A Foretaste of Eternity

photo credit: Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #227 “This is my holy instant of release.”

Every moment is a holy instant and everything is a meditation. Each time I have an attack thought and turn it into a loving, non-judgmental one, I am in meditation. When someone speaks words which could send me into a tirade of condemnation or defense, but I calmly think and say something like “you may be right”, it’s a holy instant acknowledged. One moment of slipping between the thoughts is “a foretaste of eternity”!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “One moment of divine consciousness, or the spiritual understanding of Life and Love, is a foretaste of eternity.” Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures Page 598:23-24

Present Possibilities

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #226 “My home awaits me. I will hasten there.”

"If I so choose, I can depart this world entirely. It is not death which makes this possible, but it is change of mind about the purpose of the world. If I believe it has a value as I see it now, so will it still remain for me. But if I see no value in the world as I behold it, nothing that I want to keep as mine or search for as a goal, it will depart from me. For I have not sought for illusions to replace the truth." ACIM LESSON #226

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“When you read this, remember Jesus' words, ‘The kingdom of God is within you.’ This spiritual consciousness is therefore a present possibility.”

Science & Health Page 573:32-2

Light Dispels Dark

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #225 “God is my Father, and His Son loves Him.”

Today’s lesson is asking us to experience the Love which is ever-present by virtue of Oneness. This includes everything and everyone. With one infinite Mind, there are no degrees of unity. This is often difficult to experience in the form we expect it to take, being at peace with someone who is unfeeling, vindictive, misguidedly perpetrating evil. I don’t think we’re being asked to condone violence in any of its forms, rather to counter hate with Love, and war with peace. I told someone today that when we open a dark closet, the darkness doesn’t escape into the room; the light dispels the dark. And so it is…

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“…with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science."

Science & Health Page 470:2-5

Perfect Love

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #224 “God is my Father, and He loves His Son.”

Today's Course in Miracles lesson tells me that God is my Father and He loves His Son. When we take away material gender-related terms, it's easier for some of us to know this is telling us that we are all reflections of creative Mind (God), and that divine Love is equally ever-present for all. There is no division by religion or any other so-called standard. There is no Love more readily bestowed on someone who fits the requirements to be called saint or sinner. This perfect Love is available to all, simply for the accepting of it. We truly are all created equally!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfills the Scripture, “Love thy neighbor as thyself;” annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed. "

Science & Health Page 340:21-29

The Hats We Wear

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #223 “God is my life. I have no life but His.”

I’ve been thinking about how we define ourselves by our jobs, our talents, our looks, our cars, our children — well, the list goes on, doesn’t it? When I closed my beloved art gallery, many people warned me that it would be a huge adjustment not going there every day and having it as the center of my existence. But it wasn’t! I think that’s because it never defined me. I never thought of myself as being what I was doing. It’s easy to think of one’s self as being a mother, or a mechanic, or any number of things which we do on a daily basis. And there is nothing wrong with that; nothing at all! But I’m very grateful that all the hats I’ve worn in this life are just that: accouterments to Life!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"God is divine Life, and Life is no more confined to the forms which reflect it than substance is in its shadow.”

Science & Health Page 331:1-3

And So It Is...

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #222 “God is with me. I live and move in Him.”

We are waking up from our dream of separation! In this awakening, we are experiencing another level of living and are becoming more consciously intuitive in our daily activities. Whereas we used to think of "hunches" as meaningless feelings, we are now realizing they're whispers from divine Mind. Living life as the reflection of Love opens our thought to Oneness, and we see a world without judgment. People are dropping lifelong habits, and they're glad to see them go! And so it Is…

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The universe reflects and expresses the divine substance or Mind...” Science & Health Page 300:29-30

A Quieter Mind

PC: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #221

“Peace to my mind.  Let all my thoughts be still.”

“Growing More Peaceful Every Day”, these are the words written on a pillow a friend gave me. Through the decades, my idea of what constitutes peace has evolved. In younger days, the only peace I wanted was during sleep. The rest of the time was happily busy with people and learning things. Then came the years spent partying, which I don't think were peaceful, but memory is rather foggy during that time. Motherhood brought a certain peace to my restless soul, but it was full of the activity of child rearing and caring for a home where my boys’ friends were always welcome. Following that was the relative quiet of running a business. The practice of relating to others in a peaceful manner was my education during that decade. Finally, I now understand it's not what I'm doing, but how I'm experiencing it. The peace which seemed fleeting is possible in every moment, and not because there is nothing to do, but because I enjoy every single moment without judging it against anything from the past or wishing it to be different in the future. Ah, the bliss of a quiet(er) mind!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear,--this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony." Science & Health Page 323:32-2