Open-Hearted Living

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #123

"I thank my Father for His gifts to me."

I was chatting with a local health care professional who recently had open heart surgery. He tells me that many of the people in the "zipper club" (as a group of bypass patients call themselves) are anything but open-hearted. He says many people are angry that their life has changed so much. He told me that some don't want to go forward, but rather spend time and energy wanting their old lifestyle back. I find this difficult to understand. Having gone through a life-changing physical event, I found the major changes to be exhilarating and exciting. The name "open heart" would cause me to smile every time I thought of it, leading me to open myself to everything that life has to offer and bringing a new appreciation -- and I'm sure it has for many, as it has for the beautiful man with which I shared this conversation. I open my heart to happiness, safety, comfort, certainty of purpose, and peace so perfect it can never be upset. I am grateful, moment-by-moment, for all that I am learning and seeing demonstrated in daily life. Thank you greatly!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Gratitude is much more than a verbal expression of thanks. Action expresses more gratitude than speech.

Science & Health Page 3:25-26

Forgiveness Reconciles Differences

photo credit: Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #122

"Forgiveness offers everything I want."

The forgiveness we speak of today is all-encompassing. It is more than just saying we don't hold a grudge against someone for something. The "forgiveness [which] offers everything I want" is born from the practice of realizing our unity with God, hence our Oneness with each other. By this understanding we can look past the multitude of forms which present themselves to us in the guise of reality, and, in looking through this veil, realize and demonstrate Truth. What more could we want other than peace, joy, love, contentment, bliss, appreciation, and satisfaction? Forgiveness reconciles any so-called differences we may have with each other and vanishes anything we are holding against ourselves. Allowing divine Love to guide our every action and thought frees us to live differently from when our lives are dictated by material beliefs and habits. Our commonality rests in the Oneness of our true being. That's a constant reality!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need.”

Science & Health Page 494:10-11

Corrected Thought

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Lesson #119

Review of: #107 "Truth will correct all errors in my mind." #108 "To give and to receive are one in truth."

It seems there are any number of errors to correct in this world. It’s quite a relief to discover that I only need to correct them in my mind, not in the fearful and angry minds I witness around me. If I look at these actions with horror, or disgust, or anger, or fear, I have become a part of them and share in them. If I look on others as Love’s reflection, there is forgiveness. By making such statements in public, I run the risk of someone telling me I don’t know what I’m talking about — and, perhaps, they wouldn’t be using words quite so kind! There is a young woman who makes videos about these teachings. She is often verbally attacked in the comments section of YouTube. If the speaker and her supporters are willing to give these derogatory words energy in retaliation and defense, they are accepting attacks within themselves. If we rather send forth forgiveness, realizing we are all One in Truth, then we give the gift of Love — and receive it ourselves. Therein lies correction!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Because Truth is infinite, error should be known as nothing. Because Truth is omnipotent in goodness, error, Truth's opposite, has no might.”

Science & Health Page 329:21-24

Lips Muted

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Lesson #118

Review of: #105 "God's peace and joy are mine." #106 "Let me be still and listen to the truth."

Listening is a learned art, a choice, a possibility! I know how difficult it can be to truly listen to someone, without judgment, without thinking about what I’m going to say next, without daydreaming about something else other than hearing what’s in front of me. Not listening to others is a habit which can be broken. The deep listening which we are asked to practice in order to hear Truth, thereby knowing peace and joy, is also a possibility which can be learned if I so choose. It’s not always an easy task to get out of my own way and listen, to hear what Love is whispering within. These workbook lessons are invaluable in the development of spiritual sense: they teach us to be still and listen, and to recognize the Truth that we are hearing. I am very grateful —

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Lips must be mute and materialism silent, that man may have audience with Spirit, the divine Principle, Love, which destroys all error.”

Science & Health Page15:11-13

Happiness Naturally

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Lesson #117

Review of: #103 "God, being Love, is also happiness." #104 "I seek but what belongs to me in truth."

