March 4, 2014 - Our Light-Bearing, Peaceful Function

"Snow Shadows"
photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #63

“The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness.”

Once we realize something is ours, then we are free to give it away. Once we realize something is ours, it is everyone's by virtue of our unity as expressions of God. Every time we choose peace, rather than joining with someone in anger or agitation, we have exercised our light-bringing peaceful function. I used to think it was impolite not to listen when someone wanted to tell me things I didn't need to hear. For instance, today a neighbor began to tell me of a situation where another neighbor had said things to him which hurt his feelings. As I realized he wasn't going to stop, but wanted to talk about it and speculate about why she was horrible, I simply said, "Wait. I'm not going to go there with you." Looking back on the conversation, I wonder why I didn't say this years ago! I no longer think it's impolite to speak the truth. Why should I listen to this any more readily than I would, for instance, watch a horror movie? I'll just say no!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear,--this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony. The purification of sense and self is a proof of progress."

Science & Health Page 324:3-5

March 3, 2014 - This Never-Ending Adventure

"London Morning"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #62:

"Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world."

"I wish I'd known about this way of thought earlier in life," a friend said to me. He was concerned that he wouldn't have enough time to assimilate this Truth he is learning. So many responses came to mind that I chose to say none of them. Time -- what a concept! We are eternal, so how can there not be enough time to realize something we've always known? Yes, that does sound rather esoteric, or perhaps a bit "woo-woo" -- but doesn't it seem true? I know I've mentioned this Deepak Chopra quote before, but it bears repeating: "Time is something we've made up so everything doesn't happen all at once." Looked at in this way, don't we already know everything that ever has been or every will be? This is our function: to remember. And through forgiveness, we grasp our strength as the expression and experience of God. With that knowledge of our true Self, we open the gates of understanding in all areas of existence. There are no limits as to time and space. We have the ability to grasp concepts, to actualize ideas, and to function as the light of the world. The lovely thing about this is, no matter how much I think I know, there is always more to this never-ending adventure! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote: "The divine demand, 'Be ye therefore perfect,' is scientific, and the human footsteps leading to perfection are indispensable. Individuals are consistent who, watching and praying, can 'run, and not be weary; . . .walk, and not faint,' who gain good rapidly and hold their position, or attain slowly and yield not to discouragement. God requires perfection,but not until the battle between Spirit and flesh is fought and the victory won. To stop eating, drinking, or being clothed materially before the spiritual facts of existence are gained step by step, is not legitimate. When we wait patiently on God and seek Truth righteously, He directs1 our path. Imperfect mortals grasp the ultimate of spiritual perfection slowly; but to begin aright and to continue the strife of demonstrating the great problem of being, is doing much." Science & Health Page 253:32-15

March 2, 2014 - I Am Light

ACIM Workbook Lesson #61:

“I am the light of the world”

The understanding that we are all "the light of the world" is liberating! So often when we catch glimpses of our light, we deny the sight in the name of humility, or a false sense of sinfulness, or perhaps because we can't accept something so perfect about ourselves. We are learning that true humility is accepting our divine function and proudly reflecting light, never hiding under a guise of smallness. This light is demonstrated in many ways, often contrary to what we've been taught.  Personally, I find that letting my light shine means nothing other than listening for guidance and following through with what I hear. And how do I know that what I hear is not my ego wanting something? If it is, I feel uncomfortable with it, so I step back and start again. If it feels perfect, if it blesses everyone, then I follow through with confidence that it's divinely inspired. Sometimes the perfect, light-reflecting solution simply seems too difficult to do, so I try to convince myself it's an ego-based thought and refuse to do it. Ha! Once again, I go back to how I feel when sitting quietly. Experience has taught me to be ever-alert, as my ego really likes to masquerade as an ell-knowing presence. But the quietude where we may feel our unity with God always exposes the charade -- if I let it.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Light: Symbol of Truth; revelation and progress."

Science & Health Page 591:23-24

March 1, 2014 - Material Interpretation/Spiritual Translations

"Colorado Sunset"
photo by Aaron springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #60

Today we review Lessons 46-50

Love, forgiveness, salvation -- these and many other words have taken on interesting connotations through our material interpretations and beliefs. How often does our version of love include jealousy, attachment, and various demands we insist upon for someone to be a worthy recipient of our human-based love? And forgiveness seldom is an acknowledgement that there is truly nothing to forgive, but carries with it superior thoughts and magnanimous gestures. Salvation has an odd interpretation which includes a paying of penance to someone or something. As we turn away from the material conceptions of these and other words, we are allowed to glimpse Love, wherein there is no forgiveness nor salvation as we think of them. We are told in the first lesson review today that "God does not forgive because He has never condemned." And we are told that the forgiveness we are learning of as human beings is "the reflection of God's Love on earth." How beautiful is that!!  When looked at from this angle, it seems senseless to say that we can forgive but not forget. If we truly are, in reality, the perfect reflection of divine Love, if this is the spiritual reality (hence, the Only reality), how easy it becomes to lay down the sword and go forward living from the heart rather than the brain. We can let go all thoughts of retaliation or revenge and live by the law of grace. How I long to forget everything and begin again from Love!

