March 17, 2015 - Living Under Senseless Laws?

"Holiday Island Marina"
photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #76

“I am under no laws but God’s.”

Just where do we find these laws of God which we are under? Certainly they’re not in any book which has been written, even though these texts may be referred to as the word of God. I’m not trying to say that there isn’t some wonderful advice in these books. I particularly like Jesus’s words concerning commandments: love your neighbor as yourself and God above all else. How many wars could have been avoided by the simple realization that we are united in the Love which is God! Does it matter what historians or tyrants or mystical seers have dictated? Perhaps the world is not ready to live by the divine edict which can only be known within our consciousness. But I think we are.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Citizens of the world, accept the ‘glorious liberty of the children of God,’ and be free! This is your divine right. The illusion of material sense, not divine law, has bound you, entangled your free limbs, crippled your capacities, enfeebled your body, and defaced the tablet of your being.”

Science & Health Page 227:24-28

March 16, 2015 - I Am Light

Ozark Foggy Morning
photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #75

"The light has come."

I am Muslim. I am Hindu. I am Christian. I am woman. I am man. I am gay. I am straight. I am everything and nothing. I am free! Perseverance in dropping false testimony of the material senses is celebrated today: The light has come! Of course, it has always been there, waiting for us to notice it. Having watched the movie "Gandhi" today, I am feeling as though anything is possible. Critical mass tipping point isn't 51%, because just a taste of goodness spreads exponentially, as all Reality must. The light has come. Thinking that we need a tribe in order to prosper, or that family is necessary for us to feel whole, or that a religion is needed to see God, these are all beliefs we have come to rely upon. We are seeing the Truth, and it has nothing to do with belief, dogma, or creed. The light has come. Let's join thought today in the realization that Love is all that is enduring. Other things pass away, but not this light which cannot be extinguished. The light has come!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Let us feel the divine energy of Spirit, bringing us into newness of life and recognizing no mortal nor material power as able to destroy. Let us rejoice that we are subject to the divine 'powers that be.' Such is the true Science of being. Any other theory of Life, or God, is delusive and mythological.” 

Science & Health Page 249:6-10

March 15, 2015 - Spiritual Ideas Give Daily Supplies

photo by Aaron Springston

ACiM Workbook Lesson #74

“There is no will but God’s.”

Recently I was asked to step outside my comfort zone and give a short interview on live television at an early morning hour. Neither public speaking nor early mornings are things which seem to come naturally to me! But, as with anything which promotes Eureka Springs and my gallery, Eureka Thyme, I immediately said I would do it. My preparation for this event consisted of holding thought to the spiritual Truth of Being. Any time a critical thought would enter regarding anything, I would correct it with one of Love and the Truth of the situation. In other words, how does God see this? Or as today's workbook lesson states: "There is no will but God's". Although I was feeling ready to go when I got out of bed at 2 a.m. this morning, as I went about my morning ablutions I started to get a bit nervous. In turning thought to God with an earnest plea asking what I need to know in this situation, it came to me to pick up a Christian Science Journal. I opened it at random and there was an article entitled, "Getting Out of the Small Pond" by Irmela Wigger. She tells of having two young ducks who were raised in her small pond. When it came time to move them to a larger pond, they refused to go. Every time they were offered the advantage of the larger pond, they would swim as quickly as possible back to shore. Then these words jumped out at me: "We can accept without fear the tasks God gives us, even if they demand that we break out of our comfort zone." I quickly saw that not only was I being supplied with this particular reading to break the spell of dread I was falling under, but that by listening I was receiving God's ideas and they were giving me everything I needed. With that, I proceeded forward to a delightful morning full of joy and sharing, for which I am very grateful.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“God gives you His spiritual ideas, and in turn, they give you daily supplies. Never ask for tomorrow: it is enough that divine Love is an ever-present help; and if you wait, never doubting, you will have all you need every moment. What a glorious inheritance is given to us through the understanding of omnipresent Love! More we cannot ask: more we do not want: more we cannot have.”

Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, Page 307

March 14, 2015 - What Will?

"Loveland Pass"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #73

“I will there be light.”

Much is said about willpower and its role in our self-control. There is always more to be said and written about the subject, because of its changeable nature. But that's not the type of will that is being written of in today's ACIM workbook lesson. It's the same type of will talked about in "thy will be done”, but it's the realization that "thy" is the same as "my" will be done. This will which we are yielding to is not some outer authority in the sky telling us what we should do; it’s the omniscient, omnipresent gentle presence which is always with us, but which we so often hide with our human will. This yielding of self will to the ever-present divine Mind manifests Itself in wonderful ways, when allowed to transpire. Thinking back on this, many instances are remembered: deciding whether to travel through inclement weather, knowing when to postpone plans, finding lost objects — other decisions which can’t be made by weighing “facts”, but where yielding to divine Mind brings answers. Let me know about some of your light-bringing moments!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The power of the human will should be exercised only in subordination to Truth; else it will misguide the judgment and free the lower propensities. It is the province of spiritual sense to govern man. Material, erring, human thought acts injuriously both upon the body and through it."

