Deep Listening

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #49:

"God's Voice speaks to me all through this day."

I know a few people who spend every waking hour watching television, listening to radio, cruising the internet — in other words, constantly filling up their thoughts with the cacophony of outside influences. They seem a bit fearful of meditation, yoga, sitting quietly doing nothing, or even talking with friends. I also know someone who is often expounds his strong opinions, berating others and loudly telling anyone who will listen what is wrong with the world. How can I hear divine Mind’s guidance if I’m feeding a whirlwind in my head? I wonder what would happen if every single person in this world took a few minutes before beginning their day, using those moments to quietly affirm their essence as a reflection of Love, vowing to return to that place of peace as often as possible throughout the day, living from the heart in every action taken and word spoken. As we know, we can’t change anyone else, only ourselves. 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Infinite Mind creates and governs all, from the mental molecule to infinity. This divine Principle of all expresses Science and art throughout creation, and the immortality of man and the universe." Science & Health Page 507:24-28

Piano Lessons With Chili Dog

Chili-Dog 

ACIM Workbook Lesson #48: "There is nothing to fear."

I’ve spoken often of things I have learned from my dog. Today I’ve had yet another revelation, courtesy of Chili Dog. For the past couple of months, he has had physical problems which kept him from easily jumping into the car. Even though the impairment is gone now, he was still wary of stairs or the hop into the car. While visiting one of our favorite walking spots today, I was thinking about his fear and how to guide him past it, when it came to me that I had been doing the same thing. Although I began playing the organ and electronic piano at local churches more than a year ago, I have steadfastly held to the belief that I couldn’t play a conventional piano. I had all sorts of reasons for this, convincing myself they were true. As the lightbulb went on over my head today, I opened all the car doors and sat in the driver’s seat, quietly feeling gratitude, and Chili built up the courage to vault into the car. I drove straight to the beautiful upright Baldwin piano I have insisted I can’t play and fearlessly did so. Woo-hoo!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “The calm and exalted thought or spiritual apprehension is at peace. Thus the dawn of ideas goes on, forming each successive stage of progress.” Science & Health Page 506:11-14

Channeling Truth

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #47:

"God is the strength in which I trust."

Mary Baker Eddy spent years writing, revising, and editing the revelation of divine Science which was published in 1875. Helen Schucman received the message of A Course in Miracles and committed years of her life to its transcription, which was presented in book form in 1976. From where did the strength come, which enabled these women to facilitate a world-wide change in thought? I know that Mrs. Eddy ascribed full credit to God. She understood that no matter how erudite and learned she had become, (despite no formal education), that there was no way mortal mind could know the divine realities of which she wrote. At least once she stated that she had no idea what Science & Health said, and that's why she read it daily. Some would describe both of these books as being "channeled" writings. I think there's much to be said for the notion that everything is channeled! We are learning to release the bonds of materialism, allowing ourselves to be channels for Truth. Thank you Mary, and Helen, and every other honest seeker for Truth who has demonstrated the fortitude to birth new thought. 

Mary Baker Eddy quote: "The revelation of Truth in the understanding came to me gradually and apparently through divine power. When a new spiritual idea is borne to earth, the prophetic Scripture of Isaiah is renewedly fulfilled: 'Unto us a child is born, . . . and his name shall be called Wonderful.'" Science & Health Page 109:22-27

Forgiveness Through Love

Drawing by Lynn Horist

ACIM Workbook Lesson #46:

“God is the Love in which I forgive.”

[I wrote this last year and was most surprised to find that I have done what I wanted to do last year!] We are asked to close our eyes and search our mind for things which we have not forgiven. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small unforgiven experience or a great big unforgivable event — we are asked to examine ourselves and identify these instances. We are preparing to forgive ourselves! Divine Love is the love which we are giving and getting in this forgiveness, not the human love which puts parameters on its flow. What we extend, we are. When I see the people I am withholding forgiveness from, I don’t want to think of their actions which I feel justify my feelings. I still blame someone from 50-plus years ago, a sweet woman who gave my pet turtle a bath and it died. I don’t want to think of that incident every time I see her or hear her name! I want to release my mind from these illusions, extending Love because I am Love!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

 "'God is Love.' More than this we cannot ask, higher we cannot look, farther we cannot go." Science & Health Page 6:17-18

Limitless Idea of Infinite Mind

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #45: “God is the Mind with which I think.”

On this beautiful day when the world celebrates love, I would like to quote words from an Eckhart Tolle talk: “To feel empathy with another human, to feel love or lovingkindness, isn’t an emotion. Emotion is the neediness of attachment to another human being, but the outflow of lovingkindness or love towards another human is not a turbulence; it’s a deep thing that comes out of the recognition that the consciousness that I am is the essence of who you are, also. So what I love in you is consciousness loving itself.” Today I will make a point of thinking of people who are expressing divine Love in various activities, living a life of grace, and let them know how important they are to me and others. Happy Valentine’s Day to us all!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “Love alone can impart the limitless idea of infinite Mind.” Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures Page 510:18-19

Seeing Through Divine Love

photo credit: Alden Stallings

ACIM Workbook Lesson #44

"God is the Light in which I see."

We have all witnessed people who are deeply unconscious, being totally led by ego and the baser instincts. When I said yesterday that God sees no difference in Mother Teresa and Adolph Hitler, I did not mean to say that heinous acts perpetrated by unconscious individuals should be ignored or accepted as inevitable. When we view others without judgment, this does not mean that their inhumane acts should be overlooked.  Defining injustice is not in and of itself judgmental. Seeing in the light of divine Love, which becomes our sight when we clear the channel for it, we are led in ways which strong opinion and bias would hide from view. We can be a transparency for this Love to shine through and illumine the darkness, simply by giving up things we never wanted in the first place.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The manifestation of God through mortals is as light passing through the windowpane. The light and the glass never mingle, but as matter, the glass is less opaque than the walls. The mortal mind through which Truth appears most vividly is that one which has lost much materiality — much error — in order to become a better transparency for Truth. Then, like a cloud melting into thin vapor, it no longer hides the sun.” Science & Health Page 295:16-24

Pure Sight

photo credit: Kailey Jones

ACIM Workbook Lesson #43: "God is my Source. I cannot see apart from Him."

From today's Course in Miracles lesson: "You cannot see apart from God because you cannot be apart from God." We are told time and again, and in many different ways, that it is impossible to be separated from divine Love, it is impossible to be separate from each other as we are all a reflection of divine Mind. On a regular basis, my ego tells me this couldn’t possibly be true. My so-called mortal mind informs me that my thought is higher than that person over there, and it’s tempting to feel a bit superior. I often tell people that God sees no difference in Mother Teresa and Adolph Hitler. This is easy to say, but a bit more difficult to truly understand. But that’s where our burgeoning understanding of Oneness is leading us: there is no difference in me and that guy over there! Today I will exercise my sight — my true sight — wherein I cannot see apart from my Source. Would I rather my sight be pure or convoluted? It seems like a no-brainer!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Man is more than a material form with a mind inside, which must escape from its environments in order to be immortal. Man reflects infinity, and this reflection is the true idea of God."

Science & Health Page 258:9-12