Mary Baker Eddy correlative quote:

"Progress takes off human shackles. The finite must yield to the infinite. Advancing to a higher plane of action, thought rises from the material sense to the spiritual, from the scholastic to the inspirational, and from the mortal to the immortal. Love, the divine Principle, is the Father and Mother of the universe, including man."

Science & Health Page 256:1-8

February 28, 2014 - Metaphysical Healing

"Peaceful Sunset"
photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #59:

Today we review Lessons 41-45

When something like a head cold or other dis-ease threatens, it's tempting to wonder if we've slipped into something from which we need to be rescued. But let's not fall into that trap! With physical maladies, as with emotional or other seeming discord or inharmony, it's not our job to figure out where we went wrong. It's our job to see how we are right! We sometimes hear it said that metaphysical treatment is "denying error and declaring Truth". There is no set way to go about this process. When we glean a bit of spiritual Truth, we often think we can repeat this over and over, as a sort of mantra, and this will heal us. And sometimes we can talk ourselves out of symptoms -- but usually this is a temporary fix. We can tell ourselves that disease is an illusion and that it's no part of us, but until we know the reason why, it's nothing more than further illusion. When we find ourselves beginning to understand that disease cannot be in matter because there is no matter for disease to manifest in, then -- and only then -- are we coming close to understanding this Truth of which we speak. It may seem impossible to make this shift in thought, but I love the baby steps leading to it! One of my favorite scientists, Lothar Schafer, is leading others to see the unreality of matter in his latest book, Infinite Potential: What Quantum Physics Reveals About How We Should Live. I invite you to travel with him in this adventure!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"This scientific sense of being, forsaking matter for Spirit, by no means suggests man's absorption into Deity and the loss of his identity, but confers upon man enlarged individuality, a wider sphere of thought and action, a more expansive love, a higher and more permanent peace."

Science & Health Page 265:10-15

February 27, 2014 - What, Me Worry?

ACIM Workbook Lesson #58:

Today we review Lessons 36-40

This review speaks of "my holiness" in four of the five summarized lessons. What does that mean? Is my holiness different from your holiness, perhaps based on actions or thoughts? We are learning that this holiness is our true state of being as reflections of Love, realized through forgiveness in its purest sense. When I assert this Truth about myself, I affirm it for everyone. The urge to micro-manage things is strong in most of us, because we've been taught to make plans, to set goals, to nail down all the details. But most things in this life are beyond our control, aren't they? How many times do we make intricate plans only to have to change them when circumstances change?  I could write a book! Wayne Dyer tells us that worry is counterproductive. He asks, Why worry? If we can do something about a situation, we will. If we can't do anything about it, what's the use in worrying? Living by this precept has brought a freedom I wouldn't have known had I held on to my old drama queen ways. My mantra is: Only Good can come of this. For this realization, I am most grateful.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Man walks in the direction towards which he looks, and where his treasure is, there will his heart be also. If our hopes and affections are spiritual, they came from above, not from below, and they bear as of old the fruits of the Spirit." Science & Health Page 451:14-18

February 26, 2014 - A Radical Reliance

Love Glows
created by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #57:

Today we review Lessons 31-35

I have often been asked if (or perhaps told that) Christian Science is a cult. Having been affiliated with this way of life since childhood, it assuredly is not. I've never been controlled by anyone, or asked to worship anyone, or any of the other criteria necessary to qualify for this category of action. I'm sure that Course in Miracles students often get the same thing, judging from what a quick search of YouTube videos reveal! What we do ask of ourselves is a radical reliance on God, a wholehearted acceptance of God as the only power, to recognize that Love leads every action. This is the goal I set for myself at every moment. And this is why I see such a strong interaction with these two disciplines: they both ask us to give up material beliefs and rely on Truth. And this may not be as hard as we'd like to make it out to be! Think back on the so-called laws of life you have adopted in the past. Shouldn't it be as easy to allow spiritual principles to guide your actions as it is to accept material rules which make no sense?  This quote from Lesson 34 says it all: "When I see the world as a place of freedom, I realize that it reflects the laws of God instead of the rules I made up for it to obey." And the rules of God are simple to hear when we have cleared out the cacophony which hides them from our thought. To live from the Truth within rather than the made-up rules of material existence, this is the freedom which will lead into harmonious peace for all. 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The conceptions of mortal, erring thought must give way to the ideal of all that is perfect and eternal. Through many generations human beliefs will be attaining diviner conceptions, and the immortal and perfect model of God's creation will finally be seen as the only true conception of being."

Science & Health Page 260:7-12