Science & Health Page 206:4-9

March 13, 2015 - Upside-Down World

"Yoga in the Forest"

ACIM  Workbook Lesson #72

“Holding grievances is an attack on God’s plan for salvation.”

An upside down world seems normal to us. We have become accustomed to believing that the testimony of our physical senses is reality, while the feelings of intuition gained through what we think of as otherworldly are just that -- unreal and imaginary. Many of my favorite authors write about these concepts, and some of them use the genre of fiction to allow them the leeway to take this new/old thought all the way without empirical evidence in support. And I applaud this method! What better way to introduce ideas to a skeptical audience than through the entertainment field? Dan Brown is an expert at this form of writing. He brings us thought-provoking concepts without asking us to accept them as true, such as in "The Lost Symbol". Paulo Coelho gently hits closer to home in his books. Two of my favorites are "The Alchemist" and "The Aleph". The enjoyment of these novels is softly preparatory for the life-changing concepts presented in A Course in Miracles and also Science & Health. Without prior opening of thought, the ideas contained in these books can be jarring indeed! In the lesson today, we learn that God did not create this body. God created everything that is real and eternal, and it's our realization of this true Self which brings us peace and harmony of being. I find that revelations in thought such as this open doors to understanding. Oftentimes what we think of as religion leads us down dead-end streets, with no logical explanation. "A creator wholly unlike [its] creation is inconceivable." (ACIM) "[You are] not material,[you are] spiritual." (MBE) These concepts are slowly beginning to be understood. To me, this is salvation! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Is Spirit the source or creator of matter? [The] Science [of the Christ] reveals nothing in Spirit out of which to create matter. Divine metaphysics explains away matter. Spirit is the only substance and consciousness recognized by divine Science. The material senses oppose this, but there are no material senses, for matter has no mind. In Spirit there is no matter, even as in Truth there is no error, and in good no evil. It is a false supposition, the notion that there is real substance-matter, the opposite of Spirit. Spirit, God, is infinite, all. Spirit can have no opposite."

Science & Health Page 278:1-11

March 12 2015 - What a Plan!

"Magic in the Moonlight"
created by Woody Allen

ACIM Workbook Lesson #71

“Only God’s plan for salvation will work.”

The topic for today's workbook lesson could be misinterpreted as meaning there is some sort of predestined plan which we must follow if we are to achieve happiness and fulfillment. What we are learning has nothing to do with blindly following something we don't understand. It involves understanding that we are the expression of God, and until we realize what that means, we have no hope of trusting what we hear within our being. But mortal mind (the thoughts which come to us from material teachings and long-held beliefs) tells us that to listen to anything other than "logic" is foolishness. And so we plant our feet on the shifting sands of materialism and think we're doing the best we can under impossible circumstances. I recently watched the latest Woody Allen movie: Magic in the Moonlight. Colin Firth plays a magician who is out to expose a beautiful, young spiritualist/medium as a fraud. His character is an interesting one, absolutely certain there is no such thing as metaphysics. After watching this delightful romantic comedy, I'm seeing their characters through Woody's eyes, being positive that we, as humans, are doomed to a life of misery, perhaps with moments of joy. This is one of the traps we have set for ourselves, thinking that something else is going to bring salvation to us, never guessing that it's already ours! But Woody's dancing closer to Truth with every autobiographical movie he gives us. What fun to watch his journey! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “Salvation. Life, Truth, and Love understood and demonstrated as supreme over all…” Science & Health Page 593:20-21

March 11, 2015 - Lives Examined

photo by Glory Leggett

ACIM Lesson #70

“My salvation comes from me.”

A few days ago, an icon of Eureka Springs, a chef and restauranteur, died suddenly and unexpectedly. Facebook has been filled with lovely tributes to his life, and many people have openly questioned their existence and wondered why they haven’t been appreciating every moment of this thrilling life. My heart’s compassion flows to this fine man’s new bride, young grandchild, and everyone else who loves him. But I’m not the least bit worried about him: he’s discovering something about Life. I learned today that a dear friend, companion, ACIM student, was involved in a three-vehicle accident which could have been devastating. In talking to him about it, we were not only extremely grateful to be sitting there talking about it, but we acknowledged how everything can change in the blink of an eye. This leads us back to this moment, the now, and how important it is to be living in it, loving it, accepting our salvation. Healing our thought heals our lives. The kingdom of heaven is withIN. The choice is ours! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“If divine Love is becoming nearer, dearer, and more real to us, matter is then submitting to Spirit. The objects we pursue and the spirit we manifest reveal our standpoint, and show what we are winning.” 

Science & Health Page 239:18-22