The Emperor Has No Clothes!

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #56: Today we review Lessons 26-30. For a guide to this review, and a short description, go to this link: http://acim.org/Lessons/lesson.html?lesson=56

The first lines from our review are these: “How can I know who I am when I see myself as under constant attack? Pain, illness, loss, age and death seem to threaten me. All my hopes and wishes and plans appear to be at the mercy of a world I cannot control.” When we feel helpless, we’re willing to grab onto anything we think will make us safe. For instance, if an insidious group wants to recruit new members, they look for those who feel bullied, or abused, or worthless, offering them control over their lives, power and security, honor and respect. By the time people find this is not true, they might think they are in too deep to escape the controlling influences which have not delivered what they promised. In our spiritual studies, we are learning to look past illusions to Truth. Let us not be afraid to give up views precipitated by fear, or beliefs held onto for comfort, because when we empty ourselves of these things we welcome a surety of purpose which keeps us moving forward, never fearing to shout out, “The emperor has no clothes!!”

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “Speak the truth to every form of error.” Science & Health Page 418:28-29

Aghast at Nothingness

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #55:

Today we review Lessons 21-25. For a guide to this review, and a short description, go to this link: http://acim.org/Lessons/lesson.html?lesson=55

This review is so exciting that I want to write about each and every one of the five topics -- but I've already done that, so I'll just focus on the first part of the review, which is from lesson #21 in A Course in Miracles workbook: "What I see now are but signs of disease, disaster, and death. This cannot be what God created for His beloved Son." Christian Scientists are often criticized for attempting to use Spirit to heal disease. Obviously, this would be impossible. Alternatively, we are chastised for doing nothing when faced with this thing called disease. If you have a so-called disease, it does no good to pretend it's not there. While affirmations, visualizations, different psychological techniques are often effective at changing matter, that is not what spiritual healing is all about. Some people think that the metaphysical treatment is an attempt to affect a change in experience. It is not. And some think that healing through prayer is asking God to cure something. It is not. Yet others feel that prayer is doing nothing. It is not. Seeing past the material illusion to a single moment of spiritual Truth, that is what spiritual healing is about. This knowledge is available to anyone, anywhere, anytime; the Principle is changeless and eternal, and all we need do is awaken to it. Today I am determined to see!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: "Human sense may well marvel at discord, while, to a diviner sense, harmony is the real and discord the unreal. We may well be astonished at sin, sickness, death. We may well be perplexed at human fear; and still more astounded at hatred, which lifts its hydra head, showing its horns in the many inventions of evil. But why should we stand aghast at nothingness?” Science & Health Page 563:1-2

Higher and Deeper

photo credit: Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #54

Today's review is of Lessons 16-20. A short description may be found at: http://A Course in Miracles.org/Lessons/lesson.html?lesson=54

Upon awakening, I had about 20 inane and/or insane thoughts before I realized what I was doing! I started off with, What day is this and where am I supposed to be?, which was quickly followed by a chain of remembrances which took me from a lovely cooking store, to my childhood home, then my little mind zoomed over to a friend's house and a remembered conversation, before zipping back to a neglected household chore. This illustrates the importance of stilling rampant thinking and centering ourselves in Truth before beginning our day. We so often feel bombarded by thoughts of fear and hostility, lack and disease, error and disharmony. To hold thought in accord with divine Mind is a lofty goal, and may seem daunting, but we are learning it is a possibility and that even a glimpse of Truth is tantalizing. Join me in taking a stand for higher, deeper thought today and every day!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Temporal things are the thoughts of mortals and are the unreal, being the opposite of the real or the spiritual and eternal.” Science & Health Page 337:26-28

Open Mind, Open Heart

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #53

Today is the third of a ten-day review of the first lessons. 

http://acim.org/Lessons/lesson.html?daily_lesson=53

Today I had an interesting interlude with my mechanic. I had taken my car in for some minor work and when I went to pick it up, he started talking about the “news”. He told me he listened to it all day long while he worked on cars. When I told him I never listened to news, but read it instead, he started telling me things he felt I needed to know. Fortunately, earlier in the day I had taken a lenten vow of giving up the need to respond to thought which I find disagreeable; rather than responding, I would listen with compassion, seeking to understand. The things he was telling me were so outlandish I asked him if he was sure they were true. He was convinced of their veracity, and I assured him that if these things are so, we need to do something to change them. I also told him how I tried not to have strong opinions because they closed my mind to anything else. After an interesting chat, he told me he was going to charge disagreeable customers a “Marsha tax” — that he was going to charge them more so he could charge me less. Even though I hope this isn’t true, it made me feel good that we engaged in a productive conversation despite our differences of opinion! I am very grateful —

