Dreams of Separation

ACIM Workbook Lesson #238

“On my decision, all salvation rests.”

My decision, (my job, if you will) is to forget the dreams of malice, revenge, hatred, and anger. These dreams of separation from our Oneness are simply that — dreams, with no relation to the reality we are coming to know. My self is the one Self we all share, so I may choose to accept this as my identity, or I can continue to choose the illusions of belief in separation. It’s not always easy to see this false identity as something I no longer want. It jumps up and down and insists that it is good and I am bad if I choose anything other than it. How grateful I am to have friends who support my decision to grasp for the heights of my Being, allowing the lower propensities to remain where they lie. Thank you greatly —

“Christian Science commands man to master the propensities, — to hold hatred in abeyance with kindness, to conquer lust with chastity, revenge with charity, and to overcome deceit with honesty.” Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures Page 405:4-9

Creation

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #237 “Now would I be as God created me."

How did God create me? If I think of creation from a standpoint of human, mortal mind, I may think of the  Adam and Eve story. Looking beyond material, illusory opinions to pure spiritual ideas is a step toward understanding how "God created me". We tell ourselves: I'm only human and I couldn’t be created as the image and likeness of God. If we accept material creation myths as the truth of our being, we live the dream of life in and of matter with all the limitations that implies. The realization that we are an idea of God takes us to the threshold of understanding Life. Today I will see everything in the light of spiritual truth, omitting no one nor thing!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The mythical human theories of creation, anciently classified as the higher criticism, sprang from cultured scholars in Rome and in Greece, but they afforded no foundation for accurate views of creation by the divine Mind.”

Science & Health Page 255: 5-10

We Are Rulers of Our Thought

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #236 “I rule my mind, which I alone must rule."

I know someone who often says, You can't help what you think; it's what you do with those thoughts that matters. Unfortunately, this person is miserable in her circular thinking, going over and over events which are distressing to her, telling herself again and again that it's god's plan and she must abide by it. Whew! Today's lesson is teaching us we do have a choice in what goes through our mind. We are the rulers of our thought and have the ability to choose, to turn fear upside down and let it go. In accepting the gift of Truth from divine Mind, there can be no choice between being right or being kind—after all, Love is all there is!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “God's thoughts are perfect and eternal, are substance and Life. Material and temporal thoughts are human, involving error, and since God, Spirit, is the only cause, they lack a divine cause. The temporal and material are not then creations of Spirit. They are but counterfeits of the spiritual and eternal.” Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures Page 286:21-27

Keep it Simple

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #235 “God in His mercy wills that I be saved."

The mass consciousness we swim in tells us we've done something wrong and can't be saved until we do a whole bunch of things right. Let's release all of those beliefs and concentrate on what feels true, right now, in this moment. Toward this end I will, at every possible moment, quiet my thoughts and allow Truth to permeate my being. It's there all the time, this Love which is God, this divine Love which supports us more surely than the swirling waters of mass consciousness. Our true consciousness is expressed most perfectly in two words: I Am. I think I’ll keep it simple today. Join me!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The scientific unity which exists between God and man must be wrought out in life-practice, and God's will must be universally done. If men would bring to bear upon the study of the Science of Mind half the faith they bestow upon the so-called pains and pleasures of material sense they would not go on from bad to worse …” Science & Health Page 202:3-9

Be Gentle With Yourself

ACIM Workbook Lesson #234 “Father, today I am Your Son again.”

My memories are turned to a dear little old lady who lived up the street. Margaret had been alone for more than a decade and she had taken all the mirrors out of her house. When some other neighbors and I began to help her with housekeeping chores and other things, someone put a mirror on the wall in her bathroom. When she first saw it, she got very upset and began trying to pull it off the wall and, when that didn’t work, she tried to break it. She had not seen herself in so many years that she couldn’t face what she saw. Many of us feel the same way about viewing ourselves in the light of Spirit. We have become so accustomed to thinking of ourselves as less than, as separate from, the beauty of Love, that it may not be easy to accept our spiritual Self. We may have a tough time releasing our beliefs and allowing ourselves to Be. Please, let’s be gentle with ourselves and savor the glimpses we see upon the release of what we think we are! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “Matter is a human concept. Life is divine Mind.” Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures Page 569:3-4

Only Good

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #233 “I give my life to God to guide today."

I have made a vow to myself to only "see, hear, and repeat good". I’ve noticed myself (and others) mindlessly repeating things we have heard, whether it be truth or rumor, good news or a horrid happening, or simple inanities. In the volatile atmosphere of our emotionally-charged country, it is particularly important to scatter joy and express kindness. While it is also part of being kind to be compassionate with others, that doesn’t mean we must exacerbate their pain by adding ours to it. I’ve heard it said that worry is much like praying for something bad to happen. With these thoughts in mind, I will remember my vow to only see, hear, and repeat good. God is Love. I am a reflection of that — and so are you!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “The power of the human will should be exercised only in subordination to Truth; else it will misguide the judgment and free the lower propensities. It is the province of spiritual sense to govern man.” Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures, Page 206:2-7

Be My Mind

ACIM Workbook Lesson #232

“Be in my mind, my Father, through the day."

Certain words cause me to cringe and so (at this point in my releasing of belief and learned behavior) I simply leave them out or change them. For instance, in today’s topic I prefer to leave out the words ”in" and “my Father”. With the word “in”, I immediately think there is something missing which must be brought into me, so I prefer to say “be my mind”. Changing the wording allows me to feel more at One with this ever presence I am acknowledging. I’ve also left out the word "Father" for much the same reason. The human connotations which have been given to this term overwhelm some people, perhaps even me, although I've worked hard to give up any idea of a man in the clouds giving out favors or throwing lightning bolts! I urge you to not worry about semantics and other word games we tend to play with ourselves. But when something causes me discomfort in the wording of these spiritual exercises, I have no problem with thinking of it in another way, until my thinking about the words change. After all, this is what it's all about: changing our thought!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“IN:  A term obsolete in Science if used with reference to Spirit, or Deity.” Science & Health Page 588:22-23