October 8, 2012 - Material Laws or Beliefs?

"The Gathering"
Ceramic Sculpture by Ken Starbird

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #281

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

We all know of instances which demonstrate the supremacy of spirit to matter. We've heard of, or witnessed, or experienced events which cause us to examine our long-held beliefs concerning material so-called laws. The first one that always comes to my mind is of my older son falling 15 feet or so off of an embankment, landing in an area of rocks and boulders. When he was falling, he tells me he didn't think anything in specific, but because of his early teaching and his knowledge of God he simply knew that all was well. It never crossed his mind that he would be injured, because he knows the Truth of his existence. When he landed, he looked down and saw his foot and lower leg inside the boulder! As he walked away, he realized he wasn't particularly surprised, but he was certainly attentive. What was this which allows material laws to be put aside? Hum -- they must not be laws! His sureness in limitless Good has been shown in other instances, such as close encounters with a crevasse in Mongolia and a snow-covered boulder while skiing in Colorado. A moment-by-moment certainty of the Principle of Being assures us that all is well, and allows us to walk in the surety of that beautiful fact.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“You cause bodily sufferings and increase them by admitting their reality and continuance, as directly as you enhance your joys by believing them to be real and continuous. 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. Now reverse the process. Declare that you are not hurt and understand the reason why, and you will find the ensuing good effects to be in exact proportion to your disbelief in physics, and your fidelity to divine metaphysics, confidence in God as All.”

Science & Health Page 397: 9-22

October 7, 2012 - The Big Limitation

"Beaver Bridge"
photo by Jim Young

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #280

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

How do you limit yourself? I can think of lots of ways I try to do it. When we think we are material, human beings, we limit ourselves. But we are freed by the realization that our real self is Spirit, and Spirit is not contained in matter. Okay, so we are truly Spirit, but we appear to be matter, and this thing called Spirit isn't in matter. So how does that work? Our governing force, our True Self, is spiritual. We are an idea -- a divine, compound Idea of God. This idea is what is perfect. The matter we see all around us is corporeal -- obviously! It changes, it disappears, it does not fit any definition of perfection we have in our vocabulary. So we try to make it fit, saying that everything is perfect just as it is, which leaves us feeling somehow punished because we're so miserable. I have found that every concept which includes spirit as being somehow co-mingled with matter brings me to a dead-end in thinking, time and again. Only by agreeing that we are limitless Spirit, neither compressed in nor bound to matter, can I feel the freedom that has no limits. I Am infinite Mind. I Am divine 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

October 6, 2012 - How Do We See Freedom?

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #279

“Creation's freedom promises my own.”

"Aaron in Mongolia"
unknown photographer

Isn't it interesting to think of preconceived notions! For instance, when we are acquainted with someone but have never been in their home, we may imagine their surroundings as we communicate via modern technology. When a loved one tells us about an experience, we "see" them in that situation and fill in the picture in interesting ways. When we think about God, images may come to mind which are no more than fairy tales and other myths remembered. When we are told we are free, we have images of what that means. And so what do we think about our imagined bondage? I know I live with limiting beliefs every day, and it often seems impossible to be released from them. As children we are told not to talk to strangers, to be careful lest we fall, to be afraid of God, to live in certain ways in order to gain the approval of others -- the list goes on. We think a multitude of rules and beliefs must be obeyed in order to survive and thrive, and when we start to realize most of these so-called rules have nothing to do with our true existence, it can be frightening -- and exhilarating! The freedom of our true creation is seen through a change in our perception of reality. Taking ourselves out of the prison of preconceived notions allows the Love we are to show through our actions in sublime ways. And we glimpse freedom.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

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

Science and Health Page 206:28–30

October 5, 2012 - Quantum Entanglement

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #278

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

"World Cup in South Africa"

At times, the miasma of materiality seems overwhelming. It's easy to feel bound by illnesses and painful injuries, financial burdens, grief, and the many beliefs we see as reality. Our lives and the events in them may appear to have a beginning and an end. Physicists tell us of a perspective known as quantum entanglement, in which particles separate yet remain connected, duplicating reactions to stimuli 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." This perfectly explains our Oneness with All That Is, and this understanding of our permanence in God frees us from fear of human circumstance. This omnipresence is our perfect identify, without boundaries, which we express more every day as our understanding of it increases. What expansion in thought awaits us today? I invite contributions from you on the blog, or in reply to this email.

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. This conviction shuts the door on death, and opens it wide towards immortality. The understanding and recognition of Spirit must finally come, and we may as well improve our time in solving the mysteries of being through an apprehension of divine Principle. At present we know not what man is, but we certainly shall know this when man reflects God.”

Science & Health Page 90:24-31

October 4, 2012 - Change is Good

"Breaking Free"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #277

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

I've repeated the phrase "change is good" so much that a friend gave me a change purse with that saying on it! We are all loosing bonds which hold us to thought that simply is not working. We're changing everything in our experience, from the way we shop to the way we love.  As we examine the beliefs we live by, we realize we can be a law unto ourselves. The fears that have followed us throughout our lives have shaped our view of ourselves and everything around us. But a universal shift in thought is upon us and we're each feeling it in our own way. The understanding that we don't have to be bound by any material belief because our true identify is spiritual is bringing us to a tipping point in consciousness realization. This freedom will be absolutely experienced. When? Well, as we're not slaves to time, why not now!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

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

Science & Health Page 183:16-25

October 3, 2012 - This is MY dream ...

"Alice in a Maze"
from Disney movie

ACIM Workbook Lesson #276

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

Alice in Wonderland has been presenting herself to me from multiple avenues. Alice repeats many times in many circumstances that this is just a dream. She says, "This is MY dream and you can't hurt me." Sometimes it's a self-righteous, "This is MY dream and I can wake up any time I want." But yet, she continues to be victimized in various ways. Even though she knows the Truth, she can't seem to demonstrate it! I've always felt a kinship with Alice, as I'm sure many of you do, too. I think the Course in Miracles lesson for today could have been an inspiration to Alice. To speak this Word is to live it. But until we understand these words, we don't have a chance of speaking (living) them. Let's allow these harmonies to take possession of human consciousness and thereby find our way to Truth, just like Alice.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

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

Science and Health Page 355:11-14

October 2, 2012 - Loving, Living, Life

"A Parenthesis in Eternity"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #275

“God's healing Voice protects all things today.”

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

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Faith, if it be mere belief, is as a pendulum swinging between nothing and something, having no fixity. Faith, advanced to spiritual understanding, is the evidence gained from Spirit, which rebukes sin of every kind and establishes the claims of God."

Science & Health Page 23:14-17