January 24, 2013 - Follow Your Heart

"Glacier National Park"
photo by Heather Magnan

ACIM Workbook Lesson #24:

"I do not perceive my own best interests.”

How joyous it is to watch our children demonstrate the ideas we're studying! When my oldest son graduated from college, he moved to a large city which has the type of snow he loves for skiing. After applying for and being turned down for numerous jobs, including bread delivery in the wee hours of the morning, he finally found a job doing graphic design grunt work at minimum wage. In the time he was with that company, he advanced to the position of multimedia producer, and had  appreciable raises in salary and work satisfaction. The training he received at that job was the main reason he caught the eye of a television station in a nearby resort town. By allowing himself to be open to the field of all potentiality, he is now working at his "dream job". This has come about because he had no plans or goals he was abiding by, and he knows that following his heart never leaves him where he started. Join with me today in thinking of times you have listened within, when you were "leaning on the sustaining Infinite", and found yourself someplace you could never have planned!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, today is big with blessings."

Science & Health Page vii:1-2

January 23, 2013 - Escape by Giving Up ...

"South African Sunset"
photo by Heather Magnan

ACIM Workbook Lesson #23:

"I can escape from the world I see by giving up attack thoughts."

We hear talk of raising our vibrations, of activating our DNA strands, of various ways to remember our true Identity. All these effects are meant to lead us to an end result which is peaceful and harmonious, or to somehow take us back to the Cause of these effects. Could it be that all these ways from which we seek to attain "higher consciousness" can be realized from giving up of attack thoughts? When we find ways of bridging the separation we have set up in our minds, will we then realize our Oneness and allow ourselves to get back to the garden from which we've never left? So today we practice giving up attack thoughts in order to facilitate our realizations of this Oneness.  Attack thoughts are often obvious, but look out for the ones which wear a disguise! All thoughts which are not the emanation of God, Love, are attack thoughts. I Am the thought of God. Joy guides me in this realization!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"We reason imperfectly from effect to cause when we conclude that matter is the effect of Spirit, but a priori reasoning shows material existence to be enigmatical. Spirit gives the true mental idea. We cannot interpret Spirit, Mind, through matter. Matter neither sees, hears, nor feels. Reasoning from cause to effect in the Science of Mind, we begin with Mind, which must be understood through the idea which expresses it and cannot be learned from its opposite, matter. Thus we arrive at Truth, or intelligence, which evolves its own unerring idea and never can be coordinate with human illusions."

Science & Health Page 467:23-3

January 22, 2013 - Vengeance or Love

"Glacier National Park"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #22

"What I see is a form of vengeance."

One of the definitions for vengeance is: "Punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense; retribution." And part of the commentary from this ACIM workbook lesson is: "Today's idea accurately describes the way anyone who holds attack thoughts in his mind must see the world. Having projected his anger onto the world, he sees vengeance about to strike at him. His own attack is thus perceived as self defense." When we see through the eyes of anything other than divine Love, we are seeing through the lens of mortal belief and all the erroneous thoughts which have clouded our sight for eons. I shall strive to acknowledge this and release all attack thoughts, leaving empty this vessel to be filled with Love.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Truth destroys error, and Love destroys hate. Being destroyed, sin needs no other form of forgiveness." Science & Health Page 339:2-4

January 21, 2013 - Think Different (apologies to Apple)

"Glacier National Park"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #21:

"I am determined to see things differently"

Today's lesson commentary asks us to examine our thoughts for varying degrees of anger, from irritation to rage -- although it makes it quite clear there is no difference in degrees. An emotional reaction I find myself having is the facetious "bless her heart" statement so often used -- at least in the southern part of the U.S.! If something seems too ridiculous to ignore, yet I don't want to admit I'm being judgmental, this is the time when I would bless someone's heart in this back-handed way. These feelings of superiority are another way of enforcing the illusion of separation. By holding myself up as better, smarter, cooler, I put into action that same old separation of myself from others, and therefore from God. Today I will be a sentinel and whenever anything I feel, think, or do sets off a feeling of uneasiness within me, I'll pause and ask to see God where my thought may see discord. Looking through the eyes of Love (God) precludes all erroneous thought and allows us to see as we are seen -- purely, as reflections of the only Father-Mother God.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Eyes: Spiritual discernment -- not material but mental. Jesus said, thinking of the outward vision, "Having eyes, see ye not?" [Mark 8:18]" Science & Health Page 586:3-6