Nothing can be imaged forth in form unless it exists in consciousness. What??  I know, I know. You may say you had never heard of such and such disease until you got it. Well, collective consciousness counts, too. Yikes! So how do we keep from contracting every disease and imaging forth all the horrors of the world? This is exactly what Gary Renard tells us in "The Disappearance of the Universe" and what Mary Baker Eddy means by "there is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter". When we put more faith in matter than Spirit, then, yes, we are subject to every little quirk of the universe. But the realization of Truth puts us under no government but that of divine Mind, God. It may seem that it would be impossible to come out from under the tent of materiality in favor of Spirit. I've had enough glimpses to know it is indeed very possible, but it takes work. When you listen to detailed stories of disease, it become embedded in consciousness. I'm never surprised when something jumps out of that vast forever, but I do negate it in thought -- to the best of my ability. And practice does make perfect, so I won't give up!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“...God is Love, and without Love, God, immortality cannot appear. Mortals try to believe without understanding Truth; yet God is Truth.”

Science & Health Page 312:16-19

The Dance of Mortal Mind

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Lesson #116

Review of: #101 "God's Will for me is perfect happiness." #102 "I share God's Will for happiness for me."

A lifelong friend paid a visit over the weekend and talk turned to what it takes to release past hurts, inhibiting beliefs, and negativity of all sorts. As we talked about this, I offered many platitudes, many of which I've set down in these writings. I must have been too sure of myself, because (as the Native Americans describe it) that coyote jumped up and bit me in the behind today! I spent the afternoon playing duplicate bridge, having a great time being happily competitive. Toward the end of the session, my partner and I had a misunderstanding in bidding which resulted in going set by six tricks. This is almost unheard of in this type of competition! For the past several hours, the situation keeps coming back to mind, with me replaying what happened, what should have happened, how to keep it from happening again -- well, you get the picture! While I know, intellectually, that I should give the situation away, just let it go, it keeps coming up again and again. As usual, I know the answer, but don't want to hear it: forgiveness. The perfect happiness which is Love's will for me knows nothing about these things, and as the expression of that Love neither do I! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Upon this stage of existence goes on the dance of mortal mind. Mortal thoughts chase one another like snowflakes, and drift to the ground. Science reveals Life as not being at the mercy of death, nor will Science admit that happiness is ever the sport of circumstance."

Science & Health Page 250:28-1

Imagine

ACIM Workbook Lesson #115

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Review of:  #99 "Salvation is my only function here." #100 "My part is essential to God's plan for salvation."

Imagine a world with no pain, no war, no lack. This is the world presented in a thought-providing movie called, "The Giver". This scenario seems Utopian on the surface, but no one sees colors, or feels love, or knows joy. This world of sameness is calculated to eliminate envy and greed, as these are feelings which lead to conflicts and war.  Jeff Bridges plays the giver of memories, and no one else knows the memories of past horrors or wonders. What do you think? Would it be worth it to have a perfectly comfortable and predictable world with no highs nor lows? Is this what we're trying to create for ourselves in giving drugs to anyone who steps outside of the so-called norm in society? What are we creating in our efforts to make everyone socially acceptable? I feel like I'm asking you questions in an Oprah book club or something similar! This movie asks us: Is all the pain worth the glimpses of love we may experience? I know many of us are willing to give up our belief in a hellish world of pain and reach within for heaven and harmony. I can see that many of us are finding bliss no matter what the outer circumstance, but a lot of people are frightened and resistant. We can't change anyone else, but we can change our own thought. If we really are One, this makes a difference!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“…the heavens and earth to one human consciousness, that consciousness which God bestows, are spiritual, while to another, the unillumined human mind, the vision is material. This shows unmistakably that what the human mind terms matter and spirit indicates states and stages of consciousness.”

Science & Health Page 573:6-12