No Offense Taken

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #25

"I do not know what anything is for.”

Part of me is offended to think that I don’t know what anything is for! I’ve spent a few decades learning about things and figuring out how they fit into life, and my ego doesn’t want to give up all the beliefs in which it has invested so much. It’s tempting to say this doesn’t make sense, that I don’t understand it, but then I see what yielding to the understanding that everything works together for good allows me to do. I can relax into the living of divine Mind, the imaging of divine Love. By seeing God as Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love, then seeing ourselves as the image of God, we know we can live as Mind, reflecting Love in everything. From this point, it’s not a huge stretch to admit to myself that I don’t know what anything is for, because by doing so my mind is freed of false meanings, allowing awareness of Truth and the living of this Love. And I am content at last.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The chief difficulty in conveying the teachings of divine Science accurately to human thought lies in this, that like all other languages, English is inadequate to the expression of spiritual conceptions and propositions, because one is obliged to use material terms in dealing with spiritual ideas."

Science & Health Page 349:13-18

Opening to Mind

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #24: "I do not perceive my own best interests.”

Today’s lesson is a step in opening the mind so that learning can begin, a step in seeing that there is a need for another way of looking at everything. This is not a need for another action, or a change in the world; rather it is a sincere and humble desire to allow divine Mind to show our mortal mind the nothingness of perception. To quote a passage from today’s workbook lesson: “If you realized that you do not perceive your own best interests, you could be taught what they are. But in the presence of your conviction that you do know what they are, you cannot learn. The idea for today is a step toward opening your mind so that learning can begin.” It’s always difficult to admit that we don’t know things — at least it is for me! We need not seek for our identity, as the reality of our being is right here and now, in all its perfection, waiting for us to find it!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“John saw the human and divine coincidence, shown in the man Jesus, as divinity embracing humanity in Life and its demonstration, — reducing to human perception and understanding the Life which is God.” Science & Health Page 561:16-20

Freedom of Thought

ACIM Workbook Lesson #23:

"I can escape from the world I see by giving up attack thoughts."

Working to correct injustice is not attacking — unless we make it so with thought! Many people feel the way of life we’re studying demands we sit around having happy thoughts, meditating, and turning away from pain and suffering. Of course, it does! But that does not preclude speaking truth to error when it is uncovered. By turning away from attack and demonstrating the Love which is our reality, we begin to understand our purpose on a totally different level than we may have espoused all our lives. I will remind myself time and again of these words from today’s ACIM lesson: “There is no point in trying to change the world. It is incapable of change because it is merely an effect. But there is indeed a point in changing your thoughts about the world. Here you are changing the cause. The effect will change automatically.” It takes a change of thought to bring freedom. Let's free ourselves today -- and forever!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “By purifying human thought, this state of mind permeates with increased harmony all the minutiae of human affairs.” Miscellaneous Writings Page 204:23-25

Clear Sight

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #22

"What I see is a form of vengeance."

One of the definitions for vengeance is: "Punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense; retribution." And part of the commentary from this ACIM workbook lesson is: "Today's idea accurately describes the way anyone who holds attack thoughts in his mind must see the world. Having projected his anger onto the world, he sees vengeance about to strike at him. His own attack is thus perceived as self defense." When we see through the eyes of anything other than divine Love, we are seeing through the lens of mortal belief and all the erroneous thoughts which could cloud our sight. Today I'm going to be aware of this and release all attack thoughts, leaving empty this vessel to be filled with divine Love, which will lead me in paths I hadn’t before considered.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Any statement of life, following from a misconception of life, is erroneous, because it is destitute of any knowledge of the so-called selfhood of life, destitute of any knowledge of its origin or existence.” Science & Health Page 553:8-12

Seeing Differently

"Blue Flutist" by Bosch

ACIM Workbook Lesson #21: "I am determined to see things differently"

In this era of instant information, it is becoming increasingly obvious that most of us are receiving the news and opinions which agree with what we have decided is true. Social media is tailor-made to give us what we want, much in the same way as you will get advertisements for things you have searched for on the internet. It has become extremely easy for us to justify our opinions and become convinced that everyone agrees with us — unless, of course, they are on the other side of the fence and their opinions then become diametrically opposed to our own good intentions. We are asked today to examine our mind for anything which arouses anger in us. The lesson also tells us that the degree of anger, from slight irritation to rage, makes no difference. I suspect I will not need to search very far to fill in the blank in this sentence: “I am determined to see ________ [name of person] differently.” Today I will work toward seeing that none of my attack thoughts are justified, no matter how much I want to think they are. Namastè.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The human mind will sometime rise above all material and physical sense, exchanging it for spiritual perception, and exchanging human concepts for the divine consciousness.” Science & Health Page 531:10-13

Beyond the Appearance

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #20

"I am determined to see"

One of our learned behaviors is to place blame on others for things they have said or done which we perceive as detrimental to us or others. When we see what truly is, we are able to simply witness these events, without apportioning blame or cause to them. By this lack of reasoning, we then see things as they really are, without placing our own personal meaning on them. Today I am determined to see beyond the appearances. I strive to release what I believe about circumstances, allowing room for reality to show itSelf.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The question, 'What is Truth', convulses the world. Many are ready to meet this inquiry with the assurance which comes of understanding; but more are blinded by their old illusions, and try to 'give it pause'.” 

Science & Health Page 223:14-18

No Private Thoughts

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #19

"I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my thoughts."

Would it bother you to think that there are no private thoughts? There are many things we think of as coincidence which are leading us to the truth of our connectivity, but we insist on finding reasons it can't be true. That's all right, because we are also noticing ways in which our thoughts pass between us with no spoken words. Think of the times someone comes to mind just before the telephone rings and it's them calling you. On a personal level, if we say we want world peace, yet fill our thought with violent movies and doomsday conjectures, are we truly choosing peace? Every thought is important. A peaceful tipping point is getting closer all the time. I feel that's why such violence and craziness is happening everywhere: fear of losing control, fear of change, fear of a new world. Let's live as though every thought DOES make a difference and choose Love over fear!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established.” Science & Health Page 467:9-13