand our nature as reflections of God, we also start to see how material principles have limited us. These long-accepted principles are taking on a transparency in the light of Truth. Our burgeoning understanding of the one Principle is setting us free from the bonds of mortal laws. Through our acceptance of a basis which is all-inclusive, it becomes unnecessary to analyze each and every thing we encounter. There is no need for counting calories, or weighing our options in making decisions, nor worrying over the actions of others. Acceptance of ourselves as God's image and likeness allows an expansiveness to develop which includes an innate knowing of what to do in any given situation. When I "step back" from my planning and worry, I can witness the guidance which is always governing me. Everyday I hear people marveling at the serendipitous occurrences in their lives. We are all experiencing this shift in perception of reality. Today I accept my spiritual sense of Being as a natural, normal expression of consciousness. I embrace it with joyous acknowledgement of its divine origin, translated through me.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Spiritual sense, contradicting the material senses, involves intuition, hope, faith, understanding, fruition, reality. Material sense expresses the belief that mind is in matter. This human belief, alternating between a sense of pleasure and pain, hope and fear, life and death, never reaches beyond the boundary of the mortal or the unreal. When the real is attained, which is announced by Science, joy is no longer a trembler, nor is hope a cheat. Spiritual ideas, like numbers and notes, start from Principle, and admit no materialistic beliefs. Spiritual ideas lead up to their divine origin, God, and to the spiritual sense of being.” 

Science & Health Page 298:13-24

June 3, 2012 - I'm Listening

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #154

“I am among the ministers of God.”

"I'm Listening - At Crystal Bridges Museum"
photo by Aaron Springston 

A few days ago I wrote about women asking me if I suffered the same age-related symptoms they did and the fact that I didn't feel I could be quiet any longer, but must speak from the heart to them. The workbook lesson today reinforces my feeling that Truth is to be both lived and given to others. Now, whether this giving is through spoken words or silent emanations is yet another topic, one which I feel is addressed today. And interestingly, a man I'd never met before came into the gallery and began telling me about his prostate problems and the fact that he had found no relief except through smoking marijuana. As much as I hoped this was a time I would hear the calling to keep my mouth shut, it was not to be. And so we had a rather lengthy discussion, with him telling me things I didn't want to hear and me occasionally interjecting Truth as I heard it given to me. Whew! Often it would be easier to turn our back on what we are led to do, to follow a well-worn path or retreat into oblivion, but it is so much more interesting and fulfilling to listen and be led in paths not only untrod but unknown! Some of my friends don't understand that my gallery is a haven in any number of ways, but another friend tells me it's my "ministry". And so it is.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Millions of unprejudiced minds--simple seekers for Truth, weary wanderers, athirst in the desert--are waiting and watching for rest and drink. Give them a cup of cold water in Christ's name, and never fear the consequences.”

Science & Health Page 570:14-17

June 2, 2012 - Safety is Mine -- and Yours!

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #153

“In my defenselessness my safety lies.”

Baby and Aaron
Photo by Heather Magnan

One of the lines from today's lesson is: "You do not realize what you have done to sabotage the holy peace of God by your defensiveness." The truth of this statement really hit me in the wake of a vivid dream I had last night. In this dream, I was with a group of people. We were being extremely defensive in guarding against a gang of people who were planning to kill us. It was a very graphic dream which I couldn't escape. I'd almost wake up, then sink back into it. This is very unusual for me to experience nightmares, and so I've closely examined what I've been thinking recently. And, yes, I've been defensive, hence attacking and feeling attacked. The inability to pull myself out of the illusion of this nightmare certainly parallels the miasma of material beliefs which come at us every day. The world we live in teaches us we should try to defend against every contingency which may come up -- i.e., get your inoculations, take out insurance for every possible disaster, check your blood pressure, teach your children not to talk to strangers -- the list goes on and on. Our acceptance of good as the only reality is where our safety lies. Is it possible to protect our mortal selves from every material malady which may befall us? Of course not. But we can be aware of the still, small voice which is always guiding us in our every action, when we listen. I've taught my children to be aware. If intuition tells them to slow down the car, or even speed up! -- (although this is not something I told them when they were young :) -- then they should do so without question. Trust yourself! Listen to your instinctual prompts. This is where safety lies. I now see that defensive behavior is nothing more than trusting in suppositional evil more than the good which is God. Trusting Mind, Soul, Spirit, Principle Truth, Life, Love, God, is how safety is experienced. Then a peace you've always dreamed of is actualized, and you find yourself imparting that peace to others, through your living of it.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Instead of tenaciously defending the supposed rights of disease [and other seeming threats], while complaining of the suffering disease brings, would it not be well to abandon the defense, especially when by so doing our own condition can be improved and that of other persons as well?”

 Science & Health Page 348:21-25

June 1, 2012 - Hiding from Truth

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #152

“The power of decision is my own.”