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 with Key to the Scriptures Page 466:9-13

To See Or Not To See

PC: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #52

Today is the second in a ten-day review of the first lessons. For a guide to this review, and a short description, go to this link: http://acim.org/Lessons/lesson.html?lesson=52

Metaphysicians often hear words like these: "Get real! Face facts! Pull your head out of the sand!" Trying to explain myself to the spiritually-deaf ear would be akin to explaining purple to a blind child. But if I were asked to do that, it would have to be through feeling the color and allowing that sight to pass to the sightless. So when someone doesn't understand where I'm coming from, rather than explaining -- or worse, arguing! -- I will feel Love, which is the spiritual reality. I have not always been so easy to get along with! A number of years ago, a dear friend and I had an altercation which was deeply interconnected to many areas in our friendship. If either she or I had held onto the past, we wouldn't share the palpable Oneness we feel today. As this lesson tells us, it's not a choice of seeing past or present, but a choice to see or not to see. Where I've chosen to shade my thoughts with the unreality of inharmony, I will choose again and flow in Oneness with God.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Spiritual causation is the one question to be considered, for more than all others spiritual causation relates to human progress. The age seems ready to approach this subject, to ponder somewhat the supremacy of Spirit, and at least to touch the hem of Truth's garment." Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures Page 270:22-27

Oh Happy Day!

photo credit: Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #51 Today we begin a ten-day review of the first lessons. For a guide to this review, and a short description, go to this link: http://A Course in Miracles.org/Lessons/lesson.html?lesson=51 

The first 50 lessons in A Course in Miracles workbook show us how to determine the difference in reality and illusion. We have learned that what we see with material sense is colored with belief and judgment. We have been experimenting with dropping the meanings placed on things, thereby allowing spiritual facts to become evident.  Everything I see is colored with judgment, both my own and that of others. This judgment has given me whatever meaning I've placed on anything. As these meanings make no sense  -- because they have been interpreted through erroneous thoughts and beliefs -- they cannot be understood. When we learn to look through these illusions, we free ourselves to see Truth. If we accept that our thoughts mean nothing, we allow ourself to release the self-importance we've attached to things. When we are able to release these thoughts, we can replace them with the ideas of Mind. We also have been asked to see that when we become upset, it is never for the reason we think. In order to justify these incomprehensible beliefs which we have set up, we make up a complex defense system of attacks and retreats, which only serve to leave us in a state of disharmony. I don't want this crazy fantasy to be my life! I want to follow the leadings of Love, to hear through Spirit, to see with Soul, to live Life!

Mary Baker Eddy quotes

“The universe of Spirit reflects the creative power of the divine Principle, or Life, which reproduces the multitudinous forms of Mind and governs the multiplication of the compound idea man.” 

Science & Health Page 507:15-18

True Love

photo credit: Heather Peters

ACIM Workbook Lesson #50: “I am sustained by the Love of God.”

The images our ego projects and calls love are but a shadow of the Love which is our focus today. Most of us have believed the false image of love which this life has taught us. The songs we sing, the movies we watch, the things we expect from love, these do not begin to tell us what it means to be sustained by Love. To quote today’s lesson: “Put not your faith in illusions. They will fail you. Put all your faith in the Love of God within you; eternal, changeless and forever unfailing. This is the answer to whatever confronts you today. Through the Love of God within you, you can resolve all seeming difficulties without effort and in sure confidence. Tell yourself this often today. It is a declaration of release from the belief in idols. It is your acknowledgment of the truth about yourself.” ACIM

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“A misplaced word changes the sense and misstates the Science of the Scriptures, as, for instance, to name Love as merely an attribute of God; but we can by special and proper capitalization speak of the love of Love, meaning by that what the beloved disciple meant in one of his epistles, when he said, ‘God is love.’” Science & Health Page 319:27-1