Defensive Reactions

photo credit: Jerry Dupy

ACIM Workbook Lesson #135

"If I defend myself I am attacked."

This lesson is all-encompassing in its explanations of what we tend to do in daily life. It speaks of the “folly of defense” as giving illusions reality and then attempting to handle them.  At least once a day, I will catch myself being defensive in reaction to something I hear from someone else, or an action on my part, or something from the past. Sometimes these defenses of mine cause me to hear a little voice in my head, that of my children when they were little, saying “crazy mom’s here, get out of the way!” Rather than thanking them for showing me my insanity, I probably got pretty defensive and went on and on in an attempt to justify myself. Nowadays when I hear their little voices in my memory, I am thankful for the reminder, then amused at my actions or reactions. And I choose again — gratefully!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The time for thinkers has come. Truth, independent of doctrines and time-honored systems, knocks at the portal of humanity.” 

Science & Health Page vii:13-15

Forgiveness As It Is

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #134

"Let me perceive forgiveness as it is."

In our material world, forgiveness has many faces. Perhaps someone tells us they're sorry and we say, That's all right. Or maybe someone has done something which stays on our mind as a transgression until we finally decide to forgive them, while thinking that we won't or can't forget. This is not what we're talking about today. Our topic involves the release of illusions, the acknowledgement that there is no reality in sin. I define sin as anything which separates us from the love which is God. I often think of the ancient Toltec wisdom as interpreted by Don Miguel Ruiz in his book, The Four Agreements. One of these agreements asks us not to take anything personally. This request speaks to "forgiveness as it is". He goes so far as to state that even if someone shoots you in the head, it's not your problem, it's theirs! What an interesting thought! This forgiveness acknowledges no blame in the first place, holds no grudge as there is no blame, and requires no forgiveness because there was no blame or grudge. As we learn to see life through spiritual sense, forgiveness takes on a different meaning for us. It becomes a peaceful acknowledgement of reality, and facilitates a letting go of the belief in separation. No blame, no guilt, all is forgiveness.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action.”

Science & Health Page 454:18-21

What Do I Value?

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #133

"I will not value what is valueless."

One of the "tests" given in today's lesson for recognizing if something is valuable is to ask yourself if what you're valuing is changeable. What does not change? Certainly everything physical changes, often quite rapidly. Love, with a capital "L" doesn't change, although many of the fleeting things we call love do tend to change, grow, lessen, and even turn into other not-so-nice emotions. The next question we are asked is if we feel guilt in association with what we value? So now we have two tests to check for the reality of what we value: does it last and do we feel guilty in any way. I'm looking around the room right now and asking myself what do I value. Many things bring a smile, many things I enjoy seeing and remembering the events and people associated with them -- but value? No, I don't value anything in here as much as I value the love of my dog and mine for him. I'm beginning to understand that Life, Truth, Love are mine as a reflection of divine Mind, and that these are universally shared through the Principle of Spirit and Soul. I'm recognizing this existence in everything and seeing that loss is, indeed, gain.

Mary Baker Eddy quotes:

“Break up cliques, level wealth with honesty, let worth be judged according to wisdom, and we get better views of humanity.”

Science & Health Page 239:7-10

The Gift of Free Thought

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #132

"I loose the world from all I thought it was."

Many people feel there isn't time to study the Principle they long to embrace. We tell ourselves that we must live in the "real world" and that leaves little time for spiritual quests. With a slight shift in thought, it becomes apparent that reality isn't what we've always believed it to be. When this happens, we don't need to set aside specific time in order to practice a spiritual discipline. Without the downer of constantly repeating what we don't want in our lives, by refusing to dwell in fear and dread, we have a lot more time to hold thought to "the enduring, the good, and the true". (S&H Page 261:4) By allowing this new way of thinking to become a present reality, I am coming a step closer to understanding where Mrs. Eddy was standing when she said, "The divine understanding reigns, is all, and there is no other consciousness." Every glimpse I have of this divine reality is a moment of freeing the world from the bondage of my thought. What a gift!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"In the Apocalypse it is written: 'And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.' In St. John's vision, heaven and earth stand for spiritual ideas, and the sea, as a symbol of tempest-tossed human concepts advancing and receding, is represented as having passed away. The divine understanding reigns, is all, and there is no other consciousness."

Science & Health Page 536:1-9

Bad Luck/Good Luck - Who Knows?

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #131

"No one can fail who seeks to reach the truth."

There is a story of a farmer who used an old horse to till his fields. One day, the horse ran away and when the farmer's neighbors sympathized with the man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, "Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?" A week later, the horse returned with a herd of horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, "Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?" The farmer's son attempted to tame one of the wild horses, fell off, and broke his leg, Everyone thought this very bad luck, but not the farmer, whose only reaction was, "Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?" Then war broke out and the son didn't have to fight because of his broken leg. Bad luck, good luck -- who knows? It's wonderful to be open to Life with no expectations, not thinking in terms of good and bad, letting Love live through us!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Harmony is produced by its Principle, is controlled by it and abides with it.” Science & Health Page 304:16-17

Choices

"Self and self"
creation of Sandy Wythawai Starbird

ACIM Workbook Lesson #130

"It is impossible to see two worlds."

There is a world of Love, and there is a world of fear. I cannot see them both at the same time. You would think the choice between these two would be simple, but fear is often insidious and I may not realize it’s guiding my choices. I can't know the world of Spirit when I'm thinking from the standpoint of mortal sense. I can't love my neighbors when I'm judging them. I can't hear that "still, small voice" when my thought is full of chaotic chatter. These dualities represent the two worlds we wish to embrace simultaneously, but find we cannot. Everything I do, or say, or think, places me firmly in one world or the other. Moment by moment, I choose what to accept as truth. By consistently turning thought away from ego-based concepts and looking to spiritual interpretations, I am choosing the world I want to see. And if I'm not comfortable with what I'm seeing, guess what? I can choose again!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The visible universe and material man are the poor counterfeits of the invisible universe and spiritual man.”

Science & Health Page 337:22-24

Imagine That!

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #129

"Beyond this world there is a world I want."

To the uninitiated in this way of thought, the above sentence may appear to refer to a world experienced at the change we call death. The "beyond" spoken of here is made manifest through the death of old beliefs and a rebirth in new thought. Wouldn't it be great if we lived in a world where loss is impossible, where love lasts forever, where hate does not exist, and vengeance has no meaning? What if we had no misunderstandings, nor hard feelings between people, because we didn't blame others for thinking differently than we do? Our world is wonderful in many ways, but there are also horrors beyond words, and this is what causes people to lose faith in this thing we call God. We have created an un-God-like world and blame an unknown deity for what we think we cannot change. What if we're wrong and what we see is not true creation? Imagine that!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“That which material sense calls intangible, is found to be substance. What to material sense seems substance, becomes nothingness, as the sense-dream vanishes and reality appears."

Science & Health Page 312:3-6