"Truth or Shadow"
photo by Aaron Springston

I have mentioned before that much inspiration is derived from a monthly meeting of our book club. We have grand discussions and I, personally, walk away with much insight into this life which perhaps would never have occurred to me without these sweet gatherings. Our most recent meeting centered around a book of historical fiction which looks at the life of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife: The Paris Wife. Apparently they led quite a hedonistic life, and we had an interesting conversation centered around this. We pondered why people forsake all conventional rules and indulge in wild behavior usually involving consuming mass quantities of alcohol. One of our astute members put forth the opinion that we are trying so hard to put off the shackles of human behavior which is stifling and not serving us in the first place that we go overboard in trying to affect a change. Bingo! This is exactly what we're doing in these metaphysical studies, but without the drugs and alcohol. We're seeing that life as we know it is not working. We want a change. But we don't just want to shut out our dissatisfaction by passing out drunk, we want to do something about it! A quote from today's workbook lesson is this: "Truth can have no opposite. Nothing but the truth is true, and what is false is false." That's quite a straightforward statement, but we don't always recognize what this Truth is.  We think that all the falsities are as much a part of our existence as is the Truth, and we end up very confused and think there is no way out of this circular life of dualistic beliefs we have accepted. I once heard Deepak Chopra say he thought it was a good sign that we had so many people experiencing substance abuse, because this meant they were searching for God but had no idea how to find It. That's what we're learning today: how to fill that God-hole by recognizing that we can make the decision to do so. To accept the truth of our being, our relationship to God, annuls falsity. Hallelujah!

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

May 31, 2012 - Affirmative Studies and Practices

A Course in Miracles Lesson #151

“All things are echoes of the Voice for God.”

"Aaron, Utah Sunset"
photo by Heather Magnan

I love the affirmative nature of our metaphysical studies! It is not necessary to deconstruct ourselves in order to figure out what is wrong so we can fix it. That is not even an element in the development of the spiritual sense we are exercising. In the acknowledgement that all true seeing, hearing, feeling, is spiritual -- or "ehoes of the Voice for God", as today's lesson expresses it -- all we need do is practice this truth and the error falls away. Recently, women have become angry with me during discussions concerning women's issues and what is to be expected at a certain stage in our life. If I walk up stairs on an 85-degree day and I become flushed and perspire, I think of it as a natural occurrence, not a symptom of a malady predominantly thought of as inevitable. When someone begins to tell me of their experiences of "hot flashes" and expect me to commiserate with them, I don't. And it's not because I'm not compassionate for their discomfort. I am, but I don't feel that simply feeling sorry and agreeing with someone is the ultimate kindness. Rather than feeding a false sense of punishment enforced by some material law, I attempt to break the illusion by expressing spiritual truth. Perhaps something such as, "Take possession of your body, govern its action. God has made you capable of this." (This is a paraphrase of a statement in Science & Health) When said in reference to so-called menopause symptoms, I usually get a disgruntled response at the very best! But I can't be silent any longer. I have reached a point in time where it's impossible to sit and watch. Now is the time to express and live Truth, recognizing all reality as the Voice of God. And anything which is not this reality will be left behind and forgotten.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Your mirrored reflection is your own image or likeness. If you lift a weight, your reflection does this also. If you speak, the lips of this likeness move in accord with yours. Now compare man before the mirror to his divine Principle, God. Call the mirror divine Science, and call man the reflection. Then note how true, according to Christian Science, is the reflection to its original. As the reflection of yourself appears in the mirror, so you, being spiritual, are the reflection of God. The substance, Life, intelligence, Truth, and Love, which constitute Deity, are reflected by [Its] 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 515:25-6

May 30, 2012 - Unity Through Realization of Truth

A Course in Miracles Lesson #150

Review of:

#139 "I will accept Atonement for myself."

#140 "Only salvation can be said to cure."

The main thought to hold to in this review:

“My mind holds only what I think with God."

Photo by Aaron Springston

This atonement which is spoken of is mine for the acceptance of myself as God created me -- and, that is, in the image and likeness of God Itself. This acceptance includes the acknowledgement that we are all created as ideas of divine Mind, and this creation includes everyone and everything. As we are one with this emanation of Mind -- much like a ray of sunshine is the same with its source -- it only requires an awareness of this Truth in order for us to demonstrate it. If I am as God created me, then you are, too! When I accept this atonement -- this acknowledgement that I am as God created me, in perfect Oneness -- then, through this unity, we all accept it. Now, some may ask, if we are One in this sense, wouldn't all the horrible things that happen to everyone become a part of us? No, because divine Mind is all that's One. Material, mortal mind (ego, to ACIM-ers) is the epitome of the division which we all appear to live, because that is what we have accepted as inevitable for ourselves. Remember the hit movie, The Matrix? There were some profound metaphysical principles addressed! I particularly liked when Neo is in what appears to be a center for extraordinary behavior. He goes up to a person bending a spoon without touching it. He tries to do the same, to no avail. He is told that the way to do this is through knowing the truth: the spoon is not there. That's what metaphysical healing is all about. Today's workbook lesson review makes plain that the only cure is the understanding that there is no place where sickness can abide. The spoon is not there. Awakening to this knowledge brings with it the revelation that all which seems to be unlike good, God, has no reality. If we are attempting to change a material condition, it's just like trying to bend the spoon by the power of your mind. Only by the knowledge of its unreality is it seen for what it actually is: an idea. We are all ideas of divine Mind. We are all One in this reality. What will this realization unfold in experience  today? I am open with no expectations!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Universal salvation rests on progression and probation, and is unattainable without them. Heaven is not a locality, but a divine state of Mind in which all the manifestations of Mind are harmonious and immortal, because sin is not there and man is found having no righteousness of his own, but in possession of 'the mind of the Lord,' as the Scripture says.”

Science & Health Page 291:12-18