August 28, 2013 - No Fear

"Aaron at Zion National Park"
photo by Heather Magnan

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #240

“Fear is not justified in any form."

Living familiar patterns as we move through our days, saying the same things, thinking the same thoughts -- all these habits seem to bring us comfort. Even if we're experiencing disharmony, we often fear change. We may say, "Something told me I should do so-and-so". We often hear this calling, this inner voice leading us toward a different path than we're on, but we feel it takes courage to walk a road less or never traveled, and so we settle. To settle for anything which brings us less than joyful existence is to dishonor ourselves, which is to dishonor God. The next time I think I'm feeling this thing we call fear, I'll choose to interpret the emotion as excitement about what will come next!

Mary Baker Eddy quotes:

“Walking in the light, we are accustomed to the light and require it; we cannot see in darkness. But eyes accustomed to darkness are pained by the light. When outgrowing the old, you should not fear to put on the new. Your advancing course may provoke envy, but it will also attract respect.”

Science & Health Page 452:7-12

August 27, 2013 - False Humility

"Eureka Springs Sunset"
photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #239

“The glory of my Father is my own"

Let not a "false humility" hide our light! So often we believe that we are not worthy to accept our divine nature as the image and likeness of God. I know that negative instances from my past tend to recur in thought, provoked by the most tenuous connection. A teacher's scorn, a friend's put-down, my own disappointment in myself -- these things seem to linger, arguing that I couldn't possibly be good enough to accept myself as a joint heir with Jesus.  But with every affirmation of Truth, with every revelation of divine Mind, I will remind myself once again that I Am That I Am.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The Divine Being must be reflected by man,--else man is not the image and likeness of the patient, tender, and true, the One 'altogether lovely;' but to understand God is the work of eternity, and demands absolute consecration of thought, energy, and desire.”

Science & Health Page 3:12-15

August 26, 2013 - God is Life

"China, 2009"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #238

“On my decision all salvation rests."

It seems we have too many decisions in daily life. Even the tea section in the grocery store has so many choices it can be daunting! And so when we are told that "On my decision all salvation rests", it's tempting to say "No thanks!" But this salvation spoken of here is received by one decision: to wake up and accept our own divinity. There are no considerations to mull over in this decision, there are no choices which are better than others, nor is there any reason for fear of failure. All duality, all choice, vanishes when we realize there is only one thing to desire: to know that God is Life. Not my life, or your life, but Life. From this understanding, everything is manifested in our experience from the freedom we have in knowing that the Love which is God is the only Principle of our existence.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“By interpreting God as a corporeal Savior but not as the saving Principle, or divine Love, we shall continue to seek salvation through pardon and not through reform…" Science & Health Page 285:23-26

August 25, 2013 - Creation

photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #237

“Now would I be as God created me."

When we think of creation from our human, mortal mind standpoint, we resort to any number of preconceived notions. To look past material illusory opinions to pure spiritual ideas is to begin to understand how "God created me". We tell ourselves: I'm only human. I cannot be created in the image and likeness of God. If we accept the Adam and Eve story -- or any other material creation myths -- as the truth of our being, we live the dream of life in and of matter with all the limitations such life implies. The realization that we are an idea of God takes us to the threshold of  understanding Life. Today I will see all as this spiritual truth, omitting no one nor thing. 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The mythical human theories of creation, anciently classified as the higher criticism, sprang from cultured scholars in Rome and in Greece, but they afforded no foundation for accurate views of creation by the divine Mind.”

Science & Health Page 255: 5-10

August 24, 2013 - Rulers of Thought

"Sunrise in Mongolia"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #236

“I rule my mind, which I alone must rule."

We are the rulers of our thought and have the ability to choose holding our thought to "the enduring, the good, and the true." I think of this as choosing Mind as my mind. In other words, rather than living by distressing blind belief, I choose to live in harmonious divine Science. Our best material intentions vacillate greatly according to many circumstances. A favorite quote of mine is, If you have a choice of being right or being kind, be kind. Every day we have numerous occasions to choose between being right and being kind. Today I will rule my mind by being aware of all the communications I have with others. Everything I say will be brought forth from a space which is not merely repetition of past beliefs and habitual responses, but from a consecrated inner listening. In accepting this gift of Truth from God, there can be no choice between being right or being kind. Because, after all, Love is all there is!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“God's thoughts are perfect and eternal, are substance and Life. Material and temporal thoughts are human, involving error, and since God, Spirit, is the only cause, they lack a divine cause. The temporal and material are not then creations of Spirit. They are but counterfeits of the spiritual and eternal.”

Science & Health Page 286:21-27

August 23, 2013 - I Am Love

photo by Heather Magnan

ACIM Workbook Lesson #235

“God in His mercy wills that I be saved."

The gist of today's lesson is that God's Love surrounds us and we are saved from any perceived dangers or problems. This lesson could be interpreted as God decides who is worthy of mercy and metes it out in proportion to our worthiness. This is, of course, not so. We recognize that God is Love, and that Love is not apportioned to one person more than another. For the last few days, I've been rebelling against cold symptoms. In my busy-ness, I did this mentally, more or less wishing them away. This is no more than a form of mental hypnotism, and this morning I awoke to very aggressive symptoms. Finally, I realized what I've been doing. This realization was enough to turn me to the law of divine Love. Having spent the day affirming what I Am as a reflection of this Love, rather than denying what I had been perceiving as the material reality of sickness, my outlook has changed. I'm no longer seeing myself as a sick mortal, but as the image and likeness of God; a creation of divine Mind. The belief in sickness and health is another way we set up separation through duality. I will go to sleep pondering what I Am as this reflection of Mind, not wondering about what I seem to be through the eyes of mortal belief.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The scientific unity which exists between God and man must be wrought out in life-practice, and God's will must be universally done. If men would bring to bear upon the study of the Science of Mind half the faith they bestow upon the so-called pains and pleasures of material sense they would not go on from bad to worse …”

Science & Health Page 202:3-9

August 22, 2013 - Thank Goodness We're Spiritual!

"China, 2009"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #234

“Father, today I am Your Son again.”

Let's not allow thoughts of gender bias or time constraints to prejudice our focus today. There never was a time when we were separated from God, and gender has no place in what divine Mind has created. As I say goodbye to a treasured friend who is moving away, I realize this Truth more than ever. We share more than a few years' worth of memories. We share eternity. That is, after all, what Oneness is, isn't it? Sometimes I think it may be too difficult to wrap my brain around this we-are-one thing. And sometimes it feels the same with saying goodbye: it's just too difficult to examine closely. And for mortal mind, it is too much. Thank goodness we're spiritual! With this knowledge, I am free to examine how divine Mind sees the situation. No separation, no loss, all One. What a great opportunity to practice feeling this Truth! Namaste', dear One.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Life is without beginning and without end. Eternity, not time, expresses the thought of Life, and time is no part of eternity. One ceases in proportion as the other is recognized. Time is finite; eternity is forever infinite. Life is neither in nor of matter. What is termed matter is unknown to Spirit, which includes in itself all substance and is Life eternal. Matter is a human concept. Life is divine Mind.”

Science & Health Page 568:26-4