January 20, 2013 - I Will See Reality

"Sunburst in Zion National Park"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #20

"I am determined to see"

The determination which I feel with regard to this certainty that I can see and will see comes forth because I want to see. Not because I'm forcing myself into some practice which goes against my nature, but because it is my real nature to see Truth. The opposite blindness which surrounds me is not a natural, true state, but a learned one. One of our learned behaviors is to place blame on others for things they have said or done which we perceive as detrimental to us or others. When we see what truly is, we are able to simply witness these events, without apportioning blame or cause to them. By this lack of reasoning, we then see things as they really are, without placing our own, personal meaning on them. More and more often, I can simply witness, without wondering why.

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Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The question, 'What is Truth', convulses the world. Many are ready to meet this inquiry with the assurance which comes of understanding; but more are blinded by their old illusions, and try to 'give it pause'. The efforts of error to answer this question by some ology are vain. Spiritual rationality and free thought accompany approaching Science, and cannot be put down. They will emancipate humanity, and supplant unscientific means and so-called laws” 

Science & Health Page 223:14-24

January 19, 2013 - No Private Thoughts

"Mongolia 2007"

ACIM Workbook Lesson #19

"I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my thoughts."

Such a wonderful world is opening up for us with the influx of Truth concerning our thoughts! I highly recommend a book by J. Allen Boone, "Kinship with All Life". During the 1950s, Mr. Boone realized that his dog knew when he was thinking about going for a walk even before he made a move to get up from his typewriter. This caused him to explore many ideas concerning our interconnectedness. My ah-ha moment for this came when I was in our local office supply to make copies. There were a number of other people there for the same reason. When I commented on how busy they were, the owner told me it had been slow all day until a few minutes before. I began to notice various occurrences such as these and decided to take myself out of this lemming effect in order to save time. When I am getting ready to go to the library, grocery store, or any other place people flock to in mass, I simply ask within if this is the right time to go. As often as not, my order of chores is rearranged when I listen for this guidance. It may seem that it would be difficult to distinguish between the impulse we receive from mass consciousness and the guidance we receive from inner listening. But paying attention to these callings teaches us to differentiate, and allows us to be where we need to be when we need to be there.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"...Truth is the light which dispels error. As mortals begin to understand Spirit, they give up the belief that there is any true existence apart from God."

Science & Health Page 282:32-3

January 18, 2012 - We're All in This Together

"Happy Boston Terrier"
painting by Betty Johnson

ACIM Workbook Lesson #18

"I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my seeing."

I've learned many things from Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer. And I'm reminded of his teachings when I read today's words which tell me that what I see, what I understand, is not mine alone.  We can observe how our tensions and fears are imaged upon canine companions. And it becomes very obvious as we see aberrant behavior turned harmonious when countered with a calm, assertive demeanor. This change in thought shines from you and reflects back from all around you. It's easier to see it in dogs, as they're so transparent. They just lay it out there like it is, no pretense, no excuses! My dog is a great gauge for testing where I am in thought. Also, by watching his way of soaking up my feelings, I more readily understand and accept how all thought affects all thought. We can find a multitude of ways to witness this kinship with all life. I look forward to noticing how these exhibitions will play out today. Please comment on the blog about ways you've witnessed these multi-dimensional happenings. Mary Baker Eddy called such phenomena "… not supernatural, but supremely natural". 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"In the material world, thought has brought to light with great rapidity many useful wonders. With like activity have thought's swift pinions been rising towards the realm of the real, to the spiritual cause of those lower things which give impulse to inquiry. Belief in a material basis, from which may be deduced all rationality, is slowly yielding to the idea of a metaphysical basis, looking away from matter to Mind as the cause of every effect."

Science & Health Page 268